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Astro Reports

The following 8 articles are taken from various "Astro Report" newletters by Penny Roberts

Astrology, Science or Belief?

Pluto's Initiations

Character Is Destiny

Love Is Blind

Pluto Is in Sagittarius

Air and Fire Signs

Chiron

Astrology, Science or Belief?

Mr. Halley: But I don't believe in Astrology.

Sir Isaac Newton: I have studied the subject, Mr. Halley, you have not.

Astrology maintains a unique and lonely position in human thought. It is "believed in" by a lot of people who know practically nothing about it; and it is "disbelieved in" by even more who know absolutely nothing about it.

Of no other science can this be said. Consistent with the disbeliever's arguments will be that there is not one shread of scientific or even logical reason for their not believing.

Yet today, or yesterday, or tomorrow, intelligent people neither believe nor disbelieve something of which they are in total ignorance. When such a subject crosses their minds, they say, "I don't know anything about it, and therefore I can't have an opinion."

To date, I've never heard of anyone who has investigated astrology and who has come away from his investigation dubbing it false.

In the 1960's, two French scientists, the Gauquelins, set out to disprove astrology for once and for all. They ran out hundreds of charts in each of different professions to see if there were correspondences. Their findings ended up proving the validity of astrology, rather than disproving it.

Subsequent challengers to their findings had to also concur with their results. One such reformed critic remarked: "The Gauquelin's research employed impeccable statistical methods."

Have we not outgrown the times when superstitions reigned? Then, let the proof be 'in the pudding,' rather than indulge the superstitions in our minds!

Pluto's Initiations

In the history of many older cultures, there can be found reference to various Pluto-like "initiations" a person goes through in the human experience. Just what age a person is when having these initiations varies, the actual situations around a person in the process varies, but the experiences and how it feels to go thru them and what is learned from them bare a lot of resemblence. I find it fascinating that elders were able to counsel people so effectively as they moved through these inevitable periods of change and initation. I feel sad that these days so little help is given for those entering these periods, that they must "fly blind" without a navigator.

Pluto corresponds with a certain amount of pain or stress, because when Pluto transits come into our lives, the process is first a breaking down of a structure, then the creation of a new one in its place. This is the cycle of death, destruction and renovation that Pluto is known for, correlating with periods of transformation which are extremely marked in a person's life.

Pluto by transit lasts approximately two and a half years. The beginning of the process is generally the breakdown phase, and the latter portion is a kind of rebuilding on the former ruins. Pluto causes total change in areas that can no longer be bandaided, but await the demolition crew. Pluto brings the boil to a head, and everyone in it's path out of denial. These are usually the most difficult times in a person's life.

Pluto teaches that there is a higher power and that one must trust what one cannot control by getting in touch with this higher power. Learning to trust under Pluto comes about because it's the only choice. A person going through this lesson must continually let go, but cannot run away or check out of the process--- must keep exerting effort.

It may be facing the reality of a failing marriage, making peace with any aspect of life that is inevitable and cannot be controlled, or relinquishing an aspect of personality that is harmful. Letting go during such times does not guarantee control, because it's a constant process from every direction, giving new meaning to the phrase, "When it rains, it pours." We have all experienced such periods (approximately 2-1/2 years long).

I have had a special fascination with Pluto periods for years. Pluto is so powerful that when it comes into a person's life to transform something, it's so definitive that there's no doubt astrology works,... there's no doubt that the universe is mystical.

We will all have periods of tremendously rapid change and growth periodically. At such times, we may feel that we cannot control the direction of our lives, we may feel brought to our knees, disarmed. Witnessing these periods and interviewing the person before, during, and afterwards gives incredible validation to the commonality of our human experience. And I repeatedly hear people say afterwards that they wouldn't have it any other way, that they like the end result, that God was doing for them what they could not do for themselves.

Presently, those in the earlier parts of the signs of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, and Sagittarius, are going through Pluto-type initiations involving the Sun. Many are changing vocation and dealing with health issues, amongst other changes. Other people are getting Pluto transformation in areas of the Moon (emotions), Mars (power struggles,/desires), Venus (obsessive love with impossible person), Mercury (obsessive thinking/fixation), Jupiter (trouble with authorities), Saturn (facing survival fears), etc.

The main thing to remember when everything is outside of your control and everything's "hitting the fan," with chaos reigning, is that the period is temporary and will take you to a better life. These periods are like birth with contractions, an ebbing and flowing of intensity which can be measured by an astrologer. The new life at the end of the process is always better, just like the life of a person who has had a much-needed and very successful surgery.

Character Is Destiny

Astrology has long been confused with fortune telling. Perhaps this is because in former generations, there was such marked tendency to do things the way the ancesters did, without questioning. Children were raised the way parents had been raised, and it was considered proper to not only respect but to repeat what had gone before.

When looking at a birth chart, the astrologer sees tendencies and likely results if the client follows these natural, conditioned responses. And being that these response patterns are so deeply engrained, in the past the astrologer's attitude was, "It's hopeless, you're stuck with it, so here's your fortune..."

