About the Workshop:

Archetypal Astrology is ancient system for understanding one’s innermost nature.  Like Tarot, the I Ching, and other symbolic tools used to tap into the Collective Unconscious, Archetypal Astrology is a powerful medium for discovering on the archetypal forces at work in our lives.  It has been observed that all of the key life lessons we came to engage in this lifetime are symbolically represented in our charts.  So while it’s true that human beings don’t come with “owner’s manuals,” we do arrive with a map of the psychological and spiritual territory we came to explore – and the map is encoded in our natal charts. 
In this class we will be exploring the use of the astrological symbol system with regard to our natal (or birth) charts.  Some of the many archetypes we will explore in the context of our individual natal charts are the Warrior, the Lover, the Hermit, the Shaman, the Revolutionary, and the Mystic – as well as the perennial energies of the archetypal Mother, the Father, and Child.  We’ll learn about how these archetypes manifest in the form of the astrological Planets, Signs, and Houses – the “alphabet” of the astrological language.  We’ll also learn the basics of interpreting the relationships between the planets in our charts, which forms the basic “grammar” of astrology.  By the end of the second class in this series, you will have the basic skill to interpret the archetypal meaning of each of the placements in your birth chart. 
Please join us on this exciting voyage of self-discovery as we explore one of the most ancient of tools for engaging the realm of the archetypes.  In the process, you’ll not only learn the basics of this ancient craft, but you’ll also gain important insights into the mythic nature of your own story.

Dr. Richard Stromer is a personal mythologist with a Berkeley-based counseling and teaching practice called Soul Mentor.  His training includes a doctorate in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Archetypal Psychology and World Sacred Traditions. His work combines the perennial wisdom of many mythological and religious traditions with contemporary approaches evolved by modern depth psychologists. With a focus on facilitating and integrating both psychological development and spiritual evolution, Richard also extensively employs archetypal astrology as a tool for self-exploration.