On The Need for Deep Seated Change in Today's Astrology

[Guest guest]

On The Need for Deep Seated Change in Today's Astrology

 

Wed, Mar 24, 2004

 

I have been asked by many people, both publicly and privately, to

share my reasoning for the stance I have taken over the past few

years in general, and the past few months in particular, on the

question of what I see as a badly needed re-adjustment, "re-think"

and re-focus of Astrological theory and practice in the 21st

Century. I will try to explain.

 

Initial Considerations

At its base, Astrology is the study of people: their times, climes,

and circumstances. Any astrology, anywhere, at any time, is any

valid to the extent that it is both relevant to the society where it

finds itself, and the approaches it adopts in its efforts to address

the concerns of the people within that particular society.

 

To that extent then, what has become to be known as Western

Astrology, has been developed to deal with the interests, concerns,

needs and aspirations of people that are part and parcel of the

West - coming from a mindset and tradition where individualism, as

a theory and practice is considered, among other things, to be of

prime importance. In fact, the Britsh Astrologer Alan Leo, is

credited most with ushering in the "natal" horoscope era in the West

by focusing on Sun Sign Astrology - a style of interpretation where

the prime focus was on the Sun, which is considered symbolic of the

individual and his or her role in the grand scheme of things.

Although it is well documented that Leo appropriated much of the

learning about astrology from India, he re-interpreted much of it to

meet the needs of the burgeoning West. This forms the basis of much

of the current thought in Western Astrology today.

 

This line of reason was greatly augmented by the writings of Dane

Rudyhar, who is widely considered and accepted as the "grandfather"

of the modern Humanistic Western Astrology movement. His Astrology

of Personality was and is still taken to be the seminal treatise for

moving Astrology from its more "fatalistic" (which could also be

interpreted as "primitive", which usually has connotations of

anything that is not Eurocentric in worldview) roots and

reformulating it into a sort of symbolic language that describes

what one very prominent astrologer calls "the process of becoming".

In other words, Rudyhar proposed a shift from the planets being mere

descriptors of events to them being symbols of potentials. This kept

pace with the times developing in the West then - the pre and then

post WW2 eras, the "Baby Boom" period, and moving on into the 60s,

70s and beyond.

 

Another area that Rudyhar stressed was in the area of prediction -

the once highly valued sector of astrological practice. Rudyhar felt

that to predict events in a person's life was too limiting, too

restrictive, and to that end, he rarely if ever ventured off into

such a practice. Indeed, the bulk and mass of his works, deal almost

exclusively with symbol and meaning, the interpretation of the natal

horoscope, and the the nexus between the two.

 

This was again understandable, given the unpreceedented level of

instability during the War years, and again during the Civil Rights

Era. In fact, Rudyhar's writings really didn't catch on until the

latter period, with many of its adherents wanting to find meaning in

all of the tremendous upheaval and pain in the aftermath of the

Vietnam War, and again the Civil Rights Movement.

 

Much of these developments are not what I consider to be wrong or

inaccurate; indeed, these views, along with other aspects of Western

Astrology - the use of the Outer Planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto;

the use of "newer" approaches, like Astrocartography, Midpoints or

the Composite chart; or the ever-increasing alliances between

Western Astrology and Psychology, both in terms of practice as well

as in professional linkage - have proven themselves to be invaluable

additions towards understanding and addressing the Human Experience

and Condition. Rather, my assertion is that these and other

postulates of the modern Western Astrology movement are incomplete

in a great many ways - some of which I hope to touch upon in this

letter.

 

Astrology & The Clash of Civilizations

While at one time, the world was seen and considered from purely

Western/White/Anglo Saxon terms, this is no longer so. The greater

emphasis on the Asian countries numerically, politically,

financially, socially and even mitarily, demands a "re-think" in

terms of how we all view and approach the world. The same can be

said for Africa, India, and the Central Asian states. Over the past

30 years or so, the USA in particular, and the West in general, has

been barraged with a tidal wave of "new" thought - Islam, Hinduism

and Buddhism in terms of religious awareness and pratice; the

adoption and adaptation of accuptuncture, yoga, and certain eating

practices; the recognition, educationally, socially and even in

terms of politics, of the presence and impact of other cultures

outside of the Anglo-Saxon/Western based norm. Even our popular

culture reflects the "global" feel - for example, in the Hip Hop

world, over the past few years, there has been more and more

influence of other cultures that can be heard in the music, like one

of Jay-Z's songs that features a Middle Eastern/Central Asian rapper

named Punjabi, or the classic Eric B. and Rakim's special mix of

their immortal street hit "Paid in Full" where an Arabic

woman "wails" over the smooth beats and congas. These and

other "signals" are the universe's handwriting on the wall, that the

world is no longer Euro-centered. The question becomes, who will

Western Astrology adapt to these demands in our ever-increasingly

multi-cultural world? More importantly, how do AMERICAN Western

Astrologers intend to deal with this question, since they exist in

arguably the singlemost multi-cultural/racial country on the planet?

