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Category Archives: Astrology and Identity

The Cinderella Point Part 2 Some Examples

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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.

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Finding Your Cinderella Point

24 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in astrology, Astrology and Identity, Consciousness Explored, Something For You, Spiritual Considerations

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By Jennie Harbour {{PD}}

A little Saturday night reading, from a 2013 ECLIPSE, though it seems just as timely today. I’ll return in a few days with an example of the Cinderella Point; the original article used someone not widely seen, anymore, so didn’t seem relevant for now.

Considering all that’s going on in the world, you may wonder why I came up with this topic, as if we’re all sitting around, idly wondering about our spiritual ‘G’ spot! It’s precisely at times crowded with outrageous and inexplicable events and confusing outcomes that we can really use a little something that will cut through the clutter and be both rewarding and purposeful–and something I will, for now, call your Cinderella point, is just that kind of answer to an unasked question.

The Cinderella fable, more or less as we know it today, serves as a template for this exploration, in large part because this story connects the dots between experiential energies in the natal chart–and this is so for men or women–and shows us a point or set of energy interactions that may catapult us to the next level. It also has the benefit of re-focusing our attention at a personal level–my sense is that many of us have been so distracted by events outside ourselves that we’ve lost an appropriate personal focus, one that keeps us aware of ourselves within the context of the world, rather than leaving us feeling we’re at the mercy of it, or making us so defensively Self-focused that we fuss and demand and end up unsatisfied, grabbing the wrong things in an attempt to assuage the bombardment of hurt we seem perpetually to be under.

The story goes like so: the central character, Cinderella (the Soul) lives in squalor in the confines of a splendid house (our earthly circumstances, and the surrounding nature/ the world), having ‘lost’ her father/ protector (awareness of our connection to the Divine, and our difficulty accepting that the connection is vital and alive, no matter how separated we seem to be-this can also be our connection to ourselves as part of Nature, or as part of the Cosmos) and under the auspices of a stepmother (mundane matters). The stepsisters are all those things we serve, those things that keep us running but that don’t replenish us; they represent the demands of our existence, the ones we believe are essential, but that really aren’t. The fairy godmother can be the Universe/ God, or something more prosaic, like ‘luck’ (but then we don’t really believe in luck, do we? We can call it synchronicity or timing or Providence, if we like that better), or the helping hand of another, especially of someone who is in a position to provide something you can’t. The ball is opportunity, showing ourselves and our talents to our best advantage, on whatever stage life affords us. The Prince is the opportunity that is just right for us; he does not represent an actual human or circumstance that will ‘rescue’ us from our current life, but is instead a chance for us to elevate ourselves and our expression, a chance to take the place only the Soul can adequately conceptualize (it’s the old idea that the Universe can have much more or much better in store for us than we are capable of imagining ourselves!)

So why does Cinderella run from the ball? She doesn’t want the Prince to know who she really is; she doesn’t believe she is ‘enough’, just as she exists. She doesn’t really have a clear Self-identity; she is not a person in her own right, but always seen in a role in connection to others: servant, step-relation, critical target. She is aware that her fancy facade lasts for a limited time; her appearance will lose its enhanced trappings and return to its modest origins on the stroke of midnight. She puts too much value on appearances, and shows a lack of faith in the Universe by believing that she will be rejected for the ‘new role’ if she is seen for who she is–she is projecting her own beliefs, making the assumption that the world shares her standard of judgment. This perfectly describes our own typical response to opportunity that will bring us to the next level, that will allow us to shine:  we present ourselves in what we think is our best guise, secretly believing we are not up to the challenge, in fact believing that we will be rejected if we don’t pretend to be other than we are.

You’ll recall, though, that unlike the rest of her clothing, Cinderella’s glass slippers don’t change back; she loses one on the steps as she flees, and it doesn’t turn back into her sensible loafer, but retains its magical substance. This suggests two things:  that even the experience of presenting ourselves under an idealized guise changes us, and in particular changes the foundation on which we stand (behaving as if what we want is already true); and, the way the glass slippers remain says that this is the right role–otherwise, the shoe wouldn’t fit. So, the glass slippers act as a direct message both to the Prince, who finds the shoe, recognizes it as Cinderella’s, and knows to seek the person for whom this is exactly right, and to Cinderella, that the elevated experience is indeed both real and attainable, perfect for her, that in fact this experience is actually seeking her out–she’s attracting what she’s meant to do.

