The Seven Gates of Soul
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Table of Contents
Front Matter
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About the Author
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Acknowledgements
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Introduction
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Part One: Through the Gates of Religion
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Chapter One: Toward a Working Definition of Soul
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Redefining the Soul as an Embodiment of Spirit
Distinguishing the Embodied Soul From the Postmortem Soul
Reconsidering Past Life Experiences From the Perspective of the Embodied Soul
Distinguishing the Embodied Soul From Disembodied Spirits
Distinguishing Between the Embodied Soul and the Subtle Body
The Roots of the Embodied Soul in Spiritual Tradition
The Association of the Embodied Soul With Breath
Embracing the Earth as the Larger Body of the Soul
Returning Soul to its Rightful Place Within the Web of Life
The Spiritual Challenge Posed by Mortality
The Spiritual Ramifications of a Life Shaped by Death
The Systematic Denial of Death By Contemporary Culture
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Chapter Two: Through Inanna’s First Gate Into the Embodied Life
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The Fear of Death in Early Cultures
The Fear of the Soul’s Journey After Death
Toward a Cyclical Conception of Death as a Part of Life
The Cyclical Worldview and Its Association with a Desire for Release From Suffering
The Myth of Immortality
Extracting the Myth of Immortality From Its Cyclical Roots
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The Embrace of Personal Immortality in the East
The Quest for Immortality in Early Chinese Shamanism
The Platonic Influence on Religious Concepts of Immortality
Augustine’s Influence as a Bridge Between Christianity and Platonic Thought
Passing Through the Gate of Immortality on the Way to the Underworld
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Chapter Three: Shedding the Religious Concept of Sin
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Exposing the Faustian Bargain of the Religious Approach to Soul
The Evolution of the Concept of Judgment in Western Culture
The Gradual Evolution of a Moral Conception of the Soul’s Journey
The Reinterpretation of Scripture in Moralistic Terms
The Evolution of a Moral Code in Islam
The Shift Toward a Moral Interpretation of the Soul’s Journey in the East
The Trend Toward Moralistic Judgment in Buddhist Thought
Other Influences on the Tendency Toward Moral Judgment in Eastern Religious Thought
The Transition From Natural Law to Moral Code in Chinese Religious Thought
The Role of Confucius as a Moralistic Interpreter of the Tao
Passing Through Inanna’s Second Gate into Realignment with the Tao
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Chapter Four: Through Inanna’s Second Gate Into the Dance of Polarities
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The Sexual Dilemma Faced By Moralistic Religions
Reclaiming the Sexual Nature of the Soul
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Reclaiming Darkness as a Spiritual Force
Reclaiming the Feminine
The Psychological Price to Be Paid for the Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Soul’s Journey as a Quest for the Embrace of Opposites
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The Institutionalized Negation of Polarity Through Monotheism
Astrology’s Potential Contribution to the Learning Process
Passing Through the Gate of Religious Morality on the Way to the Underworld
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Part Two: Through the Gates of Science
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Chapter Five: Shedding the Rational Literalism of Science
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Questions About Soul at the Heart of the Early Scientific Debate
The Birth of Scientific Literalism
The Mythopoetry of the Moment in Which Science Was Born
The Intermingling of Worlds
The Triumph of Reason Over the Mythopoetic Imagination
The Further Deification of the Rational Mind in the 20th Century
Kant’s Refutation of Reason as A Tool with Which to Understand the Soul
The Soul’s Quest for an Understanding of the Whole
Reason’s Inability to Comprehend Wholeness
Astrology’s Potential As a Language of Wholeness and Interconnectedness
Using the Breath as a Point of Entry into an Awareness of the Whole
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Chapter Six: Through Inanna’s Third Gate Into a Personal Learning Process
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The Rationalist Ambivalence Toward Sensory Information
