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Astrologer's Notes:
Astro DPsychology:A Synthesis
Implications of Humanistic Astrology
by Glenn Perry, Ph.D., MFT
In the previous column, I outlined how Dane Rudhyar reformulated modern astrology in terms of Jung's analytical psychology, which, in turn, gained impetus from the humanistic movement in psychology. In the 1970's, the humanistic banner was taken up by such astrologers as Ziporah Dobyns, Richard Idemon, Stephen Arroyo, Robert Hand, Donna Cunningham, and others. Humanistic astrologers asserted that there is no absolute separation between human and divine; rather people and planets are woven into the same seamless web of being. Every individual is a focus and channel for the numinous energies that permeate the entire cosmos. Consciousness, not matter, is the primary reality of the Universe. As the human psyche is both reflective of and embedded within the Universal Psyche, it partakes of the creative power of this parent Consciousness. The psyche is bound and animated by the laws and formative principles of the One Being of which all lesser beings are parts. While the universal laws of Absolute Being cannot be violated, the individual is free and self-determining within the boundaries of these laws.


Rudhyar held that each person was born in response to a need of the Universe at a particular time and place. The birth chart, in effect, represents the solution to this need; i.e., it reveals the purpose of the life and the key to one's destiny. Put another way, the horoscope is like a "seed-plan" that shows a person's unique path of development. Just as a seed packet depicts a picture of the plant that the enclosed seeds may eventually become, so the horoscope symbolizes the kind of adult that the individual may become. In this view, nothing occurs in a human life except for a purpose, and this purpose is the purpose of the whole acting through the individual. This whole is often referred to as the core Self, the indwelling divinity that is rooted in a living, purposive universe. The question then becomes not what is going to happen, but what is its meaning? Astrology, said Rudhyar, can be utilized as a kind of karma yoga in which everything that happens is related to who the person is and what he or she may become. Thus the humanistic astrologer should not be concerned with events per se, but only with the response or meaning that the client gives to them. "It is not the predictable events which are important, but the attitude of the individual person towards his own growth and self-fulfillment" (1972, p. 54).


The advantage of the birthchart is that it depicts the individual as a whole and thus provides a means for understanding how internal conflicts result in personality fragmentation and the exteriorization of conflict. Individuals split off and deny certain parts of themselves when the needs that underlay the expression of these parts meet with pain and frustration. Various functions, as symbolized by planets, get repressed and projected; thus the individual is reduced to only part of what he or she potentially is. Unintegrated functions are typically experienced in the outer world in the guise of people and situations the individual attracts. What the individual experiences as a problematic situation or relationship can be seen in the chart as an aspect of his or her own psyche. In this way, the horoscope indicates what functions have been denied and projected, and through what circumstances (houses) they will likely be encountered.


While the birthchart provides insight into the client's internal conflicts, transits and progressions tell us when these conflicts will be targeted for healing. These planetary movements indicate the nature, meaning, and duration of various developmental periods, each of which presents its own challenges and opportunities. While transits may correlate with outer events that seem to impinge upon the individual, astrology suggests that these events are the synchronous external manifestation of inner changes. In other words, environment and psyche are reflections of one another. The outer events serve as the trigger or stimulus to promote inner psychological growth. Seen in this way, transits reveal those parts of a person's nature that are ready to be consciously integrated, explored or transformed.

To re-engage a split-off part usually results in crisis since it means that the old order has to die in order for a new, more inclusive order to emerge. The humanistic astrologer, says Rudhyar (1975), welcomes crises as signs of growth. He attempts to help the client or patient to reorient himself toward the causes of the crisis, to reassesses his goals as well as his motives, to accept what is, but in a new and holistic manner...which eventually should lead to harmony, inner peace, wisdom and compassion. (p. 56-7)


The value of astrology, then, is not its power to predict what the gods have in store for humans, but its ability to reveal the god-like powers that reside in the depths of every human being. Accordingly, the focus in humanistic astrology is inward, not outward, and interpretations are made in terms of personal growth and fulfillment. Simply put, the goal is to help the client realize the potentials that are symbolized by the horoscope.


For example, Saturn opposed Venus in the natal chart indicates not simply "misfortune in love," but the potential to love deeply, enduringly, and responsibly along with the patience and determination to overcome obstacles. While realization of this potential may require a certain amount of hardship and suffering, to predict only hardship and suffering with no understanding of the potential gains involved is shortsighted at best and damaging at worst. Dobyns (1973) put it this way:

Telling people they are fated to experience specific negative events can be highly destructive. The view taken here is that character is destiny, and that by changing our character (our habitual attitudes, beliefs, and actions) we can change our destiny. With self-knowledge, we can integrate conflicts, overcome weaknesses, further develop talents, and move toward balance. As humanistic psychology puts it, we can achieve self-actualization and self-transcendence. (p. 2)

In many ways, humanistic astrology represents a genuine advancement in the theory of humanistic psychology. Both Jungian and humanistic psychologies have been criticized for their lack of precision in describing the inner nature of the human being. References to archetypes, faculties, functions, impulses and the like tend to be vague and speculative, with no concrete referents for outlining in a systematic manner the structure of the psyche. Humanistic psychology is more a set of attitudes toward the person than a precise and useful theory of personality and human growth. Astrology, on the other hand, provides objective predictable correlates for the structure and dynamics of the psyche while also indicating the directions that growth might occur. The person with Saturn opposed Venus, for example, may shift over time from a negative, fearful attitude toward relationships, e.g., "I will resist being controlled by my domineering partner," to one of responsible and loyal commitment. Such a shift would reflect a more mature, realistic attitude toward relationship, e.g., "a good marriage requires patience, humility, and hard work," while still being consistent with the astrological meaning of Saturn opposed Venus.


This further implies that the static, fixed meanings that traditional astrology ascribed to planetary aspects reflected a limited understanding of how astrology works. A central postulate of psychological astrology is that a given astrological configuration is multivalent, i.e., capable of manifesting in a variety of ways while still being true to the nature of the archetypes involved. As an individual becomes more integrated, the outer manifestation of his or her chart will change to reflect the growth attained. Thus transits and progressions are not interpreted in terms of specific, concrete events, but as qualities of durations of time that provide opportunities for specific kinds of development. How a transit is experienced, i.e., its form and quality, is largely dependent upon the level of consciousness of the experiencer and the meaning s/he attributes to the event.


In the next installment of this series, we'll examine how psychological astrology depicts fate and causality.



References

Dobyns, Z. (1973). The astrologer's casebook. Los Angeles: TIA Publications.
Rudhyar, D. (1972). Person Centered Astrology. Lakemont, GA: CSA Press.
Rudhyar, D. (1975). From humanistic to transpersonal astrology. Palo Alto, CA: The Seed Center.


* * * * *

"Astrology is a religio n inasmuch as it reveals the anatomy and psychology of God."

~ Manly Palmer Hall

Glenn Perry,
Ph.D., MFT

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 Astro-Psychology at various colleges on the west coast.


Information on Glenn's books, tapes, and on-line mentorship program can be obtained at:

www.aaperry.com.

E-mail: aaperry@attbi.com


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