INTERVIEW
BOB MULLIGAN: AN INTERVIEW WITH OPA MEMBER— JANE RIDDER – PATRICK
- Could you tell us a little bit about your formal educational experiences as well as your inner process at each step of the way?
The inspiration to do a PhD came from discussions with Nick Campion. I agreed with him about the importance of the astrological community having some members with unassailable scholarly credentials, and therefore making it less easy for mainstream commentators to dismiss them in discussions about astrology. I had long wanted to investigate the history of astrology in Scotland, something that had never been done before, and I wanted too to engage in hard-core research on Latin manuscripts-and where better than at Edinburgh University, a world-class university right on my doorstep. Well, be careful of what you wish for! It was a steep learning curve, but a deeply satisfying experience. I researched the period between the Reformation and early Enlightenment, and discovered how and why astrology lost its respectability during the seventeenth century, with repercussions that are still very much with us today.
- Do you meet with other professional astrologers on a regular basis?
I used to pre-PhD and I now feel a great need for networking. It ' s easy to become isolated and rather dry without contact with other professionals and I think OPA is doing a wonderful job of making connections and stimulating discussion. I ' m certainly planning to take part in its activities much more in the years to come.
- What role do you see in world culture for astrologers today?
I think the best role is in individual contributions. There are so many different fields and levels that astrologers work in and I think we each have a niche area of influence. By using astrology to become better people ourselves and to help our clients understand themselves and their connection with the cosmos, we are deepening and intensifying that positive influence. I think – at the moment – that astrology is at its most useful on the edges of the mainstream, free of official sanction with its vested interests and mechanistic worldview, with loose networks of practitioners committed to best practice.
- Do you teach astrology classes locally in Scotland? What role does teaching play in your life?
I do, and teaching astrology is where I feel most fully alive. The main group I have now has been ongoing for almost twenty years and it ' s a bit like having our own private alchemical laboratory where we can road test new ideas, share experiences, flesh out the bones of charts and experiment with lots of experiential techniques that make astrology more immediate and deepen understanding.
- You and I met at an astrology conference in Ireland many years ago. There was a wave of international interaction through various groups in Europe and America through the 70 ' s 80 ' s and 90 ' s; where is the " center of gravity " for the greater astrological community in the 21st century?
I ' m impressed by how much more tolerance there is now between different schools of thought. To me this implies a greater maturity of vision. Also, with the internet, emails and social networking, exchanging data and reflections can be almost instantaneous and it allows many more people to link up and take part. I ' d say we ' re in the era of the ' global astrological brain '. ■
The Career Astrologer Volume 22 • Number 1 • Spring, 2013.
Full programme: Opaastrology. com
2014
30 КАРЬЕРА АСТРОЛОГА | 4 2013