What do you think about the Stars?

[Lady Shalymar]

Been reading some of the history of astrology and of course studying like a madwoman (I have alot of free time lol).

Got me wondering. How do you view the stars and planets and their influence on your life?

I was going to make this a poll but there are really just too many answers.

Personally I am firm believer in astrology, but I don't think it rules my life. Astrology sets the stage, it "creates the map" so to speak. (Note, my area of interest is natal astrology so I'm speaking from that standpoint.) It's up to me to decide how I transverse the map, whether I seek out the hidden bits and figure out how to use that huge roadblock to my advantage or turn around and come up with another way. There will be alot of some things on the map and not alot of others, naturally I'll be running into what dominates the map but that doesn't mean I can't explore what's not.

[Kadynas]

I personally believe we choose our own charts before we incarnate... we set up certain things we want to accomplish in this lifetime, for whatever reason.

Beyond that, I prefer the term "destiny" to "fate." By that I mean I feel there are certain things we meant for ourselves to do, explore, work on, etc. The free-will comes in how we choose to go about doing those things. I don't feel that specific events are predictable, but rather the themes that will be in play at any given time. Kinda like multiple choice: you can choose between options at any given point, but you will have to make that choice either way. And by making that choice, certain other options open up and certain ones become unavailable.

Astrology can help you work with the themes at play in your natal chart, and throughout your lifetime via transits, progressions, etc. so that you can have the benefit of timing your actions so you're more likely to achieve the desired outcome.

So I don't feel there are any specific "fated events" in our lives, just themes that we will have to deal with in a way of our own choosing. The themes may be predictable, but the specific events and outcomes are what we make of them.

[RubyRose]

I've never really delved that deeply into astrology, other than the occasional daily/week horoscope reading.

I think our lives are what we make of them though.

[punxzen]

I think our lives are what we make of them though.

I agree with you, and I think astrology provides an amazingly flexible yet absolutely unbreakable framework for shaping our lives.

I think the general cosmology that astrology tends toward was created in a mythic age, and has much of the wisdom from that time embedded in it's essentials. I think that learning to work with astrology in today's spatial/rational consciousness makes for a powerful spiritual/intellectual excercise. It not only works on our ability to rationalize and utilize the wisdoms of mythic consciousness, but requires the mythologizing of our modern observations. It is truly awesome. :thumbsup: