Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Roots of Phobias ?

 Hat-tip for pic:  here
Another random look at a page of 20th century astrologer C.E.O. Carter's "An Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology", first published 1924, re-printed at various points throughout 20th century. This time I opened the book at the "M"s, and on the page containing his ideas on possible astrological roots of morbid fears or phobias. As most of us have at least one of these, I flexed my copy-typing fingers and.....

Morbid Fears (Phobias)

These diseases, partly mental and partly physical, are at the present moment somewhat before the public owing to the prominence given to them by the modern psychologist, who claims to have treated them with considerable success. They consist, generally speaking, of irrational fears or aversions. The native may be in other respects to all intents and purposes strong and healthy, but under special conditions he is attacked by fears or nervous seizures which are not justified by those conditions from the standpoint of the normal human being. Their study is of great interest to astrologers, although I am not aware of their having as yet received from them the attention they deserve.

We might expect to find these conditions indicated basically by Neptunian afflictions to those portions of the horoscope that have influence upon the health (the three hylegiacal [see below for explanation] points and the 6th and 8th houses mainly). One might also expect the watery signs to be to the fore, and also Gemini and the 3rd, owing to their mental relation. Further, it may be expected that in nearly all cases a neurasthenic condition will be shown (v. Neurasthenia [see below]). The precise nature of the "fear" will probably be best shown by the horoscope as a whole, although further investigation might reveal this as depending upon certain recognizable features.

In so far as the psycho-analyst regards these phobias as being due to the efforts to rise into consciousness of supressed complexes, formed in the "unconscious" around some event, generally in infancy, which has been forgotten by the conscious mind, we might expect Scorpio the "repressed" sign par excellence, to figure prominently, as well as Pluto, and Saturnian action might be anticipated, since Saturn binds down and is active in all self-control.

But in point of fact any indication in a horoscope of a struggle between positive and negative elements - especially between Fire and Water, since these are emotional and instinctive - may set up conditions which can develop into some trouble such as we are discussing. The danger is still greater if the houses corresponding to the watery trigon are involved.


Neurasthenia
This covers a variety of conditions of different degrees of severity and originating in many ways. We nearly always find them characterized by Mercury being afflicted in or from a Saturn sign, 26 Aquarius appearing particularly severe in this respect, or by Saturn itself. Degrees commonly involved are 10 Taurus and 25 Gemini-Sagittarius, and one or both of these I have found involved in nearly every case. The worse the afflictions the more severe the malady.
Wikipedia on Neurasthenia

Skyscript on "hylegiacal"
An 'hylegiacal' or 'aphetic' place relates to the houses in which Ptolemy claimed that any planet to be admitted as hyleg must be located. These are (in order of preference): - the 1st, 10th, 11th, 7th or 9th house.

I've been trying to apply the above to my own chart. While I don't like flying insects, or scampering mice, I don't really class these as serious phobias. I'm scared of deep water - that's a definite phobia traceable to a couple of occasions when I felt as though I were drowning, during my childhood, once in a swimming pool, once in a popular local swimming place close to a waterfall. The obvious antidote to this would have been to learn to swim well, but I couldn't be enticed back to a swimming pool in order to do so! Another dislike, stress-incuding, but hardly a phobia, is having involvement with doctors and hospitals, this I can conquer, the deep water thing, I cannot.

So - the deep water thing: Neptune (he ruled deep water) in Virgo in my chart is inconjunct/quincunx Aries Moon, but sextile Mars in Scorpio, maybe between those two mildly contradictory aspects lies the answer? Houses involved could be 4 or 5 and 10 or 11 depending on exact time of birth.

Anyone else have a phobia they'd care to relate to astrological factors in their natal chart?

12 comments:

Bob said...

I have a phobia that bobble head Scotty will head butt me into submission when he crosses the Wisconsin-Illinois border in his campaign to become POTUS.

Twilight said...

Bob ~ Now that's a phobia and a half! It's a pity Scotty (that used to be my nickname at school) can't be more like his singing namesake... "cute, cute in a stupid-ass way". :-)

https://youtu.be/eKtZf62BQzM

mike said...

I suppose that inasmuch the natal chart portends the individual, astrology would indicate the potential for phobia, but the natal chart does not dictate how the individual elects to elicit the energies given. Oddly, we tend to accept that particular displayed talents of an individual are inherited, but we tend to overlook fears as inherited. I'm sure that fear can be introduced in our current lives, particularly when very young and impressionable, through some environmental influence. A recent study concluded that some phobias could be inherited:
http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family/2015/06/phobias-can-be-inherited/

There's anecdotal evidence that reincarnation could be another form of inherited phobia (and talents):
http://uvamagazine.org/articles/the_science_of_reincarnation

I had a dread fear of trains from infancy to puberty that finally dissipated (whew!). I had nightly dreams of being trapped on railroad tracks as a train was coming toward me and no matter what I did, I was always on the set of tracks with the oncoming train, awakening moments before the train hit. There were several times in my youth, in real life, that my family was at the train station to meet an arrival, and part of my phobia was being sucked-in and under as trains rapidly passed by.

My younger sister had melt-downs when planes flew overhead and this first came about when she was just starting to walk and lasted through her youth. Any plane flying over would completely send her into a tither.

