Astrology Shame

mdinaz said:

I don't believe the planets act on us in a 3rd dimensional, physical way. They act on us from a higher sphere of consciousness and existence, of which quantum physics is barely beginning to scratch the surface. Time and space do not exist there, thus how big the planet or body or how far away it is physically is irrelevant. What exactly is the mechanism, I have no idea, nor does anyone else, I suspect. If anyone asks how can the gravitational pull of a planet billions of miles way affect our lives and I say that it doesn't. THAT really confuses people when they ask about astrology.

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Again, I essentially agree with MDinaz as I usually do. But in explaining astrology, this would be an explanation to an esotericist in training. To the general public, from unfortunately a lot of personal experience early in my adult life, these kinds of explanations are just gobble-de-gook. It takes too much to even begin to explain it.

So I just go over the signs on the road or signs of the forest trail explanation. Then I don't run into the ugly head of scientism attacking my credibility. Further I just say that it represents a part of the Spiritual World View rather than the Materialistic World View(all that is, is made of matter that can be observed with eyes, microscopes, telescopes, and particle colliders).

StillConfused said:

I guess what I'm getting at, is to

CHALLENGE OURSELVES to wonder

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN,

if we exposed more of ourselves on a daily basis, including about our practices, and were willing to let the chips fall.

It's easy to feel comfortable about something we don't feel the obligation to share.

Do you accept yourself THAT deeply?

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While there is nothing wrong with that and I don't disagree, I must point out that sometimes it is just simply not worth the effort in the difficulties that arise with some people who are not able to handle those that are different from them. It comes under the law of Diminishing Returns. I choose carefully whom I share with as you do. I'll never pretend to be something I'm not in order to fit in - if I don't fit in I'll either keep my mouth shut or go somewhere else. There's something for everyone, somewhere.

mdinaz said:

While there is nothing wrong with that and I don't disagree, I must point out that sometimes it is just simply not worth the effort in the difficulties that arise with some people who are not able to handle those that are different from them. It comes under the law of Diminishing Returns. I choose carefully whom I share with as you do. I'll never pretend to be something I'm not in order to fit in - if I don't fit in I'll either keep my mouth shut or go somewhere else. There's something for everyone, somewhere.

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There are also some work environments where this could be a professional disaster. After all, unless we want to live in a grass hut, or work 20 hours a day(like poor Robert Blaschke did and ran himself into an early death), or unless you are retired like I am NOW, letting the chips fall might be awful.

For example a PhD level professional astronomer or astrophysicist who let people know s/he was also an astrologer would probably spell the end of his/her career. My son, the PhD experimental nuclear physicist, who has the same middle name as my first name, probably has issues of telling people that I am not him and that that's his whacko dad.

Or, there are many counseling environments which are either steeped in Scientism(science that says if you can't see it, then it doesn't exist) or fundamentalist religion, and telling people that you are a professional astrologer, would be almost as bad as admitting to be a Witch.

We don't all live in work environments where this subject is accepted. Only few people knew that I was an astrologer when I spent 40 years in professional counseling. And when I told my methodist minister, he told me to keep it to myself, and never ever again tell anyone in the congregation what I told him about my esoteric beliefs or my astrology.

Letting the chips fall works for me now that I am retired and living 800 miles away from where my professional career existed.

I had to think about it but in all the corporate jobs I've had over the past 25 years, I think only two people knew I was an astrologer, and I was intimately involved with both. Otherwise nobody knows. The only other place I worked where it was accepted was at a health food store I worked in years ago, but then everyone there was into metaphysical-esoteric beliefs. I have a couple close friends who know but none of them are work friends, as most of my friends in life have not been co-workers. It would probably be more acceptable in my career field since many of the people there are dorks anyway (computer IT), but this is still a highly religious area of the country (many Mormons and Baptists) and I don't need the headaches.

I live in the deep south, and don't hesitate to mention my study of astrology when the topic comes up, and yet I've never come across any major opposition from other people in the Pluto-Sagitarrius generation. The closest I've come to a seriously heated argument about the subject has been with a Baptist kid named Jacob, and all we discussed was whether various bible verses were actually stating in concrete terms that astrology was immoral, or whether they were just chiding people for putting more stock in astrologers than in God himself. He didn't believe in astrology himself, but he said that was because he didn't know enough about the subject to make a decision on the matter. If that isn't a sign of changing winds, I don't know what is.

