I’ve always wanted to be able to play the piano. I actually took piano lessons for eleven years, and was rather accomplished at playing, and yet I never learned how to just sit down at the piano and play. I told myself that I just never learned how to sight read, or that I never spent enough time learning music theory.
Over the past twenty-five years, I’ve resolved multiple times to learn how to play piano, because I miss it. I’ve tried various online classes to learn music theory. I’ve purchased music theory for dummies (and idiots) books. I even bought a book I remember my mother using years ago, called “How to Play Piano (Despite Years of Lessons)."
I still can’t sit down at a piano and just play.
The other day, I was watching television, and came across a program on PBS. The title was something like How to Play Piano in a Flash. The host explained that the traditional methods of learning piano are geared to creating classical pianists. Most people don’t want to be a classical pianist. Most people want to be able to sit down and make music.
Making music, he explained, does not involve any of the skills or theories or techniques that I spent eleven years practicing. All you have to do is to master a few simple building blocks and suddenly, you’re able to play the songs you always wanted to play.
I was absolutely fascinated by this demonstration. And what impressed me the most was how few notes were played. Even when he got a bit fancy, I recognized that he was using the same simple chords over and over again.
And I realized that the way most people learn to play piano is the way that most people learn astrology.
Most people study astrology. They read books, and memorize interpretations. They learn theory. They practice technique. And if they stick with it long enough, they can probably sit down with a chart and hammer out some kind of an interpretation in the same way that after eleven years of piano lessons I could sit down with some sheet music and hammer out a song: slow, tedious, halting, and not particularly enjoyable.
While the “traditional” path to learning astrology has merit, it’s analogous to the path to becoming a classical pianist. Most people don’t want to be a classical pianist; they just want to sit down and make music. And most people don’t want to become professional astrologers; they just want to be able to understand how to use their birth chart for personal growth and guidance.
If this sounds like you, then you’re reading the right blog.
Just as it’s possible to create wonderful music using simple techniques and short-cuts, it’s possible to become fluent in the language of astrology in the same way. If you’re new to astrology, this will be easy for you. If you’re not new to astrology, you may find it more challenging, because you’ll be asked to set aside the vast majority of the things that you “know” already. However, I think you’ll be quite impressed with how much astrological “music” you can make with just the most basic “notes.” This is the essence and the power of REAL Astrology!
So, stay tuned! There’s a lot more to come!
Monday, August 3, 2009
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- Kevin B. Burk
- Kevin B. Burk is an internationally-acclaimed astrologer, author, relationship coach and spiritual counselor. He holds a Level IV certification in Astrological Counseling from NCGR, he is an MTI Certified Mediator of Workplace Conflict, and he is a graduate of the Holmes Institute Professional Practitoner Studies program. Kevin has taught astrology, relationship and relationship astrology workshops in cities across the United States. He has been helping clients worldwide to improve every aspect of their lives since 1996. Kevin launched his "Spiritual Training" practice in 2008 with the intention of creating a model that would provide practical support and training to enable his clients to experience meaningful and lasting improvements in the qualitity of their lives. Kevin works with clients via telephone, and also sees clients in person in his totally awesome counseling space in La Mesa, California, just east of San Diego.










1 comment:
Welcome to the blog-o-sphere, Kevin. You make a very good point with your post. I've always been interested in astrology and while I could pound out interpretations now that I've read everything I could get my hands on, I really have little desire to work as an astrologer. Still, I do like to read and interact with knowledgeable people. I look forward to your posts here.
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