|
Psychological
Vs.
Predictive Astrology
by
Glenn Perry, Ph.D.
 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.
Recommended book:
Predicting Events through Astrology
by Celeste Teal.
Info/Order
Book
About The
Author
Glenn
Perry, Ph.D. is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Marin
County, CA. A professional astrologer since 1974, he is director of The
Association for Astrological Psychology and former editor-publisher of The
Journal of AstroDPsychology.
In addition to private practice, Glenn lectures and conducts workshops
throughout the world on the application of astrology to the fields of
counseling and psychotherapy. He has written three books, including Essays
In Psychological Astrology, and is adjunct professor at the
California Institute of Integral Studies where he teaches graduate
classes 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, call
415.479.5812, e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or visit www.aaperry.com
for ordering books or tapes.
| Comments () >> |
 |
 |
