Principles of interpretation outside the classical framework
Author
Therefore, we have explored the theoretical foundations of postmodern astrology and created a model of human perception to understand how cosmic rhythms influence our lives. Now it’s time to move on to the most interesting part – interpreting astrological charts within our new system. However, before we delve deeper into the principles of interpretation, it is important to analyze one of the key characteristics of classical astrology: its influencing potential. Explain events *after the fact*.
Phenomenon of retroactive confirmation in classical astrology
Classical astrology has an extensive set of tools to interpret the influences of celestial bodies. Consider the variety of aspects – angular relationships between planets: conjunction, sextile, trine, square, opposition, and these are just the main ones! And jewellery? Some schools use tight tolerances of 1-3 degrees in forecasting, while others allow 10 degrees or even more.
Let’s take a conservative estimate of 3 degrees per aspect. With five main aspects, each with an orbit of 6 degrees (3 degrees on either side), we get 30 degrees of coverage per planet. Considering the 10 planets in the heliocentric system of classical astrology, the probability of any planet making an aspect with another planet is (30/360) * 10, or about 83%!
And this is without considering the many smaller, so-called “karmic” aspects. Quintiles, semi-sextiles, quincunxes, semi-squares – each of them, with a small orb (about 1-2 degrees), contributes, and saturates the sky with “significant” interactions.
Add to this the virtual points: lunar nodes, Black Moon, points of Lot, Lagna and MC, as well as asteroids used by some astrologers. As a result, at any given time, the celestial sphere is literally teeming with aspects, points, and potentially significant influences.
So far, we have only talked about transits in forecasts. But there are also other forecasting methods: symbolic directions, progressions (yearly, monthly, weekly), solar returns… and analysis of horoscopes? Here, orbits typically range between 6-10 degrees. In addition to aspects, there are the concepts of signs, houses, rulers, planetary strengths and weaknesses… can you imagine the scope of interpretation that opens up? Having such an extensive system at his disposal, an astrologer can almost always find hints in the horoscope for certain character traits, talents or life events that are already known.
But how objective and truly predictive are these signals? Even when using the “golden rule” of three signs, given the large number of possible aspects, points and ways, finding three or more “confirmations” of a previously occurring event or known character trait is not particularly difficult. Classical astrology is incredibly strong in retrospect. It will always find an explanation, selecting those essential aspects that seem to “clearly point” to this or that phenomenon.
But if the sky is constantly filled with “significant” aspects, why isn’t our life a continuous series of fateful events?
Why is it mostly quite measured and predictable, whereas, following classical astrological logic, it should be full of upheaval?
That is why, despite the abundance of “hints” in the horoscope, astrologers cannot predict what the child will grow up to be or what profession they will choose – the classics will provide “hints” for all possible options.ё
Example of classical astrological chart
Is it fair to consider the value of a theory that specializes in explaining events after they occur and describing character after it is formed, as well as the challenges it faces with accurate prediction? This is somewhat akin to the meteorologist who always forecasts the probability of rain, and then, based on the weather, comments, ‘See, I told you it was possible.’ This pattern raises questions about the nature of the predictive ability of such a theory. As a result, we are faced with a situation where the system built on mythological foundations becomes increasingly complex, with new objects and methods added. We must ask ourselves: How valuable is the explanatory power of astrology if its strength also seems to be its weakness?**
skeptic
(sarcastically) Weakness? Rather, complete inconsistency! How can one take seriously a system that can explain absolutely everything, no matter what?
Astrologer
(thoughtfully, but with a hint of disagreement) I cannot completely agree with the claim of the complete uselessness of classical astrology. You are right, the number of parameters and methods is really large, and retrospectively, almost any phenomenon can be explained. In this sense, explanatory power certainly exists, and it is undeniable. But might this not indicate that to some extent “everything works”, it’s just that the complexity of the system makes it impossible to accurately determine which particular combination of aspects, houses, rulers, etc. Will be decisive in a specific case? It’s like trying to predict fate by looking at the patterns of the starry sky – each star is in its place, but only a few form recognizable constellations. Perhaps the problem lies not in astrology, but in the limitations of our current ability to interpret it. We see only individual threads of fate, but we are unable to understand the entire fabric of the tapestry. But that doesn’t mean the Tapestry doesn’t exist…
Postmodern Approaches to Interpretation: Focus on Objectivity
Unlike classical astrology, post-modern astrology deliberately limits the number of variables, relying exclusively on objectively existing phenomena. We have only three main aspects – conjunction, square and opposition. The basic orbit is only 1 degree, although it can be dynamically expanded in some situations. We consider 10 celestial bodies in the geocentric perspective and 9 celestial bodies in the heliocentric perspective. As sources of direct influence, we analyze the planets up to and including Uranus, as it is still visible to the naked eye and its cycle is comparable to the duration of a human life.
We consider Neptune and Pluto as an additional contextual layer, reflecting an individual’s resonance with social trends and global events. An important difference from the classics also lies in the interpretation of the planets. In postmodern astrology, a planet indicates only those areas with which its time cycle is directly related (see chapter “Planets and Time”), excluding arbitrary connections based on rulership. In the chapter “Model of human perception”, we began to consider the interpretation of planets in signs and houses.
Technically, it is a synthesis process. For example, consider the square aspect between Mercury in Taurus in the 7th house and Saturn in Leo in the 11th house.
All the necessary information has already been presented in previous chapters – we just need to synthesize.
