Know Thyself Through the Astrological Birth Chart

Question: C'mon, Dr Z... I'm not interested in a personality profile. All I'm interested in is when I'm going to meet my soul mate, get a new job, or win the lottery! So why in the heck would I want to fork over my hard earned bucks to get an astrological Birth Chart Reading?

Short Sweet Answer: Unfortunately, life doesn't come with an owner's manual included in the box. Heck... even if it did... we wouldn't read it, because we'd be waiting for the DVD to come out. We live in a "need for speed" world of fast food, guaranteed 30 second service, drive up windows, and quick and easy "take a pill" fixes.

The ancient Greek maxim of "Knowing Thyself" and/or "learning how to be who you are" sounds deceptively simple doesn't it?

So how are you doing so far?

Granted... most of us don't (really) want to do any self-reflection. We just want what we want. And we want it now (or, better yet, yesterday)!

The "rubber meets the road" reason for forking out the bucks needed for an astrological birth chart reading is that doing a little "navel gazing" couldn't hurt (and might even help). "Knowing Thyself" - and then getting our "stuff together" by becoming aligned with our destiny, meaning, and purpose - leads directly to the ability to successfully participate in mutually satisfying relationships with all of the "thou arts" in our lives.

Western Tropical Astrology is an ancient tool that can support us in purposes of self-discovery, soul growth, and being "brought to completion." It provides us with a map of our inborn potentials and then gives clues as to how these potentials seek to systemically unfold over the course of our lifetime.

"Knowing thyself" through Western Tropical Astrology may not help you win the lottery or get you that really hot guy (or gal) - but "Meaning makes a great many things endurable - perhaps everything." Dr. Carl G. Jung

Uh oh... Here Comes the Long Loquacious Answer:

The Oracle of Delphi - Know Thyself "Gnothi se auton"
The famous Greek maxim, "know thyself," is attributed to any number of ancient Greek philosophers, including Socrates. However, according to the ancient historian Plutarch, the phrase "Know Thyself" was actually first inscribed on the Sun god Apollo's Oracle of Delphi temple in ancient Greece. (It is however known that the Oracle of Delphi identified Socrates as being the wisest of all men.)

In the days when the Oracle of Delphi still spoke, pilgrims often journeyed weeks and months in order to ask for the wisdom of the Oracle. (These days we get frustrated when we have to click on our mouse twice.) For most pilgrims, an encounter with the Oracle of Delphi was a cherished once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Don't go into shock, but it was normally considered impious and dangerous to ask the ancient Greek Oracle for specific predictions of the future. It was, however, deemed proper to ask the Oracle how one could become better aligned with their destiny.

The Oracle of Western Tropical Astrology
Also having its origins in ancient Greece, horoscopic Western Tropical Astrology is an ancient oracular tool that can support each of us in the ancient task of "knowing thyself." As such, in our modern world - too often devoid of meaning - horoscopic astrology assists us in discovering meaning, purpose, self-discovery, soul growth, and being "brought to completion."

Western Tropical Astrology's "map of the soul" provides each of us with a map of our inborn potentials and then shows how these inborn potentials will (sooner or later) seek to systemically unfold over the course of our lifetime. In fact, what I call the "living out" of one's birth chart is the psychological goal and/or task of this lifetime... in Jungian psychological terms, this natural internal movement toward "wholeness" or "completion" is called the process of "individuation."

A Life Fully Lived
The ancient Christian philosopher Irenaeus wrote that "the glory of God is a life fully lived." In his statement, Irenaeus was very likely inspired by the familiar passage from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus of Nazareth said: "You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly father is perfect."

Unfortunately, the various English translations of this familiar passage - making use of the word "perfect" - are more than a wee bit misleading. The original Greek word used was teleios, meaning "brought to completion." Therefore, the better translation is: "You must therefore be complete just as your heavenly father is complete." You must learn to be fully, completely who you are. Thus, according to Irenaeus, "the glory of God is a life fully lived." Interesting, eh?

The Delphi Task
The Delphi task involved in "knowing thyself," being "complete," or "wholeness" is that of more consciously (and fully) understanding and living out all the potentials - the good, the bad, and the ugly - contained in the seed of who you are as an individual. The ancient Delphi Oracle life task of "Knowing Thyself" doesn't lend itself to any easy "one size fits all" answers and/or solutions to life.

"The great decisions in human life usually have far more to do with the instincts and other mysterious unconscious factors than with conscious will and well-meaning reasonableness. The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no universal recipe for living. Each of us carries his own life-form within him - an irrational form which no other can outbid." C. G. Jung; The Practice of Psychotherapy, Collected Works, vol 16

"Meaning makes a great many things endurable - perhaps everything." Carl G. Jung

Birth Data Needed For Calculating Western Tropical Astrology Birth Charts: