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Using Astrology in Psychology

© Nancy Leigh Jobes

The introduction of astrology into the world of psychology began around 1911 when Carl Jung began experimenting with astrology in order to "find a clue to the core of human psychology," as he stated in a letter to Sigmund Freud.

Later, in a different correspondence with Freud, Jung stated:

"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." (1)

Jung went on to write a chapter about Astrology. Chapter two of Synchronicity (2), a compilation of his writings, is called "An Astrological Experiment" where he writes about some of his experiences using astrology as a method to understand human psychology as it is in tune with nature.

Though many people have thought Jung to be slightly demented for his work with the supernatural and the occult, others see him as a trailblazer in the realm of working with the unconscious and synchronistic flow of the universe. You will notice that in the quote to Freud above that he mentions astrology to be a projection of traits upon the heavens, rather then the popular thought that astrology is a "force" or "cause and effect" projection upon us. This idea of astrology as a synchronicity or an unconscious creation of man's changed the direction of astrology forever.

While there are still people who believe that astrology impels people to do things, use astrology for fortune telling, or create the popular and misleading horoscopes, there is an entirely different brand of astrology growing in popularity today, based in essence on the works of Jung and other methods of psychoanalysis. This is not to say that traditional astrologers have it wrong, many horary astrologers and event astrologers have their methods down to a science. Yet, many of these traditional astrologers are beginning to incorporate human psychology and philosophy into their work.

Psychological astrology now has a field all its own. If someone is looking to use this type of astrology in their counseling, analysis, or hypnotherapy, there is even a school they can go to in order to learn the philosophy. The Centre for Psychological Astrology in Great Britain offers a degree in the subject. It is a regular school, with classes and courses, designed to enable the astrologer or psychologist to implement astrology into an understanding of the individual human psyche. It is also necessary to have an understanding of traditional astrology prior to learning the psychology of astrology. Like pursuing any career in psychology, you are required to undergo analysis yourself.

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