As someone who has used astrology for over 45 years and taught it for 25, I recall that an astrologer once asked me if I don’t get tired of teaching the basics to new students over and over again. The answer for me is that I never do. In this article, I want to explain one of the reasons why my enthusiasm for astrology always remains high.
The Foundation of Uniqueness
The essence of astrology to me is that it combines two seemingly opposite things. On one hand, astrology gives us a common ground of our shared humanity. Every chart is composed of the same archetypal principles of planets, signs, and houses. This is the foundation of all astrology. But at the same time, each horoscope is different from every other one—thus, astrology also describes our uniqueness. None of us are the same as anyone else. In fact, the more a person embraces all aspects of their chart, the more unique one can become.
What I have just expressed is self-evident. It is obvious. But do we stop and realize this fully, consciously, and then extrapolate further on it? If so, we might actually celebrate our life and the lives of others in ways we often do not. Human beings struggle and suffer in their daily grind of survival and can become lost in that. Yet, we are also able to step back and take a broader look. Perhaps we do this most as we age and look at all we’ve been through to get us to where we are now—hopefully more mature, balanced, and appreciative of life.
None of us are the same as anyone else. In fact, the more a person embraces all aspects of their chart, the more unique one can become.
When I teach astrology, I give the basics, of course, and then expand as the lessons progress. But I also keep the classes small—no more than 9–10. This is quite deliberate. Why?
The Power of Dialogue
What I have just expressed above is general, abstract, and perhaps idealistic. To live it week in and week out is another matter entirely. It is lived through engaging in conversation, dialogue, and inquiry with others who are different from ourselves. In my classes, I ask students to express their “experience” of the principles of their natal chart, as well as their “experience” of transits, progressions, returns, etc. The emphasis is not on the mental understanding—which is important, of course—but on the “experience” they have of it. This is where we experience our shared humanity.
A Culture of Listening
There is another aspect of dialogue that is so important. In real dialogue, one trains oneself to really hear—to listen to what the other person is saying. We may agree or disagree, but if we are truly listening, we do neither. We receive the other… with little or no evaluation. A kind of culture is created in the class that makes it less of a class and more of an encounter with another human being. We express, listen, and respond—and this becomes mutual and shared. We see how similar we are to one another and also different. Both are true simultaneously.
When this occurs—when true dialogue is experienced—something new happens. Surprise happens. Not only do we surprise ourselves, but we surprise others too. Something arrives in the room that didn’t exist before. This is the power of dialogue. Understanding occurs at a deep level, not only of astrology but of being human and sharing that with another human being. The experience is unspeakable and very real… leaving a person feeling less alone and separate, while also remaining unique and special. The dichotomies and paradoxes I’m expressing here are now being lived. This is what transpersonal astrology is capable of becoming.
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