A language of symbols – Karen Hamaker-Zondag

From astrology-based dating apps to Instagram ‘astro babes’ with millions of followers; astrology, that ancient study of the connection between heaven and earth, seems hotter than ever. It wouldn’t have surprised Cleopatra, who relied on the planets and stars as her guides. And it certainly doesn’t amaze world-leading Dutch astrologer Karen Hamaker-Zondag, who nevertheless warns against hypes and shortcuts: “Astrology is not a form of spirituality. It is a language you have to learn.”

Marlies: Astrology has been my passion for over 15 years, and the past 10 years I have educated myself about it on a daily basis. I believe I could study it for several lifetimes and still not get bored! As a concept, however, it’s quite elusive. There are a lot of different interpretations. How would you, as the authority in this field, describe astrology?

Karen: Astrology is a language of symbols. About 4500 years ago, in ancient Babylonia, people believed that the gods communicated with us through natural phenomena. Think of the flight patterns of birds or the shape of a sheep’s liver, but also the stars and planets. And they started to keep track of these divine messages by making meticulous notes of what happened on earth when particular things occurred in the sky. In around 700 BC one of the palaces with a library of clay tablets, containing many observations, burned down, baking the clay on which the information was preserved. This enabled us to study how these people started to understand that certain patterns in the sky were running parallel to certain phenomena taking place on earth.

Marlies: As above, so below…

Karen: As within, so without. Exactly!

Marlies: I often hear people say things like: “I feel the influence of the full moon.” But that’s a very different way of thinking, isn’t it?

Karen: Yes. Believing that the stars and planets influence us directly, is thinking in terms of cause and effect. Let’s compare it with reading a clock instead: it tells us the time, but we decide what to do with that information. The Babylonians realized that the sky patterns signified primary trends and possibilities. In other words, the gods gave them signs, but they were not set in stone. You could actually negotiate with the gods and influence the outcome.

Marlies: Like interacting with fate?

Karen: Precisely. What we see nowadays in astrology is a psychological version of that interaction. We read the signs, but instead of reaching out to the gods, we engage with our own psychological dynamic to influence our fate positively.

Marlies: Astrology seems to be booming right now. All of a sudden, you see it everywhere; on social media but also in serious newspapers. Could that interest be related to the uncertainty of these times?

Karen: I believe so. We are looking for meaning and for many of us, religion doesn’t fit the bill anymore. Astrology can seem like an attractive alternative, but it is not a religion, neither is it a form of spirituality! It is a diagnostic method which allows you to understand the basic trends and currents of the moment, based on certain patterns. We can use that knowledge as a tool, but I can’t stress this enough: you have to put in the work! Astrology is a language that you have to learn. And that process can be quite confrontational. Although there is really good astrological stuff on the internet, there is also a lot of superficial astrological trifle on social media. That is so sad, as you can do so much more with astrology! There is so much depth in it.

Marlies: Even though social media can be a fun entry point for the astrology curious, I understand it must be painful for you to see it trivialized! You once told me that people can be very skeptical about astrology during your lectures, but as soon as they see you in the restrooms, they harass you with tons of life questions.

Karen: (laughs) Well, I don’t mind answering questions, but when people ask things like: “Can you tell from my horoscope how many children I will have?” or “Will I meet a nice guy?”, I have to remind them that astrology cannot tell you what will happen. When it comes to relationships, for example, your horoscope can show you what type of one-one-one relationship would work best for you. But that doesn’t guarantee that you will find the perfect partner! It’s merely a base pattern; you have to put in the work yourself.

Marlies: To be honest, I was pretty skeptical myself about astrology until I started doing business in China. I soon realized they made most of their important decisions based on astrology and feng shui, from an auspicious date to open a factory to finding the perfect employee based on their horoscope. And the results were really impressive!

Karen: Yes, symbolic thinking is very much integrated in Eastern cultures. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung once asked a Chinese student to describe Tao*. The student told him to look out the window. “Do you see the clouds floating in the sky?”. Jung said yes. “Do you see the trees?” Jung said yes again. “Do you see the tram moving along?”, he asked, and when Jung confirmed again, he said: “That is Tao.” What the student tried to show was that all these things were related because they were all happening at the same moment. And that moment that has a special meaning.

Marlies: Like the moment of your birth.

Karen: Exactly! Let me give you an example. A while ago, a friend of mine – also an astrologer – became a father. Looking at the moment of his daughter’s birth together, we noticed a rather feisty planetary aspect: Mars opposite Pluto. At the same time on the North Sea, an oil tanker with a steering problem had missed a drilling platform by a hair while on the other side of the world, writer Salman Rushdie had a fatwa issued against him. Working with the interconnectedness of these things, we concluded: his daughter would be a feisty woman, but she would get away with it, in the same way that the oil disaster had been averted. And Rushdie would probably also be fine. (laughs). Back in the day, they would have taken me to the madhouse for saying things like that!

Marlies: Or they would have called you a witch!

Karen: Actually, ‘the Blue Witch of Amsterdam’ used to be my nickname. (both laugh). But back to astrology. The relatedness between your moment of birth and all these other occurrences, both in the sky and on earth, offers you an insight into your psyche and a tool to work with. The big difference between you and that oil tanker is that you can make your own decisions. If your Mars is in the sign of Aries, for example, you have plenty of combative energy. Whether you become a streetfighter or use that fighting spirit to help others, however, is completely up to you! You still have a lot of choices, always.

Marlies: Such an important reminder. Thank you for sharing your illuminating wisdom with us, Karen.

*An ancient Chinese philosophy based on the interdependence of things.