“The eye is the light of the body; if, therefore thine eye be made single, thy whole body will be full of light.”
-Gospel of St. Matthew
“Jian. To see. Without observation, Learning is impossible.”
-Everyday Tao
As a parent (now grandparent!), a former teacher and now, a
full-time astrologer, I have long wanted to make astrological sense of how
children learn. What follows here is a look back at my attempt to solve at
least part of this puzzle in an article for the Mountain Astrologer, published in issue #126, April/May 2006. The
observations in this article were based on personal experiences and years of
study and working with students, many of them challenged with autism and other disorders. What follows is a slightly updated and
condensed version of that original article, which began something like this:
What does vision have to do with learning? Aside from
needing to see the blackboard in class, I never thought much about the
connection either—until I encountered a behavioral optometrist who administers
vision therapy to improve people’s learning abilities. Many of his patients are
children diagnosed with the elusive “learning disorders”—Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia—and
the therapy works well in many cases. As an alternative to drugging the
children, it seemed worth looking into.
I quickly learned that vision therapists distinguish between
“eyesight” and “vision”: Eyesight is the ability to see; vision is a process
that integrates the sensory and motor functions of the brain and the body. Importantly,
vision is a learned process that
develops over time along with the child’s learning abilities. With optimum
development, vision becomes an accurate navigational system (for example, our
eyes guide our hands, when catching a ball).
Numerous visual skills, aside from
acuity (20/20 vision), can be undermined along the way, however—(e.g., eye
convergence difficulties have a direct impact on reading ability). Vision
and Learning reports that “25% of all children have a vision problem
significant enough to affect their performance in school.”[1]
Exploring how all this relates to the astrological Sun (and
its planetary entourage) has been intriguing. I hope what follows will inspire
dialogue and someday, a coherent astrological model for learning and its
challenges. Serious research remains to be done, of course, to test its
validity with an appropriate sample of natal charts and case studies: To that
end, I welcome input from interested parties. I believe the astrological
community can offer important insights for any discussion on learning.
Many faculties and concepts are associated with the
astrological Sun, but vision— with all its physical, mental and spiritual
implications—is one that receives scant consideration. Medical astrology
generally views the Sun as the ruler of the eyes, but Dane Rudhyar, in the Astrology of Personality, explores the
nonphysical dimensions of this rulership—that is, the correlation between
consciousness (a well-acknowledged domain of the Sun) and the human eye. He
writes:
Building the field of
consciousness on a clearly formed
structure centered accurately in the ego is like building a perfect eye
with the power of precise focalization through the lens and the eye’s muscles,
so that the image reflected upon the retina falls exactly on the “yellow spot”
of the retina which alone is endowed with full sensitiveness to light. It is
what the great eye specialist and philosopher, Dr. Bates, called ‘central
fixation’…If thus the chart axes represent the structure of the field of
consciousness—the structure of the “eye” symbolically—the Sun stands for the
“light” releasing the energy (the photons) by means of which vision is made
possible. In a real sense the eye as an organ of vision is molded structurally
by the nature of the light.[2]
Amazingly, our optical system operates something like a
camera (see Figure 1 below); it is
comprised of the lenses that take in light, capture and focus images, which are
then “developed” in brain chemicals, processed in thought along neural
networks, stored in memory and projected on our inner “screens.” In a very real
sense, our optical system bridges the outer world (the Sun’s actual light) with
our inner world (our capacity for transforming light into vision). It gets
better.
 |
| Figure 1. Anatomy of the Eye |
The Hermetic principle (“As above, so below”) provides a
metaphysical equivalent to every physical organ. Hence, our “inner eyes” are
the “lenses” of our Souls, drawing in spiritual light and bridging our inner
world with the world of Spirit.
In fact, vision, as a faculty of the astrological Sun, links
all levels of our being—from physical eyesight, to mental understanding and
viewpoint, to transcendent/spiritual insight and creative/psychic “second
sight.” Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all creative
“visionaries.” This has critical implications for learning.
First, I will present a few basics; then, I will draw astrological
implications. Behavioral optometry views vision as integral to our healthy
development as whole beings. This makes astrological sense: the Sun represents
our potential for wholeness. We grow into it, over time. Vision therapists
study the visual system from birth, through three stages of development
(broadly summarized in the Table, here):
Table
- Skills and Learning Modes according to Developmental Stages
Developmental Stage
|
Emergent Skills/Abilities
|
Primary Learning Mode
|
Gross Motor
|
Basic visual
focus and tracking (following a prompt); depth perception (binocular vision);
basic hand-eye coordination; balanced movements and alternating left-right
movements (crawling, walking, running, skipping, climbing)
|
Tactile/Kinesthetic
|
Fine Motor
|
Ease with
near-far focusing adjustment; refined visual tracking and “jumping” from
point to point (e.g., connecting the dots); refined hand-eye coordination and
vestibular (balance) sense; beginning image manipulation (visualization) and
visual memory.
|
Verbal/Auditory
|
Oculomotor
|
Refined
visualization and visual memory; strong visual learning capabilities.
|
Visual
|
Structural and neurological refinements (such as developing
neural networks or strength in the spine and legs) happen rapidly during the
gross motor stage. The so-called “pre-school” visual/learning
skills—recognizing and matching shapes and colors, letters and numbers,
following lines with a crayon, pointing, counting and distinguishing “same”
from “different”—are typically acquired during the latter portion of this
phase.
The challenges of the “3Rs” (reading, writing, ‘rithmatic) are
taken on during the fine motor stage. Gross motor skills continue to be refined
during the fine motor stage, but the dominant learning mode gradually shifts
from tactile (touching) to verbal/auditory.
This shift usually improves a child’s attentiveness when the
teacher is speaking; the need to touch everything and move constantly is less
urgent. In this mode, children typically understand material better when it’s
spoken out loud (even by themselves).
Many learning
difficulties arise from children getting stuck in these two stages, trying to
use tactile/kinesthetic, or verbal/auditory skills to accomplish academic tasks
better suited to more advanced stages.
Oculomotor skills develop along with the fine ocular muscles
controlling eye movements; typically, these are the last set of muscles to
develop. These skills, once acquired, free the child to learn and comprehend by
sight, rather than by touch or sound, and this is essential for academic
development.[3]
Getting to this level of development begins at birth, however.
In The Mind & the Brain, neuropsychiatrist
Jeffrey Schwartz notes that, “Alone among the senses, the visual system
receives no stimulation until after birth…The accurate wiring of the visual
cortex that underlies the gradual improvement in vision occurs only if the baby
receives normal visual stimuli.”[4]
Since real conditions often fall short of ideal, learning deficits can result. This
suggests the Sun’s rulership of overall, integrated brain function and thus the
“process” of vision/learning in question: The Sun’s light energizes brain
function, stimulating consciousness and, therefore, vision and learning.
Vision and the Planets
Vision develops along with the rest of the body, making it a
collaborative astrological affair—like our Solar system. The Sun rules the
overall system; however, each part (planet, etc.) plays a role. Gross motor
development seems to primarily involve the personal planets: Mercury, Venus,
Mars, and the Sun; fine motor development adds Jupiter and Uranus to this list;
and oculomotor development incorporates Neptune. The more complex the
visual/learning skills are, the more complex the planetary mix is. These
correlations will be discussed in more depth later.
The Moon and Pluto affect all stages through their impact on
fluids (tears, aqueous and vitreous fluid in the eyeball), hormones and
emotions. Saturn, as ruler of dense bodily structures and the skin, governs the
protective, bony eye socket and likely, the eyeball’s outer covering (cornea,
etc.). Along with Jupiter, Saturn also regulates the pituitary glands and,
hence, the growth process itself.[5]
Medical astrologer Jane Ridder-Patrick suggests that Uranus—responsible
for connecting spirit and matter—co-rules and coordinates the central nervous
system, along with Mercury.[6]
I would add to that the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerves connecting the
hemispheres of the brain.
Ridder-Patrick also notes that the eyes (the organs
alone) are traditionally thought to be ruled by both Sun and Moon: the right
eye of a man and left eye of a woman by the Sun; the left eye of a man and
right eye of a woman by the Moon.[7] Not surprisingly, this suggests a role for emotion (i.e., when angry, we “see
red”). It also accounts for tears hydrating our eyes (Moon rules water), and
the connection of tears with emotions.
The Sun/Moon rulership also mirrors the interplay of yin and yang
in vision and visual learning. Vision is both passive (receptive) and active
(projective): like our “camera,” our eyes receive light reflecting off objects
in our field of vision; in the retina, this light is converted into
electro-chemical signals, which are transmitted via the optic and other nerves
to various areas of the brain.
The brain sorts through, interprets and refines
(all active processes) the image it will then project on our inner “screen;”
all of these are active processes. The brain does all this at the speed of
light, of course!
The brain’s cerebral cortex (see Figure 2 below) is roughly 80% concerned with visual processes; the
brain, in fact, operates like a symphony orchestra, conducted by il Maestro, the Sun. In an orchestra,
the quality of each player’s contribution is critical, but the overall impact ultimately
determines whether people leap to their feet cheering, or just clap politely
and leave.
In terms of visual/brain function, the primary “players” are
the actual organs of the eyes, their associated musculature and nerves, and the
processing and feedback centers of the cerebral cortex (spanning both brain
hemispheres). Mercury and Jupiter are thought to be the primary rulers of the
linear thinking, logical left cerebral hemisphere; Venus, Jupiter and Neptune
(with Mercury’s help in carrying messages), appear to rule the intuitive,
imagistic, pattern-seeking right hemisphere.[8]
The Moon, as discussed, impacts both hemispheres with its effect
on brain “chemistry.” Uranus is involved throughout, helping Mercury to
coordinate everything.
 |
| Figure 2. The Bilateral Brain |
Finally, in Venus’s compatibility with Jupiter and her role
as the lower octave of Neptune, it seems Venus manifests Neptune’s more
nebulous right-brain image production and pattern sensitivity—hence, her
importance to all three developmental stages. Even pre-schoolers learn to make
simple analogies and recognize patterns. Later, artistry evolves with visual
function; a person with advanced oculomotor skills can acquire a refined “eye”
for balance and composition that fits Venus’ profile.
Besides organizing, supporting and regulating visual
function, Saturn grounds our visions in the “real world,” providing us with a
culturally-conditioned inner censor (more on this under the issue of belief). Saturn
is perhaps also linked with eye diseases such as macular degeneration.
According
to Ridder-Patrick, Pluto is associated with the amygdala, or primitive
“reptilian brain,” and interacts with the hypothalamus (ruled by the Moon); as
such, the amygdala keeps us alert to danger, produces defensive behavior and
unleashes volcanic emotion.[9]
I would add dread and paranoia (Pluto’s skewed vision) to the list.
When stimulated, the reptilian brain literally shuts off the
higher learning centers, switching the brain’s focus into survival mode. This
way, people who are over-saturated with fearful, violent, negative media images
can be literally “dumbed-down.”
The reptilian brain is also the source of
vivid, paralyzing images held in long term memory—the type that intensive
therapy works to transmute and heal (Pluto!). As illustrated so vividly in What the Bleep Do We Know?,[10]
fear, rage and defensiveness shut down or severely hamper a person’s
ability to envision (and thereby
create) a positive reality.
Though it’s difficult to separate the brain, the mind and
the optical system, the following faculties are closely related to vision.
Again, the Sun taps his baton, and each planet plays its part:
These last two faculties evoke vision’s collective and
transcendental dimensions. Many spiritual teachers and quantum physicists agree
that this level of sight is creative—that (both individually and collectively) we
create what we en-vision—and
alternatively, what we see is, on some level, our own creation. (The content of
today’s media should raise a red flag here.)
Dimensions of life
Vision also links the various dimensions of human life, from
individual to collective. Cultures have always been sustained by “visions” that
incorporate worldviews and belief systems. For some, vision quests are
essential, an initiation into adult status in the culture. The initiate is
imprinted with the vision, often earned heroically, which fuels his or her
being (Sun) with purpose from then on. Such visions tend to fit cultural expectations and ideas.
For instance, Native American visions might involve Spirit animals, or the four
sacred directions. Those who have been culturally conditioned to see angels
with wings will see angels with wings. If visions connect a person with Spirit,
why shouldn’t Spirit choose to communicate in a personalized symbolic language?
Through its symbol-making and unique spin on universal
archetypes, a culture forms a consensus reality that defines it. In today’s
global culture, however, individuals are defined less by the worldview of their
ethnic or tribal groups, families or local communities. Big Media literally
encompasses all, casting a Neptunian spell that routinely neutralizes or
co-opts culture-related self-images, serving up pre-packaged images in their
place. Not all media influence is negative, of course—Neptune’s waters can relax
and heal, but they can also swallow us whole.
What does it mean to lose the ability to produce our own
visions? To begin with, three important skills may be impaired: 1) visual
thinking—the ability to manipulate visual scenarios in your mind (a highly
efficient way of processing information); 2) visual memory—the ability to
recall learned material; and 3) visualization—the ability to use the “mind’s
eye” to conceptualize and manipulate ideas. The latter is an important creative
skill, with spiritual implications. We literally bridge Heaven and Earth with
our vision-making capability.
Bridges connect or “mediate” two realities; hence, the term
“media” for the global electronic web ruled by Mercury-Uranus (low tech/high
tech). As a bridge with the world-out-there, media can promote a positive sense
of global collective identity (Uranus); the 2004 Indonesian tsunami relief
effort illustrated this well. However, the media that literally hijacks our
awareness with seductively “real” imagery and illusions (i.e., this past year’s
epidemic of “fake news”) is Neptunian.
With relentless repetition, Neptune’s media images and
messages become our reality, unless we have a basis for comparison. Unfortunately,
media images are easily manipulated—the film Wag the Dog made that eerily clear.[11]
Pluto and Neptune work together frighteningly well in this arena.
Basically, whoever
controls collective vision—the media (campaigns waged on Twitter?)—controls consensus reality. Astrologically, the usurping
of our ability to form independent images amounts to an assault on the Sun.
This assault has very real consequences for learning. For
instance, millions of American kids are medicated with psychotropic drugs
(Neptune), aimed to control behaviors related to three vaguely defined (Neptune
again) disorders: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); its hyperactive corollary,
ADHD; and dyslexia. Tragically, overworked teachers often pressure parents to
medicate their children, to render them teachable. There’s no consensus on what
causes these conditions, however—or, if they are really “disorders” at all.
Viewing these conditions as Neptunian dysfunction makes
sense. Afflicted individuals often have low self-esteem (perpetuated by poor
school performance); they often need to interact intensely with their
environment through their tactile (touching, handling everything), kinesthetic
(constant motion), or verbal faculties (talking incessantly).
In terms of vision therapy, such kids are stuck at an
immature visual stage: They haven’t mastered the oculomotor (Neptunian) phase
that allows them to use vision alone to learn more efficiently. Dyslexics are
especially challenged in this regard. Astrologically, Neptune’s encroaching
action (whether natal, or environmental) may crowd out the mental visions
children might otherwise produce through reading and interacting with people
and places.
Hence, kids need to experience the world through other
senses. Hard aspects between Neptune and the personal planets (particularly the
Sun) may signal this condition. Seen from this light, these disorders have
something in common with blindness and other sensory impairments. Intelligence
is rarely the problem; being able to access that intelligence and use it
effectively is another story.
Being and
Point-of-View
Considering the Sun’s connection with both Being and Vision,
it would seem the less our visions of reality are mediated, the better. Direct
experience is certainly a more positive use for Mercury-Sun. When the Messenger
is unobstructed or distracted, he keeps our brain’s neural networks crackling
nicely, interacting with our environment and forming our own point-of-view (our reality!).
The mediated approach throws up barriers for Mercury.
Repetitive media input creates well-worn neural circuits that literally occupy our
individual points of view. These messages act on our brains just as the
embedded journalists support the U.S. occupation of Iraq by managing public
perception. Advertisers are well aware that incessant repetition of their
messages is what sells product.
The plot thickens. The Sun rules many things, but it is an
inextricable Whole. An impairment to any
of its capacities handicaps all its
capacities. In light of this idea, an assault on a child’s vision-producing
capabilities is serious indeed. For instance, if Neptune, through the media,
encroaches upon our “bridge” to Spirit, how does that affect our ability to be self-reflective,
to learn abstract concepts (Jupiter), to grow in wisdom? The developmental
timeline and the natural order of the
Solar system suggest that we need to master Jupiter before we can
assimilate Neptune.
