Piercing the Eggshell – the story of Bruno and Louise Huber

What did you do during the first big lockdown on 2019?

Unexpectedly, along with Barry Hopewell as co-author, I researched and helped compile a biography of Bruno and Louse Huber, pioneers of the Huber Method of Astrological Psychology. This non-predictive use of astrology combined together with psychology is now used worldwide as an astrological psychological tool to help people realise their own potential and, ultimately, contribute to making the world a bit better than it is right now.

The Huber’s story is a fascinating, real-life one, and tells of the obstacles they had to overcome, the sacrifices they had to make and the determination they had to hold on with in order to realise their vision of doing something for humanity.

It wasn’t easy, but these two were people were very special, driven and motivated beyond personal gain and in pursuit of more spiritual goals and the evolution of humankind. They were influenced and helped by Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, who founded Psychosynthesis, and they founded the Astrological Psychology Institute in Zurich in the early 1960s.

Bruno and Louise presenting an English Huber School student with her Diploma in Astrological Psychology

Since then, their well-researched approach, teaching and books on what is now known as The Huber Method, is used in many countries around the world. It focusses on personal and spiritual growth and on moving us as participating humans, into living our lives as kinder, and more aware people.

 

So why is the title of the book "Piercing the Eggshell"? 

 

Bruno Huber often likened a personal spiritual awakening to that sudden "aha" moment as when a chick emerges from it's shell, pokes it's head up into the world around it and sees that it is a whole lot bigger than the world it has been used to inside the shell. In the same way, we can metaphorically pierce our own eggshell and expand our awareness and capacity for growth. This is described more fully on p.84 of the book, along with a description of Bruno's Amphora Model, shown on the front cover.

 

"The shell represents the mental arguments we have to protect us but the impetus to break out comes from within as our spirituality is awakened. When this happens we leave the realms of normal consciousness and reach for answers 'out there' beyond our normal range. It means taking risks, but it's a movement of mind and consciousness." (book extract, p. 85)

You don’t need to know any astrology to enjoy the book as it’s an intriguing stand-alone read, but if you do understand some astrology you’ll probably get a lot more from it – and if you don’t know any astrology it might inspire to find out more. The photos and the few charts it contains are all in full colour, and there are many personal accounts and memories of Bruno and Louise contributed by students who knew them and worked with them, myself included.

Piercing the Eggshell is available from all good booksellers and from Amazon, as well as being available as an e-book. Click on the link for full details.

But best of all, go read it and be impressed – not that we wrote it – but by what these two remarkable people did and what their gift to humanity is.

Bruno and Louise Huber - two remarkable people

Also see more info on this book, which has been translated into German and Spanish, here and here, and has been favourably reviewed by an non-astrologer:

Fascinating Biography 

"Piercing the Eggshell" reviewed by Will Parfitt, Psychosynthesis therapist and author.

If you are an astrologer I would think this book is a must, even if you don't follow the Huber style of astrology; the story of how the Hubers created this new, very workable approach is interesting even to a non-astrologer like myself. 

Better still, for astrologers and non-astrologers, this is a tale of two people's indomitable will to create a new psychological science using astrological connections to include and raise consciousness to a deeper spiritual connection. A fascinating and most unusual biography, very interestingly illustrated with relevant photos.

I was particularly interested in the influence of Roberto Assagioli and Psychosynthesis on their work and the development of Huber astrology, and how whilst he fully supported them in their explorations, even giving Bruno Huber access to all his client notes, they worked hard to collate, edit and where necessary translate his writings into what became the key work in the Psychosynthesis world. 

 

Planetary manifestations

How do the energies and characteristics associated with the personal planets act out in everyday life? How is this energy expressed? We can observe it in human behaviour  - that of others and in our own responses to life situations.

Let's look at how it might show up, bearing in mind that the energies of the planets can operate at several different levels, ranging from downright low levels to more admirable and acceptable higher manifestations.

Starting with the Sun - our sense of self, which can always do with a polish up from time to time to keep it on the higher level - consider how you're feeling about yourself today, right now. Are you reasonably centred, focussed, clear in your mind about what you're doing? Are you willingly taking responsibility for yourself and the decisions you make?

