The practice of astrology dates back thousands of years. Mesopotamia, India, China, and other regions all practiced astrology differently. Archetypal astrology is a specific branch of western astrology that focuses on the psycho-spiritual growth path of an individual as a story of their life. So instead of predicting what will happen outside a person’s life, we focus on what happens inside with a psychological view. In this article, we will share with you what archetypal astrology is and where it came from.
Understanding Archetypal Astrology
Do you struggle to find motivation within yourself? Do you always wonder if the path you’re on today is the right one? Well, archetypal astrology takes an in-depth look at your birth chart to identify how your past relates to your current state.
For example, we ask questions such as:
- Who are your parents?
- Who are the people you met along the way?
- What were the events that shaped you?
When you look at the answers to these and more questions, our astrological birth charts show us our past struggles so we can eventually gain meaning from them, draw inspiration, and move forward.
The History
Archetypal astrology developed as a result of clinical research in psychedelic therapy. Psychedelic medicine was used to alter the human consciousness to allow the person to experience an inner realm that was as vast as the outer realm. It induced a feeling of the person not being limited to the physical form.
As our scientific view started to shift, our inner child began to get detached from the outer world. For example, previously, some communities believed that thunder was a projection of an angry god. However, today, we all know that mindset is merely a projection of our thoughts and what we choose to believe. The scientists then borrowed an astrology birth chart to help them clarify the results they were getting in their research.
Understanding Your Birth Chart
Each individual has a different and unique birth chart, including twins. In astrology, we look at the ten major planets – Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. These planets reflect differently in each area of your life, including major relationship shifts, during nurturing (motherhood), self-growth, finances, careers, etc.
For example, Saturn gives structure and order. So if your Saturn is active during motherhood, you are most likely to be the super organized mom who never runs out of groceries.
Mars talks about our willpower which includes how we approach life. For example, our ability to be angry. If Mars shows up during courtship, for example, you might come across as a very strong team player (you’re always the first to suggest the next date) or the opposite.
The Key Areas to Look at When Reading Your Birth Chart
Exact Birth Time
The time you were born determines your rising sign. Think of the horoscopes here. It’s the character that people first see when they meet you. And this might not necessarily reflect your dominant personality. It’s just that it has a way of showing up first. For example, if you are a Scorpio rising, you would be very guarded – polite yet mysterious. Similarly, if you were an Aries rising, you’d be in people’s faces and present – the go-getter.
Relating Archetypes in your Astrology Chart
We have discussed the Jungian archetypes before. So how do these relate to astrology? We will discuss this with practical examples. Now we’ve discussed the rising? Let’s look at the Moon. The Moon is our emotional nature. How you try to get your needs met in a manipulative way. For example, if the moon is in your Gemini, it could mean intellectual manipulation. Then we have the shadow self. We cannot kill the darker Self, but we can always mask it.
The Sun describes the Self – the divine will that we all seek. It magnifies or suppresses our true persona.
Each planetary archetype has unique traits, as detailed below.
- Mars is the creator
- Venus is the lover
- Mercury is the trickster
- Jupiter is the seeker or the explorer
- Neptune is pure or innocent
- Uranus is the rebel or the freedom seeker
- Pluto is the magician
- Saturn is the sage
Etc.
Why Do We Look at The Stars?
Since time immemorial, before the evolution of humanity, our ancestors relied on the stars for directions. We even read about the three Wise men who followed a star to guide them to where Jesus was born, right? These stars also had several stories told about them. For example, in mythology, Aries, the Greek god of war, had uncontrollable anger. The same anger is seen within the sign of Aries to date. Did you know ship captains also study the stars to help navigate?
In addition to direction, the stars also helped our ancestors predict the season. Winter is fast approaching when the Orion constellation is brightest in the sky. And that’s how they planned the yearly calendar to know when to plant or stock up for hibernation.
Gradually, astrology was born. And today, we are relating our archetypes to astrology to help analyze our past and hopefully connect it to our present. Astrology can be a tool we use to create the path we want, and it can also be used to create a more harmonious and peaceful self within ourselves and between other people and us. This way, we can transcend the physical level of our conscious awareness to higher levels.
The Bottom Line
Nothing happens by coincidence. We illuminate energy from within us that eventually impacts our outer environment, just like our external environment impacts our inner energies. Archetypal astrology is an amazing tool for our spiritual growth. When you notice something unique around you, look closely. It could be a sign to deliver a message to you about yourself or your current path, or the immediate world around you. Remember that what happens ultimately narrows down to your choices to act upon the messages or ignore them. Otherwise, the universe is still in motion, and its vibrations continue to manifest all the time.