The Astrologer’s Shadow...•Stress and weakened ego opens the door •“Slips” remind us that...
Transcript of The Astrologer’s Shadow...•Stress and weakened ego opens the door •“Slips” remind us that...
The Astrologer’s Shadow
Glenn Perry
Lecture Objectives
Define what “shadow” means
Locate the shadow in the chart
Explore the astrologer’s shadow
Give a case example
Suggest how to work with shadow
Why Be An Astrologer?
Is this a wise career choice?• Astrology is discredited in our culture
• Only a few make a living at it
• We are regularly attacked
What motivates our career choice?• Psychological issues and wounds
• Reflections in the birth chart
Awareness of shadow issues may be…• The key to career success
What is the Shadow?
Intensely negative feelings• What is reprehensible, primitive, or inferior
• Constitutes a motivation to eliminate or suppress
Collective dimension• Actions, out groups, belief systems
• Astrology is persona non grata
Personal dimension• Potentialities we deny and/or renounce
• Compensate by emphasizing “light side”
Shadow as Moral Problem
Projection of “badness” and “evil”• Demonize in others what we cannot face
• “projections change the world…”
An impulse to attack and reform• Hatred as lack of empathy and compassion
• Masquerades as righteous indignation
Impulse to seek “power over”• Manipulation, intimidation, coercion
• Oppression, tyranny, murder
Enantiodromia
Tendency for things to revert to opposite• Psyche has innate tendency toward wholeness • Lack of balance causes reversal• “Falling into one’s shadow”
Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde• The pure and noble physician• The corrupt and ignoble Mr. Hyde
Shadow erupts during times of crisis• Stress and weakened ego opens the door• “Slips” remind us that shadow is always there
Facing the Dark Side
Looking backwards into the shadow• Traits we have tried to eliminate
• Atavistic tendencies we have left “behind”
Everyone has a shadow• Rejection flattens the personality
• Loss of depth, passion, and erotic intensity
Awareness reduces fear/power of shadow• Tolerance and forgiveness is key
• Gain power, integrity, depth, humor
Finding The Shadow In The Chart
Pluto is a major shadow indicator• Symbolizes the dark side and power issues
• Integration requires death & rebirth
Pluto always associated with something• Our wound and our capacity to heal
• The wounded healer archetype
Wounds are first projected, then…• Fearful avoidance or hostile confrontation
• Flight or fight response to “crisis”
Pluto & Extremism
Crises produce a tendency toward extremes• Either of the two things situated at opposite ends of a
range constitutes the extreme.
• Extremes imply polarity
Every planet contains a polarity• Archetypal roles, inner and outer
• Psychological polarities
Hard aspects to Pluto produce fear & loathing• Can create pathological extremes
• Ruptured archetype = light side/dark side
Shadow Possession
Growing hair of the dog that bit you • Rationalization of one’s behavior
• Compensatory contrariness
Erotic attraction and preoccupation• Falling into your shadow
• fear, negativity, and coercion are the result
Ruptured (injured) planetary archetype• Rubber band stretched to the breaking point
• Light side is flattened out, counterfeit version
Wounded-Healer Polarity
Woundedness as an existential given
• Natural counter-pole to health
• True healer recognizes own woundedness
Helper-healer associated with power
• Power of life & death; relief of suffering
• Clients become childish and regressive
Any planet can be split into halves
• Extreme good healer-side
• Extreme bad wounded-side
The Astrologer’s Shadow
Saturn-Pluto: Choosing a forbidden career• Career & authority associated with taboo
• Splitting superior/inferior, adequate/inadequate
Jupiter-Pluto: Believing in a taboo doctrine• Astrologers may be acting out a Jupiter shadow
• Wounded faith and forbidden beliefs
Pluto as unifying theme; the dark glue• Issues with authority and wisdom
• Applied to profession as helper-healer
Saturn’s Shadow
Splitting Saturn’s natural polarities
• Superior/subordinate; success/failure
• Difficulties with or as authority
• Fear of inferiors (sabotage) or fear of superiors (oppression)
