Could astrology indicate different types of mental illness?

Maggiemay

Would you rely on certain aspects within a chart to ''see'' signs of mental illness?

Eg: Moon pluto opposition : multiple personality disorder.... ect...

Curious to hear from you!

Maggie

Maggiemay

Oh yeah!! And by the way : I happened to have some moon pluto ''ISSUES'' so please be kind!!! LOL

Maggie

aka Bill aka Samantha... ect... LMAO

Minderwiz

The only book on the subject that I'm aware of is 'Signs of Mental Illness' by Mitchell E Gibson, MD.

Firstly the term 'mental illness' covers a wide variety of disorders so there's no single Astrological signature for being 'mentally ill'.

Secondly, Gibson looks at a limited number of disorders and finds a whole variety of Astrological signatures for each one, without completely rechecking the book he finds up to 22 signatures for schizophrenia for example. However he DOES use a control group and there appears to be some definite statistical significance in his results. So I would not dismiss his findings.

As with many of these type of books, whilst I find it fascinating, I question the extent to which such signatures exist in the entire population (control group not withstanding) without manifesting as mental illness. Of course one may argue that they are latent and MIGHT manifest in the future, given the right trigger.

I'm not a qualified doctor, so I'm not in a position to judge the medical side but as a social scientist (and an Astrologer) I'd really like to see some replication of Gibson's work. It might just be as important as Gaugelin's research.

Maggiemay

Minderwiz said:
Secondly, Gibson looks at a limited number of disorders and finds a whole variety of Astrological signatures for each one, without completely rechecking the book he finds up to 22 signatures for schizophrenia for example. However he DOES use a control group and there appears to be some definite statistical significance in his results. So I would not dismiss his findings.

Just out of curiosity : was the moon-pluto contact part of any ''signature''?

As I mentioned, I have a contact between moon & pluto in my chart. I am not suffering from schizophrenia but I do have a hard time creating 'bonds'. Getting 'attached' to someone or anyone for that matter, is something that... well... frankly...it scares me.

When I do form a bond (moon?) then I feel extremely exposed emotionally. I think it might have to do with some form of PTSD from childhood. Would you say that makes sense?

Minderwiz said:
As with many of these type of books, whilst I find it fascinating, I question the extent to which such signatures exist in the entire population (control group not withstanding) without manifesting as mental illness. Of course one may argue that they are latent and MIGHT manifest in the future, given the right trigger.

I find it fascinating too... If I was an astrologer, I would be a psycho-astrologer and look at people's chart to treat them!

Minderwiz said:
I'm not a qualified doctor, so I'm not in a position to judge the medical side but as a social scientist (and an Astrologer) I'd really like to see some replication of Gibson's work. It might just be as important as Gaugelin's research.

My God... If I could I would read every book on the subject!

Thanks for your post.

Maggie

ps: social scientist? Let me guess, you are an anthropologist?

Cactus

Maggie, you're not alone with the Moon & Pluto opposition. I've got it too so I'm interested in any other replies here!!

How do you think you're affected with this opposition? Unfortunately, one of my biggest issues that I believe might stem from this aspect is anger. In certain situations, I just blow up. And I yell and slamming doors has been a necessary outlet since I was young.

Minderwiz

Well Gibson does NOT list Moon/Pluto links as an indicator for ANY of the mental illnesses he looks at, so neither you not Cactus are mentally ill!

Or at least I'd have to look at your charts for other listed factors and re-read the book and even then a statistical inference is NOT proof.

I think we have to be very careful here. Gibson is not using Astrology as a diagnostic tool. He was studying the charts of those who had already been diagnosed through the normal medical procedures and comparing their charts to those of a control group.

Moreover to give credence to his findings they need to be replicated by other researchers and as far as I know, no further follow ups have been done. So if anyone has seen other work please post.

The thing that impresses me about Gibson is that he doesn't make the sort of unsubsantiated claims that many psychologists make when drawing on Astrology. Their knowledge of the scientific method deserts them and we are left with vague waffle about Pluto (which does rule psychologists and psychiatrists, if nothing else) and possibly Neptune (which rules psychologist Astrologers) and occasionally Uranus (nuff said).

This is a credible piece of work. Whether he has found something is open to discussion but we are not swapping claims, we can actually verify his findings with further research.

Maggiemay

Cactus said:
Maggie, you're not alone with the Moon & Pluto opposition. I've got it too so I'm interested in any other replies here!!

Yay! I'm not alone!

Cactus said:
How do you think you're affected with this opposition? Unfortunately, one of my biggest issues that I believe might stem from this aspect is anger. In certain situations, I just blow up. And I yell and slamming doors has been a necessary outlet since I was young.

