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.
As noted in Calvin S. Hall and Gardner Lindzey’s Theories of Personality,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 per-
mitting 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 that are
testable and verifiable, thus expanding knowledge.
Astrology meets all the qualifications for a theory of personality. First, astrolo-
gy 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 regu-
late human conduct. Third, the various signs, planets, and houses, which constitute
the parts of personality, are empirically defined. Fourth, the rules of chart interpreta-
tion—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.
Astrology, then, consists of a set of assumptions concerning human behavior
together with rules for relating these assumptions and definitions to permit their inter-
action with observable events. A simple example should suffice to illustrate this. If a
person has Saturn on the ascendant, this theory would predict that the function sym-
bolized by this planet would be a salient feature of personality. This prediction is based
on the related assumptions that the ascendant is a conspicuous element of personality,
and 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 and control, this allows for the testing of the validity of these
assumptions, i.e., how do these concepts match up with actual observation of this per-
son’s behavior? If this subject does, in fact, appear to be orderly, serious, structured,
and the like, then the assumption is confirmed.
This example shows how astrology represents a theory complete with motiva-
tional drives, psychological faculties with empirical definitions, systematically related
assumptions, and a capacity for generating predictions that are empirically verifiable.
Every planet, sign, and house is implicated in the personality, thereby showing how mul-
tidimensional and integrative a theory astrology is. 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, pre-
dictable, and capable of complexity beyond any theory of human behavior devised byPsychological Astrology
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