Category Archives: Birth chart

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Am I So Lazy?

This week’s question comes from Bree in Denver:

I’m confused about my Saturn aspects. According to my natal chart, I have Saturn in Sag in the 6th house, trine my Sun and Mercury. All the cookie cutter descriptions of this say that I’m a hard worker and disciplined (especially with Moon and Mars in Cap). But I’m super lazy most of the time! Where would I see “laziness” in my birth chart, and why do these positive Saturn aspects seem so elusive?

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Bree, many of those cookie cutter descriptions fail to take into account the flowing nature of the trine. A trine (a 120° aspect between planets) means the planets are in the same element and are extremely comfortable with one another. By and large, we humans are motivated by discomfort and without the irritation factor to keep us awake, we stay put.

Your Moon in Capricorn is traditionally considered an indicator of an ambitious person and indeed, I’ve known many people with Capricorn Moon who are very driven to succeed. But they often do so out of a need to prove something to themselves or others. In your case, a sextile from Jupiter in Pisces mellows out your Moon considerably. You didn’t say anything about your lifestyle and general living conditions but I’m guessing those, too, are pleasant and accommodating.

Perhaps you just need to find the right motivation to inspire you. Saturn will enter Libra at the end of this October and will square your planets in Cancer and Capricorn during 2010-2012. There is nothing like an irritating square aspect to get us to move! And don’t forget that Pluto in Capricorn will be slowly conjoining all your planets in Capricorn over the course of the next 15 years.

Most of the time the cookie-cutter approach to astrology gives us just enough information to tantalize and confuse us, without providing the threads that pull it all together. My suggestion would be to find an astrologer you resonate with and work with them.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

I had to laugh at your question, Bree. Most people would complain that the books said they were lazy when they weren’t (or didn’t think they were). That’s a tipoff right there that you’re probably not as lazy as you think.

But let’s assume for a moment that you are the laziest person on the planet, a veritable sloth. Where might we find that in your chart? My first stop would be the sixth house. This is where we look for clues about how you approach your day-to-day chores. As you note, you have hardworking Saturn in this area of your chart. You also have Pluto in the sixth house, which is definitely not a signature for laziness, and I’ll bet you delegate tasks very well!

The sign on the cusp of the sixth house can tell us something, along with the placement of the sixth-house ruler. You have Libra on the cusp of the sixth house, and Libra is ruled by Venus. I might be tempted to chalk it up to this, as Libra’s job is primarily to look beautiful and make sure everyone feels good. But Libra’s ruler, Venus, is in Virgo, a service-oriented, down-to-earth sign that doesn’t shy away from hard work.

Your Cancer Sun could perhaps be the culprit, as Cancer does love creature comforts. Still, this wouldn’t make you lazy. Mars, the planet that rules physical energy, is very well-placed in your chart, so we can count that out, too.

Since nothing jumps out at me, I’m going to go with my instinct and say you’re setting the bar too high for yourself, possibly as a result of that sixth-house Saturn. This could be a case of being your own worst critic. I also wonder whether you are challenged enough in your work and daily life. Could it be that your problem is not laziness but boredom?

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact us, or we don’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Real Astrologers: What’s With All This Drama?

This week’s question comes from Charles in Oakland, CA:

I’m an easygoing guy and like who I am, but lately I seem to be getting more than my share of drama. A co-worker who couldn’t cope with his divorce committed suicide. My father died and left his estate in question. I haven’t a clue what’s happening with the women in my life. All I want is for things to get back to normal again. A friend of mine is into astrology and says I have a “difficult chart,” whatever that means. She suggested I check out your site and ask what’s going on. This is all new to me, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Thanks!

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Well, Charles, you are in the midst of a very transformative period in your life and probably your best option is to relax and go with the flow. Pluto is exactly conjoining your Sun right now, and you have Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron on the cusp of your eighth house, all squaring your Moon. It doesn’t get more Plutonian than that!

Pluto-Sun transits ask us to take a long look deep within at ourselves and acknowledge our strengths and our shortcomings without bias. My philosophy is, if you’re perfect, you’re dead, and we are much further ahead to see our lives as a process. Keep your goals short-term and easily attainable, too. Plus, always practice staying detached from a particular outcome.

