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"A well-argued contribution towards a new understanding of astrology"

Review by David Lorimer in the Network Review No. 116  Winter 2015

".... an archaic vision of oneness is indeed emerging in our time in which a newly formulated astrology has a significant role to play as part of a top-down understanding of life.  Overall, this is a well-argued contribution towards a new understanding of astrology."

Some readers will already be familiar with the work of Richard Tarnas on archetypal astrology (Cosmos and Psyche) and the follow-up by Keiron le Grice, which helps put astrology on a new and more plausible philosophical basis. A number of key concepts inform the book, especially synchronicity and the Hermetic correspondence between above and below or heaven and earth. This was certainly recognised by the ancients and incorporated into stone circles.

The first part explores Phoebe’s own journey towards a more comprehensive understanding of astrological principles. She discusses the history of cosmology, divine numbers and their significance – especially 12 – and the significance of archetypes, another concept developed by Jung, who was himself interested in astrology. It becomes clear that modern scientific ideas emphasising interconnectedness are a much better fit for astrology than classical physics. One should also add the importance of the qualitative dimension, given that modern science places an almost exclusive emphasis on the quantitative, and the importance of geometry.

The second part is an archetypal approach to chart interpretation including horoscope geometry, the elements and signs in the chart, and the themes emerging from a more detailed analysis. This is brought to life with an extensive treatment of the chart of William Blake in the final chapter. She explains his life and work and how a chart can be interpreted archetypally. Blake was a complex and even contradictory figure with a sophisticated understanding of symbols.

The conclusion brings the argument together with the hope that an archaic vision of oneness is indeed emerging in our time in which a newly formulated astrology has a significant role to play as part of a top-down understanding of life.  Overall, this is a well-argued contribution towards a new understanding of astrology.

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