Mars, Venus and Family Suppression - Rusted Swords and Broken Mirrors

Most parents can't be good role models in everything. Family emotional values tend to get passed on through the generations, teaching by example which emotions are acceptable and which aren't.

For example, take someone with Mars in Water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. This position suggests that self-assertion and decisive, masculine powers are strengthened through the awareness and expression of deep emotions. This is the introverted, deep aspect of masculine that is within all men that Robert Bly often talked about.

But so often the family system is built in order to suppress uncomfortable emotions - children expressing anger (Mars) is particularly discouraged in many homes, either through physical punishment or through logical suppression (you learn to detach from uncomfortable emotions through going into your head.)

In this way children learn not to value their emotions - especially that of anger. These children learn to put away their swords early so to speak, and let them rust in the corner of their house. As an adult they feel strangely powerless and out of control against the self assertion of others: getting back in touch with their emotions are difficult - it goes against the family values - but it must be done if we are to feel energetic and empowered again.

We can do this with any of the other planets, but let's look at Venus' function of appreciation and mirroring others.

So many people today simply do not know how to give and receive compliments, which suggests poor parental modeling of appreciating the good qualities in others and ourselves. Children who rarely receive encouragements for their strengths and talents simply do not know how to appreciate the values within themselves or others: their mirrors are broken. Abandonment, abuse or constant criticism can do that. Learning to be aware of the good qualities in themselves and then others would prove tough - again, it goes against the traditional family values - but it must be done if we are to restore our self worth and contribute to others' lives.

This isn't about blaming the parents (who also are the victims of the inherited family values.) It's about stopping the unconscious traditional patterns.

Jupiter is Big, and So is Its Shadow

Jupiter is the spirit of faith, hope and optimism that allows us to break free from the old Saturnian limitation. Where Saturn tries to shrink, Jupiter tries to expand. This often casts Saturn in a poor light as the bad guy, and Jupiter as the good guy.

But what if you don't have access to the feeling of faith, hope or optimism? This could happen if the early life circumstance succeeds in crushing your spirit through abuse or neglect. Or you could live with parental role models stricken with poverty consciousness. What happens to Jupiter then?

I believe the shadow manifestation of Jupiter in this case is to expand the negative: You could make a BIG deal out of small problems in life, creating unnecessary drama and wasted (excessive) emotions.

Here is an everyday example: this morning I was about to have a nice walk in my beautiful neighborhood natural park. Then a tenant called with some problems - their lawn died after the lawn company came to apply some insecticides (I manage rental properties in my family business.)

Now we've spent a lot of money on this particular lawn, using the same lawn company to fertilize and care for it for the last year, and it was looking great. I started to feel upset, and noticed that there isn't anything to do except wait til Monday morning to call the lawn company.

I realized that this could ruin the nice morning I was about to have, and maybe that I was making too big a deal out of this - no one is dying, and we'll make sure to ask for adequate compensation for the loss. So I proceeded to put the problem in its place and went to enjoy the walk. You could say I shrunk the problem to it's appropriate size.

The Saturnian part of the psyche might be responsible for our being able to shrink a problem into its proper size. You don't see Saturnian business people get upset very easily, and they usually deal with problems as a matter of course, without making a big fuss about it. When we're able to do this with every problem, I think that's a sign of maturity.

So Jupiter's shadow might be to magnify the problem, overreacting to trouble and expanding the negative emotions and drama. In medical astrology Jupiter is sometimes associated with the growth of tumor - a negative expansion in the darkest form.

Jupiter needs Saturn and vice versa - when we begin to be able to expand positive emotions (such as gratitude and appreciation) and magnify the opportunities for abundance while being grounded about whatever challenges that come up, that's a powerful combination to attract success.

Working with Saturn, part 3: Inner and Outer Authority

Saturn rules inner and outer authority. When we're young, our parents act as the authority in giving you a set of rules that must be obeyed, or else. Our teachers do the same. As we grow up, we internalize these rules that are given, and they become part of the parental complex within our psyche - call it superego, or conscience.

Although Saturn's authority will be felt everywhere within the psyche, the sign, house or planet affected by Saturn might feel especially close to this towering figure. This can manifest in several ways:

1)The parental complex perpetuates the patterns from early home: if the father was very critical, and said things like "you're stupid" or "you'll never amount to anything" when you were young, chances are you may become very self critical as an adult. Abandonment by the father may produce abandonment of the self, which may lead to acting irresponsibly through self destructive behaviors.

In these cases, the inner authority is clearly wrong, and it is holding on to old rules that are no longer true or necessary.

2)You may carry a legacy of resentment toward the original authority figure, and this could lead to problems with all authority figures in adult life.