Next check out the Moon. How are your feelings and emotions and needs? Is the small child in you acting up in any way? Can you give your feelings some attention or do you push them down, ignore them and hope they'll go away? Is there anything you can do right now to help with this?

What about Mercury? How are your communications with yourself (like the needy Moon)? And how are your communications with others? Are they good, clear, not muddled and well-expressed, or do you avoid straight talking? Do you pore over news websites to keep up with what's going on, or talk/WhatsApp a lot with friends? What are you reading or learning about right now?

Engaging with Venus, we can connect with the higher levels of beauty through the arts; on the lower levels we might just stuff ourselves full of food and become sluggish. Taking things up a few notches, we will be considerate to those around us, engage with our sense of taste in all areas of life, and strive for more harmony with our family and friends.

If we don't engage with Mars, nothing will get started and nothing will be achieved. Depends how you, and every individual, make the energies of this planet manifest. Argumentative, combative, controlling, bullying behaviour come across as pretty low down on this planet's possibilities but, directed skilfully and with awareness, it can be notched upwards and used as an impressive force to get things done, such as those small tasks we prefer to ignore and leave hanging around.

Jupiter is engaged when we step out of the ordinary and take a risk, and do something new or different, like eating a new dish, or going to a new place. We can all do something we've never done before, and it doesn't have to be outrageous (although Jupiter is not known for holding back as it's the master of grand gestures). You don't have to try bungee jumping, just temper whatever boundary of experience you want to extend with a little common sense, which takes us on to.....

Saturn who may be regarded by some as the killjoy of the cosmic group, but is essential to keep things within safe bounds on a personal as well as a general level. How do you structure your time, your day, your life? Saturn is on call here and fulfils the need we all have for stability and security - but keep this in perspective and don't let your saturnian tendencies hold you back. Proceed with caution and awareness and be thankful you have this capacity to keep yourself safe.

The Planets by Bruno and Louise Huber offers a lot more insight and info on these personal planets, and I recommend it as an excellent source of all you need to know to get you started on understanding how you and your planetary manifestations operate.

 

 

 

 

 

Age Progression: prepare to be amazed!

Age progression is a relatively new and simple approach to the use astrology in understanding psychological crises and periods of growth throughout our lives. And it's not predictive - far from it.

The approach presented in the Huber's definitive book on the subject can be used even by beginners to gain a better understanding of themselves and their lives, and can help experts in the helping professions to work faster and more securely with other people’s problems.

Age progression is Bruno and Louise Huber's unique approach to understanding the element of time in the horoscope, and their book on this subject includes  discussion on how this relates to other approaches of astrological progressions.

The essential feature of this approach is the age point, which moves through the houses like the hands of a clock and indicates the unfolding life of the human being.

LifeClock was first published as two separate volumes over twenty years ago, and  is presented here in a single integrated volume. The content covers the structural and qualitative elements of the age point method and its application in life phases and cycles. 

This is followed by rules for interpretation using age progression and plenty of  detail on the significance of aspects made by the age point. Later chapters address the use of age progression in counseling, and the detailed progression of the age point through the houses over a lifetime. Examples of the application of age progression in this book include C.G.Jung and former American president Jimmy Carter. 

While working with this book, you will be able to apply and examine the age point method (the big hand on your life clock) in your own horoscope. This will give you an overview of the cyclic unfolding of your life and will most likely convince you of the effectiveness and value of this surprisingly simple approach to astrological timing. 

My book, Using Age Progression, includes 37 examples of how the Huber's LifeClock is experienced in the charts and lives of real people - among them are some famous celebrities as well as people who generously offered to share their life experiences with me while I was working on this book.

There are numerous posts on this very subject on this blog; type Age Progession into the search window on the sidebar, take your pick, read the book(s) and try out Age Progression for yourself. 

I think you will be amazed.....!

Vladimir Putin

This interpretation of Putin's chart was written by fellow astrologer David Kerr in 2014. I am including it here, with David as guest author, in view of the current situation between Russia and Ukraine and the threat of Russia's imminent invasion of Ukraine. David focuses on the Double Ambivalence figure in the chart; I focus on the Trapeze.

