Planetary Functions in AstroHology - Planets and Holistic Consciousness

by Vanesa Maiorana and Alejandro Christian Luna

We say that from a holistic consciousness, the way to understand reality has a fractal structure where each part in turn contains the whole. This whole, which is the Self, has dimensions that we could analyze separately to address its complexity, and explore how each of these dimensions is linked to the whole. We will try to describe this phenomenon in words, even though we know that written language has limitations to achieve this. In order to understand this description, it is necessary that we can open ourselves to a different sensibility and let the information arrive through different channels.

Astrology describes these different channels with the symbolism of the planets. The matrix of the planets is a structure that is linked to other structures (signs and houses) and from there all the complexity and creativity of what Astrology is emerges.

Each planet is going to be a specific function within the psyche, which corresponds to a quality, and each one symbolizes different things. Each planet has a function within a system. We begin to understand that there are no better or worse signs, no better or worse planets, but that each planet has its corresponding function that makes the system greater. And the major system is in psychological terms the development of an operative, mature, healthy psyche.

Each planet has a special quality, a corresponding archetype, a concrete function within the psyche of everyone, and each planet can be objectified into some kind of person, animal, object, or experience. It is as if the same quality of the planet can be seen in an abstract way, in a more psychological way or as if it were an external object.

The brain matures little by little, first it is just basic needs (Moon), then it is learning to communicate and speak (Mercury), then to connect with others (Venus). Then to express its being (Sun), then it puts itself in the place of others, and there is a kind of maturation that is implicit in the structure of the planets. Because the planets are basically intrapsychic functions.   

In this article, we present the functions of each one of the planets, in the light of the holistic consciousness and the different dimensions of the Being. The questions we present can be used to meditate and deepen our contact with them, in the process of discovering the enormous complexity of our life. 

The emotional world

In a birth chart, the world of emotions is taken into account as one of the main factors of the person. These have to do with the function of the Moon and all related factors. The Moon is the form that the primary emotional world has taken, it is that quality that will surround us from the beginning and will be configured as a defense mechanism in the first years, to be carried all life in the backpack of the resources we have for responding to what is happening to us. And the word backpack is used here in a double sense: it is the place where we keep what we carry with us and have at hand, but also sometimes it becomes a great weight that at some point in life we will have to release in order to continue walking.

The Moon in the birth chart shows the basic emotional mechanism that was configured as emotional survival from the beginning of life. 

Tuning in to the Moon....  

Am I reacting from my childlike repetitive mechanism? Do I allow myself to look for other ways to respond to emotional situations in the present? Do I register my emotional needs and make room for them? Can I take care of myself and others?

The emotional body is the one that contains all the wounds that have been accumulated throughout life, and even from gestation. Working with the world of emotions and understanding the lunar mechanisms is a fundamental aspect of the healing of the Self. The emotional base on which the Self is built must be healed if we are to walk our own path in life and unfold our individuality. The lunar mechanisms are the automatic and childlike responses that we build to ensure our survival when it was time to survive and build our first identity. But then these mechanisms must be revised to re-signify the childish scenes; when we take responsibility for our own lives, we have to begin to respond as adults to the wounds of the inner child.  Healing the emotional world is much more complex than understanding the lunar mechanisms, but we know that this understanding is a fundamental aspect, which may be accompanied by therapies that go deep into the physical body (where the wounds are recorded), and the emotional body can lead us to a very deep healing that enables new paths, creative and vital. 

Am I what I think I am?

The Sun has different levels of manifestation, on the one hand it represents the ego, the constructed identity, the sensation of being "I". On the other hand, the Sun is a path to expressing the spiritual spark that we are. The Sun is the center from which we radiate that essence and express what we are and can become. 

The Sun is also a generator of vital energy, it is a unifying center, a center that brings together all other functions. From the Sun we are radiating that which we are through time, building identities that will later be diluted to give rise to new ones. The consciousness of what we are is ever changing and evolving.

Tuning to the Sun.…

How and where do I encourage myself to unfold my vitality and self-expression? Where do I look for coherence in my life? What is the most genuine contribution I can make to the world from my individuality?

