Moon in 1st House

Those with Moon in the 1st house respond with powerful sensitivity to the environment, and they are influenced by feelings, emotions, and instincts. The person tends to have an emotionally dominate, subjective response, and they can project their changeable moods out into the environment, and sometimes this creates an impressionable personality.

Equally they tend to react strongly to their surroundings; these people can be seen as empathetic, understanding, and accommodating. The appearance may take on some of the features of the Moon and they may possess a highly expressive face, which quickly shows the person’s moods and reactions to any given situation, and so they have a harder time masking these quickened responses.

These people may feel like the most vulnerable aspects of their personality are always on show. Sometimes the personality appears to be very ‘soft’ and vulnerable, and they may also be crabby and defensive at times, protective, needy, emotional, or clinging. Highly sympathetic, with strong imagination, these people have the ability to nurture and please. Sometimes there is too much dependency on their physical appearance and how they are perceived by others.

Sometimes they can appear moody, unstable, and overly –dependent on others. However, there is often a powerful hunger for personal expression, and there is great sensitivity to the people around them. Some may gravitate towards the role of the carer, and others will elicit this response from others. The personality is usually subject to the ebb and flow of the changing moods, and the Moon also needs to feel secure in their environment and might not venture out until it is perceived to be safe.

Sun-Pluto in Synastry

Sun-Pluto contacts in synastry may show compulsive interactions, sexual tensions, and possibly jealousy and possessiveness. The Sun is drawn by Pluto's depth and this kind of relationship often has a powerful and psychological impact on both people involved. This combination draws out each-others deepest feelings and ambitions. Pluto is compellingly attracted by, and sometimes possessive of the Sun's light and personality.

Hard Sun-Pluto contacts in synastry sometimes describe a clash of wills and power-struggles. The relationship is life-changing and transforming, and both will undergo personality changes. Over time, unconscious battles may arise through each person's efforts to control the other.
 
Sun-Pluto contacts may resemble a battleground where one attempts to change the other and it can sometimes reveal a struggle for dominance. Sometimes couples with this contact have a volatile relationship, and the Sun sheds light on Pluto's dark compulsions, so this is not a light and superficial interaction.

Pluto likes to get to the bottom of things, and doesn’t give up. At times Pluto’s insistence on reality can be exhausting for both. Dwelling on past hurts, resentments and betrayals won’t help you both to grow and develop. Pluto contacts in synastry hold a mutual fascination for this couple, and indicates a deep attraction to one another, and often the attraction feels irrational, fated and even compulsive.

The Pluto person may have to face their unconscious motives, private fears and traumas in the course of the relationship. They experience all the Plutonian feelings, and much depends on how they handle it. The Sun finds Pluto'a intensity disturbing or controlling.

Pluto likes to tear things down which are out-grown and no longer useful, and build them back up. The sun may be subjected to Pluto’s radical make-overs, and deep and permanent changes are likely to occur in both people's perceptions of life.

This relationship offers in-depth insights into the unconscious and many transformations may occur. When the Sun is trine to Pluto there is the opportunity for transformation and growth and the couple may handle this more comfortably. The relationship is penetrating and deals with the psychological reality of the union. The couple are aiming towards a mutually empowering and transformative love.

The Astrology of Paranormal Activity

I watched Paranormal Activity 2 and it is just as scary as the last movie. All the usual noises in my house became a lot more terrifying, and the only real paranormal activity that goes on at my house late at night, comes from my two cats running around the place. However, it got me thinking more about the power of the unconscious.

Astrologically I would link paranormal activity to the water signs, houses and aspects and to our hidden selves and psychic sensitivity. I’ve personally experienced personal events that I would class as paranormal, so I am a believer. However, I wouldn’t consider myself obsessed with all things paranormal. I am psychically wide open to a lot of impressions, feelings and unconscious material, and this comes from my own astrological chart which contains planets in Pisces trine Uranus in Scorpio and a tight Moon/Mercury conjunction in Pisces square Neptune in the 4th house.

The watery houses in the natal chart have always been fascinating to study and somewhat elusive to describe. We begin with the 4th house connected to our home, roots, past and all things that have gone before, but which still hold a powerful emotional grip upon the individual. Planets in the 4th house can give the astrologer some clues to what kind of home-life an individual experienced, and feelings often run deep in this domain.

