Hi All,

In the Astrological conversations I routinely hear there is usually someone (usually an Astrologer, or someone that is interested) recounting a difficult event and blaming a planet for it.  Perhaps it was the changing or losing of a job, or maybe the breakdown of a marriage, a divorce.  During this recounting of trial and trouble I will invariably hear that it was the planet Saturn that threw them into a depression.  Or, that it was the planet Pluto (yes, Pluto is still a planet) that destroyed their marriage and left them penniless.  Most people do not literally mean that it was the fault of a planet (or do they?), but are simply using it as a metaphor. However if someone unfamiliar with Astrology overhears this conversation, the terms and the anecdotes stick within that brilliant computer of cognition…the brain.

Then, before you know it this narrative will find its way into the conversation of the one who overheard the exchange with another person.  Well, it is not too difficult to see what comes next.  This brief but incorrect explanation then becomes the fact, and ultimately becomes part of Astrological lore.  Of course this not fair, and, quite possibly, it is the fault of the Astrologer for furthering this misconception.  As with any type of formal or esoteric thought, one needs to be educated on the subject, and this is done through the proper instruction of a teacher or “educator” to student.  Of course one cannot, or should not expect another to know what it is that you do, but you can attempt to guide them through it.

Astrology is very much about archetypes and the influence of symbology expressed through our emotional and spiritual natures.  These are then represented to us by the planets, houses, and mathematical measurements allocated them from within, and without our Astrological charts.  The cycles of the planets are in sync with the cycles of nature.  It is through the four Cardinal Points (north, south, east, and west) that everything else in the Astrological Wheel or Mandela is associated and directed.  Without these geographical reference points their could be no orientation to the seasons or astronomical bodies from which Astrology was born.

Astrologically speaking, the planetary influences so often discussed and argued are simply a similar representation of how we use road signs to get us from point A to point B.  As an example, in astrology the planet Uranus is often thought to be the reason for a mid life crisis (mostly with men) which is generally around the ages of  41 to 43 years of age where Uranus becomes square (obstacles, and stress) to its natal position.  This time of mid-life crisis is not because Uranus decided to personally step in disrupt  your life.  No, it is because at around this age many men become bored, scared, and generally discontented with their lives due to feelings of a lost youth, virility, and appearance.

In summary, the Astrological glyphs that represent the planets, signs, and the aspects all mean something very important and specific.  From the early days of Astrology and its anthropomorphic representations up to now, the Astrological chart is representative of time, matter, and life as we know it.  There are no limits other than the ones we allow to direct us.  The heralding of change is brought to our attention by the significators found within our Astrological charts.  Where the planets can do you no harm.  I hope that you enjoy them.

Aho

Curtis Williams  MA, A.P. D., CRTM