The Sun is a process, it is the path towards what Jung called the Self, a kind of transcendent identity that traces us towards integration and unity. To heal is to integrate light and shadow, that is, what we believe we are with what we do not know we are. To heal is to go in search of fulfillment by recognizing all aspects of the Self, even those that we do not accept of ourselves, giving them space and expressing them. The Sun is the light of the Spirit. That is why the Sun as an organizing center and as a path towards the spark of the Spirit that will guide the unfolding of our individuality. 

Word, thought, language and communication 

Human speech encodes information in a very complex way. Language is a sensitive and delicate instrument, because by its very nature it divides, cuts reality into fragments as if it were a knife; therefore, it can also be very dangerous. If we are aware of how language formats our brains, brains can go beyond language, beyond the literalness of words. And astrological perception seeks to go beyond language, precisely because it is a symbolic language. Astrology can make us feel the immensity and mystery of who we are and what reality is, as long as we let ourselves be permeated by it.

Through language we define how reality is composed, the phenomena that occur in nature, we exchange this knowledge and we transmit/receive it from others. Communication is not only the transmission of knowledge and ideas through words but it is also the bridge between the world of emotions and the mind.

On the one hand, the birth chart has this dimension of language and mind that we can find in Mercury and its analogous chart factors. It is a dimension of being that we can take into account to observe how the person thinks and communicates, how he or she builds bridges, how he or she connects his or her different parts and with the outside. 

Tuning in to Mercury.... 

Is the way I think, my mental models, really mine or are they conditioned? Do I allow myself to question my ideas and way of thinking to give rise to new forms? Am I communicating from my most essential self? Can I express my emotions, ideas, thoughts in a free and unconstrained way, seeking acceptance from others?  

Understanding life and our processes with a holistic and encompassing mind is deeply healing. Astrology is a path that transforms the mental constructs that we have and in fact leads us to transform the way of thinking and observing reality to which we are accustomed. In order to understand life from the astrological point of view, it is necessary to change to a way of observing that is simultaneous and multidimensional, with consciousness of essence and form at the same time, with sufficient amplitude to tolerate contradictory and ambiguous information, leaving the center of observation of the self to go towards a systemic vision without a determined center. 

Life is a path that makes sense

The search for transcendent knowledge and meaning in life is a fundamental dimension for the unfolding of the Self. When a person finds meaning even in the most difficult situations of life, finds meaning in his work in the world and finds meaning in his emotional life, he can go through situations of pain, conflict, or sadness, but he goes through them with an attitude of learning and confidence in something beyond the concrete situations he lives in.

Jupiter is the function of our psyche which is the vehicle of a search for meaning and trust. It is the connection to faith and to the inner guide who knows the path of the spirit. Jupiter is the ship that takes us to that sacred and elevated place of the Self. It is the direction the soul is going, it is the guide who knows the way, it is the expansion of consciousness that changes our vibration and rises up as it moves between heaven and earth.

The unfolding of new dimensions of consciousness changes the experiences we have in life. When we are going through painful situations that we cannot understand, when we do not find the explanation to the difficulties we have, or when we feel lost on the way, the contact with Jupiter can make us take a quantum leap in understanding or can even cause a total change of beliefs. The change of beliefs can totally change the basis on which our confidence in life is sustained.

Tuning in to Jupiter…

Do I find out what things give my life meaning? Do I give them room? What is my Truth? Do I encourage myself to walk the path to my Truth? Do I trust in the abundance of life? Can I listen to my inner guidance and connect with my deep wisdom?

A person who has contacted the meaning of his or her life will be able to understand experiences, even the most painful ones, with a sense of learning and evolution. This broader understanding, in contact with the Soul, undoubtedly produces healing on the different planes of Being, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.  

Loving oneself to love others 

In our own universe symbolized by our birth chart, Venus tells us how we tend to relate to others, how we open ourselves to meeting others, the ability to enjoy life and sexuality, how we seek beauty and what things we look for in others to feel complete. 

Venus is the function through which we can appreciate value. That which we value in others is what we look for in another who complements us. This value we look for in others also has to do with the value we can recognize in ourselves. If we can value ourselves, we can value others. If we are able to love ourselves, we can receive the love that others give us and we can love others. 

Tuning in to Venus…

What are the pleasures I enjoy most in life? Can I put myself in the other's shoes? Can I recognize my personal values? What do others value about me and what do I value in them? What do I look for in a partner? Can I depend on someone to be good to me, can I bond without losing myself in the other? Do I value the freedom to be within a bond with another? What is love to me?

