Having laid out a prediction for what will go down in history as one of the most challenging years America has ever faced, I feel the need to spend a few minutes sharing the benefits to be gained in such challenging times.
There are two distinct reactions we can have to difficulty.
We can isolate ourselves from our friends and neighbors in the interests of protecting “me and mine”. I think of this as the protectionist reaction, the very best result of which can be no further loss, however isolation precipitates a much greater loss which is measured not in dollars and cents, but in depreciation of the human spirit. You see, the magic inherent in humanity is that the potential of the group far exceeds the combined potential of the individuals within it.
I remember once, in a small town in Australia, there was a “100 year” flood that threatened the entire downtown business district. On that day, I watched sworn enemies, men who had not exchanged a civil word in twenty years, work side-by-side filling sandbags and building a levy to save the business of a third person whom they both despised.
In a moment of real and present danger, these folk were possessed of a humanity that went past their petty differences, and appealed to the far deeper human need to protect the whole community. Without the whole community, even those members they did not like, the community itself would fail, and failure of the community would threaten everybody’s survival.
There are times when we are required to put our differences aside for the greater good of our community, and this is one of those times.
The most recent lunar eclipse in August last year is one I described as the “Momentary Lapse of Reason” eclipse, where we, the people, are tending towards escape and idealism rather than reality or responsibility. This spirit of hope and idealism ably assisted Barack Obama in his run for the presidency. For millions of Americans, reality has come-a-calling under this eclipse in the form of pink-slips and economic upheaval, however that has not stopped the people from believing in a better tomorrow, right around the corner.
The coming lunar eclipse in February will bring it all home to the personal level. This could be a really good thing, or a really bad thing, depending on what we do with it.
The reality of our economic crisis will begin to sink in with the February eclipse.
This crisis IS as potentially catastrophic as the great depression.
This realization will cause people to take serious stock of themselves, their families, and their real situation.
This will throw some people into isolation mode. They will see the coming times as a serious threat, and treat everyone around them as potentially threatening. Many will erect a barrier between themselves and the outside world, and try to survive as best they can, receiving no help from anybody, and giving no help in return. Using the rhetoric of independence to mask their fears, they become bitter, cold, angry, and hard. They can do no different, for their environment and their fears will shape them.
Another group of people will, perhaps for the first time in decades, or even the first time in their lives, realize the magnitude of the problem facing the entire community. These folks will put their shoulder to the wheel, working alongside their sworn enemies, realizing that the problem facing their community is bigger than the squabbles that have kept them apart. Realizing also that, if our enemies go under, we go under with them.
Unlike a natural disaster, which is usually over quickly even if the aftermath takes a while to repair, this problem is man-made and hits everyone at the hip-pocket. It will last for a long time. It will affect everyone.
The energy of the February lunar eclipse, is Leo, the energy of the self. This influences the mood of the people for this most crucial period from February to June,
The people can insulate themselves in fear at this time, using Leo to represent “ more for Me and Mine, I can’t concern myself with You and Yours” or they can step up to the plate, saying “Me and Mine are in it with You and Yours, how can we help each other?”
There is potential in this eclipse for great things to come out of hard times. How we fare in these times will be determined, to a large degree, by the attitude we take.
The June lunar eclipse comes with the imperative “something has to be done” and wise leaders will be right there in the trenches with their people forging a plan. The eclipse period is very short, with another coming in August. This will be a period of transition from “really difficult times” to rolling up the sleeves and getting something done.
The July Solar eclipse will have the leaders persuaded to serve the needs of families, and on a broader scale, the people as a whole. This will energize the people briefly.
The August Lunar eclipse sees the people developing a stronger sense of common purpose, there will be more for people to do, and they will get about doing it.
As always, there is potential for negativity here as well, but I will address that closer to the day, when I see how these events transpire, and which of the many possible threats actually looms on the horizon at that time.
In difficult times, we have elected a president who is a thinker, a doer, a negotiator, a bringer of people to a common purpose. Much will be asked of him in his first 6 months in office, and I would much rather a president who is on the job and active in the pursuit of a better future, than one who would prefer to stand back and let the market forces determine our destiny.
I am not naïve enough to believe that president Obama can avert the trouble that is coming, I am hopeful, however, that he will display sufficient leadership to inspire the people to work towards a better future, rather than to squabble among themselves over the scraps left from the past.
With the right leadership, from the Whitehouse to the local PTA, great gains can be made from difficult times.
Showing posts with label Conversational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conversational. Show all posts
Monday, January 05, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The year ahead, 2009, USA.
The year ahead, 2009, USA.
With the economy in tatters from the Wall-Street meltdown, anyone anticipating sweetness and light in the coming year is in for a rude shock.
President Obama takes his oath of office under the same eclipse that brought Wall Street to its knees and repositioned recession (which was a much-danced-around taboo until September) and placed it as a favorable option when compared to its gloomy cousin, depression.
The US government was held to account to the people for its mal-administration of the economy.
While I believe full-scale meltdown into depression can be averted, it will not be without a lot of hard work from the government and deep resolve from the people.
President Obama enters his first term feeling the need to give account to the people for his every action. A large part of his appeal is transparency in the Whitehouse, which lays in direct contrast to the behavior of his predecessor. It is to his credit that he is responding to this need with the most transparent executive branch in history, but it will be interesting to see how long this lasts. While I would like it to remain the case in perpetuity, US history tells me a different story. We’ll see.
