Astrology is a bit like politics, in that I try to feel out the room before bringing it up to risking being alienated as the kooky, New Agey “acupuncture guy,” who believes in everything unproven. In fact, I feel I owe it to my profession, a system of medicine that has been repeatedly proven, to keep my affinity for the subjective or ethereal realm on the hush, at least until I’ve established some degree of intellectual and/or emotional credibility in the space.
Although I’ve heard of a few practitioners that take into consideration (Chinese) astrology when diagnosing patients, my understanding is that the two paradigms have nothing to do with one another. The fact that they often attract similar people is more a byproduct of western society in recent generations. I doubt during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE) in ancient China the acupuncturists were more inclined to be wary of Geminis, attracted to Pisces, or signed up for an ayahuasca retreat.
With that said, I enjoy astrology. I enjoy the psychology of it, the character trends and tendencies, and over the years I’ve observed obvious proclivities in each sign to offer part of the explanation for why people are the way they are.
On the other hand, I’ve never gotten excited about astrological forecasts. “What’s to come” for me this month or even this year, I take with the same grain of salt I do the meteorological 7-day forecast. Maybe I should, but I don’t write out my desires or intentions at each month’s new moon, frankly because when I did in the past I was always just disappointed!
However, I am quite excited and intrigued about the upcoming solar eclipse this Monday, April 8th. Supposedly a total solar eclipse is a time of major new beginnings, potentially coinciding with major terminations in our lives that are largely outside of our control. If nothing else, for something this unique I’ll at least take some time to observe, do some prayer or meditation, and dust off the old astrology pad for a list of intentions .
But don’t listen to me ramble on about it. I wouldn’t necessarily label astrology even a hobby—it’s more an interest of mine—and definitely not my formal education. If you’re curious about next week’s eclipse, I highly recommend the long-time astrology guru of NYC, Susan Miller’s Astrology Zone, here: https://www.astrologyzone.com/all-about-eclipses-a-guide-for-coping-with-them/
Good luck with everyone’s new beginnings, and see you on the other side!
