Guest guest Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 nb - errata! 1.60 yrs study 2.Grand Rounds in psychiatry 3.prophecies misspelled 4. TarnAs 5.link in txt to HEAVENS DECLARE takes one to Joy Mills's bks otherwise, says what I meant to say! Virgo Prunefiddle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Save 30% on The Heavens Declare As a subscriber to Quest's e-newsletter, you are eligible to receive regular discounts on our titles several times a year. This time around you can save BIG on one of our most recent releases, The Heavens Declare: Astrological Ages and the Evolution of Consciousness. Alice O. Howell's view of astrology as symbolic of archetypal processes provides a tool for the deep healing of the psyche. Order now and receive a 30% discount! Just remember to enter this discount code [HDPC30] when checking out. This offer will expire in 30 days. An interview with Alice O. Howell, author of The Heavens Declare For Alice O. Howell, an astrologer analyzes the position of the stars and planets within an astrological chart for the purpose of understanding an individual's psyche, the personal challenges he or she may face, and the possible solutions to overcoming those obstacles. In The Heavens Declare: Astrological Ages and the Evolution of Consciousness, Howell demonstrates how readers can use astrology in this way. She then applies this approach to humanity as a whole, tracking the psychological development of humankind throughout the Ages (covering over 10,000 years of history!), so that we might see the present tasks and potential traps of the current Age. Alice O. Howell has been studying Jungian psychology and astrology for over 50 years. She is widely recognized as a pioneer in linking these two disciplines together. In this interview she discusses her early beginnings, the prejudice against astrology, and how astrology can eventually lead us all into a greater consciousness. Quest: Jungian psychology and astrology form an enlightening combination as you prove in your book and quite a natural one. How did you happen to integrate these two disciplines into your work? Alice O. Howell: My first encounter with astrology was back in 1944. At that time, as far as I knew, three astrologers were in a way already working toward integrating astrology and psychology. One was Alan Leo, though he made no reference to Jung, and the others were Dane Rudhyar and Marc Edmund . It was the dawning of the connecting of psychology and astrology, but in the beginning this was not emphatically connected to Jung. When I was 21 I studied with the astrologer Marc Edmund in New York City. When I started out I really did not realize that Jung had already examined astrology profoundly. In 1944, his collected works were not available. In fact, Dane Rudhyar's and Marc Edmund 's major works were not yet published either. So this was all still developing. Well then, about the late 1950s I discovered Jung's collected works. Astrology as a symbolic language of archetypal processes When I began to study Jung I was living on Long Island as a mother and housewife of four small children. I marveled at how Jung's archetypal contents of the psyche matched the archetypal processes ruled by astrology. This fascinated me. Today I define astrology as a symbolic language of archetypal processes. And I define the individual chart as the unique way an individual is likely to process experience. So I went on studying for about 19 years on my own. But I sat on all of this until I met a Jungian analyst in the flesh. His name was Brewster Beach. He said to me, "My goodness, why aren't you teaching this?" And so he encouraged me to teach at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and Los Angeles, and eventually I started traveling around the country, lecturing at universities and giving workshops. Then I began traveling around the world and was invited to lecture at Grant Round's Psychiatry in London and other hospitals. So it was all a gradual unfolding. Integrating the signs versus reading our horoscope Q: In your work you discuss how we can use astrology to aid psychological and spiritual growth. You state that your intention is to present the 12 signs in way that helps the reader integrate them into his/her total being. What does it mean to integrate the signs into our being? I can safely assume it involves much more than reading a daily horoscope. AOH: To integrate the 12 signs you have to grasp what each sign is representing. The astrologer has to study so little compared to any other discipline. All that is necessary is the knowledge of how to connect everything symbolically. The catch is that no two charts are ever going to be alike. So you have to really integrate the essentials within yourself to be able to apply different variables in different combinations. Now remember, the chart is a description of the way a person is likely to process experience. And each of us starts out with a chart and begins to express it in childhood. Complexes show up in the chart and there are lessons we definitely have to learn. So some