Working with the energy of Venus has a fundamental role in healing. A person who has come into contact with his or her true value, with his or her qualities, and with the love that he or she can give to himself or herself, is someone who will live free from the dependencies of others as givers of love and well-being. Someone who has managed to value and love himself can also love others. This contact is a source of fulfillment where there is no lack of any kind, because that love and abundance that comes from within will also come from outside as a consequence. The enjoyment of the material plane is also an aspect of learning about Venus, and when contact has been made with the generating source within each of us, the dependence on material resources will also be released. The person who flows in love and in his own source, does not need to control or depend, and will always receive all that is necessary. 

The courage to live life

Mars (Ares for the Greeks) represents the masculine energy of departure, struggle for survival, competitiveness and courage. It is the warrior that we all carry within, necessary to face the onslaughts of life. Mars as ruler of Aries is the desire, the impulse and the initiative.

Mars indicates the qualities of the "inner warrior" in both men and women. Through this inner warrior, a person will decide and act to conquer what he or she wants. The main function of Mars is to find self-assertion. Self-assertion is to make contact with one's own qualities and talents that allow us to make contact with the inner power. Where we feel strong, is where we can take courage to move forward, to get out of a state of stagnation, to go for the most genuine desire to live our own life. 

Without a doubt, to live the life we want requires courage. Appealing to our inner warrior is fundamental to travel the great path we came to walk. 

Tuning in to Mars.…

Am I encouraging myself to take risks for what I want? What concrete actions am I taking to express my potential? Can I contact the emotions that come from my gut like anger and helplessness? What do I do with those emotions? Can I contact my personal power, my qualities and talents? Do I feel the strength I have to move forward in life towards my own fulfillment? Do I depend on the decisions and actions of others to move me?

Making contact with one's own strength, personal power, resources and talents gives us enough courage and bravery to go for the things we desire. When that desire is aligned with the heart, the path will be filled with action, satisfaction and a sense of direction. A seed requires extraordinary strength to break the shell and come out. It will be risky because the seed that does not open has a protection, but it will not be able to unfold its greatest potential to become a tree. The way to be a tall tree in search of the Sun will require the greatest courage in the world for that seed: courage to Live. 

Putting down strong roots to mature

Growth requires the continuous development of the different functions of the physical and psychic body. Growing is difficult, because it requires leaving the mammal dependence on someone else to take care of us. Growing implies taking responsibility for oneself and for those who necessarily depend on us. Growing up confronts us with the limits of form, of matter, of the body, of others, of life. That is why growing requires necessarily facing the frustration of being trapped in limits that do not allow us to move. To grow requires a force that many times will seem superhuman to us, to persevere and sustain states that are difficult to live with. Thanks to Saturn, we can contact the qualities of self-sustainability, perseverance, tolerance and firmness necessary to grow and mature. Saturn often shows the raw reality of what Is, of what we are and of what others are. 

The first representative of Saturn in life is the father, the one who put limits on us, who sustained us, who established the rules, the mandates, and as in every psychic process, it implies first a projection and then an internalization. 

To be healthy in a sick society is to rebel and disobey certain laws that are not one's own. Saturn's introjection has more to do with finding one's own law, responsibility and commitment to that law and to one's own life. Where Saturn is in the chart is the journey that we are going to make of maturation; it is a place in the chart that requires effort. 

Tuning in to Saturn.…

Are you really responsible for your own life? Do you tend to look to others for support? What is your true essence? Can you understand that the limits you encounter are the path to your growth? Can you recognize that frustration is the biggest engine for your growth?

Healing is a process of maturation. We must be responsible for ourselves, take charge of our own life, leave the place of childish grievance, and the place of the victim. As long as we continue to depend on our childlike side of the child who did not heal his or her wounds and continues to complain, we can never build, create and live fully. The work with Saturn is fundamental to healing. Someone who lets himself fall into the clutches of dependence on others, their diseases, misfortunes and destiny, is also building his own unhappy destiny. Destiny is built by taking the reins of one's life. 

