Category Archives: Ask Real Astrologers

Ask Real Astrologers: Will Saturn in Libra Jumpstart My Career?

This week’s question comes from Amanda in New York:

I’m a Libra Sun, and with Saturn soon to enter Libra, I’m concerned about my choice in career. I recently made a decision to leave my career as a speech language pathologist and try to enter the field of publishing. I’ve had no luck, and I’m resigned to go back to my previous career, but I’m having trouble finding a position that would truly make me happy. Will Saturn have any effect on my career?

Neith’s response:

With your natal Moon and Jupiter in your second house of values and personal income, Amanda, I would not be surprised to learn you are emotionally invested in utilizing your talents and determination to the best possible advantage.

Saturn’s journey through Virgo and your third house over the past couple of years has to have weighed heavily on you, coinciding as it did with your Saturn return. However, that is behind you now, and I believe you will find Saturn in Libra will bring very different challenges for you. In fact, as it draws closer to the cusp of your fourth house and your Pluto-Sun conjunction, you may find your home and family concerns looming larger. But that’s still two years away.

Pluto in Capricorn has been hovering around the cusp of your sixth house this past year – the second earth house (the second house and the tenth house are the others) and the most service-oriented. This may be another factor in your desire to revamp your career. Finding a way to serve others and your community may bring you more satisfaction, too.

Please keep in mind Mars in Leo is crossing your Ascendant about the same time as Saturn moves into Libra. This transit will be very helpful for encouraging you to put your best foot forward and increase your overall energy levels. You do know how to project confidence and warmth, with both your Ascendant and Midheaven in fire signs!

I have confidence in your ability to make your own luck, Amanda, and encourage you to believe in yourself. Good Luck!

Pat’s response:

Amanda, I don’t see that anything major is going to change in your career as a result of Saturn’s entrance into Libra. That said, Saturn is indeed playing a significant role in your life right now and especially in your career, and you will notice more developments the closer transiting Saturn gets to your IC and your Libra Sun. This will happen two years from now, in October 2011.

When assessing where clients are in their career and in life in general, I look at two aspects of the Saturn cycle. The first is where transiting Saturn is relative to natal Saturn, and the second is the house position of transiting Saturn. As a general rule, you’re in an upward cycle when Saturn crosses the IC and begins to move up in your chart, and in a downward cycle when he completes his tour of your tenth house and begins to move downward.

You just completed a Saturn return, when Saturn crossed the degree of your natal Saturn. The first Saturn return is a maturing process and does bring up questions such as you are asking. Sometimes the changes happen all by themselves, and they can be radical, but that depends on where Saturn is transiting the chart. In your case, you’re finishing up the tail end of your downward cycle, so you didn’t experience this effect.

The good news is that in two years’ time, you will begin climbing upward, and for a good 15 years after that, you’ll steadily move toward a new professional peak. The next two years would be a good time to decide what you want to do — or not do — so that you can begin laying the groundwork for your new career. Don’t try to rush this process. The more patient and disciplined you are, the more successful you’ll ultimately be.

As always, I highly recommend a complete reading with a professional astrologer, although I don’t think there’s any hurry for you to do this, as it won’t push things along any faster.

Best of luck to you, and thanks for a great question!

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Ask Real Astrologers: Will Mars in Leo Bring Emotional Upheaval?

This week’s question comes from Anne in Fort Worth, Texas:

Just as I am coming near the end of the Saturn in Virgo number, I read that Mars is going to be in Leo for seven months. My Moon is in Leo and my Pluto is in Leo! Does this mean that after undergoing the rigors of Saturn that I must face emotional upheaval for seven months? I just want to scream, “Enough! Enough!” Any insight would be deeply appreciated.

Neith’s response:

Thankfully, Anne, Mars is very, very different from Saturn in expression. He represents the action principle and encourages us to get moving – a welcome relief after Saturn in Virgo’s cautious nitpicking.

Transiting Mars in Leo will be triggering your natal fixed T-square of your Moon opposing Mars and both square your Sun-Saturn. I’m guessing change is not your favorite thing and you much prefer life proceeding as uneventfully as possible. As someone who also has a fixed sign preponderance in their chart, I quite understand!

Mars transits are good for helping us stand up for ourselves and learning to express our anger. If you have been suppressing your unhappiness about the way things are done in your work place, this transit could help clear that up.

Your twelfth house Moon in Leo will be getting a jolt and your family may be in for a surprise when your normally mild-mannered self speaks out and tells them how you really feel.

Mars transits to the Moon are also ideal for getting in touch with our anger and resentments, so this extended transit may be an ideal time to explore this. The stress resulting from not acknowledging anger and resentment in particular can manifest in any number of health problems.

You have some time yet before Mars starts to affect your chart in mid-November, Anne, to mull things over. For now, you may wish to make an appointment to get a relaxing massage or take a quiet stroll through the most beautiful natural setting you know of to unwind.

Take care and be well.

Pat’s response:

Anne, your question is very timely, because Mars just entered Leo this morning. And you are right, he is going to remain there for a long time! Normally Mars stays in a sign for six weeks, but when he goes retrograde (every other year), he stays in a sign for nearly eight months.

Mars has had a reputation as a troublemaker since ancient times. Wherever he is in our charts, we tend to experience difficulties. There are a couple of exceptions, but everyone feels tension when Mars is retrograde. His retrograde period this year is going to be compounded by eclipses and Mercury retrograde. We’re all going to need to hang onto our seats.

Because Mars is in a fixed sign, those with a lot of fixed sign energy in their charts will be especially affected. That’s Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. As Neith noted, all of your planets except Neptune are in fixed signs, so yes, you probably are going to experience some upheaval, especially since Mars turns retrograde in very tight aspect to your Moon-Saturn square. I have the Moon and Saturn square in my chart as well, and so I know that whenever this challenging aspect is triggered, emotional upsets do tend to occur. The “good” news there is that the upsets typically aren’t due to any real external circumstances but are due to internal conflicts. That doesn’t make them any easier to deal with on a day-to-day basis, but at least it’s not a “world falling apart” thing.

Since Mars will turn retrograde in your twelfth house, the biggest concern is that you could get physically run down and be more susceptible to colds and flu. It wouldn’t hurt to get a flu shot now, and then make sure you take all your vitamins and supplements between now and January, in addition to eating a sensible diet and getting enough rest.

Best of luck, Anne, and do keep us posted.

Ask Real Astrologers: New Career Path Possible?

This week’s question comes from Lise in Melbourne, Australia:

I have a blind spot big time with my career. I know what I love doing, no problem with that, but putting things into context with my career, nada. I’ve been mostly in administration for years, medical mostly though some law in earlier days. It really does nothing for me, but comfort level keeps me here. Ideas/comments much appreciated!

Pat’s response:

Lise, it’s no surprise that you’ve done administrative work, and in law and medicine. In your birth chart, the ruler of your tenth house (career) is Jupiter, and he’s in the tenth house, too. Jupiter and the sign he rules, Sagittarius, are associated with medicine, law, and higher learning. Further, your Jupiter is in Capricorn, the sign of administration and keeping order. I’ll bet you’re one of the best, most reliable admins on the planet! Not only are you comfortable in that line of work, but your supervisors no doubt love you, too.

That indeed would be hard to give up, and I’m guessing that your career really does satisfy you in some deeply important way. Based solely on your chart, I’d say it probably had to do with material comfort. This is nothing to sneeze at, especially in this economy.

That said, there is a trend in industrialized countries toward giving up lucrative careers and downsizing households in order to follow one’s heart. That’s what I hear in your question, and it’s also no surprise that you’re asking it now. As I mentioned above, Jupiter is a key career indicator in your chart, and since late December 2008, you’ve had Pluto transiting your Jupiter. Pluto transforms everything he touches, and he also demands that we dig deeply to determine whether we’re being true to ourselves.

If you feel a need to get out of admin, why not establish your own business? Your chart suggests that you would be extremely successful on your own. If you’re not ready to do that yet, you could start doing what you love on the side until you feel comfortable enough to make the switch. Or, you might just see what this Pluto transit does. Often, he takes care of the problem for us — not in a way that’s easy or comfortable, but just like you, we can rely on him to get the job done.

Best of luck to you!

Neith’s response:

Yes, Lise, it is easy to see why you choose to work within the medical system with Pisces rising and your Scorpio Sun-Neptune conjunction. Helping others in some capacity is part of who you are.

Over the past year, transiting Uranus in your first house has been inconjunct your natal Uranus in Leo in your sixth house. It is this element I suspect of agitating for a change of vocations and the need to be doing something more personally fulfilling. Uranus transits to the first house make us antsy and eager to do something new and different almost without exception.

