What has astrology got to do with it

Prague was decidedly going to be my first stop. Without an end date, without an itinerary, and without a plan. I only had a vague idea that I needed to begin my trip there.

Everyone asked me, why Prague? I asked myself the same question. Neither had I acquired any knowledge of this city, nor had I seen any photographs or pictures of the place, my gut feel somehow had me convinced that I would go to check it out for myself. Even holistically I felt assured and determined, the left brain part of me was perplexed and attained no comfort in minimal comprehension.

The desire to regain a sense of freedom and to redefine true life purpose aside, what was really behind this invisible force that had propelled me to leave everything that was familiar behind, and to embark on a journey unknown to somewhere I barely knew halfway across the globe? After exhausting all plausible intellectual analysis and finding no closure, I turned to astrology as my last resort to assemble these puzzles together.

In actual fact, to me, astrology is no foreign territory. It has been a reliable companion in recent years that assisted me with assimilating the various internal and external experiences that I had subjected myself to. Fascinated with human paradoxes, hidden potentials, and vehicles in which we may become more conscious of those untapped faculties, astrology struck a deep resonance in me. It has inspired cognition that was previously not available from science, statistics, or other more ‘traditional’ or conventional forms of teachings.  As a result, I rummaged through any materials that I could get my hands on whether online or in print, specifically with an orientation towards psychological astrology, and self-educated pretty much to the level of an amateur astrologer.

With an insatiable appetite to fully understand myself to begin with, I launched into scrutinising my natal chart (an astrology chart unique to you based on your time of birth and location info) to make sense of those seemingly contradicting natures within my own personality. Inevitably, this initial self-absorption and preoccupation have gradually led to an interest in discovering more about the people around me, both their differences and commonalities. This in turn has offered me invaluable insights and appreciation of the yearnings, dreams, pains and sufferings that we experience collectively. The duality. The light and shade that colour our human existence.

This may surprise somewhat, despite being considered by some to be an occult practise and therefore frowned upon, astrology was highly regarded as a sacred divination tool in many ancient civilisations. In Babylonian culture for example, in service to the welfare of the king and the empire, priests or priestesses often made predictions and consultations based upon celestial phenomenas and planetary movements. During modern times, astrology has also grown and evolved.  It is far reaching and far ranging with numerous astrology traditions being practised: Mundane, Vedic, Chinese, Medical, Psychological, Evolutionary, etc.

In the Bible, there is the verse : “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves”. In the Tarot deck, another divination tool, the Major Arcana (a suit of 22 cards), also features three important cards: The Sun, The Moon and The Star. Pondering on these intercorrelations revalidates the knowing that we are affected and are connected within the Universe as One.

The indigenous people know this. They identify with Mother Nature and all beings whether small or big. They respect the complex yet intricate design of the Universe. And they acknowledge that human survival depend upon all those around them. For decades and decades, we as a collective have worked hard to advance scientifically, technologically, or perhaps even socially, but have we forgotten something else? Have we disassociated and alienated us in the process from all that is around, that is a part of our essence?  Maybe this is another topic for another day.

So, how can a chart drawn based on the planetary alignments on the day you are born tell anything about you? Is astrology really useful?

With the grasp that we all are a part of the bigger picture, then you would not be surprised to find that it works. How can it not reflect back to you the unique signature that you are if you are indeed one with the greater whole? Even though knowledge cannot be substituted for experience, personally I have found astrology to be immensely helpful in understanding the meanings behind experiences. Especially, it shines, if you are focused on developing and growing from the inside out.

Reading the natal chart for a place or a nation is not that different to reading it for a person. After all, it is truly about the energy being manifested at the conception of birth. With that, I’d like to take you back to our original question: why Prague? And I must take a closer examination of the chart of Prague in the hope of illuminating this mysterious enchantment.