The
Astrologer, the Counsellor and the Priest
Two Seminars on Astrological Counselling
Juliet
Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene
In
this volume, the complexities and challenges of working as
an astrologer are explored on many levels, from the practical
to the psychological and philosophical. It is only recently
that the responsibilities of the astrologer in relation to
the client have begun to be defined, and this book offers
sound practical advice about working in the astrological session
as well as provocative insights into the reasons why one becomes
an astrologer in the first place.
Part
One, Astrological Counselling (by Juliet Sharman-Burke)
first explores the important issue of boundaries, and then
examines the value of sound communication techniques in order
to make the astrological session comprehensible and helpful
to the client. The interaction between astrologer and client
in many typical situations - couples seeking advice, the severely
disturbed client, the client wishing to know about death,
the problems involved in predicting events - is examined from
both a practical and a therapeutic perspective, and an evaluation
of the dangers and risks involved in poor communication and
prejudgement of the client reminds the astrologer that the
horoscope does not render him or her exempt from needing a
thorough understanding of human interaction.
Part
Two, The Astrologer, the Counsellor and the Priest
(by Liz Greene) begins with an examination of the role of
the astrologer in context of astrology's history. The archetypal
background which motivates any individual to study astrology
is then deeply examined, followed by a discussion of the charts
of two great modern astrologers - Dane Rudhyar and Alan Leo
- from the perspective of the personal world-view which any
individual astrologer espouses. Charts from the group help
to illustrate what motivates those who choose to become astrologers.
The unconscious dynamics of the astrological session are then
discussed, particularly the projections which occur between
astrologer and client (transference and countertransference),
as well as the deeper psychological reasons - both positive
and negative - which impel individuals into taking on the
role of the helper
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