Reflections on a current astrological reality- From my book “Believe or know Astrology� When we analyze history, we see the existence of ruptures at various levels in society, emerging new paradigms that have brought new ways of thinking and consequently new ways of seeking to solve the problems of the world. Whether we want to believe it or not, we live in a world in permanent change and the transformations are constant and mark periods of transition, signaling qualitative leaps as a collective experience. Perhaps for this reason the astrologers are patient, for they perceive that everything returns to a point of return, everything is discovered, to be used in its fullness, then to abandon and fall into oblivion, to discover again. It is part of the time, of the zeitgeist (German term whose translation means spirit of the time, spirit of time or sign of the times). This does not mean, however, that as Astrology is a denigrated knowledge, it should be allowed to continue this way, because eventually its time will come, but first of all we must do what we can with the inheritance left to us and seek to bequeath it A little better to the next generation. Fortunately we may be experiencing a paradigm shift or at least a substantial change in some thought patterns that we were maintaining until the crisis period that began in 2008 and spurred by the harbinger of the new age of Aquarius, well known to astrologers. Which is not to say that we are already in this ERA. It is increasingly evident and pronounced the interest of people of various studies and of various ages by the astrological proposal. There is a community that has grown, made up of interested people, students and professionals, also these teachers and who give continuity to the knowledge and make it reach the new stakeholders that always appear, even if irregularly. It is the effect of a growing demand for other explanatory models of reality and other frameworks for the role of the human being on the planet in which he lives.
There are many reasons that explain the phenomenon and perhaps one of the most significant is the recognition of the state of convulsion and exhaustion that dwells on the surface of an Earth increasingly sick that, by extension, we also feel it in our personal life, in a disorganization And pressure that alerts us to the (in) understanding of how we have lived. This understanding is what drives many people around the world to adhere to knowledges, practices and therapies
that respect the human being in a different way than has hitherto been done, adopting and adapting what were considered old ancestral concepts or knowledges, To approach what they feel to be truly essential in life. It is clear that many others seek Astrology for more practical purposes, but even for these reasons, the intention is always to give fluidity to our lives and provide well-being based on a more objective and functional advice. Therefore, in view of this context, the current astrological community has many responsibilities in the validation of Astrology, while knowledge of depth and general utility. Today, however, much more than in the past, the spread of information and knowledge comes at an incredible speed. The new technological tools and by extension the proximity of each individual with a virtual community that shares their interests, leads many to become interested more and more by Astrology, and may even have the opportunity to take online courses with registration of virtual frequencies and models Transmission and evaluation of contents as effective as those verified in face-to-face. If it is true that, with this, the advantages for the diffusion of Astrology are immense and very exciting, it is also certain that due to the lack of regulation and the inability to discriminate between good and bad formations, The emergence of many "new astrologers" without any type of consolidated formation, making use of sparse knowledge and transmitting them as the best of Astrology. It is noticed the insistence of many astrologers to have a minimum of regulation in the activity, so that there are no indiscriminate offers with lack of professionalism, offering services that are not at all compared to the professional of Astrology that studied and invested its time And money in acquiring skills. This will also allow the client, who does not know the credentials of those who consult, not subject to deception and consequently to disappointment, and which in turn leads to the discredit of
the
true
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therefore
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itself.
The need for a minimum of regulation becomes all the more pressing the greater the incapacity and the feeling of impotence in accompanying the acceleration of the already visible processes and the harmful consequences that such transformations are leading to the later, jeopardizing the future of Astrology while Credible activity. In view of the growth of new astrologers, new
forms of astrology, new or more qualified schools, the community should seriously consider the consequences of this, and this reflection should also include the interested public. . Some issues that need to be addressed are as follows:
• To what extent can we accept two astrologers as true representatives of the class when one of them obtained a certification in 4 weeks and another in 2 years? • To what extent can they be equivalent and present themselves publicly as holders of the same knowledge? • To what extent can schools that passed the certificates be recognized as having provided good service to the professional class and the general public? • To what extent should the trainee require a CCP (Certificate of Pedagogical Competencies), qualifying the trainer? • To what extent should the Ministry of Education reinstate Astrology in universities? • To what extent should Astrology be taught and quantified in learning levels, thus allowing its standardization? • To what extent ... It will be difficult for the public to distinguish between those who had a better education and those who had a more elementary education, since certificates, which are not properly regulated in this area, have the same function: to certify the end of a course . Thus, the great problem here is evidently the de-characterization of Astrology, the subject of which, it is said, is not exhausted in the questions presented, but which also relates to everything that causes Astrology to distance itself more and more from its Foundations and a quality practice to become, on the one hand, a populist astrology, newspaper horoscopes and, on the other hand, an astrology clothed in the magical folklore of medievalism, centered on the force of creating a psychological atmosphere. I speak here also, in the promises that many supposedly practice, in giving predictions and not predictions. I will discuss this later. In this, it is necessary to take into account the diversity of practices and approaches that, so deviant from the foundations of Astrology, are no more than the vanity and creative arrogance of each one, to think that he can shred knowledge and sell it publicly of his own form. As one realizes the implications of these facts that although they are more or less evident or some more preponderant and harmful than others, will not allow Astrology to move towards unity and consensus. The absence of a regulatory system will inevitably lead everyone to go their own way, transmitting an Astrology that will be nothing other than personal, which will make it become more and more a patchwork of flakes completely decoupled from its original source. By original I do not say traditional, since there is a contemporary astrology that emerged from the needs of thousands of astrologers, but as an innate development of knowledge by the awareness that a large number of professionals recognize that there is a need to boost knowledge on a secure basis Of progress. What is censored here refers only to personal
modifications of Astrology based solely on an individual perception of how it should be applied, ignoring a vast bibliography that emphasizes universal conceptions. This framework is still very recurrent when an individual wants to enjoy a service provided by different astrologers can still find a great ambivalence and differentiation in the way they receive it from so different approaches and procedures. This disparity with which Astrology professionals present themselves represents one of the greatest weaknesses of our activity, because so much difference and so much contrasting practice ends up undermining and biasing efforts to build a perfectly limited, cohesive and recognized professional identity. Any person is supposed to be able to approach any astrologer and expect from him a similar professional stance that can be generalized to any other to whom he wishes to appeal. Generalization, on the other hand, does not imply the loss of the originality of the astrologer during the consultation, rather implies that astrologers must take into account the need to cultivate a similar posture in terms of attendance, language, application of techniques, among many others Parameters laid down in the code of ethics and professional ethics. The truth is that if astrologers do not keep in mind that it is necessary to promote general conduct guiding the professional practice of Astrology then it will certainly be difficult to construct a professional identity that can be first recognized by the peers and then accepted and respected By public opinion. It is also true that, in spite of the growing public interest, we cannot remain indifferent to a general opinion which is still very unfavorable to astrologers. This is neither good nor bad, and it is only a fact that we have to bear in mind when we seek to contextualize Astrology in the new times and above all reminds us even more of the vital importance of doing a good job of disseminating good practices Astrological There is a long way to go in this direction and all members of the community have their share in the duty to have their interest and their work respected and the best way to achieve this is by respecting a set of principles that I believe are The most effective in the attempt to raise the quality of Astrology, particularly in the case of interest, of Astrology practiced in Portugal. Isabel GuimarĂŁes www.facesisabelguimaraes.com