Jung and Astrology

Talking about astrology as about a domain of intuitive knowledge which should confirm his synchronicity theory, Jung wrote the following lines which I will comment briefly:

Zodiac weheel with the 12 planetary signs (source Wikipedia)

I have... looked round for another intuitive technique and have hit on astrology, which, at least in its modern form, claims to give a more or less total picture of the individual's character. There is no lack of commentaries here; indeed, we find a bewildering profusion of them - a sure sign that interpretation is neither simple nor certain. The meaningful coincidence we are looking for is immediately apparent in astrology, since the astronomical data are said by astrologers to correspond to individual traits of character; from the remotest times the various planets, houses, zodiacal signs, and aspects have all had meanings that serve as a basis for a character study or for an interpretation of a given situation.

It is always possible to object that the result does not agree with our psychological knowledge of the situation or character in question, and it is difficult to refute the assertion that knowledge of character is a highly subjective affair, because in characterology there are no infallible or even reliable signs that can be in any way measured or calculated - an objection that also applies to graphology, although in practice it enjoys widespread recognition.

This criticism, together with the absence of reliable criteria for determining traits of character, makes the meaningful coincidence of horoscope structure and individual character postulated by astrology seem inapplicable for the purpose here under discussion. If, therefore, we want astrology to tell us anything about the acausal connection of events, we must discard this uncertain diagnosis of character and put in its place an absolutely certain and indubitable fact.

One such fact is the marriage connection between two persons.

Since antiquity, the main traditional astrological and alchemical correspondence to marriage has been the conjunctio Solis et Lunae, the conjunctio Lunae et Lunae, and the conjunction of the moon with the ascendent... (Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting principle, from The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 8, Bollingen Series XX, p. 46, 1973.)

We need to correct the view that the determining of character is a subjective matter because in astrology character traits are established a priori on the basis of a of 12 zodiac signs schema. So the character traits are determined arbitrary on the basis of this schema.

Also it should be noted that the astrological practice was initially subordinated exclusively to divination. So, in this field, of prophecy, Jung should seek confirmation of his synchronicity.

Not accidentally Jung equals astrology with I Ching - the Book of Changes - the oldest systematized oracle in the history of mankind.

In this case too Jung is particularly interested in synchronicity or more precisely in how his theory can explain the functioning of the divination methods.

He published an introductory study to the content and mostly the way of consulting and interpretinging the answers of I Ching, in the Wilhelm/Baynes English version.

Read also:

• Jungian Analysis and Astrology

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Paper by J Jones