What do you hate most about being an astrologer?

Of course I love astrology and it is a passion, but I really think it takes a sound mind to process indications of the future without acting rash.
There are always negative things about what we love.


I'd say the thing I hate most, is knowing (a good idea) the answers to questions that pop up in my head without doing a horary chart due to knowing the Moon's upcoming aspects. When it's a no, anyway.

Maybe someone else could have a reply and we could have an interesting discussion going.

How about putting years of work into developing skills to use one of the most fruitful sciences of all time and no one thinks that it matters? Good thing that isn't why I'm doing it.

Mark said:

How about putting years of work into developing skills to use one of the most fruitful sciences of all time and no one thinks that it matters? Good thing that isn't why I'm doing it.

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Oh yes, the social stigma of being an "astrologer". They will look at you as if you are this. I don't tell many people I am one unless I know they are open-minded. Many people think it's hoo-ha... if they only knew..

Yikes, Ray--don't get me started! Astrology is my passion, too, but honestly, I get annoyed at:

1. Astrologers/astrology students not taking astrology seriously enough to make it credible to most of the thinking public, let alone to academics. Sure, they have a lot of ignorance about astrology, but some of our material just isn't credible. Examples available upon request.

2. Astrologers who do not respect the gift of the glimpse into the human psyche that astrology offers. Some seem to think humans operate on such a low-order material plane that only the most elementary facets of human existence are of interest. And readers pick up on this.

3. Consumers of astrology who basically wish to give up their personal autonomy and responsibility for their lives to astrologers.

4. The kind of astrology that makes timid people fearful and superstitious.

waybread said:

1. Astrologers/astrology students not taking astrology seriously enough to make it credible to most of the thinking public, let alone to academics. Sure, they have a lot of ignorance about astrology, but some of our material just isn't credible. Examples available upon request.

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I would like an example!

3. Consumers of astrology who basically wish to give up their personal autonomy and responsibility for their lives to astrologers.

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I would classify those people as the same who rely too much on psychic readings, etc.

4. The kind of astrology that makes timid people fearful and superstitious.

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You mean traditional astrology?

Those that think they are "owed" free astrology services.

Partisanship and prejudice among astrologers toward other astrologers who hold different views or who use different methodologies. But, unfortunately, this is not a problem unique to astrology: this same (often more sharply divisive) type of attitude exists in several other areas of alternative (non-conventionally recognized) endeavor: for example, my own field of practice, homeopathy, suffers from this attitude problem within its own ranks even more acutely than does astrology...

dr. farr said:

Partisanship and prejudice among astrologers toward other astrologers who hold different views or who use different methodologies. But, unfortunately, this is not a problem unique to astrology: this same (often more sharply divisive) type of attitude exists in several other areas of alternative (non-conventionally recognized) endeavor: for example, my own field of practice, homeopathy, suffers from this attitude problem within its own ranks even more acutely than does astrology...

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I don't seem to have that problem for some reason. I'm comfortable sitting down and having a conversation with all sorts of astrologers. I have techniques that I favor because they work in my sort of practice, but I can have amazing, friendly, insightful and respectful conversations with astrologers of all types.

I'm fortunate to be able to refer to many of the top (and most famous) astrologers in the world as my friends (I'm not going to drop names). I disagree with many of the techniques or approaches many of those astrologers may use - but that doesn't get in the way of forging bonds and actually learning something. In either direction.

To switch it up a bit, one of the things I love most about being an astrologer is being around other astrologers - and those who speak "Astrologese."

Conferences, lectures and workshops just revitalize me. The two weeks I spent in England recharged my batteries greatly. Every time I lecture - or attend someone else's lecture - results in the same energy boost. UAC in New Orleans in 2012 is going to be a phenomenal experience.

Ray, in terms of my itemized list, above:

1. Oh, gosh. Bob Marks's site is one of the more dumbed-down introductions to astrology. I suppose he does beginners a service, but it just makes the rest of us look brainless. Sun-sign columns in newspapers/magazines (not that I don't read them, mind you, but the obvious criticism is how 1/12 of the world's population can have the identical forecast.) Woo-woo authors like Dane Rudhyar or some of the past-lives crowd with zero evidence for their jacked-up and glazed-over delineations. Celebrity astrology that is so post-hoc it isn't funny. Astrological interpretation with no evidence to back it up.

I don't have a quarrel with a lot of the current traditional astrology (apart from the sheer rudeness of some of its practitioners.) I do really take exception to death predictions, which were popular in the past. One can be either modern or traditional and scare the bejeezus out of people.

The statements I hate most as an astrologer?

01. "My birthdate is 4/6/year"

02. "A moderator has deleted a thread containing 25+ posts from you, at the request of OP"

03. "Please spend the next x days interpreting my chart for free"

04. "Why have none of you ******** interpreted my chart for free yet?"

05. "Thanks for interpreting my chart ...but I've just discovered my birthtime is out by x hours ...Please let me know if that changes the interpretation in any way"

06. "Astrology is absolute ******** ...But I was born on 4/6/year, if anyone wants to try convincing me otherwise"

07. "Ma says you're an Astronomer ...Do they have crystal balls?"

