I begin most days with cooking prep followed by a sort of brisk walk around my home as I listen to podcasts on the YouTube app. My playlist is filled with astrologers. Some are quick takes on mundane astrology, weighing in on the pressing news of the moment. Some are rambling philosophical takes on the language of the stars incorporating Tao, iChing and, Bhakthi. A few are insightful looks at the week or month ahead.

The ones I savor though, are the three hour long podcasts that are wonderfully slow, warm up with History, Philosophy and, Etymology of the planets and then work their way up to archtypal meanings and wrap up with prominent expressions using celeb charts. I listen to the banter between people who now feel like friends. They swap stories, highlight aspects from their charts and make riffs off astrological phenomenon that have me laughing out loud.

These morning walks have had a ripple effect. I am an usually observant person but of late, I have been noticing things that usually fall outside the realm of things that occupy my mind. I am hyper aware of birds that dip and soar outside my window. I am aware of leaves drying and falling. I am often on my driveway, a little past sundown, my glasses on, squinting at the wide expanse of the night sky looking at stars. They feel like familiar friends now. I can identify Venus in addition to the Moon. Duh!

I notice that on some days, the stars seem to hang lower because of the absense of ambient light. I watched the moon for an entire lunar cycle from New Moon to the next. The shape of the moon, the reflective quality of the light, the brighness of the reflected light as we approached the full moon. I tracked the stars on my software and experienced many “ahha” moments.

Mostly though, this experience in learning astrology has made my life richer by teaching me to still my mind and just listen. The earth, the air, the skies, the flowers, they all speak to me. If ever I have doubted how inconsequential I am in this universe, I now know, beyond doubt that this speck is merely a speck.

In the few dozen charts I have analysed, the question that often comes up is free will versus destiny. All I see though is that charts that have difficult placements often are people who have risen from them and gone on to remake successes in the form they decide. These are the pioneers, the mavericks, the out of the box thinkers.

The study of astrology has been humbling. It has been eye opening. It continues to be a source of delight each day. The more I learn, I realize I am scratching the surface and I may never know all there is to know about it. It frightens and excites me.

It also makes me realize that life and age are social constructs. We are timeless souls passing through this world at the same time. Our lives intersect now as it probably has in the past and will in the future.

The timelessness is a gift. It is also the truth.

Astrology Astrology Learning Life love Musings Reflections