The special case of
Autism
Autism is an area worth researching in this regard. In my
experience working with affected children, I have often sensed Neptune’s
debilitating involvement. For starters, the typical withdrawn behavior feels
Neptunian: the “I” (Sun) is elusive in lower-functioning autism. Also, impaired
physical vitality (Sun) and dysfunctional vision are also often present.[12]
Like ADD- or ADHD-affected children and blind individuals, individuals with
autism often compensate for confusing visual information by using other senses.
Many people with autism are rigidly pattern-bound,
developing photographic memories and feeling secure only when things stay
exactly as they remember them. Saturnian routine and structure combat Neptune’s
slipperiness.
Visual impairments vary with affected individuals, but are
known to include: over-reliance on peripheral (side) vision; poor binocular
(two-eyed) vision (impairing depth perception and making eye contact
disorienting); looking through, rather than at objects; an
inability to fixate and focus on objects; and a tendency to visually sweep
their environments from side to side, using the whole head, rather than eye
movements alone.
In turn, these impairments result in challenged hand-eye
coordination and motor skills, “wandering eyes,” the inability to shift from
near-focus to far-focus (say, in time to perceive a vehicle coming down the
street), short attention span, and difficulties with socialization.
Naming an object
in the field of vision can be difficult for someone with autism, even if the
person can point to its printed name. Seeing and knowing (perception) and
verbalizing are all brain-related (Sun), but in neurotypical development, these
three work seamlessly together. With an assaulted Sun, these functions are
fragmented and erratic, at best. Is the media the actual assailant? For those
born with autism, obviously not; as we will see, there can be plenty of natal
challenges.
Environmental factors such as toxins and the media could
certainly contribute to or exacerbate the challenges, though. Since behaviors
typical of ADD/ADHD and autism often surface during pre-school years—considerably
after birth—Neptune’s media influence is also worth considering. Becoming
immersed in an illusionary media reality (Neptune’s influence on perception)
may do little to improve the isolation that often accompanies such
developmental challenges.
Seeing,
Understanding and Believing
Clearly, vision involves more than perception. We must also understand or comprehend what we
perceive. Comprehension is a complex phenomenon involving several areas of the
brain and the optical system. Astrologically, Mercury and Jupiter are
implicated, as rulers of the Gemini/Sagittarius polarity. Mercury is thought to
govern the “lower” functions of understanding such as concrete, linear
thinking, simple analytical functions, “mapping,” step-by-step problem-solving,
etc. These left-brain skills allow us to survive in our everyday
environments—the province of Gemini and the 3rd house.
The “higher” functions of understanding are relegated to
Jupiter, ruling Sagittarius and the 9th house. Jupiter interprets
and critically analyzes information, deals in abstract concepts and strategies.
To Mercury’s “physics,” Jupiter provides the “metaphysics.” Mercury
says: Show me! Jupiter observes, reflects upon what is seen, thinks in terms of
the Big Picture, forms beliefs and strategies, using the “inner vision”
characteristic of the oculomotor stage of development.
Jupiter’s influence spans both left and right hemispheres,
it seems. This makes sense if we consider Jupiter’s rulership of both
Sagittarius (abstract analytical, interpretive) and Pisces (holistic,
imagistic).
In fact, the entire mutable cross seems implicated in our
two-sided brains (Fig. 2, above): the
Gemini-Sagittarius polarity accounts for Mercury and Jupiter’s joint rulership
of the left hemisphere; Virgo-Pisces accounts for Mercury, Venus (exalted in
Pisces), Jupiter, and Neptune ruling the right. As mediator and coordinator,
Mercury and Uranus have their say, ruling the connective corpus callosum.
Astrologically, anything affecting one sign in a cross affects them all; physiologically, both brain hemispheres must work together smoothly for effective vision and understanding to develop.
Astrologically, anything affecting one sign in a cross affects them all; physiologically, both brain hemispheres must work together smoothly for effective vision and understanding to develop.