As the year progresses, the economic situation will worsen before it shows any signs of getting better. Destabilization will peak in the quarter from March to June, it will even out a little in the quarter from June to September, the year’s most stable quarter will be September to December, but normalcy is unlikely to return until March 2010, at which time a more certain path forward will emerge, though the 2010 year is still relatively unstable.
In short, the economic crisis is deep, it is protracted, it is global, and there are no quick fixes. The best hope is to ride out the storm as best we can, and plan for better days in the medium to long term.
The people will suffer most of all, with serious erosion of core values. Desperation will lead people to do things they had thought unthinkable, and become the people they had previously despised. The notion that “If I am good I will be OK” will take a serious hammering. We have already suffered enormous job-losses, and the US infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with large-scale unemployment. The subsequent drop in those covered by health insurance will force more people into emergency care with fewer resources to deal with it. The stage is set for a depression-like episode, however I think the worst of it will be fairly short-lived.
I can see President Obama at his lowest public opinion ebb in the quarter from Cancer (late June) to Libra (late September), after which he begins to restore some respectability, to his name, to the Whitehouse, and to the country, however it will be 2012 before the economy and the country begin to gain lasting traction.
The president will need the tenacity to hold on through the toughest times in most people’s memory, and realize that even the very best he is capable of will fall short of what is required in the short term.
The government and clergy of the USA will do well to emphasize introspection, compassion, and care for our fellow man. Much needs to be made of “pulling together” when the going gets tough, lest the society fragment into violent, competitive interest groups.
Step by step through the year…..
Inauguration day will be the highlight of what will turn out to be a very bleak year.
The president will look good, the people will be wowed. The president will display the steady hand that he needs to have to see these times through, and despite the tough times ahead, his presidency looks like it will endure, though it will not accomplish all that it has set out to do. Cleaning out the culture of corruption in Washington will be the hallmark of this presidency, though it will be interesting to see how he manages to do this while working with the very people he needs to reform. The waning moon suggests that this term of his presidency will be about ending the old era more than about starting a new one.
The January 26 solar eclipse, just a week after the inauguration, sees the hopes and dreams of the people pinned to their president and his ideals. This is not an eclipse that allows a lot to be accomplished, however it stresses that the greatest good of the people is in fostering strong community and neighborhood spirit. That is just about all that the people will have going for them in the next 6 months. There will be talk of war and civil unrest, which the executive branch will try desperately to ignore. They will be forced to face it soon enough.
The February 9 Lunar eclipse brings the reality of the financial crisis home to many Americans. While their welfare is best served by “keeping the faith” the majority of Americans are going to feel isolated, alone, and disillusioned for this lunar eclipse period, which ends in July.
The Aries ingress of March 20 ushers in the most punishing quarter of the year. By mid-June, the country is going to feel awash, the crisis will look insurmountable, the fabric of the society will begin to tear and people will wonder just how low it can go. This will be the darkest period of all, however it will not endure for long. The country will slowly, tentatively, show some signs of hope. It will actually be a couple of years before it begins to really recover, but the worst of the storm is over by June 21, and the fits and starts of the economic solutions begin, falter, regroup and slowly take root enough for people to get some confidence going.
The Cancer ingress of June 21 begins to staunch to the flow. This is not so much an upward trund, but a “less downward” trend, and the first hint of anything that resembles progress. During the economic crisis, there will military or other overseas crises that have been brewing and will then require some attention. They will still not get much attention, but they should not be ignored. There is both strength and resolve in the treasury, and while it is not enough to do any real good, it is a good place to start.
The Lunar eclipse of July 7 sees the first real glimpse that the president understands the plight of the people. He will present a detailed plan that will focus on family and core values, the people will finally feel as though they have been heard and will come together behind a plan. The “lost in the woods” feeling that took root in February will abate in favor of “it’s a hard row to hoe, but somebody’s got to do it”.
The solar eclipse later that month, (July 21) in the last degree of Cancer shows the people, unable to do anything about the economic crisis themselves, turning to family and core values, the only part of this mess in which they have any influence. While this has no measurable impact on the country as a whole, the exercise is a vital first step in restoring the will of the people. The dark side to this influence, and one that is commonly used in American politics, is that the entire economic and political debate can be sidetracked by dividing people over such issues as gay marriage, thereby sowing discord and strife in the name of family values at a time when the people are most vulnerable.
The Lunar Eclipse of August 5 brings out the idealistic side of the people again, as difficult plans are solidifying into difficult realities, life is not particularly pleasant or fruitful, but at least it is productive, and that is a start. The specter of war and/or terrorism occupies the minds of congress at this time.
The Libra ingress of September 22 brings with it the first glimmer of hope that things might be turning around. It provides the most stable quarter in the last several years, but it is only, alas, one quarter. There is a long way to go from here, but optimism increases for this little while at least.
The Capricorn ingress of December 21 sustains hope, but the stability of the previous quarter evaporates as a stronger military anxiety emerges. I will discuss this further as the time draws near and a clearer picture emerges. The Capricorn ingress is more important to the first quarter of 2010
The December 31 Lunar eclipse again brings the focus on the family as the issue that influences the people most, but that is a discussion for early 2010.
With the economy in tatters from the Wall-Street meltdown, anyone anticipating sweetness and light in the coming year is in for a rude shock.
President Obama takes his oath of office under the same eclipse that brought Wall Street to its knees and repositioned recession (which was a much-danced-around taboo until September) and placed it as a favorable option when compared to its gloomy cousin, depression.
The US government was held to account to the people for its mal-administration of the economy.
While I believe full-scale meltdown into depression can be averted, it will not be without a lot of hard work from the government and deep resolve from the people.
President Obama enters his first term feeling the need to give account to the people for his every action. A large part of his appeal is transparency in the Whitehouse, which lays in direct contrast to the behavior of his predecessor. It is to his credit that he is responding to this need with the most transparent executive branch in history, but it will be interesting to see how long this lasts. While I would like it to remain the case in perpetuity, US history tells me a different story. We’ll see.
As the year progresses, the economic situation will worsen before it shows any signs of getting better. Destabilization will peak in the quarter from March to June, it will even out a little in the quarter from June to September, the year’s most stable quarter will be September to December, but normalcy is unlikely to return until March 2010, at which time a more certain path forward will emerge, though the 2010 year is still relatively unstable.
In short, the economic crisis is deep, it is protracted, it is global, and there are no quick fixes. The best hope is to ride out the storm as best we can, and plan for better days in the medium to long term.
The people will suffer most of all, with serious erosion of core values. Desperation will lead people to do things they had thought unthinkable, and become the people they had previously despised. The notion that “If I am good I will be OK” will take a serious hammering. We have already suffered enormous job-losses, and the US infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with large-scale unemployment. The subsequent drop in those covered by health insurance will force more people into emergency care with fewer resources to deal with it. The stage is set for a depression-like episode, however I think the worst of it will be fairly short-lived.
I can see President Obama at his lowest public opinion ebb in the quarter from Cancer (late June) to Libra (late September), after which he begins to restore some respectability, to his name, to the Whitehouse, and to the country, however it will be 2012 before the economy and the country begin to gain lasting traction.
The president will need the tenacity to hold on through the toughest times in most people’s memory, and realize that even the very best he is capable of will fall short of what is required in the short term.
The government and clergy of the USA will do well to emphasize introspection, compassion, and care for our fellow man. Much needs to be made of “pulling together” when the going gets tough, lest the society fragment into violent, competitive interest groups.
Step by step through the year…..
Inauguration day will be the highlight of what will turn out to be a very bleak year.
The president will look good, the people will be wowed. The president will display the steady hand that he needs to have to see these times through, and despite the tough times ahead, his presidency looks like it will endure, though it will not accomplish all that it has set out to do. Cleaning out the culture of corruption in Washington will be the hallmark of this presidency, though it will be interesting to see how he manages to do this while working with the very people he needs to reform. The waning moon suggests that this term of his presidency will be about ending the old era more than about starting a new one.
The January 26 solar eclipse, just a week after the inauguration, sees the hopes and dreams of the people pinned to their president and his ideals. This is not an eclipse that allows a lot to be accomplished, however it stresses that the greatest good of the people is in fostering strong community and neighborhood spirit. That is just about all that the people will have going for them in the next 6 months. There will be talk of war and civil unrest, which the executive branch will try desperately to ignore. They will be forced to face it soon enough.
The February 9 Lunar eclipse brings the reality of the financial crisis home to many Americans. While their welfare is best served by “keeping the faith” the majority of Americans are going to feel isolated, alone, and disillusioned for this lunar eclipse period, which ends in July.
The Aries ingress of March 20 ushers in the most punishing quarter of the year. By mid-June, the country is going to feel awash, the crisis will look insurmountable, the fabric of the society will begin to tear and people will wonder just how low it can go. This will be the darkest period of all, however it will not endure for long. The country will slowly, tentatively, show some signs of hope. It will actually be a couple of years before it begins to really recover, but the worst of the storm is over by June 21, and the fits and starts of the economic solutions begin, falter, regroup and slowly take root enough for people to get some confidence going.
The Cancer ingress of June 21 begins to staunch to the flow. This is not so much an upward trund, but a “less downward” trend, and the first hint of anything that resembles progress. During the economic crisis, there will military or other overseas crises that have been brewing and will then require some attention. They will still not get much attention, but they should not be ignored. There is both strength and resolve in the treasury, and while it is not enough to do any real good, it is a good place to start.
The Lunar eclipse of July 7 sees the first real glimpse that the president understands the plight of the people. He will present a detailed plan that will focus on family and core values, the people will finally feel as though they have been heard and will come together behind a plan. The “lost in the woods” feeling that took root in February will abate in favor of “it’s a hard row to hoe, but somebody’s got to do it”.
The solar eclipse later that month, (July 21) in the last degree of Cancer shows the people, unable to do anything about the economic crisis themselves, turning to family and core values, the only part of this mess in which they have any influence. While this has no measurable impact on the country as a whole, the exercise is a vital first step in restoring the will of the people. The dark side to this influence, and one that is commonly used in American politics, is that the entire economic and political debate can be sidetracked by dividing people over such issues as gay marriage, thereby sowing discord and strife in the name of family values at a time when the people are most vulnerable.
The Lunar Eclipse of August 5 brings out the idealistic side of the people again, as difficult plans are solidifying into difficult realities, life is not particularly pleasant or fruitful, but at least it is productive, and that is a start. The specter of war and/or terrorism occupies the minds of congress at this time.
The Libra ingress of September 22 brings with it the first glimmer of hope that things might be turning around. It provides the most stable quarter in the last several years, but it is only, alas, one quarter. There is a long way to go from here, but optimism increases for this little while at least.
The Capricorn ingress of December 21 sustains hope, but the stability of the previous quarter evaporates as a stronger military anxiety emerges. I will discuss this further as the time draws near and a clearer picture emerges. The Capricorn ingress is more important to the first quarter of 2010
The December 31 Lunar eclipse again brings the focus on the family as the issue that influences the people most, but that is a discussion for early 2010.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Construct a chart by hand
Construct a chart by hand:
This is a promo for a class I am running locally. If there is interest, I might consider an on-line tutorial, but I would need to work out how best to achieve that.
