The Tao Te Ching for Astrologers: Verses 39 & 40

Hey everyone, this is Acyuta-bhava from Nightlight Astrology. Today, we are looking at the 39th and 40th verses of the Tao Te Ching, and we will be reflecting on these verses in light of our study of astrology. So, as you guys know, I do this series as a way of taking a pause during the middle of the week, just reflecting on why we're here and why do we do astrology. What is the intention behind paying attention to the stars every day? The Tao Te Ching is a text that I have turned to for a long time, along with the I-Ching and its wisdom as a way of deepening my reflections upon the astrology of the day or whatever I have to share about the astrology of the day. So you know, I think it's, it's a great text for people to take in because it can, it really will just it'll do nothing but complement your understanding and your journey with astrology. So you don't have to have seen any of the previous episodes to get something good out of this. But they're all packed with every verse of the Tao Te Ching is packed with really beautiful teachings. So I hope you will enjoy today's 39th and 40th verses before we get into it.

Don't forget to like and subscribe. Share your comments and thoughts. As you reflect on these verses, I'd love to hear from you guys. You can always find a transcript of every daily talk on the website nightlightastrology.com, where you can check out all my classes and readings. Check them out there. There's a pre-registration sale that lasts until September 12. So be sure to take advantage of that while it still is around. We have a couple of new classes beginning, especially The Roots and Spheres program that begins on January 19 can join Ashley and me for a year of studying plant medicine and astrology together and really trying to deepen our connection to the astrology while also working with plant teachers. So check that one out in particular.

Alright, let's go ahead and get into it. We're gonna look at two verses, as usual. I read through the two verses and then read through them a second time, pausing after each verse to offer some reflections that correlate with our study of astrology. So here are verses 39 and 40.

From ancient times till now the One has been the source of all attainments
By realizing One Heaven becomes clear,
Earth becomes still spirits gain power and hearts fill up with joy
By realizing the One kings and lords become instruments of peace and creatures live
joyfully upon this earth
Without the One Heaven has no clarity and would crack
Earth has no peace and
would crumble spirits have no power and would lose their charm
Without the One, hearts would dry up, empires would fall,
all things would go lifelessly upon this earth
Long ago, kings and lords called themselves “orphaned,” “lonely,” and “unworthy”
What honour can there be without humility?
What heights can be reached without being low?
The pieces of a chariot are useless unless they work in accordance with the whole
A man’s life brings nothing unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe
Playing one’s part in accordance with the universe is true humility
So whether you’re a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common path
If you accept your part with humility the glory of the universe will be yours

Verse 40,

The movement of Tao is to return
The way of Tao is to yield
Heaven, Earth, and all things are born of the existent world
The existent world is born of the nothingness of Tao

Two really beautiful verses. Let's go back to 39. We're going to re-read this and then offer a few reflections.

From ancient times till now the One has been the source of all attainments
By realizing One Heaven becomes clear,
Earth becomes still spirits gain power and hearts fill up with joy
By realizing the One kings and lords become instruments of peace and creatures live
joyfully upon this earth
Without the One Heaven has no clarity and would crack
Earth has no peace and
would crumble spirits have no power and would lose their charm
Without the One, hearts would dry up, empires would fall,
all things would go lifelessly upon this earth
Long ago, kings and lords called themselves “orphaned,” “lonely,” and “unworthy”
What honour can there be without humility?
What heights can be reached without being low?
The pieces of a chariot are useless unless they work in accordance with the whole
A man’s life brings nothing unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe
Playing one’s part in accordance with the universe is true humility
So whether you’re a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common path
If you accept your part with humility the glory of the universe will be yours

I forgot to change the slide there. It's a really beautiful verse. Let's look at it piece by piece; a few things come to my mind. One of them is that this is not when the verse opens up from ancient times till now. It's easy to take that for granted. Almost like, you know, this is a this is been around for so long this wisdom. Really what's being said, what's really a reminder to us is that when you read the Tao Te Ching, you're not reading a religion, you're not reading the text of a religion, you're not. You're not reading something that's a new idea or new thought or a new, a new trend or fad. It's not something to join or, you know, like, identify yourself by I'm a Taoist, or I mean, not saying that one couldn't or shouldn't say that. But the idea here is that this is an eternal truth. From ancient times till now just in there are many similar statements in yogic texts. Really, it's pointing to the timelessness of this wisdom. The one has been the source of all attainments. By realizing the one heaven becomes clearer, earth becomes still spirits gain power and hearts fill up with joy. By realizing the one, kings and lords become instruments of peace, and all creatures live joyfully upon this earth.

One of the things that I get out of studying astrology every day, I guess the thing that I experienced as a benefit of studying astrology, talking about it and creating videos, and hearing all of your stories, is that when you start to perceive the universe or the cosmos as a well-arranged whole, you have a sense that there's nothing that's happening, not a blade of grass moving, without this movement, this divine intelligence or spirit, which literally means like breath or wind, that's moving over things, that's moving things as everything is happening, that there's an intelligence behind it all that's moving it along. And sometimes, I take that for granted. You know, some days I think of my role. We do have free will. And our intelligence is part of the divine intelligence. We get the experience of being an agent with our own will. But mysteriously, our will is also part of a great way. It's always working its way; it's like currents within one mighty current. And they're all working together at all times.

And when I observe the heavens day in and day out, on my best days, I have a felt sense that everything is where it needs to be. And for me, that takes away the feeling of chance, chaos, that everything is happening, and it's happening outside of my control, and I'm struggling mightily to control it. Instead, I get the sense of I'm participating in a great movement, like, like music that's happening that I'm somehow a part of, and I start listening, I, listen inwardly and I think to myself, How can I make a choice in this moment, whether it's on the level of thought or feeling or action words, that contributes something positive, something peaceful, something loving something reflective, curious, magical, fun, delightful. And when I live that way, the burden of seriousness is released, it says though, it's as though I don't have to take everything so seriously.

There's a lightness and a magic and a trust. And it's easier to stay curious and to stay buoyant. Moving along, let go of the seriousness like everything's at stake, and I, you know, it's more like a constant experiment. Oh, well, okay, I'm gonna do this or think this or whatever. And then I get feedback, and I'm, wow, there's no thought or word or deed or action that doesn't get some kind of feedback if I listen. And the feedback is just beautiful. And the planets are always there as these mediums through which that kind of reflection is available, that kind of feedback is available. And the more I do this, the more I realize. The one is the source of all attainments; this divine intelligence helps me see things clearly, helps me experience peace, it helps me get in touch with inspiration.

And imagine what the world would be like if, for example, leaders of, you know, captains of industry and leaders of government and so forth. We're actively talking about the importance of something like the Tao or listening to that divine voice. He's trying, you know, and I'm not saying that none of them, some of them probably do. But without the one, Heaven has no clarity and would crack, Earth has no peace and would crumble, spirits have no power, and we lose their charm; without the one, hearts would dry up, empires would fall, all things would go lifelessly upon this earth.

Yes, it's a reminder of what, that there's something invisible that's carrying everything, sustaining everything, holding everything that everything comes from and returns to. Astrology puts us in touch with that if we do something more than just access the astrology for what it gives me or what will happen or what won't happen. We can do that. But if we also reflect upon the message is in the mess, you know, some insight or magic that's there to help us take things a little less seriously. It's, it's a very beautiful practice when we can access astrology on that level. This is why these texts mean so much to me because they helped me approach astrology every day. From this point of view, if I'm lucky enough to be sort of tuned in.

So long ago, kings and lords called themselves orphaned, lonely, and unworthy would honor can there be without humility? See, that's the beautiful thing about humility is that it doesn't come from a place of self-degradation. Like, you know, it's not degrading one's own value to be humble. Humility is the natural result. As far as I can tell, in the moments that I feel like I have been humbled. It's the natural result of just recognizing that there's nothing that moves or acts or has it's being without this great divinity. And the more you realize that you know, you're, you're not the Lord of the universe, you know, you're just a little beautiful, perfect, you know, grain of sand.

The pieces of a chariot are useless unless they work in accordance with the whole a man's life brings nothing unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe, playing one's part in accordance with the universe's true humility. So whether you're a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common path, if you accept your part with humility, the glory of the universe will be yours. This perspective is so beautiful to me. That if we think about living in the moment, being reflective and listening and playing our part in small ways, not in grandiose ways, not let me save the world, or if we happen to save the world, somehow great. But if we just focus on this, the smallest moments of doing, you know, kind of do the next right thing. And staying in our lane, not so much as a, you know, not acknowledging the reality of others. But as a way of saying, look, if I can just play my part well, in the small stuff, the result is that there is a kind of inner refinement that takes place, and a sense of your role being, you know, just absolutely essential. And the more that we realize our role is essential, somehow vital. No more or less than anyone or anything else in all of creation than, you know.