Just from my experience, most people my age are definitely interested in astrology and other occult matters, though they don't actively seek it out. When the subject comes up in conversation, everyone in the room wants me to tell them about their sign. Unfortunately, I have to spend a lot of time trying to explain how your sun sign is only a fraction of your personality. In general, though, I feel that my generation is really going to help change the general opinion of the metaphysical sciences and help real astrologers regain the respect it has lost in recent centuries. If we all have the courage to risk getting insulted by the naysayers in order to get the word out, that is.

Jesse Booth said:

I live in the deep south, and don't hesitate to mention my study of astrology when the topic comes up, and yet I've never come across any major opposition from other people in the Pluto-Sagitarrius generation.

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You may change your mind when you have to get a professional job in the real world way off into your future. This would especially be true if the field you are in is a scientism one, or a people oriented one.

When I was in college 45 years ago it was the "in-thing" to do. When I got into the work world run by people my parents and my grand parents age, things were very very much different than college.

I'm not surprised that you get little guff at your age. Come back at talk to us again in about 10-15 years.

Zarathu, I was just commenting on how people in my age group seem to be open-minded in general, at least with astrology. I don't know if it is specifically the result of pluto's transit of Sagitarrius at the time we were born, or if we just happen to be young people. My point is that my generation in particular seems to be especially open-minded to new concepts. As I have never been a member of a different generation, I'm not sure if this is how teenagers always react to new ideas. As such, I decided that Pluto-Sagitarrians were a particularly good opportunity for us all to reach out to fresh minds, before this "scientism" mumbo-jumbo brainwashes them completely.

Jesse Booth said:

Zarathu, I was just commenting on how people in my age group seem to be open-minded in general, at least with astrology. I don't know if it is specifically the result of pluto's transit of Sagitarrius at the time we were born, or if we just happen to be young people. My point is that my generation in particular seems to be especially open-minded to new concepts. As I have never been a member of a different generation, I'm not sure if this is how teenagers always react to new ideas. As such, I decided that Pluto-Sagitarrians were a particularly good opportunity for us all to reach out to fresh minds, before this "scientism" mumbo-jumbo brainwashes them completely.

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Truth. Although not all of them seem to belive it all, they are interested and continue asking questions. A lot of them want to know more than just their zodiac signs and I'm continuing collecting birth data and making myself look smart. But the jokes aside, there is something true about the Pluto in Sagitarrius generation.
And also, I never hide my interests. Whatever they are. If I can **** someone off it's a good day.

Zarathu said:

There are also some work environments where this could be a professional disaster. After all, unless we want to live in a grass hut, or work 20 hours a day(like poor Robert Blaschke did and ran himself into an early death), or unless you are retired like I am NOW, letting the chips fall might be awful.

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Zarathu said:

You may change your mind when you have to get a professional job in the real world way off into your future. This would especially be true if the field you are in is a scientism one, or a people oriented one.

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mdinaz said:

While there is nothing wrong with that and I don't disagree, I must point out that sometimes it is just simply not worth the effort in the difficulties that arise with some people who are not able to handle those that are different from them. It comes under the law of Diminishing Returns. I choose carefully whom I share with as you do. I'll never pretend to be something I'm not in order to fit in - if I don't fit in I'll either keep my mouth shut or go somewhere else. There's something for everyone, somewhere.

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I genuinely see where you guys are coming from, and yet to truly understand wouldn't be possible as I haven't experienced anything like being a psychology councellor for a living yet. I wasn't quick to respond - surely your point of view is very valid. And Mdinaz, I totally get the part where you talk yourself into keeping your practice to yourself and those other few, for avoidance of headaches or conflicts that seemingly are more costly than privacy. Yeah, I get that all too well.

However I still feel like........... diminishing returns doesn't apply here, it only seems like it does. I feel like transparent living would be the ultimate gift. I guess it all depends, how high we want to live.

Of course we all have quite a bit of that transparency equals grass hut belief inside of us. But what if it didn't? What if there was a way around the grass hut? A different job perhaps. A dedication to find the right job, the right fit? Again, it depends, how much of a priority transparent living will be, but when there is a will, there is a way...

Other people will laugh at you for being an astro nerd, only to turn around and praise a black rock or kiss a book that talks about talking snakes.


**** them, okie dokie?