Tag Archives: Natal analysis

Living in the Shadows: Are Power and Love Mutually Exclusive?

20 Tuesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, astrology, Natal Delineation, Pluto, Venus

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‘Love never dies‘ By Glennartist999
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“Where Love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” Carl Jung

In thinking about Jung’s assertion, I naturally looked for an answer via astrology. The most prominent Power player is, of course, Pluto, and Love is indisputably Venus–but as we know, there is plenty of overlap between Love and Power, many shades, and I had to wonder: are they really shadows of each other, or is there a Zen, third way of understanding?

If we take Jung’s assertion as representing absolutes of Love and Power, it is indeed true: when consciousness is consumed by Power, there is no room for Love, as all will be seen through a lens that measures situational Power, and all decisions will be made with Power consequences in mind; and the same is true for Love, if Love is the focus of consciousness, then Power is of no concern–we can only respond with Love, which doesn’t recognize power at all. (If we classify things differently, though, we may find ourselves asking if Love isn’t its own kind of power–but I digress). Of necessity, a viewpoint that is one of pure Love, or pure Power, is almost impossible to muster, much less maintain; not only are we humans in bodies that make demands and with feelings that intrude on nearly every thought, we would have to be Archetypes, almost two-dimensional in our existence, in order to call forth such a one-pointed perceptual lens and apply it to our everyday life for any length of time at all. We can and often do bring forward transcendent moments when an unadulterated concept alone is applied to what stands before us–but these are only moments, soon complicated by conflicting forces both internal and external.

 We would be unsuccessful in holding a single measure in our thoughts simply because we naturally think holistically; we perceive thoughts as holographic, in so far as we tend to think something, believe it’s the results of many interconnected bits, and review it for the many facets of our existence it impacts and springs from–and this is done mostly unconsciously, accounting for our reactions to things that are too swift to have come from considering the material.  We often label this unconscious prompting, or divine inspiration, or instinct (it’s not–instinct is inborn, unvarying among members of the species–though some are more attuned to it than others–and sometimes responded to in spite of what we think or feel), but it’s much more an amalgam of beliefs, assumptions, learned behaviors, and ‘positions’ we have consciously taken–and as such is likely both more complex than any single label might imply, and more than a little contradictory.

It would be smart for us to apply that dimensionality to our thinking, though, because without it our actions and decisions would be ruthlessly automatic, as well as, to a large extent, unresponsive to reality–and we certainly don’t want that! Still, the idea that Love and Power are mutually exclusive is something I see as unfortunate; it’s one of those beliefs that stymies growth and prevents that evolution in thought that eventually comes to allow the individual to hold two or more contradictory ideas at once–to entertain them, though not necessarily to accept them as equal, an important distinction.

Let’s accept that pure Love is at one end of a spectrum, and that its opposite, pure Power, is found at the other. As astrologers and seekers, this might lead us to look for ways to find where we as individuals might fall on that spectrum, to determine what the balance is between the two qualities in our own psyche–for if they are found on a single continuum, then all of us will find ourselves in relation to Love and Power, giving one ‘x’ amount of psychic ‘space’, and the other ‘y’ amount, along that same continuum, as well.

This is all sounding a little too much like geometry class–sorry, didn’t mean to cause flashbacks! Let’s consider, though, that Love and Power could be extremes of the same energy. If each is the shadow of the other, there’s one thing we also know from Jung: “The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the projection of our shadow onto others.” In other words, if we accept our shadow, we make not just ourselves, but the world, a better place–because we don’t mistake our own darkness as belonging to someone else. So, our task may be to find just how we are dealing with Love and Power, how we are balancing and characterizing these, and to learn to accept them both as mere reflections, each of the other–for there’s no chance to be whole if we deny either end of the spectrum, if we characterize either as shadow.

Let’s move to the familiar symbols of the horoscope, in this case Venus and Pluto. Now, here’s the thing: these two will be connected. Some of you may be shouting, ‘No!’ and some of you may be saying, ‘No way’ and rolling your eyes, and some of you may be weeping (likely those with direct contact between the two). Remember how I remarked earlier that with a different viewpoint, we could say that Love is a power of its own? That’s one way to think of it. There is also the idea that, when Power is used in kindness, sacrifice, and without thought of gain, it is Love. And there are other versions of this, the point being that, though we can see them as opposites on extreme ends of a continuum, we can also see them as completely encompassing each other; as being, in effect, one and the same.

Venus-Pluto: A Candy Apple, or a Poison One?

‘Pommes d’ amour’ By Greudin {{PD}}

We could mull on the possibilities for hours, but we have laundry to do and eyebrows to wax and adventures to begin, so we’ll look at what kind of relationships these two can have in the natal chart, and what those might mean. Of course, a conjunction offers the essence of our thesis, that these can be the same thing–and the individual with this conjunction may not easily differentiate the two energies. Love can make this person feel powerful, and situations of power can make this person feel loved. If the Venus shadow predominates, we may have the individual who is always working to hold the power in any relationship; he or she may see every interaction as a power test. This is not necessarily negative–they may just try to work out the power dynamic, rather than try to dominate–but imposing this on a relationship can be wearing, and possibly threatening to the other party.

All situations involving the sense of Love may, for this person, conjure situations of (or maybe just the need to define) power in the interaction, and so muster the specter of destruction via vulnerability. If the interaction is compelling enough, we may call it addiction–which naturally brings forward the destructive core of Pluto, as well as the shadow of Love–both arise, entwined, both dark. This contact can also signify someone who is on a perpetual journey into the Underworld, and this is almost certainly through the individual’s own mind and psyche. With the conjunction, one carries one’s own darkness close to the heart, and this makes for someone of exquisite understanding of pain, shame, and the transforming nature of Love, but it can also make for someone who creates their greatest pain themselves. Venus-Pluto together in the natal chart suggests that the individual is either author of her or his own sojourn into the Soul depths, with resultant transformation of pain into understanding and compassion, and a re-birth that brings the individual, tempered by Plutonian experiences, to a new evolutionary state, or it suggests that this person inflicts his or her worst wounds (even if they appear to come from without), as he or she cannot distinguish Love from rage, or kindness from destruction. Here, the individual themselves either creates the celebration of Life from hard-won knowledge (the Candy Apple) or prepares and serves themselves the fruit of their undoing (the Poison one).

    Our animalistic, survival instincts have trained us to pick the threat out of the landscape–and if everything is fine, we may not trust that perception

With sextiles and trines we have what I describe as an ‘easy’ relationship between the two energies–but what does that really mean? Too often we are tempted to read these aspects as invariably positive, but in reality, the aspects suggest only that whatever each energy expresses meshes well with the expression of the other. That can mean that easy aspects connote expressions that are only surface-deep, a mix of the two most characteristic expressions of that energy for that individual. If that happens to be less-than-ideal, the person with an easy relationship between energies may find these to be some of her or his biggest obstacles, a trap it’s oh-so-easy to stumble into.

For instance, Pluto in Virgo receiving a trine from Venus in Taurus may find that tastes are refined and a true appreciation of material comforts is a strong part of consciousness, as is the meaning behind such material life elements–and yet the individual may easily destroy his or her enjoyment of things through relentless Self-criticism or penny-pinching (the ‘accounting’ aspect of Virgo). Every time the person indulges the senses, prepares a meal, or curls up in a cozy cabin on a stormy night, she or he ruins the experience by worrying (another Virgo specialty) or being critical; she spills a glass of wine and wonders how much it will cost to clean the bearskin rug, he enjoys the warm cabin but every time the heat comes on he calculates how soon he may have to get the fuel tank filled and why didn’t he convert the heating to gas? and the evening is spoiled, just a little. Very often energies in easy aspect will ‘take turns’: one will express positively, and the other will jump in with negative input, in what amounts to a balancing act, and this may be because we are uneasy when things flow (what seems to be) too smoothly. We may fear ‘running on all cylinders’, simply because our animalistic, survival instincts have trained us to pick the threat out of the landscape–and if everything is fine, we may not trust that perception.

These same aspects can, of course, manifest positively, such as when Venus-Pluto trine suggests a deep knowledge of how transforming Love can be, knows how important aesthetics are to enjoyment and perception, recycles what’s discarded into objects of beauty, or makes scads of money–this latter is inherent in any aspect between Venus and Pluto, as an indicator of this potential at some point in the life. The trine or sextile can also show someone who finds it easy to exercise power via the influence one has over those who love them, or can easily change the life, or destroy the Self, over Love (or, sometimes, just over their idea of what Love should be). The Venus-Pluto easy aspect person can offer the bright, shiny candy apple of Love and Transformation to others, can enjoy it herself, or may pass out poisoned fruit, knowingly or not, through distorted ideas of Love or Power.

A square between Love and Power (aka Venus and Pluto) is one of the most written-about, and misunderstood, of aspects. Traditional views tell us this individual will suffer for their unloving attitude–but I think that’s a wee bit harsh and short-sighted. What we see with the square is a conflict for this person between what they see as Love and what they see as Power–and one thing’s consistent, the concepts this individual holds must change in order to settle the conflict and gain both qualities in the life. Squares can play out initially in a way similar to the opposition: the individual chooses one side to embody, and casts someone or some situation in the life to represent the other–and then the struggle ensues, as the individual attempts to wrest the ‘missing’ quality from the designated other–and fails miserably (“I love you–empower me!” or “Respond to my demand–love me!”) It’s in the experience of failing to get what they need that this person comes to understand that by loving to gain power, or using power to gain love, they cannot be fulfilled, and it’s then that the alchemy begins.

When assessing any square, but particularly the Venus-Pluto square, we should keep in mind that this represents conditions the individual believes to be true. If we think of it that way, we find that his Venus-Pluto errors simply need to be unlearned; the Power within Love, and the Love that guides Power, are the treasure (Venus) to be unearthed (Pluto) by this individual.  Compassion may be the perfect Venus-Pluto conceptual blend for the square: this person may have been force-fed the idea that she will not be loved (or lovable) if she is a powerful person, in charge of her own life. She may have been told that loving people don’t care about power–and so be cleverly disenfranchised from an early life scenario. She could have been told (and by ‘told’ I mean a message delivered, likely non-verbally, through significant others, typically the adults, in the early years) that Love involves rage, anger, jealousy, requires expensive tribute, is nothing but a power play, is destructive, or that one must immolate oneself on its altar in order to be worthy–all, of course, untrue. With the square, the individual was probably given a poison apple early on, and will continue to partake of it until some conflict makes the absurdity of poisoning oneself patently obvious.

As we’ve touched on previously, an opposition between Venus and Pluto typically first presents as the individual identifying with one side, and projecting the other; this can mean that, because this aspect lacks the outright conflict potential that the square has, the individual could never be under sufficient pressure to recognize a need for integration–they could go their whole lives living one side, projecting the other. In that case, we would see someone who sees themselves as totally loving and generous, and who rejects the idea that he or she may carry darkness or a desire for power, who may have encounter after encounter with angry, destructive, sneaky, dishonest people, or have relationships with those who are abusive or who are excessively centered in power and its payoffs (or, less likely, the individual may see themselves as ‘bad’, or as a transformative and powerful Being who cannot relate to Love and human relationships). The person as well as many who surround her or him often sing the lament, “I’m/she’s/he’s so nice, why do such bad things happen to me/her/him?” The answer is, to wake you up–to spur you to claim all facets of yourself–to make you see that you do carry a Plutonian darkness, and that by living in Venus, you are only half alive–but few will recognize the appropriateness of this answer.

Most people with the opposition do eventually realize that there’s something missing within the consciousness, often when they are confronted with positive and attractive examples of others who are living that opposing, not-identified-with power. A boy who believes he’s ‘bad’ is taken in by a loving family–and suddenly he begins to see that Love is accessible to him, too, that relationships are something he can create–and that he has misinterpreted his ‘badness’, when it may really be misguided or misdirected, but perfectly acceptable, energies. A man who believes himself to be loving and harmless may wonder why he can’t attract a mate, and it’s only in seeing the honest exchanges of energy (which include fighting and resentments) between others in obviously good and loving relationships that he comes to realize that expecting perfect harmony all the time is killing his chances at Love. In the case of the opposition, the individual may see life as all candy apples and unicorns (figuratively speaking) and reject any hint of darker things, or the individual may sees themselves as the poison apple, fearing that their mere presence harms others–and in both cases, life will deliver opportunities to accept the opposite energy and incorporate it into the world view and the psyche–and until this happens, the individual is likely to lead a lopsided, confusing, and unfulfilled existence, where they yearn for something, without realizing the thing they require is the very thing they reject. Once recognition of the need for incorporation occurs, things usually move steadily toward an integration that ultimately may mimic a conjunction in its melding of the two energies.

Now you may be saying, “But I don’t have a direct aspect between Venus and Pluto–what about me? Does this apply?” Yes, it does apply to you–these energies will always, in some way, no matter how tenuous, touch. They can touch through sign placement: Venus in Scorpio or Aries (Mars as a ‘secondary’ ruler of Scorpio, like Pluto’s little brother) connects the Venusian concepts to the darkness. If you have Pluto in Libra, you are likely familiar with the darker side of relationships–and you accept it. Also applicable are aspects to a third body that both aspect but are outside the orb of a connection between Venus-Pluto. There’s also the way Venus in the sign of your Pluto, or aspecting Pluto’s ruler, or Pluto aspecting Venus’s ruler, or the rulers of each in aspect, can pull them together, or even the way these might be located in each other’s ‘natural’ Houses (Venus in the 1st or 8th, Pluto in the 2nd or 7th). There’s also potential for connection through being in the same element or modality. You may think these are a stretch, but they will give you a good idea of where you fall on the Venus-Pluto continuum, of the way you divvy up Love and Power.

Carl Jung, who provided the quote that set this whole discussion off, is a good example. Born 26 July 1875 in Kesswil, Switzerland at about 7:30 PM, Jung has Venus in the 6th in Cancer, conjoined Mercury, and Pluto in the 4th in Taurus. Right away we see a connector, in spite of these two forming no direct aspect: Pluto is in Venus’s sign of Taurus. This hints that Venusian energies may be stronger in Carl’s psychic vocabulary, that they may tinge his Plutonian concepts. Venus is in wide square to Jupiter, exaggerating Love’s power and linking it to, among other things, the social order. It’s in Venus’ mutual reception with the Taurus Moon that we find the most potent contact. and considering some uncertainty to the birth time (and if we allow a reasonably large orb), the Moon could be conjoined Pluto–and this little tidbit binds the two, Love and Power, together almost as tightly as a conjunction might, through the mechanism of emotional interaction with and interpretation of the material world (Moon in Taurus).

Pluto has other aspects, though, and they add to the picture: Pluto is the arm of a T-square with a Saturn-Ceres opposition (reality and Nature ‘face off’, resolving the conflict only through working out the individual’s power position with both), is in rough sesquiquadrate the South Node in Libra (the past and past experiences as prompts to / roots of difficulties in relationship), and is the apex of a Finger of God with base of Jupiter in Libra and Mars in Sagittarius the individual depth of knowledge, when combined with an optimistic and socially acceptable attitude toward relationships, offers pure Power). Again, we see Venus’s influence on the Plutonian concept, through Libra and Taurus, and through the emotions (Taurus Moon. ‘sharing’ a vibe with Pluto, and possibly making the emotions the first line of access when reading matters of Power), including making Pluto the receiver for integration of concepts about the interrelationship of the individual with the social order (Jupiter in Libra) and the influence of relationships/ Love as it reminds of and draws on the past (Libra SN). Added bonus, Sedna, North Node, and Chiron are all in secondary sign of Aries, suggesting that these energies incline toward a Plutonian worldview through Self-assertion. That’s not to mention, if the birth time is correct, how the Black Moon Lilith point is closely conjoined the Midheaven–making it part of his role in the world to show us all how to realize and deal with those things ignored, denied, or otherwise buried.

It seems, then, that Dr. Jung may have been so intent on admonishing all of us on the need to recognize and accept the shadow simply because he was prone to favor Love, to see it as more compelling than Power–and probably to be ultra-aware of the dangers inherent in not recognizing ourselves in the darkness. “Unfortunately there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” Spoken with the confidence of a Leo Sun–and oh Carl, don’t we know it.

This article previously appeared in ECLIPSE, and has been modified and added to.

A Question of History: Was England’s Richard III a Victim of Ceres?

23 Tuesday May 2023

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology and Food, Astrology and Health, Ceres, Natal Delineation, Transit Effects Explored

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I’ve done a series of articles over the years on different historical mysteries, always titled ‘A Question of History’; this one first appeared in a 2014 issue of ECLIPSE.

Periodically I like to inspect historical personages and events taking an astrological perspective, so when I ran across an article (in The New Statesman, and no longer available online) on England’s Richard III and a potential allergy, I had to check it out, particularly considering the way Ceres is becoming more and more obviously prominent in instances of allergy, sensitivity, and in autoimmune diseases of all kinds—I wanted to see if Richard’s famous change of demeanor after excusing himself for a strawberry feast  during a council meeting of 13 June 1483 was possibly related to just such a reaction. If so, it may have had history-affecting consequences, as Richard’s fear that he may have been poisoned or the victim of witchcraft (there is even a suggestion that ingesting a massive number of strawberries may have caused the withering effect to one arm that we heretofore had believed through eyewitness description was a birth defect) led him to lash out against those who might take the crown—including his nephews, better known as ‘The Princes in the Tower’, Edward V of England, for whom Richard was acting as Protector, and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (at the time the Tower of London was not yet used exclusively as a prison; the boys were lodged there, under guard and for their protection, so the story goes). After the strawberry incident, Richard announced he was taking the crown for himself and the boys ‘disappeared’; his suspicion of even his closest allies planted the seeds for the difficulty of his reign and the horrible reputation that follows him to this day.

Richard III is believed to have been born 2 October 1452 Julian Calendar 9:02 AM LMT (time is certain) Northhamptonshire England. Times of 9 AM and 7 AM have also been put forward, but the time of 9:02 was deduced by astrologer Martin Harvey in the British Astrological Journal Spring 1967, “Time deduced from a 1452 account in Latin, October 2, 1452 OS, 9:15 AM LAT” as per Astrodatabank.

Right away we notice the Scorpio Ascendant sextile Juno (which body I’ve conjectured before may in a man signal a sense of Self-completion, as in not feeling the need for complementary energies, which means the psyche has no room for another—it’s a placement, then, of total Self-empowerment that claims the right to do as he pleases—because no one, and so no other viewpoint, figures in). The apex to the Finger created is the Earth-retro Mars conjunction in Aries—certainly easy to associate this vanity/ ego uncertainty/ identity as a man as it manifested through the personality resulting in the death Richard suffered, as a Warrior at the Battle of Bosworth Field, with blows to the head (Aries) so hard that his crown was driven into his skull (and we know this as his remains, verified by mitochondrial testing of two of his sister’s descendants compared to the DNA found, identified the skeleton discovered under a UK car park in 2012 as definitively his).

But was he susceptible to Mother Nature? Wow, was he ever! Ceres sits at 29 Libra 11, under stress and hidden just inside the 12th and a hair above the start of the 1st House; it’s the T-arm of a wide Vesta-Uranus opposition, suggesting that stress from Nature shows up in erratic and sudden behaviors that are contrary to the highest values. Ceres is the body of latest degree; it implies that all matters end in some sort of ‘reaction’, be it in relation to his sense of authority, his boundaries, his negotiating power, or his interaction with Nature.

‘Strawberries in a Basket‘ By Joseph Decker 1887 {{PD}}

Ceres is quincunx the natal Taurus Moon in the 7th; the Moon is another indicator of sensitivity, in Taurus implying a sensitivity to the environment and particularly to food and atmosphere (and of course the meeting where the impressive change to his demeanor occurred was in mid-June, a high point for strawberries and every other blooming thing!) Placement in the 7th suggests that Richard may have had a very reactive personality, emotionally and intuitively hypersensitive to others, and this is reiterated by the Moon’s opposition to Venus in the 1st.

Richard’s Ceres is also conjoined a 00 Scorpio Mercury (lungs, nerves, highly sensitive to what’s communicated, and at 00 he’s just learning to deal with this in a Scorpionic fashion). The asteroid also sextiles the North Node (while not driving the destiny, it easily figures in), trines Jupiter, ruler of the 2nd (the Ceres nature affects his relationship with the social sphere, his knowledge—indicating potential for the mind and reasoning to be affected by any reaction—and his grasp of the ‘Big Picture’), and is widely conjoined Saturn, again emphasizing the impact of the surrounding reality via Ceres. We also see his Mars in Aries conjoined his Earth, both in the 6th of health, yet again showing the importance of the environment and his own choices and actions on the health picture. This is not to mention the Grand Trine of Ceres, Jupiter, and the South Node, which does suggest that knowledge from the past, lessons learned, would guide ‘reaching out’ efforts and attempts to widen his authority and influence—and this is something that probably initially went very right for him, getting him to the position he enjoyed in June of 1483.

A look at the transits on the day of Richard’s strawberry feast include the Sun fresh in sensitive Cancer trine his Ceres-Mercury, and Saturn at 00 Scorpio conjoined his Mercury, highlighting nervous sensitivity to the material world; transiting Zeus is exact conjoined his Pluto (destructive desires!); transiting Ceres trines his Saturn (again, the influence of Nature made manifest), transiting Eris widely conjoined his Earth-Mars (irritation!); and there were not one but three transiting bodies at 29 degrees during the day, if we include the Virgo Moon (at 29 degrees for a noon chart, so perfect for an allergic reaction) as well as Jupiter and Pallas, all impacting natal Ceres, expanding the potential for sensitivity and reaction, and this in turn having an impact on the common sense and wisdom of the individual (Pallas)—and with Jupiter in the mix, we might consider the reaction could’ve been extreme, even potentially fatal.

There is one other thing: a natal aspect of the 24th Harmonic of 105 degrees (popularly termed the Squine, as it’s halfway between a square and a trine!) between Richard’s Zeus and his Ceres and Mercury. Though some feel there’s no reliable interpretation to be applied to this aspect, I believe that’s generally so because enough astrologers haven’t observed it in action for a long enough time to find consistent characteristics. We must keep in mind, too, that Ceres is not just about one’s interaction with Nature; it’s also about one’s sense of authority and interaction with those who hold authority, concerns boundaries and the propensity to overstep them, and applies to one’s negotiative abilities. If Richard’s Ceres was ‘triggered’ by strawberry consumption, and this affected the thinking (Mercury), then too it could’ve affected the ambitions and desires (Zeus)—and as we know, when the ambitions are touched by fear such as may have occurred with a biological reaction interpreted as poisoning or an occult attack, then it wouldn’t be surprising for the ‘victim’ to have grabbed as much power and control for himself as possible in a bid to insure his own safety, leading to the ominous and still unanswered disappearance of two little boys, and changing the course of a kingdom.“

The Princes in the Tower By John Everett Millais 1878 {{PD}}

Addendum on the Princes in the Tower: Though we still can’t be sure what was the fate of the two princes, the bones of two children were discovered in the Tower in 1674; these were re-buried in Westminster Abbey, which now refuses to allow disinterment and testing to see definitively if these were the nephews of Richard III. And the mystery continues.

Thought Experiment: For Or Against

02 Thursday Mar 2023

Posted by in 7th House, astrology, Astrology and Identity, Consciousness Explored, Natal Delineation

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‘The Art of Stones’ By Rasheedhrasheed

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 July 2019

What are you, without the things you’re against? We sometimes focus so much on what we reject, hate, despise, that we neglect to define what we’re for, what we want to dedicate our lives to, what we’re striving to achieve. Don’t confuse the ‘wish list’ we put forward as ideal with defining those things we support; what we name as a ‘perfect’ version of ourselves is different (more or less, in most cases) than what we actually spend our time doing, supporting through action, choice, and attention. For instance, we might see ourselves as highly supportive of education in all its forms–but if we’re neither involved in educating others (which requires a certain level of knowledge/ expertise ourselves) or in actively gaining knowledge (as opposed to reinforcing what we already believe/ know), then we aren’t living that concept we see as part of what defines us. And there’s the further temptation to re-frame that as a kind of statement, such as ‘I hate ignorance’–but as we know, hating something we define as the opposite of our ideal doesn’t actually get us any closer to living that ideal, it only sends our energy and attention toward something we’ve already stated we don’t want more of. That’s irony in action.

There are a few places and bodies in the chart that can clue us in to ways we might be prone to mislead ourselves, in terms of aggravating a gulf between who we think we are, and who we are in our interactions with current, three-dimensional reality. First place to look might be the 7th House, the place we are most prone to project the energies it represents. It’s possible to see the negative sides of these in others, and never move on from there, believing, say, that Mercury there gives the experience of others who talk and talk and don’t think, for example, or that Pluto there shows us a darkness in others which we absolutely refuse to see as potentially in ourselves. It’s a matter of ownership: do you see those 7th House energies in all their dimensionality, and accept them as part of yourself? There’s also the possibility that you see the positive qualities of that body but are convinced they belong only to others–Uranus there may seem to grant everyone else freedom that it feels like you’re denied, or Venus there may make you feel like others are beautiful, fortunate, or in some way favored that you can only long to be.

Where Saturn sits, we may have the natural inclination to repress others or judge others, believing it’s the negative qualities of the sign we must rail against–and yet, if we are adequately disciplined and connected to reality ourselves, we are likely to find this judgmental need falling away. We lose the need to judge others (I don’t mean assess, use discernment, or recognize who they are, I mean condemn) when we learn kindness, when we are able to recognize commonalities–and when we can apply that kindness, that realization that we are human, to ourselves.

Neptune is famous for offering up delusions about who we are (especially if connected to the personal planets), but it also tells us what energies align with our genuine ideals, and it points us toward where our creative energy can not just best express, but flourish. Pluto, of course, can frighten, with the glimpse of the darkness it offers, even the threat of our own personal hell, but it can transform us with the way it can offer change, an energy for re-birth and re-making that feels massive and elemental, but that is malleable, when we accept its impact and then strive to shape inevitable change in a desired form.

Chiron, of course, points to the wound, the primal injury that must, if we’re to deal with it successfully, be excavated and recognized, owned and, hopefully, released. Vesta needs thorough examination specifically because it describes what we care about at a Universal, spiritual level; to understand the message of Vesta is to understand, on a most human and individual level, why we are here–or should I say, what we are here to do. As the representative of what we most want to dedicate our life energies to (and this may be literal, in matters described by the sign in which it sits) or symbolic, centering on a concept or value, Vesta can offer us a standard against which to measure every choice: does this resonate with how and where I wish to spend my life energy? If so, carry on! And, once Chiron is to some extent explored, Vesta energy can be combined with the gift that inspection of Chiron will illuminate, the highly specialized thing that only you can offer the world in that very precise way–and you end up with a solid recipe for a rewarding and spiritually fulfilling life path.

