"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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