Introduction

In recent years, the terms "awakening" and "spiritual awakening" have proliferated in spiritual circles and also in the broader public lexicon. There's a growing sense that we can all become clearer, more present, and more connected to ourselves and each other. Awakening involves the loosening of our identity as a separate self. Instead, we come to experience how we are intimately a part of life itself.

There has been considerable debate throughout recorded history as to whether awakening is a discreet, one-time event or a more gradual, ongoing process. The great Indian sage, Ramana Maharshi, addressed this issue by asking, "When the Sun rises, does the darkness go gradually or all at once?" His view that it's a gradual process is the one that makes sense to me. In this book I'll be discussing awakening as the universal process of becoming more conscious, which unfolds progressively over time.

Awakening is a topic that is relevant for all of us since we're all in the process of becoming more awake and present, whether we know it or not. The main purpose of this book is to place astrology within the context of this universal process. One of the strengths of astrology is the diversity of viewpoints, approaches, and even paradigms which inform our inquiry. This book aims to add to the great buffet table of ideas to consider. I want to spark discussion on the relationship between consciousness and astrology, and to take a fresh look at some of the underlying assumptions we bring to the field. I invite you to join me in dialogue on the important questions and issues being raised.

You may wonder if I'm qualified to address spiritual awakening at all. What I can tell you is that I'm strongly engaged in my own process of awakening-perhaps just as you are. I'm grateful to have access to wonderful teachers and teachings, and I see myself as a translator. Just as the psychological wave of astrology in the 20th Century brought many new perspectives into astrology, our current time frame is ripe for importing more progressive understandings of spiritual growth.

Since my awareness is limited, there will of course be blind spots in the book. I'm ok with that! I'm inspired to offer something new to the field without needing it to be fully formed and complete right out of the gate. I want to help renew and refresh astrology for the 21st Century and connect it to the larger shift in consciousness occurring across the planet. In the spirit of Uranus in Aries, we may boldly venture forth into new explorations.

My broad intention is the full inclusion of the transpersonal into astrology. In Chapter 1 we will explore the nature of ego and how awakening fits in with the present time. Chapter 2 discusses the transpersonal in more depth including Oneness and the awakening process. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the Sun and Moon, which serve as the centerpiece to this new paradigm. Chapter 3 focuses on how they relate to the development of consciousness, while Chapter 4 addresses their role in bridging the physical with the nonphysical.

The Sun and Moon form the center of identity and consciousness. Chapters 5, 6, & 7 explore how all the major planets are used in service to this center. Depending on the development of consciousness, we gradually learn to use planetary energy in alignment with soul, not just for egoic reasons. After this examination of planets, we look at the evolution of consciousness in Chapter 8, particularly how it relates to astrology. The next 3 chapters bring the issue of awakening into many facets of how we approach and use astrology. Chapter 9 addresses how the dominant paradigm of astrology varies from the awakened view, while Chapter 10 offers some suggestions of how to renew astrology in accordance with it. Finally, Chapter 11 invites further consideration on how astrology can promote the realization of Oneness. This book aims to get the conversation started. Many of the ideas will be further developed in subsequent books in The Astrology of Awakening series.