As above, so below. Mankind has always had a fascination with the sky. It has been a rich supply of inspiration for artists, poets, theologians and scientists. The examples are endless.
Take Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam: the image of the near-touching hands of God and Adam has become iconic. The imagery of our connection to life and divinity coming from the sky in the form of a masculine deity’s intention.
We have always looked to the sky for signs, omens and hope. With the help of modern technology, we now all have access to what the sky is trying to show us: ourselves. Because we inhabit the same universe as the planets we observe in the sky, we are governed by the same laws.
This fact allows us to gather understanding about ourselves by gaining an understanding of the patterns and cycles we observe around us. It is like a cosmic mirror that can reflect far more than what our physical body looks like. It can reflect back to us an image of our wholeness and thus our divinity.
We have not been taught that we are whole, so when we see our wholeness we rarely recognize it as ourselves. We have been taught that we are finite and inherently flawed, so who we see our wholeness, we interpret it so that it matches what we have been taught we are.
Let’s look up to sky for a moment. The cycles of the planets revolving around the Sun are seemingly infinite and imply a universal harmony of cycles. We don’t think ill of the Moon when it wanes and leaves us with darker scarier nights. Nor do we curse the Sun when it sets each day, taking with it its light and warmth.
This is Astro-logic. It is acknowledging our connection to everything around us and using that knowledge to be more participatory in the time and place in which we find ourselves. To be responsive and responsible and creative in our lives so we don’t slip into fear, reactivity and defensiveness. That way our lives are free to grow into something more interesting and noteworthy.
We are all fated to face certain questions at certain times in our lives. At some point, usually in our teenage years, we become acutely aware of new and different kinds of amorous feelings arising, and we all have to make decisions on what we are going to do with those feelings. There are almost infinite potential responses and/or reactions to those feelings. Teenagers who receive quality guidance and preparation regarding those new feelings are in better place to make more conscious choices when the new complicated feelings arise.
Back in 2004 before I abruptly retired from the NFL, I experienced some new and complicated feelings. I felt that I’d be much happier if I wasn’t a famous football player. Like an awkward teenager, I bumbled my way into failing a drug test just to intensify my ambivalence out of existence. I reacted to the ambivalence rather than responding to it. If I had access to Astro-logic, I would have known that it was time to start thinking about what I really want to do with my life. I would of recognized the new complicated energies and invited them over for dinner. I would have asked them what they had for me and what the price was.
Free will has its limitations. We cannot avoid the Astro-logic of our lives. We do, however, have free will in deciding at what level of consciousness we live it out. For example, when the Warrior archetype shows up in your life, you are going to have to face a bully in some area of your life. It could be an inner bully, like a destructive habit, or it could be an outer bully, like a teacher, boss or parent. Knowing that the Warrior is here to teach you the courage you need to stand up to the bully helps you not misdirect the edginess of the Warrior energy towards innocent bystanders.
When new complicated feelings arise, you can look to the sky or to the symbolism of it in your chart to understand the Astro-logic underlying the drama of the particular chapter of the storybook of your life at hand. Come join me to have a conversation about this and your other musings at 6 p.m. this Sunday (and every Sunday) at Mystic Journey Crystals in Venice, California.