Unfettered optimism, a refusal to recognize what’s not relevant, working, or for us as individuals, can be as destructive as a negative pall on every subject; neither approach allows for nuance, context, or the particular talents and viewpoint of the individual. It’s in listening to the Universe, to the response we get from it in answer to our actions and thoughts, and in then following the prompts, not of the ego, but of the Soul, that we’re most likely to find that thing, that circumstance, we don’t even know we’re looking for.

Jupiter in the Natal Chart: What’s Your Mission?

13 Monday Sep 2021

Posted by in Assets and Talents, astrology, Astrology and Identity, Jupiter, Natal Delineation, natal placement, The Signs

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‘Jupiter and Tetis’ By Dominique Ingres 1811 {{PD}}

In doing some chart work this past week, it occurred to me that Jupiter really does offer us a kind of mission statement, an approach blueprint for what we’re here to do, beyond any Soul intentions (the Sun) or Earthly needs (Earth, always directly opposed the Sun, designating the environment or atmosphere or material requirements necessary to fulfill the Soul’s purpose). This is a thread that likely runs through so much else that you do or strive for; it’s probably a sort of ‘silent component’ that is part of any activity or intention, aside from a stated goal or point. So, here are a few brief potential mission statements for each sign; these are off-the-cuff, so please forgive any shortcomings or things I might have forgotten.

Aries: the mission is to discover who you are. The reason for being, exploring the needs and consequences of action and choice, and to plumb the depths and limits of the personal Will. Showing others the importance of acting, doing. The value of the Self.

Taurus: the mission is to discover forms of harmonious expression of the Self through materiality. To explore the array of bodily needs from survival to luxuries, and the value of refining a necessity (such as food) to an artisanal level. Our connection to Nature through diet and environment. The value of caring for the body and honoring physical needs, and of imbuing the everyday with artistry.

Gemini: the mission is to discover forms of connection and communication. To explore, act as a ‘translator’, in both the language and broadcast senses, and to share the web of perpetual communication that is always present, always informing. Thinking as a necessity. The value of being informed, and the importance of that to our interconnectedness.

Cancer: the mission is to discover what it truly means to care. To nurture and be nurtured, to experience the beauty of keeping another being alive, to guide others with loving energy attuned to their welfare, rather than your own. To soothe and emotionally support. Exploring the concept of sacrifice for others, and knowing when that’s appropriate, when to be avoided. The value of positive action supported by emotional investment.

Leo: the mission is to discover what it truly means to be fulfilled. To explore what efforts and attention are genuinely meaningful, what works to uplift others, what it means to each individual to live optimally, making the most of their talents and opportunities. Learning to ‘shine’ from the core Self. The value of doing and being your best.

Virgo: the mission is to discover the subtleties of discretion and their expression through useful critique and analysis. To explore concepts around accountability and responsibility, and to insure everyone receives what’s due. The value of seeing things and people as they are, and so assessing them for best function/ role.

Libra: the mission is to discover what cooperation and partnership really entail. Exploring recognition of and regard for ‘the Other’. Learning when to put ‘we’ before ‘I’. Seeing when and where aesthetics matter. The value of doing things with others, not out of survival or want, but out of Love.

Scorpio: the mission is to discover what ‘the Truth’ really means. To explore when to dig, when to let things alone. Learning to let go of things in order to clear the way for something else. Developing the ability to know when sacrifice is necessary, and when to ‘try again’. The value of persistence; the good judgment to know when something’s over, and to recognize when something’s real.

Sagittarius: the mission is to discover what Faith really means to you. To explore the middle ground between facts and beliefs, and to know the difference between them. Being willing to discover other ways of seeing and being. Learning how and when to reach out, ‘spreading the word’, and refusing to exaggerate or over-promise. The value of moving forward/ sharing based on real-world facts or on genuine belief, and honoring accumulated knowledge by doing so.

Capricorn: the mission is to discover the importance of feeling secure to the human spirit. To explore the optimal uses of guidelines and structures, literal and figurative; to learn when to follow tradition, when to discard it. Learning to gauge when restraint is needed, and when it must be removed. Offering others a ‘safe place’. Learning positive ways to accumulate in the material world. The value of creating something strong, solid, orderly, that gives a sense of security and shelter and anchors people in reality.

Aquarius: the mission is to discover how to connect with Higher Mind in the moment. Exploring what genuinely reflects elevated consciousness/ core spirituality, what is shallow, academic, or a fad. Seeing the modern, and how it can mesh with what is/ the past. The spirit of innovation, inventiveness. The value of understanding as it supports acceptance and opens the way for ‘the new’.

Pisces: the mission is to discover the Oneness of All. Exploring the source of both creativity and spirit. Learning the means and power of manifestation. Promoting Universality in positive ways that allow distinctiveness and creative expression within the Collective. Showing that the only sacrifice necessary is one of ego. The value of recognizing everything is spiritual.

Chiron Pt. 3

21 Wednesday Apr 2021

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, Astro Lessons, astrology, Chiron, Conjunctions, Natal Delineation

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Chiron–what a dandy! {{PD}}

This is part of a continuing series begun last year where I asked readers to send in their questions about aspects, specifically natal aspects, they wanted to know more about.

Hi Julie
I am going to take a step in to play!!
Aspect: Conjunctions..
“blind spots” not noticed in the past, yet now it seems I am aware of that aspects signature more
(Birth data removed)

Be safe!! Love and Blessings!!

Dear Reader,

First, a thank you for your lovely wishes–I hope you’re staying safe, and thriving, well-blessed, too!

A little bit about conjunctions: natally they tend to weld two energies together for a lifetime, particularly if the conjunction is close (say, at or less than 2.5 degrees). This can cause the individual with the aspect to find it particularly hard to deploy the energies separately. For instance, a Moon-Mars conjunction can mean that hurt, sensitivity, intuitive perceptions, or emotional reactions can all be answered with anger, assertiveness, or a hot-footed insistence on doing something in answer to the feeling. This duo may predispose one to a fear that emotional expression may bring only anger from others, or that anger itself is the only acceptable emotion. But, this same combo can also mean that the feeling nature and the action urge can work in well-synchronized harmony, since they (likely) sit in the same sign, and share the same sensibilities (we’ll skip thinking about conjunctions that straddle two signs, for now!) Working together, Moon-Mars could make the individual highly dependent on the feelings to get them moving, or on the intuition to know what to do, with the down side that this could short-cut past the mind, leaving reason ‘out in the cold’ when it comes to choices and actions.

