ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING
Jung saw mandalas as being instrumental in a
​
‘… movement towards psychological growth, expressing the idea of a safe refuge, inner reconciliation and wholeness.’
​
Thus, the act of communing with a traditional mandala – perhaps designed as a pattern made in sand or as a painting on a wall - and exploring an astrological chart with an astrological counsellor, is very much the same, in that the process is about entering a space which is both safe and transformative.
​
… a third force is brought into existence which unites the client, the Horoscope and the astrotherapist. So the Horoscope becomes the ‘Thou’ to the client’s ‘I’. … it becomes the living myth that contains the individual’s being, the meaning of his life
GREG SZANTO, ASTROTHERAPIST
Sometimes encouragement, a safe, confidential space, time out from the incessant mundane demands of life and the presence of a sympathetic, skilled catalyst is needed to create benign conditions for exploring the complex pathways of the inner self.
In an age when mechanisation and replacement of human intelligence by artificial intelligence is on the increase, when even the individual’s unique forum internum is under threat from artificial intelligence (AI), what can be more important than fostering an in depth awareness of who we are, the subtle ways in which our psyche functions, and building up our own internal resources!
​
The more the unique pattern created by the planets within the circumference of the circle is studied, engaged with and experienced, the more the different aspects of the self can be integrated. When working with his patients, Jung used mandalas to ‘catalyse the process of ‘’individuation’’ – to make conscious different aspects of the psyche.’
​
In a series of astro-counselling sessions, the complexities of the self can be explored, using the astrological chart as a point of reference over a period of time, rather than as a complex esoteric symbol that needs to be deciphered and assimilated in one session.
​
​
​
‘The horoscope functions as a diagnostic tool of unparalleled richness because it is rooted in a mythological language that naturally lends itself to the story metaphor. In effect, the astrological chart symbolizes the personal narrative or life script.’
​
Dr Glenn Perry, Founder of the US Academy of AstroPsychology
Astrological techniques combined with integrative psychotherapy provide the opportunity to explore all parts of the psyche, including those we have banned from conscious awareness.
​
Psychotherapeutic counselling is - in itself - holistic, in that it acknowledges human-being as complex, contradictory entities, containing many different voices or sub-personalities jostling to be heard. Those sub-personalities can be envisaged as planetary placements within the horoscope, which either work together – astrologically by trine or sextile, or may be in conflict with each other, as when two planets are, astrologically speaking, in opposition. Thus, client work involves the exploration of planets in dialogue, as representative of sub-personalities, or client voices in dialogue with each other. By tuning into each voice/planet and identifying with each voice/planet in turn, we move further towards self-understanding, change and eventual integration, which occur, as Gestalt therapist, Arnold Beisser, puts it:
​
‘when one becomes what he is, not when he tries to become what he is not.’
​
Sometimes it’s only through the experience of pain, of being wounded, that we gain a sense of our deeper selves, of our souls, that part of us which cannot be anatomised and is rarely seen by others, but which contains the seeds of our own personal development and growth, a deepening in our understanding that ultimately enables us to relate more authentically to others. That sense of wounding may be particularly acute around the age of 50, when we experience our Chiron return. In other words, the planet, Chiron, representing the wounded healer archetype, returns to its original position in our natal charts, making us particularly sensitive and susceptible to having our early life wounds retriggered. At such a time, counselling may be a particularly empowering process.
​
​
Suffering is present in everyone’s life, but relating with wisdom and compassion to our own experience turns “poison into medicine.” Thus we develop the awareness which both accompanies and also initiates new stages of our spiritual journey
MELANIE REINHART, ASTROLOGER
As voices engage in dialogue with other voices, possibly through role-play, within the safety of the therapeutic environment, we move from being at the mercy of a discordant orchestra to being the conductor of the symphony! We learn to recognise and detect those parts of ourselves which are sabotaging our potential to develop and, by collaborating with them, we work towards becoming a more integrated being, understanding and respecting all the aspects between the planets which manifest in our charts. The retelling of our own narratives within the crucible of a therapeutic relationship leads to the reclaiming of our stories, and the maze of contradictory paths within the self - which once led us to feel astray or lost - are now reframed and transformed into a coherent Mandala.
​
‘Because the birth chart is based on external referents (planets) that are observable and predictable, it provides an objective reference point to balance the subjectivity of the therapeutic process. Thus the horoscope enhances interpretive work and accelerates the entire process of therapy.’
​
Dr Glenn Perry, Founder of the US Academy of AstroPsychology
Need more details? Contact me
​
To book a consultation or find out more information, please get in touch.
Email me on jane@mandala-astro-counselling.com or
call/text me on: 07789 245 230
Taster Session: £25.00 for half an hour