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	The Planets as Inner Selves Reading the Code of Life in the Cosmos by Rebecca Brents Real Astrology by a Real Astrologer
Astrology, Tarot, and Self Improvement for the New Age.

The Planets as Inner Selves
Reading the Code of Life in the Cosmos
by Rebecca Brents

When people ask why I believe in astrology, I answer, "Because astrology works." Long ago I proved to myself that I could look at a person's horoscope and know without question very explicit and observable things about his or her character. And because I also knew the current planetary positions and other information astrology uses to forecast trends and events in life, I could further know and explain quite clearly the themes and issues that were unfolding, needing attention, and being experienced in the life of the person whose chart I was reading.

I believe in astrology because it works. And that's really the only test that counts ... whether astrology gives truthful, practical, verifiable information people can rely on and use to advantage in conducting their lives, whether that information can help them know and understand themselves better, and whether it can describe and offer meaning for the experiences that happen to them. Astrology can. I've proved it too many times to have any doubts.

Having satisfied that issue (at least in my own mind -- you, of course, still get to decide), I think the better question is: Why does astrology work? It took me longer to come up with an acceptable answer for that one ... mumbledy-odd years ago. But I have one now that fits well with the philosophy of life I have devised through the accumulated wisdom and adventures of my years -- which, again for all of us, is the place where the best learning occurs.

Astrology "works" because there is unity in the universe. By saying there is "unity in the universe" I mean that everything operates in cycles, in accordance with a fundamental, underlying harmony, a natural order that is both inevitable -- and predictable. There is an orderly progression in the evolutionary blossoming of all energy, all projects and developments that require attention, effort, work, structure, energy, vision, and time to mature.

In physical and practical reality, certain steps or stages have to occur before you can go on to accomplish the steps and stages that happen later. You have to plant seeds before they can sprout. Planets must sprout before them can bloom, bloom before they produce fruit, produce fruit before you can harvest the results. And from the harvest come seeds to begin the cycle again. No step can occur out of turn.

And because there is unity in the universe, metaphors exist all around that reflect where in the evolutionary process life is at any given time. Astrology is a way of decoding the various steps and stages of these unfolding progressions of energy and applying them to the individual expressions of life -- people; events; everything that exists and has a history, a beginning, a development and an end -- so that they can be described in words and understood intellectually.

Astrology uses the positions of the eight known planets, not including the earth, plus the positions of the Sun and the Moon to describe the cycles of experience, the stages of evolving energy, that were operating, that had come up for attention when you were born. Your horoscope is a snapshot of the sky, taken at the moment you were born, that describes the energies your soul is working to develop and experience along with the talents and challenges you will process in this life.

Conventional ignorance jeers that astrology casts people as victims of fate based on the accidental timing of their birth, which is not true at all. You are not who you were because of when you were born, you were born when you were because you are who you are. And far from leaving you trapped in some rigid destiny, astrology helps describe how you as an expression of divine life and spirit are evolving.

By knowing what's being asked of you by certain combinations and placements of cosmic energy in your horoscope -- the metaphorical picture of your soul -- you can use your free will and individual choices to be who you really are, which I believe is a very precious kind of knowledge and liberty. To know yourself and be yourself are the most basic freedoms of all.

As I said, astrology uses the positions of the eight planets, plus the Sun and the Moon -- in conjunction with the twelve signs of the Zodiac -- in further combination with the twelve houses of the horoscope, the twelve divisions of the circle astrologers refer to as a "chart" -- to describe the complexity of a personality or an event.

For those of you who may be interested in learning to read your chart for yourself, I have included lots of explanatory material here on the site at Enchanted Spirit to help and encourage this. I also offer classes and e-books to help you go farther in the field.

As the person living the life reflected in the symbols of your Natal Chart, you can draw your own perfectly valid conclusions about how you are working with -- and experiencing -- certain raw materials of talents, gifts and abilities, as well as frustrations, challenges and other problems.

You, as a creation of Spirit, were fashioned rather like a very unique piece of equipment or art -- designed to work in a certain way. Astrology can describe for you that design, ... that way. My interpretations are my readings of how various positions and combinations are likely to express themselves in real life -- but you are in a far better position to know and judge how you are using these energies and how satisfied you are with your strategies.

