Astrologys 4 Great Taboos: The Next Frontier for the 21st Century Astrologer

[Guest guest]

Namaste Listmembers,

 

 

Salaam Mu Min, et al,

I owe you and others an apology.

You are right, these issues must be addressed and dealt with.

I feel ashamed by my lack of courage and eroded persistence. I often feel

so overwhelmed by these issues, and the worsening state of affairs, I

burn-out, flip-out and need to withdraw to save my sanity.

I am glad there are good, strong people like you in the world. You give

me hope and help me feel less isolated.

Thank you,

God Bless,

Love Ann.

 

-

"Mu'Min Bey" <mumin_bey

<vedic astrology>; <gjlist>;

<panastroforum

Sunday, January 19, 2003 4:26 PM

[GJ] Astrologys 4 Great Taboos: The Next Frontier for the 21st

Century Astrologer

 

 

> 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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