Articles
- December 2006
The Astropsychology Of Defences In The Horoscope
By Greg Mathieson , Diploma of AstroPsychology
Part 2 of 2, continued from last month
Libra is cardinal air and as implied by this, is about an action-oriented approach to understanding and defining what relationships are all about. Libra wants to create ethical and fair guidelines and circumstances as a basis for people to relate. This provides a system of how people should interact and is a form of control and defence against the inevitable undesirable side of human connections. Libra's modus operandi is not emotional or love based strange as it seems, in fact it is about avoiding emotions as is characteristic of all air/dissociation defences. Libra insists on peace at any price and uses many absolutely beautiful defences to ensure conflicts, emotional hurts, upsets, and ill-feelings that arise are minimized or prevented altogether. Libra is the Venus ruled sign of beauty, balance and symmetry and loves things to be harmonious, peaceful, pleasant and enjoyable for all. Libra likes to please and is a master of dissociation and can disengage from feelings and emotions by being diplomatic, tactful, sweet, cheerful, polite, co-operative, charming, smooth and altogether nice. They compromise their own needs for the peace it brings them. It defends against conflict, disharmony, ugliness and vulgarity as these threaten relationships.
If Libra's defence mechanisms are exaggerated the native becomes weak, wishy washy, indecisive, shallow and placating.
Scorpio to unravel the mysteries of our next native we need to descend into the murky depths of the underworld to discover its fascinating and complex defences.
Welcome to the rich, turbulent and intense inner life of Scorpio. You may take a seat to view what unfolds, but you may not relax. The underworld is home to this sign's ruler and master, Pluto. Traditionally, Mars has co-rulership of Scorpio. This is borne out by considering Scorpio as sort of a grown-up Aries. Aries remember, is the naive fearless youngster running around mad, working off its martial energies. Scorpio, on the other hand, has grown through life's tests and trials and is now worldly-wise. It has seen and experienced hurt, pain, loss, humiliation and been at the mercy of other's greed and insensitivity. In short, Scorpio has learnt how to survive. Like Aries, Scorpio has within itself the fear of standstill and impotency. But Scorpio and Pluto's defences go much deeper than that. Scorpio and its master have a passionate loathing for degeneration and stagnation. It needs desperately to be constantly renewing and regenerating itself. Transformation is a way of life. Standstill and stagnation is death. And of all signs, Scorpio instinctively knows about life, death and the process of change. So much so, that if circumstances remain too static and unhealthy for too long, Scorpio will manufacture its own crisis so that change and revolution can occur. And, that process may be dramatic. Leos and Pisceans do not have a monopoly on dramatic talents. Scorpio can match the best of them.
Another line of defence of Scorpio/Pluto is that of mistrust. Scorpio is the most guarded, secretive, distrustful and suspicious sign. It is always vigilant of threats to survival and never really relents or relaxes. This mistrust is born out of a deep sense of betrayal. It is one of Scorpio's greatest fears and defences and it will always have its sentinels on alert for possible threats. Scorpio has been deeply hurt, damaged and humiliated before and it is so painful that it will exert rigid control over anything that may be perceived as a potential intruder or attacker that could inflict emotional harm. Defences are present for good reasons. Just ask a Scorpio native.
In keeping with the theme of control, the next major defence is that of the feeling of powerlessness. Pluto people emanate this deep, brooding magnetism and sense of power and potency; not outer potency like Aries; this type is on the inside. They love having power to control their environment and hence their world. Loss of power is like castration and is to be guarded against at all costs. Powerlessness is vulnerability. And being vulnerable means being open to attack and therefore threatens survival. Scorpio is a serious sign dealing with life and death issues with each and every breath!
Scorpio is fixed water. It is strong and emotionally intense. Ultimately, Scorpio's defence is not about controlling the environment and having power over others. Scorpio's deepest core need is for self-mastery, which is power and control over those internal forces that prevent one forming the ultimate union and fusion that they seek. Aries runs around and exhausts itself. Mars burns itself out. Pluto, on the other hand, directs his disciple, Scorpio, to endure with a resolute fixity of purpose, determination and survive until the ecstatic goal has been reached. This is the goal, the desire, the mission and purpose of Scorpio.
Sagittarius a mutable fire sign with maximum enthusiasm, Sagittarius is on a more or less permanent quest for truth and meaning in life. With its ruling planet being Jupiter, our native is concerned with philosophy, spirituality, religion, morals, ethics, laws, growth and expansion and where it fits in to the scheme of destiny and in the divine plan. Sagittarius is fire and defends ardently against insignificance, inertia and a meaningless existence. It simply must have the freedom to pursue its higher purpose. This gives rise to a natural adaptability (mutable) to go anywhere it needs to, and is infused with hope, faith and an eternal optimism. The worst thing anyone can do to a Sagittarian is cage them up.
Another defence is the acquiring of knowledge and wisdom. Sagittarius is a natural scholar, teacher, mentor and advisor. To do this Sagittarius must be intelligent and learned.
Here in lies some of Sagittarius' less endearing defences. To defend its sense of righteousness and knowingness Sagittarius can become argumentative, belligerent and adopt a 'know it all' attitude. People give up trying to relate to someone who thinks they know all there is to know. But Sagittarius does not stop there. The expansive quality inherent in its make up also inflates some of the already out of balance defences. Some research (2) has shown that Sagittarians and those with a very prominent Jupiter, can become quite manic. They conceive grandiose schemes, which they 'market' convincingly (for a while); they suffer from delusions and elevated moods and can behave in a narcissistic manner. We see evidence of these behaviours and extreme defences in the fallen TV evangelists, criminals and fake Gurus.
Capricorn cardinal earth sign ruled by Saturn- the most 'earthy' planet. Capricorn and its master are the perfectionists of the zodiacal sphere. Their defences are complex and involved. At the core of the Capricorn/Saturnian protective mechanisms are vulnerable feelings of inferiority, inadequacy and the sense that they are never going to be good enough. They drive themselves relentlessly to achieve their goals and ambitions so they can show the world how successful and hardworking they are in order to obtain recognition and approval. They are the taskmaster of the zodiac. The combination of sign and planet here, set goals that are often well nigh impossible to attain, and they are acutely and painfully aware that they will fail, at least on the inside, to materialise an end product they will be content with. This sets up chronic feelings of anxiety and the sense of being deprived and denied. The exacting and demanding standards of these astrological members gives rise to a rather serious and reserved countenance and character.
Capricorn and Saturn are plagued by the fears and insecurities based on their own feelings of inadequacy and past failures. To defend against this situation they seek refuge in tightly controlled structures built to preserve their safety and security. They are masters of time and space management and of establishing principles of order. Within these lofty towers Capricorn and Saturn feel safe and secure.
Another favourite line of defence by our duo is that of compensation. Compensation for the lack they feel within. Capricorn can make their status, prestige and social standing (10 th house) so important that it comes at a cost to home and family life (4 th house). Struggling in the outer world to overcompensate for its inner sense of deficiency ends up reinforcing the sense of aloneness that these natives often feel.
This brings up another defence. Capricorn/Saturn somehow feel the need to prove themselves worthy of love and affection. If they can accomplish great things in the world then perhaps they will be worthwhile. Of course, the defence crumbles before them and leaves the familiar sense of deprivation and the inability to genuinely give and receive love and affection. This profound feeling of being denied something vital can lead to depression. Those charts that have heavy emphasis on Capricorn planets and/or a strongly placed Saturn eg on an angle mostly ascendant or in hard aspect to the luminaries, are prone to episodes of depression. This produces a very grave and sombre personality not conducive to the expression of much other than a cold, austere and unfeeling façade.
As with all earth signs, Capricorn likes to witness the physical, practical results and considerations of any undertaking. Its defence is to become doubting, critical and sceptical about anything that might threaten its position and standing. A hard, callous disregard and dismissal of anything new and innovative sometimes characterises Saturn and Capricorn attitudes. Order and establishment are here to stay!
Capricorn and Saturn both like to hold onto what they have worked for and what they have got. That's a positive defence as it indicates a sense of value and worth. Often however, defences are mobilised at any extravagance and our natives can become mean, miserly and unnecessarily frugal.
Of course, as with all other signs and planets, Capricorn and Saturn exhibit some very positive defences. In its quest for perfection and attainment of its position or authority, the native excels at taking on responsibility, control and management. The efforts do get noticed and they fill the shoes of the older and wiser patriarchal figure very comfortably. Their disciplined approach to life and their innate reliability and heightened sense of responsibility makes others feel that they are glad they are around. The distinctive earthy flavour, and presence is something real and tangible for people to depend upon. Some of Saturn and Capricorn's best and most productive defences revolve around creating healthy boundaries to protect privacy. Saturn/Capricorn are the masters of self sufficiency and self reliance, getting by with very little when they need to and feeling content in that approach to life.
Saturn's defences do not go away. The very real and painful feelings of self doubt, guilt, shame, humiliation, inadequacy and inferiority are always lurking close by. The healing journey to the summit can only begin with a starkly honest appraisal of self and all its limitations, damage and shortcomings, and a gentle acknowledgement and willingness to accept oneself right here and right now. This is the first step of many, but without it there can be no progress up the mountain.
Aquarius is the fixed variety of the air signs. Aquarius dwells very much in the mental realm where it is comfortable. Complicated emotional entanglements and intense feelings tend to be avoided. It is not that Aquarius does not feel. It feels a great deal. It is this emotional sensitivity which must be protected by dissociating, detaching and denying. Aquarians espouse the Utopian view of the perfect world. Aquarius dislikes seeing so much suffering in the world - the tortured starving masses in third world countries; the abuse and slaughter of fellow humans in civil wars; the cruelty inflicted upon helpless animals; and the despicable imprisonment of innocent victims. Aquarius feels alright. It hurts like hell. It's so raw and painful that they split off from the hurt and pain and try to do something about fixing these problems.
Aquarians are beyond being concerned about what others think of them (Capricorn) and beyond the egotistic needs to be recognised as special and unique (Leo). Aquarians already know they are unique individuals, one off originals, and they respect others as being the same. Aquarians need the freedom and independence and have an innate distrust of authority (hence the rebelliousness). They defend against control and lack of freedom by wanting to create a world where the establishment of certain codes, morals, laws, ethics and rights are built into the framework of society. When everyone adheres to these precepts the world is a perfect place. This extends to personal relationships also. Everyone has certain rights and the freedom to be who they are and have the space and independence they require. Deep emotional involvement impinges on this model. Intrusion through these defensive barriers is met by the standard intellectual responses and reactions. It is possible to be badly hurt and trapped unless a somewhat aloof disposition is fostered and maintained. These are the guidelines for human relations. Just try convincing a clingy, needy Cancerian in crisis of that.
Aquarians see the short-comings within society and are ardent of wanting to create a better world. They are drawn to groups, organizations and societies where a common interest and bond exists. Here they can rally the masses in their role of creating the reform, awakening and liberation that it sees is necessary. Aquarians are big on causes that are catalysts for change and progress in the world. Aquarius' far reaching perspective and the ability to perceive the present and future with a panoramic and objective outlook can lead to the enlightenment the world needs so badly at times. Aquarius being air, has a love of knowledge and uses this information to protect its low emotional pain threshold. Aquarians live in their heads, it is a safer place to be, away from the emotional trauma one is likely to experience from all the possible horrors lurking in the world at large.
As defences are concerned, Aquarians can bring to the fore a sophisticated array of intellectual paraphernalia and can become overprotective of their independence and freedom, and develop a detached and aloof nature and also eccentricities that lead to alienation and loneliness and insensitivity to other people's needs and feelings.
Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac and is a sensitive water native ruled by the planet Neptune . It also has association with the 12 th house of the horoscope- the realm of the unconscious.
Pisces' major defence centres around a denial of reality. It defends against the separation, pain and loss from it's one-ness with God, its creator. To protect itself from the alienation from the source and its sense of isolation and confusion, Pisces participates in a whole host of imaginative, creative, destructive behavioural expressions.
