It can be tempting to write astrology off as hocus pocus, voodoo and teen magazine horoscope columns. In reality, it’s an age-old science that enables human beings to understand our inner worlds as well as the world around us. Through the ages, it has come in and out of favor. At certain times is has been dismissed as mumbo-jumbo, and at others, it was used by rulers to help them rule their lands. Most recently, thanks to the internet and apps, astrology is enjoying a revival thanks to millennial’s interest in this ancient discipline.
The benefits of astrology are many. The most helpful one is its ability to define the beginning, middle and end of a cycle, a time period of development or a challenging time. This lets us know where we are in that process we are, whether it relates to a major life change or perhaps a reevaluation of a friendship. In turn, this lets us know what steps to take next. In other words, astrology indicates the purpose of a time and the task that goes with that purpose. As it is written in Ecclesiastes, there is a purpose to every season under heaven. When we know the season, we know the task at hand, and in knowing that, we know what action to take. Astrology shows us how to take creative and productive actions to solve our issues and change our lives.
Along similar lines, astrology describes the underlying purpose of our experiences. For example, why are we going through this challenge at work, in our relationship, or with our children? What lies beneath the surface of the experience? Astrology not only describes that, but it puts the challenge into a bigger picture without judgment or blame. It helps us to accept what is going on in our lives and not resist it.
Another benefit of astrology is as a tool for tracking cycles in our lives. For instance, when else did Uranus interact with Venus, and how does this current experience relate back to the previous interaction of these planets? When else has this eclipse taken place? When else has Saturn joined with Pluto in the sky? With patterns like these, there is so much to learn about ourselves in the bigger picture and the cycles of our lives. In fact, planetary cycles apply not just to individuals, but also to the collective. For example, in 2020, Saturn conjoined Pluto, and we all well remember that! The previous time of the conjunction of these planets was in the early 1980s when we saw the break-out of HIV. Astrology not only foresees the future; it also clarifies the past so that we can learn from it.
Of course, if astrology helps us to understand ourselves more clearly, then it can also help us understand the other people in our lives, i.e., our family and friends, our co-workers and competitors, and our partners in love and war. It can show us “their side of the story” as well as our interactions with each other.
And believe it or not, many people use astrology to understand money. After all, what’s more cyclical than the ups and downs of financial markets! Remember, once upon a time, kings consulted with astrologers to rule their lands.
Once a client said to me, “Coming to you is like one-stop shopping. Once or twice a year I see you and you psychoanalyze me, give me some marriage counseling and career coaching, help me understand my kids, remind me what doctors I should see, keep me on the straight and narrow, and plan my vacations.”
I say, some people look up and see only stars. I look up and see stories.
John Marchesella is a practicing astrologer in New York and is fully certified as an astrological consultant who teaches classes in astrology and is currently serving as President of the New York City Chapter of the National Council of Geocosmic Research.
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