The gift of healing, beyond the ego

The construction of a healthy and solid identity is the basis for the deployment of the individual in life. The ego, which represents the consciousness of identity, which distinguishes what one Is from what one is outside, is built throughout life through the bonds and dynamics of light and shadow. Despite its fundamental importance, the ego has to mature and be questioned every time it has become rigid and does not enable the expression of new qualities of being that are part of its potential. However, it is not so easy to question the ego, since it is defined as the guardian of security and the bearer of life. It is something like a character that believes to be the total Self, although in reality it is only a portion of it. The ego needs to survive, and in that defense, it makes sure to attack everything that challenges it, even when it is our interior that pulses unrestrainedly to renew itself in order to live. The ego has whims, which we, when we are identified with it, try to satisfy at all costs. This satisfaction of the ego, at the cost of the vitality of the whole system, has a very high price. 

Transpersonal functions are those that operate beyond the ego and our identification with it. They connect us with energies that cross all forms and renew them, even when the ego offers great resistance. Chiron is the function that opens the portal to these energies, and connects us to the pain that the ego feels when it dies, not feeling that its whims are not satisfied. Chiron offers the gift of making us see that pain and illness do not exist outside of the ego. Healing is not necessary in the kingdom of the soul, because the soul does not get sick or suffer pain. However, Chiron tells us that in order to get out of the suffering produced by the wound of the ego, it is necessary to accept it and see it in all its expression. It seems paradoxical, because on the one hand we say there are no wounds or pain for the soul, and yet we have to see them in order to heal. Chiron is the leap of consciousness that puts us face-to-face with ambivalent reality, and thanks to allowing the mind to remain focused, it allows us to jump from it to another dimension. In that new dimension lies the key to escaping pain whenever necessary, and to helping others discover their own wound. Chiron is the wounded healer. Whoever sees his wound, can heal by leaving behind the identification with it. 

Tuning in to Chiron... 

What is the inexplicable pain that is repeated in my life? Am I able to see my identification with the ego? What benefits does this identification bring me? What situations prevent me from seeing others, because I only focus on my own needs? What chronic suffering do I want to be free of? What is the gift that emerges in situations of pain? Can I recognize my ability to help others with that gift?

The freedom to be

Life is a continuum between the search for change and stability. If we were static and never changed, we would not be able to develop through the different stages of growth and maturation. If we were never looking for stability, we would be in continuous change and our psyche would be in a state of stress, nothing would have continuity, we would feel that we were going crazy. Change is associated with creativity. To create something new it is necessary to leave the known, to leave the patterns and models installed, to break established structures.

Change and creativity are a pulse that goes through us. The Universe is creative, new forms are continuously being created. Life is a continuous creative process, capable of shaping thousands and thousands of different species and beings.

We are all different even though there is a common pattern. Each of us has the unique seed to be deployed throughout life. Each seed will have the opportunity to come out of its shell and grow in its creativity and freedom. Freedom is directly associated with creativity and the ability to unfold that which is unique to us. Freedom requires coming out of patterns and conditionings, coming out of dependencies of everything that attempts against the possibility of living our own life.

Uranus is the function through which we are impregnated by the creativity of life. This transpersonal force is powerful and will normally be threatening to the consciousness identified with the search for stability. The more we cling to known forms, the more difficult it is to experience the creative, to live in freedom and to unfold individuality. All these wonderful qualities can be unfolded when we can take responsibility for our own life. 

The inner work with Uranus is the great challenge of letting go of control of everything without possessively holding on to everything we have built. Detachment is one of the most difficult lessons for the most earthly part that lives inside us: the mammal. Detachment brings freedom and creativity. The process of healing is the art of unfolding the Self that we are, a being that at the same time has a predatory potential, and a potential in a continuous process of creation. This art requires living every moment in a state of total presence, living in the Now, which is the only moment that really exists. 

Tuning in to Uranus... 

In what area of my life do I need to renew myself and make a crucial change? Where do I feel free, original and different from everyone else? Am I free from what will be said, from what should be, from the outward image? What do I want to rebel against? What do I need to free myself from in order to walk my own path? Do I feel trapped or do I feel free to move? Can I show myself as I am without masks?

Resonate with the Whole

Resonance is a synchronized vibrational communication between different bodies that have similar patterns across time and space. Since all bodies in the universe are in continuous motion, there is resonance everywhere. A. T. Mann

Neptune is another of the transpersonal planets whose main function is that we can resonate with different dimensions of reality, a reality that goes far beyond what is generally experienced by our usual senses. Neptunian energy is one of dissolution of all limits and of empathy with the entire Universe. This extreme sensitivity that leads to mediumship and spirituality is a deeply loving energy. 