And, perhaps the most significant challenge to American Western

Astrologers of them all, is in the fact that their literature, to

date, does NOT speak to the full range of experience of all the

people within the American shores. Indeed, one is hard-pressed to

find actual case examples where the modern Western Astrological

model is practiced on the concerns and conditions important and

particular to African Americans, Hispanics, or Asians. This of

course, invites a whole series of questions, declarations and in

some cases, outright attacks on the point of my line of

questioning/reasoning here. Am I suggesting that those who have

written the books are inherently bigoted? Am I saying that Western

Astrology - the "nuts and bolts" of its theory and practice -

simply doesn't "work" for those who for the most part fall out of a

certain demographic? Am I saying that some of the underlying

philosophy of the modern Western Astrological model is a bit lacking

when it comes to these "other" potential demographics?

 

The answer is, a little of all of the above - but not in equal

measure all the time. What I'm saying is that, as I have already

indicated, that the approach that has been accepted as the "gospel"

to this point may not be one in which it meets to needs and demands

of those who have up to this point not been represented in the

manuals, lectures and forums for due discussion and debate. I

say "may not" because I am willing to be open toward the possibility

that with due focus and consideration, perhaps the nuts and bolts of

Western Astrology may indeed be able to deal with the issues and

concerns of the aforementioned groups.

 

The War of the Astrologies - Western vs. Vedic

Over the past decade or so, perhaps a bit longer, Vedic astrology

has slowly made its presence felt on American shores. Starting out

with a few adherents and a few badly written astrology programs,

Jyotish (Vedic astrology's Sanskrit name) has since then grown to be

quite a formidable influence, with at least one sizable organization

on American shores with a faculty of well-known pracitioners, books

written by Western Vedic astrologers and several internet forums and

listservs made in the USA and dedicated toward the dissemination of

Jyotish to the American audience. While I have my critique of all

these developments as well (how could I not have a critique on just

about everything? LOL), I have to admit that they demonstrate the

keen interest many here in the West have of the ancient Astrological

system of India - but I think there is something that is not

mentioned nearly as much.

 

I think another major reason why Vedic astrology has caught on here

so much is because of the "alternate worldview" it offers. Not to go

into a long history discussion, but Vedic astrology developed in

part out of the philosophical, religious, historical and cultural

matrix that is India, over hundreds, and some say, even thousands of

years. Afterall, Jyotish is often mentioned along with Hinduism,

Buddhism and/or Jainism (among other religions; India is home to

many of them), classically, it is considered to be the intergral

component of a larger body of knoweledge, meant to complement the

other branches of the system. At any rate, many of the people

interested in Jyotish here in the States, are usually interested in

other aspects of Indian life - usually yoga, or meditation and the

like. Some have even taken to the monastic lifestyle that is still

very highly valued in India. And so on.

 

A major feature of Vedic Astrology is its much lauded predictive

accuracy, its ability to correctly forecast events, sometimes years

in advance and often with uncanny specificity. While Jyotish's more

humanistic dimensions still tend to be downplayed by the more

ignorant among the Western astrologically minded, this feature of

Vedic astrology - the predictive side - is almost deified by the

Westerners. This paradox is something I have looked upon with much

curiousity. A recent incident occured that brought up front-and-

center the issue of "blind spots" on the part of the Western side:

Martha Stewart.

 

Stewart, as we all know, was recently found guilty in court as a

result of her involvement in questionable business practices, and

from the looks of things, she will be going to jail soon. Several

prominent Western astrologers gave their predictions before the

trial, proclaiming loud and long that Ms. Stewart would "ride off

into the sunset" - possibly with a new beau on her arm. Their

indications showed love, comfort and happiness, not scorn, ridicule

and confinement. As many soon saw, these astrologers were flat-out

wrong. But it doesn't stop there - and this is important in light of

this discussion...

 

One of the astrologers went over their calculations, and suggested

that they had tried everything within Astrology - clearly false, for

they did not try Vedic Astrology, which, as I later demonstrated,

cleary showed extreme difficulty and the strong likelihood of loss

and setback for Ms. Stewart. Another astrologer, on their web site,

suggested that the reason they were incorrect in their prediction,

was due to the fact that they had not considered the chart of the

moment the actual trial started, a very interesting point of view

for me. Most astrologers, of any system, usually would agree that

the natal chart is the most important chart, and while it is true

that ancillary charts can and often do reflect things that may not

be as clear in the natal chart, it is almost impossible for the

horary chart to suggest extreme loss and the natal chart to show

extreme happiness! Especially in light of the fact that the Vedic

analysis of the situation, using Stewart's natal chart, so clearly

showed her difficulty, setback and loss. It was yet another

instance, among a great many over the years, where I had personally

been a witness to yet another of Western Astrology's weaknesses and

its practitioners apparently refused to acknowledge that THERE WAS

ANOTHER WAY to look at this thing. It is this, dare I say,

intellectual dishonesty, that hampers Western Astrology's

development into the future.

