In this article, I want to present something to you. I won’t bury the lead, tug on your heart-strings and reveal the ask at the end. I appreciate and respect your attention too much. So I confess, this is marketing. If you choose not to read any further, that is your prerogative. The tl;dr is that I’m going to be offering a program involving group therapy, transformative dialog, archetypal astrology, 1-1 coaching, mindfulness practice, meditation, and breathwork, and that is what this story is about. But it is a story, and I genuinely hope that there is something of value in what follows, even for those of you who aren’t interested in signing up.
With Soul Work—A Conscious Container, what I am hoping to achieve is to re-situate astrology as a complementary tool alongside many other types of practice, and share my understanding of how it can be used as a multidimensional guiding principle that can help each individual to create their own uniquely balanced “ecology of practices” which affords and inspires growth and positive change across every facet of life. I have no problem claiming that astrology can do this, but I strongly believe that there are several challenges to encounter and overcome before it actually does. By the end, you will understand why I have bothered to create this offering, and even if you don’t want to participate, I hope that you will find this to be a thought-provoking piece.
I will begin by explaining my motivations and giving some context, before describing the content and format of the course towards the end.
People First, Planets Second
Before I was an astrologer, I was a coach and facilitator. I ran men’s groups and courses, and I worked with people 1-1. The foundation of my approach to this work was always to prioritise curiosity and openness. I have known for a long time that most people don’t respond well to being typecast, prematurely categorised, or simplistically diagnosed. If a therapist or practitioner comes to their client with too many preconceived ideas, it will prevent them from truly being able to hear and understand their client’s world in fullness. However insightful one’s model of the psyche, or however ingenious one’s method of healing or development may appear, problems will always arise when the practitioner’s preconceived notions are forced, however lovingly, upon a stubbornly unique and complex human whose experience is not adequately described by the their system of ideas.
Even now that I mostly practice through an astrological lens, this is the core value that sits at the heart of my practice. In my view, archetypal astrology provides an extremely nuanced, open-ended and multi-faceted compass that can help to orient us towards several different vectors of growth and transformation simultaneously. It is not confining or overly deterministic—it does not close off any of life’s possibilities, but rather opens us towards a greater variety of them. Nevertheless, I do still believe that any system of logic that I can hold in my mind must, by definition, be orders of magnitude more simplistic and essentially less true than the direct experience of the person sitting across from me. If I expect my clients to conform to my ideas, they will be forced to accept that any parts of self that my system can not handle must be either unreal and unworthy of consideration, or pathological and in need of correction. Neither of these options are good outcomes, because both will force them to deny and suppress those parts of self which in fact need to be accepted, reintegrated, and loved.
The fact that my client work is built upon this foundation marks me out as a rather unusual astrologer, as I still believe that the voluntary sharing of one’s experience is actually more therapeutic than even the most exquisitely subtle and accurate delineation of the birth chart—being told who you are by an astrologer doesn’t automatically result in a better life. Having spent hundreds of hours with clients in both types of work, I can tell you that the most profound moments always occur not when I have a brilliant insight, but when the client, in the courageous act of attempting to disclose something about themselves to me (or in the case of group work, to the group) actually discovers something about themselves.
Whichever way the work is being approached, the larger part of my role is to act as a kind of interactive mirror and a witness, and to walk the delicate line of facilitating the unfoldment of the client’s self-knowing, without allowing my presence to impose anything on them or force them to adopt a defensive or subservient posture.
Part of what is on offer in Soul Work is the chance not only to benefit from this service personally, but also to learn how to use your own speech, listening and presence in the service of the other. Throughout the course, carefully curated sharing circles and presentations will deliver tools and practices that will help you, firstly to benefit from the course itself more deeply, and secondly to deepen your communication and relationships more broadly.
Of course, there is an immense value in using astrological charts to inquire into the ways in which the separate self and the wider universe reflect and commingle with one another. But, this work must be approached with a very delicate touch if the chart is not to be misunderstood as a deterministic blueprint of the soul, which then limits the possibilities of expression for the individual. Though I do not rule out the possibility that astrological methods can be used to make some kinds of prediction with accuracy, I personally am only interested in the charts insofar as they open up possibilities for radical self-acceptance that would otherwise remain unavailable. What I believe the charts are useful for is for increasing the possibility of an open-hearted and empowered attitude towards all the joy and sorrow, peace and suffering that life will bring and thankfully, I do believe that this is a genuine possibility. Nonetheless, I do perceive a widespread failing in the astrological community to grapple with the issues I have laid out above.
Once a person is initiated into the astrological worldview and can read a chart with some competency, it becomes very tempting to approach the world and everything in it as a game of spot-the-archetypes. This is perfectly natural, and we should all go through it, as a part of what James Hillman and others have referred to as training “the archetypal eye”. But learning to speak the language of the cosmos does not necessarily entitle us to claim to have access to any special wisdom or moral superiority. Spotting the archetypes is fun when watching a film or listening to a song, but if a person sitting across from me is grieving the loss of a loved one, I had better have more to offer than a simple planetary correlation. More than that, it would be a mistake to believe my astrological understanding to be more valuable than the generosity of my attention, the depth of my empathy; my ability to stay grounded and present, and to fully hold and authentically respond to the specific nature of their experience, human to human, in the moment.
The Problem of Inflation
Additionally, there is a certain kind of hubris that comes long with the illuminative and magical possibilities of learning (even albeit, slowly) how to read the archetypal topography of the Universe. The evident danger of psychological inflation is prominently and diversely displayed throughout the surreal gallery of post-New-Age spirituality. In (so called) Western civilisation, there is always the problem of our enculturated Faustian appetites and attitudes. Whatever style of mystical or esoteric knowledge a person acquires, they first encounter it as a person whose character has been conditioned the sociocultural structures of “the West”. It is common for the blame for any failures of spirituality to be laid squarely upon the (albeit, often dubious) nature of the various forms of spiritual practice. While this is often reasonable, it is just as important (and much less common) is to take seriously the idea that the pernicious psychological programming of late capitalism constantly reinforces the centrality of the ego, and that this is what sets the stage for ego inflation. To put this in the simplest possible terms: we tend to use every piece of knowledge and power we have to increase our control over the world around us, and spiritual knowledge and power is no different.
Our instinctive system of value is instrumentalist—we understand what things are (and what they mean) in terms of how we can use them, whether we are faced with a hammer, a forest, a fortune, a table, or the Tarot. Inevitably, when people find out that they can peek behind the wizard’s curtain to reveal the Universe’s secrets, the western ego sees only another resource, and simply reaches out to try and take a hold of it. Again, this is a perfectly natural development in the story of a soul, but it is one that we can and must grow out of. For many reasons, it is not healthy for the ego to swell up and attempt to contain the archetypes within itself, deploying them for its own purposes. By far the better outcome is for the ego to find its own importance in the grand scheme of things relativised and lessened by an expanded sense of broader selfhood.
I will assert that the best place to begin to combat psychological inflation is by challenging the idea of the individual as the fundamental unit of society. This is not a call for sameness between people, every person is different and that is as it should be. But, we can celebrate difference while also acknowledging that we are pretty useless on our own. Individuality need not be synonymous with separation or emotional isolation. We need to feel intimate social bonds and connections with one another, and we need to be able to depend on each other. In addition to being a basic foundation of human wellbeing, the act of tending to the relational dimension of life also necessitates the development of humility, curiosity, openness, generosity, forgiveness and patience—all vital capacities and necessary counterbalances to any hubris, grandiosity or other ego-driven behaviour patterns that may present obstacles to growth or healing.
The possibility of ego inflation is particularly pronounced in the context of plant-medicine and psychedelic healing. While Soul Work is not explicitly set up as a psychedelic integration circle, it will provide a safe, accepting, confidential and supportive atmosphere suitable for sharing about any psychedelic experiences that participants may be processing. There will also be an option to participate in a transformative breathwork session, and a comprehensively facilitated integration process to follow.
The Need for Relationship
It is the role of community to provide a natural and appropriate outlet, through which whatever cosmic insights or spiritual gifts we may be given can be meaningfully expressed. Not a mere safety net of online acquaintances and drinking buddies, but a living, breathing, coherent community in which one is a fully engaged and accountable participant. It is not only a network of support that we need, though this absolutely essential. We do not only need to be held, witnessed and validated. Indeed, even when all this appears to be available, it is impossible to receive in fullness, unless we are also simultaneously engaged in the act of providing these gifts for others.
This kind of reciprocity is not always available in a 1-1 reading with an astrologer. Though not impossible, it can be difficult to overcome the power imbalance between the practitioner as the master interpreter of symbols and the client as the naive seeker of unverifiable wisdom. What is so much more sustainable and effective is a positive feedback loop of reciprocal opening and mutual support between peers. For many of us, it is only in the act of giving care that we realise that to do so feels good, and it is only having realised this that we can allow ourselves to fully receive it from others. This process also sets up a feedback loop that cycles through courage and vulnerability; when one person demonstrates the courageous act of sharing a vulnerable part of themselves and receives the care and support of the group in return, everybody else in the circle is simultaneously gifted with a felt sense of safety and camaraderie which makes it easier for them to do the same.
The Soul Work container is not only for people blessed with special communication skills or abundant empathic capacities. Nor is it only for people who are overflowing with emotional capacity. The sessions will be structured so that every person is given equal opportunity to share, be witnessed and supported, and the tasks of witnessing and giving support will always be shared among the whole group. All that is required of you is your willingness to try.
