Category: Vision/Metaphysical Publisher: Ancient Tower Press
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 498
Copyright: February 15, 2007
ISBN-13: 9780974762616
An integration of astrology and the chakra system.
Although few astrologers would argue that any birthchart is written in stone, beyond the exercise of free will, choice or consciousness, little is written about the subjective interplay between astrological symbolism and the consciousness exercised in relation to it. The astrological community has little to say about consciousness – neither in terms of how it impacts the subjective perception of a birthchart, nor the way the meaning of a birthchart changes as the symbolism is embodied more or less consciously. As the first in a series elaborating an astropoetic approach to astrology, this book will be a partial attempt to remedy this glaring omission. For as we discuss the various tenets of exoteric astro-logic – hoping to feel our way into a more esoteric place of subjective wisdom – we can only do so within a framework recognizing the primacy of consciousness as the overarching context within which everything astrological must be understood.
Exoteric astro-logic can be helpful as a language of inquiry into the nature, meaning and purpose of life experience – as I will demonstrate in some detail in this book – but it is the inquiry that is primary. Ultimately, the birthchart and the exoteric astro-logic that infuses it with abstract meaning are only really useful as the point of departure for an exploration of the life that colors it with subjective nuance and the intimate particulars of actual experience. To put it bluntly: without an assessment of the choices made by the soul living the chart, the chart cannot be interpreted, except as an exercise in speculation. Our ability to say anything at all about a chart depends upon knowing something about who or what the chart refers to.
continued on http://www.ancient-tower-press.com/astroV1.intro.html
Excerpt
From this perspective (second chakra), life is a field of flowers and we are the bees that pollinate that field. Each flower has a unique shape, is adorned by its own characteristic combination of colors, and emits a signature fragrance that draws forth from within us a desire to participate in its beauty and dance with it – for a moment or a lifetime. In that dance, we learn how we are like that flower and how we are different, and when the dance is over, we move on to the next flower, carrying the nectar of greater self-recognition. If, for the moment, you can imagine that every experience you encounter in the course of your lifetime, every relationship, every involvement, every moment of connection is a dance of learning and self-discovery with a flower to whom you are attracted, then you have an apt image of what happens in the second chakra on the level of pranamaya kosha.
Of course, flowers often come with thorns or with toxic secretions cleverly designed to discourage would-be hungry insects that see only lunch within the beauty. Likewise, within the context of our metaphor, that to which we are attracted will not always prove pleasurable or benign. One of the first lessons learned in the second chakra is that attraction and the pursuit of pleasure are not always synonymous. Often, in fact, that to which we are attracted proves downright painful, or in some cases, even detrimental to our well-being. Any heroin addict will tell you about the unparalleled pleasure of that first fix, and the nightmare that ensues. Though most of our learning experiences will be less extreme, we all gravitate to the promise of pleasure, not for pleasure itself, but for the potential for learning what lies unseen, pulsing at the heart of pleasure.
Professional Reviews
NCGR Boston Chapter Newsletter
Tracking the Soul
With an Astrology of Consciousness
by Joe Landwehr
If you’ve ever reflected that maybe you should have spent some time in the ashram to explore the spiritual side of life more fully, you can rest assured, knowing that Joe Landwehr did, and has taken careful time to develop aspects of his experience into a theoretical application for the spiritual journey.
In his book, Tracking the Soul with an Astrology of Consciousness, he combines two reference points, astrology with its cycles, and poetry with its metaphorical symbolic language, and coins the term “astropoetics” to describe the language of the soul. He asserts that before astrology really can serve as a soul language on its own, however, assumptions about reality must first be explored. And this is best done in combination with another system, that of chakras, or yogic psychology. Inherent in the assumptions about reality is the desire to know the correlation between man and cosmos, which he defines as the astropoetic impulse. This impulse is a common quest for artists, psychotherapists, spiritual teachers, visionaries, and others who seek to transcend and release the limitations of life. Sensory awareness, feelings, imagination, intuition are elements of this wider world view that struggles for articulation.
With metaphor as the trigger for intuition and the realm of subjective awareness beyond the mind, Landwehr asserts that this poetic “logic” allows for a wholistic, whole-brained approach to life, which speaks to the heart of shared human experience. After all, wholeness and integration are the goals of the spiritual journey. The universal principles of this logic, this poetry, are culled from mathematics, astronomy, mythology and from the cumulative observations of the astrological tradition, observed within the context of a life. The meaning of these clues depends on consciousness, channeled through any life, but of deepest importance, your life.
Whoa…hold on a minute…what exactly are we talking about when we say “consciousness”? Landwehr describes it this way:
“…consciousness is the preeminent expression of Spirit functioning within a body, and the mechanism for a trial-an-error learning process through which the soul gradually learns to more fully embody Spirit.” (pg. xxvi).
