My old copy of R.H. Naylor's "Home Astrology", more than 70 years old, pages yellowing and brittle, is still a source of interest, as part and parcel of the history of popular astrology; opening it at random I see these words:
Mr. Naylor goes on later to warn that,
Ah! Mr. Naylor (wherever you are - in some great astrology conference in the sky), it was ever thus, and will be for ever more, I suspect!
"BE YOURSELF" he says "The real you is quite unlike anybody else, and for just that reason, it is naturally attractive."
Digging deeper into astrology than the Sun Sign, it becomes blindingly obvious how unique - and I do mean unique in its literal sense - each of us is. Nobody else is born in exactly the same place at exactly the second you took your first breath. Not even your twin, if you have one. Every living thing on this Earth is unique. Every dead thing, too, come to think of it.
It's hard advice to take, for a young person though - not to imitate others. Imitation is part of how we, as humans, and creatures of the Earth learn. We watch our parents and siblings, and imitate them. Later we read and watch, and imitate when we write our first letter, or draw our first scrawly piece of artwork. Almost every great writer or artist has been inspired by someone else. That's just the way life is.
I clearly recall, in my schooldays, trying to copy somebody else's style of handwriting, because my natural style didn't please me. The school mistress fairly quickly recognised what I was up to, and gave me a lecture along the lines of Mr. Naylor's advice. I felt squashed and embarrassed for a while, but little by little I adjusted my handwriting, until, though it did retain whispers of the style I'd so admired, it was different, and solely my own.
Mr. Naylor advised that, however much we might admire and wish to emulate another person, we should not aim to become a carbon copy, photocopy, or clone of that person, losing our own identity in the process.
Within our individuality, we do have close astrological relationships with some around us. It's not at all surprising that we sometimes latch on to a certain style - or a certain smile - attached to someone whose planetary blueprint complements our own in some way. What I find absolutely fascinating is how this can happen without knowing anything about the other person. That's the "magnetism" of which Mr. Naylor writes.
"Some people are naturally magnetic, i.e. others are blindly attracted to them. This power of attraction often appears to be entirely independent of physical appeal or character".
Mr. Naylor goes on later to warn that,
" There is no greater enemy of personal magnetism than the modern passion for imitation. The young people of today are so busy trying to model themselves upon their favourite film star, theatrical celebrity or public figure, that they forget to be themselves."
Ah! Mr. Naylor (wherever you are - in some great astrology conference in the sky), it was ever thus, and will be for ever more, I suspect!
"BE YOURSELF" he says "The real you is quite unlike anybody else, and for just that reason, it is naturally attractive."
Digging deeper into astrology than the Sun Sign, it becomes blindingly obvious how unique - and I do mean unique in its literal sense - each of us is. Nobody else is born in exactly the same place at exactly the second you took your first breath. Not even your twin, if you have one. Every living thing on this Earth is unique. Every dead thing, too, come to think of it.
It's hard advice to take, for a young person though - not to imitate others. Imitation is part of how we, as humans, and creatures of the Earth learn. We watch our parents and siblings, and imitate them. Later we read and watch, and imitate when we write our first letter, or draw our first scrawly piece of artwork. Almost every great writer or artist has been inspired by someone else. That's just the way life is.
I clearly recall, in my schooldays, trying to copy somebody else's style of handwriting, because my natural style didn't please me. The school mistress fairly quickly recognised what I was up to, and gave me a lecture along the lines of Mr. Naylor's advice. I felt squashed and embarrassed for a while, but little by little I adjusted my handwriting, until, though it did retain whispers of the style I'd so admired, it was different, and solely my own.
Mr. Naylor advised that, however much we might admire and wish to emulate another person, we should not aim to become a carbon copy, photocopy, or clone of that person, losing our own identity in the process.
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