Is or is not Astrology a “predictive” science? Many say it is, others say it’s not. I think it all depends on the skill level of the astrologer, and the definition of what a “prediction” actually is.

I’ve heard astrologers get into fights about the question of can something be predicted, and if so, what else can be predicted? The ability to predict anything using astrology requires that the astrologer use both practical common sense as well as analytical skill. It’s why theoretical astrologers usually cannot predict much with any certainty, while “real world” astrologers often impress their clients with their predictive abilities.

There are two ways to learn astrology. One is to read theoretical principles in the books, listen to the talks, and apply the theory to birth charts and event charts. This is the common way to learn, but it unfortunately leaves out everything which hasn’t already been written, and so sometimes confines the reader to the boundaries of the imagination of the writer.

The other way to learn astrology is to see what’s actually happening in a person’s life, and see what’s going on in their charts. Or if there’s general tension or a sense of well-being, look at the transits to see potential correlations. I have found a combination of both approaches is needed, because while theory is always interesting to explore, there is another dimension to the craft that requires a good deal of common sense if we are to become good astrologers.

The Branches of Astrology

There are 9 (or 10) main branches in the craft of Astrology. The traditional 7 branches include Natal (incl. progressions and directions), Horary, Electional, Medical, Mundane, Meteorological, and Agricultural. The 20th century added Humanistic and Esoteric astrology as branches unto themselves. While Humanistic astrology would seem to be a subset of Natal astrology, it has different precepts, different approaches, and different interpretations than traditional Natal astrology, so I believe it constitutes an entire branch unto itself.

To all of these I would add that the study of Cycles and their phases seems to be an entirely different branch than all of these, since that line of inquiry addresses the synodic cycles of the planets, the Lunar and Solar cycles including eclipse cycles, and how all cycles relate across all charts in all of the above branches. So it’s a “meta level” branch of Astrology with universal applicability.

All of these can be studied from a theoretical angle of approach which yields tremendous understanding in each branch. However, if we want to ground any of these in “real world” events and circumstances, then we have to take note of what’s actually going on regardless of what the books state, and understand the fluidity of time as a means to make real what is potential. One must have “real world” experience to anticipate how a given set of astrological factors will play out. That’s why it takes years of “practical diligence” to be a counseling astrologer, along with a degree of life experience and common sense.

The Intersection of Fate Street and Free Will Street on Eternity Boulevard

A long time ago, I created that phrase when it occurred to me that Astrology measures our movement through life as it brings us to regular intersections of Fate and Free Will. Two things are “fated:” one is to be born when and where we were to the people who were our parents. This is our birth chart with its strengths and challenges and primal patterns which mirror our parents’ values and the cultural matrix we’re born into. The second thing which is “fated” is the timing on our choices, also shown in the birth chart. Not what choices we will make, but when we will have to make them.

All else is determined by our free will. That’s why “character is destiny,” since as we choose this or that we shape our character at crucial moments in time, which in turns creates future karmic rendezvous which bring new choices. These in turn propel our “destiny” forward into new things to learn and new skills to practice. That’s why Astrology is the road map as we journey through the intersections of Fate Street and Free Will Street on Eternity Boulevard.

While I started out as a student of the theories of astrology, after over 50 years of study and practice, I would describe myself as a practical Spiritual Astrologer who is also a “Free Will” astrologer. While the first is in my nature, I learned how much power we have to choose how we want to express our planets through the works of the legendary Grant Lewi, who I believe was the first true “free will” astrologer in history.

As a result of his explanations of how transits work, as well as my own applied insights into various life cycles of the planets and what they bring, it became obvious that we have a wide variety of potential choices in how we respond to people and circumstances, regardless of how hard or easy those experiences are. As we become clear about the power of our free will to make thoughtful choices at crucial moments in our lives, we strengthen our ability to get clear about what’s happening and why. I discuss all of this and more in Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend.

This is where we learn a universal lesson that we never have the power to control how another person responds to anything. Everyone has the free will to choose how they want to act or not act, be or not be. That is why there are limits in the ability of an astrologer to predict events.

No one can predict with certainty how another will or will not act, since anyone can be any way they want to be at any time. We may believe we can predict how another will act, but we cannot actually know that they will behave that way until after they act. That is the only time we will know, because the deed is already done (or not done.)

Real World Conditions Override Astrological Positions

After studying astrology for 4 years between 1971 and 1975, a few months before I was called to become a professional astrologer, I explored predictive astrology as a sort of “final exam” of whether I could accurately predict things like the outcome of sports contests or the location of missing objects. I saw horary charts yield accurate results in finding lost things, and predicting the general personality traits of total strangers as well as the good and bad in potential situations. After years of study I became very accurate in predicting the winner of sports contests, though I chose to quit when I realized all I was doing was encouraging greed and demands from gamblers.

In my initial 10 years of study, I also went into medical, agricultural, mundane, electional, and the other branches of astrology. I read all I could about “good” and ‘bad” times to do things which made it seem that all one has to do is find “the right time” and all else will go well. After some time believing this illusion, I realized there are “real world” factors that pre-empt the playing field and determine the outcome of things.

For example, we may plant something with an excellent Lunar sign position and aspects, but if it’s the wrong time of year and we live in a place which gets well below freezing, we won’t get much of a crop because of the weather. I found that out one year when I planted a garden in March on a great day astrologically, but then high winds destroyed it 3 weeks later. I replanted and the winds again destroyed it about 2 weeks later.