A 6 week workshop designed to evaluate the best method for you to use in creating a chart by hand, and then lots of hands-on practice, with oversight, until you develop some proficiency.
Cost: $90.00
Dates : Tuesday / Saturday afternoons in September-October (to be finalized based on interest)
Place: East Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Additional requirements: You will need to be prepared to practice in your own time to gain proficiency. If you wish to continue the practice, you will need an ephemeris and tables, and an atlas for the truly self-sufficient.
10 places available. I will do both Tuesday and Saturday if there is sufficient interest in both.
Constructing a chart by hand is valuable in many ways
Every hand-erected chart includes a great deal of investment in the subject by the astrologer. This bond exists inherently in the hand-erected chart, the bond needs to be developed when using a computer-generated chart.
A mind already centered on accuracy will read a chart with greater clarity.
Understanding how our position on the globe effects the houses of the chart forms important groundwork for relocation astrology, and underlines the importance of accurate data.
This course is designed to help you fulfill a major technical component of the NCGR Level 1 exam. (there is no guarantee that you will pass, but I will do my best to help you get there). In that exam you must be able to calculate planet and house cusp positions on a blank sheet of paper using an atlas, an ephemeris, and sets of tables.
Other skills required for the NCGR exam include plotting planets on a pre-drawn blank chart using quadrant houses and assessing planetary aspects based on those positions.
Students who achieve early proficiency in chart calculation will receive instruction in some of the other technical requirements for the exam.
PLEASE NOTE: The NCGR handbook outlines the many areas of astrology that the student needs to have a grasp of to pass the exam. While this technical component is large, it is not the only requirement.
I hope to see some of you there, please state your preference for Tuesday/Saturday
This is a promo for a class I am running locally. If there is interest, I might consider an on-line tutorial, but I would need to work out how best to achieve that.
A 6 week workshop designed to evaluate the best method for you to use in creating a chart by hand, and then lots of hands-on practice, with oversight, until you develop some proficiency.
Cost: $90.00
Dates : Tuesday / Saturday afternoons in September-October (to be finalized based on interest)
Place: East Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Additional requirements: You will need to be prepared to practice in your own time to gain proficiency. If you wish to continue the practice, you will need an ephemeris and tables, and an atlas for the truly self-sufficient.
10 places available. I will do both Tuesday and Saturday if there is sufficient interest in both.
Constructing a chart by hand is valuable in many ways
Every hand-erected chart includes a great deal of investment in the subject by the astrologer. This bond exists inherently in the hand-erected chart, the bond needs to be developed when using a computer-generated chart.
A mind already centered on accuracy will read a chart with greater clarity.
Understanding how our position on the globe effects the houses of the chart forms important groundwork for relocation astrology, and underlines the importance of accurate data.
This course is designed to help you fulfill a major technical component of the NCGR Level 1 exam. (there is no guarantee that you will pass, but I will do my best to help you get there). In that exam you must be able to calculate planet and house cusp positions on a blank sheet of paper using an atlas, an ephemeris, and sets of tables.
Other skills required for the NCGR exam include plotting planets on a pre-drawn blank chart using quadrant houses and assessing planetary aspects based on those positions.
Students who achieve early proficiency in chart calculation will receive instruction in some of the other technical requirements for the exam.
PLEASE NOTE: The NCGR handbook outlines the many areas of astrology that the student needs to have a grasp of to pass the exam. While this technical component is large, it is not the only requirement.
I hope to see some of you there, please state your preference for Tuesday/Saturday
Monday, August 11, 2008
Astrology's Oldest Question
3 minute Astrology
Open Question
What was on your mind when you had your first astrology reading?
Feel free to leave a comment.
Open Question
What was on your mind when you had your first astrology reading?
Feel free to leave a comment.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Readable Popular Astrology - Really!!
I found a most digestible form of popular astrology the other day (which is remarkable in itself, because mostly, popular astrology gives me a rash).
Elsa puts her spin on some difficult issues using some well-refined astrological intuition. She does not see the need to pry into the lives of others, nor does she pretend to be teaching astrology, and I think that’s why I can read it and enjoy it.
It has a lot more of “this is what’s going on and this is how it feels” than anything else, and a quite a few “this is what’s going on and this is what it looks like in the news”.
Its easy to read, its cute, its great for folks trying to get a handle on astro-symbolism.
Its a true astro journal. Some posts are better than others, but its always worth a browse when you have a lazy minute or two.
Well done Elsa
Elsa puts her spin on some difficult issues using some well-refined astrological intuition. She does not see the need to pry into the lives of others, nor does she pretend to be teaching astrology, and I think that’s why I can read it and enjoy it.
It has a lot more of “this is what’s going on and this is how it feels” than anything else, and a quite a few “this is what’s going on and this is what it looks like in the news”.
Its easy to read, its cute, its great for folks trying to get a handle on astro-symbolism.
Its a true astro journal. Some posts are better than others, but its always worth a browse when you have a lazy minute or two.
Well done Elsa
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Why Astrology?
Why do I do this? Why don’t I do something else?
I was erecting an imaginary conversation in my mind’s eye with a person who is reading astrology, and in my opinion, really shouldn’t be. I think the person lacks the depth of understanding requisite to be a practicing astrologer, however there is no regulation in the field, and any buyer of astrological services has to be aware that some astrologers are not up to the task.
