The Way of What Is to Come with Liz Greene
Abstract:
This seminar will focus on Chapter Six, entitled ‘The Way of What Is to Come’, from Jung’s Studies in Astrology: Prophecy, Magic, and the Qualities of Time (Routledge 2018), which was awarded the 2018 IAJS Book Award.
Jung’s insisted that, according to his understanding of astrological symbolism, a huge collective psychic change was coming, equal in enormity to the dawn of Christianity; that it would not be pleasant (and could be unthinkably horrific) in its initial phases; that it would provoke extremes of ‘splitting’ and polarizing; and that it would involve the necessity of internalizing ideas of good and evil, rather than projecting them ‘outside’. Astrologers at the moment are attempting to analyze current planetary configurations to ascertain whether anyone could have foreseen the coronavirus pandemic and how it might be reflected in astrological configurations.
Like the discussion about the incoming Aquarian Age in which Jung was deeply involved, every astrologer has a different perspective, sometimes entirely literal, sometimes more symbolic and psychological, and sometimes both. Just as Jung attempted to define the birth chart of Jesus as the harbinger of the beginning of the Piscean Age, present-day astrologers pore over planetary configurations and the birth charts of countries and their leaders to get some insight into what is happening and how things will develop over the next months and even years.
Jung relied on astrological symbolism to get a sense of the meaning of the time. This topic is not meant to debate the truth or falsehood of astrology but is focused on how Jung used astrological symbolism to describe the upheaval and change now on our doorsteps.
Hopefully this material can provide a basis for some interesting discussions.