Your sixth house Uranus in Leo is trine to Venus in Sagittarius in your tenth, connecting two of the houses relating to our career or vocational path. Because trines work so smoothly we often overlook their benefits. There is tremendous creative potential with any Venus-Uranus aspect as well as the ability to come up with new and exciting ideas on the spur of the moment. Do you have a creative hobby or interest of some type? Have you ever given thought to turning it into something more?

Ideally you can come up with a way to combine your creative abilities with your natural inclination to be of service to others. Uranus will continue to prod you to make changes through March 2010, helping overcome the natural reluctance of your fixed sign Sun to try something new.

Good luck! Remember to stay open to the offbeat and unusual ideas that pop up, Lise. You’ll break out yet.

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Can’t We Communicate?

This week’s question comes from Anita in Maryland:

I am currently in a relationship with a Cancer man who is very special. However, the last three weeks have been awful. We seem to miscommunicate and hurt each other’s feelings so easily. This isn’t the first time this has happened. We were apart for most of January of this year. I really love him and I know that he wants to take some time, but is there any insight you can give us to understand each other better?

Pat’s response:

Anita, there’s a lot going on between the two of you to explain the rough spots, but the immediate problem you’re describing has the marks of Mercury retrograde all over it.

During Mercury retrograde periods, even the best relationships can suffer from miscommunications. Relationships that aren’t on sound footing can fall apart (it has happened to me a few times in my life). This Mercury retrograde was particularly hard on your relationship, because Mercury was sitting on your Descendant, an important chart angle that is the cusp of the seventh house. The seventh house rules marriage and committed partnerships.

Mercury returned direct on September 29, and he’ll cross back over your Descendant a week from today. At that time, you should be able to discuss your most recent problems and get some clarity as to where the breakdown occurred.

Since you indicate that you’ve had ongoing issues, you likely will have to address those, too, and fortunately we’re coming up on a great time for you to do so. Not only will Mercury be in your seventh house, but there’s a New Moon in this area of your chart on October 18 that should help you get a fresh start with your sweetie.

In the meantime, I strongly advise you to get a reading with a qualified astrologer to help you understand the broader aspects between you. I encourage you to ask your partner for his permission to do this and to see whether he’d like to join you for the reading. This is the ethical thing to do, and it will help build trust between you.

I think you’re going to be just fine, but do write and let us know how it goes.

Neith’s response:

Anita, when it comes to relationships, the first thing I always do is look at the natal charts for information on behaviors and habit patterns both people bring with them. Natal aspects to the Moon and Mercury can hold the keys to our habit patterns (Moon) and the way we communicate (Mercury).

On one hand, your Mercury in Aquarius is trine Uranus, blessing you with an innovative, brilliant mind. On the other, it is square Neptune, ruler of your Sun sign, Pisces. I suspect that when emotions enter the picture, you start second guessing yourself, leading to confusion. Be thankful your Moon is generally well-aspected, giving you a high degree of emotional stability.

Your Cancer man has Mercury square Jupiter and Uranus – great for jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in. Since we don’t have a birth time for him, it is not possible to determine whether his Moon is in late Pisces or early Aries. However, in either case Uranus will oppose his Moon, increasing his need for lots of space and feeling emotionally independent.

Pluto in Capricorn conjoining your Moon and squaring his natal Moon-Uranus opposition was the likely culprit triggering the problems you two have been experiencing. Pluto has a way of introducing us to our issues with control and our little obsessions. When it comes to Pluto and Uranus, the tighter Pluto tries to hold on, the faster Uranus will run.

Does any of this sound familiar, Anita? If so, then perhaps an honest discussion about how much space you both need to really appreciate your time together is in order. You both have your Mercury in air signs, enabling you to articulate your feelings, very important for two water sign-Sun people.

Have faith in yourself, Anita, and do your best to keep your hands open, not clenched. Good luck!!

Ask Real Astrologers: When Can I Make a Move?

This week’s question comes from Zana in Bosnia:

I would like to go somewhere and find a job but don’t know where to start. I am thinking to come back to [the U.S.], if I sell my condo then I will have money to start. If you could see in my chart what is going on with selling that condo, that would be nice. We got an offer three months ago and since then we are waiting.

Pat’s response:

Zana, when it comes to real estate questions, we look for transits to the fourth house, which rules home and family, and to the eighth house, which rules income from sources other than what you earn on the job. Real estate profits fall in this sector.