 

Vladimir Putin, 7th October 1952, 09.30, St. Peteresburg, Russia

 David writes: The eye is immediately drawn to the stellium in the 12th house and the aspects which emanate from it are reminiscent of the levers in an old-fashioned railway signal box, quite appropriate for someone who can be quite truly said to have his hands on the levers of power. The aspect pattern consists largely of fixed figures, a Trapeze and a Double Ambivalence figure. This suggests someone who is able to operate on a large stage, can learn much from a wide variety of experiences, but in spite of that is fairly inflexible. We can see that from his handling of the Chechnya situation, the lessons of history from Stalin right back to Tsar Nicholas 1 have not deviated Putin from his implacable efforts to impose Russian control.  

As befits a former KGB official, Putin is secretive and keeps his cards close to his chest, as shown by the 12th house planets including Mercury. On the other hand, Jupiter in the 7th allows him to present a more affable face to the world. These planets form the poles of the Double Ambivalence figure. This ambivalence is reflected by political commentators who cannot make up their minds whether Putin is a neo-stalinist or a closet reformer. The open and outgoing Jupiter is ultimately controlled from the conservative and secretive blue corner by Sun and Saturn so there is likely to be something in the closet. The enigma is compounded by having an unaspected Moon. Emotion does not obviously figure in Putin's makeup and it this adds to his inscrutability.  

 

On the 8th of July Putin's age point will enter Leo. [Editorial comment:This was so at the time of writing; Putin's Age Point is now in Libra and in the 12th house,where the stellium of planets is. His Age Point has recently been past the 12th house Low Point and he will be 70 in October]. When the age point enters a sign it activates any planets in that sign, regardless of which house they are in. In this case [when David wrote this in 2014] it is Pluto. Pluto is a transpersonal, spiritual, planet, but when it is on an angle as it is here it can be used, or abused, in the outside world.

Putin's Pluto is conjunct South Node, so there might be an atavistic tendency to exercise power in a Stalinist fashion. On the other hand, South Node is conjunct the IC, firmly in the collective zone, the people of Russia, and the controlling 12th house planets are in Libra, the sign of justice. Putin describes himself as a true servant of Russia so perhaps the evidence of the chart shows the sincerity of his goals, whatever methods he may employ to reach them.

 

Joyce offers an extract from Aspect Patterns in Colour:

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has a Trapeze in his chart. Its pinning planets in the 12th house stellium (Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune) are shared with two other aspect figures. However, the Trapeze dominates and its internal thinking and learning processes will feed into the Double Ambivalence figure and the all-blue Small Talent triangle (not discussed in this post). 

Strong multiple aspects from the stellium radiate out to the other pinning planets – red squares to Uranus, green quincunxes to Jupiter and blue trines to the Moon’s Node. But it is the stellium that holds the eye and indicates a formidable driving force of his will (Sun), his need for firm structure (Saturn), his ability to communicate (Mercury) and his ideals (Neptune) which drive this Trapeze along. Putin has headed the direction and mindset of Russia in the 21st century. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law, yet corruption is also said to have increased. 

 

Bruno and Louise Huber describe someone with a Trapeze as having “a larger-than-life personality”. On the one hand, we have the outgoing Putin engaging with world leaders using Jupiter in 7th linked to Mercury, Saturn and Neptune. On the other hand there is the more inscrutable Putin with his strong-by-sign Sun dominating from the 12th, a master mind who controls and manipulates, pulling the strings like an arch puppeteer.

 

Piercing the Eggshell translated

 

It's less than a year since Piercing the Eggshell, the biography and life story of Bruno and Louise Huber and their Astrological Psychology, was published in paperback. It has also been published as an ebook.

I'm delighted to report that the book has now been translated into German and Spanish. The work of the Hubers, based in Zurich, was initially only available in German. The founding of first the English Huber School, followed by the Spanish Huber School - both teaching the Huber Method of Astrological Psychology to an increasingly interested audience in north and south America - ensured the dissemination of their work to what is now a worldwide audience.

Piercing the Eggshell isn't a stuffy biography; it's full of real life anecdotes as well as factual events, and it makes for an interesting read as it covers how astrological psychology was researched and developed. It also covers why astrological psychology, as a method of personal and spiritual growth, is not only significant, but is downright helpful and useful as well.

Piercing the Eggshell in English is available from all good booksellers, from Amazon and from the APA Book Shop. 

