Individual Yet Connected
Last night I went to the San Francisco Astrological Society (SFAS) talk given by Richard Tarnas, who is the author of Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View . To say the talk was wonderful is putting it mildly. The evening started with all of us holding hands and saying Om three times, and ended with a standing ovation and three more Oms.
Going to SFAS talks is always a treat for me. The energy of the people who attend is genuine and caring, and the speakers are top notch, well-known in their specialty area and eager to share their knowledge and experience. This talk really struck a chord in me, as I know it did with everyone else in the room.
Richard Tarnas came to us not just as an astrologer. He also comes from the world of academia, philosophy and psychology with degrees from Harvard University. Many astrologers come from the world of psychology these days. Perhaps they were the first psychologists. At any rate, Richard is well known, respected, and teaches and lectures around the world.
He started his talk with explaining how each of us knows our inner landscape intimately, especially people on a spiritual path, and how we add meaning and value, purpose, to our lives. Yet, we are raised in a world that looks at the universe as material, random, and meaningless. There is a huge disconnect between how we look at ourselves and how we look at the world and the universe around us. He calls this disenchantment.
Of course, it wasn’t always this way. In pre-modern days, people considered themselves one with the land, a part of a greater whole. Not only did their personal lives have meaning and power, but so did the universe they moved in. They were aware of the greater whole and purpose, and less concerned with themselves as individuals.
Today, information is more accessible than ever. Never has individuality been more accepted, yet we have lost touch with the cosmic view, how we are interdependent and a microcosm of the macrocosm.
Of course, as Richard pointed out, this is not true of everyone on the planet. Many of us have sought spiritual paths that allow us to tap into the forest while also being aware of the trees. Many of us have had the experience of knowing that the events of our lives, the workings in the energies around us are a part of a greater plan, that we are all working towards and with something greater than we can vocalize. The astrologer, as Richard noted, has direct awareness of the physical universe as well as how intricately connected we as individuals are to the whole, while also realizing the vast potential of the person to the greater whole. After all, astrology wouldn’t work as well as it does if the universe were simply random and without meaning.
What can we as astrologers do to help knit the schism between the material universe and the individual? Richard advises astrologers to work or be active in areas that are not related to astrology, then bring the influence of astrology to those areas. I couldn’t agree more. While it’s wonderful to deal with people who accept and love astrology, we can have positive impact and influence on the world by sharing our knowledge and experience with others who are unaware how truly connected we are to the universe.
I recall a conversation with a coworker. By profession I am a technical writer and programmer, and when I told my coworker I am also an astrologer he was confused and amused. “But, Dana, astrology! You are so logical and intelligent. Astrology!” I laughed. “Yes, astrology is also logical and intelligent.” He walked away scratching his head. I don’t know whether I had put doubt into his mind concerning my intelligence, or if I had put a chink in his doubts about astrology. It’s hard to know, but I set something in motion that I wouldn’t have had I not introduced the topic of astrology to this logical mind.
I recall years ago I would bemoan the scientific ignorance of the general public. So instead of writing for science magazines which I love to read, I decided to write about science to the audience I felt needed it most: parenting and children’s magazines. I felt I had greater influence by doing this than to write for the science magazines who sold to people who already understand science.
Richard’s talk spoke to me on a deep level because while I gobble up every science fact I can about our material universe, I have also in recent years tapped into the knowing and feeling the greater spiritual connection. To me, although I understand much of the Newtonian physics of the universe, it is not without meaning or purpose. I feel myself very much a part of something greater than any of us can explain, and I know I am an expression of that.
Yet, Richard also pointed out the problems that can come from that kind of awareness:
- Getting drawn into an ego trap, one of power over others because of that knowledge
- Feeling overwhelmed by knowing how each of us influences the whole
- Feeling used, or like a puppet by the greater whole
The trick lies in being rooted into the divine, while expressing our individuality with it in mind so that we can reach our full potential and make a difference without feeling used or falling into the ego trap. This, of course, is the focus of Buddhism and other religions, maintaining that equanimity and detachment while engaging in causes that are meaningful and beneficial.
I felt a greater sense of hope by the end of the talk. I stand with one foot in the material science world and the other in the spiritual. I do believe we can bring the two together in harmony. Technology is often seen as the bane of society by many, but I disagree. It’s not technology that is bad. We have to be discerning, and we have to understand the ramification to the divine. When we combine the spiritual with the material, then we can make decisions and gear technology towards the benefit of the universe and people rather than using it for destruction.
Needless to say, I bought Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View at the end of the evening, and am already a few chapters into and can recommend it. It is heavy reading, and you likely won’t plow through it through a weekend, but that’s good. Take it in small bites and digest.
Tags: Astrology, Cosmos and Psyche, Richard Tarnis, spiritual awareness