One of the biggest impacts of a conjunction, though, is the way it can make matters of the two Houses they rule (when the conjoined are major bodies) work together. In a Whole Sign chart using the same Moon-Mars example, we would find cooperation between the House holding Cancer and the House holding Aries. It doesn’t matter what sign the conjunction itself falls in, those two Houses would still find their subjects enmeshed, sometimes for good, and sometimes in more difficult ways. By example, we can consider a situation with that Moon-Mars conjunction ruling Aries in the 7th, Cancer in the 10th. This might mean that the individual’s ‘I Am’ and initiative (Aries/ Mars), when triggered through partnership or the creation of Art (7th), will automatically strive to show the emotional palette publicly (10th), through career or in support of the reputation, or even in business. ‘I Care’ (Cancer) would always prompt ‘I Act’, and would likely focus through interaction, presented to an audience or even just the spouse (7th), with the result aimed at enhancing the reputation, furthering the Self’s public cause (also known as the career), or letting the world know what the Self cares about (10th). There are lots of possibilities; it’s the entwined nature of the expression of conjunction energies themselves, and through the Houses they rule, that’s important to keep in mind.

Now just a few observations; this isn’t definitive, by any means. You, dear Reader, have a number of conjunctions we could discuss that I think would be helpful to others, and today we’ll look briefly at two clusters; first, your Chiron-Venus conjunction in Aquarius in the 7th (note: Chiron is novile the Sun, while Venus is closer to a semi-square, though both are novile Pallas), square Mars, opposite the Ascendant, quincunx the South Node, square Neptune, widely opposed the Moon, and sextile Black Moon Lilith; Chiron is also sesquiquadrate Vesta, while Venus makes no contact. This weaves Chirotic energy directly into the personality, into the identity and the Soul’s purpose (all through the Sun contact) in a way that informs the way of Being in the world with a unique viewpoint and a bit of genius via skills, especially healing skills (the novile), playing up the innovative qualities (Aquarius) through the creative Piscean Soul (Sun) and fusing them with Love (Venus). But, Venus’ rougher aspect adds this: that relationships and/ or finances don’t come easily, that there may be lessons to learn to adequately answer the questions, What is Love? What is really an asset (i.e., worthy)? What can–and should I–own?

We get a clue about potential areas of Venusian difficulties via the Houses Venus rules, the 3rd and 10th, which could imply that ways of thinking or communicating may be a big part of the problem, with the ability to understand others (Libra in the 3rd, Venus in Aquarius, the sign of understanding) potentially the main issue. The sextile to Black Moon Lilith implies it may be easy to ignore what you find unpleasant–and that could complicate communication, as well. The 10th may suggest issues are with those in authority, with business practices, gum up the career, or are very visible to those with whom you interact, to the point that they are part of the reputation. Too, with Libra involved, you may be known for your gentle diplomacy–or for your passive-aggression, both Libra specialties! The square to Mars says action and choice always seem to either be forced or come rapped up with difficulties in executing the Will; it isn’t hard to see how mental processing or communication issues could set the stage for awkward reception of your actions and choices.

The fact that the conjunction falls not only in the 7th but so closely opposed the Ascendant may create a tricky dynamic: a kind of echo around choices and actions that asks, ‘Will this hurt?’ and ‘What will it cost me?’ with the added difficulty of either not being sure whether these potentials are coming from the actions of others or from yourself (the 7th, either seen as your own energies or projected as belonging to others)–and this could suggest that you see others as having communication or anger issues that are actually your own, as the Universe loves to confront us with others who show us in bold type our own failings.

The novile to the Sun suggests the Soul finds ingenious ways to express its healing nature and skills (these being the positives associated with Chiron), but also funnels this hesitancy surrounding a sense of vulnerability directly to the identity and may impinge on the Soul moving toward expressing its purpose. But, the Pisces Sun sits in the 8th, reinforcing that possibility of mistaking one’s own methods and motivations for those of others, but also steeped in the creative energies derived from interaction with and cooperation with others. One issue may be that you offer healing even when others don’t want it! perhaps creating the dissonance of the Venus semi-square, making relationship a bit tense at times.

This is it me or is it them? confusion may be central to the Chiron-Venus in 7th in Aquarius: anytime there’s hurt or a potential for healing (with the Self or in relationships), in the asset picture, or in your view of your own talents, you may either 1) intellectualize things, thinking you need to ‘figure it out’ or justify matters before you can accept that healing potential, or 2) see either the healing or the hurt as potentially coming only from others; that is, you may not recognize your part in things (i.e., that others can’t hurt you unless you agree to feel hurt, for instance). The sesquiquadrate between Chiron and Vesta could imply that only when wounded do you consider deviating from your highest values–but with Venus there, Love likely pulls you back from that precipice very quickly.

The approach to Love, Money, and injury, psychic, emotional, or otherwise, may also be intellectualized as a way of Being; that is, you may go deeply into these subjects theoretically, while in the real world you may feel either that thinking about how they operate is enough, or that others are more responsible/ have a more intimate relationship with these matters than you feel you do. This could also show as a tendency to think about things, especially relationships or assets, and feel that you’ve then dealt with them, without taking any action, with the square to Mars showing just how hard that can be for you.

One good potential with that Venus-Chiron/ Mars combo is that you likely work very hard to define and express yourself, and that your sensitivity levels, especially to others, are very high. There is probably a high degree of conscientiousness and a determination not to harm others. It may be vital for you to operate (that is, to act or choose) only when you are both intellectually and heart-centered in any matter–another meaning for the Mars square, then, may be you holding yourself back until you are sure of what you want to do, vetted against all that’s most important to you in life.

And a word or two on the Venus-Neptune square: this is an out-of-sign aspect, with both sitting in Air, Neptune in the 3rd in Libra, introducing the potential for creative, inspired, or completely delusional thinking, and the contact to Venus linking it to relationships again, once through Libra and once through Venus in the 7th. This unites the 3rd, 8th, and 10th Houses, suggesting that thinking and communication are heavily influenced by others and your interactions with them, especially what you share, and that this is part of the reputation, career, or expressed through interaction with authorities or publicly. Do you write? Are you an Artist? If not vocationally, you certainly are in your essence.

There is also the potential for you to associate yourself as a woman with carrying unique skills, with being fundamentally injured, and/ or with innately being a healer. I suspect with you it’s this latter, but any of those are possible, and may make up various facets of the identity specifically associated with womanhood as you see and express it, as well as likely pinpointing a specific feeling of vulnerability within your identity.

