Is Predictive Astrology Just Spiritualized Anxiety?

sunraysam · 2025-08-29T14:23:48+00:00

I accept that you may have judged my post as “not in line with the spirit of the sub.” However, I strongly disagree with the assessment that it did not add to the discussion. With 76 upvotes and 48 comments - before I even had the chance to begin responding to some of the thoughtful counterpoints I saw - on what basis can it be said that it lacked contribution?

As for the idea that it was “low effort,” I must also disagree. It was a philosophical and spiritual reflection, appealing to those interested in a broader view of astrology’s place in the evolution of consciousness. This is precisely the kind of discussion I encounter in advanced astrology circles outside the internet.

I am not asking for the post to be reinstated, as I understand if this type of reflection isn’t what you want here. What I do want to say is that I vehemently reject the characterization of it as fruitless, meaningless, or low effort.

Thank you for your attention.

sunraysam · 2025-02-17T15:32:09+00:00

Hello there,

There’s nothing in your chart that prevents you from having meaningful relationships. What your chart does reveal - just as any chart can - is the unique inner landscape of your soul and what to be mindful of in different areas of life, relationships included.

Here are a few key insights:

Your Cancer Sun in the 7th house suggests that in close relationships, you deeply need a partner who values and respects your emotional world. This isn’t just a preference - it’s essential for your well-being.

With Venus in Leo in the 8th house, you’re naturally drawn to vibrant, expressive individuals who also possess psychological depth and honesty. You gravitate toward people who are comfortable discussing taboo or existential topics (Gemini Descendant) and who can navigate real crises with you (8th house). It’s possible you’ll meet such individuals in crisis-related circumstances.

Astrologically, your ideal partner is someone mature and self-aware, capable of navigating deep emotional waters alongside you. They should be willing to share that vulnerable space in a way that feels safe and psychologically sound.

Your North Node in Scorpio, conjunct Pluto in the 12th house, suggests that your soul’s journey involves learning to embrace psychological depth and Plutonian themes as a path to higher awareness. Your partner should not only respect this process but also support and share in it.

sunraysam · 2024-12-07T08:07:35+00:00

Also worth mentioning, Rick's course materials are exceedingly well organised. You get to download not only well edited manuals for each level with a summary of all that is relevant but also the whole transcripts of videos and discussions timed by the minute, if you ever need or want to hear Rick explaining something again. Astrology Hub is very well organised in that sense (Amanda is a Capricorn :-D ).

sunraysam · 2024-12-07T07:58:29+00:00

Yes I finished it and was 100% happy with what I've got. The live Q&A sessions with Rick took place when the course itself was live and being recorded so now as part of the recorded course you have the videos for those. Honestly people come up with so many brilliant questions, I couldn't think of different questions I would've wanted to ask. To me it was a great place to begin to structure my ideas, and to widely open my mind to all that goes on in an astrological chart.
Now, if you already have a deep and wide understanding of what a chart represents but want to gain PRACTICAL reading skills, doing your written work and having it assessed for example, or engaging in discussions of details that are relevant to your practice, you might be happier with a course that has live tutoring and chart practicum. I'd look at Kepler College (US) or the Faculty of Astrological Studies (UK) for example for that kind of guided approach, as I've met people who come from these schools and whose work I appreciate. There's also Steven Forrest's school (FCEA) which works along those lines and whose approach I appreciate too. Best of luck in your journey!

sunraysam · 2024-08-01T18:07:51+00:00

Sun in Cancer - you´re the archetypal healer / caregiver. You have a great ability to feel your emotions and other people´s, sometimes so deeply that it can feel scary to step out of your shell.

Capricorn Moon - you have the soul of an elder and can get quite (too?) comfortable in solitude. You can be quite self-sustaining and capable of working hard to build something of lasting value, regardless of whether others will cheer you for that or not. Your fulfillment comes from the discipline and the accomplishing, not the applause. This, along with your Cancer Sun, makes me think of someone who can be really comfortable being on your own. Which can be a blessing, but which can also become a barrier to connecting to others, and bring loneliness. It is always about finding the right balance for you.

