Poetry of the Sky: Why We Don’t Need to Convert the Skeptics

Or why I'm thinking about Neil deGrasse Tyson and Joe Rogan when I should be thinking about Twin Peaks

I’m writing this from a hotel room, seventeen floors above the chaos of Midtown Manhattan. I should be finishing edits on my Twin Peaks podcast episode with Micki Pellerano Instead, I’m thinking about an old Joe Rogan interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Before I lose you with two names that may elicit strong feelings, stick with me.

I only heard about the interview by catching a Threads post by an astrologer I admire. He had listened to the podcast and concluded that he wants to debate Mr. Tyson. I hunted down the interview expecting something greatly upsetting. Instead: nothing. Joe Rogan’s personality is naturally offensive to some (including myself), but that’s not the conversation we’re having.

On the contrary, I enjoyed the recording. I thought Mr. Tyson offered insights on a variety of topics. Astrology took up maybe fifteen minutes of a three-hour conversation.

What I can’t stop thinking about is why it bothers me when astrologers want to go head-to-head with scientists. Typically, the conversation starts by attempting to discredit material science (as in, “what do they know?”), and then concludes with the idea that these skeptics “don’t understand astrology.”

It’s the same binary thinking used against us to defend astrology: “you’re wrong, we’re right.”

This essay isn’t a critique of this particular astrologer’s comments. I have no idea what he might argue in his hypothetical debate. His post simply resonated with a growing internal feeling. Similarly, this isn’t a defense of astrology itself. Its lineage is far too ancient and vast to require my protection.

Instead, Mr. Tyson’s critiques, alongside one astrologer’s reaction to them, have prompted me to delve deeper into my personal motivations for studying this art.

Beyond the Binary

In this interview, Mr Tyson begins his critique of astrology in familiar ways. He highlights the shortcomings of horoscopes, the “absurdity” of Mercury retrograde sending people into a tizzy, and the discussion of why our bodies aren’t affected by the moon’s tides.

None of it’s original. But let’s face it: astrology doesn’t have the best PR campaign.

Whatever your take on the state of astrology, none of us can deny that the world has changed drastically since astronomy and astrology diverged. At one point, people consulted astrological charts for questions like, “Am I pregnant?” or “Will there be war?” We now have pregnancy tests and robust predictive models for almost everything.

Similarly, medicine—a branch of science once entwined with astrology—has seen immense advances in the past few hundred years, replacing decumbiture charts with diagnostic tools. While there is plenty of corruption in the industry, it’s a fact that many people live long and healthy lives without ever consulting the sky.

This isn’t to say they should live their lives without looking to the sky.

I’m not arguing that astrology isn’t a useful tool for prediction, or that medical astrologers don’t help their clients. (I personally consult a medical astrologer who’s also a medical practitioner.) What I am saying is this: if your worldview is binary—good/bad, yes/no, pass/fail—I can see why astrology might not make sense to you.

While I may disagree with Mr. Tyson, I acknowledge he’s a smart person who has devoted his life to studying the Universe’s laws. To say he could teach me a thing or two is an understatement. Furthermore, I acknowledge that some of his criticisms are valid: astrology is harmful when used to avoid accountability. The stars did not “make” you do it.

But is it our job to convert people? What if astrology just isn’t for everyone?

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The Gift of the “Why”

As an astrophysicist, Mr Tyson comes from a field of science that can tell us a lot about how the universe works. What it cannot tell us is why the Universe works. And that’s where astrology comes in.

In my own life, astrology has proven invaluable for navigating mental and physical health. It has allowed me to foresee challenging periods in my life and those of my clients, helped me understand history through time cycles, and even once assisted in finding a missing necklace!

Yet, these results represent only one part of the story.

Each time we pause to interpret the sky's symbols, we grapple with what it means to be human. From a materialist perspective, the full moon may exert no physical effect on me. Yet, when I gaze skyward, see something of the world reflected in that fattening moon, I am engaging in a search for truth beyond quantification

A Hermetic Perspective

The astrologer Gary P Caton has a way of framing this that’s been rattling around in my head. He suggests that astrology isn’t pseudo-scientific; instead, modern science is “pseudo-Hermetic.”

In Hermetic tradition, reality is a trinity. Caton explains, “the source of the physical world is Spiritual and there are three parts of anything physical: the material aspect or body, the animating force or soul, and the spirit or consciousness.” Yet, about four hundred years ago, Gary continues, “Science turned its back on soul and spirit,” insisting that only the material aspect of our world is real.

When we consider the progress of the material world in the last four centuries, science demonstrates immense success. However, in the realms of Soul and Spirit, its insights are profoundly limited. Psychology has attempted to reintroduce the Soul, but Spirit largely remains an unaddressed mystery.

What if our work isn’t about proving science wrong? What if astrology is a study for the initiates who are willing to look at the whole of reality?

Perhaps the most powerful thing we can do is express gratitude for receiving the call. We do that by devoting our lives to the nuances of this powerful art, rather than begging for the approval of those who have spent four hundred years learning how to see only a third of the sky.

Join The Astro Community

Club Astro is the container where we study the sky together in real time. Twice a month we gather for Office Hours to explore the current astrology, look at charts from the group, and make sense of the terrain as it unfolds. It’s less about prediction and more about practice: a place where questions are welcomed and the sky becomes a shared language.

The next office hours are Thursday, April 9th, at 7pm EDT / 4pm PDT.

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