This brings us to the issue of beliefs. Certainly, they help
us to form our visions of reality and of ourselves. Astronomer Sir Patrick
Moore calls Jupiter (ruling belief systems) “the senior member of the Sun’s
family; indeed, it has been said that the Solar System is made up of the Sun,
Jupiter and various minor bodies.”[13]
This seniority mirrors the importance of
beliefs to vision. Not surprisingly, Saturn plays a role, as well, working
hand-in-hand with Jupiter. Through a visual/brain mechanism known as
suppression, our brains can override what our eyes tell us is real, with
what we believe to be true.
In other words, we really do see—as the Bible said—what we
have “eyes to see.” In optical terms, suppression (Saturn) is the brain’s way
of settling discrepancies between what the right and left eyes report to it by
simply blocking one eye’s information. Implying a value judgment (Jupiter),
this explains how Saturn and Jupiter help socialize us. “Managed information” may take on different
forms, but it all amounts to support (Jupiter) of one point-of-view, at the
expense/suppression (Saturn) of another.
Despite the cliché, seeing is not necessarily
believing. The film What the Bleep Do We
Know? cites Caribbean natives who could not see Columbus’s ships on the
horizon, because they had no beliefs or experience to validate the sight. The real was literally suppressed, until a
shaman sensed what was happening.
Intolerance may also have some roots here: a strong
suppression mechanism may neurologically
block a person’s view beyond his/her beliefs. In extreme cases, Pluto
probably plays a role, as well. Individuals with strong Jupiter, Saturn and/or
Pluto influences often hold unassailable beliefs and opinions; unfortunately,
delusions may follow.
Chart 1. Source: Kepler 8.0. Rodden rated: AA
Deluded sight
Anorexics, for instance, often have body image
issues—“seeing” themselves as fat, even if they are actually emaciated. Singer
Karen Carpenter’s natal Jupiter (Chart 1,
above) is a case-in-point: Ruled by insecure Uranus in Cancer, her Jupiter is
tightly conjunct Mercury, opposite her Moon/Pluto (body/emotions) conjunction,
and trine Neptune. Interestingly, her Chiron (21° Sagittarius) is sextile to
and ruled by Jupiter: She was both wounded and celebrated.
Clinching it all,
Carpenter's sensitive Pisces Sun (co-ruled by the delusion-prone Jupiter-Neptune trine)
was indeed “assaulted” by an opposition from driven, perfectionist Saturn in Virgo
and by tri-septiles with both Mars and Pluto.
The
Eyes of the Mind
Optometrists, unconcerned with delusions, work to counteract
(through corrective lenses) our blurred focus—a Neptunian challenge. Visual
acuity (the ability to clearly see what we point our eyes at from a standard
distance[14])
would seem to be the domain of Mars and Saturn.
Clear focus depends upon effective oculomotor muscles
(Mars-Mercury; nerves are responsible for signaling the muscles when needed)
and an appropriately refracted lens (Saturn). Intent (Mars) sets the whole
process in motion; when therapy is needed, disciplined effort overcomes
Neptune’s undermining tendencies.
This was the experience of “Travis,” a teenager I worked with some years ago, whose autism co-existed with visual
impairments, among other difficulties. His Aquarius Sun is under siege, exactly
square Pluto in Scorpio (see Chart 2,
below).
 |
| Chart 2. Source: private conversation. No birth-time available. |
He was both withdrawn and often fearful, to the point of
panic. His Sun is disposed by Saturn (20° Capricorn) and Uranus (8° Capricorn),
with Saturn ruling the tight six-planet Capricorn stellium they inhabit along
with Mercury, Venus, Neptune, and Mars. This much Capricorn could be difficult on
its own; added here is a retrograde Jupiter-Chiron conjunction opposing the
Capricorn stellium from Cancer.
And, although Travis’s birth time was unavailable, the Moon’s
movements that day suggest that it was likely within orb of his Cancer
grouping. Moon opposite Mars-Uranus certainly fits the nervous, edgy demeanor I
witnessed in him, not to mention the frequent stomach upsets he experienced.
Travis had many of the vision problems typical of children
with autism: He focused poorly, relying heavily on peripheral vision instead
(Saturn and Mars both conjunct Neptune); he walked gingerly because his depth
perception (Mercury) and balance were impaired (Mercury and retrograde Venus
conjunct Saturn).