Neptune & Co. squaring your Moon is tough all right, because there is a lot that needs to be taken on faith (Neptune). In a man’s chart, the Moon can represent the women in our lives, from our mothers to our lovers. Right now you might feel like you have no idea what to expect from any of them. My suggestion here is to forgive them, forgive yourself, and do your best to find the humor in all of this.

You can ignore all this advice, too, because free will is part of package. These transits will pass in a year or so, and with any luck, you can pick up where you left off, but the pieces are not likely to be the same shape.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Charles, I concur with everything Neith said. She’s our resident Pluto expert, and your experiences with death around you tell me that Pluto’s influence in your chart is indeed a major factor right now.

There are two things I’d like to add. First, your friend was right about your “difficult chart,” but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Last week’s question dealt with this topic, and you might want to read what I had to say about it. I would also strongly encourage you to get a full reading to help you understand better what this all means.

Second, “easygoing” is not the first thing that comes to mind when I look at your chart. Although you are a Capricorn, you’ve got planets in all four of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), suggesting a certain amount of inflexibility. It appears that you have compensated by throwing yourself into your work and career, indicated by your Capricorn Sun on the sixth-house cusp. Suddenly, with Pluto on your Sun, you’re being asked to examine how you may be shortchanging other areas of your life by devoting so much time and energy to your work.

The “drama,” as you put it, may not be coming from others, but is a reflection of unresolved issues within yourself. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but if you have the courage to explore this hidden part of yourself, you will be empowered in ways that are hard to imagine right now.

But, as Neith says, you can choose not to look and to let all these events pass without taking advantage of the great lessons they can teach you, both about yourself and the world in general. That you came by to ask us about this tells me that you are ready for the latter.

Best of luck to you!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. We are getting some really great questions but unfortunately can’t use many of them, as they are missing information. If you’d like us to consider your question for this column, you must include your day, month (spelled out), year, and place of birth, and time if you know it. If you don’t, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Real Astrologers: Worst Chart Ever?

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?

Libra ponders . . .

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!

Aquarius expounds . . .

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!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. We are getting some really great questions but unfortunately can’t use many of them, as they are missing information. If you’d like us to consider your question for this column, you must include your day, month (spelled out), year, and place of birth, and time if you know it. If you don’t, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Real Astrologers: Transits to a T-Square

This week’s question comes from Salome, presumably somewhere in Ohio.**

My question is in regards to transiting planets that conjunct planets that are in a T-square. I currently have Chiron and Neptune on my natal Venus and will have Jupiter hovering over it in the immediate future. My natal Venus afflicted as it is in a fixed T-square involving the Moon & Pluto. How possibly could the transiting planets manifest? Would I be able to somehow heal (Chiron) my love life (absolutely dreadful), but face myself with delusions (Neptune) along the way? Would the upcoming Jupiter conjunction exasperate my T-square, making them more pronounced?

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Salome, you have more questions than we have space to answer in this format so we’ll respond to only a couple of them here. I will take a crack at your fixed T-square with Venus, the Moon, and Pluto.

An important factor to keep in mind with any T-square is that the opposition is always in complementary signs and elements. In your case, you have an earthy Moon opposing Pluto in water with both of them square your airy Venus. In other words, it is your Venus in detached, quirky Aquarius battling it out with a Moon-Pluto opposition that is quite happy with keeping things the same day after day.

Neptune and Chiron are pulling away from your Venus at this time, giving you a break from the confusion and discomfort, but Jupiter is closing in and will exactly conjoin it the first part of May. Don’t be surprised if you feel the need to express your uniqueness in some way during this period. Keep in mind you also have your Sun in Aquarius, and the desire to stand out from the crowd is part of who you are.

When Jupiter was triggering the Moon-Pluto opposition the second week in April, did you notice you were moodier than usual? Female friends and relatives may have been particularly annoying, too. Jupiter encourages us to dream big and set our goals high, as well as to see the humorous side of life. But he can blow things out of proportion, too.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about your chart and yourself, Salome. The fact you are questioning and studying says a lot about who you are in the process of becoming.

Good fortune on your journey!

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Salome, I don’t have much to add to Neith’s analysis, but I will address your general concern about predicting events when there are so many variables involved.

When we have a T-square in the chart, regardless of its character (cardinal, fixed, or mutable), the planet at the apex of the triangle takes most of the heat, so to speak. So when that planet is activated by transit, we can expect significant events to crop up in our lives. The nature of these events depends, of course, on the sign, house placement, and transiting planets, and on other planets involved in the T-square.

That’s already a lot of pieces of the puzzle to put together, and as you rightly note, your Venus is being activated by Neptune, Chiron, and Jupiter all at once. As if that weren’t enough, transiting Neptune and Uranus are in mutual reception, with Uranus crossing your Descendant. I think it’s fair to say that relationship issues are going to come to the fore, but predicting the various ways this might come to pass would require an in-depth, thorough analysis by a skilled astrologer, and that is beyond the scope of this column. And even if this were a private consultation, I would caution the client that planetary energies can manifest in many different ways. The more planets and transits are involved, the more possibilities there are. Our own will and willingness to work plays a role, too.

As Neith noted, you obviously are willing to look at these things, and that is one of the biggest factors working in your favor.

Thanks for writing.

**We took this question without a location, but please include your current location in your e-mail to us, and remember to spell out the month. The reason for the latter is that some countries put the day first, and we’ve had to re-do questions after finding out that we misread the data.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. We are getting some really great questions but unfortunately can’t use many of them, as they are missing information. If you’d like us to consider your question for this column, you must include your day, month (spelled out), year, and place of birth, and time if you know it. If you don’t, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Saturday Extra: Where Do We Start?

equinox-crocuses.jpg

Did you notice that the first day of spring is early this year?

The dates of the equinoxes change from one year to the next, which means that the dates of the astrological Sun signs also change. If you’d like the scientific explanation of this phenomenon, there’s a great article on Live Science.

The equinoxes and solstices are the cusps of the four cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. But the cusps of the other signs change, too, so if you were born around the dates when the signs change, you can’t rely on the dates given in newspaper horoscopes to get your correct Sun sign. Not that any our sophisticated readers would do such a thing, but I just thought I’d mention it, as this is a bit confusing.

For those born around the dates that the Sun changes signs, including the equinoxes and solstices, the only way to be sure of your Sun sign is to have your chart done. Fortunately, there are some good online astrology sites that let you do this for free. By far the best is the Swiss Astrodienst, which I highly recommend.

What if you were born on a day when the Sun changed signs? Hopefully, you know what time you were born. If not, you may want to get a chart rectification, a technique astrologers use to try to determine or fine-tune birth times. Then you will need to test it over time to see if it corresponds to current transits.

Can you imagine going through you life thinking you’re a Libra, only to discover you’re really a Scorpio? Just think of the psychotherapy you’d need to undo that trauma …

Happy Equinox!

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Image: Spring crocuses. Neith captured these little lovelies turning their faces up to the equinox sun yesterday. I found this bit of trivia on Wikipedia and thought it was appropriate: The financial community sometimes refers to companies or economic sectors that rise early after an economic downturn as “Crocuses” in reference to the flower’s ability to thrive in the late winter or early spring.

Ask Real Astrologers: A Double Dose of Saturn and Uranus

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

Saturn and Uranus are both in the first house at 29 degrees Sagittarius. What does this mean with the direct opposition occurring currently? It seems to be rather positive… just super pregnant with ideas.

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Grace, from the looks of it, the ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition in Virgo and Pisces will be making itself felt in your chart and life for roughly the next year or so. The next exact pass on February 5, 2009, finds Saturn conjunct your Midheaven and Uranus on your Nadir, so welcome to the continuing struggle of balancing career and home demands.

Your Moon-Mars conjunction in your first house will serve as the apex of a T-square with the Saturn-Uranus opposition over the course of the summer until the third exact pass on September 19, 2009. Moon-Mars conjunctions are prone to volatility, and for Sagittarius, the thought is the deed, so my sense is the coming months are going to find you counting to ten frequently when Saturn blocks plans and Uranus disrupts them.

As for your natal Saturn-Uranus conjunction, that will be most affected by the fourth exact pass of the Saturn-Uranus opposition on April 26, 2010. This transit is part of the “coming of age” cycle for you and others in your peer group who also have Saturn and Uranus conjunct in Sagittarius. In a way, you are experiencing up close and personal what everyone on the planet has to handle: how to clear away and replace old ways of thinking and being without destroying the framework in the process.

