Grand Cross v. Grand Square

21 Thursday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Grand Cross/Grand Square

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Sometimes it’s hard to see a difference–they seem to be one and the same, four planets or points square, and two pairs of oppositions–everything contacts everything else. But today we have a configuration that perfectly illustrates why there is a difference: with a Grand Cross, we have the oppositions, while with the Grand Square, we have the squares with either a single opposition or none at all.

Today we have the Sun at 00 Gemini 45 square Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron at 26 Aquarius–so far so good–square the Earth at 00 Sagittarius 45, which (like the Sun) is square Ceres at 5 Virgo 11, but Ceres is not opposed Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron, creating a Grand Square, but not a Grand Cross.

Both configurations are dynamic, but the Grand Square offers a partial disconnect among the energies that will make them manifest in less than obvious ways. It’s a clue to us that, even though the various events seem to be unrelated, they are really touched off by or driven by each other–and this should alert us to any underlying context or possible repercussions arising from the more subtle contacts.

With this particular set of energies, we see the Sun/ Earth pouring attention on both Mother Nature (Ceres) and the Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron combo of heightened perceptions of the unseen, imagined, and the gifts and wounds unique to the individual–but grappling with illusions, ideals, and hurt is not connected in any obvious way to Ceres’ various attributes, including a proprietary attitude toward others, negotiations, and cyclic or seasonal occurrences. But, as noted, they are connected, we just have difficulty seeing how, for example, our mother’s comments on our private life (very Ceres!) have anything to do with the way we’re (unrealistically) approaching our current relationship–and yet if we look closer we may see that our desire to have the relationship just so may reflect a deep desire to be in control of our own lives–and despite the reality that we are, we still receive Mom’s comments as having a controlling effect that determines (if we don’t resist openly) our choices. So we’re in this example dealing with the exaggerated (Jupiter)illusion (Neptune) that Mom (Ceres) determines our inner and outer life (Sun and Earth), and this stimulates the wound (Chiron) from which we act.

You can see both the oblique effect of the contacts and the way that seeing the connection can help us steer clear of the debilitating effects of our own reactions and assumptions–a good way to go through life, I think!

Juno in Synastry: Dylan and Baez

16 Saturday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Juno, relationship astrology

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Baez DylanWho better as an example of Juno’s influence in relationship than in the now-kaput affair between the ersatz royalty of the Folkie-Protest movement, balladeers Bob Dylan and Joan Baez? Their birthdays are only a handful of months apart, so to delineate meaning we must look at what’s different, rather than what’s the same, but we must also note that a mirror effect occurs; sometimes a Juno aspect in the chart is echoed cross-chart, because the Junos are conjunct, and this suggests that these partners acted to externalize for each other some of the Juno dynamic that was also an internal dynamic for each. 

In Dylan’s chart (24 May 1941  9:05 PM Duluth MN USA) his Juno (28 Leo 49) fills in a T-square to his Gemini Sun/ Sagittarius Earth axis (he may feel that empowered women, as well as his own anima, clash with his Soul and Material Direction); Juno also squares Pallas (which is conjunct Earth, and so involved in the T-square) and this suggests that for him the concept of wisdom is at odds with the idea of partnership, as if he cannot accept that a partner can be wise! Juno squares the Jupiter/ Uranus conjunction (again, a threat, this time to the freedom and individuality); and Juno quincunxes the South Node (in this case, a ‘never goin’ there with a woman again!’ position). All these perceptions are really cemented in place, as Juno is conjunct Vesta, signifying that his internal ideas about partnership/ the mate are sacred, and will always trump reality. If you know Dylan and his work, you know his persona is notoriously hard to pin down, a ramblin’ man in more ways than one, and his Juno in Leo suggests he wants a woman/ partner who ‘shines’ with strength and purpose (the Sun)–a tough thing for a woman to fulfill, when his Juno aspects insist that she will, in the end, be fallible and unreliable. Dylan plants the seeds of the end of the relationship before it even begins, in an inability to trust, or accept the wisdom of, a partner.
Dylan’s beliefs about women as shown in his natal chart are perfectly reflected here in his song, ‘Don’t think twice, it’s alright’ 

It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t matter, anyhow
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don’t know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m trav’lin’ on
Don’t think twice, it’s all right
It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
I’m on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin’ anyway
So don’t think twice, it’s all right
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
I can’t hear you any more
I’m a-thinkin’ and a-wond’rin’ all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I’m told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don’t think twice, it’s all right
I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I’m bound, I can’t tell
But goodbye’s too good a word, gal
So I’ll just say fare thee well
I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don’t mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don’t think twice, it’s all right

While for Dylan the Juno interactions are in essence challenges to his idea of himself as a man, Joan (9 January 1941  10:45 AM Staten Island NY USA) Baez’s Juno (7 Virgo 16) presents a quandry concerning her internal workings: empowerment threatens the emotions and the intuitive and feeling nature, and vice versa.  Baez’s Juno also creates a T-square, this time with her Mars/ Moon opposition (the feeling nature at odds with the action/ ego/ animus, and both threatened by her own empowerment); Juno also happens to be square Ceres, which is conjunct Mars, and this speaks volumes on the conflict between the natural creative energies of Ceres, their ‘alliance’ with the ego and action urges (as well as with her idea of the ‘ideal man’) and the need for empowerment–and it spells out the idea that Joan may see the man in her life as the elementally creative one, and that this doesn’t support her own empowerment situation. Juno also trines the Jupiter/ Saturn conjunction (empowerment assists reaching out, feeling free, and building something meaningful); and Juno trines the Midheaven (empowerment aids the career) and quincunxes the South Node (in this case, suggesting that past experiences have not given her the impression that empowerment is a positive thing). If you know Baez, then you know she built her career on the image of being a strong and capable woman, and her Juno in Virgo is the epitome of just those qualities–we have to wonder, though, what toll it took on the feeling nature, and on relationships with men, considering the chart indicators. And there’s something else here, and that is that Baez’s Juno, though embroiled in an internal struggle, measures its effectiveness as does any woman’s Juno, in its interactions with the external world and relationships; it’s an outward-looking energy, and her work based on the relationship with Dylan reflects this.
The state of Joan’s Juno and its attention to the partner is well-illustrated here, in ‘Diamonds and Rust’ (notice the references to the Madonna, the Moon, and the girl on the half-shell, obviously Venus, all of which are traditional female symbols and all of which in this instance seem to support the mo-jo of the male caller from the past).

Well I’ll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that’s not unusual
It’s just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I’d known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin’s eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed
Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you’re smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there
Now you’re telling me
You’re not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It’s all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you’re offering me diamonds and rust
I’ve already paid

Cross-chart there are many echoes that actively externalize the internal. The differences, though, tell the story: Joan’s Juno opposes Bob’s Pisces Mars, telling us her state of empowerment is directly at odds with who he is as a man; and his Juno trines her Venus, suggesting that who she is as a woman is in keeping with his idea of an appropriate mate/ partner. However, when you’ve got both Junos square her Moon/ Mars opposition, you’ve got not only her internal discord but his interaction creating a similar dynamic, adding the idea that anything he views as empowered behavior will be at odds with her emotional and assertive/ ego nature, as well as being in disagreement with her vision of the ‘ideal man.’ As well, with her Juno opposed his Mars, every time she exerts her own empowerment he would likely feel wounded as a man, especially so with Mars in Pisces, as this Mars would likely see itself as all lovey-dovey and peace, man, and her Juno would be at the very least demanding accountability, and perhaps bringing criticism into the mix.
The two most telling contacts are probably his Juno square her Moon–what woman can pair with a man whose anima would continually be challenging her emotional viewpoint?–and Dylan’s own Juno, as well as Joan’s, square his Jupiter/ Uranus conjunction; with this aspect he might as well wear a sign that says, ‘Women will take your freedom and tie you down!’ So, despite his Sun conjunct her Moon, a classic mating indicator, along with his Venus (his idea of the ‘ideal woman’) in Gemini in wide conjunction with her Moon, Juno tells us that there are too many upsets inherent in her empowerment, both internal and external ones, and too many beliefs on his part that a strong woman will somehow restrict him, to let these two remain in intimate relationship for long.
This is actually an extended version of the 5th and final part of the Juno series that would have appeared at sasstrology. See my book on Juno at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com excerpts from it here https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/excerpts-from-juno-in-the-natal-chart/   and follow my blog on relationships here http://askjulie.wordpress.com  My other books (on Chiron and on relationships) are also available at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  

Neptune-Chiron: Projection, Hurt, and Ownership

12 Tuesday May 2009

Posted by in astrology, Chiron, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, Neptune

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The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Honore Daumier

The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Honore Daumier

At least since December, when Chiron and Neptune entered each other’s orb, we’ve seen an ongoing test of our connection to reality. Now, everyone has areas they’d rather not look at too closely, places in our lives where we keep our perceptions in soft focus around the edges. I’m not speaking of those things we accept or let pass or don’t inspect too minutely, out of an already full life plate, or the simple reluctance to admit something isn’t perfect–that’s not only human, it’s probably vital to healthy functioning, as we could be easily overwhelmed by too much detail, too many things to ‘fix.’ I’m talking about those few of us with a relational disconnect in the overall world view, where the individual’s idea of who they are, and who others are, is deeply and fundamentally off.

This conjunction was early on imbued with both a spirit of Self and aggression and a mentality that framed dissonance as a personal power struggle, with the transits of both Mars and Juno to this combo.

The energy became more prominent as Jupiter neared the conjunction of Chiron/ Neptune; its presence boosts the need to project, to broadcast, related ideas and concepts as a means of expressing one’s belief in them, and thereby, at least to the mind that’s confused, proving their validity–it’s a Self-righteous energy that feeds on belief/ faith in an ideal that does not correlate to the reality picture. Jupiter also brings in the social element, the possibility of reaching out and imposing the ideas in the social sphere, again as an expression of their ‘truth’–“I wouldn’t be able to say this publicly if it weren’t true!”

The big problem with all of this is, Chiron and Neptune both hold expression pitfalls for those who are prone to fantasy, delusion, obfuscation, as the conjunction marries the urge to embrace illusion with the primal wound, the sense of hurt that, if left unclaimed and unexplored by the individual, becomes ripe for projection, and that is essentially what we’ve been seeing the past few months, an insistent sense of victimhood which has taken (temporary) hold of a dispiriting few.

How do we sort ‘true’ victims (as there are those who suffer legitimately at the hands of others) from those who have simply taken the worldview that they are victims, fueled by the easy Self-empathy of a complete mis-perception of role, actions, or intents? One easy way is to ask, where does this person ‘live’? Is their sense of Self seated in a me (or us) v. them mentality, where they are ‘done to,’ where others have bad intent, where they are a crusader for good and right in the face of those who are insensitive bullies? In this regard, anyone who disowns the potential to be the aggressor themselves becomes a candidate.

This is not, on its own, definitive, as there certainly are bullies, insensitive louts, and those who mean us harm, and sometimes the world does divide up into sides. There are other factors that distinguish those who are suffering under this transit (and suffer they do, as the pain they feel is real–the problem comes with their clear misunderstanding of where it originates). One distinguishing trait is, they are the aggressor–they pick the fight, typically based on an indignant reaction to what someone else has said or done that violates their delusional sense of Self. Often this has been sought out–the Neptune-challenged individual goes looking for a savior, or at least someone to support their fantasy Self, and when the mirror the other person holds up doesn’t show them the illusion they expect–well it must be that person’s fault, right there–the reflection is wrong, the mirror is wrong, and the person holding the mirror is wrong–because, they firmly believe, it couldn’t be them–in fact, that’s a basic assumption they enter the situation with, that in no way are they misguided, or have anything to learn–a real irony when the situation is a teaching or guidance one.

It’s also common that the person they choose to blame is someone ‘safe,’ someone who will likely not reject them, or who is not involved in the real problem. It’s almost a form of scapegoating, the ancient practice of designating someone or something as the carrier of all the village’s problems and sins, and then driving the bearer out of town–in this case the ‘village’ being the Neptune-influenced individual, who does not recognize the internal schism that prevents acknowledging the problem as their own.

How do you know when you are dealing with someone thus afflicted? “You think” may be the first words of many of their sentences–they speak as if they’re psychic (Neptune, again!) and yet what you’re hearing has no relation to what’s actually in your mind or heart–and you quickly discover that contradicting them brings out the emotional flood, anger or hurt, one and the same. They come at you claiming a wound, blaming the hurt on you, and yet this doesn’t make sense–it’s like they’ve set off huge emotional smoke bombs, deflecting attention from the real source of upset, determined to extract energy, attention, and penance from the accused–and if you’re the accused, you may think they have a point–until you realize that you are not reacting from emotion, or a need to Self-defend, and that even offered apologies or clear explanations as to your intent are ignored–the individual has a stake in taking a stance that demands you accept their indignation, and that you be responsible for their hurt, even if it doesn’t make sense, and it’s the one-sided, punishing nature of the interaction that is your biggest and best clue that this person is under the Neptune/ Chiron spell, using you as a screen for projection and Self-justification. Even those who claim to speak for the oppressed can be subject to this–for just as likely that they are correct in their remarks is the possibility that they are taking a passive-aggressive tack toward judgment and blame, typically engaging in precisely what they accuse others of.

