posted April 26, 2013 08:12 AM            

This ancient astrological dictum ought to be understood in accordance with the Hermetic tradition which gave rise to it. The stars, properly interpreted, are not "out there", but "in here". They are the constellations of our own character and temperament, to which they merely correspond. In the strictest terms, they neither incline nor compel, any more than the hands of a clock incline or compel the procession of time.

Always, in the study of astrological factors, we must bear in mind the unknown, or ungiven factor; which is the individual freedom of the person to whom they bear only partial witness. No rumination on what has gone before, however much it penetrates into the nuances of particular instances or expands to encompass the more general principles, can account for the miracle of the present moment. The merest atoms and the vastest galaxies are phantom distractions, if they do not come to a point, and discover their ultimate terminus, in you. What is matters less than what is recognized, and the will is only truly free the instant it is claimed.

The image reflected in a mirror can tell you something of the state of your health, but it can never tell you as much as you can tell yourself, with the choices you make in response to what the image reveals. The first step is to walk away from the mirror, and to claim your life as your own; not to dwell upon the image any longer than is needed to provoke an authentic, personal response.

All the fateful accidents of environment, of parentage, biology, and breeding must bow the knee to the sovereign will. The world cannot anticipate, -- it can neither explain nor contain, -- the mysterious capriciousness of that spirit which inflames it. All these things, no doubt, come to bear upon a man, as the karmic substance which surrounds and encumbers his free spirit. Yet, no path, however deeply cut into the wood, can hold back the sword of an individual determined to carve a new way. The instant he has recognized and reclaimed his power, he is invincible; free for any pursuit he resolutely settles upon. He is the undetermined factor. He is you, in this moment; in this eternal moment; this lightning flash, which no clock can track.

posted April 28, 2013 01:44 PM            

"As long as you still experience the stars as something above you... you still lack a viewpoint of knowledge."

posted May 07, 2013 08:00 AM            

The stars are not above.
In brief, they are in us, but are not us;
they are internal as opposed to external,
but neither are they central.

posted May 07, 2013 09:47 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by auntdahlia:
But most people here don't.Evident when they tell the others what they hate about themselved,or tell them abominable stuff they've done and blame it on a placement completely,shrug helplessly and say oh but that is my xyz in xyz which rules my xyz house talking.strange.

---

That's not unique to this board though - on every astrology forum you will find people who admit doing something really twisted then smile about it and go, "I'm a typical Scorpio."

Those are people who probably don't really have any business being into astrology in the first place because they come away from it with the wrong ideas and misuse it anyway.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Heart--Shaped Cross:

Love that!

The stars are not above.
In brief, they are in us, but are not us;
they are internal as opposed to external,
but neither are they central.

---

If you believe that people's charts don't reflect who they are at all, then why do you even study astrology? I'm not even saying that to be hostile, I'm genuinely curious because the entire premise is that the stars affect us, and from there people study the meaning of that. That's what astrology, is.

Yeah we have free will and ultimately what we choose to do with what we are and what we're given astrologically, is entirely up to us. But if you believe that people's charts don't reflect them at all that's saying astrology isn't legitimate and that makes me wonder why you practice something you don't believe has any real value in the first place.

posted May 07, 2013 02:57 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chirp:
I think this is kind of the flip-side of what dahlia just said - some people use their chart as an excuse for their behavior, then there's some that, when the astrology says something they don't want to hear, try to dismiss astrology as being false.

---

posted May 07, 2013 02:59 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by auntdahlia:
Chirp.dude.are you me?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by MorteImperator:
Shades of Grey I suspect for most. For some, Astrology indicates a tool to reveal problems.

---

Ironic part about that is, if you use it for that purpose then it means you must believe that a chart does reflect a person to some extent otherwise you wouldn't be looking to it to find out what their problems are in order to fix em.