The Future of Astrology

The Future of Astrology

 

What does the future hold for astrology?  Although I wasn't around in the 60s, my sense is astrology is not more popular now than in its heyday.  Part of the reason is the change in social mood from an optimistic post 60s period, early new agey rising tide of curiosity about the esoteric realm to the more straight ahead drone of money-grub that pervades our world today.   That claim could be challenged too with the popularity of second wave new age type movements such as Buddhism, yoga, etc but it's impotant to remember how much all of these are commodied and integrated into the cash nexus that so thoroughly dominates these days.  When my Rosocrucian-inclined grandfather gave readings 50 years ago, he wouldn't have dreamed of taking a penny for looking at a chart.  Nowadays, most want money in compensation for their time. With the acceleration of life these days and everyone feeling so rushed, we feel our time is that much more valuable.  And so rightly or wrongly, we equate value with money. 

 

Another perhaps larger reason for the relative ghettoization of astrology is the indifferent or poor quality of most astrologers.  Astrology could perhaps get away with more dubiousness in the early days of the Age of Aquarius, but when time marches on and people come to expect real results, I don't know that most astrologers offer a product that most people want to buy (or use).  Sure, there will always be a small minority of the population who are spiritual seekers (or lost souls or just plain superstitious people) who have a natural interest is non-mainstream ways of understanding the self and they have traditionally been the consumers of astrology.  This group doesn't change much.  

 

A second group might be situated next to them on the openness spectrum who may be open to the possibility of astrology but who are not really that interested in self discovery so much as being open to different modes of thought to help them lead happier more productive lives.  I would include people who use yoga or alternative medicine to improve their health in this group, and say investors on Wall St who use the work of astrologers to make money in the stock market.  In both cases, tangible and mundane benefits are the goal. 

 

We could also conceive of a third group here (or perhaps a sub-group of the above)  that aren't that interested in mundane benefits but rather see astrologers as alternative therapists to assist them with emotional confusion and torment, in the same way as a psychologist might.  The benefit here is less tangible but more emotional -- which may be considered tangible by some people but either way, it's certainly less mundane that the preceeding group.  This kind of humanistic/Jungian astrology has been up and running since the 1960s, along with the expansion of mainstream therapy for the spiritually-bereft who are trying to fill the hole that God and religion has left in the wake of the long process of secularization that occurred in the 20th century.  It's possible that astrology has an opportunity to grow in this group, but I don't know the trends that well here.   The growth of Buddhism recently would appear to address the needs of this group directly and in that sense, would represent a loss for astrology in the free market, zero sum game we can call the Unconventional Solutions to Conundrums of Existence in this Ever Changing World. 

 

The quality of astrologers doesn't matter much for the first group of the already spiritually-inclined.  They will be entranced regardless of how useful or accurate the astrologer is.  The second group however has higher demands in terms of where they cast their lot (and their cash).  It has to actually help them in some tangible way or else they will go elsewhere.  The third group would also be responsive to varying quality of astrologers, therapists, gurus, doctrinal writings, celebrity endorsements (Richard Gere or  Beastie Boys' Buddhist Bassist Adam Yauch) or whatever form of engagement they take to relieve them of their psychic stresses. 

 

I'm not convinced that most astrologers have got any better in terms of predictive competence in the last 30 years to be useful to this second tangible/mundane group.   Until astrologers get better, then astrology will be more or less stuck in the post-new age ghetto.

http://modernvedicastrology.com

 

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Tokyo earthquake July 24

While I didn't use the word "earthquake" in my July Update and
World Forecast, here's what I wrote about Japan using the May 5,
1947 00.00 chart:


"With transit Rahu closing in on natal 4th lord Mars in the 3rd
house in July, Japan may experience some instability at home.
This energy is most focused around July 23rd when Mars conjoins
4th house Mercury and aspects the 7th house cusp. This event
looks destructive to me, especially since the chart is running
a Mars subperiod. It may also be related to the volatility in the
region, given the difficulties in the China chart. "


So I was very close with the date and the fact that I saw a
destructive event, although I left it open as to whether it would
be man-made or natural destruction. It was posted on the
mundane-astrology list on yahoogroups on July 10th.

It's not to say that the 1947 chart is THE correct Japan chart, but
like last October's quake, the event is clearly seen using this
chart.

Many astrologers don't use the national chart for earthquakes,
assuming that a man-made creation like a constitution cannot
possibly correlate with natural disasters such as earthquakes.
In my experience, this view is incorrect. It is usually very easy
to see major disruptions in a national chart. The trick is to find
the right one!

My approach is to use the national chart for a country and then try to
assess its correctness (and usefulness) by making predictions against
it. That way, we can get a better handle on what really works, rather
than sifting through the post facto morass of possible factors and
pulling out those astrological artifacts that confirm our own biases.

I think making predictions and then following up on them is what
astrology is all about. To be an astrologer and not to make
predictions is a bit like learning a foreign language and not being
able to speak it with a native. Conjugating verb tenses (je suis, tu
es, il est, nous sommes...) one has learned from a book only takes
you so far on the streets of Paris and will not help you find dinner.

Neptune affliction by Ketu: mystery diseases?

We should pay extra attention to any stories in the media these days involving unusual or unknown diseases. That's because Neptune and Ketu are in close aspect with each other (or rather, Ketu is aspecting Neptune) and both planets are linked to illness and disease. Neptune in particular is the significator for disease, so it comes as no surprise that news reports out of China state that 17 farmers have died from a mysterious disease in the past two weeks.

I am expecting that this disease will grow in severity and that other health problems will be in the news during the next few weeks while the trine aspect is within a few degrees.

www.modernvedicastrology.com

UK bombings and aftermath

Well all that negative energy I was wondering about has perhaps
manifested, although it's strange that it hasn't hit the US at all
despite the various afflictions to the US chart.

One thing is for sure -- the UK is afflicted at this time, and I'm
kicking myself for not having spotted it. I would also look at the
Jan 1, 1801 chart for the UK when it officially became the United
Kingdom.

By Vedic reckoning the 1801 chart has some obvious afflictions for
today: a nodal return so that Ketu was conjunct Ketu in the 1st
house, and transit Mars -- lord of the 3rd house of transport -- was
exactly conjunct natal Rahu. Nodes are usually bad news, especially
when configured with malefics.

On the Political astrology list, I had thought that this time around
July 5th would feature some significant destructive event, albeit in
the US. Here's what I posted there on June 2nd:

"Certainly there are a lot of afflictions to the USA chart on July
5th. It's possible that something fairly major will go down that day
(+/-1 day) I don't think Bush is going to cop it at that time,
although I don't know enough about the astrology of assassination to
rule out some sort of an attempt.

My sense is it's more likely to be something that affects the country
as a whole rather than Bush personally. His Saturn-Jupiter dasha
period just doesn't seem afflicted enough for him to die. I think his
time may come next year after Mercury's major period starts in the
spring."

So while I was off by two days and got the place of the event quite
wrong, it seems inescapable that this is the event that shows up in
the US-related charts. It's possible that another attack is possible
in the coming days, but I doubt it.

It's interesting too that so many foresaw a threat to Bush's life at
this time. I didn't, but I wasn't clever enough to predict a fall
from a bicycle at the G8. Bush collided with a UK security officer
in a rainy bike ride. He suffered only minor scrapes. That's what a
good dasha period can do for you: when Mars aspects your lagnesh
Moon, you only fall off bikes instead of perhaps making a early exit
from this mortal coil.



In my most recent July Update and World Forecast posted on the
mundane-astrology list posted July 10th, I wondered if there might be a
problem with the UK investigation:

"With Mercury stationing in the close proximity of Rahu and Mercury
being the ruling planet of the UK chart, look for some confusion in
the coming days in the second half of July. This may well signal the
anti-Muslim backlash that has been feared in the wake of the
bombings. Perhaps the Mercury will also hamper police
investigations into the attacks and may make it more difficult than
usual to find the perpetrators. False leads are likely, possibly
even an arrest of thewrong persons."

On July 23rd, the London police shot and killed an innocent Brazilian man who was wearing a heavy coat and ran away from police. This is a tragic fulfilling of the Mercury-Rahu potential in the UK chart.

http://modernvedicastrology.com