Some very basic questions - and some complex ones

[tellmethetruth]

I just started exploring astrology. WOW. I got a natal chart done and I'm blown away by the accuracy. Astrology's a lot more confusing than the tarot and my other spiritual practices, though. It's so technical.

So - the chart really gave me a lot of insight into things I already knew about myself, but I thought that I heard somewhere that there was some sort of chart you could have done that would predict when the difficult times in your life would be, etc. What is that called, and how are horoscopes done? If I wanted to get one done giving a general outline of my whole life, could I do that? Then if I wanted to, could I get one for the year and one for the month and one for every day? What would each of those be called and is that something I could learn myself, or does it take a whole lifetime of learning?

And - a more complex question - where does free will come in?

I operate under the spiritual assumption that I was incarnated into this life to achieve certain things, and that I need to discover what those things are. I also believe that we choose when and where and under what circumstances to be born. If that's the case, did I choose to be born under these astrological signs in order to direct my life? Or - are the characteristics I was born with, which are predicted by my natal chart, something I need to overcome in order to achieve my spiritual purpose?

Any thoughts on this?

[Ariste]

I'm not an expert on astrology...in fact I'm still really blown away and confused by alot of it. My one friend will be looking at the same chart as me and she will be rattling stuff off about see this and this and this....and it takes me like 10 min to see what she's talking about.

Anyways that said. I think astrology is meant to be used more as a guide. It can tell you things that maybe you have tendancies towards....but you can always make the choice to change. It can tell you where things may be difficult for you, or when you may have an easier time of things. But nothing is set in stone. I think astrology is meant to be used as more of a guide. It just makes you aware of things, and that may make them easier to change or to handle.

[tellmethetruth]

Anyways that said. I think astrology is meant to be used more as a guide. It can tell you things that maybe you have tendancies towards....but you can always make the choice to change. It can tell you where things may be difficult for you, or when you may have an easier time of things. But nothing is set in stone. I think astrology is meant to be used as more of a guide. It just makes you aware of things, and that may make them easier to change or to handle.

I absolutely agree - and I think having such a guide will make it easier for me to accept it when difficult or trying times come my way. If I knew hard times were coming I would be more confident that they were also destined to end, and I would feel more free and creative in dealing with them.

Like with the tarot cards - 2 weeks before I was told I may have ovarian cancer, I got "the tower." So when I got the news from the doctor, I did another reading and the cards told me everything would be OK in the end and it would be a difficult but beneficial period of learning for me, I had some reassurance. I was still totally freaked out but it was like having somebody telling me "We all go through very difficult times, and they're learning experiences, and we can cope with it and move on."

By the way, Ariste, I have to say that those pictures of your kids are absolutely precious. That has to be the cutest baby I've ever seen (well - besides my son, of course, ;) but he hasn't been that little for over 17 years).

[Ariste]

TY

Tana is my oldest. She's 7 now. The pic with the tiara she was 5. Kitiara is the baby. She is 3 weeks old in both of those pictures and 8 weeks old now. She is growing so fast, I will have to put new pics up soon lol.

[Shatril]

I just started exploring astrology. WOW. I got a natal chart done and I'm blown away by the accuracy. Astrology's a lot more confusing than the tarot and my other spiritual practices, though. It's so technical.

So - the chart really gave me a lot of insight into things I already knew about myself, but I thought that I heard somewhere that there was some sort of chart you could have done that would predict when the difficult times in your life would be, etc. What is that called, and how are horoscopes done? If I wanted to get one done giving a general outline of my whole life, could I do that? Then if I wanted to, could I get one for the year and one for the month and one for every day? What would each of those be called and is that something I could learn myself, or does it take a whole lifetime of learning?

The ones that predict cicrcumstances that will have a certain energy in the air are calle Predictive Astrology. Those generally are not done for free. Most astrology sites will do them for a price


And - a more complex question - where does free will come in?

Astrology will tell what energy the universe is dishing up. You will have many choices about how you are going to use this energy, thus exercising your free will in how you approach the time.


I operate under the spiritual assumption that I was incarnated into this life to achieve certain things, and that I need to discover what those things are. I also believe that we choose when and where and under what circumstances to be born. If that's the case, did I choose to be born under these astrological signs in order to direct my life? Or - are the characteristics I was born with, which are predicted by my natal chart, something I need to overcome in order to achieve my spiritual purpose?

