Ascendant and Identity (6) Leo Rising

Element: Fire - Expression of assertiveness, enthusiasm, and confidence strengthen the identity formation.
Mode: Fixed - faithfulness, stability and reliability empowers the self concept.

Leo Ascendant magnifies the importance of our inner King/Queen. To form a strong identity, a person with this Ascendant needs to be able to command the attention and respect of others for his/her creativity, theatricality, and generosity of spirit.

The King/Queen complex of this Ascendant suggests a sense of innate dignity, but also a childlike self-centeredness which could be either endearing or tyrannical, depending on the level of maturity.

As a modifier of the Sun-Moon blend energy, Leo Ascendant could give an aura of theatrical presence that somehow draws the eye, even for the quiet, introverted person dominated by Watery energy. This Ascendant can add warmth and charismatic flair to the intellectualism of the Air element, or the pragmatism of the Earth.

The Untamed King Complex of Muhammad Ali

Since Leo is ruled by the Sun, natal aspect to the Sun should be a lot more visible for Leo ASC.

Take a look at Muhammad Ali's horoscope. The Capricorn Sun receives a square from Mars (over the sign-line), adding much fire and combativeness to the King Complex of Capricorn-Leo.

This Sun is further fortified through the Grand Trine with Saturn-Uranus and Neptune (a protective mote to ensure emotional and physical self sufficiency) - adding much stability to the grand self image.

Ali's chart is strikingly absent in Water, reducing psychological vulnerability to attack, we might say - after all, empathy and sensitivity are not so useful in a boxing ring!


The Inspired Queen Complex of Maya Angelou

Writer & poet Maya Angelou is another example of Leo Ascendant (chart). Here there is much inspiration from the Jupiter conjoining Sun, and Neptune conjoining her ASC. But there is a "blanket over her hand grenade" that threatens to envelope her light: Pluto ruling the 4th (home-family) squares the Sun.

There is no Earth planet in the chart to provide stability, yet there is another Grand Trine, this time in Fire element (a protective mote of inspiration.) Mercury-Venus conjunction in Pisces in 8th suggests idealism and vulnerability to pain, and the Southern hemisphere emphasis further adds to the victimization potential (see post below about hemisphere analysis.)

Her story of hardship and sexual abuse is well documented in her books - we could say she chose to free herself from the devastating experience through her candid, dramatic writing.

The two examples are very different, yet both have their identity expressed through the theatrical lens of Leo Ascendant.

Saturn - Pluto Cycle in Mundane Astrology - Robert Hand Article

In case you haven't read it, this is Robert Hand at his best.

The new Saturn-Pluto square at November 2009 - August 2010 will be coming up as the media talks of recessions, and under the new Presidential regime. If you invest in stocks this is something to watch out for (according to Ken Fisher, historically, first or second year under the new President is accompanied by a stock market decline.)

Nodal Axis and the Mother Complex

In Western astrology, Lunar Nodes are generally associated with the karmic past and future*.
Other schools of astrology have associated the Nodal axis with meetings and relationships. Noel Tyl has further developed this symbolism to mean the "mother" involvement ("it is the point at which the apparent paths of Sun and Moon cross - signifying fecundation - which suggests relationship, connection to groups and public, and the mother, or the maternal.")

This is observable rather easily in consultations - whenever the Nodal axis conjoins the planet or an Angle closely (within 2 degrees orb), there is a strong maternal influence (this could be mother, or other female figure such as grandmother, etc.) in terms of the planet.

There are several ways to think of this:

1) The Nodal axis-planet combination suggests what kind of mother one had: I've had several clients who had alcoholic mothers when the Nodal axis conjoined Neptune natally. While those are quite extreme examples and not meant to be taken as law, similar quality of escapism in the mother (hence the abandonment to the child) would affect the psyche deeply.

2) The Nodal complex suggests the kind of experience we had with the mother - a male client with Nodal axis conjunct Uranus told me he was unable to connect with his mother emotionally at all during childhood, and this was coloring his views of women in his adult relationships. This may suggest that the emotional connection was disrupted within the original relationship, leading to independence or isolation.

3) When a planet squares a Nodal axis closely, could there be a conflict between the mother and the child in terms of the planet? I had a client with Moon square the Nodal axis, and Nodal axis conjoined Mercury: she said her mother was very different from her, and especially in terms of emotional experience, the mother wasn't able to empathize with the daughter at all.