3)When the inner authority figure is absent, the archetype usually has to manifest as an external authority. If there is no inner voice that restrains you from stealing people's money, the outer authority - police - will have to punish you. If there is no sense of higher calling saying "this is what I MUST accomplish in my life", then the lack of inner authority will call for an external boss that tells you what you must do.

4)Especially for people in a spiritual or religious path, Saturn becomes the voice of conscience - a moral authority. Acting against one's spiritual beliefs will cause internal punishment through guilt and lack of success.

The last point is especially interesting - for instance, I have Saturn square Mars, and one negative manifestation of this combination is suppressed anger. But how I come to suppress anger is usually when I act in a way that I know is wrong - for instance, wasting too much time at work doing unrelated stuff. Then, even though I don't think about it consciously, I start to feel bad, drained (energy is suppressed), and irritable. In this case, the anger is directed against myself.

If Saturn conjoins, squares or opposes Venus, it could mean that you start to feel unlovable whenever you act in dishonest or dishonorable way, thereby creating problems in relationships. This would call for high moral responsibility in relating - which isn't a bad thing, as long as you make sure not to carry around the feeling of guilt or unworthiness.

If Saturn makes a hard aspect to Mercury, it could be that depression comes from thinking judgmental thoughts or saying something unkind to others (both of which feels wrong to your conscience.)

These are for people that have a strongly developed sense of moral right and wrong - after a while, it won't take very long to find out what you did earlier in the day that's making you less than happy.

More about Clans, Professions and Sun Signs

I'm continuing the thought from the last post:

Think of the ancient days when our (imaginary) 12 clans were living apart from each other. Naturally, each clan would have its own hunters, doctors, cooks, priests and elders. But each clan would have a slightly different approach unique to its group characteristic.

In a Virgo clan doctors might study herbs, medicine and foods that have curative properties - they might create a very refined science of healing through detailed categorization. Whereas in Pisces clan, doctors may rely more on affirmations and divine healing...

In a Scorpio clan if somebody is ill, he/she might go see the village shaman in his hut, to go through some deeply private healing rituals. In an Aquarius clan there may be a support group for patients suffering from different kinds of illnesses, to exchange information and come up with better solutions to share.

All clans need their healers, leaders, teachers and artists - so Sun sign isn't indicative in any way as to what type of profession suits you. But you still may work in a way that is unique to your Solar clan.

What's Your Clan? Thinking About Sun Signs

In an interview I've read in the recent issue of The Mountain Astrologer, a Sun sign astrologer was describing the sign as a "clan" that you come from - you each represent one of the 12 clans of humanity.

I thought this was very neat (the entire interview was very intelligent, and made me change the way I look at Sun sign astrology column writers.)

The metaphor of Clan allows for a great deal of individuality to occur within the same group, while also preserving a core group identity (i.e. characteristic of the clan).

Think about this in real life: I come from Japan, and therefore represent the Japanese clan to the world, with all of its peculiarities.

It's fair to say that I have individuated a lot - not many people in my clan live in America, meditate daily, practice astrology and play music. But all the same, the essence of my clan (i.e. being a Japanese person) is still very much obvious, and permeates my entire demeanor - from my respect for elders to my generally quiet way of being.

So it is in Sun signs - you represent a clan, be it Aries or Scorpio. Within it there are great diversification according to other planetary placements, but the essence of the Sun-sign clan remains with you.

The forcefulness of Aries, determination of Taurus, communicativeness of Gemini, security need of Cancer, expressiveness of Leo, refinement of Virgo, pleasantness of Libra, depth of Scorpio, assertiveness of Sagittarius, strategic savvy of Capricorn, individuality of Aquarius, or sensitivity of Pisces will remain there. That's part of your clan's culture, and you'll feel true to yourself by honoring that.

Ascendant and Identity (7) Virgo Rising

Element: Earth - mastering of practical skills and knowledge helps in forming a confident self image.
Mode: Mutable - the process of learning, adapting, and communicating help to form a complex identity.

A horoscope with a Virgo Ascendant usually comes with a Gemini Midheaven, implying strong emphasis of intellectual and communicative faculties (both signs are ruled by Mercury.) There seems to be an ability to grasp and control things skillfully to a minute detail, whether it is in writing, teaching, fixing things, singing/acting, or playing sports. The other way to say it might be: a thorough mastery of details lead to greater confidence and thus a strong identity.

As in Gemini ASC horoscopes, placement and aspect of Mercury becomes extremely important in defining the path of identity development.

• Opera singer Andrea Bocelli has Mercury-Venus conjunction right on his ASC. Mercury also squares Saturn, ruler of his 5th (performance, entertainment.) Saturn may suggest seriousness and discipline for this classical singer.
  
