Sunday, February 24, 2013

Why we act the way we do? Understanding yourself better with Jung types/sixteen Myers-Briggs types of personality

 

 his is not an astrological post, but I have always enjoyed Psychology, studied it deeper some years ago and came back to some practical aspects of it, recently, in need of a better understanding why I was feeling so alone in a sea of people, or even after apparently reaching one of my deary, but seemly impossible, goals.

Well, the answer had to be inside, since the outer circumstances seemed OK... but something seemed wrong inside me. Sometimes we have to look a little inward to find our answers. Sometimes our whole life design is not working for us. Many questions come: "I don't know who I have become and who I really am? Why I am unhappy with how my life is unfolding? Why I am not feeling that warmth good feeling within my heart?"

The Theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung and the Myers-Briggs Personality Types might help you with understanding better why you act like you act, why you encounter the obstacles you normally do in life, and how can you be happier by accepting yourself and being it without feeling guilty.

There are so many sites with information about it, I will post here some of those I find really helpful reading:

- For figuring out your type you can do the following tests, although is safer, after doing the tests, to read the descriptions so that you can see if it really sounds true to your heart, if you feel a deep connection and a click of "thats it!" while reading it; if you do, then that is highly likely your main Jungiang/Myers-Briggs personality type (I know, because I always get 2 different results at most tests and one of them never clicked at all and the other after reading the description was very straightforward to get that was clearly my inner self):

Paid (official test): https://www.mbticomplete.com/contents/learnmore.aspx

Free: http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test (very good test and very good website descriptions)

http://www.123test.com/jung-personality-test/ (simple test, also has other personalities tests)

http://personality-testing.info/tests/JUNG.php

http://similarminds.com/jung.html (very precise and good test!)

 - For reading deeply about the types, what careers are recommended and other topics:
http://www.personalitypage.com/careers.html (very deep, but easy reading site, very complete)

http://www.16personalities.com/personal-development (you can also read comments from and connect with other people identified within the same type as you)

http://www.personalitypathways.com/faces.html

-Very helpful blogs:

http://infjcoachblog.com/

http://www.infpblog.com/infp/infp-description/


When feeling lost, sometimes is very relieving reading about how not so uncommon is being you (you are not alone, you are part of a group of people that share same flaws and ways of dealing with situations), but also knowing that yours flaws and your quirks are things that also make you unique and special (usually people are one type or a combination of some types out of the sixteen possibilities and those types are not supposed to be better or worse than others in absolute terms, they are just different and is not wrong to be who you are). It can really open a new world when you deal with the fact that you cant run away from yourself, because you start forgiving yourself for the flaws, treating yourself with more understanding when you try to do something that you now know is naturally hard for you.

Nobody is equal and shouldn't be, is the great Creator's will. You don't need to be as smart with money as your coworker, or as tidy as your neighbor, or a perfect cook even before you practice cooking: your personality defines who you are, you were born with this special view of the world, you came here to enjoy it and help making this planet a better place.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Saturn in Scorpio and compulsive/obsessive behavior





oday I was reading and commenting about Saturn in Scorpio current transit in Donna Cunningham`s blog, Sky Writer, and I tumbled upon an article in Cafe astrology website that attracted me deeply, for its connections with a thing that can be very damaging to our lives without we even perceiving it: obsession, compulsive behavior and unreasonable superstitions; or pretty much, any type of vice/addiction we do to try to have a feeling we control something in our lives.

I will paste the link and some parts of the text that I found very interesting and that I can relate in a personal experience level (since my Ascendant is in Aries):


http://www.cafeastrology.com/saturninscorpiotransit.html

"Saturn in Scorpio and the Signs of the Zodiac (Horoscopes)

In a general sense, this is how Saturn's transit through Scorpio affects the different Sun signs (or, more appropriately, Ascendant signs):
            Aries
Dealing with deep-seated fears, anger, resentment, and grief may be necessary during this cycle.
You might face some of your fears that are of a compulsive nature—those fears that lead you to believe that you need certain things in order to survive. Take a small example of a superstition. Perhaps we perform some kind of small ritual that we feel will help protect us or give us good luck. If we do it often enough, it becomes an addiction.
We are afraid that if we don't do this little ritual, we will set ourselves up for bad luck. If we get rid of this superstition, we feel stronger.
Something as simple as a superstition or ritual for good luck can undermine us. Why? Because we are giving away our power over ourselves to this compulsive behavior! We are denying that we have power over our own lives.
The same is true of any form of compulsive behavior and addiction. We attempt to control our lives through these behaviors, but what we are really doing is letting the addictions control us. When we give in to compulsive behaviors, we give up self-control, and guilt undermines our lives. We are not ourselves.By attempting to control others, we give away our own power.
Towards the end of the transit, you may have eliminated some deep-seated habits and attachments that have been preventing you from feeling emotionally free. You emerge healthier and stronger. You may have nixed some of your addictions and superstitions. You might feel more powerful because you have given up attempting to control things you cannot or should not control, and you will have gained a healthy feeling of self-mastery. "
I have past through a period in my life where those things really were happening, the let go of personal self-control, feeling guilty because of some compulsive pattern in my routine daily. Is really interesting how can we relate this to the transit of Saturn to our eight house. And the feeling that trying to control makes us even less powerful and self-willed is so empowering! When I read this made me feel alive and even more wishing to embrace this freedom. The sentence in bold also reflects one more important thing for me: that somethings we should leave to the powerful being that create all our Universe, God,  and give us this wonderful experience. We cant control everything and leaving up to God sometimes can make us feel better. Knowing we were born not all knowing and that we are all learning together about this mystery that is life and existence.

Is very hard to give up on those ingrained habits and rituals and maybe that happens so we can learn our lesson on the subject. Although I studied some time Jungian psychology and other specific subjects with a guided group by two very wise psychologists I met along life, I sometimes get surprised, or simply forget, how astrology, its symbols, its transits and how our mind works and the psychological study of it can be so intertwined.

The dance of planets and the working of the Universe  as well as your daily experiences seem to be guided by something more grand than us and that we can't control by ourselves, but trust and believe.

Love,

Lina