In the iconic scene from “The Matrix,” Neo faces a life-altering choice: the blue pill or the red pill. The blue pill promises a peaceful, untroubled existence within the Matrix’s comfortable illusion. The red pill, however, beckons him towards a harsh truth – the world beyond the simulation. This choice mirrors the path of delving into astrology. The red pill in The Matrix symbolizes engaging with astrological knowledge. It’s a chance to face the mysteries of the cosmos and potentially take hold of your destiny. It’s a challenging path, often met with skepticism from those who view it as mere superstition. Yet, for those who embark on it, the initial exploration can be transformative, sparking a sense of awakening and self-discovery. But like Neo, some may find the new reality revealed by the red pill unsettling. Just as some might yearn for the blissful ignorance of the Matrix, even powerful knowledge can be a burden.

Greek mythology offers a stark parallel. Prometheus, the ultimate rebel, defied the gods by gifting humanity with forbidden knowledge – fire. He paid dearly, chained and tortured. Yet, fire transformed our lives. This echoes the astrologer’s burden – revealing truths that can be uncomfortable, like the potential consequences of our choices. While the stars may influence our world, true change comes from individual awakening and our impact on the collective consciousness. Think of it as a red pill for humanity – a jolt of awareness that empowers us to shape our own destinies. But astrology, much like the red pill itself, faces a skeptical world. It clashes with religion, science, and even some spiritual circles. Yet, astrology persists, a testament to its enduring appeal.

It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it? Astrology has weathered skepticism for millennia, a constant source of fascination and debate. Perhaps it’s the sheer audacity of the idea – a connection between the planets and our lives. This pursuit of meaning throws open the doors to profound questions: are we truly free to choose, or are we bound by fate? And ultimately, what is the essence of reality? Astrology, in its own way, challenges us to question everything we thought we knew.

It’s a daily battle for those who practice astrology, but hey, at least they don’t have to dodge bullets. 

Take the Blue Pill:

When uncertainty looms around every corner, it’s pretty tempting to just throw our hands up and say, “I’ll stick with what I know.” Ignorance whispers sweet nothings in our ears, telling us not to rock the boat, to keep our heads down, and just go with the flow. Society’s always nudging us to fit into the neat little boxes it’s created, urging us to give up our individuality for the sake of blending in. It’s like this gravitational pull toward safety and approval, making it easier to just nod along with the crowd and let authority figures call the shots. But when we cave to that pressure, we risk losing what makes us unique. Our thoughts and values start to blur into this bland, collective mush, and suddenly, we’re just another face in the crowd. So, yes, blending in might seem comfy at first, but it’s a slippery slope to losing sight of who we really are and what we truly believe in.

Take the Red Pill:

As we venture into uncharted territories, a whole new world of enlightenment awaits. We’re shedding old skins and stepping into a realm where perception is clearer, unveiling the grand design of existence itself. But let’s be real, this journey isn’t going to be an easy one. We’ll face moments of solitude, doubt, and maybe even a healthy dose of criticism from those who aren’t quite ready for the unknown. Their skepticism might throw us off course, but hey, we’re not alone in this awakening. There are fellow travelers among us, in these uncharted waters alongside us, all seeking the same higher truths. So, as we say goodbye to the old world, let’s welcome the awakening of consciousness with open arms. The lessons we learn and the transformations we undergo shape our existence. They empower us to rise above the ordinary and venture into realms of extraordinary possibility.

The Astrologer, the Counsellor, and the Priest: Two Seminars on Astrological Counselling by Liz Greene and Juliette Burke addresses many of the topics covered here.

Which Pill will you choose?

The Red Pill Popping People

Liz Greene: It depends on what you mean by “real.” The zodiac doesn’t exist in concrete terms. It is the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth, which we have divided into twelve segments; each segment is assigned an image and a set of meanings and behaviour patterns. But the zodiac doesn’t exist in the sense that there are animals floating out there. So, on one level, the whole system is not real. This table we’re sitting at now is the kind of thing that we define as real. If you take reality as something subtler, and you approach reality as being the connections, links, resonances, or correspondences between things, then, yes, these patterns are real. But there is no way that they can be measured in a quantifiable sense, according to instruments of so-called reality. When you ask me that, the whole problem is that I don’t know what you mean by real. Or, rather, I do know what you mean, but if Richard Dawkins asked, “Is it real?” he would mean something quite different by “real” than I do.

Nick Campion: I was using “real” in the Richard Dawkins sense.

Liz Greene: In that sense, no, astrology is not real. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist or that it is not valid, but in his sense, no, I don’t think astrology is real. I believe there is an objective patterning or interconnectedness or unity of some kind or a set of resonances. You can use any phrase you like, whether it is mystical or hermetic or any other language you fancy. And it does exist outside us. It’s not just in the perceptions of astrologers.

Astrology is just a finger pointing at reality. ~Steven Forrest.

All anyone can see in a birth chart are tendencies that will become facts if he does not do something to alter them. ~Isabel Hickey

The Blue Pill Popping People…

Carl Sagan coined the phrase that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” What this means in practice is that if a claim is not very strange or extraordinary when compared to what we already know about the world, then not a lot of evidence is needed in order to accept the claim as likely to be accurate. On the other hand, when a claim very specifically contradicts things which we already know about the world, then we would need quite a lot of evidence in order to accept it. Why? Because if this claim is accurate, then a lot of other beliefs which we take for granted cannot be accurate. If those beliefs are well-supported by experiments and observation, then the new and contradictory claim qualifies as “extraordinary” and should only be accepted when the evidence for it outweighs the evidence we currently possess against it. Astrology is a perfect example of a field characterized by extraordinary claims. If distant objects in space are able to influence the character and lives of human beings to the degree alleged, then fundamental principles of physics, biology and chemistry which we already take for granted cannot be accurate. This would be extraordinary. Therefore, quite a lot of very high-quality evidence is required before the claims of astrology could possibly be accepted. The lack of such evidence, even after millennia of research, indicates that the field is not a science but rather a pseudoscience. Atheism. com

As a predictor of the future, astrology just does not work either. Many studies have been made, and the results show that it is no more accurate than chance would have it. Astrology is deceptive in that it takes away our free will and gives it to the motion of the planets. Astrology is a relic of past ignorance. It is bad to keep believing in stuff that is not logical and does not work. If it really were true astrologers would rake in the money by playing the stock markets and would not waste time doing people’s charts. Sorry, personalities develop from many variables and the location where you were born and the stars and planet locations have nothing to do with it. Deeper Mind.com