Neptune offers a fundamental compassionate quality to expand the horizon of sensitivity of the human being. It is like saying that you cannot not commit to the bodhisattva vow. The bodhisattva does not want enlightenment exclusively for himself, but for all other sentient beings. 

Tuning in to Neptune....

Can I understand that we are all made of the same substance? Can I allow myself to be permeated by the contradictory information of life? Can I expand the boundaries of my mind and realize that I am part of a Whole and that I am at the same time that Whole? Can I let my mind open to new ways of understanding reality?

Dying, letting go, living and being reborn

Being born, dying and being reborn is a process that often occurs in what we call "our" life. Seen from the perspective of "our" being, the idea that something has to die to give rise to something new is frightening. Because we cannot stop relating the concept of death to the end of existence. The fear of death comes from far away, in the very birth there is the presence of death, since in order to go out into the world we must leave behind a life in certain conditions (the maternal womb). The struggle for survival comes into conflict with the possibility of rebirth. One part of us will try to stay in the current state, while another part will push to release what it knows is over. This struggle generates a conflict where the forces become more and more tense and the intensity of the struggle becomes so strong that it leads us to encounter the limits. 

This conflict occurs both inside and outside of us, that is, we feel an inner conflict at the same time that something in our relationships and environment is in conflict. When the ego or self intervenes strongly in this struggle, the process is flooded with the need to control everything. Our mind gets in the way of the life forces pulsing from within that come from the very essence of Life itself circulating in the Universe. Our egocentric mind believes that it can actually determine that path, but the life force is so powerful that when the tension is at its peak, any controlling force of the ego will inevitably be released, resulting in the death of that which no longer has the strength to go on living. 

When we speak of this conflict we are referring to many moments in our lives, in which the opportunity to renew energy and let it flood with vitality presents itself. They will be moments of death, where fear will be as strong as the desire to be born. The Universe is an unlimited vital source in relation to the energy that each one of us needs to live. Pluto is also the transpersonal function, representing that inner volcano aligned to the forces of the cosmos, which transforms us and helps us to start over. Learning to let go will surely be one of life's most difficult and painful challenges, but all that pain will be transformed into such a source of power that when we have gone through the process, we will feel that both life and death have true meaning. 

Tuning in to Pluto....

Can I let go of control, surrendering to what Life presents to me? What are the resistances to letting go? Am I holding on to something or someone out of fear? Can I trust that there is an essence that lasts beyond the form my life takes? Can I remember the times I died and was reborn? Can I make contact with the vital power that comes from letting go? In which situations or areas do I feel completely devitalized and in which can I perceive life flowing through me without limits? Can I realize who is taking from me and from whom I am drawing energy to keep going?

About the authors:
Vanesa Maiorana and Alejandro Christian Luna are authors of the book "AstroHology volumen one: a holistic paradigm of Astrology" and "AstroHology volume two: Planerary movements to the unfolding of the Self". Creators and teachers of training in Astrology with a holistic and transpersonal approach, in online modality available for the whole world in spanish, for the moment. Creators of the radio program Hola Marte!
Vanesa Maiorana is an astrologer, teacher and astrology consultant. Reiki Master of the Usui Shiki Ryoho system. Bachelor of Systems and Master in Software Engineering. She was a university professor from 1993 to 2011.
Alejandro Christian Luna is a consultant and professor of Astrology, professional ontological coach and graphic designer. Trained in Psychosynthesis. Creator of the Visual Zodiac, Visual Zodiac Pro and the Orange Luna Tarot decks (together with the German artist Nil Orange).  
You can contact the authors to find out about their career in Astrology (in presence or online modalities) and their books. In the future, the books will be available in English.  
Website: www.astrohologia.com.ar. 
Email:  astrohologia@gmail.com.

Images:
Fractal flower: Image by Barbara A Lane from Pixabay
Moon: Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay
Sun: Image by ipicgr from Pixabay
Jupiter: Image by Christian Bodhi from Pixabay
Saturn: Image by Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay
Neptune: Image by WikiImages from Pixabay