Astrology’s 4 Great Taboos: The Next Frontier for the 21st Century Astrologer

[Guest guest]

Astrology’s 4 Great Taboos: The Next Frontier for the

21st Century Astrologer

Saturday, January 18, 2003

 

In the opening pages of Master Western Astrologer Noel

Tyl’s truly awesome work, “The Creative Astrologer” he

outlines what he calls “The State of Our Art”. In it,

he assesses Astrology’s progress over the past

century, with particular attention to the innovative

approach of the late great Dane Rudhyar. Rudhyar is

credited with having started the Psychological

Revolution in Astrology, with the publication of “The

Astrology of Personality”, which sought to break

Astrology away from its Old World roots, tied to

event-oriented reading and prognostication, and worked

to bring it into the 20th Century, with all of its

complexities, potentials and promise. Tyl correctly

surveys all of this, as indeed, one of the biggest

achievements of modern day Astrology, has been its

successful transition from pre-Humanist understanding

to post-Psychological Era insight.

 

In fact, upon closer inspection, one will find that

there were two major advances in Astrology worldwide

over the past 100 years - the former, the linking of

Astrological symbolism with Psychological insight as

already stated; and, the very important advent of

computer technology, which has made Astrology on the

whole that much more accessible to the casual observer

and the aspiring student than ever before. Complex

mathematical formulas and procedures that once took

hours, if not days, to work out are now done in

seconds; techniques that were not even possible, let

alone thought about in centuries gone by (like

Astrocartography, Composite horoscopes, or, the

extensive use of Midpoints) are now commonplace; and,

perhaps the most important, astrologers today have

much more access to huge collections of horoscope data

than at any other time in Astrology’s entire history.

In fact, even the most casual, computer-assisted

Astrological hobbyist can see, with his or her own

eyes, easily several hundred charts within their

lifetime. The only Astrologer of more modest times

that had access to such a large number of charts was

the great William Lilly, in 17th century England (he

was reputed to have as many as 2,000 clients per year,

at the height of his practice!); such a feat is truly

awesome to comprehend, when one takes into account

that ephemerides, tables of houses and other

computational tools that made doing the nuts-and-bolts

work of Astrology easier, had not yet been brought

about!

 

Astrology has indeed kept pace with the Times.

 

And, Astrology itself has been undergoing a

deep-seated change, particularly here within the

United States; the core issue of aging Astrologers and

a commitment towards the recruitment of younger

aspirants has been the topic of conversation among

many of the more established, well-known Astrologers.

Accreditation and establishment of Astrological

institutions, such as the Kepler school out in

Washington state, is a sight to behold. And a growing

awareness and appreciation among the general public of

what Astrology can do, has made the possibility of a

career in the Astrological Arts that much more

attractive to the young. There is much more work to be

done in these areas, but the fact remains: there is

promise here.

 

And yet, as today’s astrologers come into the field

with more understanding of the Human Condition and

more refined tools with which to do Astrology than

ever before, Today’s Times demand a ”keeping pace”

upgrade as well. This is the subject of my essay and

thoughts here.

 

There are a set of conditions and concerns that I

call, Astrology’s 4 Great Taboos, that the 21st

Century Astrologer will have to face, in times to

come; they are the “taboos” of Religion, Politics, Sex

and Race. In truth, these sets of circumstances, these

concerns, have been with Human Beings for as long as

there have been Human Beings; yet, with the events of

the past few years in particular, and as a

never-seen-before set of human advances takes

precedence over all else, a specific sensitivity will

in my view be required of today’s Astrologer, as they

head off into the Brave New World of tomorrow.

 

And here is where the many Astrological Conferences,

online astro-forums and the like can be most helpful,

as many if not all of these subjects are still

assiduously avoided in such places. Any attempt to

discuss these or related issues is at best reluctantly

tolerated, if not discouraged, censored or prohibited

outright. Such circumstances can only serve to limit

and hobble the 21st Century Astrologer’s ability to be

of assistance to those he or she may serve.

 

While some reading my comments here may look on with

chagrin, I say to them, just consider the following:

Sep 11, 2001 forever changed the way we Americans look

at the world; so many perceptions and anxieties have

taken root in the wake of this world changing event.

The decisions that are made at the highest of

governmental levels over the next decade will

undoubtedly set the tone for the 21st Century, and

this will have a marked effect on Astrology, much as

what occurred during and especially after, World War 2

dramatically altered Astrology’s focus and perception

from the general public. This is particularly

important for Astrologers, as the very first form of

Astrology on the planet and in practice, was that of

Mundane Astrology; centuries later, it has again

assumed a prominent role in the fate of not only our

nation, but that of the entire World.

 

And there’s more: as Noel Tyl points out in his

excellent “Predictions for a New Millennium”, the

World is no longer Euro-centered. Indeed, much of the

anxieties so many Americans feel in the aftermath of

Sep 11, is the feeling that other thought-systems and

perceptions of the world are intruding on the

“American Way” of doing, believing and seeing things.

In particular and at the heart of these concerns is

the view/thought/fear that Islam may displace or at

the very least be on-par with, the Judeo-Christian

philosophy that is at the very base of this society’s

guiding principles, which in essence becomes the

populace’s mythology. Muslims existing under such a

set of conditions (living in America) have a tough

situation to deal with, that can have an effect on

every area and aspect of their lives, from work to

relationships, particularly if those they have

partnered with someone who is NOT a Muslim. Similarly,

the more “typical” American may have acute

difficulties in dealing with the very fact of

differing perspectives on life, the world, indeed, of

God Himself. The 21st Century Astrologer, must be

sensitive to these conditions.

 

We can extend the notion, the idea, of the slow

dissolving paradigm of a Euro-centered worldview, to

the thought, practice and application of Astrology

itself: indeed, over the past decade in particular,

American astrological aspirants have been more and

more exposed to the ancient astrological system of

India, known more commonly as Vedic Astrology. This

follows the over 30-year infusion of Far Eastern

thought systems and therapeutic approaches, such as

Yoga, Aryuveda, and so on. Many in these groups,

through their exposure to these systems of thought,

have re-examined their world prior, and this includes

Western Astrology. But it is important to note, and

this is based in part on my experience in dealing with

both systems and the worlds out of which they emanate,

that most people who come into contact with both don’t

throw one out of the window in favor of the other;

indeed, many people I know who have investigated both

tracks of reason see the merits of both systems of

thought, and, in this case, Astrological reason and

application. Therefore, I submit, that it behooves the

21st Century Astrologer, to at the very least become

at least as conversant with the Philosophy of Karma

(as perhaps best exemplified in the Bhagavad Gita) as

they are with Jungian psychological principles (Jung

was, as many well know, a huge supporter and student

of, many of the things I am writing about here); to

learn as much about Single Session Therapy (again, as

explained beautifully in Tyl’s Creative Astrologer) as

they do about Yoga, and so on. Looking at the Human

Condition from many perspectives does not dilute one’s

awareness – indeed, it strengthens it.

 

Yet, many of the larger conferences and online forums,

on both sides of the Astrological aisle (Western and

Vedic) seems not only to lag behind in terms of a

“one-world” approach – being open to both sides of the

Astrological worldview – but often, is hostile to

anyone other than its own. For example, I myself have

been met with derision in both Western and Vedic

online forums, some of which are known for their more

“high brow” approach and presentation, simply because

I introduced another way of looking at things; I did

attempt to displace the existing views (systems), just

provided an alternate view. Yet I was told that I was

not welcome there; why couldn’t I “speak” Western (if

I was in such a forum) or Vedic (again, if I was in

such a forum) and so on (this reminds so very much of

the current anti-immigration focus extant in America,

in particular, to Spanish-only speaking Hispanics;

“why can’t you speak English”?). If Astrology is

indeed a reflection of the larger Society in which it

is placed, then the anxiety over what is not familiar

is just as strong here than anywhere outside of it.

