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Astrologer's Notes: |
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AstroDPsychology:
A Synthesis |
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by Glenn Perry, Ph.D., MFT |
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Astrology As A Personality Theory
Every approach to counseling is founded upon certain presuppositions about the human psyche. These presuppositions, in sum, constitute the personality theory that supports the therapy. From a psychological perspective, astrology is implicitly a personality theory. Various attempts have been made to organize astrological concepts and precepts into a formal model.
In their classic text, Theories of Personality, Hall & Lindsay state that any adequate theory of personality must accomplish the following minimal objectives: (1) it must be comprehensive, or integrative, in that it deals with the total, functioning person; (2) it must account for what motivates the human being; (3) it must contain a set of empirical definitions concerning the various parts of the personality, thus permitting observation; (4) it must consist of a cluster of assumptions about behavior that are systematically related in accordance with certain rules; and (5) it must be useful in that it is capable of generating predictions about personality characteristics which are testable and verifiable, thus expanding knowledge.
Astrology meets all the qualifications for a theory of personality. First, astrology is a comprehensive system in that it is concerned with all the parts and processes that make up the totality of the human psyche. Second, the signs of the zodiac provide clear referents for the impulses, motives, and instinctual drives that govern and regulate human conduct. Third, the various signs, planets, and houses, which constitute the parts of personality, are empirically defined. Fourth, the rules of chart interpretation—delineation, synthesis, and aspect analysis—represent specific assumptions about behavior that are systematically related. And fifth, astrology is useful in that it not only explains the facts of behavior, it is also capable of generating predictions or propositions that are verifiable, thus promoting research.
We can say, then, that astrology consists of a set of assumptions concerning human behavior together with rules for relating these assumptions and definitions to permit their interaction with observable events. A simple example should suffice to illustrate this. If a person has Saturn on the Ascendant, our theory would predict that the function symbolized by this planet would be a salient feature of personality. This prediction is based on the related assumptions that (1) the Ascendant is a conspicuous element of personality, and (2) planets conjunct the Ascendant will be prominent in the person's appearance and behavior. Since Saturn has an empirical definition, e.g., Saturn represents the process to organize and is associated with orderly, serious behavior geared toward satisfying the need for structure andcontrol, this permits us to test the validity of our assumptions; i.e., how doour concepts match up with actual observation of this person's behavior? Ifwe observe that our subject does, in fact, appear to be orderly, serious, structured,and the like, then our assumption is confirmed.
This example shows how astrology represents a theory complete with motivational drives, psychological faculties (planets) with empirical definitions, systematically related assumptions, and a capacity for generating predictions that are empirically verifiable. When we consider that every planet, sign, and house is implicated in the personality we can begin to glimpse how multidimensional and integrative a theory astrology is. To my knowledge, there is no behavioral phenomenon of demonstrated significance that falls outside the theoretical framework of astrology.
Astrology is also the only system in which there are external referents—signs and planets—for pieces of psychic structure. These external referents are visible, predictable, and capable of complexity beyond any theory of human behavior devised by psychology. While astrology is simple in its derivation of planetary archetypes, it is complexion its ability to derive individual process from these archetypes (planets in sign, house, and aspect); each piece of psychic structure has concrete meaning yet is infinitely variable in combination. Because astrology has many shades of meaning, it is easily compatible with almost any psychological model, almost all of which can be subsumed into astrological language. For example, Freud's tripartite division of the mind into id, ego, and super ego is roughly paralleled in astrology by the relations between Mars (id), the Sun (ego), and Saturn (superego). Of course, the many elements of astrology make it vastly subtler and more sophisticated model for depicting the structure and dynamics of the psyche.
Another way that astrology differs from conventional personality theories is that is has no founder. Astrology was not invented, created, or developed by any single individual or group of individuals, as is the case with other personality theories. Invariably a personality theory bears the stamp of its creator; that is, a theory is a self portrait of its founder. We see this clearly, for example, in Freud's chart, which perfectly symbolizes the Oedipus complex that Freud universalized for every human being. This same principle holds true for the founders of other personality theories. Each theory, with the exception of astrology, starts off as a projection of one person's individual viewpoint and subsequently attracts adherents who resonate with that viewpoint. In each instance, the peculiarities of the theory can be traced back to the prejudices, tendencies, issues, and cognitive styles that are clearly reflected in the horoscope of the founder.
Astrology, on the other hand, is amore objective framework since it does not originate with any one individual(or even one culture), is based on empirical observation, and has stood the test of time. In this sense, it can be thought of as a metatheory that subsumes other models.
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"Astrology is a religion inasmuch as it reveals the anatomy and psychology of God."
~ Manly Palmer Hall
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Glenn Perry,
Ph.D., MFT
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Glenn Perry, Ph.D., MFT
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Director of the Association for Astrological Psychology
Board Member of the International Society of Astrological Research
Glenn Perry lectures and conducts workshops throughout the world on the application of astrology to the fields of counseling and psychotherapy.
He has written four books, including "Essays In Psychological Astrology," and teaches classes in AstroPsychology at various colleges on the west coast.
Information on Glenn's books, tapes, and online mentorship program can be obtained at:
www.aaperry.com.
Email: aaperry@attbi.com
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