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Sunday, September 11, 2005
Rimban: Astrology, psychology and tarot
By Erwin Rimban
ONE of the best talents a thinker must possess is the ability to see interconnections from various disciplines. In fact, an exceptional thinker is able to discern similarities from disparate fields. And since mystics and mystical philosophers are unanimous in asserting that Ultimate Reality is one seamless whole, then its various aspects should indeed present astounding similarities. The most intelligent quantum physicists also support a holographic view of reality even going so far as to posit a fractalized nature to the universe in all its aspects.
Let us apply synergistic thinking in three fields and see if we can indeed discern some similarities in these various disciplines. Let us weave together insights from esoteric astrology, archetypal psychology and tarot symbology from the context of soul development. Esoteric astrology is the study of the personality from the perspective of soul development. Archetypal psychology is the branch of psychology, which studies archetypal structures and development in individuals, societies and civilizations. And tarot symbology is the study of the nature and meaning of the various universal symbols as presented in the major and minor arcana of the tarot.
Very prominent in esoteric astrology are concepts like the Sun sign and various other parameters. The whole field actually posits the electromagnetic effects of planetary positions on the behavioral correlates of man. So astrologers have to study the Sun sign, the Moon sign, the Mercury sign, the Venus sign, the Mars sign, the Jupiter sign, the Saturn sign, the North Node significator, etc. Each of these planetary positions has specific meanings in the context of soul development. The Sun sign represents the ego structure of man. The Moon sign represents his emotional self. The Mercury sign represents his cognitive apparatus. The Venus sign represents a person's love style. The Mars sign represents his executive style.
And so on. Astrologers have to master a plethora of data just to be able to interpret the chart of a client. Because of the depth of information available from natal astrology, clients are advised to make the study of their charts a lifelong affair. There are many, many gems of insight that can be explored from the study of a natal chart alone.
Carl Jung made the dramatic discovery that the parameters of esoteric astrology can be correlated with the universal archetypes of humanity! In fact the special significators in a natal chart will determine the archetypes of humanity that are expressed by that particular individual! Here are examples of correspondence between the two fields. The Sun sign of astrology is actually equivalent to the Ego concept in archetypal psychology. The Moon sign is thematically equivalent to the Shadow archetype, a concept very well enunciated by Jung. The Venus sign is equivalent to the Anima while the Mars sign corresponds to the Animus. So, as we can see, there are points of correspondence between esoteric astrology and archetypal psychology. In many ways, archetypal psychology is the most spiritual of the social sciences.
Let us take the game further. Can these two disciplines connect with the arcane field known as tarot? Yes indeed, they can. Witness these similarities. The major arcana of the tarot is actually a pictorial representation of the patterns of energy manifested by the universal archetypes of humanity. The Fool card corresponds to Aries. The Magician card corresponds to Leo. The Empress card corresponds to Cancer. The Emperor corresponds to Capricorn. The Hierophant card corresponds to Sagittarius. The Lovers card corresponds to Libra. The Chariot card is thematically equivalent to Mars. The Hermit card corresponds to Pisces. The Tower card corresponds to Scorpio. The Star card corresponds to Aquarius. And so on. Thus, we can see a whole range of corresponding features that connect two arcane disciplines, astrology and tarot.
Jung's contribution to humanity is to make the esoteric arts comprehensive to normal men. He had the courage, the initiative, the openness, the intelligence, and the wisdom to venture into fields of thought that were considered alien during his time. Just imagine, he was a leading light of classical psychoanalysis and yet he dared venture into the esoteric, occult and spiritual fields. Yet, this exploration later on yielded a whole new field of endeavor, the study of the archetypes. Jung's contributions to the social sciences and the humanities are immeasurable in this respect.
Today, more and more psychologists are taking a second look at astrology. They have realized that astrology can enrich their own cognitive and experiential database. Certainly, archetypal psychologists all over the world have long realized the significance of astrology and its incredible depth. Conventional psychologists may be narrow-minded and fear to venture into the esoteric arts of wisdom. But, for archetypal psychologists, strange realms of thought like astrology, numerology, tarot, qaballah, alchemy, feng shui, runecraft and Celtic wisdom are quite acceptable. For an archetypal psychologist, all the realms of experience are veritable goldmines for the study of the universal archetypes of humanity. Therefore, in many ways, the archetypal psychologist is the most open-minded social scientist in existence!
Join me as we study more of the correspondences between the exoteric and esoteric realms. My email is wizardspen@yahoo.com. God bless.
(September 11, 2005 issue)
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