Our increasingly mobile culture and lifestyle options open new vistas for life experiences. Astrolocality is a specialized branch of astrology that in essence, takes one’s natal chart and superimposes it on a map of the earth, revealing individualized places of planetary archetypal energies.
Travel, once reserved for the ruling class or camel merchants, is now available to all. What can be more magical than entering the bowels of a giant metallic bird and traveling through time and space to arrive into a previously unexplored environment? Indeed, the very fabric of time seems to be rapidly expanding these days, ever changing, growing, and rushing onward. With all of our power and freedom, we remain quintessentially similar to our ancestors as a species seeking unity with a divine creator. And, we still struggle with issues of ‘fate’; the time and place when a power much larger than ours deals a hand in the card game of life.
The true nature of time and space remains on the forefront of modern physics as a topic that entices some of the most brilliant minds on our planet. A scientific description of time and space, one which measures the qualities of such, results in an objective reality. We accept certain facts of the physical world, such as the measured distance from New York to Boston. And, we generally agree on objective perceptions of time; allowing that it takes one hour to move 60 miles when traveling at 60 MPH. So, objectively, we live in a world where the travel time from New York to Boston is dependent upon our rate of travel to cover the distance. The time of course is variable upon the rate of speed, but the distance remains constant – all objective measurements.
Astrology is an art which attempts to define subjective reality, or one’s personal experience of the mysterious world in which we live. The natal chart is an objective measurement of time, and the astrologer helps by facilitating the subjective qualities of experience. Subjective qualities are perceived and measured on an internal level. In keeping with the objective nature of a natal astrological chart, we cannot change the circumstances of our birth. However, as we move into expanding power and mobility, we can change our life experiences; and that is the basis of relocation astrology- that we can change the subjective nature of our life by invoking the planetary energies associated with geographical location.
Astrolocality has roots in sacred geography which related places on the earth to corresponding areas of the heavens. Sacred geography always required a cosmic center to link the material and mystical spiritual worlds. This sacred center, also known as the omphalos, symbolized an earth location as the center of the cosmos with heaven rising above and the underworld below. This naval or sacred center served as an origination point for life.
The naval center, or omphalos was also the site of what is known as the ‘cosmic axis’, a vertical point of reference running above and symbolically below the earth. The cosmic axis served as a kind of umbilical cord linking the sky gods to the under world and has many different cultural manifestations. One example of a cosmic axis known to most of us is the Maypole. This relic of pagan tree worship originally represented the cosmic axis and the phallic power of the sky god. In any form, the axis represents a magical place where opposites come together and time and space merge.
On a practical level, the sacred center remained a constant for measuring the seasons to help ancients know when to plant or harvest; necessities for survival. Once the navel or earth center was established, it became crucial to establish cardinal directions of north, south, east and west in order to measure and predict reliable solar and lunar cycles. (Some cultures such as the Quechua Indians in Peru aligned to inter cardinal directions such as northeast and southwest.) Cardinal and inter cardinal directions also had a symbolic purpose in the sacred scheme. Directional orientation became the genesis of healing threads allowing for travel and expansion to safely explore both inner and outer worlds. Similarly; the astrological Local Space chart radiates out on the earth horizon giving a visual picture of our individual planetary pathways. Some paths urge exploration and expansion, others may stress growth through responsibilities.
Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world, and medieval European cities were often built around naval stones. The naval is one thing we all have in common! Male or female, regardless of skin color or race, we all share a fundamental biology that brought us into this world. Sadly, it seems today that our sacred earth center is the office coffeepot, the cosmic axis- a tall cold bottle of beer, and our directional healing threads are data bytes inside the World Wide Web. However, even in this era of technology, we still seek to control, or at least understand our existence on earth.
I propose as part of our awakening to an age of enlightenment that every individual has the potential to be a cosmic axis with a sacred center; and that we can use personal planetary influences to help us each weave a web of power. Local Space has both micro and macrocosmic implications. We can move or travel to actual places on the earth that express qualities of our unique planetary signature. More conservatively, we can empower planetary influences in our daily environment. Always, though, we must express respect for our abundant home in a way that honors her contribution to our well being that is outside of time and space.
Next time, we’ll continue with a deeper look into Astrolocality, and add Astro*Carto*Graphy, a modern locational system that takes us far above the planet. Wishing you all a joyous journey.
