Notes On Astrology
To me, astrology is a queer whatchamacallit that invites us to realize that we are always already intimate with the cosmos.
Astrology is inherently queer because it defies categorization, acknowledges and overcomes classical binaries (masculine/feminine; day/night; mind/body; subject/object; public/private; etc.), affirms the individual while also uncovering universal themes of human experience, and its continued practice serves as a conceptual counterweight to the onslaught of reductive materialism and capitalistic commodification of people and of all of the beings with which we share this planet.
Astrology is a whatchamacallit because it is a lot of things rolled into one practice. It is a tool insofar as it extends human capacities beyond their natural abilities, but it is not merely a tool insofar as it is a living, relational experience rather than a mechanical artifice. It is a language insofar as it allows us to understand the gods/archetypes/planets and communicate their lessons to one another. but it is not merely a language insofar as it is also a deeply personal communion for each individual that ultimately cannot be spoken. It is a worldview insofar as it is a coherent metaphysical system that has its own logic and mythic motifs, but it is not merely a worldview insofar as it is also a practical therapeutic methodology for working with individuals seeking guidance. It is a belief insofar as astrologers carry deep faith in the spiritual acuity of our ancestors and in the human capability to intuit truth, but it is not merely a belief because we have troves of empirical correlations with astronomical data and clients who acknowledge the benefits of consultation.
I love astrology for being a queer whatchamacallit. Astrology is a reflective looking glass for the soul, both allowing us to more clearly see who we are in our terrestrial world of illusion and offering imagery for contemplative communion with a deeper concrete reality. It is our most ancient science and it is radically new with each passing moment. It is highly impractical from the view of modern capitalism because it encourages real agency for individuals beyond industrial concepts of productivity, and it is highly practical because it can support us to use our creativity and energy in ways that are authentic. The both-and nature of astrology is exactly what is needed for this moment in human existence that is marked by deep, deep divisions.
I find great joy knowing that astrology is experiencing a Renaissance, with more and more people discovering astrology beyond simple horoscopes and more and more astrologers learning ancient Hellenistic methodologies thanks to the work of Project Hindsight in the 1990s. We need to remember our intimate relationship to the cosmos more than ever now that our lived experience with the night sky continues to dim as 80% of the world’s population and 99% of Americans and European live under artificial sky glow, cutting us off from visible connection to our night sky.
My professor and mentor, Dr. Brian Swimme, has an uncanny ability to ignite wonder in his students when he describes how the stars are our ancestors. I remember being pulled out of my humdrum skepticism when I first sat in his class in 2011 and he engaged us with a telling of our cosmic birthright. To Swimme, every power of the cosmos has its human form. Gravity is love. Symbiosis is mutual aid. Centration is individuation. Every atom in our bodies was created within the loving furnace of a dying star, and all of the planets in our solar system were formed from the same cloud of stardust grains. Astrology is the queer whatchamacallit for listening to the wisdom our cosmic ancestors, and I approach the practice with reverence because it is so.