The fourth house is our first connection with family and its where our feelings are first initiated and where blood ties are powerful. The 12th house is where we realize we are all part of a larger human family. In the Jungian sense the watery houses relate to the unconscious and the fourth house relates to the personal unconscious opposed to the collective unconscious of the 12th house. The fourth house can be described as our underground basement. The I.C lies at the ‘bottom’ of the chart and is hidden from public view, and it might best describe our most private selves.

The subconscious keeps things hidden from conscious awareness, and these things have a tendency of submerging us and taking over our rational selves, like the caverns of our memories that harbour unknown attitudes, habits and fears. The fourth house is where we derive a personal feeling of safety and shelter, somewhere we ‘belong’. Whatever happens to us in the world outside we take these feelings ‘home’ with us.

The 8th house rules things that tend to go bump in the night and it’s where we do battle with our psychological demons. For many of us the issues of birth and death brings into sharp focus the belief in reincarnation, and the 8th house is connected to both life and death, and rules the cycle of birth, growth and annihilation. The 8th house is the second of the hidden houses and therefore operates in the realm of what we have buried deep into the unconscious.

The unconscious is extremely powerful and hostility, resentment and hatred can erupt and create untold destruction. Sexual energy also includes the potential of transformation experienced through merging with another being, and, ultimately with the levels of the psyche. The orgasm, in French, is called le petit mort – the little death. Also in the 8th house we have the desire to join resources with another for mutual benefit and it shifts the 2nd house focus from what is mine, to ours.

In the 12th house there is the continuation of “unfinished business” and the confrontation of inherited family problems and the twelfth house gives us the power to release skeletons in the closet. When the impersonal unconscious movements flow through the psyche the ego-self shrinks in fear at confronting these deep and mysterious currents. Unconscious forces push our consciousness with the omnipotence of tidal movements, and sometimes like crashing waves.

The outer world is considered by Jungians to be a blank screen onto which the images of the unconscious are projected. If we are not sophisticated enough in dealing with our unconscious contents we may well be cast into a living nightmare. The unconscious mind is sorted and sifted through in our dreams and our lives are sometimes viewed as waking dreams. The psychic power of dreams guide the individual and the twelfth house depths contain all the elements, instincts, desires, and spiritual yearnings that have ever been, and the collective unconscious includes all human potential and experience.

The collective unconscious contains the whole of man’s psychic history, and rules all kinds of shadowy material, unlived energies and has been described as the dustbin of the zodiac. The 11th house represents greater socialization and progress of man. However, the 12th house dissolves all boundaries, attempting to achieve a one-ness with the whole of life. The 8th rules merging with an individual, and the 12th house is connected with all nature. The twelfth house also rules places we go when we are mentally ill (psychiatric wards), physically ill (hospitals), or immoral and evil (prisons) and all these states can describe a soul in distress, or soul sickness. The 12th house rules our secret sorrows, self-undoing, and self-defeat. It is also the house of limitless growth, spiritual healing, forgiveness and compassion.

Saturn in 8th House

Those with Saturn in the 8th house are primarily dealing with the stability of financial, emotional and sexual security, and the individual will often feel challenged and tested in the area of his intimate relationships. Matters pertaining to sex, death and emotional crisis are vulnerable areas, and these people sometimes find themselves struggling with financial hardship, difficult divorces, and the frustrating demands of unresponsive partners. Saturn in the 8th house easily finds themselves under financial obligation of some sort.

Saturn tends to show areas of serious concern and in the 8th house we are in the difficult terrain of sex, death and other people’s money. Quite often all of these issues become complicatedly webbed together creating separation, joint finances and long-standing obligations in a partnership, sexual debt and difficulty in receiving inheritance money and taxation problems. However, some make a career out of banking; investing, stockbroking or dealing with other people’s money, and the occult, psychology, studies in death. The individual often seeks to gain self-mastery in the hosue in which Saturn is found.

The 8th house is the house of sex and all unconscious and simmering issues which hide below the surface of life, eventually reach a ‘crisis’ point and seek release. The emotions released are the ones that Saturn has tried to keep under tight control – rage, jealousy, resentment and hate. The person may be held responsible for every disappointment, sexually and financially in close relationships, and feel trapped and imprisoned by their responsibilities. Indeed the person may have to learn how to manage their finances responsibly, and they can become an authority in these areas.

