"Pagan" Astrology?
My approach to astrology
differs a bit from the norm. The roots of western
astrology are in the ancient pagan cultures of
Sumer, Egypt, and Greece. These peoples had no
telescopes or computers. They related to the stars
and planets through their senses—by watching
the sky at night and taking in the impressions
those experiences left them with. For them, the
planets were living gods and goddesses; their
motions in the sky revealed their moods,
relationships, and intentions.
The first thing you may
notice about my astrological charts and writings is
the absence of the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune,
and Pluto) and the asteroids (Ceres, Pallas, Vesta,
etc.) These bodies were unknown to our ancestors,
and cannot be seen in the night sky without a
telescope. Astrology was practiced for more than
2000 years without them. When they were added to
the practice of astrology, the conceptual system of
the discipline was changed to accommodate them
(signs that had once been ruled by Saturn, Uranus,
and Mars were given over to Uranus, Neptune, and
Pluto, for example). Both the old system and the
new one work. I prefer the older system, because
its concepts carry (for me) the vitality of
cultures for whom the sky was alive and
tangible.
Being a Pagan, I also tend
to see the planetary deities in rather more
personal terms than many do. Rather than being
abstract psychological concepts, they are gods and
goddesses with personalities who work with us and
through us to make change in the world. You'll
often find me speaking of planets as "he" or "she"
rather than "it", and using memorable
anthropomorphic images to describe what they are up
to.
I hope you enjoy this
uncomplicated, earthy approach to astrology. I find
it often demystifies the disicipline, and makes the
core messages easier to see.
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