Psychological Perspectives in Astrology

Many modern astrologers relate astrology to depth psychology via the work of Carl Jung. As a result of the cross-fertilisation between the two disciplines, Psychological Astrology emerged. This is a modern departure from Traditional Astrology and it is not possible to say exactly when the movement began. The discipline uses astrological archetypes to inform the understanding of an individual's psyche. When Carl Jung was studying the interpretation of dreams, he commonly came across mythical figures whose images correlated with the Greek/Roman gods that were attached to the star patterns mapped out in the skies. He concluded that the heavenly figures in astrology come from the images we make in our minds. Charles Carter encyclopaedia mentioned character traits in 1924. The Swiss astrologer Ernst Kraft urged that astrological symbolism be reportrayed in terms of psychology in 1929 in the hope that the practice of astrology might benefit from the advances being made in depth psychology. By 1950, the Jungians themselves began to lay claim to the planets, probably as a reflection of Jung's own interest in the subject.

The philosophical premise upon which Psychological Astrology is based is that the individual's reality springs outward from his inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, expectations and beliefs. For instance, in astrological symbolism Saturns represents limitation, restriction and boundaries, whereas the 11th house represents the person's friends, peers and community in his everyday life.

Saturn (restriction) + 11th House (friends) = Difficulty Making Friends

If we take the example of a university student whose natal Saturn is in the 11th house of his birth chart, he is likely to show up as a problem of having trouble with his friends and study mates in his campus life. Yet, in terms of Psychological Astrology, that interpretation may represent just the tip of the iceberg.

Conflict with friends is only an outer manifestation of something which the student himself is responsible for creating. His relationship difficulties with his study companions is the surface manifestation of something much deeper. The deeper psychological issue is probably a fear of expanding his boundaries to include something other than himself. There is likely to be an internal conflict. He may want to become greater individual than what he already is, and yet he is afraid of endangering the identity that he already possesses. Any planet placed in the 11th house in his birth chart will urge him to encompass a greater reality, but his Saturn, being restrictive in archetype, will hold him back mentally and caution him to preserve what he is already familiar or comfortable with.

The student now understands that it is not lousy friendship that is restricting his development. Rather it is his own restrictions which limit his friendship. He then obtains a better insight into his own inner psyche. Rather than telling him "Sorry, your friends are no good", the astrological chart now opens up his growth potential. He now understands that what he sees in life is coloured by what he expects to see. He may then appreciate that difficulties with friends is but a necessary and productive phase of his campus experience, and it would benefit him to grow side by side with his constant challenge of making friends.

In carrying the astrological interpretation further, a knowledge of the sign placement of Saturn often provides useful insight as to why the student might experience difficulty. For instance, the student with the Saturn in Aries in 11th house may experience difficulty in making friends because he is unable to assert himself in a group situation. A Saturn in Taurus may shy away from socialising with friends simply because he is financially thrifty. A Saturn in Gemini suggests that the difficulty may lie with the way he communicates with others. A Saturn in Cancer may find socialising with friends burdens his responsiblities to his family. On the other hand a Saturn in Leo may annoy his peers too much because he does not want to play "second fiddle" to anyone else. For a Virgoan Saturn, his group mates may find him too serious and worrisome with regards to small matters.

Sometimes, a Saturn in Libra may provide us with the clue that the student harbours an inferiority complex that limits his interaction with people. The student with Saturn in Scorpio may be too demanding of others in terms of responsiblity and overwhelms his groups mates who do not want to carry their share of the load. The student with Saturn in Sagittarius may clash with his friends in terms of religious or philosophical differences. The student with Saturn in Capricorn mistrusts others' ability to live up to his standards and therefore unable to delegate responsibilities during group work. The student with Saturn in Uranus may strike his group mates as being too offbeat and unconventional in his ideas whereas the student with Saturn in Pisces may be too sensitive, too paranoid and too gloomy to attract his friends' company.

The Saturn Archetype

In Saturn we anticipate difficulty, disappointment and restriction. We often face restrictions and boundaries and a nagging sense of duty, responsibiltiy and the "oughts" and "shoulds" of life. We feel limited and constrained.

