Astrology, Herbalism, & the Just World Theory

The Moon is in Scorpio today, the sign of her Fall.  This transit is a good time to ponder solemn, difficult thoughts. So let us not be afraid; let us face the Abyss together. Today’s topic from the Abyss is the Just World Theory.

(This article is written in haste, as I have guests coming over tonight and really need to clean. But I have to get this off my chest!  Apologies for the unpolished nature of this post!)

The Just World Theory is a fundamental assumption that affects how we think and act, usually without us knowing about it.  The assumption is that the world is basically fair or just.  That’s it, in a nutshell. That’s the Just World Theory.

“The world is just.”  

It’s very simple, very profound… and very wrong.  But the vast majority of people hold this perspective without knowing it.  

When you say it out loud, it is easy to refute. We were all taught as children that “life isn’t fair,” right?  We claim to know this, consciously. But human nature does not WANT to believe this. If we had to face the idea that we are just pawns in the hands of Fate, it would make us feel vulnerable, powerless, hopeless. And these are emotions that we hate and avoid at all costs!  So to avoid these emotions, we form a worldview that allows these feelings not to be validated.  To avoid feeling powerless, we choose to believe that we have control over our lives. And by extension, we treat others as if whatever happens to them is largely within their control.

If you’ve been in the natural health world for more than three seconds, you will have encountered the Just World Theory in one of its many manifestations. The natural health world is full of people who believe that if they just live right, eat right, do the right things, they will not get sick. The inverse, or logical extension of this belief, of course, is that people who are sick must not have lived right, eaten right, or done the right things. 

Another word for this idea is victim-blaming.

Victim-blaming is an inescapable and critical part of the Just World Theory. You cannot have a Just World without blaming victims. It isn’t possible.

Anyone who studies astrology will eventually have to grapple with the profound philosophical question of Fate versus Free will. Of course, there’s a spectrum of positions one can take on the matter, with complete fatalism on one hand and complete free will on the other hand. That question is closely related to the question of Just World Theory. “Justice” means we deserve what we get. A just world would mean that our free will rules over our fate.  A just world would make fate almost nonexistent.

But if astrology is even a little bit true, then Fate is enormously important. Even without astrology, a sober look at statistics, or even just common sense, will put the lie to the idea of a just world.  For example, the very fact that some children are born to abusive parents and others are not is inherently unjust. (Adding Reincarnation and Karma to the equation does not solve this problem. And in any case, while I do believe in reincarnation, I acknowledge that we cannot prove it definitively. And for sure we cannot prove karma. It is a matter of faith.) 

An astrologer should have profound compassion for everyone, since astrology could not exist without the idea that we are all bound by Fate (whether partially or fully is what astrologers have to debate.) Accepting astrology, though, means the world is, for sure, not Just. Good people sometimes get handed bad transits, which were determined to happen billions of years ago at the Big Bang.  Bad people sometimes prosper— also foretold in the heavens. Some people are prone to illness, no matter what they do. Some people are rarely sick, even though they eat nothing but junk food and treat their bodies harshly. It’s all in the stars.

On the other hand, there are some in the field of natural health who swing very far the other direction. Many people turn to natural health as a way to feel more in control of their lives. If they only do the right protocol, follow the right diet, avoid the right toxins, they will achieve (deserve) full health.

As an astrologer, I have to accept that Fate is real.  But I do believe that Fate is partial, not complete.  There are things we can control.  I could not be an herbalist if I did not hold this view.  Why bother treating an illness, anyway, if it is only Fate that will determine whether you recover either way? But here I am, studying these herbs, learning about lifestyle and diet, working on interventions with people, in hopes of bringing improvement and joy to otherwise difficult situations. The term “co-creation” comes to mind. Fate sets the boundaries, and we play creatively within them.

There is far too much over-confidence and condescension in the field of natural health.  It betrays a Just World Theory behind their words.  The reality is, for the majority of illnesses, it is not the patient’s fault.  Genetics, environment, and, yes, astrology, play into the manifestation of an illness.  (Of course, sometimes patients do cause their own illnesses, I’m not saying this is 100%! Ironically, though, astrology can tell us when this is the case as well… Let that sink in and blow your mind for a minute…)  Believing that “if the patient had just done XYZ this wouldn’t have happened” is not only arrogant, but counterproductive.  Instead, a better way to think of it is, when we recommend interventions, diets, or anything else, we are fighting against Fate. Taking this approach allows for much more compassion, empathy, and effectiveness.

For the majority of illnesses, it is not the patient’s fault!

I don’t know about you, but I find this liberating. Removing blame and shame from the equation frees us up to creatively push the boundaries of where Free Will can work. How firm are these boundaries, really? Let’s test it. Let’s try this food, let’s experiment with that herb, let’s see what happens if you do this kind of breathing… etc.  See what changes! To me, this attitude is much happier than the fatalistic acceptance of suffering that some hard core determinists promote, or the victim-blaming scolding of hard core Free Will adherents.

OK, that’s all for this Scorpio Moon musing for now. Gotta go wash dishes!

Fighting Fate with you,

Abigail