Friday, February 4, 2011

To know or not to know

What astrology can tell you is what you will encounter in the future so that you can be better prepared. Some people take it with a positive attitude. Some others blame astrology for planting the seed of fear in their minds creating self-fulfilling profecy.

Once I told a client to be careful with her health particularly towards a certain part of her body. Well, she blamed me after one year that my advice made her thinking of the possibility of getting sick and finally she was diagnosed to have a tumor in that particular area of her body.

To know or not to know, that is her question.

To tell or not to tell, that beomes my question.

JY

5 comments:

Antje said...

Dear Joseph,

You said:
"What astrology can tell you is what you will encounter in the future so that you can be better prepared."

My question here is:
Where do you see the difference between astrology and fortune telling if there is any?



In my opinion the most important question is “HOW to tell/communicate” something to the client. Communication is something quite complex…

According to my observation for many years now a lot of what is communicated in metaphysics today is much more for the ego or entertainment of the astrologer/diviner/Feng Shui practitioner than for the use of the clients.

I´m glad that I´m not the only one with seeing issues in communication. I´ve also seen recently i.e. Heluo writing something about this topic on his blog and I agree on what he was writing. Although I think some things need to be changed even more radical in terms of communication than he suggested.

To tell somebody “You need to be careful with your health towards a certain part of the body” is no useful advise IMO. “To be careful” can mean absolutely everything and finally the client won´t know what to do at all. So all those “general” advises easily cause fears or even panic to do something wrong without really knowing what exactly to do to stay healthy.

As a matter of fact the “advise” to be careful with health fits to everybody. Everybody needs to be careful with the health of every part of his/her body all the time. But what does it mean in practice? The cause of the possible sickness would need to be avoided or eliminated. But then the cause needs to be known and communicated properly to prevent the sickness.

When the astrologer can´t give exact/precise advises than imo it´s of no use to tell the client at all. Then it´s only a boost for the ego of the astrologer/diviner and it´s not better than simple "fortune telling".

It would be totally different to give precise advises like i.e. "to quit smoking" or "eat less fat" etc. This is much more helpful guidance (in case it´s truely the cause of the health issue).

Several years ago you also told me “I need to be careful in a certain year” but without telling in what exactly to be careful. And I also told you already that this hasn´t been of any use for me.
Sorry, but I agree with your client that such general "advise" only causes fears or maybe even self-fulfilling prophecy. And according to the “Law of Attraction” such fears might indeed cause really bad things. At least it is definitely no help/guidance to stay healthy.
Longtime fears cause a constant boost of adrenaline, higher blood pressure, tense muscles etc. (= stress for mind & body). And nobody can tell me that this is causing a better health in the long run...

I write that really from the bottom of my heart that the problems with the communication need to be addressed in Chinese metaphysics! The earlier some changes in communication start – the better!!! And finally there is a lot of stuff what needs to be tested first with more longtime obversation and research...


Antje

P.S. I know I will get attacked by some colleagues for critizing what you say - especially in public - but I find your blog post/your attitude sounds pretty disrespectful towards the experiences of your client. The health topic is something very special and delicate! A lot of the research in Chinese metaphysics is just in it´s baby shoes and more longtime surveillance is needed and being open minded to peoples longtime reactions is essential as well - and not just towards their positive reactions!

Joseph Yu said...

Dear Antje,

According to Wikipedia, astrology is the means to perform fortune telling. Fortune telling is to predict the future.

The presentation of predicting the future is important. For example, in Shakespear's Julia Caesar, a soothsayer warned, "Beware the Ides of March!" This means something aweful is coming but the result has not been disclosed. The outcome can be changed if handled properly.

If the soothsayer predicts that Caesar will be stabbed to death, then the outcome cannot be changed if the fortune telling is "accurate". An accurate prediction is useless. It only creates despair in this case.

On the other hand, when I told my client to be careful about her health pointing at certain parts of her body, what she should do is to consult her doctor on a regular basis to get professional advice. You must understand that I am not a doctor and am not in the position to give medical advice.

Likewise, if I predict that a client's marriage is in danger because of a man going after her, it is up to her how to handle the situation. I can give no further advice because she has her choice. I can only ask her to analyse the possible outcomes according to her reaction.

Note that an astrologer cannot play god. His duty is to provide a sketch of the future. The client has to add colors and details to get the outcome.

Communication is a two-way process. When I told my client to be careful about certain things, if this something is about health, she should consult a doctor to get professional advice. If it is about marriage and relationship, she should make wise decision herself because I already told her the possible outcome if the situation is not handled properly.

