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MENTAL HEALTH AND THE PLANETS
A personal perspective by Stephen Owen

There are two types of astrology in the world today. Firstly, there is "pop-astrology". This comprises newspaper personal star-sign columns, TV astrology, and the new phenomenon of mobile phone texting from astrologers: "Jupiter is rising in your chart today, so wear purple nail varnish".

Some pop-astrologers claim their earnings go to fund serious astrological research: but surely, doesn't twaddle automatically render astrology a dodgy science in the eyes of the thinking majority?

Secondly, there is serious astrology. It offers no short-cuts, no instant remedies. Serious medical astrologers, writing in "Astrology and Medicine Newsletter" claim to have identified birth-chart characteristics indicating mental vulnerability.

Here we must stop. The vast majority of the public believe astrology is about "the key to Fate". Prediction almanacs like "Old Moore's" do little to dispel the illusion that astrology believes everything is cut and dried. Serious personal growth astrology, however, takes a totally different view. To begin with, it says, know your own chart. The birth-chart is a map, pointing to weaknesses and strengths.

Medical astrologers (and they are not psychiatrists) claim to have identified two planets as most salient in charts of voluntary clients who have suffered "schizophrenia". Uranus, discovered on the eve of the French Revolution by William Herschel observing from the city of Bath, is considered to be the planet of the "higher, mystic mind". It rules Aquarius, and some astrologers believe it is the "Planet of Revolution" and can come into operation in a personal chart very suddenly. Uranus as a "modern planet" is also held to govern electricity, electrostatic fields, broadcasting transmission and so forth. Its discovery by Herschel was contemporary with the first major discoveries of electricity by Galvani in Bologna in 1790.

The second planet is Neptune. Neptune governs drugs, pharmacological products, medicines, levels of doses. Uranus and Neptune are slow, distant planets. Some astronomers believe they are "refrigerated stars". Their matter is gassy, quite light and fine. Uranus and Neptune are shrouded in pale blue-green clouds. Pan Books Guide to Astronomy informs that Uranus orbits the solar primary in 84 years, and Neptune in 165 years.

On the 2nd February 1993 Uranus was in conjunction with Neptune in the Cardinal Earth sign of Capricorn (The Water-Goat). In dealing with our times (20th/2lst centuries) we could start a statistical survey of "schizophrenia" by chopping the epoch into "Before the Uranus-Neptune Conjunction" and "after" using 2 February 1993 as the dividing line.

In our lifetimes, and that of our mums and dads, Uranus has been behind Neptune in our birthcharts. Thus, if you were born in 1949, Uranus would be Geminian or Cancerian, and Neptune Libran in your chart. If you were born in 1974 your Uranus will be Libran and your Neptune Saggitarian.

The Sun sweeps around the entire Zodiac, through all signs, every year. Some researchers believe there is more danger of psychosis when the Sun conjuncts the birth-position of Uranus or Neptune. Or Mars, planet of Anger, might occupy your Neptune's birth-position.

Venus, planet of peace and harmony, might lead to a good patch when she is transmitting your natal Uranus or Neptune. Mundane astrologers, who map the destinies of nations, peoples, cities or towns, consider that there can be national psychoses or national "schizophrenic episodes". For England, astrologers use the coronation of William the Conqueror, Christmas 1066 as a "birth-chart". For modern, democratic UK, New Year's Day 1801 is used as the "National birth-chart".