Questions about Astrology

[Minderwiz]

staficus

i really have no idea. i'm not an astrologer. but i see what you were getting at, and i'd love for someone to bestow some insight about that or just throw out some theories, but from a viewpoint of having actually studied astrology.

troublemaker. =p

The short answer is that unless you have a basic working knowledge of what you're talking about we don't get anything but an endless series of 'Why' or 'How' or 'What' questions. This is a forum not a free Astrology course and there's no obligation on members to respond to idle curiousity . If you want to have a constructive discussion you need to play you're role and deliver serious input.

I'd suggest that you read some books dealing with the philosophy and methods of Western Astrology - Jean Baptiste Morin's Astrologica Gallica would be an appropriate start, or failing that 'Astrology, Science ande Culture' by Roy Willis and Patrick Curry. Then come back with some informed questions and we can have a real discussion of methods and philosophy. Unless you are prepared to make such an effort is it any wonder that you get the responses you mention?

 

[Bernice]

I find myself in a cleft-stick. Generally speaking I'm with Minderwiz re.Astrology. But I think this paticular portion of Staficuss' post is very relative to the thread.

...maybe astrology isn't about the mechanics of the way the planets influence us, but rather about the correlations that astrologers the world over, through years of necessity, observed about human behavior. Not the symbols imposing on people, but explaining tendencies IN people and being associated with certain planets, stars, etc. Maybe it's heading down the wrong path to discuss whether jupiter is a god or a ball of gas... it demonstrably IS, in fact, a ball of gas, but we associate spirit with everything from trees to the earth herself, so why not a quasi-divine being generated by/associated with jupiter? it's just that it isn't JUST a god to us anymore, and that's makes it no less fascinating from an astrological point of view.

My bold type. Astrology encodes qualities, events & tendancies (and more) in a symbolic form.

The form/symbols that we use correlate with the known universe, the solar system planets in particular, and also the deep sky (fixed stars). Not all astrologers percieve planets as having a 'spirit' (John Dee might have done...), but all astrologers do use the symbolic natures of the planets.

Bee

 

[Minderwiz]

There are a whole range of possible answers to the question 'How does Astrology work'?' depending on culture and era. Which of these answers (if any) is correct is probably ultimately unknowable but may still be worth exploring. However to carry out that exploration requires some foundation knowledge.

Asking questions is an important element of learning but the learner also needs to invest time and effort in a kinesthetic or hands on approach. I won't make any satisfactory progress in learning Tarot if all I do is ask questions. I need to get hold of a Tarot deck and work with it - either in ways suggested by the answers to some of my early questions or through reading some recommended works, or simply seeing how I interact with it. I may even need to try two or more decks and see how I interact with them. As I use the cards and carry out suggested exercises, so new questions will arise and I will ask these, based on my limited experience and knowledge. The answers will consolidate my learning and take me on to the next round. I cannot explain how Tarot works, or why it works as an outside observer or questioner. The Socratic method only takes me so far.

The same applies to Astrology, but with knobs on. Even in Western Astrology an explanation that might seem to work for reading characters from natal charts, might have real difficulties with explaining how primary directions or secondary progressions work, let alone how Horary Astrology works. To deal with questions relating to how and why Astrology works in any satisfactory way requires the ability to handle these dimensions of Astrology, which in turn requires some knowledge of them in the first place.

My answer in the previous post mayhave seemed rather intemperate but it is sound. Willis and Curry have written an excellent book (OK it's mainly from a Western viewpoint and it demands some thought and effort) but it addresses issues raised in this thread (but by no means all). Reading, absorbing and trying out some of the ideas will result in progress produce further questions that will help build further knowledge and expertise and be ultimately more rewarding.

Read it, come back with questions and let's build on it.