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... NeptuneCafe presents ...
Neeti Ray's
Astrology Expressed
An amatuer's views on
all things astrological
Compliments of Astrology Expressed where you'll find many more blog entries on all things astrological.
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Matthew Currie: For a lot of reasons… mostly because (despite being crazy and unexplained) it really does work in a consistent and reliable manner.
Michael O’Reilly: I do love it. No other system works as well in describing individual, social and spiritual developments. No other system is anywhere near as accurate in describing individuals whom that astrologer has never met, no other system is nearly as accurate in seeing past events or predicting the future. It tells us that there’s a larger, mysterious, multi-dimensional holistic universe to which we all belong.
Fern Feto Spring: I love it because it feels as if I am in a conversation (a fascinating conversation…), with the spirit of the earth.
Raphael Simons: I love astrology because it is a very good tool for finding out about the world outside. It helps me to see the differences between people. I also use it for horary and mundane charts. I make horary charts for myself fairly often and keep them in a journal along with all the active imagination inner work I do.
Astrology: A Labor of Love
by Neeti Ray
“And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love”
-Khalil Gibran on “Work”
A question I asked astrologers I interviewed was: “Why do you love astrology? I think, I could be wrong, that all astrologers are into it because of love.”
I didn’t ask them if they loved it, I took that as a given. And I was right, they do love it. Jeremy Neal explained the sometimes difficult relationship he has with astrology as a profession, despite his love for the subject. His mixed feelings are something that most astrologers may have felt at some point in their career.
It’s a difficult road to follow: you have to be driven to learn without much outside support or encouragement. And once you have achieved a certain amount of competency, you have to find your clientele. Astrology is not a mainstream profession; there are few, if any, 9-to-5 kind of jobs for astrologers. Added to that is the fact that astrologers work in a world that, at best, is ignorant of what astrology is all about; and, at worst, is ignorant and scornful.
All the astrologers interviewed here are also bloggers (if you google their names, you will find their sites). Even if you do not know much about astrology, a perusal of their written material will tell you that they are articulate and, and in many cases, gifted thinkers and writers of the human condition. They could have chosen an easier road by becoming psychologists or journalists: my opinion, not something that they said.
You’ll read below, in their own words, why they love it so much. But before that I want to quote something that Jeremy said on his blog that resonated very deeply for me:
“In my work I see some remarkable truths. Even as I sit and explain to a person that they have this situation that has held them back all their lives, and even as I see them struggle to comprehend the truth and anguish of it, I, who witness it every day, am forcefully reminded of the wonder of this fleeting, myopic life we have and the axiomatic majesty of our astrology. This astrology* does not contain your purpose: it is your purpose.”
*By “astrology” Jeremy means a person’s nativity.
Here, then, is what they told me and what I’d like to share with you (printed with permission):
Julie Demboski: It’s a way of understanding myself and other human beings–so I’d say I love what can be accessed through it, rather than that I love astrology–because I see other ’systems’ as allowing us true glimpses into human nature as well–I think good fiction, good poetry, good art, and good drama also have the illuminative quality of astrology–it’s just different windows into the same house. Oops, ‘house,’ is that an astrology pun?
Frederick Woodruff: I’ve never been interested in the ‘is it a science or a religion’ debate. It bores me and that will rage until the end of time; for me it’s about working tangibly with a practice that actually, over time, begins to infiltrate the brain’s cells and help them change; to ‘mutate’ as Krishnamurti used to say. Meaning, it opens the practitioner’s mind, over time, to a literal perception of the interconnectedness of everything and everyone. Again, it’s a bit of a mystical perspective.
Astrology: A Labor of Love (continued)
Lucy Goldstein: I love astrology for so many reasons, but mainly, I started on Greek mythology and Carl Jung before comic books, so I love how the planets can actually mirror archetypal/psychoanalytic patterns. Most people are very surprised to learn that a typical astrological reading sounds a lot like a counseling session. The difference is that sometimes patterns or behaviors that can be troublesome in one’s life make a lot more sense when they’re pared down into raw symbolism.
Beth Turnage: I have two instinctual needs. Through my Moon in Pisces I have a need to help people. Through my tenth house Sun I have a need to show off. With astrology I can do both.
Rodney Smith: I love it because it provides a rational handle, a window into the irrational tendencies of both the individual human, and the human collective. We have always used the stars to understand those things we aspire to bring within the realm of reason, I love being a part of that process.
April Elliott Kent: I certainly loved astrology when I started out. I couldn’t get enough of it! And I think I was still smitten when I started my website, ten years ago now (wow, that’s hard to believe!). These days, asking why I love astrology is like asking someone who’s been married for many years why she loves her husband: After awhile you cease thinking in terms of love, because the bond is so much deeper than what we normally think of as love. With astrology, I’m no longer smitten, no longer “in love” with it. But its symbols provide the structure for how I see the world, and I can’t imagine my life without it.
Evelyn Roberts: Absolutely, it has made my own life make more sense, so it is a joy to share the same with those who are receptive. But I don’t ever try and convert those who are not interested.