things we process negatively to start with but eventually we can turn them into positives. And this results in spiritual growth. To study astrology is to open up the world to wisdom and understanding, and I guarantee that anyone who studies astrology will never be bored. Much of modern astrology is ego-centered Q: You make a comment in the book about how much of today's astrology falls short of providing people with this kind of a deeper, more meaningful approach. What are some of the pitfalls of today's astrology? AOH: There are many pitfalls. One of the main pitfalls is the idea that astrology is fortunetelling and that the planets influence us and that we are fated to this, that, and the other. Unfortunately, quite a few astrologers use astrology to predict the stock market, horse races, or to see if you can get advantage over another person and manipulate them. Now when you think about it, that's a form of black magic. It's a form of control. And my quarrel with much of modern astrology is that it is ego-centered. There is a pervasive idea that somehow humanity can chop up the universe and claim to understand it, when this just isn't so. Furthermore, this is really cheapening something that is so magnificent. If you think about it, what the sun is to the solar system, our divine indwelling guest is to our psyche. Jung calls this the "indwelling spark." All of the mystical branches of all of the religions say the same thing: each one of us has life and life is a gift of the Spirit. I feel that the task of all humanity is to make this world conscious and to share this consciousness and return it to the mystery that we call God. We are created and we co-create, each one of us, a mini-universe of consciousness that is our gift to the collective. Astrology is built into our solar system. It's built into our psyches. And I personally think that the whole purpose of astrology is to lead us into greater consciousness and wonder and awareness of the universe that we live in. Therefore, astrology is spiritual. And, you know, it's optional. Either you can study the matter or you don't have to. But whether you believe in astrology or not, you are subject to your chart. You have the option of finding it and using it as a guide to understanding and greater consciousness and eventually love and wisdom. How are you going to get religion and science back together again without astrology? Q: I want to quote something you said in the book that echoes what you are saying here. "I have found it helpful that the chart, properly used, can give the patient permission--and later a sacred mandate--to be who he or she really is. We need to share with a great sense of urgency that we are giving God another way of being in the world, in the totally unique opportunity of being ourselves." How can this idea change the way people view astrology? AOH: I don't know how long it is going to take for people to get over the prejudice against astrology. The prejudice began at the Age of Enlightenment when astrology was rejected by the Church on the grounds it gave too much power to individual thinkers. Science rejected astrology because it didn't fit in with the mechanical view of the universe. I feel very strongly that when this terrible separation happened, religion lost its proof and science certainly lost its sense of the sacred. I don't know how you are going get science and religion together again without astrology. Even today I have difficulty using the word astrology because of the connotations. There is a movement afoot to call it "cosmic science," which cleans up the image of it. Astrology is something that is built into the system. We didn't invent it; we only discovered it, and astrology continues to evolve. Humanity's task in the coming Age of Aquarius Q: In The Heavens Declare you trace the evolution of consciousness through the five great astronomical Ages of the past ten thousand years. In essence, you illustrate how humanity's psychological development corresponds to each particular astronomical Age. What does humanity need to work on to further the development of our consciousness in the coming Age of Aquarius? AOH: Each Age has a dichotomy. The dichotomy of the Age of Pisces obviously has been faith and reason. Faith is based on belief in things unseen, and reason is based on science. These two need to be reconciled. So the coming dichotomy of the Age of Aquarius is a very interesting one. All of the signs are already upon us because each Age has an interface of 200-300 years where the point of the vernal equinox is traveling through empty space between constellations. So there is a clash that comes towards the end of any Age. The dichotomy of the coming Age is between the individual and the collective and eventually by extension the solar system. The great realization, I suspect, is that it finally dawns on us that the light that shines in me is the same light that shines in you. Therefore, we really are both united and diverse at the same time. We've got 2000 years to work on this. The beginning of any new Age is always traumatic, and