Archetypes and Experiential Astrology

In this video interview, Phoebe Wyss, who is retiring this month as Osho News’ horoscope writer, shares her insights on astrology, meditation, and the cosmic mind

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Published by Sue Brayne on YouTube, on September 21, 2025 under the series The Astrology Interview

This transcript has been edited and shortened for publication

[01:22] Welcome to our astrology interview. I’m Sue Brayne and today I have with me Phoebe Wyss. Now Phoebe has been an astrologer for 45 years. That’s a long time. You’re almost coming out of the womb wanting to be an astrologer. And you specialise in Experiential Astrology, which I’m really interested in as well, within the archetypal view of the cosmos. Phoebe, you told me before we started recording that you feel that you have been on a mission to be an astrologer. So let’s start with that. Tell me more: how did this mission come to you?

Well, first of all, I was really very young, a primary school child, and I became fascinated with the stars and the planets. I would go out on a winter’s evening – because I had to go to bed quite early in those days – look up at the sky, and just stay out there sometimes for a long time. Mother used to worry and come out to see what I was doing. I was just sitting there, looking at the stars, and I became very interested in planets.

I went to our little local library and asked for a book about astronomy. I was given a book, which I still have today, that told me all about stars and planets. At school, I started saying I wanted to be an astronomer because I didn’t know the word “astrology” or the difference. This was in the 1950s – I was born a wartime baby in 1941.

By age 15, I realised I hated maths, which I needed to become an astronomer. Someone – perhaps my aunt – suggested astrology instead. I started learning about it, and before leaving school, decided I was going to be an astrologer, even while studying English at University.

[05:04] No question that was your path. Because you’re a Piscean, aren’t you?

I’m Pisces, yes, but with a strong Mars in Capricorn in the fifth House, a Taurus Moon, and Uranus conjunct the Moon in the 10th House – the house of Career. So there’s Uranus, the astrologer, in the 10th.

I was academically good, got an MA in English, and taught English abroad. That’s where I met my first husband, which caused some people to call me ‘Mrs. Whiz’ by mistake – better to be ‘Wise’, of course.

[06:19] While you were teaching English, were you still interested in astrology?

Yes, though I had little time – married, two children, living in Germany. As the children grew, I studied astrology seriously, especially as books started coming out in the 1970s, like Liz Greene’s and Rick Levine’s. She, along with others, really helped shape psychological Astrology.

[07:44] You talk about specialising in Experiential Astrology. Can you explain what that means?

Experiential Astrology came after psychological Astrology. My journey included meditation, which began in India at an ashram. Meditation gave me confidence to read charts for others, after years of only reading my own. I realised we have great responsibility as astrologers; we could give self-fulfilling prophecies if not careful.

Meditation led me to focus on the experience of astrology rather than just knowledge. Knowledge is just in the head; Experiential Astrology is about growth through lived experience. Through groups and personal reflection, astrology became a tool to help people understand their patterns, particularly self-destructive ones, and gain wisdom.

[12:01] Can you give me an example or a couple of examples of Experiential Astrology? How does that shape somebody?

I’ve led groups for many years, including the Brighton and Hove Astrology Circle, now almost 20 years old. We held full moon gatherings at my home, starting with meditation and reflecting on feelings, before discussing astrological signs. Small groups are especially powerful because they allow deep focus.

We also explored themes through 12-week cycles around the zodiac, emphasising karmic planets, transpersonal aspects, and past-life therapy. We examine Pluto, Chiron, the moon nodes, and planetary aspects, highlighting overlooked parts of personality. I model this with my own chart, exploring my Pluto and Chiron in the 12th House, uncovering hidden patterns from past lives.

[17:21] How has that played out for you personally?

I’ve experienced suffering from plutonic people – other people who are more powerful in upsetting me. Seeing Pluto and Chiron in my chart helped me recognise this wasn’t just external but also within me. My conscious self wishes well, but there were still hidden grudges. Understanding this has been transformational.

[19:13] I always look at Pluto in a chart because it holds the undercurrent of who we are.

Yes, Pluto reveals hidden aspects, often projected onto others. Experiential Astrology teaches you to own these projections, which is challenging work but essential for deep transformation – the soul’s magnum opus.

[20:17] You specialise in past lives. Often, planets in the 12th House hold the key to hidden family patterns. How do you interpret that?

Indeed. Family secrets and no-go areas often reside here. Pluto or Chiron in the 12th can reveal ancestral legacies needing integration.

[21:12] If Pluto is on the Ascendant, or in the 1st or 12th House, how would you read that archetypally?

People with Pluto in the first house radiate an intense energy, often attracting or intimidating others. I’ve noticed profound transformational experiences in such lives, often through loss and grief, fostering inner growth.

[24:12] You’ve been reading about Hermeticism and Gnostic teachings. How do you interpret the Great Transformation? Is it possible?

Yes, but you must “drop it” – move past grief or trauma and enter the present life. First comes suffering, but afterward, letting go is essential. Meditation helps, but even after decades, it’s challenging. The goal is to forgive, forget, and live fully in the present.

[27:44] Astrology is a map, isn’t it?

Yes. It provides guidance. For example, knowing Uranus is coming over your ascendant helps anticipate change and prepare for transformation.

[28:19] Phoebe, talk a little about Pluto and Saturn – they take us into the underworld. How do you work with those transits experientially?

I’ve experienced many big returns: Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, Uranus. These transits brought impossible challenges, legal issues, and personal trials. Uranus and Pluto eventually guided resolution unexpectedly. Experiencing them first-hand teaches us how to navigate transformation.

[31:11] What is it like to have a Uranus return?

It’s a sense of completion. I’m sort of retiring, stepping back from teaching, though I still run a couple of group sessions a month. The Uranus return symbolises the culmination of decades of astrology, meditation, and personal growth – wiping the slate clean while honouring all I’ve accomplished.

“I have done my best with my talents, including writing, putting into words some really difficult concepts sometimes. I feel I have done my best and that I have helped a lot of people.”

[34:21] Do you feel astrology has helped you prepare for death? Has it opened your mind to approaching death consciously?

Yes – astrology and meditation remind us we are more than our bodies or present personalities. They cultivate awareness beyond life and encourage reflection on past lives.

[35:48] Do you think there’s a next incarnation, or have you done enough for your soul to go home?

I’ll return in another life. Those more aware may choose when to come back; most are swept along by fate. Conscious living and dying give opportunities to return as a teacher or guide.

[40:11] The universe seems to give you a task as an astrologer?

Yes. Writing or reading, ideas flow through me – I feel in touch with another dimension. I don’t claim personal authorship; astrology channels insights through me for others.

[41:43] Phoebe, you’ve written many books. Could you introduce two?

My most important book came out ten years ago. It explores astrology in the context of cosmic oneness, using William Blake as an example. Blake’s chart and life illustrate connecting with the cosmic mind, a wider understanding beyond personal knowledge. Geniuses are channeling.

[44:11] Any wise words for the folks who are watching?

“I would advise people to not to do so much, to stop, not to talk so much but to listen more. And that not just to other people, but to the birds, the sounds of the trees, the wind; to talk to the trees, to talk to the animals, to get away from the very limited human mind with all its prejudices and worries.”

This opens you to the intuitive insights crucial in astrology.

[45:13] Thank you, Phoebe. I loved the concept of being an Experiential astrologer, living in the cosmic mind.

Thank you.

And a big thank you to Phoebe from Osho News for providing us – for seven years! – with the insightful monthly horoscopes using quotes from Osho’s book.