Horoscopes as a set of archetypes

[Athenian200]

Horoscopes themselves are obviously not always valid, yet they still fascinate us. I believe it's partially because they represent a set of archetypes that we use to identify ourselves and others. Consider:

Aries probably seems to represent the typical rash teenager, or old-western cowboy.

Taurus might be the typical businessman or member of the noblity.

Gemini could be the diplomat, lawyer, or socialite.

Cancer seems like a reclusive artist, or a very sensitive person with a lot of unexpressed dreams.

Leo could be a knight, or the visionary and exacting leader.

Virgo could be the dedicated, practical mother.

Libra might be an arbitrator or a philosopher.

Scorpio might be any fierce competitor.

Sagittarius could be an activist, possibly a hippie.

Capricorn might be the self-made wealthy individual.

Aquarius could be a scientist or researcher.

Pisces could be a typical melancholy dreamer.

So, the point is, I think people were partially attracted to these ideas as ways of creating archetypes by which to compare people. Perhaps it's even similar to what causes people to study psychology today. One thing I think we can gather from horoscopes, however, is a more holistic set of archetypes that explain how our minds natually categorize and set expectations for people. Does this make any sense?

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by athenian200

Sagittarius could be an activist, possibly a hippie...

I am NOT a hippie.

So, the point is, I think people were partially attracted to these ideas as ways of creating archetypes by which to compare people. Perhaps it's even similar to what causes people to study psychology today. One thing I think we can gather from horoscopes, however, is a more holistic set of archetypes that explain how our minds naturally categorize and set expectations for people. Does this make any sense?

Oh, well, it's possible. Astrology was tied into Greek and roman myth, obviously, to start with, which is full of archetypes. And the Greeks produced the "humor" system of personality -- basically a more generalized archetype system. And if you look at modern-day Enneagram theory, that's basically a nine-archetype system rather than a system with personas derived from a combination of foundational functions.

(I.e., in MBTI, the functions are the foundation. In Enneagram, the nine archetypes are the foundations... which is why they are considered archetypical.)

So when did the subject of astrology as we basically know it today arise? What society produced it? If your idea is right, couldn't we trace the twelve assigned archetypes to the typical social structures/expectations of the time, to some degree?

[Athenian200]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

I am NOT a hippie.

I meant that that was one of the personalities you could infer from the description of Sagittarius, and not that the system used to assign them was valid. For goodness sake, remember that I'm an Aries.

Oh, well, it's possible. Astrology was tied into Greek and roman myth, obviously, to start with, which is full of archetypes. And the Greeks produced the "humor" system of personality -- basically a more generalized archetype system. And if you look at modern-day Enneagram theory, that's basically a nine-archetype system rather than a system with personas derived from a combination of foundational functions.

Yes. I was just wondering what sort of inferences and observations we could make based on this particular set of archetypes, and how they are different/similar to several archetypes we have today.

So when did the subject of astrology as we basically know it today arise? What society produced it? If your idea is right, couldn't we trace the twelve assigned archetypes to the typical social structures/expectations of the time, to some degree?

Yes, we could. The fact that so many of these archetypes can be applied or seen in modern culture implies that despite centuries of changes, the influence of Greco-Roman social systems still permeates our culture. It could even show that the human mind has several unconscious archetypes. If we wish to see which, however, perhaps I should look at the Chinese zodiac as well?