The Tao Te Ching for Astrologers – Verses 65 & 66

Hey everyone, this is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology, and today we're going to continue our series on the Tao Te Ching for astrologers. We're going to be looking at verses 65 and 66 of the Tao Te Ching. And we will be looking at this through the Jonathan Star translation, which comes from Tarcher Cornerstone editions; I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book, especially if you want to read along with the series. And also, just because it's a great text to have around for daily reading and inspiration, I highly recommend it.

So we will read through verses 65 and 66. Twice. On the second time through, I offer some reflections in light of the study and practice of astrology. Astrology, as a spiritual path, has a lot in common with many mystical traditions around the world. And I have always been interested in the Taoist sort of stream of philosophical thought from the I-Ching to the Tao Te Ching, and I often use the I-Ching as an Oracle alongside of astrology. And so I've really enjoyed this series because it's allowed me and hopefully others who have watched it to reflect upon this timeless wisdom in light of our love of astrology. So that's what we're going to do today.

Before we get into it, as always, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your comments and reflections. This helps the channel to grow. As you guys know, you can find a transcript of any of my daily talks on the website nightlightastrology.com. We are also at that time of year where we are raising money to support this channel in the year ahead.

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Verse 65
The ancient ones were simple-hearted and blended with the common people
They did not shine forth
They did not rule with cleverness
So the nation was blessed
Now the rulers are filled with clever ideas and the lives of people are filled with
hardship
So the nation is cursed
He who knows the play of Tao and Te knows the nature of the universe
Tao brings forth Te from its own being
Te expands in all directions filling every corner of the world becoming the splendor
of all creation
Yet at every moment Te seeks Tao
This is the movement that guides the universe
This is the impulse that leads all things back home

Verse 66.
Why do the hundred rivers turn and rush toward the sea?
Because it naturally stays below them
He who wishes to rule over people must speak as if below them
He who wishes to lead the people must walk as if behind them
So the Sage rules over the people but he does not weigh them down
He leads the people but he does not block their way
The Sage stays low so the world never tires of exalting him
He remains a servant so the world never tires of making him its king

Beautiful verses. Let's go up to verse 65. Now we're going to reread this verse and then offer some reflections in light of our study and practice of astrology.

Verse 65
The ancient ones were simple-hearted and blended with the common people
They did not shine forth
They did not rule with cleverness
So the nation was blessed
Now the rulers are filled with clever ideas and the lives of people are filled with
hardship
So the nation is cursed
He who knows the play of Tao and Te knows the nature of the universe
Tao brings forth Te from its own being
Te expands in all directions filling every corner of the world becoming the splendor
of all creation
Yet at every moment Te seeks Tao
This is the movement that guides the universe
This is the impulse that leads all things back home

One of the things that I love about ancient astrology is the intricate philosophy of the entire system, as it's rooted in the relationship between the sun and the moon. That's not an exact parallel to Tao and Te; I think I'm pronouncing that correctly. But it's cool, Okay. So in ancient astrology, the sun is symbolic, a symbolic representative of a metaphysical or philosophical idea or principle, which is that of the origin or source of all things.

This is a symbol of light, which is the source of everything. The sun is. The moon is a reflective satellite that's moving very quickly, always moving very fast latitude, always changing face, always changing, collecting light, and then shutting it off through every lunar cycle. And we know the moon, of course, is a reflective light, as did ancient astrologers. And that reflective light was associated as a symbol with a metaphysical quality as well, which is the world of coming to be in passing away so that this world, in its constant fluctuation and change, is also an ever-present reflection of eternity.

And so, for the person who's studying astrology, not only because they have some interest in their future, or their own psychology, or you know, self-help, or improvement, all of which are important and, you know, all of which can be part of a spiritual lifestyle, you know, understanding something of the season that you're in the chapter that you're in, and the specific part of the chapter that you're in, in life, knowing which planets are moving, that can all be very helpful.

But at a deeper level, what does astrology doing to us over time? It is helping us understand the play, he who knows the play of Tao and Te knows the nature of the universe. Tao brings forth Te from its own being to expand in all directions, filling every corner of the world, becoming the splendor of all creation, yet at every moment, Te seeks Tao. This is the movement that guides the universe. This is the impulse that leads all things back home.

There's a way in which, over time, when you study astrology, you start to realize that because the planets like the moon are all collectively reminding us that every experience we have, every season of life that we're in, is a reflection of the Divine and that which is eternal. Whatever name we want to give it or call it.

That knowledge or that recognition over time starts helping us to see the play and interaction of the eternal and the time-bound, spirit, and matter, Tao, and Te, whatever, there are so many different words and names that it has been given. Some people have said it's like the universe, seeking out itself and coming to know itself, playing hide and seek with itself.

If you live an astrological lifestyle, over time, there is a way in which all of your experiences start to fill you with the felt presence of the Divine and the eternal. And that makes life beautiful, beautiful in a way that is not caught up in the normal, like everyday binaries that we tend to get caught up in; it is a beauty that includes pain.