And here is the main consideration: the Mother Complex is the internal mother-image we carry inside. This image defines how we nurture and care for ourselves and others. The client in the last example had a really hard time paying attention and nurturing herself emotionally, saying the emotions felt unimportant, or bothersome. Thus the pattern of dysfunctional mothering is passed down from the mother to the daughter.

Luckily, we can stop the chain of dysfunction right here: our becoming aware of the incomplete mother complex can lead to a transformation of the internal mother image. This way, we take back the planet that was usurped (or eclipsed) by the Nodal Mother Complex. Then true healing and individuation can begin.



*idea popularized by karmic and evolutionary astrologers, perhaps especially through charismatic writing of Jeffrey Wolf Green and Stephen Forrest - in general the North Node is associated as the point of future growth, and South Node as a carryover from the past. In the mother complex discussion above, the distinction between North and South Node are irrelevant, as we consider the entire circle as Nodal Axis, and conjunction to either Node suggests strong maternal influence.

An Offer to International Clients

I recently started using Skype. This will enable me to speak internationally to other Skype users for free - which means now I can consult international clients without the phone cost on either side.

There is a software that allows me to record the conversation in MP3, so the recording of the session can be emailed to you afterwards.

If you live outside of US and have been using Skype (or download it for free at skype.com), feel free to send me an email (Hiroki@HolisticAstrologer.com) for consultation request. For the initial few clients (until I work out the kinks) I will give you a special discount.

The Hemisphere Analysis for Synthesis

Consider these four poles of influence:
1) Ascendant: the Self.
2) Descendant: the Other(s), the partner or the public who have utterly independent will from my own.
3) Nadir (IC): the Home, the (Earth) Mother, that which nourishes and protects us.
4) Midheaven (MC): the Social Status, Work, the (Heavenly) Father, that which leads us away from home, into the world.

In the 12 division of Houses in a horoscope, these 4 poles exert their influence continuously, often challenging us through the very polarity of their demands. To live a balanced life, we must stand between these four opposite poles, able to go back and forth between them as necessary.

The synthesis idea of "Hemisphere analysis" comes from this:

1) What happens if most or all planets are concentrated on the East (i.e. left side)? This suggests that the psychic resources are pulled together in order to protect the Ascendant, the Self. There may be defensiveness, or constant need for self justification. Why is this so?

To come into balance, there needs to be a flow of psychic energy directed to the West, meaning Other(s) - giving of self to others, and showing/sharing one's personal resources with the public.

2) If most of the planets are concentrated on the West (right side), great deal of psychic energy is spent on understanding, serving, or giving to others. There is a danger that one's self may be left behind. To balance this tendency, there needs to be time taken for oneself (Ascendant), to do what one wants and needs to do.

3) If most of the planets are found in Northern (i.e. bottom half of the chart) hemisphere, The psychic resources are tied to home - most often the developmental concerns within early home.
We suspect that there is an unfinished business from early home that may be hindering the full bloom of identity. Here one needs to "leave home", either figuratively or literally, by breaking out of limiting patterns that were modeled by his/her family.

4) If most of the planets are found in Southern (top half) hemisphere, the psychic resources have been pulled away from the home base, perhaps too soon. There may be no safety net to protect the identity development - we sense a vulnerability to being pushed around by the circumstance, even victimized by it.

To balance this, one needs to find a safe "home base" (back to the IC), people that he/she can trust to create that sanctuary of safety and nourishment. This allows for psychic grounding to occur, and one is less vulnerable to being pushed around by the world.

Noel Tyl talks about the hemisphere analysis in more detail here.

Mercury as a Way Out of Depression / Connector to Other Planets

Horoscope is a holistic map of our psyche - let's say a potential for all possible human experience is contained within it. This means it contains our capacity for despair as well as joy.

What is chronic depression? When I speak with people that are chronically depressed, there seems to be a short circuit in their psyche that doesn't allow them to access any parts of their psyche except the memories of pain and the wrongs that are done to them.

This means they are only making partial use of the resources available to them - astrologically, we could say they are functioning from the Mercury-Saturn complex alone (if that's what's highlighted in the horoscope), and lost touch with Jupiter.

It's very difficult to encourage somebody that has lost touch with their faith, hope, enthusiasm, gratitude, generosity and optimism (these are all Jupiter words).

