archetype that mediates a meaningful connection between inner, psychic factors and
outer, objective events.
Heraclitus’s statement, “character is destiny,” implied that subjective character
and objective fate were two sides of the same issue. Unless this issue is framed in a
context that includes multiple lives, astrologers are forced into a deterministic
model—the assumption that the planets, a capricious creator, or random chance is the
final and ultimate determinant of destiny. Humans arecreatures of fate, yet have the
power to choose. This is the classic paradox in which astrology is embedded. So the
horoscope can be interpreted on multiple levels—objective world, subjective world,
and the dynamic relations between the two.
It may be that evolution is built into the structure of these relations in that
there is an opportunity to learn from self-created experiences (fate). Of course, this is
an article of faith, not of fact. However, it is unlikely that all elements of fate are
absolutely fixed because that would leave no room for growth or change, and if there
is one thing that modern psychology has established it is that people can and do
change. Fate can be massaged in the direction of more satisfying outcomes to the
extent that the individual learns.The exact degree to which fate can be altered must
remain speculative. Still, this is an infinitely more hopeful vision of human beings
than the idea that they are determined by forces beyond their control. Perhaps the
greatest contribution of psychological astrology is the idea that character isfate, and if
humans can alter their character, they can mutate their fate.Summary
Psychological astrology is the reformulation of astrology in terms of modern psy-
chological concepts and theories. While it initially derived its impetus from Jungian and
humanistic approaches, it has recently expanded to include psychodynamic, cognitive
behavioral, and object relations theories, among others. Whereas traditional astrology
tended to focus more or less exclusively on outer events and relatively superficial descrip-
tions of personality, without seeing how the former derives from the latter, psychological
astrologers try to discern the relationship of character to fate at a deeper level.
Psychological astrology is inherently transpersonal. A key component of this
model is borrowed from Jung’s concept of synchronicity, which postulates that outer,
physical events are meaningfully related to the consciousness of the experiencer. Events
are conceptualized as derivatives of consciousness; as such, they provide feedback that
catalyzes the further maturation of soul. This formulation is consistent with a reincarna-
tionist perspective, which, when woven into astrology, implies that the horoscope is a
symbolic map of both character and fate, the two being mirror images of one another.
The addition of a psychological perspective to astrology contributes to an
evolving understanding of the field. Astrology’s traditional, event-oriented and pre-
dictive dimensions are situated within a context that allows for the growth and devel-
opment of character. Moreover, psychological astrology makes the evolution of psyche
the cornerstone of its model.—Glenn Perry, Ph.D.Psychological Astrology
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