This week’s question comes from Sabat in Plaza, North Dakota:

I’m an astro-newbie, just learning. It just hit me that I have six planets squaring my Scorpio Ascendant: Leo Sun, Mercury in Cancer, Venus in Cancer, Mars in Leo, Jupiter in Leo, and Uranus in Cancer. What does something like this do to or for a person and the interpretation of the overall chart, and should I be concerned about current or upcoming transits?

Pat’s response:

Sabat, squares in the natal chart represent challenges and matters that need our attention. In itself, this is not a bad thing. As much as we all might wish for an easy life, most of us would find it tiresome after awhile. Humans need challenges to learn, grow, and evolve, and we reach our full potential through tests and challenges. I know, I know…

With so many squares to the Ascendant in your chart, your challenge is to let the real you shine forth in the world. Scorpio in particular is good at hiding, so I’d say that you have felt pressure to keep your light under a bushel, as it were. The pressure may be coming from outside, but I’m betting that a lot of it is internal. For example, you may have tapes in your head telling you that you have to behave like a “responsible adult” and that engaging in certain activities that are pleasurable or personally rewarding is “selfish.”

That said, your Sun and other planets in Leo and late Cancer are on the Midheaven, which is the chart angle having to do with being in the public eye. For most of us, this means our career life. Perhaps you are most able to express yourself through your chosen career but find it harder to be yourself in personal relationships, family life, and so forth. Indeed, something about your job or your approach to it could be getting in the way of being yourself in private.

Current transits, in particular planets in Aquarius and the current eclipse cycle, are focusing your attention on this issue, and it’s no surprise that you’re asking about it now.

Thanks for writing, and good luck in your study of astrology!

Neith’s response:

Yes, Sabat, your Sun does square your Ascendant and what that means is your natural Leo flamboyance is at odds with the Scorpio rising’s inclination to play things close to the vest. However, with your Sun sitting at the top of your chart conjunct Jupiter in Leo, you shine brightly and fearlessly.

The conjunction of your Mercury, Venus and Uranus in Cancer are beautifully trine your Scorpio Moon offsetting the out-of-sign square between the Cancer planets and your Ascendant. In my experience, when planets are compatible by sign and element even though the numbers say they are square, the dissonance is toned down to a degree. It may feel like you have two distinct sides to your nature: the fiery side with all your Leo planets and the calm introspective side of all your water sign planets.

Please note you have a preponderance of fixed signs in your chart and that means you prefer to move through life at a measured pace with a predictable schedule. As a person with this same emphasis, I have found my preference is to make the necessary adjustments as quickly as possible, so I can find a new routine to settle into.

At this time, most of the planets in Aquarius are moving through your fourth house and are no longer opposing your Sun, Mars and Jupiter, though the lunar eclipse on January 26 may have caused some reverberations in your household. The ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition will not have much impact this year on your chart except in the general sense it affects us all.

Astrology is a wonderful field of study, enjoy the journey, Sabat!

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