Apparently this is a problem for most people, hence the need for "positive thinking" literature of all kind, first started by Norman Vincent Peale (who has his Jupiter on the Aries Point!)

In Christianity they call it positive confessions, and many people do seem to get positive benefit out of speaking a biblical verse (which contains the sense of spiritual authority) that has to do with the goodness of God, his protection and promise for better future, etc.

And then there are a whole set of books filled with positive affirmations you can repeat; CDs you can listen to while you sleep...You get the picture.

So these are all designed to help people access the Jupiterian part of their psyche, through their words (i.e. Mercury). Mercury is so important in that it allows us to touch all other parts of our psyche - that's why it is called a messenger of gods.

Let's see how this works for connecting to planets other than Jupiter:

• Reciting or listening to poetry lets you access the creative/ecstatic visualization capacity of Neptune through words.
• Combative language used in rap music helps the listeners access their sense of power or aggression - Pluto, Mars.
  
• In psychotherapy, the therapist tries to help change the perspective (Pluto) of the patient through the use of different vocabulary to describe the same situation.
• In "Inner Child" therapy, you use your non-dominant hand to write, in order to allow the emotional, "child" part of the psyche to express itself. Perhaps this lets us access the Moon.
• Any words expressed with caring also lets us feel the Moon.
• Venus is involved whenever we try to be clever or artful with our words, as well as being thoughtful or diplomatic in what we say.
  
• Sun is present almost always when we use the word "I" in our speech or writing, or when we are exhorting and edifying somebody that we respect and admire.
• Uranus and Mercury together fires up the intellect or communicative faculty - I think here we get into the language of mathematics, finance, science, technology, innovation, or games such as chess.
• Then Saturn, whenever we study, think or communicate deeply, responsibly, wisely. In workplace we mainly talk using Saturnian language.
  
• When we mourn the dead and speak or write about their memories, we enter a Plutonian realm of death.
  

And there are so many more...After all, language was created to express the wholeness of human experience.

None of the Mercury measurements has to result in depression, as long as you are in touch with the wholeness of your psyche to some extent. For people that are stuck in any one mode of thinking, any activity that helps them access a different part of the psyche may offer a way out.

Emotional Awareness in Relationship and Healing

"Are you in touch with your feelings?" My roommate suddenly asked me today as I came home. She is my greatest teacher in self growth, so it makes me alert when she says things like this.

"Have you not been dealing with your emotions lately?"

I thought for a second and replied "Well, come to think of it, I was feeling so good a few days ago, but for these past couple of days, I haven't been able to feel my heart. Am I bothering you?"

If the last question (or this entire conversation, for that matter) sounds strange, I asked this because people living around us tend to pick up our emotions when we choose not to deal with them. Buried feelings don't die within you - they just sort of leak out into those close to you, and they get affected*.

Anyway, my roommate said "Don't bury your feelings - you need to feel it and deal with it, so you can heal it." and left it up to me, so I went into my room to sit by myself for a while, to see if I could get in touch with my emotions. It is true I was feeling a bit restless for the last couple of days, but I didn't think to pay much attention to it or go deeply into it.

On my couch, I instinctively curled up in a fetal position to try to feel inside my body (instead of my head), and immediately recognized how much I was abandoning my emotions - many feelings began to come up - fear, anger, loneliness, abandonment - and by being with these emotions I started to feel nurtured and "filled up" emotionally.

I went through this process for about 30 minutes, felt considerably more whole and shared the experience with my roommate. She said "you've been out of touch with yourself for a long time - if you had been in touch, you probably wouldn't have chosen to be an actuary (which was the pathway I abandoned after speaking with Noel Tyl, despite passing a couple of exams already)."

It seems that I was so strongly in my head exercising my mental faculty that I lost touch with the fullness of my emotions, and therefore my body (where the emotions reside.) Now that I'm gearing up for what I was made to do - an alternative healing career - it seems my emotions are waking up deeper than ever.

The process I've described is a very abbreviated version of the "inner child" therapy, which I may write more about in future posts, but here I wanted to document my personal experience as I'm making a move from my head into my body and emotions. This is certainly a change worthy of transiting Uranus conjunct Ascendant, which is happening for me right now.

I'm starting to feel certain parts of my horoscope come to life - it's got to be the Moon. How full it feels! I considered myself to be pretty emotionally aware, but I see that there is much more depth to the inner ocean.


