****Disclaimer: Skip this post if you are staunchly religious ****
The parable of the blind men and an elephant
“A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable”. So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, “This being is like a thick snake”. For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, “is a wall”. Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.”
The Parable of the blind men and an elephant.
None of us alive, in any religion whatsoever, has actually ‘seen’ this metaphorical elephant. We can surmise, speculate, believe, discuss, argue, have a dialogue, cogitate or all those intellectual pursuits about the nature of the divine or if there is a divine higher power. Maybe, we could fall back on personal experience and our own intimate relationship with the nature of our own reality.
But once individuals start to move from one’s own personal intimate experience with the divine to try and wrap collective arms around divinity, they begin turning against each other.
The conversation degenerates into me vs you. My reality vs yours. Or my version of truth against yours. No possibility of reconciliation with boundaries drawn and opinions (not facts) are weaponized.
The ontology and epistemology of reality.
The first time I heard the words ‘multiple realities’ was during a Sociology class as a part of my M.A. degree coursework.
Multiple realities? My mind raced to a comic book version of multiple dimensions or infinite multi-verse as its called which contain my infinite doppelgangers.
But, the sociological concept of multiple realities is very tangible and not so fantastical.
The idea is quite simple and yet controversial- that each of us live in a different version of reality. Although we see an oak tree as an oak tree, you might notice that the oak tree is lush and green, while I observe the rotting, overgrown roots. Our individual perceptions as a product of our past experiences, knowledge etc etc play a tremendous role in what each of conceive as the ‘truth’. And who we think of when someone says ‘God’. One person might possibly visualize an Indian woman wearing a saree covered in jewellery wearing a benefic expression as God, but you might imagine someone else entirely- based on your socio-economic and cultural background.
Who decides what is truth and how do they know ?
Religions based on brainwashing and indoctrination insist there is but one truth, and one true god. But wait for it– that one God and truth can be attained only through that particular religion.
So, humans are fooled into transacting with the divine from a very young age by those in power and those who are direct beneficiaries of such transactions- the middlemen between us and God. Every religion seems to have these middlemen and they are called different names in each.
Is the truth out there?
Maybe each of us is expected to seek and find truth, god, and divine in our unique way without looking at other humans for answers.
But, the potential for this truth seeking is blocked in many humans. The first and sometimes insurmountable block being the non-fulfillment of fundamental human needs of food, shelter, clothing. An individual who’s living a hand-to-mouth existence or consumed by the need to find the next meal might not have the mental bandwidth to look up to the skies and ponder the meaning of life.
If basic human needs are fulfilled and the individual has astrological placements that suggest the potential ability to- engage in abstract thought, complex ideas, an expansive open mind that entertains ideas before rejecting them; then this individual will organically gravitate towards unstructured, formless spirituality rather than organized religion.
How one perceives the absolute truth and whether one has the capacity to entertain different interpretations of the truth can be determined from the birth chart.
Let’s begin with dogma simply because the world seems to be in a place where it’s me vs you and my version of the truth > your version. Or at extremes- nihilism.
Saturn in the natal 9th (in sidereal) indicates a high likelihood of a dogmatic mindset and attitude if Saturn does not make an aspect to Jupiter and Jupiter is afflicted in the chart or if Saturn is debilitated/fallen and the sign of its fall is in the sign of Saturn’s enemy. For eg- Saturn in Cancer in the 9th with Moon in Leo. Sun and Saturn are hostile or unfriendly towards each other.
Saturn in Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius in the 9th seem to express positive attributes of the great malefic rather than its negative. So these placements may or may not express a dogmatic mindset.
Moving on to the great benefic- The marker for faith, and super consciousness is Jupiter and often- Uranus because the latter governs, in my opinion, independent thinking and an original mind.
In my experience, Jupiter placed in one of these signs-
*the sign it rules (Pisces or Sagittarius) anywhere in the chart with one or more personal planets in Cancer, Aries, Scorpio
*in the sign of its exaltation(Cancer) or Leo, anywhere in the chart with one or more personal planets in Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio or Aries
*And/Or in the angular houses (1st/4th/7th/10th) in any sign except the sign of its fall as Jupiter in Capricorn in angular houses emphasizes Saturnian earth bound quality.
*and/or in the dharma trikona(1st, 5th, 9th) house in any sign. Doubly powerful if Jupiter is in domicile or exaltation in the 1st, or 5th or 9th with personal planets in the 1st, 5th or 9th. For example: Jupiter in Cancer in the 5th with Moon in Pisces in the 9th in sidereal. Especially if Jupiter and Moons nakshatra’s and their lords are also compatible or friends. *chef’s kiss*. (Does anyone reading this post have this particular placement?)
*In Tropical chart (Placidus)- Uranus in the angular houses- 1st,4th, 7th or 10th.
These placements are not exhaustive by any means but will show a glimpse of the chart holder’s approach to faith, religion, beliefs. Or if the chart holder has the potential that may or may not be expressed, to surpass the limits of societal norms and see things from a higher perspective.
Or rise above social conditioning and think for themselves.
If you have a dignified Jupiter and an angular Uranus, shout out in the comments!
umbarta.com 