7 Secrets You May not Know about the 12th House
The 12th house is one of the more mysterious territories of the birth chart, and possibly the least understood. As you probe its secrets, you may find hidden gold. Or, as we‘ll see with the chart of former senator John Edwards, you may find dirty laundry – or or both. For people on a path of self-discovery, self-discovery, pondering your 12th produces important insights into your shadow side and into the ways you shoot yourself in the foot. th As an astrologer, counselor, or healer, the client‘s 12 may shed a great deal of light on sources of compulsive behaviors and self-sabotage that your work together can address. Probing it sensitively when a client is ready for change can result in a deep healing.
However, you should never, ever force such revelations on clients who resist them, for you can force their secrets even deeper into hiding and increase their resistance to going for help in the future. Trust that their resistance is the psyche‘s wise way of protecting itself until all the ingredients are present for a healing. th
The 12 house house reveals a Rising Sign’s hidden agendas. My early mentor, Rod Chase used a technique of studying the 12 signs in which he placed each one in turn on the 1st house and the following signs in turn around the 2nd, 3rd, and so on. The 12th house sign would be the one immediately before the sign on the first.
For instance, with Sagittarius Rising, Scorpio would be on the 12th. Thus you might discern that Sagittarius‘ preaching about morality, ethics, or religion may conceal a desire to control others or the self. Leo Rising puts Cancer on the 12th, and behind the show of seeming confidence and even conceit lies a great deal of shyness and insecurity —that‘s why they need so much applause. You can learn a great deal about any Rising sign by using his technique. th
The 12 house is the house of secrets. In your birth chart, this house shows what you keep hidden from the world —the things you‘d rather people didn‘t know about you. If there‘s nothing placed in the 12th, you probably don‘t have any major secrets, just some of the less wonderful traits of the sign on the cusp that you try to keep from showing others. However, any planets in that house — including including their sign and aspects — can can show major sources of difficulty. There can be a good deal of shame attached to matters depicted by that house, and that‘s why you‘d rather not reveal them. th There lie the secrets you hide from yourself. Along with the Moon and the planet Neptune, the 12 shows things about yourself that are unconscious and thus not readily dealt with. In these unconscious urges, emotions, and memories lie the seeds of neurosis. n eurosis. th
Your Secrets can be the source of self-undoing. When it comes to shooting yourself in foot, the 12 house should be #1 on your suspect list. list. Whenever you get to the point of asking yourself, ―WHY, WHY, WHY do I keep doing that to myself,‖ that‘s the time when you need someone wise and knowledgeable about astrology— and human nature — to to take an unbiased look at your chart. We can seldom be that objective objective about our own charts and th especially about the 12 house. th
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The closer a 12 house planet is to the Ascendant, the less of a secret it really is! A 12 house planet that is conjunct the Ascendant within 10° is much more apparent to people around you and the world at large than you believe. You‘re probably not fooling anyone but yourself, even if they don‘t call you on it. An example would be the flamboyantly gay but closeted person who believes that if they don‘t talk about it no one will know. th
During a transit to 12 house planets, the secret will come out. When politicians‘ dirty secrets are revealed, their careers usually go down in flames. A recent example was Senator John Edwards, a promising p romising Democratic candidate in the 2008 presidential campaign — I was all prepared to vote for him in the primary. The AstroDatabank Record for Edwards, for Edwards, John notes that he was born June 10, 1953, in Seneca, SC. His mother gave his time of birth to a campaign staffer as 7:02 AM EST, but his wife later later gave it as 7:23 AM. In either case, the
resulting chart shows a 12th house trio of planets — the the Sun and Mars conjunct in late Gemini and Mercury in Cancer.
He withdrew from the presidential race on January 30, 2008. That summer, when the National Enquirer began publishing rumors of an illegitimate child, he finally revealed revealed (on 8/8/08) an affair he had 2 years earlier. His 12th house Gemini Sun and Mars were prominently featured in transits in that two-year interval — as Pluto went through — as late Sagittarius — and and continue to be prominent in the aftermath, as the transiting Uranus-Saturn opposition from Pisces and Virgo square them. As of March, 2010, details of his affairs continue to surface and to make tabloid television news. Probing your secrets is a good thing. In the 12-step programs, they say, ―you‘re only as sick as your secrets.‖ One of the major sources of healing and reclamation for a person in recovery recov ery from an addiction is the process of writing it all out in an inventory and telling that inventory to a trusted person like a sponsor. Secrets can fuel addiction like nothing else! In the case of John Edwards‘ 12th house Sun-Mars conjunction, the secrecy of the affair(s?) apparently added extra thrills to the sexual compulsion. However, dealing with hidden issues can be a huge release and relief for anyone an yone with a strong12th house.
an yone — pick the person and the timing very carefully. One caution: it isn‘t wise to confide your secrets to just anyone Often a professional counselor or spiritual advisor who is sworn to confidentiality is the best p lace to start sorting things out. And, so you know, there‘s no such thing as a secret in emails or on the internet. th
Skywriter’s Complete Miniseries on the 12 house:
Doomed by a 12th House Stellium? Think Again! A Sensitive Guide to Planets in the 12th House — Guest Guest Blog 12th House People as Introverts: the Power of o f Solitude Readers Ask: Q & A about the 12th House
New Insights into the 12th House from our Q&A Session A Tool for Analyzing Your 12th House Sign Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the 12th — but Were Afraid to Ask The 12th House — Comparing Comparing Ancient and Modern Views 7 Secrets You May May not Know about the 12th House Daybreak and the 12th House Sun 12 Famous People with 12th House Suns 80 Qualities of Venus in the 12th or other Venus-Neptune Combinations Jupiter in the 12th — When When Does Good Luck Turn Bad? Transits from the 12th House to the 1st – Like Night and Day – Like More Posts in the “Things You May not Know” Series:
10 Things You May not Know about Uranus 6 Things You May Not Know about Pluto FREE EBOOKLET FOR SKYWRITER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: If you‘re a subscriber, you are eligible for a copy of Donna‘s 87-page e-booklet, Astrol Astrol ogical ogical I nsights, nsights, which includes excerpts from her no longer available M others, others, Daughters, and the Moon plus excerpts from all 0f her available books. If you want to subscribe, go to the box at the top right hand corner of the page. To get the booklet, send the email confirmation or an email notifying you about a recent Skywriter S kywriter post to
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Full Houses vs. Empty Houses in your Chart — What What to Expect ©2011 by Donna Cunningham, MSW The following is an excerpt from my hard copy book, How to Read your Astrology Chart, available from the publisher, Red publisher, Red Wheel/Weiser .
When you scan a chart, ch art, some houses are empty while others othe rs are relatively full. Here, I pay attention only to the basic ten planets, not to a dozen asteroids or the Arabian parts, because those basic planets represent major focuses and expenditures of energy. What factors you include in your scan, of course, are up to you. you. Given twelve houses and only ten planets, at least two houses will be vacant. However, when several planets clump together in a single house – as as often happens with the Sun, Mercury, and Venus – even more houses are – even unoccupied. This is as it should be. We can only scatter our energies in so many man y directions before we become as fragmented as the asteroid belt. The person whose planets are deployed in many different houses tends tend s to have many interests and to try to juggle (Deal with simultaneously) many responsibilities and connections. Whether they the y are successful at it or whether they become ineffectual dilettantes depends on other factors in the chart. Full houses depict highly significant areas of life , where we put lots of eggs in a single basket. Where we expend our energy is where we tend to get results, so a full house is an area where meaningful people, situations, and events are clustered.
If you have several good planets in the eleventh house but nothing in the fourth, friends will be major supports and may outweigh family in importance in adulthood. Likewise, club officers often have significant eleventh house placements. The matters associated with a house with a stellium or the Sun and one or two other planets can even be a career indicator. For instance, a friend with a stellium in the third house started a very successful answering service. A
travel agent had several planets in the ninth house. Many academics or spiritual teachers also have a ninth house emphasis. The eighth house can show mediumistic tendencies, when strong, and also is one indicator of the potential for wealth. Empty houses or sectors indicate that major planetary energy isn‘t being deplo yed toward matters of that house, but instead is focused elsewhere. Therefore, matters of that house are apt to take a back seat to matters of houses where planets are massed. A woman with no planets in the fourth or fifth but the Moon in the tenth is likely to be more fulfilled as a career woman than as a traditional homemaker.
Just don’t conclude that an empty house means nothing will ever happen in the areas of life that house governs. One of Jeanne Dixon‘s empty houses is the third, signifying communication, and yet her columns and books have been the foundation of her success. We would look to Mercury and to Gemini, since they are related to the third house. They more than tha n compensate for the empty house, because she has Gemini rising and Mercury conjunct the Midheaven. Many novices (beginners) freak out if their seventh house ho use is vacant, thinking it means they will never nev er marry. Consider what else in the chart may ma y compensate. How strong is their Venus? Do they have major placements in Libra, especially the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant? Librans tend to marry, whether their choices are sound ones or not. Where is the ruler of the seventh house? ho use? If the ruler of the seventh is in the fourth and the fourth is strongly tenanted, then forming a family and maintaining m aintaining a home life is a stronger drive than marriage itself. The marriage may be a means to that end. Another thing to consider is that houses hou ses that are empty at birth don‘t remain empty throughout life. Transiting or progressed planets that move into an empty house tend to remain there for years . They stimulate (Cause to be alert and energetic) new events and conditions in the matters of that house.
A long transit of an outer planet through the second house corresponds with a long series of developments in the natall y, that transit means the individual will devote an individual‘s finances. If there are no planets in the second natally, unaccustomed amount of attention to earning and managing money. This is an excerpt from my hard copy co py book, How to Read your Astrology Chart, available from the pu blisher, Red Red Wheel/Weiser . Readers, are any of your empty houses being activated by transits? Is that house “heating up,” and what’s new there? Tell us about it in the comment section. More Excerpts from Donna’s Books:
Career Differences between the 10th, 2nd, and 6th House Four Kinds of Smart – Which One Are You? – Which Donna Cunningham Introduces The Stellium Tool Kit English for Astrologers – No Astrobabble Please Hyperactive Jupiter Syndrome — The The Down Side of an Upbeat Planet Getting a Grip on Saturn-Neptune Aspects Mars Mission 2: Anger the Guard Dog of Denial — the
80 Qualities of Venus in the 12th or other Venus-Neptune Combinations © 2010 by guest blogger, Victoria Bazeley of the Midlife Transits blog th
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Venus in the 12 house, Venus in Pisces, Venus-Neptune aspects and Neptune in the 7 house can manifest in similar ways, because Neptune, the 12th house, and Pisces are all related energies and because Venus rules the 7th house of relationships. (Neptune in Libra – a placement shared by a whole generation – can have some of these qualities as well if it‘s strong in the chart.)
Below, I‘m including a list of ways the combination may manifest, just to show you how a single natal placement can have such a large variety of meanings over the course of a lifetime. Think about your own Venus, 12th house, Pisces, and Neptune placements. What can you learn about your own nature from this list? th
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Venus in the 12 house, Venus-Neptune aspects, Venus in Pisces, or Neptune in the 7 house can be expressed in any of the following ways, from undesirable to highly desirable:
Difficulty feeling loved Hidden artistic and/or musical talents or interests Being too ‗nice‘ as a form of self -undoing Placing a strong value on compassion and sympathy Problems with balance, hearing, or the throat (Venus rules balance and the throat) Attracting Piscean or Neptunian people into your life Hidden laziness Hidden sensuality Love of fantasy Love of solitude or nature Love of sleep as a Venus indulgence Lack of possessiveness Lack of interest in material goods or objects The desire for unusual or open relationships Dislike of relationship commitment (vague Neptune in the house of committed relationships) Romantic attraction to artists, alcoholics, or people with drug problems Romantic partners who keep secrets Partners with strong psychic or intuitive abilities Romantic attitude toward marriage A strong relationship with God or spirituality th Projecting a ‗halo‘ or saintly aura (12 house influences near the Ascendant) An empathetic or even empathic relationship toward everyone Hidden mystical experiences Intuitive people skills Difficulty relaxing unless one is alone Behind-the-scenes charitable acts Falling in love with a person in prison or with a chronic illness Satisfying and enjoyable work in a 12th house institution such as a hospital, hospice, mental health institution, etc. Feeling loved by God or the universe A love life or financial life that improves with time as one taps into the 12th house gifts A lifelong quest for love, money, or spiritual satisfaction Secret admirers A willingness to embrace a wide range of spiritual practices or beliefs Placing a strong value on a holistic approach to life‘s problems Love of the ocean, sailing, or water sports An affinity for hypnosis and/or working with the subconscious mind
Love of photography Preferring to play a ‗back -up‘ or behind the scenes role rather than being front and center A soft voice Lack of discriminating taste Feeling one loves all things equally Addiction to shopping Spending money on spiritual or artistic pursuits Idealism about love or money Attracting a ‗soul mate‘ Money from working behind the scenes in film, dance, or an artistic field The desire to keep one‘s relationships private Not being aware of who is attracted to you Attracting others as a downfall Being perceived by the public as spiritual, spacy, or artistic Being addicted to love The ability to express love through artistic means Associating love with sacrifice Becoming a victim of people who say they love you Saving someone you love Carelessness in relationships or the opposite, excessive caring Impracticality as a downfall Lack of greed Placing little value on common sense Idealizing ‗spiritual currency‘ or spiritual values over worldly success Preferring contemplation to action Tendency to give in Desire to go with the flow Belief in universal values rather than individual differences Being ‗too flexible‘ as a downfall Seen as being hard to define Glamorous image Deceptive image or feeling you are not seen accurately Being idealized by others Subconsciously seductive Having a relaxed appearance Appearing to be casual or relaxed about relationships Taking an ‗easy come, easy go‘ attitude Immersive, all-consuming relationships Looking for a spiritual rather than sexual partner Detachment about possessions Spirituality as a resource Diffuse or muted emotions Carelessness with money Lack of concern with financial security Believing ‗God will provide‘ Denying oneself material comforts Refusal to play favorites As it happens, I have all three of these placements! In keeping with the 12th house desire for privacy, I won‘t tell which of these manifestations apply to me. (This is an excerpt from a longer article on the Midlife Transits blog: 12th House Extravaganza! )
Career Differences between the 10th, 2nd, and 6th House © 7-18-11 by Donna Cunningham, MSW Th is is an excer pt f rom my ebook, The Outer Planets and Inner Life, Volume 1: The Outer Planets as Vocational Indicators, avail able at M oon M aven Publi cations .
People with the 10 th House Dominant: The 10th house represents the career, long-term goals, lifetime achievements, and one‘s ultimate status in the world. People with a strong 10th house emphasis are very careeroriented, rather than necessarily focused on money (2nd) or on work for its own sake (6th). If money is important to them, it‘s more for the status it confers.
These individuals are intensely motivated by long-range goals and by accomplishing something meaningful in the world. They yearn to make an impact on their world and often seek recognition. The career track would seldom be traditional when the 10th house features Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto or the signs those planets rule — Aquarius, Pisces, or Scorpio. Typically, it takes people with these chart placements longer to find their true vocation, since they are challenged to integrate the energy of that outer planet into the workplace, merging the transpersonal with the vocational. For instance, people with Uranus near the Midheaven might gain recognition by shocking us and shaking up the status quo. People with Neptune near the Midheaven — say within 10°of it — might yearn for a career that is artistic and creative. The 2nd house is similar in nature to the sign Taurus. Those with a strong emphasis on the 2 nd are often motivated more by desire for money and what money can do for them than by long-term goals (the 10th) or by work for its own sake (the 6 th). Many people with the outer planets strong in the 2 nd would object vehemently to such an interpretation, insisting that they are not materialistic at all. (Pisces, for instance, c an be otherworldly, as can its ruling planet Neptune.) No matter how much they may dislike the emphasis on greed and possessions in today‘s world, however, these people are confronted with the necessity to earn mon ey for basic needs, so earning a living takes up more of their energy than they might like. The question of Right Livelihood becomes very complex when the special issues and concerns the outer planets represent are balanced with realities like paying the rent and making sure the children are fed. Uranian types who are strongly motivated by a need for freedom and autonomy may earn a good living for the freedom that money buys — and not so much for the worldly possessions money allows them to have. Uranus-inthe-2nd natives can take or leave the attention, so long as it gives them the money — and thus the freedom — to do what they want. People with Pluto or Scorpio planets in the 2nd often get hooked into destructive games where money is concerned. Money is fr aught with hidden agendas for them and often represents power and control in their relationships. We‘ll go into the distinctions between these three planets and their signs in the chapters devoted to each of them. The more planets that fall into the 2 nd, the more complex the financial picture — and yet the more potentials for earning a living. If the Sun is in the 2nd along with these outer planets or their signs, self-worth issues are intricately woven into how much these individuals make —or don‘t make. If the Sun were in Pisces or Virgo or making difficult aspects to Neptune, low self-esteem might contribute to not charging as much as they should for their services, but then the low income reinforces a sense of not being worthy.
6th house types are interesting, in that — like natives of the associated sign, Virgo — they can be intensely involved in work for its own sake. Much of their energy is bound up in work and the workplace, whether that is a happy and fulfilling venue or the source of frustration. The particular 6th house planets, signs, and aspects tell us about their work and how they seek satisfaction in this area.
When the Sun is in the 6th house, self-esteem is bound up in the quantity and quality of their work. When the 6th house is stronger than the 10th, the person usually has a Virgo-like reluctance to be in the spotlight. These folks are often indispensable employees who do much of the important work in a firm yet get little of the credit. People with several planets in the 6 th are sometimes workaholic, for work comes to serve many basic drives and needs. Th is has been an excerpt f r om my ebook, The Outer Planets and Inner Life, Volume 1: Outer Planets as . Vocational Indicators, avail able at M oon M aven Publi cations
Readers, which of your vocational houses is strongest, and do you fit the pattern? Share your experiences in the comment section. More Excerpts from Donna’s Books:
Uranus In The Career Houses —―You‘re Not The Boss Of Me!‖ Full Houses vs. Empty Houses in your Chart — What to Expect Four Kinds of Smart – Which One Are You? Donna Cunningham Introduces The Stellium Tool Kit English for Astrologers – No Astrobabble Please Hyperactive Jupiter Syndrome — The Down Side of an Upbeat Planet Getting a Grip on Saturn-Neptune Aspects Mars Mission 2: Anger — the Guard Dog of DenialMore Career Related Articles: Readers Ask: Q & A about the 2nd House Astrologers‘ Hang-ups about Money — How they Hurt our Clients Readers Ask: Q & A about the 6th House The Sixth House and Working Relationships Readers Ask — Q & A about the 10th House Readers Ask — Q & A about the Midheaven
Excellent Examples: Readers Examine their own Out of Sign Conjunctions (c)7-5-2014 by Donna Cunningham, MSW An often-missed aspect in astrology charts is the out of sign conju nction, which consists of two planets 8° degrees apart or less, but placed in adjacent signs rather than the same sign. Several days ago, I asked Skywriter Readers who had out of sign conjunctions to share their observations of how those aspects played out in their lives. Here are some excellent examples.
One Reader observes, ―I have my Sun at 5° 57‘ Virgo and Mars at 27° 09‘ Leo, both in the 7th house with my South Node sitting between them. It‘s a bit wide – not sure it counts (Virgo nit picking?!) I get a lot of push and pull between wanting to hide out in the background and not be noticed or make a fuss, and being more forceful and direct. ―I always attract and am attracted to very creative men, often with Leo in their charts or other fire signs. I have my moon in Leo too, right on the descendent. There has been a dynamic of me being the practical, sensible one and
my partners being the creative one. And then I would get resentful that they seemed to be having all the fun while I was stuck making sure the bills got paid. I‘m managing to express more of my creativity now bu t that seems to have been at the expense of my relationships – to date, at least.‖ I assured her, ― No need to let those few minutes deter you from looking at that conjunction – especially since aspects to the Sun (or Moon) get a wider orb. My rule on orbs is that when an aspect seems like it might be a bit wide, I describe the aspect to the person to see if they relate to it or not. They often respond strongly to even a bit wider orb than you’d think, especially with the Sun or Moon.
Another reader contributed, ―I‘ll be glad to add my out of sign aspects….my chart is almost all conjunctions of the early 1940s type. There‘s an end of the 7th house 28° Taurus Mercury conjunct 8th house 5° Gemini Uranus. I get so much info from other realms and can‘t explain why I know things….then my astrology teache r told me why. I have a life long awareness of past lives.‖ A mother writes, ―My teenage daughter has Venus in Libra at 28° and Moon in Scorpio at 3°, both in the 12th house. She is kind, gentle, genial, and courteous in social situations, but she is also intensely emotional and shy to the point of secretiveness. Already, I see that she utilizes her Venus as a handy social persona, though she lives from her Scorpio moon. She is interested in becoming a child psychologist; a 12th house Moon/Venus conjunction career choice, for sure.‖ Another mother reports, ―My sweet Pisces son was born with an out of sign conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in his important 9th house. His Pluto is 29° 22‘ minutes of Libra Retrograde and his Saturn is at 4° 19‘ Scorpio Retrograde. I‘m patiently waiting for the universe to surprise me and also to surprise my son I view Pluto as the most Powerful Planet so that makes sense to me that it would completely merge with Saturn. Very interesting for a young man who is hoping for a dynamic career. My vision of my son is for him to become an extremely dynamic and very Powerful Spiritual Leader and Teacher! One of several who reported on conjunctions involving the Sun or Mercury shared, ―I have a conjunction of my Aries Sun at 28° and Mercury at 1° Taurus, both in the 10th house. While at work, I was very nimble minded and quick to act upon those thoughts, but in my private life, my think-it-out-slowly Mercury takes over, often to the point of being unable to get started. I guess the situation/atmosphere is a part of how I deal with this.‖
Astrologer Kat Starwolf notes, ―Having practiced astrology for 40 years and having had many clients with out of sign conjunctions, I‘d have to say that it DOES pay to interpret these aspects, since there‘s quite a bit of significance as a result of their proximity. Regardless of the fact that the two planets are in two different signs, they interact with and affect each other, and therefore add a nuanced complexity to the expression of the natal chart and ultimately the individual. ― She adds, ―One in my own chart is an out of sign conjunction between Uranus in Cancer and Moon in Leo combination. My emotions in general as well as sudden emotional upsets were always a surprise to me as well as others, and could (and did) often create challenging and unpleasant situations within relationships when I was younger. Fortunately, I‘ve learned to be more cognizant of my emotions and the directions they take, and have learned to moderate and tweak them as necessary in order to keep the peace. ―However, I feel that the most significant effect of this combination is the out-of-sign effect, and that is that the nurturing and caring-for-others trait of Cancer has offset the egocentric ‗me-ness‘ of the Leo Moon tremendously; that is, it‘s softened the harshness that the Leonine tend encies typically express.‖ A Reader analyzes her husband‘s out of sign conjunction, ―He has the moon at 29° Virgo conjunct Mars at 1° Libra, and it‘s in a wide conjunction with the MC. The Virgo and Libra help make this a less explosive combination that it could be, but I‘ll say he certainly has a knack for infuriating people with a smug smile, and he
found provoking his father into an explosion hilarious as a teen. I suppose in this case it seems like the Libra Mars charm-them-to-death approach is quite supportive of the Virgo Moon‘s sensitivities. So, he doesn‘t have to get too down and dirty with people‘s anger. BUT he is quite a worrier, and holds passionate opinions. ―He‘s very good at bab ying a sick or melancholy wife, but simultaneously will not abide anything he sees as a philosophical misstep. For example, if I‘m upset about some perceived ―wrong‖ done to me, he does not hesitate to tell me why the other person has a valid position, or that I am the one who is wrong. And, of course, he‘s smiling (smugly or sweetly, I can‘t decide) when h e says this. Sigh.‖ An interesting case from a twin: ―My twin sister and I happen to have an out of sign conjunction involving our Moon at 26° Sagittarius conjunct Jupiter at 0° Capricorn. This conjunction doubly emphasizes the Jupiterian nature of our Sagittarius Moon, and I‘ve come to regard this out of sign conjunction in itself as a blessing. Jupiter in pragmatic Capricorn has seemed to give our Moon an Earthling supportive role…. almost like a sensible benefactor, prompting us to balance, ground and integrate some of the more exuberant, restless and pleasure seeking qualities of our natal Moon in the 5th house!‖ I’d asked for these conjunctions in the charts of famous people as well, and one subscriber wrote about Louise Hay, a writer and teacher of metaphysical principles:
―A great example of a Mercury/Moon out-of-sign conjunction would be Louise Hay‘s Mercury at 27° Libra and the Moon at 0° Scorpio in the 4th house. Much of her life has been about promoting the use of affirmations to heal your life. The affirmations take on the quality of the Libra energy (positive, beautiful and even somewhat ―flowery‖) but also have the Scorpio power of emotional release and transformation. Her birth data is: October 8, 1926 at 12:30 PM Los Angeles, CA.‖ Our research is continuing, and the more examples we get, the clearer the picture of these often-ignored chart aspects will be. The comment section is still open, so feel free to add examples you know about here: Out of Sign Conjunctions: Your Input Needed .
