Category Archives: aspects and placements

Let’s Discuss: Natal Moon Square the Ascendant

28 Tuesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology and Identity, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Consciousness Explored, What You're Asking

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The natal Moon in contact with the natal Ascendant can feel very much as if the individual is constantly interacting with and displaying the emotional nature.’Reaching for the Moon’ By Edward Mason Eggleston 1933 {{PD}}

The 29th is a day when no new aspects perfect, so maybe we should take some time to look at one of those topics I previously asked readers to submit.

“Thank you for your offer. If you choose so, I’d like to hear about my Moon square Asc aspect (birth data redacted for privacy). For the last few years, I’ve been trying to align questions about responsibilities (work, family, relationships, community) with what I consider my free will, independence, identity (I work in artistic field). Maybe it’s a never-ending process. Wish I could feel more decisive/confident with my choices/path.”

I can tell you with confidence that reconciling a natal square is a never-ending process; no matter how well we do at resolving the conflict and expressing the energies, we can always lift the expression of those energies to ever-higher forms–and that translates to a life-long fine-tuning process. So, the individual describes a pull between the Will and identity and those larger responsibilities that involve others–and the first thing we see in the chart is that the Moon rules the 4th of family of origin, which immediately emphasizes the perhaps perpetual conflict between the individual emotional experience and familial expectations. The personality of the individual, and the way that individual interacts with the world, is in some way at odds with the role or expectations within the family, in conflict with the concept of ‘home’ as they understand it, and/ or in basic discord with one or both parental figures. Ironically, though, the Moon is in the Capricorn 10th, suggesting that duty and a close link to one or both parents is actually what makes this Moon comfortable–so it may be that phrasing this square as an identity vs. obligations challenge is a bit of a distraction, at least in terms of emotional expression–it may really be that it’s the manner of reaching out to the world (the Ascendant) that makes this person emotionally uncomfortable.

What we see with the 10th House Moon ruling the 4th House suggests a kind of ‘tag team’ of authority and nurture from the parents, with the individual’s Moon in Capricorn in the 10th ruling the 4th, and Ceres, mother and authority, posited in the 4th in Cancer. These parents work together, and may see imposing rules and boundaries, expectations and goals, as a form of nurture–and a Capricorn Moon clearly sees it that way, too.

But the Ascendant, the way the individual interacts with and presents the Self to the world on first meeting, the persona and personality, is keyed to the energies of Aries–and that’s an energy that says, ‘I can do it myself, I want to do it my way, follow me!’ The Ascendant, in fact, is apex to a Finger of God with a base of Neptune, an almost Cazimi Sun-Mercury, and Venus, all in Scorpio in the 8th, and Uranus in Virgo in the 6th (and we note a close-but-no-cigar Finger combo of Mars and Pluto in Virgo, just outside comfortable quincunx range). This may be why it feels as if the emotions aren’t being served: an enormous amount of creative, identity/ Soul, communication, and relationship energy is interacting with the most original and unique impulses and then funneled out to the world through the personality, with the base placements in 6th and 8th suggesting a reliance on input/ feedback/ cooperation and understanding from others, especially through the course of work and discharge of duties–this individual can’t express things they find meaningful without others–and the individual feels they must be at the head of the line, leading, guiding, doing (Aries apex)–and yet we must remember that the outlet of the Ascendant carries a fundamental discord with the emotional nature via the square, which we might sum up as ‘duty (to parents, career, or convention-Capricorn, on which the feelings depend for a sense of well-being) vs. ‘a need to trail-blaze, express the individual Will, to have one’s say and way as an outlet to so many of the basic energies, including the Soul’s reasons for being here (Sun in aspect to the Aries Ascendant).

Add to this that the Capricorn Moon, which naturally aspects all that the Ascendant aspects, also happens to lie at the rough midpoint of the Sun grouping and the 12th House Chiron-Saturn-Black Moon Lilith in Pisces–which does not aspect the Ascendant. What! What? And now we see/ feel what is pestering the feeling nature that is on its own essentially at ease with the Soul/ communication/ love and creative nature and with the Uranian need for original expression, and with the Martian-Plutonian need to act and feel of consequence within the world. What the Moon is not at ease with is the way all these energies are expressed through the Ascendant–that’s where the conflict lies.

Too, that Uranus-Mars-Pluto grouping, such a dynamic and urgent mixture, requiring action, spontaneity, and a certain amount of power, directly conflicts (opposition) with Chiron-Saturn-Black Moon Lilith. It may be that action, especially spontaneous or unusual action, or action that seeks to create power and impact for the Self, stirs unconscious (12th) anger, resentment, and guilt–and so creates a feedback loop that hides the hurt, even as the emotional nature is highly aware of it (Saturn ruling the Moon)–and these angers and hurts are possibly brought into real-world circumstances periodically, as the unconscious ‘reaches out’ and orchestrates physical reality (Saturn).

The Moon contact to Chiron-Saturn-Black Moon Lilith implies that what’s really, really hidden, ignored, denied, or that enrages has also wounded, and the individual senses this (12th House) through the Moon’s emotional and intuitive faculties. Saturn of this grouping rules the Moon–and though the Soul’s expression is muy simpatico with what’s hurt and hidden (Sun group trine Saturn group), as is the feeling nature (Moon), we see the personality, the part that wants to meet the world head-on, the Martian-ruled Ascendant and the ‘I Am’ energies of Mars-Pluto and respect for uniqueness that is Uranus, is not simpatico.

The conflict, then, is a knotty one, and not easily (or possibly ever) resolvable. There are several things you might try to help make the energies more at ease with one another, with a focus on honoring the choices and career path, which you mention not having as much confidence in as you’d like. First, know that the emotions and emotional feedback will, for you, be much more reliable an indicator of right choice and right career than anything else. You are definitely meant to express your creative nature, to emphasize what you see of beauty and worth; your feelings will also be an excellent guide in responding to responsibilities and obligations, especially those involving the family. Most of your Water placements are in ‘soft’ aspect to the Earth Moon, and they find a great deal of emotional sustenance and nurture through real-world expression of what the emotions and the Soul both need and perceive.

It’s the ego or individual Will that cooks up problems; despite the way Mars-Pluto has found to cooperate with the Soul, it takes constant adjustments (the quincunxes of the Finger) for the creative, Soul, emotional, and action energies to express through the Arian personality–and that automatically means that the Martian ‘doing’ energies and the sheer Will have too big a say in choices and actions. The ego-power-individuality is also ‘against’ conscious awareness of hurt, vulnerabilities, and deep anger, especially when they’re observed in the real world–and that kind of denial can cripple creativity and relationships, as the ego insists on not looking at the negative, on powering through. So, honor the feeling nature more, and give it more trust–it’s best placed to handle, negotiate among, and facilitate the other charts energies, and can guide you in a much more perceptive way than the Will or ego can do.

I hope this helps, dear Seeker! Back to ‘Good Day To . . . ‘ tomorrow!

And, in case you missed the first installment

Let’s Discuss: the North Node

29 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Consciousness Explored, Natal Delineation, Nodal Axis, North Node, Something For You

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If the North Node is the direction we’re headed on the road of life, understanding its meaning is like having a map that can help guide the turns we take and what types of things along the way we should look for; as well, it will help us avoid wandering back toward re-tracing our steps in familiar, South Node territory. ‘Hochalm mit Serles bei Innsbruck’ By Leopold Scheiring 1917 {{PD}}

I want to say thank you to all for such a robust response to the One Aspect invitation! I’ve already gotten far more submissions than I can use, far more than I expected, and the submission period isn’t over yet! So my apologies to the many who won’t have their situation addressed–I send you special thanks, just for being willing to offer your info, and I’m sorry I won’t be able to get to you. That said, I’ll probably be drawing from these for at least a month, so don’t give up hope–you may see yours yet!

Here’s our first aspect/ placement topic, the North Node. A large number of you mentioned the North Node as a point of interest. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what it really means, in the sense that knowing it points you toward the future doesn’t make things any clearer! I hear you. The North Node is an excellent way to illustrate my contention that aspects shouldn’t be delineated in a vacuum, as it isn’t just the sign and House placement that speak to us, it’s an axis of the chart as well as the aspects made to it and the disposition of its ruler that give depth to interpretation–so in order to effectively interpret a North Node placement at a truly individual level, we need that full chart info that allows us to add context, and so much more particular meaning than we’d get just from placement alone.

