In the early twentieth century, Freud’s theories on sexual repression provided the foundation for the growing field of psychoanalysis. Carl Jung and Roberto Assagioli were two prominent followers of Freud, until they independently reached the conclusion that the individual psyche was connected to a transcendent consciousness. Most astrologers are familiar with Jung’s archetypes and collective unconscious, which he developed after leaving Freud. And Assagioli similarly developed a more holistic view, which he termed Psychosynthesis.
In The Soul Speaks, astrologer and psychotherapist Mark Jones describes how Jung and Assagioli added the spiritual dimension to psychology. These two thinkers had a profound influence on shaping modern psychology, and as it turns out, both were deeply interested in astrology. Jones had the opportunity to visit Assagioli’s archives in Florence, Italy, where he discovered boxes of hand-drawn horoscopes and astrological notes on the nature of the psyche. Assagioli was much influenced by Dane Rudhyar and Alice Bailey, and from all this he derived his theories for the Psychosynthesis movement, which is still growing today.
The author’s intention in The Soul Speaks is to shape the practicing astrologer’s therapeutic approach to the astrological consultation. The transformational potential in the astrologer/client session increases when the astrologer goes beyond the superficial New Age spirituality to understand the multidimensional nature of the psyche. And when he writes about the psyche, he is not referring to Freud’s sexual repression theories or the pathological view of mechanistic psychology. Jones’ is advocating the kind of astrology that has soul, a spiritual component that includes past lives, karma, and an evolutionary path forward. In this way, he is a part of the Evolutionary Astrology movement, but with a Jungian psychological perspective.
Actually, Jones’ psychology is more akin to Assagioli’s Psychosynthesis, and in the last chapter he lays out a diagram of the seven levels of the aura, much like the seven chakras. But before getting there, much of this book is devoted to explaining psychological terms as they relate to astrological tools and techniques. For those who haven’t studied basic psychology at the university, the introductory material provides an overview of the psyche’s structure and its various modes of expression. This includes defense mechanisms such as projection, reaction formation, transference, congruence, and parallel process. Each of these defense mechanisms have been thoroughly explored and vetted within the psychoanalysis movement, and the author provides the more holistic views within the field.
The astrological teaching begins in Chapter 3, “The Signs, Twelve Steps to healing.” This twelve-step program presents the twelve archetypes as positive qualities that an individual may need or call upon in order to have a transformational experience. Aries is about the courage on needs to face social realities and embark on the path of individuation. Taurus is about recognizing values, especially as related to self-worth issues. Gemini is about fruitful dialogue within the counselling session, and that “reality transcends our thinking about it – even our most clever thoughts.” After a while, the reader gets the point that this soul psychology is about our interconnection with the universe and about being open to inspiration from the spirit world, or the “knowing field,” as Jones calls it.
Individual chapters on Saturn, the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), and Saturn and Uranus cycles round out the astrological material. In The Soul Speaks, readers will get to know these planets as a psychotherapist would, with the emphasis on the blend between psychology and spirit. A frequent theme is that today’s psychiatrists have lost their souls; they don’t see or appreciate the individual’s connection to the larger universe. Jones’ aim is to show astrology’s special role in completing this gap, which is particularly relevant during the Saturn return and other challenging aspects to Saturn, as well as the various Uranus cycles.
The narrative is interspersed with horoscope examples from Jones’ personal file as well as renowned celebrities. Perhaps the most interesting is Sigmund Freud’s chart, which is used to demonstrate how the Saturn Return works, how individuation becomes possible during the Uranus opposition to its natal place, and how the physically or emotionally absent father is signified by Saturn retrograde. How Freud, the leading authority of the psychoanalysis movement, dealt with Saturn and Uranus is interesting, especially since he couldn’t merge his concepts about the id, ego, and superego with Jung’s and Assagioli’s ideas of a superconsciousness. Astrology in unique in the modern world because it can accommodate a spiritual psychology as described by Mark Jones in The Soul Speaks.