It’s a sad situation; it can bring to ruin perfectly good relationships, as the Neptune individual does not, will not, cannot allow themselves to see the imperfection in their reasoning–as that would require a release of the illusion of victimhood–and right now, for them, that just feels too good, too safe, and perhaps is the only way they can feel right.

And to those who may feel injury at the hands of others, it’s good to remember, that no one can injure you without your consent.

You may want to check out several of the excellent posts here http://questionofmindfulness.wordpress.com/ as they touch on the same topic, and offer some facets I might have missed.

Idealism in Action

09 Saturday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Chiron, Consciousness Explored, Mars, natal placement, Neptune, Pallas

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Two interesting and dynamic individuals take a stand http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/mia-farrow-ends-fast–richard-branson-takes-her-place-1514520.story/?gt1=28145  I’ve written on both Farrow and Branson before; now I’ll post both charts and add extended remarks later. We can note, though, that both have that behemoth of idealism, Neptune, in Libra (others, or acting as a partner); Farrow has a natal Neptune/Chiron conjunction, perhaps stimulated now by the current Neptune/ Chiron union in Aquarius (group welfare, trine by sign), while Branson has a Mars/ Neptune conjunction, signalling the willingness to act on ideals. Farrow may be motivated as much by intense empathy as by anything else (Chiron), while Branson embodies the true activist whose actions follow his principles.

Both have a ‘warrior’ energy, he through Mars, she through a Pallas conjunction to the Chiron/ Neptune combo, and both have these idealism in action significators below the horizon, suggesting personal, internal motivations behind their efforts.

Mia Farrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Branson

Relationships, Anyone?

27 Monday Apr 2009

Posted by in astrology, Relationship Advice, relationship astrology

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If you’ve got a relationship dilemma, you might want to check out my new blog, Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com that features reader submitted questions, polls, articles (with special attention to the asteroids) and reader comments.

What You’re Asking: Composites, Political Suns, and Venus! Venus! Venus!

21 Tuesday Apr 2009

Posted by in 12th House, aspects and placements, astrology, Venus

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Please explain composite charts–

Composites are composed of the nearer midpoint pictures of each energy of two natal charts in relation to each other; some astrologers place them by figuring the composite Ascendant and using the preferred House system, placing the cusps from there, some use a more literal approach and figure each cusp based on the two natal cusps. This method is used widely in studying relationships, particularly between mates.

If you are an astrologer who uses composites, I say, More power to you! Many astrologers feel they get very illuminating results with this method. I don’t use composites, and here’s why: when we enter into a relationship, we don’t lose our individuality and morph into a single, compromise being; we instead act and react based on the interactions of energies as represented within our individual charts. Above all else, we are unique Beings, and I don’t think that disappears when we enter relationship.

What is indicated when a man’s Juno is conjunct a woman’s Moon?

If these individuals are the appropriate ages in relation to each other, then the strongest possibility may be that they will be partners in parenting. He will see her nurturing, feeling, and maternal nature as perfect partnership material, while she would vibe strongly to his need for and model of partnership. The connection will be an emotional one on her part, and one that feels ‘right’ on his–but without more specifics we can’t begin to guess whether this would indicate a true, intimate partnership, or a functional one that focuses on raising children or centers on maintaining a household.

Is there a connection between politicians and having a 12th House Sun?

In order to try and get a handle on such a broad category, I looked into one of the most exclusive clubs on earth, those who hold the office of U.S. President. I found five presidents with 12th House Suns (though one, Andrew Jackson, is questionable due to uncertain birth time). The others are Chester A. Arthur, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Ulysses S. Grant. Anything stand out to you about this group? What struck me was the way four of the group (Jackson, Bush, Carter, and Grant) are all assessed in stark terms, with no shortage of those who would point to them as presidential failures.

Does a 12th House Sun limit abilities in some regard? No, not at all–but the aspects may say a little something more, and combined with a typical 12th House Sun’s fulfillment often coming in a behind-the-scenes capacity, could suggest that a 12th House Sun may find it extra difficult to act effectively as leader and figurehead for a nation–it tends to be harder for this placement to be seen, and you’ll note that most rose to prominence in another arena before entering politics (Grant and Jackson as generals, Bush as failed oilman, failed Rangers owner, and son of a President, Arthur as school teacher, lawyer, customs official, only elected to Vice-President and succeeding to the top office with Garfield’s assassination, and both Bush and Carter, a peanut farmer, were governors just before they won the office).

