Value over Truth

Astrology has always been a captivating concept to for me think about. (I see some of your eyes rolling to the back of your head, but hear me out.) Even since the dawn of civilization, back in the alluvial lowlands of Mesopotamia, we humans found significance under the stars. More specifically, people found patterns within the repeated nights throughout the years, just enough to guess what time of year might be best for planting or what weather was approaching within the next month or two. These guesses evolved into predictions, prophecies, augurs, prognostications, and so on and so forth. Each rendition of such traditions that spanned the millennia attached progressively refined notions of significance to the stars that helped with these predictions. While astounding enough when accurate, these predictions also led to the discovery and implementation of crop cycles and the ability to navigate beyond the known lands and return. These abilities increased the order of mankind, changing forever what it means to survive and thrive. Consequentially, constellations, the stories that reflected their creator’s values, and the wonder of what such impossibly distant objects could be, were gleaned. While I don’t plan to go into the history of astrology or the history of stars in agriculture and sea navigation, it is utterly important to ascertain some semblance of the evolution of meaning found within the stars, even to some small imaginative or speculative capacity.

Humans yearn for a sense of belonging and meaning, and what easier way to find it than being furnished it by virtue of your birthday or the immortal stars, something of which you are entirely independent of any responsibility? This independence, you see, is quite an essential part of its perceived significance; you are special inherently and thus essentially. You cannot lose it; it is a quality of your very essence. Whatever makes you special does so because of a quality you have no control over. If we were to place this sense of worth within the actions, we place the meaning into deed rather than essence. In a world in which small but good deeds pale in comparison to the manifold stories of those throughout history and of which we hear each and every day through various social outlets and media, our deeds can seem incomparable and minute. And so it is that we need something essential about ourselves, something unique such as not to be undersold nor ever lost. It is everything to be precious in an age of individuation, in a culture that exalts the ideal individual.

So, in this pursuit of meaning, validation, and unique identity, we see the formation of popular tribal systems, ones that tout a particular set of ideals, qualities, characteristics, and so on, for the everyperson to understand and relate to. Whether it be the zodiacs, the houses of Hogwarts, or the MBTI personalities (we’re all just a conglomeration of dichotomous characteristics anyway, right?), we all belong somewhere, believing we are special.

All of these, however used, undoubtedly have some heuristic applications. You see, along with the multitude of pros and cons of being human, attempting to understand ourselves and our place within the universe might just be chief among them. (Pro for some, con for others.) Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to begin this process of understanding ourselves, and often we best learn what we are by first knowing what we aren’t. It is easy to identify what qualities we dislike in others, what situations we dislike being put in, and what things we dislike that people do; such moments often have us swell in negative emotions or responses. If you quickly get annoyed when others speak on and on with no apparent end, dancing around the point of what they wish to ultimately make, you will easily understand why you might be a straightforward type of person rather than, say, a patient one. It isn't just for identifying negative behaviors, but all behaviors. And with the lexicon comes the cognizance of behaviors and patterns of behaviors others and yourself exhibit. You are equipped with tools that help you make sense of the world, and some are better with the pen than the sword.

Among many other archetypal identity systems, astrology provides a foundation and lexicon for those seeking to know more about what forms an identity. From it, we can start to think about who we are and who others are and find a way to compare ourselves and others to a set of qualities that are provided to them. Is there someone out there who is “playful and intellectually curious, constantly juggling a variety of passions, hobbies, careers, and friend groups?" Of course. I can't tell you if this is the quality of an Aquarius or the good side of a Gemini, but the truth isn't the greater point here. This somewhat vague description obviously will fit many of the billions of people alive today. But by merely presenting this particular set of qualities, we find ourselves understanding their opposites, tangents, and parallels. What we are like and what we are not like. All the sets presented in astrology are but foundations from which to understand those similar or dissimilar; looking at the whole of it, most people in the world are indeed described by virtue of said system's perceived comprehensiveness. Some people start their studies in MBTI, Jung’s archetypes, numerology, the enneagram, or whatever. All the same. The best approach to thinking of such systems, or the people that believe them, is through the lens of provocation. The value of such systems is that they provoke thought, especially in those who feel compelled by the message of the system, not just the consequences of its rumination. In this way, we must sometimes place the value of an idea over its truth. (This will be a topic discussed in another article to come in great detail) These people who adopt these systems are keen to understand the machinations of others. The tragedy is not their belief in the system of identification, but the cessation of their search for truth and enlightenment. Ultimately, it is not so unreasonable to believe in a system that provided you the initial understanding of the differences of people, but it is unreasonable to assume any such system mankind could ever curate could be accurate enough to describe all of our complexities.

Throughout all of human history, mankind has sought to understand the world around them. For the most part, this desire to understand probably stemmed from a desire to survive, to avoid dangerous animals, plants, and situations, and to better their odds of success. Living itself was a bit of a hassle. But for some very curious few, or those who simply sought amusement, understanding brought with it a sense of meaning. To some who felt survival was simply not meaningful enough or thought it not worth the struggle, meaningfulness bore into existence a will to go on, to pursue, and to act. And so here we stand today, at the precipice of nihilistic absurdism born from the sheer weight of access to all humanity’s knowledge; in this all, how could we matter whatsoever? Yet, in some ironic fashion, it is these seemingly silly little beliefs that provide the meaning to carry on. Believe in what you will, but do not stop at any one answer or explanation. The truth is as complex as we are, and we will not know it until at least we know ourselves. An endless journey, to be sure.

This all to say that you, dear reader, should persist in your search of meaning. Whether it be in the stars above, the abyss within, the world without, or just in lending a helping hand, you must search for and create meaning with all that is at your disposal.

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