I have been trying out Threads, where the algorithm has been feeding me all the astrology/spiritual posts, and it’s pretty appalling. Leaving aside the posts made by people who have learned only from modern post 1960s sources (if using any other sources than the internet at all), which are overly optimistic and formulated in a way which engages a fast emotional response, there’s a bigger underlying ideology which goes way beyond astrology, and that’s hyper-individualism.

Actually one of my first blog posts was on Narcissism (you can find it here, though I originally wrote it in 2019), and while this has a different flavour, it comes from a similar spice.

(I’m by no means an anthropologist or sociologist, so I will stick to my field and adjacent areas of interest.) 

The idea that the individual always knows what is best for itself is far from the truth. Personally I use the phrase “You should ultimately do what feels right” after offering advice, and I think that is misunderstood as encouraging people to be themselves at the expense of everything else. And the truth is, I am not.

The framework of astrology relies deeply on Fate. Whether we like it or not, we are spun in its web, and whether we like it or not, there are some events which must happen. Some of these will hurt, and some of these will feel amazing. If we consider karma as the one Law which we’re bound to, there is no escaping those things which are meant for us. That doesn’t exempt us from choice, but there are things which cannot be avoided. And that is why I encourage people to follow their intuition, after I offer advice.

Our charts are tangled and knotted in some parts in such ways that they always pull is into making decisions which are detrimental to our well-being. Ever seen someone who has the same toxic pattern in one area of their life? Maybe it’s choosing the wrong partners, maybe it’s making the wrong financial decisions, maybe it’s refusing to work out. Whatever the specifics, there’s always an obvious signature there, most likely one that misses Jupiter. Without a strong Jupiter, we cannot improve things and bring them into coherence with the rest of ourselves and our world.
A big part of life is about solving issues, especially our own, so constantly pretending we are perfect just the way we are and we should strive to be true to that core is a concept which does not apply, and is even harmful to many individuals.

In an astrological context, pretending that only the good parts of a planet/sign/placement exist, sets us up not only for failure, but for acting out in ways which can be detrimental to ourselves and our relationships. The first step in fixing anything is awareness. Awareness that the problem exists and bringing it up consciously.

A healthy self-image is the ability to see yourself as a flawed individual and still hold yourself in high regard. It does not mean thinking you are devoid of flaws, it does not mean thinking you are good at everything. It is the balanced middle-ground which admits you have your good sides and your bad sides.

Hyper-individualism encourages us to be ourselves at any cost, and while it’s true that we should strive to be autonomous individuals, it is important to first understand where our urges and compulsions come from. Are the things that we want to do really things which make us happy and fullfilled, or are they knee-jerk reactions that come as responses to past traumas? Trauma is its own vast and complex subject, but suffice to say it colours a lot more of our behaviour than we realize. By shining an introspective light on ourselves, preferably with the help of a professional, we can be guided to solving a lot of these behavioural quirks. And here I speak not only in a theoretical, I read it in a book manner, but from actual experience. A lot of my behaviour and choices were deeply changed after dealing with and releasing past traumas.

Similarly, astrology can be used as an awareness tool, showing us which are our strengths and weaknesses, and where we need to put in more work. It is about acceptance, but not only acceptance of the good. Acceptance of the good and the bad as a mixed cup.