Why Astrology?
Ultimately, Astrology is a divinatory practice. Divination is founded upon the premise that we inhabit a living Cosmos, one that is equal parts chaos and order. When we ask a question, the Cosmos replies in a rich language of symbols. In astrology, those symbols include the visible planets, classical elements, and zodiacal signs. Therefore, excellent astrology should be descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive. This ancient art offers a language with which we may make sense of our life story as it unfolds, like a song, across time. Using the mouthpieces of the planets, we can predict a range of archetypal outcomes and plot a course of action. My primary influences have been key figures in Hellenistic astrology - both in its inception and contemporary revival. Although I primarily utilize traditional techniques, I incorporate a few modern concepts into my practice, such as the outer planets.
Why Heavy Metal?
As a music genre, metal is known for its extremes. Think of the achingly slow droning of Sunn O))) versus the thrashing shredfest of Slayer. In traditional astrology, the planets Mars and Saturn are deemed to be “Malefic” or “disastrous” because they are extreme by nature. Burning with hellfire, Mars is extremely hot, while distant Saturn is extremely cold. Ruling pain, struggle, and sorrow, Mars and Saturn are naturally the patron planets of heavy metal, a genre populated with devils, death growls, and distortion. A truly metal artist is an alchemist. They take the pain of life and transform it into a work of art, a thing of beauty. In a birth chart, Mars and Saturn point to the painful places where the iron and lead lie, waiting to be turned to gold.
My Story
Although I came to astrology through the doorway of occultism, I was actually skeptical of the celestial arts for a long time. Meditation, magic, sigils, and spells all made sense to me, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around astrology. It seemed to be an embarrassing corner of esoterica, occultism’s red-headed stepchild reduced to another personality test like Myers-Briggs or the Enneagram.
I was under the mistaken impression that astrology needed an underlying causal mechanism, an undiscovered law of physics that could explain how the position of the planets affect one’s behavior and persona. My other faulty assumption was thinking astrology only described personalities. In late 2017, I discovered just how wrong I was.
Through folks like Austin Coppock, Chris Brennan, Sam Reynolds, Demetra George, and Christopher Warnock, my eyes were opened to a wider world of astrology beyond its reduction to shallow pop-psychology. Studying astrology’s Hellenistic roots, I learned the celestial arts can articulate the fate and fortune of individuals and nations through a dynamic system of symbols, sometimes with spooky accuracy.
Learning that some ancient astrologers viewed their system as a code of omens was a game changer. Like a grand cosmic clock, astrology describes the quality of time rather than creating it. Gone was the need for a causal mechanism. Instead, astrology becomes a system of divination and a spiritual practice.
If the revival of astrology’s Hellenistic roots expanded my perspective of the art, it was the events of 2020 that confirmed its validity. In the autumn of 2019, I devoured Richard Tarnas’ book Cosmos & Psyche. After recounting the story of Western thought, Tarnas uses the cyclical interactions of outer planets such as Uranus, Saturn, and Pluto to paint historical eras in archetypal strokes. I was really taken by his section on Saturn-Pluto dynamics, given the coming Saturn-Pluto conjunction on Jan, 12, 2020. Seeing that strange year unfold in dramatic alignment with the astrological events solidified its soundness in my mind.
Deciding to pursue formal studies and certification, I completed Nightlight Astrology’s First-Year Certification Course with Adam Ellenbaas in 2021. Starting in the summer of 2023, I am now studying with Adam again in his Year Two program to practice and solidify my skills in predictive techniques.
My name is Caleb J. McCoy.
I am a diviner, drummer, and dreamer currently living in Portland, Oregon, the traditional lands of the Clackamas and Cowlitz peoples. As a weird kid, I spent my days reading fantasy, sci-fi, and all things things paranormal. In 2013, I began studying Tarot cards, Chaos magic, Taoism, Buddhism, and Western philosophy.
Spiritually, I am a practitioner of Buddhism, having studied with both Zen and Vajrayana teachers. Additionally, I am a devotee of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a dabbler in astrological magic, and practitioner of Nordic animism. In addition to being an astrologer and weirdo, I am a father, writer, and insatiable wanderer. My favorite things are black coffee, black metal, and books.
Contact Caleb for more info.