First a little background: the Nodes aren’t bodies, but points where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic, which is, in brief, the Sun’s apparent path through the sky as observed from Earth. So these are Lunar-related points that tell us about past (South Node) and future (North Node) personal development, and are generally considered to ‘point the way’, with the SN offering well-developed skills and qualities, and experiences we’ve already had and so don’t necessarily need to undergo again, and the NN describing what we must strive to experience, learn, and incorporate into our lives in order to grow and develop on all levels: physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, with the equation varying widely for each individual. The trick is to find ways to import and exploit that South Node knowledge to support North Node forms. Now our first seeker:

“I’d love to play along! My info: (birth data redacted for privacy). The aspect of my chart I’m interested in is my North Node. I left my South Node high paying job 7 years ago. My entrepreneurial attempt at a small business has been failing since it began. I’m at a loss on how best to navigate to the North. Thanks for your consideration.”

We are given a brief sketch of the current life situation, and we see it illustrated in the Nodal situation within the birth chart: South Node in Capricorn in the 2nd of assets, talents, Self-worth, earnings=this suggests someone who sees hard work, nose-to-the-grindstone, Self-disciplined effort as the way to success. Follow-the-rules careful, serious effort is probably natural to this woman–and with Capricorn the attitude, it may be hard to understand why joining the high-powered status quo isn’t completely fulfilling, as well as why hard work isn’t a complete success formula on its own–it always has been in the past!

Of course, this places the Cancer North Node in the 8th=it’s hinted here that cooperation (rather than the individual, jaw-gritting determination of Cap) or collaboration is needed, maybe even supporters who contribute or invest, or work where you do that for others, as an emotional investment on the part of the NN individual is required; she also must develop a sensitivity to changing circumstances and feelings–an ability to ‘read the room’, so to speak, rather than go blindly with authority and following the rules. The individual must care about what they’re doing, at a level that actually moves them. All these are required to move in the proscribed life direction–and so presumably to create success.

We turn toward NN ruler the Moon for illumination of the necessary conditions for progress, and what we see is a Moon in Libra in the 11th, just more than one degree past conjunction to the Sun–so, a New Moon baby!–and this again hints that partnership and/ or an ‘audience’ or other supportive public may be required, that aesthetics, Art, or relationships are central, and that the Soul’s purpose and the emotional/ intuitive nature are deeply connected. Too, we might infer that the kind of venture may be entirely new to the individual–something she doesn’t have a lot of experience with (New Moon status), and the House placement implies involvement with or leading of a group could be part of the ‘new’ role, and that the natural tendency is to create goals and then pursue them. We note that the Sun-Moon sit at the midpoint of the Uranus-ASC square, and that they semi-sextile Mars. Both suggest that the Will is strong and likely ‘leads the way’ in creating situations, some of which are surprising or ‘accidents’, that attempt to turn the individual in the direction most beneficial to her development. There is also a sesquiquadrate to Chiron, implying that there may be a lot of situations the individual either tries to accommodate (out of pain) or works to avoid (out of fear of pain), making circumstances more difficult or convoluted than they need to be.

Peripherally we look at the state of Moon/ Sun ruler Venus, which sits in the 12th in Scorpio, conjoined Ceres and sextile Zeus. This tells us that most of what motivates the individual is hidden, or at least working below the conscious level, possibly delivered/ revealed to the conscious mind through dreams or through Collective or spiritual experiences, and that ambitions, desires, and situations of autonomy, personal power, and responsibility are paramount learning experiences throughout life–even though they may not seem to be central to learning. That is, the condition of relationships, values, and finances may carry more info about the individual and the individual evolution than they do about their apparent subjects–and that implies the current financial situation is speaking about personal development needs, more than purely business ones.

Now back to the Nodes. We have three striking aspects/ configurations in which the NN is involved: a Cardinal Grand Cross with the Nodal axis and the Mercury/Pallas-Jupiter opposition; a Water Grand Trine with NN, Neptune, and Chiron; and a quincunx to Saturn. Let’s take these one at a time.

The quincunx to Saturn suggests a continual ‘adjustment’ of the real-world situation to the destined direction. The individual is constantly looking to modify ‘what is’ to take it in the direction they want to go. This shows high adaptability and practicality–they don’t fight the need to respond to circumstances or conform to the expectations (especially of authority) in order to move forward, and that’s good, but they also might be a little too quick to discard what they think isn’t working, or to modify efforts according to feedback–which is reinforced by the heavy Libra emphasis, suggesting a danger of losing one’s own desires by giving too much credence to what others say or do, to what authority or tradition tell us, or to ‘fashions’, as they apply to the individual’s own efforts. There may also be a sense that reality is perpetually unstable, perhaps making for a bit of fear around ‘what ifs’ or unexpected losses, or that there is always something semi-holding one back, anything from actual physical difficulties to a sense of barriers or a ‘glass ceiling’. The very rules and structure that gave a ladder to climb may have come to feel unreasonably inhibiting, along with an idea that things are ‘unfair’ and that the same restrictions don’t apply to others.

The Water Grand Trine speaks of the way feelings are the conduit for healing and creativity, for the spiritual and the most personalized of skills, and again we see the suggestion that these energies are held down deep, in the individual’s ‘deep down’ beliefs about the Self, or manifesting through familial relationships (Chiron in the 4th) or hidden and revealed in glimpses within dreams, spiritual experiences, interacting with large institutions that ‘confine’ the individual (like hospitals or prisons), or Collective events. So, the feelings hold the key to healing, to finding emotional balance, to accessing creativity and spiritual harmony, and so to creating with as much conscious intention as possible the life direction (NN).

But it’s the Cardinal Grand Cross that really lights this up! The thing with a Cross is that, when one arm is stimulated by transit or other contact, the whole thing lights up–and that means it can be very difficult for an individual to sort the energies out, or to handle them. It may feel like a landslide, with so much triggered at once, bringing forward a disconcerting confusion about why so much is happening at the same time, with the initial response often being a, Why me? as so little that goes down makes sense on the surface.

The Nodal axis is ‘crossed’ by the opposition of Mercury/ Pallas in Libra (wisdom and practicality, learned and offered through relationships) and Jupiter in Aries (belief in the Self! Too, always believing one can figure ‘it’ out on one’s own, or can learn ‘it’ by personal effort and availing oneself of the accumulated knowledge of society–that is, through education). That can also read as what the individual feels/ knows, the inner wisdom, is perpetually to some degree at odds with the ‘knowledge’ of the social order, making it hard for the individual to feel they belong.

The involved Houses are 2, 5, 8, and 11, and when combined with the Cardinal signs say that one’s own actions then form circumstances where things must be developed, calibrated, assessed. This can give a start-stop feeling that may frustrate that Cappy South Node and leave the Cancer North wondering what there really is to care about here, especially as the individual may be asked repeatedly to care about what others do or have, or to offer some sort of nurture or support, when to the individual it seems like it should be the other way around! And indeed it will be, as soon as the individual has put her energy into the needed, caring form.

Looking back 7 years, to the point when one career ended and the next began, we see something revealing: that between the Chiron Return, the proximity of transiting Pluto to conjunction with the South Node, Zeus’ conjunction to Pallas, and Saturn’s conjunction to Venus, the inclination was to ambition fulfillment through real-world means, but what was aimed for was pure South Node! Pluto’s contact made it feel like complete and utter change, but Pluto rules the 12th, cluing us in that what motivated the changes was at the mercy of the unconscious–which of course will work to stay safe, to profit, to gain power, to establish work that fits the dream (Saturn to Venus, ruler of the 6th and 11th)–and safety may have required a contained and conservative effort, rather than one as adventurous as intended. Her 3rd House Aquarian Saturn (thoughts consumed with creating a bright and progressive future, appreciation of the ‘new age’ of communication) was at this time receiving a longer-term transit of Juno (back and forth across the body), suggesting that the individual felt empowered in a real-world sense, believing her ideas had come of age, that it was her time to shine, that the empowerment picture and her place in it had matured–and that’s not wrong.

