Do you sometimes feel like you’re all over the map and that your head is about to explode from all of the conflicting voices wanting to have control over your life?
Trust me, you’re not alone!
All of us at various times in our lives feel like we’ve lost our way, no longer sure of who we are, or what we need to be doing to feel more grounded and at peace.
The paths for self-discovery and developing inner peace are many. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and poo-pooed is astrology.
For those of us who take astrology seriously, we know there is much more depth to it than is reflected in the pop astrology served up as entertainment in the form of daily horoscopes.
A Short History of Astrology & Psychology
For eons, astrology was considered a broad field of study concerned with the search for meaning and predictive information in the sky. Through close observation of the stars and planets, students of astrology sought to understand human behavior and predict events based on the influence of these heavenly forces.
Up until the 17th century, astrology was considered an academic discipline across much of Eurasia. However, astrology soon fell out of favor and was banished, while psychology became embraced by academia. Psychology was elevated to a position of respect — rewarded for its theories and endless modalities, addressing everything from learning disabilities and autism, from mental illness to Alzheimer’s.
Understanding Ourselves Through Archetypes
Humans are generally wired to search for meaning.
Astrology still provides a sense of divine order, helping us recognize archetypes and patterns within ourselves, the cosmos, and those around us. When we see predictive patterns, we begin to relax and get into the rhythm and flow of life, versus fighting and resisting it.
According to Debra Silverman, astrologer, psychotherapist, and creator of Applied Astrology, psychology and astrology go hand in hand, and paired together are effective tools to understand, heal, and transform yourself.
Carl Jung called astrology the summation of all ancient knowledge of psychology. Intuitively, the 12 signs of the zodiac worked as a compendium of psychic realities.
They configure what Jung called “archetypes,” psychological patterns or models that inhabit the collective unconscious.
“Astrology, like the collective unconscious with which psychology is concerned, consists of symbolic configurations: The ‘planets’ are the gods, symbols of the powers of the unconscious.”
— Carl G. Jung
Your Birth Chart is a Valuable Blueprint
By understanding your birth chart and exploring the different aspects of your personality you can gain deep insight into yourself. Recognizing every aspect of yourself helps you to identify areas that you may need to do some work.
Your unique astrological makeup illuminates your soul’s journey and purpose in this chosen lifetime. This makes astrology a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal growth.
At the most fundamental level, astrology provides us with 12 archetypes. In the video below, Debra shares how knowing about the archetypes can improve your relationship with self and others.
The 3 Main Ingredients of Astrology
So what makes one Libra different from another Libra? This is where your birth chart comes in. Knowing exactly when and where you were born will provide you with your Sun, Moon and Rising. These are the three main ingredients of your astrological sign. Put together, these three aspects provide a basic blueprint of your personality.
- Your sun sign represents your ego and motivations
- Your moon governs your emotional nature
- Your ascendant or rising sign is your soul’s journey
Watch this short video of Debra describing in more detail the three parts that make up your personality, and how they shape and influence your life.
The 4 Elements
Each sign is also connected to one of the four elements, which adds another dimension to your cosmic DNA. Each element has a distinct energy. And, much like chakras, when any of these energy centers are out of balance, inner conflicts and problems arise.
Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) Generally dreamers and artists, water signs are deep-feeling empaths. When they connect with their spirituality, they pour it into creative outlets. Water signs can also be secretive, often suffering as they search for distraction from life’s pain.
Air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) Focused on intellectual and social pursuits, air signs are the connectors. Driven to gather and share information, they fare best when they have a specific endgame to pour their mental energy into — otherwise, they are prone to changing their mind and becoming confused about what they want.
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) Known to be grounded, stable, hard-working, service-oriented, and highly organized, Earth signs are also perfectionists. Although their eye for detail and planning can be very useful, their perfectionist tendencies make them too hard on themselves.
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) Demonstrative, outgoing, dynamic, and ambitious, fire signs can get animated quickly but run the risk of burning out fast. They thrive when they find a way to channel their passion in a sustainable, practical way. Fire signs can easily grow self-conscious when they speak before thinking.
You have traits of all four elements within you, in different combinations and proportions than anyone else on the planet — it’s why each of us is unique. Different combinations result in different strengths and weaknesses within each of us.
Over the past 40 years of professional experience and private practice, Debra has helped thousands of individuals, couples, and even celebrities improve their emotional health and deepen their wisdom based on their particular personalities and the four elements.
The dynamic psychological-spiritual model that Debra developed combines her expertise in esoteric (soul-centered) astrology and her extensive education in psychology.
Check out the video below to hear Debra share how to recognize the voices of the elements within you. She also shares why it is so important for you to get your four elements into balance and alignment.
So, how is astrology a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal growth? It shows us where we are out of balance. It identifies which part of us keeps us trapped in negative thoughts and behaviors — sabotaging our peace, joy, and success in life.
Once you become aware of your “inner saboteur,” you begin to take back control of your life, evolve into your highest self, and fall madly in love with your life!
To be clear — your inner saboteur is not your enemy, but simply the loud voice showing you where you need to pay attention, heal, and grow. Once you tend and befriend this part of yourself with compassion, it calms down and takes a nap in the back seat — letting you enjoy the ride and reach your highest potential, your rising sign!
In understanding and bringing into balance all of your own personalities, you naturally become more skilled in creating harmony with the diverse characters around you, starting with your family!
Which of the 4 voices/elements are the loudest in your head? Let us know in the comments below.
Join this FREE video event with Debra Silverman and discover how your personality connects to your astrological chart and how its unique combination of water, air, earth, and fire manifests.
Discover How the Psychology of Astrology Can Quiet Your Negative Inner Voice