08. "Ma says you're an Astrothingy ...obsessed with Uranus, or summat"

09. "I met him/her on-line 10 minutes ago ...What's our synastry like?"

10. "Why do astrologers always get my chart wrong?"

EJ

Re: The statements I hate most as an astrologer?

That is great!! And so often things really are stated EXACTLY those ways!

I was raised and I live in a post-communist country. It has been more than 20 years from the Velvet Revolution so we have capitalism now (finally getting less and less wild) and what is most important, access to information of any kind.
BUT... Old thinking habits instilled by 40-years communist rule are the hardest to outgrow. If the State/ the Communist Party defined everything, all kinds of public information were biased and used mainly to manipulate, people with different opinions were persecuted and churches were forbidden unless they preached as the Party requested - people got used to question nothing and take for granted that they will be always cared for as long as they submit to this. For many, it became kind of a comfortable cage. Not much of a self-realization, not much of a motivation to achieve anything. And no one seemed to be satisfied with life unless they found a hobby that would provide the needed self-realization.

It is far more better now and people (at least some of them) have already realized that there is actually more to life that the materialistic doctrine taught them. However, due to this, we are one of the most ateistic countries in the world, anything related to spirituality is just weird or funny and values of many people are still very material.
I am sure that in the U.S, Great Britain or elsewhere there are also lot of people thinking that astrology is just fake or it is a divination, crystal ball fortune telling. It is just that we have a longer way to go for people to start realizing that they are responsible for they lives and question themselves. And that astrology can be a very valuable tool of self-knowledge.

There are of course astrologers in our country but to-date I have been unable to find a good one (by my criteria). Because most of them are providing what the clients ask for - that is "will I win or inherit something soon" and "does he like me".

So this is rather frustrating. But maybe this is the reason I was born here To bring in more awareness even if there is only so much I can do.

EJ, thanks for this morning's chuckle. So true!

I might add to your list:

11. Unhappy people on astrology forums who claim they want an honest reading, but who sulk/ignore you if you don't give them the answer they want.

12. People set on a risky course of action who sulk if you don't give them an astrological green light to do what they planned.

13. People who ask for a detailed *free* chart reading, and then never acknowledge your work, let alone say "thank you." Never mind providing any feedback.

14. Posters who write things like, "I have Venus in Scorpio. This means my love life is doomed." [Ray, as per my item #1, above.]

Yennefer, I assume your birth country is the Czech Republic, and I cannot speak directly to this experience; but I have noticed in some posters from the (post-communist) Balkan countries a willingness to trust people who claim to be psychics or fortune tellers. Some even imply "black magic." Generally the results make the posters more fearful and superstitious. I don't know if this fortune-telling "art" stems from pre-communist forms of folk divination, or whether new forms emerged more openly after the fall of communism.

waybread said:

Ray, in terms of my itemized list, above:

1. Oh, gosh. Bob Marks's site is one of the more dumbed-down introductions to astrology. I suppose he does beginners a service, but it just makes the rest of us look brainless.

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Haha, yea, if I want an astrological laugh I go to that site. Not to say that I think his site is worthless, he does have some useful information there on asteroids. But the oversimplification of planets in signs are funny, and he does add some humor to it.

waybread said:

14. Posters who write things like, "I have Venus in Scorpio. This means my love life is doomed."

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Haha, as someone who does have Venus in Scorpio, I will add that it is a pretty horrible placement; especially for Scorpio risers like me. I've never been in a longterm relationship and always have difficulties in love. So I will have to agree to that! Lol.

Haha .. I feel like some dirt is being swept from underneath the rug.

waybread said:

Yennefer, I assume your birth country is the Czech Republic, and I cannot speak directly to this experience; but I have noticed in some posters from the (post-communist) Balkan countries a willingness to trust people who claim to be psychics or fortune tellers. Some even imply "black magic." Generally the results make the posters more fearful and superstitious. I don't know if this fortune-telling "art" stems from pre-communist forms of folk divination, or whether new forms emerged more openly after the fall of communism.

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Waybread, I also noticed this and I don´t think it is related to communism that much. It may be that people from Balkan countries may tend to be more "emotional" (this is a huge generalization, I am aware of that) because they seem to be more temperamental and also, even under Big Brother rule, religion still played a major role there so people may be more used to listening to spiritual "authorities". In Czech Rep., people tend to be just indifferent, uninterested. If they go to an astrologer or even "psychic", and get some useful information, they would just think it is interesting and then go back and do nothing with it. Balkan people may get the very same info but may actually become frightened or react emotionally. (Just my opinion and I am generalizing very much here.)

I dislike how time consuming it is, or that I don't have enough time to give it the full dedication it deserves.
It reminds me of the story, If you give a mouse a cookie.
One aspect leads to another, and 4 hours later I am left with more questions than answers.

i love astrology, i wanna study but where can i study astrology

khristina said:

i love astrology, i wanna study but where can i study astrology

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This is my opinion, but I think many are self taught. And of course, I'd reccomend you to start with the old texts before you dabbled in modern astrology.