Signs of Life

Where did the signs of the zodiac come from? Why do some people believe that astrology can determine personality? Does astrological symbolism have any value?Written by cognitive psychologists, Signs of Life reveals the origin of astrological symbolism and explains why astrology continues to be popular and relevant even though studies have indicated that horoscopes have no scientific support.The authors explain how archetypal aspects of the human condition, projected and deified in the heavens over millennia from the collective psyche, became woven into storytelling, folklore, myth and religion.The book describes how the symbolism of astrology is a way in which humans have unconsciously represented their fundamental urges, functions and ways of behaving, including what we now understand as psychological constructs of personality, metaphors of development, models of motivational needs, and a shared articulation of life and spirit.A fresh and sometimes provocative approach to astrological symbolism, it will appeal to those with an interest in the relationships between cognitive psychology, the origins of astrology, symbolism, myth, and the human search for spirituality.