Basic Structure
Soul Work: A Conscious Community Container will be a 10 week course for no more than 15 people, consisting of:
5 carefully facilitated group sharing circles (2hr) that will include
Transformative dialog practices
Journalling exercises
Guided meditative and contemplative practice led by Barbara Carter
8 evocative presentations (30min) with Q+A / AMA sessions (30min) covering each of the planetary archetypes within the context of the ongoing inner and interpersonal work that is being facilitated in the sharing circles.
5 one-to-one sessions with me (2 x 1hr and 3 x 45min), spread throughout the duration of the container.
5 or more independent peer-coaching calls with your assigned small group.
1 transformative breathwork session with integration circle, led by Jonathan Schecter.
Group Sharing Circles
The group sharing circles will take place every two weeks. They will be carefully structured so that every person has the chance to speak and be heard, both in the group as a whole, and in breakout sessions. Every participant will be assigned a small group of 3-4 people which will stay the same throughout the course.
Mindfulness exercises led by Barbara Carter will help us to get grounded in our bodies and regulate our nervous systems, to improve the quality of our presence on the calls, but also to teach techniques and practices that can be used for the same purposes in daily life.
These calls are designed to make it feel safe and productive for each participant to deeply reflect on their process and to share about it. Quiet periods of prompted journalling will provide time for private introspection, before returning to share what comes up, and hear about other’s experience.
Presentations
The group sharing sessions will alternate with presentation sessions. Each presentation session will consist of two 30-minute presentations, each followed by a 30 minute Q+A session. The presentation schedule has been designed to give participants a deep, emotional, embodied understanding of the planetary archetypes, by presenting art, music, poetry, quotations, and explanations at the time in the course when their lessons are most relevant and helpful.
The learning that is on offer here is not meant to be abstract or intellectual. This is not a certification course or a training in archetypal astrology. The lessons that are on offer here are invaluable to anybody who has (or hopes to have) an astrological practice, but the focus will always be on your inner connection, your relational capacities, your embodied experience—your soul work.
The presentations will cover:
Communication Tools for Transformative Dialog
Learn relating practices for participating in conscious, therapeutic and transformative group dialog that will help everybody to communicate freely and openly, while also taking healthy responsibility for emotional, somatic, and psychological reactions. We will establish a set of shared values and principles that will allow us co-create an environment in which authenticity, vulnerability and curiosity can afford a sense of communion and real kinship.
Moon and Mercury—Curiosity, Vulnerability, Receptivity and Understanding
See how the astrological archetypes of the Moon and Mercury can help you to deepen and contextualise your efforts to become a skilled communicator and fully feel your emotions. We will explore the ways in which communication and sharing bonds a community together, and learn to appreciate the crucial importance of seeing, hearing and understanding your peers and companions, as well as being seen, heard and understood by them.
Jupiter and the Sun—Cultivating Generosity Within Attention
Focus on how to cultivate an inner state of benevolence, and how to imbue your attention and curiosity with generosity and grace. We will explore the most dignified facets of the solar archetype: how to aspire and grow without diminishing anyone else; how to take pride and accept praise without becoming grandiose; how to pursue the most worthwhile kinds of abundance; how to expand your willpower for the good of everyone around you.
Mars and Saturn—Warrior Spirit and the Call to Action
Understand the courage that is needed to ask and answer uncomfortable or revealing questions, and the grounded maturity that must underpin that bravery. Grasp the intrinsic relationship between the responsibility for your own reactions and the freedom to speak authentically. Get inspiration and permission to make mistakes, iterate, try again and fail forwards. We will strive to get comfortable with being wrong and not knowing the answers, and see how this is the foundation of real curiosity, fascination and wonder—how knowing is the enemy of learning; how judgment can be an impediment to clear perception.
Saturn and Neptune - Loss of Soul and the Journey of Retrieval
We will take a philosophical perspective on the challenges of incarnation, separation from the divine, and the innate forgetfulness of being, contemplate the nature of the physical form and the senses and inquire into how they shape our experience of the Universe. Understand themes of abandonment and the fall through an archetypal, astrological and mythological lens, and see how that context affects your experience of self.
Saturn and Pluto - Life in the Crucible and Staying with the Trouble
Learn to see life’s most difficult challenges as crucible moments, and inquire into the nature of Krisis and Kairos—the times in life when you are offered the troubling opportunity to pivot or change direction. Feel into what it means to face fear, doubt and suffering, discussing whether or not it can be consumed from the psyche, how we might digest or metabolise unconscious material and how the healthily integrated versions of that material might be expressed or felt.
Sun, Mars and Uranus—The Promethean Attitude
Inquire into what it means to inhabit an expanded sense of self and learn to notice when things have changed, and celebrate! Learn to spot signs of grandiosity and pride, and avoid the problematic potentials of integrating holotropic and psychedelic experiences. Reflect on individuation as a process of finding the courage to go one’s own way. Take up the invitation to fully inhabit positive emotional, psychological and somatic states of being.