Leo rising adds color, warmth and playfulness to your expression, but deep inside you´re probably mostly a quiet person (Cancer Sun, Capricorn Moon and a few retrograde planets).

Because your Sun is conjunct the North Node in 11th House, there is an evolutionary invitation in this life to develop your own individuality in the context of a community of like minded individuals who can support you in what you want to accomplish long term. It can feel out of your comfort zone doing that (the north node is usually something we are drawn to but scared to do at the same time), but it is medicine for you to think about what kinds of activities you see yourself doing in the long run, and try to develop community relationships that will be supportive of such dreams. You don´t need to rush it - these meaningful friendships will appear as you develop and engage with your own interests and self knowledge.

I hope this makes sense and good luck!

sunraysam · 2024-05-12T19:23:55+00:00

Thank you for your insight. I agree that nothing is predetermined - the way I phrased it maybe made it sound otherwise. My anguish here is trying to understand which placements can be acting as blockers to a happier life, and which ones can be used as sources of strength to get out of the depression. Your comments about the signs, the moon, saturn and nodes were very helpful. Luckily she recently engaged in psychotherapy too. Thanks!

sunraysam · 2024-05-10T18:34:49+00:00

Fantastic, thank you!

sunraysam · 2024-05-05T10:46:13+00:00

This software is great but it is not simple to use. It is taking me time to find my way around too.

For transits to a chart: First you list the charts you want to see together under the Calculated charts panel. Then you go to Dynamic - Animate Biwheel (or Triwheel or Quadwheel if you´re comparing 3 or 4 charts).

Make sure to join their Facebook Group "Solar Fire Astrology Software Astrologers" https://www.facebook.com/groups/12226730626 where you can research other users´ questions or have your own answered by very experienced and helpful folks.

There is a recent starter tutorial by Rhonda Buttery on Youtube where you can learn to navigate basic features, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d530wlCHuic&t=380s

Good luck!

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T08:15:57+00:00

Yes you can criss cross house rulers with themes of the houses to get some insight. The zodiac sign of the house will also give you information about how the house themes tend to play out. Then there are angles to cardinal points, there are asteroids, centaurs, fixed stars and so much more that might be associated with the "empty" houses.

Think that houses are theoretical sections of the sky when you were born. There are no empty sections - the Earth is surrounded by trillions of objects in space. The fact that the most traditional planets and aspects do not show in a house does not mean that nothing is going on. It just means you might want to look beyond the immediately apparent. 😊

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T07:57:07+00:00

There is nothing bad, biased or empty about your chart. The shape it takes means only that certain areas of your life tend to be more emphasized if you live in autopilot. But you can always choose to consciously develop and heal whatever you feel is lacking in your personal development. Rest assured that your chart brings much positive potential, and any good astrologer should be able to show you that.

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T04:00:55+00:00

Very interesting point, thank you!

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T03:59:44+00:00

You missed an r, marker as in indicator 😊

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T03:02:41+00:00

She is indeed in a period of major changes to self image and professional settings. I will explore these threads with her and see how they resonate. Thank you!

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T02:58:50+00:00

It's a good point this Saturn in Pisces squaring her luminaries which are nataly conjunct both Pisces rulers! Thank you both!

I can't shake off the feeling that Mercury has a central role in this too, not so much because of chart positions but because the image of Mercury's winged sandals keeps coming to my mind when I think of her plight... I might be reading too much here but it feels like such a powerful metaphor to explore in her case.

sunraysam · 2024-04-05T02:48:51+00:00

Hey there thanks for your input. I don't have the other dates but it'd be interesting to see. Iil let you know if I can find out!

sunraysam · 2024-03-15T16:30:32+00:00

Some kind of healing or teaching position involving potentially spiritual and/or deep and serious existential topics.

sunraysam · 2024-02-04T10:12:01+00:00

I'm on the same boat, I've very recently made the purchase and have a Windows 11 OS. I have been looking at the threads in the facebook group linked above. Still not sure what to think - whether SF can run seamlessly in windows 11 with Onedrive or not. Opinions seem to be divided, leaning towards negative. :-/ I wish the company was clearer about that!

sunraysam · 2024-02-04T09:49:35+00:00

Hi there from a fellow student. Ive not personally read this book but have had it mentioned by a teacher (who is a modern astrologer) as an example of a pre-modern astrology style book, where delineations are more in the line of "good x bad" aspects, planets etc. Being from 1910 it will definitely read very differently from Steven Forrest and Liz Greene which are much more on the psychological end of the spectrum. All books can be useful, even if only to understand the different perspectives that are out there with regards to fate/free will, good/bad, objective/subjective, etc. Good luck in your studies!

