Between Two Worlds: Life on the Cusp
Each Sign of the Zodiac has a date range attached. Scorpio, for example, is October 23d to November 21st of each year. For the vast majority of people, this date range is just fine, because they’ll fit somewhere between those dates.
What about the small number of people who aren’t so lucky? What about the handful of people who are born at midnight on the night of November 21st? Are they Scorpio or are they Sagittarius?
The answer to that question is “Yes.”
People born “on the Cusp”—that is, right on the dividing line between two signs—aren’t quite sure which of the signs they are. They will inherit tendencies from both.
For example, someone born on August 21 or 22 is right on the cusp between Leo and Virgo. This person could have Leo’s advantages, such as the natural leadership and the drive to conquer and succeed.
However, one of Leo’s weaknesses is in the details. When you’re destined for greatness, like Leo is, you don’t have much time or patience for little everyday details.
Virgo, on the other hand, is widely regarded as the most detail oriented of all the signs. Someone lucky enough to have been born on the cusp between Leo and Virgo might also be lucky enough to pick up traits from each sign that counter the weaknesses of the other.
By the same token, Cusp people need to be aware that they could inherit tendencies and weaknesses that can make the situation worse, not better. Combining the gloomy depression of the Capricorn with the fear of rejection and overall sensitivity of the Aquarius is a recipe for disaster.
Horoscopes generally give people a wide variety of traits and tendencies to think about. Those lucky few born on the cusp between signs have even more possibilities to think about.
Astrology And The New-Age Movement
Learning about astrology is absolutely essential for anyone who is interested in the New Age movement! As the New Age movement is based on the belief that everything and everyone in the universe is spiritually interconnected, that concept lends itself to a wide range of beliefs which promote it, such as the connection of everything in the cosmos, mystical power known as “energy” or “energy fields,” and, of course, astrology. One particular form of astrology, quite different from the usual types which are more well-known, is very much aligned to the New Age movement and its beliefs; it is called Karmic astrology.
Founded by Martin Shulman, belief in karmic astrology is based on the concept of karma what one specific individual sees and perceives is different from what another specific individual sees or experiences in the same situation, due to each having his or her own life lessons to process, lessons which were not satisfactorily processed in one’s past lives. Instead of assessing the differences of individual persons as being due to each having his or her own unique personality, mind and emotions, karmic astrology stresses that it is a matter of one having not properly fulfilled his karmic role in his previous lives. Karmic astrology is the only form of astrology which bases its conclusions on reincarnation; and that one’s true influence, which covers everything from one’s opinions to one’s means of experience, is not coming from one’s present-day life, it’s coming from one’s past.
The forms of astrology which most people are familiar with Western astrology, Chinese astrology, Indian or Vedic astrology emphasizes the events in a person’s life and how to affect positive direction. Karmic astrology, however, views the individual’s life as that which has been reincarnated for the purpose of completing that which had not been completed in his previous life aspects of himself and his life which he should improve, change, and grow.
In tune with this concept are New Age practices such as “alternative” medicine, which take numerous non-medical angles such as herbs and massage in the treatment of medical conditions, and, even more strongly stressed, and even in the absence of any such diseases or conditions, focusing on the individual person’s need to “heal.”
Although it has not been categorically explained, it seems that placing such a strong emphasis on a person’s need to heal is based on the New Age movement’s view of reincarnation that simply being in this life coincides with the Karmic belief that a person has not gained closure from whatever came before. Consequently, karmic astrology differs from the more widely-accepted forms of astrology in that while the focus of the latter is on charting the course of a person’s life and guiding direction for a person’s best possible potential, the focus of karmic astrology is essentially on “fixing what is wrong with” a person. As such, those who claim to be professionals in the scope of karmic astrology are far different from the more standard astrologers, preferring terminology such as “healing” and the misuse of other esoteric language, frequently referred to as “psychobabble.” In other words, karmic astrology bears very little resemblance to the concepts and practices which most people know as Astrology.
