Category Archives: Saturday Archives

Saturday Archives: Saturn in Synastry – Natal Chart

The World by Toni Allen (represents Saturn)The more I work with people on their synastry with another, the more I realize it all comes back to the natal chart and learning what Saturn has to teach us about loving and accepting ourselves as we are BEFORE we embark on a relationship with another human being.

Saturn has gotten a lot of bad press over the years yet he has been my saving grace more often than not when Neptune, Uranus or Pluto embroiled me in their fun and games. As an astrologer, I look to Saturn in the natal chart to show how the individual handles their responsibilities to others and themselves. In fact, if we don’t learn to be responsible to ourselves first, the chances of us being there for others is not too great.

As a person with a natal out-of-sign Sun/Saturn square, I grew up with one or the other of my parents (Saturn) keeping my nose to the grindstone. We had a small family farm and we all had lots of chores to do. In general people with Saturn in aspect to their Sun, no matter the nature of the aspect, are often given responsibilities at an early age and are pretty much going to be made to attend to them. The effect of a Sun/Saturn aspect on how we relate as adults is often dependant on other aspects to our Suns. If we have a Jupiter or Venus aspect to the Sun natally, we will tend to develop a more optimistic outlook, and be less likely to choose a “parent” for a partner. If not, it may take several Saturn cycles including the Saturn Return to help us realize how valuable we are.

The Moon in aspect to Saturn has a sobering effect on our emotions and habits. We are often like Moon in Capricorn, very cautious and aware of where we fit into our social group; and likely to be “old” when we are young and “young” as we age. With a natal Moon/Saturn sextile myself, I know this pattern well. Saturn can have a dampening effect on the Moon, making one lean towards choosing friends and lovers based on whether they are reliable rather than exciting. That is unless Uranus is also aspecting the Moon, then all bets are off!

Venus in aspect to Saturn?! I have one of those too. With Venus in Sagittarius in the 1st House, having Saturn trine to it probably keep me from doing too many wild and crazy things. However, it’s possible with Venus in aspect to Saturn to be so conventional and hedged about by the need to fit in; all the fun can be drained out of life. This aspect is the one most associated with undervaluing our feeling of being desirable. Here again if we are patient with Saturn’s lessons we can learn how to unfold our wings and transform our self-image. People with Venus/Saturn aspects are sometimes the ones who undertake a healthy diet and exercise program to very good effect – mostly because they stay with it long enough to see real results. We attract partners who appreciate someone who demonstrates reliability, not very romantic but good for lasting relationships with others.

When it comes to Mars/Saturn aspects natally, I have to go with what I’ve observed in others, like my sister who has Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. She can work longer and harder without letting up than anyone I know – except for others with Mars in close aspect to Saturn. This aspect can cause deep frustration of the need to act but at the same time it gives great endurance. Mars/Saturn aspects function similarly to Mars in Capricorn, one of the placements of Mars said to give one a steady sex drive but very controlled. This aspect suggests this individual is going to take their time before committing to a relationship but if they do, they’ll be around for the long haul. Sometimes Saturn can give Mars a fear of taking action and lead to a situation of complete impasse.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Saturn is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Saturn on the Ascendant tend to present a dour face to the world even if they are fun loving and sociable in privacy. If we wish to draw a partner more in tune with who we are at home, we need to keep in mind to show this self more often. Saturn on the Midheaven is an indicator of someone who is all business on the job even if they are a party animal away from the office. In both these cases, it usually pays to take the time (Saturn) to get to know them in different settings.

This is more or less the cliff notes version of how Saturn works natally. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of Liz Greene’s book, “Saturn: a new look at an old devil”. Almost every astrologer I’ve ever talked agrees this book is the definitive source of information on Saturn. My copy is well read because it’s a staple reference book in my astrology library.

Libra with Scorpio risingposted by Neith . . .

Saturday Archives: Ceres as Ruler of Virgo

Ceres Fresco by Cosimo Tura, 1469-70.

Ceres Fresco by Cosimo Tura, 1469-70.

On Monday, Ceres enters Virgo. Just as Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto rule signs in modern astrology, some astrologers believe Ceres should be the modern ruler of Virgo. I am one of them. Here is an article on the topic from my archives (edited for length).

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Astrologers got a little huffy when Pluto was demoted to “dwarf planet,” but otherwise, it’s been business as usual. The technical reclassification hasn’t changed the way we view Pluto.

Not so with Ceres and Eris. In the case of the latter, we’re bending our brains pondering how this newly discovered planet with radically different mythology should fit into our practice. We’ll be grappling with that one for several years, I’m sure.

Of the three, Ceres merits the most immediate attention. Although many astrologers have been using her in chart analysis along with the other asteroid goddesses, she’s now no longer just another asteroid. She has been promoted to Pluto’s equal, and that means she’s about to go mainstream. She’ll likely get a sign to co-rule. Taurus has been suggested as a possibility, but Virgo is emerging as the logical choice.

Ceres was thought to be a planet when she was discovered in 1801 and was later classified as an asteroid, only to be promoted to the new dwarf planet status last year. In addition to being discovered before Neptune and Pluto, she’s also much closer to the Earth. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, meaning that she’s on the boundary between the so-called “personal planets” and the outer planets. This fits nicely with her mythology and with what I believe is the real significance of Ceres in astrology.

To quickly recap the Ceres myth, Ceres was the Roman goddess of the harvest. Her Greek counterpart was Demeter. Ceres had a lovely daughter named Proserpina, the Greek Persephone (so it’s technically incorrect to talk about Ceres and Persephone, although most of us do it).

As you may remember, Demeter and Persephone were out one fine spring day roaming the fields, when the earth split open, and out leapt Hades (the Roman Pluto) in his chariot. Bewitched by Persephone’s beauty, he stole her off to the underworld to be his wife. Demeter searched high and low for her daughter and finally appealed to Zeus, who knew what had happened. Enraged, Demeter demanded her daughter back. Hermes (Mercury), the only god who could come and go freely to the underworld, was dispatched with a message that it was time for Persephone to come home. Hades being Hades, you can guess what his response was.

Grieving for her lost child, Demeter stopped taking care of the plant life, also with predictable results. Zeus was forced to send an edict to Hades, but because Persephone had eaten food in the underworld – Hades had been feeding her pomegranates – she could not return permanently to earth. The compromise was that she’d spend half the year above and half the year below. During the part of the year that Persephone was in Hades, Demeter was so depressed that nothing grew. Ostensibly, this is the mythology of the seasons.

Of all the gods and goddesses, Ceres alone went up against Pluto and won. She didn’t get everything she wanted, but even a compromise with the Lord of the Underworld was a major victory. How symbolic is it, then, that she now gets equal status with him as a special-category planet?

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPosted by Pat

Image: Ceres, an allegory for August, from a fresco designed by Cosimo Tura, 1469-1470. The Sun begins its tour through Virgo in late August.

Saturday Archives: The Natal Chart in Synastry, Part 5 – Jupiter

Jupiter - Wheel of Fortune card from Celestial TarotToday Venus moves into Sagittarius and I decided to honor her with a post from the Archives about Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius.

Just as Saturn tends to get undeserved bad press, I feel Jupiter is on the receiving end of too much good press. My position may be influenced by my Libra tendency to bring balance into everything but my experience with Jupiter inclines me to be more cautious in his praise. That being said, a strong Jupiter influence in the Natal chart does help a person bounce back from Life’s disappointments.

Sun/Jupiter aspects in the Natal chart do make for someone who will keep on looking for that special person to share their lives. I have an out-of-sign Sun/Jupiter conjunction (Jupiter is in the 12th House) and lord only knows, I needed that inner optimism because it took my Libra Sun/Moon self a looong time to find my partner – past my Uranus opposition cycle. The “hard” aspects (square and inconjunct in particular) can lead the Sun to unfounded optimism, leading to the occasional brutal smack of hard, cold reality but these folks are the “cock-eyed” optimists and will soon be chasing another rainbow.

The Moon in aspect to Jupiter, especially by square and conjunction, are those who like to inject some emotional drama into their lives and the lives of their loved ones. This I know because I live with someone who has Moon conjunct Jupiter. Fortunately his conjunction is in Aries, so the drama explodes on the scene in typical Fire sign fashion and dissipates just as quickly. Moon/Jupiter aspects do give an emotional resiliency, especially the trines and sextiles. The worst case scenario I’ve seen is a Moon/Jupiter/Pluto conjunction where the individuals fears (Pluto) were magnified by Jupiter to the point they practically immobilized themselves because they were so afraid of everything!

Mercury/Jupiter aspects can make a person a very good teller of tales or so prone to exaggeration you don’t know what the truth of the matter is. If Mercury is in a Fire sign, the result may be someone who blurts out whatever crosses their minds regardless of the impact of their words. Intent plays a big role with this aspect because it can cause us to laugh or create a great deal of pain as the result of the distortion of the facts.

When Jupiter goes dancing with Venus, we can expect the high, wide and generous romantic gestures. A man with Venus in aspect to Jupiter may be attracted to very voluptuous women and a woman with this aspect will really appreciate being showered with gifts and affection in the grand style. The conjunction, square and inconjunct can lead to living beyond one’s means because the hedonistic pull can be very strong. We tend to like people with Venus/Jupiter aspects because most of the time they know how to enjoy themselves . . .

Moving on the Mars/Jupiter aspects where the extreme expression is the daredevil. This person may create scenarios where he or she can be the hero/heroine riding to the rescue. Mars/Jupiter conjunctions in particular have great physical endurance and if you are not a hardy sort yourself, you may want to consider the ramifications of what it means to be around someone like this! Here again Jupiter “magnifies” the existing energy of the planet.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Jupiter is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Jupiter on the Ascendant tend to present a fun loving and sociable face in public even if they are very private people by nature. Jupiter on the Midheaven can be someone who excels in selling themselves or their ideas with flare and verve. Many of us are very different people when we are at home then out in the World and it pays to get to know someone in both settings.

As I was writing this I realized once again why discussing your natal chart with a competent astrologer who can see how the patterns in the chart all tie together is so important. The “cookbook” style on individual aspects just does not allow for the synthesis of information needed to see the whole person – and when we relate to others, the need for a balance, informed perspective is even more important.

Libra loves synastryposted by Neith . . .

Saturday Archives: Pluto in Capricorn

Pluto in CapAs Pluto moves through the final degrees of Sagittarius, not to return to the sign of the Archer for more than 230 years, many of our readers have started searching for information on Pluto in Capricorn. Neith and I will have more to say about this timely topic in future posts. Meanwhile, here is an article I wrote for The Pisces Chronicles back in January.

I was going to edit out the information on the Washington State Ferry system, since it doesn’t affect most of you, but our situation here really does sum up the essence of Pluto in Cap.

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Well, it’s finally here, the big event that astrologers have been writing about for two years (some even longer).

I’ve held off writing about Pluto’s entry into Capricorn, because I felt that it was too early to start attributing certain events to an astrological phenomenon that hadn’t happened yet. It has been only in the past few weeks that I’ve started seeing signs that this momentous shift is occurring. And I’m not sure that we’ll see the real effects of this transit in 2008. First, we’ve got to wrap up Pluto in Sagittarius.

Pluto, named for the mythological god of the underworld, is associated with death, rebirth, and transformation. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of limits, boundaries, and material structure. There’s a trend in modern astrology toward putting a more positive spin on challenging planets and aspects. I think this is mostly a good thing, but please don’t kid yourself that Pluto and Saturn are going to bring the pizza and beer so that we can watch back-to-back episodes of Star Trek while the Bushes and Waltons get zapped by gamma rays from deep space.

Of all the interpretations I’ve read of Pluto in Capricorn, the one word that struck me was “accountability.” I can’t remember who wrote that. If it was you, please let us know! Yes, there’s going to be accountability, and it’s going to shake up government and corporate structures worldwide. But who exactly are they going to be accountable to, and how is that going to happen?

As I wrote in a previous post, we’re having a crisis here on our little island of Vashon, 37 square miles with a population of 10,300. On January 11, Washington State Ferries gave us less than three day’s notice that it was taking two boats out of service for repairs. This was after unexpectedly retiring four aging boats last November.

Most of us are too shell-shocked right now to be mad. For many people, reduced ferry service has meant getting up an hour earlier, getting home an hour or two later, and going through the day in a haze of exhaustion. But already the inevitable questions are being asked. Why has WSF not properly maintained its boats? Why hasn’t it ordered new boats and increased capacity? Who is responsible?

Complaints to the agency are met with a phenomenal lack of accountability. “Don’t blame us, it’s not our fault.” To some extent, they may be right. It may turn out the governor herself is responsible, since budgeting decisions go straight to the top.
WSF is the largest ferry system in the nation, carrying more commuters to work daily than the Staten Island ferry. The ferries are considered part of our highway system — in other words, part of our transportation infrastructure. This is clearly within the realm of Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn is literally exposing the cracks in the hull. Do I believe this is a microcosm of broader crises to come? Absolutely.

Back when the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, it didn’t take long for people to start doing the math. We’re spending billions of dollars a day to bomb Iraq back into the Stone Age and ignoring our own pressing needs at home. A similar situation existed in the American colonies under England. We were being taxed without getting equivalent benefits in return, and we had no say in the matter. That’s when people tend to take up arms and rebel. It’s not a question of “if,” only of “when.”

Pluto in Capricorn is not, however, going to rid the world of hierarchies, as some have suggested. Hierarchies exist in nature. Otherwise, there would be no order. If you think that anarchy sounds romantic, talk to survivors of Hurricane Katrina or current residents of Baghdad. What many of us hope is that the current hierarchical structure will be replaced with one that is more just and equitable. It probably will be … but it’s not going to be installed by extraterrestrials with superhuman intelligence.

Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it, though. Pluto enters the sign of the Sea Goat tomorrow at 6:37 p.m. on the West Coast. He’ll get barely 1 degree into Capricorn before turning retrograde on April 2 and heading back into Sagittarius in mid-June. We’ll have a little more than five months to process the message of Pluto in Sagittarius before he returns to Capricorn and remains there for the next 16 years.

What might those messages be? I wrote about this as part of my series about Pluto on the Galactic Core. Pluto in Sagittarius is about breaking down beliefs, especially religious dogma. Obviously, it hasn’t entirely happened yet, but I believe we are going to see the results this year of collapsed religious systems.

Pluto in Sagittarius has not been just about breaking down our religious beliefs, but also our scientific ones. The past 15 years have brought us tremendous breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe as advances in technology have allowed us to explore the furthest reaches of space. I’m working my way through Gevin Giorbran’s book, which, among other things, questions the validity of the second law of thermodynamics, one of the cornerstones of our understanding of the material universe.

Gevin’s book is fundamentally changing my view of time, and that means my understanding of astrology is going through a metamorphosis as well. Saturn rules time and the material world, and it might take the entire transit of Pluto in Capricorn before these new perspectives take hold in the mainstream and we apply them in our daily lives. Adjusting to these new concepts is another reason why I haven’t wanted to jump headfirst into Pluto in Capricorn. We’ve got some important prerequisites to complete before we move on.

Since 2008 is an election year, we’re also going to take a hard look at our political beliefs to assess whether they are serving us well. Back to our ferry example, what if it turns out that the Democratic governor we elected was responsible for leaving us stranded? What if legitimate studies showed that we’d be better off if the ferry system were privatized? We will all have to reconsider and entertain the “unthinkable.”

Happy Pluto ingress!

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPosted by Pat

Saturday Archives: The Natal Chart in Synastry, Part 1 – Pluto

Judgement - Pluto from Celestial DeckIn honor of Mars entering his home sign of Scorpio, I selected this post on how Pluto in our natal charts affects our ability to relate to others.

Because I keep referring to our natal charts as the starting point of what to consider first when looking at compatibility with others, I thought I would do some posts looking at how the outer planets impact how we relate to others. So I’m going to start with the furthest out, Pluto, and work in towards the Sun . . .

I have touched on Pluto in synastry but there is always more where he is concerned. Pluto is all about the depths of our beings and it can take a lifetime to explore all his mysteries. When looking at a natal chart to get a sense of how the individual will react/respond in relationships, Pluto aspects can offer significant clues. In fact, the two books I read and reviewed here this past year, “The Hades Moon” and “Healing Pluto Problems”, contain a lot of very sound information on the Pluto effect in natal charts. So I will hit some of the high points in this post and suggest both books as resources for further exploration.

Pluto aspecting the Sun, especially by conjunction, square and opposition, points to a tendency to obsess when it comes to relationships. This is an individual who often draws other Plutonians or Scorpios to themselves, and just as often scares the holy crap out of those who are not interested in wading through the darker side of their natures. Often a Pluto transit to the Sun will help this person work their way down to the reasons behind their obsessive behaviors. This is a painful process but can do wonders for freeing us from the worst of our obsessions, making it a lot easier to form good relationships with others.

When the Moon is in aspect to Pluto, the emotional issues are often a source of angst. I suggest reading “The Hades Moon” as a primer on dealing with issues stemming from Moon/Pluto aspects. One of the difficulties with Moon/Pluto aspects is the nature of the Moon herself. She describes our intuitive, unconscious behaviors and feeling nature; and often forgiveness of self and acceptance of what we may view as “bad” is imperative to begin the healing process. The rewards for taking the plunge and healing our emotional wounds can be finding a way to self-respect and better relationships.

Venus and Mars in aspect to Pluto can lead to “sticky fingers”. Pluto here makes it very, very hard to keep from holding on to the object of our desire so hard it destroys the relationship. Mars/Pluto aspects often give us hints as to what type of behaviors we sabotage potentially good relationships with, and Venus/Pluto aspects can be likened to a black hole of neediness. Again the solution lies within our selves . . . we need to find our way to reclaiming our power from the dark side and owning it without judgment. This is possible because I’ve done it . . . but only with help from Donna Cunningham’s tools for dealing with Pluto. Yes, I know, good Plutonian that I am, I keep recommending her books over and over. :-)

Pluto conjuncting the Ascendant or Descendant is obviously going to have an impact in how the person reacts/responds when relating to others on a one-to-one basis too. Pluto on the Ascendant (or Scorpio Rising) is the power player and often lays down the rules in a “my way or the highway” manner. Their partners are often the submissive sorts who don’t mind being bossed around. Having Pluto on the Descendant is the reverse of this – the partner drawn to this individual is the controlling type.

All of the above examples are drawn broadly and I would like to note that there are many people out there who use their Pluto aspects natally in a much less drastic fashion. If you are looking at your chart and seeing Pluto aspects, the best course of action is to start the process of acceptance and understanding. Giving our selves the time to allow healing to take place is important too. This all comes from personal experience in case you are wondering . . . I am a Plutonian and Pluto has transited ALL my personal planets and Ascendant by conjunction. And I’m still here to talk about it!

Libra, an Air signposted by Neith . . .

Saturday Archives: Healing in the Now

Chiron and Achilles, by John Singer SargentWhat we bring with us from past lives is a big topic in spiritual circles. As astrologers, we often look to the lunar South Node and the fourth and twelfth houses for clues about what may have happened to us in previous incarnations and how that may be affecting us in our current tour of duty on the physical plane.

I don’t believe in past lives per se. I believe that we have an energy imprint, and that while this imprint is not uniquely our own, the way it manifests as an individual human incarnation is unique. This may seem like splitting hairs, but it’s an important distinction, because it recognizes the underlying energy (spirit) and means that through conscious awareness of this energy, we have the power to change not only our own karma, but the collective karma as well.

We have the power to heal.

A couple of years ago at a NORWAC conference, I met Kim Marie, a teacher of a relatively recent branch of astrology called evolutionary astrology, which is very much concerned with past lives. I owe to her the discovery that I was born four hours before Neptune went retrograde, which for evolutionary astrologers is a very big deal. I meditated on that concept for weeks before reaching the conclusion that it provided me a lifelong door to what’s beyond the physical plane. Indeed, my whole approach to astrology is based on observing how the invisible energies in the universe manifest on the physical plane.

In previous posts, I’ve written about the current series of eclipses in Leo and Aquarius and how the conjunction of Neptune, Chiron, and the North Node opened a pathway to deep healing. As I noted, this healing can include wounds we brought with us into this lifetime. Think about that for a moment. By healing your own deep wounds, you are in essence healing the “wounded” underlying energies of the universe.

