Monday, August 24, 2009

Can You Believe It?

Even if you know very little about astrology, it's a good bet you know not to trust the reports in the newspaper.

But what about astrology books?

What about popular or even famous astrologers?

Since taking what's printed about astrology, rather than discovering your own meanings, can be dangerous, I want to compare some readily available meanings with what can be found with the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System.

You won't need any previous experience with astrology to understand what I want you to learn.

Let's try searching for meanings for one of my own birth chart placements, Saturn in Cancer, on Google. I'll give excerpts from the first seven entries:

"Cancer is all loving and compassionate; Saturn is harsh, unforgiving, and judging. There is a schizoid quality to this combination..."

"Inhibitions, hypersensitivity and early emotional instability will have to be overcome, and much effort will be required in order to fully understand your emotional, feeling nature..."

"An emotional wound experienced as a child may cause you to be fearful and rigid in your feelings, or to be frozen at an earlier stage of development or experience."

"In familial Cancer, Saturn comes across as a hard-hearted autocrat or limited older person."

"You fear being hurt, and are extremely sensitive. It takes courage to open up and be vulnerable."

"Saturn, traditionally a toughie, can be insensitive to Cancer's feelings. Emotions are blocked, denied or distorted. Cancer's flow can be dammed up with obstinacy and insensitivity to core issues and needs."

So...

There seems to be a thread of difficulty here, eh? Seems I just can't deal with emotions properly, right? Problems with early home life, etc....

Since I've been an astrologer for over 40 years, I can say with confidence that many folks who didn't have Saturn in Cancer have had a much rougher time than I did with mom/dad issues and come out of it much more emotionally wounded and unable to let feeling flow healthily.

Some astrobuffs might offer the insight that I probably had other planets' placements that eased my Saturn in Cancer.

Well...

Never mind the jargon if your new, but I have the Sun and Moon Squared to Saturn. According to those astrobuffs reasoning, I should have killed myself over emotional problems a long time ago.

Let's try the meanings for this particular placement from the B.I.D.E. System
{You can find these on the Information Site: red link in the right panel}

Here are the options for Saturn:

Defining
Clarifying
Structuring
Organizing


And, those for Cancer:

Emotional Security
Character Development
Active Feelings
Nurturing Abilities


In the B.I.D.E. System, the Planet meaning is followed by the Sign meaning, so I could have 16 different meanings for Saturn in Cancer. But, let's just work with the first choice in each set:

Defining Emotional Security


If you look back to those meanings from Google links, you probably see the resonance between what they're talking about and "Defining Emotional Security"...

The only problem is that, if you trusted what those people said and you were young and had Saturn in Cancer, you'd have your "task" of defining emotional security given a negative twist that it would have to struggle against.

The meanings you find in printed astrological sources have most often come from distorted previous sources and are used by far too many practicing astrologers as the gospel truth.

Certainly, someone born with Saturn in Cancer and having a great need to define emotional security might have more richness in their emotional interactions than another person; but, it can just as well be true that the other person had a much rougher emotional life.

Bottom-line:

The B.I.D.E. Interpretive System was devised to eliminate the problems that most traditional astrological practice has insidiously insinuated into an accepted canon—a book of rules—that is downright dangerous.

In the example I cited from my own chart, the B.I.D.E. meanings give me a chance to find positive and helpful resolutions for my particular emotional journey. Sure, the B.I.D.E. System needs your own input and creativity to reveal its full potential but it's a lot safer than taking for granted what others might say...

For a different perspective on this issue of what to believe about what you read about astrology, see Astrology Predicts Meanings, Not Events on the Information Site...

11 comments:

Bex said...

I think that is a great post and you have done well to illustrate the fact that you shouldn't belive everything you read on astrology on t'internet :)

Since when was Saturn the bad guy? I think Saturn is pretty cool and I enjoyed you post.

If I believed everything I read about Virgo's or Geminis then I would stay well clear of them, well guess what, my boyfriend is a Gemini and one of my best pals is a Virgo.