There are four archetypes that we can use in astrological interpretations of the meaning of Saturn in birth charts: (a) the Old Tyrant (b) the Sickle (c) the Wise Old man (d) the Mountain Goat

Old Tyrant describes one of the faces of Saturn. The Greek equivalen tof Saturn is Cronus. Afraid that his own children might overthrow him, Cronus ate them. In this respect Saturn is where we do not allow our own creative impulses to have free reign. The reason for this is fear and conservatism. With Saturn we dread the unknown and the untried. We try to maintain the status quo in that area of life if something new crops us, even if what already exists is short of ideal This is because we worry about making a wrong move, and for safety's sake we limit our actions. Like Cronus, by inhibiting, judging and censoring ourselves we devour the offspring of our own creative expression.

Cronus wielded a sickle. This reminds us of the saying: "you sow what you reap". In fact his own life is an illustration. He castrated and dethroned his father Uranus, and he himself was toppled later in a coup led by his own son Zeus. Likewise in the astrological chart, Saturn represents exact and undeviating justice. We may suffer if we neglect or avoid what Saturn wants of us, but he duly rewards us for any effort, hard work, persistence and patience we do put in.

More than a tyrant, Saturn is also associated with the archetype of the Wise Old Man. This is some kind of Celestial Schoolteacher, who employs pain as a messenger to inform us of those aspects of ourself that need attention and development. Running away from that sphere increases the discomfort. Instead, listening to what this dutiful planet is trying to teach us may gradually transform our sense of inadequacy into feelings of increasing completeness and worth.

By facing the challenge Saturn imposes on us, we strengthen ourselves and are rewarded with geater knowledge and fulfillment. As a result, we can achieve being teachers in the very area of life we have had the most difficulty mastering.

The mountain goat is another symbol of Saturn. In its laborious efforts to climb to the top of the mountain, the goat encounters many obstacles but eventually it reaches its destination. Before taking each new step, the goat makes sure it has a solid footing in the one before. Postive qualities such as careful and cautious thinking, tact, perseverance and a healthy acceptance of reality, duty and responsibility are all to be found in Saturn's terrain.

What is an Astrological Archetype?

The word "archetype" is derived from the Greek word archetypon which is made up of two root words. Arkhe means "first or original" and typos means "a model or a type". So the word archetype basically means an original model after which similar things are patterned. The concept of the archetype dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks. Plato's ideas for example were pure mental forms and they embodied the fundamental characteristics of a thing rather than its specific uniqueness.


Archetypes can be applied to many areas of life. In particular, the concept of psychological archetypes was advanced by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist in the early part of the 20th century. His notion of an archetype is that it is an innate, universal prototype for an idea which may be used to interpret observations. He considered archetypes as psychological organs that are analogous to physical organs in that both are morphological constructs that came about through evolution.


Jung has shown that archetypes are the primary life-motivating agents in the individual human psyche as well as in the overall psychological patterns of entire cultures. These archetypes are inherent in the psychological layer of human life and Jung called this psychic substratum the "collective unconscious".


Each person has an unconscious. Part of it is very personal and part of it is shared by all human beings. The personal unconscious is the part that contains personal memories and experiences that have been forgotten or repressed. The rest belongs to the collective unconscious which is a shared domain. This is simply that part of the unconscious that does not come from personal experience. This is also where archetypes are supposedly stored.


Jung believes that archetypes exist and remain in some kind of a human awareness independent of time and space. The collective unconscious in humans is something like an imprint, along the same lines as animal instincts. In animals, instincts tend to adapt and progress as evolution takes place because their needs change in response to changing forces in their environment. Human instinct is believed to undergo a similar process of evolution. The collective unconscious of humans is considered a more refined set of instincts and is filled with archetypes.


Within the collective unconscious, archetypes function as universal principles underlying the motivating force of psychological life. In both astrology and mythology these universal principles constitute the main field of study. The main difference is that in mythology the emphasis is on the various patterns of cultural manifestations of the archetypes whereas in astrology the essential archetypal principles themselves are used as language for understanding the fundamental forces and patterns in both individual and cultural life.