Gavin Carruthers: I love astrology because it is such a useful and accurate language of life. Real astrology, when it is used to serve the individual, rather than the ego of the astrologer, is the most extraordinary tool for understanding what it’s like to be in another person’s skin, and I am still amazed at the world’s lack of awareness and lack of understanding of the validity and power of this great art/science.
I also love astrology because an accurate chart always tells the truth and I can count on it. Sometimes, as an astrologer I cannot see the truth, sometimes my clients may not know or see the truth, but I can always count on the chart to reveal the truth if I am patient and trusting. I also love astrology because it is a doorway to connect with people at a much deeper level and to share true and meaningful intimacy.
On many occasions I have had clients who have gone through 10 to 20 years of therapy and told me that one astrology session addressed most of what they had uncovered over those decades of therapy.
It still feels to me that I have a secret tool that most of the world is ignorant of, so usually clients get more than they expect, and their excitement is a delight. I also love teaching, something I have done for more than 30 years, and in particular I love it when a new student falls in love with astrology, and starts to learn to fly on their own!
Basil Fearrington: I’m not sure how to answer that. It’s probably because it illuminates life’s flow. It’s also fulfilling to help people.
Nick Dagan Best: I love it because it allows me to learn about life and the world on a level that no other kind of knowledge can provide
Neeti Ray is a Leo sun with a strongly aspected Virgo Mercury. Her passions are reading, astrology and writing. In that order. She’s been studying astrology since 1991 and enjoys connecting with people who share her love for all things astrological. She lives and works in Bangalore, India. Email NRay
Venus in Sagittarius
December 2, 2009 - December 25, 2009
I was much struck by the fact that the movie “New Moon” released globally while Venus was in Scorpio. “New Moon,” is part of Stephenie Meyer’s vampire romance series “Twilight.” How fitting that a movie about dark, forbidden love is launched when Venus, the planet of love, is transiting through the mysterious sign of Scorpio. Obsessive, brooding love is what fantasies are made of, but that kind of intensity can get rather exhausting after a while. Love does not always have to be a dark and painful emotion; it can also be an experience that’s streaked with fun, adventure, freedom and a spirit of playfulness. Does that sound appealing to you? If it does, I have some good news. Venus moves into fun-loving Sagittarius on December 2, 2009 and stays in the sign of the Archer till December 25, 2009.
If there’s one word that describes Venus in Sagittarius people that word would be “friendly.” These are warm, open-hearted souls looking for a good time. If they are in a romantic relationship with you, they have no desire to tie you down. And they demand that you return the favor. If you’re looking for someone who smothers you with love and attention, then you had better look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a soul who treats life and love as a party to be enjoyed; who gazes at the horizon and wants to see what’s beyond it, then you’ve found the right person. Be willing to let them explore; or better still, travel with them, both mentally and physically, as they put their back-packs on and set out to see the big wide world.
Along with their itchy feet, they are also idealists at heart. Theirs is an honest personality and if you do not meet their standards, they’ll probably tell you that as they bid you a tearless goodbye. No, they’re not heartless, they just have that rare virtue of saying what’s on their mind: they are truthful. You should appreciate that if a Sagittarius Venus has captured your heart. Keep emotional and dramatic scenes to a minimum: these will just make the Sagittarius Venuses want to run for the hills. If you want to hold on to them, then set them free. Try it, life is an adventure and nobody demonstrates this better than a Venus in Sagittarius.
who through her marriage to the British-American Christopher Guest holds the title of baroness.
December promises to be a good month with a lot of planets making merry in the Fire and Air signs. Even if times are tough, the sheer exuberance of the Fire energy will see you through till Christmas. On to the transits then. My dear Sagittarians, transiting Venus will conjunct your natal sun at some point during the first three weeks of December. Consult an ephemeris or an astrologer to find out the exact date and do something self-indulgent on that day. And if that day falls on your birthday, it calls for a double celebration.
For the rest of us, December 4 sees Venus sextiling Saturn in Libra: a day where love and responsibility go hand in hand. If you want passion and fireworks, wait till December 17, when the goddess of love trines the macho Mars in Leo. Two days later, Venus sextiles Chiron in Aquarius giving us an opportunity to heal either a relationship wound or the way we see our physical self. The next day, on December 20, Venus squares the unpredictable Uranus in Pisces. This can mean a sudden change in your love life or your finances. Expect the unexpected with this energy. December 21 should be memorable since Venus sextiles both Jupiter and Neptune that will be conjunct in Aquarius. Optimism will be high that day, but be careful while spending or loaning money, Neptune tends to make us blindly optimistic. If you want a happy ending, give a little, spend a little and save a little and all will very likely end well. This goes both for the affairs of the heart as well as your pocketbook.
Jamie Lee Curtis, who is both an actor and an author, captures the spirit of this placement very well. Her toned, athletic and no-frills look spell Sagittarius to me. As a matter of fact, she is a Sagittarius plus with her Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and ascendant all in the sign of the Archer. Tradition says that Venus in Sagittarius sometimes finds love with a foreigner or with a person from a different cultural background. This has certainly been true for Jamie,
