Thank you for taking the time to help me understand obyvatel,
obyvatel said:
One question is does the alignment of planets at the time of birth affect characteristics of an individual? Personal horoscopes are cast based partly on planetary alignments at the time of birth.
On the linked thread above, it is said about zodiacal astrology
Nevertheless, although the principal occupants of the zodiacal belt are nowadays the sun, moon and planets, there are no very strong reasons for believing that any of these bodies yet played a significant role in the supposed influence of the zodiac on the earth. Rather, these objects, which vary their stations along the ecliptic, seem to have been used more as calendrical or chronological markers, a great event in the sky being appropriated by the king (or his minions) and dated by the position of the sun and the moon and the disposition of the planets amongst the constellations. This view is supported, for example, by re-cent studies of the astronomical iconography of stelae and of kudurrus (Tuman 1986) which indicate that planets, in the first instance at least, were observed for purely calendrical purposes.
If I understand right, translated to language of the simple minded, the above says that in the start, watching the movements of the sun moon and planets, was to keep track of time, but they still knew that it showed that some times are better than others, so they would let the king know so he could benefit.
Is that close or am I missing the point?
(I'm not trying to be cute here, I'm just having difficulties understanding intellectual language)
As to whether the alignment of planets at the time of birth affect characteristics of an individual. I don't know if it is so, or if an individual is somehow drawn to being born at the time where the planets tell the story of the physical and emotional make up of that individual.
But I find that the planetary positions in the birth chart
does describe the characteristics of an individual.
I guess one can only find out by observing and testing, if it is so or not.
obyvatel said:
And then about horoscopic astrology
The appeal to geometry by the Greeks, then, is associated with the emergence during the fourth century before Christ of a totally new form of physical astronomy now known as horoscopic astrology'. This revolutionary development was based, in fact, on the completely false premise that planets exerted a distant influence on terrestrial affairs. However, unlike either judicial or zodiacal astrology, which as we have seen might have had a proper physical basis involving a direct contact between astronomical objects and the earth, horoscopic astrology, being specifically related to an imagined, remote influence of the planets (i.e. 'action at a distance'), is entirely spurious.
A direct consequence of this new theory was that other-wise unimportant planetary conjunctions or alignments were now perceived as having great significance. Here again we are dealing with a contrived, yet false transformation of ideas, for in the original judicial astrology there is some evidence that a catastrophe was widely associated with the aftermath of a conference or gathering of the gods (Butterfield 1981). Times of acute crisis might originally have been associated quite plausibly with conjunctions of cometary bodies or extended swarms of fireballs, but the later association attributing significance to the conjunction of planets is patently absurd.
It does raise questions about some of the grounds of validity about astrology claimed in modern times regarding the antiquity of astrological practices. It does seem probable that astrology as practiced by the ancients (before advent of Greeks) may have had quite a different purpose compared to how it is used today.
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OK if I understand right, the above says that it is pretty ridiculous deciding that there is 360 degrees all the way around, and that dividing the 360 degrees into 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and thinking that they have any influence on each other when being in these positions that are made up.
This I would agree completely with if it wasn't because I have noticed quite significant effects from aspects. I'd say that the conjunctions, squares and oppositions are definitely the most noticeable, but I have observed plenty effects from the minor aspects as well.
It really is not that I believe in Astrology, I have never gone to any Astro schools, (have one time attended a weekend class on how to adjust birth time, when the exact time is not known, and thought the people there, who had gone to astro schools for many years, and even the teacher, had somehow not learned how to think, and was repeating very limited interpretations)
But I don't think I'm that far, so I don't think I can do something with astrology that most people can't.
For example I remember Laura writing that she could see who the killer was by horary horoscope (it might have been in combination with dreams) and I would not at all feel confident that I would be able to do that
I have mainly learned from reading some books and then for the last ten years I've been following the movements of transits and progressions and seeing what happens in life when something happens, or having something going on in life and then checking transits and progressions to see if they tell the same story as what happens. and as said I found it uncomfortable when I first realized how ruled I was, so I have tried plenty to prove the planets wrong when they were messing with me. And totally failed to be free from their influences.
This is with my own life and horoscope, as well as friends and family, and I am yet to see a mayor aspect that doesn't have effect, or doesn't tell the story of what is happening in life.
I have been thinking a lot about why and how it can be so, and I don't know why, but I can observe that it is.
Also, as the zodiac has moved, the planets don't even sit in the places that the horoscope shows, but when I have tried to put them where they really are, the horoscope is a lot less accurate I find.
Also the taking a 3d sky, and making it into a flat 2d drawing, would make one doubt if it is really useful.
So my problem is that it seems illogical that it should work, but I see real life proof that it does work, all the time.
But that it has changed or evolved over time, isn't that only logical like any other science? (I know astrology is not a science according to most)
What I mean is that, though I would think that it would be logical to assume that it has been corrupted like anything else, that has been allowed to survive, But that it has changed and developed over time, is not proof to me that it is not useful.
Is there something I don't get that is obvious?
obyvatel said:
Wishful thinking and subjective validation are serious issues that cannot be overlooked in the context of interpreting symbols. Consider the following where the author is providing a personal character assessment
Personally, I have seen that periods of life when I have felt a need to get astrological guidance were periods where I was feeling helpless about my abilities to handle what life had thrown at me. I do not have psychic abilities - also I do not trust myself enough to avoid ego traps and subjective validations to extract any signal that may be available from an astrological reading - so I tend to avoid it.
My 2 cents fwiw
:D Personally there has been very few times in my life since around 10, where I wasn't feeling helpless about my abilities to handle what life had thrown at me.
But I'm not sure that I can find that many ego traps in my using astrology, as mostly it does not tell me what my ego wants to hear, as my ego would really rather have the whole world being in love with me and everything I wanted handed to me on a silver plate.
But the story of my life and the story of my horoscope tells the boring story of having to surrender my ego, and getting trouble for my egoism, paying for it, and getting the wonderful lesson of learning that less is more, and how was it the tarots put it lately when I wanted to hear if I would ever find a love relationship, that all I could get was "noble spiritual growth through loneliness" -ha! that really wasn't what I wanted to hear, as I am not yet at a stage where "noble" seems better that "hot love" (OK that was the cards, but the horoscope is as mean)
I think that my studying astrology has helped me accept some of my life lessons, and in understanding that we have different paths and missions, and that it is not fair, but just how it is, and a waste of time to be upset about it, but that working with the lessons does have rewards.
Of cause my ego might want to appear noble, but I don't think it cares that much about being the noble one, unless it gets a lot of praise for being so, and in the noble loneliness there is no one to praise it.
I don't want to be annoying, but I still don't see how it is not beneficial as to tool to understand one self, or certain life lessons.
Only if it doesn't work, but I really can't say it doesn't work, due to my observations. I'm not saying that it is impossible that I'm fooled here, but I have thought about the cons a lot, and tried to defy being ruled, and would even like it to not fit, as that would seem like getting a lot of free will.
But I don't want to pretend that I'm not ruled if I am, and I do think it must be the first step to breaking free to understand the prison, and as astro communities tend to be a little like religious people, I think it would be very interesting to discuss it here, and test it, but I don't want to do so, if it is not appropriate, and I would really like to understand why it isn't if it isn't.
Sorry for the length, and hope I make sense