Personal development and destiny

In this article I will take a break from looking at worldly developments and instead take a brief look at the concepts of destiny and personal development as well as give details of my astrology meditations. 

Fate and destiny are very complex subjects and I only intend to explore one small aspect of them at this time. Many times as an astrologer one hears the question, ‘when will my fortunes improve?’ There are two answers to such a question, both of which are valid. Firstly one can look at all the predictive techniques that astrology has to offer, of which there are many, and describe the ebb and flow of easier and more challenging times. This information can be very useful both practically and psychologically but if one is not careful it can also lead to a feeling of disempowerment especially if one believes that fate lies entirely outside of my influence.  

The second answer to such a question is that one’s fate and fortune will change to the extent that the content of one’s inner life changes. This inner life which includes where we direct our will, the totality of our feeling life and the thoughts we cultivate all combine to influence our future. There is the world outside consisting of other people, nature, the earth and the stars and there is also the inner world of our soul and generally we do not notice how that which exists within us goes out and blends with the world out there. We set off a chain of events and then have to face the consequences of our actions, feelings and thoughts at a later date. So the total content of our soul unites with the external world and fate and destiny are created and if that soul content does not grow and develop into something higher nor will our destiny. This perspective begins to return to the human being a sense of empowerment. He may be somewhat at the mercy of the fates but the individual can realise that he played a role in the creation of that fate and now in the present moment he is shaping his future destiny. 

These changes in the inner life do not lead to changes in the outer life immediately. There is always a lag phase which can be just a few days to many years or even lifetimes. A degree of patience is therefore needed and a confidence that if I am able to positively transform my thoughts, feelings and actions then it is impossible for those changes not to impact my external life as time goes on.  

It is possible to see the seven traditional planets, Moon to Saturn, as describing all the facets of our inner life and character. The seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues attest to the fact that the soul quality associated with each planet can be expressed positively or negatively or rather there is a scale of expression where the sins and the virtues describe the extreme on either end of that scale. Depending on our birth chart we all will have some planets positioned in such a way that it is relatively easy and enjoyable to express its best virtues while other planets can be weaker or in more challenging configurations. If we were to cultivate the planetary nature we are already proficient in with the intention to really excel in it, that will further our goals well, but it is important not to ignore the more difficult planets entirely as that would leave us lopsided.  

One example is of a person who has a well-placed Venus in their birth chart and through many hours practicing singing with their guitar strengthens their Venus nature even more. They then perform some concerts and record an album and all of a sudden they are thrust into the limelight with millions of fans. If this person has an undeveloped Sun they may have a poor sense of self which can swing from low self-worth to highly egotistical depending on the praise or criticism they receive from outside. If the Moon is weak then they may not look after their physical and emotional needs very well, either developing an eating disorder or turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with the pressures of fame and the demands of a life on the road. So you can see that while it is good to emphasise our strengths and talents it is also necessary to achieve a minimum competence with all seven capacities related to the planets.  

There is a basic principle which states that what we attend to gets stronger, like a muscle getting stronger when we do physical exercise. However, it is the depth and manner of that attention that will determine how that muscle grows. For example if I work hard to overcome setbacks in my life and courageously pursue something close to my heart I will be strengthening my Mars nature. However, I will also develop my Mars capacities if I continually get in to fights and become increasingly talented in putting people in hospital. In both scenarios one could say that the individual is engaging in personal development of the Mars force but the second individual is not only acting immorally but is also setting into motion destructive forces of fate that he will have to face in the future.  

In these difficult times we are living through it is important that we do not get caught in despair either for own lives or for the fate of the world in general. By working to raise ourselves up we not only change our fate but, in a small way, we also affect the fate of humanity as well.  

This brings me to the astrology mediations I mentioned in the last newsletter. These meditations or planetary exercises are not necessarily suitable to everyone as we all have different temperaments and needs and so we have to find our way to something that works for us. The meditations involve working with a single planet each week in a way that helps us to understand how that particular force is operating in our soul and physical body as well as developing its higher nature in us. As most people live busy lives I am keeping it to 20-25mins long and while it can be helpful, it is not imperative that you attend each week. In terms of payment, it can easily get complicated to chase up payments if people are attending some weeks and not others so I have decided to offer them on a donation basis only with a recommendation of around £3 to £5 a week. If you are interested send me an email and I will email you with the zoom link nearer the time.

 

Date: Tuesday 15 February

Time: 7.30pm

Duration: 20-25mins

Frequency: weekly

Cost: Donation

Attendance: Zoom (the link will be emailed to you on request)

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