EXCERPT

As part of my interest in energy medicine, Ive studied the chakras as they relate to my practice as a psychologist. After all, chakras are considered to be spinning wheels of energy and some of them are located within our physical body. Ive also been interested in astrology for years and Ive scratched the surface (barely) in learning something about it. I have been learning the symbolic meaning of the signs, planets and houses in a natal chart; the relationships, or aspects, between planets (e.g., squares, trines); and the potential meanings of planets found within a particular house in a particular sign. I find some knowledge of astrology useful as a way to learn more about the personality and life issues of the clients I work with. A natal chart contains background information that clients might not put into words, or might not think to convey in many hours of psychotherapy sessions, or might not even have considered. This might include information about how they express themselves or potential health-related issues. You know that Im a psychologist, that I practice energy medicine and now youll learn that Im also a synthesizer. I kept wondering if there was any relationship between astrology and the 12 chakras Ive learned about. In other words, could I synthesize information in any way?

I have been most interested in Western astrology, which uses the tropical zodiac, simply because Ive seen it most often. Jyotish, usually translated as the science of light, refers to Vedic astrology. Vedic astrology is generally acknowledged to have originated in India. Jyotish is the oldest continuous astrological tradition in the Indo-European world, according to Friedman (2001). Jyotish employs the sidereal zodiac. Legends and concepts of Greek and Roman mythology permeate Western astrology, while Hindu legends permeate Jyotish.

As an exploration of the relationship between astrology and energy medicine, I chose to examine the 12 houses of the zodiac, focusing on Western astrology, and the 12 chakras, those spinning wheels of energy. Im interested in relationships between the houses and the chakras from both a practical perspective (how can I apply this information to my psychological practice) and as an intellectual exercise (Im a seeker of knowledge). I like to study something that I can use, but I also like to study, period.