FEMINIST ASTROLOGY ?

I have always been very skeptical of astrology, especially as interpreted by the syndicated newspaper advice peddlers. It always seemed to me that the need for an explanation of the forces, inside and outside, which seemed beyond our control is natural, but that since you can't be prepared for everything the strength needed to meet life should come from within. For women especially an interest in astrology shows a need for self-knowledge, growth, and life-planning; but avoids the fact that we should look inside ourselves instead of at the stars and planets. Minerva is three feminist astrologers, visiting Cleveland from Tucson, Arizona, where they have started the first feminist astrology center. When Dorothy Riddle, Deborah Dobson and Willow Colleen Bently came to the CWRU women's center for an evening of feminist astrology, I went to hear what they had to say. I was put at ease when Dorothy Riddle said A year and two months ago I didn't believe... in astrology at all. Ms. Riddle discovered that many of her women friends, including Debbie and Willow were involved with astrology. Her first exploration of the subject was based on her respect for her feminist friends. When Dorothy Riddle found on a trip to New Mexico that another woman there had bugun an astrology center, the three decided that Tucson needed a feminist astrology center. As they put it, Minerva was born that night. (Minerva is the name of the Roman goddess of wisdom, the arts, and war.) All three women had been disturbed for some time at the sexism in many astrology books and guides. Willow said, If you're reading a book where the interpretation is different for male and female, watch out!

All three women who make up Minerva are very encouraged by the fact that the center has only been in existence since April '74, has done very little publicity, but has lots of business, not only in the Southwest but from all over the country. Debbie, Willow and Dorothy all find that turning an idea into reality, having their own business is very satisfying. Dorothy Riddle's training is in clinical psychology and she also runs a feminist counselling service. Debbie Dobson says that she was into astrology before feminism but that both things bloomed for me at about the same time. All three women are partially supported by the money made from their astrological services. Most of their business comes from women, a fact they enjoy. Minerva will send you a tape if you live far away from Tucson. Otherwise they prefer to sit down with the client and discuss the chart and its interpretation. They write out some of the information so the client will be able to go back

cont. from page 6

infected, can be treated by radiation or by a small second operation. The results of this delayed treatment are the same as those obtained by removing them at the initial operation. Performing a radical mastectomy on 100 women with cancer of the breast would mean that approximately 40 of those women could have been cured by a simpler operation. In approximately 50 of those women the cancer has spread to other organs and a radical operation would not result in a cure. The ten women who could be cured by a radical mastectomy can have the primary tumor treated with a simple operation and the nodes treated by a second operation or by radiation. These ten women will have survival rates comparable to those if the nodes had been treated at the time of the first operation and will not suffer the discomfort and disability that accompany a radical mastectomy.

Over and over again, careful studies performed abroad have shown no advantage to

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to it and not have to rely on just remembering all they have said.

Debbie, Willow, and Dorothy met in the women's movement in Tucson, which they describe as a very warm all-encompassing community. It is both a political movement and a full social life. Tucson has a limited variety of alternative communities, according to Minerva. There are stror spiritual and occult groups but both of these tend to be male dominated.

1

Minerva is very concerned with birth. Not only human birth but also the birth of ideas, relationships, actions.

trying to find new and positive ways of looking at female traits, such as gentleness and endur. ance, while trying to free themselves from the confines of passivity, and indecisiveness.

Ms. Riddle says that as a feminist, astrology appeals to her because it helps her understand her own uniqueness. She also emphasizes that there is nothing in anyone's chart that is inherently good or bad. The important thing is how you handle the information.

Before we all broke up into groups to learn how to look up information for our charts, Minerva explained the components of a chart. The planets represent kinds of activity, kinds of energy. Mars, for example, is agressive, initiating action, while Venus is loving, appreciating, Everyone has all the characteristics associated with each one of the planets in their personality. But according to the position of the planet or constellation a given tendency will play a different part, have a different emphasis,

Then I paired up with the one other person in the room who was born in the 1940's. We looked up the positions of the planets at the exact time of our birth in Ephemeries, which are tables of planet positions, going back as far as 1890. The sign most people go by is their sun-sign. You are a Virgo, for example, if your birthday falls between August 22 and Sept. 22; a Libra if you were born between Sept. 22 and Oct. 22; etc. However, there are 8 planets and the moon which also may influence your personality. Most horoscopes that appear in newspapers are based entirely on sun signs. Minerva does not understand how the writers of these columns do it and doubts

tion at all.

Ms. Dobson explained the main difference between the traditional approach to astrology and theirs. Minerva sees a person's chart, which is based on astronomical movements and positions that what they write is astrological interpretaas a pattern of potentials. They do not make predictions. They are not deterministic. That is, no ones chart indicates a fixed unavoidable fate. Rather, they see a chart as a tool for selfunderstanding and perhaps change. Their approach is not event-centered, but personcentered. They are not fortune-tellers. Minerva will not tell you how to manage your money or who to have for dinner. She will talk to you about your abilities and your relationships with people. She will talk to you about tensions within your personality; things that are difficult for you, things that are easy. She is very concerned with challenges. Minerva's aim is to enable the client to know how to deal with the environment, how to make changes from within. I think this perspective is especially important to women, many of whom are

extended surgical treatment, and have shown that the tumor in the lymph nodes can be effectively controlled by radiation.

(Dr. George Crile)

European surgeons have abandoned the use of the radical mastectomy as a treatment for breast cancer and have adequately shown that survival rates in their countries are comparable to the survival rates of women treated with the radical mastectomy. In America that controversy over the treatment of breast cancer is a bitter one. Women should be made aware of the types of treatment available and their consequences and should be given the option as to the type of treatment they want.

MAMOGRAM

Drs. Krause, Lubert, Berman, Benett, Shapiro, Wiener, Goodman, Yulish, Gold & Lerner, Inc. 2460 Fairmount 229-2740

I found it intriguing that the celestial movements that occurred on my birthday were recorded; the language of astrology interested me. It was interesting to see that my personality is evenly divided between initiative, practical energy, emotion; that the only kind of energy I am a little short on is mental. This information made me take a look at myself, but that's something I do a lot of anyway. I remain skeptical. But Minerva means a lot to many women, judging from the response they have had. The most important thing about Minerva is their approach. They want to empower women to know themselves. Their relationship to their clients is not that of doctor to patient but of a wise woman who says: You know yourself best!!

Until this controversy is ended in America, women will have to be responsible for informing themselves about the type of treatment for breast cancer available. We will have to continue our search for the doctor who will give us the kind of treatment we desire and the respect we deserve.

THE EARLIER BREAST CANCER IS FOUND THE SURER THE CURE. MOST BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSED BY PHYSICIANS IS IN AN ADVANCED STAGE. SINCE 90 PERCENT OF BREAST CANCER IS FOUND BY WOMEN THEMSELVES, THE SIMPLE SKILL OF SELF-EXAM INATION IS A VITAL ONE. A WOMAN SHOULD EXAMINE HER BREASTS ONCE A MONTH AFTER HER MENSTRUAL PERIOD.

IF YOU FIND A LUMP SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDI ATELY!!

Material for this article was taken from Ms. Magezine, a reprint in September 1973 of What Women Should Know About the Breast Cancer Controversy by Dr. George Crile Jr., Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1973.

page 7/What She Wants/December, 1974