• Walt Disney has Mercury sextile Venus in the entertainment 5th, ruling his 9th (publishing.)
• Writer/Actor/Film Director Woody Allen has Mercury conjunct Sun, Jupiter (leadership, writing, performing), and square Saturn, ruler of the entertainment 5th. His sense of humor is said to be of the self deprecating kind.
• Auto entrepreneur Henry Ford has Mercury conj Sun (leadership), sextile Saturn in 2nd and trine Neptune in 8th (2-8 financial axis.) His mechanical ability was apparent since childhood (engineering requires a practical, detail oriented intellect.)

Because of the strong mental orientation, Virgo ASC may become especially vulnerable to nervousness or neurotic thoughts during times of stress - the self criticism may be intense, and the sense of guilt or perfectionism may threaten the identity to the core. The balance is usually restored by paying attention to one's emotions and physical sensations (discussed here).

Self Doubt

If the sun and moon should doubt,
They'd immediately go out.
-William Blake

Blake's words suggest that self doubt turns off the source of your light, thereby turning off your entire horoscope. This means we're no good to anybody when we feel guilty or condemned.

I'm writing this because I reacted with panic and a little too much drama at a minor crisis that happened at my workplace today, and had to eat my words afterwards. Nothing major, but it made me look at myself, and how my ego got me in the way of objectively assessing the problem.

A little more humility, good (says my Saturn in Leo.) But guilt and shame, no thanks!

Working with Saturn, part 2: When Will My Ship Come In?

One of the classic interpretation for Saturn is "delays," especially in the sense that the fruition of your desire will be delayed (modern astrology also added "delayed psychological development" as a possibility, but that's another subject.)

Whether it is career development or finding your soulmate or recovering from illness or achieving financial goals, it is frustrating for the ego to encounter these delays. The question we may ask of Saturn here is, what causes these delays in fulfillment?

I think the central Saturnian thought is that somehow we haven't matured enough to experience these fulfillment.

Let's say if you are single and are out looking for a soulmate. You have a pretty specific idea of what he or she is like, and what kind of relationship you'd like to have. The sobering Saturnian question is, if this person shows up just this minute, are you ready for him/her? Will you feel worthy being with him? Do you have what she needs and wants for the kind of relationship that she would like to have?

Or do you have to do some work on yourself first.

We can do this with the career you'd like to have, the new position you'd like to be promoted to, the amount of money you'd like to make, etc. It's quite difficult to hang on to a relationship with someone who doesn't have the same level of self-worth and emotional maturity with you. If you want someone healthy and emotionally available, maybe you need to ask yourself if you have cultivated enough self love and emotional maturity.

Same goes for financial prosperity: Many ordinary people destroy themselves when they have sudden influx of cash - whether by winning a lottery, getting lucky in the Internet stock bubble of 1990's, or real estate market bubble of 2004-2005, they somehow receive more success than they were equipped to handle, and it ends up becoming their worst curse rather than a blessing.

So delay is not always a bad thing - it may actually be a very wise message from the universe, letting you know that the time to prepare is now.

A Correction, and Apology to Jennifer Re: Serial Killer Aspect Post

The writer I paraphrased in the Serial Killer post below left the following comment:

"Hiroki, you've inaccurately paraphrased me. I do not say that I have "seen so many serial killer's horoscopes with Pluto-Saturn aspect" and that "many people in the Bush administration have this aspect, and that's why America is going the path of self destruction..."

The Pluto-Saturn aspect does not indicate that someone is a serial killer, nor that if members of a gov't have it, the gov't will go on a path to destruction.

But the fact that this administration IS on the path to destruction and that these prominent members of the administration do have Pluto-Saturn COMBINATIONS BETWEEN THEM (note, I do not say they possess them individually), is significant.

Quite different. I did not engage in a logical fallacy, but incorrectly paraphrasing someone is worse than a logical fallacy.

JVB"

For the sake of fairness I have included direct link to her article in the post below, so everyone can see and judge for themselves. I agree with her partially and not in others.

1) I was completely wrong about the people in the Bush administration having the individual Pluto-Saturn aspect. Here is the exact quote (boldface mine):

"While a number of the members of the Bush crew contain hard Pluto or Saturn aspects to other planets in their charts, none of them contain internal Saturn-to-Pluto contacts. However, remarkably, the charts of Bush, Rumsfeld, and Cheney contain numerous Pluto/Saturn contacts between them: that is, Pluto in one person's chart connects to Saturn in the other person's chart, or to inner planets (called the “personal planets”) in various combinations."

I somehow skipped over this paragraph, and mistook the interaspect between the Bush crew to be the individual aspect - my bad! As for her conclusion about the Bush government, I think it's difficult to say this without checking the interaspects of people in other (better?) administration. Pluto is a very slow moving planet, so interaspects between Saturn and Pluto can happen quite readily if the age variation in the workplace is wide - it might make a good research if you study members of 4,5 different administration - though it is time consuming, this way your argument gains more power.

