This week’s question comes from Marilyn in Sacramento.

Real is 37, a gifted Pisces. The last two years she has found herself without a home, a full time job, her children cannot be with her right now. She is living in a garage and developed Meniers disease in her one ear. She is having a terrible time of depression, anxiety, and a huge weight gain. My heart is breaking for my beautiful, talented Real.

Thank you for any answers you might be able to furnish. It’s been a hard time of testing.

Neith’s response:

Marilyn, your daughter has undergone some pretty tough transits over the past couple of years so it is not surprising she has been feeling depressed and discouraged. For starters, a couple of years ago Saturn in Leo was squaring her natal Saturn in her seventh house putting her in a tough position with her career and relationship demands.

At the same time Pluto was conjunct her Mars in Sagittarius in her second house. Because she has Scorpio rising, Mars is her chart ruler, and transits to Mars will be especially powerful. Real also has a natal Mars-Pluto square, so this Pluto transit undoubtedly increased the obsessive side of her nature. Pluto transits to the second house can cause major changes to one’s value system and personal income.

Along with Saturn and Pluto transits, she was experiencing Uranus conjunct her Sun. Uranus transits in general push us to recognize unmet needs and often precipitate dramatic changes. Real’s Sun in Pisces is part of a Yod, with Uranus at the apex and her Sun sextile Saturn as the base. This makes any transits to her Sun more strongly felt because they trigger her natal Sun-Uranus inconjunct, throwing her off-balance. Simply put, Real is at heart a dependable person with moments of rebellion and Uranus came along and tweaked her rebellious side with a vengeance.

Over the next couple of months Saturn will be opposing her Sun and trine her natal Saturn, helping her find her feet again. Uranus is a year or so away from squaring her natal Moon in Gemini, and Pluto finished opposing her Moon last year, so hopefully she will be able to take advantage of the Saturn transits to address her situation and begin to improve it.

Please accept my best wishes for both you and your daughter seeing happier times very soon. I can recommend an excellent book by Donna Cunningham, Healing Pluto Problems, to help Real understand what it means to have Pluto dominant in one’s chart, as he is in hers.

Pat’s answer:

Marilyn, I don’t have children of my own but can only imagine how your heart must be breaking to see your beautiful daughter going through such hell. All I can tell you is that I have been in such a place a couple of times in my life, and it is possible to survive and come out stronger.

And I do believe that she will. I have been writing a lot on the Real Astrologers blog as well as on my personal blog, The Pisces Chronicles, about an unusual set of planetary transits that are happening simultaneous with the current series of eclipses in Aquarius and Leo. Real’s lunar North Node is at 23 degrees Aquarius, which not only is being activated by the eclipses (this Saturday’s eclipse is at 24 degrees, very close to her North Node), but by transiting Neptune and Chiron.

As I’ve written elsewhere, a window has opened for deep healing, especially of old wounds from childhood or even that we brought into this life with us. Real is being directly affected by this healing energy. But, as I’ve also pointed out, healing can be painful, because it means reopening the old wound, which can hurt as much or more than the original injury.

This eclipse series began in February and lasts until August of next year, and it falls in Real’s fourth and tenth houses, which pertain to her home, family, and job. I would expect changes to her circumstances in these areas of her life, and since it doesn’t sound like things could get much worse, the changes that take place over the next year should greatly improve her life.

One area that may continue to be troublesome, however, is her situation with her children. Uranus, the planet of sudden change and upset, currently is transiting her fifth house, which rules children, and there will be a tough opposition of Saturn and Uranus starting this November and lasting until September 2009. Real will fare best if she accepts the help and intervention of others rather than taking a rebellious stance.

Much love and courage to both of you.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers.