This week’s question comes from Jacy in North Carolina:

I pretty much know I have one of the worst natal charts ever: Ascendant, Sun, Mercury and Venus in Libra all square my Saturn in Capricorn, and Midheaven in early Leo in the twelfth and first houses. Pluto in Scorpio in the first. Moon in Sagittarius opposite my Mars in Gemini in the eighth. Saturn is also the ruler of my third house. Oh, the irony. I try to come off friendly, but I feel it’s all in vain. People just feel that I’m cold and indifferent. I personally feel the twelfth house and Saturn squares the strongest. How do I deal with such a strong Saturn and twelfth house influences?

Neith’s response:

Jacy, first I want to say welcome to Libra’s world of scrambling from one end of the see-saw to the other. And second, it’s not that uncommon for a person with a combust Mercury (closely conjunct the Sun) to have a difficult time understanding how they come across to others.

I would place all your Libra planets in your first house rather than any in the twelfth. If a planet is within five degrees of the cusp of the next house, its influence is felt in that house especially when it is the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, and Nadir. In your chart, all your Libra planets and Ascendant are within three degrees of each other, creating a stellium and can be treated as if they were one.

Yes, Saturn squares in the natal chart can be a pain, but if you follow Saturn’s rules and behave responsibly, you will be rewarded – always. The most frustrating part of working with Saturn is there are no shortcuts. Something to consider is that even though Libra and Capricorn are square, they do understand each other. Capricorn appreciates Libra’s fairness and analytical approach, while Libra admires Capricorn’s sensible, matter-of-fact attitude.

This format doesn’t allow for a more in-depth look at your chart and I suggest you find an astrologer you like and work with them. There is lots of information available in books and online, but pulling it all together and making sense of it is the challenge!

Keep studying and asking questions of yourself and others, Jacy!

Pat’s response:

Jacy, please pardon my saying so, but this is far from the worst natal chart ever!

I’ve seen many more-challenging ones, starting with my own, which stumped even Rob Hand, arguably the greatest living astrologer on the planet. Not only do I have a fixed T-square in a sensitive spot, but I’ve got a Moon-Saturn square that has manifested in some most unpleasant ways. And just when I thought mine was the “worst ever,” I met a man with not one but two fixed T-squares, one of which virtually ensures that it will be nearly impossible for him to find a fulfilling, intimate relationship with a woman unless he is willing to do a ton of work … and we all know what people with a lot of fixed energy in their charts think about that!

Looking at it another way, “easy” charts aren’t necessarily desirable, either. Typically, people without some challenges in their charts (squares, oppositions, or difficult conjunctions) end up totally overwhelmed in a crisis and can’t cope. People with difficult charts learn to cope early and often, and if we are willing to do the work it takes to overcome these handicaps, we end up much stronger and wiser.

The square between your Libra planets and Saturn is what will do this for you, and I concur totally with Neith’s evaluation. It’s wonderful that you are starting this introspection so early in your life.

You are going to be just fine!

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