Travis moved his whole head to visually sweep a scene; his hand-eye
coordination was painfully slow, most likely because he was visually disoriented. Corrective lenses were
inaccessible to him at the time; he couldn’t communicate well enough with the
optometrist to be fitted for them (Mercury conjunct Saturn).
The upside of Saturn
For Travis, Saturn was both a problem and a remedy: by age 16—with
daily prompting and practice—he had learned to read simple words and to develop
awkward, but serviceable fine motor skills. Constant Saturnian effort was also
needed to snap him out of Neptune’s imaginary world. His attention wandered
easily, and sing-song repeating phrases (echolalia—in his case, often shouted)
seemed to wash through his mind obsessively.
Many of these phrases were clearly absorbed from various media and snippets of conversation. Neptune is conjunct 5 planets in his chart and opposite at least Chiron, if not the Moon, and it impacted his every step.
Blindness
and rerouted visual signals
Many of these phrases were clearly absorbed from various media and snippets of conversation. Neptune is conjunct 5 planets in his chart and opposite at least Chiron, if not the Moon, and it impacted his every step.
Blindness also seems influenced by Neptune as well. Zecharia
Sitchin, in his analysis of the Babylonian creation epic, the Enuma Elish, relates that the chaos of
early creation (planetary “gods” vying for orbital territory, the Sun’s
magnetic emissions threatening to destroy some planets, etc.) was quelled by Ea
(Neptune), who “poured sleep upon Apsu” (the creator Sun).[15]
However metaphorical, this image certainly illustrates Neptune’s affect on a
blind person’s vision—the eyes are often literally clouded over, as if asleep.
In neurological terms, this “sleep” means that visual
signals are rerouted: “The visual cortex no longer receives sensory input from
the retina through the optic nerve, and as a result the somatosensory cortex,
which receives tactile input, invades areas normally dedicated to processing
visual input. People who have been blind from birth often have an exquisitely
sensitive sense of touch, particularly if they learn to read Braille while
still young. The feel of the raised dots is processed in the visual cortex.”[16]
Mercury (ruling touch)—the Sun’s “counselor” Mummu in the epic—takes over the
lead.
 |
| Chart 3. Source: private conversation. No birth-time available. |
Blindness and brilliance often coincide in some walk of
life. Some people even claim that blindness is not a handicap but an asset to
some fields—an idea that deserves further exploration. The noon chart for “Lance”
suggests a possible Neptune correlation with this idea (see Chart 3 above). Lance was a 13-year old
boy at the time I worked with him, and he was both blind and affected by autism—a
brilliant, budding keyboard musician.
His chart features an interesting web of Neptunian influence:
The Pisces Sun and Mercury are both ruled by Neptune, and a Pisces Moon is
possible, though unconfirmed (no birth time available); Neptune is conjunct
Uranus in Capricorn, and both planets are quintile Mercury—supporting
effort-driven (Capricorn) brilliance. Jupiter in Virgo opposes Lance’s Sun,
accounting for his higher-functioning (in autistic terms) capabilities. He read
his Braille books and wrote on a portable Braille-writer with amazing facility.
Saturn in Aquarius disposits his planetary duo in Capricorn,
keeping him motivated; I was always hoping that Saturn conjunct his Aquarius
Mars would constrain some unsafe, maverick tendencies (like taking off
unattended). Interestingly, in light of his blindness, Lance’s Sun is not assaulted by adverse aspects. As
noted, the Jupiter opposition (Jupiter co-rules the Sun) is probably more
helpful than not; the Uranus sextile supports Lance’s very focused Aquarius
stellium (which includes both Mars and Saturn).
I fully expected that Lance would
integrate a mastery of both technology and artistry in his music as he developed.
Vision, writ large
Finally, no discussion of vision is complete if it neglects
the faculties of imagination/creative visualization and psychic attunement: Vision, writ large. Those who consciously
use these faculties are “visionaries.” They may be working in any field; the
common thread is that they envision creative realities, and in doing so, impact
humanity’s evolution. Appropriately, there’s often a strong outer planet
dynamic operating.
Such Vision is morally/ethically neutral, however: Adolph
Hitler and Helen Keller (charts not shown) could both be considered visionaries.
