“It has gradually become clear to me what every great philosophy up till now has consisted of – namely, the confession of its originator, and a species of involuntary and unconscious autobiography; and moreover that the moral (or immoral) purpose in every philosophy has constituted the true vital germ out of which the entire plant has always grown.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
In the spirit of one of my favourite quotes above of Nietzsche’s let’s take a look at these philosopher-psychologists from an astrological perspective.
Sigmund Freud’s theory: “Freud believed that all tension was due to the build-up of libido (sexual energy) and that all pleasure came from its discharge.”
One would expect a philosophy like this to spring from someone who had either Scorpio or Gemini planets (the most sex-obsessed of them all), planets in the 8th house (rules sex and taboo subjects) and either an extremely sexual Mars or/and a repressed Mars (Mars = Libido) It turns out that Freud has all of the above!
Freud has a Scorpio Ascendant and a Gemini Moon and Saturn (life lesson). Breaking it down in very simplified terms the Gemini Moon in a man suggests that he might have had sexual feelings for his Mother (Moon). On top of it all both his Moon and Saturn fall in the 8th house of sex and taboo subjects. Then there’s his nice Mars in Libra (not a very sexual placement)…being opposed by Jupiter (excess) and squared by Saturn (repressed) so it seems that sexuality (Mars) became a philosophy/belief (Jupiter) partly because his own libido was stifled and repressed (Saturn) He probably felt like he wasn’t getting enough sex 
Alfred Adler:
“Adlerian psychology emphasizes the human need and ability to create positive social change and impact. Adler’s work stressed the importance of nurturing feelings of belonging and striving for superiority. He held equality, civil rights, mutual respect, and the advancement of democracy as core values.”
Just a quick look at his chart reveals that his three planets in Aquarius including his Sun speaks to pretty much all of the above. Not only does he have Mercury, Sun and Mars all in Aquarius with Mercury and the Sun both in the 8th house (of depth psychology, taboo subjects, plumbing the depths) he has Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in the 1st house! Probably everyone knows the Aquarian traits of equality, civil rights, social change…also being ahead of their time…but Aquarians also tend to feel like they don’t belong so I think that’s interesting that his philosophy is linked to nurturing feelings of Belonging. Aquarians can’t totally belong and often feel on the outside of groups because it is their directive to work outside of groups or the culture or the family…any Box…because that’s how they forge the new modern paths they need to forge. Side effect: feeling like a weirdo and that they don’t belong.
Carl Jung:
“The theory of the collective unconscious is one of Jung’s more unique theories; Jung believed, unlike many of his contemporaries, that all the elements of an individual’s nature are present from birth, and that the environment of the person brings them out (rather than the environment creating them).”
This is an interesting statement because Astrologers, too, believe that one’s nature is present from birth and we have a map, also! It’s no secret that Jung studied astrology and used it in his practice. Actually it IS a bit of a secret – it seems like he didn’t want to talk about it toooo much since he wanted to be taken seriously by the Scientists. Fine.
The Collective Unconscious and the Unconscious, in astrology, are ruled by the 12th house (the only non-physical house out of the 12 that rules dreams, unfinished business from past lives, the Unconscious) and Neptune.
Jung’s own Leo Sun is being squared by Neptune so he was always deeply aware of this ‘other’ world, the mystical, spiritual, unconscious realm. And it was when transiting Neptune came around to sit exactly on his Sun from 1913 to 1918 that he wrote The Red Book and went into the period he called the Dissolution of the Self. What could illustrate this more perfectly than being born with Neptune (Dissolution) in challenging aspect to his Sun (Self – who one Is and who one is Becoming)?
Jung’s natal Jupiter is also opposed by Neptune so his Belief (Jupiter) is coloured by Neptune’s connection to the unconscious and spiritual life.
“Analytical psychology is a school of psychotherapy which originated in the ideas of Carl Jung which emphasizes the importance of the individual psyche and the personal quest for wholeness.”
Perfect for a person with a Leo Sun, like Jung, since the ruler of Leo IS the Sun…the Mandala of Self and Wholeness.
Another key theme of Jung’s is that he said that sense of self can only develop through relationships. Well, a person with his Sun living in the 7th house of Relationships and Marriage would definitely feel this to be true. But, talk to a Sagittarius with no planets in the 7th and no Libra planets and they would have to disagree 🙂
Friedrich Nietzsche:
Is known for the concept of the Will to Power as the main driving force in humans.
Pluto, discovered when the atom bomb was invented, rules Power. Nietzsche had Pluto in Aries exactly opposite his own Libra Sun. Oppositions are always about relationships – the relationships within oneself that get projected out onto your real life Relationships. You and “The Other”. Could Pluto be in a more willful sign? Aries! They can will round pegs into square holes if they want So, yes, Nietzsche would have felt that Power was the key theme to this game of Existing…
Well, that was fun!
Written first on September 29, 2019 for an online Jungian group by Tracey Gendron
