"In the Beginning" (two)

I came into astrology through the proverbial back door.

It all happened when I met a woman on a metaphysical bulletin board. We struck up a conversation, became friends and she introduced me to a group of women who dragged me, kicking and screaming, into the study of astrology.

I insisted I did not want to know this stuff and could never learn it.

It looked like hieroglyphics to me and I didn't have the time and only a passing interest. So this Scorpio, Capricorn and Taurus set about the task of force feeding me.

I've never been one to learn anything in the "conventional" way. Over the ensuing months and years, I developed my own method of translating the strange looking glyphs and symbols into something that made sense to this right-brained Taurus.

The glyph for Aquarius did not (and still doesn't) look to me like something representing energy.

Instead, it looked like the "flame stitch" in needlepoint. When I finally made the connection and excitedly reported my revelations to the group, the Scorpio nearly hit the ceiling...being the purist that she is. Mars looks like a man, standing up (think about it). Pluto? That's a martini in a glass, complete with olive! I won't even go into how I remember Saturn and Jupiter; it wouldn't make sense to anyone else.

The Scorpio told me to learn it the "right" way, the Taurus said, "yeah, whatever," and the Cappy (a right-brained soulmate) said, "Of course it's a flame stitch, my dear."

Thus was my astrological education and one day, in an "a-ha moment," I got it!

It made sense! And after all these years (over 10), I still look at Aquarius and see a flame stitch and Mars is still all man. We each learn in our own way. And whatever way that is, is just fine. I learned that theglyphs and symbols and key words are just the basics. Once I had mastered the language, it was time to practice. I had to get on my knees and get my hands in the dirt. It's the dirt under my fingernails that makes astrology the living, breathing thing that it is.

But it all means something. I did learn that the road you travel to get to the understanding doesn't mean anything...it's the understanding that makes the trip worthwhile.

Diane