2) For the Pluto-Saturn aspect involvement with the serial killer's horoscopes, this is the exact quote (boldface mine):

"In my experience, close Pluto contacts between the inner planets within the chart of an individual indicates some highly unhealthy and destructive propensities. A Saturn/Pluto combination is one of the deepest and darkest. I have found this combination more than any other in the charts of serial killers"

I don't agree that my paraphrasing ("she has found so many serial killer's charts with this aspect") here was that far off, and my point about skewed sample is still very much intact. The Round Trip error comes because the only sample she provides is that of serial killers as well as people with multiple personality disorders "whose basic sense of self has been shattered by severe early traumas."

I see real clients with this aspect, and this is why I feel strongly about the danger of such skewed presentation (I mean, what would I tell them if I only studied about the destructive portion of the Pluto-Saturn aspect). The post below, as well as the other Pluto-Saturn post on empowerment, tries to provide an alternate, fuller spectrum to the interpretation for this symbolism, by citing highly successful examples.

So my apology to Jennifer for the inaccurate paraphrasing - no disrespect meant. You definitely didn't engage in a logical fallacy - the article just had a skewed sample, in my opinion. Your post told a powerful and compelling story, but much like the evening news, it highlighted the darkest spectrum of the archetype's potential, and this astrologer had to say "that's not all to this aspect."

Pluto - Saturn: a Serial Killer Aspect? / Round Trip Fallacy

Teresa sent me a link to a blog post discussing the Pluto-Saturn aspect. The writer quoted Liz Greene's phrase about the obsessive, self destructive quality of the Pluto-Saturn combination, and then proceeded to say she has seen so many serial killer's horoscopes with Pluto-Saturn aspect. Then she goes on to say many people in the Bush administration have this aspect, and that's why America is going the path of self destruction...

Skewed Sample and Round Trip Fallacy

The conclusion she draws from that limited bit of research is rather incomplete, and I want to put things in perspective. Do this thought experiment with me:

1) Let's say a research has found out the 99% of all terrorists in the world has characteristic A - (for this example we'll say they were all Muslims.)

2) So the next time you find someone with characteristic A, the chances are "statistically high" that he is a terrorist. (Which is why it's difficult for all Muslims in America now.)

The conclusion drawn in #2 is obviously wrong, even though it feels emotionally so. Compare the number of all muslims (well over a billion) with the number of all terrorists (let's say, 20,000). The percentage is negligible, so we can never say that being a Muslim means there is a high possibility that you're a terrorist. This is called Round Trip Error.

Same goes with the number of serial killers in the world compared to the number of people having Saturn-Pluto aspect. Even just a quick search at my astro databank using Pluto-Saturn hard aspects gives me a large list of successful entrepreneurs, politicians and athletes - far more than serial killers. The chance that all of these successful people are somehow self destructive , let alone criminal, seems rather (very) small to me.

I think the reason many people in the Bush administration have this aspect is, simply because the aspect has a lot to do with wielding tremendous amount of power, including political power. Can power be wielded in a self-destructive way? Absolutely. But we know that nuclear energy that made the a-bomb can also be a power generator for a whole country.

Just so you know, I have found 14 popes with Saturn-Pluto hard aspect, too (I'm not too familiar with the lives of popes, but just wanted to give you a fuller spectrum.)

So as discussed in the Elevator post below, we have to look at all the different vertical possibilities of the measurements - not just the sensational news item stuff (come to think of it, the media uses skewed samples too, and they make it seem like most of our neighbors are criminals and rapists, even though the opposite is true.)

A Lesson from Palmistry

Palmistry is a very respected art in the Orient. The teaching goes that you can plot your entire lifetime through your palm (certain section of a line can correspond to a specific age), and the palmist will be able to tell you what will happen to you at age 40 when you are 20, etc.

The fascinating thing about the lines on the palm is, they change. Especially in your dominant hand. So if you go to a palmist and she tells you something good for your future, then she will say "please take good care of your palm" - meaning, you have to keep living a good, honest life so that your hands don't change for the worse.

Similarly, if you have a not-so-good diagnosis from your palmist, he would say "Please make sure to change this and that about your lifestyle, and your palm can change." The advice may include cultivating a sense of gratitude, respect for people, etc., so that you can start to attract better fortune into your life - it's a pretty wise system.

Some people come to me and want me to tell them what's going to happen 15 years from now, and I have to tell them "You know, that really depends." Noel Tyl said that the practical range of forecasting for astrologers is about 1 to 2 years - anything longer starts to get impractical.

Throughout your life, your horoscope doesn't change, but you will. Just like your palm. Your future (literally) is in your hand.

Working with Saturn, part 1: the Law of the Farm

Doomsayers often neglect the face of Saturn as the bringer of Golden Age - this is the reward for obeying the natural law, sometimes called the Law of the Farm (i.e. you reap what you sow), or simply the law of karma.

Law of the Farm is that in order to get an intended harvest, you must cultivate and prepare the land, plant the right seeds, fertilize the soil and water the seeds often, protect them from being eaten by animals, prune excessive growth in unwanted areas, and keep watching over them periodically to make sure they are growing okay. All of this is a conscious, controlled process that is relatively free from randomness.

Without taking all of the above actions, we have no right to expect any harvest. That's just common sense in a farm - no sane farmer will complain about his farm not producing anything, if he neglected to sow any seeds, or forgot to give them enough water. So come Autumn (the harvest time), whoever obeyed the Law of the Farm gets rewarded by harvest, and those who didn't get nothing, or worse, suffer starvation and loses control over his destiny.

So Saturn transit is a time of sowing and reaping, and while some of the events are just plain difficult (time brings death and old age - an inevitable component of Saturnian experience), other events are simply caused by our disobeying the law of the farm - if we don't treat our spouses right and they end up leaving the marriage, is that Saturn's fault or is that just common sense?

It takes time and conscious attention to create success in relationship and business, or cultivating an orderly, positive mindset, or acquiring any artistic skill. Anything that matters in life usually follows the Law of the Farm, and if we obey them, Saturn brings on the harvest.

One quick example: Steve Jobs basically got fired from Apple during his Saturn return, due to his personality problem. There was no denying that despite his talent and charisma, he had a problem in interpersonal relationships - Saturn return brought him down, in a sense giving him a reality check, a bitter harvest.

But that didn't stop him from continuing to create great company and products - he went on to create a company called NEXT, which eventually ended up creating the basis for Mac OS X, and got bought by Apple. Jobs returned to Apple as a permanent CEO about 14 years later, when transiting Saturn was opposing his Saturn, effectively finishing what got started in the Saturn return, and receiving a massive harvest. Saturn gave him his just reward.

Working with Archetypes - Elevator Analogy

Late Howard Sasportas mentioned in one of his talks: "archetype is like an elevator in a department store - there are many floors that you can visit through it."

This is a crucial understanding for anybody that works seriously with symbols, including astrologers. What separates the lay person from the sophisticated symbol analyst is the number of different vocabularies that he/she has across the different vertical levels of manifestation, and the ability to put the reality of the situation into appropriate archetypal context.

Take Saturn for example - he is famous for castrating his father to take his throne, then eating his children, for fear that one of them was going to overthrow his position as the ruler. Then Jupiter comes to overthrow him, and he is banished to Rome, where he brings on a golden age (go read the entire mythology here.)

There is a richly varied metaphor within that simple storyline - about ambition, old age, struggle between generations for political power, settling of accounts, how fear and control eats up the future growth potentials within society and an individual, and how faith and optimism (Jupiter) is the only way to overcome fear. Let's not forget the last part: Saturn bringing the Golden Age into Rome.

Now how does that symbolism compare with saying "Ooooo you have Saturn square Venus in your chart, and that means you have a problem in relationship." To be sure we all go through that phase, but if you insist on staying there, I think it's better you stay away from astrology altogether - you hurt less people that way, including yourself*.

I will do this as a series of posts, exploring the different levels of manifestations for Saturn and other planets that tend to get one dimensional treatment by those new to astrology. This way we can get away from the naive "this means that; this is good and that is bad" type of astrology, and start to think in many hues of color - not just black, white and red.



*I'm reminded of Dane Rudhyar saying something like "It takes great moral strength to analyze your own horoscope. But it takes even more moral strength to analyze a horoscope of somebody else." He understood how dangerous this could be for the psyche, both for oneself and others.

Transit Trigger - Connecting Heaven and Earth

The planetary patterns keep changing in the sky every day, but we don't feel it unless something connects the heavenly picture with our own earthly life. In our personal life, that 'something' is our natal horoscope. For our collective life it may be our country's horoscope, or our company's horoscope.

Many times there are powerful patterns in the sky, such as Jupiter-Saturn conjunction or a Pluto-Saturn opposition* that suggests a lot of power potential brewing within "god's realm," and after a few months, ZZZZZZZP!!! The heavenly energy may connect with the earth like a lightning bolt, through contact with your (or your country's) horoscope. Then history happens - collectively or personally.

With Pluto at the Aries Point for the rest of 2008, we're watching history being made in all fronts - Mars will trigger the Pluto in August and December, just like it did last month; stay alert for the possibility of dramatic transformation!


*Pluto-Saturn opposition was active during the 9/11 attack, triggered by the transiting Mars on the Aries Point (1 Capricorn). The Pluto-Saturn opposition axis was conjunct the ASC-DSC axis of Sibley US natal chart.

Planetary Aspects - Tension and Release / Lunation Cycle Metaphor

If you can choose your own horoscope, would you choose the one full of tension (square, oppositions, quindecile, etc.) or one full of ease (trines and sextiles)?

In music there is an idea of tension and release (typically a dominant V chord resolving to I) - everything from classical to jazz music is constructed upon the interplay of tension and release.

So it is in life and astrology - nothing interesting happens without tension. Just as the musical tension motivates its resolution, a tension in life in the form of lack, frustration or challenges motivates its resolution.

This thought permeates astrology, especially when we think of aspects. Think about aspects in terms of Lunation Cycle for example (taking the major aspects only for sake of simplicity):

Conjunction - the New Moon - is the ending of old cycle, and beginning of the new cycle. There is a temporary inertia that is neither tension nor release (or maybe it's both) - it's ground zero. The New Moon birth may have to battle this inertia within themselves, to push themselves into action - most likely through the help of another person. The meeting of Sun and Moon implies fecundation - hence the importance of a relationship.

Sextile is the resting point from the initial action of New Moon - there is a temporary release of tension. Which will soon give rise to another tension in...

Square - the Half Moon - is the creation of tension, a new direction or challenge that calls for its resolution in...

Trine - a major point of stability and release. The ideas and themes originated in Conjunction and Square seem to find satisfactory conclusion - one feels the flow of well established identity/skills/roles that was initiated in the previous phases.

Opposition - the Full Moon - This is the culmination and turning point of the New Moon theme originated in the conjunction. There is full awareness of the completion of the New Moon theme, and then the necessity for new challenge emerges, which finds release in the 2nd Trine, etc, etc...

If the horoscope lacks tension (hard aspects), there is a major need to create one through taking on tough challenges - or there will be a lot of misdirected emotions trying to stir up energy. If the horoscope lacks ease (flowing aspects) - there is a need to find a place of rest, of introversion.

So if you have tension in some part of the horoscope (through square or opposition), know that they are calling out for release. If you have ease (or release) in other parts of the chart, know that they are calling for new challenge, either based on the strength that is already present, or through an entirely new endeavor (bringing the planetary combination to a new level of expression).

Venus and the Force of Attraction / Recommended Movie

Last night I saw an incredible video from Louise Hay's web site with my friends. I was expecting it to be a derivative of the "Secret" movie, but turned out this was more authentic and believable (not that Secret wasn't, but if you see both movies I think you'll agree.)

It is well worth the $5 it takes to download.

Here I'll post the thoughts I had about Venus and the force of attraction after watching the video:

• As a force of attraction, genuine self love is irresistible; but so is self hatred
  
• What Venus attracts in terms of relationship can be directly traced to the level of love/hate we have toward ourselves
• Vanity is not self love - it is a degenerated form of self love, and lower expression of Venus

I'm sold - I'll be practicing self love and self acceptance. I hope you will, too, after you watch the movie. I can't think of any people that don't need this.

The Empowerment of Pluto / Pluto - Saturn Aspect

Pluto is the adverb of the horoscope - it empowers whatever it touches, adding an extreme range of depth and height in expression.

The combination of Pluto and Saturn can indeed seem ominous in that both planets have to do with the sometimes unpleasant process of transformation. The transit of Pluto to natal Saturn is often associated with a threat of loss in any area of life. It could be a creative destruction in that it opens the way for a new beginning, but nevertheless it seems stressful.

I will add one thought on this combination, whether in natal or transit/progression activity. It is the empowerment of Saturnian structure, discipline and ambition.

Buildings are ruled by Saturn, but sky scrapers would have to be ruled by Saturn and Pluto: I've read that in order to build a sky scraper, you have to dig about 1/3 of the height of the building into the ground in order to establish the necessary foundation. That's a great metaphor for the Plutonian process - to plumb depth in order to reach height. It also conveys the sense of heavy, massive structure that can be built through deeply committed effort.

The "structure" can be a metaphor of lasting wealth, ambition, fame or a strong body: Apple founder Steve Jobs has Pluto-Saturn square in Leo-Scorpio respectively, and so does rock star Eddie Van Helen.
The Bodybuilder-movie star-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has Pluto-Saturn conjunction in Leo, and so does film maestro Steven Spielberg.

In ordinary people's chart, this could also suggest an extremely ambitious and disciplined person that would work hard to achieve what he/she wants. In transit/solar arc picture, the Pluto-Saturn combination may indeed suggest a time of toughening up through taking up martial arts, beginning a demanding course of study, or just plain hard, hard work to achieve one's goals.

So next time you face the transit or solar arc of Pluto and Saturn (or if you have it natally), think that perhaps you could be digging (i.e. working) hard in order to build your own sky scraper. You'll come out strong, tough, and maybe even accomplished.