One of the deepest wounds we face in our time is the split between the masculine and feminine. It is a deeply disturbed relationship, and I believe that the split happened several millennia ago. For us, it seems like forever, and we seem to take for granted that “that’s just the way it is.” I’ve lost count of the latest scientific studies “proving” why men want multiple sexual partners, why women cling, why women fall for jerks, and so forth. There’s nothing scientific about it, and it’s not a given. It is not what we are about, and it is not what we ultimately want.

But I digress. What I really want to say here is that we have the choice to heal, and there is no time like the present, with this astrological window wide open. We want to believe that we are somehow victims of “bad karma.” Well, each time we let an opportunity to heal pass — whether because it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient, or we’re afraid of change or afraid of whatever — we compound that wound, not only in our life and the life of anyone else involved, but the collective wound of humanity.

We desperately want to be whole (heal and whole come from the same root), we crave it. Make that leap of trust and faith. Choose to heal.

Wishing you much love and courage…

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPosted by Pat

Image: Chiron and Achilles, by John Singer Sargent, c. 1925.

Saturday Archives: The Natal Chart in Synastry – Uranus

With all the Uranus action in the sky these days, I decided to select a post from the Archives on how Uranus in the natal chart can affect the way we relate to others. 

If you are wondering what happened to Part 2 on Neptune, he rendered me inarticulate on his illusive self, so I decided to forge ahead with Uranus. Uranus is nice and straightforward compared to Neptune. He’s the one who pushes us to express who we truly are and to follow the excitement. Uranus can also encourage us to make radical changes and go to extremes of behavior.

Uranus plays an interesting role in our charts when it comes to looking at our behavior in relation to others. A person with a strongly Uranus influence in their charts often have an innate restlessness that makes it difficult for them to settle down in one place with one person. Those with Sun/Uranus aspects by sextile and trine seem better able to balance their need for self-expression with the consideration for the needs of their partners . The conjunction and square are found in the charts of brilliant sorts who can get caught up in their personal projects and completely forget little things like lunch dates, anniversaries, etc. With the opposition, it’s the partner that is brilliant and erratic!  

Moon/Uranus aspects point to emotional independence. At the far end of the spectrum are people who are quite solitary in nature and don’t quite understand why others need intimate relationships. Again it’s the conjunction and square in the chart that indicate the extreme. Those of us with Uranus trine or sextile to our Moons have an easier time finding a balance between intimacy and solitude. Air and Fire sign Moons deal better with a dynamic Uranus aspect than do Water and Earth Moons. The Water sign Moons in particular who are drawn to merging with their partners find a dynamic aspect with Uranus particularly disconcerting. The Moon/Uranus opposition can find one attracting an emotionally distant or unavailable partner.

I’m going to touch lightly on Uranus/Mercury aspects because these show up in the charts of those with lots of intelligence, occasionally bordering on genius. These individuals can operate at such a different level than most people it’s hard for them to find something to talk about over coffee or drinks. The “common” touch is often missing making it hard for them to relate to others. Their challenge is to find someone who can talk their language.

Venus and Mars in aspect to Uranus operate similarly – Venus functions by drawing others to us and Mars is how we pursue. Both of these planets when aspected by Uranus can make our love lives very exciting or make us feel like we are caught in a revolving door with lovers coming and going unexpectedly. There is a decidedly selfish element here especially if Uranus is conjunct, square or opposed to your natal Venus or Mars. This can be moderated by awareness of what’s going on. The sextile and trine are often found in charts of creative sorts who are good at thinking of original ways to enjoy themselves.

If you have an accurate natal chart based on a good birth time, Uranus aspecting the Ascendant and Descendant are strong clues to your relationship style too. Obviously a person with Uranus conjunct the Ascendant will project an aura of independence and originality – a “one of a kind” vibe. For those who are interested in this person, they may have to get to know them well enough to move past the public image. With Uranus conjunct the Descendant, we draw partners who are often brilliant and unpredictable. The challenge here for someone who desires a stable, durable relationship is to incorporate those qualities into themselves . . . Libra, an Air signposted by Neith . . .

This is the Tower tarot card from the Adrian Tarot deck. This cutting edge artwork seemed to fit Uranus the best.

Saturday Archives: Neptune in Synastry . . .

Neptune's Horses by Liza EastmanSince I’ve been coming across Neptune aspects in the compatibility charts I’ve been working with lately, this is the post I decided to pull from the archives. Neptune has also been a powerful influence in the sky lately too, conjuncting the Full Moon in Aquarius. It does not pay to ignore this subtle but powerful planet.

When I think of Neptune in synastry, the duality of the Neptune experience comes to mind. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus but not often expressed as that. Wandering around in a hall of smoke and mirrors and lots of illusion is a far more common experience. Yes, it’s possible we can find our “soul mate” and live happily ever after is a cloud of romantic bliss . . . and if you buy that I have this piece of real estate in the hinterlands that would be perfect for you.

Neptune is darn tricky to understand but when it comes to synastry I see Neptune as playing an important role. He can soften some of Saturn’s harsher edges and give us some relief from Pluto’s obsessions. Or he can lead us down the garden path and make both Saturn’s strictures and Pluto’s obsessive behaviors even worse. Think of some poor badly abused individual that proclaims how much their abuser “loves” them because their addictions to drugs and alcohol (Neptune) are being fed. Admittedly this is an extreme example but there are lots of these folks out there in this type of situation.

If we see sextiles and trines between Neptune and various personal planets in a comparison, I find these are helpful in promoting a pleasant romantic vibe. If it’s Venus involved there is likely to be candlelit dinners and flowers that are given for no particular reason except to express appreciation for one’s lover. With the Sun and Moon, Neptune can bring a deep sense of connection, often spiritual in nature and a willingness to exercise tolerance generously. Sometimes Moon/Neptune aspects can promote an emotional, psychic awareness of each other. Mars/Neptune aspects are good for cheering each other on to achieve especially if one or both people are in creative professions. Neptune can be a source of inspiration and creativity that seems to well up out of the cosmos.

Neptune conjunct personal planets and the Ascendant/Descendant can be a little trickier to handle. It’s been my experience Neptune is on his best behavior with some harmonious distance involved. Up close and personal as in the conjunction, he can start churning out his illusions easier and it’s easier to get lost in them. However, Neptune conjunctions do intensify the sense of a psychic link as well as empathy for the other. So I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt and look to other aspects to get an idea of how the Neptune effect will play out.

It’s the squares, inconjuncts and oppositions with Neptune that can get really interesting – particularly the square aspects. Here is where the desire to escape from sordid reality can seriously emerge and create major difficulties. Religion, drugs, and other assorted addictions are often a part of relationships with the tension creating aspects. The opposition can lead to being seduced by a so-called “spiritual leader” where one person projects all kinds of fanciful notions on another. Neptune is often about projections and expectations – both our own and others. With the inconjunct the effect may be of either living in la la land with occasional shocks of cold, hard reality or the reverse which may be more manageable.

When Neptune has us firmly entranced, it seems we must dance to his tune until something else happens to break the spell. In a typical relationship, we are most “in Love” for about two years or there abouts. Now which planet changes signs roughly two and half years . . . . Saturn!! Saturn can help ground us and show us the way to enjoy Neptune’s benefits without succumbing to his downside. This reason I say this is because I have Moon conjunct Neptune natally closely sextile to Saturn and that is my personal experience of both of these outer planets.

Libra, an Air signposted by Neith . . .

This image is of the quilted version of Walter Crane’s painting, “Neptune’s Horses“! Liza Eastman does amazing work, doesn’t she?!

Saturday Archives: Second Thoughts on Pluto in Synastry

New Extra-solar Planet by David HardyHere is another post on Pluto in synastry from the Archives. One of the reasons I feel people find Pluto so daunting in both the natal chart and in synastry is because of the Pluto paradox of wanting to control and being unable to.

