I Read Somewhere That…
By Tom Jacobs
I’ve all but desisted participation in online astrology forums, something I used to do quite a bit. This is for various reasons, but a huge one is that reading the title as many times as I did told me that it was time to go where my perspective could make a noticeable difference.
I practice and teach an alive sort of astrology, one that understands that a natal chart is a map of a person’s life. That (each and every) person is alive and full of desires and always has free will, and treating the map of her life as containing a bunch of facts that you can find listed in the old-time predictive regurgitate practically filling the pages of the internet is misguided, erroneous and silly.
Now, maybe I’m just having a bad day. But wait – that’s not it, I’ve had a great day so far. I went to the local farmer’s market, took a walk, played with my cat…though I did notice practically to the second when Mars entered Taurus a few minutes ago…
But back to my point: Do you believe everything you read? Do you believe that because you read something on a website that it’s true? Do you know that someone who has no idea about the heart of astrology can put up a site and fill it with pop garbage distilled from other pop garbage sites, garbage that reinforces the stereotypes too many astrology students already believe? Do you think that if you read the same thing on four different web sites that it must be true?
An astrologer named Jeff Green teaches that 70% of the population anywhere at any given time is in a consensus state. These are the folks who do and believe what they’re told, and don’t want the status quo to change. That low, huh?
No, wait a minute –it’s true: I’m having a bad day. (DUDE!: MARS just went into TAURUS.) But that doesn’t change the fact that the real test of any piece of information about astrology is how someone lives it, how it shows up in someone’s life.
The next time a student of mine begins a question with, “I read somewhere that,” I’m going to congratulate him for finding someone else to do his thinking. Read this last sentence in all-caps: If you want to learn astrology, get away from your computer and go work with actual people.
Note: Tom is a caring, compassionate astrologer and teacher, regardless of his tone here. He’s just having a bad day – Mars entered Taurus today, you know.
One Response to “I Read Somewhere That…”
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June 24, 2007 By Tom Jacobs
June 26th, 2007 at 9:29 am
ha - good post. Can you comment on the current Mercury Retrograde? I am noticing a change in alot of the people I interact with and would love to understand the effects.