Out of Sign Conjunctions: Your Input Needed ©7-2-2014 by Donna Cunningham, MSW Any time you find one planet in the last few degrees of a sign and another in the first few degrees of the next sign, it may be an out of sign conjunction. If the two planets are within 8° of one ano ther, they‘re conjunct. Many astrology students and practitioners ignore them, most likely because they‘re complicated to interpret. I’ve started to research out of sign conjunctions, and I’ve come to the conclusion that not only do they work; you run a risk in ignoring them, because they can represent an important dynamic in your life.
Suppose that you had a Sun-Neptune conjunction. It‘s hard enough to understand these two planets merged in a single sign — lots of confusion and denial about who you really are. If they were straddling two signs and you ignored the aspect, you‘d have an even harder time seeing your true self clearly and r ealistically. Or, let‘s say you had a conjunction between Mars in Libra and Pluto in Scorpio that you‘ve basically ignored. You own up to Mars in Libra, thinking, ―Mars has a couple of drawbacks in Libra, sure—it‘s indecisive and has trouble taking the initiative. But it‘s so charming and agreeable—a lov er, not a fighter. Altogether, it‘s a nice little Mars.‖ I can‘t agree with all those rose-colored interpretations, because Mars in Libra people can subtly provoke others until they explode. Then the Mars person blames the fight on the other person, saying something like, ―You started it, but I‘m going to finish it!‖
In addition, when you leave Pluto in Scorpio out of the equation, you’re leaving yourself in the dark about major issues around conflict and control that can cause serious difficulties in relationships of various kinds . Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio, and with Pluto IN Scorpio, it‘s not just Pluto plus Pluto, it‘s more like Pluto times Pluto — a powerful placement! To team it up with Mars and preten d the conjunction isn’t important leaves you in denial about parts of your personality that need tending to. It also prevents you from capitalizing on the greatest strength of Mars-Pluto conjunctions, something I call Manifestation Mojo. (Read about it here: Mars-Pluto Aspects? Use your Manifestation Mojo!) By glossing over out of sign conjunctions, you might also miss out on strengths of some choice combinations of planets. Imagine that you have Venus in the latter degrees of a sign and Jupiter in the early degrees of the next sign. Wouldn‘t that be a great aspect to capitalize on? Embrace your out of sign conjunctions, then, and deal with their strengths as well as their drawbacks to
realize more of your potential. I’m working on a new book about aspects, and am going to include a chapter on out of sign conjunctions. I’d like to have examples of how they work. The ones I use will be brief vignettes, no more t han a paragraph, and there will be no identifying or birth information. I’d need to know the planets and their degrees, then the house and the two signs involved. Then explain how you see the aspect working. So, Readers, will you join me in gathering information about how out of sign conjunctions show up in the lives of people who have them? If you or people you’re close to have one, share about it in the comment section. (Or, it could be the chart of a famous person, in which case, include the birth information). Your input would help all of us to understand these often-ignored aspects better. More research into the Little-Known Aspects: Several summers ago, Skywriter Readers and I did research on some of the so-called minor aspects and learned a great deal. The comment sections are where they shared their experiences, and those sections are great to read. You can still add your own observations, for the more we understand these aspects, the better we can interpret them.
Robin William’s Two Astrology Charts— Only One Makes Sense (c)8-12-2014 by Donna Cunningham, MSW A reader wrote this morning and asked, ―Would you be willing to elaborate in your blog on the issue of predicting suicide in charts that are so heavily impacted by this year‘s astrology in light of Robin Williams‘ suicide? I think his death has torn up half the world, and shocked us all. I would love to hear your comments, as opposed to what else I‘m seeing out there in the astrological section of the web.‖
I‘ve been devastated by these events and haven‘t had the heart to venture out onto the web, but it‘s easy to imagine what she might have encountered in the blogosphere. Unfortunately, there are astrologers who glory in the negativity and get a thrill out of making astrological interpretations that are terrifying to people whose chart or loved ones‘ charts have related natal or transiting aspects.
Back in June, Liz Howell created a guest post here about the charts of several young men who committed massacres and then killed themselves. Eventually, there were so many comments that reveled in the negativity and speculated on its origins that Liz and I agreed to delete the post and the comments. (Eventually, I put up some posts on the ethics of the situation, and on predicting suicide — see the links at the end of this post.) I find myself not wanting to put up this post or to open the comment section because it would be disturbing — and infuriating — to get comments like those. I feel such a compassion for this man whose work so many of us have loved for decades. Having worked in mental health settings and seen non-medicated manic people in action, I believe he was bipolar (manic depressive), as his comedy was wildly manic and because he struggled often with a deep, bleak depression. Both polarities are due to an imbalance in the brain, and the depressive polarity is a terribly black hole. Bipolar people can swing between the two extremes, and for some of them, the higher the high, the lower the low. His abuse of drugs and alcohol is well-known, but I see it as a way of medicating himself out of the terrible highs and lows. I took an excellent course on alcoholism years back, and we learned that one of the genes for depression and one of the genes for alcoholism are next to each other on the same strand of DNA. I have a feeling he just got too worn down by a lifetime struggle to pull himself out of a soul -crushing recurring depression. That the man was so wretchedly miserable to hang himself breaks my heart. I looked up Robin‘s chart in the middle of the night on AstroDataBank. Here‘s the link to that chart and his bio: Williams, Robin. According to their data, based on a copy of his birth certificate, he was born July 21, 1951 at 1:34 PM, CST, Chicago, IL.
That gives a 22° Leo Midheaven with a close conjunction of Mercury at 22° Leo and Pluto at 18° Leo. Transiting Saturn in the first has been back and forth between 17° and 22° of Scorpio for many months, including stationary retrograde and direct intervals. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with the chart. When I entered the data into Solar Fire, a pop up message said that Chicago was on CDT when he was born but that an Illinois state law said that CST should be used for the birth certificate. When I recalculated the chart, the Midheaven and Ascendant were much earlier in Leo and Scorpio.
That chart doesn‘t make sense, because neither the natal or transiting aspects fit his genius or the event. The AstroDatabank Chart with 18-22° Leo placements of the natal Pluto/Mercury/Midheaven in the other chart fit both his comic genius and the pressure of transits that erupted yesterday in ending his life.
The pressure of such depressing Saturn aspects to the Midheaven/Pluto/Mercury conjunction alone could have worn him down. We need to keep in mind, however, that transiting Saturn would have made hard aspects to these same points every seven years of his life, and he survived to 63. It would be helpful to know what was going on in his life during the last Saturn in Scorpio transit, some 28-29 years ago – 8/1983-11/1985 – and whether that was a low point too. Adding to the pressure he was under, he‘d been through a long series of aspects of the transiting Pluto and Uranus square to his close natal conjunction of Mars and Uranus in Cancer in the 8th. ( Don‘t get alarmed. Many of you out there have also had transits from this long-lasting Pluto —Uranus square, and it‘s been a tough one, but you‘ve survived it.)
The sadly ironic thing was that one of his memorable non-comedic movies, What D reams M ay Come , was about a man whose wife commits suicide and he travels to the depths of the astral plane to rescue her spirit. Now Robin‘s wife is grappling with losing him in the same way. We all are grappling, saying a sad farewell to an exceptional man. The one comforting thought is of his welcoming party over there – friends like Christopher Reeve and Jonathan Winters, waiting to be with him once more.
Aspects 101: Major Astrological Aspects and What They Mean ©1-13-2011 by Donna Cunningham, MSW Since some of our readers are relative newcomers to astrology, I like to include an occasional article that covers the basics. An aspect occurs when two planets form certain kinds of angles to one another in the birth chart, by transit, or when comparing two charts. If you‘ve ever had a chart done, even by computer, there may be a printout of the aspects in your own chart, called an aspect grid (see an example below).
To me, aspects are the building blocks of almost all applications of astrology from natal ch art interpretation, to transits and progressions, to chart comparison, to horary and oth er advanced specialties. Here‘s my personal take on the four major aspects — conjunctions, squares, trines, and oppositions .
For those starting at the very beginning: Conjunctions are between planets that stand next to one another in the zodiac, within 8° or so. Squares are between planets that are 90° – 3 signs — apart. Trines are 4 signs or 120° apart. Oppositions are 6 signs or 180° apart. (The orbs I use — how far from exact the two planets can be — are 8° for a conjunction or opposition and 5-6° for a square or trine.) You‘ll find the s ymbols for the various aspects below beside their descriptions. As an example of what aspects do , let‘s first compare the conjunction — two planets standing next to one another — versus the opposition — which occurs when they are directly opposite one another by sign, house, and degree in the chart.
These two connections provide perhaps the starkest of contrasts, for the energies of the two planets are most closely merged in the conjunction and seem to hold each other at arm‘s length in the opposition.
Conjunctions are a bit like glass, which is made from sand combined with various minerals that are heated to such a high temperature that they‘re fused. When you look at a piece of glass, you don‘t
generally recall that it started out as a handful of sand. To narrow it down to something these folks could wear on their tee shirts, the slogan for conjunctions might be, ―I yam what I yam,‖ while for the oppositions , it would be ―Look what you made me do.‖ When you compare Michael Jackson (Venus conjunct Uranus) with Queen Latifah (Venus opposite Uranus), you could say Michael was more unconscious — almost naïve — about his strange sense of style — more shocked when we were shocked or disapproving of it. Queen Latifah has a sly sense of fun in her style — inviting us to react and laughing at our response.
Conjunctions CAN be hard aspects, if the planets involved are difficult ones or not readily combined. Conjunctions don‘t come any harder than Pluto and Saturn, unless you catch Neptune and Saturn together on a really bad day. Trines are viewed as fortunate aspects that convey blessings, benefits, and good luck to those who have them.
Squares are supposedly the bearers of strife and tough obstacles. When a pair of planets is square by sign, the natures of the two signs create inner conflict and conflicts with others that mak e it harder to take effective action.
After studying the charts of many successful people, however, it has become clear that they seldom have easy charts. Squares, oppositions, and other hard aspects create tensions and conflicts that drive us to make things happen; the ease experienced with trines can create a habit of lying back and waiting for good things to come. People with trines as the dominant aspect in their charts tend not to capitalize on the lucky breaks that so often
come their way: ―easy come, easy go.‖ The best mix is a balan easy ones, but the stimulus of a square or two is energizing.
ce between hard aspects and
People with trines to outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) tend to share their generation‘s goals and beliefs about matters related to that planet. Society is less resistant to their attempts to impact the collective, because they create change or evolution in ways that are agreeable to their peers.
