the-astrology-book

Therapeutic Astrology
subject, traditional tests do nothing to illuminate the specific types of objects that the
individual is likely to encounter. In astrology, however, each symbol of the chart is a
corollary to both an intrapsychic process and an environmental condition. This
means that a chart presents a portrait not simply of the individual, but of the individual
in dynamic relation to an environment. Because subject and object define one
another, the environment is seen as a reflection of the psyche to which it adheres. The
advantage of such a conception is that it shows how interpersonal problems are precisely
mirrored in intrapsychic structures. Astrological indications of interpersonal
problems are not of a general type, but of highly specialized relations with potential
marriage partners, children, authority figures, financial institutions, religious organizations,
friends, employers and employees, and just about any other type of relation.
Basic Needs and Psychopathology
The application of astrology to therapeutic practice can take many and varied
forms. Whatever method one employs, however, an immediate advantage of astrology
is that it provides a clear framework for understanding a client’s needs. Each sign of
the zodiac represents a fundamental human need or motivational drive. While all 12
signs are operative in consciousness, constituting the archetypal structure of the psyche,
the signs the planets occupy show those needs that are going to be highlighted in
the personality. The overall network of planetary aspects symbolizes cognitive structure—that
relatively enduring organization of ideas, attitudes, and expectancies by
which the individual interprets his world and directs his behavior.
If, for example, a person’s Sun squares Neptune, the underlying needs that these
planets rule are in conflict (square aspect). The need for validation (Leo) and the
capacity for creative self-expression (Sun) are in conflict with the need to surrender
ego in selfless service to the whole (Pisces/Neptune). This conflict will emerge into
consciousness as a particular way of thinking, perceiving, and behaving. That is, the
person may not believe that he or she deserves recognition; that others are perceived as
more important, or disinterested, or invalidating; or that there can be an expectation
that one will not be acknowledged or appreciated. On a behavioral level, the will is
weakened, intentions are unclear, and there is likely to be a tendency toward self-sacrifice,
self-sabotage, or self-delusion. The individual may likewise be deceptive with others.
Duplicity or fraudulent behavior is a central feature of “the false self” that is characteristic
of a Narcissistic personality disorder (i.e., the individual may overcompensate
for his perceived deficiencies by developing a behavioral style that seems to say, “I’m
special, wonderful, perfect, and superior while you [all other people] are nothing.”) The
signs that the planets occupy show the particular way this process is likely to unfold.
The point here is that beliefs are cognitive structures that emerge out of the
relative integration of underlying needs, while behavior is the observable expression
of these internal structures. By examining the client’s birth chart, the astrotherapist is
able to gain insight into the core ideas that underlie the presenting problem. Psychopathology
can be seen as a product of grim, unconscious, pathogenic beliefs that
result from a lack of integration of basic needs. These negative or false beliefs predict
that the individual will hurt himself and/or others by his attempts to satisfy specific
[660] THE ASTROLOGY BOOK