But, it seems to me that it was the timing of it all that may have thwarted the new start. My message might be this: Without meaning to, you may have followed the South Node, mistaking it for the change you were seeking. The ambitions felt smart and practical (Zeus to Pallas) and it looked like manifesting a prosperous earning situation was can’t miss, when it really may have been simply an echo of older, familiar ways couched in ‘new’ terms. Saturn natally in the 3rd and ruling the South Node may make it especially hard to break away from the past; the individual may do so on the surface, but the unconscious continues to orchestrate things in such a way that retreat may seem to be the only answer. It’s not, of course; a truly new venture may require amounts of feeling, vulnerability, and cooperation that are genuinely challenging to this individual. Now, transiting Uranus opposes Venus, driving home the unsustainability of it all, the unreliability even of the Self, life, and Purpose itself, and makes emotions feel like wild things (Uranus opp ruler of the Moon and Sun), even as Saturn transits the 3rd and prepares in a short while for the second Saturn Return, making the thoughts stubborn things, and making changing the way of thinking difficult, indeed. Surrender may be a concept to contemplate, with Uranus’ eventual sextile to the North Node in about two years potentially bringing illumination to the ‘which way should I go?’ picture.

And a second seeker interested in her North Node:

‘Virgo constellation from Uranographia’ By Johannes Hevelius 1690 {{PD}}

“My North Node in any aspects it makes, because I feel I didn’t figure out how to be of service/my mission/why I’m here anyways? (birth data redacted for privacy)”

Though normally we make some allowances for larger orbs in a natal chart, I’m going to keep it tight in this instance, as the picture is rather crisp and single-themed. This woman’s North Node is in Virgo in the 6th, conjoined Black Moon Lilith, semi-sextile Mars, ruler of the 1st, and trine Sedna. Interesting that she asks about service and her mission, as that’s definitely how Virgo sees things! The sign of service in one of the Houses of service, connected to the House that rules the Self. Add to this the contact to BML=a life direction one may actually try to avoid or ignore, or it may feel like it will stir up rage, if one addresses the injustices one sees–an attempt, perhaps, to just not open that can of worms that holds the key to one’s purpose–and contact to Sedna=again, easy to put the life’s mission in the ‘blind spot’ and ignore the inner knowing, the instincts and promptings. But why would someone want to avoid what they ostensibly seek?

I would assume that inability to pinpoint Purpose centers in a mistaken idea of what serving might ask of the individual, or as we see here, Purpose requiring some time and living to develop–so what kind of service does this chart suggest? Here’s where we see an amazing consistency in the nature of what the NN points toward: service through Virgo and the 6th, with NN ruler Mercury in Scorpio in the 8th of shared resources (opposed Sedna), Merc ruler Pluto conjoined the Sun in Libra–and what is Libra about? Justice! And cooperation/ aiding others, emphasized even further by placement of Sun-Pluto in the 7th of all others. With a NN in Virgo, we see that the Purpose in the largest sense is to serve–and we do that by some form of cooperation (Libra) with others. There’s also a lovely Taurus Moon in the 2nd–nurture as a talent–closely quincunx its own ruler Venus in the 7th in Libra=lifelong adjustment to the feeling nature through relationships–and this may signal that it was necessary for a good part of the life to have already been lived in order to develop a mature, resilient, and empathetic emotional nature, that’s now ready to take on the life’s purpose.

It seems to me this life is about serving either through forms of nurture, or in finding justice for others. This can take many many shapes, from health care or hospice care to forensic accounting to counseling or advocacy for others in court or within government systems to feeding others or finding housing for those without. Research, detective work, medical research or medical practice, tax preparation or administration, court advocacy or law, psychology, couples counseling, probationary officer, helping at-risk youth, nursing, chef, gardener or co-op manager, house mother, writer (concentrating on illuminating human nature, fiction or non-fiction)–I could go on, but the important point is all are in the broadest sense forms of looking for the Truth at the core of life, and in so doing benefiting those with whom one works/ interacts. This can be in formal roles that require training, or in the informal venues of friendship, intimate relationship, or motherhood, but in any case, an ability to think concisely, to follow the facts, to look unflinchingly at darkness but know how to show others the way to the light–that’s what you’ve got going for you–it’s up to you what shape your mission takes, but this service does need to have a public component, to be visible to others, especially others who can affect the fates of those you aid (like judges, doctors, or police, unless that’s the role you take on!) Please don’t feel like you’re getting a late start–you may already have gone in this direction to some degree, and just know that you needed time for what you have to offer to reach it’s full potential.

More to come! Thanks, everyone–

 

 

The Cinderella Point Part 2 Some Examples

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology and Identity, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Consciousness Explored

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‘Cinderella’ By Valentine Cameron Prinsep c1880 {{PD}}

Refresh yourself here if you’re unclear on the Cinderella Point and the correspondences it draws from. See the forecast here–

The Cinderella Point is really nothing more than finding a course, role, or identity in life that both fulfills the main needs of the Soul and allows the individual expression to soar—and as we know from previous descriptions, there’s no set formula by which to delineate this. To make it even tougher, it’s nearly impossible to describe much in a definitive way before the life is in progress; there are so many potentials for any given combination of placements, and so much added through experience that shapes personal tastes and inclinations, not to mention the variety of possible preferences (for instance, choosing to see oneself through the Sun, and so possibly more directly aligned with the Soul’s intents, perhaps, than one who chooses a primary identification through the role and experiences as a woman—Venus, or man–Mars). In real life we have to be satisfied with potentials, with seeing possibilities—so it’s almost cheating to use someone as an example whose life has already been lived, laid before us with outcomes already available—but it’s what we must do, just so we can see how it works.

We start with scientist Marie Curie (7 November 1867 12 PM LMT Warsaw Poland—her daughter Eve is quoted as giving her mother’s birth time as “soon after sunrise”, but noon is on the baptismal certificate—and since angles and Houses aren’t crucial to this process—because we are talking about an inner view, the orientation of the individual toward the energies, rather than an external view (as seen by others) or externals that act upon the individual to prompt–or force–choices–we won’t worry about angles or Houses—on their own, the planets speak loudly!) Ms. Curie had a Scorpio Sun, suggesting a Soul-deep interest in research, what isn’t readily apparent on the surface, on the way things change at a fundamental level. Her Venus is in Scorpio as well, implying that her identity as a woman may have been inextricably bound with the Soul purpose, likely to find the same things exciting, attractive, and worthy. And then we reach an interesting directional signal: her 29 degree Mars in Scorpio, considered a secondary ruler of the sign and indicator of the individual ‘I Am’, the impetus forward, the Will, the assertive energies. At such a late and very tense degree, this placement may indicate drive that permeates the Beingness—and through connection to Scorpio’s rulership, pushed that drive out through actions expressive of the Soul needs. This all suits her work, the painstaking discovery of radium and polonium, achieved by sifting through mounds of pitchblende, a uranium ore, to distill small quantities of the highly radioactive substance.

Her Pisces Moon is trine her Sun, is loosely conjoined her South Node, and is part of a Water Grand Trine, the third leg of which is her Uranus-Vesta conjunction in Cancer. This suggests her past supports her identity—she wasn’t just allowed to study as a girl, she was encouraged—that the emotional perceptions are in harmony with the Soul’s needs, and that Uranus, as the individuality, the uniqueness and inventive/ innovative spirit, is aligned with her God-concept or those things she finds sacred, that she honors (Vesta). All together this implies a highly focused outlook, one that has emotional impetus behind the drive to express the Soul’s intents, and by so doing to honor life itself (Sun-Moon-Vesta).

Do we find this in Curie’s chart using the (very loose) ‘Cinderella formula’? Yes, as the entire Cinderella concept is about the Soul (Sun) finding optimal expression, with all the other placements helping or hindering—and in this case, that Scorpio Sun is very much aided by the other energies, even when they might have less positive applications in other areas, such as the Self-generated stress, tension, and compulsion that likely accompanies the 29 degree Mars that as well drives efforts such as research (Scorpio) forward—and that may also speak of a close but sometimes strained spousal relationship with Pierre (as the Mars/ man in her life), as she had to juggle family and societal expectations while he did what men have always done, putting himself and his work first. It also may point to the stress of a later affair, the impact of which I’ll explain in a moment.