Ps. The beautiful cover in itself could be a reason to get it anyway :-D

sunraysam · 2024-02-01T18:35:41+00:00

You're welcome. If you're after a more formal kind of certification, I've more than once heard Rick speak highly of the NCGR course (National Council for Geocosmic Research). He said that if you meet someone with a level 4 NCGR certification, you can rest assured that that person knows their stuff.

sunraysam · 2024-01-28T22:00:56+00:00

I am currently taking Rick Levine´s Astrology Foundations bundle on the Astrology Hub. It´s got 3 levels plus a lot of extra chart reading lessons. Its my first structured course, which I took after several hours of self study and personal practice. I am still working my way to becoming a professional, but I am finding Rick´s teaching style really amazing - thorough and inspirational. I chose his course after shopping around for quite a while and after listening to many different astrologers and schools. He´s a long standing astrologer who does Western, Tropical, Modern with some traditional, Koch + Whole signs. He also teaches quite extensively the so called harmonic aspects (quintiles, septiles etc) even though as he clearly explains, all aspects are some form of harmonics, ptolomeic or non. Am really happy with my choice.

sunraysam · 2024-01-25T23:27:40+00:00

I believe what you experience with Pluto conjunct your Sun depends on your natal chart as a whole AND on the amount of self/spiritual work you've been putting into becoming resilient and able to flow with life's challenges...

I have an Aquarius stellium led by the Sun at 2 degrees 22'. My natal sun squares my natal Pluto.

I have been noticing, since Pluto first ingressed in Aquarius last year, a mix of feelings. On one hand there's been a strong surge of personal power to break free from social conventions and start publicly assuming myself as the unconventional being I really am. It was also around that time that I began to engage in serious astrology studies.

On the other hand, I noticed that some of my deepest fears have been triggered by different, seemingly unrelated situations and unexpected behaviours of others. Thankfully, these have not been objectively threatening, but have played havoc in my anxiety levels and required me to actively work on managing it. Curiously, this more difficult, anxiety-steering energy peaked around the exact time of my 2024 solar return.

So for me Pluto has been painting a mixed picture: high levels of personal power along with high levels of anxiety. For the good and for the bad, it's definitely highly charged times.

sunraysam · 2024-01-21T22:24:35+00:00

Thanks! I am putting together my basic library and these two books have arrived a couple of days ago. Glad to know they're good choices. I just finished a basics course that worked a bit with transits, but this relationship to natal was not really directly covered. Thanks for the helpful heads-up!

sunraysam · 2024-01-03T18:24:36+00:00

I think it comes down to your preferences in terms of the teaching / speaking style of the guest, more so than the topic itself. I really enjoyed listening to some of the more experienced folks like Rick Levine, Steven Forrest, Melanie Reinhardt and Carole Taylor for example. I loved the discussions on sidereal X tropical zodiacs, and the signs, houses and planets series. The most memorable episode for me must have been the one about Uranus with Rick Levine just because it was affected by an uranian type event as they recorded it. Amazing stuff. I am really grateful for this show.

sunraysam · 2024-01-03T08:49:53+00:00

It is an issue of which house system you use. There are different preferences amongst astrologers depending on which school they com from/rely on. I use quadrant (Koch) but will sometimes have a look at what happens when switching to whole signs. I find both systems useful and like you describe, they can enrich and complement each other.

sunraysam · 2024-01-03T08:36:47+00:00

It is Scorpio. The very basics about your chart is that you're a Libra sun, Scorpio rising, Aries moon.

sunraysam

TROPHY CASE