When Neptune is involved in a trine, these folks share the culture’s dreams, visions, addictions, sympathies, and sensibilities. With a trine to Pluto, they’re in accord with how the culture deals with power — or share their era’s desire to create change in the use of power. With Uranus, they embody qualities that the culture finds exciting, trendy, and innovative and may themselves become trendsetters.
Individuals with hard aspects like squares or oppositions to an outer planet pit themselves against the prevailing winds. Their ideas, goals, and tactics go against the grain of the culture — they may even be counterculture types. Where the four Elements come in: Characteristics and elements of the signs involved in the aspect modify the picture considerably. Air signs generally abound in communication and verbal skills, while fire signs are energetic, lively, and often vivacious.
The three earth signs are likely to be practical, stable, and down-to-earth. Water signs are often sensitive, emotionally responsive, and empathic. The elements of signs that are square to one another are naturally incompatible. Water and fire conflict (water can put out a fire), and earth and air are also at odds (it‘s hard to see in a dust storm). Signs that are opposite one another fall into compatible – and mutually dependent – elements: water with earth, air with fire. Earth without water is too arid and desert like; fire cannot survive without air.
They are also in opposite houses, with concerns that have the potential to support one another if there is give and take. (The 10th – the career – can be nurtured by the 4th – the home life.) That‘s why oppositions are not as bad as they are reputed to be, if we take care to give both ends of the opposition an equal place in our lives. Signs that are trine are in the same element – earth to earth, air to air, fire to fire or water to water.
The two signs are harmonious, so actions performed under trines flow more smoothly than those under hard aspect like the square or opposition, with better results. The elements involved in a trine suggest the types of skills, tools, and tactics that increase the effectiveness of the aspect. (For more information about the elements, start here: Four Kinds of Smart — Air, Earth, Fire, and Water .)
Hmm. Since I’m trying to come up with a new series of Q&A topics for myself, it occurs to me that aspects would be a good choice, since they’re an important foundation for chart int erpretation. I like that idea, since aspects are one of my special interests. Readers, What type of aspect is the most common in your own chart, and what do you think it says about you? Leave your answer in the comment section. Articles from the Series about the Lesser-Known Aspects:
The Not so Minor Aspects—Results of Our Research Understanding Semisquares—Your Input Needed Understanding the Sesquiquadrate—Your Input Needed Understanding Septiles –Your Input Needed
Understanding Quintiles—What’s YOUR Talent? Understanding the BiQuintile—Your Input Needed Quincunx vs. BiQuintile –an Answer from Numerology? Understanding the Mundane Square—Your Input Needed Mundane square case study: Outtake from a Moon-Pluto Life Breathing Refined Air: The Esoteric Aspects Is the Semi-Sextile a Good Aspect or a Bad One? Pluto and the transiting Antiscia –not Over ’til It’s Over The Antiscia are Coming! The Antiscia are Coming!
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Learning to Interpret Aspects — A Major Boost for Astrology StudentsIn "Aspect Analysis" A Promise Fulfilled: When Transits Echo Natal AspectsIn "Bits from My Books and Articles" Understanding Mercury-Pluto CombinationsIn "Bits from My Books and Articles" Posted in Natal Chart Analysis | Tags: ARTICLES ABOUT ASTROLOGY, astrological aspects, birth chart, conjunction, Donna Cunningham, four elements, free astrology lesson, major aspects, opposition, skywriter , square, trine « Use Jupiter Transits to the Vocational Houses for a Career Boost Readers Ask—Q&A about Conjunctions »
Responses
Squares, squares, and more squares! I‘m one of those early Libra Asc. people, so my angles are almost exactly square to each other. And, I have 4 T-squares, a Grand Cross, and a Cradle. That‘s not including the angles. ―Energized‖ is such a nice way to say it. I would like to hear anything positive about squares. About the nicest thing I ever hear is ―that which doesn‘t kill us makes us stronger.‖ Ugg! o
By: Terri on January 13, 2011 at 1:05 pm Reply I seem to recall reading something about squares e ventually ―trining out‖, which I took to mean we can sometimes learn to put that stressful energy to positive use. I don‘t know if it‘s true, but I like it.
By: LB on January 13, 2011 at 10:21 pm Reply when you speak of squares “trining out,” LB, I think you may be referring to progressions, since they turn into trines at about age 30 – at least the Solar Arc progressions do. But that age, also, is around the time of the Saturn return, and using squares well certainly requires a certain maturity. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 12:47 am Thanks for clarifying, Donna – that makes perfect sense. It was bugging me where I‘d originally read it, so I did some hunting and found the source this morning. Here‘s the link to Jeremy Neal‘s Chirotic Journal post: http://chirotic.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/trines-vs-squares-half-adozen-of-one-or-six-of-another/
Ironically Donna, he mentions you in this particular post. Jeremy also says it begins to happen at around age 30, which is just as you said.:)
By: LB on January 14, 2011 at 10:14 am The mad and delightful Donna Cunningham, Mr. Neal calls me! I‘ve often been referred to as one or the other of that pair, but not in the same sentence! What a hoot!
By: Donna Cunningham on January 15, 2011 at 5:06 am
With a description like that, you could have your own British sitcom.
By: LB on January 15, 2011 at 7:37 am Nah, I call British sitcoms Old Fart Humor. Hopefully, though I am old, I‘m not an old fart. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 15, 2011 at 7:47 am Absolutely not. I don‘t think any of your readers would think of you that way! :)
By: LB on January 15, 2011 at 7:59 am The two most complimentary words in my vocabulary for sure. All the best people are, in my experience both mad and delightful, and that certainly comes across in your books as well (which is good!)
By: chirotic on January 18, 2011 at 9:28 am I‘m early Libra Asc. too, and I also have some pretty heavy planetary squares (Venus square Pluto, Sun square Moon for example). Sometimes it feels like life is all uphill, but my chart is very fixed, so part of the problems I have are my own fault!
Thank goodness for my Saturn/Moon trine and my Jupiter/Venus trine! When someone talks about a square ―turning into a trine‖ they may mean a combination of two aspects. In my chart the Pluto square to Venus ―turns into‖ a trine with Jupiter, which, IMO, helps out that square. I have 8 oppositions, including Sun-Moon, all across my first and 6th/7th houses. But I can‘t say immediately wh at it says about me, and maybe that‘s part of the expression of it. I see so many possibilities I have to go away and think on it awhile. Thank you for asking such a simple — and therefore profound — question! Counting all the aspects I feel (which sometimes means using wid er orbs) and including aspects to the nodes and chiron I have a total of 8 conjunctions, 3 oppositions, 7 squares and 9 trines. Here‘s how I‘m experiencing them: Conjunctions are im portant, but they don‘t feel that inseparable, they‘re like car gears or, better yet, an extra suit in the closet, you put it on when the ocassion calls for it, then you can take it off and put it back in till the next time you‘ll need it. Trines, I‘d trade them in a heartbeat for placements I like but lack. And I barely know what they mean. Seriously, what does a sun/moon trine mean? -If I had the square I‘m sure I‘d know!!! If you wanna make me yawn, compliment me on my trines. If you wanna make me chant, on the other hand, compliment me on my squares and oppositions. The y‘re definitely the most important placements featured in my chart, and my most central issues . Squares feel like mixing a white blouse with a red t-shirt in the laundry, red always beats white, but the shade -
varying from surprisingly interesting to utterly ridiculous- that‘s up to you. Oppositions, well, those are NOT up to you- to say the least. One end of the axis dies, and you‘re left with a deepseated aversion for what it represents. This is not a ―live and let live‖ aspect. You can‘t help it, you hate-hate-hate people who‘re like the dead part. You try to avoid them (coz they make you look like Hannibal Lecter) but you can‘t, they‘re practically everywhere (or so it feels)! When you come to your senses (which rarely happens when in their presence) you sincerely apologize, but you keep hating them in silence. o
VR- Love your description of oppositions!
I have more trines and sextiles in my chart than squares and oppositions, but I‘ve discovered that the Saturn/Pluto conjunction to my Leo Ascendant more than compensates for the dearth of hard aspects. Despite all my nice flowing aspects, success comes only with hard work and ‗ego-less‘ intent. The Leo part of me (ever hungry for ease, adoration and applause) doesn‘t much like those rules, but whenever I break them the universe hits me with a 2×4. Donna, would you agree that a chart doesn‘t necessarily have to be full of hard aspects to be difficult/challenging? o
By: Sally on January 13, 2011 at 2:13 pm Reply Sally, conjunctions CAN be hard aspects, if the planets that are conjunct are difficult ones or not readily combined. Conjunctions don‘t come any harder than Pluto and Saturn, unless you maybe catch Neptune and Saturn together on a really bad day. I‘d better add that to the post. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 13, 2011 at 5:21 pm Reply made me think of someone I know, pluto/sat/mars conjunction in leo. Great creative p erson, but the ego takes so much of the good stuff to flow
By: sabrina on January 14, 2011 at 5:29 am Hi, Sabrina, that Mars-Pluto-Saturn conjunction was shared by Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. As you say, great creative person, but the ego takes so much of the good stuff to flow. Donna PS. I saw Hillary on tv yesterday, giving a eulogy for someone I never heard of, and her hair was seriously neglected…overly long and tucked around her ears so not to flop in her face. I‘m, like, ―Hillary, Baby, you CAN‘T just let yourself go!‖
What‘s up with that? Don‘t they have hair stylists in Timbucktu or wherever she is trying to create world peace these days? This, from someone with a cut so impeccable during the presidential campaign, I almost decided to vote for her. A cut second only to Meryl Streep‘s in The Devil Wears Prada. A cut I still have wet dreams about.
Okay, yes, I do have my frivolous side, and my silvery-streaked hair is my one vanity. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 6:02 am LOL I hear you! I agree her best hair ever was during the campaign. Maybe she‘s going through a rough, busy time. but still, she is a world class public figure, and there are stylists that can give you those magic cuts that only need a wash-and-go for you to look gorgeous for weeks, I can‘t afford them…yet, but I KNOW they ex ist ;) p.s both Hilary and Al Gore have birth dates close to my parents, the charts are very different, but the numbers are connected…
By: sabrina on January 17, 2011 at 10:46 am I‘m square all over!!: Sun Sq Moon Moon Sq Mercury Mercury Sq Jupiter Mars Sq Neptune….AND I‘m a Pisces….tum de dum…think I understand ‗creative expression‘ now!! o
By: Mary L English on January 13, 2011 at 2:24 pm Reply well I‘d absolutely love to hear more about aspects and aspect patterns! I know is astrology 101, but there are always deeper levels of them that could be shared/learned, and I can‘t think of a better place than here.
I have many trines, and when is necessary I can find inner/outer resources or they come, they give me faith in difficult times. My first astrology teacher told me grand trines are protective, I think is true. But som etimes I need to kick my b*** to get things done, to find internal motivation. Thankfully I have few hard aspects that keep me in line. Like you said, is good to have a balance of hard/easy aspects. For the last few months I‘ve being curious about about kites and yods, there is not much material out there about them. I can‘t wrap my head around yods and I‘m trying to understand how some people make such great use of kites and others don‘t. The other aspect is certain conjunctions, i.e moon/saturn in cance r versus moon/sat in capricorn. Or how overlapped patterns operate, say a t-square connected to an envelope, if that makes sense, etc, etc…
Thanks! loved the venus/uranus example btw! o
By: sabrina on January 13, 2011 at 3:04 pm Reply I can say this about a kite and whether it’s easy and productive or not. It depends on three things:
1) the planets involved in the Grand Trine and whether they are essentially at ease with one another. (MercuryJupiter-Mars, say, vs. Pluto-Saturn-Sun.) 2) the element of the three signs in the Grand Trine – fire signs are dynamos, earth more plodding. 3) the two planets that form the spine of the kite (the opposition) and how well they work together. (Jupiter-Venus, say, vs. Mars-Neptune.) So, putting those 3 components together, there can be a great deal of difference between kite formations. Compare these two extremes: Mars-Jupiter-Mercury in fire signs, with Jupiter and Venus opposite one another. Pluto-Saturn-Sun in earth signs, with the Moon opposite Saturn. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 15, 2011 at 4:30 am Reply Thanks Donna, this is very helpful. It was also interesting to hear about other readers kites. I just started a little kite- project, so far I‘m just collecting charts and pieces of info, mars in gemini in the 9th is having fun already, then opp neptune in 3rd will help to get a better ‗picture‘ I hope!
