Indigenous Astrology

Before Know-It-All Modern Astrologers Have the Last Word, Let's Not Forget Indigenous Astrology

Indigenous Perspectives on Being Human

Excerpt From: STARS of the FIRST PEOPLE

Since astrology encompasses the entirety of human experience, past present, and yet to come, it would seem that a great deal of humility should be in order.

Unfortunately, though, when most modern people think of astrology, they unknowingly think of other modern people's unexamined assumptions, keywords and cliches about astrology. They do not think about the predominant lineage of Western astrology. Astrology came from ancient Greece (an empire), from ancient Rome (another empire), from Great Britain (yet another empire), and now from the U.S.A. (described by some as the new world empire).

In the Eastern world, the astrology of caste-system India predominates. If one is born into the "box" of a caste, it is most appropriate that the the houses in that system are each one of 12 "boxes" (squares or rectangles) inside a large "box" the big square or rectangular box, which is the astrological chart. Seeing our lives as fated by social circumstance, it is a logical assumption that there is a form of astrology that can describe human fate and minimize personal options.

The individual and collective consciousness that one brings to astrology reinforces personal and collective philosophical biases and assumptions. If astrology in general could be likened to a camera, any particular cultural approach to astrology is like a lens. "Accurate" pictures are possible, but what does each lens reveal, and not reveal? In patriarchial cultures, men rule. In various patriarchial forms of astrology, the feminine is limited in number and in range of expression. Similarly, in materialistic cultures, quantative methods are used to measure planetary strengths --- a measure of "how much" or "how little" one possesses.

Imperialistic cultures value supremacy and dominance, the "haves" or more accurately, the "have mores", (a George W. Bush term). Much of the astrology of these cultures implies the supremacy of often frightening planetary archetypes (e.g. Pluto), often disempowering (albeit unintentionally) the client or astrology student. Similarly, many modern astrologers more often seem fascinated with the birth charts of powerful, destructive individuals; like Hitler,Alexander the Great, or some serial killer, rather than a person of power with inspirational vision and humanitarian concern, like Ghandi, FDR, or Julia Butterfly Hill.

When speaking of planetary transits, sadly, the overwhelming majority of astrologers use the verb "hit" to describe planetary transits. It seems this violent term of a celestial object bombarding the hapless earthbound human came into astrology just after modern empires and would-be empires began dropping deadly objects from the sky.

There are, thankfully, alternative approaches to astrology. Some, like the work of Dane Rudhyar, Jungian-oriented astrologers, the orignal approach of Caroline Casey, the innovation of the Sabian Symbols, etc. render a fresh approach from holistic, psychological, imaginative and other modern, but non- dominance-contaminated perspectives. In addition, it is very important to note that before there were empires, there was astrology. Even while there were (and are) empires, quietly here and there were, and are, other astrologies. Unfortunately much of that knowledge and potential wisdom is lost to us moderns, destroyed along with most of their culture and most of the humans who made up that culture. A great deal of that knowledge was never written down, but some of it has survived. (See books mentioned below, for example.) Anyone who might be attempted to trivialize ancient astrology should first seriously think about the great intelligence involved in the creation of extremely scientifically and architecturally significant astronomical/astrological/ritual sites of antiquity such as Chaco Canyon, Stonehenge, etc.

A few sources: IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT ASTRONOMIES, (ed. by E.C. Krupp, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1978.

LIVING THE SKY (The Cosmos of the American Indian), Ray A. Williamson, University of Oklahoma, Norman, 1984.

STARS OF THE FIRST PEOPLE (Native American Star Myths and Constellations) -- Dorcas S. Miller, Pruett, Boulder, CO, 1997.

THE MYSTERY of CHACO CANYON (Unveils the astronomical brilliance of an Ancient Culture in the American SouthWest); narrated by Robert Redford; Produced by Anna Sofaer (The Solstice Project); www.bullfrogfilms.com

INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ON

BEING HUMAN

Modern people, including most modern astrologers, share certain assumptions about what is "human nature," including what is considered perfectly acceptable about being human. For instance, inventors can create hideous destructive devices, such as the cynically named "Daisy Cutter" flesh-mutilating bomb.

Patent offices can approve them, investors can invest in them, political representatives can approve them, and ordinary people can accept them as acceptable human reality. Why? In part, perhaps, because it is assumed by modern people that all humans, especially men, are competitive by nature, and dominance oriented. But is that universally true of all people, even all men, from all places and eras? At least one indigenous answer is "no."

Case in point: British missionairies were dumbfounded when they first tried to teach competive sports to the aboriginal people of Australia. Instead of being content to stop playing when ahead at the end of the game, the aboriginal men insisted on playing until the score was tied! Might those who are possibly the direct descendants of the oldest humans on earth know something about being human, something that we have forgotten (or almost forgotten)? What else might we learn about an alternative approach to being human from other indigenous people? Might some of what passes for sanity amongst moderns really be a sick twistedness? Where is real sanity, real humanity?

What, you might ask, is the astrological relevance here? As I see it, astrological Chiron in any given chart shows where and how a person might remember some part of the lost wisdom of pre-modern perspectives. Besides reading informally, but extensively, about various indigenous people, I have also physically practiced ancient TRANCE POSTURES* from various pre-modern cultures. Based on research into over 2000 accurate birth charts, I have determined how to recognize some of the specific practical and helpful modern messages latent within particular Chiron placements. I feel that our birth charts, our transits, our bodies, our dreams, etc. are trying to help us remember helpful information from our collective past, sorely missing and needed in what I see as our significantly sick and crazy modern era.

* Read more about ancient trance postures and where and how to perform the postures yourselves at: www.robinettekennedy.com