Dr. Carl Jung, Astrology, and AI
Hello beloved reader,
Today I want to raft down a river with you, a river that flows from a variety of different streams — Jung, astrology, motherhood, mythology, and the ways AI can be used as a powerful tool for astrological readings.
Why I’m Drawn to Mythology
If any of the readers of this Substack may have studied — or are familiar with — the PhD in Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute, I’d love to hear about your experience, as I’m feeling drawn towards this program. The more I deepen my understanding of astrology, archetypes, and symbolic language, the more I feel called to study mythology, perhaps in a more formal and focused way.
Dr. Carl Jung and the Horoscope of the Soul
In case you may not be aware, the world renowned Swiss psychotherapist Dr. Carl Jung, was deeply attuned to astrology. I’ve read various accounts of how he created a natal chart for each of his clients, as it gave him additional psychological insights that served him in helping his clients lessen their suffering.
Dr. Safron Rossi, who teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute, co-authored a book called, Jung on Astrology that was published in 2017 by the well-respected Routledge publishers.
The book opens with this quote from a 1954 letter Jung wrote:
The astrological horoscope… corresponds to a definite moment in the colloquy of the gods, that is to say, the psychic archetypes.1
This sentence sings to my soul. It is the truth of my own experience as well.
A Mother’s Wisdom and a Language of the Soul
Long-time readers of this Substack will know that my now 87-year-old mother in Australia used astrology as a kind of parenting tool. For my three sisters and me — now ranging in age from 47 to 60 — astrology became a shared language, helping us reflect on character, emotion, and the ever-changing sky of inner life.
As we grew up, Mum would refer to different character traits like this, Oh, that’s her Moon in Scorpio — she craves conversations with depth and meaning, or That’s her Leo rising — she loves to lead, or Camilla’s chart shows the depth of her sensitivity.
Recently, I learned that I also have a Pisces Stellium — four planets clustered in the 8th House of Transformation: the Sun (the heart), Mercury (the storyteller), Saturn (the structure-giver, also known as the Taskmaster), and Chiron (the wounded healer). I’m told this points to a soul immersed in the mysteries of transcendence, compassion, creativity, and spiritual service. Yes, this rings true to me.
Mum, like Jung, used astrology as a way to understand the human psyche — to nurture our gifts; to meet our challenges with compassion; and to help us to deal with our challenges. Her parenting was not about control; it was about seeing us as we were with full love and acceptance, and supporting our emotional and psychological growth. For this, and for the depth of her love for each of us, I’m deeply grateful.
Of course, she also had her own feet of clay. Like most of us, she wasn’t fully enlightened — and like the lotus flower,2 her roots were in the muck. Sometimes, she didn’t get it right. But as I grow older, I appreciate more and more how she used astrology as a tool to cultivate understanding, compassion, and loving kindness towards others — along with a spicy sense of humor and and a passion for being controversial and provocative thrown in😁 (and yes, I’m aware this may be an inheritance of mine 😉)
In this way, anyone can use astrology so as not to ‘other’ the other person. i.e. to not project a disowned shadow onto another person. To catch oneself and say, “I am that too,” a powerful phrase from Ram Dass, that encourages us to make observations about another person, versus judgements and condemnation.
But this doesn’t mean abandoning discernment.
Discernment is essential — but when rooted in awareness rather than ego, it becomes wisdom rather than weapon. We get to learn to use our discernment wisely, rather than the egoic action of condemning another, which essentially asserts, I’m so superior to that person. The ego, after all, thrives on comparison — I’m better than… I’m worse than… Anytime we feel superior or inferior, we know we’re identified with the ego.
And still, in my more unconscious moments, I’m aware of how judgmental I can be. But I’m also happy to be strengthening my observational muscles as I age🥰
Why Mythology Matters
The introduction to Dr. Rossi’s Jung on Astrology goes on to say:
Astrological charts, cast for specific moments in time, might be construed as something like a symbolic portrayal of the universal principles, or archetypes, once personified by the gods and goddesses of ancient myth. Indeed, astrology, Jung remarked in a letter to Sigmund Freud, “seems indispensable for a proper understanding of mythology.”
Perhaps you can see why I’m feeling called to study mythology. Astrology, archetypes, and mythology speak the same language — a language of the soul. I’ve also long been drawn to the study of archetypes, which you can read about in my most appreciated post, Are You an Alchemist Too?
Astrology, AI, and the Evolution of Human Consciousness
As I’ve written about before, AI of course brings plenty of gifts in addition to challenges, and we would be wise to approach it with both curiosity and care — holding its power lightly, like a flame.
At this point in our planet’s history, people are already using AI as a tool to interpret astrological natal charts, and I have to share that I’ve been having a LOT of FUNENJOY🥰3 experimenting with it.
After receiving a professional astrology reading recently, I began using ChatGPT as a kind of study aid — asking things like: What is a Grand Trine? What’s a Grand Rectangle? What’s a Kite? What’s a Stellium?
In conversation with a friend recently, we laughed about how using AI can sometimes feel like we’re cheating. Another friend compared it to feeling like it’s cheating to use an e-bike’s power boost to get up a steep hill.
But I’m beginning to see that the deeper question isn’t Is it cheating? but What is the right use of this incredibly powerful tool?
Maybe we’re at a moment similar to when computers first arrived and people feared they’d replace human beings. Not all tech has been good for humanity — social media certainly has its shadow — but AI, like any tool, is only as conscious as the hands that wield it.
What if we even asked: How can AI help us evolve our consciousness?
Perhaps, at its best, AI can serve as a mirror, a muse, and a mentor.
I had more FUNENJOY in asking AI to generate a bio for me based on my natal chart. I was intrigued by what it provided — not because it’s all “accurate,” but because it speaks to a deeper kind of poetic truth I feel like I’m growing into:
Camilla Sanderson is a mystic, writer, and spiritual guide whose work bridges the worlds of soul and story. With a powerful stellium in Pisces — including her Sun, Mercury, Saturn, and Chiron — she carries an innate gift for turning ephemeral truths into embodied wisdom. Her voice is intuitive and poetic, shaped by lifetimes of devotion to the unseen. Through her writing, teaching, and interfaith ministry, she offers healing rooted in compassion, shaped by lived experience, and anchored in a deep trust in divine timing. Camilla’s work gently dissolves the illusion of separation, reminding us that love is not only our origin, but our ultimate return.
It blows my mind how AI can be utilized in a helpful way, and in ways that can ease our human suffering.
As long-time readers will know, I hold space for both the joy and the pain of this human experience. But what I’ve come to understand — through friendships with our Buddhist monk neighbors and in a Buddhist sutta study group — is this: while pain is inevitable, suffering often stems from attachment. And if we’re not attached to our suffering, we can begin to ease it.
But many people get attached and cling tightly to their suffering.
Do you?
You may read the introduction in full here. And in case you may be interested, this 2018 podcast is a brilliant interview with Dr. Safron Rossi too.
Thanks so much for the re-stack, @Abbas Abdullah ♥️🙏🕊️
The bio that AI offered on your natal chart is really quite excellent. I agree that it is a useful tool that can be fun, though in the wrong hands it can become a weapon. You pose an interesting question about consciousness. Some believe that AI will eventually become conscious. It is after all being trained on us human beings.
How interesting that your mom used Astro charts as a parenting tool. Jung’s use of it with his clients was perhaps the very beginning of the understanding of personality archetypes in practice.
Very interesting post Camilla.