By: sabrina on January 17, 2011 at 11:43 am A kite project? How cool! One generation you‘d want to look into is the people born in about 1940-45, who had Uranus (in first Taurus then Gemini) trine Neptune (in first Virgo then and then Libra, which would fill out to a grand trine with something in Capricorn for the early group and in Aquarius for the later group. (the kite planet was usually Pluto) As I wrote about them in my ebook, The Outer Planets and Inner Life, v.3, there was a distinct difference between the early group with the Grand Trine in Earth vs. the later group with the Grand Trine in Air. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 17, 2011 at 2:28 pm my mom has that – with her moon in aquarius and pluto opposite in leo … ever since the first kite comment, i‘ve been trying to figure out how this has royally messed up things for her! ;)
By: Tara on January 17, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Thanks for the tip Donna!!! Now I just need some time..and a brain… Tara my Mom has two kites, one with a stellium in leo, hehe
By: sabrina on January 27, 2011 at 9:12 pm Since all my planets fall within an area less than 180 degrees, I lack any oppositions in my chart. I have 1 conjunction (sun/saturn), 5 trines and 6 squares, with a bunch of sexties which are not part of this discusion…since we‘re talking planets, I left out aspects to asc and MH. My mercury alone has 5 aspects to it (sextile, square, 2 trines, and an inconjunct) which is something I just noticed for the first time because of your question today, Donna…thanks :-) I‘ll need to ponder this a bit. Overall I feel like the square/trine aspects translates into this: when I do the work and come prepared, the opportunities appear. For example: For years, I worked as a secretary/assistant. I wanted more. While taking evening classes to earn my computer science degree, I tried to get a job at Hughes Aircraft. Walking through the front door yielded me nothing. So I researched what temporary agencies they used, signed up with all of them, and within 2 weeks of my FIRST assignment I was hired as an engineering intern, which led to a engineering student job and then a full engineering promotion once I graduated. Without all the prep work, this opportunity would never have happened for me. That I believe is the balance of squares and trines, at least in my chart. o
By: The Mandala Lady on January 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm Reply after looking at my chart, I see squares and oppositions as the predominant aspects, with trines coming in third. I also have a 3 planet conjunction (Sun, Mars, Uranus in Cancer). People see me as dynamic and unusual, and one of a kind :) I also have to work for everything I get. o
By: katley on January 13, 2011 at 4:26 pm Reply I‘ve got 3 really tight oppositions, a loose stellium and one tight conjunction. I think Sally‘s on to something … a chart can be challenging in its lack of aspects. I‘ve got a few biggies operating in isolation! o
By: Tara Treanor on January 13, 2011 at 4:58 pm Reply
Yes, I agree that a chart without a lot of aspects can be challenging too. Kind of like sailing around the world all alone – hard to make connections and find support. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 13, 2011 at 5:29 pm Reply Many aspects can be hellish too, like having a bunch of hands grabbing you and pulling you towards different directions. Hard to decide which way to go.
Connections and support are a gift, indeed, but you never feel like you‘re a perfect fit anywhere (which makes you look like you‘re the bad guy in the end). I guess there‘s no such thing as a perfect chart. Sometimes I wonder how it feels like to be a triple sth, though!
By: VR on January 14, 2011 at 12:46 pm Reply Nice image on the chart with many aspects, VR.
By: Donna Cunningham on January 15, 2011 at 5:20 am Donna, I continue to love reading your blog. So much insight, although I am a newbie to atrology (still.) I have read your past posts on stelliums and that was fascinating, but I still do not understand how to figure out how to do a progressed chart. What exactly is one and/or where should I start in my quest to understand how to learn this? Books, etc. Thanks for the terrific website. I just love your energy and input. Adela o
By: Adela on January 13, 2011 at 5:17 pm Reply I read that each day after our birth counts for a progressed year, so for example day 50 after the birth, would be our progressed chart for our fiftieth year and so on . we can see it in an old ephemeris by counting the days or with a computer. Also that progressed planets and aspects show internal effects and transits outer events.
By: jen on January 13, 2011 at 10:28 pm Reply Hi, Jen, that‘s one system of progressions, ―Day for a Year‖, and it was a quick and dirty way of finding our progressions back in the day we calculated them by hand rather than have the computer do them in two seconds. (Now there are lots of students who don‘t even own an ephemeris.)
BTW, we’ll be having some guest bloggers doing articles and Q&A sessions on progressions in the next couple of months, since I don‘t work with progressions much, only transits. One of them, Gretchen Lawlor, will be holding a Q&A about the progressed Moon on January 29th. Doona
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 12:51 am That is going to be a great Q&A, she‘s wonderful!
By: sabrina on January 17, 2011 at 11:45 am Hi Donna – Everything in my chart receives at least one major aspect. I have squares, trines, conjunctions and oppositions – mostly squares and conjunctions. Ironically, the least common aspect in my chart is the one that challenges me most, and that would be the opposition. At their best, my oppositions lend themselves to a certain level of objectivity and self awareness; they also help me to strike a healthy balance or compromise, where each side gets its needs met. But other times they battle it out, with one side of my nature working at counter purposes to the other; I always know exactly what‘s happening. In spite of that awareness, it‘s the on e aspect I can‘t seem to consistently get a handle on, at least not during times of great stress or when faced with some major injustice or ongoing external challenge. It only happens when I‘ve been pushed too far and for too long – or if I feel I have to compromise some essential part of my nature to too great an extent. Inevitably, my Libran sense of balance gets thrown off and I end up in some hyper-expression of the opposition‘s energies. It can be intense.
The sources of my conflict may come from the outside, but I always feel the situations are there to help me finetune my character and turn me into a saint (hahaha). Not likely to happen anytime soon. o
By: LB on January 13, 2011 at 6:32 pm Reply Trines, squares, then equal numbers of oppositions and conjunctions.
I believe the conjunctions and oppositions to be my chart‘s strong suits. I‘ve gotten a lot of mileage out of my Cap Jupiter/Saturn conjunction opposite Cancer Mars. Maybe it‘s time to ease up and let some of t he trine energy flow? o
By: Parin Stormlaughter on January 13, 2011 at 8:57 pm Reply Donna, why do you see the Saturn Pluto conj as so harsh? I have mainly squares (10) and it gives tension, which can be used positively or negatively. I have to say it has to be wielded with caution, because I‘m easily seen as someone who provokes. So the energy has to be put to good use, otherwise all bets are off. When I feel anger or frustration, I use that energy to go do something that earlier I had put off, to be assertive and take matters into my own hands. E nergy is energy, it‘s gotta go somewhere! o
By: Lonake on January 14, 2011 at 12:31 am Reply I see the Pluto-Saturn conjunction as the harshest aspect because for the past 40+ years, I have been listening to clients who‘ve had to live with them, and when that aspect is strong in the chart, many of them have had to live with terrible adversity…abuse, poverty, harship, loss.
(Strong as in it‘s in the 1st or 10th houses, conjunct the Sun, Moon , or multiple planets, or many aspects.) I have a chapter devoted to Pluto-Saturn aspects in my ebook, The Outer Planets and Inner Life, volume 3. (Aspects between the Outer Planets). Read more about this aspect and how it‘s been affected by last year‘s Pluto-Saturn square: http://skywriter.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/how-the-pluto-saturn-square-may-affect-people-born-with-that-aspect/ .
Even Britney Spears, who has it in the 1st house square Venus has not had an easy life. In fact, many child stars who mess up majorly seem to have that aspect. By the merest coinkidink, I happened to look at the Oxford Astrologer‘s delightful and irreverent blog this morning, and she has an article about Prince William‘s fiance, Kate Middleton, who has a strongly integrated Pluto-Saturn in her (untimed) birth chart. See it here: http://oxford-astrologer.blogspot.com/2011/01/catherinemiddletons-birth-chart-cool.html Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 1:00 am Reply
I have fairly equal amounts (7-10) of conjunctions, oppositions, trines, and sextiles. Three squares and a couple semi-squares, quintiles and biquintiles. Two of the squares are to m y moon so I feel those deeply but have learned to manage them finally. I think the posts on aspects is a great topic. BTW speaking of aspects of child stars (I guess I am thinking of people in general lately who come into lots of money all of a sudden it seems) is there a certain aspect, time period, transit, etc. that shows why or how these people just become multi-millionaires? The facebook people, harry potter kids and others who have had this. Is is just all of a sudden or am I just paying attention more? :) o
By: cathie on January 14, 2011 at 8:22 am Reply Oh, I think there are many young stars who are sudden millionaires, but it‘s hard getting their data, particularly the birth time. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 8:54 am Reply Re the Saturn/Pluto conjunction, I‘ve collected several quotations that seem to capture its quintessential nature and experiential expression. My two favorites are: ―The light at the end of the tunnel is invariably an oncoming train‖. ―What doesn‘t kill me makes me stronger‖. o
By: Sally on January 14, 2011 at 11:26 am Reply Donna, I would dearly love it if you would run a series on how to make the best use of, (or live with) squares. I have a mutable Grand Cross, involving the angles. It feels like I am always butting heads, with myself if there is nobody else around. And not knowing which way to go, just bounce around inside the square. I have more Squares, Oppositions and conjunctions than trines. But I feel like I can work with conjunctions and oppositions. The squares are stumbling blocks and I haven‘t figured out how to work positively with them.
Would dearly love to learn to deal with squares in an evolved way!
Thanks Donna, as always love your blog. Judy o
By: Judy on January 14, 2011 at 1:14 pm Reply Hi, Judy, That‘s a much more complex topic than can be handled on a blog– more like a self-help book I no longer have the stamina to write.
However just today I decided that my next series of Q&A sessions (not guest bloggers, but topics of my own)will be on the aspects. And as much as possible to make a week of posts about the aspect in the session. So we‘d have Square Week, Conjunction Week, and so on. Who knows what will come out –I never do…until it comes out. A book that you might find helpful is the new edition of Tracy Mark‘s book on t-squares. A Grand Cross is nothing more than a series of t-squares. Also, si nce it‘s mutable, look around to see what you can find of Dr. Zipporah Dobyn‘s work about the Mutable Dilemma. (I believe she may have had a mutable Grand Cross herself.) You can find out-of-print books like that at http://www.astroamerica.com . Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 14, 2011 at 3:19 pm Reply What I mean is I’d really like to know how to constructively use squares, all of them!
