The Dark of the Soul: Psychopathology in the Horoscope

by Liz Greene

Disturbed psychological states have baffled both religion and medicine for as long as human beings have existed. Despite the explorations of modern psychology, we are often no closer to understanding these expressions of human suffering than we were a thousand years ago. Although it can offer no solutions, astrology can provide many insights into why some individuals respond to conflict and unhappiness by retreating from life, and why others respond with savagery toward their fellows.

The three seminars in this book use astrological perspectives to explore a spectrum of extreme psychological states, from the condition known as psychopathy to the collective mechanism of scapegoating—as much a pathology as any diagnosed mental illness. Astrologers often avoid confronting the issues of madness and human destructiveness, and political correctness has made it even more difficult to face such issues honestly and without sentiment or hypocrisy. But only by exploring the roots of what we call madness can we find any positive and creative approach to the mystery of why some individuals fail to cope constructively with life's challenges. This book will sometimes shock and disturb, but it is an invaluable resource for any practicing astrologer concerned with the dilemma of human suffering, and any lay person wishing to understand how astrology can contribute to our comprehension of human behavior.

Genres: Astrology, Psychology, Occult, Philosophy

326 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2003

About the author

Liz Greene is held in high esteem by astrologers all over the world, professional and non-professional alike. She is a prolific author of books and various publications and has been instrumental in shaping modern psychological astrology.

She holds doctorate degrees in psychology and (as of 2010) in history and is a qualified Jungian analyst. She also holds a diploma in counselling from the Centre for Transpersonal Psychology in London, and a diploma from the Faculty of Astrological Studies, of which she is a lifetime Patron.

Reviews

[Colin McPhillamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read through a medical dictionary and come away knowing that you suffer from cholera, diphtheria, and the Black Death? This book is an astrological study of psychopathology and offers an equivalent experience. Perhaps it should be issued with a disclaimer: "If you think the whole world is against you, read this book to discover that the outer planets have joined in too."

With an acute astro-psych analysis of the natal charts of some of the psychopaths of recent history up to and including Hitler and colleagues, reading this book is a bit like watching Silence of the Lambs, only to realize that what you are being offered is less an opportunity to observe afflicted planetary constellations and their possible consequences in human life at a distance, but more an acutely uncompromising mirror that informs you that you too may carry the seeds of unconscious compulsion.

As ever consciousness is the $64k question. How an individual will respond to Moon-Chiron aspects (for example, among others) cannot be deduced from the chart. What can be seen in 20/20 psych clarity is how they did, and how they might be likely to. The chart itself is just a snapshot of a moment in time, applying equally to the nativity of a bedbug, a badger or a bad-actor. That said, we are shown here that there are some charts which offer greater challenge/opportunity than others in this context.

As with many of the books published by the CPA (Centre for Psychological Astrology, founded by Liz Greene) which are transcriptions of seminars, there are a few small typos in the text, a feature which is becoming more common in published literature everywhere. Juxtaposed against this small detail, is the extraordinarily impressive technical mastery of chart analysis and psychological insight displayed by Ms Greene. Kudos too, to those individuals attending the seminar who were brave and honest enough to exhibit their charts to her scrutiny.

What one comes away with after this immersion in case-study is the realization that personal choice, to the extent that one is free to make it, is incredibly important in the drama we call life, and that there but for grace ... One concludes again, with Shakespeare: "The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, ..."

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't put it down!!! reading about psychopaths and the patterns of accompanying planetary aspects is extremely fascinating...

and apparently i possess some of the aspects she discuss but of course, not all. besides, i can recognize my own sociopathic behavior haha! wonderful and engaging book- i will definitely re-read and reference continually.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Liz Greene book I've read (although I've read her articles online) and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. Although this was an interesting read, there are a several bits I disliked...so if you're a die-hard Greene fan, stop reading.

First, I love true crime and astrology but I didn't like the format (transcriptions of seminars) that created this. I wish some of the questions posed by the audience were better phrased or left out. This book (and Liz Greene's seminars, it seems) are suited to astrologers with a great deal of prior astrological knowledge. I would say that if you don't understand progressions or planetary cycles, you'll be lost. This book is for intermediate astrologers and up. Greene looks at chart patterns in an attempt to show the possibility for certain dark outcomes. I understood this before I picked up this book, but some of Greene's students seemed less informed.