In other words, I can tell you how your personality is designed to operate -- but whether you are using your gifts to best advantage -- or even harmoniously -- is entirely up to you. It is possible to distort and abuse anything -- including your own energy. Many, many people do.

So ...

• The planets represent components of your personality, each designed to help you experience and handle certain expressions of your individual nature, as I will presently explain in much greater detail.

• The signs depict characteristics -- tactical and strategic response packages -- which each planet, each personality component, possesses to help it do its proper job.

• The houses of the horoscope represent the areas of life which all of us must manage in our fashion -- using one, or more, of these tactical and strategic response packages, depicted by the signs found there.

Regarding the astrological planets, as I said, there are ten of them -- although technically the Sun is a star and the Moon is a satellite of Earth -- and each has metaphorical significance to an astrologer. In the approach I take to reading a chart, I treat each of these different expressions of energy as if they are actually different personalities / sub-personalities inside you, your inner family, so to speak.

These different personalities have their own needs, their own agendas, their own ways of expressing themselves, their own methods of operating, their own emotional focus, their own strengths and weaknesses. They have times when they are comfortable and efficient and productive, and times when they are frustrated and unhappy and even destructive.

These various moods and tones and comfort levels then describe how you yourself are feeling, and how things are going in the areas of life these energy combinations are empowered to handle.

These energies can work together and support each other -- in which case, things are going just fine and moving right along. Life is falling into place and you couldn't be more pleased. At other times, they can work at cross-purposes -- which results in a feeling that you are in conflict with yourself, at odds with the world around you, unhappy, discouraged, thwarted in accomplishing your desires and goals, angry, mistreated, unloved, confused, and even helpless.

In a way, think of them as family members. When relationships among them are congenial, you enjoy the benefits; you feel good, strong, successful, capable and satisfied. When relationships between them are tense, discordant and strained, you may have to step in and try to arrange some compromise, to work with the different needs and desires to try to establish at least a truce in which all parties may not get everything they want, but they get enough satisfaction out of life and its available circumstances not to declare all out war on each other.

It's your job, as the person that lives in the skin with these folks, to work things out to the best of your ability, keep everyone as happy and productive as possible even during the times of strain and tension so that you can constructively resolve the problem areas and reach the best peace available, to come to a time when perhaps they are able to work well together again, or when the cycles of experience they are represent are more supportive and congenial at last.

It's possible certain areas of your life, certain issues and concerns, will never be as supportive and agreeable as you would like, but by knowing what each inner self wants and what it's trying to do for you (or with you), you get a few clues about how to smooth out some rough spots ... maybe. As always, that's up to you.

Indeed, some energies that exist in your self -- in your chart -- may be so fundamentally incompatible and chronically at odds with each other that negotiation, compromise and peace-keeping activities will be constant, life-long requirements for you. But, also bear in mind, that the planets in their positions aren't doing anything to you to make your life go well or badly.

They symbolize energies that are very impersonal, but very orderly. They simply describe what part of these necessary energy cycles are up for attention in your life -- both natally, (or all the time), or temporarily, in ways that will eventually change and go on to another expression, perhaps many other expressions, in this lifetime.

As with anything else in a contentious relationship, energies in discord can sometimes be quite insistent about their requirements -- and extremely uncomfortable, but they are the components of your life, and therefore represent both the pleasures and the complications of being human.

Rebecca Brents writes on a wide variety of spiritual and new age subjects, including astrology, tarot, feng shui, alternative health, metaphysics, and self-improvement. She publishes an extensive array of information on her website, Enchanted Spirit, and offers numerous new age online lectures and new age classes in these various fields.

She publishes detailed accurate astrology predictions, readings and forecasts in Ezines for Premium Members. She also provides astrology readings, tarot readings, and personal consultations through The Enchanted Spirit Metaphysical Source Shop. Stop by and subscribe to her free new age ezine, New Age-New Horizons. See her books and classes at Catweasel Ink Publishing.

I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.
~ Ralph Nader ~
Born February 27, 1934

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Enchanted Spirit is a non-denominational spiritual center of healing, support, self-improvement, personal guidance, education and writing. We publish multi-media works of New Age thought and information to encourage serenity and growth in individual life choices, advance the universal search for life's meaning, and promote tolerance for positive ideas from all philosophies and religious traditions, believing as we do that truth is where you find it.

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Last updated November 5th, 2006

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