What then are universal principles? Many scientists believe that there is an invisible formative tendency or organizing principle within living things. Form is one of the oldest ideas of mankind. In the Middle Ages, each class of things was said to possess an essence, and essence is considered a source of activity. To understand anything one must penetrate sufficiently its essence or the ultimate pattern in which formless energy is organised into functional wholes. This formal pattern of the whole is always seen to determine the properties of its constituents.


In astrology, every individual is considered a whole with a unique expression of universal principles, patterns and energies. The zodiac was considered by ancient astrologers and philosophers as the soul of nature in that it gives form and order to life. Astrology is the language through which universal principles are expressed. It is also a way of perceiving form and order in the life of an individual person and it works by symbolizing each individual's oneoness with universal factors.


One of astrology's greatest value is that through an understanding of the universal forces operating in each of us, we can better understand the universal principles of life itself. While Science accepts fingerprints, electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms and genetic sequences as unique representations of physical energies, patterns and rythms, astrology uses the birth-chart as the tool to understand personal energies and rythms, and how they operate through the individual. No matter what label is used to designate these universal principles, the fact remains that such forces influence each of us from within and from without, and are best expressed through the vehice of archetypes.


Since archetypes are the foundation of all psychic life, they can be too subtle for immediate conscious comprehension. Therefore it becomes important that we have a language to describe their reality and understand how they function and what they mean to us. There is only one type of science that deals with such forces, and it is astrology.

The Mars Archetype

Mars is the god of war and a bundle of raw, fiery energy. It is the energy that get us out of bed and go to work in the morning. In ancient times Mars gives man the energy to go forward in life to fulfill basic intinctual needs such as food, water, shelter and sex. In modern terms, this translates into seeking a job, search for the right house, taking courses to upgrade our skills and mixing socially to meet a potential marriage partner.

The Roman Mars and the Greek Ares were the gods of war but perceived very differently in their respective cultures. Originally Mars was a vegatation or fertility god because the Italian economy was based on agriculture. Some believe that this foreceful god was so important to the Romans because the people may have had to fight to maintain their fields and plantations. As the Roman Empire grew, Mars evolved into the magnificient brave conqueror. Ares on the other hand, was not appreciated by the intellectual Greeks. Rather he was often portrayed as the coward and the laughing stock of the gods.

The archetype of Mars has much to do with our assertion and aggression. It is the force within that helps us to get our way, stand up for our rights and become self-directing. Mars is necessary to keep us from being pushed around. It is the power that helps us stand up on our two feet and get what we want, say what we feel, and actualize our will.

Too much Mars energy however, makes us arrogant, overbearing and contemptuous. We push others around, demand they bend to our will and ignore their rights. We become the tyrannical boss and the oppressive spouse. Too much Mars may also mean that we dominate and are ready to crack down on everything and anything.

In a healthy body, Mars represents the vigor and vitality of movement, and especially the muscles. But it can also manifest as irritations, inflammations, infections and fevers. Mars can be one of the principal significators of operations nd accidents.

Mars in the Natal Horoscope

In the natal chart where Mars is placed by sign and house it indicates how best we can express our will in life and how to go about getting what we want. Strong placements of Mars can indicate an aptitude for competitive sports, physical and athletic challenges, positions of command, including the military and other occupations that require bravery and assertive power. Mars is not a natural team player unless it leads the pack. A strong Mars placement in the chart denote a competitive, athletic, risk-taking personality. Any vacation that that results in scarring and wounding, such as soldiers, martial artists, race-car drivers, people who deal in guns and knives generally will have strong influences in their natal charts. Mars in the birth chart challenges you to become a master strategiest in whatever house you find it in and whichever house it rules. It is the area of the chart that you cultivate the environment for greatest success.

The Mars personality type is an individualist. Mars people do not want to compromise their own integrity by following a path set by another. They are the type who often is the first to go where none have gone before. The true Mars type wants to be left alone, free to pursue whatever path is desired. For this reason, the Mars type may have difficulty in relationships, especially work relationships. In love relationships, the Mars type needs a partner who is an independent equal, capable of going his or her own way when necessary.

Mars in the Corporate Horoscope

In corporate and business charts one should look at the meaning of Mars differently and use the symbolism of Mars in its purest forms. Since Mars represents assertion and aggression, we look at Mars in business delineation as the key planet signaling whatever that motivates a company to thrive and prosper. For the individual, Mars shows us why we get out of bed every day and go to work. Likewise for an organisation, it shows why a company keeps doing or not doing what it needs to do to be a success. In business astrology, the planet Mars is seen as the "buying barometer". If you are interested you take a risk and you have to take action.

