Carl Jung Astrology interview
Edmond Wollmann
The following is an interview that Jung gave on 26 May, 1954, which was
given to Andre Barbault, Editor of Astrologie Moderne. It was translated
for the American Federation of Astrologers Bulletin and I have made only
two minor changes re-inserting words omitted in the original
translation.
I have noted these with an asterisk, the asterisk being placed to the
right of the word omitted from the original translation.
-- Garth [Allen?]
Q. Maitre, what relationship do you see between astrology and
psychology?
J. There have been many striking analogies between the astrological
constellation and the psychological event or the horoscope and the
characterological disposition. For example, there is even a possibility
of
predicting somewhat the psychic effect of a transit. One can expect with
considerable assurance that a given well-defined psychological situation
will be accompanied by an analogous astrological configuration.
Astrology
consists of configurations symbolic of the collective unconscious which
is
the subject matter of psychology; the 'planets' are the gods, symbols of
the powers of the unconscious (of the first order and beyond).
Q. In what way, physical, causal, or synchronous, do you think these
relations maybe established?
J. It seems to me that it is primarily a question of the parallelism of
sympathy which I call SYNCHRONICITY, as a causal connection expressing
the
relations that cannot be formulated on the basis of causality, such as
precognition, premonition, psychokinesis (PK), and what we call
telepathy.
In as much as causality is a statistical fact, there are exceptions of
an
acasual nature touching on the category of synchronistic (not
"synchronous") events. These deal with the 'qualified time'.
Q. What is your attitude toward the positions taken by astrologers who
admit the existence of a psychological field from birth on and of the
psycho-analysts who explain the etiology of neuroses from very early
experiences?
J. The first experiences in life owe their specific (pathogenic) effect
to
environmental influences on the one hand, and on the other to a psychic
predisposition that is, to heredity, which seems to be expressed in a
recognizablods, which is to say, the psychic archetypes.
Q,. In its principles, astrology introduces the concept of qualitative
time in the universe; do you recognize its role in the individual psyche
(problem of cycles and transit)?
J. I used this concept at one time, but I replaced it with the idea of
synchronicity, which is analogous to the sympathy of correspondentia, or
the pre-established harmony of Leibnitz. Time consists of nothing. It is
only a modus cogitandi that is used to express and formulate the
sequence
of things and events, just as space is nothing but a manner of
characterizing the existence of a body. When nothing occurs in time, and
when there is no body in space, there is neither time nor space. Time is
always and exclusively 'qualified' by* events as is space by the
extension
of bodies. But this is a tautology not worth repeating, whereas
synchronicity (not 'synchronism') expresses the parallelism and analogy
of
even non- causal events. In contrast the hypothesis of 'qualitative
time'
attempts to explain the parallelism of events in terms of causa and
effectus. But since qualitative time is nothing but a sequence of
things,
and moreover 'nothing' but space, this hypothesis establishes nothing
but
the tautology of the sequence of things and events and the cause of the
sequence of things, etc...
Synchronicity negates causality in the analogy of terrestrial events
with
the constellations (except for the deflection of solar protons and their
possible effect on terrestrial events) and particularly in the various
cases of extra-sensory perception (ESP), especially precognition since
it
is inconceivable that one could observe the effect of a non-existent
cause
or a cause not yet in existence.
The thing that astrology can establish is the analogy of agents, but
certainly not one series as the effect or cause of another. For example,
the same constellation indicating a catastrophe one time and another
time,
under the same conditions, a cold. Nevertheless, astrology does not
present a completely simple case. There is the deflection of solar
protons
caused by conjunctions, oppositions, and quartile aspects on the one
hand,
and the trine and sextile aspects on the other, and the effects of these
on radio and many other things. I am not competent to say what
importance
should be attributed to this possibility. In any case, astrology's place
among the intuitive methods is special and unique, and there is reason
to
be dubious of both a causal theory and the exclusive validity of the
synchronistic hypothesis.
Q. In the course of analytic treatment, have you observed phases of
resistance and denouement in connection with transits in the make-up of
the patient?
J. I have observed many cases where a well-defined psychological phase
or
an analogous events has been accompanied by a transit (particularly the
afflictions of Saturn and Uranus).
Q. What major criticism do you have of astrologers?
J. If I may express myself in an area that I know only very
superficially,
I should say that the astrologer does not always regard his indications
as
pure possibilities. The interpretation is sometimes too literal and too
personal, and too little symbolic. The zodiac and the planets are not
personal traits, but rather impersonal and objective facts. Moreover,
interpretation of the houses should consider several 'levels of
meaning'.
Q. What orientation of astrological thought do you consider desirable?
J. Obviously astrology offers much to psychology, but that which the
latter can contribute to its elder sister is less obvious. In as far as
I
can judge, it seems to me that it would be advantageous to astrology if
it
would recognize the existence of psychology, particularly that of the
personality and the unconscious. I am almost certain that something of
the
method of symbolic interpretation of archetypes (the gods) and their
mutual relations is* common to the two arts. The psychology of the
unconscious is particularly concerned with archetypal symbolism.
[End of interview.]
--
...My evenings are taken up very largely with
astrology. I make horoscopic calculations in order
to find a clue to the core of psychological truth.
C. G. Jung, in a letter to Sigmund Freud.
--
Edmond H. Wollmann P.M.A.F.A. add an n to wollman to e-mail me
© 1997 Altair Publications
Astrological Consulting