Anyway, in the course of my ethereal “conversation” I sat this person down and asked, sincerely, why do you do astrology?
Of course, when we ask a question like that of another soul, we have to be prepared to answer it for ourselves. This prompted some navel gazing, and now I’ll inflict it on you all.
The short answer to the question “why do you (Rod Smith) practice astrology?” is “I can’t be anything but an astrologer.” I mean, sure I can work at any number of different jobs, and I may have to do one of those for a while as I regroup and work at building a larger clientèle, however, everything I am as a human being is tied directly, or indirectly, to my astrology.
From the moment I laid eyes on astrology as an integrated mathematical system, I could not put it down.
I had seen the sun-sign columns and dismissed them as a crutch for the feeble-minded.
The astrology I was introduced to when I asked my bother Carl, “so, how do I construct a chart, and what are these squiggles all about?” had nothing to do with feeble minds. The mathematics and physics were not particularly difficult, but they are daunting if you are not a math person. The symbolism of the planets is also daunting if you are not a metaphysical person. Thankfully, I am both.
I had been observing human behavior and asking big questions for a long time before I ever erected an astrology chart, but once I erected that chart, I understood humanity in a way that I have never understood before. Its as though a thousand of my most pressing questions were answered in that one chart. The next chart I erected answered a thousand more.
When I could lay the planets on a chart, and see their interactions working in the lives of those around me, I was gone, hook-line-and-sinker.
It took about two years of obsessive work with charts and harmonics and numbers and potentials to really grok astrology as a system for understanding people. It worked for me in a way that nothing I had ever looked at before could work, and more importantly, it worked in the minds and lives of the people in my world. I could help them make a real difference in their own lives, and so I did.
So, the answer, -why am I an astrologer?.
Because I live to make a difference, and astrology is the best tool I have to accomplish that end.
Take Care
Rod
I was erecting an imaginary conversation in my mind’s eye with a person who is reading astrology, and in my opinion, really shouldn’t be. I think the person lacks the depth of understanding requisite to be a practicing astrologer, however there is no regulation in the field, and any buyer of astrological services has to be aware that some astrologers are not up to the task.
Anyway, in the course of my ethereal “conversation” I sat this person down and asked, sincerely, why do you do astrology?
Of course, when we ask a question like that of another soul, we have to be prepared to answer it for ourselves. This prompted some navel gazing, and now I’ll inflict it on you all.
The short answer to the question “why do you (Rod Smith) practice astrology?” is “I can’t be anything but an astrologer.” I mean, sure I can work at any number of different jobs, and I may have to do one of those for a while as I regroup and work at building a larger clientèle, however, everything I am as a human being is tied directly, or indirectly, to my astrology.
From the moment I laid eyes on astrology as an integrated mathematical system, I could not put it down.
I had seen the sun-sign columns and dismissed them as a crutch for the feeble-minded.
The astrology I was introduced to when I asked my bother Carl, “so, how do I construct a chart, and what are these squiggles all about?” had nothing to do with feeble minds. The mathematics and physics were not particularly difficult, but they are daunting if you are not a math person. The symbolism of the planets is also daunting if you are not a metaphysical person. Thankfully, I am both.
I had been observing human behavior and asking big questions for a long time before I ever erected an astrology chart, but once I erected that chart, I understood humanity in a way that I have never understood before. Its as though a thousand of my most pressing questions were answered in that one chart. The next chart I erected answered a thousand more.
When I could lay the planets on a chart, and see their interactions working in the lives of those around me, I was gone, hook-line-and-sinker.
It took about two years of obsessive work with charts and harmonics and numbers and potentials to really grok astrology as a system for understanding people. It worked for me in a way that nothing I had ever looked at before could work, and more importantly, it worked in the minds and lives of the people in my world. I could help them make a real difference in their own lives, and so I did.
So, the answer, -why am I an astrologer?.
Because I live to make a difference, and astrology is the best tool I have to accomplish that end.
Take Care
Rod
Certified? (maybe I should be...)
UPDATE: I finally received word that I passed the Level 1 exam, with a score of 94 percent, I'm not sure which questions I missed, but I am pretty happy with the score - My apologies for the silence, but one of Life's little dramas has had this Cancer boy sleeping across town - our marriage is fine but a friend needs an adolescent-sitter, and a Cancer out of his home tends to be rattled.
Anyone who knows astrology recognizes that I know my stuff. There is no question about that… and of course, a person who knows no astrology has no idea whether I know what I am talking about or not. It may come as a surprise to some that I have never taken formal training in astrology.
My brother, Carl Smith, taught me the basics of astrology in the mid 1990’s, and taught me the harmonic system he had developed over a period of 25 years using his own criteria for what works and what does not.
I had always taken a profound interest in what makes people tick, and so his astrology meshed with my human understanding quite well.
It was Carl’s philosophy that, if he taught me the very basics, my own interest would drive the understanding home and chart the course of my astrological education. He insisted that I work by hand until I had become familiar enough with the process to find and correct my own mistakes.
The first 20 charts I erected began with a set of tables, a calculator, a compass, a ruler and a few coloured pens. With practice, I could erect one in an hour or so, and then check it for errors a couple of hours later, before I plotted it on blank paper to erect the chart.
When I began using harmonics, (shortly after I started studying astrology) I created a method for calculating potential aspects by hand that took 15 hours per chart…. I think I got it down to 10 or so… I was looking at every potential aspect for every chart object that could exist for every multiple of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, using a proportionally decreasing orb (for the non-astrologer… lots of math and a complex procedure)
Because my handwork with arithmetic is prone to random, seemingly careless errors (though I can swear that what I do looks right when I do it) every process required an arithmetic check, which I also devised.