So what in the chart can lead us to that Cinderella moment of realization, a knowing about the direction our life must take and the role we must play? What combination leads us to our own elevation, and so inevitably to the purpose of our Soul’s incarnation in the first place? We start with the Sun, of course, as the Soul Purpose and also principal identity indicator–however, not everyone sees themselves chiefly in the Sun–a male may identify more with Mars and a female with Venus, particularly if that male is an Aries Sun, or that female is a Taurus or Libra Sun, or Sun conjunct Mars or Venus, respectively, in any sign–but there are also those who center their identity in the Moon (those who see themselves in the main as sensitives, before anything else, or those who see themselves mainly in nurturing or mothering roles), and there are those who identify with their Ascendant–these are typically very outgoing individuals who are all about how they meet the world–it’s a little bit like a constant collision for them, so they may focus their viewpoint strongest through the sign on the Ascendant degree. A very few may take to Jupiter (teacher) or Chiron (healer), but neither of these should be worn full-time as a main identity (when looking from the inside out, back at yourself), so if that’s where you are drawn I would ask that you consider there is probably another of the already-mentioned bodies that is actually more suitable–of course, there will be exceptions to this, too.

Though it may seem like we’re all over the map with identity matters, we can’t underestimate the importance of allowing individuals to Self-identify when it comes to what energies they resonate with, despite my above warning. It would be naive to believe that everyone identifies most strongly with their Sun; instead, we allow for the idea that individuals may ‘live through’ various portions of the chart at different stages of life–or that for some, another energy will just beckon more strongly,such as in the instance of response to the Sun’s ruler, rather than the Sun itself. This process in general of finding the Cinderella point is quite loose; don’t expect a cut-and-dried formula–that would deny the great variety within human nature, and make things pretty boring, to boot!

Once we determine where our identity lies in the chart, we will want to locate the other ideas, players, or concepts, and see how they relate to our principal identity indicator. The earthly circumstances are centered in the Earth itself, always directly opposite the Sun, and secondarily in Saturn, which generally stands for all mundane matters, as well as things that control us (the stepmother), including our fears. The God/ Universe concept and our separation may be outlined by Vesta, or may, especially for those who identify with bodies other than the Sun, be found in the Sun, suggesting that for these individuals, the Cinderella moment involves moving back toward the Soul Purpose, as defined by our Solar placement.

The ball may be represented by Jupiter, as the expanded personal stage found on the social scene, or Uranus, if we are drawn to a role within a group, or conversely, if we find a big part of our identity in isolation or rebellion. The Prince is opportunity tailor-made for us–and likely is indicated by transit, Secondary Progression, or Solar Arc of featured energies in the chart, i.e. those that are prominent and obviously rule important life matters. The character of these may also be suggested by the 8th House, both the state of the ruler of the sign on the cusp and anything posited therein, because the 8th shows us the support we can expect from others, and by the 10th, which can suggest those authorities who may be significant to our career or status, and the glass slipper–oh yes, even this can be found in the chart!–is likely related to matters of the House with Pisces on the cusp (the sign of feet!) or is described by Mercury (he of winged feet). Those things blocking our direct understanding of our Divine connection, and so our Divine mission, may be signified by Chiron, Saturn, or possibly Neptune, if he is in a position that suggests he’s more about obscuring the view than inspiring the individual, or could be suggested by any hard aspects of bodies to the Sun or to the chosen identity indicator.

Though you may feel hopelessly lost at this point, drowning in details, we’ll walk through an example in a day or three–you’ll see that we must be flexible, and also ready to be a bit unconventional, in forming some ideas about what might offer us true opportunity to what we’re meant to do, and so re-connect us (good to ponder now, during Merc retro) with the Divine. We musn’t be afraid to edit concepts to fit reality, and to turn on a dime, should we find a theory unworkable–otherwise, how useful would astrology be? We must remember that the Cinderella point will for some be found in a role, for some in action, for some in acceptance of who they really are by others, and for still others it could entail taking a completely unexpected turn, but for every single person, it starts with Self-acceptance–remembering our Divine connection means we will be willing to appear at the ball as we are–only then will efforts be meaningful, and fulfillment a real possibility.