BEYOND BRAIN – the power of intuition in astrology

Most people have had experiences with intuition. Not thoughts, but a valuable flow of information spontaneously presenting itself out of the blue. In the form of knowledge, images, energetic or bodily sensations. We also use other terms like inspiration, inner knowing, gut feeling, being in flow, having a hunch and more.

A powerful intuition is an advanced GPS-system that uplifts life to a higher level. To the benefit of ourselves and the totality we move in. It is enlightening, often fun and full of surprises. A kind of every day magic. But do we know what we are talking about – and are there different kinds of intuition? Can astrology shed some light?

As students of astrology, we are aware that a profound understanding of a chart in its totality, with all of its moving parts, is founded on intuition. The mind in itself cannot grasp the complex interaction within the multi-layered inner world of an individual. Interpreting these cosmic nodes require the feel of a musician or the inspiration of a soccer player doing a brilliant run while reading the field.
My own interest in intuition was prompted first by a spiritual opening unexpectedly resulting in the healing of long time infertility, as described in my book Meet Your Soul. 1) The effects were spectacular – from no children over a period of six years to the birth of three boys in only two years. Last set was twin sons born on my birthday, adding two more Aquarians to the 17 (!) already in the family.
But it was the occurrence of a simple discovery that later deepened my interest and kick started a more thorough investigation. One day I was engaged on the phone in a truly inspiring conversation. Suddenly I noticed my left hand moving about in the air, gesticulating forcefully. Surprised, I looked at the moving hand being normally 100 % right handed. In that moment, I scanned my body and registered other changes like breathing equally through both nostrils, a particularly open sensation in my throat and being able to feel all of my body in full. My voice had a fulness to it and the words came out in a pleasant vibration and flow.  My entire body was filled with vibrant energy as if it was – awake. This observation hit like a lightning bolt. It seems that under specific circumstances we can shift or transcend to a new level of awareness and connect with something higher or larger. A shift that has physical effects on the body. It is not just a subjective “feeling”.
I started a research project doing interviews with a long line of professional creative people – and regular people doing other things like nursing or finance (we really don´t want too much creativity in the latter…). My findings validated my original observation in full. 2) Some had experiences like mine, but the physical effects presented themselves in a wide range like ”goose bumps”, tingling or buzzing sensations, energy waves on different parts of the body, the need to look upwards in a specific direction, a change in vocals and almost always an experience of light, in the form of powerful clarity, a feeling of elation, enhanced vitality and lightness of body. The intuitive state of awareness is real and different from our day-to-day consciousness, mentally, emotionally and physically.

In-tuition means ”tuition from within”. Intuition can be defined as meaningful information of a higher order spontaneously flowing in without the use of thought. In the form of knowledge, images, music/sounds, energetic or bodily sensations. Often so quickly that it never registers in your awareness – you hear the words as they leave your mouth or observe the painting manifest through the brush in your hand.In astrology, we can observe a number of different kinds of intuition:

1. Psychological intuition. Connected with the sign of Taurus/Scorpio, planet Pluto and the Eighth House.

The ability to perceive basic human emotions and motives connected to survival. The struggle for energy and ressources, and the fear of lacking or losing them. The intense and uncompromising desire for sex, food, money, power and recognition, or mere attention.

If this power is enhanced, an individual can tap into collective trends of the masses.  A frightening example of an expert in this field was top nazi Heinrich Goebbels, whose effective apparatus of propaganda is said to be the determining factor in the spread of national socialism through precise tapping  into the collective feeling of humiliation in the German people after the defeat in WWI. Goebbels had Sun and stellium in Scorpio in the 11th house and Pluto sextile his Leo Ascendant. Hitler himself a Taurean with Pluto conjunct Neptune in the 8th sextile MC in Leo. Adding the seduction of Neptune. (Seeing Hitler´s chart for the first time prompted reflection. It was not the buzzing chart of a world ruler I expected, but a chart with the dominant theme of lack. Few planetary aspects and a Capricorn Moon with its shadow side a sense of restriction, of having too little and often resentful envy of others that appear to have enough, leading to rigid judgement and bias. A chart of scarcity and disconnect.  On reflection, it makes sense: If God is Life itself and the “Giver of Life” then His/Hers opponent must be “lack of life” and the active principle the “taker of life”.) It is a somewhat spectacular fact that the three war lords of the next World War, generals Patton, Rommel and Montgomery, were all born in this sign on the 11th, 15th and 17th of November. Leading millions of young men into the hell of war. A recent biography describes through personal letters and other sources how they were intensely preoccupied – not with the young men dying or injured under their command, but with each other. Winning the competition.3)