Fear of success/failure
• Expectation of humiliation; avoidance of success
• Fear of one’s own authority/dominance
• Extremism – the despot, autocrat, or tyrant
The Saturn Deflation Factor
Reduction of status; devaluation and negative self-perception
Avoidance of success due to shame
Status of astrology has been downsized
Lack of academic credentials & licensing establishes our status as a non-profession
Perception of being fraudulent
The Imposter Syndrome
Subjective sense of being a fraud• Feelings of self-doubt despite outer success
• Success attributed to luck, contacts, personality…
Mistakes taken as proof of imposter status• Cover-up & externalization of responsibility
• Success brings new “tests” of competence
Procrastination and perfectionism• Never feel “ready” to be “a professional”
• Reluctance to promote oneself in any way
Two Imposter Projections
Negative projection of imposter syndrome
• Animosity toward astrologers who are perceived as incompetent, poorly trained, or untrustworthy
• Bickering and internecine battles within the field
Positive projection of ideal astrologer-self
• Attribution of positive Jupiter-Saturn traits
• Extraordinary authority and wisdom
• Extreme faith and projection of power
Inflation & The God Complex
Abundance of super-positive RSV traits…
• Perfect healing wisdom; the all-powerful, supremely wise consultant
Saturninan pretense of superiority
• Workaholic, control freak, overachiever is compensatory to a fear of failure and inferiority
SR hard aspects may create
• Fear of scant wisdom; lack of faith or education
• Compensatory need for indubitable truths
Inflation & The God Complex
Rw contacts = splitting of Jupiter polarity
• True/false, wise/foolish, and faith/doubt
• Wounded faith and shadowy doctrines
• Fear that truth may be destructive and dangerous
Jupiter inflation compensates one’s fears
• Always right, never wrong; try to convert others
• Closed system, dogmatic, paranoid ideology
• Fear of client’s uncertainty and unknowingness
• Need to subjugate clients with total knowledge
The False Prophet
Jupiter’s dark side is the lying hypocrite
• Use of astrology to gain influence and power
• Presenting oneself as wiser than one really is
• Illusion of perfect, undeviating faith
Identifying with our client’s projections
• Client’s want the astrologer to be omniscient
• How we mask a discomforting uncertainty
• Folie a deux is an unconscious collusion
The Charlatan & Hypochondriac
Charlatan is the true imposter• Elaborate, fraudulent claims to skill or knowledge
• Unconscious motive is power and prestige
Splitting the Pluto archetype into opposites• Healer/wounded, power/powerlessness
• Healing requires recognition of one’s own wounds
Projecting SR wounds onto our clients• Becoming powerful through psychological failure
• Seeking power over the client via pseudo-solutions
Wrestling With My Shadow
A bit of personal history• Alcoholic mother/family system
• Deceit and denial of my reality = NU shadow
8th house shadow M= wound to dependency• Distrust of feelings and emotional vulnerability
• Associated with I issues of truth, morality, faith
Mars opposition 8th house Moon• Splitting of courage and dependency
• Fierce defense of emotional reality
My Jupiter Shadow
Jupiter in 10th comes from the 8th
• Wounded Moon catalyst for career aspirations
• Promotion of a forbidden truth – astrology
• Zealotry is symptom of an inflamed, inflated Jupiter
Balancing faith with doubt = RJiSF
• Admit uncertainty about my knowledge claims?
• Overcompensation, perfectionism & procrastination
• Abhorrence of astrological false prophets
Healing The Shadow
Awareness of shadow’s existence
• Notice extremes of thinking and feeling
• Righteous indignation, power struggles, hatred
• Indicate a fear of becoming the hated thing
“There, but for the grace of God, go I”
• We have potential to do what we would not do
• Compassion for others starts with self-forgiveness
• Recognizing limits of one’s power and wisdom
Would You Like To Know More?
For information about Glenn’s Mentorship Program, Tapes, and Books, contact:
Glenn Perry, Ph.D.
360 Quietwood Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
415-479-5812
www.aaperry.com