you can see this today with the terrible struggle of religion. We seem to be obsessed by religion. Over the past 15 years with Pluto transiting Sagittarius, there has been an extreme focus on religious differences. One of the most pernicious problems is literalism. The great enemy that we have in the world today is literalism, which is a form of idolatry. And fundamentalists are not just Christian; we have Jewish fundamentalists and Muslim fundamentalists. In this country we are currently in the grips of a myth that is based on Revelations and other prophesies that the world is coming to an end and Jesus is going to appear in the heavens. Then there will be a Rapture of the people who believe in Christianity and the rest of us infidels are doomed to some kind of end of the world. This is a powerful myth that is impacting our government in the same way another big myth impacted Germany and brought on World War II. The great danger is that we may be caught up in a self-fulfilling prophecy, and we may go on hurting our environment by not doing anything about global warming and following our ridiculous materialistic ways. Only by becoming conscious of the power of this myth can we forestall a great deal of suffering. Remember, it is not the end of the world; it is the end of the Age of Pisces. I wrote this new edition of the book because we need to welcome in the new Age. There's no way you are going to stop it. It's an astronomical fact, and it's best to enter bravely and realize that the only solution, truly, is the one that has been offered by a new evolution of spirituality. Each avatar from Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad tells us that there is only "one way." Anyone who watches the news today can see that people are killing each other and destroying each other's houses of worship because they don't understand that these great teachers were all describing the same only way. This is what we have to discover in the coming Age. There is a new commandment: Love thy neighbor because he is thyself. Further Reading One of the things that I suggest in my book is the great need for a scholar like Toynbee, who has a real grasp of the details of history to spell all of this out clearly. Unfortunately, my book came out before I could mention that such a scholar has indeed come forth. His name is Tarnus and he has written a book called Cosmos and Psyche, which I hope will be brought to the attention of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 IonaDove@... wrote: Dear Alice, You don't look as i pictured you! People never do, do they :-). Best, Dan nb - errata! 1.60 yrs study 2.Grand Rounds in psychiatry 3.prophecies misspelled 4. TarnAs 5.link in txt to HEAVENS DECLARE takes one to Joy Mills's bks otherwise, says what I meant to say! Virgo Prunefiddle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Save 30% on The Heavens Declare As a subscriber to Quest's e-newsletter, you are eligible to receive regular discounts on our titles several times a year. This time around you can save BIG on one of our most recent releases, The Heavens Declare: Astrological Ages and the Evolution of Consciousness. Alice O. Howell's view of astrology as symbolic of archetypal processes provides a tool for the deep healing of the psyche. Order now and receive a 30% discount! Just remember to enter this discount code [HDPC30] when checking out. This offer will expire in 30 days. An interview with Alice O. Howell, author of The Heavens Declare For Alice O. Howell, an astrologer analyzes the position of the stars and planets within an astrological chart for the purpose of understanding an individual's psyche, the personal challenges he or she may face, and the possible solutions to overcoming those obstacles. In The Heavens Declare: Astrological Ages and the Evolution of Consciousness, Howell demonstrates how readers can use astrology in this way. She then applies this approach to humanity as a whole, tracking the psychological development of humankind throughout the Ages (covering over 10,000 years of history!), so that we might see the present tasks and potential traps of the current Age. Alice O. Howell has been studying Jungian psychology and astrology for over 50 years. She is widely recognized as a pioneer in linking these two disciplines together. In this interview she discusses her early beginnings, the prejudice against astrology, and how astrology can eventually lead us all into a greater consciousness. Quest: Jungian psychology and astrology form an enlightening combination as you prove in your book and quite a natural one. How did you happen to integrate these two disciplines into your work? Alice O. Howell: My first encounter with astrology was back in 1944. At that time, as far as I knew, three astrologers were in a way already working toward integrating astrology and psychology. One was Alan Leo, though he made no reference to Jung, and the others were Dane Rudhyar and Marc Edmund . It was the dawning of the connecting of psychology and astrology, but in the beginning this was not emphatically connected to