Some Practice Points: Astrology

If you read The Dewyletter, you know that I do monthly tarot readings at a few places. I actually just added a new spot to the rotation; a monthly salon-themed event that hosts various speakers and then we do readings afterwards. It’s a lot of fun, but if you come to this, be sure to come with your critical thinking skills ready to go. There are a lot of… interesting beliefs in that room (mine included) and you should never be afraid to question arguments that are presented to you. A bit of a tangent from the point I’m going to be making in this post, but an important one.

Pictured: A poster from the last thing!

Anyway, this is yet another entry about my magical practice and escapades as a professional tarot reader. Well, actually it’s about a gap in my knowledge that I used to be embarrassed by but have come around to recognizing it as something that gives my practice its distinctive flavor. That gap is astrology.

I know the basics, and I even developed a spread that plays with the archetypes of each house. I don’t find myself using it very often (I typically reserve it for personal use or if my querent is really into astrology). But if you asked me to tell you what my sun and moon sign are I’d have to tell you I have no idea. And it’s not even like I’ve never looked them up or had friends do my chart; that’s happened multiple times. I just don’t remember because I’ve come to realize I don’t particularly care what they are. This is true for a few reasons, so let’s get into them!

1: Space is Cool

I may not know a ton about the magical lore of constellations and their supposed effects on Earth’s inhabitants, but I do know a lot of stuff about space itself. Unlike astrology (which my brain seems to actively purge), space facts make themselves right at home; those details just cement themselves in whenever I come across them.

But the story of astronomy and space as a scientific venture tells its own tale about humanity. In this one, humans aren't just the passive bystanders, but creatures who have actively taken on what's around them and, while they will never fully conquer it, have made some incredible strides in being able to do so.

Pictured: The Helix Nebula, one of my favorite nebulas.

I say this to distill this practice point: My knowledge of the stars may be unconventional for a tarot reader, but it is the one I feel led to learn and it does have utility.

2: An Exercise in Agency

Agency is one of the things that repeatedly finds its way to the center of my practice. From The Witch's Pyramid to my resignation speech, I often find myself eschewing anything that threatens to take my agency away from me as an individual. I also have a mild fascination with what takes agency away from individuals. In my opinion, one of those things is astrology.

While a basic familiarity is not particularly harmful, the more that you think your destiny is wrapped up in the stars and not you as an individual, the more you are trading away your agency. I feel like it is similar to how prophecies were treated in Greek mythology; if you haven't heard the prophecy, you aren't beholden or tied to it in the same way as someone who has. By purposefully distancing myself from this practice, I hope to distance myself from their effects as well and live a life I can say is truly mine.

I say this to distill this practice point: My future is mine, not the stars'.