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In the last blog I left off with three basic thoughts:

1) Is pathology just a matter of extreme individual differences?

2) So long as pathology is tantamount to extreme individual differences, shouldn’t astrology deal with the subject matter of pathology?

3) If so, how do we discuss particular pathologies that involve discrepancies between subjective reports and objective observations (e.g., conversion disorder)?

Since the last blog I’ve given the subject more thought and realized, at least in the psychiatric and psychological corners of western culture, that the problem lies with my first thought. It seems to me that pathology here has more to do with extreme cases of social deviance than individual differences per se. As a matter of fact, these extreme cases of social deviance have been categorized and catalogued in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a publication that has undergone a number of revisions in order to better align itself with a symptom based biomedical approach to pathology.

Herein lies the discrepancy between contemporary clinical psychology and astrology: clinical psychology evaluates the ‘sypmtoms’ of individual differences and astrology evaluates the ‘experience’ of individual differences. Perhaps, albeit occasionally, these two evaluations coincide. However, it is likely that there will be significant differences between the two evaluations. Particularly in the severe cases of conversion disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Conversion disorder is basically a case whereby the individual reports particular pains, discomforts or loss of physical function in the absence of any physical or observable malfunction. antisocial personality disorder is basically a case whereby the individual acts aggressively and amorally but reports no distress or remorse in the face of these behaviours. In conversion disorder, there are no observable symptoms only reported distress. In antisocial disorder, there are only observable symptoms and no reported distress. Hence my third thought from the last blog on astrology and abnormality.

In the end, I’m not sure that astrology has anything necessarily to say about the symptoms of abnormality, only the experience of abnormality, which may or may not coincide with a pathological diagnosis. In other words, I’m not sure that a chart would necessarily indicate that the individual with conversion disorder did not in fact have any physical ailment. And, I’m not sure that a chart would necessarily indicate that the individual with antisocial personality disorder would necessarily indicate the degree of social deviance. I believe that the chart would only indicate the phenomena from the perspective of the individual experiencing the ‘disorder’.