The Four Tables & Your Place in Astrology

When one begins to develop an interest in astrology, there are a few fundamental situations that come up to be addressed. The first one is "Wow, there's so much to astrology!" After this initial "sticker shock," as the subject is pursued there is a natural gravitation to one or the other side of astrology. One connects with it either on a more scientific level or on a more intuitive, interpretive level. Of course, astrology is a personal blending of the two, but there is still that initial gravitation. These situations can lead one to wonder how they fit in with astrology as a whole. On September 13th, the Astrological Association of St Louis presented  tables that were separated by specialized topic: "beginner, intermediate, advanced, and special topics. These tables were open to choice by those in attendance and varied according to the momentary topic of conversation.

There's a huge difference between learning astrology through books only and learning through interaction and sharing with peers. AAStL did a fine job of offering opportunities for discussion and clarification at all of the tables. A good time was had by all (I guess; I didn't hear any complaints!), and there was a lot of potential there to fill in gaps of knowledge, or to see if one really wants to study what one thinks one wants to study! One of the undiscussed perks of this was that the imagination and the mind were fed through interaction and discussion with those present, regardless of experience, education, or application level. This, of course spawned many colorful discussions through the afternoon, and, of course, many charts for many different people and things as well!

So why is it important to know how one fits in the overall schema of astrology anyway? Isn't that a borderline "keeping up with the Joneses'" thought? (No offense to any Jones who may be reading!) The fact of the matter is that no matter how familiar one is with astrology, it is subject to and secondary to the enjoyment and wisdom gained from astrology in the first place. However, I have found in my personal experience  that the more I discuss and work with astrology, particularly with other people, the more it assists me in finding any gaps in my own knowledge, and then that motivates me to at least be passingly familiar with it. This is worth noting because it tells us what our strengths are, if for no other reason than that this kind of barometer can educate us as to what type of person we are in general. By seeing what we study within the broad scope of astrology, and why we study it, we gain greater insight into our mind, and thus fulfill the age-old axiom of "know thyself" a little more fully. For example, if there is a natural inclination towards the scientific side of astrology as opposed to the subjective, interpretive side, then studying astronomy may be something that comes naturally as well. After all, astrology and astronomy are kith and kin, and while there has been perceived conflict between these two sciences in the past, the more we move into the Aquarian age, the more this is becoming a thing of the past, and a natural synthesis of the two is occurring, albeit in its infancy.

If there is a natural inclination towards the subjective, interpretive side of astrology, then there are directions that one can explore to provide very deep insight into human nature and the nature of the multiverse as well. Within the interpretive side of astrology there are many different routes that address this interest. This path can lead to differing destinations, such as spiritual astrology, psychological-based astrology, or even to non-physical, extra-planar realms that can be achieved when the Sabian Symbols are studied.

At this  juncture I feel it is worth noting that neither approach is better than the other. Whether one gravitates to the scientific or to the interpretive, there's much one can learn from each, and even more when the two are studied in order to harmonize the learning. While there may be an initial gravitation at the onset of studying astrology, this should by no means be seen as a limitation or definition of what to study in the future. The proof of this is in the fact that the more one learns about astrology across the board, the more the "Art of Synthesis" (thanks, Alan Leo!) can be appreciated.

Astrology was, and is, an art form. While it is revealing when it comes to forecasting, it is also just as profound when it comes to exploring the more spiritual and personal side of life. Astrology is a subject that has a massive body of work about it, but of course, if you were 5,000+ years old, you would have a massive body of knowledge about yourself as well!

With the digital age upon us, it is safe to say that appreciating the art form of astrology is something that can be taken to the next level. The interesting fact that goes along with this, however, is that this budding digital age can assist all of us, regardless of experience or educational level, in learning more at our own pace in our own way. This opens the door for much development in the field of astrology.

There's actually a very accurate and strong comparison that can be made here between astrology and its cousin astronomy. Due to technological advances over the last twenty years, more and more amateur astronomers have assisted leading astronomy organizations in learning more about the cosmos around us by discovering planets, stars, and particular cycles of the stars above us. Astrology stands poised at that same threshhold, with people from all walks of life rediscovering in this life their love of astrology, and thus accurately and passionately contributing their own experience in the astrological arena to the greater whole of the study of astrology.