*This kind of dynamic in relationship gets talked about in John Gray's book (I believe the title is "What you can feel, you can heal", but he may have talked about this in other books as well.) As an example, if you are angry at your boss at work but don't deal with that emotion, when you come home, your wife may suddenly start acting angry at you for no reason - she just might be picking up your suppressed aggression.

The Reason to be Alone - a Bird Analogy

I'm blessed with a beautiful natural park near my house with a large lake. There are many species of wild birds that seem to live or hang out there (not sure which, but seems like there are ample fish for them to eat.)

I notice that they usually swim together as a flock, but sometimes one or two of them are swimming alone*, far away from the group. And then sometimes the lone bird cries out loudly. My question was, what is it saying? And why did it choose to be alone?

Not being an expert on birds, here are the possibilities I can think of, with some human analogues:

1) The bird got separated from the group accidentally, and is crying out in order to ask for help. This is the scenario of a helpless person who lost her way in the world, away from the mainstream and realizing that she can't take care of herself.

The reason this happens could be through environmental factors - like running away from an abusive home (talking about humans here), and/or getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, and/or losing herself in drugs or alcohols, and/or deciding to go away in a spiritual community and then realizing the life wasn't what she had hoped for.

2) The bird chooses to go separately from the group in order to look for better places to hunt. This is the case of an entrepreneur or an actress who sees some opportunities to stand out above the crowd, to be specially rewarded through his/her individual talent. By choosing a unique path, he/she is willing to take the risk of not finding enough fish to eat (so to speak.)

3) The bird is actually scouting for the group, and his cry is to let others know about a good hunting ground. This is similar to the path of researchers, inventors and scientists that are at the cutting edge of knowledge and will share the breakthrough ideas that will lead to the tribe's advancement.

4) The bird chose to be separate from the group because it simply likes to be alone. This is the case of a misfit, recluse, wild man/woman or a mystic that finds better comfort in solitude.

....We could go on and on. The point is, there are various reasons that causes the person to choose an individualistic path. Astrologically, #1 seems to have a Neptunian flavor of loss and bewilderment. #2 may be anybody that has special talent (Neptune for artists, or Uranus for individuality, Saturn for the ambitious.) #3 also has a Uranian flavor (with Mercury and/or Mars for intellectuals.) #4 could be Uranian or Neptunian...

The horoscope is a tool to identify and affirm our unique individuality and a developmental path we must travel in order to fully be who we are. Sometimes solitude is called for; other times it is toxic. Although the above paragraph is just a generalized musing and not meant to be a personality analysis on a natal horoscope, it may be interesting to think along these lines if you are feeling somehow separate from the mainstream.



*the bird that I'm writing about is not the one on the photo - these big birds are usually found alone. I'm talking about the smaller kind that swim together in a flock of 15~20 or so. For the local readers, this is Taylor park in Largo, FL.

Managing Depression

While most of us may get depressed once in a while, chronic depression is a clinical condition that can cause serious delays in life development.

Here we'll explore some measurements in a horoscope that alert us to the possibility of depression*, as well as thoughts on how to manage/improve it.

Measurements
There are several measurements in a horoscope that can suggest depression:

1) Hard aspect between Saturn and Mercury: while this also suggests a capacity for deep study, in some cases the mind may collapse under extreme pressure from the circumstance (more on the cause of this later).

On a similar vein, when the ruler of the 3rd house (mindset) receives strong tension from Saturn, Neptune or Pluto, there could be depression, confusion, or other waste of emotions related to the mindset.

2) Hard aspect between Saturn and Neptune may suggest the need to work against melancholy.

3) Midpoint pictures such as MC=Sun/Neptune (potential confusion with regard to social status); Saturn=Neptune/Pluto or Pluto=Saturn/Neptune (intensified awareness of melancholy and loss).

Occurrence of several measurements like this strongly alerts the astrologer to the possibility of clinical depression.

When a person is chronically depressed, we notice it through underachievement in any area of life (i.e. work, relationship, or body weight, etc.) as well as self deprecating language/behaviors.

Possible Causes

1) Depression can be emulated from parental role models: A study I've heard suggests that 25% of daughters of chronically depressed mothers also suffer from depression. This is easy to imagine, as we teach our children how to think through the language we use every day.

2) Inability or reluctance to express anger.

3) Errors in thinking - unrealistic attitude about ourselves or the world can lead to depression (example: "I don't get anything right, I guess." upon making a mistake.)

4) Relationship difficulty - feeling unappreciated within a network of core relationships can lead to a sense of depression.


Some Thoughts on Managing Depression

Noel Tyl has shared several therapeutic viewpoints on this in the Newark seminar:

1) Give yourself a permission to fail. It's like quitting smoking - by giving yourself a permission to fail, it becomes easier to try again to release problematic thinking patterns. Perfectionism makes it harder for us to try anything for fear of failure.

2) Expressing leads to discharging. In case of anger, exercising hard can lead to the discharging of pent-up aggression. Some therapies actually suggest pillow punching, etc., which is based on the same idea. Writing an angry letter that you never mail to the intended person does the same thing.

3) Give yourself a time limit. For 10 minutes, discuss with a trusted friend/mentor/counselor how terrible you feel. The other person just listens, and counts the remaining time at certain intervals ("8 minutes....5 minutes...3 minutes...") And after 10 minutes you STOP. Then move on.

4) Restoring self worth. In a moving example, Noel told one man who had terrible self worth anxiety: "I want you to go sit with your wife (make sure you have uninterrupted time with her), and ask her to tell you why she loves you." As a result of doing this with his wife, the client (who was overweight) lost 160 lbs, and was jubilant.


Barring a purely medical condition (hormonal etc.), approaches like this can show a pathway to improve things, if not cure it. The longer depression is tolerated, the further it puts us out of the mainstream, which can lead to underachievement (and more depression.) The purpose of a therapeutic counselor is to restore the passion and human dignity that lie underneath the depression.


*as usual, it is probably helpful to point out that existence of these measurements do not condemn you to a life of chronic depression...That would be abject fatalism and not helpful use of astrology. Think of it like this: there are 50 lbs of weight that you have to lift every day (mentally) - if you do that, you either become strong mentally, or you collapse. The weight generally has to do with environmental pressure shown elsewhere in the chart.

A Good Advice (if you have a head like mine)

I'm going through a turning point in my work life that most likely involves leaving my current job.

There were several possible options that I was contemplating on - some of them made more sense financially - like going back to Japan and getting a job through my father who lives there; but it felt so wrong to leave the relationships I have here just for that.

Others involved a radical change of direction. I have consulted Noel Tyl over this, and we had a great discussion that helped me let go of a direction I was trying to force myself to take (i.e. a career that would earn lots of money but wasn't really 'me'.)

The consultation has helped me narrow down the possibilities for sure, but I still found myself unsure about the exact course of action for the next 6 months, and thinking about yet another set of options and generally driving myself nuts (I'm used to aiming at a certain goal at any given moment.)

Then I came upon this simple yet powerful advice yesterday, from one of my favorite minister: "Turn off your head, and listen to your heart."

Upon hearing this, I suddenly felt calm. The options I was contemplating felt rushed, artificial, and premature. I felt that I am in a "between" state of calm between action. Today I took a long walk in a park, still listening with my heart. Again, there was a sense of peace, even though there was no direction.

I think sometimes you just need to wait. I've made hasty decisions before, and jumped into do things that I wasn't ready to do - ended up wasting a lot of time and energy (money too). So right now I'm letting this sense of peace guide me, until it starts to direct me into a certain direction (thank goodness I'm not immediately out of work!)

I feel a bit funny writing this, as astrologers are supposed to know the answers. But even when the astrology points you to a certain direction clearly, sometimes it takes every bit of courage to be able to follow your God given destiny - in that sense we're like everyone else.

Ascendant & Identity (5) Cancer Rising

Element: Water - Deepening of sensitivity, vulnerability and compassion thickens the identity development.
Mode: Cardinal - Initiating, creating, and being decisive strengthens the self image.

Cancer Ascendant seems to give one a sense of emotional softness that may be gentle, nurturing, and even vulnerable. The establishment of emotional security, especially within the family, is essential for the identity fortification of this Ascendant. Without such emotional connection, the self image may become unstable (moody and vulnerable), and shyness and withdrawn attitude could result.

As the modifier of the Sun-Moon blend, it may help tone down an otherwise too overbearing horoscope: "It makes me tolerable!" said Noel Tyl, whose Cancer ASC softens the "King complex" of his Capricorn Sun and Leo Moon; the emotionality (his crying easily or expressing affections readily, etc.) serves to make his tough, authoritative energy much more acceptable to others.

If the rest of the horoscope is also Watery, Cancer ASC will - in the best cases- lead to a smooth expression of depth, intuition and caring. The example I can think of is Roberto Assagioli, the founder of the psychosynthesis movement, who has Sun-Mercury in Pisces, and Moon in Virgo (a sensitive intuition harnessed by intellect.) A brilliant and innovative thinker, he is also remembered for his compassionate attitude toward his students and clients.

Archetypally, I think Moon stands for the psyche's inward movement toward wholeness and healing (as opposed to Sun's outward drive toward conquering and achievement)- in that way, Cancer Ascendant may suggest the need to develop a complex character capable of expressing - and experiencing - all kinds of emotions.

Oriental Planets (1) - Uranus Oriental and "Taking Risks"

A planet is Oriental when it is the last planet to rise BEFORE the Sun (i.e. it is the first planet you'll encounter if you start from the Sun and move clockwise in your horoscope.)

While Mercury or Venus orientals are the most common and therefore not considered as being too important, other planets - when oriental - are given added significance, especially within a vocational analysis.

I will begin the exploration of oriental planets with the Uranus Oriental (written as Ura E in a shorthand - "E" denoting oriental).

Uranus is commonly associated with individuation and innovation. Taken together, this suggests a person who tends/needs to take risks in the process of becoming modern.

While this seems to suggest a person who needs to be in a progressive or risky profession, it could also suggest a person who needs to dare being individualistic (and therefore goes against the tradition) within the most conservative organization:

Pope Benedict XVI has Uranus oriental, and, aside from being an accomplished scholar, his individualistic views regarding religious issues surrounding Christianity, Judaism and Islam have caused many controversies.

If you have Uranus Oriental and you are working within a conservative job, it may be interesting to see how you are making your unique mark within the organization. If you can't think of anything particularly different about you, chances are that your true color hasn't appeared yet!

Quindecile and Obsession - Case Examples

As a follow up to the previous post about quindecile, I'll share two case examples emailed to me by a skilled astrologer friend (who wished for anonymity). They illustrate the obsessive quality of the quindecile aspects focused on the Ascendant, i.e. the self image:

"A) Female client, had 3 stand out Quindeciles from 6th house to the Asc. In consideration of other factors in my client's horoscope, I had a "6th sense" that she had issues about her physical body...after a brief introduction, I asked "XXX, tell me, how do you feel about your physical body?". My client sat there quite stunned .....she said nothing.......then rolled up the sleeve of her jumper to reveal several serious scars.

It transpired that she hated her body and had been "self harming" for some time. This revelation then led into discussion about factors that contributed to this sad behaviour. I felt such compassion and sadness that she had so much internal emotional pain, the only way of releasing it was to express by cutting herself. We went on to discuss other ways of channelling and processing this inner pain in a way that was oriented toward self-care.

B) Another client - (female again) and someone, I thought I knew well. Had 2 Quindecile to Asc, one from Pluto 6th and the other from Saturn Rx 7th.

Her outer demeanor caused me to doubt that these Qd's to the Asc could be another case of self harm - I did not wish to stereotype the Quindecile or the client.

She was outwardly successful, educated, and attractive......yet I had a sense of deep inner loneliness. I approached this client in a different way.......and it transpired that she had ongoing issues about her weight, she wanted to be the perfect size 8 or 10 and was not far from that.....yet clearly felt she was overweight.

I asked her how she channelled the inner frustrations about her weight.......and she revealed that at times she exercised obsessively to the point of exhaustion. My antennae was alerted. The discussion led into how to care and treat one's body........then she revealed the inner conflict....on the one hand she ate salads and cared for herself, then she got frustrated and expressed her desire to hurt herself. In this instance the self harm had been only mildly expressed......again cuts to the arm....this time, without leaving scars."


Much appreciation goes to my friend, who demonstrates how intuition and sensitivity guided with astrological knowledge can lead to wonderful therapeutic discussions.

Exploring the Quindecile Aspect

A reader suggested that I write about the Quindecile (pronounced "Quin-deh-chee'-leh"), or the 165 degree aspect. Noel Tyl has a magnificent essay on the meaning and examples of quindecile on his web site. A brief comment follows:

• Noel suggests that "quindecile is an aspect of unrelenting motivation, obsession, determination, upheaval, disruption, even separation." The planets connected through this aspect are under high developmental tension, and I believe Noel counts it almost as important as conjunction, square or opposition.
• Ricki Reeves' book Quindecile goes into depth about the interpretation of each planetary combination in this aspect. From what I've read, she seems to suggest that there is a compulsive feeling of "whatever it takes" to fulfill one's motivation.

Here are some interpretive thoughts for the Quindecile aspect:

Quindecile (QD) to Midheaven: suggests obsessive and determined focus on career achievement in terms of the planet aspecting it.

Quindecile to Ascendant: suggests obsessive and even disruptive focus on relationship and self image in terms of the planet aspecting it.

Quindecile to the Sun suggests tremendous tension directing the life energy into the aspected planet. Tiger Woods has his Sun in Capricorn QD MC, which is an unrelenting focus of disciplined energy into career achievement.

Quindecile to the Moon suggests the emotional drive being channeled into the aspected planet. Also, the aspect works the other way, directing the other planet's energy into the emotional system, potentially creating a great upheaval within.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has his 6th house Moon in Capricorn QD ASC, suggesting the ambitious, workaholic drive entering into the identity, potentially upsetting relationships.

Quindecile to Mercury: the determined, obsessive or disruptive quality enters the mind in terms of the planet being aspected, potentially creating great anxiety. This extreme tension might become a fuel for intellectual output, and/or a cause for neurosis.

Quindecile to Venus: we can expect similar tension to enter within the emotional system and relationships, and sometimes into the aesthetic sensitivity (which may lead to productive artistic work.)

Quindecile to Mars: this may suggest unrelenting drive to exert energy, in terms of the aspected planet, or Mars' sign and house placement. Albert Einstein has Mars in Capricorn QD
his ASC, suggesting the quality of unrelenting determination and achievement fused with the identity.

Quindecile to Jupiter: may suggest obsessive focus on education, philosophy or spirituality. This aspect may intensify the need for rewards in terms of Jupiter's sign and house placement.

Quindecile from Saturn: may suggest obsessive focus on ambition, control and achievement. There may be an intense suppression and disruption of the aspect planet.

Quindecile from Uranus: unrelenting drive toward individual freedom, innovation, and even rebelliousness is possible.

Quindecile from Neptune: Potentially disruptive intensification of creative, visionary, or escapist drive can be expected. Poet William Wordsworth has his Neptune QD Mercury, which seems to corroborate his obsession with romantic ideas and aesthetic communication.

Quindecile from Pluto: obsessive, unrelenting motivation toward empowerment or destruction. Warren Buffett has his Pluto QD Saturn, which suggests monumental empowerment and absolute fixation on practical achievement.

Personal example: I have three quindeciles, all from Jupiter in the 3rd house ruling the 10th house of career: Jupiter QD Moon, Mars and Neptune. In my horoscope it all leads to the need to teach and write about spiritual, inspirational or healing matters (8th and 9th emphasis over and over again).

If anyone has personal examples to share with regard to the quindecile aspect in his/her chart, I would be interested - feel free to write me a note or leave a comment.

Passing of an Animal Friend

A personal event - We had to put my roommate's cat to sleep today. 16 years old, very much loved and I've known her for 11 years. Tough.

It was about 12 noon, March 5th 2008 in Largo FL. The chart for this time puts Saturn exactly on the 4th house cusp, and Mars back at the AP opposing Pluto; we didn't plan it, but it seems fitting.

For now we mourn as we miss our dear friend, and wish her spirit peace.

Retrograde Planets Explored

Today we explore the retrogradation of Mercury through Saturn in a natal chart*:

Noel Tyl mentioned the idea of "2nd agenda" when a planet is retrograde: there may be two motives, or themes, going on at the same time with regards to the planet's expression.

Mercury retrograde: there may be a 2nd motive behind the surface communication - Tim Burton has retrograde Mercury, and besides being a genius of a filmmaker (that's the first theme - communicating creatively), we would wonder what makes him so attracted to the macabre.

Perhaps the creative communication serves as a catharsis of the inner demon that he carries - hence, two motives are being served through his communication (of course this is just speculating, but that would be a typical illustration of the 2nd agenda phenomenon.)

