Gesamtkunstwerk 1 : Astrology for Creative Understanding
Saturn's exaltation in Libra
“It's not unusual for science to catch up to art, eventually.
Nor is it unusual for art to catch up to the spiritual”
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin.
I have recently read most of this book and was surprised how astrological the logic of the theories are. Astrological terms are clearly not used, but there is an undeniable pattern in the understanding of creativity that can be used closely with astrological understanding.
As I often tell people, Astrology is a language and when you become fluent in it, spiritual concepts turn into more than simple feelings, astrology can help you execute what you feel.
This is why, recently, I have filtered my clientele and started approaching my astrological practice in a different way to cater mostly to creatives. As a creative myself, I understand both the frustration and the pressure that comes in creating something; and often the creative process is deeply internal, sometimes unable to be birthed or executed into something tangible. In these moments of creative “block”, astrology can become a substantial tool for any artist.
MASTERING YOUR PATTERNS
Throughout every creative journey, one encounters patterns, sometimes these recurring elements, symbols or methods are described as “coincidences”. The role of understanding the spiritual component of your creation is to harness that energy and master the patterns before you fall into a habit of relying on automatism. Almost every artist has some type of “obsession” , but powerful legacy creatives turn the obsession into a practice and make efforts to understand the motives behind it and the way to develop it further.
Astrology, hermeneutics, and esoteric understanding can drive you to harness the energy of those subconscious patterns and obsessive execution effectively.
You can start this journey of understanding by using the energy of the planets, each planet has specific needs, demands, traits, energies, manifestations etc. It is a beginner-friendly manner of diving into the spirituality of your work, and through this analysis you will certainly find yourself having a particular affinity for one of these planets or two, or maybe three.
As you encounter affinities for specific energies, you will begin to also know yourself better, and later find yourself exploring your own astrological chart to understand your own patterns as well. It is not a surprise, knowing yourself allows you to also know what is internal to you; sometimes we shed light on what we create and other times a shadow is cast on us from our creation. These dynamics are essential into finding equilibrium between who we are and what we create, and eventually establish healthy boundaries in our practices.
CONVERSATION BETWEEN SATURN AND VENUS
There are many ways to interpret the creative process. In terms of the bigger picture and the life of a creative itself, I religiously interpret Art as the exaltation of Saturn in Libra.
In astrology, every planet is associated with a sign; this is called rulership. Then comes the concept of exaltation, which symbolizes the highest dignified state of a planet. In the case of Saturn, the exaltation is at 21st degree Libra, which is ruled by Venus. The Venusian component of Libra engages as a connector, the 7H (also called the descendant) is all about what connects us to external circumstances, elements and people. Then, it is completely understandable that Saturn finds its peak there, the threads of time are only visible through connections. In this way, Venus helps manifest the traits of Saturn (as Saturn is more concerned with Time, secrets, traditions, autonomy etc).
This beautiful cosmic conversation is also an execution of harmony, Libra represents the scale, and Saturn is attributed to the Sea-Goat (Capricorn) and the Water Bearer (Aquarius), it is the careful equilibrium of the soul and the mind, the emotions and the intellect. In this way, duality is encouraged as long as we understand how to use this dual nature properly and in the “right” contexts”/ the more we understand one the more we can execute through the other.
The difficult thing to accept is that this harmony will take a long time, it is not something achievable in 6 months through a bootcamp or a masterclass. When a creative is committed to an esoteric discovery of their creative process, they must arm themselves with patience and consistent curiosity. This is the Saturnian aspect of it, the sculpture reveals itself through a “destruction” and “refinement” of the material in front of the sculptor.
Ultimately, these are general concepts to help you grasp a hermeneutic concept of something material. The path becomes clearer when you also dive into your own astrological patterns and cycles, and through that you shed light on the spiritual potential of your work. Since spirituality is also a universal language through which we move, you will find yourself attracting different audiences deeply, the human mind appreciates connections that are obvious to the psyche; perceive your creation as a curation of esoteric understanding.
The deeper we dig, the more treasures we encounter.
“An overwhelming flood of intensely bright patterns in supernatural colours exploded behind my eyelids: a multidimensional kaleidoscope whirling out through space,” Gysin recalled. “I was swept out of time. I was out in a world of infinite number. The vision stopped abruptly as we left the trees”.
To be continued…