In the mixed department, we find Christian reformer Martin Luther, whose demeaning view on women and sexuality had destructive effects for hundreds of years. But whose mission of reform was prompted by the corrupt practise of the papal church in receiving money for letters of absolution. And who worked to give back the power of the relationship with the Divine to the individual, out of the hands of clergymen and rulers. Luckily this power also can be manifested in a light, wonderful and transformative way. As found in the works of Scorpio writers Michael Ende and Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking). 4) Some may also know the amazing work of Danish Lars Muhl, author of The O Manuscript describing the mystery of Mary Magdalen. Astrid Lindgren worked as a letter censor in Stockholm during the war, every day reading the despairing correspondence of young soldiers and their families. She has explained that she created Pippi as a direct response to the madness of grandeur of Hitler. What if the strongest person in the world was a small girl?

The psychological intuition will often be directed at the area of traditional psychology as formulated first by Sigmund Freud. Freud´s chart displays a Taurus Sun and stellium in the 7th  house. Pluto on the Descendant shows an intense interest in underlying emotional drives of  “the others” – 7th  and 8th houses being classical houses of psychology. To top it off, a Scorpio Ascendant.  The chart of C. G. Jung  places his Sun right on the 7th/ Descendant, a Moon-Pluto conjunction in Taurus and Jupiter in the 8th house.

The area of the astrological chart in focus of investigation will often be that of the Moon – our inner child with his or her subconscious and habitual early behavioural patterns and strategies for survival. The psychological intuition is connected with the survival of the body and the element of earth.

2. Creative intuition connected to the element of fire and corresponding planets.

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius and Mars, Sun and Jupiter. The First, Fifth and Ninth house. Creative intuition is spontaneous and dramatic, often visual and artistic with an emphasis on action, adventure, risk taking and transgression of limitation. The fire signs need to experience their sense of identity through creative self expression.

Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Lady Gaga, Elton John and Eddie Murphy beautifully demonstrate the fiery energy and colorful creative powers of Aries. I can personally vouch for the absence of forethought in the young male sheep in particular . When a typical Aries needs to pass through a door, last resort is reaching for the handle.  Leos Madonna and Whitney Houston demonstrate the greatness and challenge of the creative powers of this sign. The birth chart of Whitney Houston displays a grand fire trine between a Venus-Sun conjunction, Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Aries and Sagittarius rising. A fire that proved to be too difficult for her to handle. One of the artists that participated in my research interviews is also a Leo with Aries Moon – a successful  flower createur who describes his creative process being initiated by roaring sounds in his inner ear and later manifesting as images of his future creations, saturated with intense ambiance and colors. Like the lion Aslan  creating all of Narnia through his roar. One of the best known songs of Madonna is titled ”Express Yourself”.

Sagittarians Jane Fonda, Winston Churchill, Steven Spielberg and Walt Disney need no further introduction and fully demonstrate the battle ready, fearless visionary and visual gifts of this sign.The creative intuition is connected with the fire element – creativity through vision and action.

3. Clairvoyant/healing/musical intuition.

Clairvoyance, musicality and gifts of healing connect to the sign of Pisces, Neptune and the 12th house. The spiritual medium or channel, the healer, musician, photographer, mystic and dreamer. Who often experiences through images and sensations and have the ability to feel the energy of another person or animal and contact spirit guides, deceased loved ones, angels and highly intelligent entities not in physical existence.  Among the famous “seers” are Edgar Cayce and Rudolf Steiner, both Pisces born. In a state of deep trance Edgar Cayce was able to ”remote scan” the personality, life purpose  and physical weaknesses of an individual and give directions for healing. His chart displays a stellium in Pisces and a Neptune-Moon conjunction in Taurus. He had no recollection of his sessions and sometimes struggled with his Christian beliefs in reading them afterwards. Steiner´s great contribution within the field of education and childrearing lies in his forceful emphasis on the right of a child to innocently experience the magical wonder of life. All the way through childhood towards the natural emergence of the intellect and powers of discrimination around the age of nine. Together with the understanding of the importance of music for the harmonious development of the personality. Later research has shown that music enhances powers of team work – and wires the brain for math. (The Pisces-Virgo axis reflected in the chart of Steiner with a Virgo Moon opposing his Sun.) At the core of Steiner´s work is the profound understanding that the personality and gifts of a child are innate and must be brought out through the nurturing care and interest of adults, like a human gardener. There is no Tabula Rasa. This was a totally new concept in the often violent world of the 19th century and prior centuries. In Denmark – an enlightened country compared to most – the right to beat a child was banned as late as 1997.

In present day, American Pisces Esther Hicks quite rightly has become world famous as a channel for the highly intelligent entity ”Abraham”. Pisces Albert Einstein often spoke of his intuitive insights, love of music and religious life view, painter Renoir demonstrates poetically the dreamy beauty of the sign and so do composer Chopin. The clairvoyant/musical intuition is connected with the perception of energy in multiple dimensions and the element of water.

4. Higher mental intuition connected to Aquarius, Uranus and the Eleventh House.

This sign in particular can send up an antenna to the higher realms and bring down innovative ideas and advanced, progressive knowledge for the future. Here we find the brilliant inventor and scientist, the political and social activist/reformer, the inspiring teacher and wise advisor.  At the highest levels we find the incorruptible individual who speaks unselfishly with the voice of Truth for the enlightenment and liberation of mankind.  The sign of Aquarius is connected with the myth of Titan Prometheus who discovered that humans lived in misery crouching in darkness without the light and warmth of fire. He felt compassion and stole the fire from the Gods to give to the human race. Prometheus paid a terrible price of punishment from Zeus until liberated by Hercules –  a symbol of the awakened disciple on the Path of enlightenment. Nearly everyone who ever liberated anyone from anything of importance is born in this sign: Abraham Lincoln liberated the world from the pest of slavery displaying a courage larger than life in combination with refined practical and psychological cleverness.5) On his heels is Franklin D. Roosevelt, together with Churchill liberating the world from Hitler. Boris Jeltsin courageously flaunted the powers that be on a military tank in Moscow and later cooperated with another Aquarian, Ronald Reagan, in bringing down the Berlin wall and reducing nuclear weapons around 1989. Jeltsin in particular demonstrates that Aquarians are only human – his erratic behavior was not entirely due to his drinking like a fish  – but willing to pay the price of liberation. The genius and idiocy of the sign we find in Mozart  – watch the movie on this genius-fool who loved farting jokes. The list goes on with Darwin, Dickens, Francis Bacon, Edison (lights on!) and in present day Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle and Alicia Keys.

In esoteric astrology, Uranus is the ruler of Libra which becomes relevant for the more evolved individual. We find here Gandhi with Uranus on his MC, Libra poet Rumi and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, chairwoman of the UN Commission drafting the Human Rights Declaration in 1948.6) Gandhi wrote in his autobiography that everything he did was merely his “experiments with truth”. Two of astrology´s outstanding pioneers are Aquarius Evangeline Adams and Libra Liz Greene. The art of astrology itself, the language of energy, belongs to this sign and Uranus.The most powerful version of this intuition in my experience is in a combination of Aquarius/Uranus and Pisces/Neptune. Evangeline Adams´ chart display heavy influence of Pisces. The author of 26 books on esoteric cosmology and astrology, channeling “The Tibetan”, Alice A. Bailey, has Mercury sextile both Uranus and Neptune. Founder of soul centered astrology, Alan Oken, displays Uranus conjunct Moon sextile Sun and trine Neptune.

The higher mental intuition is connected with ideas and principles and the element of air.

How do we access the intuitive level? 

This question is the topic of countless spiritual and religious works. 7) Generally it is agreed upon that transcendence or the shift to intuitive states is founded on a specific intention.

The intention and profound wish to serve and create to the good of other living beings. As well as doing what you love and surrounding yourself with positive, supporting people. Also therapeutic work and a spiritual practise like meditation and prayer. And living ”at ease” with yourself (your true or essential nature) and value system. Thus avoiding dis-ease.

