I sincerely want to hear others' opinions and feelings.

For a long time, I have been troubled by such a question: the ability to predict or sense the future, is it a blessing or a curse? Or is it a self-fulfilling prophecy, falling into traps set by one's own mind?

I remember what Guido Bonatti said, that things which can be predicted have the chance to be changed, and it is the unpredictable that constitutes fate.

However, my personal experiences tell me that, despite being able to predict and sense things in advance, there are situations (especially unpleasant ones) from which I or others cannot escape.

I feel like someone bound by the chains of destiny.

I wonder if others have had similar feelings and experiences.

Before I delved into astrology, I often found myself able to predict what others would say next and anticipate their behaviors and actions. However, for the most part, I kept to myself and didn't interact much with others. I have always been someone who enjoys solitude, and my closest childhood friend was a duck my family kept.

I have over a decade of experience helping people with online fortune-telling. I don't particularly like doing natal chart readings because they rarely provide feedback. I prefer using horary charts.

Sometimes, even through a screen, I can discern the appearance of the other person, details like scars on their body, and there are moments when both the other person and I find it quite mysterious. (Sometimes, it's not based on astrological rules; it's more like I can "see" things.)

I feel quite perplexed by this ability I have.

1. I feel like I'm an ordinary person, very ordinary even, to the point that I might be less skilled in survival than the average person. I'm unsure of what survival skills to learn for employment purposes. I have minimal work experience, and if I calculate it seriously, my total work experience might not exceed two years.

2. I am afraid of this ability. I don't know if this predictive skill is an angel or a devil. I don't like using this ability for financial gain (speculation), and I also dislike manipulating others with it. I feel that my inner self is filled with fear.

3. Being a professional astrologer makes me feel distressed. Every time I do a reading for someone, it feels like I am casting a spell on them. If the person encounters something good, I am happy, but if they face challenges, I feel extremely uneasy. I often find myself saying comforting words that go against my true feelings. In summary, it's uncomfortable, and that's why I've currently suspended my divination consultations. Especially with paid consultations, I feel uneasy, and customers often end up comforting me instead.

4. However, I still want to hone this ability because I feel that my life needs an outlet. I've tried finding other outlets, but I either lack interest or cannot sustain them. Only predicting the future gives me a sense of interest and perseverance.

5. I would like to find companions who share similar experiences so that my mood could improve, and I could feel understood by others.

6. Sometimes, I feel like a sinister sorcerer playing a game that only gods should play, observing humans (guinea pigs) to see if they can escape their destinies.

7. Previously, when others criticized astrology or when my predictions were wrong, I felt uneasy and self-doubt crept in. However, I find myself less prone to self-doubt now. While I still make mistakes, I feel like I am gaining clearer insights. I'm unsure if this is a good or bad thing.

8. At times, I feel like I'm living in a dream, and at other times, I feel like an imposter. I excel at self-deception. I sense that it might take a lifetime for me to examine and validate myself.

9. I'm not sure if other astrologers or prophets experience similar struggles. I feel burdened by these challenges and self-doubt.

10. In reality, every profession involves predictions, and I don't need to view forecasting as something so crucial and terrifying. Just like everything has two sides, a knife can be used for harm or to save a life. Since I have been given this ability, there must be a way to restrain me, preventing self-inflation and self-destruction. I don't need to overthink it; I just need to earnestly learn, specialize, and utilize my abilities. The good witch from the South (actually just Dorothy herself) will help and protect Dorothy.

May I ask whether the ability to predict or sense the future is a blessing or a curse?

ChatGPT: The ability to predict or sense the future is a complex concept that has been explored in various ways in literature, philosophy, and popular culture. In reality, humans do not possess such a supernatural ability, and predicting the future with certainty remains beyond our current scientific understanding.

However, if we were to consider this as a hypothetical scenario, it could be both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, having the ability to foresee future events might allow individuals to make better-informed decisions, avoid potential dangers, and plan for upcoming challenges. It could provide a sense of security and control over one's life.

On the other hand, knowing the future could also be a burden. The anticipation of negative events or the inability to change certain outcomes might lead to anxiety and stress. It could impact personal freedom and the spontaneity of life, as individuals might feel constrained by the predetermined course of events.

In many narratives, the idea of knowing the future is often accompanied by moral and ethical dilemmas. It raises questions about free will, the consequences of altering the course of events, and the responsibility that comes with such knowledge.

Ultimately, whether the ability to predict the future is considered a blessing or a curse depends on individual perspectives and the specific context in which it is explored.

Wei,
A blessing and a curse, yes.
For this reason, I never read the chart of people close to me. At most, it helped me understand and maybe 'suggest' them to go in a certain direction when they had a concern... without telling them that I was looking at the stars!
And even for myself. After spending years of looking at my chart when I started doing astrology, I barely know where the planets are every other day.
And you remember the story about the Middle Age astrologer who foresaw that his life was endangered by lions.
I am paraphrasing the story here...
He said to himself, I am going to retreat in a place where I will be secure. He went to an hotel as he arrived at the doorstep, the sign of the hotel fell on his head and he died. The name of the hotel was 'The Lion,s Gate'.