Saturn, the planet of limitation, currently is moving through your fourth house, suggesting that you may be “stuck” at home, which may be hindering your attempts to find a job. However, with Uranus opposite Saturn in your tenth house of career, it’s possible that you may find a sudden opportunity soon. Uranus currently is retrograde, but he returns direct on December 1. That’s not so far away.

At the same time, we are in a series of eclipses that is affecting your eighth house, along with your second house, which concerns earned income. There is a solar eclipse on Jan. 15, 2010, in your eighth house that could signal some real estate income, although that is not the only potential outcome of that eclipse.

Since you are talking about relocating to a new country, we also can look to the ninth house, which is associated with long-distance travel. Neptune, Chiron, and Jupiter are stacked up in this area of chart. Of the three, Jupiter is the best indicator of expansion and good fortune. The Big Guy is retrograde right now, which lessens his beneficial influence, but you may get some leads on work or living arrangements after he returns direct on October 13.

Your chances for everything lining up look best around the first of the year. But of course we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it happens sooner.

Hang in there, and keep us posted!

By the way, Zana gets major points for following our instructions for submitting questions. She gave us full birth data, her current location, and a specific question. Even after our column last week, we continue to get questions with no birth data. We’re astrologers, not psychics!

Neith’s response:

Zana, my feeling is that Uranus transiting over your Moon, ruler of the fourth house, in the spring of next year will bring new direction and possible relocation. Uranus transits encourage us to do what is best for us as individuals, a good thing for those who tend to put the needs of others before their own, to their detriment.

Another celestial event coming up in December is Mars in Leo going retrograde for a couple of months. Mars will be going back and forth over your natal Uranus, triggering a square to Venus, ruler of your Sun in Taurus. You may want to keep in mind that you will be feeling much less patient with things than you usually do.

As the fourth Saturn-Uranus opposition grows closer in late March and April 2010, prepare to feel an increase in tension, because this one will exactly conjoin and oppose your Moon. Having several options as to what you want to do would be a good idea. Uranus is noted for last-minute changes due to unexpected events.

I know fixed-sign Sun people like you with lots of earth in their charts prefer to take their own sweet time and don’t like to be rushed! That’s why having a plan with many flexible options is extra important.

Good luck, Zana, and I wish you smooth transitions to your new home wherever that may be!

Ask Real Astrologers: All Work and No Play

This week’s question comes from Susan in Dallas:

I have always been a hard worker but recently it seems like every time I turn around, someone hands me more work to do in the same time frame. This is wearing me down and I’m exhausted all the time. Is this ever going to end?

Susan, the culprit is likely transiting Saturn in Virgo traveling through your fifth house over the past couple of years and aspecting your Aries planets in the twelfth house by inconjunct. The combination of Saturn being a party pooper in the fifth house and reminding you via the inconjunct of the old adage about “suffer or serve” associated with the twelfth house has not left you much time to relax.

Another important factor is that transiting Saturn has been triggering the Yod in your chart with your natal Saturn conjunct Venus as the apex with a base of Pluto-Moon-Jupiter in Virgo sextile Neptune in Scorpio. You share this pattern with many other people born from approximately June 1968 through April 1969, and with personal planets tied closely to two points on the Yod you feel it keenly.

Saturn is not happy in Aries because he squelches the forthright pioneering spirit of this headstrong fire sign. Neptune and Pluto are in water and earth signs, Scorpio and Virgo. Scorpio prefers to work in the shadows and Virgo always wants to double-check the facts before taking action – both approaches radically different from Aries. All these tensions are in the process of being brought to a head by transiting Saturn.

How do you survive this? The antidote is found within the problem, as it does in homeopathy: Saturn. More than any other planet, Saturn rewards consistent, productive, mature actions. What you found so oppressive in your 20s and caused you to feel like all you did was work, work, work, will now be the source of your salvation. When the grasshoppers are falling right and left, the ants will rule!

Saturn will move into Libra at the end of October and off your Virgo stellium. Things will hopefully ease up some for awhile. Take advantage of that to do something nice just for you – like having a massage with scented candles and soft music in a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.

Be kind to yourself, Susan, over the coming months and allow Saturn to reward you.

Pat’s response:

Susan, whenever I hear “work, work, work,” the first thing I think of is Saturn. Neith is our resident Saturn advocate and has done a fine job of delineating the meaning of transiting Saturn in your chart.

