Interview with Ari Moshe Wolfe
EA Interview series, part 1
Chris Brennan at the Astrology Podcast once called you ”the protégé of Jeffrey Wolf Green”.1 What gave him that impression, do you think? Tell us a little bit about your relationship with Jeffrey! Also, I would be curious to hear if you know what happened to him after his retirement. There are many people today who think he is deceased, but we simply don’t know one way or another because there is no obituary, no Wikipedia entry, nothing. Would you care to fill us in?
I’ve never thought of myself as a protege. What probably gives him that impression is that I deeply respect the EA teachings, am drawn to integrate them in my work as best as I can, and continue to teach it on behalf of others. I think they are truly helpful and I’m beyond grateful that it has been and continues to be a part of my life.
The basic teachings of EA frame our read of the natal chart entirely according to the soul’s evoutionary journey. I think that’s infinitely valuable, and it’s one of those things that is both very simple but also keeps on getting deeper as one grows in life experience/wisdom.
I don’t know much about Jeff Green himself and I never met him in physical earthly terms.
In EA, within the Pluto paradigm, there is today a process of branching out from the original Pluto school, as many new astrologers are coming on board who did not study with Jeffrey Wolf Green. According to you, what are some core tenets, central practices or ideas that should always be in place before you can call it EA?
First, I want to differentiate between the term “EA” and EA as taught by Jeffrey Wolf Green (JWG). Today, when someone says they study or practice Evolutionary Astrology, it can mean more than one thing and doesn’t necessarily point to the same body of work that Jeff Green brought forward. However, when someone says they study or practice EA as taught by Jeffrey Wolf Green, that means something very specifically. In this interview, when I refer to EA I’m referring to JWG EA.
To your actual question, EA is more than just a few tenets, it’s the paradigm itself; the holistic understanding therein. So, I’m a bit hesitant to state just a few tenets or ideas since every part of the chart can only be understood according to a unified cosmology.
I’ll do my best here. To resonate with the essence of the EA philosophical perspective, I’d say these are the core tenets that gives it the EA flavor:
Each life is relevant and purposeful for our own evolutionary needs
Pluto corresponds to the desire nature of Soul. It’s what leads to incarnation in the first place. There’s a lot to unpack there.
Evolution occurs through the emotional body, thus the importance of integration through the Lunar nodes and the Moon.
Every planet in the chart can be understood in light of the underlying Pluto paradigm. On this point, this is really the essence of what I mean when I say it’s more than a few tenets.
Lastly, the natal chart reflects the reality of the soul. Reading it in such a way means being soul-centered in one’s thinking. This is why things like understanding the evolutionary stage of the soul and appreciating the unique familial/cultural context the soul incarnated into is relevant for an accurate soul-centered reading.
What are some important astrological methods or techniques that you use, except for the evolutionary axis? For instance, planetary phasal relationships, polarity points for other planets than Pluto, planetary nodes, or interpreting chart placements via house/sign synthesis.2
For clarification, the evolutionary axis you refer to are the basic teachings of working with Pluto along with the lunar nodes. I give a lot of attention to planets in aspect to the nodes, in particular conjunctions, squares and semi-squares/ sequiquadrates. I just find them so essential. By the way, this is an area where I see many people adopting the EA teaching JWG taught on the nodes, but not necessarily going all the way to learn and integrate what he actually taught. His teachings on planets that square the nodes are a thorough study on their own (I will actually be teaching a class series on them in the coming months).
I’m also starting to get more of a direct feel of the phases within which these nodal aspects occur (for example a planet forming a completing conjunction to the south node versus a new phase conjunction to the south node). I find anything nodal related carries such an essential and layered depth to it.
Otherwise, and this isn’t so much about technique, I find that there is an innate and ever-unfolding wisdom in the ongoing direct realization about the most basic of things. As long as I am learning more about who I am as a soul, I will be deepening my insights and understanding of the natal chart and all of the planetary bodies. So, I can look at one part of a chart, like the Moon for example, and continue to see it with ever more wisdom, more compassion, more insight. In this way, I find the basic teachings of EA are often just very simple and very essentialized articulations on reality that continue to deepen as I grow.
I do work loosely with planetary nodes and a couple of other asteroids JWG taught on.
What is the best way to learn EA today? What are some of the biggest challenges to learn EA and how do you overcome them? Are there any especially important books, video series, or example chart analyses that you would recommend?
As is with any system that has grown and become more popular, there are two simultaneous movements. One, it becomes more available and so the teachings are more popular and more souls are drawn to it which brings more benefit. Two, the possibility for watered down misrepresentations increases.
It’s popular to talk about past lives and the soul’s purpose, but I think there is a world of difference between speaking from direct perception, direct knowledge, versus trying to replicate something someone else can do.
So, my advice for anyone learning EA, and anything for that matter, is to keep it real. Be authentic. Know what you know, and do the work in the way that is most natural for you and most helpful. In terms of learning content I might recommend, check out Jeffrey Wolf Green’s books (the two Pluto books, the Uranus book and a few others more recently published). And of course the JWG EA School where you can get the original EA course taught by JWG. All of that can be found on the EA website.
I highly recommend my training program. I think it’s a great pedagogy that offers the essence of the teachings in an accessible, compassionate and authentic way.
Beyond that, follow your resonance to whatever astrologers you are drawn to study with. That’s what’s most important.
Where do you see EA 10 years from now? Are there any important developments you would like to see? Are there any dangers or pitfalls that the EA community should be careful to avoid?
In 10 years I see more young teachers stepping up to carry on this work. Within that, there will be more souls, awakening to their soul-nature, who will further deepen this work with their own soul-knowledge. This is already happening in the field of past life regression therapy to name one example, but also just the growing depth of soul-awareness on this planet.
I also see the teachings of EA as taught by Jeffrey wolf Green more integrated. As more and more spiritually oriented people turn towards astrology, we’ll naturally continue to appreciate the depth of JWG’s teachings, and find more ways to express it, explain it, expound and expand upon it. There will be more color, more nuance, more beautiful and accessible angles from which to apply and integrate these teachings.
I think it will always be important to honor the lineage and where these teachings came from. And with that, it’s also important to keep the door open for ongoing realization; to seek personal illumination through our studies. In this way, we stay away from any kind of fundamentalism and continue to keep it real. We are here to actually learn and grow, and most importantly, apply this knowledge in a way that benefits our own lives and that of others. I see more of that, and I intuit that in time, more solid institutionalized educational structures will teach and/or integrate EA studies in their curriculum.
Chris Brennan’s statement was made in a discussion with Adam Sommer in the following episode of The Astrology Podcast, from around 20:30 to 22 minutes in:
https://theastrologypodcast.com/2017/10/05/unexpected-lunar-nodes-discussion-adam-sommer/
If you are not familiary with the Evolutionary Axis, see my previous post What is Evolutionary Astrology? for a brief summary.
The other techniques listed in the question are examples of techniques that were taught by Jeffrey Green as one point or another, but which have not always been picked up by his followers. More examples could be mentioned, such as the Planetary Method.