Good morning. I’ve got today’s audio for you, prepared over the weekend. It’s a wrap-up of Mercury stationing direct today, which leads into a rant on astrological ethics — that is, the ethical use of our craft. I’ll present that without comment, and get back to work on your annual readings. Here is your recording. Thank you for tuning in.
3 thoughts on “Wednesday Audio: Mercury, and a rant on ethics”
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Hey cmassy. I just wanted to add something here. This problem is not unique to Astrology. Eric is connoting it to the field but the issue is one of what constitutes a responsible ethics of ‘influence communication’.
The core problem is that we need to be clear on what might be considered axiomatic in such matters. Many things will always, of course, remain unclear in point of fact.
Personally, I feel the conundrum is the pragmatic question of the relationship of universality to particularity – that is philosophically stimulating but also crucial in practice.
Speaking of axioms. I think we need to find workable middle axioms that may help us to mediate the connection intelligibly between universals and particulars – one of the best categories for this is, in my opinion, that of narrative.
Narrative may be influenced on both the macro and micro levels. In a way, this is similar to the observation that each of us, in our own life, is both author and protagonist of the narrative – if we are only able to embrace that fully.
The true skill, it seems to me, is found in managing the interface, identifying the personal resources, constructing the working hybrid etc, a synthesis of influences that may not be simply reduced to a single strand of causality wiring.
Too universal and we are meaningless. We can extract nothing of useful value.
Too particular and we lose flexibility, latitude and plurality. We become obsessed with conditions and take the eyes off our own agency.
The two ancient philosophers Parmenides and Heraclitus are in view in the roots here. We live in a Parmenides-dominated culture in the West and this exacerbates our drive for certainty and constancy and fixity. Once we let the Heraclitean cat out the bag (Heraclitus was the guy who said you can’t step into the same river twice) then we can restore balance, find a middle way and hope to be able to develop the personal technology to find our own mastery in the harmonization process of little ole me in the big ole Universe – itself, at once, a particular and universal process.
Some questions will never be answered – bye bye, the god called Science.. Heraclitus calls time!
So, in summation, narrative is key on the question of identity and without question we need access to, and appropriation of, the props required to make the narrative proceed in the direction of our imagination.
In the imagination is a seed of freedom, but not the whole tree..
Eric –
As someone who has sought several astrologers for the past 10+ years, I agree with you completely that astrology works best on a theraputic level as opposed to a purely predictive level although it’s the predictive aspect that always gets the attention. I’d like to bring up another point that you touch on.
Can I say that I’ve sought the advice of an astrologer (name omitted) who always gives a sort of Polyanna-ish form of analysis. This person doesn’t even “predict” things, they simply gives the cosmic forecast in the most positive, generous, happy way possible. And I find it annoying and sort of insulting. For one thing, I don’t think they’re listening to me; they’re listening to themself. I also think this person really lacks empathy. On the one hand, I certainly don’t expect any astrologer to look at my chart and start screaming in horror.
On the other hand, if things are not looking good, I expect the astrologer to tell me so and explain why things have the potential to go awry and what can be done within limits. I said “have the potential” not “will.” When I get a very positive, “always look on the bright side of life” type of reading and I genuinely don’t see it that way, I feel as if I’m doing something wrong. Why can’t I see how beneficial it is that I’ve been unemployed for 2 years, have no savings left and have to live day to day? What is my problem? Now, I totally understand that people usually tend to attract that which they feel or relate to. Negativity just keeps you spinning your wheels in a ditch of bad situations that you bring onto yourself. By the same token, we’re only human and I think people have to accept bad and good at the same time and the astrologer should create a bridge to something at least neutral. If we go through a really rough patch for an extended period of time (as Pluto/Uranus transits or a series of squares and oppositions have a way of producing) then I think the astrologer should accept the fact that the client may not be able to see the potential benefits that might come about and honor that.
Sorry for the rant; it’s been on my mind a long time…
One of the things that I am most happy with PW is that we go much deeper than responding to superficial fear or superficiality altogether, and instead focus on deep – dare I say it because its overused but still appropos: self-empowerment and self-awareness.
I count us as among the lucky who tune in and flow around the dense matter of our times. Let’s go even deeper. The times seem to call for it.