best of luck on the path!

I struggle with this each month I forecast, because I can't control how people are going to perceive and manage the info I share, regardless of how many qualifiers or caveats I put in.

Thanks again, and I love Plum Village and Thích Nhất Hạnh! Always holding my fears like a baby, haha :)

If I'm feeling spicy, I look at where the Moon is and breath for a minute before I make a regret!

All the above said, and lastly, if one can't keep their emotions and mind calm when looking at astrology or sky patterns, then it's not going to be a helpful tool for that person and might do harm.

One real world example: I don't send sensitive emails or start sensitive conversations when the Moon is meeting Mars in a certain way, or when Mars is on the angles in a certain way. This protects everyone in the interaction and helps with right speech.

The Hellenistic tradition of astrology was rooted in the stoic philosophy of the time, and astrologers then were using astrology not just to predict, but to be able to know their fate in order to accept it and be at peace with it when it comes. The stoicism jives very well with buddhist equanimity.

Contrary to this, the internet bastardization of astrology in the form of pop astrology and what I've heard Samuel Reynolds smartly call "sign-ology", is a demonstration of astrology at its worst: inflaming ego in one way or another, and reification of the self in a way that is not skillful.

Alongside describing the quality of time/forecasting, astrology in a natal context helps me find a short cut to acceptance and understanding of self and other. It's made me more patient, curious, and loving.

My underlying goal is to reduce my harm on the world and myself. Astrology can help one understand their past in order to move on, but also very easily become a scaffolding for ruminating about the past. Astrology can help plan for the future, but can easily inflame anticipation of the future.

Hello, & thanks for listening, & for the great question! I've actually had to struggle a bit around my use of astrology and how that fits into buddhism. I've landed on using astrology as a way to plan for the future so I can take the most skillful actions as possible, with the most skillful timing.

(after ~12:45 PM UT), and then go ahead and sign up for things, or begin whatever routines/endeavors you're getting back to.

and in perfect mercury rx fashion, i just realized there's an extra drop down menu with even more astronomy info! They list astronomical, nautical, civil dawn, and the morning/evening golden hours.

for the first time this year I got them both in the same arm, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be!

noice