 

In fact, in its most simplistic terms, we can say that the two

systems - Western and Vedic, embody two totally different

approaches. The Western system as we now know it, for the most part

embraces what could be considered a Humanist position - that is to

say, that there is nothing inherently good or bad (only "needs");

that everything is relative; that predictions are discussed within

the context of "forecasts"; and that Astrology is really just the

logical extension of psychological understanding and reasoning. On

the other hand, Vedic astrology embraces the ancient yet deeply

profound nature of life, as expounded by the Sages in the various

writings of India, like the Bhagavad Gita, for example; that

there "is" a something as good versus bad (planets being classified

as either benefic or malefic); that Jyotish accurately reflects

Human intention and desire (the wanting to avoid pain - malefic -

and the desire to seek pleasure - benefic); and that there are some

things which cannot be changed (which invites yet another round of

the neverending debate on the question of Fate vs. Free Will - but

that's another tirade for another time, LOL), and should be

accepted, for they represent deep lessons needing to be learned in

one's evolution. At the center of the "debate" between these two

systems, after all the discussion on Dasas vs. Secondary

Progressions, etc. it all comes down to the fundamental worldviews

each system essentially embraces. And we can extend the discussion

even further, making it even more complex - clearly, there are

extremely spiritual Western astrologers, just like some of the most

rational, logical and Humanistic astrologers on the planet happen to

be Vedic. But the general premise stands at the central core of

the "debate".

 

Astrology and The Ivory Tower

Like everyone in the Western Hemisphere, my interest in Astrology

came through the channels Dane Rudyhar, William Lilly, Evangeline

Adams, Rob Hand, Steven Arroyo, Liz Greene, Jeff Green, Noel Tyl and

many others set up. I learned all of the mechanics, theories and

applications of these approaches (all of those mentioned happen to

be, to a lesser or greater degree, extensions and commentaries on

Rudyhar's work, with the exceptions of Lilly and Adams), and

attempted to apply them to the life circumstances of those who were

around me. To some extent, in some cases, I had tremendous success.

But in just as many cases, I did not. This was despite the fact that

I came along at a time (the early 90s) when Astrology books were

being written at perhaps the highest level since the turn of the

century in America. Detailed tracts were released dealing with

the "how to's" of astro-counseling, vocational astro-analysis,

astrological assessments of sexuality, newer approaches involving

the use of astro-mapping and midpoints and composite charts, and

more. Put along with this, was the strong advent of computer astro-

programs, making the student's task of learning astrology's most

complex concepts, easier and faster than ever before. More and more

emphasis was placed on understanding "how" Astrology was at work in

the lives of people. But as I soon discovered, what this meant was

really only "certain" people.

 

In the various venues where I have cited these concerns, I have been

met with a variety of responses - a good part of it highly critical,

if not outright negative. Yet I maintain, that, to this day, one is

hard pressed to find anything within the considerable literature of

post-Rudhyar astrology, that addresses the issues and concerns of

America's non-White classes.

 

The reasons for this are as varied as are the approaches modern

Western Astrology supports; but I think the major and chief reason

is due to a lack of exposure to these other elements of American

Society. Many of my detractors would suggest that such an

examination of Astrology is ill-advised, and better done within the

contexts of the more "hard", formal sciences like Anthropology, or

Sociology. Some even accuse me of "playing the astrological race

card", of a sort of bottomfeeding to the lowest common denominator,

instead of dealing with the "universiality" of everyone, as

Astrology *should* be. I would say to those voices, that Astrology

is the Mother of the sciences of Anthropology and Sociology, and was

around long before Psychology came along less than a century ago.

Understanding people, is what Astrology is all about - and if it

cannot reflect the realities of people, it cannot be relevant.

 

Regardless of the protestations of those who vociferously disagree

with me, I maintain, based on my extensive experience with the post-

Rudhyar Western Astrological model, my unique experience as an

African American, and my equally extensive experience with Vedic

astrology, that the current practice (and to some extent, even the

theory) of Western Astrology is increasingly becoming more and more

irrelevant, either due to a lack of investigation into the lives

outside of the more traditional American Astrology demographic,

and/or due to the very strong possibility that the afore-mentioned

approaches may not be suited to meet the demands, challenges, needs

and aspirations of certain overlooked demographics.

 

Astrology & The Culture Wars

Lately, I have been immersed in a number of research projects, one

of which has to do with the role of Astrology in the Group

Counselling Experience. This was the result of both fortuitous

timing on my part, being invited to join in on a study group of

African Americans desgined to examine and then attempt to rectify a

series of phenomena heretofore characterized as "personal problems",

and my own research into an ancient Vedic astrological methodology

that applies the horary technique to an entire group or community of

people, instead of just the individual. I have written extensively

on this elsewhere, and will be posted on my web site in due course,

along with future experiments along these lines. Thus far, I have

had tremendous success with this approach, and as a result it raises

a tremendous amount of questions, from the standpoint of "point of

view" of the two astrological approaches.

 

As mentioned earlier, modern Western Astrology focuses in the main

on the individual, typified by the Sun; in Vedic Astrology, the

prime body is the Moon, which is considered in both systems to

represent the public, i.e., the collective. Indian life, even today,

is far and away more interested with life as it relates to the

group, while life in American society (and to varying degrees in

Europe) is almost entirely Sun-centered. This dynamic is vividly

seen when the question comes to the two societies' approaches

towards Marriage and Relationships - here in the West/America, the

matter is purely one of individual choice and consent; the family

has little if any say in the matter, and neither does society at

large. The Astrological approach then, follows in step with this

view, rightly or wrongly, and as such views relationships in the

same light. On the other hand, in the East - India, Africa, Asia -

such matters are almost always familial concerns, with the unions

having impact that could have ramifications that could last for

centuries. Therefore, the astrologers of these areas take these

matters into account in their calculations as to who should marry

whom, and who shouldn't.