Sensory Information as a Conduit to an Awareness of Soul
The Power of Sensory Awakening
The Soul’s Natural Inclination to Pursue Pleasure and Avoid Pain
Pursuit of Pleasure and Avoidance of Pain as a Catalyst to Soul Growth
Emotion as a Catalyst to Soul Growth
The Craving of the Soul for a Polytheistic Language of Emotional Complexity
The Importance of Images, Symbols and Metaphors
The Unfortunate Embrace of Rationalism Within the Astrological Community
Approaching Astrological Images Through the Senses and Emotions
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Chapter Seven: Shedding the Scientific Insistence on Objectivity
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The Sophist’s Contribution to a Language of Subjectivity
Distinguishing Subjective Truth From Relative Truth
Socrates’ Affirmation of Personal Objectivity
Augustine’s Quest For Internal Objectivity
Aristotle’s Potential Contribution to a Truly Subjective Language of Soul
Aristotle’s Confirmation of the Objective World View
Dancing on the Edge of the Subjective Abyss With Descartes
The Systematic Denial of Purpose by Hobbes and Bacon
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Chapter Eight: Through Inanna’s Fourth Gate Into a Sense of Purpose
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Understanding The Soul’s Purpose as the Movement of Spirit Into Matter
Understanding Purpose as the Movement of Matter Toward Spirit
The Potential Value of a Subjective Quest for Knowledge
The Subjective Nature of the Soul’s Experience
Aristotle’s Contribution to a Language of Quality
The Systematic Denial of Quality by Science
The Empirical Dismissal of Quality
The Necessity for Evolving a Language of Soul Capable of Qualitative Nuance
The Qualitative Nature of Images That Feed the Soul
Contemporary Astrology’s Contamination by Objective Empiricism
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Chapter Nine: Shedding the Scientific Concept of Causality
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Aristotle's Distinction of Types of Cause
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The Implications of a World Devoid of Final Cause
The Limitations of Efficient Cause As An Explanation For Subjective Behavior
The World as a Mirror for the Interplay of Light and Dark
Hume’s Critique of Causality
The Birth of Modern Empiricism
Toward an Acausal Principle of Soul
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Chapter Ten: Toward an Acausal Understanding of Soul Process
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Using Sheldrake’s Ideas as the Template for a Theory of Soul Resonance
Extending the Morphogenetic Field of the Soul to Encompass the World
The Power of the Hundredth Monkey
The Arrogance of Science in Assuming Causality to be the Only Possible Explanation
The Difficulty of Stepping Outside the Causal Paradigm
The Importance of Resonant Context in Extracting Subjective Truth
Applying the Concept of Resonance to the Astrological Model of Soul
Toward a Sensory Exploration of Planetary Resonance
Astrology’s Contribution to a Mathematics of Soul
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Chapter Eleven: Through Inanna’s Fifth Gate Into Resonant Soul Space
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The Great Debate About Space Among the Rational Cosmologists
Democritus’ Contribution to a Scientific Understanding of Space
Aristotle’s Concept of Place and Its Causal Reworking in the Scientific Revolution
The Symbolic Importance of the Geocentric Perspective
The Positivist Denial of Space’s Spiritual Dimensions
From Empty Space to Field Theory
The Quantum Revolution’s Deconstruction of Cartesian-Newtonian Space
Reconceptualizing Space as a Resonant Soul Field
Defining Soul Space From an Astrological Perspective
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Chapter Twelve: Through Inanna’s Sixth Gate Into Cyclical Soul Time
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A Brief History of the Evolution of the Scientific Concept of Time
The Religious Notion of Time as a Destructive Force
Heidegger’s Contribution to a Philosophy of Soul Time
The Qualitative Nature of Soul Time
Following the Soul Through Soul Time
Synchronicity and the Opportunity for Soul Growth
Astrology as a Language of Soul Time
Applying Astrological Analysis to Soul Time
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Part Three: Through the Last Gate With Psychology
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Chapter Thirteen: Liberating Psychology From Its Scientific Trappings
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The Philosophical Underpinnings of Psychology
The Emergence of Psychology as a Scientific Discipline
The Psychological Exploration of the Senses
