How to Transcend
Astrological Influences
Astrology is a very deep
subject, but most people
consider it a kind of
superstitious guide to
material progress. If you use
astrology only for guidance in
material matters, you will be
doing its teachings an
injustice. Astrology is too
vast, both mathematically and
philosophically, to be rightly
grasped except by people of
profound understanding. In
ancient times, astrology was
seen primarily as a guide to
spiritual development. To use
astrology for material
purposes is considered a lower
application of what is
essentially a Divine science.
Astrology is the study of
mans' response to planetary
stimuli. All parts of creation
are linked together and
interchange their influences.
No matter what your
environment, the surrounding
rays of the earth and Universe
will have an impact upon you.
Astrology was intended to
assist you on your inner
journey, by helping you become
more aware of the
interrelationships between the
object Universe and the inner
aspects of yourself.
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The relation of the stars to
the human body and mind is
very subtle. There is a
correlation between the six
centres (chakras) in the
spine, which become twelve by
polarity, and the twelve signs
of the zodiac. Millions of
volts of electrical current
are lodge in these spinal
centres. If your body and your
mind are very strong, you will
be impervious to the evil
vibrations from the stars when
they begin to shed their rays
upon you. But if your body and
mind are weak through
transgressions of wrong
eating, wrong thinking, bad
character and bad company,
then the stellar rays will
have the power to affect you.
How the stars affect us
The stars influence your life
only in accordance with patterns
that you yourself established in
the past. A child is born on
that day and at that hour when
the celestial rays are in
mathematical harmony with his
individual karma (past actions).
The astrological configurations
serve only as symbols of karmic
influences, which you have set
into motion in the past. The
stars and planets themselves can
no more choose how they will
affect you than you can select
your own karmic destiny.
The message boldly blazoned
across the heavens at the moment
of birth was not meant to
emphasize fate, the result of
past good and evil but to arouse
your will to escape from this
universal bondage. What you have
done, you can undo. You can
overcome whatever effects are
now prevalent in your life
because you created them by your
own actions in the first place,
and because you have inner
spiritual resources which are
not subject to planetary
pressure.
The best way, therefore, to
improve your lot is deliberately
to act in such a way as to
counteract the evil effects of
past deeds. Especially if this
course of action springs from
inner attunement with God, or is
adopted under the wise guidance
of one who knows God, it will
serve as an antidote to all
baneful actions of the past.
Avoid passive dependence on
astrology
Superstition means to seek
guidance from effects, in
ignorance of their causes. Many
people look to the heavens for
signs instead of choosing the
wiser path of seeking guidance
in their souls, from God. Some
people refuse to do anything for
themselves until the planetary
positions are favourable.
While it is not unwise to
initiate worthwhile undertakings
at astrologically auspicious
times, it merely affirms your
passive dependence on fate to
wait for a shift in the planets'
positions before making
important changes in your life.
Anything you do with deep faith
in God will blossom under better
influences than you could hope
to find by consulting the
heavens for favourable aspects.
Do not wait for changes in
astrological influences to
change your destiny. Look,
rather, to Him who made the
heavens and the heart and who
alone can grant you eternal
freedom. The lawful effects of
your karma may seem irrevocable,
but the effects of past actions
can be changed by seeking God.
Unless you remember that you can
not spiritualize astrology.
How to spiritualize astrology
While studying astrology in a
reasonable way, you must always
remember that God's influence is
the supreme influence. All human
ills arise from some
transgression of universal law.
The scriptures point out that
man must satisfy the laws of
nature, while not discrediting
Divine omnipotence. You should
always say, "Lord, I trust in
Thee, and know Though canst help
me, but I too will do my best to
undo any wrong I have done."
You have been given the free
choice and intelligence, as a
child of God, to surmount the
difficulties of life. You are
made in the image of God, not in
the image of the stars. Strive
unceasingly, from a center of
inner calmness, to surmount
every material, mental, and
spiritual difficulty. Cooperate
with His will by offering up to
Him all the strength of your
human will.
If you can hold onto your
happiness during all the
difficulties in your life, then
you will begin to rise above the
influence of the stars. If you
can retain your smile in spite
of repeated challenge, that is a
sign of the awakening of the
consciousness of divinity within
you. Through all such actions,
you are changing your body and
mind and how they are affecting
the twelve centres in your
spine. As a result of these
changes, the stars will begin to
smile upon you.
By communing with God, you will
reinforce the power of the
twelve spinal centres, which
will then act in cooperation
with the twelve signs of the
zodiac. The deeper your
communion with God, the more you
will automatically harmonzie the
influence of all planetary
forces and transcend the evil
effects of the powerful, but
distant, planets. In these ways,
you can spiritualize astrology.
Seek help, therefore, not from
the stars and planets, but from
almighty God. God is harmony,
and if you attune yourself to
Him, you will never perform any
actions amiss. Your activities
will be correctly and naturally
timed to accord with
astrological laws. After deep
prayer and meditation you are in
touch with His Divine
consciousness; there is not
greater power than that inward
protection. By plunging deeply
into your own Divine nature, you
will discover those deeper
levels within yourself that
enable you to rise above all
karmic realities.
The masters go beyond
astrology
Some people study astrology to
ascertain the influence of their
karma through the medium of
planets, thus trying to
counteract evil influences by
astrological foreknowledge. But
the great masters go beyond
astrology. The man of
realisation does not choose any
auspicious hour to perform noble
deeds or initiate new wholesome
ventures. He acts, moves, and
sleeps under the one influence
of God. He consults God instead
of the stars for guidance.
Although there is a certain
vibratory influence of stars
upon all human lives, a man of
infinite will power tuned in
with God, uses his free will to
change his circumstances. He
marches on, influenced only by
the Sun of all Suns, the
Almighty Spirit. To him, from
the depths of his determination
and faith, all things are
possible. He burns the seeds of
difficulties in the fire of
wisdom, consults only God for
guidance, and performs all of
his actions according to Divine
guidance.
Superstitious awe of astrology
makes one an automaton,
slavishly dependent on
mechanical guidance. The wise
man defeats his planets-- which
is to say, his past - by
transferring his allegiance from
the creation to the Creator. The
more he realizes his unity with
Spiritual, the less he can be
dominated by matter. The soul is
ever-free; it is deathless
because birthless. It cannot be
regimented by stars.
If you live by astrology or
anything else you will be bound
by it. Depend wholly and solely
on God. Live by God alone. Then
nothing can hurt you.
Follow the way to inner
freedom
In karma's realm, karma rules
supreme. Yet all human beings
have the power to withdraw to
another realm altogether. You
cannot change the outer
astrological influences, but you
can do a great deal to change
the way you receive them,
inwardly.
Instead of accepting
fatalistically the decrees of
karma, follow the inner way to
freedom. Meditate daily. Commune
deeply with God. Learn from Him,
through the silent voice of
intuition, the way out of
soul-degrading serfdom to bad
habits. Ultimately, by every
deeper meditation, you will
reach a point where you receive
your influences from God alone.
[By Paramhansa Yogananda]
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