A look at those societal expectations: Jupiter sits in Aquarius, suggesting a forward-thinking, group-oriented, intellectual, and Higher Mind approach to the social scene on her part (also suggesting that she may see the social sphere as one of intellectual testing, or a test of one’s ability to invent or engineer, or where one’s ability to fit in or lead the group or be original is assessed), but this is also square her Mars. This pairing to me suggests the struggle against a male establishment that Curie underwent at the Sorbonne (only receiving her husband’s chair after his death, almost as a consolation prize for her loss rather than recognition of her accomplishments), and in her application to the French Academy of Sciences—where she was turned down, in 1911, and this even after winning her first of two Nobel prizes in 1903, with the second, in Chemistry, coming in the same year she was rebuffed by the Academy. Transits at the time around awarding of the second prize include transiting Neptune (chemistry) trine natal Chiron in Pisces, with a Water Grand Trine filled in by her natal Venus-Saturn conjunction=suppression of herself as a woman (that is, presenting as a scientist first) has led to status and rewards (Venus-Saturn) but also injury by the Collective (Chiron in Pisces). Despite her accomplishments, Curie was suffering, as she was not only refused by the French Academy, but was asked not to attend the Nobel ceremony, as her affair with a married scientist, Paul Langevin (recall that 29 degree Mars and its squares), had become fodder for the gossip mill—and, likely as not, this was also instrumental in nixing her Academy bid, though accolades weren’t withheld from male scientists who engaged in similar behaviors.

In fact, the square of Mars to Jupiter is base to a Fist of God with Uranus in Cancer as apex, describing efforts (Mars) involving fact (Jupiter, with an emphasis on Higher Mind, Aquarius) resulting (the apex) in discovery and experimentation within the sciences (Uranus). And, Uranus seems to me to be the natural ruler of radiation itself, the bottom line to the discoveries all her efforts were pointed toward. But this configuration can also describe the conflict Curie’s action and choices (Mars) caused with society (Jupiter), resulting in the choice of rebellion (Uranus).

Eve Curie quotes her mother in a 1937 biography: “It isn’t necessary to lead such an anti-natural existence as mine. I have given a great deal of time to science because I wanted to, because I loved research. What I want for women and young girls is a simple family life and some work that will interest them.” Spoken like a true Venus-Saturn-Mars conjunction in Scorpio plus Scorpio Sun (and Juno, at 11 Scorpio, hinting at a need in this lifetime to find the limits of both status and empowerment, what’s possible through association and what must be earned and exercised by the Self)—and this statement is especially applicable to one who also has Ceres square Chiron, perpetually pitting personal power as a woman and an authority in her field against the wounding attitude she feels from the Collective (Chiron in Pisces).

We see a worst-case scenario for the Cinderella Point in the chart of miraculous cancer survivor and now disgraced cycling phenom Lance Armstrong (18 September 1971 ntk—I used a noon chart–Plano Texas USA). Once again we have no angles, but the planets speak eloquently. Armstrong has Sun in Virgo, conjoined both Hygeia and Pluto, suggesting a Soul-centered desire to be an example of both disciplined, healthful expression and Power with a capital ‘P’—and it’s likely that Power drive that allowed him to overcome an extreme and extended bout with cancer and that drove him to common athletic doping practices year after year—always denying any malfeasance, in fact indignant and insulted when his integrity was questioned—and yet eventually the evidence proved that for all his holding himself up as an example of ‘purity’ (a prime symbol of Virgo ‘the Virgin’) he was discovered to be highly flawed, indeed. Pluto-Sun is a crucible within which the individual must live up to the sign’s highest forms, or plunge to their lowest; it’s easy to see the course Armstrong took. Pluto-Sun might also suggest that the extremely tough cancer scenario was also Soul-testing, perhaps meant to shape him in that same crucible as one who could rise like a phoenix from the devastation of the disease—and so be an example for others. This also places his Earth in Pisces, suggesting a potential for escapism from the material plane, drugs being a prime facilitator for that, a need to excel within the Collective, a desire for the material reality to reflect the ideal—no matter the Self’s actual make-up.

Armstrong also definitely has a Virgo Moon—so the emotional nature supports (and justifies) actions and choices inspired by the Sun, and ‘doubles up’ on primary energies in the sign, making it that much more prominent in the Beingness (and that much more likely to help rationalize the negative expressions, as well as the positive ones). The compulsion toward Self-justification also shows with his Black Moon Lilith and Uranus closely conjoined in Libra, opposed Chiron. This suggests that every unacknowledged anger, resentment, or sense of injustice is indistinguishable from the sense of the Self as unique, and so likely powers radical, rebellious, or outside-the-norm behaviors—and all of it justified by a sense of a wounded ‘I Am” (Chiron in Aries), as if he alone has been martyred—and now we look to Neptune, for information on both potential actual martyrdom in some form, and drugs, fulfillment of dreams and the capacity to lie (which, remember, can also be the capacity to tell a story or spin a vision, not just deceive).

Sounds, in fact, like Neptune may play the role of Fairy Godmother in this chart, not necessarily a helpful one, but one that equips the individual to fully meet their fate, with their response purely up to them. We find Lance’s Jupiter-Neptune very closely (only 18 minutes apart) conjoined, and opposed Pallas and Saturn, the latter body stationary direct at the chosen noon birth time but poised to retrograde at the same degree and minute—but, not having a birth time brings the status of Saturn as technically direct or retrograde into question, though here I should point out, it really doesn’t matter, as the planet’s actual status in either case is ‘stationary’—so imparting a ‘most stubborn, most grounded’ status to Saturn.

Back to Neptune: closely wed Jupiter, both in 00 degrees in Sagittarius, suggests that conventional establishments (such as the sport world) embraced Armstrong because he was able to project exactly the image they found ideal. In a way it’s a bit of a trap, this ability to appear in ways the social order admires or finds worthy of words like ‘miraculous’ or ‘perfect’: does the expectation for the ideal come first from the individual, or does the individual quickly realize (and then exploit) the fact that he is a screen upon which the social order projects its expectations? This is the scenario that Armstrong’s Fairy Godmother, in the form of Neptune, offered.

And, aside from the oppositions to Pallas and Saturn, Jupiter-Neptune is also sextile Venus, forming the base to a Finger of God with apex Sedna. The scenario suggests resistance to what’s wise, to the boundaries and restrictions the real world requires/ asks for, with money and Love (Venus) taking what otherwise might’ve been minor transgressions or moral impasses and turning the Saturn-Pallas avoidance toward blind spot material (Sedna)—in effect, completely hiding his own pandering (and so Truth-avoiding) behaviors and reasoning (Jupiter-Neptune) from himself! He was so convincing for so many years with his avowals of never-transgressing precisely because he hid it so well from himself.

Juno-Mercury, closely conjoined and also in Virgo=status is a big thing in the mind, and to admit one’s status was not as claimed could’ve felt like disempowerment—so, to tell the Truth may have been highly threatening, while hiding the Truth may have seemed justified, after reality had been so hard on him (the experience of such a virulent cancer so young). Thinking may have always been employed to empower the Self, with the Virgoan critical faculties deployed to examine and pick apart what he doesn’t agree with or want to admit—again, we see a trigger for adamant denial, and an inability (or maybe just unwillingness) to confront his own darkest corners of the psyche. A sextile between Mars and Chiron acts as base to a Finger with apex Zeus=ambition and desire fulfillment, driven by a combination of hurt and skills, were the goals

As in any case, we could go on, but we see the essence of the Cinderella Point here. It’s merely a way of classifying the particular combinations in the chart that either facilitate one’s highest expression, or that lead one toward one’s weaknesses. They seem to set up circumstances and reactions within the individual that entirely leave expression up to the individual; one must choose one’s frequency, so to speak, and pour the Soul/ identity out from there. When seeking the complex of Cinderella energies, always start with the Sun or other major identity energies.

Remember too, one’s internal response is vital in pinpointing (or at least finding the neighborhood of) your Cinderella point. Be careful to distinguish this gut feeling, this flutter of recognition or knowing, from the lens through which we may be tempted to look: that’s a mental image we would like to fit, and is itself a response to that inner ‘not good enough as we are’ belief. If we’re not looking for the genuine, Soul-oriented information the chart can disclose, it won’t matter what picture we cobble together from placements—they’ll be hollow, likely prompting a string of failures as we doggedly pursue something, an image or role, that doesn’t ‘belong’ to us.

‘Be Yourself–Unless You Can Be Batman–Then Be Batman’

12 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings

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‘Children dressed as Batman & Robin’ 1966, Courtesy of the Father of JGKlein CC0

This is a re-print from a November 2013 ECLIPSE. Please note that I was still using the Placidus House system at the time; the attached chart is the chart used to write the piece. This article has undergone slight editing, and has some added material.

Here in the US, it’s the time of year for costumes, and I remember in Germany frequently seeing them from mid-November through Lent for the extended Fasching holiday (the equivalent of Carnival in other parts of the world), and I’m sure there are other customary dress-up times–it all brings to mind the matter of identity. I always liked Batman because he was just a brave man who’d come up with some clever gadgets, rather than a superhero due to mutation, ingestion of poison, a trip to space gone wrong, or a nasty encounter with Gamma rays. The internet meme about Batman (‘Be Yourself–Unless You Can Be Batman–Then Be Batman’) revived this line of thinking for me; it brought forward the idea that it’s always best to be ourselves–unless we are in the position to be something extraordinary, something more.

Those would be fleeting times, to be sure; even Bruce Wayne was himself, most days. In that sense, to be a superhero in your own life is to temporarily don the guise of an Archetype. Perhaps we need the Self-possession of Juno to defend our status or our partnership, or maybe we need to become Ceres, to defend our child or our planet. We could need to wear Jupiter, to convey an All-the-Answers persona at a sales presentation, or we might seduce with the pure pleasure afforded by ‘being Venus’. In any case, there are plenty of times we slip into that Archetypal energy (as represented by sign and House in the natal chart that contains that environment/ subject) in order to accomplish something, to gain a sense of authority or mastery of particular elements that will show our competence to others. In essence, the donning of an energy that’s bigger than ourselves is a signal of what we’re capable of, a promise to those around us: for the moment, I AM this larger-than-life Being, with all the positives and negatives that implies.

This may make us ask two questions: one, are individuals especially inclined toward some energies more than others? and two, can this be seen in the horoscope? The answer to both questions is, Yes. We see in the natal chart affinities for certain energies, sometimes as they are carried by the person themselves (such as when an asteroid or planet is conjunct the Sun) and sometimes as they are seen by others, from the outside looking in (through, for example, the 10th House of reputation).

Florence Nightingale
c1860 Photographer Unknown {{PD}}

We find an excellent example of this in the chart of nurse Florence Nightingale, in spite of some uncertainty about the birth data, chiefly the time (Astrodatabank lists her as born on 12 May 1820 at 2 PM in Florence, Italy).  She’s an example of someone for whom ‘being herself’ entailed carrying a larger-than-life image and reputation. Her very name entered the vernacular as the Selfless Nurse Archetype; using just our usual natal markers (not even looking into the available canon of exotic asteroids) we find plenty to spell out Nightingale’s mission, and her fate.

Ms. N has a Virgo Ascendant; she comes across as practical, efficient, detail-oriented–we might as well call this ‘the Nurse Ascendant’. Her first contains the South Node in Libra, implying she gained her demeanor, and probably her skills, through past interaction with others. The 2nd shows Libra on the cusp=a diplomatic, Other-focused Self-image, with a talent for co-operation. Her 3rd holds a conjunction of Earth and Juno, suggesting she may have had access to status and authority through material circumstances–and this is true, as she came from a wealthy, upper-class British family. With Scorpio on the cusp, this House speaks of her extensive writings, many of which were intended to empower the masses (through education on medical matters–removing the Scorpionic mystery) and she also wrote of her philosophy of life and her vocation, to which she felt called by God (immersion in the Scorpionic mystery).

Her 4th shows a conjunction of Uranus (rebelling against family custom–4th–and societal custom–Sagittarius on the cusp and holding Uranus) and Neptune (‘new’ utilitarian ideals, sitting at 00 Capricorn). 5th ruler Saturn sits in the 7th, trine Mars; though she had several intense and long-lasting romantic attachments, there was no marriage or partnership; Florence repeatedly shed from her life anything that interfered with her calling. That’s a very Scorpionic thing to do, echoing back to the Earth-Juno conjunction in Scorpio, essentially describing the need to purge the material/ physical environment (including relationships) in order to contact her power. Aquarius on the cusp of the 6th shows the intellect emphasized in the everyday, and the House holds Jupiter, Sedna, and the Vertex=instinctive knowledge and response to her role as a woman (Sedna) brings forward her fate (Vertex) in service (6th) to the social order (Jupiter). The 7th holds Pluto, the North Node, Chiron, and Saturn, suggesting her life direction and reality were focused on healing others, and transforming the practice of nursing; as well, Pisces on the cusp suggests she may have appeared ungraspable/ unknowable, or even unreliable, in partnership.

Ms. N’s 8th House of others’ shared resources and support is ruled by that Mars in the 11th, and contains Mercury and Zeus. Others facilitated her expression of the talents she had to give the world (11th), helped her communicate, and fulfilled her ambitions–a pretty useful package, especially in those days, when women had fewer options. The 9th has Taurus on the cusp, holds the Sun, Moon (she was born just after a New Moon), and Vesta, with cusp ruler Venus in the 10th in mutual reception with the Moon=this speaks of making her name and becoming known for ‘comfort’ activities (Taurus) in a foreign land (9th), and says that this was what she honored in life and in herself (Vesta). With Venus in the 10th in Cancer, caring was the career, and fits perfectly with the Soul’s mission, and the Gemini Midheaven tells us that she was known for her thinking and writing–and she was an avid book and pamphlet writer, especially focused on the educational opportunities for print.

‘What she has to give the world’ (the 11th) shows Cancer on the cusp–caring, mothering, nurture–but holds three bodies in Leo, all conjunct: Pallas, Ceres, and Mars. The need for a strong ego shows here, as does the ability to act, wisely and in concert, in a sense, with Nature herself. This House describes the qualities Ms. N needed to support her mission–and the connection to both Saturn in the 7th and its rulership of the 5th suggests that she could’ve found a partner who would’ve supported her work–but she instead went the Saturn=suppression route–perhaps it felt tidier to her Virgo personality.

What was hidden in the 12th? That strength of ego, that ability to go forward in fiery pursuit of what she wanted (Leo cusp)–not to mention Black Moon Lilith in Virgo, what we deny, ignore, or what enrages us. She may have unconsciously looked away, then, from from her own accountability, while showing a seriously accountable face to the world (the Virgo Ascendant); this may suggest a case of one who addresses problems on a Collective scale (12th) while failing to handle more personal energies, especially in relationships, in need of attention. She was described as a gentle, quiet, and retiring girl and woman, except for following this singular dream to serve–and serve she did.

Florence Nightingale. Coloured lithograph by R. J. Lane, 1854 Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

The Wikipedia entry on Florence Nightingale is rather good; see it here

And for Checking your own Natal Chart: a few Guidelines

Conjunctions to the Sun or Earth and to the Moon, and to Mars for men and Venus for women, may hint at easily and often donned Archetypal energies at your disposal (this doesn’t mean others aren’t available to you, it only means that those adjacent these placements are strongly a part of your identity, and so easily accessed). These are also likely highly visible to others, sometimes even when you are just ‘being yourself’; you probably vibe so strongly to the qualities of the Archetype that you see at least some of them as ‘just the way you are’.

Energies on the cusp of and posited in the 10th can also be very visible to others; these are things even those who don’t know us may observe, conclude, or assume about us, so it’s always good to be aware of what resides here. Direct contact (conjunctions) to the North Node or Vertex also carry weight. Placements conjunct the Ascendant are often mistaken for who we are in our entirety, or used as shorthand to describe character–but energies found here can be camouflage as much as they may reveal–good luck to others, sorting out the difference!

