Body Shifts

It’s fascinating to ‘listen’ to language cues about emotions coming out of the body: “I’ve got to get this off my chest; I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulder; I was weak in the knees; I could have died when I heard that; that was a real judo-chop; that event took the wool off my eyes forever; etc·.”

We feel inside, we externalize physically, what occurs can be seen, and the perception is valuable analytically. WE SEE what is down-deep and personal.

Watch your client’s body movement, from the pumping foot at the end of crossed legs; the pronounced swallowing; the look-away gaze; and, especially, the complete shift of position in the chair when you present certain key concepts, even mention key words, and ask the “right” questions to open up rich discussion about development. You will see the reactions to your on-target touches of significance.

Note: Gaining weight (that which is not part of a medical syndrome) is to such a great extent the indulgence of self within the specter of emotional hurt. Who hasn’t eaten to excess, indulged anything to excess, when hurt or unhappy?! Somehow, we seek to restore ourselves through something sweet, filling, comforting (remembering the rewards given by parents when times were rough, like going to the doctor, etc.). So much of what our bodies do or show are manifestations of emotional activity within.

I have had clients actually get up out of the chair abruptly and walk away from our desk and then turn around to answer a question, so great was the arousal. One case in particular was so dramatic and so direct: “Mary, the horoscope shows us patterns that help guide discussion about development. This should be enriching for both of us. The first pattern here [Saturn conjunct Venus in the 9th] suggests a tightness in emotional expression devel·..”

Mary jumped out of the chair, took two steps away from me, and turned, “THAT’s why I’m in psychotherapy!”

[Wow.] I simply said, calmly, “Why ARE you in psychotherapy?”

“Well, my father was a minister. He ran a tight ship. He wouldn’t even let us have conversations at dinner!!!! It was terrible!!!! And that’s why·.that’s why I’m a lesbian·in a sado-masochistic relationship·That’s why! And I’m sick of it”

Now, how long did that take? About 20 seconds! Look at the disclosure with the simple intriguing question/observation. Look at the body reaction that accompanied the answer. Look how simply and sensitively we brought astrology to the life and learned through the client the level of its manifestation in her personal reality!

The discussion Mary and I had throughout the consultation thereafter was based on this fundamental, this first impression, the basis and repercussions of which had dominated her development to the present time. How much of that swirling emotional baggage was going to be taken into the future? What would we do to lighten the load? How did our discussion objectify that dimension of her development and help her distance herself from it? How did we reorganize values with circumspection? –That’s what creative astrology is all about. This is our learning outside astrology brings into astrology to invigorate consultation discussion.

[To my students: You know this incident from Lesson #1; please don’t feel that I’ve shared anything secret with the world!! There are plenty more where this came from !!!]