…there was a post here in which I discussed astrological etiquette. I have removed it because I’d momentarily forgotten that only a fool tries to direct the world and the other people in it. On that precise subject I’ll be publishing the second article in the current series on Pluto early next week.
Have a great weekend.
Have to admit… I read the original post in my email. I rather regret its passing. I feel that a reminder that there are those out there who portray themselves as having more ability than is the fact is an important message.
There are many belief systems that actually rely on the ability to change the world, or at least aspects of it. Equally there are those that suggest that it is possible to affect the actions of others, albeit different groups have different ethical concerns in this regard.
I find that this is in itself a fascinating area of study, especially since it is possible to come at it from many different angles, ranging from the severely mystical right through to the severely practical.If you ask the central question ‘Does the application of Will actually change the world in practise?’….well see some thoughts below.
Imagine you are attending a job interview. You really really want the job. Moreover, the bank account is so low that you NEED it as well. So, to give yourself the best possible chance, you go to extreme lengths to prepare beforehand.You research the employer online. You phone in advance to ask some informal questions. You take every care with personal appearance. You might even read up on body language so as to give the desired impression. Needless to say, the CV is perfect.And so on. The bottom line is that the more effort and more importantly the more concentrated that effort is makes a huge difference to the likelihood of influencing the success or failure of the interview.
Right at the other end of the scale, many pagan belief systems belief that with enough application of will and effort, it is possible to cast a spell with will change the course of events. One of the central tenets of voodoo is that the more people believe in the same concept, the more likely it is to happen. Consider that one of the most famous books of a generation was Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, detailing the famous adventures of Captain Nemo in his submarine Nautilus. This was written many years before an actual submarine was invented. On a more recent note, have you ever considered the similarity between Star Trek’s communicators and tricorders to today’s mobile phones and IPads?
There are many examples of how it is possible to effect change. However, the greatest irony of all this is that the more you begin to understand just how much you could do, the more you begin to realise that a lot of the time it is a really bad idea to do so. Imagine for a second you had the power to affect the weather (and yes, I do know folks who can). Your poor elderly mother’s garden, which is her only pleasure in life, is dying of drought. Would you make it rain? Probably … unless you ask yourself whether one little shower in Norfolk might by the ripple effect cause a typhoon in Ethiopia. Humans are not good at being humble enough to ask themselves whether they truly understand the implications of what they propose to do. The best example of this is one which is considerably more earthy – but makes the point. A man once cast a spell with the object of making his wife more hungry and adventurous in the bedroom. It worked beyond his wildest dreams. Unfortunately due to a small oversight in which he was not sufficiently precise … she demonstrated her greater needs with almost anyone …except him.
Gee, now I wish I’d seen the post, given what dragonfire implies by his second sentence.
I’ve been thinking lately – and more so since listening to an interview with Steven Forrest – about how many unscrupulous astrologers I’ve lined the purses of, and how’s a soul to know, especially as so often one is psychologically ‘under the weather’ when advices are sought. Perhaps my thoughts are not apropos but certainly represent a topic that does need addressing as the breadth of influence of ‘alternate’ advisors increases; and, frankly, the ingress of Neptune to Pisces makes of it a necessity or we are back to the days of the cadillacs and callgirls gurus, I fear.
Thank-you again for another great post.
Your openess, depth and experience come all the way through.
blessings to you and yours,
Tricia
I really dig your deep insight and direct style of writing! I’m a 17-year astrologer and I learned something from this post. I also LOVE that pic comparison of square-vs-trine energy. It gave me a visceral, non-conceptual experience of the two different energies.
I have to say that you’re dead wrong that it’s “impossible to love one’s Pluto”. Never set a limit on love. Everything in this Universe can be loved. Everything in this Universe is ALREADY loved… There is no limit to love… You are limitless love. That is your true nature…
Loving Pluto energy may be antithetical to the limited body/mind identity which only wants to perpetuate itself indefinitely. Fortunately this limited identity is not real and is not even a consistent experience. It’s just a persistent thought that our minds entertain… Our true nature shines through the cracks in this thought. There is a part of us that longs to die and be reborn into our infinite nature. This is the part of us that LOVES Pluto. š
cheers!
š
Thank you Ellis, you have some wise words to share.
I see and acknowledge your good intentions which is clearly a very strong motivation for you. I also agree with your insight, which is – viewed from a certain perspective – quite correct and whilst it is a limited body/mind identity which views Pluto (and life) in this way, that is also the human perspective. If as a counselling astrologer I were to relate to people a view that they were ‘dead wrong’ to view what is to them a life and death struggle as difficult or unpleasant, then I would run out of work overnight, not because I would be (theoretically) incorrect, but because I would have failed in the astrologer’s prime directive: to help people. Indeed, I would have done the opposite, all I would probably have managed is to convey an discomfiting sense of the superiority of my own spiritual perspective and the benighted, myopic and limited nature of their own views, thereby exacerbating their sense of powerlessness.
All of which is unhelpful astrology. The purpose of Pluto is to be unpleasant. If you have no compulsions then that’s great for you, but simply telling people that their compulsions (which they do not subjectively experience as limitless love) are a failure of perspective is impractical, I think that most everyone who comes to me because they feel abandoned/ bereft/ alone/ suicidal understatnds what you are saying, that there is a perspective of unlimited joy and love available in life, but presented in this way it doesn’t help them to deal with their unhappiness. It just highlights through enormous contrast how much they don’t feel that way.
So, I stand by it. If you’ve been through Plutonic experience and realised self-exaltation at some level from it, then you can put that in perspective and feel grateful, and perhaps eventually, if you are more or less an enlightened individual then you can ‘love’ what that experience has done for you, but otherwise, what you suggest has no application. If people enjoy Pluto then Pluto is not doing a job on them; its astrological purpose is to transform through unpleasant pressure. It evinces (as I say) anxiety promulgated control needs. Sure, it would be great if everyine was above Pluto in the way that you suggest that you are, but that is a rare niche you occupy, and it’s simply not available to most people. Hell, it’s not available to me, and I know when I’m doing Pluto, and I sure do not love it.
If that makes me wrong then it also makes me human, and how can that be wrong?
(And quite apart from that I disagree with several parts of your conjecture. I think it’s Solar energy that is resistant to dissolution, and Neptunian energy that craves it for example).
@ chirotic – was is something like radiohead`s karma police?
there`s a part that says “and for a minute there, i lost myself, i lost myself”. it reminds me of this post.
can`t wait for saturn-pluto, because of my conjunction (still don`t see it, and still don`t understand it). thank you so very much for moon-neptune (mine is a conjunction), mars-pluto and mercury-pluto(oppositions), moon-pluto (sextile), etc.. pluto is so hard to handle, but your writing makes it so much easier for me to distinguish emotional-mental-social energies, cause they`re all so painfully mixed up.
sunny greetings from croatia š
well said Chirotic…with Pluto in Cap and advancing – yes a few steps backwards is the way we advance – towards my sun I am going through my stuff in a very deep and profound way. It’s like I slipped beneath and discovered a world that fascinates and has awaited me until I was ready. Did tremble a bit when you mentioned the dictator trine thingi. I was perceiving my trine as an open route to this journey and one that made it possible for me. It was encouraging especially after so many friends have really suffered or not made it through. I appreciate these posts though and shall endeavour to contain my urge to dominate the universe.