The Wisdom of the Stars: An Interview on Astrosophy with Julie Humphreys

“In our world,” said Eustace, “a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.”
“Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is but only what it is made of.”

- C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Millennia ago, the ancients looked up with wonder to the starry vault and saw not a vast empty waste filled with cold, lifeless particles and gases, but a living cosmos—even a community of beings.

The terrestrial world was populated by a hierarchy of living creatures capable of relationship, and it followed that the heavens should be the same. This community of terrestrial beings was orderly and harmonious, and the same hierarchal order and harmonious rhythm was perceived in the heavenly bodies above. Kosmos, after all, is the greek word for harmony.

And yet, while surely based on observation and calculation, the law of analogy was not so much a discursive conclusion as an immediate intuition. The ancient initiates possessed clairvoyant sight that could see and even relate to the cosmic intelligences hidden beneath the visible veil of shimmering stars. To them, the “music of the spheres” was not so much a logical theorem as a direct perception. This awe-filled intuitive perception of the livingness of the heavens was the basis of all ancient astrology.

With the rise of modern astronomy, all such perception faded from human consciousness. While rustic folk continued to assume the heavens were moved by a great Love and played a direct role in their daily lives, scientists increasingly scoffed at the idea. The heavens were nothing more than the particle debris in the aftermath of a giant explosion, they assumed. Perhaps they coalesced into orderly shapes and patterns, but any such apparent order was not a result of any underlying intelligence. It was a mere accident following from interactions between gasses, particles, and gravitational forces.

Even most modern Christians, who purport to believe that God created the heavens and the Earth, and whose sacred scripture states the heavens were created to bear sacred signs (Gen. 1:14) see no significance whatsoever in the heavens. They are, to the modern Christian, as meaningless as they are to the modern atheist or agnostic: mere empty space filled with cosmic flotsam and jetsam.

That leads me to the current interview. Following the impulse inaugurated by the great teachers of the 21st Century, Rudolf Steiner and Valentin Tomberg, a number of souls have answered the call to resurrect the ancient mysteries of astrology and, in a very real sense, christen them by bringing them into relationship with the mystery of Christ and Sophia, divine Love and Wisdom.

This new discipline, part art and part science, is a heart led endeavor and one that seeks to immerse the soul in beauty, harmony, and love. That is why the name astrosophy, or star wisdom, is more fitting—for it is a field of knowledge not so much about calculations of the intellect as it is about the warmth of heart-thinking.

Today, I am privileged to interview Julie Humphreys, who is just such a soul who felt the call to take up the mission of astrosophy. Julie recently published a new book introducing newcomers to astrosophy entitled Awakening to the Spiritual Archetypes in the Birth Chart: From Astrology to Astrosophy. Our interview is about the book and the field of astrosophy. Read on below.

Astrology is a field of knowledge that is thousands of years old. Many believe it is merely superstition and that it has lost its relevance after the scientific revolution. Yet, countless individuals still study it and live by its insights today. What first sparked your interest in astrology? Why do you still find it a relevant field of study?  

When I began to study astrology many decades ago, I was seeking a system of thought that might help me make sense of myself and of my place in the world. This was doomed to fail because I wanted to quantify the unquantifiable. And so, having had no idea of the true nature of what I was trying to study, I quickly set it aside. Many years later, as I became familiar with the work of Steiner, Tomberg, and Robert Powell, cosmic truth slowly made its way into my soul. 

Materialism has been an adversary of true astrology for many centuries. It manifests as “dead” thinking that is devoid of cosmic wisdom. Moreover, it supports the ridiculous notion that we’re capable of explaining everything! Materialism is the slayer of awe and wonder. It has separated us from the cosmos. True astrology—astrosophy, or star wisdom—reveals the starry firmament as our spiritual home. And astrosophy has as its foundation the sidereal zodiac alone. 

