They aren't the same mythology, but your words on supposed "malefics" and "hard aspects" reminds me of research on how people who believe unequivocally in soulmates respond to conflict or discomfort in relationships. Hard aspects can be deeply uncomfortable, in my experience. I have a lot of them. So, learning to sit with discomfort and look for its lessons has been important for my development, in both character and power/agency. Assuming that discomfort is bad could have easily led to my interpreting such things as curses, which would have cheated me of both.
Similarly, research has shown that people who believe strongly in romantic soulmates often interpret garden-variety conflict or difficulty in relationship as a "sign" to exit because, clearly, this wasn't "meant to be." If it were destined it would be easy and blissful is the assumption. But that posture cheats us of the depth of intimacy that can be gained by working through things together. If we're willing to sit in the discomfort, rather than running away from it, there is always so much to be gained.
I love your astrology, Rob. Have been following your weekly horoscope for years. It may actually be you who unwittingly directed me to meet my future husband when I read my horoscope one day and was stopped by an expression I didn't understand ( I was born and raised in Paris): " Don't be a fall guy". Didn't know what it meant, asked the first person available at the coffee shop I had just walked in...and the rest is herstory...the Stars being absolutely aligned... As a fellow Cancerian, (July 22...), I particularly resonate with your Cancerian readings...I also deeply resonate with your perspective on the Sky...I could go on dreamingly but I will stop for now. Thank you deeply. Isabella
With every step thru the shadows we choose to step into the light .. Embrace the darkness for lessons it offers and receive its nourishment to brighten our journey !! Without it reigns the possibility of a fruitless life! Thank you, thru the darkness I created artful visions that freed my spirit to be more emphatic, seeing, playful!! So mote it be ... Balance
The line I keep coming back to when someone calls this bypassing is that refusing to read a placement as malefic is not the same as pretending it is painless. A Saturn square can absolutely hurt. What you are taking away is not the difficulty, it is the verdict. Doom astrology hands you the chart as a sentence: here is who you will be a victim of. The reading you are describing hands you the same chart as raw material: here is what you were given to work with. Identical square, two completely different stories, and only one of them leaves a person with something to do on Monday morning.
That is the part I think the angry readers miss. You are not sanding off the shadow, you are refusing to confuse intensity with punishment. The tension stays. It just stops being evidence against the person and starts being the engine you named.
Thank you for writing this on a Freedom from Fear holiday. Half of what keeps people from ever actually using their own chart is the dread someone else taught them to read into it.
Thank you. I've consulted four astrologers over my current lifetime (71 and counting), all very different and also with very different results. I learned from all of them, including the first one back in '71 who never did produce a chart but turned me onto tarot (among other things over the next few years) which I spent decades utilizing and studying and really helped me hone my own intuition. I love and to quite some extent live by the concept of pronoia, or at least cosmic/auspicious coincidences or synchronicity which have always proved invaluable if only as life lessons. In short, I'm a bit of a space cadet, but what a trip, or series of trips my life has been and continues to be. Thank you for persisting in putting such a refreshingly positive spin on Astrology. I googled Goddard College. What a blast some of those "alternative" educational institutions were. I had a few experiences with two here in Canada in the early 70's.
Good morning Rob. Thank you for this. ⭐️🌱 I would be interested in employing you for a review of my personal astrological chart. How might this happen?
YES!!! .... i do finish many things during a Mercury retrograde and take the time to go inward, and laugh at computer glitches, airline delays, etc...
My view on the shadow self is more like "Peter pan" ... sew my shadow right back on so it goes everywhere I go. You see, without the light, there would be no shadow at all...true darkness. I would rather live in the light with my shadow tapping me on the shoulder..or..er..clubbing me on the head when ther is a lesson, a pattern , im not listening to.
Thank you, Rob. If no one has told you, you make a difference. Thank you. - Judi
( April 22, 1959 on a Wednesday who happens to be my alter ego - Wednesday Addams) LoL
I want to learn more about Chaos Magic/k. I am already an eclectic witch/Italian Catholic Strega. But Chaos Magic/k sounds like something that could be good to add to my tool kit. Are there any good books that you can suggest for people who want an introduction to it?
As a Pisces, cusp Aries, born on a new moon; I have been tempered by the tensions of shadows and leaned into the learning that leaves greater compassion. Compassion with action (in great need in this world) comes from living the lessons of shadows and tensions, with eyes open and taking to heart.
On this day of June 9th, supposedly the luckiest day of the Year as Venus conjuncts Jupiter, both in Cancer, I managed to oversleep long enough to completely miss the news. Rather I turned on the classical station WQXR broadcasting "Jupiter" from the composer Holst's 'the Planets'. If that isn't at least synchronicity, what is. Good for a laugh! Allow me to share.
They aren't the same mythology, but your words on supposed "malefics" and "hard aspects" reminds me of research on how people who believe unequivocally in soulmates respond to conflict or discomfort in relationships. Hard aspects can be deeply uncomfortable, in my experience. I have a lot of them. So, learning to sit with discomfort and look for its lessons has been important for my development, in both character and power/agency. Assuming that discomfort is bad could have easily led to my interpreting such things as curses, which would have cheated me of both.