 

Fascinating Biography 

"Piercing the Eggshell" reviewed by Will Parfitt, Psychosynthesis therapist and author.

If you are an astrologer I would think this book is a must, even if you don't follow the Huber style of astrology; the story of how the Hubers created this new, very workable approach is interesting even to a non-astrologer like myself. 

Better still, for astrologers and non-astrologers, this is a tale of two people's indomitable will to create a new psychological science using astrological connections to include and raise consciousness to a deeper spiritual connection. A fascinating and most unusual biography, very interestingly illustrated with relevant photos.

I was particularly interested in the influence of Roberto Assagioli and Psychosynthesis on their work and the development of Huber astrology, and how whilst he fully supported them in their explorations, even giving Bruno Huber access to all his client notes, they worked hard to collate, edit and where necessary translate his writings into what became the key work in the Psychosynthesis world. 

 

You can read how the book came about here and another review of the book is here.

"Uranus is an instrument we use to pierce through the eggshell towards spirituality"

Bruno Huber

I don't do predictions

 

Using Astrological Psychology, I have a unique method of timing to draw upon when looking at someone's chart. It's called Age Progression and it enables me to understand where that individual is psychologically in their own life journey. I can relate to the stage of life they're at and understand what kind of issues might be around for them. I don't predict what might happen; I look at what's going on for them right now.

 

Some time ago, an article with the title "I don't do predictions" in a newsletter for professional astrologers, set me thinking about this particular phrase. It’s one I've often used when setting up a meeting with a client. The saying “I don’t do predictions” was something that an astrologer had picked up on and it had jarred with him when he’d heard a graduate of the Astrological Psychology Association - not me - use this very phrase. His article  was about prediction of all kinds, and was not just aimed at astrology. It was well-reasoned and the points raised were clearly discussed. He was from a scientific background; the graduate from an arts background. Having used this same phrase myself countless times, I understood her stance - but could I understand his viewpoint as well? This set me thinking about prediction in general, both in the astrological context and in the wider framework of the scientific world.

Prediction and foretelling

If you look up the word “Prediction” in a dictionary, you will find its definition is “foretelling”. Literally, it means to “speak before” (pre-dict) an event. Most of us want daily predictions. We watch or listen to the weather forecast, and our lives are quite strongly influenced by predictions made by meteorologists. We will tuck an umbrella into a bag if rain is forecast without even thinking about it. But what about scientists who predict, for example, the effects of global warming? They have been doing this for countless years and yet it is only now that it is becoming more urgent and headline news. Yes, global warming is happening. Of course, scientists can only predict trends and suggest possible outcomes, which is what I suppose those astrologers who do predictions might say.

Now consider astronomers who always seem able to state categorically that the distance between Planet A and Planet B is so many billion light years ? They are predicting or foretelling in a way. As a child I could never understand how they could know such things, state them publicly and be believed. How could they know? No-one had ever travelled that distance before! It’s all based on scientific modelling and the knitting together of known facts. But don’t quote me on that.

Global events

 

I've read in astrological journals about the workings of the planets, where transits for the coming months are discussed and interpretations made on their movements and positions and how these might relate to worldwide events. I'm not trying to knock the skills and techniques used by the well-seasoned and experienced astrologers who look at global events from a historical perspective, which may usefully highlight trends.

Although I don’t do predictions, I don't sit in judgement of those members of the astrological community who do. I know astrologers who are skilled at predictive techniques, and I embrace “astrodiversity” even though some of it leads down paths I would not wish to follow. As a novice astrologer, I learned predicting techniques, and had to use and apply them as part of the course I was studying. I felt very uncomfortable when I tried to commit my findings to paper, in the form of a mock report aimed at the person whose chart I was looking at. Fortunately this was not for real, and was part of an assignment. I never did it for real. It just didn’t feel right. Stuck in a limbo where I could not progress further without embracing predictions, I heard Bruno and Louise Huber speak at an astrological conference in the 1980’s and what they offered in the way of person-centred astrological psychology struck a profound chord for me.

Four questions

Louise Huber spoke of four different questions about astrology. These were:

1) Future 2) Character 3) Development 4) Meaning of Life

• 

  Future: Louise suggested that Saturn rules questions about the future. People ask “What will happen to me?” or “What does the future hold for me?” There is a fear of the future, a need to know what is just around the corner, a need to be in control and a dependence on being told what will happen by the astrologer. Methods used in answering such questions are prediction, and the use of progressions and transits. It is a formative part of any astrologer’s learning experience to experiment with progressions and transits. 
   
