Meeting the aspects as Conditions of Reaction to Human Responses: The Sun/Moon

Some musings/observations/perspectives, if you will allow me, on the exchange of energies between two planets. As I've mentioned throughout this site, I've taken a holistic and psychological approach to my studies, chart analyses, and educational overview that (1) the planets are Indicators of Human Responses, and that (2) the aspects chosen by an astrological consultant or student-in-training-learning are Indicators of Reaction to those Responses. To this end, rather than analyze each planet in aspect, I'm staying with the Sun and its partnerships with the others. 

To that end, I'm doing a breakdown of MY thoughts regarding the aspects of a conjunction, sextile, square, trine, inconjunct/quincunx, and opposition. I use these as primaries; I could also involve the declinations, as I do use them. However, for this response/post, I'm sticking with the Ptolemaic group of six. For the sake of declination analyses, I would say the parallel/contraparallel are in the fashion of the conjunction. 

I want to emphasize that these are MY thoughts and overviews, provided again for educational and consultational purposes. As anyone who has studied the art and psychological ramifications of astrology can and should (in my view) say, it's a never-ending skill of combing layers of Intuition, methodology, and Wisdom. I'm doing the  Sun as a separate endeavor to allow for my own writing to flow and also to accommodate any learners/readers.

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In a Sun-Moon conjunction, also known as the New Moon, I would say there are several possibilities. For one, this is a potential indicator that the parents were in alignment with each other in starting a family: the Sun as the father-figure and the Moon as the mother-figure. There's also a likelihood of similarities in comfortable role models as male and female. In general, I would suggest here that the individual's Self-Identity is in harmony/union with his/her emotional needs and also in response to social contacts that involve subconscious responses. 

One special consideration: depending on whether or not the Sun or Moon are in the same polarity (male-female by signage), one may expect an individual to be more "solar" and outgoing or more "lunar" and internally responsive. If they are in different signage, depending on the outcome, the individual may be more inclined to the dominant outcome, such as a Sun in Aquarius and a Cancer-Crab Moon. (In this case, the Sun is in detriment and not fully expressed, while the Moon rules Cancer, and to my overview, dominating the psyche.) 

In a sextile pattern, I'd say the individual feels comfortable with both parents, and also with Self-Identity awareness and emotional needs being met. In a square pattern, there's an internal conflict: both challenging the Self-Identity and Emotional-Subconscious needs. Again, this may be a reflection on the relationship of the parents with each other and on how the individual/child was raised.

In a similar way, the Sun-Moon square is a potential indicator that the parents were at odds in some form or display in their relationship with each other at the time of birth--and most likely, during the formative months prior to birth. In my view, the psyche is well aware of this interaction. But even though there may be behavioral clashes that both or one parent may have presented, this still continues over after birth has occurred, and the individual may unknowingly try to find ways of appeasing one or both parents. This may carry over to formative or adult relationships. But in my view, even though the square is an indicator of potential frustration, it may give the individual great insight and encouragement to develop cooperative social skills and behaviors to overcome subconscious responses that are not fulfilling to the Self-identity or emotional needs. It's more than likely that counseling in some form for the adult individual with a Sun-Moon square will be both helpful and provide a resolution to psychological challenges. I'd also say there's a potential here for various levels of conditions on the spectrum which also include autism, or at least, difficulty in being comfortable with social interactions. Neuro-divergency is the key here: there are both strengths and challenges as potentials. It's one of the reasons I coined the term "Fluid Learning" to describe both myself and others as individuals who are comfortable in expression of both left-and-right brain hemispheres.

The trine can be both an obvious and subtle outcome, as I see it: both cooperation and a possible indulgence to excess within the psyche regarding "I am Who I Am" from the Sun and "This is What I Need from the World" via the Moon. One parent may have been more active regarding the expression, if other indications are shown, for this as an indulgence, or even an addictive response if the individual shows possibilities. As much as a trine is a favorable aspect, it can also indicate laziness on the part of the individual to act on his/her behavior and responses to decision-making. In any case, we could expect by elemental nature that a fire trine Sun-Moon would be more enthusiastic and possibly volatile; an earth trine would be more grounded and resolute in practical matters; an air trine would be more accommodating in mental activity or social exchanges of ideas; and a water trine would offer greater intuitive sensitivities. Again, I would note that even though I think a trine will work harmoniously, if the Sun-Moon are in different elements, I would be aware there may be an undertone of tension in resolution of this outcome.