Thanks for reminding people to beware of trashy astrology that is just reguritated pap!

Alexander M Zoltai said...

Bex!

Thanks, so much, for such an encouraging comment!!

Blogging is a lonely activity and comments like yours make it all worthwhile!!!

Bex said...

I do a bit of blogging myself and so I know what you mean :)

It's nice to read some down to earth astrology, I should be thanking you!

Alexander M Zoltai said...

Bex said, "I should be thanking you!"

Well...

I "have" to write this blog...

You don't "have" to read it; and, especially, you don't "have" to leave comments...

But you do!!

So thanks to You!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm....

Got a bit poetic there ;-)

Bex said...

Well, it's given me a very different perspective of Saturn placements and food for thought.

I have my natal Saturn in Leo conjunct my Asc, some may say that is heavy stuff, but I think not so.

I'm going with structured creativity. If I wanted to be a superstitious type I would go around accusing kind old ladies who talk to their cats of being witches lol.

What are your thoughts on the current Mercury retrograde? How do you think it ties in with the Saturn Uranus opposition?

Alexander M Zoltai said...

Very glad to talk to someone else who likes their Saturn!!

Mercury Retro and the Saturn/Uranus opposition?

Well, first you may want to go back to this post:
http://astrologicalrepairmanual.blogspot.com/2009/07/mending-by-breaking.html

Then, check the dates of Saturn/Uranus opposed:
4 Nov 2008 at 19 Pisces/Virgo
5 Feb 2009 at 21 Pisces/Virgo
15 Sep 2009 at 25 Pisces/Virgo
26 Apr 2010 at 29 Pisces/Virgo
26 Jul 2010 at 1 Libra/Aries

Then, notice that one of Mercury's conjunctions with Saturn, on the 22nd of Sept happens close to the Uranus/Saturn opposition on the 15th of Sept...

Then, realize that the whole Mercury retrograde period happens within the whole Saturn/Uranus opposition: since, from the first occurrence of an aspect till its last, the aspect is "current".

Then, contrast the meanings of Saturn and Uranus and realize that there's an opportunity to gain massive Awareness of how to use them together, as complements of one another:

Uranus
Transforming
Breaking Obsolete Traditions of
Seeking the Truth of
Exploring Fresh Ideas about
Saturn
Defining
Clarifying
Structuring
Organizing

Then, finally, consider how
Mercury
Perceiving
Conceptualizing
Investigating
Increasing Awareness of

works with Saturn from the 17th of Aug till the 7th of Oct, and, especially on the 22nd of Sept...

Of, course, writing out the complete Symbolic Sentences for all of this (with your House meanings) would give the best results.........

Alexander M Zoltai said...

Bex,

Very sorry!

The dates I gave for Mercury were the conjunctions it has with Saturn...

Sorry for any confusion...

Bex said...

Thankyou Alexander and no confusion at all!

This is all very exciting stuff, do you think we could see a collective break from old paradigms? I hope so :)

This is of special interest to me as Uranus is in conjunction with my natal sun in my 8th house.

This is a refreshing perspective on astrology, thanks for answering my questions.

Alexander M Zoltai said...

"do you think we could see a collective break from old paradigms?"

Collective?

Well, since astrology doesn't predict events, it's difficult to say. Each person is dealing with Uranus/Saturn in their own way. If they choose a positive approach, they can break from old paradigms. If they stay negative, things will be ripped from them by their Uranian energy and they will more strongly entrench themsleves behind their Saturnian walls...

You mention your Sun conjunct transit Uranus and I want to give you a "challenge":


Write up your current major transits (using the B.I.D.E. System along with your own more personal interpretations) and I'll definitely consider it as a future blog post...

O.K.?

Bex said...

Ok, I cannot resist your challenge and I shall go away and do my homework and return with my interpretations.

I have a project deadline looming at the end of this week, however, I shall be back :)

Alexander M Zoltai said...

Wonderful, Bex!!!

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