Similarly, research has shown that people who believe strongly in romantic soulmates often interpret garden-variety conflict or difficulty in relationship as a "sign" to exit because, clearly, this wasn't "meant to be." If it were destined it would be easy and blissful is the assumption. But that posture cheats us of the depth of intimacy that can be gained by working through things together. If we're willing to sit in the discomfort, rather than running away from it, there is always so much to be gained.
I love your astrology, Rob. Have been following your weekly horoscope for years. It may actually be you who unwittingly directed me to meet my future husband when I read my horoscope one day and was stopped by an expression I didn't understand ( I was born and raised in Paris): " Don't be a fall guy". Didn't know what it meant, asked the first person available at the coffee shop I had just walked in...and the rest is herstory...the Stars being absolutely aligned... As a fellow Cancerian, (July 22...), I particularly resonate with your Cancerian readings...I also deeply resonate with your perspective on the Sky...I could go on dreamingly but I will stop for now. Thank you deeply. Isabella
With every step thru the shadows we choose to step into the light .. Embrace the darkness for lessons it offers and receive its nourishment to brighten our journey !! Without it reigns the possibility of a fruitless life! Thank you, thru the darkness I created artful visions that freed my spirit to be more emphatic, seeing, playful!! So mote it be ... Balance
Thank you. Your writings almost always hit the bullseye in such personal ways for me, as I'm sure they do for so many others. Thanks again.
You are speaking my Sagitarrian love language with pitch, interval, and connection. You're always good, but this one is a banger. Thanks!
The line I keep coming back to when someone calls this bypassing is that refusing to read a placement as malefic is not the same as pretending it is painless. A Saturn square can absolutely hurt. What you are taking away is not the difficulty, it is the verdict. Doom astrology hands you the chart as a sentence: here is who you will be a victim of. The reading you are describing hands you the same chart as raw material: here is what you were given to work with. Identical square, two completely different stories, and only one of them leaves a person with something to do on Monday morning.
That is the part I think the angry readers miss. You are not sanding off the shadow, you are refusing to confuse intensity with punishment. The tension stays. It just stops being evidence against the person and starts being the engine you named.
Thank you for writing this on a Freedom from Fear holiday. Half of what keeps people from ever actually using their own chart is the dread someone else taught them to read into it.
Thank you. I've consulted four astrologers over my current lifetime (71 and counting), all very different and also with very different results. I learned from all of them, including the first one back in '71 who never did produce a chart but turned me onto tarot (among other things over the next few years) which I spent decades utilizing and studying and really helped me hone my own intuition. I love and to quite some extent live by the concept of pronoia, or at least cosmic/auspicious coincidences or synchronicity which have always proved invaluable if only as life lessons. In short, I'm a bit of a space cadet, but what a trip, or series of trips my life has been and continues to be. Thank you for persisting in putting such a refreshingly positive spin on Astrology. I googled Goddard College. What a blast some of those "alternative" educational institutions were. I had a few experiences with two here in Canada in the early 70's.
Thank you for this perspective. I’m wondering if you ever teach astrology to aspiring learners? And if so, where?
Thanks for asking!
No, I don't teach astrology. Am too busy writing new books!
Oh how exciting! Well, if ever you do, I’d be an eager student. I’d love to learn from you!
Good morning Rob. Thank you for this. ⭐️🌱 I would be interested in employing you for a review of my personal astrological chart. How might this happen?
Thanks for asking!
I don’t do personal astrology charts, but my wife does.
She’s here: https://www.roloughran.com
Thank you for your positive thoughts on astrology! I can appreciate your perspective.
YES!!! .... i do finish many things during a Mercury retrograde and take the time to go inward, and laugh at computer glitches, airline delays, etc...
My view on the shadow self is more like "Peter pan" ... sew my shadow right back on so it goes everywhere I go. You see, without the light, there would be no shadow at all...true darkness. I would rather live in the light with my shadow tapping me on the shoulder..or..er..clubbing me on the head when ther is a lesson, a pattern , im not listening to.
Thank you, Rob. If no one has told you, you make a difference. Thank you. - Judi
( April 22, 1959 on a Wednesday who happens to be my alter ego - Wednesday Addams) LoL
Thank you, Rob. Mercury being my ruling planet has turned into enjoying the self reflection/spiritual assessments during each retrograde.
Goddard!!!! Yes!!! The best!!
I want to learn more about Chaos Magic/k. I am already an eclectic witch/Italian Catholic Strega. But Chaos Magic/k sounds like something that could be good to add to my tool kit. Are there any good books that you can suggest for people who want an introduction to it?
everything by Phil Hine is a great intro to Chaos Magick, like "Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic"
Thanks. I'll mosey through cyberspace and seek the wisdom of Phil Hine!
Here's a free online book by Phil: https://archive.org/details/primechaosadvent0000hine
also: https://www.scribd.com/doc/56741183/Condensed-Chaos-2C-an-Introduction-to-Chaos-Magic-Phil-Hine
As a Pisces, cusp Aries, born on a new moon; I have been tempered by the tensions of shadows and leaned into the learning that leaves greater compassion. Compassion with action (in great need in this world) comes from living the lessons of shadows and tensions, with eyes open and taking to heart.
On this day of June 9th, supposedly the luckiest day of the Year as Venus conjuncts Jupiter, both in Cancer, I managed to oversleep long enough to completely miss the news. Rather I turned on the classical station WQXR broadcasting "Jupiter" from the composer Holst's 'the Planets'. If that isn't at least synchronicity, what is. Good for a laugh! Allow me to share.