In contrast to western astrology, sidereal astrology accounts for the slow, backward movement of the vernal point around the zodiac. This means that, over time, the Sun’s zodiacal degree on the first day of spring changes. The problem with ignoring this astronomical reality—as tropical (western) astrology does—is that it severs the “influence” of the twelve signs from the constellations that these influences claim to represent! At the moment, it’s still possible for a planet to be in a given zodiacal sign in both zodiacs. In 350 years, this will no longer be the case: The tropical zodiac will then lose its connection to the fixed stars of the zodiac for almost 24,000 years! 

Above all, because astrosophy is rooted in the life of Christ, it can never lose its relevance. 

The newcomer to astrology (or astrosophy) is often overwhelmed by the unique vocabulary, the mathematical calculations involved, and the general complexity of the topic—not to mention the different approaches (e.g., such as sidereal vs tropical). How did you overcome this hurdle personally? What are your tips for newcomers to the field? 

Thanks to the programs that calculate astrological charts, you really don’t need to be good at math. If you can imagine a great circle (the zodiac) with 360°, you’re well on your way. Furthermore, the planetary aspects used by most practitioners of astrosophy—conjunctions, squares, and oppositions—require no calculations at all because they’re immediately recognizable as points of a “cross” in space. 

For me, it was the tropical zodiac (which I’d studied earlier) that presented a hurdle. I simply did not feel that what I had learned had the ability to inspire. After I was introduced to the sidereal zodiac—the original zodiac of ancient Babylon—everything started to fall into place. Most importantly, I found that it provides direction for the yearnings of soul and spirit. 

I would advise newcomers to set aside everything they think they know about astrology—including their “Sun signs”!—and to remember that the planets and stars are the visible manifestation of the nine hierarchies of angels. 

This might be a big question, but how are the stars related to the soul and the human individuality?  

The human individuality—the eternal higher nature of each individual that Steiner called the “I”—exists above us in the cosmos. The origin of this “I” is the Central Sun, the creative source of the galaxy. The “I” is eternal, and it acts as the connecting thread between incarnations. In astrosophy, we regard the heliocentric birth chart—the natal planets from the perspective of the Sun—as a “map of the spirit.” Profound guidance lives in the heliocentric chart. It can lead us forward when we just don’t know what to do. 

When we develop morally, the “I” can begin to permeate our souls. The angelic beings of the zodiac—the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones that constitute the first hierarchy of Angels—bear the high moral teachings that can lead us closer to our “I.” Furthermore, when (between lifetimes) we dwell among the zodiacal stars, we receive the spiritual archetypes needed for the building up of the human body. We are literally born of the stars!

The human soul is also known as the astral body, the “psychic cauldron” of our thoughts, feelings, and desires. The soul bears an intimate relationship to the seven classical planets (i.e., those that were known in antiquity) through the chakra system. This alone can be the foundation of a profound connection to the planets. A Christological interpretation adds to this the seven healing miracles, the seven “I AM” sayings, and the seven words from the Cross, among other associations. Astrosophy regards the geocentric birth chart as a “map of the soul.” The planets therein express what is being called forth from us during that particular incarnation. 

Steiner made a remarkable statement: the birth chart is determined by the Angels at the midpoint of our sojourn among the stars. Prior to that midpoint, during our ascent through the planetary spheres toward the zodiacal realm, the Angels help us to review the various events of our previous life. This review results in a shared understanding of which karma—out of all that we have accumulated over time—might be addressed in the life to come. The birth chart, then, reveals the circumstances through which we’ll be best able to work through this karma. It is a covenant from the land of spirit. 

You recently wrote a book about astrosophy, Awakening to the Spiritual Archetypes in the Birth Chart. How is astrosophy both similar to and distinct from astrology?  

Astrosophy returns astrology to its spiritual roots. In the time of the Magi, for example, priests were simultaneously astrologers and astronomers. They did not regard the planetary and zodiacal world as “mechanisms,” but as part of the living Word. Atheists and agnostics can follow modern astrology and never encounter a challenge to their worldviews. This is probably why it’s so popular! 