However, you have a lot of other things going on, too. I know I sound like a broken record, but I can’t emphasize strongly enough that when you have this many transits all entwined with each other, there is no substitute for a complete reading with a professional astrologer. If you try to use online reports, which are generated by a computer, you may get some useful information, but they won’t make sense as a whole. Only a skilled astrologer can synthesize the pieces and explain how they fit together. And, as I’ve said many times, that’s beyond the scope of this column.

With that caveat, let me make a couple of brief observations.

Saturn transiting the Moon, even without the complicating Yod, can be a period in which you feel depressed and isolated, and often it coincides with troubles at home or with parents, especially your mother. With Pluto in on the action, that trouble could extend to other relatives as well. In addition, with Saturn transiting your Pluto-Moon-Jupiter conjunction, your natural ambition and desire to achieve is being thwarted. Others may indeed be getting in your way, but you also may wish to examine your goals and your methods of achieving them.

This is all the more important as we head into next year’s cardinal T-square, which is going to have a big impact on you. It will be more important than ever that you examine yourself honestly, even ruthlessly, to determine what motivates you. For example, if you attempt to control your environment and those around you because you fear for your survival, those efforts could blow up in your face. The cause and effect may not be obvious, so you will need to dig deeply. This is not easy work, and most people are not able to do it alone. Start building your support network now. The key will be finding people who can help you grow, not those who keep you stuck by telling you what you want to hear.

The very best of luck to you. Let us know how it goes.

Ask Real Astrologers: Can’t Get My Head Around This Multiple Transit

This week’s question comes from Jonathon in Seattle:

I was born with a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in opposition to a Sun/North Node. Of course, I’m currently feeling the ‘get out there and achieve something’ Pluto T-square with my Sun/North Node and Jupiter/Uranus. And, yeah, I’m gearing up for Saturn’s visit to my Sun. But what I can’t quite wrap my head around is the upcoming Jupiter/Uranus conjunction to my Sun/North Node. I’m wondering how these energies — forever in the push-pull of a natal opposition now joining to blend together via a conjunction in transit — might manifest.

Neith’s response:

Jonathon, the key to understanding a major transit like Uranus opposing natal Uranus is often to take note of how you feel when another faster-moving planet like Mars or Mercury crosses that degree in your chart.

Transits by the slower moving outer planets are not isolated events, either. There are plenty of seemingly unrelated events often coming to a head during the exact passes such as you will be experiencing next year. Think about what has been happening around you and what you have been feeling the past week or so during the cardinal T-square with Mars in Cancer, Mercury in Libra, and Pluto in Capricorn. Actually, keeping a journal might be a good plan.

Your Aries Sun is not only conjunct the North Node but is also conjunct Chiron. Chiron-Sun aspects often tell us the native is far better at encouraging others than themselves. Aries is usually associated with assertiveness and a willingness to stand up for oneself, but my guess is this does not come as easy for you. Being aware of what it means to be supportive of other people is a more familiar pattern with the South Node in Libra.

Uranus and Jupiter transiting over your Aries stellium will help open your eyes to what it means to be Aries with bells on. Plan on feeling restless and consider increasing the amount of physical exercise you are getting, because that is an effective way to help offset the nervous energy of this transit.

Hang onto your hat, Jonathon, because next year is bound to be one to remember!! Good luck!

Pat’s response:

Jonathon, my friend, if I were you, I would run, not walk, to your nearest friendly neighborhood astrologer and get a complete reading. We can’t even begin to give you the whole picture of everything that’s on the way for you in the next couple of years!

People with close Sun-Chiron conjunctions often are healers, and this is all the more true for you with your eighth-house Sun. The conjunction with the North Node tells me that this is your destiny, and it’s about to be triggered by the cardinal T-square in 2010. The trick is that we first have to heal ourselves, and planets on the South Node often give us clues for how to go about this. You may want to think about how you view material possessions and whether you would be prepared to give it all up if fulfilling your purpose in life depended on it. Moreover, you may want to meditate on how past and future are balanced in your present.

I am not well-versed in evolutionary astrology, but I know enough about it to know that you might benefit from a reading approached from that angle. There is way more going on here than meets the eye, as you obviously are aware. I don’t believe it will take much of a leap for you to make the connections, once someone connects a few of the dots for you and points you in the right direction.

Send us a postcard when you get there, and very best of luck to you!

Ask Real Astrologers: What Can I Expect from Saturn and Uranus?

This week’s question comes from Sherry in Pennsylvania:

On September 15, transiting Saturn will be in my fourth house opposing my natal Chiron in the tenth, and transiting Uranus will be in my tenth house conjunct my natal Chiron. Do you have any thoughts on what I should be expecting?

Pat’s response:

Oh, Sherry, you’ve got one whopper of a Saturn-Uranus opposition! As I’m sure you’re aware, this opposition is not only conjunct your natal Chiron but also involves your natal Pluto and Uranus, and it’s on your Midheaven and IC, to boot! This is all way too complicated to address here, though, so I’ll stick to your simple question (and thanks for keeping it to that) and recommend that you get a full reading with an astrologer for the rest.

With Saturn heading into your fourth house as this opposition peaks, you may feel more “stuck” than some others, and this could take the form of literally being stuck at home. Or, you could be stuck in some way with your family, perhaps due to caring for an aging parent. This would be challenging under the best of circumstances, but Uranus in your tenth house suggests that you are entering a period of changing careers or a big career breakthrough, and so being limited because of home or family problems is not going to sit well with you at all.

There are several ways to interpret Chiron on the Midheaven. It may simply mean that your calling is in one of the healing professions. Or it could indicate challenges in finding the right career or in how you come across in public (or your perception of how you are seen). Uranus has a reputation for blasting us out of complacency and the same old, tired patterns. So if you’ve been banging your head against the wall over and over trying to become “successful,” you could get an awakening now.

Of course, you’ll be trying to accomplish this with the above set of limitations. However, Uranus moves more slowly than Saturn, so eventually these obstacles will clear, and you’ll be able to advance with much less resistance.

Good luck with it all, and keep us posted!

Neith’s response:

This past summer, when Uranus was stationing opposite your natal Uranus, must have been a tough time for you, Sherry. While we Libras are typically perpetually seeking balance in ourselves and our lives, Uranus transits can feel like we’re running from one side of the seesaw to the other instead of strolling. Fortunately the last pass of this transitional transit will happen much more quickly in March 2010.

Your natal Chiron is also part of a Yod, or Finger of God, with your Libra Sun and Taurus Moon. Anytime we experience a major transit triggering a Yod, it will bring to the surface all the issues represented by the planets involved. Both your luminaries are ruled by sympathetic Venus, and your Chiron is in Pisces, another sign noted for avoiding confrontations. It would not surprise me to find out you have been placed in situations where you have had to stand up for yourself in a very public way recently.

Uranus at its best helps those of us who need it in looking out for our own best interests. With your Sun in your fourth house and Moon-ruled Cancer Ascendant, you are probably more comfortable at home than out in the public eye. The natal trine between your Moon and Uranus in Virgo does suggest you do have the ability to go with the flow, much needed right now.

Be brave, Sherry, and have faith in yourself. Once the dust settles, I believe you will find you like where you are. Even though it seems like the turmoil goes on forever, it doesn’t – honestly!

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Don’t I Feel Like Moon in Pisces?

This week’s question comes from Jean in Nicaragua:

I do not feel like a lunar Piscean, more like an Aquarian. I’m also not sure when my Sagittarius Ascendant will progress to Capricorn. For the first question, is it because Uranus is close to my Ascendant?

Neith’s response:

Jean, I am going to field your question on the progressed Ascendant and let Pat, our resident expert on Moon in Pisces, address your Moon issues.

The “year for a day” method of progressing a chart is easy to use for the planets, because all you need is an ephemeris and good eyes. Just count off the days starting from your birth date equal to your age and read the position of the planets on that day. For progressing the chart wheel, it helps considerably to use astrology software, especially for those of us who are not math whizzes.

Your Ascendant progressed into Capricorn in December 2002, joining your progressed Sun and Venus. By the middle of 2004, Mercury moved into Capricorn also. Since your natal chart is heavy to optimistic Sagittarius, this gradual shift to a preponderance in Capricorn does suggest you found yourself taking a far more pragmatic approach to decision-making than before. My own experience with progressions has led me to believe the influence is fairly subtle (unless your newly progressed planet is hit with a major transit, like being conjoined by Uranus for instance).

By the way, the Moon changes signs about every two and a half years by progression, and yours moved into Capricorn in August 2007. By December 2007, it had crossed the Ascendant. Did you notice any changes in the way you presented yourself around that time? For instance, choosing different colors to wear?

