Astrology, with great precision, calculates the cyclical movement of celestial bodies in relation to the Earth and human life and acknowledges that there is a meaningful relationship between the two. But what exactly is that relationship? I think it is a very important question to ask ourselves if we are going to be responsible, educated consumers of astrological knowledge. And, understanding the relationship between human life and the movement of heavenly bodies allows us to get the most out of that relationship and out of astrology.
The first thing to understand is that the relationship between the two is not causal. In other words, celestial bodies, i.e. planets, stars, asteroids, etc., are not responsible for causing things to happen here on Earth and in our lives. That’s not to say that they don’t exert a powerful energetic influence or that we don’t feel the energy that they transmit. We definitely do whether we are conscious of it or not and we respond to and manifest those energies in a way that is determined by our level of awareness or consciousness. More on that in a minute.
To understand the aforementioned relationship through example let’s take a look at Mercury retrograde, for instance, which is a planetary influence that is commonly known. I hear people anticipating the onset of Mercury retrograde with great dread as if their lives were about to be seriously cursed. I’ve also noticed that there is a tendency to blame Mercury’s reverse motion for every mishap or misdeed that occurs during its backward trek in the sky. I’m not saying that there isn’t a correlation between the two or that feeling a sense of dread isn’t valid. There is something to the dread people fee, but it’s not because Mercury, appearing to go backwards in the sky, has it out for us or is making difficult stuff happen in our lives.
Annoying stuff does tend to happen during a Mercury retrograde but I believe that has to do with our lack of understanding of how to best use the energy and thus make wise decisions during that time. Maybe we do lose our keys, drop our phones in the toilet, miss our flight, misunderstand or cause misunderstanding. All things that could possibly be prevented or at least mitigated if we were more aware of what the energy of Mercury retrograde is really all about.
As I said earlier, the planets don’t make things happen but instead where they are and what they are doing in the sky reflects what is going on here on Earth and in our lives. Have you heard the adage, “As above, so below”? In a nutshell what ancient and current philosophers, spiritualists and even modern scientists have postulated is that everything in the Universe is connected creating a direct correlation between what goes on above and what goes on below. Correlation is very different than causation.
That being the case, astrology and its ability to track and interpret the meaning of what goes on in the sky (based on observation over thousands of years,) can be a powerful tool, an incredible gift for helping us mere mortals understand ourselves, the people we are in relationship with, our communities, countries and the world at large. With understanding we have the opportunity to respond in a way that is in alignment with the energy that is being reflected.
Let’s go back to the example of Mercury retrograde for a minute and look at what the energy of Mercury all about. Being a “personal planet, Mercury has something to do with day to day living and survival. In Roman mythology Mercury was the winged messenger; the God of language and communication. So anything to do with communication falls under the influence of Mercury. It also has to do with navigation of our lives through time and space and how we make connections, put things together and make sense of it all. Naturally then, Mercury has to do with learning and education. It also has something to do with trade and commerce and short distance travel. And because of Mercury’s rulership of the sign of Virgo , it also has to do with health and health matters, daily routines, habits and work.
When Mercury is traveling full speed ahead or in what we call “direct motion,” all things related to the planet seem to move forward which is how we tend to like it but consider the following: When you’re in the process of learning something new, do you achieve full understanding of whatever it is you are learning by constantly gobbling up the information and not going back to review it more than once in order to digest it fully? Or have you ever made a plan and later realized that maybe it needed to be more carefully thought through before trying to implement it? Or do you ever feel like you have so many balls in the air that you can’t ever give your complete attention to one thing or get something to the finish line? If our lives were always moving full steam ahead there might be a greater chance that our experiences wouldn’t be fully understood and processed, that we would make significant errors in calculation, miss something along the way or scatter our energies so much that we don’t accomplish anything or perhaps burn ourselves out with too much thinking and doing.
Mercury retrograde reflects a period of time that the Universe has allotted for us to slow down which affords us the opportunity to revisit, review, refocus, revise, reform, redo, redefine, reappoint, remake, reestablish and I think most importantly, REFLECT on what we have or have not learned, what we have said, what we have set in motion, where we have gone, etc. and how we might best proceed after the period of Mercury retrograde is over. By paying heed and taking the opportunity that Mercury retrograde affords us we can align with the energy so that there is less of a chance that we will drop our cell phones in the toilet, lose our keys, miss our flight, misunderstand or cause misunderstanding with others.
There’s that idea of alignment again. It’s an important idea. Evolutionary Astrology understands that the whole purpose of our lives here on Earth is to align with the highest possible manifestation of any given celestial energy that is being transmitted by the planets, stars, etc. especially ones that have a direct correlation with our natal chart and thus our life lessons and greatest potential. When we are able to do that there is a greater chance that our lives will run much more smoothly, we can be happier and find a greater sense of peace. Easier said than done, right? Maybe we don’t want to slow down. Maybe we feel impatient and want to “get on with it.” Alignment requires that we accept what is and not always push an agenda. That is almost always a function of the ego. Alignment with higher energies usually involves a surrendering of ego’s needs and desires. Our growth and ultimate well-being depends on our ability to surrender and align with higher energies. Astrology can show us the way.
Our ability to align with the highest potential in our charts is directly linked to our free will.
We humans have been given free will which gives us the power to choose. But just because it is given doesn’t necessarily mean that all of us are cognizant of it and its full potential. Cognizance or consciousness is earned. Before we are fully conscious of the power we possess there is a tendency to either give it away unknowingly and or to think that we are being maneuvered and manipulated by outside “forces, be it other people, our families, religious institutions, the society we live in and even the planets and stars in the sky. In truth we are not powerless victims of outside forces. That awareness is hard-earned requiring a lot of learning through trial and error over many lifetimes. What it is we have been learning, are here to learn, and what our greatest potential is if we learn the lessons and align with the highest manifestation of the planetary energies can all be seen reflected in the natal chart.
Celestial bodies don’t have the power to make us do anything. They simply radiate energy that can manifest in a myriad of ways depending on the zodiacal sign they occupy, relationship with other celestial bodies, and, most importantly, our level of consciousness. Every planet and every sign of the zodiac can manifest on a spectrum ranging from more evolved to less evolved, positive to negative and all shades in between. Let’s consider the whole idea of “as above, so below” again. Think about a mirror and its ability to reflect. If the mirror is smudged and dirty, the reflection will be distorted. If we want to experience the more positive manifestation of the planetary energies then we need to work at cleaning and polishing our mirrors. It’s up to us.
As mentioned above, planetary energies are modified by the different signs of the zodiac that they are traversing through but how they manifest will always depend on our level of consciousness. Let’s look at an example of how this might play out. We will look at the sign of Aries and the planet that is associated with Aries which is Mars. On the more shadowy or less-evolved side, Mars can exhibit a warring energy. It creates tension, inflames, is expressed as impatience, anger, aggression, and dominance.
The lighter, more-evolved side of this energy can manifest as courage, creativity, the ability to defend oneself and others, and the ability to be focused and engaged. It’s all a matter of how we choose to manifest the energy and how we choose is determined by our level of consciousness.
Someone’s level of consciousness cannot be determined by studying the natal chart. What we see reflected in a person’s natal chart are possibilities and potentials on a spectrum from light to dark. We only see a person’s level of consciousness by observing that person’s life. Even souls who share the same chart like identical twins won’t necessarily share the same level of consciousness. Identical twins can manifest their charts in entirely different ways, have two entirely different life experiences and two entirely different approaches to life. Why? Because even those with near identical astrological charts will most likely come into this life having achieved different levels of consciousness in former lives.
Astrology, arguably, if used for self knowledge and self improvement can be incredibly helpful in increasing our awareness. Our natal charts do tell us something about the lessons we have been learning in previous lifetimes and are here to continue learning in this lifetime. That’s why astrology can be such an amazing gift/tool, much like a good road map that helps us to navigate our lives better.
The natal chart is like an intimate portrait of our lives reflected in the exact position of the celestial bodies on the day, time and place that we were born. It remains “active,” so to speak, for our entire lives. And although it appears to be static, similar to a photograph, it is actually teaming with life, possibility and potential for growth and change. As I said earlier, how we live out our charts is up to us. If we use them as a mirrors of our soul’s evolutionary journey and purpose in this lifetime, we can gain a larger perspective on our lives that can help us know the course and stay the course. Having astrology as a guide in life is like having a wise mentor to whom we can always refer.
That’s not the whole story though. The sky is always changing. Cycles begin and end as planets, stars, asteroids, etc. continuously revolve around the Sun (though from our vantage point it appears that they revolve around us on planet Earth). The current planetary positions reflect ongoing shifts and changes in the collective and when they form aspects or are in some kind of direct relationship with our natal chart they reflect current and future trends, possible developments and opportunities for growth in our own lives. In order to take full advantage of what astrology has to offer it behooves us to pay attention to the current sky and especially to how it is and will be pinging our natal charts. This is known as forecast or transit reading. I recommend having a transit reading at least once a year once you have had your natal chart read.
I would like to reiterate once again that celestial bodies, though able to exert influence on human life, do not cause us to do anything or cause things to happen to us. They simply reflect what has been, what is and what could be in the future. The rest is up to us. If we take the information that astrology provides to heart, we can use it to make positive changes in our lives. We can make more informed and wiser decisions about how to proceed with our lives. I’ll say it again and again. Astrology is an amazing gift that allows us to see our lives objectively and clearly.
When I reflect on the greatest potential of what our relationship with astrology can be I’m reminded of a book written by Kamala Silva about the relationship between her and her beloved guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. The title of the book is, The Flawless Mirror. The title says it all. A mirror that is flawless will always clearly reflect the truth. In a way, the sky is like our flawless mirror. The placement of the celestial bodies in the sky when we were born and through their continuing cycles, will always reflect back to us the whole truth about our lives; both the light and shadowy parts.
You might be thinking that maybe a reflection of our shadowy side isn’t all that appealing. But then think about all the times you may have averted embarrassment or were motivated to change something you didn’t like because of what you saw reflected back to you in the mirror. Just as the disciple looks to the guru for the unbiased truth, guidance and wisdom to help transform their life and expedite the journey, we too can look to astrology for the same.
Astrology for the family 