Moongold
I thought people would be interested in this explanation for the difference in understanding between the East and the West. It is a partial explanation for the present and historical conflicts.
It was written by a subscriber to an astrology software list to which I belong but I think it has wide application across the whole spectrum of East - West relationships.
My aplogies to the original author. I have misplaced his name but i think it was Ron...............
"Oh, yes you raise excellent points, but however can I explain this? I have much earth in my chart, so I tend to be stubbornly resistant to "metaphysical" explanations. But the Eastern world is not part of Western sensibilities, and never can be (there is a huge difference between Greek thought and Eastern thought). These differences are readily apparent in the discussions of Biblical passages, for example, which many segments of the
Western world have taken as their own, resulting in humorous
misunderstandings.
The Western view is to look at the shuttle disaster as a failure of
technology, while the Eastern view is to see it as a failure of Western values: a greater conflict between the infidels and "Allah". It is easier to return toothpaste to its tube than to separate "religion" from Middle Eastern approaches to astrology, philosophy or reasoning. After all, it was the Arab who invented the Astrolabe, algebra and the number "0" solely for the study of natal charts! His mythology is more advanced than we think, and
his contributions to these discussions will be seen as alien to our Western mindset, but his contributions are essential. You seem to suggest it is a fatal error on the part of Middle Eastern sensibilities to "concretise the metaphysical" as you put it. Rather, they would say it is an error of the Western world to not do likewise. The Greek looks to things for an answer, while the Eastern world looks to the myth underlying the "thing" for an explanation. The Greek looks to the weapons of technology, while the Eastern world looks to the mind as a weapon. The Greek "sees" while the Oriental "hears".
As astrologers, each and every one of us subscribe, knowingly or not, to the Eastern mindset- for such are the origins of astrology! We do not see the "Sun", but rather the myth behind the Sun as she moves across the heavens. We see Mars as "war" and Venus as "love", Mercury as "mind" and Saturn as "discipline". Given such, how might we justify divorcing ourselves from
"religion" or "metaphysical" discussions? That is EXACTLY what the historic Greeks did! The 9th Sign of the Zodiac was the Rainbow of Noah's Ark. The Greeks disliked the notion of monotheism, seeing it as culturally insensitive, and transformed the arc of the rainbow into the bow of anarcher. In doing so, certain epic associations with that sign were misplaced. In Middle Eastern myth, Caine murdered his brother Abel, with Satan having come "between" these two. Once turned over to the Greeks, they changed "Caine and Abel" to the Gemini Twins. With that change came the loss of the all-important meaning of 15 degrees Gemini (the degree of Satan himself, tanding "between" the Twins). See the WTC event charts for 9-11 related to that degree. It is absurd to suggest Al Qaeda did not take notice
of that.
Ever major terror attack against the US has been timed by Arabic fixed star positions and the Islamic legends and myths behind those stars, no matter if the attack was on sea (USS Cole), air (9-11) or land (US Embassy). The next attack will involve the Arabic myth of (the god of) poison.
I used to see it as difficult to be an American and a student of Islamic and Judaic cultures, but it is just as bad subscribing to a Western astrology list and being asked to not share Middle Eastern myths and values in my posts. More to the point however, the conflict between the Western world and
the Middle East has reached a time of profound tribulation. However will America manage a post-Sadaam Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, if she refuses to learn the myths and legends that shapes the fabric of these strange cultures? It is simple hubris to think that what is not important to us is likewise unimportant to other cultures."
From the Janus e-mail list
Moongold
It was written by a subscriber to an astrology software list to which I belong but I think it has wide application across the whole spectrum of East - West relationships.
My aplogies to the original author. I have misplaced his name but i think it was Ron...............
"Oh, yes you raise excellent points, but however can I explain this? I have much earth in my chart, so I tend to be stubbornly resistant to "metaphysical" explanations. But the Eastern world is not part of Western sensibilities, and never can be (there is a huge difference between Greek thought and Eastern thought). These differences are readily apparent in the discussions of Biblical passages, for example, which many segments of the
Western world have taken as their own, resulting in humorous
misunderstandings.
The Western view is to look at the shuttle disaster as a failure of
technology, while the Eastern view is to see it as a failure of Western values: a greater conflict between the infidels and "Allah". It is easier to return toothpaste to its tube than to separate "religion" from Middle Eastern approaches to astrology, philosophy or reasoning. After all, it was the Arab who invented the Astrolabe, algebra and the number "0" solely for the study of natal charts! His mythology is more advanced than we think, and
his contributions to these discussions will be seen as alien to our Western mindset, but his contributions are essential. You seem to suggest it is a fatal error on the part of Middle Eastern sensibilities to "concretise the metaphysical" as you put it. Rather, they would say it is an error of the Western world to not do likewise. The Greek looks to things for an answer, while the Eastern world looks to the myth underlying the "thing" for an explanation. The Greek looks to the weapons of technology, while the Eastern world looks to the mind as a weapon. The Greek "sees" while the Oriental "hears".
As astrologers, each and every one of us subscribe, knowingly or not, to the Eastern mindset- for such are the origins of astrology! We do not see the "Sun", but rather the myth behind the Sun as she moves across the heavens. We see Mars as "war" and Venus as "love", Mercury as "mind" and Saturn as "discipline". Given such, how might we justify divorcing ourselves from
"religion" or "metaphysical" discussions? That is EXACTLY what the historic Greeks did! The 9th Sign of the Zodiac was the Rainbow of Noah's Ark. The Greeks disliked the notion of monotheism, seeing it as culturally insensitive, and transformed the arc of the rainbow into the bow of anarcher. In doing so, certain epic associations with that sign were misplaced. In Middle Eastern myth, Caine murdered his brother Abel, with Satan having come "between" these two. Once turned over to the Greeks, they changed "Caine and Abel" to the Gemini Twins. With that change came the loss of the all-important meaning of 15 degrees Gemini (the degree of Satan himself, tanding "between" the Twins). See the WTC event charts for 9-11 related to that degree. It is absurd to suggest Al Qaeda did not take notice
of that.
Ever major terror attack against the US has been timed by Arabic fixed star positions and the Islamic legends and myths behind those stars, no matter if the attack was on sea (USS Cole), air (9-11) or land (US Embassy). The next attack will involve the Arabic myth of (the god of) poison.
I used to see it as difficult to be an American and a student of Islamic and Judaic cultures, but it is just as bad subscribing to a Western astrology list and being asked to not share Middle Eastern myths and values in my posts. More to the point however, the conflict between the Western world and
the Middle East has reached a time of profound tribulation. However will America manage a post-Sadaam Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, if she refuses to learn the myths and legends that shapes the fabric of these strange cultures? It is simple hubris to think that what is not important to us is likewise unimportant to other cultures."
From the Janus e-mail list
Moongold