Moon, Venus and Neptune—True Voyage is Return
Reflect on the relationship between the individual and the community, and how nothing, not even inner work, can be done alone. Explore ideas about how to integrate peak experiences in a way that opens you up to more connection with others, rather than leaving them behind. Reflect on individuation as a process of drawing the world into oneself, and how an expanded sense of self moves you from an egocentric cosmology to a relational, community oriented and spiritually connected one.
One-To-One Sessions
Every participant will have two 1 hour long calls with me, one before the course and one after. In addition, each participant will have three 45 minute calls with me, spread throughout the course itself.
The calls can be used for whatever purposes are needed for each individual. Some might take the form of astrological readings, while others might be more like counselling or coaching. The before and after sessions will likely be used to prepare for the course and reflect/integrate respectively, while the shorter calls that take place during the course itself can be used for whatever is most of service. They will be opportunities for participants to:
Get extra support and guidance
Reflect more deeply on their process
Understand their birth chart or transits better
Ask any questions they have about the course
Privately raise any concerns they have regarding their process or the conduct of group in general*1
Peer Coaching Calls
In addition to connecting in breakout rooms during the group sharing sessions, the small groups of 3-4 people which are assigned at the start of the course will also meet independently for bi-weekly (or as often as you like) calls.
These will provide opportunities to give and receive support, strengthen bonds of kinship and community, and reflect on one another’s process in a less structured (but still intentional) way. Sometimes, prompts or topics will be provided for exploration in these calls, but mostly, their form and content will be allowed to develop organically.
Transformative Breathwork
There will be an opportunity to participate in an hour-long session of deep, fast and intense breathing, which can elicit powerful psychedelic effects. Although the best way to provide this service is in person, I am confident that the support that the container will afford will be more than sufficient to guarantee a safe and meaningful experience for all who choose to participate.
The session will be led by Jonathan Schecter, a highly experienced Neurodynamic Breathwork practitioner and psychedelic integration coach. In addition to a sharing circle directly following the session, there will be multiple opportunities to explore any material that surfaces in the following group sharing calls, 1-1 sessions and peer coaching calls.*2
Jonathan S, Barbara and I will all be present on the call, and every breather will have the option to bring in a sitter to be physically present with them during the session, if they so choose. This kind of breathwork can be a powerful catalyst of emotional catharsis and a source of great psychological and spiritual insight. While nobody will be expected to participate, it is highly recommended. It is extremely safe, and will be facilitated with the utmost care.
The Practical Stuff
When
The group sharing sessions, presentation sessions and the breathwork session will all take place on Sundays at 8pm UK time (12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern).
The 1-1 sessions and peer coaching sessions will take place on weekdays, and will be scheduled closer to the start of of the course.
The course will begin on Sunday the 8th of September and will run until Sunday the 24th of November, with a 2 week break in mid-October*3, during which peer-coaching calls can continue, but all other activities will pause.
A full schedule with calendar links will be sent to you upon signing up.
Where
This is an online course, and all circles, sessions and presentations will take place on Zoom. You will need a computer or device that can run the Zoom software.
Pricing
Places on the course will be offered on a sliding scale, so every person that signs up to pay the higher amount will open up another place for somebody to pay less. There is no difference in offering between the different tiers, so just take some time to consider which option is most appropriate for your circumstances. There will also be an option to pay in multiple instalments for those who would like to.
Standard: £500 (approx US$640)
Subsidised: £350 (approx US$450)*4
Benefactor: £650 (approx US$830)
Thank you for reading. I hope that you feel inspired to join us. I am no fan of hyperbole and hype, but I truly believe that this can be a life-changing experience for all those who choose to come along. This is an opportunity to deepen your self knowing, experience your emotions more freely and fully, connect with like-minded and like-hearted people, better understand the cosmos and your place within it, and to nourish your soul with the love and attention that you deserve. I hope to see you there.
I can’t wait.
In the very unlikely event that any individual in the group is found to be consistently acting out or breaking our shared commitments, the 1-1 calls will be a chance for participants to raise their concerns, which will be treated as confidential and acted upon in a sensitive way.
Additionally, if any participant is engaged in their own independent breathwork or plant medicine practice while the course is ongoing, these different parts of the container can also function as integration support.
I will be on retreat from October 12-24, and not available for contact. It may be possible to organise calls with Barbara Carter (for an additional fee) if you need any extra support at this time.
If you apply for the subsidised places on the course, you may have to wait a little while to find out whether or not your place is confirmed. Some places will be offered at this price regardless, and more will be opened up by others choosing to pay in the higher bracket. Please be patient, and trust that I will do my best to ensure that the course is available to as many people as possible.