Arthur, second only to Millard Fillmore in forgetability

Arthur, second only to Millard Fillmore in forgetability

Astrologically the most notable thing was that these 12th House Suns didn’t enjoy many positive aspects; in fact, Bush and Carter have only hard aspects between their Suns and other natal energies, while Jackson has one positive aspect, Grant has a few trines, and Arthur a few sextiles–but even with these positives their Suns carry the brunt of some outnumbering negative aspects, as well. It’s more like these men rose to the presidency in spite of their 12th House Suns, and in suffering some of the difficulty a person with this placement faces in mustering support  to lead a country, they also suffered as carriers of the Collective shadow. All were president during especially unsettling and challenging times when the country itself was undergoing huge turmoil–and we may consider that this may be why, at least in part, they won out over others, as the populace sensed the ability of each to recede into the flow and change of the times.

Does Venus retrograde natally indicate unfaithfulness?

No. No one placement ever defines a behavior–and there’s also the matter of free will, and choice.

Does Venus in the 2nd indicate you’ll have a beautiful partner?

No; the 2nd indicates what assets you possess–and as we know, partner’s are not possessions!–and though physical beauty can be suggested by particular placements or configurations, we must remember, when it comes to people, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

What happens when Venus transits in Capricorn?

The general atmosphere may skew values and aesthetics toward the practical, the useful, and tempers lean toward the no-nonsense. We may appreciate things like architecture, industrial design, and civic improvements more than usual, and around the house we may stick to making sure systems run soundly. Cappy Venus can offer us a chance to make money through things we’ve already studied/ prepared, or through plain hard work–and love may boil down to what’s dependable, rather than what’s exciting.

See my latest over at Been There, Done That on men and mood http://askjulie.wordpress.com,  buy my work at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  and see my ongoing series on Juno at http://sasstrology.com

Is Your Love Conditional?

14 Tuesday Apr 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Consciousness Explored, relationship astrology, Venus

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Unconditional love is the love we’re all seeking, all the time, whether we’re aware of it or not, and in our ideal life, we’d be surrounded by it in every circumstance. But how often do we inspect the quality of the love we offer others? Often, we give it with expectations, assumptions, and qualifiers; and we may then ask, is it still really love? Yes, it is, it’s just that we may without realizing it hook needs of our own to loving someone else; ideally, we will in the course of a lifetime (or many!) learn to love purely, without those requirements or pre-conditions–but how?

Our expectations are often quite reasonable; for instance, we should expect to be treated well within an intimate relationship, as healthy Self-respect and Self-regard demand it. We run into a problem, though, when we say through our behavior, “I love him; he’s rude, arrogant, thoughtless, and cheats on me, but because I love him I must stay engaged in the relationship and try to change his behavior.”  This is based on the belief that everything would be fine if he would just conform to the mate’s expectations of treatment.We feel justified in demanding this because, well, we say we love him. But what we fail to realize is that love is beside the point; love can exist no matter the behaviors of any of the parties, it’s intimate relationship that’s where we must choose to be with those who treat us well–and we must do this by recognizing and accepting another’s behavior as it is, not as we think it should be.

Too often we are attracted to someone, draw closer, and then immediately begin to judge their attitudes and behavior. We feel that we can criticize and demand changes because we claim to love the individual–but what do we love if we don’t accept them as they are?

What we must learn not to do is tie our own willingness to love another to how they treat us, how they behave, or what they are out in the world; and we can only love another by seeing and accepting who they are. What I’m saying is this: we must learn to love without condition, even as we love ourselves enough not to continue in relationship with those who don’t love and respect us. It’s very simple: at the bottom of every successful and loving intimate relationship is a love for Oneself that says, “I love you no matter what; but to stay in intimate connection to me, you must continue to behave in a loving and respectful manner.” If the partner doesn’t treat us kindly, we can continue to love them, but we don’t need to remain in an intimate relationship with them–in fact, we cannot stay in intimate relationship with them if we love ourselves. Part of our weakness in loving both ourselves and others is to confuse the two, to believe that a love relationship exists even when our partner is behaving in an unloving way. It’s true that love may exist, but a loving relationship does not–and that is the heart of how we must choose our companions. It’s noble to continue to love someone who mistreats you–it isn’t noble in the least to remain open to, vulnerable to, and in intimate contact with someone who mistreats you. A truly loving attitude toward others is not based in how they treat us, but a relationship is.