Grand Trine and Necessary Defense Mechanism

In Synthesis and Counseling for Astrology, Noel Tyl goes into depth regarding the Grand Trine aspect structure. He defines the Grand Trine as a protective moat of "self sufficiency, self-containment...the separation from relationship because of the self-containment." (P285 in Synthesis and Counseling, 1st ed.) Here are some of his thoughts from the book:

• If the Grand Trine exists without involving the Sun or the Moon, the defense mechanism might operate separately from the core need energy of Sun-Moon blend - there usually will be a schism between these two separate themes.
• Water Grand Trine suggests a closed-circuit of emotional self sufficiency ("I've been hurt too many times - I don't want to be hurt any more.")
• Air Grand Trine is a closed circuit of social or intellectual self sufficiency ("I can get along just fine by myself, thank you." - "a defensively useful superiority complex.")
• Earth Grand Trine - a closed circuit of practical self sufficiency (i.e. "I don't need your help.")
• Fire Grand Trine - a closed circuit of motivational self sufficiency: "You can't tell me anything I don't know" or "I know exactly where I'm going and I don't need your energy to get there" - a do-your-own-thing type.
  

In many cases it is a leftover defense mechanism from tough childhood, where one needed to protect him/herself from hostile or unstable environment. Hanging on to such defense mechanism may hurt the development of intimacy in later life.

With all that said, here I will make additional suggestion: perhaps this defense mechanism is necessary even in adulthood, if one is "destined" to face tough opposition from others in the course of his/her journey for fulfillment.

The defense mechanism and utter self-containment of the Grand Trine insulates one's psyche from harsh criticisms and hostile oppositions from the world - perhaps not perfectly, but enough to keep one going forward.

Consider these examples:

1) Apple founder and "technological evangelist" Steve Jobs has two Grand Trines (Fire GT of Pluto-Mars-IC; Water GT of Jupiter-Uranus, Saturn, DSC). As the man on the cutting edge of electronics/computer revolution, I bet he had to be willing to face oppositions, doubts and even redicules of others in order to bring his vision to pass - wouldn't he need a thick skin, to NOT need people's approval?

2)Muhammad Ali - as noted in the Leo rising post below, the defense mechanism of Ali's Earth GT most likely insulates him from the psychological pressure and attacks from his opponents. Wouldn't a fighter need that defense mechanism in order to keep fighting?

3)Dalai Lama XIV - two Grand Trines (Water - Sun, Jupiter, Saturn; Earth - Moon, Uranus, DSC). In a different way, he also had to fight most of his life in struggle for his country's freedom. Weaker souls might have collapsed under pressure - but there is a psychological defense mechanism that protects the sensitive core.

4)Martin Luther King Jr. (GT involving Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn) - Again, he had to face extremely difficult opposition in the course of civil rights movement - and he needed that defensive moat of psychological protection.

So even in adulthood, Grand Trine's defensive mechanism may be a necessary psychological resource, if you're doing something controversial and have to go through tough oppositions and criticisms. The key may be to know who your opponent is, and to be able to let others in that are safe, so you don't remain totally isolated.

100 Miles Ahead of Myself - Creativity and Divine Timing

Been feeling frustrated for the past two days - I'm better now.

"I think I was in a bit of a hurry" I told my roommate regarding the impatience I've been feeling about some teaching/writing project that was forming within me.

"In a hurry? I think you were about 100 miles ahead of yourself!" my roommate told me.

The thing is, when I try to force an idea to materialize too quickly, it ends up being uninspired - I call it coming from the ego rather than the spirit. God has his own timing - and astrologer is a student of that divine timing.

If I ignore my own divine timing, how could I help anyone get in touch with theirs?

Frequently, ignoring the right timing is a pride issue - like needing to make something happen fast, in order to boost my self worth - which is a wrong place to come from when doing any creative work.

So in slowing down, I'm feeling a lot better - more in a place of peace, trust and faith - the faith that what is supposed to come out of me will come out, in divine timing.

Relationship Astrology (1) 11th House and Social Issues

In terms of relationships, 5th house signifies the love you give to others - emotionally, sexually, creatively, or in whatever way that suits your Ascendant (5th house is trine from the Ascendant.)

Opposite from the 5th is the 11th house, and this house signifies the love received from others (trine from the 7th house - your partner.) 11th is also the house of "friends", meaning social groups.

A heavily stressed 11th house suggests that there is an issue with not feeling lovable. This happens when a ruler of the 11th house receives a hard aspect from the heavier planets (Saturn through Pluto), challenging or interrupting the flow of love received from others in relationship.

The presence of Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, or a stellium (3 or more planets together) within the 11th house suggests a great need for love.