Jung. When I was 21 I studied with the astrologer Marc Edmund in New York City. When I started out I really did not realize that Jung had already examined astrology profoundly. In 1944, his collected works were not available. In fact, Dane Rudhyar's and Marc Edmund 's major works were not yet published either. So this was all still developing. Well then, about the late 1950s I discovered Jung's collected works. Astrology as a symbolic language of archetypal processes When I began to study Jung I was living on Long Island as a mother and housewife of four small children. I marveled at how Jung's archetypal contents of the psyche matched the archetypal processes ruled by astrology. This fascinated me. Today I define astrology as a symbolic language of archetypal processes. And I define the individual chart as the unique way an individual is likely to process experience. So I went on studying for about 19 years on my own. But I sat on all of this until I met a Jungian analyst in the flesh. His name was Brewster Beach. He said to me, "My goodness, why aren't you teaching this?" And so he encouraged me to teach at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and Los Angeles, and eventually I started traveling around the country, lecturing at universities and giving workshops. Then I began traveling around the world and was invited to lecture at Grant Round's Psychiatry in London and other hospitals. So it was all a gradual unfolding. Integrating the signs versus reading our horoscope Q: In your work you discuss how we can use astrology to aid psychological and spiritual growth. You state that your intention is to present the 12 signs in way that helps the reader integrate them into his/her total being. What does it mean to integrate the signs into our being? I can safely assume it involves much more than reading a daily horoscope. AOH: To integrate the 12 signs you have to grasp what each sign is representing. The astrologer has to study so little compared to any other discipline. All that is necessary is the knowledge of how to connect everything symbolically. The catch is that no two charts are ever going to be alike. So you have to really integrate the essentials within yourself to be able to apply different variables in different combinations. Now remember, the chart is a description of the way a person is likely to process experience. And each of us starts out with a chart and begins to express it in childhood. Complexes show up in the chart and there are lessons we definitely have to learn. So some things we process negatively to start with but eventually we can turn them into positives. And this results in spiritual growth. To study astrology is to open up the world to wisdom and understanding, and I guarantee that anyone who studies astrology will never be bored. Much of modern astrology is ego-centered Q: You make a comment in the book about how much of today's astrology falls short of providing people with this kind of a deeper, more meaningful approach. What are some of the pitfalls of today's astrology? AOH: There are many pitfalls. One of the main pitfalls is the idea that astrology is fortunetelling and that the planets influence us and that we are fated to this, that, and the other. Unfortunately, quite a few astrologers use astrology to predict the stock market, horse races, or to see if you can get advantage over another person and manipulate them. Now when you think about it, that's a form of black magic. It's a form of control. And my quarrel with much of modern astrology is that it is ego-centered. There is a pervasive idea that somehow humanity can chop up the universe and claim to understand it, when this just isn't so. Furthermore, this is really cheapening something that is so magnificent. If you think about it, what the sun is to the solar system, our divine indwelling guest is to our psyche. Jung calls this the "indwelling spark." All of the mystical branches of all of the religions say the same thing: each one of us has life and life is a gift of the Spirit. I feel that the task of all humanity is to make this world conscious and to share this consciousness and return it to the mystery that we call God. We are created and we co-create, each one of us, a mini-universe of consciousness that is our gift to the collective. Astrology is built into our solar system. It's built into our psyches. And I personally think that the whole purpose of astrology is to lead us into greater consciousness and wonder and awareness of the universe that we live in. Therefore, astrology is spiritual. And, you know, it's optional. Either you can study the matter or you don't have to. But whether you believe in astrology or not, you are subject to your chart. You have the option of finding it and using it as a guide to understanding and greater consciousness and eventually love and wisdom. How are you going to get religion and science back together again without astrology? Q: I want to quote something you said in the book that echoes what you are saying here. "I have found it helpful that the chart, properly used, can