Ruler of Aquarius, Uranus, is sandwiched into another conjunction, this one uniting Moon, Jupiter, and Uranus within just over seven degrees of one another, in Cancer in the 12th. So, we have the Moon in its own sign (very strong!) connecting to the Venus-Chiron duo by opposition, bringing the emotions into, and perhaps having them drive, all that we’ve been discussing. In the 12th, the Moon may not make itself known directly, instead having a strong impetus to push out through those natal energies contacted, so that you may be less aware than you know of the influence of the emotions on other life areas (and this may be doubly so with Aquarius putting the stamp of intellectual understanding on so much, possibly unaware of how the feeling nature has a hand in things!) The feeling could be, ‘I’m very sensitive, but not emotional–I’m the most rational person I know!’

There’s a lot to unpack here, but we’ll look at only one thing, the Houses brought together through rulership by these bodies: 5th, 7th, and 12th. That suggests that creative acts (5th) are fueled by feedback from or cooperation with others (7th–as well as giving that creative urge and artistic bent–also 7th), and that this can be a channel for, or overwhelmingly influenced by, a connection to the Cosmic and/ or the unconscious (12th). With the conjunction located in the 12th, this is a powerful recipe to bring spirit as a living, breathing, creative thing into the everyday life–and goodness knows, the world definitely needs more of this right now–

Want to know more about Chiron in your chart? Get my Chiron workbook here–

Snapshot of a Life: Photographer Vivian Maier

25 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by in astrology, ECLIPSE magazine, Natal Delineation

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Taken at the "Finding Vivian Maier: Chicago Street Photographer" exhibition in Chicago 8 January 2011 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagogeek/5337419802/ Author ChicagoGeek Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Taken at the “Finding Vivian Maier: Chicago Street Photographer” exhibition in Chicago 8 January 2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagogeek/5337419802/
Author ChicagoGeek Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

What follows is a brief look at the chart of Vivian Maier, subject of a recent documentary, taken from the pages of ECLIPSE.

I heard and saw mentions of her, bits and pieces: amazing photos. dead now. a nanny. walked around Chicago for years, taking photos. Nobody noticed. And then I caught ‘Finding Vivian Maier’, a documentary, on HBO. I was prepared to witness some great photos, and perhaps the sadness of a life not lived to as full an extent, or as widely celebrated, as it might‘ve been. What I saw instead was a portrait of a woman who had been seen as mysterious largely because she was both exceptionally private and thoroughly estranged from any family, who preferred the company of children (whom she often bullied) to that of adults, and with a background involving time spent in the village of her mother’s birth in France that had some acquaintances privately calling her accent phony.

I admit I’ve had a very difficult time writing about Maier, for as intriguing as it is to learn about a newly-revealed talent, Maier as an individual seems to have been difficult, and often unpleasant. By the last third of the documentary I found myself looking away at least as much as actually watching, not out of disinterest, but out of the sense that she was a human being who had inflicted pain on her charges, with the obvious inference that this was because she lacked the Self-awareness to separate her own behavior from the pain that had been inflicted on her—a nasty revelation about the doc’s subject, to be sure, and one I felt ambivalent about: did her faults as a human being detract from the body of work she left behind? Ideally, in my view, the work should speak for itself, but when the life seems to provide such a telling frame for the work, one that may be in stark contrast to what is produced while still holding the reflection of it, it may be unfair to look at one without the other, if only because one would not exist without the other.

With no birth time, we have no Houses, Ascendant, or Midheaven, and so Maier (1 February 1926 ntk New York NY USA) remains more mysterious than not; however, an Aquarius Sun sextile Sedna, trine Pallas, quincunx Pluto, and opposed Black Moon Lilith suggests an instinctive urge to hide from (and sometimes to battle) what may have felt like destructive, even vindictive, external forces. She may have seen confrontation (the opposition) as the only wise response to the anger or darkness or manipulative (to her) behavior of others (Black Moon Lilith, disowned, seen as ‘the Other’ through opposition), with the need to continually adjust the power expression/ situation (Pluto qnx) just the smart thing to do (Pallas trine).

The Sun is in an interesting spot: it sits more than 9 degrees from retrograde Venus, which suggests to me the potential rejection of the Venusian facets of Beingness; it’s like a statement, “I’m not beautiful, I don’t have money, relationships and Love are not ‘me’” (via the retro status) but if we had a birth time we would have Houses, and so see how the Art of photography was accepted as ‘hers’ when the other Venus qualities seem not to have been—and yet, we need to look no farther than the Ceres-Neptune opposition to Venus to find a possible explanation. This could imply that in rejecting (or in believing it wasn’t accessible to her in the first place) the usual Venusian expression she was able to embrace what opposed it—in this case, a connection to Nature and her ‘natural’ role as an authority (Ceres–which she may have lived as the ‘pseudo-mother’ to a couple generations of children) melded with her photography (Neptune, in Leo—and proportionally she seems to have taken a large number of Self-portraits—even when the lion hides, she doesn’t).

The observational eye of Maier’s camera seems attuned to those who don’t normally receive that much attention; she finds and frames the ordinary, the every day, and appears to make a specialty of informal portraits of those who aren’t used to being noticed. The Venus-Neptune connection could bestow the ability to see and appreciate what’s usually invisible, the beauty that’s typically obscured. Mercury and Jupiter are conjunct in Aquarius=choosing a modern means of communicating, and in contacting the social sphere; with the camera always between herself and her subjects, Vivian may have made an overarching statement about what she truly found worthy by what she chose to photograph—that was her statement, loud and clear. She takes an intellectual approach to society, communicating and recording with something of a cool, dispassionate gaze, through the camera. With Merc-Jupiter opposed Zeus, there’s no doubt that she saw her photos as an expression of ambitions and talent as even on the surface she appeared to deny she had any ambition at all.

Many ask why Vivian didn’t share her work. We see Juno (empowerment) and the South Node (the past) conjunct in Capricorn, and these hook by aspect into ruler Saturn, Uranus, Chiron, Mars, and Ceres-Neptune=this may speak of when Vivian and her mother lived for a time in New York City around 1930 with photographer Jeanne Bertrand, who likely taught Vivian the ‘rules’ of photography, and acted as an example of how taking pictures could empower, by giving the photographer a god-like ability to literally choose what will be seen, to frame, to crop real life to one’s liking. These contacts link empowerment and the past to the ego and action urge, material reality, originality and innovation, the wound/ healing or the Chirotic gift (in this case, in Aries, suggesting a need to heal so that she could do ‘me first’, and so act as an example), and that natural expression and creative energy—and yet the presence of Saturn may have muted the urge to take any action to share the work. The idea could’ve been that empowerment comes from a contained, modest life, where originality and urges toward independence were kept small, offering little encouragement to the Artist within her, who may have been hungry for more, and on a bigger scale (that wide conjunction of the Sun to Jupiter).

In fact, that Ceres-Neptune, so instrumental in her creative stance, is part of a Fire Grand Trine involving Mars and Chiron. This implies that, had she found healing and felt support in this life, she would’ve expressed her personal power (that the Soul required she make adjustments for—Sun quincunx Pluto) through creative action, as a ‘creative authority’ (Neptune-Ceres); but she clearly wasn’t able to heal, and so the creative output was toned down—not exactly hidden, but likely seeming untenable as a lifestyle and means of earning, despite the example of Bertrand.

