Part I: Fire, Earth, Air and Water: The Elements of the Zodiac

“Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into the human cultural manifestation.”—Joseph Campbell

To study myths is to access the secret opening where our personal experience meets the archetypal patterns of the psyche. No symbolic art offers so potent a way of exploring this meeting place than astrology. Full of the gods, astrology and myth are deeply entwined. From an archetypal psychological perspective, astrology can be a practice that helps us find and hold to the powers that animate our lives. Centering us in the deep principles that the psyche needs for its well-being and transformation, archetypal astrology is a soul-making practice.

This six-week online course explores the elemental images of the zodiac—fire, earth, air and water—as archetypal spheres of awareness. We will draw on Greek myths and alchemy in order to explore this elemental dimension of the zodiac signs.

Throughout the course we will examine alchemical images, myth, and poetry to more deeply see the elemental imagination at work in our life and astrological birth chart.  We will also look in depth at James Hillman’s insights on alchemy from the vantage point of astrology.

“Astrology provides images to be pondered for their symbolic richness and mythical amplification; they afford archetypal data, divine gifts.”—James Hillman

The course is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part II: The Planets in Myth and Psyche, a 12-week course, will be offered in 2022.

Course Details:

Course participants will receive a detailed syllabus with weekly readings and viewings drawn from myth, archetypal psychology, poetry, literature, music and film.

This course will include:

• Online discussion via D2L learning platform
• A pre-recorded lecture for each of the six modules
• Live two-hour Zoom session with Safron Rossi each Saturday at 10 am Pacific Time, 1 pm ET, 5 pm GMT. Recordings of each session will be made available.

Who is the course for?

• People interested in learning how to understand and apply archetypal astrology to their own life experiences
• Depth psychologists and therapists of any orientation wishing to use archetypal astrology in their practice as a guide to the psyche
• People interested in the relationship between astrology and alchemy
• People interested in the archetypal psychology of James Hillman
• People wishing to begin training in archetypal astrology

What will you gain by taking the course?

1. An understanding of the relationship of astrology and alchemy, and how their symbolic language relates to Jungian and archetypal psychology
2. Knowledge of astrology as personal mythology
3. Familiarity with the four elements of astrology and alchemy, and insight into the archetypal nature of the four elements
4. Fluency with the twelve zodiac signs as spheres of awareness and their qualities, themes, and myths
5. The capacity to develop a deeper grasp of the archetypal patterns of your own life, as revealed through your astrological birth chart

Overview of weekly topics

Module 1: Introduction to the Elements in Astrology and Alchemy

Module 2: Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Module 3: Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Module 4: Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Module 5: Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Module 6: Elemental Entanglements – The Signs in Aspect