We have a crown that's utterly unique to wear, a sort of spiritual crown. And the dignity of that vanishes without humility. The beauty in the little healthy pride we can take in who we are vanishes without humility. The glory of the universe is ours; the Tao Te Ching tells us if we play our part, simply Well, to me, paying attention to the astrology day in and day out is something that helps me play my part simply, okay, there's a square in the sky today and I can I'm noticing it in these areas of my life. What are the tensions? What is the good and right and true thing to do in this moment? And how can I delight in it and stay curious, not trying to just get it right but trying to learn and live from the heart as I do it. If I live like this even just a little bit, even just one day out of the week, if I manage to summon a little bit of this consciousness, it makes a huge difference. It's like putting in an hour and getting paid for 20.

Verse 40, the movement of Tao is to return. The way of Tao is to yield. Heaven, earth, and all things are born of the existent world. The existent world is born of the nothingness of Tao. It's a very deep verse, even though it's short. What I love about this verse is the idea that everything in the manifest world is coming from and within the manifest world. The manifest world itself comes out of this invisible source that you can't talk about or see, yet its evidence is everywhere. And that's exactly what I feel in touch with when I have a planetary aha moment.

Like, for example, I was just at ISAR, which is ISAR is an astrology conference that was held in Colorado. And I was not going to attend a banquet on the Saturday Night of the conference. I went to; I had dinner with a friend. And then I thought, a colleague, and then I thought, you don't want to go, it's an award ceremony banquet. And I don't know; my ego was feeling ruffled by the idea of, like, astrologers receiving an award. And, and, but then I just, I just needed to get over it and go support my colleagues. And I realized that I was like, Don't be petty, like, I kind of was like astrology, you know, awards for astrology just feels like, I don't know, you don't hand out an award for who's the best Taoist? Who's the best yogi or something? I don't know. So I just thought it was; I just didn't really, I wasn't attracted to it for some reason, you know, but then I knew that some of my colleagues were being nominated for different things that they'd worked very hard toward, and I thought I better just go. And, you know, when I sort of, I guess, just put my ego and my judgments aside, one of the things that ended up happening was that I was sitting at a table, and they were going through the awards, and there was one that I had been nominated for, and no one told me like, I had no idea. And I was flooded with a sense of gratitude and appreciation that people valued my work. And suddenly, I realized that the Tao had somehow led me into that moment. But it had required me to reflect just for a moment on how petty and judgmental I was being about the award ceremony and then go and sit down. And I walked away feeling full.

But because, in part, I had taken a moment to empty my ego. And I don't know, I'm sure you guys have had moments like that to where you just catch yourself, you know, you and you just think yeah, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna let go of my judgment, or whatever my ego is up to at the moment, you know, and just do something that you know, kind of, kind of, maybe just take the high road for a second, you know, you realize, and then something amazing happens, and you're, you know, you go well, there's a magic in that isn't there, it's like that. It's like, we get these little tests. And I was reflecting on the fact that Venus in the sky was opposing Saturn. And so Venus in Leo was opposing Saturn in Aquarius, and I had this weird kind of very Saturn in Aquarius, opposite Venus and Leo reaction to the idea of like awards, like kind of a judgment about them. And then I thought, well, I better just set that aside.

And I, you know, what, I credit to that. I credit that to having a meditation practice where there's just a tiny bit more awareness that you might be able to access when such a moment comes up, you know, because I don't, I mean, most of the time, I miss stuff like that, you know? My ego just sends me tripping. But for some reason, you know, I managed to reflect on it, and then there I was, and you know, this thing happened, and I just thought that's those are the planets, the planets if I listen and participate and interact and reflect and stay curious to what they might be teaching me and try to make the just the simple right choice and a moment can lead to really magical things. And then this awareness that everything comes from this invisible intelligence, it rises up in me, and I'm reinspired, and joy is back in my life. It's so absurd, and you can laugh at yourself, and everything's light again. That's not so serious. So anyway, I thought you guys might enjoy that story. And hopefully, these reflections today are useful for you as well, wherever you may be.

I did not win the award, by the way, but the person who did I think was deserving, and I really didn't care. I was so shocked to even have been nominated. I was like, Whoa, and then you know, the real reward in a sense for me or award, you could say, was the experience itself of almost having missed that moment? Because of my own judgments, you know, and so it was so Venus opposite Saturn, Venus and Leo opposite Saturn and Aquarius. And then I was just like, I love this. I love this. That was that's the award I'll take home from the universe, a little totem for my shelf was that experience, what you know, what a beautiful thing. And if we live life like that, there are no real winners or losers. There's just the appreciation of the Tao itself. And we should be so lucky to have it come up and visit us once in a while. And that's why I do this once a week is to make sure that we're reflecting on this so that we can invite it in. Open arms, open heart to receive this grace. So hope you're having a good week, and we will talk to you again tomorrow. Take it easy, everyone. Bye