Mystical Musings #1
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On Astrology
Astrology is a metaphysical discipline that has been practiced -- and has survived -- for thousands of years. Sometimes that itself seems like a miracle. Astrology certainly has its detractors and critics. To me it seems quite a few people find it as fashionable to be a skeptic and scoffer as to be a "believer." My admiration actually goes to those who "reserve judgment." Believe it or not, I think I'm in that category.
I "believe" in Astrology to the extent that I study it -- and use it. I practice it and consult it. I teach it ... and I respect it. I base a lot of my personal decisions on its wisdom and advice -- and I can say this: I have never been sorry. To that extent I can say Astrology works for me I find it consistent and useful. It occupies an honored place in my system of values. It's part of my personal philosophy.
There's a quality in the way I feel about it that is almost religious. To me, it is that precious. I would not be who I am today without it. In fact, I believe my character, my knowledge, my perspective and the quality of my life would be substantially diminished if I were somehow to remove it from the mix of "everything I am."
(In other words, it makes me a better, more tolerant, more compassionate, more principled, more enlightened and perceptive person -- because of its presence. If that isn't the fundamental purpose of religion, then maybe we need another definition of what that's all about.)
I certainly don't need to be offensive or defensive about my ideas and how I believe the world works (and how I experience it) -- which is how I see some people behave when you disagree with their "deeply held convictions." I can believe in Astrology -- and you can not believe in it -- and we can get along fine. I can conduct a perfectly normal life -- and certainly hold a perfectly normal conversation -- in which the subject never comes up.
I lived that way for years -- decades -- no problem. I won't think the less of you for rejecting it -- and would hope for the same open-minded respect in return. That seems fair.
As I alluded a moment ago, even I have some deep reservations about the way Astrology is presented and pushed by those who subscribe to its teachings.
Astrology seems to be a strange mix of science, folklore, mythology, conjecture, intuition, and centuries of observation and often subjective conclusions based on those. Yes, I understand how that all makes for a very rickety recommendation. But as our human sophistication changes and adapts based on new discoveries, different inventions, scientific and psychological advances ... Astrology changes, too. I think that's to its credit. That's part of what I admire about it.
It's not mired in archaic, iron-clad and unchanging principles based on what some revered figure said eons ago ... declarations that have somehow achieved the stature of "sacred" in the minds of contemporary disciples in a line that stretches back to those who knew the original speaker -- and decided years after the fact to write down what they remember of what he said. Yeah, that's where I think things start to get sketchy. But I digress.
If there are principles that qualify as "beliefs" that people cherish ... that teach them to be respectful of others, tolerant, understanding, forgiving and generous, kind and helpful, life-affirming and peaceful because they understand that basically we are all in this together and we are all creations of the same powerful and mysterious Source, I don't care whether you adopted them because they are "written in the stars" or because a martyred prophet spoke them in long-ago homilies phrased in a majesty that stuck.
Together you and I are working to understand Life, explain some of the mysteries -- to ourselves and each other -- and build a better tomorrow. We are allies. The rest of it is just frosting.
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