Introduction
Astrologers have applied their craft to a wide variety of subjects and disciplines. Some contributions were measurable and significant. Others have been debatable. One of the more enduring associations has been in the area of psychology and personal growth. I have made a brief foray into this branch of astrology myself. Print or “copy” is something we can be proud of –especially if it’s well-written. At the same time however, we may cringe as to how something reads a few years later. Either way, we can see it as a benchmark in a life, and hope that we will continue to learn and grow.  

Like many others I was deeply moved by Tolle’s seminal work, “The Power of Now”. I especially liked reading about the period in his life when he hung out on park benches for a couple of years, blissed out and barely functional. But other parts of his story were pretty terrifying.  

My introduction to living in the present occurred in northern India, from July 2005 to March 2007. I sat (meditated) a few hours nearly everyday, and at times, experienced my own little blisses and terrors. The series of articles here are the result of insights I had while sitting. Ironically, I went through more change by “doing nothing” than I had ever gone through when I was in the middle wrestling with my own inner conflicts and problems. What follows is what I learned through my experiences, viewed through each of the twelve astrology signs.  

I found that sitting very productive, although it’s not for everyone. To “sit” means that there is no attempt to get anywhere, get into any other state of awareness or to achieve anything. There are two reasons to sit: 1) To learn how to “be” and, 2) To apply what you’ve realized from your sittings to your life experience. This may be more difficult than it first appears. But this skill can be developed.   I’ve grouped the twelve signs into triads of air, water, fire and earth. The thread throughout the articles is that we remain in the present moment only. We won’t tarry in the past or future, nor will we ponder too much about the historical building blocks of an individual’s psychology. Remember: everyone can learn something from every sign. This is not sun sign astrology. It is my hope that these articles are a way to make note of useful ways to understand each sign as awareness remains in the present moment.

Perhaps you will become aware that some signs will have more value to you than others. That’s fine. Use anything. A poet once said, “Take what you need and leave the rest.” I wholly subscribe to that view.  

Each sign has its own gifts, traps, detours and challenges when the present moment is the foundation of our perspective, as it is here. I’ve made every attempt to make this simple and easy to understand, even though we’re on shaky ground when we attempt to grasp it intellectually. I welcome any comments, suggestions or questions.

We use any and all experiences to help us to embody awakeness. This reflects a rare spiritual maturity symbolic of the Earth Triad. There is no suggestion here to say that that all Earth signs should be functioning in a relatively awake manner. But there is a logical sequence from Air to Earth. My experience was going through the mental/emotional reactive aspects (Air-Water) of my personality first as I sincerely applied myself through months of sitting. The Fire element took hold and, to some degree, a permanent transformation took place.  With these, many ideas about spirituality, the so-called spiritual quest and a host of other notions were 'cooked.' In Earth, we are looking at the symbolic location of where permanent change may be readily available or recognized. This is not to say that we are not permanently changed through the other three elements or that we must look (or read) Earth signs in this way only. But, it is suggested here that Earth represents a relatively stable feeling that permanent change has taken place and that it provides further 'solidification' of ('your') ultimate unknowableness in a relatively normal, day-to-day, walking around non-state of awareness/being. If there is some degree of stabilization within this 'non-state' then you're there. A degree of Earth intended awareness has been realized. If you have a normal or day-to-day walking around sense that what is really walking around can never be defined, and that that is what is animating your thoughts and actions, on a daily, moment-to-moment basis, then a level of spiritual maturity (non-forgetting) has been reached. Some of us get to this place relatively easily. For others, it may take more time and sincerity. But once the fire has been lit, and has not been put out by mental/emotional ego reactivity, it may land or settle here. Each Earth sign has something to say about both expressing and furthering the embodiment process; the rightful domain of the Earth Triad.  The sequence of Air, Water, Fire and Earth is a suggestion only: the sincereity to remain present may begin with monitoring your breath and bodily sensations. We become aware of our reactive thinking and emotionality, but we include all of it as being what we are. We may begin to experience the fire of transformation and may become fundamentally altered by it. And then the work is to actually begin to live it and manifest it in our lives. We may get hit by the bolt of awakening, but it may take some years to begin to live it in our lives.  Embodied awakeness, without trying to live up to any image of what you think awakeness should look like, is a spiritual maturity that the Earth Triad best represents. 'Earth' when awake, is an already transformed state of consciousness (the Fire Triad) that is the real power behind any and all action. In the Earth Triad, the world itself enters the picture in the sense that, ironically, there's less of an individual 'doing' in it. The true depth and meaning of responsibility is as awesome as it is daunting -even frightening for many. To contemplate this may help you to realize what true, or lasting, spiritual power can be. The Earth signs viewed in this way may suggest that such a person is already beginning to express or embody spiritual strength or  power in their own particular way. 
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There seems to be some confusion about Libra's association to physical sensations. As with all conceptual models, they are only starting points. In all cases, take what you need and leave the rest.     We cannot attribute physical sensation wholly to the Earth signs. This is a mistake that we would have to undo later, simply because we are not our bodies. We need our bodies, surely. But we are not limited to them, nor can we be wholly defined by them. Earth signs say, 'I am my sensations' which is true, but only to a point.     There is a larger context from which all sensations know that they are being sensed. That context is a human self-consciousness which knows that it is not limited to the physical body.  We can sense so much more!  As well, if you were dead, what could you know what your body is sensing? Being alive, our bodies continue to be animated by a trans-physical consciousness. This is what makes sensing a sensation possible. For example, light-bulbs don't make light. It's the electricity going through them that does the trick. Similarly, we need more than just a physical body to have a sensation. This points to what the Air Triad best represents.    Thinking is one form of consciousness (Gemini), and sensations (Libra) are a further differentiation of that same consciousness. We could suggest that it's Aquarius that knows a human self-consciousness awareness is sensing that sensation.