Pisces and Neptune are idealistic. Ultimately, nothing on the planet is going to conform to those ideals because they are subject to the laws of duality. In our world and our conscious waking state we will always have the sense of duality and polarity operating. It is what gives the illusion to reality. Good and evil, life and death, male and female are all real to us. But Pisces defends against this limiting world-view. Pisces seeks transcendence of duality; a dissolution of boundaries; in short a direct experience of God. Pisces is not action oriented. It is passive and wants to let go and surrender. It desires more than anything else, reunion with God and the ecstatic bliss that it instinctively knows exists. This eliminates and dissolves all barriers, all limitations and all imperfections that it swims against. Communion with Spirit produces a personality that has a great depth of love, compassion and empathy for its fellow human beings. Pisces often identifies with the less fortunate- the underprivileged, disabled, sick, aged and homeless victims of the world. The lack of boundaries common to Pisces and Neptune allows for a selfless quality to shine through to help others.
A wonderfully creative defence of our native is to merge their psyche into the imaginative realm to create something special and often of great beauty. The unconscious is the source and reservoir of all talents and creativity. Pisceans often fuse themselves with their artistic pursuits, music, drama, painting, sculpture, photography, writing, poetry, healing, dancing and nature.
The other side of the defence is that the need for fusion and union is so strong that Pisceans/Neptunians will seek oblivion through drugs and alcohol. The denial of reality can make them prone to living in a fantasy/dream world and can dispose them to being devious, deceptive and deceitful. Pisces often harbour a deep sense of (collective) guilt. At worst, in an extreme form of divergence from reality, Pisces exhibits and undergoes a profound sense of disorientation and confusion of identity. This can lead to psychosis and its attendant delusions and eventually even insanity.
As stated, Piscean and Neptunian natives are concerned with union, fusion and mergence with the divine. This is ultimately what underpins all their motivations. This dreamy and ethereal person is geared towards contacting this rapturous state. To attain this desired state, they often need to periodically withdraw into solitude and seclusion..to retreat from the world. There, they will commune inwardly and recharge themselves from the source. A spiritual/religious path with meditation as its basis is one of the best ways of achieving this end.
The world as we know it is a foreign place for the strongly emphasised Pisces and Neptune person, as they swim against all its imperfections and the harsh realities they perceive. All Pisces really want more than anything else in this world, is to leave.and go home.
To conclude this manuscript I would like to include a few brief comments written by my special astrology teacher Noel Eastwood. It concerns his ongoing research work into astropsychological defences. This lot involves planetary aspect configurations, and I quote here with permission from the author: " Pattens are also defences; a T-square, the sea-saw, is a water pattern, the focal planet shows what the individual surrenders and sacrifices for the good of the opposition; a Grand Cross, like a castle's protective walls, is an Air pattern which protects their soft emotional centre through denial; a Grand Trine, the easy flow of Fire energy indicates extreme sensitivity to criticism and a low threshold of pain, often lazy and needy like a princess; conjunction and stelliums, are burning Fire patterns, showing where the native is focused and driven . (3) "
In thanks, appreciation and gratitude,
Greg Mathieson
1 st November 2003
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Constellate - to make manifest..to cause or form
Defence - that which protects or resists attack
Psyche - "the human soul, mind or spirit" (The New Oxford Dictionary of English)
Significator - that which signifies something. In astrological terms, that could be a combination of planets, position of planets, particular aspect formations etc. Astrological components that mean and designate certain things.
REFERENCES
1. Astral Connections Lesson 12 Page 16 Copyright 1999
2. Research in progress by Noel Eastwood- Psychologist and Professional Astrologer and Principal of Astral Connections, School of Metaphysics , which conducts a diploma course in psychological astrology ( PO Box 5753 , Lyons , ACT, 2606, Australia )
3. Astral Connections School of Metaphysics Class Notes Lesson 33 Page 41 Copyright 2003
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Astral Connections" School of Metaphysics. Diploma Of Astropsychology course. Copyright 1997, 2002, 2003.
"The Development Of The Personality" Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas. Copyright 1987
"Barriers And Boundaries" Liz Greene. Copyright 1996
"An Introduction To Astro Psychology" Glenn Perry. Copyright 1998
"The Only Way To Learn Astrology Volume One" March and McEvers. Copyright 1976
An exceptional astrologer, Greg can be contacted through this web site,
click here to contact him.
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