Okay, the Sunday Scribbling this week is on the topic of What is your astrological sign?
This is my opportunity to come out of the closet and at least state for the record I have a moderate interest in the subject. I come from a family of engineers and mathematicians - in other words I am surrounded by skeptics. Also, some in my family probably believe it's devil worship. On my own, I have drifted toward astrology and kept it mostly in the closet (though honestly I know I'm not hiding it from anyone). Maybe it's a rebellion of sorts.
Here is my other opportunity to state for the record that while I'm interested and fascinated by astrology I don't believe it. At times I have fallen into superstition around it though, because so much of it is phrased in the way that makes you think "oh know! mercury is retrograde and the stars are out to get me!" Yet, when I step back and ignore all that fortune telling what I have found in astrology is a symbolic metaphorical language. It appeals to the artist and writer in me. It is also a very psychological language and so if you are interested in studying the behavior of people it's just another way to explore. For me, it's another way to tap into my own intuition.
I had my chart done back in my younger days -and I've studied other peoples' charts too. I came to the conclusion though that reading another's chart is not something I want to tackle. It's a very complex thing. Those who can take the 12 signs and remember all the meanings and then combine them with meaning of 9 planets (okay I know Pluto's been demoted) not to mention all the asteroids. Then take them and interpret meaning out of where the planets are located in a chart. All that is a task - but the meaning of a chart changes greatly depending on what different angles all these planets are making with each other.
I guess it is inaccurate for me to say I don't believe in astrology. I don't believe you can make decisions based only on it. I don't believe you can predict the future from it. I don't believe you can ever ever be literal with it. I don't believe any one is ever born under a bad sign - or that the planets ever make you do anything. What I have found is that it gives a picture of the energy you may encounter - a picture of the passions you may be drawn toward and with that information you can connect with your own intuition and with your own choice in how to live.
So yes, I like astrology - because it's like a paint palette - mix a little Saturn here with some Leo and you get one color. Take Venus and put her into Taurus and wow - look at that. The possibilities are endless and just like the full spectrum of colors there are zillions of ways to mix it and paint a picture.
My sign? - Well that question always refers to the sun sign - I am a Virgo. Since I've had my chart done I know that I have four planets in the sign of Virgo - sun, Pluto, Uranus, and Jupiter. I'm also a Libra rising. That means the constellation Libra was on the horizon at the time of my birth. One's rising sign is often described as the first impression you make with people. Venus and Mercury were also over there in Libra at the time of my birth. My moon sign is Gemini (I think that might be why I love blogging).
The astrologer Steven Forrest has a quick and clever way to sum up the core three signs of a person- sun, rising sign, and moon. I am a Virgo with a Gemini moon and Libra rising. The sun and it's sign is a metaphor for who you are. The moon and it's sign is your soul. And the rising sign is the mask you wear. Using some catch phrases from Forrest's book The Inner Sky - put it all together I am a servant (Virgo) with the soul of a teacher(Gemini) wearing the mask of an artist (Libra). Or using other phrases with the same signs - I could say I am a perfectionist (Virgo) with the soul of a storyteller (Gemini) wearing the mask of the lover (Libra).
If you'd like to read more astrology scribbles go here.
