Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View

From a philosopher whose history of Western thought was praised by Joseph Campbell & Huston Smith comes a book tracing the connection between cosmic cycles & archetypal patterns of experience. Drawing on years of research & on thinkers from Plato to Jung, Tarnas explores the planetary correlations of epochal events like the French Revolution, the world wars & 9/11. Whether read as astrology updated for the quantum age or as a contemporary classic of spirituality, Cosmos & Psyche is an important work of sophistication & learning. importance.
Preface
1 The transformation of the cosmos. The birth of the modern self
The dawn of a new universe
Two paradigms of history
Forging the self, disenchanting the world
The cosmological situation today
2 In search of a deeper order. Two suitors: a parable
The interior quest
Synchronicity & its implications
The archetypal cosmos
3 Through the archetypal telescope. The evolving tradition
Archetypal principles
The planets
Forms of correspondence
Personal transit cycles
Archetypal coherence & concrete diversity
Assessing patterns of correlation
4 Epochs of revolution. From the French Revolution to the 1960s
Synchronic & diachronic patterns in history
Scientific & technological revolutions
Awakenings of the Dionysian
The liberation of nature
Religious rebellion & erotic emancipation
Filling in the cyclical sequence
The individual & the collective
A larger view of the sixties
5 Cycles of crisis & contraction. World Wars, Cold War & 9/11
Historical contrasts & tensions
Conservative empowerment
Splitting, evil & terror
“Moby Dick” & nature’s depth
Historical determinism, realpolitik & apocalypse
Moral courage, facing the shadow & the tension of opposites
Paradigmatic works of art
Forging deep structures
6 Cycles of creativity & expansion. Opening new horizons
Convergences of scientific breakthroughs
Social & political rebellions & awakenings
Quantum leaps & peak experiences
From Copernicus to Darwin
Music & literature
Iconic moments & cultural milestones
Great heights & shadows
Hidden births
7 Awakenings of spirit & soul. Epochal shifts of cultural vision
Spiritual epiphanies & the emergence of new religions
Utopian social visions
Romanticism, imaginative genius & cosmic epiphany
Revelations of the numinous
The great awakening of the Axial Age
The late 20th century & the turn of the millennium
8 Towards a new heaven & a new earth. Understanding the past, creating the future
Observations on future planetary alignments
Sources of the world order
Epilogue
Notes
Sources
Acknowledgments
Index