The Geography of the Psyche

“Everyone has been made for some particular work,
and the desire for that work has been put in every heart
the way you offer your love is the way
God will be with you.
Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.”
- Rumi

In depth psychology, everything in therapy has to do with exploring and honoring the psyche. Both Rumi and Jung believed in the art of being and becoming, which means enfoldment of the spirit towards it original condition in searching for one’s original self, and how to reach this original self, and the means of getting to one’s original self.

As a child, I remember looking up and the sky that was filled with stars, like sparkling jewels dancing across the night and ask, “How many are there? How far away are they? Can we visit them?”
 I was told that we all have one star that will shine only for us. Now, I think like all those stars up in the sky, lighting up the night, each one of us has that star within us.
I admit that I used to think of astrology only in terms of newspaper sun sign columns merely to entertain myself. By their very nature, I thought the content of the astrology columns must be general and even vague. Over the years, as I got interested in analytical psychology, my opinion about astrology had changed completely. Now, my work is informed by my belief in the power of the unconscious and particularly by the writings of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and many other scholars. Now, I view the natal chart as a symbolic tool which can assist each of us in understanding our personal myth in the journey of individuation.  The astrological map of the psyche fascinated Carl Jung the Swiss Psychologist, at the time traditional schools of depth psychology were skeptical of its usefulness in illuminating the relationship between client and therapist. Nevertheless, when Jung was challenged by an especially perplexing case in therapy, he would often arrange to have the patient's birth chart cast in order to gain more insight into the individual.
Each of us is so complicated; it is like having many different people inside us. You know that sometimes you feel happy and want to be with other people, while at other times you may feel thoughtful and want to be left alone. With some people you meet, you may appear full of fun. With others, you may seem to be a very serious and withdrawn sort of person. You may be patient and give a great deal of attention to a pet animal but hurry and be careless with your schoolwork.
One thing for sure, I don’t look at the psychological astrology as fortune telling, soothsaying, hocuses pocus, or superstitious beliefs.  I see it as an enduring means to measure the progress of our personality evolution, as well as something that opens doors of higher perception about time, life, and interrelatedness. Most people think that astrology concerns only such things as “I was born at such and such a time, and that gives me the time to get married, to buy a house, and to get divorced.”  It is mostly regarded as a predictive tool. There is nothing in astrology that compels us to be defeated, or to be a victim of circumstances. Here, finding the right point of view can help us to a greater comprehension. Many times in life, we don’t “win” even if we do our best. In those cases, I have found that we are cultivating a quality of our character as revealed in the birth chart.
In depth psychology, astrology is a form of imagination emerging from nature; directly affecting our everyday life. This insightful knowledge can only be acquired through learning what is far beyond our rational mind, our logic and reasoning, and our intellect alone. Definitely, astrology is not a science or technique but a way of looking at life and looking within as no other system of symbols and images can.
According to Carl Jung, a psychological approach involves a careful cooperation in the task of creating consciousness. It involves self analysis, the courage to confront and integrate our own hidden darkness, to recognize our self righteousness, defensiveness and deepest fears, and the decision to take personal responsibility for ourselves, rather than being content to live as passive victims of what we suppose to be our pre-determined fate.
The task in analyzing the chart is to assess how the archetypal meaning - or eternal pattern - has become modified and personalized for each individual. This careful analysis lies at the heart of the art and craft of psychological astrology, with its goal of promoting self awareness and psychic integration.  Whether opting for a serious chart reading or just out of curiosity, seasoned astrologers utilize the analysis and thoughts, feelings and solutions in accordance with the events possible outcome available to them.

Nasrin Beyraghdar is practicing her internship in individual and couple counseling in Irvine. She uses astrological chart as well as taking MMPI personality test and comparing the two in order to find each person their talents and unique personality assets and potentials for creative work.