About this episode
Episode 478 features and interview with astrologer Jason Holley about Experiential Astrology, which is a dynamic approach that attempts to embody the symbols of astrology through creative and interactive methods, including making the chart come alive by acting it out in a group setting with Astrodrama. Experiential astrology has its origins in some of the experimentation with different psychological methods that were happening in the astrological community in the 1970s and 80s, and Jason highlights the work of astrologer Barbara Schermer in particular. Jason defines Experiential Astrology as engaging with astrological symbolism through multiple intelligences and perceptual faculties, including somatic, sensuous, imagistic, instinctual, kinesthetic, expressive, and relational. This approach emphasizes the full-consciousness experience of astrological symbolism, moving beyond conceptual understanding to a felt, lived experience. In the discussion we focused on one particular application of Experiential Astrology known as Astrodrama, which involves a group of people standing around and acting out a person's birth chart, and we discuss some of the different ways that this can be done. Living Astrologies Conference Jason is hosting an Experiential Astrology conference in October 2025: https://livingastrologies.net Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction to Experiential Astrology (00:06:03) Engaging the Senses in Astrology (00:11:52) Historical Context of Experiential Astrology (00:18:51) The Process of Astrodrama (00:25:49) Facilitating Astrodrama Sessions (00:37:55) Multiplicity of the Self in Astrology (00:43:51) Comfort with Uncertainty in Astrology (00:49:22) Experiential Astrology: Enactments and Transits (00:56:55) Empathy and Role Reversal in Relationships (01:05:16) The Oracle and the Querent Dynamic (01:11:17) Foundational Texts in Experiential Astrology (01:17:53) Creating a Sacred Field for Astrology (01:23:57) Experiential Work: Listening to the Field (01:29:32) The Importance of Movement in Astrology (01:34:54) The Subtlety of Experiential Work (01:41:31) Warm-Up and Integration in Group Work (01:58:30) Learning from Challenges and Limitations (02:04:21) Navigating Emotional Responses in Astrology (02:10:44) Experiential Astrology: Bridging Theory and Practice (02:17:37) The Living Astrologies Conference (02:25:38) Personal Journeys in Astrology: A Family Legacy (02:37:45) Credits Watch the Video Version of This Episode Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKhNYhY3bKY - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 478 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: