TANGO WITH THE UNALTERABLE PAST

Photo by Toufic Mobarak via Unsplash

“Whatever is born or done at a particular moment of time has the quality of that moment of time.” - Jung

Tango With The Unalterable Past 

In this the fourth week of my Happy series of musings around Healing, Astrology and Psychology. I’ve been looking at how these practices can be combined and applied to counselling and therapies. One medium that springs to mind is depth psychology – or in more day-to-day terms, Soul coaching.

As we get older and mature, after our Saturn returns and parenthood, our self-development takes on a more dogged determined path. We learn to balance (or try to) our inner and outer selves and (whether consciously or unconsciously) find an approach to healing that involves integration.

This integration, this search for wholeness, goes by other names – synthesis, individuation etc. In most cases we are challenged to go deep inside and heal old wounds that have held us back. We are asked like the detective to investigate the very essence of our core, to probe our identity and personality. Only then can we self-actualise and address trauma from the past as a roadmap to move forward and strategize new paths to..."the future" (whatever that is)!

Astrology and Soul Psychology combined as a practice is called Psychosynthesis, a blended technique. There are famous practitioners such as the astrologer Mark Jones. He says that: “Astrology is a portal then to the potential of a human life, a window to the soul. Astrology is a symbolic language that works in service to life, in service to the journey of the individual through life.”

“Astrology is a portal then to the potential of a human life, a window to the soul. Astrology is a symbolic language that works in service to life, in service to the journey of the individual through life.” - Mark Jones

His astrological insights are truly fascinating, and I am just beginning to delve. As I am a new student of art and science of astrology I am trying to not get too tied up with complex aspects of differing ‘types’ too early, instead I’m choosing to learn the basics first. However, I am now aware that Mr Jones and astrologer/counsellors in his field are greatly influenced by another astrology sub-type called Evolutionary Astrology and one of its advocate Dane Rudhyar.

But ofcourse this is just in the western Tropical tradition. Outside of my structured LSA 101 and Steve Judd beginners’ studies I’ve also been exploring (drawn to, like a siren call) Sidereal - both Babylonian (notably the Bulgarian astrologers Trifon, Krasi and Rumen Kolev all via AstroLada’s YouTube channel) and Vedic (Joni Patry in particular). I wonder where the spark I’ve developed for Vedic might go next. Sidereal feels a strong fit for me. Capricorn sun, not Aquarius. Libra rising not Scorpio, Taurus moon not Gemini. It’s like relearning your whole identity.

I love the idea of a multi-layered approach to healing, combining spiritual, astrological and perspectives. The neuroscience fascinates me. A decade ago, I qualified as a Master in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) with Chris Howard studying strategies applied by Milton Erickson and family therapist Virginia Satir. In later years I found myself drawn to the language of archetypes with works by Caroline Myss, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, mythologists like Joseph Campbell and depth psychologists James Hillman and Thomas Moore. Thomas Moore (the psychologist former monk) I remember studying a decade back when I was completing my Science of Mind (Religious Science) practitioner studies with Dr. Neil Mence and spiritual mind counselling certificate back in London. Always studying – that's Gemini/Mercury! The convergence between the mind, the psyche, the soul, science and faith, mystery and esoteric has always enthralled me. Perhaps this is cause of the current tug (like a tidal wave) towards ancient astronomical (fixed stars cosmology) with sideral and with a newly awoken fascination with the occult, histories, predictions, and secret knowledge.

I also love systems thinking (the Saturnian Aquarian in me – or is it the Capricorn now, both have same ruler) and digging out secrets and knowledge to learn new wisdom traditions and investigate the meaning of like (my Scorpio-rising Pluto loving detective) – so a perfect system on astrology with its cycles model from the personal to the mundane, with its forecasting predictive abilities and deep psychological archetypal revelation, it’s pure potentiality for coaching, healing, developing etc. – well, I am hooked for life.

I’m learning from the best faculty and experts in all things astrological, the LSA and reading books by their consulting teachers and lecturers. And the wonderful Steve Judd and now Joni Patry. Plus, the incredible esoteric teachings of Steiner shared by Astrolada.

LSA textbook required reading: The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook by Sue Tompkins

“A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its probable future result.” - Jeffrey Wolf Green

In Evolutionary Astrology the "unalterable past" (hello @Blogos this reminded me of your great writing work with the metabolism of time) includes the deepest intention of the Soul (Pluto) and the variety of previous life egos manifested by the Soul as we move from one life to the next life. It acknowledges the role of ‘fated’ circumstance.

“Astrology makes the conversation between heaven and earth audible.” - Charles Harvey

Through the LSA and Frank Clifford's course I was introduced to Kira Sutherland’s Medical Astrology, an ancient medical system that associates parts of the body, diseases, foods, and herbals as being influenced by the planets and signs. Medical Astrology is referenced in ancient texts from Babylon, China, Egypt, India, Europe and American folk medicine. Think of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), Ayurveda in India or the 4 Humours. It’s an amazing presentation she gave to students in a recording. Very inspiring to pick up my Herbalism again.

Then there are other branches of western astrology that stretch out into the psychological and spiritual realms of Psychosynthesis. Founded by Roberto Assagioli (a contemporary of Freud and Jung), this combines the psychotherapy with spirituality and archetypal values. It is therapy for the Soul and a lovely combination of psychology with astrology – as we dance again between free will and acceptance of our fated karma and dharma. Rahu and Ketu do the tango.

Free will is our driver but we need God and miracles too. All the counselling and therapy in the world pales next to the power of faith and inner wisdom

I’m continuing to dip into work by Liz Greene, Howard Sasportas, Stephen Arroyo and I am enjoying picking up some bargain gems from the pas via Abe books second-hand, checkout these classics  - Jonathan Cainer and Russell Grant. And a brilliant short tome by contemporary Richard Swatton (his 101 videos on the 12 signs are amazing) as well as timeless texts by Penny Thornton. These are all western tropical zodiac based.

Anecdotally, I once worked (indirectly) for Russell Grant (a client) on an online casino, crafting scopes for marketing back in the heyday of 2000 internet gold rush in Soho Square – now there’s a story. It was straight after I left the Daily Mirror newspaper websites and I’ll save that one for a rainy day, lots of fun on a project which sadly never got off the ground - where I began my online casino marketing career. 

Until next weekend, stay safe and stay in the light. That Astroworld thing is some weird dark stuff, energies on earth are shifting, some say it’s Steiner’s Ahriman a-comin’? Or it’s just our mass collective unconscious hysteria. I’m choosing to stay sane, and astrology helps – seeing fates and cycles as huge aeons of patterns and correspondences in time. I love the mundane astrology and the predictive opportunities with ancient texts and omens. And I feel connected writing about these matters, the writing flows - from my Moon in the 8th House.

But I love more embracing the faith, hope, light, God and wonder of the spirit. I’m rediscovering the Law of Attraction and it's source in the orginal Hermetic Laws. That takes me back to magic and astrological magic, planetary talismans etc and we've come full circle hahha. Hello Hermes.

And I'll wrap up the week by sharing that I’ve got back into daily hot Yoga again. Yoga is helping with the healing a lot. Interesting that both Vedic Astrology and Bikram Yoga both came back into my life in the same week. Let’s see where it goes. I'm listening God and ready for the ride. Let's dance! TANGO through time, move to the music as it plays on for eternity - sway and swoon with all your heart. Evolve.

Peace and Blessings, Love & Light this Sunday.

Yours happily magical 💃⏳🌌 

Sara

Photo by Georgia De Lotz via Unsplash