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.

Anatomy of a Psychic Reading

Here are a few things I learned when I used to do Psychic Readings. Be warned, I have a rather clinical view of magick. For some, reading this will be akin to watching the shows that show you haw stage magic tricks are done. Stop reading now if that kind of thing bugs you.

When I did readings, the majority of what I read came from things the person I was reading already knew. The person I was reading for often already knew the answer to their own question, but had willfully or subconsciously blocked that info from their mind. There was a lot of psychology involved.

Palm and aura readings would help to ease the way, so to speak. I often had to start by "wowing" them with things they consciously knew about themselves, but I would not know if not for what I picked up from their aura or palm. This helped reduce nervousness and skepticism. It was like someone opened the curtains or blew away the fog surrounding them. From there, the tarot would help clue me in to the parts of themselves they couldn't or wouldn't see.

Actually predicting future events depended a lot on what question they were asking, or if it was an open ended reading, where they were in their lives at that moment. I believe firmly that our futures are mutable, subject to change depending on the choices we make. If the person I was reading hadn't made any firm choices yet, it was hard to give solid answers as to what was coming up. I would be tell them that, and offer them advice as to how to get closer to their goals. If I was lucky, I would be able to see where their spirits wanted them to go, and point them in the best direction. Of course, this often wasn't what they wanted to hear, but I would rather be honest. This usually happened when the querent asked one of the generic trinity; Love, Money, or Job. Those people often had made no real strides towards how to get those things for themselves, or had just lost those things and were desperate to find some way to get them back. Too many options lay in front of them, or they wanted a specific answer so badly that a true answer had no chance of coming through.

Dream Analysis and non-specific tarot readings gave me the best chance to tell them about their future. A dream so intense someone wanted it analyzed came from things that had a major influence on the person, or was about to be a major influence. A non-specific tarot reading allowed the subconscious to influence the cards. The subconscious could tell me not only about what was hiding within the querent, but about any outside energies exerting their influence. Thoughts and intentions are as much an impetus of energy as any full-blown spell.

A good way to explain it is that a Reader is like a psychic translator. Some readers are more fluent than others. However, no reader can translate if the words being said aren't clear, or there is a wall in the way. It's hard to hear what the subconscious is saying, if other peoples' subconsciousnesses are talking in the same room. It's also hard to translate if the Reader's subconscious can't focus. Their personal static is interfering with reception.

So, if you go to a psychic and they seem totally clueless, take this in mind before deciding if they're scam artists. There are plenty of them out there, of course, but not all. A good psychic won't take your money if they're giving an inaccurate reading. Be honest with yourself and the Reader. Let them know if they're getting it wrong, or if you're feeling skeptical or uncomfortable. You may find that giving them a fresh start and/or suspending your disbelief will make a major change in how well your reading is going.