And what of the clearly implied violations or abuse both suffered and administered by Vivian? There’s a point in the documentary when a portion of the will of Vivian’s aunt is read, (and I paraphrase), ‘I exclude all living relatives, and they know exactly why’. Whatever injury occurred in this family, it spanned generations. Vivian definitely had a Virgo Moon, with ruler Mercury planet of earliest degree, and conjunct Jupiter=does this represent exaggerated critical emotions, something even the strongest motivations would be hard pressed to overcome? It could, and with Jupiter representing society as a whole (and so possibly the children she cared for) conjunct the Sun in stressful relationship to Pluto, Vivian may have related to the children, seeing them as very similar to, even a part of, her (Sun-Jupiter) but have been in constant Plutonian turmoil that expressed through her treatment of them rising from her own past experiences—for if she sees herself in them, then the pain is alive and present, all the time, and she shares it as she experienced it.

Venus opposed Ceres and trine Vesta suggests that, though she at least theoretically valued beauty and relationships (along with all things that would be designated by the two Houses Venus rules, if we knew her birth time), there was a never-ending struggle going on, one where authority figures, particularly maternal ones (Ceres) always won over ‘the girl’ (Venus), with Vivian casting herself as the weaker player, even when she cared for children—that would’ve brought out the Soul-pain (Sun-Pluto), as Vivian would then play the powerful Ceres figure to her ‘spoiled’ and privileged (Venus) charges. The Venus situation becomes a loop of longing and denial, fed over and over through the mechanism of adjustments to the power scenario—with no reasonable resolution in sight.

I thought I’d provide links so that you can see how really crisp and gorgeous her photos are: http://www.vivianmaier.com/ about her life: http://www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/ http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/ http://www.motherjones.com/media/2011/04/vivian-maier-john-maloof http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/03/31/candid-camera-2 (the latter link addresses the film on Maier mentioned earlier) and for info on the very unusual copyright conditions in this case, see this: http://gapersblock.com/ac/2013/08/13/the-curious-case-of-vivian-maiers-copyright/

Discussion of the Mystery Charts from ECLIPSE’s Article on Career and Talent Markers, Pt. 1

10 Thursday May 2012

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

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Chart of Mystery Man #1  26 January 1955  1:05 AM  Amsterdam, Netherlands

What grabs your eye right away? That often ends up being something key to understanding the chart, and here it’s no exception; if you’re like me, Neptune in the 12th only one minute from the Ascendant is what caught your attention. This suggests to me a Neptunian quality to this individual’s essence, one that hooks the personality to the Collective, almost in tandem–this man was meant to express something ideal or creative through his individuality that is right in line with a statement of the Collective spirit–and this suggests a timeliness to the expression, where the individual is instrumental in bringing something ‘of the moment’ into being. Neptune is opposed Sedna, though, and that suggests that, though the individual takes to his Neptunian role like a duck to water, he’s really unaware of the true extent of his ability! Neptune rules his 5th, suggesting his role is both creative and a labor of love.

The 2nd, seat of his assets. is ruled by Pluto, which sits in the 10th of career–this suggests both the ability to be known specifically for one’s talent, and to make a lot of money at it (Pluto can be connected to serious money wherever we find it). Pluto is conjunct Zeus–in someone with fewer positive attributes, this could read as ‘naked ambition’, but in this man it manifested in career focus that took him to the top. The 2nd also holds Pallas, Venus, and Ceres–again, money, wisdom (perhaps in the guise of a smart woman at his side), and access to nature, this latter a connection that can give someone a ‘primal’ edge, and so make them very appealing.

The article also noted Chiron as indicating abilities, and his is at 29 Capricorn 51, conjunct the Sun in the 3rd, opposed the Jupiter/ Uranus conjunction of the 9th and quincunx 10th House Zeus; Chiron in Cappy suggests a practical or ‘applied’ bent to the talents, with conjunction to the Sun making it integral to identity (indeed, the 29 degree placement says Chiron expression is a must, and so lends some urgency and feeling to what might’ve otherwise been a too-cool Aquarian Sun). Tucked near the IC, though, Chiron/ Sun says he doesn’t need the spotlight–bringing the talent forward is really about communicating who he is. Jupiter/ Uranus conveys luck in a lightning-strike kind of way–Jupiter rules the 3rd, Uranus rules the 4th, reiterating the communication/ identity focus, and ruler of both these, the Moon, sits in the 4th in Aquarius, conjunct Mercury–again, deepest Self and communication as a focus, and with the 3rd/ 4th so much involved, we might expect that family, specifically the father or a sibling, has something to do with this–and they do.

The unconscious influences are creative (Neptune in 12th), influenced by the Self-worth picture and the assets/ talents (12th ruler Venus in the 2nd), with a need to communicate at a ‘higher order’ level, and/ or the need to be original, surprising, and inventive. Partnership is a big part of this (Libra on the 12th) Of all the Neptunian Arts, music might be the one we would call ‘highest level’, with its correspondence to mathematics, and if you guessed music is this man’s field, you are correct. He is capable of putting the brakes on, and of Self-discipline when need be (Saturn in the 1st, which has a lot of contacts to other energies).

What about his audience–what do they want from him? The 7th says energy, drive, ‘manly’ performance, while the 10th says that power and desire are visible to all, as is his essence, with the Sun ruling the 10th–people see him, and approve his efforts toward ambition fulfillment, fame and fortune. Nice if you can get it, right?

After a period of big and relatively long-lasting success, this man’s band went through some difficulties and some decline–and once they’d retreated somewhat from their more prominent status this man suffered cancer of the tongue–are we surprised, considering the emphasis on Merc and communication, the conjunction of Mercury with the Moon, and Pluto’s opposition to these? No, we’re not; illness in a part of the body representative of something critical to life expression is not uncommon with a sensitive individual when the road gets rough–and we can’t overlook the influence of the father here, as when this musician early on complained of extreme pre-performance nerves (a perfect expression of an anxious Aquarian Sun) the father (remember the family/ 3rd/ 4th emphasis) told him to just have a drink to calm his nerves–thus precipitating a serious substance abuse habit, again, not surprising with Neptune right there in everything he does. And there’s more family involvement, as this man formed his band with his brother.

Commenter Dunyazade got the power in his field part very right, along with the way his Art got this man into (substance abuse) trouble, and Aphelionex was right top to bottom–impressive!–kudos to both of you! And Donna Davidson didn’t waste time; she went straight to the answer, correctly naming this the chart of Eddie Van Halen.

Will discuss the 2nd chart tomorrow. Many thanks to those who participated! And don’t miss the subscription specials, listed below–

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