Astrology as a Way of Life

by Brian Clark

This article first appeared in the FAA Journal, June 2025.

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Editor’s Note: Brian Clark has been an astrological student, practitioner, and educator for over 50 years. I asked him if he would write an extended article reflecting on his involvement with astrology over these decades. As I was curious, I offered some questions for his consideration. He weaves some answers into his reflections in this three-part series.

It is the life which is lived, not by moral rules or social laws or astrological progressions, but by the inherent, conscious power of the creative self that freely sees the entire life, from birth to death, as one great statement, one creative word, one world-transforming destiny
– Dane Rudhyar, Astrology and the Modern Psyche, p.139

What are the main benefits of having astrology in your life?

Each one of us, I am sure, would answer this question in our own unique way. That in itself is significant, as astrology celebrates the uniqueness of every living being. Our answers may change over time; another great benefit of astrology, as it assists us to be in time and on time, identifying transitions and thresholds of life. Astrology invites us to participate in our individuality within the context of other, the collective, the culture and the times.

Personally, the great gift of astrology has been its constant reminder that we inhabit two worlds, the temporal and the eternal; living in both an embodied and ensouled world, having an outer and inner life. As a young man, I felt awkward with my intuition, feelings, and imagination. Encountering the astrological paradigm offered me a way to translate psychic images into psychological language, to confront and celebrate complexes of being as intricate parts of who I am. It piloted my reflections on the authenticity of nature and character, freed of religious and academic ideologies.

Even though astrology has traditional concepts and techniques, the heavens remain a canvas for our imagination, a way of making meaning beyond the bounds of human understanding. Urania, the muse of the starry heavens, constantly reminds me of another way of knowing. In this way, astrology is highly sophisticated, whether applied to well-being, economics, self-understanding, social trends or countless other applications.

Astrology offers us the conscious awareness of being both individual and universal, an interconnected part of a greater, wider, deeper, more magnificent life than just one’s own. Not just an illuminating study and an evocative language, astrology is a lifestyle and a way of life.

I can’t remember exactly when I was first introduced to astrology. However, when Astrology found me, She gave me a big push. I couldn’t ignore that clarion call — She introduced me to so many remarkable people, symbolic ways of thinking, gifted me with resources and opportunities, held me through dark nights and led me places I could never have imagined I would visit. Grateful for the life that astrology has given me.

The practice of astrology is never-ending, constantly revealing, as its symbols are living, fluid, animated by the mysterious and shapeshifting nature of life itself. It is not a formula, nor a creed or procedure, but an active and participatory process.

It was in my early interactions with clients where Astrology revealed herself in ways I never anticipated.

From consultations to conversations

Ironically, astrology came to life through active listening, not interpreting or explaining the astrological signatures, but attending to both the client and the chart in that moment when the symbols spoke. Our shared language was image; our explorations were not to find possible reasons for their life events, but to be more aware of the archetypal complexes that underscored and ignited these issues. Amplification of the astrological symbols, whether natal and/or transitional, persuaded the details of the event to become insightful. It felt as if together we were turning behaviours and events into experiences, shifting our focus from the outer to the inner world.

Early on I identified that astrological explanations, agendas and interpretations could inhibit a natural ease of being present with the symbol, and what the symbol might offer us. Respecting the symbols that emerged in the moment, and most importantly, forging an engagement with the client, permitted a deeper and more soulful meeting with the horoscope. But of course that was not always possible … I came to appreciate how much the client’s openness and willingness to engage affected the outcome of the consultation.

Looking through the mirror of the natal chart, it became clearer to me that every symptom, or difficulty has some meaning; that every complex brings us into a conversation with ourselves. For me the conversation developed into reflecting on what psyche presented in context of both astrological and psychic symbols.

Conversation became essential to my consultations. I recognised a different level of engagement with the horoscope as I encouraged dialogue and exchange with the client. To converse suggests keeping company with, being familiar; to consult implies being asked advice on the matter. Conversation assisted me in becoming familiar with the relationship between the symbol and the client, how the client experienced the astrological symbol. This helped me feel more at ease being consulted. I was conversant with the client’s horoscope, but first I needed to know how the client kept company with the planetary archetypes. For me, cooperation in reading the horoscope was vital. Astrological consultations became collaborative; a two-way path.

This led me to the art of asking the right questions.

Astrology BC (Before Computers)

The times were very different when I started my astrological practice. My first paid private consult was in 1978, although I had rehearsed a great deal, reading many charts with acquaintances, and at psychic fairs and spiritual expos.

Each chart was calculated and drawn up by hand, including the transits and progressions. Clients would bring a cassette tape to record the session. I never liked the idea of taping, as it felt as if the client anticipated a decree, rather than a process, as if the expectation was to be oracular, or to proclaim and predict. Today clients still record our conversations on Zoom. I have come to accept that so much can occur in a consultation that it may be helpful to revisit the process again.

My study of astrology began in 1972, before the International Atlas, astrological software, Chiron, Project Hindsight, mobile phones, Zodiacal Releasing, TNOs, the internet, websites, social media, webinars, Zoom, You Tube, Podcasts; before Evolutionary, Hellenistic or Archetypal Astrology was trending. House systems debates? We were lucky to find a Table of Houses. And while there were some good classes, there was minimal discussion on forging a personal approach to astrological practice. I learnt along the way through personal consultations and collegial conversations. So much more is accessible today. Still, it is in working creatively with horoscopes and their owners, when astrology becomes experiential, an embodied experience.

Today, I am thankful to witness how the learning curve of new practitioners, their experiences and insights, broaden and deepen our enduring astrological tradition.

Astrology as an Envoy of the Soul

Early in my consulting work I often heard clients use metaphors to portray ways they were feeling or to describe experiences beyond their understanding. These metaphors stimulated images, patterns and connections between the client and the astrological symbols. I learnt to use imaginative and analogical language to try and illustrate the astrological signature that was presenting in the moment. Mythic images, characterised by the planetary archetypes engraved in the signs or gathered round the hearth of the houses, became illustrative companions in the process. Being explanatory, prescriptive, or using keywords felt two-dimensional, but images, stories and illustrations felt fluid, imaginative and connective.

Image speaks in the dialect of the soul; it is felt by the heart. Image is nonjudgmental, it just is; whereas interpretation and diagnosis can become fixed in literality. An explanation can be heard as problematic, something in need of fixing, rather than a soulful part of our being that suffers feeling different to what is considered acceptable. An image does not ask for acceptance or opinion; it connects us to a tradition, a lineage of character. This is the power of story and metaphor, alive in the astrological moment, embedded in the astrological symbols.

My consulting practice has confronted me with many challenging, complex and often incomprehensible aspects of human nature and experience. I mention ‘human nature’ as so much that is difficult to accept or be present with is part of nature. I try as much as possible to meet the client in their world, with their beliefs, their pain and difficulties, to forge relationship in the moment. But this is challenging when confronted with past experiences that cannot be fixed or fathomed. Yet this process of engaging with the client and their story, through the auspices of astrological symbols, instilled in me a deeper sense of tolerance and acceptance.

Crafting the ability to listen, to be present, and to sit in the presence of another’s pain and sorrow has been a significant, at times overwhelming, process. My consultation style was not shaped by trying to find reasons or background motives to client’s issues, but in recognising that I was witnessing fate at its most mysterious. When I let go of imposing myself on the horoscope, something else arose in the process. I came to trust that deep within each person is a knowing. Astrology provided a framework to reflect, accept and bless that knowing

Meetings with Remarkable Clients

I have had the privilege of intimately sitting with others in the mutual process of seeking the truth of who we are, questioning, questing with others. I have been humbled by the strength and resolve of many of my clients, inspired by their courage and heroism. While I am so thankful for my astrological journey, much of my experience with clients is deeply private. When the soul stirs or an image is deeply resonant, it belongs in the moment, born of the magic of that moment. This is why I find case studies can only take us so far in revealing the mystery and majesty of astrological work.

But I can share a recent story … a client I will call James. It reminds me of the value of the collaborative work of astrology.

Our first appointment was December 15, 1997. He had been recommended by a Freudian analyst who had heard me speak at the Jung Society. We never met in person, but she wrote me a referral letter every time she recommended a client. I was very appreciative as her clients were accustomed to being engaged, reflective and open; for me, the trifecta for a good consultation. She asked these clients to transcribe the tape (cassettes in those days) and then they would discuss this together.

He wrote me a week later (by letter in those days) and asked if he could make another appointment and we did – and over the following 27 years we have consulted about 2 - 3 times each year. When he walked into my Melbourne consulting room, he was nearly 27 years old. I still remember the captivating image we explored – transiting Pluto was exactly conjunct his Mars and Ascendant; a Mars-Jupiter-Neptune stellium overshadowed his Sagittarian Ascendant. To me, the astrological symbols conjured up images of a dynamic and driven young man on the threshold of conversion. The symbol was alive throughout our first meeting.

This passionate young man was angry, yet also grieving his father who abandoned him at adolescence. He was also disappointed by a corporate legal system that was training him in ways opposed to his interests and ethics. He was restless and unfulfilled. We spoke on these things. At some point, I mentioned the archetype of the spiritual warrior. He came alive; the metaphor resonated. It was an image that encapsulated something that no words or descriptions could, but he knew that story deep in himself. He had held this image inside since adolescence.

He now lives abroad. Recently he was in town and we had our appointment – how nice to see him in real time, as like most appointments today, they are by Zoom. He wrote me a week later (this time by email) - in part he said: “Our relationship means a great deal to me, as you know. Thank you for always ‘meeting' me with the fullest acceptance, and for encouraging all those authentic energies that visit.” To me he is still a young man, but at 54, no longer angry; he is a man of integrity.

How fortunate am I to have been witness to the transformation.

The process in the practice

Because astrology is a subjective science, we approach it in our own unique way, informed by our own beliefs, interests, worldviews, familial and cultural perspectives etc. I have always felt that to practice astrology, we need to develop our own unique style. We bring our self to the process, not someone else. As my astrological consultations became more conversational, incorporating myth, imagination, time, symbol and psyche, clients began to use the process more frequently. Today my practice is predominantly with regular clients.

Diane is a client I see once a month and have for the past fifteen years. Her connection with astrology and the heavens has been lifelong. Our work together has been engaging and rewarding for both of us. Even though she knows the way I work, she still asks what will happen when Pluto transits her Sun, or when the eclipse is conjunct her Ascendant, or when she will meet a partner. Sometimes these are light-hearted questions, other times, not so. Yet, these are the types of astrological questions I always knew I could never answer. But I always had faith that if the symbols were amplified, if what lay underneath the question was addressed, and if I could engage the client in the process, meaning could potentially arise from our conversation.

As a student of astrology, I am invited to look beyond what is literal and logical using symbolic ways of being and knowing. Astrology helped me to make meaning out of what felt chaotic and painful, but it also helped to chart a course, or plan an itinerary. Whatever your skills, creative talents or beliefs may be, they can find a place in your astrological practice.

Astrology assists us to time travel. Planetary symbols and cycles are remarkable, as they move us through time, evoke memory, rouse expectations and activate anxiety. I feel my task is to encourage the client to be present with their memories and anxieties, rerouting the energy entangled in the past or future into what is occurring now. The symbolic arrangement of the natal chart is just as it was in the past, and will be in the future; therefore, the power we have to know, to accept and to be conscious of the symbol is in the present, now. Even though the pain of the past or the anxiety of the future can feel more real than the present, the gift of the horoscope is valuable, as it holds both time and timelessness in the same moment. Horoscopic symbols assist the client to not get stuck in the past by becoming more conscious of patterns through time, and by remaining in the present. Not in the past, not in the future – only in the present can change take place.

One of the most satisfying experiences for both myself and the client is to have witnessed their soulful story through the archetypal lens of the horoscope.

Next Edition: Astrology as a Way of Life - Part 2, Cultivating the Cosmos.

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Imgages:

• Stargazing: Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay
• Pen and ink: Chris from Pixabay
• Ratfink1973 from Pixabay
• Clark and quote: taken from the FAA Journal

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Published in: FAA Journal, March 2025.

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Author: Brian Clark

Brian Clark has been a consulting astrologer and educator for most of his adult life. He has been honoured with Life Membership in the Australian astrological associations for his contributions to the discipline of astrology. He has his BA (Hons) and MA in Classics and Archaeology from the University of Melbourne. Brian is the author of numerous articles, books, computer reports and student publications which have been translated into French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish. His recent books are: Astrological Time: Cycles of the Soul; Soul, Symbol and Imagination: The Artistry of Astrology and From the Moment we Met: The Astrology of Adult Relationships. Website: www.astrosynthesis.com.au