What good is astrology?

Astrology, like finance,entertainment,food and religion is a field that is full of bad information, hucksters, phonies and snake-oil salesmen. It's easy for skeptics to point out that Astrology and other forms of divination are practiced and followed by the delusional yet they forget that science too is full of these types of people. It is the human condition that makes it so -not the field, art of expterise in itself. 

With the advent of "newspaper horoscopes" aka "sun sign astrology" this art has been diluted, dumbed down and overly-simplified. Much of the information available and the information passed around casually at cocktail parties is half-truths.  This misinformation and ghettoization of the art of Astrology leads people to the assumption that it is a form of 'fortune telling' where someone receives a fortune-cookie telling of one's fate and character. It is one-dimensional, without much beneficial use and does nothing to empower ourselves so that we may make better, more informed decisions about our lives, what we are doing and who we are doing it with. Other times it will give us false expectations of specific events which disregards our own creative ability to build our own world based on our own actions and beliefs.

Much as been said about the good of astrology so without re-inventing the wheel I offer you some insights... 

"Astrology can be used to help you in many ways. It can reveal damaging behavioral patterns or forewarn you of upcoming challenges. It can help you pinpoint latent talents you may possess and provide you with specific hints on how to best develop them. Astrology can also point out expansive, rewarding trends that are coming up and assist you in figuring out how to take advantage of them before they fade. Finally, astrology is an excellent means to determine the perfect timing for certain actions." - cafe astrology: What can astrology do?


"I believe that astrology can, with impressive precision, predict the great questions that you will face in your life. It can accurately predict the timing of their emergence. It can, in wise hands, suggest good answers to those questions. It can warn you of limiting or destructive answers, and of tempting but ill-fated ones. But it can never, ever, accurately predict the answers you will give to those questions. That is in the domain of your freedom, your creativity, and your imagination. Your consciousness interacts unpredictably with the vast range of possibilities inherent in every archetypal field. A good astrologer is not so much a prophet as a coach. An astrological reading should leave you empowered, informed and encouraged, not just "described." -Steven Forrest


I find that author Mark Twain best summarized the subtle mysteries of this art when he said

"History does not repeat but it does rhyme"

When we know the rhyming scheme of a poem we can insert our own verses when it is time instead of letting fate, habit, predisposition or the will of others speak the verse for us. And while astrology is multivalient and sometimes multiple events or "verses" will occur with a particular astrological transit or natal configuration we still have the opportunity to add our own creativity into the mix.

 It's the difference between performing a dance to a song we are familiar with  to suddenly flailing about as soon as the maestro starts conducting the symphony. Often the benefits are subtle and provide and "edge" but it is that edge that can make the difference between being winning and losing.