 

Aside from the obvious hard questions these two views raise, the

perhaps even weightier issue of Gay Marriage - a major social,

political and legal battle being waged in the USA - looms like the

proverbial Pink Elephant in the middle of the Astrological Living

Room. Neverminding which side of the fence you may personally fall

on, the fact of the matter is that all of us - and especially us

astrologers - have to seriously consider the long term ramifications

of altering, or redefining one of Humanity's most important

institutions and social contracts. What this can and will mean for

Astrology, remains to be seen, and I fear it may not even be seen,

because there is little if any legitimate hard debate on this issue.

 

Finally, there is the major consideration of Race. This is perhaps

the singlemost hottest, and in some cases, most bitter, subject that

can be raised within Astrological circles. For most, such concerns

are simply of no concern, and many who feel this way often accost me

whenever I bring these concerns and issues up. For me, the issue is

most important, because the bulk and mass of my clientele come from

areas of the Society that do not reflect the realities of those to

whom "mainstream" Astrology caters to at present and historically.

If Astrology, and by that I mean specifically Western Astrology, is

to truly keep in step with the times, to be relevant, it cannot

continue to turn a blind eye to these concerns and issues. Nor can

it continue to simply ignore the glaring fact that Astrology can,

and often does, predict events with amazing accuracy, among a great

many things, that Western Astrology tends to shy away from.

 

I have been asked, in various quarters, at various points, by

numerous people, whether Astrology - Western or Vedic, both or

neither - is able to determine issues such as Race. From what I have

seen based on my study of the matter, my short answer would be "yes"

it can and does - both formats. But, as the complex issue it

reflects, both systems of Astrology has to be refined when it comes

to this matter, much more than it currently is, particularly the

Western area, where a certain air of "hear no evil, see no evil" in

New Age drag persists. I have written introductory papers on these

and related topics, based again on my own researches buttressed by

my work with hundreds of clients over the years, and am still

preparing a larger series of papers on these subjects, to be posted

and possibly published in due course.

 

Conclusion

I am convinced that it was no accident that I would come along in

Astrology at the same time that so many pressing social and

political issues would force themselves to the forefront of the

public's awareness; this same level of awareness has been occuring

with respect to Western Astrology's (sometimes grudgingly) awareness

of Vedic Astrology, among other issues, and has been intensifying

ever since. Scholars, intellectuals, theorists and politicians are

now questioning the validity of what has been characterized

as "Eurocentric monoculture", hence the emergence and existence of

African American studies, Women's studies and the like on many of

the country's college campuses. Social workers are known to

acknowledge that different sectors of the population will have

differing issues with which to contend, and are questioning the

therapeutic models that have developed over the last century to

address those concerns. Similar concerns are voiced by those who

work in such fields as Medicine and Law, etc. Even the average

person walking on the streets of Anytown USA has to admit that

everyone simply does not fit the "one size fits all" prescription

that has for so long gone unchallenged and unquestioned. That time,

both inside Astrology, and outside of it, is rapidly coming to an

End.

 

This paper, this letter, is meant to provoke a series of hard

questions in the minds of those who read it - and even if you come

away from it all still of the view you had before you opened this

letter, the issues that this letter speaks to still begs to be

addressed in the months and years to come - and they won't go away.

It must be clearly understood that my postulates are the result of

over a decade of keen observation, relenteless criticism both inward

and outward, and a thorough grounding in both the Astrology and the

the Society out of which both the Western and Vedic styles emanates.

Therefore, they deserve the proper examination based on their own

merits, and not dismissed as the rantings of wild eyed militancy. I

don't claim originality or that I have all the answers, but what I

do claim is to be among the first to raise these questions and

suggest that Astrology be more expansive in both its approach and

application. I would love to hear your approach - that is, if you

have one.

 

Salaam,

Mu

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr.Bey,

 

I must appreicate the effort that you have exercised in coming up

witht this article. It is also true that different societies have

different way of looking at things and accordingly the different

systems of astrology have been delveloped. Like you mentioned that

western society stress more on individual so the sun sign system have

developed with solar calendars and sun as the focal point.

You are also right in pointing out that as time chages this ancient

systems should change to accomodate new thinking.

 

For instance women in India did not have much role except for home in

the past but since last two decade there has been a tremendous change

in that outlook .Similarly divorce is not looked down upon in western

society it is considered very normal as compared to people from

eastern part of the world. In that case would it worry a person from

American society if you tell them that you might be heading for

divorce due to some things in your chart. The response would very

mild and not like the counterpart i.e an individual from eastern

society who has been taught that a marriage is better than no

marriage especially if its female and so follows the effects of that

thinking that a bad marriage is better but not a broken one.I have

seen people taking all kinds of rubish all their life just due to this

belief and I think what's the use of that marriage. Marriage is one

issue but there are so many like wise where astrology fails to

provide a valid explanation.

 

Well, all my point was that this is a very good article and I agree

to the view points pointed out.

 

Rina.

 

gjlist, "MuMin Bey" <mumin_bey> wrote:

> On The Need for Deep Seated Change in Today's Astrology

>

> Wed, Mar 24, 2004

>

> I have been asked by many people, both publicly and privately, to

> share my reasoning for the stance I have taken over the past few

> years in general, and the past few months in particular, on the

> question of what I see as a badly needed re-adjustment, "re-think"

> and re-focus of Astrological theory and practice in the 21st

> Century. I will try to explain.

>

> Initial Considerations

> At its base, Astrology is the study of people: their times, climes,

> and circumstances. Any astrology, anywhere, at any time, is any

> valid to the extent that it is both relevant to the society where

it

> finds itself, and the approaches it adopts in its efforts to

address

> the concerns of the people within that particular society.

>

> To that extent then, what has become to be known as Western

> Astrology, has been developed to deal with the interests, concerns,

> needs and aspirations of people that are part and parcel of the

> West - coming from a mindset and tradition where individualism, as

> a theory and practice is considered, among other things, to be of

> prime importance. In fact, the Britsh Astrologer Alan Leo, is

> credited most with ushering in the "natal" horoscope era in the

West

> by focusing on Sun Sign Astrology - a style of interpretation where

> the prime focus was on the Sun, which is considered symbolic of the

> individual and his or her role in the grand scheme of things.

> Although it is well documented that Leo appropriated much of the

> learning about astrology from India, he re-interpreted much of it

to

> meet the needs of the burgeoning West. This forms the basis of much

> of the current thought in Western Astrology today.

>

> This line of reason was greatly augmented by the writings of Dane

> Rudyhar, who is widely considered and accepted as the "grandfather"

> of the modern Humanistic Western Astrology movement. His Astrology

> of Personality was and is still taken to be the seminal treatise

for

> moving Astrology from its more "fatalistic" (which could also be

> interpreted as "primitive", which usually has connotations of

> anything that is not Eurocentric in worldview) roots and

> reformulating it into a sort of symbolic language that describes

> what one very prominent astrologer calls "the process of becoming".

> In other words, Rudyhar proposed a shift from the planets being

mere

> descriptors of events to them being symbols of potentials. This

kept

> pace with the times developing in the West then - the pre and then

> post WW2 eras, the "Baby Boom" period, and moving on into the 60s,

> 70s and beyond.

>

> Another area that Rudyhar stressed was in the area of prediction -

> the once highly valued sector of astrological practice. Rudyhar

felt

> that to predict events in a person's life was too limiting, too

> restrictive, and to that end, he rarely if ever ventured off into

> such a practice. Indeed, the bulk and mass of his works, deal

almost

> exclusively with symbol and meaning, the interpretation of the

natal

> horoscope, and the the nexus between the two.

>

> This was again understandable, given the unpreceedented level of

> instability during the War years, and again during the Civil Rights

> Era. In fact, Rudyhar's writings really didn't catch on until the

> latter period, with many of its adherents wanting to find meaning

in

> all of the tremendous upheaval and pain in the aftermath of the

> Vietnam War, and again the Civil Rights Movement.

>

> Much of these developments are not what I consider to be wrong or

> inaccurate; indeed, these views, along with other aspects of

Western

> Astrology - the use of the Outer Planets, Uranus, Neptune and

Pluto;

> the use of "newer" approaches, like Astrocartography, Midpoints or

> the Composite chart; or the ever-increasing alliances between

> Western Astrology and Psychology, both in terms of practice as well

> as in professional linkage - have proven themselves to be

invaluable

> additions towards understanding and addressing the Human Experience

> and Condition. Rather, my assertion is that these and other

> postulates of the modern Western Astrology movement are incomplete

> in a great many ways - some of which I hope to touch upon in this

> letter.

>

> Astrology & The Clash of Civilizations

> While at one time, the world was seen and considered from purely

> Western/White/Anglo Saxon terms, this is no longer so. The greater

> emphasis on the Asian countries numerically, politically,

> financially, socially and even mitarily, demands a "re-think" in

> terms of how we all view and approach the world. The same can be

> said for Africa, India, and the Central Asian states. Over the past

> 30 years or so, the USA in particular, and the West in general, has

> been barraged with a tidal wave of "new" thought - Islam, Hinduism

> and Buddhism in terms of religious awareness and pratice; the

> adoption and adaptation of accuptuncture, yoga, and certain eating

> practices; the recognition, educationally, socially and even in

> terms of politics, of the presence and impact of other cultures

> outside of the Anglo-Saxon/Western based norm. Even our popular

> culture reflects the "global" feel - for example, in the Hip Hop

> world, over the past few years, there has been more and more

> influence of other cultures that can be heard in the music, like

one

> of Jay-Z's songs that features a Middle Eastern/Central Asian

rapper

> named Punjabi, or the classic Eric B. and Rakim's special mix of

> their immortal street hit "Paid in Full" where an Arabic

> woman "wails" over the smooth beats and congas. These and

> other "signals" are the universe's handwriting on the wall, that

the

> world is no longer Euro-centered. The question becomes, who will

> Western Astrology adapt to these demands in our ever-increasingly

> multi-cultural world? More importantly, how do AMERICAN Western

> Astrologers intend to deal with this question, since they exist in

> arguably the singlemost multi-cultural/racial country on the

planet?

