ASTROLOGY PHILIPPINES

  From L to R: Astrologers Resti Santiago and  Paloma with journalist-turned lawmaker Loren Legarda and Anthony Vivero, around 1999 By MARGE C. ENRIQUEZ The late Zenaida “Kid” Garcia, better known to readers as Paloma, first reached out to BusinessWorld in 1991 with a complaint that another astrologer had copied her work. She sent proof, then offered to write. The paper ran her first essay, and she soon became a regular columnist. Writing as Paloma, she kept her identity private to pursue a mission to explain astrology. The aim was to counter the view that astrology is only planetary positions or past-life claims. Her column educated general readers and showed that life involves both destiny and personal choice. Change rests with the individual, not with the moon or planets. Years of practice, she said, deepened her faith and clarified the laws of cause and effect. Astrology, in her view, can reveal patterns behind turning points and highlight universal laws whose neglect ...

  If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last few years, you’ve likely come across astrology in one form or another. From short-form videos that reduce zodiac signs into personalities— your sign as a girlfriend, your sign at work, your sign in an argument —to more in-depth breakdowns of planetary movements and transits, astrology has quietly embedded itself into modern culture. And yet, despite how visible it has become, it remains one of the most misunderstood systems people interact with. Most people don’t actually understand astrology—they consume it in fragments. In digestible, small tidbits that, while helping increase the popularity of astrology to the modern masses, can have the unfortunate side effect of diluting the complexity in faux reductionism. A post here. A video there. A thread explaining one planet, another explaining one sign. The result is a collection of disconnected ideas that feel insightful, but don’t form a complete picture. It creates a strange pa...

Astrology Friends Philippines is now selling T-shirts with the group's logo printed on its front side. Proceeds will be used for the group's activities, especially the Library project. The tees come in different colors and sizes.  To purchase, please contact the group through email or through its FaceBook page  or through this blog. You can post your order or inquiry in the Comments section. Members of Astrology Friends Philippines (AFP),  proudly wearing their AFP logo-emblazoned t-shirts. The group met at Giovanni's Restaurant  this July for their monthly get-together.

By Resti H. Santiago Andres Bonifacio The concept of fate was not very popular in the 20th century because the previous century's mantra was all about freedom. This may partly explain why astrology has to be reformulated. But denying fate would not eliminate it from our lives. If we are to believe Plato's "Myth of Er," fate is actually an agreement or arrangement that we had with God, sealed by the Fates, prior to one's incarnation. Denying that there is no binding agreement does not free us from what has actually been agreed upon. It is for this reason that I want to emphasize that despite 20th century thought, fate still exists. But that does not mean there is no free will. A more realistic approach that astrology can show is that there is fate, and there is free will. The reason why astrologers can make predictions is because there is fate. The reason why astrologers can err in their interpretation is because there is free will. Clotho, from where...

By Ime Morales Read Part 1 Overhauling the Zodiac As the best known astrologer in the country at the time, mainly because of his book Astrology Through Filipino Eyes, which was read not only in America but also across Europe, Serafin Lanot was the only Filipino who got invited to attend the international conference of the American Federation of Astrologers or the AFA. In fact, he was made a member of the AFA convention faculty. During the conference, he presented his paper titled, One World, One Astrology. He wrote in that paper: "Now is the time for astrologers to assume the leadership in this fight for change, no longer as mere consultants and counselors to money changers and reactionary leaders, but as leaders themselves during this Age of Aquarius, assuming the mantle of seer and sage that both history and legend have thrust upon us." He went on to propose a "one world, one astrology" based on "reason, intuition and inspiration, to harmoniz...

JP Rodrigo and Merci Servida On August 27, 2013 Astrology Friends Philippines' JP Rodrigo donated the books of poet-astrologer Serafin Lanot to Lopez Museum and Library on behalf of the Lanot-Lacaba family. The group, with the help of the Serafin Lanot's descendants, aim to introduce the works of Lanot to a new generation of poets and astrologers. Among those donated is "Songs of the Brown." It is the most famous book of Serafin Lanot. Its cover and illustrations were done by the skillful hand of National Artist for Visual Arts awardee Carlos "Botong" Francisco. The artworks hidden in the pages of Lanot's book were reproduced in life size bas reliefs and can now be seen in Angono, Rizal. Also donated were: - Serafin Lanot's "The Family that Gets Pushed Around." Cover designed by Danny Dalena. - Serafin Lanot's "The Primer of Life." Cover designed by Carlos "Botong" Francisco. - Serafin Lanot...

Design and lay-out by Eric Ambata Astrology Friends Philippines, with generous support from Lopez Museum and Library, is organizing an exhibition and series of talks to commemorate the birth centennial of poet, journalist and astrologer Serafin Lanot and to mark the existence of astrology in Philippine culture and history. "Poetry of Stars: An Overview of Astrology in the Philippines" will be held at Lopez Museum and Library from Aug. 15-17, 2013. Exhibition Lanot with Nick Joaquin The exhibition will feature Lanot's and other leading astrologers' personal astrology and publishing paraphernalia, such as charts and even an astrological computer, as well as a letter written to him by Corazon Aquino after he had predicted her ascendancy to the presidency in 1986. A former editor of Manila Chronicle Sunday Magazine and author of "Astrology through Filipino Eyes," Lanot was a leading figure in the introduction of astrology in the Philippines in ...