give the patient permission--and later a sacred mandate--to be who he or she really is. We need to share with a great sense of urgency that we are giving God another way of being in the world, in the totally unique opportunity of being ourselves." How can this idea change the way people view astrology? AOH: I don't know how long it is going to take for people to get over the prejudice against astrology. The prejudice began at the Age of Enlightenment when astrology was rejected by the Church on the grounds it gave too much power to individual thinkers. Science rejected astrology because it didn't fit in with the mechanical view of the universe. I feel very strongly that when this terrible separation happened, religion lost its proof and science certainly lost its sense of the sacred. I don't know how you are going get science and religion together again without astrology. Even today I have difficulty using the word astrology because of the connotations. There is a movement afoot to call it "cosmic science," which cleans up the image of it. Astrology is something that is built into the system. We didn't invent it; we only discovered it, and astrology continues to evolve. Humanity's task in the coming Age of Aquarius Q: In The Heavens Declare you trace the evolution of consciousness through the five great astronomical Ages of the past ten thousand years. In essence, you illustrate how humanity's psychological development corresponds to each particular astronomical Age. What does humanity need to work on to further the development of our consciousness in the coming Age of Aquarius? AOH: Each Age has a dichotomy. The dichotomy of the Age of Pisces obviously has been faith and reason. Faith is based on belief in things unseen, and reason is based on science. These two need to be reconciled. So the coming dichotomy of the Age of Aquarius is a very interesting one. All of the signs are already upon us because each Age has an interface of 200-300 years where the point of the vernal equinox is traveling through empty space between constellations. So there is a clash that comes towards the end of any Age. The dichotomy of the coming Age is between the individual and the collective and eventually by extension the solar system. The great realization, I suspect, is that it finally dawns on us that the light that shines in me is the same light that shines in you. Therefore, we really are both united and diverse at the same time. We've got 2000 years to work on this. The beginning of any new Age is always traumatic, and you can see this today with the terrible struggle of religion. We seem to be obsessed by religion. Over the past 15 years with Pluto transiting Sagittarius, there has been an extreme focus on religious differences. One of the most pernicious problems is literalism. The great enemy that we have in the world today is literalism, which is a form of idolatry. And fundamentalists are not just Christian; we have Jewish fundamentalists and Muslim fundamentalists. In this country we are currently in the grips of a myth that is based on Revelations and other prophesies that the world is coming to an end and Jesus is going to appear in the heavens. Then there will be a Rapture of the people who believe in Christianity and the rest of us infidels are doomed to some kind of end of the world. This is a powerful myth that is impacting our government in the same way another big myth impacted Germany and brought on World War II. The great danger is that we may be caught up in a self-fulfilling prophecy, and we may go on hurting our environment by not doing anything about global warming and following our ridiculous materialistic ways. Only by becoming conscious of the power of this myth can we forestall a great deal of suffering. Remember, it is not the end of the world; it is the end of the Age of Pisces. I wrote this new edition of the book because we need to welcome in the new Age. There's no way you are going to stop it. It's an astronomical fact, and it's best to enter bravely and realize that the only solution, truly, is the one that has been offered by a new evolution of spirituality. Each avatar from Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad tells us that there is only "one way." Anyone who watches the news today can see that people are killing each other and destroying each other's houses of worship because they don't understand that these great teachers were all describing the same only way. This is what we have to discover in the coming Age. There is a new commandment: Love thy neighbor because he is thyself. Further Reading One of the things that I suggest in my book is the great need for a scholar like Toynbee, who has a real grasp of the details of history to spell all of this out clearly. Unfortunately, my book came out before I could mention that such a scholar has indeed come forth. His name is Tarnus and he has written a book called Cosmos and Psyche, which I hope will be brought to the attention of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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