It can be challenging to embrace the opposite viewpoint on an issue, but there are opportunities in the process.
Not long ago I attended a Houston Museum of Fine Arts exhibit of Georgia O’Keeffe‘s photography. I recall learning how meticulously O’Keefe would explore the different perspectives of one scene in her photographs to see how each change in her approach communicated the subject. I was reminded of this because for the past two years I had stepped back from the anthroposophical perspective to go more deeply into classical western astrology. I felt this was a necessary step to become more fluent in Astrology and to feel a more confident base of knowledge.
But this week I attempted to stretch myself in changing perspectives by attending a week-long study in Boulder of sidereal astrology led by Brian Gray, Robert Sciappecase, and David Tressemer. After several years of working with western I began to miss the heart-connection and spirit-based meaning and interpretation that came from anthroposophically-aligned approaches. This has been a return to my Waldorf roots but now applied to astrology.
Their approach translates the four fold, anthroposophical view of the human being into astrological terms on a birth chart. It has been fascinating, like turning from an east facing window to a west facing window and embracing the same landscape but through a different lens.
I have some new ideas to play with. Probably the most significant has been to more deeply investigate the NADIR of the chart. Understanding this often ignored angle of the chart, the earth point, puts us in better relationship to the ground of our being. Planets and signs located at the fourth house support our sense of security, our base from which we can venture on out into the world and accomplish our mission.
As an aside, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the materials and the attention to detail and thoroughness of the course as it is designed. A few participants have struggled with the more basic vocabulary which had I not already studied a fair amount through Western Astrology would likely have also caused me struggle. In that regard I feel I have been able to help a few classmates by sharing my understanding and I have been grateful for the solid foundation my studies in Western Astrology provided me.
But perhaps the most wonderful part has been the human touches: ample opportunity for movement, opportunity for breaks, ample opportunity for artistic rendition, and discussion which aid in the digestion of the material. The attention to these things facilitates the learning immensely and create a caring and supportive environment.
Eagle Eye Astrology 