For today’s post, I welcome Judy Tsafrir, MD as my guest.  Judy maintains an active, holistic  psychiatric practice in the Boston area and as you will read below, in addition to traditional psychiatric approaches. evolutionary astrology is among the tools  she incorporates into the healing models for some of  her patients .  For those of you who are interested, you can read more about Judy and her practice by going to her three websites:

http:www.judytsafrirmd.com, http:www.bostonastrologer.com, http:www.bostontarot.com

BEYOND FORTUNE TELLING

“When an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside us as fate”~ Carl Jung

It is my belief that we need to attend to body, mind and soul in order to balance and heal ourselves. The physical, psychological and spiritual are inextricably linked components of a whole person, who is part of nature and the cosmos; the microcosm that mirrors the macrocosm. If an individual comes to see me, and is interested in exploring metaphysical perspectives and practice, I am glad to do so.

The modern prevailing contempt for astrology has resulted in a loss of precious ancient knowledge. For most people in our culture, astrology is an unfamiliar metaphysical practice, which is deeply misunderstood and misrepresented. If anything is known about it, it is the daily or monthly horoscopes in newspapers and magazines, which are gross oversimplifications.

In popular astrology, everyone is reduced to representation by one of the 12 zodiac signs, which defacto is very non-specific. This, of course, trivializes the field, and astrology is dismissively equated with superstition. In contrast, the practice of astrology by a skilled and refined practitioner, paints a highly specific unique portrait of an individual’s personal reality.

The astrological birth chart (horoscope) is a map of the sky when we were born. In The Inner Sky, one of my mentors, Steven Forrest, described the birth chart as “a blue print for the happiest, most fulfilling, most spiritually creative path, available to the individual.” He observed that astrology is rooted in nature, as we are.  I have no rational explanation of how astrology works, but only have observed empirically that it is an extremely useful and sophisticated body of knowledge, which has great healing potential.

It is a methodology for increasing awareness, and is in no way about fate or determinism.  Each person is the author of his or her own reality, and ultimately responsible for his/her unique situation. No astrologer could reliably predict an individual’s response to their birth chart. When looking at the horoscope, we have no way of assessing the level of a person’s psycho/spiritual development, or consciousness. This can only be determined by learning about an individual, and the way he or she thinks about themselves and others, and the way they live their life.

The clear validity of sophisticated astrological interpretation is a profound and endlessly fascinating mystery to me.  It is an indispensable tool for understanding myself and others, making meaning, and directing my energies.

Astrology describes character, pointing to an individual’s strengths and vulnerabilities, affinities in work and love, seasons of growth and decline, beginnings and endings, and times when we find ourselves sailing both with and against the wind. It has the capacity to provide helpful insight into the past, present and potential future. Astonishingly, it is capable of commenting upon most aspects of the human experience.

Flower Remedies are another therapeutic modality that can support an individual’s psycho/spiritual growth and development. They bear resemblance to homeopathy, in that the mechanism of action is on an energetic level, rather than on a material plane. On occasion I also make of use of the Tarot with my patients. The cards can illuminate a situation, expand the scope of the conversation, and provide additional insight and clarity.

I consider these energetic practices tools for healing, along with medication, nutrition, detoxification, life style changes, and therapeutic conversation. I take the lead from my patients in this regard.

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