Michael MacLafferty, LMFT | Archetypal Wellness
Oakland Psychotherapy & Astrological Consulting
In our modern, materialist, capitalist culture, Doing is valued and promoted, while Being is undervalued. This is an aspect of Patriarchy, since Doing and Being are archetypally masculine and feminine, or yang and yin, respectively. Leo and the Sun are traditionally interpreted as masculine, but as you may have realized, I am suggesting an alternate interpretation.
As a psychotherapist, I want to see disability destigmatized, to be recognized as a unique and valuable perspective in society, and for awareness to grow around the language that is used to describe it. As an astrologer, I want to see disability humanized and conceptualized as a multivalent archetype, not merely existing on a list of potential sour transits.
If Wonder Woman is trying to reconcile conflict in the world… Maybe we’re trying to mediate a similar conflict within individuals.
This post was inspired by a radio interview I gave on June 16, 2016 with Matt Savinar; you can listen to it here (audio no longer available). When I first saw the book “Me Before You” at the bookstore, with Emilia Clarke (Lou) and Sam Claflin (Will) on the cover, my first thought was, Oh, a… Continue reading Me Before Who?: A Breakdown of the Latest Popular Disability Yarn, “Me Before You”
Like other mindful and/or spiritual practices, the goal with astrology is to reduce our resistance to the flow of life. It's not to get rid of pain, or escape and find a life of bliss—but as we make room to witness the unfolding of our lives, suffering is inevitably reduced and a more peaceful sense of security grows.
I believe that astrology is one way that we can cultivate empathy for the universe we live in. Our world is desperate for a new perspective.
I think queer folks are disabled by mainstream society. I think disabled folks are socially queer... We are the freak show of the mainstream (don’t even get me started on American Horror Story). We receive the projection of their shadow, the fear of the disruption of their “normal” lives; the fear of difference, isolation, dependency, subversion, loss of control. We actually hold a lot of power when you think about it.