I am over-sensitive for one. ( I too get angry but I blame it on an other aspect! lol)

Moon- pluto opposition is, from what I gather, quite a 'blow' on the psyche. The very aspect has been compared to Hades kidnapping persephone and dragging her down to the underworld against her will... (you know the story)

Anyhow, as far as I am concerned I feel various impact from moon-pluto. The main one is that I have a hard time forming a bond with another person. My mother was made unavailable to nurture me in childhood by circumstances beyond her control. As a result I don't like to get attached because I have a phobia of ''loosing'' the ones I love.

Also, I am afraid to bear children. I believe it is from this aspect.

Pluto-moon opposition indicates a lack of nurturing from the mother, an absence or a rejection of some sort. One that causes great pain since the mother is a child's first and ultimate love. ( at least, It is in my case)

Also, moon pluto opposition suggests that the pregnancy was not planned and therefore received as a shock to the mother. Such was the case in my situation.

Even to write about this aspect makes me feel uneasy...

What about you Cactus gorgeous? Aside from 'the anger management issue' (lol) anything more 'emotion based' going on with that aspect?

Maggie

Maggiemay

Minderwiz said:
Well Gibson does NOT list Moon/Pluto links as an indicator for ANY of the mental illnesses he looks at, so neither you not Cactus are mentally ill!

You hear that Cactus?! We're not crazy!!! lol
Minderwiz, would you mind coming over to convince my family of that???
LOL

Minderwiz said:
Or at least I'd have to look at your charts for other listed factors and re-read the book and even then a statistical inference is NOT proof.

Uh Oh....
On second thought : Do not come over !!!! LOL

Minderwiz said:
I think we have to be very careful here. Gibson is not using Astrology as a diagnostic tool. He was studying the charts of those who had already been diagnosed through the normal medical procedures and comparing their charts to those of a control group.

Moreover to give credence to his findings they need to be replicated by other researchers and as far as I know, no further follow ups have been done. So if anyone has seen other work please post.

I understand.

Minderwiz said:
The thing that impresses me about Gibson is that he doesn't make the sort of unsubsantiated claims that many psychologists make when drawing on Astrology.

I'm totally getting my hands on that book.

Minderwiz said:
The thing that impresses me about Gibson is that he doesn't make the sort of unsubsantiated claims that many psychologists make when drawing on Astrology.

I know what you mean. I find myself to be rather skeptic when authors try to 'merge' astrology with some other science. ( though I am not against it)
I read a book about Graphology where the author claimed to see the glyph of the various planets in the handwritting.

Thank you Minderwiz for your 'reassuring' post.

Maggie

Cactus

Maggiemay said:
Yay! I'm not alone!

I am over-sensitive for one. ( I too get angry but I blame it on an other aspect! lol)

Moon- pluto opposition is, from what I gather, quite a 'blow' on the psyche. ...

anything more 'emotion based' going on with that aspect?

Maggie

Maggie, I'm glad we're not crazy, even though sometimes I really do think I am!

And yes, there's a lot of emotion based stuff going on with me! The "blow to the psyche" for me happened not with my mother but during grade school when the kids started to make fun of me and avoid me. I went from having a few friends in the beginning of grade school to suddenly one year everyone, for some reason unknown to me, they all hated me.

I don't know if they suddenly didn't like that I was more introverted and reserved, or was somehow different from them, I have no idea what they thought of me. All I know was that I never hated anyone and was nice as pie to them (and not in a kiss-but type).

My home life was really good, actually. Loving and supportive...and I had really good friends outside of school - it was just grade school that was pure torture and to this day it affects me.

I think a lot of my emotional problems and anger come from that time when they would make fun of me and I was so reserved and shy that I never stuck up for myself. I guess that's what those kids were looking for - someone like me who they could say mean things to in order to make themselves feel better...I don't know.

But even as I got older and started working, I HATED the cliques in the workplace because that's what I dealt with in grade school. I ALWAYS felt like people were talking about me. Now, if someone acts strange or doesn't treat me very kindly, I really take it to heart and get so offended. I go over it in my mind to see what I did.

I'm now realizing that it's OTHERS and not anything that I do. Maybe this is more of a Moon thing - I don't know. My moon is in Pisces. I'm definitely dreamy and while the kids were making fun of me, I'd wish so hard that I was home reading. That's what I did to escape. And for fun at home, too. Always in my room reading (Nancy Drew). To this day, reading is my ultimate joy in life (besides my family, of course.)

But raising a family with my moon opp. Pluto definitely challenges me because the chaos - oh my god! - gets to me and I suddenly just blow up and yell, STOP, or I just cry...

And me writing long posts like this is my quadruple Gemini planets going on (Sun, Merc, Mars and Asc.) What fun....

Maggiemay

OH - MY- GOD! Cactus!

To a certain extent : I could have written your post for you!

Yikes!

Maggie

Edited to add: I was told by an astrologer that pluto-moon opposition is very much ''KARMIC''.... (That's when I started hating the word!! lol)