Can astrology be used to understand oneself and others?

In what ways can astrology be used to understand oneself and others?

“In what ways can astrology be used to understand oneself and others?” was a question I answered on Quora.

Homepage Topic 1 imageThanks for your question.

I’m going to give you a broad philosophical perspective in answer to your question here – as a launch point for furthering your enquiry. The “ways” astrology can be used to understand oneself, and others, requires one to study all the component parts that make up, what I would call, the orchestra or players.

It is often said that we enter the world as a tabula-rasa or having a clean slate. We are an empty vessel, that then develops and is given form through the reaction of our senses, through our life experience and the ideas that get imprinted onto our minds.

Western astrology would agree with some of this…

Aquarius | 400x96 imageWe come into the world with potential that is already oriented in a particular configuration, that means we are inclined to attract (or repel) certain kinds of experience that in turn gives form through the reaction of our senses, through our life experience and the ideas that get imprinted on our minds; to who we become as a person.

In other words, in astrology, we are not seen as being a tabula-rasa. We already have intention (unconscious as it may be) of our direction when we arrive.

Our genetic makeup would support this too. We attract our parents, and their DNA, to offer us the best opportunity for the vehicle and experience we need in the formation of our body and personality – especially through the growing period.

As the Buddha said, in his first noble truth: Life is suffering.
How life treats us, once we enter the physical world, and how we turn out might well be for better or worse (in my opinion one can only second guess how things will work out), but it will still be an expression of our original intention. It will still be linked to potential we had at the beginning of our physical journey, regardless.

Know thyself and learn to love thyself

But, and here’s the thing, if we can become awake and open to our shortcomings, we can learn to change our mind, change our behaviour, even change our world – to make the best of what we have.

Through the lens of our astrological birth-chart we have opportunity to go back to the drawing board, to rediscover our original intention at the time of our birth – and to make it work better.

We give ourselves the opportunity to be awake to and work more consciously with our energy potential in other words. This is how astrology can be used to understand oneself and others.

I hope this answer helps.
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Comment: While I support people visiting astrologers for readings, I would argue it is much better that people get help to learn to study their own birth-charts for themselves – for the very reasons I give above.

If you are interested in learning astrology, to this end, visit Some Inspiration (Publications).

You might also like:

What is the element of truth in astrology if any?
Do Jupiter and Saturn have any astrological significance?
A Purpose or Calling in the Birth-chart


Categories: Astrology, Q & A Blog
Tags: Can astrology be used to understand oneself and others?, Know thyself and learn to love thyself is the driver, Life is suffering, Western astrology would agree with some of conventional description
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