Any thoughts on this?

You are in this live to accomplish certain things, thus, you were born at a specific time that will allow the universe to dish up the kind of energy you will need to accomplish your goals. You birth time and date are not accidents. Some things such as premature births are there because the parents and child made the life choice and timing was such that the universe accomodated those life choices made by all participants.

Overcoming the characteristics in your chart would be darn difficult. I'm not saying that you can't, but it would not make you happy in the end. You can look at the light and dark side of those things in you chart, and figure out how you want to approach different sets of circumstances. Knowing your predispositions to different input, will help you make informed and hopefully wiser decisions about how to face what your life has in store for you.

If you decide to have someone do a predictive chart/horoscope for you, be cautious of those that tell you all these things, and then for a fee will fix any bad stuff. That isn't a real situation. No one can predict doom, and then proceed to fix it. All they can do is tell you what the circumstances are that are going to hold sway at different times, they cannot precisely predict how you will react. Knowing what is coming will help you choose a safe and fruitful outcome for most things. That isn't to say the bad things aren't going to happen, but you can minimize the impact on your life.

Hope that helps.

Shatril

[Shatril]

I'm not an expert on astrology...in fact I'm still really blown away and confused by alot of it. My one friend will be looking at the same chart as me and she will be rattling stuff off about see this and this and this....and it takes me like 10 min to see what she's talking about.

Anyways that said. I think astrology is meant to be used more as a guide. It can tell you things that maybe you have tendancies towards....but you can always make the choice to change. It can tell you where things may be difficult for you, or when you may have an easier time of things. But nothing is set in stone. I think astrology is meant to be used as more of a guide. It just makes you aware of things, and that may make them easier to change or to handle.

You show a great understanding in this observation. I hope you continue to study astrology. It appears you have a knack for it.

:hugz: Shatril

[KEishin]

And - a more complex question - where does free will come in?

I operate under the spiritual assumption that I was incarnated into this life to achieve certain things, and that I need to discover what those things are. I also believe that we choose when and where and under what circumstances to be born. If that's the case, did I choose to be born under these astrological signs in order to direct my life? Or - are the characteristics I was born with, which are predicted by my natal chart, something I need to overcome in order to achieve my spiritual purpose?

Any thoughts on this?

Shatril summed things up very nicely, but let me add a few points.

First, astrology, like any of the other systems is a way of understanding some of the different ways the universe works. Some call it Fate or Karma, but I have seen time and time again that Free Will trumps all. We choose every moment where we're going to go.

Astrology tells you where you are going if you keeping heading in the same direction and what obstacles you are likely to face. (Roadblocks ahead, 100 yards). But if you choose to change direction, then the predictions change, much like an in-dash nav system resets itself when you stray off the route. Astrology is not the route, but the guidemap along the way.

Everyone as they get older and more aware of themselves begins to work on the challenges in their chart, whetehr they relaize it or not. There is a huge difference when I read the chart of a teenager than when I read the chart of someone of my grandpaents' generation. If there was a Saturn square Mars there, it will still be there, but the older person has usually learned how to work with it instead of fighting it.

I firmly believe that we choose when and where to incarnate. Sometimes astrology can help us piece that veil and figure out what we're trying to do this time around.

[Kadynas]

I'd add to what Keishin said by saying that prediction is not as "specific" as one might expect. You will find astrologers that will swear up and down that they can predict exact events, but the statistics would show otherwise.

What astrology can do very well in the realm of prediction is to predict the archetypal themes at work in your life at any given time. Mars square Saturn can turn out an infinite number of events, but the themes carried by Mars and Saturn will still be there. Using the archetypal themes, we could say when certain events (say marriage or a job promotion) are most /likely/ to happen, or what types of issues you're most likely to be dealing with, as well as the best times to take certain courses of action.

Just be very wary of anyone who gets /too/ specific with you, or makes claims that sound too good to be true... most astrologers are not psychics, and even the ones that are/claim-to-be don't have 100% accuracy like that.

I also share the same view as Keishin, that we choose where and when we will incarnate, and that our choices change the options open to us in the future. If you do A, B & C then open up as possible choices. If you do D, then E & F will open up. Life is like a big multiple choice game! :lol: But using that example, the choices themselves may take on a "fated" feel, but that's where the "free will" part comes in. Either way though, in the final analysis, we will be dealing with those themes we chose for ourselves when we incarnated.