Sensory Experience as a Mechanism for Embodying Spirit
The Psychological Exploration of the Emotions
The Behavioral Approach to Emotion
The Metaphysical Irony at the Heart of Behavioral Psychology
The James-Lange Theory of Emotions
Freud’s Contribution to the Study of Emotions
Social Psychology and Other Post-Freudian Influences on the Understanding of Emotion
The Contribution of Cognitive Psychology to An Understanding of Emotion
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Chapter Fourteen: Toward a Subjective Approach to the Image Making Process
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The Scientific Approach to Imagination
The Contribution of Early Psychologists to an Imagery of Soul
Freud’s Contribution to an Understanding of Image
The Unconscious Roots of the Image
The Myth of Oedipus as a Template for the Image-Making Process
The Symbolist Contribution to a Cultural Embrace of the Image
Jung’s Contribution to a Psychological Understanding of the Image
The Further Cultivation of the Image in Jung’s Wake
The Potential For Astrology’s Contribution to an Understanding of the Image
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Chapter Fifteen: The Pathology of Soul and Psychology’s Response To It
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Psychopathology and the Soul
The Institutionalized Fear of Psychopathology
The Shadow as the Gateway to Soul Process
The Anima/Animus as Guide to Soul Space
The Wise Elder and the Individuation Process
The Individuated Self and the Soul
Psychology’s Obsession with Personality
The Merging of Schools in the Scientific Vein
Astrology’s Contribution to the Cult of Personality
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Chapter Sixteen: Through Inanna’s Seventh Gate Into Embodiment of Spirit
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The Influence of Existentialism on Humanistic Thought
Humanistic Psychology and the Study of Consciousness
The Two-Shark Theory of Consciousness
The Value of Humanistic Eclecticism
The Limitations of Humanistic Psychology’s Worldview
The Immense Promise of the Transpersonal Psychology Movement
Bringing Spirit Into the Darkness of Our Most Intractable Core Issues
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Part Four: From Astrology to Astropoetics
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Chapter Seventeen: Taking Astrology Into the Realm of Soul
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Celebrating the Fertility of the Astrological Field
Passing Through Inanna’s Seven Gates on Our Way to a Genuine Language of Soul
Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s First Gate
Toward an Astrological Definition of Fate Capable of Empowering the Soul
Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Second Gate
Revisioning the Birthchart as the Optimum Game Plan for a Personal Embodiment of Spirit
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Chapter Eighteen: Creating an Astrological Epistemology Independent of Science
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Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Third Gate
Toward an Astro-Logic of the Soul
Approaching Astrology as a Language of Imagery
Going Beyond Strictly Astro-logical Imagery in Order to Explore a Pattern
Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Fourth Gate
Putting the Soul Back at the Center of Astrological Process
Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Fifth Gate
Astrology’s Failure to Measure Up Within a Causal Paradigm
Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Sixth Gate
Shifting Our Astrological Focus From Events to Processes
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Chapter Nineteen: Using Astrological Imagery to Make a Connection to Spirit
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Walking Astrology Through Inanna’s Seventh Gate
Using Astrology as a Path to Metaphoric Vision
The Application of Astropoetic Technique to a Deeper Understanding of the Image
Sorting Through the Relevant Cyclical History for Resonant Memories
Looking for Reenactments of the Original Metaphorical Scene
Moving Beyond Pattern Recognition to Explore the Unconscious Dimensions of Soul Space
Exploring the Interface Between Personal Soul Space and the Collective Unconscious
Following the Confluence of Astropoetic Images to a More Intimate Identification With Spirit
Making a Distinction Between Traditional Astrology and Astropoetics
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Back Matter
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Epilogue
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Works Cited
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Index
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