By: Judy on January 17, 2011 at 8:21 am By becoming conscious of times when we are expressing the negative sides of one or both planets and slowly decreasing the number of times we do that, while working diligently to embody the more positive side of both of them. How do you do that? The same way you get to Carnegie Hall – practice, practice, practice. Often one planet in a square will start to act up if you suppress it (e.g. you decide that planet’s needs are “bad”) while giving preferential treatment to the other planet. You need to find constructive outlets for the planet you have decided is “bad.” Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 17, 2011 at 9:22 am
I have a minor grand trine between the sun, moon/saturn cnj. and mars being in the lead trn the sun. they are 5 to 10 degrees earth/water and function so seamlessly. The ease with which things in those areas of life happen seems to tell me ―don‘t sweat this stuff, we got this go take care of that t square. These celestial bodies share few to none aspects to other celestial bodied or angles and so run the affairs of the portions of the chart they rules almost on automatic pilot. The rare times something interferes they work it out with flawless grace with hardly a twitch of the eye. It amazes me at times. On the other hand almost all the rest of celestial bodies and all the angles in my chart are related at 22 to 26 degrees by mostly (uncomfortably at times) active ―hard‖ angles. Those keep me busy. There is a T square between ur/ju cnj to venus/nep conj with chiron in the lead making an opp to the ur/ju cnj. These play ping pong or 3 way catch with me often feeling like the monkey in the middle. There are also though bodies that aspect this t square from ―soft‖ angles mitigating the picture though so‘s to bring in solutions more easily. The trick I have found is to relax enough to allow those ―softer‖ aspecting helpers enough reign to ope rate on the ―hard‖ aspects. A t square can make one feel that they are in a burning building and so ―must‖ act (but not sure where the door is) especially in that m y t square is cardinal and wants to jump in right away, often before a full assessment has been made. Some times it is of moment to let transits that make the ―softer‖ angle to one part of the t square and a not less soft angle to another part dictate the path of least resistance no matter how minor the aspect may be it is still a helper pointing the way. So after 50odd years living with a t square I would say it has been a tremendous boon in that it has expanded my horizons like wind in my sails. o
By: uhane on January 14, 2011 at 2:14 pm Reply ―…―softer‖ angle to one part of the t square and a not less* soft* angle to another part dictate the path…‖ *I meant to say ―not SO soft angle‖ o
By: uhane on January 14, 2011 at 2:18 pm Reply There‘s a Kite in my chart, involving a stellium and a grand trine, and sextiles. So 8 oppositions, 6 conjunctions, 4 trines and 2 squares, and 8 sextiles The opposition is seesaw – sometimes the Virgo stellium wins and every detail is attended to, sometime the Pisces Jup wins and the dustbunnies have a party. But to be serious – the oppositions give me a way to express the grand trine, I think. I can‘t reall y say which of the 4 planets in the stellium is stronger. Pluto is chart ruler, but Uranus is pretty strong too, for some reason. The other two are Sun and Moon, so it feels as if it‘s one planet with a very strong energy working at the same time. Like my Moon is in Virgo, but the descriptions of Moon in Aquarius and Scorpio fits my life pretty well, too. The Kite is very focused – I can‘t remember if it‘s the planets that get the sextiles that is the focal planet (a stellium in my case), or the opposing planet. o
By: Natalie on January 14, 2011 at 4:17 pm Reply See my reply to Sabrina about the kite. The sextiles ease the opposition that forms the spine of the kite. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 15, 2011 at 4:32 am Reply Hi Natalie! May I ask you something? At what age approximately did you start experiencing your opposition as a seesaw? I‘m asking because the closest I‘ve ever got to my taurus moon was one time I bought an ill-fated plant- my scorpio mars said he never agreed on watering it, let alone making arrangements for it when on vacation!
By: VR on January 15, 2011 at 6:42 am Reply Mars and Moon? Though! My opposition is between Jup in Pisces and a stellium in Virgo. It‘s been pretty seesaw as long as I can remember. I was very much Pisces when I was younger, in a way I have grown into the Virgo – so I could manage to achieve my dreams. This is classic Kite – the stellium is at the sextile part of the kite, and gives the Jupiter energy a practical outlet. And about plants? Virgo would love flowers around the house – Jup just can‘t be bothered with the watering, it‘s way too much work. I found a compromise: green plants that doesn‘t need much water, and a kind of lily that hangs with her leaves when she‘s thirsty.
By: Natalie on January 15, 2011 at 9:52 am Thanks, Natalie, very illuminating! Maybe mine is a harder pair, or I just don‘t have what it takes for that necessary compromise (yet). P.S. Gosh, you‘re all so doggone evolved here, sometimes I feel bad about myself! (If it weren‘t for Donna discarding presidential candidates on hairdo grounds and contemplating on current hair trends in Timbuktu, I‘d be outta here!! :) )
By: VR on January 15, 2011 at 11:14 am I‘m not an astrologer, but I‘m guessing Mars in Scorpio is a pretty strong factor. Perhaps your Moon is a bit neglected? I‘d like to leave an example of my seesaw: http://singhandnormann.blogspot.com/ Good luck!
By: Natalie on January 15, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Great post, Natalie! And, great blog, too! Thumbs up from my Virgo stellium! Good to know you have a writting partner, writting is such a lonely task, most of the times.. I wish you all the luck in the world with your projects :)
By: VR on January 16, 2011 at 1:37 am Hi Natalie! It‘s me - Again! I hate to take advantage of your generosity, but I‘ve Got to ask this! How does it feel like to have a Grand Trine? Books affirm it signifies a flow of energy and prosperity in a chart. Is it truly that huge a deal? Could you comment a bit on that one? Please? (It‘s so hard for me to conceptualize the impact of placements I don‘t have!) Thanx
By: VR on January 16, 2011 at 3:35 am Hey, guys, get a room! Write to one another off-site or something, because you‘re way off thread. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 16, 2011 at 5:38 am Ouch – sorry, Donna :D VR: you‘re welcome to contact me through my blog!
By: Natalie on January 16, 2011 at 5:51 am I don‘t really have any dominant aspect type in my chart. However, my chart does seem to have one of each major aspect that seems to say the most about who I am (whether I like it not; ) .
Conjunction: combust stellium of Mars-Sun-Venus in Cancer in the 4th house It truly is very difficult for me to distinguish between the energies an d motivations of these planets. This means that I can be deeply disappointed when I fail to satisfy a need or desire that arises here. Catch me when engaged in home renovation and decoration or one of my other ―special projects‖, however, and this trio is full of vim and vigor. Opposition: Saturn in Aries in the 1st house and my Moon in Libra in the 7th house. No mistake, this is THE challenge I face. For me, this aspect is all about feeling that I am not enough. Needless to say, much anger, pain, and fear has been the result. If you, Donna, or any other kind soul has any recommendation on dealing with this aspect/issue, I am certainly open to hearing them. Square: Sun in Cancer in the 4th and Moon in Libra in the 7th This internal conflict was a major source of sturm und drang in my early adulthood. I do, however, credit these two for getting me out of a marriage that was slowly but surely draining the life out of me. Yes, they still have their testy moments, but, for the most part, they seem to have hammered out some kind of agreement.
Trine: Moon in Libra in the 7th and Mercury in Gemini in the 3rd I am truly grateful for this aspect. No matter what is happening in my life, my Moon and Mercury work together to make sure that all of those daily details and routine interactions continue to be taken care of as usual. This is a gift when dealing with serious health issues or the death of a parent, for example. o
By: Mari on January 16, 2011 at 10:53 am Reply Moon-Saturn hard aspects are very painful – usually a stern, perfectionistic mother figure who made you grow up too fast, and you never could be enough, because the demands increased every time you mastered one thing she wanted from you. Two flower essences related to insufficient mothering from The Flower Essence Services come to mind: Mariposa Lily and Evening Primrose. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on January 16, 2011 at 11:52 am Reply I wanted to tell you that I really like the way you described the different aspects here. When you included real people (M Jackson and Queen Latifa, I could really relate and understand the point you were trying to make.) about my chart, i have 18 squares which includes the midheaven and chiron according to Astrodienst. I always focus on the better parts of my chart, I confess I was very surprised to see all those squares. Since a lot of the squares are outer planets, I am thinking it means I was born to tough times, but I know that my life has been a bowl of cherries compared to some (a friend of mine died yesterday after a 7 year battle with cancer, for example; and even she had a great life compared to some) a cool thing in my chart is the sun and moon are sextile mars and trine jupiter. I think this means that stuff works out for me. When I want it, I get it. And even though Jupiter therefore is opposing Mars, things often end well. o
By: mimitabby on January 18, 2011 at 10:06 am Reply …..Oops this post flew away before I ended it…Maybe it was high time that it went? When a Moon-Saturn ages it is obvious that he she love regularity more than others do. o
By: Monex on January 24, 2011 at 5:16 am Reply Whaa…! Off -line 12+ days. Still catching up after our google virus meltdown. Actually had to change servers to rid the plague — Thank goodness hubby backs everything up on flash drives. Sorry to have missed my own ―winning‖ suggestion for outer planet forum…(only 11 que ries? Your disappoinment was tangible and understandable –though the ―mea culpas‖ brought up some good points and I see that you are incorporating the best suggestions). Thanks for the moderation…I‘ll be practicing more myself-especially with trans. JUP conjuncting natal JUP in early Aries… ―Mad AND Delightful‖, what could be better? o
By: Berta on January 27, 2011 at 4:51 pm Reply I have a mixture of easy and hard aspects. The overall effect seems to be that my peers think that I have a charmed life (mostly easy aspects to outer planets) but I know that I have worked hard for everything that I get (hard and easy aspects to Mars). To paraphrase Maya Angelou, they see my glory but don‘t know my (internal) story. o
By: Jara on February 2, 2011 at 8:20 am Reply What about trines in different elements. Like late pisces and early gemini, or early aires and late scorpio. Will the energy still be trine? o
By: JG on February 20, 2013 at 2:08 pm Reply Apparently, I‘m the holy grail. I have a grand sextile in my chart which creates a three dimensional hexagon with a star in the middle. It pretttttyyy , and its quite amaz ing in its ―geometry.‖
17 Trines — - I guess im a lucky one. ( i.e takes things for granted as well) 12 Sextiles — I have the ability to get away with things , and things always seem to work itself out , with little too minimum effort.
6 Squares — I have overcome great difficulties battled with depression (i have five harsh aspects to my moon , but i have been through these tulmoultous phases, and persevered and survived, almost as though reemerging as a stronger person.( i would assume this is my pluto aspects working , forcing transformation , as i have SUN sq Pluto, mars opp pluto , also my mars opp pluto) 6 Oppositions- mostly saturn and others 3 Conjuncts- conjuncts include my venus and jupiter and all conjunting my asc as well which is cancer. I have a leo sun. (2nd) Aries moon (10th house) I have mercury in the third house in virgo in trine with four planets. Also Scorpio in pluto in the 5th house The point is one may be so blessed and gifted but not realize they‘re worth or their gifts. As i struggled with early parts of life , and had to persevere to find out , the true value i have and reallly potential ANY person has. We all have different charts, different aspects , some favorable some very harsh,astrology helps us be more aware of them and is not ment to define but to guide! !! <3 o
By: happygolucky on February 21, 2013 at 12:46 pm Reply Oky: What can you tell me, when all bunch of ―hard planets‖ are messed up? I have : sun square jupiter, sun opposed pluto, venus opposed pluto, venus square saturn, mercury square saturn,mercury opposed pluto,mars square uranus ( heard some nasty things about this :((( but didn‘t understand much- smth like if I had one planet in taurus or scorpio is sucks and I don‘t have a single drop of pure love in me:((( but my mars is in aries , uranus in capricorn, and I might be born on the cusp- midnight- 21 may , 12.05 am..taurus-gemini cusp. So I don‘t get it, If I am a taurus ..my life is doomed? bcz of mars uranus…duhh..really need help for that) oky I have more:)..moon square mars, mars square neptune,saturn square pluto. :| and saturn,uranus and neputune or pluto- 3 planets retrograde..niceeee, really? Yes I am complainig…life is tough for me…especially in love area…I just had a toxic relationship , but I want to get over that…so can anybody help me? With these ―cute‖aspects..can I really repair my flaws?:D thank you o
By: narina-camy on September 25, 2013 at 12:04 am Reply Look, Narnia, I get that you‘re overwhelmed by your aspects, but no one is doomed by their astrology chart. Some aspects are definitely a lot harder than others, bu t there aren‘t big, bad planets in the sky crapping all over you. The planets don‘t CAUSE anything, they just show what‘s going on. When planets like Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are really strong in the chart, as they are in yours, it means that a huge part of the problem is the huge mess our world is in, with a trickle down effect in the lives of people born with those combinations.
