Astrology

Originally posted as a thread on the Science & Mysticism pod - I have always been drawn towards astrology - even when my interest in things spiritual lay un-sparked. I was never interested enough to learn how to calculate any charts or anything like that, but I was a follower of one particular astrologer, whose writings I particularly related to and whose insights were published in that most British of British institutions - The Radio Times. His name was Patrick Walker and he was most uncannily accurate - at least as far as his writings meant something to me. When Patrick Walker died it was several years before I discovered an astrologer who seemed to be a worthy successor to Patrick Walker. His name was Jonathan Cainer - www.cainer.com - Jonathan most definately has a style all his own and if you read his website on a regular basis you soon become aware that he, himself, is always learning and applying new insights as he travels along the road like the rest of us. He too is "spookily accurate" as he likes to style himself. In addition to his freely available daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes he also runs a subscription service offering a regular and more in-depth insight into the planetary influences via mp3 downloads. They are very insightful, always positive in outlook, and always encouraging one to take positive advantage of the current planetary influences. I think that with any good astrologer there is a connection with something beyond mere chart calculations - probably a psychic connection that draws much more from a chart than 'if Planet A is here then this means B and C. Anyway, I recommend everyone to try him out. Few of my friends shared my enthusiasm, most seeing astrology as trivial at best. As an archaeologist with a supposedly scientist's eye for evidential 'proof' I was meant to have a more skeptical stance. But, in my heart of hearts, I could always argue the certain influences of those supreme of heavenly bodies - the sun and moon. If the moon has the force to make the oceans rise and fall by several feet then what influence must it have on us - creatures who are made up of 70% water? Nobody can argue the moon's influence on us, but the moon is reasonably close to the earth. The sun, in turn, may be far away but its distance is made up for by its size big, it's influence too is obvious. But could a case be made for planets which are so much smaller than the sun and so much further away than the moon? At the time I had neither a physical nor metaphysical framework with which to argue a case - I just liked astrology and believed in it and that was good enough for me. Later I heard about String Theory - the so-called Theory of Everything. The theory is based on the idea that everything, including the sum parts of atoms themselves, are made up of tiny vibrating strings of matter. The only difference between the matter that makes up a rock or a person is that the 'strings' vibrate at a different rate. The theory allows for different dimensions, vibrating at different frequencies - it makes sense of things like ghosts, psychic ability, life-after-death, magic - everything. It also, in turn, made sense of just how a planetary body could possibly have an influence of us little human beings millions of miles away - even if that influence was not particularly great. It is all to do with vibration. (For an aetheric-based, as opposed to a particle-based paradigm take a look at David Wilcock's free E-book, "Divine Cosmos" at www.divinecosmos.com). However, it was when I discovered the psychic readings of Edgar Cayce that I found a whole new metaphysical dimension to my belief in astrology. Cayce, known as the sleeping prophet because he gave his psychic readings for people while lying in a trance on a bed in his office, often mentioned the influences of the various planets on the 'entity' or the soul-self of the person for whom he was giving the reading. 'Astrological influences are effective in the experience of every entity', he states in reading 398-2. For example, in the 4th reading for 'entity' 137 he states: In this we find, with the influences of the solar systems, there are many elements that enter to make this rather an exceptional entity in the present earth plane ... these special influences being Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Venus. These all bring extraordinary vivid conditions, yet with the mental forces, especially in the conditions of Mercury, this gives exceptional forces to the entity in many respects. [137-4] And in another reading for 137 a bit more of the process of how these influences are obtained is revealed: (slightly edited for clarity) The influences ... pertain to those conditions through which the entity passed from one condition to another ... through the conscious and subconscious, and superconscious, at times becomes a portion, a spark, a knowledge ... through the conditions experienced in other planes other than earth plane. In the house of birth, many of those conditions coming in the relation from which the entity took its sojourn, or its element of directing force - Mercury. This we see applying to the mental abilities of the entity in the earth's plane, and MUST be manifest through the mental forces of the entity to a material plane. That entity may make each at present a portion of self. [137-12] The important element in the equation here is reincarnation. The 'sojourns' that Cayce speaks of are periods where the soul inhabits the dimension of another place/vibration, in this case one pertaining to the various planets of our solar system, between incarnations on earth. As an analogy, it is like us giving up our daily life and work for a year to go to a university to study a new subject. That subject may or may not be directly relevant to us when we return to our regular life and job in the 'real' world, but it will, at the very least, make us more rounded individuals and may have an influence on how we conduct, or approach our everyday life. To sum it up, think of these sojourns as a university for the soul. A brief of the generally accepted astrological influences of the planets may be given as follows, without reference to the Zodiacal Constellations: Venus - Love, beauty. Saturn - Stabilizing, limiting.  (This is the planet to which souls are cast to be cleansed of all impurities after unsuccessfully completing a cycle of experiences.) Jupiter - Ennobling force, high ideals, breadth of vision.  Neptune - Mysticism, water.  Uranus - Occult, extremes.  after Mercury - Mind. unsuccessfully completing Mars - Anger, strife, force, fire. Earth - Flesh, with all the accompanying emotions. Hugh Lynn Cayce "Life Readings" An ARE Report Kevein Todeschi, Director of the Association for Research & Enlightenment (ARE), the body Edgar Cayce started to promote the study of the Cayce readings and ideas, summed it up very well in his newly published book 'Vibrations': The influence of the planets on us is through vibration - vibration being the connection to all things - the universal 'force' is vibration. "The idea is ... that each of the planets represents the vibration of specific lessons in soul growth. After each incarnation the soul takes stock of its own strengths and weaknesses and may chose to undertake a rigorous lesson in conscious development that will benefit the soul in future earthly incarnations. For example, a soul needing to learn more about love may chose to undertake a period when it surrounded by the consciousness of the vibration of love. That specific energetic vibration corresponds, according to the readings, with the planet Venus. It is important to point out that the soul doesn't "go" to Venus. Instead, the planet Venus represents the consciousness of love that corresponds to a "sojourn in consciousness" which a specific individual may wish to undertake. On one occasion Cayce stated, "Each planetary influence vibrates at a different rate of vibration (281-55) Todeschi K 'Vibrations' 2007 ARE Press As Cayce's son, Hugh Lynn put it: "The nobleness of Jupiter without the driving force of Mars, the love influence of Venus without the tempering action of Mercury, are dangerous.  As you consider the multitude of complex natures represented in mankind, know that you view many degrees of developing entities who have not assimilated the balancing factors of all the solar experiences".  Hugh Lynn Cayce "Life Readings" It is all about learning, developing, becoming a more rounded individual, one that helps in our journey to back to the knowledge that we are eternally connected with the Cosmos and everything in it - we are all One. So the influences on an individual appear to be mainly those pertaining to their birth chart. These planets and their various influences can, in turn, indicate the various sojourns into the 'university of the soul', especially the sojourn made prior to the current earthly incarnation. It may be more arguable just how much influence the physical daily planetary positions can have on an individual, though these may have more significance if the particular planets are strong in one's birth chart. However, one could probably argue a case for a more general background influence of he planets whose individual and combined effects will wax and wane much as does the moon in its particular cycle. As I was putting thought to paper I received my copy of the latest Venture Inward Magazine from the ARE which had an article on Planetary Sojourns by ARE's astrologer Raye Mathis - don't you love it when that happens! - In the article she highlighted another area from the Cayce readings where the planets have an influence - the glandular system of your body. The readings indicate the endocrine glands are a point of contact with the soul forces - a meeting place for the spiritual, mental and physical bodies and by implication, a place where earthly lives and planetary sojourns meet. In the 281 series of readings on meditation and the meaning of the Revelation, a correlation was even made between each endocrine center and a planet: Pituitary/Jupiter; Pineal/Mercury; Thyroid/Uranus; Thymus/Venus; Adrenals/Mars; Lyden gland/Neptune; Gonads/Saturn. [281-29] There is a branch of astrology today that believes one can 'see' and interpret past earthly lives in a horoscope. According to the Cayce readings, however, you can 'read' past earthly lives only from a life reading (or psychic reading). What you see in your horoscope are your planetary sojourns - those influences from youe souls's experiences between those earthly lives. [254-21] Raye Mathis, Venture Inward Sept/Oct 2007, p.11 Having made a case for the a context under which astrology is valid and works, it is important to note one final point that Cayce made time and again: There are material factors that rule or govern or direct or influence such forces. These may be tempered by the astrological aspects, but these are not the major influence or force ... no influence - astrologically or from material sojourns - surpasses the will or the determination of the individual.. [97-2] Whether it be Cayce or Jonathan Cainer, both will tell you - read your astrological charts and horoscopes so that you may gain an understanding of the forces and opportunities that may be available to you, but don't let them have such an influence that they guide everything you do on a day-to-day basis. If your horoscope tells you to 'be careful when travelling', and you are more vigilant as a result when you go out then that is a good thing. If you are afraid of getting into an accident and therefore decide to avoid going out altogether, then you are allowing astrology to influence you far too much.