On astrology
CARL GUSTAW JUNG (psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist)
In a letter to Professor Sigmund Freud of 12 June 1911:
“I dare say that we shall one day discover in astrology a good deal of knowledge that has been intuitively projected into the heavens. For instance, it appears that the signs of the zodiac are character pictures, in other words libido symbols which depict the typical qualities of the libido at a given moment.”
In a letter to Doctor L. Oswald of 8 December 1928:
“Astrology is not mere superstition but contains some psychological facts (like theosophy) which are of considerable importance. Astrology has actually nothing to do with the stars but is the 5000-year-old psychology of antiquity and the Middle Ages.”
In a letter to B. V. Raman of 6 September 1947:
“Since you want to know my opinion about astrology I can tell you that I’ve been interested in this particular activity of the human mind for more than 30 years. As I am a psychologist, I am chiefly interested in the particular light the horoscope sheds on certain complications in the character. In cases of difficult psychological diagnosis I usually get a horoscope in order to have a further point of view from an entirely different angle. I must say that I very often found that the astrological data elucidated certain points which I otherwise would have been unable to understand. From such experiences I formed the opinion that astrology is of particular interest to the psychologist, since it contains a sort of psychological experience which we call ‘projected’ – this means that we find the psychological facts as it were in the constellations. This originally gave rise to the idea that these factors derive from the stars, whereas they are merely in a relation of synchronicity with them. I admit that this is a very curious fact which throws a peculiar light on the structure of the human mind.”
In an interview with Andre Barbault of 26 May 1954:
“There have been many striking analogies between the astrological constellation and the psychological event or the horoscope and the characterological disposition. For example, there is even a possibility of predicting somewhat the psychic effect of a transit.”
In a letter to Upton Sinclair of 25 February 1955:
“Astrology is also one of those “accidental phenomena”, which the idol of mediocrity has abolished from everyday life. This is the idol everyone bows to, but which in essence is only an abstraction…”
WOJCIECH EICHELBERGER (psychologist, therapist)
(in: „Horoskop”; „Krótko mówiąc”, wyd. Santorski and Co, str. 55-59.)
“Astrology is a serious matter. And a professional horoscope is an individualized effort requiring vast knowledge, intuition and hard responsible work, which takes even the most proficient astrologer and a master of its domain several days. The rest, by which I mean horoscopes found in popular magazines, is tea leaf reading and mere fun at best.”
“A professional horoscope is one which describes precisely and clearly the principles of our individual game with fate; it informs us about our assets and also points to the lessons we have to learn. It tells us what potentials need to be developed so that we will profit best from the hand fate dealt us. “
“I was persuaded to accept astrology when I was faced with empirical proof. My arrogant rationalism had to bow down in humble defeat.”
“Having spoken to many astrologers and with the benefit of my own experience as well as the experience of the lives of others, I became convinced that the cosmic determinism is not absolute. Even the most difficult horoscope presents a certain way out, a path of development. On the other hand, even the best line-up could be wasted.”
JERZY PROKOPIUK (a Gnostic heretic)
(Astrophysical gnosis paradigm: on the cosmic dimension of the human being – preface to Homo Zodiacus by Leszek Weres, published by Cirpo International in 1991)
“…Astrology is without a doubt one of the oldest and most complex systems of knowledge. This system is more internally, and, above all, empirically coherent and logically viable than most of its critics and the ‘experts’, who talk at length about what they imagine to be the characteristics of zodiac signs, would dare to assume. We can cite premises and even present empirical proof that both its critics and self-professed authorities have only a very vague notion of what astrology really is. They usually remain unaware of the fact that the zodiac is but a small part of astrology and that it has a much deeper significance than one can assume from reading most of the publications available on the market.”
“Regarding astrology solely as fortune-telling, exemplified by the horoscopes found in daily papers and magazines, is a simple misunderstanding. Based on a simplified and vulgar version of the zodiac, those horoscopes are rightly the most frequent target of criticism. This criticism undermines those “horoscopes” but it cannot undermine astrology, which eschews and denies any sort of kinship with this figment of journalists’ imagination.”
“It is not the stars that determine our fate; neither do they decide about our actions. Their presence makes us realize that, as children of the universe, we are ruled by the laws of nature and by cosmic laws. Astrology is thus a study of how the Earth relates to its cosmic environment; it employs the language of psychological mathematics, which is based on astronomical calculations.”
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA (a spiritual teacher, an Indian yogi)
(in: Autobiography of a Yogi)
“All parts of creation are linked together and interchange their influences. The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in reciprocity,” my guru continued. “Man, in his human aspect, has to combat two sets of forces – first, the tumults within his being, caused by the admixture of earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal elements; second, the outer disintegrating powers of nature. So long as man struggles with his mortality, he is affected by the myriad mutations of heaven and earth.”
“Astrology is the study of man’s response to planetary stimuli. The stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of cause-effect equilibriums which each man has set into motion in the past.”
“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 results. But the natal chart can be rightly interpreted only by men of intuitive wisdom: these are few.”
“The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of birth is not meant to emphasize fate – the result of past good and evil – but to arouse man’s will to escape from his universal thralldom. What he has done, he can undo. None other than himself was the instigator of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his life. He can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own actions in the first place, and because he has spiritual resources which are not subject to planetary pressure.”
OSHO (a spiritual teacher)
(in: Hidden Mysteries)
“The deepest realization of astrology is that your past must be unlocked, because if you become aware of your entire past then you will be aware of your entire future; your future will emerge out of your past.
Astrology says a more scientific thing. It says that everything is available within the seed. Astrology says that if we study the seed, if we can discover the language of the seed and if we can decode this language — if we can ask the seed: “What is your intention?” — then we will be able to draw up the complete blueprint of a human being too. Scientists have already begun to draw up such blueprints for plants.
Astrology investigates many things. It lends a cooperative hand to whatever is inevitable. It does not unnecessarily struggle against whatever is to be. It does not demand or reach out towards whatever is not to be.”
G. I. GURDJIEFF, a spiritual teacher, exponent of the Fourth Way
(in: P. D. Ouspensky, In Search of the Miraculous, part 7)
“As we left the park G. stopped talking and was going a few steps ahead of us. We five walked behind him talking together. In going round a tree G. dropped the stick— ebony with a Caucasian silver handle —he was carrying and one of us bent down, picked it up, and gave it to him. G. walked on for a few steps, then turned to us and said:
“That was astrology. Do you understand? You all saw me drop the stick. Why did
one of you pick it up? Let each of you speak for himself.” One said he had not seen G. drop the stick as he was looking another way. The second said he had noticed that G. had not dropped the stick accidentally as happens when a stick gets caught in something, but that he had intentionally loosened his hand and let the stick fall. This had excited his curiosity and he had waited to see what would happen next. The third said he saw G. drop the stick, but was very absorbed in thinking of astrology, particularly trying to remember what G. said once before, and did not pay sufficient attention to the stick. The fourth saw the stick fall and thought of picking it up, but at that moment the other picked up the stick and gave it to G. The fifth said he saw the stick fall and then he saw himself picking it up and giving it to G. G. smiled as he listened to us.
“This is astrology,” he said. “In the same situation one man sees and does one thing, another—another thing, a third—a third thing, and so on. And each one acted according to his type.”
As you can see, there are many approaches to and understandings of astrology. One thing is certain, though: “horoscopes” found in popular magazines, on the Internet, received via e-mail or text, computer printouts generated by astrological programs have nothing to do with professional astrology.
If the previous quotes have struck your interest, why don’t you enrol on an astrology course? Why not join a group of practitioners of genuine astrology?
