Mapping the Psyche 3: Kairos - the Astrology of Time PDF
Preview Mapping the Psyche 3: Kairos - the Astrology of Time
Praise for Mapping the Psyche Volume 3: Kairos - The Astrology of Time This lovely book embodies part 3 of Mapping the Psyche, and is a transcript of a course which brings students onward, from the study of an apparently static birth chart, into the ever moving universe. As students of Clare Martin, and readers of her two previous books, will recognise, Book 3, covering transits, returns, progressions and directions, is once again both immediately accessible and profound. It leads seamlessly from personal contributions from individual students, to philosophical discussion; to precise astronomical explanation and calculation; and to illuminating references to the historic roots of present day astrology. As befits a course taught for the Centre of Psychological Astrology, the approach is “psychological”, but equally respects the traditional skills in calculation of precomputerised astrology, and the work of past masters in the astrological and psychological worlds. The title of Book 3 however is “Kairos” defined not as chronological time, but “time in between” – “the propitious moment for the performance of an action or the coming into being of a new state” and the recognition of the existence of such moments is the core theme of the book, in both a practical and philosophical sense. The understanding students need to acquire here of the tools of transits, progressions and directions is succinctly presented, as Clare directs her students to review their personal concerns in the light of the story told by placements in their charts at “that” moment in time. A clear understanding of the process provides the reader with an opportunity to consciously align their lives with the movements of the heavens – to “do gladly that which I must do.” In this way, the book offers not only a crystal clear exposition of astrological mechanics, but a genuine “map” for students to follow. It also excels as an invaluable reference source for experienced astrologers to cherish. Teresa Early, Dip.Psych.Astrol Mapping the Psyche An Introduction to Psychological Astrology Volume 3: Kairos – The Astrology of Time Clare Martin Published in 2015 by The Wessex Astrologer Ltd, 4A Woodside Road Bournemouth BH5 2AZ www.wessexastrologer.com © Clare Martin 2015 Clare Martin asserts the moral right to be recognised as the author of this work. Cover Design by Jonathan Taylor A catalogue record for this book is available at The British Library ISBN 9781910531136 No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. A reviewer may quote brief passages. CONTENTS Time Lesson One Introduction to Time Lesson Two The Nature of Cycles Retrograde Motion Transits Lesson Three Introduction to Transits Lesson Four Transits of the Outer Planets Lesson Five Transits of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars and the Inner Planets Lesson Six Planetary Returns Lesson Seven Moon Cycles, Nodes and Eclipses Lesson Eight Transits Case Study – Dante Gabriel Rossetti Progressions Lesson Nine Secondary Progressions Case Study – Dante Gabriel Rossetti Solar Art Directions Lesson Ten Solar Arc Directions Case Study – Dante Gabriel Rossetti Selected Bibliography LESSON 1 An Introduction to Time Clare: A very warm welcome back to everyone – it’s good to see you all again. Our task this term is to consolidate what we have already learned and to embark on the study of astrological timing techniques. In a sense, there is nothing fundamentally new for us to grasp this term – the birth chart will remain central and we will be working with the same planets, signs, houses and aspects, as before. But by bringing time into the equation, we are expanding our astrology from the static, fixed pattern of the natal chart into a dynamic story which unfolds in time. The more examples you can bring to class for us to look at, the better. This is where our practical apprenticeship begins, and there is no substitute for actual experience. At the same time, it would be a good idea to continue to read as much as you can about Jung’s ideas and concepts so that our astrological and psychological knowledge grow side by side. We are going to spend this term exploring the major astrological forecasting techniques: transits, returns, progressions and directions. Psychologically, all these techniques represent opportunities for the development of consciousness. But first of all, let’s take some time to consider the philosophical implications of forecasting in astrology, which always bring up the perennial and vexed question of the relationship between fate and free will and the understandable distaste for, or fear of, astrology when it is assumed to be a fated system. Audience: I find this is the biggest problem when I tell people I’m studying astrology. Generally they think it is scary and dangerous because it’s about fate. And I think this is why people are so quick to judge astrology, even if they know nothing about it. Clare: That’s right, which is why we need to grasp this particular nettle right at the start. Fate and Free Will In Greek mythology, the three Fates were known as the Moirae, or ‘apportioners’, since they controlled the metaphorical thread of life from birth to death and beyond. They can be compared with the Norns, the three spinners of destiny in northern European mythology. The Fates are almost always depicted as old crones or hags, cold, remorseless and unfeeling. The three Moirae, or ‘spinsters’, were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Clotho, the spinner, spun the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle. Lachesis, the ‘alotter’, measured the thread of life with her rod, and Atropos, the ‘inexorable’ or ‘inevitable’, was the cutter of the thread of life, choosing the manner of a person’s death. The connection between astrology and fate is very ancient and we might even say that astrology itself evolved in response to the urge to understand the relationship between the cycles of the planets and an individual’s or nation’s fate. Astrology with the three fates, 16th century, Arsenal Library, Paris. In one sense it is absolutely true that the birth chart is our fate. It is our raw material – the inherent pattern we are born with, and stuck with, if you like. We are born with a specific north, south, east, west orientation as defined by the angles, and we are born with planets in certain signs and houses and in particular relationships to each other – and there is nothing we can do about that. We cannot trade in our cards and deal again – because the pattern has already been set at our birth. Indeed, we could even go as far as to say that nothing which is not on the birth chart as potential will ever come to pass. Audience: That is a very strong statement to make. Clare: Our birth charts are a reflection of the quality of the time and place at which we were born – and one way to think about this is in terms of frequency and resonance. Nothing outside our particular frequency and resonance can or will be experienced by the individual. In his book The Challenge of Fate, Thorwald Dethlefsen writes that, “in order to perceive something, a human being needs a corresponding vibration in themselves and it is this resonance which makes perception possible”. Everything that lies outside our capacity to resonate cannot be perceived by us, and therefore does not exist for us. So we can say with some certainty, for example, that a person with Saturn in the fifth house, the house which rules gambling, is unlikely to win the lottery, since Saturn’s function is to reward hard work and effort, not speculation. This means that our experience of the external world and of other people is the most reliable source of information about ourselves, and this is one explanation of the phenomenon of synchronicity. Audience: Can you define synchronicity for us? Clare: This is a concept originally introduced by Jung, describing simultaneous occurrences which are meaningful to an individual, but causally unrelated. Synchronous events appear to reveal underlying patterns, or ‘acausal connecting principles’ which are always present but which we only occasionally experience consciously. For example, if we are thinking of buying a particular make of car, then we are likely to suddenly start seeing that make of car everywhere. If we become
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