The quincunx/inconjunct, as I understand it, is more about tension without a clear successful resolution. In regards to the Sun-Moon in aspect, I would think it is more of a personal and social frustration that "I can't comfortably be Myself no matter how I try." Sometimes, this is possibly not as much an internal challenge as it is an expression that society-at-large has not yet caught up to patterns that reflect ongoing changes in behaviors that may be decades ahead. Issues may be possible with gender roles or choices as well as relationship needs. I do not want to categorize the LGBTQ as such because in my view, there are no specific signages or aspects that indicate these choices as fulfilling outcomes. Again, as a parental indicator, this may be an indication that one or both parents were at subtle odds with each other but unable to comfortably fulfill their respective roles as each saw fit for the needs of the individual as a child.

As I understand, the opposition is an external challenge, and for sure, the possibility that one or both parents were at odds with some outside force, possibly economic or social in nature. For the individual, there may be clashes between "I am Fiercely Defending my Identity" and honoring one's emotional needs. This may be overtly obvious with a Sun-Moon which are beyond elemental qualities and contradict each other: for example, a Fire sign sun and a Water Moon. Even an Air Sun and Earth Moon could find challenges in trying to fulfill mental and social images and being practical and stabilizing.

Houses as Lessons of Spiritual Growth to gain Character of Identity

T

Master astrologer and psychologist Steven Arroyo has written about the nature of the elements and their impact on the psyche.  Credits and thanks to this wonderful teacher.  The material below is from my book Psychological Astrology for the Psyche.

Identity as material for social intellects

(“I am a social intellect” or I.M.S.I.)

The houses can also be considered as training modules (much like a 3D reality experience) for the individual’s soul.  Three unique and different observations can be made in the study of the houses as living environments of experience and their effect on the psyche.  

One pattern involves learning experiences that define I.M.S.I. lessons, or Identity, Material, and Social-Intellectual Learning Environments.

Identity means the soul has four different types of Identity Resolution issues to face:  Self, Core Self, Other-Self, and Global Self.  (By core self, I mean where the individual finds and applies the growth experience of being born and raised in the human environment. The Global Self means that facet of the soul that wishes to contribute toward the preservation and continuation of society, thereby creating a structure to add to the collective whole group’s efforts.)

     This takes place in the 1^st, 4^th, 7^th, and 10^th houses.

Material means the soul is using lessons to create something of substance; not necessarily a tangible, but gaining substance of character in a way that translates into results.  This takes place in the 2^nd, 5^th, 8^th, and 11^th houses.

Social-intellectual means that the soul is gaining wisdom through interactions with society by being involved as a group member.  Information is being received and transmitted; ideas are being born, stretched/extrapolated, and exchanged.    This takes place in the 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th houses. 

The houses are also identified in a triad by their respective focus as primary, secondary, and tertiary centers of impact upon soul coursework for learning life lessons.  The 1^st/4^th/7^th/10^th houses, also referred earlier as Direction Markers of Life (and corresponding to the Four compass points of N/S/E/W), indicate key areas where the soul builds the cornerstones of learning and growth.  

This is the ASLS method, or the “Actions of Elements.”                 

(ASLS=actions of elements)   

It also stands for Action to Secure Learning for the Soul.

Fire – Action Lessons – 1^st, 5^th, 9^th

Earth – Security Lessons – 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th

Air – Social/Intellectual Lessons –  3^rd, 7^th, 11th

Water – Emotional-Soul Lessons – 4^th, 8^th, 12^th

Action lessons from the 1^st/5^th/9^th houses with a fire-based Aries/Leo/Sagittarius energy give the soul challenges regarding momentum and inertia.  Procrastination and impulsiveness are two extremes.   

Security lessons from the 2^nd/6^th/10^th houses with an earthy Taurus/Virgo/Cap quality will require the soul to learn “sticking with plans,” persistence, determination, and endurance to see a goal through and finished.  Responsibility is strengthened and developed here.  

Social-Intellectual Learning in the in the 3^rd/7^th/11^th cerebral heights of air and Gemini/Libra/Aquarius) means the soul is engaged in examining cause-and-effect, principles of ethics, social conduct, and the capacity to exchange and share both tangible and intangible concepts, including communicating.

