Why I believe in Astrology, and why it doesn't work for everyone.

Whether the planets and stars and other astrological objects really exert some sort of influence, I don't know. However, there does seem to be a pattern between when certain astrological objects are in certain places in the sky and relative to each other. For those who are skeptics, let's remove the "magical" element.

If something happens once, it's unremarkable. If it happens twice, it's a coincidence. If it happens repeatedly, there must be some connection. Whether or not we have discovered all of the reasons and methods behind the phenomena, there is still the fact that something is occurring.

The process of reading events through astrology has been compiled and expanded over hundreds of years. It started by someone noticing that every time such-and-such planet/star/etc. was in this part of the sky, such-and such happened. Early astrologists mapped out the positions of the astrological bodies, took notes on reoccurring events, or similarities in the personalities of people born under different Signs. When things didn't fall out as expected, they noted how some astrological bodies were aligned or in conjunction with each other, and deduced that maybe this signaled some sort of interference.

Did the planets and whatnot cause the feelings and events that played out on 7/21/10? Maybe, maybe not. Did a large number of people feel something skin to what I described in my blog? Definitely. The fact that there were multiple people on my FB feed talking about having the same feelings of unease, before I looked up and posted my Astrological interpretation, removes the possibility of it being psychosomatic. Not all of the people who posted on FB that day were from the same group of friends. They would not have seen each other's posts, so there is no psychosomatic influence there.

Of course, this was no scientific setup, with a broad range of test subjects in blind conditions. I can't definitively state that everyone's experience was caused by whatever influence was mirrored by astrological events. This isn't the first time I've noticed this kind of thing before, though, and the conditions of 7/21 in particular seem to be pushing the bonds of coincidence.

So, I don't know how the planets or stars assert their "influence." I don't even know if they are actually doing anything at all. What I do know is that there is a surprising amount of accuracy when examining the position of astrological objects in the sky and their position relative to each other. There is a surprising amount of accuracy in just the simplest comparison of all people born under specific signs. A more in depth look at a person's star chart for the day they were born explains any deviations from the basic description.

If I had had the time, I could have compared the various Signs with the "influence" of the day. Then I could have explained how much each Sign would be affected, and how. If I had nothing else to do with my time, and cared to do it, I could have compared a specific person's astrological personality as described by their birth chart to the "influence" of the day, and provided more accuracy, and explanation for any deviations.

As a final caveat, I believe that the strength of a person's will trumps all. Whatever is going on to cause these astrological "influences," if a person has a stronger will than the force of those influences, they will overcome them. People who are very skeptical will have a strong desire to have things fall out any way but the way their horoscope says it should. They will actively work to prevent those things from taking place. A person who just has a strong sense-of-self and willpower will subconsciously feel that something outside of themselves is trying to interfere with their life. They will strengthen their resolve to make things fall out in the manner of their choosing.

Astrology and psychic reading are not absolute. The future is mutable, depending on the choices we make. Astrology and psychic readings can be a great tool or a horrible restriction. It all depends on what you do with what you learn.

Since so many friends are indicating they're feeling tense/off today...

Huh, I was just assuming I was having another panic attack this morning. I'm jittering like I've had too much coffee.

Since so many people are having the same feeling, I decided to look it up. Of course, this will sound nutty for anyone who doesn't believe in astrology, but here is my interpretation:

Saturn is in the sign of Virgo, in conjunction with Chiron which is in the sign of Aquarius. The sun sign of the day is Libra.

Libra's influence on the day is trying to bring about balance, but without upsetting the things already in place around us. Unfortunately, Saturn/Virgo and Chiron/Aquarius are forces full of change and action. This is probably causing all of us to feel internal stress as our spirits try to reconcile this effect.

Saturn/Virgo: Saturn reveals our own limitations, fears, and sense of responsibility. Virgo wants to be helpful, and is frequently analyzing things, looking for ways to make things better. These two, together, cause internal struggle. Virgo is telling us "Fix it!" and Saturn is telling us "Should you fix it? Is it your place to fix it?"

Chiron/Aquarius: Chiron influences the part of ourselves that sympathizes with situations of trial and error, or knowledge from experience. Chiron wants to heal or prevent the wounds caused by something we have been through before. The humanitarian, opinionated and idealistic nature of Aquarius makes us feel strongly that we have the answers to fix the problems.

So, in summary:

Those who have recognized problems in their lives, or in loved ones lives, are probably fretting about them. You may feel like you know the answers, how to fix it, possibly because you've been through the same thing yourself. However, you feel conflicted, because you're not sure if you should act upon those feelings. You may feel like you don't have the authority to do so, or that the situation requires professional help.

Those who haven't had any major problems are probably feeling nervous, like they are anticipating something bad is about to happen. Probably, you feel like you should know what is coming. That you don't makes you feel even more tense, because you want to prepare for what seems inevitable, but without the knowledge of what might happen, there's nothing you can do.

Overall, Libra is demanding balance, while the other influences are saying things are or will be off-balance. But Saturn is amplifying the part of Libra that's afraid to rock the boat. You want to do something, but you feel like you can't or shouldn't.