Another example you may witness is a person who is communicating but sounds like he doesn't want to (this may be communicated through lack of clarity or volume, or incongruent body language.) Two motives ("I want to communicate, but I don't want to get hurt", etc.) are at odds with each other in this case. The question then becomes, why is clear communication associated with hurt?

Venus retrograde suggests similar 2nd agenda in the arena of relationships. One example is a man who has slept with over 2000 women - the hyper sexual relationships (one motive) and total lack of emotional involvement (2nd motive.) Jack Nicholson has Venus retrograde, and he may be somewhat close to this example.

The two motives of "I want to relate but I don't really want to be vulnerable" may produce confusion and frustration in relationships, and again the question is why the relationship involvement is perceived to be a threat. What was the model of the relationship back in the early home?

Mars retrograde - energy goes in before it comes out: there is a censorship of aggressive energy - the anger may come out in a passive aggressive way, or entirely suppressed. Why must this be so? What is anger being associated with?

Jupiter retrograde - Noel suggested that this gives you the capacity to be alone, which I thought was excellent. Other interpretation I've read is that enthusiasm may be contained rather than expressed (why must it be?) The latter suggests that faith and optimism (as well as enthusiasm) may get censored for some reason.

Saturn retrograde - Quite frequently this connotes a father that has been out of the picture through being passive, absent, or tyrannical so as not to have been able to give the authoritative love and guidance that a child needs. How is the concept of work, responsibility and worldly success internalized? It may produce a tremendous sense of independence, and/or it may lead to an inferiority complex through the feeling of not being loved by an authority figure.


It is probably useful to know that retrogradation doesn't automatically suggest the existence of a handicap - it merely points to a special development within the planet's expression that calls for inquiry on the astrologer's part.

Sometimes a difficulty in a planet's expression is transformed into an extraordinary development later on. For instance, I've heard a few examples of professional speakers who used to have a habit of stuttering rather badly when they were young. In the course of overcoming their speech difficulty, they've become professional communicators! Such process could happen not just for retrograde planets, but probably it is especially relevant to them.


*Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not considered due to their slow moving orbits.

Ascendant and Identity (4) Gemini Rising / Mercury in Sexual Profile / Mercury aspects

Element: Air - Development of intellectual and social ability helps identity formation.
Mode: Mutable - Learning and acquiring wisdom lead to identity strength. Changeability may lead to flexibility or instability of self image.

Gemini Ascendant suggests that identity is developed through diverse learning and interaction with others. As the modifier of Sun-Moon blend, this ASC may make communication of internal experience to others easier than usual.

Awareness of Sexual Profile

In many Gemini ASC horoscopes, Mercury would also rule the 5th house of sexual identity through its rulership of Virgo. This suggests several things:

1) Awareness of sexual potency or attractiveness may be directly linked to identity development.

2) The mind may be heavily involved in the sexual arena, which may manifest as the pursuit in mastering the technical aspects of sex and romance, or on the other extreme, voluntary celibacy through a mental decision (note that John Gray has Virgo in the 5th house, and he exemplifies both aspects through a period of celibacy as well as his writing on technical know-how about sexual relationships.)

3) Mercury aspect for those with Gemini ASC / Virgo 5th house would carry implications about their self image as well as their sexual profile.

Mercury aspects for Gemini Ascendant
We can imagine Jupiter aspects to Mercury adding a sense of optimism, grandeur and confidence (possibly, overconfidence): Greta Garbo has Mercury in 5th square Jupiter on the ASC, linking the sexual identity to the self image in a grand way, and this definitely fits her glamorous image.

Saturn aspect to Mercury may suggest seriousness, ambition and studious nature. Hard aspects between these two planets may suggest vulnerability to depression. When linked with the sexual profile, this aspect may suggest a sense of strategy and control within sexual relationships.

Neptune aspect to Mercury may suggest creativity and charisma, or perhaps vulnerability to escapism. Jazz legend Miles Davis has Mercury aspected to both Saturn and Neptune, and he had a serious, studious attitude to music while being a visionary, charismatic innovator. He was also known for having drug problems.

Pluto aspect to Mercury may suggest persuasiveness as well as an awareness of occult, psychology or darker side of life: Filmmaker Tim Burton has Mercury conjunct Pluto, and he is known for the dark, Gothic feel of his movies (major works include Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare before Christmas, and recently Sweeney Todd, a gruesome masterpiece.)