One of the most mature and loving things we can do for ourselves is to recognize when we are in a close relationship where love and respect are not shown to us and to say, as Buddha is reported to have done when confronted on the path by an angry man, “I respectfully decline your gift of anger, and ask that you keep it for yourself.” You see, we may love someone, but just because they offer us something ugly or destructive doesn’t mean we must accept it. To subject ourselves to the unloving denigration of others is to treat ourselves in an unloving way–and if we don’t love ourselves, we don’t have love to give others–because we simply can’t give away what we don’t have, and if we don’t have a resource for ourselves, tangible or intangible, we are unable to share that resource with others. So, to remain in a relationship where we are treated badly is to be unable to love, since to continue involvement says we do not love ourselves, and so cannot truly love another.

Where do we find the conditions we might place on our love? In the state of Venus in the natal chart, of course, but also in the situation of the Sun, as this represents the Soul, the essence of the pure love known as life energy, and in the condition of Neptune, as representative of our ideals. The Moon, too, might give us useful clues, as significator of the feeling nature and the intuition, and the Moon, Venus, and Neptune elaborate on how we relate to others in intangible ways.

With these ideas in mind, let’s look at the chart of Clara Petacci, 29 years younger cousin and mistress of dictator Benito Mussolini, born 28 February 1912 at 10:15 AM Rome, Italy. Clara’s Venus sits on the Midheaven just minutes inside the 10th in Aquarius and conjunct ruler Uranus which sits in the 9th, making the love nature the most visible part of the Self, seen publicly and emblematic of the reputation, making it almost, unfortunately, Clara’s career. Being placed in Aquarius likely only confused the matter for her, as Aquarian Venus may mistake ideas for love, and values having modern attitudes toward relationship–and what could be more modern in tradition bound, early 20th century Catholic Italy than ‘free love’ (very Aquarian!) and status as an openly acknowledged mistress? clara-petacci

Her Venus rules the 1st and 6th, making it integral to the persona and to everyday interaction and activity. It trines Mars, ruler of the 12th, and here we have a suggestion that co-operation with the male energies in the life might be not only easy and comfortable, but an expression of love with origins in the subconscious (12th connection). The only other aspect for Venus is a semi-square to Juno, automatically linking Venusian subjects to personal empowerment as a woman. With so few contacts it may have been inevitable that Venus was able to express in only the handful of ways she knew how.

Her Moon is in Cancer in the 2nd, making for a sensitive and nurture-seeking and giving nature, the success of which likely was reflected in how she felt about and saw herself, a Moon expression more vulnerable than most to the emotional appeal of a mistress’ situation of caretaking and ‘special’ status. Her Sun is in Pisces conjunct Chiron in the 11th; this may have only reinforced the idea that she and her nature were the commodities she had to share with the world. It’s a hyper-sensitive combination and placement, to some extent dependent for identity security on feedback from friends and other allies, and likely imparting the feeling that she was very much synchronous with the Collective.

Her Neptune is, like the Moon, in Cancer, but in the 3rd, perhaps showing vulnerabilities in communication, and an idea that she may have felt connected to the Collective through thought and ideas–but it can also suggest she may have believed she knew what the Collective was thinking, and this is something she badly misjudged. At war’s end Clara Petacci suffered the same fate as her lover, shot, then the next day dragged through the streets, hung upside down, and mutliated by an angry mob, and I can’t help but wonder how shocked she must have been at the Collective she probably felt so much a part of, and which she was sure she understood, turning on her as all the things she valued through Venus came crashing down.

Clara Petacci clearly attached love to the world of concepts and ideas, to the subconscious, to animus energies in herpetacci-portrait life (and it appears she probably ceded her own animus to Mussolini, as well), and had a deep need to be loved and nurtured on both an individual and a larger, public level. Like all of us, she was looking for unconditional love and acceptance in the only ways she knew how. It’s rumored that in the last hours of her life she was offered the chance to go free, but she declined; and what kind of life would it have been for her if she had, having lost her Venusian status, the man who carried her animus, and her illusions about the nature of love and her role within the Collective? Clara confused her relationship with love itself, and in not sorting out the difference, would have suffered at the end of the war whether she’d gone on to live or ended her life as she did, at the hands of those for whom she was a symbol of the worst of Venus.

Please note, this article uses a Placidus chart for analysis. See my book on the astrology of intimate relationships at Dog and Sunflower Press http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

A Meeting Between the Queen of the Mountain and the King of the Sea

25 Wednesday Mar 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon

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juno So have the past few days just been an anticipation of this meeting between Juno, Queen of Olympus, and her brother-in-law Neptune, King of the Oceans? The run up to this through the Moon’s Dark period suggests the nature of the meeting may sneak up on us, and, depending on our circumstances, we may see what’s eventually revealed in one of several ways.