• 

  Character: Louise saw questions about character traits being ruled by the Moon. People will ask the astrologer to elaborate on what problems they have, or what abilities they have. They are more in touch with their emotional needs and seek clarification for these areas of their lives. The methods used to answer such questions will be to apply character analysis together with some psychological methods, drawing perhaps of the work of Freud and Jung and using other techniques such as Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. 
   
  
• 

  Development: By this, Louise meant personal development. Here the Sun rules. Questions might be about independence, autonomy and freedom. The person will ask “What can I do to reach self-realisation?” Methods used to answer these questions would be Psychosynthesis and the Huber Method which involves the whole chart and person, the 5 levels of human existence, the aspect structure as life motivation, the integration of the three-fold personality, the Dynamic Calculations, the House Chart and Age Progression. Here we are moving away from the “stuckness” of Saturn and the emotional responses of the Moon. We enter the realm ruled by the Sun, which represents the mind, the decision-making process and the will. If we can claim our Sun, and become truly autonomous, we will not need to ask an astrologer “What does the future hold for me?” as we’ll be out there creating it for ourselves.
   
• 

  Meaning of Life: This is the area where the transpersonal planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto rule. The questions are deep and penetrating and include such topics as “Where am I coming from and where am I going?” and “What is the meaning of my life?” Methods used to answer these questions include esoteric astrology, which gives an understanding of the evolution of humankind. Transformation and spiritual crises would be considered along with the laws of spiritual growth. The circle in the centre of the chart would be used, plus the Low Point experience, the Moon Node chart and the use of all three charts in an astrological counselling session. These questions take us beyond the realm of the Sun and our own autonomy and move us towards asking “What can I do that will make a difference to my family, my society, and ultimately to the world?”
   
   

Code of Ethics

 

Still thinking of what set my mind turning over this “I don’t do predictions” statement, I am reminded of the APA Code of Ethics. Written by Bruno Huber and used by APA since it was founded in 1983, it includes the following clause:

 

“We regard astrology exclusively as a diagnostic tool, with which we recognise differences in character, problems of the human psyche and of psychological-spiritual development. Thus, astrological knowledge should above all be used to gain self-knowledge and as therapeutic help, as well as a means for solving conflicts - and not for prediction of the future.”

Did I get to understand where the scientists might be coming from?

 

Well, yes, in a way I did. I know many people with a scientific background and I listen to and respect the views and opinions of those with a scientific background – and in turn I expect them to listen to and respect me, and my astrology. But some aspects of the scientific do seem to smack of the sterner side of Saturn - certainty laced with a shot of rigidity, stirred well with plenty of facts. Then modelled to perfection to present a forecast or prediction which many people in positions of power hang on to tightly. The good news is that more leading edge scientists are beginning to agree that things cannot be so cut and dried, that science is not always right because there are things that can’t be explained - so those transpersonal planets are maybe doing their bit in ways we cannot yet begin to imagine.

As for astrological predictions, cue here the development of the Sun - the individual, the self, the will, the autonomy of the person, the ability to choose and create our own lives - and enter the essence of the Transpersonal planets which will help us understand what really is the meaning of our lives.

 

Piercing the Eggshell - now published as an ebook

I'm very pleased to announce that Piercing the Eggshell, the biography of Bruno and Louise Huber, is now available from Amazon UK and Amazon US as an ebook. 

It's there to be had right now, straight away. Click here for more details.

Readers who prefer the ebook format will not be losing out on anything as all the photos and charts are there in full colour.

Bruno and Louise Huber, founders of the Astrological Psychology Institute in Zurich, were the creators of the Huber Method, a psychological and spiritual approach to astrology which includes the use of Age Progression, their unique method of timing in the horoscope.

You can read about Bruno Huber here, and about Louise Huber here.

But you can read a lot more in Piercing the Eggshell about how they met, fell in love, married and worked tirelessly to bring the wonderful gift of astrological psychology to the world.

