Astronomy vs. Astrology

People pretty much agree about the differences between astronomy and astrology. Most of us understand that the former is a physical science, while the latter is a practice that rests upon the assumption that movements and changes in the relative positions of celestial bodies have an influence on humans. In ancient times people did not know what those celestial bodies were—they might as well have been various kinds of lights that played across the sky, propelled by the gods or other mysterious forces. The concept of a star or a planet was beyond them.

In an attempt to explain what impelled these lights to move and change, stories arose that the gods pushed and pulled them across the sky. When monotheism emerged, it was God who was behind the action. Particularly unusual or spectacular celestial events (like the appearance of comets, eclipses, meteor showers) were interpreted as particularly significant messages sent by God. Since most monarchs were touted as having been installed by God, these events were seen to be auspicious messages for the monarchs: such as presaging the birth of an offspring or the outcome of a planned military venture.

Astrologers became famous (or humiliated) by the accuracy (or not) of their prophecies. As the profession of astrology became increasingly complex, the behaviors and destinies of common folk also began to be addressed.

By the 1600s things dramatically changed. Some scholars—people who became the first scientists—began to comprehend the true nature of these celestial objects. They came to be known as stars, comets, planets, etc. Kepler and Newton studied their motions and developed theories as to the cause of those behaviors: gravity. These were shown to be natural phenomena, that obeyed laws that these scientists discovered... natural laws. The breakthrough in understanding came when these scholars were able to use these laws to predict the appearance of comets, eclipses, and meteor showers.

The breakthrough was the knowledge that these phenomena obeyed predictable laws. Humans could never foretell the whims of God, but the fact that they could foretell celestial events showed that God was not using them to sway human behavior. There was no need to impress or frighten people when a predictable (and comprehensible) eclipse occurred. Astronomy was born as a science.

By the 17^th century astrology had become such an entrenched practice, that astronomy would not displace it from the human scene. People are determined to explain unexpected or seemingly predictable events by mystical and supernatural forces. In uncertain times people turn to astrology for explanations of unexpected and disquieting happenings.  We are living in uncertain times. Astrology is currently experiencing a popular surge.

Acting Authentically—Part 2

Thus, for the ancients, astrology spoke about purpose, potential, and self-actualization. It was not—as some people today believe (people who read astrology columns in the media)—about predicting the future, but to be able to describe oneself. In the past it was often a literal form of religion. It was a way to seek certainty—and in today's very uncertain world, it once again offers assurance to some people.

  

Yet many other people today—despite those doubts and dilemmas of our world—regard astrology as not being able to give us the certainty and authenticity we seek. The positions of the planets really have nothing to do with who we are. They are a leftover vestige of our belief that the Earth is at the center of the universe and that the stars and planets which we once believed revolved around us were compelled to send us personal messages that revealed our true selves. In the end, however, astrology can be neither proven nor disproven, because it is a belief—not something that can be tested.

So, if not by astrology, how might we find our authentic self? There are two contrasting ways of seeking authenticity; taking (1) the essentialist path or (2) the existentialist path. Essentialism tells us that we have a destiny to follow; an innate nature that we need to discover—whether that is done through astrology, psychoanalysis, or some other technique. Essentialism tells me that I have a unique and specific character; I have an identity that is essentially me. My job is to discover that true identity and then behave accordingly. I must answer the call of who I am. Otherwise I'm a phony; I'm inauthentic. I'm missing my true calling. So I put effort into discovering that authentic essential self. It's similar to Freud's concept of the unconscious id: I peel the external layers of my masks off, to get at the heart of my true personality, and then answer its call.

The path of existentialism follows a very different route. It suggests that we may instead seek to make our actions congruent with our beliefs and desires—rather than adhere to a core personality. In this manner, existentialism resembles Chinese philosophy, which denies that there is a single authentic self. Rather than seeking to behave as our essential self, our behavior can be attuned to our experiences. We can shape ourselves as we see fit. We can literally create our path as we walk it—and not be limited by a belief in the concept of an immutable, innate self.

Existentialism tells us that we can become all that we can become—without limit. We are not born with an innate nature that we must discover and then adhere to. We have no inner essence to find and then to follow. Rather, we determine our own character and destiny. In fact, any core self we have is not necessarily unique to our essential, singular self, but is universal. All humans share it. Rather than adhere to some notion of our intrinsic self, we have the freedom to choose and become what we want or need to be.

The scary part of existentialism is that we must abandon the path of certainty. We must turn from the essential and certain path of our innate self, wherein we try to follow a prescribed set of behaviors. We instead embark on uncertainty. This route can be filled with anxiety. It can be scary. On this path we are choosing to create ourself as we go along—maybe even shred or shed our old, rigid sense of self. It can be a fearful and very uncomfortable path—but the reward can be discovering an authentic self that has no limit.

Acting Authentically—Part 1

A common goal that most everyone wants to achieve is to act as their authentic self. We all want to be real. We want to behave in the manner of our true self—rather than be confused or inordinately influenced by outside forces; both of which may cause us to commit acts that are foreign to our identity.

Unfortunately, delusion can cause us to have a distorted view of ourselves and thus behave contrary to our nature—which can cause much pain and unhappiness. A deluded person cannot even know what authenticity means.

Thus we all tend to have a strong drive to discover our true self. As the oracle in ancient Greece advised, “Know thyself.” But maybe there's another message here for today's society: “Not only know thyself, but be thyself.” This is sometimes also called authenticity. It can be described as the degree to which one's actions are in harmony with their beliefs and desires—when their true identity comes out. So how do we legitimately exist in a world that applies forces to us that may be alien to our real sense of self or delude us? How do we find that identity?

These questions fit quite well with what many of us have also come to view as the search for certainty. In a culture that batters us about with conflicting messages of how we might come to know ourself, we wonder, what is authenticity? How do we come to arrive at those answers that make us comfortable that we’ve found ourself? We naturally seek answers to these questions—to be able to arrive at some comforting place where we can relax. It’s preferable for many of us… rather than stay on the path of continually searching and facing doubt.

Thus we seek some kind of authenticity, in order to be true to ourself. We ask: How can I know myself? Who am I? Is my identity the same as my self? And what is identity? The dictionary tells me that identity is “a sense of sameness that persists across time and space.” It literally brings the “I” into existence. It can be also seen as the formation of some kind of story about myself, that describes who I am. But is that story fiction or truth?

One way that many people today are responding to this conundrum is to turn to astrology, which is currently enjoying a broad cultural popularity, not seen for a generation or more. A recent article in New Yorker magazine (“Starstruck”) claims that nearly one-third of Americans today believe in astrology. This trend seems to be fueled by a decline in religion, accompanied with a rise in economic precariousness. We in the US live in a time of political uncertainty—if not panic—that causes many people to search for something to believe in… either in themselves or in society.

The core concept of astrology is that a person's authentic nature corresponds to the planetary pattern at their moment of birth, as well as the subsequent changes and alignments of the planets and stars. Astrology has ancient roots, when the actual causes of the movements of heavenly bodies were not understood. It has its origins in ancient Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Islam. Its earliest intent had important messages about when to plant crops, for example, or whether to go to war. It was intermixed with primitive astronomy—for which the ancients became very adept at monitoring and predicting the cycles of the heavens.

More authenticity next time…