For you, the challenges can come in the form of attempting to launch a career in a shrinking economy and job market. This may lead to moving to another location (Uranus on the Nadir) in order to land a job. Because the Saturn-Uranus opposition squares your first house planets, spending time working on how you present yourself to the world is going to be part of this process.

Good luck, and be prepared to exercise your patience right up to the limit!

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Well, Grace, your chart is certainly buzzing with activity right now! Neith covered all of the basics, and I don’t have much to add.  Saturn and Uranus crossing key chart angles (Midheaven and IC) is going to be felt, more so than if they simply were in your tenth and fourth houses. I believe major changes are going to be triggered in the next few months, and likely along the lines Neith outlined.

All of that notwithstanding, I think the “pregnant with ideas” feeling is coming from Neptune conjoining your Sun. On the positive side, the Neptune-Sun conjunction can increase your creativity and connect you to higher realms of consciousness. Incidentally, not everyone experiences this transit in a lifetime, since Neptune’s orbit around the Sun is longer than the human lifespan.

The downside to this transit is that you may feel tired, and you could be prone to pie-in-the-sky schemes that will be counterproductive in the long run. Should you encounter anyone offering you a deal that seems too good to be true, be highly skeptical. If that person presses you for an immediate response, then step way back.

In general, we may well find that the Saturn-Uranus opposition ultimately helps us find solid, practical ways to be our more authentic selves. For you, this is even more true, given where this aspect is positioned in your chart.

There’s nothing Sagittarius likes better than a good, fast ride. You’re definitely going to get one, so hang on and enjoy it!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. Reminder: Please tell us where you’re currently located!

Ask Real Astrologers: I’m New to This, What’s It All Mean?

This week’s question comes from Susan in Ontario, Canada:

I had my birth chart done and am totally new at this. I was reading that Uranus is opposed to Saturn until 2010. What does it mean, that serious decisions I have coming up could/will affect me for years? My Moon is in Pisces. I knew long before that something was going to happen in 2012. I specifically married on the Winter Solstice, 2003, to a man I believe I knew from my Egyptian past life. His Moon is in Aquarius.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Well, Susan, that’s a load! We don’t have enough space here for me to answer all your questions thoroughly, but I’ll try to give you a brief big picture.

First of all, “getting your chart done” for a lot of people means having an astrologer interpret their birth chart. I don’t find this particularly useful. In my readings, I do transit charts — in other words, I look at where the planets are today in relation to their positions in your birth chart, and that way I can determine what forces are most influencing your life. Your first question, about how the Saturn-Uranus opposition will affect you, is a transit question.

In September 2009, Saturn and Uranus will form an exact opposition at 25 degrees Virgo and Pisces, which forms a conflicting square to your Ascendant at 25 degrees Sagittarius and your Descendant at 25 degrees Gemini. I believe you will see some big changes in your life at this time, and they could extend to your marriage, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. Neith has some things to add to this in her response, so I won’t go into more detail here.

As for what might happen in 2012, I don’t see anything unusual in your chart. Pluto will be well into your first house, suggesting a slow transformation over time. But that has started already, so this is not news. By then, Neptune will be out of Aquarius (but not yet conjunct your Pisces Moon), and the current emphasis on Aquarius will be long gone, as will the effects of the mutual reception between Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, and Neptune, ruler of Pisces. I’m betting that you two are feeling this, probably by being in unusual psychic link.

If you want to know more, I strongly recommend a transit reading, and you might also want to consider having a compatibility reading for you and your husband. Not only will this tell you more about your relationship’s strengths, weaknesses, and karmic connections, but a skilled astrologer will be able to identify time periods when significant connections between you may be activated.

By the way, I share your Moon in Pisces and can tell you that this is a quite psychic placement of the Moon that puts you in touch with “higher” forces. The only difficulty is that your imagination can get the better of you, but with some training and discipline, this can be a powerful tool to give you an edge in life.

Thanks for writing, Susan, and best wishes for the coming year.

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Yes, Susan, the Saturn-Uranus opposition definitely will impact your chart next year! The next exact pass on February 5, 2009, will find Saturn exactly conjunct your natal Jupiter in Virgo, likely causing you to slow down and make any necessary changes one step at a time. Since Jupiter rules your Sagittarius Ascendant and is located in the ninth house where Sagittarius rules, this is a significant transit all right.

The other factor with this transit is that, while Saturn is conjoining your Jupiter, it will be moving closer to an exact square with your Ascendant. By the next exact Saturn-Uranus opposition on September 15, 2009, the square to your Ascendant will be much tighter and therefore have more impact. I suggest you prepare to feel frustrated more often than not and to feel like your style will be severely cramped over the coming months. However, in the end if you step up and do what needs doing as gracefully as possible, you will be much further ahead.

Saturn can be very helpful in bringing discipline and determination to aid you on your path, but with Uranus opposing your Jupiter at the same time making you very restless, this is going to be a challenging period for you. What Uranus will bring to the table is many new insights and unconventional ideas and solutions. You may be presented with an opportunity to study in a unique environment. If so, go for it!

Good fortune on your journey, Susan.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. Reminder: Please tell us where you’re currently located!

Ask Real Astrologers: Pisces Feels Like a Fish out of Water

This week’s question comes from Stephanie in Minneapolis:

I have Sun, Moon, and Mercury in Pisces, with the rest of the planets in Capricorn and Taurus. Is there anything interesting off the bat about this combination and could the three planets in Pisces be why I feel so awkward and out of place most of the time?

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Stephanie, there is nothing unusual about having three planets in Pisces, especially not when those three include the Sun and Mercury, which often are in the same sign. The Sun and Moon in the same sign indicates that you were born near a New Moon, which also is not uncommon.

However, you do have a very unusual chart, and it is easy to see why you feel “different” and out of place.

First of all, you were born during an exceptional period in 1988 and 1989, when Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were conjunct in Capricorn. Events happened in these years that literally were earth-shaking. So you are part of a generation born into rapid change. Young people your age are starting to come into their own now, and I’m seeing an increasing interest in astrology as you seek to understand your special place and the gifts you bring to the world. In some regard, you are all “different.”

Still, that doesn’t account for your specific feelings, which I would attribute to two things in your chart. First, you have Uranus near your Ascendant. Uranus is the “oddball” of our solar system, and those with strong Uranus in their charts tend not to fit into anyone’s mold. This is also true of Aquarius, the sign ruled by Uranus in modern astrology.

Second, your Ascendant is at 27 degrees Sagittarius, which is the Galactic Core, the center of our galaxy. I’ve written quite a bit on my blog, The Pisces Chronicles, about Pluto’s recent conjunction with the GC, which will provide you with some information about the signficance of this point in space. People with Sun, Ascendant, or other key planets on the GC often have uncommon psychic abilities. These can take many forms, and they can make you feel apart from others who don’t have these capabilities.

We don’t have the space in this forum to go into any depth. I strongly suggest that you get a complete reading with an astrologer you feel comfortable with, as astrology is one of the best tools there is to get to know yourself.

Thanks for writing, and many blessings to you.

Libra ponders . . .
Neith’s response:

Steph, what struck me when I looked at your chart was while all your planets are in either earth or water signs, your Ascendant and Midheaven are in fire and air, respectively. What this can mean is the way others see you in the world has little in common with your private persona and may contribute to your sense of feeling awkward.

Any person with a preponderance of earth and water will be at home with their feminine side and will need to consciously learn to cultivate “masculine” qualities such as being assertive and direct. For you, learning more about your Sagittarius Rising and how this forthright fire sign operates will help you. I realize Pluto in Sagittarius transiting your Ascendant in 2006 and 2007 may have been a crash course, but sometimes Pluto transits are so overwhelming that it takes time to process them.

When Pluto entered Capricorn in January of this year, it conjoined your natal Uranus in Capricorn in your first house. This transit repeats at the end of November. This is an excellent transit to claim your unique appearance and manner and tell the rest of the world to go hang! Pluto transits to the first house teach us lessons in becoming aware of our personal power and of our authentic selves.

Good luck and always keep in mind the power of earth and water . . . think volcanoes and tidal waves!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. Reminder: Please remember to tell us where you’re located!

Ask Real Astrologers: Need Help with a Cardinal Cross

This week’s question comes from Jay in London, UK:

I apparently have a cardinal grand cross, which I heard isn’t really a positive thing to have, but I don’t understand much about it. What does a cardinal cross say about a person? (I think it’s Moon in Aries, Venus in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer, Neptune/Saturn/Uranus in Capricorn.)

Libra ponders . . .
Neith’s response:

Yes, Jay, you do have a cardinal grand cross in your chart, and when Jupiter transited over the Capricorn corner in December 2007 and January 2008, it likely gave you a jolt and brought it to your attention.

The cardinal signs are the self-starters of the zodiac, and you have more planets in cardinal signs than either of the other two modes, fixed and mutable. However, a grand cross is so well balanced that it can create inertia rather than forward momentum. You also have far more planets in earth and water signs, giving your chart a negative polarity. This suggests that you may be far less aggressive than the preponderance of cardinal signs would imply.

“Positive” a lot of times is in the eyes of the beholder. For instance, a chart with lots of sextiles and trines can be so easy that the individual does not accomplish much in this life, whereas the power generated by the tension of squares and oppositions can encourage one to grow and mature.

Your chart says you have lots of creative potential to tap into, and as Pluto in Capricorn transits trigger your grand cross from the fifth house over the next few years, you may be pleasantly surprised at the inspiration made available. Leo is all about creativity after all.

Take heart, Jay and continue to pursue your dreams.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Wow, you sure do, Jay! But it is not necessarily a bad thing — there’s really no such thing as a “bad” chart. It does, however, require some special handling. And you need to know about some upcoming transits that will affect you significantly.

Before I get to that, though, I’d like to comment on something about your chart that you share with others born in 1989 and, to some degree, in 1988. The conjunction of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune at that time was rare and extremely powerful. Think of all the things that happened in that year, culminating with the fall of the Berlin Wall! This was the beginning of a new Saturn-Uranus cycle, which is coming up on its peak with the current opposition of these two outer planets.

It’s probably no coincidence that I’m starting to get questions and inquiries from young people born during this time period. It appears that you are coming of age now, as this cycle peaks and as Pluto begins to transit this configuration in your charts. Naturally, you want to know more about yourselves. Astrology is a wonderful tool for self-discovery, and it will help you with the deep transformation that you are about to go through. I encourage all of you who are at this awakening stage to find an astrologer you resonate with and get a reading.

In your case, Jay, Pluto will transit not just your outer planets, but will aspect all of the planets in your cardinal cross over the next several years. Between now and your Saturn return (roughly 28-29 years old), you will go through some deep and significant changes.

Back to your original question, the key to managing this energy, which Neith described very well in her response, is to know yourself. This should be your main focus for the next few years. Once you’ve got a strong sense of who you are, you will be more able to keep your mind on the bigger question of why you’re here and how to best fulfill your purpose in this life.

Much love and courage to you.

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Ask Our Readers: What Don’t You Like About Your Chart?

We got such a great response to our new Wednesday format last week that we decided to do it again.

Here’s this week’s question:

What about your birth chart, if anything, makes you uncomfortable or scares you?

Just to help the get the discussion going, I’ll go first.

There are two patterns in my chart that are scary and that have made life quite difficult in a number of ways. First, I have a fixed T-square, with a debilitated Mars opposed to Neptune. Second, I have a very tight square between my Pisces Moon and Saturn in Sagittarius. Together, this is a recipe for low energy plus an unhappy childhood feeding into adult depression. Fortunately, I have found a way to deal with these issues, largely through astrology and Tarot, and they no longer rule my life. But they do demand constant vigilance and work.

OK, it’s your turn!

Meanwhile, Neith and I would like thank everyone who responded to last week’s question. We got some great answers, with the kind of details that help us collect information and become better astrologers.

Predictably, those of you with planets or chart angles in Aquarius and Leo felt the eclipses the most. Indeed, it packed quite a wallop for some of you (it did for that, that’s for sure!).

That said, some of you didn’t feel it, or you didn’t feel it as strongly as we would have expected, given your natal charts. To those people, I would say that these eclipses may deliver their “news” at the New Moon in Scorpio on October 28 or the Full Moon in Taurus on November 13. The degrees of these lunations will be square the degrees of the August 1 solar eclipse and the August 16 lunar eclipse, resulting in a release of energy not unlike what happens when two tectonic plates finally break free of each other, causing an earthquake.

I don’t say this to scare you, only to give you a heads up so that you can plan according. That, after all, is the whole point of predictive astrology.

Love and blessings,
Aquarius, the sign of astrology Pat.