Jean, this is a great opportunity for you to learn about the effect of progressed planets, because this is a first house event for you. I would love to hear more about the changes you have seen, if any. When my Sun and Ascendant progressed into Capricorn, I noticed I gradually started choosing more browns and neutrals to wear after all the brighter colors of my Sagittarius years. Good topic, thanks for bringing it up!

Pat’s response:

I guess Neith considers me the “resident expert on Moon in Pisces” because that’s where my Moon is. I also happen to have Aquarius Sun and Rising, so I can indeed help you with this confusion, Jean.

First of all, I have to ask what you think Moon in Pisces should feel like. No two people experience their planets in exactly the same way. A lot depends on house placement, but you are right to consider other planets in the chart as well. Perhaps having Uranus on the Ascendant gives you some traits of an Aquarius, although for my money, I’d place my bets on Jupiter. As a Rising Sagittarius, you have Jupiter as your chart ruler, and he’s in Aquarius.

I also see that your Moon is square your Sagittarius Ascendant and also Uranus, and this may be inhibiting your tender Pisces Moon. Pisces is very adaptable, and your Moon may be “giving way,” as the Fishes often do, to more assertive factors in your chart. That said, never underestimate the strength of Pisces!

I have to tell you that I wasn’t aware of my Pisces Moon until well into my 40s. I had an intellectual job that fit very well with my Aquarian Sun. Still, I seemed to have a “nose” for certain things, and that is something that Moon in Pisces people often experience. Sometimes we “just know things,” even though we don’t know how we know. If this sounds like you, it’s a good sign that your Pisces Moon is hard at work, even if you don’t feel it consciously.

I hope that answers your question, and thanks for writing, Jean!

Ask Real Astrologers: Is South Node in Scorpio Recipe for Disaster?

This week’s question comes from Rafael in Brazil:

I know the north node is a difficult energy to channel, since it’s about letting go of the south node for contrast to the other side of the equation. But does Pluto in the 10th house in Scorpio and the south node also in Scorpio in the 10th house indicate a kind of public self-destruction in a potent way or what? It’s hard for me to know exactly the south node implicates in my life, because astrologers say you have to let go of your past life, but still, is the primitive force of Pluto in Scorpio telling me to master this area? I am really confused.

Neith’s response:

Rafael, one of the places I start when determining how large a role the Moon’s nodes play in a natal chart is to look for planets conjoining them. Since this is not the case in your chart, this reduces the impact they have.

I also checked to see what aspects Pluto made to your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars). It is widely trine your Moon and is square your Sun-Mars conjunction by the numbers. I would take this to mean that overall you are comfortable with the intensity of Pluto in Scorpio. It may be that you are more attracted to living on the edge (South Node in Scorpio) than the quiet orderly life of the North Node in Taurus.

Something else to keep in mind with any opposition is that the signs involved are always in compatible elements. Taurus and Scorpio are comfortable partners with a great deal of respect and appreciation underlying all their exchanges. You have your Sun and Moon in a water sign with earth on the Ascendant – all harmonious with your nodal axis.

As for Pluto in your tenth house, perhaps you are on your way to becoming someone to be reckoned with or you come in contact with many intense, powerful people in your public life.

Please relax and trust your feelings, Rafael. You have the chart of a well-grounded, practical person – very helpful for navigating the rough spots!

Pat’s response:

Rafael, since your lunar nodes are very near the end of the fourth and tenth houses, I would interpret them to be in the fifth and eleventh houses. This gives yet more distant between your natal Pluto and the South Node, which actually is closer to your natal Saturn.

The idea that the South Node represents what we need to let go of is not universally shared by all astrologers, but if you want to use that interpretation, then your “past life” is more influenced by Saturn in the eleventh house than Pluto in the tenth house. Saturn, of course, is very powerful, too. Perhaps there is something about the groups your parents belonged to or ancestral affiliations that you need to overcome in order to express your true self, which is what the North Node in the fifth house suggests.

Because your North Node is in Taurus, you may also have a desire to make money and create a comfortable, even luxurious life for yourself, and perhaps something is holding you back from this. Breaking free of constraints in order to pursue your dream is one thing, but then you have to have the discipline and motivation to stick with it until you achieve your goal.

As always, I strongly suggest a complete reading with an astrologer you can trust. This column is not a substitute for that, since we are limited in space and can’t explore all the complex factors that go into a natal chart.

Best of luck to you, and thanks for writing!

RealAstrologers

The astrology of world affairs, human evolution, the future, and the state of the universe.

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