 

Emotional-Soul lessons from the 4^th/8^th/12^th come to us from Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces’s realms to provide awareness of empathy, compassion, affection and love, and self-control.  Emotional-soul lessons are water-based, signifying their theme as a means to bring sensitivity to the subject’s life.  Interactions that create deep feelings are experienced here; the awareness of life-and-death cycles, physical ecstasy through sex, and strong attunement to one’s inner intuitive voice are found here.

However, I believe Emotional-Soul lessons also carry a secondary level of depth in that they carry with the lesson the personal elemental balance of the individual.  To me, each dominant element within an individual will color the way he or she experiences an Emotional-Soul lesson from the respective water-based house.  A fire-based intuitive-action type will respond to lessons one way; an earthy grounded-to-Nature type will feel/handle lessons through their senses and appetites to satisfy or sooth pain or happiness; an elevated-mind of an air type would spend much time in the communicating or sharing how he or she felt about significant life lessons.

Furthermore, the nature of a water-based house and its emphasis on emotions and sensitivity, along with the larger principle of a powerful Emotional-Soul lesson, is slightly different because of human physiology.  A water-based empathic type could be even more vulnerable to sadness, depression, or euphoria.  The mood swings and physical changes that take place when the endocrine system is flooded with emotional charges of energy are at work here; hence the fluid levels of the body are affected—and this includes neurotransmitters as well as hormones.  The need for security/safety in home’s home for self and family, the explosive and primal forces of sex and survival, and the fears and dark hidden places in the psyche are all heightened in their respective water houses when activity in them is indicated by planet placement.  


(C) MDLOP8 2010

The chart wheel: window to the psyche and timing events

 

The natal chart (birth chart) is a tool unto itself:  a 12-way, 12-level blueprint of seeing how to build “you” into a better person.  It offers a 4-way mirror for viewing the profile of the psyche:  head-on (the ascendant), the view from behind closed doors at home (4th house), relating to others (7th house), and at work (10th).  Each view will provide a different view of interpreting how the subject sees his or her world-at-large from these major vantage points of social engagement. 

This is the primary advantage of psychological astrology:  having the flexibility of interpreting the psyche but being accurate enough to stay within a tight enough range of cause-and-effect patterns that can be anticipated as well as managed. 

Timing can be prepared for as a means of establishing behavior as well as building emotional structure for the inevitable crises that are part of the Life Cycle.  Choices and decisions can always be applied:  it’s never too late to Learn and Change; one is always going to happen anyway!

Three other blueprint options are also available and very popular:  Transits, Progressions, and Solar Returns, also known as “Now, Eventually, and Yearly.”  Transits let us see what activity is being stirred in life areas of responses (houses) to activate or initiate a Life Lesson and how it will be applied.  Progressions show how the soul has evolved: what lessons the psyche is meant to “graduate” and advance through over time, usually by age 30 and beyond.  Timing phases of social challenge can be pivotal here and narrowed to the month.

A solar return comes as a birthday gift of sorts from the Universal Life Source:  “Take these challenges and gifts for one year and see what you can do with them.”  A window of three months approaching the date will manifest if the subject is aware and willing to be responsible and active, with the arrival of the year’s life events beginning within six weeks after the birth date itself.

(c) MDLOP8 2010

Houses: the "Cities of the World" as Areas of Life Experience

Antero Alli, a fantastic author on astrology, wrote a book where he had the idea of the chart houses (those "wedges," as I call them) as "states" of existence, much as I've outlined in a prior post.

 But what I found helpful was to turn the idea of houses into "cities" around the world.  To me, the chart IS a "world view" of our lives on an individual level.  Here are my ideas for the 12 "city-states" of the world of our lives, along with the dynamics of each.

 In each “city” or house, we all find a new means of understanding a particular experience or Life Lesson that is crucial for our growth as individuals and also for the Four Primary Objectives/Goals of being born on Earth: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual learning.

 It is said that these are unique in their strengths because of the vibrations of the Earth Herself as a Living Entity (She grows Life in multiple forms), and therefore, our capacity to experience the houses (or “cities”) is vital to our knowledge of “how and why” we react and respond to the astrological messages of signs and planets in each house. 

1st House = Aries 

New York City:

"The Big Apple" & New York Yankees #1

(Personality & Physical Embodiment)

Early childhood years

2nd House = Taurus

Las Vegas/Monte Carlo: $$, indulgences, music; View toward sex & needs Self-values, attitude toward assets; Attitude toward earning capacity and its expression.

3rd house = Gemini

Minneapolis-St. Paul or Philadelphia

“Twin” Cities or the City of Brotherly Love;

 (siblings and communications; short travels)

4th house = Cancer-Crab

Rome

“No Place Like Home”

“Have you called your mother lately?”

(home environment; end of life; mother-figure influence)

5th house = Leo

Hollywood…Rio…Paris!

Creativity (physical and mental)

Activities of luck (gambling); arts and crafts skills,

Children and romantic nature

6th house = Virgo

Boston 

“Hahd wehk nevah huht nobahdee 

(Yes, that's their accent in "Bah-stun")

("Hard work never hurt nobody").

Work ethics, Day-to-day service and activities to humanity; Health and dietary needs

7th house = Libra

Hawaii & Polynesian Islands

Partnerships (Marriage, Business & Social Engagements) 

Dealings with Significant Others & Soul Mates

8th house = Scorpio

Moscow; Chicago (in the 1920s--and now); Miami, Florida 
Values of Others

Death-Rebirth Cycles

Sexual Dynamics

Sharing of Self: Assets, body, energy; Attunement with world of spirit; Deep intensity of character

Intuitive mind; perceptive “radar”

Destructive use of power: criminal mind

9th house = Sagittarius 

Notre Dame, (school and cathedral); Jerusalem, Mecca, the Vatican; Harvard. Higher Education and values of learning.

Social regulations and order of ideals.

Morality; Spirituality keys;

Philosophical Issues;

Interest in other cultures and values

10th house = Capricorn

Washington, D.C.; London; Cairo; Beijing; Athens

Status/Occupation

Career/Ambition; 

Need for a legacy

Parent (of same sex) relationship

 11th house = Aquarius

Los Angeles - San Francisco; Seattle; Amsterdam; 

Humboldt County, CA (Eureka-Arcata)
Group Affiliations and networking

Humanitarian Endeavors & interests; 

Friendships and bonding ideals; Openness toward social change

12th house = Pisces

Eden; Never-Never Land; Shangri-La, Casablanca (the movie).

Undoing; self-destructive habits.  Self-limitations, Secrets and fears about oneself; Destructive habits and tendencies; 

abuses of soul/spirit. Unconscious mind: 

memory recall from prior life awareness; Retreat for privacy

(c) MDLOP8 2010; 2014

Birthday "cousins" that match your birth date

 

Astrological "birthday cousins" are more in line with numerology, but they sometimes explain why some signs do/don't get along with each other when they seem to go against standard presumptions. It's based on the total number value of the birthday itself--so in cases when an individual with an apparent inconjunct/quincunx that might indicate a stress pattern of interaction DOES find a social-emotional-physical connection with a partner, this might explain it. You should know your range of inconjunct planets. I'm not saying these are exclusive, and for sure, some folks do not engage well with their squaring planets, and even opposition planets. This is just a possibility idea of mine.

To start, take the single number value of the birthdate itself. For example, a "14" is minimized to 1+4 = 5. The same for a "23" as a total value of 5. Anyone born on any three of those dates (5, 14, 23) are "astrological cousins". Similarly, a person born on the 1st would be in synch with a person born on the 10th, 19th, and 28th. Only 11/29 have their dual pairing.

Only one birthday is not reduced: the Master Birthday 22. These individuals are unique in their own way: they have a singularity of focus that is both powerful and specialized (said to be either a spiritual-religious or a financial/materialistic goal in mind). A connection with another 22 birthday would be very intense.

The (Magi) Astrology of the Beatles

I know they're back in the music news (yet again!) because of a long-lost track that was part of John Lennon's legacy: it's been modified by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to "fill in" their perhaps-last-ever for our listening enjoyment. But there's been something on my mind for over 15 years: a perspective I found in a book on Magi astrology (the kind from the Shaolin monks of China's studies) about declinations. Declinations, as I've mentioned on this site, are the degrees of alignment that are close to the equatorial balance of the northern/southern hemispheres of a chart. And I'm an avid Beatles fan; I have a library of unreleased material on audio format.

In this article in the Magi book, it said that the Beatles as a collaborative group had very unique declinations--and I didn't quite understand it. So I just redid their charts in that fashion in order to try and find clues as to what might have inspired their bonding connections as friends and bandmates. To do this, I only use their birth dates and not the time, per the Magi system. It's done on a solar chart, and I run an equatorial chart instead to find the declinations.

What I found was incredibly unique to my understanding: there are synchronicity ("super linkages") matches with George/Paul between the Sun/Chiron, which indicate a trusting level of identifying with someone else in a relationship; Chiron-Neptune (for a 'reunion' with a long-ago soul mate'; with George/John with Venus-Mars, indicating a close personal "bromance"; John/Ringo's Moon-Jupiter-Saturn, indicating an emotional past-life connection of growth and responsibility, possibly parental; Paul-John's Moon-Mercury-Venus-Jupiter, surely indicating their emotional connection, mental attunement to each other's musical/artistic styles, and growth opportunities and the ability to prosper from it; and Ringo/Paul's Moon-Mercury-Venus-Chiron-Saturn, indicating their emotional-mental-relationship bonds, social appreciation of each other's musical styles, but also, the longevity that they are the last two remaining members with us today. Finally, there's a connection of financial success between Paul's Chiron (relationship with a soul mate) and John's Venus (social pleasure and enjoyment/arts). No wonder they were the premier songwriting duo of their time!

Whatever someone wants to say about astrological techniques or analysis: the Beatles once again come to the foreground in the subject. The union of these four men as a social institution has its origins and validations in the stars.

How to interpret a chart; the processes of delinations

 

"How do you interpret a chart?"

I don't know there's a definitive answer. Everyone has his/her own style. Some say to look at the ascendant first and planets nearby/conjunct; others say to look at houses (depending on what system/style is used); then there are those who look at other patterns: amounts of elements, rulerships, hemispheres, and signages with planetary match-ups.

I do all of that. At once. I can't say my way is better, but it's how my mind works. Sometimes the planets in signs appear to me like a chessboard configuration--and then they (the planets) figuratively rise up as though they're in 3D and not a flat 2D image. And they start to yell at me: "HEY! Look HERE! LOOK at my placement! Look whom I'm in aspect with and how it's making me react!" I also look at declinations (which is ALSO mentioned on this web page). And I consider the aspects, elements, and the houses--several times over. 

(I DO see patterns, and I mentally connect with the symbolism of the glyphs. You do the same thing with the letters of the alphabet. Letters in language (or symbols) are the same to me as glyphs. I mentally connect with the mythic-psychological-archetypical representations of the glyphs. Why? I'm ADD with a learning disorder, but I'm also a Fluid Learner. You'll have to look that up on my education web site here.)

And so much of this happens in a rush of information. Remember, I'm a Virgo ASC--and Mercury in Aries. I think at two levels: either nanosecond speed or delayed comprehension. High-functioning Virgo; Vulcan Rising. (You can look that up on this site as well. Just scroll down to 'V' and you'll see it alphabetized.)

I let the chart talk to me; I use my Intuition as well as my Cognition. 

So I would say to anyone: find your own method. Nurture it. Let it work within you. Let it work externally; learn how to share what you see and what you feel. And express what you know and then learn more.

And have fun. And apply it with care, wisdom, and sincerity. Help others, and in turn, help yourself learn about who and why they are and the same for yourself.

The "new" astrological signs revisited ahead for 2023

Remember this? I'm STILL being asked "Aren't there 13 signs now?" and "Am I still my original sign? I thought they changed me!"

So...once again...in honor of all the uproar…I am announcing yet another system, the PSYAP way of interpreting your birth sign for the 21st century.  This is my idea, and anyone who disputes it can do so. If anyone cares to reproduce it…send a chunk of crypto (I don’t expect the U.S. dollar to have a long lifespan thanks to Pluto in Capricorn).

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Ramses the Ram – Known for knocking their heads against the wall and wondering why they have migraines, and also found in hat stores trying on styles that don’t fit or make sense.

Taureen the Bull – Found at the dinner table sampling everything that tastes good (and going for second helpings), and also throwing elaborate sports parties where everything is made on barbeque grills.

JimiNye the Twins – These individuals have the potential to play a right-handed guitar with their left hand, and also possess great urges to steal candy from stores, but turn themselves in after being spotted arguing aloud with themselves about right vs. wrong.

Canseer the Crab – These individuals are found crying at weddings, funerals, and at the maternity ward where babies are kept overnight for observation; also known for making phone calls to total strangers and saying “I was worried about you; did you have a bowel movement today?”