Most people approach astrology (as I did, long ago) as a means of knowing more about their earthly personalities. Alternatively, astrosophy regards the natal chart as representative of angelic intent. The birth chart thereby reveals to us what is being asked of us, despite our personal inclinations. Furthermore, “angelic intent” implies that there exists in the cosmos a profound love for each individual—and that each of us was sent to Earth for a reason. 

Can you introduce us, as briefly as possible, to some of the key teachings or assumptions of astrosophy? 

First and foremost, astrosophy can only be studied within the sidereal zodiac. This is because the zodiacal degrees provided by tropical astrology are astronomically incorrect. The zodiac is the outer manifestation of the Akasha record, and the 360 degrees hold the memory of all that has transpired upon the Earth. For example, when the Sun is at 3° Leo, the memory of the raising of Lazarus streams toward humanity. If we follow tropical astrology, we’re told that this occurs on July 26th—while, in reality (at the present time), the Sun reaches this degree on August 21^st. 

The concept of repeated lifetimes upon the Earth is also foundational to astrosophy. Karma could not exist without an incarnation sequence—because then there would be nothing to “balance” from the past, and no promise of righting anything in the future. Although identifying past lifetimes is best left to initiates of Steiner’s stature, acknowledging that they exist leads quite naturally to an interest in the periods of time in which our soul and spirit dwell within the planetary spheres and among the fixed stars of the zodiac. This is where our karma for the next life is determined. It’s important to understand that we were an integral part of this process: Karma is the result of our consciousness—while in spiritual realms—of the impact of our thoughts, feelings, and actions during our previous life.

Finally, when we look at the evolution of the human individuality across lifetimes, or of the Earth itself, we eventually encounter Christ, who—as the “alpha” and the “omega”—is both the origin and the destination of all evolution: love. 

Readers are familiar with the works of Valentin Tomberg. One of Tomberg's convictions was that Hermeticism should not merely be a collection of data, no matter how fascinating, but rather be something that is practical. How is astrosophy practical? Can you give an example of how its insights have influenced your own life? 

No matter how profoundly we connect to the spiritual world, there would be no point to incarnating if we neglected to perform deeds of service and love while on the Earth. (Indeed, karmic balance is unchanged solely by studying.) I found tropical astrology to be impractical because it was all about me! My inclinations, my strengths, my personality. It lived only in my head. 

The sidereal birth chart is an entirely personal document that provides us with a “map” for living, down to the twelve categories of human endeavor that are expressed through the astrological houses. Here's a practical application: When I discovered that the Sun at my conception was at the same degree as the Sun at the birth of Mary, it changed the course of my life.

One way to maintain a connection to the stars is to track their passage through the zodiacal signs (over days, months, years, or even decades) against the background of your birth chart. (These are called transits.) It’s uncanny how relevant these can be, particularly as they relate to the houses. 

It was also extremely helpful to me to understand that the intentions I brought with me at birth have spiritual purpose. I was then able to see the trials in my biography as the gifts that they are—and to let go of feeling aggrieved. 

Tell us more about your book. Is it is a textbook? A guide for experts? Or an introduction for newcomers? And please share any other relevant information such as a website, etc. 

My primary hope in writing Awakening was to create an introduction to astrosophy that anyone could understand. I considered it my own mission to share and carry forward the work of Robert Powell, whose brilliant and illustrious career has been one long love letter to the stars. 

Powell’s books on the subject, however—notably his three Hermetic Astrology volumes—can be difficult to digest. Although I am in no way an authority on the matter, I felt I understood these themes well enough to undertake the Awakening project. 

Another intention behind the book was to provide guidance to groups that hoped to talk about the stars—even to those with no experience in astrology. With a little practice, anyone can look at a birth chart and have insights from which others can benefit. 

I believe there is a universal longing to understand our relationship to the starry heavens. This became especially apparent to me at the start of the pandemic, when everything that nourished the soul was suddenly “verboten.” I attempted to counter this tyrannical blow with a weekly “star letter,” which has since made its appearance on Substack. Those interested can find my stargram at: https://starlightnewsletter.substack.com.