Mystics and Esoteric Astrology

by Tayannah Lee McQuillar, author of Astrology for Mystics, The Hoodoo Tarot, and The Sybils Oraculum

Mystics are the foundation of all religious and spiritual systems in the world. Someone, somewhere, at some time had to be the first to wonder if what she was being told about the divine was true and to seek a direct mystical experience in order to confirm or deny it for herself. Then, from that experience, that person formed ideas regarding the truth or nature of existence. Those ideas formed a narrative, then a counternarrative by default, and, finally, rites and rituals that utilize symbolism from the mystics’ narrative to celebrate and recreate the sacred for everyone else. Most people perceive the mystic as a peripheral character in discussions pertaining to religion when the truth is that the mystic is always at the center.

It is in the nature of a mystic to explore that which is unapparent, so it should be no surprise that mystics have contemplated the esoteric meaning of the zodiac. Unlike today, astrology was considered a practical subject for people to study before medicine, agriculture, fashion, etc. were divorced from the stars in the consciousness of the average person. Post the Age of Enlightenment, if a person studied astrology, the mere interest in the subject itself made that person “mystical” to many who do not. So, if a mystic lived prior to the eighteenth century, then the occult would not be astrology itself but the hidden significance of the signs, planets, houses, and so forth beyond that which has been consistently written and agreed upon by consensus for centuries.

The insights of mystics regarding the true nature of the zodiac, astrology’s ultimate purpose, or how the data from one’s birth chart should be perceived or utilized by individuals may or may not be agreed upon by traditional astrologers. In fact, they may find interpretations outside of the accepted canon or any attempts to mystify what they consider to be simply mathematics absolutely ridiculous and that’s fine. Astrology for Mystics is the book to read because you want to consider or contemplate something new; therefore, how other people, including the experts, feel about whatever you get out of this experience is irrelevant.

At the core of mysticism is the ability to interpret symbols—to observe one’s external and internal landscape with honest eyes. We, as personalities, as our experiences, are merely a conglomeration of symbol via the narrative of our lives. Therefore, it makes no difference whether one is contemplating a teacup or a constellation—your interpretation of its ultimate purpose, of its usefulness, of its beauty, or of its flaws will be informed by a collage of images that is your memory. These images, when distilled for the essential truths they reveal, may then be trusted to accurately guide the consciousness to clarify what one sees in the sky.

That, coupled with the observation of repetitive astronomical patterns and the effects certain constellations have on crops, animals, and other aspects of nature, then births a new biography of the galaxy. Of course, this would only be possible if the viewer had released the fear of being wrong; otherwise, the imagination would be restricted to revolving around that which has already been established or promoted as fact by the aristocracy or other privileged class, who are regarded as the judges of what is true and what is false, what is sane and what is insane. It is useful to align the norms of the ruling class to everything above the head or below the feet of their subjects in order to sacralize societal systems, thus, significantly reducing the possibility of rebellion, as to rebel against custom would then become an offense to the cosmos, the stars, and everything connected to or associated with them, including flora and fauna or maybe even one’s ancestors. Humans have always linked their ways to the ways of the gods, however that concept is realized or understood.

In my own practice, I consider the imagery and explanations inherited from the ancients, but I also consider what each sign or planet signifies according to my own life experience. For example, I try to observe and note patterns of what happens to me on days when the moon is in a particular sign. After about two years I may notice that my skin tends to break out more often when the moon is in Leo. I may also recognize that my grandfather tends to call, my hair gets dry, or other things regularly occur during specific lunar positions. The same can be said for other phenomena like retrogrades and eclipses. I consider the forecasts of experts regarding what may happen and then I integrate it or reject it based on my own experience. I allow my intuition to tell me what does or does not apply, and I permit myself the authority to be the final authority.

I am not an astrologer. I am merely one who contemplates the wisdom which has been passed down by astrologers throughout the ages for the purpose of self-knowledge. Which, if done long enough, inevitably leads to the appreciation of the beauty and complexity of other people, the elements, and the innumerable symbols that humans utilize in the attempt to comprehend and explain modalities and realities.

Do I consider myself a mystic? Absolutely. It is acknowledged by many that there is as much to learn by what is said; however, the wise know that there is so much more to contemplate and realize based on what is not. That basic truth may be applied to astrology or any other subject. There are profound truths in between the lines, and I enjoy contemplating what those might be.

In other words, my book Astrology for Mystics uses common astrological knowledge as a scaffold in the process of creating an individualized occult philosophy and spiritual regimen, one that doesn’t require you to believe anyone else, follow everyone else, or become someone else. I thought it would be useful to have information about the possibilities contained within the water houses in one book for the convenience of occultists who may be seeking more ways to personalize their spiritual practice. The purpose of my book is to assist you in the realization of your own potential, talents, and abilities that traditionally fall under the domain of the fourth, eighth, and twelfth houses—those connected with the element of water and all things occult, mystical, and spiritual. These are the houses that reveal the deepest and darkest areas of the individual psyche, which many people are reluctant to explore, yet this triad is the key to profound spiritual insights as well as the discovery of hidden knowledge and abilities.