Appetite for Life: Zeus in Aspect

03 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, Asteroids, astrology, Zeus

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God, by Vasnetsov c1890 {{PD-Art}}

In thinking about our unicorns, I also started to think about where in the chart we might look for a truly direct line to our most characteristic desires, because it’s in recognizing and acknowledging our real wants that we begin to align our life so that dream becomes reality–and Zeus seemed the obvious choice. As the god who reigned over all the other gods on Olympus, Zeus is a mythic embodiment of male privilege and authority who clearly placed himself above considerations of the wants, needs, and even rights of others. He took what he wanted, made no apologies (not even to his long-suffering goddess sister/ wife, Hera/ Juno), and answered to no one–which strikes me as the ‘rugged individualism’ Western society has granted as a right to males (especially white males)–to everyone’s detriment. I think we’d all agree that the unfettered appetites of Zeus, his crass and uncaring behavior, and his obliviousness to the hurt and suffering he caused are undesirable–but the way in which he was able to not just pinpoint his appetites, but to act on them, is very desirable, with the proviso that we are able to identify ways in which these can be fulfilled that do not violate our highest values (Vesta), our relationships (Venus), or our Soul’s intents (the Sun), and certainly, that do not violate the rights of others. Easy natal aspects of Zeus to other bodies or points (some conjunctions, sextiles, trines) may show us the way toward our desires (or, point to what impulses we can trust in discovering and fulfilling these desires):

·         Zeus to the Sun: ambitions and desires serve the Soul’s intents and so the Life Purpose. This is no doubt a sweet aspect to have, as it makes for smooth alignment among impulses, desires, and goals; they all mesh successfully with identity and expression. In hard aspect can indicate conflicts between the appetites and the goals.

·         Zeus to the Moon: here the intuition and emotional perceptions aid (or hinder) fulfillment of the desires. The sign in which the Moon sits will profoundly affect the meaning of this Zeus–and may dictate the forms and/ or style used to express ambitions and desires. Nurture and/ or pronounced sensitivity will definitely be involved, and ‘receptivity’ may be a keyword in ambition manifestation; it may be a matter of attraction, as much as anything else.

·         Zeus to Mercury: communication is vital to ambition attainment, so much so that some form of communication may actually be the ambition itself. No matter what the desire, this individual will be saying something with every choice–it’s just in the nature.

·          Zeus to Venus: this brings relationships front and center with the desire nature, and with worldly and material ambition. This is not necessarily as $$ or thing-oriented as it sounds; this can apply Love (with a big ‘L’) to ambitions and desire expression, making for goals that are beauty or caring-infused. Again, a very attractive quality to the ambitions, so that fulfillment seems to come to the individual with little effort (or is denied inexplicably, with hard aspects), often through relationships.

·         Zeus to Mars: contact between these two can set up a scenario where the individual only discovers (or achieves) her or his ambitions because she or he must fight for them (or in struggling for autonomy of expression they find their desire/ ambition), or where they find desires stimulated by the need to best rivals, or to state the ‘I am’ loud and clear. Choice and action are extra important with this contact, having an impact on reaching goals even when one would think the choice or action is irrelevant to achievement.

·         Zeus to Jupiter: the individual may find opportunity in or through the social sphere, or must bow to educational needs or a religious hierarchy in order to meet ambitions. Or, the whole world is their oyster, and the life an oyster banquet! This person’s desires seem to get broadcast whether she or he wants it or not, and others may see them as excessively ambitious, competitive, worldly, or grasping, even when they are not.

·         Zeus to Saturn: opportunities are met through established structures and organizations; mentors and authorities may need to ‘grant’ one’s desires or goals. May have achievement delayed until he or she thoroughly embraces Self-discipline. Can get stuck in a loop of ‘poor me’ and lack of achievement until he or she completely accepts responsibility for the life; then others come out of the woodwork to offer support.

·         Zeus to Uranus: again, opportunities through the group–or one must be highly original in order to fulfill goals. Erratic behavior or ever-changing desires could de-rail achievement. Spontaneity must either be central to or completely eschewed in the life, dependent on which is missing from behavior, in order to meet and fulfill ambitions and goals. Uniqueness may make one a standout–though that’s not always good.

·         Zeus to Neptune: staying on track can be a problem, as this contact can indicate shifting ambition targets and a propensity to follow delusion and accept unreality as legitimate. Imagination and creativity can take one straight to the top, as long as one is careful not to be solely Self-focused along the way.

·         Zeus to Pluto: Opportunity may consistently come into the life via endings or the destruction of systems  or entities–which the individual then resurrects in a new, improved form. Must watch the Self in interaction–showing one’s power may come too easily, and can come across as overbearing.

Interestingly, contact of Zeus to other asteroids seems to emphasize pitfalls found within the ambitions. For instance, with Vesta one may see oneself as having an aggressive prerogative to force others to do what one wants (the Will as sacred), while to Juno and Ceres we see power struggles featured, to Chiron says we may use wounds as an excuse not to achieve (or as fuel to achieve, making the most of the Chirotic wound or skills) & with Pallas a need to learn to follow the inner wisdom or wise counsel, and avoid the impractical, tempting as it may be.

This article previously appeared in ECLIPSE Astrological Journal.

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘The Universal Om’ Pisces

21 Monday May 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Pisces, The Ascendant

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By Eugène Carrière ‘Meditation’ c1890 {{PD}}

This is the last installment in our Ascendant series–I hope you’ve enjoyed it! All the other signs are available here on the site–just search!

We hear about how the Pisces rising person appears scattered and unfocused to others, but do we notice how often others gather round that individual, as if the very air they breathe contains some kind of creative juice? This sign rising can come across like a font of inspiration, a walking dream (or nightmare!), whatever you’re looking for, or a victim—but from the inside looking out, what they’re seeing is usually the same world you see, just either under gauzy filters or selectively perceived—that means they don’t waste their time on what doesn’t matter to them—and this disconnect from the mundane and every day is interpreted by some as being unfocused. Do they hear the singing of the spheres? Oh yes, they do, but they also hear you nattering on about household matters or politics or what happened at the grocery store—just because they’re not giving you their rapt attention, don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re absent minded or that they’ve checked out—of all the signs, Pisces may most easily hold a great number of things in their awareness at once—it’s all that practice attuned to the Collective that makes it possible.

Since Pisces rising so easily receives (without their consent) the projections of others, most people see these individuals (unconsciously, of course) as either a dumping ground or as idealized, and it’s not uncommon for them to receive the projections of the social sphere, via ancient ruler Jupiter. Having this rising sign is almost like wearing camouflage, with the exception of those times others put all their negatives on the Pisces rising person (that’s not to say, especially in the case of Pisces rising Josef Stalin, that the negative rep isn’t deserved)—then Pisces wants to get lost in a dream just to avoid the nonsense she’s being handed. Since the onlooker has the potential to see such a variety of images, we turn to the Pisces rising individual to consider what she sees from the inside, looking out.

Pisces rising sees the world as an illusion; this can be anything from the concept of Maya to the belief that everybody’s a no-good liar—whatever the beliefs underpinning it (and there will be beliefs, courtesy of Jupiter again) it’s a ‘what you see isn’t what you get’ framework. Pisces may have survived an early environment that repeatedly pulled the perceptual rug out from under her—or, the caretaker was so harsh or punitive that Pisces had to escape to a land of imagination—or caretakers could’ve encouraged creativity to the exclusion of more grounding energies, and Pisces doesn’t know how to get back to Earth. Too, Pisces could’ve been in an environment where being a chameleon, or even invisible, was preferable to being noticed, or where lies were the only shelter. This rising sign can be hyper-sensitive to the surroundings, and so the Piscean reaction may actually be an over-reaction. In positive forms Pisces rising can literally (often through reading bodily sensation) act as a bridge between the seen and unseen, and in any case can tap the Collective and channel the creative, imaginative, and what’s on the cusp of appearing as the latest thing (and unless it’s tech, often beating Aquarius to it).

This rising sign, though, may long to sink her hands in the dirt, to become truly involved in the most solid facets of reality—there will be a desire to become grounded, whether it’s conscious or not—and that’s where incorporating characteristics of the opposing sign, Virgo, comes in. Hands-on dealings with surroundings, plus a requirement to focus on details and accountability, will ground Pisces; becoming involved with what the Earth itself can produce (food, flowers, minerals, materials for construction and creation) can act to anchor Pisces and give the creative vision a solid place to manifest, beyond the purely spiritual or creative act. They are attuned to the Universal Om, the sound of the Cosmos, and that manifests as the material world, something Pisces rising needs to get to know.