But nowadays, people are applying more conscious awareness to not only the way they raise children, but also the way they live life. The result is, plain and simple: people are less predictable (and more powerful). Many are awakening more and more to their innate spiritual state as a part from their conditioning patterns. And this affords them more choices and a bigger chance of changing their destinies.

So if astrology does not tell your fortune, of what use is it? Astrology has many different functions which must be understood separately. For instance, it is an invaluable tool for self-discovery. A birth chart can point out tendencies and patterns in us that we only become aware of otherwise through trial and error.

Astrology is effective in showing us ourselves, because its message moves right past our denial and illuminates the pattern or character trait so clearly that we can finally get a true handle on it. This is the same sort of effect one might get through repeated sessions with a good therapist, who can eventually mirror back to the client an objective self image that the client can work with. The effect of clear self-knowledge is that a person can then chose another way of being, another way of acting, and this can make the difference between fate and free will.

When it comes to forecasting, there are, unfortunately, still those astrologers who read a chart by saying such dire things as, "Your third child will die by water." Please be careful if you run into this type of prediction, whether from an astrologer or psychic. There is always hope for changing your destiny; otherwise, of what use is an astrological reading?

Astrology can definitely map out your year accurately, as it is an amazingly accurate science, but the clarity of a forecast is meant to empower you to make the future what you want, not to reduce you to feeling like a marionnette in the hands of fate. If you wonder, what about karma? Know that karma is about teaching, not punishing, therefore it is not a fixed thing. Karma is more severe for the dull-headed or sleeping soul....Astrology seeks to awaken.

Love Is Blind

Never does the astrologer have a more thankless task than when comparing the charts of two starry-eyed lovers. Although some wise persons certainly are wanting to see the truth, so many just want verification of what they feel is true already.

It becomes a hard thing to judge sometimes, because many couples are willing to, and perhaps need to, be in relationships where many lessons are learned, where much work is required. Indeed, many believe that that is what relationships are all about. So where should the astrologer draw the line in their judgment?

Since I cannot avoid some bias on the matter, I choose not to make cut and dry judgments unless it's abundantly clear. But I arm the client with all the possibile difficulties, so that they can take their time and see for themselves. This way they are much more aware of patterns which otherwise would be overlooked easily in the courtship stage.

Pluto Is in Sagittarius

In 1995, Pluto made a shift out of Scorpio and into Sagittarius. Each of these periods of Pluto is over a decade in duration. This shift represents coming out of the Scorpio period of healing the wounds of the past. During this period, there was the bringing to light repressed issues, such as sexual abuse and addiction, as people were seeking to heal the past. Scorpio represents bringing the dark side into the light. It was not only brought to the light, it was confessed all over national television, as talk shows multiplied.

We may note that this period of Pluto in Scorpio did not bring about the nuclear holocaust that many religious zealots had predicted, even in astrology books. Rather than meeting the many dire expecations previously held of the period, Pluto in Scorpio coincided with a society where more people than ever before believe in past lives, and we've amassed a collection of 12-step programs.

Now we are slowly acclimating to the new era represented by its entry into Sagittarius. As focus moves away from the previous period, we look next at possible revision of our educational systems, revision of our legal systems, and since Sagittarius deals with our philosophy, we may see many of our cherished beliefs dropped in lieu of the experiential.

Many expectations now exist in religious circles (Sagittarius) regarding the end of the millenium. Perhaps in a few years, revision of these ideas will occur and cause their own renaissance in religious thought. Perhaps also, we shall discover that the more we "know," the less we see, and attain a glimmer once again of what the Tao calls the "Beginner's Mind."

Chiron

Newly discovered planet, asteroid, or comet? Whatever it is, it's meaning cannot be ignored, as its influence is indeed documentable in practice. It is said that when mankind is ready to integrate the message (energy) of a planet, it synchronizes with its discovery here on earth. Chiron was discovered in 1977, and since that time we've gradually been attuning to its message.

The message is that now we must learn to trust the Inner teacher, or Guide, in a spirit of philosophical independence. We are becoming much too individualized in our spiritual path for any one of us to have all the answers for another. The message is that we must prepare ourselves to listen to the Inner Teacher, whose classroom is no less than our own life experience.

Here's the exciting prospect: Previously we depended on the insight of masters who had experienced such states as nirvana, samadhi, enlightenment, etc., but now these altered states of consciousness are within reach for each of us.

Services

I offer personal, comprehensive phone consultations or consultations on tape, which are in-depth and full of information, starting at $45. I can mail you a hand-drawn copy of your chart and a tape explaining it in full. Also, forecasting using Transits, Progressions, and Solar Returns. Compatibility analysis available, including standard methods of synastry as well as the Composite Chart. Call or e-mail for more information.

Working at a distance is not new to me. I have been making personal taped readings full-time for over 20 years, and mailing them all over the world, with clients stretching as far as Japan and Italy. I use a system which has repeatedly proven to work. Inquire also if interested about astrology and investments. Information about "The Complete Astrology Course" follows these articles. It is clear, easy to understand with instructional tapes and work materials making astrology easy to learn.

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