 

Bruno and Louise Huber

Book Review - Piercing the Eggshell

This book review is a guest blog post, written by Caroline Adlestone, Editor of "Conjunction". I'm pleased to be sharing it since Caroline has spoken warmly about the book, clearly setting out why she liked it, along with outlining what readers might gain from it.

 A “New Science of Man”,

Review of Piercing the Eggshell, The Hubers and their Astrological Psychology, edited by Barry and Joyce Hopewell.

“We envisioned a nobler man in a nobler world, and realised that we both wanted to contribute actively to increasing the quality of human consciousness.” So said Bruno Huber as he looked back on the lives of himself and Louise in 1987, 19 years after the formation of API Switzerland.

 Much of this biography of the extraordinary life and work of the Hubers is recorded in their own words. This direct transmission enriches the book and gives us a personal voice of Bruno and Louise Huber. The many writings from which the material is sourced are deftly and seamlessly incorporated chronologically into a compelling narrative. We are taken on a journey of wonder, excitement and sometimes intense, story-telling. In 12 chapters the reader is taken through the lives of the Hubers, the development of astrological psychology, the creation and growth of API Switzerland and its influence throughout the world.

The title of the book Piercing the Eggshell is a reference to the possibility of a connection to the higher self or soul by breaking through the encapsulated ego. It refers to Roberto Assagioli’s Egg model and Bruno’s subsequent Amphora diagram which incorporates the astrological symbols of the planets.

Bruno and Louise Huber

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout and the many photographs add to the intimacy of the story being told. The use of charts adroitly gives depth and added resonance to the storyline for those who can understand and gives clear and tangible examples of how the method works to those unfamiliar with astrological psychology. And for non-Huber astrologers there is a very lucid description of the Huber method in chapter one. The clarity given to the technical side of astrological psychology means this book can be read by everyone.

The history of the many translated and truncated publications of the Hubers is expertly explained by the editors, Barry and Joyce, who have been publishers of the Huber's books in English since 2003.

The Hubers’ early life story is told from the world war period in which they grew up, emerging from the Third Reich into a world in which they both felt as though they wanted to understand and to help people. The story continues to their fated meeting – six months before she met him Louise had seen Bruno in a meditation – he fell in love and had to marry her, and only her. We follow them through their setting up of the Arcane School in Geneva and their formative and magical years in Florence in a stimulating spiritual environment with Roberto Assagioli. Their dedication and tenacity was always driven by their single-focussed goal.

In a literal sense, Bruno once remarkably journeyed 700km on his bicycle across the Alps over a 2500 metre high pass to be with Assagioli in Arezzo as there was no other way of getting there. Those early days were hugely interesting, fertile and creative but they were also fraught with insecurity of the unknown. Something that to Louise was not easy. Their own individual personal growth is shared by each of them with candour. The depth of their own understanding of themselves and the workings of their inner minds. seems natural when you consider how Bruno and Louise’s youthful lives were steeped in many kinds of exploratory depth psychologies and spiritual development. And also how in the Huber method we look deeply into ourselves through chart interpretation.

Something that the book especially exudes is the joyful experience of connections with the Hubers, whether learning, teaching, or socialising, life in all its dimensions and colour is present in these pages.

Bruno’s process of coming to the gestalt in the chart is unveiled as it develops. The book draws the reader to a recognition of the development of the unique and stunning mandalas and the clear visual impact of the charts that we now recognise as Huber charts. The charts came about as a result of Bruno’s many artistic interests and pursuits as well as his artistic nature. The study of colour and his visual sensitivity are aspects that led to the creation of the charts. 

Chart of Bruno Huber

Spanish astrologer Lola Ferrer sums it up beautifully when she speaks of the Beauty that came through Bruno, “that inborn ability to connect with what is harmonious and bring it to earth.”

She describes the chart as “a perfect piece of cosmos arrested in time.”

“Bruno’s clear and artistic design of the horoscope … the colour lines that could geometrically reveal the innermost soul of the moment captured in the chart.”

The artistic qualities blended beautifully with the scientific innovations. It was this combination of intuitive and technical aspects that brought about the uniqueness of astrological psychology.

There are many gems that come to light in the book, such as details of life in Switzerland. Joyce’s description of the physical API school, as she descriptively takes us through the garden and the house, is precious and provides wonderful memories and experiences related “before they are lost in the mists of time.” 

