One of the doctrines of Deanism and Filianism is the doctrine of our True and False Selves. I believe this doctrine is found in many religions; however, different religions have different terminology for the same concept.
The basic doctrine is that a person’s True Self is the part of her that is aligned with the Divine. Her ultimate True Self is actually One with the Divine, but on a mundane level, her True Self is her best self. Everyone has a True Self. Opposed to a person’s True Self is her False Self. Her False Self is aligned with the Dark and is opposed to the Light. Often one’s False Self acts in a subtle way, whispering thoughts of fear, ego, and selfishness. Our False Selves are always a twisted mirror of our True Selves. Within this thealogy, it is our True Selves that are real. We are our True Selves, not our False Selves.
Interestingly enough, a common theme in Japanese media shows this struggle between our True and our False Selves, and often the heroine must defeat her own False Self before she can continue to fight evil.
One of my personal stumbling blocks when studying Classical Astrology has been that many of our source teachers can be rather harsh and a bit negative, particularly about certain signs. Water signs, in particular, tend to get rather harsh treatment. As a Pisces Sun, with a Scorpio Moon and Ascendant, you can imagine that I am a bit sensitive about these things. Aside from my personal feelings, though, I have noticed that when one applies axioms and rules directly from Medieval or Classical authors, one gets a rather negative reading.
In some ways, it is a bit refreshing to move away from the over-positive readings one can get with Modern Astrology, but I will admit that the harshness of Medieval and Classical Astrology sometimes made me quite uncomfortable. I think that one of the difficulties may be a different philosophy. I think that Medieval and Renaissance Western philosophy tended to be quite harsh as well, with a belief that human nature was intrinsically bad. Modern New Age astrology tends to be a bit overly optimistic, assuming that everything about us is good.
I think that the doctrine of True and False Selves has been helpful for me in finding a balance between these two ways of looking at a chart. Everyone one has a True Self, and everyone has a False Self. Whether we operate out of our True Selves or our False Selves is a day by day, and sometimes even moment by moment decision on our parts. The doctrine of our True Selves is part and parcel with the doctrine of Free Will and the Cross, which is discussed here.
Nativity Charts are quite valuable in discerning the True Self and the False Self of a native. One can read a chart in its most positive light to see the person’s True Self and look at the chart in the most negative possible light to see her False Self. Sometimes the native will let her True Self shine through, sometimes her False Self will take over.
One can apply the doctrine of True and False Self to the zodiac signs. The zodiac signs are the 12 Archetypes of humankind. None of us reflect any of these Archetypes purely. We are all a mixture of these archetypes, and no two charts are exactly alike. Yet, in each of these Archetypes, we can see the operation of the doctrine of True and False Selves. We are often taught that the zodiac signs have positive and negative traits. The negative traits of each of the signs are always a twisting of the positive traits, just as the False Self is always a twisting of the True Self. With this thought, below I have made a humble attempt to show this doctrine in the 12 Archetypes or Signs.
Aries the Ram
The Warrior
True Aries: Strong, courageous, optimistic, friendly, decisive
False Aries: Impulsive, rude, brazen, foolhardy, selfish
Taurus the Bull
The Farmer
True Taurus: Patient, stable, kind, pleasant-mannered
False Taurus: Lazy, dull, stubborn, closed minded
Gemini the Twins
The Student
True Gemini: Open minded, friendly, curious, interested in almost anything
False Gemini: Flighty, indecisive, duplicitous, inconstant
Cancer the Crab
The Mother
True Cancer: Nurturing, loving, attentive, caring
False Cancer: Clutching, unforgiving, mean
Leo the Lion
The Queen
True Leo: Generous, fun loving, confident, charming
False Leo: Narcissistic, overbearing, attention seeking
Virgo the Virgin
The Secretary
True Virgo: Conscientious, detail-oriented, precise, intellectual
False Virgo: Hypercritical, unkind, paralyzed by perfectionism
Libra the Scales
The Diplomat
True Libra: Diplomatic, pleasant, artistic, strong interpersonal skills
False Libra: Indecisive, manipulative, dishonest
Scorpio the Scorpion
The Martial Artist
True Scorpio: Passionate, determined, perceptive, loyal
False Scorpio: Possessive, jealous, stormy, vengeful
Sagittarius the Archer
The Explorer
True Sagittarius: Optimistic, philosophical, enthusiastic, generous, friendly
False Sagittarius: Pompous, over-confident, judgmental, ill-mannered
Capricorn the Goat
The Governess
True Capricorn: Organized, efficient, practical, ambitious
False Capricorn: Overly ambitious, cold, unfeeling, miserly
Aquarius the Water Bearer
The Truth Teller
True Aquarius: Curious, intelligent, friendly, sociable
False Aquarius: Defiant, eccentric, immovable
Pisces the Fish
The Dreamer
True Pisces: Gentle, kind, loving, compassionate, ethereal
False Pisces: Gullible, overly sensitive, escapist, prone to addictions
The Wisdom of Our Grandmothers 