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. Astrolo-
gy, 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 nega-
tive, 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—its form and quality—is largely
dependent upon the level of consciousness of the experiencer and the meaning s/he
attributes to the event.Fate and Causality
As a theory of causality, psychological astrology is radically opposed to the
mechanistic determinism implicit in most psychological models. It does not assume
that psychological problems are invariably the by-products of an unhealthy culture,
traumatic experiences, or faulty child rearing. Because the precise nature of the person
as well as his or her environment is implicit in the symbolism of the chart from the
first breath, astrology suggests that character and destiny are fated. But as Liz Greene
pointed out in her book The Astrology of Fate,fate is indissolubly bound up with jus-
tice and law rather than a random predetermining force that dictates a person’s every
action and experience. Fate was called Moiraby the Greeks and evolved from a vision
of an orderly, interconnected cosmos. As the guardian of justice, Moira was simply
natural law raised to the status of a deity. She embodied the principle that because
humans are part of nature they cannot violate nature’s laws without suffering the con-
sequences; they cannot repudiate an archetype or express an archetype to excess with-
out exacting a penalty designed to correct the transgression.In this regard, fate is a cause-and-effect principle analogous to the eastern doc-
trine of karma. Fate is not simply a blessing or punishment conspired by the gods, but
a corrective process in the service of a transcendent purpose. And this purpose is that
the individual evolves toward a fuller realization of the divine order that humans nat-
urally embody.Psychological Astrology
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