From what I can piece together, you must be born with the triple conjunction of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in Capricorn that every single person born on the planet in 1989 and half of 1988 had in Capricorn. We‘re talking
413 MILLION young people in 1989 alone. So you are not just one person that the heavens have singled out to crap all over. You can‘t fix the world singlehandedly, but you can– with work – fix things that you yourself do to complicate your life and your relationships. Fixing things can take a lot of work on yourself and any self-destructive behavior patterns. It takes insight and self-control and not blaming others or the planets for any grief that you cause yourself.
An astrology chart session with a professional astrologer who fully understands this chart pattern can help you identify the ways you contribute to your problems as opposed to the ways the world situation is causing grief for so many people your age. Unfortunately, there aren‘t a lot of astrologers who are full y aware of this phenomenal chart pattern. (I‘m not available, as I‘m retired from chart sessions in order to focus on w riting.) I am writing a book on stelliums that would help you put the pieces together and share some self-help tools that will be out in a month or two, so if you‘d like to know when it comes out, sign up for a subscription to this blog. I can imagine it‘s really hard to sort all these factors out, but the transits that you 413 million or so young people are gong through right now are really tough. They will end eventually –it‘s not a life sentence! Donna Cunningham .
By: Donna Cunningham on September 25, 2013 at 2:52 am Reply I forgot to mention, I also have some good aspects,haha..,like 5 conjunctions, 6 trines, 3 sextiles…If I had to compare with my ―bad‖ aspects I just realised I am somewhat balanc ed..but still, please read my messages, I need an expert advice in what might happen in love life..I have venus in taurus and this aspects really interest me..love is everything..and when I heard about that mars-uranus thing..something inside me, crashed. Thank you so much! :) o
By: narina-camy on September 25, 2013 at 12:23 am Reply Forgot to mention the good ones, did you? Imagine that! If you have 6 trines – probably in earth signs like Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo – then you have lots of strengths to draw on to in making a better life for yourself. Look, it sounds like you are reading the most negative interpretations you can possibly get your hands on. Every aspect has its good uses and its bad uses, and it is up to you to work on making sure you recognize when you‘re living out the bad ones and work on pulling yourself out of expressing the planets in the unhealthy or toxic ways. Again, there are tools in my upcoming stellium book to help you sort out what‘s what. For instance, there‘s a self help worksheet you can construct and use to take regular inventory of how you‘re using the planets. And now I have to get back to writing, so I can‘t answer any more of your questions. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 25, 2013 at 3:04 am Reply Wow, now that was fast! Thank you. I‘ve got it..I assume I read to much into it..heheh but I also focus on what‘s positive..otherwise I‘ll go gaga :P Have a nice day! o
By: narina-camy on September 25, 2013 at 4:38 am Reply Just for the record, I‘m a 92′ person :) and I surely have no clue if my trines are in virgo, taurus or so..since they are like moon trine venus, mercury trine uranus and so on. But you‘ve being helping me and I really appreciate your clarity and fast,fast r eply. I‘ll check out your site carefully, for now..keep up the good work!
Things You May Not Know about Conjunctions ©9-26-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW Readers, I miss you and really miss blogging, but these days, rather than blogging, I am slogging through the final chapters of Th e Stell iu m H andbook . I’m in the midst of writing not one but two chapters on conjunctions, and thought you might enjoy a short sample.
A conjunction is a potent connection (called an aspect ) between two planets in which the planets stand close together and blend their energies. It usually only involves one sign and one house of an astrology chart, although the two planets sometimes straddle houses or signs. The orb (number of degrees apart) for a conjunction is officially 8°. When there‘s a question as to whether the aspect is too wide, I describe the way the two planets work together to clients to see if they relate to it. It‘s often working at 10°, even when one of them is a slow-moving outer planet. With a conjunction, it‘s difficult to get a separate perspective on the parts of you that either planet s ymbolizes. When Mars and Jupiter are conjunct, for instance, the need for action that Mars represents and the desire to expand that Jupiter represents are merged. This suggests someone who is a dynamo with an insatiable appetite for experiences in the areas of life related to the conjunction‘s house position. The importance of the order of planets in a conjunction: The lead planet of the pair in a conjunction may dominate in much the same way as the lead planet in a stellium sets the tone for the action. This is an important consideration in interpreting a conjunction, as the first planet in t he pair is the first to be activated by a transiting planet.
Suppose someone has a Mars-Pluto conjunction in Libra, and transiting Uranus is forming an aspect to the pair. The first response to the threat of a disruption to major relationships would be a Mars approach — active, taking the initiative, even potentially combative, depending on the sign. If the order is Pluto-Mars, however, the response would be more emotionally intense but less overt. The person might withdraw and brood. They could also resort to manipulation or emotional blackmail. Being psychologically
astute, they may conceivably use the weaknesses of the person who is threatening them in a vengeful way. Which of the two would you rather cross? The sign’s modes of acti on — Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable — is important to look at in analyzing a conjunction because the action of a particular pair — or trio — of planets is very different, in different modes, and, therefore, so is the outcome. To summarize, Cardinal signs are action oriented, goal driven, and forever on the move. Fixed signs are stable and intent on preserving the status quo. They‘re gifted with endurance, but stubbornly resistant to change. Mutable signs are adaptable, flexible, and can cope with change, yet are sometimes scattered in their energy. Depending on the planets involved, people with conjunctions in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) form a clear picture of their desires and work toward them whole-heartedly. These four signs each have a different set of goals, but when they see what they want, they go for it in a focused way. Thus, conjunctions in cardinal signs are energized and show a good chance of success in the mission. Depending on the planets involved, conjunctions in Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) represent our ability to persevere to the point of bringing our ideas and hopes into a concrete, finished form and then preserving them. However, they‘re a mixed blessing, in that they‘re stubborn, slower to react, and can be rigid and resist change. If two planets ar e conjunct in fixed signs and indicate a conflict of interest, it‘s very hard to g et the person to bend in that area of life. Depending on the planets involved, conjunctions in Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are responsive and able to adapt to changing circumstances as they arise, so they‘re more able to contend with transits to a stellium. They‘re versatile and always looking for greater understanding of their fields of interest. Their drawback is that they‘re distractible and can lack a steady focus for their efforts. What do I mean by “depending on the planets involved?” The nature of the planet can shift the energy of the response. For instance, Neptune could indicate haziness and confusion that could hinder a Cardinal sign from taking effective action. Saturn in a Mutable conjunction could symbolize focus and persistence in completing a goal. Applying vs. separating conjunctions: One thing that can affect the strength of a conjunction is whether the faster-moving planet of the pair is applying to the conjunction (approaching the degree of the other planet on its way to being at exactly the same degree) or separati ng fr om the conjunction (having passed the exact point and moving away).
Though I pay more attention to the scores on the planetary strength tests, many astrologers say that the aspect is stronger when applying and weaker when separating. (More about the tests here: Take the Planetary Tests .) That’s all for now, Reader s. Th is is ju st a wee sample of a total of 28 pages on conj un ction s, whi ch ar e alm ost always a big par t of a stell iu m, sin ce it can in clu de anywhere f rom 4-7 planets in one sign or h ouse. H er e are some other ar ticl es about conju ncti ons on th is blog:
Things You May Not Know about the 3rd and 12th Houses ©2-13-2010 by Donna Cunningham, MSW You could study the houses of the horoscope for a lifetime and still not know all there is to know about them. They‘re an endless source of information about yourself and anyone whose chart you‘re examining. Today I‘d houses, the 3rd and 12th. like to share some secrets I‘ve learned over the years about two of the cadent
(1, 4, 7, and 10), Cadent houses (3, 6, 9, and 12) lend themselves to secrets. They‘re not like the angular houses which represent the external factors that jump out at you right away. They‘re what you find out about a person in a five minute conversation at a party. You‘d notice what they look like and how they come across (1st), check out the ring finger to see if they‘re married (7th), and ask where they live(4th) and what they do for a living (10th). The qualities of the cadent h ouses are more inward and not so noticeable. You‘d have to study a person for a while before you added the things those houses represent to your mental file about them. But are they less important in forming who we are? I think not. Here are some surprising things I‘ve learned about two of the houses, the 3rd and the 12th. The Third House and Jack Nicholson’s Family Secre t
The 3rd house represents communication patterns, thinking and learning style, siblings and near relatives, neighbors, basic coursework, commuting. My jobs in social work involved taking a family history, and my astrological consultations often brought up problems with brothers and sisters. Thus, I tend ed to note how the influence of siblings was reflected in the 3 rd house. The Moon in the 3rd house always turned out to be highly significant. With this placement, siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins may have taken on parental roles, often due to the mother‘s immaturity. If you have it, sometimes it‘s you who acted as a parent surrogate to younger sibs; sometimes an older might have acted as Mom to you. At any rate, it results in a powerful and influential tie that lasts well into adulthood. Whether the tie was essentially positive or not depen ds on the Moon‘s sign and aspects. With Moon in Aries, there was likely to be a strong sibling rivalry and incessant conflict. With Moon in Libra, it was likely to b e a very loving connection. At best, you are likely to have the equivalent of two Moms, one much younger and longerlived, and you are likely to have a strong and supportive extended family.
I enjoy watching the biographies on A&E on Sunday morning, and often I‘ll drag out the person‘s chart and compare it to the early years they describe. One morning the bio was about that irrepressible bad boy, Jack Nicholson. Right away I noted his 3rd house Moon and wondered how that played out in his family life. ( He was born April 22, 1937 at 11:20 AM, from his memory. His place of birth was NEPTUNE — New Jersey, that is. (You can see his birth chart and biography here Nicholson, Jack , but if you do that, you‘ll miss out on the secrets of the 12th. I‘ll repeat the link later.) They‘re great storytellers, the writers for these biographies, and so they gav e one little clue after another about a secret in Jack‘s background. They stressed how much he loved his older sister Jean, and how much he missed her when she went to Hollywood and became a showgirl. When he decided to become an actor, he went to Hollywood and lived with her until he started getting enough roles to support himself. They continued to be close until her death, which devastated him. It wasn‘t until his mother died, when he was 37 that he discovered the truth — that Jean was actually his mother! She was only 17 when she had him, so they concealed the pregnancy and claimed Jean‘s mother had given birth to him.
In this case, then, the 3rd house Moon meant that his sister literally WAS his mother. If you know any other cases th where this is true, I‘d love to hear about them.A Not-So-Secret Sector of the 12 House My readers evidently can‘t get enough about the 12th house. One of the top 5 posts of all time on this blog is 7 Secrets You May not Know about the 12th House, and my other articles about the 12th continue to do well, too. This tricky house represents matters that are repressed or hidden, self-defeating behavior, chronic illness, chronic illness and care facilities, selfless service, retreats, and the quest to learn secret spiritual and m ystical truths.
Recently, a reader wrote to ask about a Pluto transit to her Uranus in the 12th and why so many secrets were coming to light. I told her that a 12th house Uranus represents parts of yourself that are so different that you b elieve it wouldn‘t be social acceptable if you showed it to others— that it would either get you in trouble with authorities or else you‘d be a social outcast. What I can imagine happening during a transit to a 12th house Uranus would be that you no longer feel like you have to keep the real you hidden from the world. Under a transit from Pluto to Uranus, you‘d just no longer care what people thought — or you would, but you wouldn‘t be able to suppress your truth any more. Another thing shown by 12th house planets is secrets you‘ve kept even from yourself. Early on, most likely in adolescence since that‘s one of the more Uranian periods of development, you found those thoughts or urges so unacceptable that you pushed them down into the unconscious and didn‘t allow yourself to know they were part of you. With transits, especially from the probing eye of Pluto, those secrets come and stare you in the face, and denial is stripped away. th
An especially interesting sector of the 12 house is the 10° or so just before the Ascendant — any planet there is actually conjunct the Ascendant. What‘s difficult about having any planet there, but especially Uranus, is that the person tries desperately to hide the part of themselves that planet represents.
Alas, it‘s no secret at all— it pops up strongly in moments of self-sabotage, and then the truth is glaringly obvious to the world at large. People cut you even less slack than if you were open about yourself because those revelations make you look like a hypocrite or sneak for hiding the information in the first place. If you‘re famous, you hav e to go to rehab for it. No doubt you‘re wondering about the other two cadent houses, the 6th and the 9th. Oh, I‘ll write about them sometime, but not today. Until then, they‘ll remain my little secret. What about you readers? What do you know that‘s interesting about the 3rd or 12th houses? Tell us in the comment section. Astrology students, if you’ve got time this weekend, kick your chart interpretation skills up a notch by reading more articles about the houses on this blog:
The Houses – 12 Different Ways to Heal from Stress and Trauma A Who‘s Who of your Horoscope– the Players in all 12 Houses Neptune in the 11th House – Setting Boundaries in Friendship 7 Secrets You May not Know about the 12th House 12 Famous People with 12th House Suns Transits from the 12th House to the 1st – Like Night and Day Transits to the Vocational Houses – Temp Job or Career Departure? Download a chapter on the houses here: AGSA ch13-houses Download a chart blank here: Blank chart with house meanings. Download: Shovel-Ready Projects for the 12 Astrological Houses See more articles on the 12 houses in the category Houses of the Horoscope. (I promised you Jack Nicholson‘s AstroDataBank file. You can see it here: Nicholson, Jack .) If this post was helpful, DON’T MISS THE NEXT INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES. Sign up for a subscription, and get a FREE EBOOKLET for Skywriter Subscribers Only: Mothers, Daughters, and the Moon, a 50-page excerpt from The Moon in your Life. Read more about it here: New: Free Booklet For Skywriter Subscribers!
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Learning to Interpret Aspects — A Major Boost for Astrology Students ©2009 by Donna Cunningham, MSW The following is an excerpt from the introductory section of my ebooklet, Aspect Analysis: the Building Blocks of Chart Interpretation. This 8-part tutorial includes step-by-step instructions on how to analyze conju nctions, sextiles, squares, trines, quincunxes and oppositions. Aspects are the building blocks of serious astrology, moving you beyond single chart factors to integrating the many features a chart contains. Not only are they crucial in natal charts, they modify the qualities of transiting planets, progressions, and chart comparison. They powerfully impact outcomes in such diverse branches of our field as electional, horary, medical, and mundane. Here are some important stages in analyzing any given aspect. Compatibility of the two Planets: First of all, think about how well the two planets partner one another. Are they compatible in nature? Are they arms-around-the-shoulders buddies? Respectful colleagues with similar aims? Worthy adversaries? Or are they better off not even in the same room together? For example, Mercury and Jupiter or Mercury and Uranus, all being mental in focus, are compatible and work toward common ends, even in hard aspect. The qualities of Mercury and Saturn or Mercury and Neptune are less at ease with one another and have more conflict, even in easy aspects. I can‘t really think of a bad aspect between Mercury and Jupiter. Though prone to garrulousness and excessive optimism, nonetheless such folks are capable of learning from their mistakes. On the other hand, it‘s hard to think of a good connection between Pluto and Saturn. It can be a leaden and morose combination, even when trine. Though they show admirable perseverance in hardship, individuals with this combination typically pride themselves on being a ―survivor,‖ even when leaving a toxic situation is the wiser choice.
Keyword lists for planets: If you‘re planning on sticking around the astrology world for the duration, it‗s helpful to start a permanent collection of keywords and key phrases for each of the planets to store on your hard drive. That would be a useful step toward being able to interpret aspects without resorting to textbooks.Lists from astrology books or websites can round out your collection, but stretch your mind by jotting down all the ones you can come up with for any given planetary pair first. Elements — Another Building Block: A thorough understanding of the elements is a good way to fathom the meaning of aspects. The four elements — fire, earth, air, and water — have been part of astrological lore since at least medieval times, partly because they describe the essence of the signs so well. Air types (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are said to be mental and communicative, sometimes living in their heads too much. Earth individuals (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) are often down to earth, productive, grounded, and practical, though sometimes materialistic. Fire sorts (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) can be lively, action-oriented, and warm, yet often impulsive or even pushy. Typical water natives (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are responsive, adaptable, intuitive, and emotional, yet often too subjective. The elements form two complementary pairs. Air keeps a fire going; fire warms up air. Earth contains and grounds water; water keeps earth from being so arid it can‘t produce. Fire and air don‘t mix well with water or earth. Here‘s how the pairs of planets connect: conjunctions— same element and sign; sextiles — complementary elements; squares — mismatches between non-complementary aspects; trines — same element; oppositions — complementary elements.
The Modes as Modifiers: Another traditional — and highly productive — method of classifying the signs is by their : cardinal, fixed, or mutable. Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are said to be action mode oriented, goal driven, and forever on the move. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) are intent on preserving the status quo, stubbornly resistant to change, and gifted with endurance. Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are adaptable, flexible, changeable, and sometimes scattered in their energy. This helps us only slightly with sextiles, since they pair planets in a mi xture of modes. Signs: The next stage in analyzing any aspect is to consider the signs involved and how they help or hinder one another. First think of the elements and modes of the two signs and how they complement or detract from one another. There are more possible sextiles than any other aspect, two for each sign. For instance, Mars in the Cardinal fire sign Aires can sextile either Jupiter in the mutable air sign Gemini or the fixed Air sign Aquarius. The two sextiles would be fairly different. Aquarius adds theory to leadership, a trait that could an asset for a politician. Jupiter in Gemini with Mars in Aires gives an added dexterity and quickness of mind to an athlete. Houses: Apart from most conjunctions, the aspects involve pairs of houses. The two houses involved help you identify areas of life where the energies, needs, and traits of both planets are most readily and consistently deployed. You‘ll find in-depth articles about all 12 houses on this site under the category Houses of the Horoscope
NOTE: This has been an excerpt from the introductory essay in my ebooklet, Aspect Analysis: the Building Blocks of Chart Interpretation. To order it, go to http://www.paypal.com and create an account, if you don‘t already have one. Then tell them to send me $8 and give them my email address,
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RAHU- Its effects and remedies to nullify them
1. Rahu in the 1st House: In the 1st House, Rahu is like an elephant snarling at the king seated on his chair. It is a rich administrator. The evil effects of Rahu end after 42 years. Evil effects and causes:(a) The native is not on friendly terms with his wife. (b) The enemies are terrified of him. (c) He is not able to accomplish any work properly; keeps on changing his job. (d) If Venus is in the 7th House, the native is likely to be wealthy, but his wife may suffer. Remedies:(a) Donate wheat, jaggery and copper. Put these three articles or one of the articles in a copper vessel and drop it in flowing water on a Sunday. (b) Avoid wearing blue clothes. (c) Wear a silver chain around the neck. (d) Drop coconut in flowing water.
2. Rahu in the 2nd House:It is unfavourable for family and wealth. The native dies after being hit by a weapon. Evil Effects and Causes:(a) He sustains on the objects received from religious institutions. (b) He enjoys happy family life. The financial status is related to the position of Jupiter. (c) If Saturn is in the 1st House in the annual horoscope and Jupiter is favourable, then everything is likely to move smoothly, but if Saturn is debilitated there may be adverse effects. Remedies:(a) Keep a small solid silver ball. (b) Do not accept electrical appliances from in laws. (c) Maintaining good relations with mother will prove helpful. (d) Native should keep a small solid ball of gold. Saffron kept in a silver box will prove beneficial.
3. Rahu in the 3rd House:The native holds a good reputation in the society. No one can easily stand by him. He is good, but not very beneficial for his brothers. His dreams are true and has a strong foresight. His pen has a sharper edge than the sword. He has a long life and is a wealthy man. Evil Effect and Causes:(a) Propels well in 22nd year of his age. Children are prosperous and happy. (b) Tends to be a forceful writer. (c) Moon in debilitated position may cause misery. (d) One may notice a gradual increase in wealth on the in-laws side, if Venus is placed auspiciously. Remedies:(a) Wearing silver is advisable. (b) Drop 400gms coriander in flowing water. (c) Drop 400gm almonds in flowing water. 4. Rahu in the 4th House:This House belongs to Moon, which is an enemy of Rahu. When Rahu is benefic in this House, the native would be intelligent, wealthy and will spend money on good things. Going on pilgrimage would be beneficial for him. If Venus is also benefic, then after marriage the native‘s in-laws could also become rich. When Moon is exalted, the native would become very rich and would benefit from the works or relatives associated with Mercury. If Rahu is malefic, and the Moon is also weak, then the native will suffer in terms of property and native‘s mother will also suffer. Collecting char coal, altering toilet, installing oven in the ground and alteration of the roof in the house would be indicative of malefic. Remedies:(a) Wear silver. (b) Drop 400gms coriander or almonds, or both in flowing water. 5. Rahu in the 5th House:5th House belongs to Sun,which signifies male offspring. If Rahu is benefic native will be rich, wise and will enjoy good health. He would enjoy good income and progress. The native would be a devout or philosopher. If Rahu is malefic it leads to abortions. After the b irth of a son, wife‘s health will suffer for twelve years. If Jupiter is also in 5th House father of native will be in trouble. Remedies:(a) Keep an elephant made of silver. (b) Abstain from wine, non vegetarianism and adultery (c) Remarry your wife.
6. Rahu in the 6th House:This House is influenced by Mercury or Ketu. Here Rahu is exalted and gives very good results. The native will spend money on clothes. The native will be intelligent and victorious. When Rahu is malefic he will harm his brother or friends. When Mercury or Mars is in 12th House Rahu gives bad results. The native suffers from various ailments or loss of wealth. Sneezing while going to work is not a good sign. Remedies:(a) Keep a black dog. (b) Keep a lead nail in your pocket. (c) Never harm ones brothers/sisters. 7. Rahu in the 7th House: Native will be rich, but wife may suffer from ill-health. He may achieve success or victory over his enemies. If the marriage takes place before twenty one years of age, it may prove inauspicious. Native is likely to have good relations with the government, but if he engages in business connected with Rahu, like electrical equipments, then he will incur loss in the business. Native would suffer from head ache and if Mercury, Venus or Ketu is in 11th House, then sister, wife or son may destroy the native. Remedies:(a) Never marry before 21 years of age. (b) Offer six coconuts to a river. 8. Rahu in the 8th House:The 8th House is concerned with Saturn and Mars. So Rahu in this House gives malefic effects. The native may spend money recklessly on court cases. Family life would be adversely affected. If Mars is benefic and is placed in 1st or 8th House or Saturn is placed in 8th House, the native is likely to be very rich. Remedies:(a) Keep a square piece of silver. (b) Keep saunf (anise) under the pillow, while sleeping. (c) Do not work in electricity or power department. 9. Rahu in the 9th House:The 9th House is influenced by Jupiter. If native has good relations with his/her siblings, it is fruitful, else it would adversely affect the native. If the native is not religious minded, then his progeny would be useless for him. Profession influenced by Saturn would be profitable. If Jupiter is in 5th or 11th House, then it is useless. If Rahu is inauspicious in 9th House, then chances of begetting a son are less, especially if the native files court cases against someone in blood relations. Rahu is in 9th and 1st House is empty, then health could be adversely affected. Tarnishing of social p restige and psychological problems are also possible. Remedies:(a) Daily make a tilak made of saffron. (b) Wear gold. (c) Always keep a dog. (d) Maintain good relations with your in-laws. 10. Rahu in the 10th House:Keeping one‘s head uncovered gives the effect of a debilitated Rahu in 10th House. The good or bad result of Rahu would depend upon Saturn position. If Saturn is auspicious, then native would be brave, long lived and rich, and get respect from all quarters. if Rahu in 10th House is with Moon its gives Raja Yoga. The native is lucky for ones father. If Rahu in 10th House is malefic, then it would adversely affect ones mother or native‘s. If Moon is alone in 4th House, then native‘s eyes are adversely affected. He is likely to suffer from head aches or loss or wealth. Remedies:-