Perhaps Astrology, has kept in pace with the times, in

more ways than one.

 

And then, there are the Sexual Concerns, that drives

so many of us all: surveys taken over the past few

years, for example, have shown that more people in

America, on any given day, watch more pornographic

videos, DVDs and the like, than are people watching

the World Series, the NBA and NHL All-Star Games and

the Super Bowl combined! It is also estimated that the

pornographic industry in the United States makes more

money here than anywhere else in the world, again,

combined. Sex drives most, if not many, ad-campaigns;

it is the singular topic of many songs on the radio

and MTV, and so much more.

 

Sex, and its close cousin, Relationships, are perhaps

the Astrologer’s single biggest client concern.

 

And then there are the issues of Rape, Pedophilia,

Sexual and Spousal Abuse; new relationship dynamics

such as the Gay and Lesbian lifestyle, not to mention

Bi-Sexuality; infidelity is an American norm, as is

high divorce rates. All of these concerns are, more

often than not, at the forefront of some 80% of the

average Astrologer’s clientele, especially in light of

the past few year’s events (the Catholic Sex Scandal,

the revelations of so many children being abducted

and/or sexually assaulted being reported in the news

over the past year, to name but a few) – yet,

relatively few books have been written addressing

these concerns, and indeed, few conferences have

centered in on these circumstances either. While it is

a most welcome volume, Tyl’s latest work on Sexuality

and Relationships is, in some ways, a telling

testimony of both the complexity of these issues, and,

as well, the relative resistance towards plumbing

these depths among the Astrological Community. It

would be bordering on the criminal for the 21st

Century Astrologer not to be most conversant with such

things.

 

And then, finally, there are the concerns of Race.

Leading estimates state that by the year 2050, the

United States will be predominantly brown in color,

with the overwhelming majority of the people having

come from countries of Hispanic origin (South

America). Over the past 20 years or so, immigration

from the Middle East, Africa, and the Asian countries

(including, but not limited to, India, Cambodia,

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea and the

Philippines) has been the order of the day, although

the events surrounding Sep 11 may curtail new entrants

from these lands sharply. Nevertheless, the views that

the people carry with them from those places, can and

it seems, already is at odds with the existing

“American Way” is yet another frontier for the 21st

Century Astrologer to manage within client

consultation. This again brings into sharp focus the

varied consultation techniques and “bedside manner”

that so many of these other societies hold dear. And

then, there are newer approaches toward dealing with

specific areas of concern; for example, Dr. Naim

Akbar, a prominent black psychologist from Florida,

has built an entire career around psychologically

charting and then treating the peculiar adjustments

black Americans have to make in an environment that at

times, has proven difficult for them to assimilate

into. And he is not alone: Dr. Alvin Poussaint, of

Harvard University, is another of the leading black

psychologists that argues for a particular

psycho-analytic approach when it comes to African

Americans, and there are many others. We already know

of the power of Psychology overall in terms of the

Modern Astrological framework. How will these sets of

concerns, among a significant segment of the American

population, figure in the 21st Century Astrologer’s

frame of reference? How does it stack against the

other groups mentioned above? Or does it at all? These

are the questions that the New, All-World Astrological

Community, particularly in America, will have to

contemplate.

 

Many new astrologers coming into the field today, face

a set of concerns simply not seen by their

predecessors; they have more resources at their

disposal, but they also have more daunting challenges

as never before. For them to be maximally efficient,

to for them to be insightful, for them to be

meaningful to those that they serve, I submit that

those in leading advisory capacities in the

Astrological Community cannot afford to miss this

grand opportunity, at the Dawn of the 21st Century, to

take the bull by the horns and address these concerns

and issues forthrightly. After all, we Astrologers

have been blessed with something that most people do

not have – foresight. And we should use that foresight

to help birth a new generation of Astrologers,

prepared to take on the New World.

 

Salaam,

Mu’Min M. Bey

 

 

 

=====

Mu'Min M. Bey

Western and Vedic Astrologer

mumin_bey

AOL IM Screen Name: JediMu

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