Videos

These videos are taken from live online webinars given by Clare Martin for the Mercury Internet School of Psychological Astrology (MISPA). Watch the full videos on demand now on Vimeo. Visit: http://www.mercuryinternetschool.com/video.html

2021: Harmonics – The Sound of Astrology

The birth chart is an expression of our fundamental resonance, our core note, or first harmonic. It reflects the universal frequencies of the cosmos at the time of our birth. We are already familiar with the number symbolism associated with the major divisions of the circle by two (opposition), three (trine) and four (square), but harmonic theory enables us to look deeper into the birth chart. We will explore the mathematical and musical symbolism of the fifth, seventh and ninth harmonics, and the meaning of the quintile, septile and novile aspects.

The second harmonic is the chart of our ‘unknown self’, the musical octave of our natal chart, and of great significance in relationships. Working with the second harmonic, we can develop enhanced self knowledge, and learn to dance between our own inner opposites.

2019: Pluto – To Hell and Back

The myth of Hades, god of the underworld, is intimately connected with the myth of Demeter, Goddess of Nature, and the transformation of her daughter Persephone from innocent maiden (Kore) to Queen of the Underworld. The story of Demeter and Persephone was ritually re-enacted in the Eleusinian Mysteries, secret religious rites observed annually in ancient Greece for two thousand years. They are believed to have celebrated the cyclical nature of life, the recognition that death is always followed by rebirth.

Represented in the horoscope by Pluto and its transits, recognition and acceptance of the destructive and creative power of nature, as Great Mother, is vital to transforming both ourselves and the world. By confronting our own depths, by meeting and burning through our own small inheritance of the demonised and distorted unconscious forces of Pluto, we can transform its expression in our own lives and return it to the collective as a regenerated life force.

2018: The Astrology of Personality Theory

In traditional and indigenous cultures, visions, dreams and other mysterious disturbances were understood mythically and imaginatively, as communications from the soul.  In our culture they are more likely to be treated purely physiologically, as symptoms to be diagnosed and treated, an observation which caused Jung to comment that ‘the gods have become diseases’.
Astrologers have an important therapeutic function as the modern storytellers.The language of astrology is symbolic and imaginative – it describes the human condition just as it is. In this webinar we will compare contemporary personality theories with the inherent conflicts built into every chart, paying particular attention to planetary and sign opposition, and develop astrological narratives which are imaginative rather than diagnostic, mythic rather than medical, archetypal rather than pathological.

2018: Signs of the Times

Charles Harvey wrote that “the deeper significance and purpose of our own lives can only really be understood when seen in the context of the major cycles of which our lives are a particular expression.” (Astrological Journal, March/April 1982).

In this webinar Clare explores the significance in our birth charts of the Uranus/Pluto and Uranus/Neptune conjunctions which occurred in the 20th century, and the Jupiter/Pluto, Saturn/Pluto and Jupiter/Saturn cycles which are due to renew in 2020.

These cycles provide a valuable context for all our chart work and lend an astrological perspective to our understanding of the Baby Boomer generation, Generation X and the Millennials.

2017: Astrology, the Soul and the Water Houses

This webinar explores the water houses as realms of the soul.

Jung’s Red Book demonstrates that the influence of the soul is as relevant and powerful as ever. Planets in the water houses and their planetary rulers describe the nature of our personal, ancestral and collective inheritance. They describe our psychic vocation, where and how we are affected by the residues of the past, find ourselves blamed and scapegoated, or become catalysts for change. The water houses also describe our sense of being deeply connected to, and supported by, the eternal flow of life.

2017: Astrology and Images of the Masculine

This webinar considers four major aspects of the masculine, equally relevant in the horoscopes of men and women. In their book King Warrior Magician Lover, Jungian analysts Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette argue that mature masculinity is generative, protective and empowering of the self and others. For women, the development of a creative and nurturing inner masculine is essential if she is to experience positive and supportive relationships with the outer masculine.

2017: Astrology and aspects of the Feminine

This Webinar considers the four structural forms of the feminine psyche identified by Jungian analyst Toni Wolff.  In her study of opposites, Wolff discusses the archetypes of the Mother and Hetaira, of the Amazon and the Medial woman, each of which are present in our charts, to different degrees.

2017: The Nodes of the Moon

Known from ancient times as the head and tail of the celestial dragon which devours the Sun or Moon at eclipses, the nodal axis has always been linked to the workings of fate. In this webinar Clare considers the nodal axis as a doorway into the imaginal worlds, a liminal axis where opposites come together. She discusses the tendency of the nodes to personify as significant people in our lives who nurture our soul’s purpose and guide us to fulfil our personal destiny.

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

2016: Astrology and Incarnation

In this webinar we will explore the astrology of incarnation through the angles of the birth chart.  At the moment of our birth, the angles become fixed as our lifelong personal ‘cross of matter’, describing the various challenges of our incarnation, with all its inherent tensions, paradoxes and creative potential.
The ASC/DES axis describes not only the birth experience itself, but the relationship patterns which will become lifelong themes.  The MC/IC axis challenges us to accept our incarnation and find our true vocation in the world. 
Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes.

2016: Secondary Progressions

This webinar revisits Secondary Progressions and considers how this valuable symbolic timing technique provides real insight into the subtle but significant unfolding of the natal chart. Using the graphic ephemeris, we can trace the organic evolution and changing shape of our natal pattern through time and identify at a glance when planets change direction or sign, heralding profound shifts in our personal landscape.

Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes.