The Cosmos 'Does Time'

Aries 2014

At exactly the beginning of this astrological year – 20th March 2014 at 17:57 Amsterdam time, I was on a webinar discussing how to use astrology to decide when to start new ventures. A fitting time!

Lambs on Iona – my photo

Apart from being a sign of beginnings, Aries is a sign that represents sticking up for yourself. So it was an interesting experience, since I hold very different views from that of the other participant. I am more of a modern girl when it comes to astrology, however this form of astrology, known as Electional Astrology, is usually based on traditional methods that have many rules. We Aquarians are not so keen on those!

I found the discussion fascinating and have been thinking about the way I choose dates for such things as business start-ups, weddings, website launches and the like, ever since. The value of having a discussion with someone with a different way of working, is that it tends to clarify what you think yourself. I must admit I hadn’t thought too deeply about my methods before. Choosing dates for me was just doing astrology backwards!

Backwards?

My way of working with clients is always discussion. In my sessions I try to involve clients in a way that allows them to make their own decisions. I really don’t know how a chart works unless I ask questions, so doing the same when choosing dates seems natural to me. We elect dates together. I see my role as explaining the energy of a particular day or time and discussing whether that fits with the nature of the issue in question. I am trying to go with the flow of the cosmos – working backwards (or maybe it’s forwards!), choosing not a ‘good’ date but an appropriate one. Co-creating with my client and the universe.

Starting a company

So instead of looking at a chart and interpreting, for example, the reputation of a company, or the image – both of which I use for branding, I ask:

what is your mission with this company?
what reputation do you want?
what products or services are you selling?
what do you want to do with the company – what is its heart, its DNA?
who are your customers?

I then describe planets and signs and give my view as to what might fit the answers to these questions. So it’s the reverse of what I normally do.

Time is of the essence

There will always be a time limit for choosing dates. Most people say – I want to start before the summer, or within a year, or after I leave my current job – that type of thing. Astrologers using a traditional approach often beaver away looking at lots of dates and come up with a few possibilities which they then provide. There is very little input from the client and dates are seen as good or bad. There are often rules such as: you need a particular planet in the second house (the house of money!) I really don’t like the idea of judging a date or a moment. Apart from the cosmos probably knowing better than us mere mortals, I feel that every minute is potentially good for something. The difficulty is finding out what! In my view, no-one has done enough research to see whether every successful company (and define successful!) has ‘good’ planets in the second house but I would be prepared to bet that this particular rule doesn’t prove correct.

Better than dates!

I have come to realise that what I do is far more than choosing a date. Astrology is a tool for developing awareness, for expanding consciousness. Choosing an appropriate date using astrology is no guarantee of obtaining the desired outcome. Apart from the fact that astrologers are only human, the level of consciousness of each individual is a determining factor in any outcome. However, discussing and focussing on these specific questions results in really deep awareness and goal setting. Many people starting companies have often not thought about all the related issues. They are enthusiastic about setting up an enterprise and passionate about their products, as indeed they should be. But reputation? Image? Ideal clients? No.

We need to talk about Venus

But do we? Another major area of date choosing with which astrologers are confronted is for weddings. Most traditional astrologers talk about having a ‘nicely placed Venus’ when choosing a day for the bride and groom. I know where I would like to place her sometimes! She was not always the goddess of love in mythology – in fact when crossed or compared to others she could be a really jealous bitch. In the myth surrounding her son Cupid, she did everything to prevent him being happy with Psyche, who some said was more beautiful than Venus. Oh dear! Do we want her to be prominent at a wedding?

Gillette advertisement for Venus razor!

It’s not that I wouldn’t look at Venus when choosing a date, but not all marriages are looking for love, light and harmony. Venus represents what we value, what we enjoy – so of course she is relevant for every couple. But everyone has a totally different mission and goal in a marriage. Getting hitched is done ostensibly for love, but there are often more important reasons. Security, children, citizenship, companionship, or even as a way to get away from a family situation. In my book, there are no rules for finding a date. You need to discuss the marriage with the couple in question to find out what might work best for them. Usually it will emphasise something in both their charts, and again, how this works will depend on consciousness levels. A Scorpionic marriage can be deep and intimate or it can be a jealous, vindictive power-struggle. The discussions I have had in the role of date advisor, have been truly remarkable. Finding out why a couple met, why they love each other and what they see for the future, can be very moving and eye-opening. Maybe more couples should do this before the big day. When being married in a church, a pre-wedding discussion with the priest or pastor was once a more common part of the process. A sort of couples counselling service.

The Cosmos does time!

I must say I get annoyed when I read such comments from astrologers as “there are no good dates to marry for many months”. Who are we to say what a couple has in mind – not to mention the cosmos? Something bigger than us is possibly better at ‘doing time’. We can certainly try to use the energy of a moment though, and facilitating great discussion is what I love to do, as I know it is truly valuable.

Faye Blake-Cossar