Phobias aren't something discussed much in our everyday conversations, so it requires knowing someone enough to have them reveal their innate fears. Virtually everyone I've known well has divulged that they have phobias of some sort, some in the past and now resolved, some extant. It's either part of our psychological nature to harbor phobias or there is a mechanism that isn't well understood, such as genetics, reincarnation, or as you provide, astrological. I'm not inclined to believe that we have phobias based strictly on astrology.

I have learned in this life of mine that I have to master and overcome my fears. The fears I've harbored have controlled me until I met them head-on. I can say that at this point in my life, I have no fears or phobias, but I do have things I'd prefer to not encounter...LOL.

Anonymous said...

Last year, I was hospitalised and underwent surgery with general anaesthesia.

Later, I noticed that when I closed my eyes, the phosphenes would vertically align.
The whole internal view was reminiscent of a crowd of people ... watching me.

Now ... I had the surgery at 4 years of age, and I wonder if I had the same experience.
Because ... I do not like anything that the view suggests.

Crowds of people ... living in a fishbowl etc ... Trolls, whether under a bridge ... or online ...

Involved planets ...
- both rulers of VI
- neptune (prog aspect at 4 years)
- chiron (aspecting chart ruler)
- saturn perhaps by transiting sign


kidd.

mike (again) said...

Here's lookin' at ya kidd...LOL.


P.S. - Studies investigating the Irish potato famine's affect on future generations, the 1836 Swedish famine, and the Dutch 1944 famine all conclude that epigenetics plays a significant role on the mental and physical health of future generations. Inherited, not genetically, but rather epigenetically...chemical attachments and alterations of the genes themselves.
"The study is not only an interesting one in that it provides clues to how a disease can occur later in life, but it also highlights the significance of our DNA and how the diet of a mother can affect not only her own offspring's DNA but also the DNA of her grandchildren and so forth for generations. Hopefully, this study can encourage more research into the way that diet influences DNA."
http://www.exploredna.co.uk/effect-famine-foetal-dna.html

BTW - evolutionary astrology has been popular for a while and delves into some of the metaphysical-spiritual aspects of the past (not this current life) influencing the present natal chart.

Twilight said...

mike ~ I agree - our phobias are not strictly based on astrology, but where phobias and fears exist, I wondered whether astrology might reflect them, or a potentiality for them in some way - not, though, in reverse i.e. natal chart content "causing" fears and phobias. Too many other factors are involved (as in all astrological considerations, as we've discussed before).

I agree that such fears can be inherited too, either from childhood memories of events, or from parents and other relatives' own fears being passed on, either via memory or genetics and DNA. I think we've mentioned this in the past too - with regard to my dislike of doctors/hospitals, maybe 'inherited' from my mother and grandmother. I'm confident that there'd be some kind of link between DNA and astrology, but whether it'll ever be unearthed is another matter.

Yes, maturity brings at least a softening of fears, in some cases as logic begins to seep in deeper, but I suspect full-blown phobias remain with us, unless dealt with by some kind of treatment.

Twilight said...

Anon/kidd ~ Ooh - that's interesting! And perhaps because you were, or had been, unconscious your consciousness later might have remained "softer" and more vulnerable, leaving more of an imprint on memory, especially at such a tender age as 4 years.

Anonymous said...

I am aware of my tendencies to solve my parents problems in my relationships.
- to "be in the now" ... unlike ... my perception of my father.
- to "be more tolerant" ... unlike ... my perception of my mother.
But this may be more psycho, than physio ...

I know some of their phobias, and maybe I share them ...
- my mom encountered a suicide and was geographically isolated in her 20's
- my dad was torpedoed and captured in the Atlantic.

I've been sundered from my "peers" since 12.
Which gave me tools, and set the stage for good, or ill.

A strong Saturn is a fit tonic for a strong Neptune ... and vice versa.

I do think it's odd that I don't mind Hospitals however.


kidd.

Twilight said...

Anon/kidd ~ Thanks for sharing these experiences with us, kidd. Yes, Saturn and Neptune, Neptune and Saturn - like poison and antidote.

I'm better about hospitals myself now, mainly due to having moved from the area where the hospital is located in which I watched my father, then my mother, then my long-time partner all die painful deaths - my then closest loved ones. Here in the US the local hospital doesn't hold the same horrors for me. I still have "white coat syndrome" though - BP shoots up when in doc's office, even when there for some quite non-scary reason.

Bob said...

"bobble head" coined after watching and listening to Scott Walker's campaign announcement wherein he almost constantly nodded his head in a "yes" motion. He probably thinks the motion sends a subliminal message of agreement to his audience.

Twilight said...

Bob~ Ah - I see. I thought it was because he makes as much sense as one of those nodding dolls people used to place in the back window of their cars. ;-)

Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO labor federation: "Scott Walker is a national disgrace."

In a nutshell!

Sonny G said...


does anyone ever really know anyone else enough to tell them or discuss their phobias? not me:) I mean geez, not only would you be handing them to gun , you'd have loaded it with hollow point bullets..

as for disgraces need we say anything else but Dufus Trump? yikes.. per the other days conversation I just have to say how thrilled I am that neither of them are from NC or okla..

as for the phobias in my astro- ya'll know I have no clue where to look for those .

bobbleheads- that covers all the republicans.