The above tension experienced within 11th house can be expected to affect social interaction, especially within groups:

• Saturn's involvement to 11th house (involvement through tenancy, rulership or aspect) may suggest a delay in learning to relate comfortably in groups. The other side of the symbolism suggests maturity and wisdom in relating to others - perhaps as a leader or a teacher, or from a position of authority.
  
• Uranus may suggest intensification of love needs - which may lead to highly unique self expression that calls attention to itself.
  
• Neptune may suggest idealization and possible disillusionment within groups - healing, aesthetics, or spirituality may be shared with others.
• Pluto again suggests powerful need for love - this may lead to controlling behaviors, but in the best cases the desire to make a difference through one's resources and depth of perspective.
  

If you have a problem with group interaction, the best thing to do might be to practice, through seeking a group atmosphere in local hubs (I'm not recommending bars, though - try a bookstore), classes and gatherings. Even if you don't have anybody going with you, you can take the social atmosphere into your emotional body every time you step out there, and eventually you're likely to find what you're interested in that can be shared in a group setting.

Know that you're lovable.

Astrology and Work - Importance of the Moon

Nothing feels more dehumanizing than the suppression of our core emotional needs within our environment, but this seems to be happening a lot at the modern workplace. So many people have told me from their experience that corporations do not care about the needs of individual workers - rather, they want a replaceable cog that fits in the business machinery.

Most likely there is some truth to the above sentiment - so what are we to do? One thing is clear: if we do not care about our unique needs and talents, no one else will either. In the environment where numbers and results (rather than the quality of human experience) are considered to be the supreme goal, human qualities that are not immediately relevant to the bottom line improvement of the business tend to be devalued.

While vocational astrology is a very advanced art that takes years of practice to get better at (start with Noel Tyl's Vocations, a definitive text on his highly reliable method), here we will consider the most basic needs of our natal Moon*, and how its needs are best honored in our workplace:

Moon in Aries: "the need to be important, to be Number One": would the workplace give opportunities to fulfill this need through focus on leadership, competition or individual achievement? Since the importance of the individual has to be given its due, the work has to confer the sense of one's importance somehow (this is applicable for other Fire signs - Leo and Sagittarius.)

Moon in Taurus: "The need to preserve security; to keep things as they are, or as they should be": there is a sense of idealism that needs to be fulfilled at work - it may be the vision of harmonious achievement through cooperation, or a vision of how things (business, organization, country, etc) should be run. It could lead to a patient effort at making the ideals come true, or a stubborn control according to one's vision. Other planetary placement would modify what the "ideal" stands for.

Moon in Gemini: "The need to be bright, clever, informed, intense, and scintillating." The intellectual and communicative need of this Moon is easily applied in most workplace - the key to fulfillment for this Moon may be the freedom to pursue one's own mental interest.

Moon in Cancer: "The need to feel emotionally secure." Here the need may be to emotionally connect with people. This could take the form of a helping profession, but could take other forms such as a supervisor that takes good care of his subordinates, or a customer service person that takes great pleasure in helping the customers; the applicability is endless as long as there are people you can connect with.

Moon in Leo: "The need to be loved, respected, and honored." We sense the need for importance and creative self expression. This could take the form of a performer, but also just a great boss or a coworker with a great sense of humor and warmth, etc.

Moon in Virgo: "The need to be correct, exact, and insightful." We sense the need to convey information that matters, or to give out knowledge and skills that are helpful.

Moon in Libra: "The need to be appreciated; to be fair, attractive, and popular." There is a sense of aesthetics, idealism and pleasant interaction. This could relate directly to the work (i.e. artistic work or helping others); but this can also be a person that enjoys being popular at work for his/her personality.

Moon in Scorpio: "The need to be in control, be regarded as deep, significant, right, reliable, and self sufficient." There is a need for significance based on one's position, or one's work (i.e. helping others, or making a difference in other ways.)

Moon in Sagittarius: "The need to have one's opinions respected." There is often a need to teach, or otherwise have a place for asserting one's opinions.

Moon in Capricorn: "the need to administrate progress; to make things happen." The deeply practical orientation of this Moon is applicable in most workplace. There is willingness to work hard in order to accomplish and be productive.

Moon in Aquarius: "Need to be socially significant, unusual" There is often a need to help others. This seems to be a rather reliable vocational signature, so we can ask the person with this Moon "How do you help others?"

Moon in Pisces: "Need to identity the ideal, understand impressions, work with the intangible." This is another deeply idealistic Moon, with a sense of aesthetics or inspiration. The challenge is to bring intuition and creativity to work in a productive way.


So we see that most Moon placement doesn't indicate a specific line of job by itself, but it suggests a basic need that must be honored if we are to be happy in our work.


*The words in quotes are from Noel Tyl's Synthesis and Counseling in Astrology, page 76 in the first edition.