Transformation
Astrology as a Spiritual Path
by Bruno & Louise Huber
Transformation represents the culmination of many years of research and teaching in the life work of Bruno and Louise Huber. This is the last of the eight volumes on their system of astrological psychology to be fully translated into English.
From their researches the Hubers found that the causes of psychological problems are more often uncovered through the effort of spiritual development than through handling everyday conflicts. In this book they describe the related processes of transformation as natural stages in human development. This is concerned not only with the personal stages of development through life, but with the evolution of humanity and the whole universe.
Parts of this work have previously been published under the title Astrology and the Spiritual Path, the translation of an earlier book by the Hubers. The present volume includes significant new material, notably in the areas of Stress Planets, the House Chart, the Dynamic Quadrants, and the Integration Chart.
Availability
Paperback, 228 pages. First published in its present form by HopeWell in 2008; the earlier volume Astrology and the Spiritual Path contained some of this material.
ISBN: 978-0-9547680-8-9
Extract
Review by Sue Lewis
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When you commit yourself to studying for an API Diploma, as well as training to become an astrologer, you embark on a journey of personal development that opens up a spiritual dimension. By the time you complete your Diploma you will have become a more integrated personality and, if you were not already on the path, you will be in the process of developing a greater sense of social and spiritual engagement in the evolution of humanity and the changing universe. Transformation, first published in German in 1996, brings together a range of techniques that we use both as an aid to our own holistic and spiritual development and to enable us to interpret and help those clients who come to us for a consultation.
Although much of this material has been available in English before, it is enormously helpful to have it all together in one compact, well laid out and very readable volume. The Integration Horoscope, translated some years ago by Agnes Shellens and made available to API (UK) students in an A4 bound edition, makes more sense taken in the context of chapter 9 on “The Moon Nodes”. The first half of this was previously published as chapter 7, “The Age Point in the Nodal Chart”, in Astrology and the Spiritual Path: the Spiritual Significance of Age Progression (Maine: Weiser, 1990). This whole chapter provides an excellent introduction to Moon Node astrology and how it works in practice.
The last chapter on “Low Point Experiences: Twelve Gates to the Spiritual Life” also appeared in the earlier book. Low Points are channels to the Inner Centre and this chapter includes a meditation exercise.
Whereas the earlier volume started with “The Zodiac in Colour”, in the revised and updated publication this has been put back to chapter 8, but I’m glad to see it’s still there to emphasise the importance of looking into the chart as a mandala in which colours, shapes and symbols open the doors of perception.
Chapters 5, 6 and 7, reproduced from the earlier volume without significant changes, are “The Age Point and the Four Temperaments”, which includes an explanation of Dynamic Calculations, “The Temperament Age Point: Four Lines of Development” and “The Age Point in the Twelve Signs”. These chapters guide us into to the Four Quadrants and the Life Clock.Important new material appears in the first four chapters, preceded by a Foreword in which we are reminded of twenty-three methods of identifying and working on our spiritual development.
The first chapter, “Development and Evolution”, introduces the law of karma that operates essentially in the unconscious and demonstrates how astrological psychology can help us work with these karmic components to achieve greater awareness and self-mastery.
The second chapter on “Dynamic Quadrants and the Dynamic House System”, translated by David Kerr and available in an A4 bound edition for the last couple of years or so, sets out a very useful method of interpreting behaviour that is fairly new to most of us.
The third chapter explores stress planets in much greater detail than in any of the previous volumes. As well as looking at quadrants, house cusps and planets, in particular ego planets, we are introduced to a three-stage process of compensation, sublimation and transformation. There is a six stage transformation meditation on stress planets to calm down their over-the-top quality, purify them of personal ambitions and give them the strength to teach and serve.
Chapter 4, “The Influence of Heredity and the Environment” extends a rather thin second chapter on the House Horoscope in the earlier volume to include some helpful guidance on comparing the Radix and House Charts by looking at the changes in aspect structure, and on working with the three charts.
Transformation: Astrology as a Spiritual Path invites you to work first of all with your own chart, giving time to your holistic and spiritual development so that in the longer term you are better equipped to serve humanity. It is a beautifully presented volume, with a clear typeface and nicely arranged black and white diagrams adjacent to the text. I highly recommend it.
Sue Lewis, Conjunction 45, 2009
Comparison with Dane Rudhyar’s The Astrology of Transformation by Barry Hopewell
It is interesting to compare and contrast Dane Rudhyar’s The Astrology of Transformation with this Huber book with a similar title. An excellent and very positive review of this, by Sue Lewis (above) has already been published. Here we concentrate on the contrasts with Rudhyar.
The shared esoteric background is quite apparent, e.g. the concepts of karma and dharma, but in broad terms the Huber book is much more astrological, whereas Rudhyar’s is more philosophical and psychological.
What is particularly apparent is the wide range of astrological approaches that have been researched and introduced by the Hubers to help along the processes of individuation and transformation. These particularly relate to the major discoveries resulting from their researches:
- The House Intensity Curve, leading to the Dynamic Quadrants, Stress Planets and Low Point Planets.
- The Three Charts, adding House Chart and Moon Node Chart – and the additional Integration Chart
- Age Progression in both Radix and Moon Node Charts.
The way I would see it is that, being part of the generation following Rudhyar’s, the Hubers have been able to develop the astrological techniques that will enable the transpersonal astrology that Rudhyar was trying to develop to be more effectively pursued.
So, if you were trying to choose between the two books, Rudhyar will give you the background and theory, and Huber will give you the practical techniques to help the process along. But of course, as ever, beware technique for its own sake and focus on the client!
Barry Hopewell, Conjunction 48, 2010
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