> And, perhaps the most significant challenge to American Western

> Astrologers of them all, is in the fact that their literature, to

> date, does NOT speak to the full range of experience of all the

> people within the American shores. Indeed, one is hard-pressed to

> find actual case examples where the modern Western Astrological

> model is practiced on the concerns and conditions important and

> particular to African Americans, Hispanics, or Asians. This of

> course, invites a whole series of questions, declarations and in

> some cases, outright attacks on the point of my line of

> questioning/reasoning here. Am I suggesting that those who have

> written the books are inherently bigoted? Am I saying that Western

> Astrology - the "nuts and bolts" of its theory and practice -

> simply doesn't "work" for those who for the most part fall out of a

> certain demographic? Am I saying that some of the underlying

> philosophy of the modern Western Astrological model is a bit

lacking

> when it comes to these "other" potential demographics?

>

> The answer is, a little of all of the above - but not in equal

> measure all the time. What I'm saying is that, as I have already

> indicated, that the approach that has been accepted as the "gospel"

> to this point may not be one in which it meets to needs and demands

> of those who have up to this point not been represented in the

> manuals, lectures and forums for due discussion and debate. I

> say "may not" because I am willing to be open toward the

possibility

> that with due focus and consideration, perhaps the nuts and bolts

of

> Western Astrology may indeed be able to deal with the issues and

> concerns of the aforementioned groups.

>

> The War of the Astrologies - Western vs. Vedic

> Over the past decade or so, perhaps a bit longer, Vedic astrology

> has slowly made its presence felt on American shores. Starting out

> with a few adherents and a few badly written astrology programs,

> Jyotish (Vedic astrology's Sanskrit name) has since then grown to

be

> quite a formidable influence, with at least one sizable

organization

> on American shores with a faculty of well-known pracitioners, books

> written by Western Vedic astrologers and several internet forums

and

> listservs made in the USA and dedicated toward the dissemination of

> Jyotish to the American audience. While I have my critique of all

> these developments as well (how could I not have a critique on just

> about everything? LOL), I have to admit that they demonstrate the

> keen interest many here in the West have of the ancient

Astrological

> system of India - but I think there is something that is not

> mentioned nearly as much.

>

> I think another major reason why Vedic astrology has caught on here

> so much is because of the "alternate worldview" it offers. Not to

go

> into a long history discussion, but Vedic astrology developed in

> part out of the philosophical, religious, historical and cultural

> matrix that is India, over hundreds, and some say, even thousands

of

> years. Afterall, Jyotish is often mentioned along with Hinduism,

> Buddhism and/or Jainism (among other religions; India is home to

> many of them), classically, it is considered to be the intergral

> component of a larger body of knoweledge, meant to complement the

> other branches of the system. At any rate, many of the people

> interested in Jyotish here in the States, are usually interested in

> other aspects of Indian life - usually yoga, or meditation and the

> like. Some have even taken to the monastic lifestyle that is still

> very highly valued in India. And so on.

>

> A major feature of Vedic Astrology is its much lauded predictive

> accuracy, its ability to correctly forecast events, sometimes years

> in advance and often with uncanny specificity. While Jyotish's more

> humanistic dimensions still tend to be downplayed by the more

> ignorant among the Western astrologically minded, this feature of

> Vedic astrology - the predictive side - is almost deified by the

> Westerners. This paradox is something I have looked upon with much

> curiousity. A recent incident occured that brought up front-and-

> center the issue of "blind spots" on the part of the Western side:

> Martha Stewart.

>

> Stewart, as we all know, was recently found guilty in court as a

> result of her involvement in questionable business practices, and

> from the looks of things, she will be going to jail soon. Several

> prominent Western astrologers gave their predictions before the

> trial, proclaiming loud and long that Ms. Stewart would "ride off

> into the sunset" - possibly with a new beau on her arm. Their

> indications showed love, comfort and happiness, not scorn, ridicule

> and confinement. As many soon saw, these astrologers were flat-out

> wrong. But it doesn't stop there - and this is important in light

of

> this discussion...

>

> One of the astrologers went over their calculations, and suggested

> that they had tried everything within Astrology - clearly false,

for

> they did not try Vedic Astrology, which, as I later demonstrated,

> cleary showed extreme difficulty and the strong likelihood of loss

> and setback for Ms. Stewart. Another astrologer, on their web site,

> suggested that the reason they were incorrect in their prediction,

> was due to the fact that they had not considered the chart of the

> moment the actual trial started, a very interesting point of view

> for me. Most astrologers, of any system, usually would agree that

> the natal chart is the most important chart, and while it is true

> that ancillary charts can and often do reflect things that may not

> be as clear in the natal chart, it is almost impossible for the

> horary chart to suggest extreme loss and the natal chart to show

> extreme happiness! Especially in light of the fact that the Vedic

> analysis of the situation, using Stewart's natal chart, so clearly

> showed her difficulty, setback and loss. It was yet another

> instance, among a great many over the years, where I had personally

> been a witness to yet another of Western Astrology's weaknesses and

> its practitioners apparently refused to acknowledge that THERE WAS

> ANOTHER WAY to look at this thing. It is this, dare I say,

> intellectual dishonesty, that hampers Western Astrology's

> development into the future.