HighlyLo the Lion – Often found in department stores behind the perfume counter and in clothing stores, they help themselves to samples and bring armfuls of items to the dressing room to try on and don’t put anything back on hangers.

Where-go the Virgin Maiden – Often noticed in personnel departments and human resource offices rummaging through the trash bins for lost papers and near the copy machine; they can’t stand to pass by the cleaning storage room without wanting to straighten out the supplies and be sure everyone has a sharpened pencil in their desks.

Libraian, the 2-sided Coin - Over-polite when driving (the Seattle area is known for this), and not moving at a 4-way stop sign. Often found at summer camp as geeky counselors, they are dominated by the kids, who are more cool than their leader. Libraians also collect and maintain libraries of hardcover books by color, not author.

Scorch-you-up the Scorpion – Often seen glaring at long lines of people and yelling at sports figures at ballparks; also noticed in school as youngsters who swear that standardized tests are a form of code.

Sloggytarius the Centaur – Fond of mules, donkeys, and burros, these individuals have a yearning to own animals who refuse to cooperate unless they get their own way.  Also found on farms where they sit in the mud and wait until someone says it’s the right thing to get out of the rain.

CaptainCorneous the grounded Goat-fish –  These individuals are the masters of junk yard recycling:  “Just because it’s broken don’t mean it can’t be used.”  Also seen in the fertilizer business and in the pastures of Sloggytarian farmers:  “One man’s waste shouldn’t go to waste.”

Aquire-ous the social networker – Often seen in community centers, schoolyard soccer, basketball, football, or baseball games as referees, coaches, and umpires who rule against the home team, their motto is “We will extend our neighbors a helping hand.  We will extend two hands, and help ourselves to our neighbors!”

Piskees, the two fish – Known for collecting wading pools and filling them with frogs and other amphibians, and fishing in barrels and swimming pools and wondering why they haven’t got a bite.

(C) MDLOP8 2011; 2022

The Moon reflects our Personal Needs

 

I've mentioned this before: how the Moon as a subconscious agent is more likely to reflect (!) the True Self to the public because it is what the individual Needs for his/her personal safety, security, and manner of dealing with society.

Moon in Aries: The need to be independent-thinking and responding in action/impulse

Moon in Taurus: The need to be secure and stabilized

Moon in Gemini: The need to ask questions and learn

Moon in Cancer: The need to help others (and Self) be safe

Moon in Leo: The need to be appreciated and show care about others

Moon in Virgo: The need to be of assistance and help others and Self organize and manage

Moon in Libra: The need to keep people and situations in harmony

Moon in Scorpio: The need for privacy and safety by knowing others' motivations

Moon in Sagittarius: The need to learn more about others' values and beliefs

Moon in Capricorn: The need to achieve and succeed at the highest possible level

Moon in Aquarius: The need for personal freedom of Self-image and others

Moon in Pisces: The need to understand and detach from the world

Yes, I DO laugh about my work (and clients!) sometimes!

 Somedays...it feels like either I'm saying this or I've got clients like this! 😄😂Credits also to the original artist!!

Astrological Insights into Personality: the influence of the ruling parent's role

Two reasons to get this book by the late Betty Lundsted: First, this excellent review by Amazon.com.

First, "This down-to-earth exploration of natal chart interpretation shows the familial, male-female patterns in the zodiacal signs and the potentials they hold in combination with planetary energies and house symbolism. Our personalities are strongly influenced by what was happening around us when we were infants and whether our needs were met. Lundsted explains that our natal chart is our parent's transit chart, therefore revealing the truth of our childhood family dynamics. 

Once we understand these dynamics, Lundsted helps us move beyond laying blame on our parents by identifying the compensating strengths revealed in the chart. She also shows us that the typically classified difficult or hard aspects in the chart actually hold the key to our transformation."

Second, Betty purports within the book that there is a very easy, fundamental way to assess which parent was the primary, major influence in a subject's life. To do so, she explores the signage, elemental, and polarities (masculine-feminine) qualities of the three key dynamics in a chart: the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant.

According to Betty, this trio is a remarkable provider of psychological insights. By her reckoning, the outcome is based on a 2:3 ratio, either in a positive-negative polarity outcome, or by elemental outcome dominance of Fire, Earth, Air, or Water. Naturally, the positive-balanced signs are Fire and Air, and the negative-balanced signs are Earth and Water. The father figure, whether or not he was present in the early developing years, will be shown by that two-of-three pattern. Likewise, the mother figure, whether or not she was present in the early developing years, will be shown in a similar two-of-three configuration. 