Greene has a sharp tone with her students that I wasn't expecting. She doesn't suffer fools and is matter of fact. While she often states that aspects can go a variety of ways, she argues with students who have different theories. Also, I couldn't believe it when one student asked if she could explain what she meant by mental breakdown and she snapped back, "I thought I just did. Would you like to see a demonstration?" Her sarcasm was brutal and she sounded like a bully. It's easy enough to ask a clarifying question like, "What about what I've explained so far is unclear?" Greene seemed insensitive and unsympathetic to the role of the student. Being an expert is one thing, but being able to teach (in a way that isn't demeaning) is another. While I was impressed by Greene's astrological insight (in general) I was disappointed in her harsh teaching style.

Also, Greene's facts are sometimes wrong. The reference to the case about the McDonald's woman dropping hot coffee on herself was inaccurate. Greene was trying to make a point about pointless lawsuits but the case she was discussing was quite serious. The elderly woman who sued McDonald's in 1994 wasn't out for money, but was trying to get the company to make a safer product. Also, that woman nearly DIED b/c the coffee was so ridiculously hot — at up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, near boiling point. I get that Greene may not have done a deep dive on the case before she spoke about it in her seminar, but why include it in a book when she could have looked up the case? I think some editing and better research was needed. Here are the facts:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...

Along that theme, Greene's political views (and dislike of political correctness) were unnecessary. They didn't add anything to the discussion of either crime, psychopathy or astrology. Her comments about physical punishment and children were also unnerving. It made me wonder about the scapegoat/persecutor dynamic in her chart, but I appreciated the way she dealt with political correctness and sanity in the second section of the book. I know that this book was written a while ago, but it's always a bad idea to suggest that kids benefit from violence. Another section that hasn't aged well was the part on Micheal Jackson. His chart (and that discussion) are ironic based on what has come out, and what was right there in his chart in a book with this title. However, Greene's words on relationship triangles were profound and I love what she said about the artist's ego, receptivity and so-called normality.

Regarding the astrology, when Greene was looking at student's charts she always referred to the 4th house as the ruler of the father, and the 10th house as the ruler of the mother. Many astrologers believe that these houses can switch based on the client (and the nurturing/authoritarian parent) and aren't so gender-based. I believe (in general) that the 10th house tends to rule father and the 4th house tends to rule mother, but I'm open to them switching. It seems that Greene is pretty adamant in her belief on what house rules which parent b/c even when it seems to work better for one of her students to have the 4th house ruling mother (and for several of the charts of the criminals she chose) she stuck with that framework.

As a true crime fanatic (who has done deep research on all the criminals Greene spoke about) I think that each natal chart worked far better for the 10th house ruling the father in almost every case, but again, this is something all astrologers know as the parental axis. The 4th and 10th houses correspond to both parents, regardless of which is which.

Also, re: astrology-- it was funny reading the transcripts of Greene trying to convince a group of astrology students (who tend towards Uranian) that Juno/Hera isn't a jealous, insecure psycho. We all tend to relate to certain archetypes more than others. Since I'm more Plutonian it should come as no surprise that I identified with Artemis and didn't see much wrong with her madness.

Regarding the true crime, some of the assumptions that Greene made about the motivations for why Manson killed Sharon Tate are speculative. First, Manson didn't physically kill Tate. Greene doesn't clarify (or seem to know) that. Manson told his disciples to "make it gruesome" and they followed orders. Also, Manson's stated motivation was that he wanted to start a race war, but it's widely known that he felt shunted by Hollywood. Anger at Manson's mother was never given as the reason why Tate died the way she did. Manson didn't primarily attack women, and seemed to exploit them rather than hate them. I'm not debating that Manson had mom issues, but Greene's main premise for his motivation seems shaky.

Additionally, Greene's decision to make Myra Hindley out to be the mastermind behind the Moor murders didn't jive with what was reported in that case, either. Greene's treatment of Hindley forgets that most women who are involved with the criminally insane--or psychopathic men-- tend to be afraid, so they'll go along with whatever the abuser wants. Perhaps I'm more sensitive to this b/c I've taken criminology courses on women and crime. It's not an excuse for what Hindley did, but I doubt she was the mastermind. Ian controlled everything Hindley did. Ian decided what she read, how she dressed, and who she was allowed to speak with. Myra's not innocent but she's unlikely the dominant mastermind in that duo.