Hitler exemplified the dark side of his Neptune-Pluto conjunction: His Sun
semi-sextiles this conjunction and Uranus sesquiquadrates Pluto.
On the other hand, the chart of blind/deaf author and social
activist, Helen Keller, features a Sun-Uranus sextile similar to Lance’s and a
strong Neptunian influence: Her Pisces Moon is disposited by Neptune in Taurus,
which is conjunct Chiron and septile the Sun in Cancer (some consider Cancer to
be the sign of Neptune’s exaltation). This level of Vision can also be
prophetic; eyesight is optional. Classical literature and mythology are filled
with blind prophets—again, “sleep poured upon Apsu” by Ea (Neptune).
Visionary Force
George Lucas, director, producer, filmmaker and a visionary
with enduring impact, is strongly rooted on earth with four Taurus placements (ASC,
Sun, Venus and Mercury). Most of his films (especially the original Star
Wars trilogy) have been space fantasies. Captured on film (a Neptunian art
form), Lucas’s visions (Chart 4, below) are earthy, galactic, mythological and spiritual—all at
once. Uranus in Gemini, rising after his Taurus Sun, disposits his Aquarius
Moon, which is opposed by both Pluto and Jupiter in Sun-ruled Leo.
Chart 4. Source: Kepler 8.0, Rodden rated: AA
Star Wars (the first trilogy movie) was released in
1977, the year Chiron—the Teacher (among other things)—was discovered. With Lucas’s
vision of a galactic future for humanity, perhaps this was no coincidence.
Chiron trines his Taurus Mercury-Venus, with Venus dispositing his Taurus Sun. In
the visionary individual, Sun-Chiron connections often mark a lifelong process
of transcendence, to heal the painful dualities of good vs. evil, light vs.
dark, and so on—the themes that pervade Lucas’s films. It is by this process
that the Eye becomes single: Vision, learning and teaching converge.
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of
the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane,
collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs,
culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as
education and health. Several of her articles on these topics have been
featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the years.
Raye is also available to read individual charts—contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2016. All
rights reserved.
[1]
A helpful source of information on the intricacies of vision and its impact on
learning can be found at: http://www.centerforvisionandlearning.com/.
[2]Dane
Rudhyar, The Astrology of Personality, Doubleday,
1970, pp. 252-253.
[3]Strictly
auditory learners are at a disadvantage when reading aloud is not appropriate.
Teaching methods that acknowledge different learning styles (e.g., Howard
Gardner’s “Multiple Intelligences”) try to compensate for this difficulty, but
they overlook the vision deficit issue.
[4]Jeffrey
Schwartz, M.D., and Sharon Begley, The
Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, HarperCollins,
2002, pp. 120-121.
[5]Jane
Ridder-Patrick, A Handbook of Medical
Astrology, Arkana (Penguin Group), 1990, pp. 17-18.
[6]See
Ridder-Patrick, Medical Astrology, pp.
34-44, for more about planetary correlations with human anatomy and physiology.
[7]Whether
or not these gender-biased rulerships say anything about the differences
between male and female brains is beyond the scope of this article.
[8]Here,
I am departing from Ridder-Patrick’s conclusion that Jupiter alone rules the
left brain and Neptune alone rules the right brain: I set out my argument in
the text.
[9]Ridder-Patrick,
Medical Astrology, p. 18.
[10]William
Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vincente, directors, What the Bleep Do We Know? Lord of the Wind Films LLC, 2004.
[11]Barry
Levinson, director, Wag the Dog, New
Line Cinema, 1997.
[12]Interview
with Mel Kaplan, O.D., “Vision Therapy for ASD,” https://www.autism.com/treating_vision,
Accessed 12/29/2016.
[13]Sir
Patrick Moore, Firefly Atlas of the
Universe, Firefly Books Ltd. (Canada), 2003, p. 94.
[14]20/20
is the standard that optometrists use for acuity at a distance of 20 feet.
Acuity is improved by using lenses that enhance the natural refractive powers
of the eyes.
[15]Zecharia
Sitchin, The 12th Planet: Book
I of the Earth Chronicles, Avon Publishers, 1976, p. 217.
[16]Schwartz
and Begley, The Mind and the Brain, p.
101.