Ouranos

wei

i think you are in the wrong line of work.. and i think you think too much... it might be better for you to spend time meditating... if you continue to write - maybe fiction writing would be a better line of activity... sounds like you are not in sync with yourself or with life more generally speaking.. still your mind and see if a higher purpose is revealed in the process.. cheers james

Wei wrote: I remember what Guido Bonatti said, that things which can be predicted have the chance to be changed, and it is the unpredictable that constitutes fate.

Wei,

As I’m sure you know, people often resort to seeking astrological counsel when something is troubling them. In this sense, the role of an astrologer can be compared to that of a doctor.

Regardless of where one stands on the fate vs. free will debate, one thing that is certainly fated for us all is that we will eventually die. Doctors deal with this fact of life all the time and have a long history of having to do so. Perhaps we can learn something from them?

I’m not sure how it works in other countries, but I know that doctors here in the US take an initiatory oath before beginning to practice. At one time, it was the Hippocratic oath, but as times have changed, the oath has been updated or disregarded in favor of others. Still, the basic promise to practice ethically underlies one’s entrance into the profession.

Doctors can make an educated guess about how long a sick patient will live, but most know better than to make any predictions about exactly how long. A correct prognosis, unlike a prediction, includes prescribing remedies and giving a range of chances of life based on relevant information. I think most would shudder at the idea of “playing God” in the sense that they tell the patient they have no options. As astrologers, we should probably be wary of doing that, too.

If the task of astrological counsel is weighing this heavily on you, perhaps James has a point in his sensing you might need to step back from it for a while and find balance somehow. There's nothing wrong with taking a break. I don't mean to say you should step away from astrology completely, as it's obvious that you feel called to it deep within yourself. There are other ways to engage with astrology than just predicting for or counseling others. All I'm saying is, maybe you'd find benefit in shifting your focus for a while.

Well, I don't think you are in the wrong line or work, or that you think too much Wei, but these are provocative and difficult questions to raise for debate (and prefect for the philosophical theme of this forum).
How about revisiting what you wrote and replacing the word 'prediction' for 'insight' throughout. No one knows to what extent being more informed can help steer and change the course of events, but it is certain that some events cannot be avoided by pre-knowledge. Is it good to have more insight into things? Usually, yes, but we are all fallible human beings working through our own issues, and there are few of us capable of carrying the burden of having too much insight. Like Ouranus I don't like to probe into too many things - I wait for situations that I am 'charged' with looking into, then the rest of it, I keep my astro-eyesight blurry. Being emotionally prepared to keep a balance in any situation, good or bad, is the better way to go. It is a predictable fact that everyone is going to suffer hardship, disappointment, grief and loss at times - we cannot avoid this for all the insight in the world, but we can make ourselves prepared and keep our expectations realistic (not overstretch at times that we can see are going to be challenging, etc). That seems more in line with how ancient astrologers expected astrological insight to prove useful.

Thank you all for your responses.

James' suggestion regarding my fiction writing actually reflects his views on my personality. He seems to believe that through literary creation, especially by creating characters and controlling the story and the fate of the characters from a god-like perspective, I can gain a sense of control. He may perceive a certain weakness in my character and a feeling of powerlessness towards life.

Literary creation can indeed be a means of self-expression and exploration, allowing me to wield more control in a fictional world while also mirroring my perspectives on reality and its challenges.

Haha, I'm not quite sure if I understand his intentions correctly.

Based on the feedback I've received from everyone, it seems that, except for Ouranos, others don't have too much trouble in this regard...

Jason, there's something I'd like to share with you, and perhaps you already know about it. In the past, I used to think that medicine was quite magical. It seemed like those tiny pills had their own GPS or intelligence, navigating to the areas of our ailments to heal us. Later, I came to realize that many medications actually stimulate our own immune system, and our bodies inherently possess the ability to fight diseases. If you're interested, you might want to check out Pharmacology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacology

Biological activity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_activity

The efficacy of drugs is determined through experience and the results of actual human experiments. No wonder there's a legendary tale in China about Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shennong

Deb, I appreciate your precise choice of words. I remember Robert Zoller also saying similar words – that the purpose of astrology is to prepare us mentally.

wei

i don't know you.. you are the only one who can know what to do on some basic level. maybe jason has it better with the idea of stepping back from what you are doing for a respite or something... regardless - i wish you well and peace of mind.. cheers james.

I recently encountered an example firsthand.

Six days ago (December 12th), I tried to purchase Astro Gold (because I needed it to calculate and display the midpoints of TNPs). However, despite several attempts, I was unable to make a successful payment.

I contacted the payment platform, but the customer service staff couldn't help me resolve the issue.

I also wrote to Astro Gold, but received no response.

I posted on Astro Gold's Facebook page seeking help, but no one replied.

It wasn't until just now (December 18th) that Astro Gold responded, providing an alternative payment platform. I successfully made the payment!

Patience was necessary. The moon (the payment platform) had to leave ( separating from) Saturn (obstacle) and enter (applying to ) Jupiter's light (liberation-luck) for the payment to succeed. Moreover, it was even more favorable than the previous discounted price.

