Dear Georgia,
Thanks for your prompt and pleasant answer. As you might have deduced, I regard astrology as totally absurd, so I trust that you will not be offended if I occasionally ask you pointed questions.
Here are a couple.
I have in front of me the horoscopes from the National Post for December 9 and 10.
Question One:
The horoscope for Dec. 9 tells believers to avoid shopping or making important decisions from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m.
How on earth can anyone with normal intelligence accept such utter nonsense?
Do your followers actually follow that idea?
So, all over Canada, on Dec. 9 there were people who stayed away from work so as not to have to make important decisions? Let's hope that there weren't any horoscope-believing surgeons and airline pilots on the job that day!
Question Two:
The entries for Dec. 9 are full of warnings: People are touchy ... computer crashes ... parents should be vigilant ... you might burn the toast ... keep an eye on your money ... and so on and so forth.
However, the entries for Dec. 10 -- ONLY ONE DAY LATER -- are totally different.
Suddenly, in the space of only twenty-four hours, all is forgiven.
...enthusiastic ... in touch with your financial savvy ... impress the public today ... gangbusters at work ... long shot could pay off ... mentally vigorous ... fabulous day
Now, this, surely, is clearly absurd. Even if you have faith in astrology and you sincerely believe that the planets can influence lives, it is clearly absolutely ridiculous to suggest that the same planets which gave off such negative vibes one day can give off positive vibes the next.
Try making some sense next time.
D.
Dear D.,
To begin with I certainly do not believe that the planets can affect us. To my way of thinking that is absurd. (How could they? Pixie dust or something?) I do however, believe that we feel the gravitational pull of the Moon (because we are primarily fluid) and the Moon is very close.
To me, astrology is a patterning of knowledge.... just like chemistry. And why is it worth studying? Because everything in life is interconnected, and we can see clues to what might happen by looking at other things. Therefore - as above so below.
An astrologer is actually "reading" the stars......however, we tend to speak as if the planets are causal because it is easier to talk that way. (And this is technically incorrect.)
But the Moon does affect us. No question. The Full Moon show up in the records of hospitals and police reports. I am sure you know this. However, every two and a half days, as the Moon leaves one sign to enter another sign, it suddenly makes no aspect to any planet (an aspect is considered to be within a 10 degree arc of 180 degrees or 90, or 45, or 60 (and other numbers as well).
When the Moon is unaspected - and this might be for an hour or half a day, or sometimes a whole day (it changes each time) -- through centuries of observation, it has been deduced that whatever you initiate during those times tends not to complete its purpose. Note I say "tends".
Those are the warning times... the Moon Alerts. And the papers across the country that carry my column, change the time into local times because it applies to the whole planet. When the Moon is unaspected (the term we use in astrology is "when the Moon is void of course") - then it is sort of as if we were helium balloons, and someone has cut the string, and we are "free floating". These are the Moon Alert times I give at the top of the columns every day. And to me - that is the most important thing in the column!
During these times when we are "free floating", we can be very creative! We are more inclined to think out of the box. However, we are less inclined to make grounded, realistic, practical decisions. This is why the Latin description of those times (the times when the Moon is void of course) was - "it comes to nothing".
During those times, I repeat myself - whatever we initiate, TENDS not to fulfill our objectives.
So - if you buy something, there is a high chance you will use it once or twice, and then not use it again. Or if it is clothing - you wear it a few times - and then it just hangs in your closet. Of course, it IS possible to shop during those times, and buy something we use, but the odds are very high against this.
This is why I give those times....and other than food, I advise people to save their money, and wait until a more "grounded" time to make a decision - especially if it is a big purchase. Actually, all you have to do is test this over time.
These times were highly repsected in the 1700s, then the interest in them sort of faded. Then I read about an astrologer in New York whose husband was a stock broker. She advised him not to buy or sell during the Moon void of course times and his success at what he did greatly improved. I read that in the 70s, and started to observe it in my own life. I did this for several decades before inflicting these Moon Alerts on my readers! I totally govern my life according to the Moon Alerts. These times are great for entertaining and relaxing and gooffing off. But I would never buy a house or even an over coat during those times. Just in case.
As to how can things change so rapidly from day to day? Well, you don't have to be an astrologer to make a comment on that (I think). That's how life works. In fact, in the blink of an eye, a life can change! But even on a lesser level, we do have moods. Within one day - even within half a day - one's moods can change. One can feel confident, buoyant, and then later, self-doubting and even gloomy -- all in one day!
The first astrologers centuries ago, were all great mathematicians. And even later, Sir Isaac Newton. Galileo, Joseph Kepplar, and many other great names were astrologers. And even people like Ben Franklin and Georgie Washington were casual astrologers.
Astrology is a surprisingly serious subject. And very complex! And most astrologers look at what I do with disdain. They pooh pooh horoscope columns. In fact, before I started to write them, I myself would never read a daily horoscope. It's too general.
However, I know that horoscope columns are the only way that the average person on the street has any relationship to astrology. As a child, that is how I discovered astrology -- by seeing it in a newspaper. I was fascinated! I sensed it had something to offer. And why was no one talking about it? Not at school. Not in church. Not at home. And yet there it was in the newspaper for all to see. What was it?
A person is FAR MORE than one sign. This is the limiting feature of a horoscope column. We are complex creatures, and our charts will show this. You might be a Cancer - but your chart shows you have a lot of planets in Aquarius, and you are also Libra Rising. However, you just read your "sign" because that is all you know.
Incidentally, your so called "sign" is where the Sun is when you are born (and over 2000 years, even that has changed! But I will not go into that.) Your Moon, and all the other planets are in a sign as well.
I hope this gives you something further to think about.
If you are going to spend more than $100 on something... I advise you to observe the Moon Alerts to reduce your chances of wasting your money. Or you can ignore this warning, which after all is only intended to help you.
All good things,
Georgia