I was very quick to borrow a computer from another brother (an old Mac Classic) so that my hand-cast charts could have the harmonics crunched on a spreadsheet (which I designed myself) in a fraction of a second longer than it took to input the data.
I eventually began using free astrology software, and was able to cast charts in no time at all.
It turns out that the astrology I thought of as entry-level is a considered high-end specialty in the greater astrological community.
I have spent a lot of the intervening years working out what “mainstream” astrology looks like, and have sought to educate myself on the relative usefulness of the many layers of astrological interpretation that are available out there.
My specialty always was the astrology of personal development. My most recent interest has been in ancient astrology. A study I find to be fascinating because it is so different from what I already knew, and yet it has, at its foundation, the same fundamental mathematical consistency that is the trademark my modern work.
So, to the point of this post.
I sat my first ever astrology exam last Saturday, on my 49th birthday. The most important part of the exam involved the manual construction of several charts.
I had erected about twenty charts by hand in the lead-up to the exam, so that I could again become completely comfortable with the procedure involved and become aware of the types of errors I am prone to make. Finding the errors I made in the practice charts, and resolving them, made it possible to spot the errors I made in the exam and fix them.
Erecting a chart by hand ensures that the student has a working knowledge of the principles that go into chart construction. The student is introduced to time as measured by the clock, and also time as measured by the rotation of the earth. These concepts in time are essential to the accurate construction of a chart. The student is also introduced to how the shape of the earth (more specifically, one’s position on that shape) affects the shape of a chart, and how Southern Hemisphere differs from the North.
In doing the work and understanding the concepts behind the work, the student is more able to conceive the chart as a function of real space and real time. Reinforced with every chart constructed by hand, its the necessity to do accurate work, which is a great mindset with which to approach a reading: because when it comes down to it, there is a lot at stake when an astrologer is are actually reading a chart for a real person. Taking it seriously is always a good thing for a reader.
The rest of the questions were the sort of stuff that one would expect from an entry-level exam. Nothing terribly challenging though you do have to be on the ball.
All up, by my own assessment, the test was a fairly good indicator of whether a person has a basic knowledge of astrology. NCGR have done a great job in that regard and should be commended for it.
The most difficult part for me was trying to "turn on" to a chart that I have not placed any investment in at all, and for which there is no personal consequence, and nothing at stake beyond a multiple choice answer, proposed by someone I don’t know.
That’s difficult.
I am fairly sure I passed the exam. A friend of mine likened this turn of events to Evel Knievel taking a driving test. While I enjoy the flattery, I feel I had to work a lot harder than that to make sure I got it right… there again, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t invest a lot in making sure I get it right when there is actually something at stake.
Take care
Rod
Anyone who knows astrology recognizes that I know my stuff. There is no question about that… and of course, a person who knows no astrology has no idea whether I know what I am talking about or not. It may come as a surprise to some that I have never taken formal training in astrology.
My brother, Carl Smith, taught me the basics of astrology in the mid 1990’s, and taught me the harmonic system he had developed over a period of 25 years using his own criteria for what works and what does not.
I had always taken a profound interest in what makes people tick, and so his astrology meshed with my human understanding quite well.
It was Carl’s philosophy that, if he taught me the very basics, my own interest would drive the understanding home and chart the course of my astrological education. He insisted that I work by hand until I had become familiar enough with the process to find and correct my own mistakes.
The first 20 charts I erected began with a set of tables, a calculator, a compass, a ruler and a few coloured pens. With practice, I could erect one in an hour or so, and then check it for errors a couple of hours later, before I plotted it on blank paper to erect the chart.
When I began using harmonics, (shortly after I started studying astrology) I created a method for calculating potential aspects by hand that took 15 hours per chart…. I think I got it down to 10 or so… I was looking at every potential aspect for every chart object that could exist for every multiple of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, using a proportionally decreasing orb (for the non-astrologer… lots of math and a complex procedure)
Because my handwork with arithmetic is prone to random, seemingly careless errors (though I can swear that what I do looks right when I do it) every process required an arithmetic check, which I also devised.
I was very quick to borrow a computer from another brother (an old Mac Classic) so that my hand-cast charts could have the harmonics crunched on a spreadsheet (which I designed myself) in a fraction of a second longer than it took to input the data.
I eventually began using free astrology software, and was able to cast charts in no time at all.
It turns out that the astrology I thought of as entry-level is a considered high-end specialty in the greater astrological community.
I have spent a lot of the intervening years working out what “mainstream” astrology looks like, and have sought to educate myself on the relative usefulness of the many layers of astrological interpretation that are available out there.
My specialty always was the astrology of personal development. My most recent interest has been in ancient astrology. A study I find to be fascinating because it is so different from what I already knew, and yet it has, at its foundation, the same fundamental mathematical consistency that is the trademark my modern work.
So, to the point of this post.
I sat my first ever astrology exam last Saturday, on my 49th birthday. The most important part of the exam involved the manual construction of several charts.
I had erected about twenty charts by hand in the lead-up to the exam, so that I could again become completely comfortable with the procedure involved and become aware of the types of errors I am prone to make. Finding the errors I made in the practice charts, and resolving them, made it possible to spot the errors I made in the exam and fix them.
Erecting a chart by hand ensures that the student has a working knowledge of the principles that go into chart construction. The student is introduced to time as measured by the clock, and also time as measured by the rotation of the earth. These concepts in time are essential to the accurate construction of a chart. The student is also introduced to how the shape of the earth (more specifically, one’s position on that shape) affects the shape of a chart, and how Southern Hemisphere differs from the North.
In doing the work and understanding the concepts behind the work, the student is more able to conceive the chart as a function of real space and real time. Reinforced with every chart constructed by hand, its the necessity to do accurate work, which is a great mindset with which to approach a reading: because when it comes down to it, there is a lot at stake when an astrologer is are actually reading a chart for a real person. Taking it seriously is always a good thing for a reader.
The rest of the questions were the sort of stuff that one would expect from an entry-level exam. Nothing terribly challenging though you do have to be on the ball.
All up, by my own assessment, the test was a fairly good indicator of whether a person has a basic knowledge of astrology. NCGR have done a great job in that regard and should be commended for it.
The most difficult part for me was trying to "turn on" to a chart that I have not placed any investment in at all, and for which there is no personal consequence, and nothing at stake beyond a multiple choice answer, proposed by someone I don’t know.
That’s difficult.
I am fairly sure I passed the exam. A friend of mine likened this turn of events to Evel Knievel taking a driving test. While I enjoy the flattery, I feel I had to work a lot harder than that to make sure I got it right… there again, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t invest a lot in making sure I get it right when there is actually something at stake.
Take care
Rod
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Well, that was fun!
I had the privilege to hear Robert Hand speaking last weekend (September 8th and 9th) and I have to say that he exceeded my expectations for lucidity of thought and approachability of presentation. I always expected Mr Hand to be bright, but brilliance doesn’t always translate to either clear or engaging presentation of the material.
It was reading Robert Hand that gave me a sense that there might actually be something to this “astrology thing” back in the early 90’s when I was still very skeptical that astrology was anything more than light entertainment for the crackpot fringe of society, and a belief system for the feeble of mind. I have since read several of his books and highly recommend them to my students.
Saturday night’s discussion was “Fate and Freewill” and to be perfectly honest, I went along expecting to hear a heap of dry-as-dust arguments with which I am already well acquainted; rehashed and regurgitated to come a middle-of-the-road conclusion (can you tell I spent way too long on e-mail lists a few years ago?).
For those folks (if any) who went to the lecture anticipating simple answers to a seemingly simple question, I guess they may have been under-whelmed.
Personally, I’m very tired of simple answers to complex questions, and it was a pleasure to follow a lucid train of thought through a complex issue and come away with the tools for investigating this, and several other complex issues, further.
The summary of his presentation comes down to “You will be who you are [fate], the question is, how well [freewill] ?”
This is (or should be) the mantra of the humanist astrologer, but it was deeply satisfying to hear an extensive rendition of where this notion came from, and how far back in history it has been held by lovers of wisdom.
On the question of the "desire to believe", a fundamental part of the fate/freewill debate, Hand first pointed out that belief is simply opinion which is held in the absence of [quantifiable] experience. I'm not sure I'd ever thought of it that way.
Sundays workshop discussed the transition from Hellenistic to Medieval astrology. Both forms of astrology have been part of my own research (and finding their way into my work) for the last few years, so I was looking forward to this discussion from a person at the forefront of the translation and interpretation of the ancient works.
The beauty of the current era is that we, today, have more information available to us with which to put ancient astrology together than has been the case for 1000 years in Western Europe.
Again, Hand’s own work in the translation of text and the deciphering of meaning presented plenty of food for thought and answered many of my own questions about which way to implement some of these techniques.
I realize that questions of domicile and rulership, of terms and dignities and triplicities, are not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but again following a lucid train of thought through the process of discerning meaning and application from these was both interesting and exciting to me.
I have found that ancient astrology meshes beautifully with post-modern humanism, but it does take considerable work to differentiate the technique from the philosophy.
I am very fond of saying that astrology is always a combination of the physics and metaphysics of its time. Physics doesn’t change much, however our understanding of it is always expanding and therefore changing. Metaphysics, on the other hand, changes almost momentarily, yet is born of archetypal themes that transcend the moments in time in which they were expressed, and perhaps even time itself.
In allowing for both of these complexities, one can gain a great deal of insight from what astrologers once thought, (or more particularly, how they thought) and can discern the techniques that stood the test of time for 1000 years across many political and religious bounds.
I have been working with the above premises for several years now, and was beginning to feel a bit isolated in my viewpoint (because my best resources to date have been “astro-fundamentalists” of one form or another… yep astrology has fundies too, folks).
It was therefore with some relief that, among the concluding statements in an extremely enlightening workshop, Hand came out with this little gem, “I have no problem with being a[n] humanistic astrologer who is applying ancient techniques.” … neither do I Mr. Hand, and the reinforcement is encouraging.
I have always believed that the written word contains only the parts of a person’s thinking that the person is (or was) prepared to defend. We lose so much insight when we “hang on every [written] word” of an esteemed authority, and fail to see what it was that said authority was actually thinking.
I am reminded of a statement I heard during the workshop about fundamentalists believing in the absolute truth of selected portions of bad translations.
Do I agree with all of the conclusions Robert Hand drew? Of course not! However, it was a real treat to “fill in the gaps” on how he arrived at them.
Many thanks to the the Learning Center for Astrological Studies in Lansing, and particularly to Mr. Win Rowe, for making this event possible in our area.
Now… back to our regular program…
Take Care
Rod
It was reading Robert Hand that gave me a sense that there might actually be something to this “astrology thing” back in the early 90’s when I was still very skeptical that astrology was anything more than light entertainment for the crackpot fringe of society, and a belief system for the feeble of mind. I have since read several of his books and highly recommend them to my students.