Astrology is for someone with wisdom to know where to get exact/precise advice. This usually does not come from an astrologer. It is irresponsible on the part of an astrologer to provide exact/precise medical advice.

I don't recall when I told you to be careful about certain year as there is no record of a consultation. As I said, communication is a two-way process. Who is to blame if a one-way advice is not understood?

JY

Mary Catherine Bax said...

Dear Antje,

Astrology can be compared to the study of weather as each tries to understand the timing and intensity of the force that comes from above.

Is there a meteorologist who is even 75% accurate?

If you know a blizzard is coming and you stock you home with firewood and food, you can handle the storm much better than someone who ignored the forecast and decided to take a road trip only to be stranded on the highway.

Sadly, Joseph's client who blames his advice on her illness, probably blames her life on everyone else but herself.

There are those who seek astrologers confusing them with psychics, not for wisdom but as you as said for entertainment purposes, so as to escape from the soul work that is required to discover their destiny, to ask the questions why are they here, what is the purpose of their life. They seek readers more as busy work than advice. Sadly, they only want to hear they will be wealthy without having to work and the abusive man in their life will change. They aren't interested in knowing their true self or setting aside their pride to make peace with others.

In ancient times when astrology was revered it was used for the most important decisions for mankind, when to go to war, to plant a field, to marry. Did it help make a better a culture?

Joseph,
I want to thank you for all the advice you have given me on my 4 Pillar chart over the years.
You pointed out the obstacles I have in life that were of my own making and gave me advice how to smooth them out.
And for the advice you gave me last year, I paid attention to what friends said about finances and was able to tap into some wealth with resource.

Mary

Antje said...

Dear Joseph, dear Mary,

History tells that Titus Vestricius Spurinna´s “advice” "Beware the Ides of March!" didn´t help Julius Caesar anything. He was killed.

But it has to be mentioned that Spurinna´s advice was valid for an accurately predicted single day.

Furthermore it is not too difficult to “behave” carefully on a single day. But it turns into something quite impossible when getting told “Be careful!” without any period of time which has obviously been the case with your client. Then the mind starts indeed concentrating on a possible “problem” for a very long time and manifesting it´s true appearance much more easily.

BTW what about the case when Spurinna would have told instead: “Beware the Ides of March! Don´t attend the session of the Senate - otherwise you will be killed!”?

That would be an accurate fortune telling without telling the outcome. The advantage here would be the given period of time as well as the “nature” of the possible serious danger. In that case Julius Caesar could have organized some more “bodyguards” or could have cancelled the session of the Senate etc.
IMO “Beware the Ides of March!” also doesn´t communicate well the seriousness of the danger. Furthermore Julius Caesar probably did not pay anything for the soothsayer´s prediction and it´s likely that he didn´t take it seriously because it was not requested. The text I was reading tells that Julius Caesar made a disrespectful comment towards Spurinna and his advice.


Of course an astrologer is not necessarily a doctor or any other professional educated healer and is therefore not allowed to give medical advices. But nevertheless the whole Chinese metaphysics deals with psychological important stuff. And here I see room for improvements of communication.
I just think such general way of communication isn´t optimal as it causes longtime fears because of its uncertainty.

A lot of people also have the habit to say “be careful (with XY)” to anybody. And surely everybody has already tried “to be careful” with anything. The result is often when trying to be more careful than usually someone gets even more nervous. Actually it also communicates in a subtle way the fear of the person who gives such advices, especially when mothers tell that to their kids.


Antje


P.S. @ Joseph: I hope your client stays as strong as possible now in that situation. Western medicine is already quite far with treating cancer. And sometimes the worst times may lead to the best experiences – already seen…

Mary Catherine Bax said...

Dear Joseph and Antje,

I don't find the "Law of Attraction" to be this powerful force in the universe. Simply, if people are filled with worry and fear, they will make poor and hasty decisions. If they remain calm and positive, they make better decisions.

To suggest that sound advice to seek early medical attention can make you ill is ridiculous.

It is no surprise the blame game is found in the New Age "ME" metaphysics where I don't see much mention of personal responsibility.

Joseph, if you hadn't told her about the illness you saw in her chart and she told you about the tumor, wouldn't the guilt be worse knowing you could have given her life saving advice or give her the opportunity to prepare for her journey to the other side?

Sigh...no easy job being an astrologer.

Mary