Wei wrote: Based on the feedback I've received from everyone, it seems that, except for Ouranos, others don't have too much trouble in this regard...

I just read my response again and can see that I never really answered the question. I paid more attention to how uneasy I thought you were about the subject in your first post. Now that I've read this whole thread again with your new thoughts, I realize I may have taken what you wrote as more dramatic or upsetting for you than you meant. I was only trying to help you deal with that.

Like Ouranos and Deb, I don't keep much of an eye (or mind) on where the planets are from day to day. If something comes up, say for instance I feel a nasty attitude in myself sticking around for a full day, or just get a sense of a major "shift" in the environment or my outlook, (which happened to me recently) I will probably look to see what the astrology of the moment might offer in the way of insight, but I don't go looking ahead to try and guess or predict what this or that transit or timelord shift will bring. That's just asking for trouble in my experience. I have a wild imagination. lol. Now that's not to say I'm not aware of the slower transits that I'm under, like right now, Saturn has been on my ASC ruler for almost a year while Uranus has simultaneously been on my ASC - as an astrologer I know what the general indications are for those things - but still I don't assume that THIS or THAT is going to happen. I've had enough experience with symbol-reading to see how it can give a general gist of situations, but the specifics can vary wildly. So I just live my life and see what happens. If anything, it makes me curious to see what happens - what will life throw at me that is represented in these symbols, and how will I respond. One of the ways I find this foreknowledge and curiosity useful is that when the symbols do arise, I have a better chance of responding to them thoughtfully rather than reactively.

Another thing I noticed is that you mention being a "professional" astrologer. I can only guess that that means you might feel responsible for having to always have an eye on the sky weather. I can't relate to that because I'm not a "professional" astrologer - I have a day job which I rely on for survival, so astrology for me is just an Art I have as a hobby. I consider myself an enthusiast, if anything. I've thought about what it might be like to try and become a professional, to make my bread and butter doing astrology, but realize the idea just isn't for me. I love astrology too much to have picking it up and spending time with it be anything in my life but a choice. If it were to become an obligation or pressure, I know myself well enough to know I'd start to form stress around it and begin to resent that pressure. Not doing it professionally also allows me the space to choose when and for whom I practice. I can say no to people and refer them to others. That's very important, as I've noticed a lot of people will come to you more often than I think they should once you've read for them once. And also because friends and family will be calling about every little thing asking me to cast a chart - and unless it's something that's actually a big deal I can be like, "sorry, no, I don't have time" but still listen to their issue and offer a quick piece of advice if they want one. I prefer that. I'm a person who benefits from knowing my boundaries. I had no boundaries when I was younger.

So I guess the point of all my rambling here is to say, yes I do juggle this question of blessing or curse. You're not alone there. I've gotta get going for now, but am happy to meet you back here and continue this discussion if you have more to say. Take care. :)

Wei,
One of the thing I discovered over time with astrology is that the four temperaments do not have the same approach with the past and the future.
Sanguines and cholerics will approach astrology with curiosity and then brush it over quickly or peruse reading material on it.
Phlegmatics and melancholics (especially these guys!) will be analytical, earthy and probing about the subject.
I read a study, can't remember where, that the vast majority of astrologers are melancholic. And this is why we have to be careful about the words we choose.
And it is always better to have a sensitive approach like a waiter ushering the guest to their table during a consultation. To make them 'feel' what is happening. To 'engage' them in the change. To 'listen', to 'listen' and to 'listen'.
I told in another post when for 2 years, I stopped doing consultations. Now, some people were still asking me for a reading and I was telling them: OK, you come and you tell me who you are and what you expect your future to be. I would just nod when they were talking about their spouse and what they expected their next move to be. And to tell you that I have learned so much on astrology during these 2 years. I had a free consultation on what the symbols means... without trying to find a justification in my books.
For a blessing or a curse is how you handle changes in your life. Astrology can be difficult to handle at times because of the 'inherent nature' of the writings of our melancholic ancestors and every astrologer out there will tell you that the language we use needs to be reassembled with a more positive outlook.
Don't try to follow your dreams. Just ask where they are going and hook up with them later.

Blessings!
Ouranos

I once thought I was the most miserable person in the world.

So, I kept searching for misery in others.

Later, I found misery in others.

Then I began to think I was the luckiest person in the world.

And so, I started looking for luck in others.

Eventually, I found luck in others.

Then,

I finally stopped...

I came across a passage written by Vettius Valens, and it resonates with my current state of mind. (Hellenistic Astrology, Chris Brennan)

Those who engage in the prediction of the future and the truth, having acquired a soul that si free and not enslaved, do not think highly of fortune, and do not devote themselves to hope, nor are they afraid of death, but instead they live their lives undaunted by disturbance by training their souls to be confident, and neither rejoice excessively in the case of good, nor become depressed in the case of bad, but instead are content with whatever is present. Those who do not desire the impossible are capable of bearing that which is preordained through their own self-mastery; and being estranged from all pleasure or praise, they become established as soldiers of fate.

-VETTIUS VALENS c. 175 CE