>

> In fact, in its most simplistic terms, we can say that the two

> systems - Western and Vedic, embody two totally different

> approaches. The Western system as we now know it, for the most part

> embraces what could be considered a Humanist position - that is to

> say, that there is nothing inherently good or bad (only "needs");

> that everything is relative; that predictions are discussed within

> the context of "forecasts"; and that Astrology is really just the

> logical extension of psychological understanding and reasoning. On

> the other hand, Vedic astrology embraces the ancient yet deeply

> profound nature of life, as expounded by the Sages in the various

> writings of India, like the Bhagavad Gita, for example; that

> there "is" a something as good versus bad (planets being classified

> as either benefic or malefic); that Jyotish accurately reflects

> Human intention and desire (the wanting to avoid pain - malefic -

> and the desire to seek pleasure - benefic); and that there are some

> things which cannot be changed (which invites yet another round of

> the neverending debate on the question of Fate vs. Free Will - but

> that's another tirade for another time, LOL), and should be

> accepted, for they represent deep lessons needing to be learned in

> one's evolution. At the center of the "debate" between these two

> systems, after all the discussion on Dasas vs. Secondary

> Progressions, etc. it all comes down to the fundamental worldviews

> each system essentially embraces. And we can extend the discussion

> even further, making it even more complex - clearly, there are

> extremely spiritual Western astrologers, just like some of the most

> rational, logical and Humanistic astrologers on the planet happen

to

> be Vedic. But the general premise stands at the central core of

> the "debate".

>

> Astrology and The Ivory Tower

> Like everyone in the Western Hemisphere, my interest in Astrology

> came through the channels Dane Rudyhar, William Lilly, Evangeline

> Adams, Rob Hand, Steven Arroyo, Liz Greene, Jeff Green, Noel Tyl

and

> many others set up. I learned all of the mechanics, theories and

> applications of these approaches (all of those mentioned happen to

> be, to a lesser or greater degree, extensions and commentaries on

> Rudyhar's work, with the exceptions of Lilly and Adams), and

> attempted to apply them to the life circumstances of those who were

> around me. To some extent, in some cases, I had tremendous success.

> But in just as many cases, I did not. This was despite the fact

that

> I came along at a time (the early 90s) when Astrology books were

> being written at perhaps the highest level since the turn of the

> century in America. Detailed tracts were released dealing with

> the "how to's" of astro-counseling, vocational astro-analysis,

> astrological assessments of sexuality, newer approaches involving

> the use of astro-mapping and midpoints and composite charts, and

> more. Put along with this, was the strong advent of computer astro-

> programs, making the student's task of learning astrology's most

> complex concepts, easier and faster than ever before. More and more

> emphasis was placed on understanding "how" Astrology was at work in

> the lives of people. But as I soon discovered, what this meant was

> really only "certain" people.

>

> In the various venues where I have cited these concerns, I have

been

> met with a variety of responses - a good part of it highly

critical,

> if not outright negative. Yet I maintain, that, to this day, one is

> hard pressed to find anything within the considerable literature of

> post-Rudhyar astrology, that addresses the issues and concerns of

> America's non-White classes.

>

> The reasons for this are as varied as are the approaches modern

> Western Astrology supports; but I think the major and chief reason

> is due to a lack of exposure to these other elements of American

> Society. Many of my detractors would suggest that such an

> examination of Astrology is ill-advised, and better done within the

> contexts of the more "hard", formal sciences like Anthropology, or

> Sociology. Some even accuse me of "playing the astrological race

> card", of a sort of bottomfeeding to the lowest common denominator,

> instead of dealing with the "universiality" of everyone, as

> Astrology *should* be. I would say to those voices, that Astrology

> is the Mother of the sciences of Anthropology and Sociology, and

was

> around long before Psychology came along less than a century ago.

> Understanding people, is what Astrology is all about - and if it

> cannot reflect the realities of people, it cannot be relevant.

>

> Regardless of the protestations of those who vociferously disagree

> with me, I maintain, based on my extensive experience with the post-

> Rudhyar Western Astrological model, my unique experience as an

> African American, and my equally extensive experience with Vedic

> astrology, that the current practice (and to some extent, even the

> theory) of Western Astrology is increasingly becoming more and more

> irrelevant, either due to a lack of investigation into the lives

> outside of the more traditional American Astrology demographic,

> and/or due to the very strong possibility that the afore-mentioned

> approaches may not be suited to meet the demands, challenges, needs

> and aspirations of certain overlooked demographics.

>

> Astrology & The Culture Wars

> Lately, I have been immersed in a number of research projects, one

> of which has to do with the role of Astrology in the Group

> Counselling Experience. This was the result of both fortuitous

> timing on my part, being invited to join in on a study group of

> African Americans desgined to examine and then attempt to rectify a

> series of phenomena heretofore characterized as "personal

problems",

> and my own research into an ancient Vedic astrological methodology

> that applies the horary technique to an entire group or community

of

> people, instead of just the individual. I have written extensively

> on this elsewhere, and will be posted on my web site in due course,

> along with future experiments along these lines. Thus far, I have

> had tremendous success with this approach, and as a result it

raises

> a tremendous amount of questions, from the standpoint of "point of

> view" of the two astrological approaches.

