I got it! Astrology definitely has a practical use as a tool for self-understanding, as one’s natal birth chart provides a lot of information pertaining to one’s life circumstances, psychology, desires, and unfolding through consideration of the “flash frozen” moment in time when we drew our first breath. In addition though, the energies represented by the signs, planets, and houses are continually in motion. That’s why we can also use such information to “look into” different time periods of one’s life, like the upcoming month, year, etc. The transits of the planets also give us a frame of reference for the current trends, themes, and “tones” at play in the world and our lives. All the heavenly bodies are like the hands of a huge musical clock, forming geometric connections to one another to bloom as a perpetually cascading symphony. While these “hands of the clock” can be “read” in a variety of ways as they move, just the primal idea behind each archetype (planet, sign, house, etc.) can also be used away from an astrological context as one simply considers the different “characters” and archetypal situations faced throughout our daily life. These symbols are the formative building blocks of ALL stories in existence, including our own, which is why they can be so telling, and foretelling, as the characters and situations all shuffle across their various stages.

There’s a lot to it that relates in similarity to tarot. When one does a card spread on a question, certain ideas and images present themselves that can be interpreted in light of a situation at hand. The cards often show, for skilled interpreters, what’s likely according to the current flow what what’s called into question. Of course, free will can always take action that amends a forecast. Like a zen sand garden, a spread may indeed last and image itself as its design appears, or it may be swept away for a new picture to emerge as one makes new choices, altering circumstances into a different stream of flow. When one looks into an astrological map, a skilled interpreter can also see a myriad of likely situations. These all can usually, as situations in a tarot spread may also be interpreted, be seen to potentiate in more than one possible direction. As such, the “ideas” behind certain planets in certain signs/houses making certain connections all have optimal/beneficial expressions and undesirable/detrimental expressions, as well as a slew of possibilities in between. What comes out can seem a grab bag of anything among and between the various ends along the collective spectrums. However, while a tarot spread must be specifically and intentionally cast to look at a particular moment in time (which a horary astrological chart can also do its own version of), general astrological charts use the simplicity of what’s going on out in the sky of the universe at any given time to provide a schema to scry into considering the likely themes at play for any number of life arenas. With this, one can consider the general tone of things that are presently passing, as well as the way in which this tone overlaps with our own unique cosmic energy. Our natal blueprint from birth is thus like a photographic snapshot of one possible “tone” that then immediately changed with each successive moment of time, yet our life embodies its signature across its range of beneficial and detrimental possibilities from birth to death.

Now, I’m definitely not into “fated” thinking that believes ALL events are irrevocably pre-destined. We CAN always utilize free will to enact anything we’re driven to, even if we must “go against the grain.” When we do so, it would seem that we’re individualizing and wielding whatever archetypal energies suit our aim at the moment, becoming the temporary creator of something through utilizing whatever combined process(es) would be needed to produce it. However, we also typically follow a “path of least resistance” most of the time…I’d wager that most people use a lot less free will on average than they may think…As such, we often succumb the whim of the wind from the “astrological weather.” That’s why it has demonstrated such predictive power and notoriety over time. Like boats merrily going down the stream, it’s quite easy to let the river just take us along its most current of currents. It requires more free will, choice, and deliberate action to steer the ship contrary to whatever way the tides seem to be pulling. Often, we’re oblivious to the discrepancy between when we do which, not realizing all the ways in which we seem to concede with some “plan” that a larger course seems to have in set in store. We may seem to be making such individualized choices when we’re sometimes just enacting the character roles that fountain down from a larger cosmic context. Still, we CAN always choose to go create our own “sub-context,” directing our microcosmic play in a direction that truly is brilliantly different than what might seem otherwise set. However, if our willfulness is creating more blocked complications and problematic consequences than joyfully liberating progressions, we eventually come to question our motives and desires, as there IS a flow that can be worked with within, albeit with the potential for having a variety of unique expression that can lend more colors and flavors to spread over our experience. One key to the evolution of our understanding through these dynamics is that the more concrete any “negative” predictions externally actualize, the less free will, and often consciousness, is usually being exercised in the picture. One can always simply defy predictions by utilizing available energies in other, more favorable, manners…unless of course a certain external manifestation might be desired—then just let it ride!

What I’ve started to see and suspect is that all these “weather patterns” do really affect us in subconscious ways, via our own unique “energy signature” that’s born from our unique time of birth. However, the less we’re actively aware of them, the more likely it is that they’ll work to “jump out” at us as some externalized or more raw, primal form. Usually, we don’t even realize the connection, cause in such unaware scenarios we weren’t conscious of these energies being active to begin with…at all. Once we start to see them, we still might go into “auto-pilot” and experience more base expressions of the archetypes. They may knock up against us in ways that get our attention, although we might not always make the connection as to what energies are appearing before us and why. However, when we notice the general “trend” of energy that’s “out and about,” while we can always work at creating any situation we’d like, there’s also a benefit to working towards actively expressing those archetypal energies present in a way that allows them to be “breathed” through us in their own innate moments, so as to move WITH their flow rather than being moved BY it.

So we can always use our free will to wipe away the “sand” of the “zen garden” of our life, disregarding the picture that seems to be on the table. However, it’s often easier to go WITH the flow than to work at creating something that may temporarily be in opposition to it…The more we come to know, realize, and understanding the beauty and wisdom of the timing across which all the archetypes unfold, the less we would want to work against it anyways. Then, we can instead begin to focus on manifesting the highest expression of each incoming combination that’s arranging, as EVERY aspect, configuration, and moment has an ideal octave to aim for as we work to consciously eliminate any shadows that block or eschew the expression of our highest good, as we feel it to be best defined in each moment.

It’s all so much fun…for a whole lifetime and beyond!