I honor Gustav Holst "The Planets" but no "Clair de Lune"? Done!!

 

"...ESPECIALLY so, Mitchell, because this is the time of Cancer the Crab, and you KNOW that's all about the Moon. So where is the post for this classic?!"

Ouch! Guilty!! Amended!!!!

Two compositions: one, the original by Claude DeBussy, which I dearly love for its gentleness and serenity. And the second, by Japanese musician Isao Tomita, which I first heard on WNEW-FM, 102.7, New York radio, back in the early 1970s and performed on an electronic keyboard display. (It was and remains in my memory as a legendary institution of music.) Both are brilliant in their presentation. Enjoy. I'm embedding them so that there is no loss if someone closes their YouTube account.

Venus in Cancer: the love of home, family, and more

 

Venus in Cancer – Home (and your heart) is where you find safety, love, and care

 

        There’s a funny quality about Venus in Cancer: it’s got the tangible qualities of a physical relationship with someone special (and not necessarily carnal: “mother’s love” encompasses it)—but also a sense of “home-and-safety” too for something (or someone) in a security-driven way. It’s about caring for someone or something in a protective manner. Venus in Cancer can also be a love of the land and place of origin. Or…even “Mother Ocean,” who in Her own way is the origin of Life on this planet. Many people who just feel that longing for the beach and the lure of the waves know this intuitively. Others, like the men and women who have gone to sea and sailed for days, know this bonding too as the sun sets on the horizon in the evening.

Venus in Cancer also brings the love of nurturing and feeding others—and the self too. “Comfort food” is all about Venus in Cancer, and the holiday memories of sitting at a table with relatives and friends is a part of it too. Nostalgic events, outdoor barbeques, traditional celebrations, and festivals all have their roots in Venus in Cancer in some form or another.

         Pets and small animals are also part of the family ties that go along with Venus in Cancer, but not exclusively to the sign and planet’s qualities. Babies, nurseries, childcare, maternity wards, Lamaze classes, birthday parties, and all the goings-on regarding the early life cycle years are part of it. So is elementary school education and pre-school and nursery school.

         I’ve found that certain names for women have a Venus-in-Cancer vibration for the Divine Earth Mother in our life. When I was taking developmental psychology as an undergraduate, all my instructors were women who carried this signature: Diana-Deanna-Diane-Dina. And in another level, I found Carolyn-Carole-Carol. I think these are representative of the phases of a woman’s life cycles: first as the Maiden, and then as the Adult Woman grows into Motherhood. I’m not sure yet about the name for the Crone years of Wisdom and Experience, but I may learn it in my advanced years now. Diana, of course, was the Roman name for the goddess of the Moon: ruled by Cancer.

    In astronomical terms, there may be a fascination--and sensitivity--to the phases of the Moon. Cancer, ruling the Moon, will most likely bring this out. Venus in Cancer souls are most likely sensitive above and beyond when the moon is full, and very possibly, during a lunar eclipse. I would warrant that any Venus in Cancer individual will find him or herself drawn to large bodies of water during these times, and if so, will likely find an inner peace or contentment that they can not fully express in words.

         Physiologically, Venus in Cancer activates both the breasts and stomach area, as this is the natural body ruler of the sign. Men with Venus in Cancer may have a maternal quality to their nature, and as well be very involved in home functions that revolve around the kitchen. Women with Venus in Cancer will likely have a similar maternal quality about themselves, and restaurants, hotel and residence management, childhood education, holiday and ceremonial arrangements, and even end-of-life occupations may also find expression here in Venus in Cancer.

         I’ll leave this with the words of Elvis Presley—a man who certainly loved his mother, and for her, a reminder that she lost his twin brother at birth. The home—and Elvis’s elegant mansion, Graceland, is a national treasure—is yet another reminder of the qualities of a Venus in Cancer atmosphere.

Home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home

I don't need a mansion on a hill
That overlooks the sea
Anywhere you're with me is home

Maybe I'm a rolling stone
Who won't amount to much
But everything that I hold dear
Is close enough to touch

For home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home
Home, home, home, home

 (from the movie Kid Galahad)