Individually, the placement of the Sun interacting with the rest of the chart is central in showing our creative potential – the Divine spark of life. Your particular brand of intuition is displayed in the signs and planets. What are the blocks? In general terms – doubt, scepticism and fear. At the level of the individual we must look at the placement of the Moon. Displaying our subconscious defense mechanisms and basic emotions founded in childhood. According to several works on cosmology, also former lives. The Moon comes with creative gifts of its own, but at the level of emotional patterns blocking the higher faculties, the Moon poses a problem due to its subconscious nature.

The Moon is our inner child who attaches itself to what is familiar. In the attempt to have love and nurturement. Good or bad, as long as it is familiar. One cannot overemphasize the Moons need for security. Attached to habit and specific patterns of thinking.

In buddhism, a central point is that all human suffering is triggered by attachment. When we attach ourselves to material things, people or specific perceptions, we suffer. To avoid suffering and access our higher intuition we must shed light and become conscious of the Moon. Learn to detach from its attachments.

The Moon should not be suppressed or battled, but gently and lovingly be drawn into the light. Nevertheless, it is a child and cannot run the show. This is a job for the Sun, our higher creative potential, interacting with the rest of the chart. By becoming conscious of the Moon we can nurture and provide for it in a balanced way. If for example you have a Taurus Moon, you can allow it to eat candy and cozy up in the familiar worn-out sofa – but maybe just a little bowl of candy and not every day. Gently, it should be given enough time to adjust and get used to change, but not be allowed to hit the brake and hold on to status quo.The Moon requires awareness and discipline because it constantly will seek out the familiar and secure, often against the higher purpose of the soul. From the point of spirit, the Moon creates inertia and gravity. That is why the word yoga means yolk, pointing to the discipline necessary to make body and mind serve the soul.

The sticky little fingers must be pried open to release ourselves from suffering and obtain focus on the enfolding of spirit – our full flowering as a divine beings. Shedding detailed light on the Moon to render the subjective objective and the subconscious conscious is truly one of the most useful aspects of astrology. As astrologers, we can be human gardeners, cultivating the Divine Spark in every being, helping lift all of the snake of fear, the Hydra, up into the air, empowering the individual to transcend limitation and access the levels of intution. Relieve suffering and make the shift.

Harvard neurosurgeon Eben Alexander puts it beautifully, reflecting on his near death experience in Proof of Heaven: “True thought is not the brain´s affair… True thought is pre-physical. This is the thinking-behind the-thinking responsible for all the genuinely consequential choices we make in the world. A thinking that is not dependent on linear deduction, but that moves fast as lightning, making connections on different levels, bringing them together. In the face of this free, inner intelligence, our ordinary thought is hopelessly slow and fumbling…Our truest, deepest self is completely free. This is the true spiritual self that all of us are destined someday to recover. But until that day comes, I feel, we should do everything in our power to get in touch with this miraculous aspect of ourselves – to cultivate it and bring it to light.”

NOTES:

All Astrological data from Astrodienst: https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Main_Page

1. Meet your Soul, by Nina Bentzon-Ehlers. Currently only Danish version titled Kend din sjael -https://ninabentzon.dk/kend-din-sjael/Læs. English version in production.

2. Join our research project! We would be delighted to hear your experiences with intuition. Please fill out questionnaire here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6hq1r5zwfsmk237/Questions%20on%20Intuition%20.pdf?dl=0

3. War Lords, by Terry Brighton.

4. The O Manuscript and Law of the Light – the Aramaic Mysteries , by Lars Muhl, voted among the  Top 100 of the world´s most spiritual influential persons 2013 on the Watkins list. Momo and The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende. Astrid Lindgren – en livsskildring , by Margareta Stroemstedt.

5. See a true Aquarian in action – watch the movie Lincoln. The US Northern troops so loved this man that they sometimes recited his speeches back to him. The actor playing the role of Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis, later stated that he “intensely missed” being an expression of this elevated man after shooting the film. For more inspiration, move on to Sagittarius glory in Darkest Hour about Churchill.

6. Second chair was a Danish woman, Bodil Begtrup. The achievements of these women came to my attention only due to the fact that one of them was my grandmother´s best friend… not the educational system. The rest of the draft team consisted of a Libanese muslim poet, the head of the French Resistance and a Chinese professor. From biography A World Made New , by Mary Ann Glendon.

7. Go to Ninas Book Shelf  www.ninabentzon.dk.

8. Quote from Proof of Heaven, p. 84, by Eben Alexander, Simon & Schuster. Meet him on Gaia.com.