In conclusion, I think this book could have benefited from more research about the psychopaths discussed, and criminal behavioral science in general. However, despite all my criticisms I found Greene's astrological insights fascinating and loved what she said about astrologers being scapegoats. I agree that many astrologers do choose the role of scapegoat by fighting with skeptics and hanging around with people who judge us.

[Yitzchok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite excerpts:

“This kind of early environment, if someone has an inherently low frustration threshold as described by particular aspects to Mars, will breathe trouble later. An ebullient Mars needs discipline. Mars-Jupiter and Mars-Uranus children need to be shown where the limits are. They will push at the limits all the time because they are very high-spirited. If the limits are like chocolate mousse and the boundaries keep shifting because the parents are too comfort-loving to put up with the odd tantrum, or the efforts at discipline alternate between sogginess and brutality, the child can never discover his or her own limits.” - Page 48

In order to tap the creative potential of Saturn in the 11th house, the child needs to understand that the kind of friendship they seek will not be found on the school playground. They are going to have to build it, slowly and patiently, with people who may enter their lives only when they are older. People with Saturn in the 11th need a depth of contact which only comes with maturity. They need to learn to be more self-sufficient, and to value those with whom they can truly communicate, rather than merrily wanting to be popular. Page 63

Moon-Saturn people can sometimes feel deeply isolated. Because they did not feel emotionally nurtured early in life, they expect no generosity from others, and therefore find it very difficult to ask for help or express vulnerable feelings. That can lead to resentment and feelings of being unappreciated or badly treated by the world. Self-pity can be a big problem with Moon Saturn, although, as you say, it is often hidden behind a very self-sufficient manner.

… Moon-Saturn describes a child who is literally abandoned, but even if the parents are present, the internal landscape is often that of an orphan. If the hearth is great enough, Saturn can stifle the lunar need to reach out to other people. Saturn says to the Moon, don’t even think of asking anyone for anything. Just get rejected again. Moon-Saturn can be terrifically proud, and isolation can become entrenched as a way of life. Pages 66 and 67

What is the difference between a Mars-Chiron which exhibits cruelty and a Mars-Chiron which works patiently and with integrity towards a positive goal? It might be a subtle disparity in the arrangement of the ingredients. There might be a difference in the family background, or in the individual’s attitude or level of consciousness. We don’t know yet, and we might not find out. Page 96

Mars-Chiron always suffers frustration, but the environment can add to that frustration in an unbearable way. Mars-Chiron in a birth chart doesn’t say, “You were abused by your parents and your peers.” All it says is, “there is a sense of frustration around the expression of Mars, due to factors which are not personal are not linked with any individual culpability, and may seem very unfair.” But if there is a violently abusive parent, a whole range of psychological patterns and responses may be linked to Mars-Chiron which would not develop with a different experience of early life. Page 99

Breaking Through

A breakdown is often an attempt on the part of the psyche to dismantle a personality structure that is not viable. This usually happens when a “false self” has developed instead of an authentic, solid ego structure. The individual has been forced into becoming someone else, because of family or environmental pressures which violate the real personality. An intolerable fissure then builds up between the deeper levels of the psyche and the “false self” which presents itself to the world. Eventually, the unconscious rises up and smashes the false structure, not because individual is “ill”, but because something healthy and real demands to be expressed.

Unfortunately, the family may be the last to understand this, since it is often their expectations which have led to the building of the “false self”. Sadly, they may attempt to oppose or undermine therapeutic treatment if it means facing their own conflicts more honestly.