It is a beauty that includes disappointment and failure shortcomings. It's a beauty that somehow incorporates the highs and lows and the dualities that are a very real part of life that can't be avoided. This isn't a philosophy that is about, you know, bypassing the carrying of the cross of these dualities because that's what it is, it's, it's a treacherous and very difficult thing to live a life filled with these opposites.

But when you start to understand them reflected in the planets reflected in a language like astrology that is archetypal in nature, a soulful ability, your life as soulful means that you have the ability to mediate these experiences meaningfully. It's not order as in some kind of authoritarian sense of order, but order as in a cosmos. Cosmos, from the word cosmetic a complete arrangement.

That sense of a complete arrangement starts to emerge. And that's the gift of doing astrology when we do it from this kind of spiritual perspective.

Verse 66
Why do the hundred rivers turn and rush toward the sea?
Because it naturally stays below them
He who wishes to rule over people must speak as if below them
He who wishes to lead the people must walk as if behind them
So the Sage rules over the people but he does not weigh them down
He leads the people but he does not block their way
The Sage stays low so the world never tires of exalting him
He remains a servant so the world never tires of making him its king

Beautiful verse, but it is a little trickier to relate back to astrology because, in a sense, this verse is telling us about the qualities of a sage or a leader. But we should ask if we're studying astrology and if it's having any spiritual impact on our lives, helping us to become wiser than what are some of the byproducts or what would the evidence of that wisdom be.

One of them apparently would be that we are filled with this increasing awareness of that which is eternal and divine amidst the dualities of life. That knowledge does not make us haughty. It doesn't make us arrogant; in fact, it makes us very common. It actually is like getting a passport to become a cosmic citizen. It's to have this knowledge just gains you admission into the in; it's sort of like this, under this wisdom, is actually just helping you to be like an individuated cosmic citizen.

But it doesn't mean that the cosmic play doesn't continue to go on after that point it does, which is why this wisdom normalizes you existentially somehow not normalizes and makes you bland, but normalizes as in, you know, helps you to not keep banging your head on the same old wall, you're not trying to make yourself more than something that you are, nor are you constantly dealing with you know these ravenous spirits of shame. Nor are you trying to make reality into anything more than it is; you don't necessarily even need to know what it is. But neither are you trying to make it less than it is, or are you trying to diminish it in some way or simplify it any longer?

So, this, this, this wisdom when it grows in us over time, it has a way, you know, my little insights about this, of course, right? There's a way in which this wisdom helps you to be a common player on the stage of the universe, very aware of, you know, your place is like a grain of sand on the beaches of infinity. You know, it's like that. You're not irrelevant, but you're not more, very more special or important.

You know, that's where unique, the word unique makes some sense. Finally, we use we tend to use the word unique, like, well, it makes you know; you stand out, you're more special. Unique is sometimes; my daughter asked me the other day, and she said, What does the word unique mean? And I said it means that you have interesting individual characteristics. And I said, and everyone's like that, but we have to learn how to see it. So you know, it takes a unique person to see the uniqueness in things.

To me, that's what astrology helps us to do. And if, if it's making us wise in any way, and if in any way, there is some, some. If there's some way in which we can be a good influence on the world or try to make the world into something good or better, if it has some potential in it, then it doesn't come from us trying to lord over other people with some sense of superior spiritual wisdom.

Because this knowledge grows within us a sense of common cosmic appreciation, a common cosmic place, to the people that need some help, it is especially appealing because it is humble and plain and sort of obvious in a way.

Like if you've ever listened to Thich Nhat Hanh speak, he was so plain and simple and somehow so profound. But so much of that came from the embodied simple brilliance, you know, not a haughtiness, not an arrogance. But the that he had grown within himself through the cultivation of his consciousness, let's call it, he had grown within himself something profound but made so profound because of how humble and common and simple it was. And that's really where an astrological life should be leading us. A sense that we are unique, that we see uniquely, but that there's also like a calmness and a humility in it.

So it's hard to deeply appreciate things and really experience the aesthetic bliss of life without some kind of humble, open space of listening and perceiving. I think astrology does that for us over time because it teaches us to watch and listen for the sounds and images of eternity in the midst of our experiences.

So anyway, those are just my reflections. I hope that this is useful for you. And you know that it helps you to keep deepening your relationship with astrology to be listening to this series. That's what I've got for today. Don't forget; we are in the midst of trying to reach our goal of 1608 backers by the New Year. If you find some value in these videos, you can find the link in the description or comments of this video to the Kickstarter. Pitch in $5 or $10 bucks; anything, pick a reward when you donate if you want to. Some good gifts, discounts on my classes, special talks that I do, and stuff like that. Goes a long way to helping us, and we really appreciate your support. That's what I got; I hope you guys are having a nice weekend. Bye.