Archetypal Evolutionary Astrology

ASTRO-MANDALA: BEHIND THE NAME

astro — from Ancient Greek ástron : star, planet, or constellation

mandãla — from Sanskrit : circle or sacred circle / enclosing the essence

A mandãla organizes the space-time continuum within a single disc, offering an all-embracing cosmovision.

A NEW ASTROLOGICAL PARADIGM

Time is alive and sacred. “Astrology is the awareness of the archetypal presence that exists within different periods of time.” 2

Since the beginning, Man has learned to recognize and honor these great cosmic, archetypal, psycho-spiritual energies. He has learned to view Time as both cyclic and linear — a great unfolding spiral.

Today as in ancient times, astrology is still the multidisciplinary marvel that brings numerology, directionology, astronomy, cosmology, mythology, philosophy, and psychology together. This science and artform offers "a deeper view into the workings of nature and the mysteries of existence — a view that is inclusive, cosmic in scope, humbling, inspiring, and a challenge to some of our deepest assumptions about what is really going on in our lives". 12  "The premise upon which psychological astrology is based is that a person’s reality springs outward from his or her inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, expectations, and beliefs". 15

"Contemporary Western man has evolved to the point where he is no longer satisfied by living unconsciously according to outmoded myths, rigid dogma, or archaic traditions. But he has gone too far in trying to free himself from limitations and traditions. He has lost touch with the archetypal foundations of his being and with the source of support and psycho-spiritual nourrishment they provide. Today astrology can be used as a way of "reuniting man with his innermost self and with the evolutionary process of the universe".  13  It is a bit like “astronomy turned inside out. Instead of the mind trying to comprehend the universe, we see the universe as a key to comprehending the mind”. 14

In the last few decades, the astrological field has experienced unprecedented growth — not only answering but preceding the needs of fast-changing personal and societal paradigms. Archetypal, psychological astrology has become “a road map for living and a power tool for expanding awareness” 3, "a structural framework within which man can shape his unceasing search for more inclusive and vital meanings." 4 

"Transpersonal ('beyond the personal') psycholology holds a perspective broader than the separate self (personality, ego, body) as the center of existence, opening us to the vast territory of the unconscious — which is creative, complex, and unbounded in comparaison with the orderliness of the everyday world". 18  When working with a transpersonal model we are asked to maintain and value our uniqueness while positioning ourselves within the larger web of life.

Archetypal psychology regards mythological archetypes as building blocks of the psyche. "The act of freeing oneself from the bondage of unconsciousness is an extraordinary feat of human rebellion. It is, in essence, stealing fire from the Gods. That theft is archetypally ordained, and its archetype is Prometheus. Astrology is Prometheus’s fire". 17

Bringing down to earth safely and in a controlled manner such brilliant but blinding knowledge, putting it to personal practical use, is in turn greatly facilitated by the healing energies of another archetype central to the field of astrological counseling: Chiron the centaur.

Today, astrology follows a transpersonal and holistic model that honors body, mind, and spirit — serving the growth of our individual and collective being. It has become "the most comprehensive means of understanding human personality, behavior, change, and growth". 10 "No other system of symbols can approach it for delicacy of nuance or laser-like penetration". 11

Archetypal, psychological, evolutionary astrologers practice a choice-centered, empowering form of astrology. They do not resort to fatalism and determinism, refraining from fixed delineations and predictions. Instead they facilitate the opening and maintaining of permanent lines of communication with the gods that live within. This in turn promotes self-respect and personal autonomy — free will defined as "the ability to do gladly that which I must do". 16

WESTERN ASTROLOGY

Traditional astrology has had the reputation for looking at your horoscope the way one looks at a static image—thereby establishing fixed personality traits, unalterable strengths and weaknesses, fated fortunes and misfortunes…in effect, sealing your fate. Modern psychological evolutionary astrology sees your horoscope as a living and evolving picture — the way we look at “the image on the front of a seed packet: you can see from the picture what the seed is meant to grow into and become.” 5

This living horoscope moves over time. The method of Progressions “reveal the ‘genetic code’ of growth inherent in the internal developmental logic of an individual birthchart, independent of its larger environment”. 6

This living horoscope is powerfully triggered by planetary transits. “Transits mediate the unfolding of issues inherent in the birthchart, timing and triggering their active emergence into the world of events.” 7

In this living horoscope, specific factors are brought into focus by relocating the birthchart, or the application of new astro-mapping techniques — all which study the impact of geographical relocation or travel upon the birthchart and therefore upon the Self. 

And of course this living horoscope interacts with other living horoscopes — in revealing Synastries and Composite charts that map and time our human relationships.

This horoscope is your living, breathing, evolving self.

MESOAMERICAN ASTROLOGY

The foundation of Mesoamerican astrology has always been the Tzolkin ('Count of Days') — a calendrical cycle that gives the measure of sacred time. The oldest continuous calendrical tradition in the world, it has run unbroken for at least 2500yrs.

A model of cyclic time, the Tzolkin is constituted of 2 interlocking sequences of 20 signs and 13 numbers. Fundamentally this cycle applies to the revolving of days on Earth, thus manifesting as a 260-day cycle — a close approximation of the human gestation period. Each of the 20 signs embodies a specific yet poetic archetypal set of energies. They have been rising, day after day, since the beginning of Time…

The Tzolkin also informs us on the fractal nature of Time — “serving as an integrative model for all sorts of time periods, large and small.” 8  

“Mesoamerican astrology looks at the various time-cycles that unfold in an individual’s lifetime from the moment of birth.” 9 Many of our most important biorhythms are thus mapped — their timing, duration, position in the sequence, and crucially, their archetypal quality. 

Combining mathematical precision with archetypal power and beauty, the Tzolkin is a formidable tool that can be used for guidance and self-awareness.