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘Building a Life’ Capricorn

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Capricorn, The Ascendant

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“A Roman Studio’ By Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1873 {{PD}}

Capricorn rising may come across as all business, totally serious, and really, no fun—but that wouldn’t be right for us to see him that way at all. Though the agile goat meets new situations this way, he can quickly adapt his attitude to whatever will get things done—and if that means he must socialize, clown around, risk it all, or declare his love from the rooftops, he will do just that. ‘Practical’ is the word for this rising sign, however that might be defined in any particular situation. To see this Earth placement as lacking in flexibility would be wrong—and yet, if given a choice, Cap at the very least wants things contained, restrained, and with any luck, by the book. He can’t help it, really: Capricorn rising is about two things, achievement and security as the way to meet the world, and he does everything with that in mind.

Cappy’s childhood environment in some way gave her the message that ‘serious’ is the only attitude to have. It may have been that children were expected to be miniature adults, or it may have been a case where the irresponsibility of the caretakers put the burden of filling basic needs, of providing any security at all, on Capricorn. This means that to the observer the Capricorn rising child may appear to be usurping adults’ authority or prerogatives, or that she doesn’t know the meaning of ‘play’ or ‘fun’—but of all the signs, Cap rising may be the one most acutely aware of how her demeanor seems odd to onlookers—just know that there’s always a reason the goat has adopted such a severe outlook, and respect her need to take the attitude she does—it may be the only thing that lets her sleep at night.

From the inside looking out, the Capricorn rising individual may see the world as a chaotic or unreliable or even unforgiving place. Recall that the rising sign is a response to the environment where we first meet the world; in Cap’s case, the suggestion is she is responsible to create boundaries, rules, barriers, and a sense of order—not the thing to encourage a young one’s positive outlook or the spontaneity and lightheartedness of childhood. The implication is that Cappy had to make up for someone else’s deficiency or lack of restraint, and though this may be true sometimes, it can also be that the individual with this rising sign is a hypersensitive Being who needed to erect overly strong protections against the outside sensations of the material world—or that she is someone who feels her own wildness so close to the surface that exceptional repression and restraint are in order, to keep from falling into her own personal chaos.

As an adult, Cappy rising may reassure others by her mere presence, and at any age she may be the one others automatically turn to in a crisis or for advice. It always feels to others like this Ascendant will know what to do, or how to stop whatever needs stopping, and Capricorn is happy to serve this function. As long as she is appreciated for her habit of meeting challenges with concerted effort, laboring consistently to achieve and build, laying not just the foundations for the building blocks of life but also the walls and roof, the wallpaper and paint, and paying the taxes. Capricorn needs to be appreciated, like anybody else, and on the Ascendant she wants others to see the extent of her control, over herself and the world. Look beneath the serious demeanor to see what Cappy is really trying to offer: security, stability, to remove worry from everyone’s equation.

The Capricorn Ascendant wants, always, to be productive; this can easily slip into repression of others, or suppression of the Self, if she doesn’t feel she or others are focused, making progress, getting ahead. This can give this Ascendant a mercenary quality, or a no-nonsense dictatorial one, until others understand that above all Cappy wants to be of use–anything less, and she’s disappointed in herself, and that may even morph into fearfulness, should she begin to think things will never change.

Capricorn rising prides herself on her dependability, but will only flourish once she accepts the gentle nurturing offered by opposing sign Cancer. In keeping things strictly controlled and grounded Cappy may not value nourishment, physical, psychic, emotional, and spiritual, as much as she needs to in order to foster a balanced approach to achievement, discipline, and to conquer her fear (for what combats Saturnian fears better than loving care?); once she does, she becomes a formidable human Being keyed to thoughtful, lasting accomplishment.

Read my work here, and enjoy the rest of your week, which you can read about here!

The Last Days of Uranus in Aries

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Retrogrades + Directions, Uranus

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By Illustratedjc – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60648788

By the 28th of April Uranus enters that tense 29th degree of Aries, and remains poised to stir up panic until its entry into Taurus on May 15th. What fears might this stir? Being alone, being abandoned, having to lead (if we’re more comfortable anonymous in the crowd) or having to follow (if we feel we must lead), as well as various cautions around what to do, what to choose, how to act, and whether asserting oneself is a good idea, and with that latter I can say, it may not be a good idea, but it may be one we feel compelled to do! Sort out what and who you’re really mad at (there are at least a few objects of outrage, if you’ll only admit it), for best (and least destructive) results.

Also of note today is the Mars-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, a no-frills kind of wallop that will appear in some form as two angry, vengeful, insisting-on-change, or bent-on-destruction parties meeting head-on, with one insisting on forward progress of a Cappy nature and one determined to roll back the clock or go down in flames trying. Ugh, avoid this smoldering train wreck if at all possible by keeping the focus on manifesting your ideal and most Self-reliant Self (Juno in 29 tense degrees of Pisces). You have the mandate to be your best, now go be it without being distracted by the wreckage nearby.

Right around November 7th Uranus is in apparent retrograde and returns to that  final degree of Aries, for old times’ sake, I suppose–why else would we fling ourselves back into such a stressful position? We also see at that point that Uranus forms a massively tense T-square with the transiting Nodal axis and will stand quincunx Jupiter in Scorpio. And in just a few days this is followed by an opposition from Ceres and a sextile from Mars in Aquarius. To me this looks like the most incendiary point for Uranian upset, making the current conditions look quaintly tame in comparison. In contrast to the present single, easily-controlled-by-us fear we may wrestle with, November offers a do-or-die scenario where some of us may indeed choose the wrong option–we’re worried about the future, maybe fearing it won’t come!–likely out of fear of death, fear of obliteration in a more mundane sense, an insistence on vengeance or ‘teaching x a lesson’, or out of a deep, dark desire for more than our fair share (Jupiter in Scorpio). Not all of us will succumb, but we’ll certainly all be tempted, and the results will be a real-world check on the limits of our power (the opp from Ceres) and a more reasoned line of thinking, possibly arriving too late, to guide our actions (Mars in Aquarius).

Issues may linger (causing, among other things, a final push to do what’s right or resolve things, especially hurts–Chiron semi-sextile–as Mars passes conjoined Uranus mid-February 2019) until Uranus finally lets go of Arian concerns, around 6 March 2019. So, we’ll likely re-visit all this in a hopped up form late next winter-early next spring; once Uranus enters Taurus, get to know the ‘new’ way the planet will work in the sign, and be prepared for impact if you have early degree natal placements (especially if that placement is Mercury, which influence from Uranus may cause surprising things to shoot out of your mouth until you steady the impulse).

If you haven’t visited lately, you should: Jude Cowell’s Stars Over Washington is jam-packed with illuminating articles, mostly of a political or US history bent. Check it out!

Uranus Into Taurus

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Uranus

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The bull relief fresco – original – in the archaeological museum of Heraklion. From Knossos palace (West bastion of the North Entrance Passage where one can see a copy nowadays, Neopalatial period (1600 – 1450 BCE) Photo By the wonderful Jebulon, who releases all his excellent photos of antiquities under CC0. Thanks, Jebulon!

Uranus enters Taurus in the AM on 15 May 2018 Pacific time, and it may feel like the world slips, just a little; we had our footing with Uranus in Aries, we’d even managed to grit our teeth and show off a little: ‘Look at me! I’m not afraid of going it alone, doing it all myself (no choice)!’ We came to feel that the only way to deal with the presence of Uranus in Aries overall (when it wasn’t bouncing off another transiting body or surprising one of our natal ones) was to exhibit the tenacity of a bighorn ram, persisting even when the climb was dizzying or the cliff falling away beneath us. It was a lonely period, no matter how much support we enjoyed from the group, and no matter how sound our theories and reasoning, with every ‘earthquake’ Uranus presented a challenge: hold on! And we did, even as the Universe seemed to split and split again into infinite and uniquely individual forms of aggression, ‘accident’ (though we know there are none, right?) and Self-promotion (because if we didn’t innovate, invent, and then promote our unique contribution, who would?)

