Carl Jung And Astrology In Psychoanalysis

Carl Jung  is responsible for introducing astrology into psychoanalysis. This Swiss psychoanalyst, a disciple of Freud, addressed concepts that for many were closer to magic than science. Even so, its postulates are deep and interesting and have managed to transcend, to the point of giving rise to a current that remains in force today.

For Jung, in astrology all the knowledge of psychology of antiquity is condensed. Intuitively, the twelve signs of the zodiac became a compendium of psychic realities. They make up what Jung called “archetypes.” These are psychological patterns or models, which inhabit the collective unconscious.

Carl Jung was convinced that there is an innate disposition in every human being to be what he is. It is not acquired, but is born with each one of us. At this point the influence of astrology on Jungian psychoanalysis is seen. Astrologers are convinced that there is an inclination to live in a certain way, from the moment of birth.

Synchronicity, or astrology in Jung’s psychoanalysis

Jung developed the concept of “synchronicity” in his theory. It is a postulate that gives presence to astrology in psychoanalysis. Synchronicity refers to events that generate a match. They meet, they occur at the same time, but they are apparently disconnected from each other. Like when you are thinking of something unusual, like a bat and an hour later you see one in the window.

For Jung, these coincidences are due to invisible threads that connect everything. This agrees with astrological principles. According to that knowledge, there are invisible forces emanating from the universe. Those forces are constantly combining and causing events in a person’s life to occur.

Thus, the influence of astrology on Jungian psychoanalysis is clear. An unknown universal order manifests itself in a specific situation. The movements of the universe give rise to definite events in a person’s life. It would seem that this is far from scientific, but quantum physics has also addressed similar postulates.

Jung calls astrology “intuitive method. ” He declared on several occasions that he had been able to verify that certain psychological states or certain facts were correlated with the transits of the planets. ” Above all, afflictions of Saturn and Uranus, ” he declared in 1954, during an interview.

Astrologers and Jung

Astrologers, for their part, agree on many points with Jung. They insist on the existence of invisible forces that impose a certain meaning on everything that happens. ” The force that moves the sun and the stars is the same that moves the human soul, ” said the famous Spanish astrologer Lluís Gisbert.

Just as an influence of astrology is appreciated in psychoanalysis, the reverse also occurs. Many astrologers turn to Jung’s concepts to elaborate their interpretations. A very particular case is that of Richard Tarnas. This academic has a very special training: he is a philosopher from Harvard University, but also a psychologist and astrologer.

He tells that he came to astrology after addressing Jung’s teachings. His initial approach was, above all, empirical. He was surprised to find that the astrological charts of Galileo, Einstein, and Darwin were very similar. Also that the same planetary configuration has been repeated during a Beethoven concert and the most apotheosis of Jimy Hendrix. One sentence sums up his position: ” Your psyche is the breath of the cosmos .”

An awkward relationship

The influence of astrology on psychoanalysis is questioned by almost all psychoanalysts. They see in it only a redoubt of myths and imaginary legends that lack validity. In fact, classical psychoanalysis is based on the idea that the human being is the master of his destiny and that coincidences do not exist.

From the other shore, the extreme of Cartesian rationalism that has imposed itself on knowledge is questioned. They indicate that there is not one, but many ways to arrive at the truths. And the rational, scientific truth is just one of them.

Despite everything, astrology in psychoanalysis is still present. At least in the Jungian stream. Both the followers of this current, as the astrologers, are increasingly feeling closer to quantum physics. They assure that little by little a new knowledge will make its way, which defies rational laws. We’ll see if it happens …