This may represent exactly what it sounds like, an instance of adulterous betrayal, a turning-to of one person to an inappropriate other; and what is the crime? A sharing that should not be, a breaking of trust and confidence between a commited pair, or revenge–after all, Juno was married to the biggest rake of all time, Jupiter/ Zeus, who, once the honeymoon was over, thought nothing of pursuing anyone he fancied; maybe Juno’s had enough of that. It can also signal a meeting between the heights and the depths, between the intellect and the emotions that may drive it, or symbolize an encounter between those inhabiting two entirely different environments, with probably predictably tumultuous results.

The cuckolded King of the gods

The cuckolded King of the gods

Or maybe for you this is more subtle, not the alliance of two gods, but an anima/animus clash that sees the female energies exercising Will and ego, and the male energies confused, delusional, or trying to realize a dream; in this instance, you may be attuned to the semi-sextile of Venus in Aries to Mars in Pisces. These two make oblique contact and we may see a reversal of the typical receptivity/ aggression labels; the usual suspects behave in opposite character in relation to each other, which can bring disorientation or behavior that is out-of-sync with one’s true nature. It can also bring forward struggles or disputes that are not really concerned with the subject, but with the too passive stance of what should be active, and/or the too assertive stance of what should be less defensive.

Or this may take a materially-centered tone with you, where the power that exerts overt control over all that can be seen must negotiate with he who rules all that is unseen, shown by Ceres’ trine to Pluto. This may be the easiest situation to deal with, as the interplay is relatively smooth and both sides end up satisfied (trine). The fact that the bargained-for items refer to tangible assets or physical things helps, as well; being able to see and weigh the objects of the negotiation makes it much easier to handle. This may in particular refer to situations of obtaining credit, negotiating for an initial salary or pay raise, the matter of possession of assets, or in choosing material investments.

Mercury moves into Aries before the Pisces Moon can come along by conjunction, so emotional perceptions about these past few days may not be completely formed into communicatable thoughts and words; this recent period may just be like a long dream that upon waking we are unable to share with others, but are molded by, or even haunted by, just the same.

Catch me on Twitter, jdem759, visit Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com for the dish on relationships, and buy my work at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com which features new, pdf versions of my books at a new low price!

‘What You’re Asking’: What About Mom? Saturn in Infancy + Flights of Fancy

20 Friday Mar 2009

Posted by in astrology, natal placement

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What’s the effect of an 8th House Moon on mother’s life?

This is a tough one, simply because the question’s not clear, so we’ll look at it as many ways as possible, keeping in mind that the sign involved. the House(s) the Moon rules, and aspects may modify things considerably. First, if this is the querent’s Moon placed in the 8th, we’re talking about, among other things, this as an indicator of how she or he views her or his own mother; as such, Mom may have appeared to the child as having waters that ran deep; a certain amount of mystery may have surrounded this woman, a feeling that much of what’s important with her may be hidden. She also may have been perceived as either being vital to or as one of the assets of others, or that she relied upon those assets in a way that impressed the child. The mother could have been seen as highly co-operative, darkly temperamental, destructive, secretive, or almost magical in her ability to procure the aid of others, to re-generate resources, or to make something out of nothing. It also describes how the querent sees (for a woman) the idea of being a mother herself, in this case it may feel a bit scary, hard to fathom, mysterious, or that it may take one to the depths of the Soul, or of experience, along the way. If the querent is a man, then this reps his attitude toward those women he sees in a non-sexual light; he may see them as powerful, destructive, vengeful, deep, magnetically attractive–it may in some cases suggest he sees or is aware of the sexual potential in all women–or he may see them as possessions, all of whom belong to someone else! Much depends on his own 8th House and his relationship to Pluto; the more comfortable he is with his own Plutonic urges, the more he will see women in general in a positive light.

If this question actually applies to one’s mother’s chart, then we’re looking at how she saw her own mother, and how she may view the role of mothering in her life; that latter would be the attitude she had toward her children. She may see them as affecting her to the core, destroying or changing her (possibly for the good), bringing rage or other dark emotions to the surface (again, not automatically bad in the least), and perhaps acting as a venue to ‘share’ with others, as a connection to them or as a means of sharing assets. For a few women, the child may quite literally be ‘insurance’ of some kind, while a few others will see the child as themselves re-born, and behave accordingly.