That is a deliberate play on words because if you see Pluto playing a major role in a chart comparison, i.e., conjunct the other person’s Moon or Ascendant, second thoughts about pursuing the relationship are in order. My reasoning here has to do with the reality that for most people, Pluto acts through them in an unconscious manner. For someone deep in a Plutonian obsession, it takes a pretty big smack on the head to get their attention, and you can’t be sure you’ve got it for very long either.

Pluto in aspect to the personal planets either natally or in synastry can show us the type of obsession. The Sun/Pluto contact is about “finding” our selves, usually by jumping in the deep end. The Moon/Pluto is obviously about exploring emotional entanglements and taking them to extremes. Mercury/Pluto can find us taking a particular line of thought to the bitter end. Venus/Pluto contacts can lead us to sacrifice our selves for what we are calling ‘Love’ and Mars/Pluto . . . well, that’s where we find out about rage. These are my personal key phrases – Mars/Mercury conjunct in Scorpio at work, going for the essence.

Pluto too wants to plumb of depths of experience . . . and he’s not fussy about whether that experience is positive or negative. When transiting Pluto was conjuncting my Moon in Libra, the relationships drawn into my life were with very different types than I had been involved with either before or after. I am a pretty typical well-educated middle class woman who happened to grow up on a farm and Pluto pulled alcoholic, drug addicted cons and ex-cons into my life for a period of about two years. These were all obsessive relationships where I behaved in a manner quite different from my usual calm and cheerful self.

That I survived the experience without too much damage is most likely due to a very hardworking guardian angel, and a natal Moon sextile Pluto/Saturn. The way out was in the form of drug & alcohol counselor, who asked the right questions, educated me as to what was going on and pointed out the direction to my usual habitat. I was very lucky and there are many people out there right now who are not . . .

Saturn placements can play a big role in how we handle Pluto – either in our own charts or in synastry. He can represent the solid bottom we can hit spiraling down in the grip of a Pluto inspired obsession. Sometimes we need Saturn’s willingness to deal with a problem one step at a time to find our way back. Perhaps it’s because I have the Saturn/Pluto conjunction (in the 9th House) natally sextile my Moon/Neptune conjunction (in the 11th House) that I understand how those two working together can support, protect and teach so much.

Libra, Venus ruledposted by Neith . . .

Saturday Archives: Shared Degrees in Synastry

The Lovers Osho Zen tarot deckI got to thinking about why we are drawn to certain people whether we met them face-to-face or online and it has a lot to do with having planets and Angles within a few degrees of each other. As an astrologer I have consistently noted my clients have planets sharing degrees with those in my chart and I just read in John Townley’s book, The Composite Chart, he and other astrologers have a similar experience.

Shared Degrees are one of basic pieces in the puzzle of synastry. The short version is simply when the same degrees show up in both charts or in the charts of several individuals these are “Shared Degrees”. Sun Sign based astrology for the masses often points to a certain segment of the population with say the first 10 degrees of a Sign as a clue to the effect of transits – for my purposes I going to narrow that down to around 6 degrees.

For example, I have Venus in Sagittarius at 2 degrees in my First House. This is a friendly, cheerful placement of Venus . . . ***waves & smiles*** I would not be at all surprised to find planets and major angles from zero to six degrees in the charts of my faithful readers. And when Saturn moved into Virgo at the beginning of September in his usual relentless fashion, he squared my poor little Venus. At the same time all those people out there with planets, Ascendants and Midheavens from zero to six degrees also went “Whoa! Saturn is in the house!!” And we’ve all been paying a lot of attention to various tasks related to where Saturn aspected our charts.

Because we usually share several points of contact between the charts of those we are drawn to, we are often affected at the same time by a transiting planet. If it’s Venus doing the transiting or Jupiter, the effect is often upbeat and positive. Mars can be energizing to the point of igniting yelling matches or, if you are lucky, great sex! Saturn transits often point us in the direction of picking up neglected responsibilities and so on.

My point is this: Because we share degrees with our friends, lovers and associates, we will be affected by transits at the same time. Those shared experiences can either draw us together or drive us apart. Often it’s difficult to assess exactly what the result will be except with good old 20-20 hindsight. That being said, a good astrologer can be very helpful in alerting his or her clients to upcoming transits and what to be aware of . . .

Libra, Venus ruledposted by Neith . . .