The location of Mars in your company's chart is where you are asked to be courageous, to get up when you fall, and to not react when things are not responding to your appeals. The paradox of Mars in this area of the chart is where your company have to struggle and is challenged to be tactical and strategic. It is where at any turn, the organisation can be wounded and suffer losses, but still must continue inorder to achieve and trail blaze new areas in the house that Mars is placed or rules. The location you find Mars in your company horoscope is where you struggle, have to stop and re-group, but on the cutting edge, and exhibit bravery in the face of market competition.

Mars in the National Horoscope

Mars is the planet of war, of soldiers, agitators, rebels, violent criminals and all those who dispute and contend. It is the planet of desire and aversion. In a national chart, Mars represents the forces that hold a State together or drive it apart in terms of aggression. The threat of war is often the means by which a country becomes united. At an archetypal level, Mars represents the collective need of a nation to have an army to fight against enemeies, or to express itself aggressively. It can also show what helps a country to grow, to assert itself and act decisively to prevent internal violence, riots or rebellions.

How do we define Astrology?

As intellectuals we place a lot of emphasis on the clarity of definitions, and the question of "What exactly is Astrology?" often comes up in a discussion.

Well, the active ingredient in Astrology is that it is a study of natural cycles, and we can use that as a working definition. Why then do we want to study cycles? The simple answer is that cycles are an inherent part of our life and an everyday phenomenon in our existence.

The physiology of the human body is characterised by numerous cycles. We all experience alternate cycles of wakefulness and sleep. The heart has an intrinsic rhythm consisting of electrical activity and the way it pumps blood to the body follows a regular cycle. So does the way we breathe. We have a similar respiratory cycle that inhales oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide and maintains the level of our blood gases to narrowly regulated limits. The female gender in particular are well aware of their monthly menstrual cycles and their ovulation cycles. At our organ level the epithelial lining of our intestines goes through regular cycles of shedding, desquamation and regeneration. At a cellular level, our carbohydrate metabolism goes through a Citric Acid Cycle. Our individual body cells replicate according to a DNA cycle.

Cyclical phenomena abound in our environment. We live in four seasons. Tides rise and fall according to the cycles of the Moon. So do the psychical behaviour of inmates in mental assylums. Business students are familiar with business cycles, which refer to fluctuations in business activities around a growth trend of a country. Farmers can tell us about their planting cycles - from the ploughing of the land, planting of the seed, flowering, harvesting of the fruit to the re-preparation of land and soil for the next planting cycle. Economics students know of Kondratieff long waves which describe the cycles of economic bust and boom that last 50-60 in duration. Throughout the history of mankind kingdoms flourish and perish, and civilizations rise and fall in a cyclical manner.

Astrology in fact helps us to study all these natural phenomenon through the cyclical movements of planets in the heavens. It seeks meaning in everything in the environment around us. It leverages on the symbolic messages encoded in the celestial bodies to help us to derive meanings as to what happens on earth. This in essence is the knowledge of Astrology. It has helped to explain many natural phenomenon and able to predict natural disasters e.g. earthquakes, weather changes.

Then the Scientific revolution came along and proposed the experimental approach as the most robust basis for deriving knowledge. As soon as man is able to find a scientific explanation or a logical basis of certain astrological phenomena, that part of the knowledge gets carved out and renamed. Astronomy, for instance was splitted off from Astrology, especially after the invention of the telescope, and thereafter enjoys itself as a scientific knowledge discipline. Likewise, Meterology becomes a discipline on its own, as Science is able to contribute more precise instrumentation for measuring natural cycles and able to predict weather changes and earthquakes. What remain of the knowledge domain of Astrology today are unfortunately those areas that man has yet to be able to find explanations from the scientific perspective. This is how epistemology works. Hence modern Astrology continues to appear mystical and intriguing to us but this should not stop us from continuing to rediscover what we can learn from man's ancient wisdom.

Significance of the Eclipse in Astrology

In understanding the astrological significance of the eclipse phenomenon it is easier if we refer back to the traditional astronomical perspective. An eclipse is a temporary loss of light. This definition itself is insightful as we work with symbolism because we know that the light referred to here is associated with the Sun, which is the symbol of our life and life-path. The dark is the shadow associated with Pluto. Taking it from here it will not be difficult to see the implication of the definition at different levels in our lives. The diagram below shows a lunar eclipse as a temporary-loss-of-light concept.


An eclipse is a special kind of transit, because the Sun and Moon are conjoined they both transit a natal planet. Eclipses always accompany the Moon's nodes. Solar eclipses are new moons. They trigger events or flush out unresolved issues. Lunar eclipses are full moons. They have a strong emotional "breaking out" feeling to them.

A "New Moon" is a conjunction of Sun and Moon. This means Sun and Moon would be visualised together from the Earth's perspective. In reality, we cannot see them because the Sun is so bright that the Moon cannot be seen in the daytime. A "Full Moon" is an opposition of the Sun and Moon. That means, simplistically, that we on Earth, have the Sun on one side of us and the Moon on the other. At night we can see the light of the Sun fully reflected off the Moon. Astrologically, the Full Moon is likely to represent a point of balance and a sense of completion or fulfillment.
An eclipse appears most astrologically significant when it either conjoins or opposes a natal planet, but other aspects may also have an effect, albeit a weaker one.The more precisely a Solar or a Lunar eclipse aspects a planet in someone's birth chart, the more "life challenging" the event may be in his life. When an eclipse transits a natal planet or angle, it puts that planet or angle into a high-energy state in which its capacity to generate action is increased and act as a catalyst for change in that area. For instance when an eclipse conjuncts the 1st/7th house axis, it may impact on a relationship, or when it aligns with the 4th/10th house axis, the individual may find that he needs to make adjustments to balance his career with his family life.

Eclipses are often said to be difficult, but that is not necessarily so. The difficulty of the eclipse depends more upon the condition of the natal planet as indicated by house position and aspects to it from other natal planets. Eclipses are generally feared by ancient man, for obvious reasons. They perceive the lights in the sky as "Gods", and if a familiar light was suddenly dimmed, they consider the portent as evil. Since life was a great deal less certain then, it is easy to imagine that a subsequent disaster might occur that could then be connected with the preceding eclipse. Hence, interpreting an eclipse negatively is a carryover from ancient thought, but times have changed drastically since.

Once either a solar or a lunar eclipse hits a key point in a person's birth chart, he may experience a major change 3, 6, 9 or 12 months later. These three-month periods are associated with the New or Full Moons that either square or oppose original Lunar and Solar eclipse degrees. Quite often Lunar eclipses stimulate change or crisis within 3-6 months after they occur, but the effects fo the Solar eclipses seem to have a longer term effect.

It is difficult to predict just how long an eclipse theme will be dominant in one's life. It depends a lot on how closely it aspects a significant planet in his natal chart. Most major events in life can be related to the previous eclipse, yet other eclipses, where no close aspects are made in the chart, may not relate to anything noticeably significant in one's life.

An eclipse may also time a significant event in a country. For example in the recent Australian bush fire which started on 7th Feb and in which more than a hundred lives were lost and at least 750 homes destroyed, there seems to be good correlation with a Full Moon eclipse. The eclipse became exact at 11:46 pm at Melbourne time on 9th February and it was in an exact square with the position of the Moon in the Australian National Chart (cast for 1st Jan 1901, 1:25 pm). The Moon is the ruler of the 4th house and this suggests a significant loss of the country's innermost security and home image in its history of bush fires.

Astrology of a Heart Transplant Surgeon

Background

A son of a poor preacher, Dr. Christiaan Barnard grew up in Beaufort West and studied Medicine at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He did his residency at the Groote Schuur Hospital and obtained his Master and Doctorate in Medicine in the same year in 1953. He trained in cardiothoracic surgery in Minnesota and later obtained his Master of Science in Surgery in 1958. He made world history overnight by performing the first human-to-human heart transplant on 3rd Dec 1967.

"On Saturday, I was a surgeon in South Africa, very little known. On Monday, I was world renowned."
- Christiaan Barnard
(1922 -2001)

Later in his career, he developed rheumatoid arthritis of the hands,and because of the crippling effect of the disease he stopped operating. Instead he went into Surgical Research and became engrossed with the issue of anti-aging. One may wonder if Christiaan’s talents and achievements are scripted in his destiny. We now examine his natal chart for clues.



Christiaan's Birth Chart

There is a Grand Trine in Christiaan's birth chart which involves a Scorpio Sun. Scorpio is a sign of depth and intensity. With the Sun in Scorpio Christiaan has the ability to probe and investigate and the skills to perform research in a passionate manner. Uranus in the 10th house helped him to make innovation and research pertinent to his career.

The Moon is in Cancer highlights the feeling and caring part of his nature. It made him particularly suited for the caring profession. People with Cancer Moons are generally emotion-laden and nurturing. Of interest, Christiaan had a large number of patients that he treated free of charge worldwide.

The rising sign of Taurus made him graceful, stable and harmonious. People with Taurus rising are often beauty oriented and aesthetically inclined. Venus, the planet of love, rules Taurus and is the most important planet in his chart. Placed in his 7th house of marriage, his romantic relationships formed a significant part of his life. Venus square Uranus tells us that as a person, he was hard to pin down to a permanent relationship, and had fascination with people of unusual qualities.

Mercury in Libra gave him a mind that was well balanced, rational and with a deep concern for human relations and justice. Mars in Aquarius in the 9th house of education provided the focus on intellectual pursuits and progressive or unconventional ideas. To appreciate his talents, let us study his Grand Trine.

The Grand Trine

A trine occurs whenever two planets are positioned 120o apart, and their energies blend and flow harmoniously. When three planets trine each other forming an equilateral triangle, the configuration is called a Grand Trine or more aptly, a “Talent Triangle”. It represents significant potential embedded in the individual’s destiny, waiting to be triggered.

Christiaan’s Talent Triangle was formed by three planets: (i) Pluto, symbolizing transformation and change, (ii) Uranus, symbolizing inventiveness and unconventionality and (iii) Sun, symbolizing the personal will and the ego drive or motivating force which directs his life purpose. These planets were placed in the 2nd house of talent and resources, the 6th house of work and the 10th house of career, and in the “water” signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Water signs made him impressionable and sensitive to feelings. He was someone who appreciated enrichment on an emotional level, and under the appropriate circumstances, was able to transform his emotional sensitivity into a productive and creative asset.

Anatomy of the Birth Chart

Introduction

A client is seriously considering a change of company and finds himself at the cross-roads. Feeling that he has reached the stage when he needs vocational guidance from someone else, he walks into an astrologer’s office for the first time and produces his birth data. Using the date, time, and the client’s birthplace the astrologer swiftly casts a birth chart, dwells on it visually for a few moments and starts verbalizing the client’s personality traits with astounding accuracy.

We hear such stories not infrequently. Often we are bewildered by the perceived mysticism that shrouds the story, occasionally wondering if the astrologer possesses psychic ability, or if he doesn’t, whether he seeks supernatural help? Perhaps not, our rational mind tells us. We then start urging ourselves to examine natural, plausible explanations first.

In this article, we take a pragmatic approach to the issue, beginning with an anatomical dissection of the birth chart (Fig. 1), and hopefully make sense out of it.



Anatomy of the Natal Chart

The first breath of life is very dear to all of us born into the world for it marks the start of our life’s journey. Early man did not have the benefit of the clock. So he developed a way of capturing this important symbolic moment by noting and charting the positions of the moving planets in the heavens. He divided the 360 degrees of the celestial sphere into twelve 30-degree segments, better known as “zodiac signs” to facilitate mapping. Each sign symbolizes a mini-culture with unique ways of relating, sharing and getting things done. Likewise, the terrestrial sphere was also divided into twelve “houses” representing life’s basic existential arena.

The concept of astrological houses is generally less well known than the zodiac. Briefly, a “house” symbolizes an area of human activity or territory we can enter and explore. For example, there is a “house of resources” (2nd), a “house of partnership” (7th) and a “house of career” (10th), etc. Some houses represent internal rather than external territories, such as the “house of secrets” (12th). The key is to know that all houses are concrete areas of life where we can make choices.

The birth chart or “natal horoscope” is really a snapshot of the planetary positions of the sky at the moment of birth. The planets are represented as glyphs on a circular scale and plotted against a particular sign and house. The chart structure, though complex at first glance, may be conceptualized as three superimposing wheels, each highlighting either the planets (including Sun and Moon), the signs or the houses (Fig 2). Together they constitute a powerful code of our inner psyche. An easy way to understand horoscope dynamics is to perceive each planet as an actor playing a role specified by the zodiac sign and acting out the life script determined by the house it is placed. Just imagine that a psychodrama is going on among the “actors” of the horoscope. The angular relationships between planetary positions will manifest as psychological forces within the individual’s psyche.



Mechanics of Interpretation

The unit of analysis in astrology is the composite of planet+sign+house. The key to chart interpretation is combining their symbolism creatively to unleash their diagnostic power.

We shall use the birth chart in Fig.1 as an example. It is cast for 5:15 pm, 7th Oct 1927, the birth date and time of Dr. Ronald D. Laing (1927-1989), a famous Glasgow-born psychiatrist. He practiced psychotherapy innovatively according to his understanding of phenomenology. His literal works and biography are probably familiar to students in Psychology.

At the time of Laing’s birth, Mars is in Libra and the 7th house. Being the warrior god in Greek mythology, Mars symbolizes assertiveness, aggression and desire. Libra, represented by the Scales, is symbolic of harmony, relationship and balance. The 7th House means partnerships. Merging the symbolism together gives us composite meanings like: aggressive romantic partner, impulsive marriage, problematic marital relationships, or a mix of all three (Fig.3).




Sun in Libra

Most people are familiar with Sun sign meanings nowadays. At least they probably know enough to say “I am an Aries” or “I am a Scorpio”. Others who have browsed pop-astrology books may be able to interpret “Libra” as “relationship, balance, diplomacy and, harmony”. The more intuitive readers may even come forth with a statement like: “Sun in Libra makes Dr. Laing an affectionate, well balanced person with a charisma that attracts friends”. This interpretation is indeed correct. Laing’s Sun resides in Libra and the 7th house of partnership and Mars is only 4o away from Sun. Given this proximity, his romantic affection becomes strongly flavoured with “war-like” qualities of Mars. We shall verify this with his biography.

Laing began his marital life with a shotgun wedding with Nurse Anne Hearne in 1952, but broke up when he had an affair first with journalist Sally Vincent in 1962 and later with Jutta Werner in 1965, He married Jutta in 1974, but went on to father a child with Sue Sunkel in 1984. He divorced Jutta in 1986 and thereafter spent the rest of his life with his personal assistant Marguerita Romayne. Such an eventful romantic life is indeed consistent with the combined Sun-Mars symbolism.

Moon in Aquarius

The Moon is filled with feelings and intuition, whereas Aquarius is reputed to have the archetypes of the genius or the revolutionary. In the 11th house of Hopes and Wishes, Laing tended towards original thinking, defying traditional thought. However, his Aquarius Moon blends well with the harmony of the Libran Sun inclining him towards idealism and abstract thought. Sadly throughout his career, he was labeled as a misfit with the establishment.

Rising Sign of Pisces

Pisces was rising above the horizon at the time of birth. Being an inherently dreamy sign, Pisces symbolized the way Laing viewed himself and the world. It gave him an idealistic identity, increased his sensitivity to feelings and filled him with vision. These characteristics were tinted by the disruptive and unpredictable energies of Uranus lurking just beneath the horizon. In addition, Jupiter located just above the horizon expanded all the afore-mentioned tendencies.

As a psychiatrist, Laing was renown for the personal crusade that he embarked in the 1960’s to reframe the prevailing concept of “madness”. He challenged the psychoanalytic movement at that time and persuaded his peers to adopt his ideas on the science of interpersonal phenomenology. He put his theory into practice in his Kingsley Hall experiment whereby mental patients and their therapists stayed and lived together under one roof. In return he was criticized by his peers as “anti-psychiatry” and deregistered by the British Medical Council.


Author: Peter Mack
(This posting is adapted from the articles written by the author in the Jan and Feb issues of DAWN magazine)