Hi Everyone,

Early Wednesday morning we experienced a Strawberry Moon, named by Native American tribes to mark the ripening of wild strawberries. It appeared unusually low on the horizon and carried a deep red-orange hue, a visual effect caused by a rare lunar standstill. The Full Moon was in Sagittarius, opposite the Sun in Gemini, highlighting themes of truth, perspective, and clear communication.

As we continue our series on Transpersonal Astrology essentials, this moment invites us to look deeper into one of astrology’s most important questions: how much of our life is guided by fate, and how much do we truly choose?

Astrology’s Big Question: Are We Free?

Inherently, astrology requires we ask the question ‘do we have free will,’ and if so, in what way. This means that there are limits to how much free will we have.
To make any kind of prediction means we cannot have total free will. Astrology’s challenge is to confront this directly. We can’t get by with the vague and incomplete saying that the stars impel, but do not compel. Instead, we must develop a philosophy that deals with this paradox.

TA inherently confronts this question. It begins with the axiom that astrology is archetypally true, not concretely true. This is one of the main principles which separates itself from many approaches to astrology. Also, TA is person-centered in that it acknowledges the fact that we are the meaning makers of life. Finally, astrology is a symbolic system with many possible interpretations of any particular horoscope.

Prediction and the Limits of Free Will

Using astrology at all implies constraints to our free will. We aren’t free to just do anything we want at any time, without suffering negative consequences. But, the field of astrology is not alone in this. For example, in psychology we see that we are very influenced by our history which acts as a type of programming. (Sam Harris, an influential psychologist, speaks to this often.)

By the same token, why ask this question if there is no free will? To do so would be an act leading only to despair and nihilism, that nothing matters. It would create an existential crisis. One of the main human characteristics is to seek freedom. It can take many forms, but we all have the spirit of this in us, and it is a genuine need. If we have no free will, we are like machines, programmed by biology and history. Does this feel true to you, that this is all you are?

Finding the Freedom We Do Have

Let’s assume that we are not mere machines operating as part of a predictable clockwork mechanism. What movement must we make to develop more of it? Can astrology help us gain more freedom or does it take freedom away from us? I assert that when it is used in the transpersonal way that it can help us increase our freedom.

Astrology can be an important aid in becoming more aware of where we have free will and how we can optimize this. Before it can do this, though, we must recognize that one’s natal chart does not tell us anything about the quality of our consciousness. This is where the person comes into the equation. Our greatest freedom is to be able to increase the quality of our consciousness. However, to do so is not automatic. It requires conscious effort on our part. Thus, the very asking of this question may lead us to an experience of areas we do have free will, including asking.

In other words, increasing self-awareness and using inquiry begins an evolutionary path for us. Asking this question takes us beyond the programming and leads us into the unknown. The conscious effort to gain more freedom will move us from a life of automaticity to fully living life with enthusiasm and creativity. It is moving from life to LIFE!

This series is intended to show how astrology itself can be a transformational tool for this movement.

In case you haven’t yet purchased it, Astrology as a Spiritual Path invites readers to explore astrology as a profound journey of self-discovery and personal evolution, where the cosmos and the self intersect. This book reveals how astrology can serve as a powerful guide to uncovering unconscious patterns, illuminating it as a tool for expanding consciousness and connecting with your authentic self.

Whether you’re a seasoned astrologer or new to the practice, Astrology as a Spiritual Path offers valuable insights. Discover how it can enrich your journey toward self-understanding, purpose, and transformation.

See the book website: astrologyasaspiritualpath.com.

AstroWatch

By Jim Schultz

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