We talk about prognostication in our astrological work, and refer to the free will concept to alleviate our anxieties when prediction is tricky. In modern psychological astrology, however, consciousness is viewed as the wildcard in the scheme of fate and free will, the variable that determines the outcome of probabilities and the meaning of the astrological correspondences, reflective of choices made over time.
There are two forces at work when working with astrology…the observer and the observed. The magic that happens in a counseling session, for example, obviously depends on the astrologer’s competencies in technique, but also his or her soul’s maturity, empathy, awareness level, and sense of responsibility ( i.e. consciousness), coming into contact with the consciousness of the client. Landwehr emphasizes that self-awareness (consciousness) is key for the astrologer; consequently, he establishes this book as a study guide, containing a method for delving deeper into one’s own chart. He encourages a self-awareness process. And he encourages everyone to become his or her own astrologer. The assumption is that spiritual evolution is a personal, solitary journey.
Landwehr builds a theoretical construct for assisting in the deep exploration necessary for the journey. He combines two stand-alone systems of thought—astrology with its awesome ability to personalize, and to time spiritual process, and the chakra system, borrowed from the Hindu tradition brought forth from Patanjali, with its ability to track consciousness and spiritual evolution.
In Part 1 of this book (Chapters 1-8), Landwehr lays out a circular 7 chakra system and broadens it to include the 5 koshas (dimensions through which Spirit penetrates matter). This offers an understanding of consciousness quality, depth, and breadth. In Part 2 (Chapters 9-23) he correlates this materials with astrological patterns. He associates signs and elements with the koshas, and specific planets and houses to the chakras to demonstrate the parsing of core life issues. In his system, any planet can function within any chakra, but when key planets cluster in key houses related to chakras, there is strong indication of a core issue to be addressed.
Landwehr’s work is well researched and well-cited. Extensive examples and case studies serve as drills for these concepts. He does not present his material dogmatically, but rather presents his construct to enrich understanding and dimension to life circumstance using both yogic psychology and astrology. In Part 3 (Chapters 24 and 25), he describes this astro-chakra system as applied and transcended through life as an embodied soul. The excellent, provocative suggestions for planetary meanings draw clear distinctions between the personal and social planets, and the outer planets, and have the potential to launch you into orbit. He emphasizes that the concepts described are for self-exploration, rather than as a set of professional interpretive rules. A complete analysis might include 35 possible chakra charts (7 x 5); on some level, it’s a matter of practicality.
There is a lengthy preface and introduction to the book that provides context. There is also an appendix that includes a fine glossary, some unfamiliar tables and diagrams, an extensive bibliography, data detail, and an index. Like some of the best literature on the subject of evolutionary astrology, this is a book to study, as it involves work, work some might consider fun. It encourages a personal commitment to raise awareness by nudging you to work your process, to break your default habit patterns and shift the paradigm of your life. Landwehr acknowledges that, like most theories, the system has flaws when applied in actuality, and that it is meant to facilitate an introspective journey. It is a way to begin or to continue, and with its flexibility, it allows discovery. He emphasizes that the system he presents shows the default habit patterns, and that gradual transmutation of the default is the real story of one’s life. The real story transcends the system.
This book is the text for an advanced course offered by Landwehr. This book, dealing with the astro-chakra system, is the first in a series of five or six that are in the planning stages. Volume 2 will deal with astrology and numbers; Volume 3, with astrology and astronomy; Volume 4, astrology and mythology; Volume 5, symbolism in everyday life vis-à-vis cycles; Volume 6 will tie these sources of astro-logic together to demonstrate the multidimensionality of a birthchart, the kaleidoscopic lens we have available.
The journey is in the living. Whether it is in an ashram or amidst the city’s daily grind, surrounded by vibes of loving kindness or wolves at the door, our lives provide an endless stream of opportunity for growth and development. Frequent meditation, daily service, and this lofty kind of thought are nourishment for the soul.
Paula R. Gassmann is a certified astrologer with a practice in the Boston area. She is the Publications Director of NCGR and the co-editor of the Boston Chapter’s The Astrologers’ Newsletter, and can be reached at www.invisibledynamics.com or prgassmann@comcast.net.
The second book in the telepathy series. It contains more ways for the up and coming telepathist to experiment with the sending and receiving of thoughts and is at the end of the story about future telepathy people found unexpectedly chosen by the go
A way to use your mind for silent communication. Speaking about the methods in the book I have used since a young age.
21st Century learning. I also have a GoFundMe page to ask for funds so I can research with other people and add their experiences
The second book in the telepathy series. It contains more ways for the up and coming telepathist to experiment with the sending and receiving of thoughts and is at the end of the story about future telepathy people found unexpectedly chosen by the go
