Anima Mundi - The Astrology of the Individual and the Collective

Charles Harvey
Charles Harvey was one of the most influential and innovative figures of late 20th century astrology. In
the seminars in this volume, the clarity of his thought and the depth and inclusiveness of his vision are
expressed in a way which is accessible yet subtle and profound. These seminars explore not only the
ways in which individuals influence, mediate, and are shaped by the groups and collectives to which
they belong, professional and national, but also the ways in which nations evolve according to inherent
astrological patterns which, rather than merely echoing history, actually create it.
We are all individuals striving toward the fullest possible expression of our unique personalities, yet we
are at the same time participants in - and sometimes victims of - larger collective forces which we need
to understand if we are to make sense of our place in the cosmos and claim any right to individual
choice as well as an individual contribution to the larger unity of which we are a part. In this relatively
unexplored sphere of astrological research, Charles Harvey was unquestionably a leader, and the
material in this book will be disturbing, exciting, and illuminating to both students and seasoned
astrological practitioners.
Review by Chris Lorenz - Horoscope 2002
The political astrologer Charles Carter posed the rhetorical question, 'Could the natives of the victims
of Hiroshima all have indicated the death and ruin that overtook them on that fateful day in August
1945?' His answer, of course, was no, but perhaps the horoscope of the city of Hiroshima or Japan
would more vividly show the danger than any of the victims' charts. many astrology students are
surprised to learn that nations actually have valid horoscopes, just like individuals.
In Anima Mundi, two seminars transcribed and presented in book form, Charles Harvey shows how the
individual is inextricably linked to the collective, a connection that is made clear through astrology. So
much of modern astrology has a narcissistic focus on the individual horoscope, yet individuals must
respond to the larger patterns shaping society, a process that can be seen through the national
horoscope. Harvey's illuminating perspective informs us that if we are to make any sense of our
individual destiny, we have to understand the larger unity of which we are a part.
Anima Mundi means World Soul a concept first implied by the Greek philosopher Plato, and more
recently depicted as Carl Jung's collective unconscious. By using the image of the World Soul to
describe the contents of this book, the connection between the individual and the collective is
astrologically emphasized. Harvey describes our lives as participating in a series of interlocking
dramas, all of which have a symbolic equivalence and can be interpretated using planetary cycles. We
live in a holographic universe where the news headlines, the gossip columns, the events in our personal
lives, and the dilemmas and potentialities are all part of the spirit of the time.
This philosophical perspective is fleshed out when the author begins discussing national horoscopes,
specific political leaders, and the cycles of the planets that shape our collective reality. Many
astrologers profess an interest in mundane or political astrology, but few have an idea about how to
study actual events in practice. Anima Mundi is a great introduction to many national horoscopes,
including charts for Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Russia, and China. For Great Britain and Germany,
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he shows how the national horoscope has several incarnations through history, how they're related to
each other, and how key individuals may rise to power because they reflect the critical points in the
nation's chart.
An extensive section discusses the evolution of the German horoscope, beginning with the Crowning of
Charlemagne in A.D. 800. This chart features the sun at 8 Capricorn square Neptune at 10 Libra.
These particular planets and degrees are then repeated over and over again throughout Germany's
historical development, right through Hitler's chart, which shows a conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter
at 8 Capricorn. The latest incarnation of Germany occurred when West Germany was unified with east
Germany on October 3, 1990. In this horoscope, the Sun is at 9 Libra square a Uranus-Neptune
conjunction at 11 Capricorn. From this planetary configuration, it becomes obvious to the astrologer
that Germany's current task is to reconcile individual rights (Uranus) with the desires of the collective
(Neptune). This happens to also correspond to the merging of western capitalism (Uranus) with eastern
socialism (Neptune).