Even with plywood and hay bales to block the winds, it didn’t matter. The real world wind conditions destroyed everything planted on good days. Another example of “real world” conditions overriding the stars is that if the water is saturated with heavy metals or pollutants, don’t expect your plants to thrive.

There are many rules in medical astrology about what planets and signs govern different diseases, organs, and bodily functions. One of the best-known ancient sayings in Astrology states “never pierce with iron the part of the body ruled by the sign the Moon is in.” We take that to mean not to have surgery on the breast or chest when the Moon is in Cancer, the intestines when the Moon is in Virgo, the liver if the Moon is in Sagittarius, the knees when the Moon is in Capricorn, or the feet when the Moon is in Pisces.

Of course, under some conditions we cannot afford to indulge these rules. For example, a soldier with a chest wound in a battle wants the medic to pierce the chest to stop the bleeding regardless of whether the Moon is in Cancer or wherever. Those with a liver injury in need of urgent care want the caregiver to cut into the liver area to pack the wound, whether the Moon is in Sagittarius or some other sign.

While Full Moons are not an ideal time for any surgery, if we have an accident and must have surgery during a Full Moon, we’re better off having the procedure then rather than wait for “the right time,” since in waiting we can make it worse through neglect, or even die while we’re waiting for the Moon to be “in the right sign with the right aspects.” When it’s time for scheduling surgery, we get the best day we can despite the limitations of circumstances.

As you can surmise, there are always human factors in why anything happens, which is why even great astrological positions and aspects cannot override “real world” human behavior or conditions. (As an aside, neither can affirmations, regardless of what some believe.) Neither astrological conditions nor sincere affirmations can make someone tell the truth or make a judge give a fair and just ruling if they’re corrupt. Real world bribery and deal making override even the best of astrological factors and sincere affirmations.

In the last presidential election I had the misfortune of dealing with a couple of predictive astrologers who bragged that they had predicted the winner of that election using astrology. While one can see the outcome of contests, in the case of election 2016 there was the factor of widespread cheating by Republicans in swing states through stripping voter rolls of millions of legal voters via “crosscheck.” This is easily verified by research.

So I asked them where in their calculations the cheating factor was indicated. I wanted to know what in their analysis indicated specific voter disenfranchisement in the swing states that changed the election outcome by stripping a million legal voters creating a victory margin of less than 80 thousand votes total in 3 states. They of course found reasons to insult me rather than answer the question.

I believe that anyone who can predict a “winner” of a contest should be able to see if there was cheating involved in that victory, since “real world” cheating always overrides astrological factors. If the wheels are rigged, don’t count on being a winner regardless of the positions of the Moon, Jupiter or whatever.

However, all “real world” conditions taken into account, we should not schedule surgery on the feet while the Moon’s in Pisces, since there very well could be problems. Over the years, I’ve known several people who had knee surgery during Moon in Capricorn, and none had good results. It’s always better to have dental work on the lower jaw after the Moon in Taurus.

If you must have surgery, please consult for the best planetary positions. If you have any slack at all about when it’s done do not have surgery when the Moon is in the sign ruling that part of the body! This is how to use free will to cooperate with “fate.”

Choice is everything. If you have a ruptured abscess in your jaw, you take what you can get when you can get it. There are no options there. But if you are not in urgent need of immediate surgery, then you should plan your times carefully for best results. I have helped countless people over the years with very good results.

Predicting the Future Is Less Helpful Than Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills

Because time is an unending stream of perceptions and possibilities, we believe we have a wide latitude of acting at any given time. And yet we cannot act in a way which is contrary to our core. By referencing the “inner knowing” at crucial junctions of fate and free will, we can know what to do, or not do, and when.

As we stay centered and present in the NOW, we can divert destructive tendencies and cultivating the constructive potential. As we block the negatives and bring forth the positives, we shape the future. Even when the outcome is unknown, we always have the power to steer our “ship of personality” toward the destination we choose, as long as that choice aligns with our Higher Self.

I believe it’s healthy to be a little skeptical when someone predicts a thing with absolute certainly. Definitely take note if it involves people or external factors who have the ability to stop something from happening. I’ve also learned to beware of all who believe their own press releases. Definitely be skeptical of those who tout only their alleged accuracy while ignoring how many times they got things wrong.

In any case, if you’re consulting an astrologer about the timing on a crucial choice in life, make sure the astrologer is actually grounded in real world experience and knows the real world factors involved. Otherwise you may find yourself being hustled to buy a bridge in San Francisco (or a house with rotten pipes and black mold) because “it’s a good deal and a great time for you to make investments.” In these times we get to examine what part our desire mind played in our choices which didn’t turn out as we hoped.

There are many times when we can be reasonably sure that something probably will or won’t happen. As we become more aware of real world factors, then we become clearer about the outcome. Just about everything is more dependent on “real world” factors than any transits to a birth chart. However, if an opportunity or an action is good and true for us, then usually the positions and aspects will indicate that and we can act with confidence.

A good or bad position or aspect never takes away our power to steer our course. We can always turn frustration into inner peace and calm confidence, turn confusion into clarity, turn uncertainty into a plan, and find productive ways to advance our interests, even when the astrological indicators could be better.

Seeing the potential plus applying our power to act in practical ways usually yields productive results. Even if they’re not the ones we expected, each effort brings forth skills and insights that will serve us in the future. Never underestimate how a current effort will yield unanticipated favorable results in the future.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

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