 

International group of students at the API Centre, Adliswil

We see the nature of Bruno and Louise’s polarised personalities and their relationship. Bruno the scientist, psychologist and thinker and Louise, the organiser with her deep esoteric roots, with evolution as the all-embracing goal to which she was committed in all she did, complemented each other. Any crises in the relationship were seen as opportunities for growth. And “the little game of partnership” (Louise) was subsumed in their higher objective of building AP.I.

The position of astrological psychology within the wider world of astrology is elucidated in the book. In some ways astrological psychology can be seen as a niche area within the astrological world and this subject is not shied away from in the book. The Hubers created a “new science”, which is a “closed system” and does not work with other astrological systems. That astrological psychology is not predictive and is for self-awareness is well-known. But it differs from other astrologies in that it does not rely on the traditional medieval view of astrology. Bruno had a mistrust of the “old patterned astrology” and it deeply mattered to him that the old methods didn’t fit psychologically.

Bruno teaching

Astrological psychology is a deeply researched form of psychology and Bruno encouraged questioning and constant research into the system.He was insistent that we take nothing at face value without experimenting with it in our own charts and those of others. This is the sort of research that was so important to him. Needless to say, this is exciting and inspiring and I am sure will lead many to want to discover for themselves what it’s all about.

It is notable that the success of the English-speaking Huber School is highlighted, not least that the English Course manuals were translated into German!, and then into Spanish, and were instrumental to API teaching, and shows the professionalism of the English Huber School from the very beginning.

The depth of sincerity of all of those whose lives were touched by the Hubers and their dedication to the Huber method is especially felt in the crescendo of outpouring of love and gratitude from those who knew them in the penultimate chapter of the book.

I didn’t want the book to end but fortunately we have several volumes of the Hubers’ work to enjoy for years to come. And we can keep on experimenting with the Huber method, the work is endless.

 

Piercing the Eggshell - new book about Bruno and Louise Huber

What did you do during the first big lockdown on 2019?

Unexpectedly, along with my other half Barry as co-author, I researched and helped compile a biography of Bruno and Louse Huber, pioneers of the Huber Method of Astrological Psychology. You can hear how we came to do it by clicking here to see this short video (on my astrological psychology blog). We launched the book on 10th November 2020.

This non-predictive use of astrology combined together with psychology is now used worldwide as an astrological psychological tool to help people realise their own potential and, ultimately, contribute to making the world a bit better than it is right now.

The Huber's story is a fascinating, real-life one, and tells of the obstacles they had to overcome, the sacrifices they had to make and the determination they had to hold on with in order to realise their vision of doing something for humanity.

It wasn't easy, but these two were people were very special, driven and motivated beyond personal gain and in pursuit of more spiritual goals and the evolution of humankind. They were influenced and helped by Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli, who founded Psychosynthesis, and they founded the Astrological Psychology Institute in Zurich in the early 1960s.

Bruno and Louise Huber

Since then, their well-researched approach, teaching and books on what is now known as The Huber Method, is used in many countries around the world. It focusses on personal and spiritual growth and on moving us as participating humans, into living our lives as kinder, and more aware people.

You don't need to know any astrology to enjoy it as it's an intriguing stand-alone read, but if you do understand some astrology you'll probably get a lot more from it - and if you don't know any astrology it might inspire to find out more. The photos and the few charts it contains are all in full colour.

Piercing the Eggshell is available from all good booksellers, from Amazon and from the APA Book Shop. 

 

Fascinating Biography - "Piercing the Eggshell" reviewed by Will Parfitt

If you are an astrologer I would think this book is a must, even if you don't follow the Huber style of astrology; the story of how the Hubers created this new, very workable approach is interesting even to a non-astrologer like myself. 

Better still, for astrologers and non-astrologers, this is a tale of two people's indomitable will to create a new psychological science using astrological connections to include and raise consciousness to a deeper spiritual connection. A fascinating and most unusual biography, very interestingly illustrated with relevant photos.

I was particularly interested in the influence of Roberto Assagioli and Psychosynthesis on their work and the development of Huber astrology, and how whilst he fully supported them in their explorations, even giving Bruno Huber access to all his client notes, they worked hard to collate, edit and where necessary translate his writings into what became the key work in the Psychosynthesis world.