In the early twentieth century, Freud’s theories on sexual repression provided the foundation for the growing field of psychoanalysis. Carl Jung and Roberto Assagioli were two prominent followers of Freud, until they independently reached the conclusion that the individual psyche was connected to a transcendent consciousness. Most astrologers are familiar with Jung’s archetypes and collective unconscious, which he developed after leaving Freud. And Assagioli similarly developed a more holistic view, which he termed Psychosynthesis.
In The Soul Speaks, astrologer and psychotherapist Mark Jones describes how Jung and Assagioli added the spiritual dimension to psychology. These two thinkers had a profound influence on shaping modern psychology, and as it turns out, both were deeply interested in astrology. Jones had the opportunity to visit Assagioli’s archives in Florence, Italy, where he discovered boxes of hand-drawn horoscopes and astrological notes on the nature of the psyche. Assagioli was much influenced by Dane Rudhyar and Alice Bailey, and from all this he derived his theories for the Psychosynthesis movement, which is still growing today.
The author’s intention in The Soul Speaks is to shape the practicing astrologer’s therapeutic approach to the astrological consultation. The transformational potential in the astrologer/client session increases when the astrologer goes beyond the superficial New Age spirituality to understand the multidimensional nature of the psyche. And when he writes about the psyche, he is not referring to Freud’s sexual repression theories or the pathological view of mechanistic psychology. Jones’ is advocating the kind of astrology that has soul, a spiritual component that includes past lives, karma, and an evolutionary path forward. In this way, he is a part of the Evolutionary Astrology movement, but with a Jungian psychological perspective.
Actually, Jones’ psychology is more akin to Assagioli’s Psychosynthesis, and in the last chapter he lays out a diagram of the seven levels of the aura, much like the seven chakras. But before getting there, much of this book is devoted to explaining psychological terms as they relate to astrological tools and techniques. For those who haven’t studied basic psychology at the university, the introductory material provides an overview of the psyche’s structure and its various modes of expression. This includes defense mechanisms such as projection, reaction formation, transference, congruence, and parallel process. Each of these defense mechanisms have been thoroughly explored and vetted within the psychoanalysis movement, and the author provides the more holistic views within the field.
The astrological teaching begins in Chapter 3, “The Signs, Twelve Steps to healing.” This twelve-step program presents the twelve archetypes as positive qualities that an individual may need or call upon in order to have a transformational experience. Aries is about the courage on needs to face social realities and embark on the path of individuation. Taurus is about recognizing values, especially as related to self-worth issues. Gemini is about fruitful dialogue within the counselling session, and that “reality transcends our thinking about it – even our most clever thoughts.” After a while, the reader gets the point that this soul psychology is about our interconnection with the universe and about being open to inspiration from the spirit world, or the “knowing field,” as Jones calls it.
Individual chapters on Saturn, the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), and Saturn and Uranus cycles round out the astrological material. In The Soul Speaks, readers will get to know these planets as a psychotherapist would, with the emphasis on the blend between psychology and spirit. A frequent theme is that today’s psychiatrists have lost their souls; they don’t see or appreciate the individual’s connection to the larger universe. Jones’ aim is to show astrology’s special role in completing this gap, which is particularly relevant during the Saturn return and other challenging aspects to Saturn, as well as the various Uranus cycles.
The narrative is interspersed with horoscope examples from Jones’ personal file as well as renowned celebrities. Perhaps the most interesting is Sigmund Freud’s chart, which is used to demonstrate how the Saturn Return works, how individuation becomes possible during the Uranus opposition to its natal place, and how the physically or emotionally absent father is signified by Saturn retrograde. How Freud, the leading authority of the psychoanalysis movement, dealt with Saturn and Uranus is interesting, especially since he couldn’t merge his concepts about the id, ego, and superego with Jung’s and Assagioli’s ideas of a superconsciousness. Astrology in unique in the modern world because it can accommodate a spiritual psychology as described by Mark Jones in The Soul Speaks.
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