| Does
the real value of astrology reside in its insights into human
behavior or in forecasting the future? When this question was
posed some years ago by AFAN Newsletter editor, Gloria Star,
members were asked to send in their opinions.[1] As an astrologer
who is also a psychotherapist, it should not be surprising that
I came out strongly in favor of "insights into human behavior".
The caveat, however, is that predictive astrology can be utilized
in the service of psychological insight and spiritual growth.
The
dichotomy between psychological and predictive astrology need
not be absolute. I do believe that astrology's greatest value
resides in its insights into human behavior. By "insights" I
mean information that reveals to the individual (1) a deeper
understanding of his or her basic needs and core beliefs, and
(2) the habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior
that derive out of these deep structures. But these insights
can be integrated with knowledge of transits & progressions and
the various opportunities for growth they provide.
In
attempting to formulate an ethical stance about how astrology
should or should not be used, I think we have to start with our
basic metaphysical assumptions about the nature of the Universe.
We need to ask, what is the purpose of life? My personal belief
is that our individual consciousness derives from and is embedded
within the greater consciousness of the Universe. Further, this
greater consciousness is always assisting us in the unfoldment
of our innate capacities - growing us, as it were, so that we
can become more fully conscious of our true identity. I believe
the purpose of life is to progressively evolve a deeper and wider
connection to this parent consciousness until we ultimately realize
our at-one-ment with it. Since I am guided by these beliefs,
my interest in doing astrology is to help individuals become
aware of, and attuned to, this final goal. So for me, forecasting
the future always occurs in the context of facilitating the client's
growth. I might speculate with the client as to the challenge
or meaning of a particular period. And I might discuss the kinds
of events and opportunities that are typical of a transit. The
overriding question, however, is how can the individual best
harmonize with the intent of the Universe?
Since
I believe the Universe has intentions for us, I am not inclined
to help my clients control or exploit their fate. I am interested
in helping them learn from it. Accordingly, my ethics prevent
me from advising clients on how to take advantage of a transit
for personal gain or profit. I don't tell people when they should
or should not do things, like get married, start a business,
quit a job, get a divorce, or take a vacation. It has been my
observation that whatever the individual does or experiences
is always consistent with the nature of the transit anyway. What
would be the purpose, then, of trying to outsmart such a profoundly
intelligent and obviously purposeful cosmos? Is there not a certain
hubris when we muddle is such matters?
This
question was brought into sharp focus in the wake of the 1988
controversy surrounding Nancy Reagan and the White House. It
seemed that every paper in the country had picked up the story
of how Mrs. Reagan consistently and habitually relied upon astrologers
Jeane Dixon, Carol Righter, and Joan Quigley throughout her and
her husband's career. Apparently, the Reagan's were interested
primarily in how astrology could guide them in the timing of
specific events such as when to schedule press conferences, airplane
flights, political meetings, and the affairs of state in general.
According to former White house aide Donald Regan, "Virtually
every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time
as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman
in San Francisco [Joan Quigley] who drew up horoscopes to make
certain that the planets were in favorable alignment for the
enterprise."[2] This all seems natural enough. So what if Nancy's
dependence on Quigley "had a hammerlock on the business of the
White House", as Regan put it. When the story broke, many of
us were upset by how astrology was being portrayed in the media.
In Time magazine, Lance Morrow gibed: "Perhaps Reagan's astrology
is merely the metaphorical equivalent of his jelly beans."[3]
The consensus was clear: we were either fools or frauds. But
as astrologers, we know that astrology can be accurate in the
prediction of events. And such information can be useful, right?
So what's the problem?
Separate
from the question of belief or disbelief in astrology is the
controversy surrounding its proper use. It is this issue that
underlies the larger problem of how astrology is portrayed in
the media. The picture Donald Regan drew of the First Lady was
that of a nervous, scheming, and controlling woman intent on "protecting
Ronnie" from all manner of imagined disasters. Nary a decision
could be made without her having to consult with Quigley in San
Francisco. When Nancy didn't get her way she would whine, shout,
intimidate, and ultimately eliminate the people who opposed her.
Her hypervigilance and apprehensive expectation that something
bad was going to happen to her Ronnie (and by implication, herself)
is typical of people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder.
These people frequently appear "on edge", impatient, and irritable
- exactly as Nancy was portrayed by Reagan and numerous others,
including her own daughter.
How
can astrology be of help to someone like Nancy Reagan? By feeding
her with information that says, essentially, "this is a bad day
for a press conference, stay home"? If this is the kind of help
we offer our clients then perhaps the cure is worse than the
disease. Predicting "bad" days and "good" days for various enterprises
can only reinforce the very fears and control issues that motivated
Nancy to seek help in the first place. In effect, astrology becomes
part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
This
is the old debate between traditional, event-oriented astrology
and the newly emerging psychological models. Ultimately, we all
have to make the choice: (1) to help clients avoid pain and manipulate
conditions, thereby appealing to their need for control (traditional
astrology); or (2) help clients see events as opportunities for
growth and insight, to be embraced with courage and equanimity
(psychological astrology). When I say "embrace," I am not suggesting
we advise clients to simply roll over and take their licking,
but to exercise their fundamental human freedom of choice. People
are free not only in what they intend, but also in how they respond
to events that befall them. Choices should be guided by one's
values, ideals, and intuition, not by fear of a capricious and
malevolent fate. To the extent that one learns from experience,
subsequent experience may be altered. This puts the onus of responsibility
on the individual. Perhaps the greatest contribution of 20th
century astrology lies in the simple idea: character is fate,
and if we can alter our character, we can mutate our fate.
It
seems to me that event-oriented, predictive astrology is largely
in the service of the neurotic needs of the client. The essence
of neurosis is fear and the subsequent urge to control outcomes.
Neurotic people tend to be manipulative, like Nancy Reagan. They
crave information that will give them an "edge" on what is perceived
as a largely unpredictable and hostile world. They lack faith,
both in themselves and in Nature as a whole. It is precisely
this sort of anxious and distrustful person who tends to seek
the advice of predictive astrologers.
Astrology's
portrayal in the media reflects this rather pathetic state of
affairs. Astrologers are depicted as pandering to the neurotic
needs of their clients, reinforcing the very fears that bring
them to their door. No wonder we are an object of ridicule and
scorn. This is little more than psychic drug pushing, a sad irony
for Mrs. Reagan. Noting the First Lady's craving for her next
astro-fix, perhaps Donald Regan should have told her "just say
no".
Certainly
there is a place for prediction in astrology, but I believe it
should be a psychologically enlightened prediction that focuses
on the meaning of a transit as an opportunity for learning, rather
than an occasion for evasive action. Likewise, there are applications
of astrology in business, in finance, and perhaps even in politics
that need not cater to the petty fears and manipulative tendencies
of the client. To show I am not entirely against predictions,
I will venture one here: as we move away from our tradition-bound
role as palliative to the neurotically inclined, the media will
be more inclined to give us the respect we and astrology deserve.
It
seems to me that the real difference between psychological and
predictive astrology comes down to the question of why are we
here? From a psychological perspective, the answer would seem,
to realize more fully our human potential. A strictly predictive
astrology, however, implies that one's fate is more or less fixed
and that one's ultimate good lies in avoiding pain and maximizing
pleasure. Whereas psychological astrology assists individuals
in discovering how they are creating their own fate, predictive
astrology merely describes fate without relating it to the inner,
psychological life of the person. From this perspective, events
have no meaning beyond being "good" or "bad". To say that they
are "karma" from past lives, to be suffered and endured (or perhaps
avoided through the cosmically informed counsel of one's astrologer),
does little to help people live more constructively in the here
and now. I believe that fate can be positively altered through
a process of internal healing and integration. The real meaning
of events is that they constitute "feedback" that reflects back
to the individual where s/he is at in terms of health and wholeness.
And their real value is that they stimulate growth in precisely
those areas where the individual most needs to change.
Recently
I read an interview with physician and New Age sage, Deepak Chopra,
who combines Hindu, Buddhist, and Western thought with the latest
research in quantum physics. "There are about 300 million things
happening in my body every second when you measure all the biochemical
activities," he said. "Each cell seems to know what the other
cell is doing. If it didn't, it wouldn't be able to coordinate
its activities. At the same time, the body is monitoring the
movement of stars. Biological movements are a function of planetary
movements - circadian, seasonal, etc. There is an underlying
intelligence that organizes the infinity of things happening
in the Universe and connects all things with each other."[4]
If
this is true, and there is a mountain of scientific evidence
and spiritual testimony to attest that it is, then surely the
Universe is orchestrating my life in accordance with a divine
plan. Chopra claims there is an underlying intelligence that
organizes the infinity of things happening in the Universe. As
astrologers, this is not hard to believe. The philosopher Manly
Hall put it succinctly: "astrology is the study of the anatomy
and psychology of God." Given the stupendous intelligence that
is operating behind the scenes, is it really necessary to advise
our clients on what they should or should not do? Can we presume
to know the 300 million things that are interconnecting and evolving
under the guidance of a supreme being?
Recently
a man came to me for a consultation. He had a good job with a
solid company, and had worked for this company for many years.
A new company, however, had unexpectedly offered him an exciting
and potentially lucrative position. But this new company didn't
have a track record and its future was uncertain. If he left
his old job and the new company folded, he would lament his decision. "What
should I do?" he asked anxiously. "Will the new company make
it? Will I succeed? What do my transits say?"
I
noticed that Neptune would be squaring his natal Sun over the
next nine months, making three exact passes. The first was only
weeks away. Clearly he was in transition and there was a strong
possibility that the exciting new job would prove to be a bust,
a mere fantasy, a washout that leaves him unemployed and disillusioned.
However, if he keeps his old job, Neptune is not going to stop
its movement in the heavens; he is still going to have the transit.
So what happens if he stays with the old company? Will he become
increasingly disillusioned with his current job, suffer remorse
that he let a golden opportunity slip by, regret that he is stuck
in a stagnant swamp of boring routine and predictable outcomes?
One
can interpret the nature of the transit either way. Whether he
stays or leaves, a core theme in his life will be Neptune square
Sun - potential illusion, confusion, and disillusionment; there
may be hardship, loss, or an ending of some sort. Perhaps his
current company will go through a downsizing and he will be replaced.
However, if he leaves his old job, he will probably go through
a span of relative chaos on the new job, with lack of clearly
defined duties, feelings of helplessness or confusion, perhaps
a sense of being invisible or not having an impact. Of course,
there can be positive outcomes, too - a sense of inspiration,
of having the consummate job, of doing something that serves
the greater whole, of sacrificing for an ideal. The point is:
he has the transit in either case.
Since
I am not going to tell him what to do, what can I say? My inclination
is to describe the quality and opportunity of the transit - a
time to deepen your intuition, a period of forming a vision of
your highest good, a sense of limitless possibility, a potential
spiritual awakening. "But whatever happens," I say, "there will
be a test of faith - can you surrender? Can you trust the Universe
no matter what happens?" For that is what will be required of
him. I would also point out that while there is always the possibility
of loss during such a transit, there is also an opportunity for
softening, elevating, and refining one's nature - for transcending
one's ego and deepening one's faith in a higher power. It is,
in short, a time for "letting go and letting God". As to whether
he should leave his current job, there is no answer I can give
him, for one of the core meanings of the transit is the opportunity
it affords - no, requires, for increasing one's trust in an inner
source of knowing. If I take that away by recommending a specific
course of action, I do him a great disservice. I steal his choice,
for it would be interfering in his fate to predict an outcome
regarding the new company. The important thing is not what is
going to happen, but how he accommodates to his fate - if it
is difficult, does he bemoan it with bitter despair? Will he
cry out like Job, "why me, God!?" Or will he embrace it with
courage and equanimity? I believe our value as astrologers lies
less in telling people what to do than in encouraging them to
trust themselves and the larger Universe. I am reminded of Max
Ehrmann's letter to his son.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden
misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome
discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be
here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe
is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever
you conceive Him to be.[5]
If
the core of the human being is identical to the ultimate reality
of the Universe, then it seems that our greatest good lies in
the realization of this fact. For if we trust our fate, and realize
it is purposeful in a way that transcends the petty concerns
that plague our everyday lives, then much unnecessary suffering
can be avoided. I believe the goal of counseling should be to
assist people in attaining an ever deeper trust in their own
essential natures. But if I predict futures with the intent of
helping people to maximize pleasure/profit and minimize pain/loss,
the implication is that they should trust me rather than themselves.
Such work may run counter to the thrust of the Universe. It encourages
people to look outside themselves for guidance, it subverts the
process of growth that results from working through difficulties,
and it reinforces the very process of fear that brings the client
to the astrologer's door. I want to help people not only to know
themselves but to trust in a process that is inexorably moving
them toward greater realization of their fullest potentials.
In the final analysis, to trust the Universe is to trust oneself;
it is to have faith in an intelligent and purposive process that
resides in the furthest reaches of the cosmos and in the deepest
recesses of the human psyche. Joining the two into a one, that's
the work.
| Authors
Details:
Glenn
Perry
Glenn
Perry, Ph.D. has been A professional astrologer since 1974,
he is director of The Association for Astrological Psychology
and former editor-publisher of The Journal of Astro Psychology.
He has written three books, including Essays In Psychological
Astrology.
Glenn
also offers a mentorship program, which is a personalized
course in natal chart interpretation from a depth psychological
perspective.
For more information...
The Authors Website
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