Saturn in infancy

Saturn can have some interesting meanings when associated with infancy and early childhood. Besides the obvious possibility of suppression of the child, or the encouragement of Self-repression, possible under some circumstances, we note that Saturn in the 1st, and particularly if it’s close to the Ascendant, can signify a difficult birth or early health concerns (the latter can be seen with a 2nd or 3rd House Saturn, as well). Saturn configured with the personal planets can suggest delay in development, particularly with Mercury (speech, thought). We have a good example, though, of how this isn’t necessarily something to be worried about, in physicist and stylish trendsetter (that hair! those cardigans!) Albert Einstein (14 March 1879  11:30 AM   Ulm Germany). al-einstein1

Einstein’s Saturn, which rules the 7th and 8th, sits in the 10th in Aries conjunct Pallas and Mercury, trine the South Node and sextile the North. Albert was significantly delayed in speaking, and was thought to be very slow in school, actually flunking math in the early grades. We can see both the origin of the delay, and the later brilliance of thought, in his Saturn situation: conjunct Mercury suggests the slowness to express, but it also implies that things might have been ‘building’ out of sight, and Pallas is wisdom. Involvement with the Nodes says two things: that Mom was involved (see Noel Tyl’s work for some excellent evidence in this direction) and that Saturn and Mercury combined were  funneled quite easily, married to past or unseen knowledge (South Node) and transferred through to the present and his own future development (North Node). Placement in Aries allowed him the ego and single-mindedness to do his work, and the 10th says this was public, both the delay and the brilliance. Ruling the 7th and 8th, Saturn in this case says he presented this work to an audience and received their support–and indeed, once he put his ideas out there he was able to think, teach, and work within the University system, and never had to return to the patent office again.

How rare is natal Chiron retrograde?

It’s not, and so far I’ve seen no difference in the way it expresses between retrograde and direct–but then regular readers here will recall that I’m not big on the retrograde status of a planet, simply because the meaning is found in relation to the other placements. All motion is apparent, from our position on Earth; the body doesn’t actually go backwards, and that’s something I find useful to keep in mind.

Focus on: aspects between Ceres and Jupiter

Here we’ll benefit in understanding by looking at these through the lens of their mythological roles. Ceres is the Mother Goddess, Mother Nature, specifically, probably the most powerful agent of creation and the life force this side of God/ the Universe, while Jupiter is another name for Zeus, who became the supreme god on Mt Olympus (he married his sister and fooled around alot, but that’s another story!) When they aspect each other in the natal chart, we’re looking at the meet-up of two very powerful forces, two entities with an enormous sense of authority and power.  Contact with Ceres often suggests one of two things: that the contacted energy must learn negotiation (this related to Ceres role as negotiator with Pluto for his ‘marriage’ to her daughter) and that one must discern one’s province, one’s appropriate boundaries (this, too, from the question of whether it’s correct for the mother to have negotiated her grown daughter’s future). Jupiter’s authority is that of society and its accumulated knowledge; paired with Ceres this can suggest that one must negotiate one’s place within the social order. Ceres and Jupiter together can also say that nature and what’s natural may be a ‘big deal’ to the individual, that one’s more controlling maternal instincts may be exaggerated, or that one either provides for society (like a farmer) or negotiates for society (like a diplomat). As always, sign and House placement, as well as other contacts, can significantly alter meaning here.

And finally, Flights of Fancy:

Would we be able to live on Neptune? and What are the qualities of a creature living on Saturn?

To the former question I say, alas, no; to the latter, I wonder what kind of creature? Whenever I see questions like this, my first thought is of the much stronger gravity of the two planets, compared to Earth, and how that would literally compress something from our world. So, in tongue-in-cheek answer to what the qualities of a creature living on Saturn might be, I’d say, horizontal.

Have a great weekend! And order my work from Dog and Sunflower Press http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  see my Juno series over at http://sasstrology.com and visit my relationship blog Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com (latest article: ‘For the Ladies: Let ‘Em In’)

You Can Follow Me on Twitter and at my Juno guest post on Sasstrology!

13 Friday Mar 2009

Posted by in astrology

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See the first in a 5-part series on Juno by me at http://sasstrology.com hosted by astrologer Jeffrey Kishner

Thanks to astrologer Beth Turnage (who introduced me to Twitter), and reader Cindy F. (who signed up as a follower, and reminded me I’m there!) I’m finally back on Twitter after a very slow start in November. If you’re interested, you can follow me–I’ll be concentrating on the Moon and the planetary ‘vibe,’ in the moment–jdem759.

Many thanks to those who participated in the job info question giveaway! I heard from many new and delightful readers, and wish them all the best of luck in the job search.

My books are available  http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

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