>

> As mentioned earlier, modern Western Astrology focuses in the main

> on the individual, typified by the Sun; in Vedic Astrology, the

> prime body is the Moon, which is considered in both systems to

> represent the public, i.e., the collective. Indian life, even

today,

> is far and away more interested with life as it relates to the

> group, while life in American society (and to varying degrees in

> Europe) is almost entirely Sun-centered. This dynamic is vividly

> seen when the question comes to the two societies' approaches

> towards Marriage and Relationships - here in the West/America, the

> matter is purely one of individual choice and consent; the family

> has little if any say in the matter, and neither does society at

> large. The Astrological approach then, follows in step with this

> view, rightly or wrongly, and as such views relationships in the

> same light. On the other hand, in the East - India, Africa, Asia -

> such matters are almost always familial concerns, with the unions

> having impact that could have ramifications that could last for

> centuries. Therefore, the astrologers of these areas take these

> matters into account in their calculations as to who should marry

> whom, and who shouldn't.

>

> Aside from the obvious hard questions these two views raise, the

> perhaps even weightier issue of Gay Marriage - a major social,

> political and legal battle being waged in the USA - looms like the

> proverbial Pink Elephant in the middle of the Astrological Living

> Room. Neverminding which side of the fence you may personally fall

> on, the fact of the matter is that all of us - and especially us

> astrologers - have to seriously consider the long term

ramifications

> of altering, or redefining one of Humanity's most important

> institutions and social contracts. What this can and will mean for

> Astrology, remains to be seen, and I fear it may not even be seen,

> because there is little if any legitimate hard debate on this

issue.

>

> Finally, there is the major consideration of Race. This is perhaps

> the singlemost hottest, and in some cases, most bitter, subject

that

> can be raised within Astrological circles. For most, such concerns

> are simply of no concern, and many who feel this way often accost

me

> whenever I bring these concerns and issues up. For me, the issue is

> most important, because the bulk and mass of my clientele come from

> areas of the Society that do not reflect the realities of those to

> whom "mainstream" Astrology caters to at present and historically.

> If Astrology, and by that I mean specifically Western Astrology, is

> to truly keep in step with the times, to be relevant, it cannot

> continue to turn a blind eye to these concerns and issues. Nor can

> it continue to simply ignore the glaring fact that Astrology can,

> and often does, predict events with amazing accuracy, among a great

> many things, that Western Astrology tends to shy away from.

>

> I have been asked, in various quarters, at various points, by

> numerous people, whether Astrology - Western or Vedic, both or

> neither - is able to determine issues such as Race. From what I

have

> seen based on my study of the matter, my short answer would

be "yes"

> it can and does - both formats. But, as the complex issue it

> reflects, both systems of Astrology has to be refined when it comes

> to this matter, much more than it currently is, particularly the

> Western area, where a certain air of "hear no evil, see no evil" in

> New Age drag persists. I have written introductory papers on these

> and related topics, based again on my own researches buttressed by

> my work with hundreds of clients over the years, and am still

> preparing a larger series of papers on these subjects, to be posted

> and possibly published in due course.

>

> Conclusion

> I am convinced that it was no accident that I would come along in

> Astrology at the same time that so many pressing social and

> political issues would force themselves to the forefront of the

> public's awareness; this same level of awareness has been occuring

> with respect to Western Astrology's (sometimes grudgingly)

awareness

> of Vedic Astrology, among other issues, and has been intensifying

> ever since. Scholars, intellectuals, theorists and politicians are

> now questioning the validity of what has been characterized

> as "Eurocentric monoculture", hence the emergence and existence of

> African American studies, Women's studies and the like on many of

> the country's college campuses. Social workers are known to

> acknowledge that different sectors of the population will have

> differing issues with which to contend, and are questioning the

> therapeutic models that have developed over the last century to

> address those concerns. Similar concerns are voiced by those who

> work in such fields as Medicine and Law, etc. Even the average

> person walking on the streets of Anytown USA has to admit that

> everyone simply does not fit the "one size fits all" prescription

> that has for so long gone unchallenged and unquestioned. That time,

> both inside Astrology, and outside of it, is rapidly coming to an

> End.

>

> This paper, this letter, is meant to provoke a series of hard

> questions in the minds of those who read it - and even if you come

> away from it all still of the view you had before you opened this

> letter, the issues that this letter speaks to still begs to be

> addressed in the months and years to come - and they won't go away.

> It must be clearly understood that my postulates are the result of

> over a decade of keen observation, relenteless criticism both

inward

> and outward, and a thorough grounding in both the Astrology and the

> the Society out of which both the Western and Vedic styles

emanates.

> Therefore, they deserve the proper examination based on their own

> merits, and not dismissed as the rantings of wild eyed militancy. I

> don't claim originality or that I have all the answers, but what I

> do claim is to be among the first to raise these questions and

> suggest that Astrology be more expansive in both its approach and

> application. I would love to hear your approach - that is, if you

> have one.

>

> Salaam,

> Mu