Jerry Astrology

As an astrologer, the most common questions that my clients ask revolve around the topics of wealth, relatioship, career. Those who have children also often ask about their children. Occassionally, someone who is sick comes along, and ask about their health and when they will get better. 

Very rarely, someone comes along asking when they will die. Such folks are often already sick for a period of time, with little hope of recovery. 

“When will I die?” I think behind this question lies unfinished business – how long do I have left to complete the things I wish to do? It may be practical things that the person needs to get done before passing, such as writing their will or ensuring that the matters they are responsible for are taken up by someone they can trust. 

It may also be people that they want to see one more time, or going on the adventure that they had been putting off for various reasons. 

Then there is regret, and finding closure for the things they did or didn’t do, finding closure with people they love and care about. My guru teaches us that reading the birth chart correctly and accurately is not the only job of the astrologer. We are also here to offer advice, encouragement and solace. 

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

My guru recommended this book to us. As the title of the book suggests, the author, Sogyal Rinpoche, writes about the process of living and dying as seen from the view of a Tibetan Buddhist. The book touches on topics such as karma, offering help to the dying and the cultivation of compassion. 

The book is also very popular among medical professionals dealing with death and dying on a regular basis, as a means of solace for themselves, and also to learn how to offer solace to their patients and their family. 

Here, I would like to share a part of the book that deeply resonated with me, in hopes that it would be of support and solace to you. If it resonated with you, I encourage you to read the book – there are so many gems within it.

Finding closure – Hurt or damaged relationships

In our lives, there may be someone whom we love and care about deeply, but due to some reasons, have since fallen out with. In this relationship, there may be hurt, sorrow, regret, anger or even hatred. 

Even though we may no longer be on speaking terms with that person, this damaged relationship still continues to shape who we are, for better or worse, until we find closure and let it go. Below is an outline of the approach recommended by Sogyal Rinpoche in his book, to help us find closure and move on.

1. Find a quiet place to be in where you will not be disturbed, and have pen and paper with you.
2. Visualize the person, that you wish to find closure with, standing in front of you. Imagine this person, not as how he had behaved before, but as someone who is open and receptive. Imagine the person being completely present, and ready to listen to whatever you say, without arguing back or walking away.
3. Using your pen and paper, write down whatever you wish to say to find closure. It may be your perspective of the situation that this person never bothered listening to. It may be sharing what you felt, your sadness, anger, grievances, or perhaps even joy and the happy moments. 
4. Now, imagine what this person would say in response to what you have shared, not in the way he would in the past, but as this new open, receptive and present person. Write down what he would say to you. This might feel a bit strange, but let the words flow from your head. Remember, this exercise is about you finding the closure you need, not about what the other person would actually say. 
5. After the other person has finished “speaking”, you can carry on with what you wish to say in response, and let this conversation carry on until you feel that there is nothing that needs to be said. 
6. To complete, you may wish to offer gratitude (and forgiveness) to that person, and imagine that person doing the same for you. Say your goodbye, then visualize that person turning and walking away. 
7. The sense of closure or completeness from this process can feel like a big sigh, a release of stuck energy, followed by a sense of peacefulness and stillness.

Letting go of attachment. Releasing our karma

The teachings of both Hinduism and Buddhism tells us that attachment is the source of our karma. Our attachments can drive us towards actions and behaviours that we may not be aware of until much later. 

When we think of “attachments”, we often first think of money, food, or a favourite pen. But we can also be attached to one’s own beauty, a person, or our sense of wanting to be right. 

The process of “finding closure” mentioned earlier is one means of helping us let go of our attachment to a person or to a relationship. When we let go of this relationship, it no longer has power over us, it not longer take up space in our minds and occupy our thoughts. It no longer drive our behaviour unconsciously. 

And this process can be done anytime, and not just when we are about to pass. Just as we need to regulate tidy up our home to keep it clean, we may also wish to regulate find time to release and let go of attachments to cleanse our karma.

om viṣṇave namaḥ

🙏

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