In episode 136 of the podcast astrologer Adam Elenbaas joins the show once again to finish answering some remaining questions we received from listeners over the past few months, as a followup to episodes 133 and 127.
In this episode we covered a lot of different questions, which ranged from discussions about the structure and value of astrological consultations, to questions about how to use the electional charts provided in our forecast episodes.
You can find out more information about Adam on his website at nightlightastrology.com.
Below you will find the show notes with an outline of some of the questions we answered, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast.
Questions Discussed in This Episode
Here are the questions from listeners that we answered or discussed in this episode.
Most of these questions were submitted by patrons of The Astrology Podcast around September or October of 2017.
Cindy Letourneau Â
- I would love to hear specific examples of astrology counseling or interpretations that positively contributed to a client’s understanding of themselves and the world around them.
- Also, how is a counseling session structured?
- What are the challenges and how do you prepare?
- Have you ever done readings that just didn’t hit the mark for the client?
- What are instances in your career that validate your decision to become a professional astrologer, despite the lack of understanding and acceptance in the larger public arena?
Keith Franks
- Because astrology, especially ancient/traditional astrology, posits an entirely different worldview on the way our cosmos works, it seems at odds with our current secular-materialist worldview.
- How do you deal with the cognitive dissonance that arises (if it does at all) in your life because of this?
- This has been touched upon in previous episodes, I think, and will vary from person to person, but I’m curious as to how you guys handle it on more personal, day-to-day basis.
Alec Senese
- My question for the Q&A episode is regarding a planet being under the beams but out of sign. Is the debility active or less so than if they were in same sign? I.e. In a wedding chart the Sun is at 28 Virgo, and Jupiter at 6 Libra.
Katherine White
- Two concepts I don’t feel I have a practical handle on are declination and antiscia.
- How prominently do these factor into your electional work?
- Did discovery of these concepts become game changers for you in your astrological studies (and if so, how?).
- How do examining these points add color or more precision to casting or examining a chart?
James Wade
- I know you guys have discussed Saturn returns before, but since it’s relevant to the upcoming ingress into Capricorn I think discussing the effects of Saturn in Capricorn on those with that natal placement would be interesting to listeners.
Arlene Edmonds
- With a lot of emphasis on the ascendant I was wondering your take on the significance of the descendant, mainly in the natal and progressed charts.
- I wonder if the saying opposites attract has to do with the AC/DC as kind of two sides of the same coin.
Neva Welton
- I’d like to know what kinds of actions people take to get the most out the elections you bring forth.
- You do a great job of saying what and when, but I’m curious how people actually work with them?
Veronica Gledhill
- I think it would be nice to hear more on the common sense application of electional astrology; how does one best use the time, or apply it?
- An election’s application to the natal aside, I think it would be helpful to know definitively what practical application works best for election.
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available:Â Episode 136 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:35:10 — 71.4MB)
Excellent discussion. Brave. Honest. Necessary.
I am, however, sad to hear you–Chris Brennan–admit you are ashamed of your profession.
Have you heard that lecture by Jason Holley, on guilt and shame? It’s quite interesting. Reminds me of your Mercury-Saturn conjunction. He dives into Saturn, social emotions, and the difference b/w guilt & shame.
Anywho, during the lecture — which I should relisten to, as it’s probably my favorite of his — he mentions we actively change our behavior due to guilt/shame a [insert obscene number] each day.
I too have a “shameful” primary profession, so please, I am not judging. I can relate all too well. Certainly it is a process. In my philosophy, however, one must be bold, courageous and honest! Stand for something or fall for anything!
Be proud, Chris. You’re a professional astrologer. There are seven billion people on this planet. No one particularly cares about anyone else, on a grand scale, in part because there are too many people. You must make people care.
That’s what your work is doing. This podcast. The Astrology School. Your social presence.
I am proud of what I do. I am proud to be studying astrology. I couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks.
All astrologers, I believe, walk around with this insecurity. It must be faced, accepted, combated. If you’re not proud, I am proud enough for the both of us.
It is not a matter of being ashamed of my profession, but it is more of an issue of being realistic that approximately 75% of the people I meet are not going to believe that what I do is legitimate, and I’m not really interested in dealing with whatever weird misconceptions that most people have about astrology when I’m just having casual interactions with strangers. When I get to know a person and it actually matters when I say what I do then I don’t really have a problem with being open about that.
As a side note, it is kind of bad form to invoke placements in a person’s birth chart in conversation like this in order to make a point, no matter how well-meaning or justified it may seem, and is not really appropriate most of the time in discussions among astrologers.
Fair enough. Duly noted. My apologies.
Thanks, Chris for your explanation of how you use an astroclock (Solar fire or Astrodienst chart of the moment) to create a kind of ongoing electional chart. These are dandy to download on a cell phone too. Would you consider adding transiting Part of Fortune and Vertex to your astroclock? These points sharpen the focus on events that “just happen,” particularly when they are conjunct,, and ratchet up your predictive ability. I liked your rant on getting too much information by having too many asteroids and such yet I urge you to give these two points some space in your moving chart.
I do usually have the Lot of Fortune in most charts that I cast, but the Vertex is one of those things that I ever really saw working consistently enough to continue incorporating on a regular basis.
What yoga studio do you run, Adam Elenbaas? I am also a yogi and would be interested in attending your studio when I am in the area. I could not find any yoga-related information on your website.
There are many very accomplished and brilliant astrologers who use asteroids by the thousands, centaurs, etc. You might like to look into Martha Lang Westcott, Juan Revilla, Mark Andrew Holmes to name a few…
Love this episode (I’m just catching up on some that I missed when they were posted). So much great wisdom here, thanks to Chris and Adam for a far-reaching and thought-provoking discussion. Among the many highlights, the Adam’s explication of his philosophy in re the evolution of magical materialism and his Stoic/Yogic approach is extremely important. As I’ve continued my questioning about what to do with the chart after we’ve analyzed it, I’ve come to a very similar conclusion, but this is the first time I’ve heard a contemporary astrologer take a stand about it. Fantastic. Thank you, Chris, for your frankness about how it feels to be an astrologer, especially such a public one, these days. I have similar feelings and it’s good to know (a) that I’m not alone, and (b) that a leader in the field wrestles with similar feelings…. As to asteroids, I tend to look only at the major ones, and then only after I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the chart. Then I use them as an overlay, and pay attention to any that fall close to an angle, and/or that conjunct one of the seven traditional planets (rather like a few of the fixed stars, which I’ll also glance at). In my own case, for example, discovering that Juno sits one degree off my MC explained a lot! Thanks very much for a great episode.