Ramblings, Reflections and Ruminations of Daniel Giamario | Jan 16, 2026 |
At Faywood Hot Springs Stone Circle, September 2025
I was fortunate to be involved in the astrological renaissance of the late 1960s and 1970s, spearheaded by Dane Rudhyar and many others. It was a revolt against deterministic forms of astrology, as well as aiming to restore a mytho-poetic framework and spiritual values. When considering what real, authentic, soul, and spirit based astrology can be, the following dangers to the kind of astrology the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ and Turning of The Ages Mystery School embraces need to be considered.
Six Dangers to Authentic Astrology
1) Sun-Sign Astrology
Sun-sign Astrology started as an intelligent business decision by newspapers in the 1800s to easily categorize people into 12 boxes. To be fair, few had the books to provide better information. Unfortunately, this caught on as a “fashion” and succeeded in trivializing astrology and making more than half the population perceiving astrology as as being superficial. It was my realization in the 70s how few people actually liked their sun sign (or perhaps how many were trying to fit into those boxes) that sparked my desire to avoid sun-signs.
2) Deterministic Astrology
Seeing astrology as a mechanistic and materialistic form of determinism based on cause and effect traps astrology in Saturn’s universe – a very limited one indeed, unless one recognizes authentic Saturn as a liberator to free ourselves from the limitation.
3) Patriarchal Astrology
Much of what passes as traditional astrology has been based on patriarchal principles. The 70s revolution started bringing the Sacred Feminine into the canon, at first through the asteroid goddesses. TOTAMS recognizes archetypal masculine and feminine in all the signs and planets, especially the Sun and Moon.
4) Binary Astrology
The continued use of good and bad, ruler-ships, exaltations, detriments, oppositions etc. TOTAMS sees the value of all planetary placements, no good or bad, better or worse. All have initiatory intent, and all charts hold the exact perfect set of factors for the evolution of the Soul and Spirit.
5) Gadgets and Algorithms
If astrology is to remain a true and the most comprehensive form of divination, the use of gadgets and algorithms cannot suffice. The soul-to-soul human encounter in the moment of the encounter has tremendous importance.
6) Loss of Night Sky Connection
The loss of night sky connection and knowledge is a big one! TOTAMS only fully certifies astrologers if they have interest, knowledge and experience of the night sky. This is astrology that works anywhere and at any time, whatever the technology available. Direct experience of the Land and Sky is irreplaceable. An only intellectual, left-brain knowledge of the chart is quite incomplete.
And Now: AI Astrology
At the end of Kali Yuga, the deepest descent of spirit into matter and the hegemony of materialism has now resulted in the greatest danger of all to real human-centered astrology. Now AI entered and is rapidly filling the stage. Artificial Intelligence – what an oxymoron! But then it seems to have been inevitable, has it not? So here we are … For example, just ask your favorite large language model (LLM) or even your “personal” AI chatbot “friend” what your Saturn Return is all about. Who knows what sources it is pulling from, but be sure to get the answer you desire (or don’t), based on the six points outlined above.
A Personal Story
I will share a personal story. For years, various individuals desired to use my paradigm to create internet analysis and more recently, an astrology app.
There are now countless astrology apps, but about a decade ago, I spent hundreds of hours providing the A-Z foundational in-depth information of the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ for what the world now knows under the name The Pattern app. I have not been associated with it for several years, and while it may still be the most accurate app out there, I recently learned to my chagrin that it is now featuring your own personal AI guide. To say the least, this distresses me quite a bit.
Human beings are not algorithms, and astrology can never be reduced to them! AI and LLMs are merely the farthest extent of logic and data, and at best can only be simulacra fashioned from the logic and data fed into them. If you accept that consciousness is a component of the “One Reality” and that it exists separate and independent of the brain, then machines and large language models do not have real emotion, heart, or sentience, and never will. At best, a decent app would direct you to a real astrologer, a human with soul, spirit and heart.
What Happened to my Vlog?
Each month I produce a video-blog that appears on the TOTAMS YouTube channel, in our newsletter, on my Substack, and all TOTAMS (un-)social media platforms. Some months ago I made one together with Lizzie Moon that I considered to be among the most important ever. It is titled Human-Centered Astrology, AI, and the Shadow of Aquarius. If one can believe what YouTube reports, it got the lowest viewership of any in a long time. Possibly I am over the target, but if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is again: https://youtu.be/9tTofzXKVMQ
Pure Human
The subversion of the spirit and soul of astrology into apps, algorithms and chatbots is just another rather inevitable symptom of the Kali Age of materialism and the Great Turning. Please think this through before falling for it. We at the Turning of The Ages Mystery School remain committed to keep alive the living, organic wisdom of astrology and the Perennial Philosophy of The Ages. We will never sell out to the AI and transhuman mind-spell.
To retain, if that is at all possible (and for as long as possible), what it means to be a “Pure Human” (in Gregg Braden’s language), consider joining us on our mission. 2026 is another great timeline split year, and you likely have to make a choice.
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