If we cast our minds back to the ancient civilisation of Babylonia we find evidence of horoscopic astrology. If we don’t expect evidence, we can assume that the Sumerians and even earlier cultures also had systems of astrology in use. These cultures seem to have had a connection with the cosmos that our more recent systems of thought barely recognise . . . together with the assumption that the peoples of those times were somehow ‘less intelligent’ than we are today. This sense of superiority has contributed to the pervasive sense of separation that we experience. For example - we exist on a rock in the middle of space - we are ‘more than’ everything else - we are god-like and invincible etc. Perhaps the ancients understood their existence as inextricably linked to everything they experienced - both here on our earth and in the heavens above - and thereby felt more a part of, rather than separate from, the whole. Astrology, in this sense, helps bring a sense of wholeness, and holiness, to our lives.

In this workshop we will look at the origins of the words and shapes used within astrology and charts. This will help uncover the synchronicities between religions and belief systems which were actually based around our connection to the cosmos, particularly the stars. As a belief system, astrology seems to underpin many ways of ’seeing’ or ‘knowing’ rather than ‘understanding’ from an evidential aspect.

We will explore these themes, using simple drawing techniques together with guided meditation to reignite a perception of how we are sacred in a sacred cosmos. Consider it to be a form of astral travel . . .