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