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Jung
& Astrology
The Freud/Jung Letters
*Short
excerpts of correspondence between Freud and Jung are taken from The
Freud/Jung Letters (Abridged Edition) 1979
In May of 1911 Dr. Carl Jung wrote his (at that time) mentor Sigmund Freud
saying:
"Occultism is another field we shall have to conquer - with the aid of
the libido theory, it seems to me. At the moment I am looking into astrology,
which seems indispensable for a proper understanding of mythology. There
are strange and wondrous things in these lands of darkness."
Jung,
then, cautiously added:
"Please don't worry about my wanderings in these infinitudes. I shall
return laden with rich booty for our knowledge of the human psyche....
For a while longer I must intoxicate myself on magic perfumes in order
to fathom the secrets that lie hidden in the abysses of the unconscious..."
Prophetic
Warning
Freud responded: "I am aware that
you are driven by innermost inclination to the study of the occult and
I am sure you will return home richly laden. I cannot argue with that,
it is always right to go where your impulses lead." Freud,
then, added this prophetic caution:
"You will be accused of mysticism, but the reputation you won with the
Dementia will hold up for quite some time against that. Just don't
stay in the tropical colonies too long, you must reign at home."
A
Clue to the Core
In a subsequent follow-up letter, Jung wrote Freud that his (Jung's) evenings
were currently being taken up largely with astrology and the calculating
of horoscopes: "in order to find
a clue to the core of human psychology." According
to his (Jung's) letter, one thing catching his fascination had been
in the calculation of a woman's chart who was suffering from an "extraordinary
mother complex."
It seemed there was a certain configuration in the chart which accurately
described the woman's mother "to a T."
Jung went on to state:
"I dare say that we shall one day discover in astrology a good deal of
knowledge that has been intuitively projected into the heavens. For instance,
it appears that the signs of the zodiac are character pictures, in other
words libido symbols which depict the typical qualities of the libido
at a given moment."
To
this Freud replied (June of 1911) that he had recently grown humbled and
was:
"willing to believe anything that can be made to sound reasonable." But
Freud then added that he was concerned for Jung in the "dangerous step
of publication."
Freud's
Caution
A short time later, in a separate letter written to one of Jung's colleagues, Freud
expressed his grave concerns about Jung and stated the field of occultism
was a dangerous expedition that he could not accompany them on.
After Freud's
and Jung's later famous breakup in 1913, Freud made it unambiguously clear
(in no uncertain terms) that he was highly critical of Jung’s excursions
into these paranormal matters of disrepute. Freud was irremediably disappointed
in Jung and dismayed that his young protégé had chosen to move off in
this troubling direction.
Freud
was proven right in his fears that Jung would be accused of being a mystic...
due much in part to Jung's investigation of astrology, his critics have
long charged him with the "crime" of mixing mysticism with science.
But
Jung Forged Ahead
Throughout the years of his long-standing professional career, Jung repeatedly
showed great personal courage in his investigation of matters that no
one else in the "respectable" medical/psychiatric academia circles of
his day would touch.
Astrology
was one of those darkened avenues considered to be "tabooed" and off limits.
But Jung considered himself, first and foremost, a doctor and healer of
the psyche. So
when Jung believed it necessary to travel down and explore a certain tabooed
avenue in order to gain a better understanding of the psyche, then Jung
"went for it."
Jung's calculating of horoscopes continued on during the rest of his long
and productive life.
(Born: 1875, Died: 1961) It's
further known that, when challenged by an especially perplexing case,
Jung would arrange to have the patient's birth chart cast in order to
gain more insight into the individual.
In a letter
written to written to Hindu astrologer, B.V. Raman, September 6th 1947
- Dr. Jung wrote:
"Since
you want to know my opinion about astrology I can tell you that I've
been interested in this particular activity of the human mind since
more than 30 years. As I am a psychologist, I am chiefly interested
in the particular light the horoscope sheds on certain complications
in the character. In cases of difficult psychological diagnosis I usually
get a horoscope in order to have a further point of view from an entirely
different angle. I must say that I very often found that the astrological
data elucidated certain points which I otherwise would have been unable
to understand. From such experiences I formed the opinion that astrology
is of particular interest to the psychologist, since it contains a sort
of psychological experience which we call 'projected' - this means that
we find the psychological facts as it were in the constellations."
Alchemy
It might appear to the casual observer that somewhere along the line,
Jung's focus and line of investigation gradually changed over from astrology
to it's lesser known, and more obscure younger sister, "alchemy."
In
the end, three large volumes of Jung's Collected Works were devoted to
alchemy and alchemical symbols in relation to the development of the human
psyche and individuation.
I
call alchemy "astrology's younger sister," because:
- The
alchemists of the Renaissance period were invariably as well trained
in the discipline of astrology as they were in alchemy.
- And
the writing of these alchemists were literally jam packed with constant
referrals to astrological images and symbolism.
Jung
often gave his public stance and wrote prolifically regarding his rationales
for choosing to engage in his investigation of alchemy and alchemical
symbolism. (See the Unus Mundus Menu section on Alchemy)
Bad
Kid on the Block
In the popular imagination of Jung's day, astrology had already been relegated
to (and fallen into) the shadow status of being little more than a superstitious
occult parlor game played by unscrupulous charlatans in back alleyways.
So astrology, alchemy's older sister, inevitably
carried with her a ton load of excess and sullied baggage. Whereas,
the ancient art of alchemy had been almost totally forgotten by the modern
world and was (comparatively speaking) carrying very little matching luggage.
Alchemy
(the younger sister) was still pretty much 20th Century pristine and pure.
Therefore, one can only speculate as to whether all this weighed heavily
on Jung's mind and factored into his decision to actively pursue and write
about the alchemy rather than astrology...
Did
Jung abandon astrology in his later years?
Careful study and reading of Jung's "Collected Works" (as well as a clearer
understanding of alchemy and alchemical symbolism) shouts out a resounding,
deafening NO...
*Short
excerpts of correspondence between Freud and Jung were taken from "The
Freud/Jung Letters (Abridged Edition)" 1979
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com)
For
much more on Jung & Astrology see the section: Archetypal
Astrology and the Map of the Soul
Recommended
Books: (These books written by Jung are not recommended for the faint
of heart! Jung's writing can indeed be richly rewarding, but they are
difficult to wade through.)
"Synchronicity"
Chapter Two - An Astrological Experiment written by C.G. Jung
(originally published in 1952 as part of the larger Collected Works
book "The Interpretation of Nature and Psyche.")
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com)
"Aion"
by C.G. Jung (originally published in 1959)
(Buy
it now at Amazon.com)
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