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Hand In Fate

Several years ago it was brought to my attention that I might want to pick up a copy of the April/May 2003 issue of "The Mountain Astrologer" and that it contained Part One of an interesting and curious interview with astrologer Rob Hand.

For those folks who might be clueless as to who Rob Hand is, he has long been considered by the "astrology community at large" (whatever that is) as one of the most distinguished, knowledgeable, and respected astrologers currently living on the planet. I, myself, have long held high regard for the skills and abilities of Rob Hand whom I have admittedly never met in the flesh.

However… I must likewise admit that Mr. Hand has a tendency that I find a wee bit tiresome. It's a tendency of being critical towards those of us who practice Jungian and/or Archetypal astrology.

Sure… I admit that Mr. Hand was a superlative astrologer back in the olden days when I barely knew what my Sun Sign was. Granted… Mr. Hand appears to have an IQ that's at least 40 points higher than mine.

On the other hand… it even things out a wee bit to know that C. G. Jung and other Jungian inclined folks were seriously attempting to study and examine the works of ancient astrologers, alchemists, and philosophers – for example: Maternus Firmicus and Plotinus – long before Rob Hand was a tinkle in his father’s eye.

The Interview
So, anyway, I picked up the Rob Hand interview. As expected, Rob managed to get in a few minor jabs about Jungian and/or archetypal astrology. However… the overall content of the interview was so insightful and interesting that (for the most part) I found myself overlooking the numerous jabs. Before the interview was over… I even found myself saying: "Go, Rob, go! Go, Rob, go! Go, Rob, go!"

By now you’re probably getting a wee bit irked as to what in the heck all of this has to do with "how fated is the future." Unfortunately, I don’t feel comfortable going into any great depth about the content of this "Mountain Astrologer" interview. However, by way of a small taste, I'll share one of the more significant insights brought forth in the interview having to do with predictive astrology.

Keeping An Eye Out For Those Nasty Transits
According to Hand, predictive astrology can be about understanding that:

"the energies of transits… can work themselves out in ways that are quite different from the psychological / behavioral / experiential dimension that most people expect to see… you can reasonably attempt to alter the impact of a transit or indication – by consciously putting the symbolism into your life in a benign way... you give the symbolism all the room it needs - but do it in a way that it is not harmful, difficult, or whatever. In fact, it might be useful and expanding."

"grit your teeth and think pure thoughts, and you’ll come through just fine... it’s an acceptance, a nonresistance to the energy. And I think that the answer to coping with difficult indications lies in that direction. Sometimes you just can’t figure out how to do it. It would if you could just figure it out, but sometimes you can’t."

Hand quotes taken from "Interview with Rob Hand" "The Mountain Astrologer," Issue #108 April/May 2003 Issue