Astrology
is an ancient tool that, when used in concert with Jungian depth
psychology,
can support us in purposes of self-discovery, soul growth,
and being "brought to completion."
It's common
knowledge that when challenged by an especially perplexing case in
therapy,
Jung would arrange to
have the
patient's birth chart cast in order to gain more insight into the
individual.
Astrology's "map
of the soul" provides
each person with a map of their inborn potentials and then symbolically
shows how these inborn potentials will seek to systemically
unfold over the course of the person's lifetime.
In
fact, what I call the "living out" of one's birth chart is
the psychological goal and/or task of this lifetime... In Jungian psychological
terms, this task is called the process of "individuation"
or the natural internal movement toward "wholeness."
The
Task of Wholeness
The ancient Christian philosopher Irenaeus once wrote: "the glory
of God is a life fully lived." In making this statement, Irenaeus
had been inspired by the familiar New Testament passage from the book
of Matthew where Jesus of Nazareth had stated: "You must therefore
be perfect just as your heavenly father is perfect." Unfortunately,
English translations of this passage - making use of the word "perfect" -
are more than a wee bit misleading.
The original
Greek word used was teleios, meaning "brought to completion." Therefore,
the better translation is: "You must therefore be complete just
as your heavenly father is complete." Thus, as Irenaeus wrote,
"the glory of God is a life fully lived."
In actuality
- Jesus, Irenaeus, and then finally Jung were all echoing the famous
admonition "Gnothi se auton" ("know thyself")
inscribed on the Oracle of Delphi temple in ancient Greece. "Know
thyself." The task involved in "knowing thyself," being
"complete," or "wholeness" is that of more consciously
(and fully) living out all the potentials - the good, the bad, and
the
ugly - contained in who you are as an individual.
Don't
Worry, Be Happy
Ask the average person what they want out of life - and they'll likely
tell you that they'd just like to find a little happiness. At least,
I know that's been my personal, private, little fantasy. A little happiness…
Quite a concept, isn't it. A little happiness…
Heck!
If you're an American citizen, then you know that the very Constitution
of our Cancerian nation promises to mother and nurture her citizens
with opportunities of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Nevertheless,
finding and then living in a continual state of happiness is an illusory
(albeit wonderful) Cancerian fantasy. As a result of
attempting to live out this fantasy, we often end up spending
large portions of our lives in the attempt of reducing our pain and
inducing
our pleasure.
Unfortunately,
archetypal psychologist, James Hillman, author of the bestselling book,
The Soul Code, aptly reminds us that the very last thing our soul
seems to be intent on is happiness. Our soul is looking for a sense
of wholeness and meaning.
What
Do you Think This Is? A Holiday Inn?
Yep! The all too obvious "reality gap" - between hope and
experience - remains a hounding, howling opponent to our peaceful fantasies
of "a little happiness." The archetypal father sign of Capricorn
(in oppositional tension to the nurturing sign of Cancer) serves as
a stark reminder of: "Whoever told you that life is fair?"…
"You've got to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, buddy!"…
and "What do you think this is? A Holiday Inn?"
Jungian
author, James Hollis, in Swamplands of the Soul:
"An
old saying has it that religion is for those who are afraid of going
to hell; spirituality is for those who have already been there…
The thought, motive, and practice of Jungian psychology is that there
is no sunlit meadow, no restful bower of easy sleep. There are swamplands
of the soul where nature, our nature, intends that we live a good part
of the journey, and from whence many of the most meaningful moments
of our lives will derive. It is in the swamplands where soul is fashioned
and forged, where we encounter, not only, the gravitas of life - but
its purpose, its dignity, and its deepest meaning."
Psyche
Psyche (from which psych-ology derives its name) is the Greek word for
soul. Ironically, much of modern psychology refuses to dirty its hands
with notions of "soul" and/or "meaning." The goal
of modern psychology is often that of reprogramming and/or medicating
maladaptive behaviors, emotions, and/or thoughts.
Behavioral
treatments and therapies unquestionably have their rightful, vital, and
essential place. However, in the treatment of deep emotional and spiritual
soul wounds... one can only hope that the masking and controlling of pain,
in order to support a person successfully function in day to day life,
is only the first step and not the ultimate goal of emotional health,
healing, and well being.
Jungian
psychology and archetypal astrology provide a much needed alternative
perspective based on the premise that the purpose of life is not that
of finding the ever-elusive fantasy of "happiness" or even of
finding a "happy medium" between pain and pleasure. The purpose
of life is that of finding "meaning."
At
The Core of Life and Meaning
Fortunately, finding "meaning" through our experiences in the
"swamplands" does not - by any means - imply that we will or
should remain in those swamplands or be left helplessly at the bottom
of an abyss of pain.
“That’s the first function of mythology: not merely a reconciliation
of consciousness with the preconditions of its own existence, but reconciliation
with gratitude, with love, with recognition of the sweetness. Through
the bitterness and pain, the primary experience at the core of life
is a sweet, wonderful thing.” Joseph Campbell, Pathways
To Bliss, page 4
That,
too, was Carl G. Jung's fervent belief... that at the core of life one
could find purpose and meaning - and that finding purpose and meaning
made all things bearable.
"In
all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order... we
are caught and entangled in aimless experience...
It is a moment of collapse... Only when all crutches and props are
broken, and no cover from the rear offers even the slightest hope
of security,
does it become possible for us to experience an archetype that up
till then had lain hidden... this is the archetype of meaning..." The
Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious; Carl G. Jung CW
9 Part 1, p. 32
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Astrology
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