Videos hosted by Michael Erlewine

Let's talk some about oracles. I like oracles a lot, but I will restrict myself here to astrology as an oracle. Astrology is essentially cultural astronomy, what on Earth these natural astrophysical events mean. We have an endless list of astronomical events we can calculate into the future, and an endless list of events we can calculate that have already happened, but what do they all mean?

Most (I can't say all) astrologers don't imagine that cosmic events in the heavens cause effects down here on Earth, but rather that astronomical events and earthly events are synchronized and appear together in some kind of cosmic dance. We are all in the same boat. The great events written in the heavens are also writ small and acted out on in exact detail here on Earth as well. In other words, the cosmos flawlessly moves together in celestial harmony. That is the modern astrological view.

It is natural for us to want to better understand what is happening to us in our lives. The newspapers can give us an account as to WHAT is happening, but there is no book or news service that can tell us WHY or what it all means. The movements of the Earth, Sun, Moon, and planets have given us our clocks, how we measure time, like days, months, and years, etc. This cosmic chronometer in the heavens seems as good as any other reference for the timing of events, but, still, what do these events mean? Where does meaning come from?

The movements of the Moon, Sun, and Earth define our sense of time, as mentioned earlier, why not the other bodies in the solar system as well? It is a fact that the pull of all the planets in our solar system causes the center of mass (barycenter) of the solar system, which we would imagine is located at the center of the Sun, to actually move outside the photosphere of the Sun at times. Think about it. That is influence.

I like to say that astrology is an oracle, albeit a complex one. An oracle is simply whatever mechanism allows the cosmos (inner and outer) to speak to us. The western occultists called it being "on your contacts." It is like the old razor and shave analogy. We don't care about what kind of razor it is, as long as it gives us a good shave. So the oracle used could be astrology, tarot, runes, or just tossing some numbers or bones. What serves as an oracle for one person may do nothing for another. Remember, it is whatever puts you on your contacts and connects you that is required.

With the tarot, our contact is with the cards. With astrology, our contact is with the heavenly movements and their patterns. And our human body is the ultimate talisman. What is important is that whatever oracle we use, that it speak to us, puts us in touch with our own inner intuition. That's where we want to be.

In my life, astrologers (and other soft sciences) have struggled to prove to the rest of the world that astrology too is scientific, when it would be much easier IMO to just push the other way, which would be to point out that we all need to develop our inner and intuitive strengths, including scientists. In other words, instead of trying to frame astrology in scientific terms, simply reverse the proof, and make science come to us. How would we do that?

By requiring that science turn inward on itself and start to shed some inner light, you know, light up our inner ignorance with experience and knowledge rather than allow science to demand that we prove and bring the inner out and then be told by science that it is not inner (because it's out). What a clever trick that we are foolish enough to go along with, when we could just as easily ask science itself to go within and shine their light there, if it is so bright. And this is actually finally happening by the increased interest in meditation and the mind itself. Scientists too are starting to look within and the objective and subject duality does not last long in there, does it?

It will be far easier for science to go within then it will ever be for astrologers to find examples on the outside that reflect what is in fact inside. In other words, we each have to just go within and see for ourselves. That's a no-brainer, as they say.

So, for me it is always all about oracles and the oracular. Our own experience and realization is what gives meaning to life. And there is at least some humor left in the world. Harvard psychologist Daniel Brown, who is also a skilled meditator and translator of Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Pali, points of that ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is rampant right now perhaps because there is a lack of attention and mindfulness in modern society. Of course there would be more ADD. That's the kind of humor that really makes me laugh.