The Astrology of Emotional Intelligence
The current wave of popularity for what is being called emotional intelligence, or EQ, began in the mid-1990s with Daniel Goleman's book 'Emotional Intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ'. The book pulls together lots of research to show how intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence is vitally important in life, for happiness, for work success, and for health.
The book was followed in the late '90s by 'Working with Emotional Intelligence' , which went into more detail about the importance of EQ in the work environment. Many companies jumped on the EQ bandwagon, putting their staff (but alas, not always the senior managers and directors) through training programmes designed to develop key emotional intelligence skills.
Astrology is fundamentally about emotional intelligence, because the primary skill of EQ is to know yourself intimately. Daniel Goleman compiles EQ skills into an 'emotional competence framework', and the full list of these competencies is included at the foot of this page. The framework starts with personal competence and then adds social competence, and astrology has a large part to play in both of these. Personal competence rests on the foundation of self-knowledge that astrology is so brilliant at building, then moves to managing inner states of mind and feeling. Social competence is all about understanding what makes other people tick, and again astrology is unsurpassed in illuminating other people's behaviour.
From astrology we know that there are 12 basic styles or type-preferences for thinking and communicating. Similarly, we know that the sense of well-being and need for emotional support has 12 different patterns. This means that we can use astrology to describe a person's own EQ styles, preferences, and needs. This is of great practical use because, as we know from the work of people like Daniel Goleman, the more we develop our emotional intelligence the happier, healthier and more successful we can be. Consulting an astrologer - whether for personal or business reasons - really can make such a positive difference.
12 basic styles of thinking
12 basic styles of communicating
Modified by multiple sub-types
12 basic styles of communicating
Modified by multiple sub-types
- Permission to think in your own natural way
- Understand your thinking style and play to your strengths
- Learn more easily by knowing what works best for you
- Become a better communicator by learning how your preferred style works
- Overcome barriers to working together by understanding the most natural styles of your colleagues
- Appreciate the strengths of different thinking and communicating styles
- Improve team communication and problem-solving by getting the best out of each person
12 basic types of 'emotional mind'
12 basic styles of emotional response
Modified by multiple sub-types
12 basic styles of emotional response
Modified by multiple sub-types
- Manage stress and cope with pressure better by understanding your 'coping style'
- Understand your instinctive responses to people and situations
- Improve your interpersonal skills by learning how people respond in different ways
- Manage yourself by understanding your feeling responses
- Increase your resilience by managing your emotions and thoughts
- Promote teamwork by appreciating what
different people need to feel supported
from Daniel Goleman's 'Working with Emotional Intelligence'
Personal Competence: These competencies determine how we manage ourselves
Self-Awareness
Knowing one's internal states, preferences, resources and intuitions
Emotional awareness: recognising one's emotions and their effects
Accurate self-assessment: knowing one's strengths and limits
Self-confidence: a strong sense of one's self-worth and capabilities
Self-Regulation
Managing one's internal states, impulses and resources
Self-control: keeping disruptive emotions and impulses in check
Trustworthiness: maintaining standards of honesty and integrity
Conscientiousness: taking responsibility for personal performance
Adaptability: flexibility in handling change
Innovation: being comfortable with novel ideas, approaches and new information
Motivation
Emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals
Achievement drive: striving to improve or meet a standard of excellence
Commitment: aligning with the goals of the group or organisation
Initiative: readiness to act on opportunities
Optimism: persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks
Social Competence: These competencies determine how we handle relationships
Empathy
Awareness of others' feelings, needs and concerns
Understanding others: sensing others' feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns
Developing others: sensing others' development needs and bolstering their abilities
Service orientation: anticipating, recognising and meeting customers' needs
Leveraging diversity: cultivating opportunities through different kinds of people
Political awareness: reading a group's emotional currents and power relationships
Social skills
Adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others
Influence: wielding effective tactics for persuasion
Communication: listening openly and sending convincing messages
Conflict management: negotiating and resolving disagreements
Leadership: inspiring and guiding individuals and groups
Change catalyst: initiating or managing change
Building bonds: nurturing instrumental relationships
Collaboration and co-operation: working with others toward shared goals
Team capabilities: creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals
Hutton Inquiry, Tony Blair,
Iraq, Israel, European Union, USA, War on Terror, Uranus in Pisces
& Neptune in Aquarius, &
more
Euro Currency, NHS, BBC, USA economy, Ofcom,
Concorde, Directory Enquiries, W Edwards Deming, European Central
Bank, & more
Health, emotional intelligence,
zodiac elements, understanding change, Beyoncé, Madonna's image
and brand, & more