Just a day after Uranus moves into Taurus, Mars enters Aquarius and squares the planet of anarchy, shocks, and the intellect–and we may find that our actions, choices, and sense of autonomy through individual rights may act to stabilize the Uranian influence, in spite of the way Uranus in Taurus has the upper hand (through its rulership of Aquarius). Things steady as the ancient ruler of Aquarius, Saturn, funnels those choices and actions into real-world, or at least blatantly apparent, manifestations, likely initially presented as conflict, a ‘problem’, or a delay or denial. Once we get over the shock of what comes, we see how to think of it in the most effective way; it’s a true case of changing our way of thinking, and so changing what lies before us, and eliminating, or at least seeing in a new light, the problem.

By agracier – NO VIEWS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57157533

Though this square of Mars to Uranus usually creates a bit of mayhem, this time because of sign placements it offers a new way of acting and reacting, via the intellect, to material ‘surprises’ that, when we think about them, aren’t really surprises at all; once they show themselves, we can easily draw the line from what occurs to the unique circumstances under which it originated–and that means our reactions can be grounded in (Taurean) reality, rather than forcing Self-reliance and a ‘fight it with your mind’ Arian stance.

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Next up: Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: Sagittarius, and then the Scorpio Full Moon.

Aspect Expectations Part 2 + What You’re Asking

23 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in 11th House, Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Eros, Grand Cross/Grand Square, What You're Asking

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Józef Chełmoński – ‘Noc gwiaździsta’ {{PD}}

In our ‘you can’t tell all you need to know from just one aspect’ article, we discussed how an aspect that might seem straightforward when presented alone morphs and changes meaning, gaining shadow and perspective, when seen in relation to other chart placements. To review: we talked about a natal T-square with Moon-North Node in Aquarius as the arm and an opposition of Jupiter-Mercury to Ascendant-Pallas (you can review the aspect discussion here). We also noted that Merc, Jupiter, Sun, and Venus are all in Scorpio, suggesting a focus on, valuing of, and identification with the energies of regeneration, re-birth, destruction, and transformation, and that the Sun is conjoined Venus (suggesting a ‘beautiful person’ in some context) and that Mars and Neptune are conjoined in Virgo in the 5th, implying ideals and imagination acted upon in creative or risk-taking ways, or one who can appear to act in such ways–or whose actions imply criticism or assessment through spiritual or creative acts–and with Pisces on the 11th and Aries on the 12th, we may be talking about the individual as group leader, driven by the unconscious. There also may be identification with the Arts or the spiritual, through both the individual ‘I Am’ and through the fact that this chart belongs to a male.

Did your ideas of what kind of person this might be change as you learned more? Did you make a guess as to what this person is known for, what their accomplishments might be, or how this individual may interact with others? Let’s add one more placement, turning that T-square (and the dynamic of that aspect is still valid, in case you’re wondering) into a Fixed Grand Cross with South Node-Ceres in Leo at the bottom of the chart. I’ll let a small excerpt from my forthcoming Moon book take it from here:

Mr. X, as we know, has “a 10th House Aquarius Moon that is only 7 minutes off exact conjunction to his North Node, part of a Grand Cross involving Ceres-South Node, Mercury-Jupiter, and Pallas-Ascendant. Emotions certainly have driven his life direction—as has a deep need to prove his power and authority (Ceres—he loved to present himself to followers as a force of Nature, even as Love itself, easy to persuade susceptible others of this with the Sun-Venus conjunction in the 7th); too, his communications had a ‘larger than life’ quality (Merc-Jupiter—certainly, he claimed more than once he was the Messiah, speaking as Jupiter, that is, as a god), with a persona that persuaded others he was intelligent and skilled (Pallas-ASC)—presenting someone wise, to be listened to, served, even worshiped.”

There we see something of the life reflected in the chart. And we go on: “The problem with a Grand Cross, as we know, is that when one arm is activated, the whole thing ‘lights up’—in this case, emotion and the desire to dictate the future (Moon-NN) prompted conflicts within, ones that likely pointed out to Mr. X just how powerless he’d been in the past (as a neglected and mistreated child—Ceres conj SN), and how his desire to communicate within the social order (Merc-Jup) was denied; with this latter, as an aspiring musician Mr. X had met (famous musician) who introduced Mr. X to his producer—who turned down the potential for future projects with the soon-to-be cult leader (Mars-Neptune conjunct in the 5th, suggesting the ego/ ‘I Am’ expression through both music and the creative imagination—and what’s more creatively ego-filled than starting your own cult?)

We also know that an Aquarius Moon can confuse emotions with thoughts, and vice versa; add that inclination to a loose Finger of God with base of Sun-Venus and Mars-Neptune, apex Sedna in the 12th, and we get a description of someone who is at once totally aware of the nonsense he proclaims (he knows he’s not God, nor Love Incarnate), as well as at the same time being significantly deluded about who he is and what he does, particularly about what his actions mean—and it all feeds out into the Cosmos, through his ‘blind spot’ behaviors (Sedna in 12th).”

I imagine by now you’ve got a much more dimensional picture of someone than you had on reading that first, single aspect description. There’s a brief quiz at the end of the post; that’s where the answer to our example is–or have you already figured it out?

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And now, a little ‘What You’re Asking’

NN and MC synastry

Contact between the North Node of one individual’s natal chart and the Midheaven of another’s can exert quite a pull, and this is so whether there are other compelling contacts cross-chart or not. The MC person may feel the life direction of the NN person is instrumental in his own achievement in career or within public view, or that the NN person will give him, one way or another, status. The NN person may feel the MC person’s image, role, or status will make or break her future or the trajectory the life will take. There’s a caveat here, though, in the form of this: the compulsive feeling this contact generates may or may not be accurate. And there’s a problem: each person may feel irrationally that the other person needs to provide something to them–the perceptions, then, are not about the real-life other–all the individual’s attention is trained on themselves, leaving the other person to some extent unseen. It could be a case of believing the other person is important completely out of proportion to the actual relationship and independent of what one can do for the other–and that’s the most important thing, to determine if these are just wacky connections that feel vital but in the end lead nowhere, or if they’re an impetus to playing truly pivotal roles in each other’s lives (so once again, we can’t really tell from just one aspect!)

‘What natal sign is friendship?’

This is one of those questions that reveals a lack of clarity (or perhaps a lack of knowledge) on the part of the questioner. There’s no one astrological sign that stands for friendship; the subjects and areas of life are divided up among the Houses, not the signs, and friendship resides in the 11th of the natal chart. It’s important when looking for answers to our questions using astrology that we understand where and how those answers are available–because if you think the answer to your question will be found one way (by locating a sign) rather than the ‘right’ way (by knowing that life subjects are indicated by Houses) then you’ll waste your time and never find out what you really want to know. It’s not just a matter of looking in the wrong place; it’s as if you’ve misplaced your keys and then try to use a sandwich to open the door. No, just no.

Aphrodite, Pan, Eros Photo By Jebulon {{PD}}

Transits of Eros

. . . can stir temporary erotic feelings toward matters ruled by or people symbolized by the contacted natal energy. What we need to remember is, Eros is, first and foremost, an energy of projection. A sense of desire, sexual energy, and a mesmerizing attraction don’t emanate from any individual or object, but exist within our own minds–which means that we are the instruments of erotic perception, rather than that anything is erotic within its own nature.

So what can we expect from a transit? First, relax–nothing suddenly becomes erotically stimulating out of the blue! During a transit of Eros we may find something more acceptable or understand its attractiveness to others, if it’s something outside our normal appetites–it doesn’t automatically become of sexual interest, but may only allow us to see its appeal. Say we see Eros conjoin our Mars. The Warrior already carries sexual energy and describes something of our sexual ‘style’, as well as what we find appealing in a man (and that’s aside from our sexual orientation–it applies to anyone). Our Mars is in Virgo, and Eros comes along to make those individuals who reflect our tastes suddenly very appealing. Maybe we like outdoor-sy men, those who farm, who like to work with their hands, or do our Mars in Virgo tastes run more toward sexy accountants or writers? You get the picture.

Next up, Uranus into Taurus and Chiron into Aries. Enjoy your week!