Usually there are intense and violent emotions involved which, once they can be expressed, allow the beginning of healing and integration. If one has not been over-medicated or trapped in the fetters of a rigid diagnosis, many vitally important realizations can arise out of the breakdown, most of which have to do with recognizing one’s real identity and needs. Breakdowns can lead to transformation and healing, although they are a wretched and miserable experience at the time. – Page 206

Here the Moon is in Pisces, so mother is experienced as a victim, A woman who suffers and sacrifices. The Moon is also square Mars so there’s a rage as well, bubbling away under the surface. All those powerful unacknowledged emotions were bound to breakthroughs sooner or later, but they are not just your own. They go back through your mother to the collective destruction which she endured. Page 215

In family dynamics, it is often the Plutonian child who is “different”, the “black sheep” of the family, who carries the shattered projection of the family psyche and winds up being its potential victim, its potential healer, and its potential destroyer. Page 237

Any person with Sun-Saturn, particularly the hard aspects, tends to be very vulnerable to collective opinion. Saturn acts as an inner judge, a kind of Freudian superego, constantly criticizing and setting standards which require enormous effort and struggle. There is often a gnawing inner feeling of failure, which is aggravated by any suggestion that one has not “made the grade” in the eyes of others. Now, that can work very creatively. A person who is so very sensitive to society’s needs and expectations can create an immensely useful and dynamic life serving the world in some way. Sun-Saturn contacts can generate tremendous ambition and tenacity and, if they are lived out rather than avoided, they often lead to considerable worldly success.

…Hard Sun-Saturn aspects can generate enormous anxiety and self-doubt. The inner judge says, “This is what you should be. This is what the world expects from you. This is what your family expects from you. If you fail, you have committed the great sin.” The inner expectations are incredibly demanding, but they are projected outside. There is a great need for acceptance by the collective, which is why Sun-Saturn people often find fulfillment through some kind of service to the collective. They need a position of responsibility in order to make their mark on the world. Sun-Saturn people often fear that they will not be good enough. Page’s 256 and 257
You can see how important the Saturn Uranus cycle is from the point of view of collective institutions and ideologies. Page 258

Sun-Saturn says, “I’m not good enough, so I’ll do something to make them approve of me.” Sun-Chiron says, “I’m not good enough and I never will be. They will always hate me whatever I do.” Page 269

Planets in the 12th house are important because they act as mediators for ancestral memories. If there is a scapegoat pattern in one’s life, one is usually carrying something more than one’s own personal experience. A strongly tenanted 12th house does not, in itself, necessarily imply a scapegoat pattern. But it always points to issues which are much older than the individual. Page 277

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of three transcribed seminars on the theme of mental illness and astrology: "The Psychopath" (2001), "Sanity and Madness" (2000), and "The Scapegoat" (1999). Greene doesn't go into actual psychology all that much in any of these seminars, so even though they're about fifteen years old at this point and the psychological understanding of these conditions has changed, the astrology is still usable. I found all three seminars to be easy to understand without having studied psychology. As with other lectures in the CPA Seminar Series, a basic understanding of astrology is assumed; astrological beginners may find a lot of this going over their heads.

I found "The Psychopath" the most interesting to read, although I hope it's the one with the least potential use in my life. Greene looks at the charts of several killers, looking for commonalities in their charts, as well as answers as to why some people are psychopaths and others, with similar charts, are not. "Sanity and Madness" is more practically useful for ideas about how to look at someone's chart. Greene covers a number of explanations for mental illness. I found her point that our mental illnesses fit our charts fascinating. She's not saying that anyone is fated to go mad, but that if they do have a mental illness, it's likely to fit their chart. I didn't find "The Scapegoat" as gripping as the other two seminars, and it didn't take me long to grow bored with the discussion of the scapegoat archetype. Once past that, though, it got more interesting. Greene shows how many people fall into victim or persecutor roles, both as individuals and at the community or national levels.

I had a few problems with the book. Being a set of transcripts, even edited, the organization of the information is looser than in regular textbooks. It's a lot more readable than a standard textbook, but harder to look things up in afterwards. Although I'm not a professional astrologer myself, I would have liked to have seen more discussion on how to work with mentally ill clients, even if that discussion was basically Point them towards mental health professionals and then step away. Also, I got irritated with Greene's disparaging comments on political correctness, even when she gave examples that I agreed with. But even allowing for the possibly outdated psychology, this is an excellent look at the astrology of an uncomfortable subject, and I recommend it.

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an astrology geek, i derived great pleasure from reading this book.
I particularly enjoyed the psychological approach to astrology, guess we could say it was the ideal book for me, for i am very interested in these fields so the crossover was highly interesting.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.