ARTICLES OF ASTROLOGERS BOB MULLIGAN « ASTROLOGY , YOGA AND SERVICE »
ARTICLES OF ASTROLOGERS BOB MULLIGAN « ASTROLOGY , YOGA AND SERVICE »
Astrology cannot really be used effectively in our own lives as astrologers unless it touches the core of our being . Astrology reveals the meaning of life and gives us an intelligent pattern of living ; dictating our thoughts , feelings , and actions . As a spiritual path , astrology ultimately leads us toward the goal of life .
Public vs . Private life .
There is a dichotomy between our personal life and our public life . Taking actions meant to maximize the fulfillment of our desires is positive in our personal lives , i . e . we work for things that we want . But , what about our public life ? Does the same set of assumptions apply to decisions in our public life that we have in our personal lives ? No . When you are an elected public official serving for a community of people , you have a new karmic responsibility to put the needs of the group that you represent before your own personal wants .
With a few notable exceptions , OPA has benefited many times by having a group of people on the board that have been able to put their own needs aside while conducting the business of the organization ... does this mean that all was peace and harmony ? No ; well intentioned astrologers can have sincere disagreements of vision , tactics , and meth methods . But , when we all share the underlying motivation , to put the needs of the organization first , something beautiful happens . OPA has grown and prospered only because our mission is clear and the people have been able to put their own egos behind them and work together for the common good ... this is what keeps us vibrant , relevant , and visionary .
Lessons from our history .
In the early days , the organization was relatively safe from parasitic mischief . Famous and not so famous astrologers came and looked at what OPA was doing ... sometimes they even got involved for a while . But , when it became obvious that the organization was going to require time , money , and energy and was not going to be available for personal plunder , they went on . The organization was going to require a lot and was not going to give back very much in the way of material gain or personal prestige . There was nothing to feed one ’ s vanity ; OPA only presented an opportunity to serve the higher needs of the field of astrology . And , for many of us , this was more than enough .
So , what are the choices that have to be made to keep our organization healthy ? A healthy organization is built on the shoulders of healthy astrologers . This means that we need to be working toward success in our own individual practices ; the basic thrust of our work together has to be for our collective good .
The purpose of the organization ( our conferences , publications , retreats , and now certification program ) is so that astrologers would have a method , a systematic manner to help each other to be better astrologers . Only by each of us developing as astrologers can the organization improve so we can live out our destiny to aid in the raising of consciousness on the planet .
So how is it possible to switch between our work in our own practice and our work for the organization ? One way is to separate our time into personal and public . Another way is to separate the people in our daily life ; we have our clients , and we have our colleagues . Again , the ability to separate one thing from another is the quality of using your Saturn correctly . This is to say , we establish correct boundaries ; we wear two hats , so to speak ... we are promoting our business and we are advancing the needs of the organization . When we are reading a chart for a client , looking for new clients , or writing a copy for an advertisement for our business , we are in the mind and motivation of building our business . When we are working to build a conference , a newsletter , or a program for the organization , we can only think of what is good for the whole unit . This state of mind is not so different than what we do in other areas of our lives — we put the needs of our clients before our own when we are in session with them — we sacrifice for our family even when it limits our ability to do things that we want . Requirements of life and profession force us to act beyond our self interest all the time ... the trick of living life consciously is to do this consistently . This is why it is necessary to have this discussion Are we able to do something for OPA without it being a promotion for our own business ? Can we be in a position of decision- making or authority , always keeping the focus on what is in the organization ’ s highest and best interest ? To do so is to tread the path of Karma yoga . There is a saying that the spiritual path is a “ razor ’ s edge ”. It is so narrow as to have almost no dimension . We fall off the path before we realize it . We are all vulnerable to taking this fall through the shortsightedness of our own unconscious desires . Although this organization was my brain child , several other professional astrologers have served selflessly from the very beginning in 1989 . This organization was conceived in and born of the spirit of Karma yoga . Those of us who served at the begin beginning had no illusion of our service doing something for our own practices directly . We were only motivated by the desire to see something good happen for the field of astrology . It has been a pleasure to serve this organization in one capacity or another since our inception . That so many people have stepped forward to give of themselves for the onward development of the field of astrology has continually inspired me personally to want to do more . As a discipline , astrology has continued to improve because we all work together . OPA members emanate this spirit of personal sacrifice for the good of the whole unit . We have a role to play in the greater picture of professional astrology . OPA is practicing real Karma yoga . May our commitment to OPA and to each other be unswerving and absolute . Somebody say , “ Amen ”! •
The Career Astrologer Volume 21 • Number 2 • Spring 2012
24 КАРЬЕРА АСТРОЛОГА | 2 2012