Saturday night’s discussion was “Fate and Freewill” and to be perfectly honest, I went along expecting to hear a heap of dry-as-dust arguments with which I am already well acquainted; rehashed and regurgitated to come a middle-of-the-road conclusion (can you tell I spent way too long on e-mail lists a few years ago?).
For those folks (if any) who went to the lecture anticipating simple answers to a seemingly simple question, I guess they may have been under-whelmed.
Personally, I’m very tired of simple answers to complex questions, and it was a pleasure to follow a lucid train of thought through a complex issue and come away with the tools for investigating this, and several other complex issues, further.
The summary of his presentation comes down to “You will be who you are [fate]
This is (or should be) the mantra of the humanist astrologer, but it was deeply satisfying to hear an extensive rendition of where this notion came from, and how far back in history it has been held by lovers of wisdom.
On the question of the "desire to believe", a fundamental part of the fate/freewill debate, Hand first pointed out that belief is simply opinion which is held in the absence of [quantifiable] experience. I'm not sure I'd ever thought of it that way.
Sundays workshop discussed the transition from Hellenistic to Medieval astrology. Both forms of astrology have been part of my own research (and finding their way into my work) for the last few years, so I was looking forward to this discussion from a person at the forefront of the translation and interpretation of the ancient works.
The beauty of the current era is that we, today, have more information available to us with which to put ancient astrology together than has been the case for 1000 years in Western Europe.
Again, Hand’s own work in the translation of text and the deciphering of meaning presented plenty of food for thought and answered many of my own questions about which way to implement some of these techniques.
I realize that questions of domicile and rulership, of terms and dignities and triplicities, are not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but again following a lucid train of thought through the process of discerning meaning and application from these was both interesting and exciting to me.
I have found that ancient astrology meshes beautifully with post-modern humanism, but it does take considerable work to differentiate the technique from the philosophy.
I am very fond of saying that astrology is always a combination of the physics and metaphysics of its time. Physics doesn’t change much, however our understanding of it is always expanding and therefore changing. Metaphysics, on the other hand, changes almost momentarily, yet is born of archetypal themes that transcend the moments in time in which they were expressed, and perhaps even time itself.
In allowing for both of these complexities, one can gain a great deal of insight from what astrologers once thought, (or more particularly, how they thought) and can discern the techniques that stood the test of time for 1000 years across many political and religious bounds.
I have been working with the above premises for several years now, and was beginning to feel a bit isolated in my viewpoint (because my best resources to date have been “astro-fundamentalists” of one form or another… yep astrology has fundies too, folks).
It was therefore with some relief that, among the concluding statements in an extremely enlightening workshop, Hand came out with this little gem, “I have no problem with being a[n] humanistic astrologer who is applying ancient techniques.” … neither do I Mr. Hand, and the reinforcement is encouraging.
I have always believed that the written word contains only the parts of a person’s thinking that the person is (or was) prepared to defend. We lose so much insight when we “hang on every [written] word” of an esteemed authority, and fail to see what it was that said authority was actually thinking.
I am reminded of a statement I heard during the workshop about fundamentalists believing in the absolute truth of selected portions of bad translations.
Do I agree with all of the conclusions Robert Hand drew? Of course not! However, it was a real treat to “fill in the gaps” on how he arrived at them.
Many thanks to the the Learning Center for Astrological Studies in Lansing, and particularly to Mr. Win Rowe, for making this event possible in our area.
Now… back to our regular program…
Take Care
Rod
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Who in their right mind…?
Would start an astrology blog at Mercury’s retrograde station.?
I would!!
I was born the day before Mercury went retrograde, and everything of real importance to me happens about then as well.
The chart isn’t great, but it isn’t hideous. Of course, the angles are inverted from my natal ones because I’m on the other side of the world in the other hemisphere, and to get the spread in the angles right, I’ve got to take them back-to-front.
This chart has Gemini rising, I have Sagittarius, this chart has Aquarius at the MC and I have Leo, so its kind of upside-down and back-to-front, which describes an Aussie’s experience in the USA pretty well. My first 5 minutes behind the wheel in this country still go down as one of the most terrifying moments of my life…
So, what’s the blog about and why did I set it up?
It occurs to me that I do astrology just a bit differently to most. One of the big differences is delineation of aspects and midpoints. So I’m going to go through aspects at random, as I run across them for one reason or another, and delineate them.
I expect there’ll be other astrological discussion as well… who knows, I might even venture a prediction or two.
So here it is
I hope we have fun
Take Care
Rod
I would!!
I was born the day before Mercury went retrograde, and everything of real importance to me happens about then as well.
The chart isn’t great, but it isn’t hideous. Of course, the angles are inverted from my natal ones because I’m on the other side of the world in the other hemisphere, and to get the spread in the angles right, I’ve got to take them back-to-front.
This chart has Gemini rising, I have Sagittarius, this chart has Aquarius at the MC and I have Leo, so its kind of upside-down and back-to-front, which describes an Aussie’s experience in the USA pretty well. My first 5 minutes behind the wheel in this country still go down as one of the most terrifying moments of my life…
So, what’s the blog about and why did I set it up?
It occurs to me that I do astrology just a bit differently to most. One of the big differences is delineation of aspects and midpoints. So I’m going to go through aspects at random, as I run across them for one reason or another, and delineate them.
I expect there’ll be other astrological discussion as well… who knows, I might even venture a prediction or two.
So here it is
I hope we have fun
Take Care
Rod
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