astrology the sacred science
The notion that celestial patterns formed in the sky can be related to earthly events and experiences is thousands of years old. All major cultures have acknowledged the ‘stars’. But what place can this ancient tradition hold in our modern, technological world?
Contemporary Astrology asserts that the position of the planets and the stars corresponds with events, behaviour, character etc; rather than influences them. From a vast, almost limitless field of archetypal meanings ‘patterns of relationship’ can, with a trained eye, be observed. This is the essence of the ancient maxim - ‘as above so below’. Based on our current understanding of energy interchange these correspondences are 'acausal'; i.e. there is no discernable causal link between a particular celestial body, or bodies, and terrestrial events, at least not ones that can be scientifically measured and consistently replicated……..at the present time! The ‘logic’ of these relationships lays in their patterning and in the holistic principle that everything is connected, essentially made of the same ‘stuff’ and energetically linked, whether we can ‘prove’ the link or not. Interestingly modern physics alludes to these notions.
For these links are not limited or confined to matter and the material universe, but to our experiences and to the subjective realms of meaning, value, belief and purpose. Life, and our experience of it, abounds with unrepeatable (and therefore by definition unscientific) moments!
In bygone days religion and magical systems were the means to comprehend and interpret subjective life and our relationship with the cosmos. From these traditions Philosophy (literally - the love of wisdom) and Psychology (literally – the study of the soul) developed. Each constitutes vast fields of enquiry into the workings of the mind (as somewhat distinct from the brain), emotional ‘knowing’ and levels of consciousness. They broach ethics, morality and meaning. They explore fate and destiny. In common with religion (of all persuasions; east, west, theistic and pagan), and the vast array of symbol systems, they seek to interpret our existence and shed light on our fundamental urge toward wholeness. They constitute the ‘why’ rather than the ‘how’ of things; and the qualitative rather than the quantitative.
It is on this side of the ‘fence’ that Astrology stands. While methods of mathematical and astronomical calculation are made in astrological work, the interpretation of planetary positions and patterns is essentially an archetypal one, relying on a grasp of the potential meanings inherent in the symbols (planets etc.) being considered. This knowledge is gleaned not from a superficial take on the ‘Sun’ sign, but from a more intricate analysis of many astrological reference points and their correlations.
From these correlations come insights that can aid us in better understanding ourselves and each other. Through an appreciation of planetary cycles that correspond with major life cycles, we can respond to and even plan the way that we meet potential challenges and opportunities.
Astrology, and the practice of it, evolves and changes as our perceptual and psychological reference points evolve and change, and as our needs change. New subtleties surface in response to contemporary life. Today we see the application of astrological principles emerging in the fields of human resources, education, early childhood learning and even in the world of business. And as greater numbers of counselors, psychologists and health professionals draw on astrological tools and techniques in their practice, so do more individuals seek insights that might aid their understanding and enrich their sense of meaning, connection and creative participation in their own self development.
Contemporary Astrology asserts that the position of the planets and the stars corresponds with events, behaviour, character etc; rather than influences them. From a vast, almost limitless field of archetypal meanings ‘patterns of relationship’ can, with a trained eye, be observed. This is the essence of the ancient maxim - ‘as above so below’. Based on our current understanding of energy interchange these correspondences are 'acausal'; i.e. there is no discernable causal link between a particular celestial body, or bodies, and terrestrial events, at least not ones that can be scientifically measured and consistently replicated……..at the present time! The ‘logic’ of these relationships lays in their patterning and in the holistic principle that everything is connected, essentially made of the same ‘stuff’ and energetically linked, whether we can ‘prove’ the link or not. Interestingly modern physics alludes to these notions.
For these links are not limited or confined to matter and the material universe, but to our experiences and to the subjective realms of meaning, value, belief and purpose. Life, and our experience of it, abounds with unrepeatable (and therefore by definition unscientific) moments!
In bygone days religion and magical systems were the means to comprehend and interpret subjective life and our relationship with the cosmos. From these traditions Philosophy (literally - the love of wisdom) and Psychology (literally – the study of the soul) developed. Each constitutes vast fields of enquiry into the workings of the mind (as somewhat distinct from the brain), emotional ‘knowing’ and levels of consciousness. They broach ethics, morality and meaning. They explore fate and destiny. In common with religion (of all persuasions; east, west, theistic and pagan), and the vast array of symbol systems, they seek to interpret our existence and shed light on our fundamental urge toward wholeness. They constitute the ‘why’ rather than the ‘how’ of things; and the qualitative rather than the quantitative.
It is on this side of the ‘fence’ that Astrology stands. While methods of mathematical and astronomical calculation are made in astrological work, the interpretation of planetary positions and patterns is essentially an archetypal one, relying on a grasp of the potential meanings inherent in the symbols (planets etc.) being considered. This knowledge is gleaned not from a superficial take on the ‘Sun’ sign, but from a more intricate analysis of many astrological reference points and their correlations.
From these correlations come insights that can aid us in better understanding ourselves and each other. Through an appreciation of planetary cycles that correspond with major life cycles, we can respond to and even plan the way that we meet potential challenges and opportunities.
Astrology, and the practice of it, evolves and changes as our perceptual and psychological reference points evolve and change, and as our needs change. New subtleties surface in response to contemporary life. Today we see the application of astrological principles emerging in the fields of human resources, education, early childhood learning and even in the world of business. And as greater numbers of counselors, psychologists and health professionals draw on astrological tools and techniques in their practice, so do more individuals seek insights that might aid their understanding and enrich their sense of meaning, connection and creative participation in their own self development.