Often these people are frightened of the vulnerability inherent within an intimate relationship. The fear of emotional rejection and the dread of being let down on the emotional level is enough to make them want to resist the challenge altogether. The idea of letting go on this very vulnerable level can be terribly frightening, and sometimes these people have a fear of letting go and merging with others. Sexual hang-ups are another problem that may need addressing in close relationships.

According to astrologer Liz Green this placement may signify the death of the father, or he is emotionally cold and rejecting. Furthermore, the environment in which the individual lives in may show sexual problems between the parents. In the worst case, beatings and assault can occur which leave deeper emotional scars than any other Saturn placement. The father may also be possessive and domineering and his early death may teach the child the painful lesson of letting go.

The father may have also been emotionally supressed or suffered from deep depression. The themes are endless. Whatever the lessons, they need to seek their own security, and develop emotional stability. This person will learn lessons around sex, intimacy, opening up, and death and rebirth. All of these areas need to carefully examined, and they need to learn how to let go in intimate partnerships.

Venus Trine Saturn

Those born with Venus trine Saturn are responsible, steadfast and in control of their relationships. The individual easily copes under difficult, modest, and impoverished circumstances. These people have learned how to live on a budget and examine their finances, ethics and moral values before making any big investments. The love nature is naturally cautious and security and commitment are important factors in making a relationship work.

These people keep relationships stable and balanced, and they often gain and receive gifts through elderly people. Fortune comes through people of status, maturity, and those people who are wise to the world. Catherine Zeta Jones has Venus trine Saturn and her husband is significantly older, she also played the love interest of ageing Sean Connery.

Venus trine Saturn tends to be emotionally stable and practical in love matters and understands about the effort required in a real relationship. This person is well disciplined and self-controlled when it comes to matters of the heart, and does everything possible to preserve a valuable relationship. The individual is careful in choosing partners, and are known for having long-lasting and steady relationship patterns, we would go to this person for good, serious, and practical advice on any type of relationship dilemma.

The individual deals well with hardship and adverse times in a relationship and takes on the heavy burden of making a partnership successful. This person has the strongest sense of duty and fairness in a relationship and will do all they can to be of practical help to loved ones. Venus trine Saturn works on a partnership and some of these people don’t find their true love until later years. Sometimes they are willing to wait around and make a sound choice in the marriage partner. When many people are feeling disillusioned by their relationships and going through a divorce at fifty. Venus trine Saturn people are sometimes just settling into a secure and happy partnership.

These people have a pleasant air of restrained desire and are cool and formal in love. Venus- Saturn aspects make beautiful and enduring pieces. Usually there is a liking for the traditional and conservative side of beauty. Princess Diana had Venus trine Saturn and she was born into an old, aristocratic English family with royal ancestry. Diana was perceived to match all the credentials for the future wife of Prince Charles. The marriage to Prince Charles and the establishment may have offered her security and a sense of permanence, although the relationship ended up being more business (Saturn) than pleasure (Venus).

This combination can be an excellent one for business partnerships, and a real advantage, because they conserve and use resources steadily and make sold investments. These people can stretch the pound further than most. Venus trine Saturn is usually self-sufficient, and moderation leads to plenty. Professionally these people know realistically what they have to work with, and love to work and work on love. Venus trine Saturn emphasises their desire for stability and structure and so there is a highly responsible and materialistic focus in partnership. These people readily take on and share the responsibility of making a relationship into a success.

Venus Trine Pluto

Venus trine Pluto believes in the power of relationships and the ability to change and renew relating patterns when necessary. Love is the vehicle for transformation and regeneration, and the individual is resourceful and capable of deep love.

The person's partnerships tend to grow with ease and there is an understanding of how to use the valuable resources and the power of others. I have seen this aspect in the chart of a woman who never had any children or needed to work and was supported by her husband’s wealth all of her life.

Usually favourable aspects between these two planets can indicate inheritances and material gifts easily gained through the partner. The Queen of England has Venus trine Pluto and she is considered the world's wealthiest women.  Elizabeth understands the nature and ‘benefits’ of power and wealth, and she appears to have a strong and influential set of values. Venus-Pluto is deeply charismatic and can have a powerful emotional influence over others, especially those of the opposite sex. Sometimes using their attractiveness to manipulate others, without even realizing it.

Relationships have a tendency to renew themselves and these people either love wholeheartedly or not at all. Bonds of loyalty and profound intimacy are expressed in each significant partnership. The person needs to love with depth, complexity and wisdom, and they have keen psychological insights into the workings of relationships at these levels. Knowing and feeling the beneficial power of relationships, it often means that this person is usually turned off by superficial expressions of romantic love and relating in general. This person shares a mutual depth of affection in relationships and there is often a sense of destiny connected to all their interactions.

Often there is ease in the way this person expresses their sexuality and understanding of how to meet the hidden desires, wealth, and riches of others. The values are often deep and far reaching, and they feel empowered by love. The person may exude a mysterious and powerful fascination, and they can usually charm his or her way into the partner’s affections by knowing their hidden desires with ease.

Relationships are taken seriously and they are likely to form long lasting attachments, and some may feel that every relationship is ‘meant to be’ and so express love meaningfully. Venus-Pluto trines describe a love-life that is rich and rewarding in many ways, and they usually keep control of their passionate emotions. The person is artistic, and has a profound sense of beauty and aesthetics and their creative outlet is deep and moving.

Moon in 5th House

The 5th house rules self-expression, creativity, children and love affairs. Those with the Moon in the 5th house need to express themselves through some of these pursuits. Romantic love may show fluctuation and changeability, and sometimes emotional dependency is projected onto a child or lover. Those with the Moon here may also take on the role of mother in love affairs and nurture and protect when in love.

The 5th house relates to Leo and the Sun and planets here take on a Leonine expression, and a need to be centre stage, there is also an inclination towards the dramatic. The Moon likes to be the caretaker and needs to be needed, and romance can be based on security, but there is also a needy and playful quality to this person. The fifth house is where we play and amuse ourselves, and planets here are energized by the fiery characteristics of this house.

The 5th house of children is ruled by the Sun, which offers us a glimpse into the future and with the Moon placed here it gives the instinctive need to bear children. There can be a strong attachment to children, and they may have a large family. Joy of life and enjoyment of playing find pleasurable activities, arts, acting and theatrical pursuits nurturing. The Moon in the 5th house is a fertile placement for all activities of the heart. Usually there is a hunger for creative self-expression, and the type of creativity is usually shown by the sign the Moon is placed.

Often the mother will have been creative and imaginative, and so an artistic environment has always felt natural to the child. Indeed it would seem creativity is second nature to them, and so they need to use this to their advantage. The Moon in any house involves memories and past associations and doing what most feels comfortable to us. Involving themselves in their hobbies is comforting, relaxing and feels secure. For the Moon in 5th house individual “creating” is where they feel most at home. The individual may feel most absorbed in romance and emotional satisfaction plays a part in all of their romantic involvements.

Neptune in 5th House

Neptune in the 5th house often has strong acting ability, and this combination also indicates creative talent. The individual is usually highly romantic, and they can be enchanting and seductive as the siren. There is a longing and willingness to abandon the self and be swept away by love, and those with this placement are in love with love. However, the person has to be careful not to place romantic love on unrealistic pedestals or chase unavailable partner's, and they often fall in love with the image of someone rather than the real person.

With Neptune in the 5th house the person may have to examine the glamorous and illusory nature of lovers, romance, children, and creativity. This can manifest in the longing to have a child to feel totally fulfilled. Neptune in this sphere may also suffer disappointment and disillusionment when lovers or even children fail to live up to their dreams. Various people with this combination get themselves involved in unobtainable love affairs, and they can be extremely easy to seduce. Yet, it is said that through sacrifice and suffering the artist emerges.

It is also possible that these individuals have a child, who is artistically gifted. On the negative side it is also possible a child slides into drugs and alcohol, or they are sickly and weak. The youngster can be intuitive and sensitive, and they might be impressionable and gentle. Occasionally Neptune in the 5th house may lose a child, and this brings its own particular kind of suffering. Sacrifice may be made on the part of children, and if difficultly aspected they may feel martyred and turn to the child for salvation.

Where Neptune is placed we feel we want to do something good and pure. Many people with this position have adopted children, and sometimes it’s through the difficulty of having their own child. The need to make some kind of sacrifice is signified here, and these folks can also work with children. There are no boundaries where Neptune is placed, and so it is easy for them to enter into the imaginative and make-believe world of a child.

Uranus in 10th House

Uranus in the 10th house can signify restlessness regarding one’s career, and it is important that the individual has a degree of free will choosing their vocation in life. There is a need to be self-employed, independent. Those with this position of Uranus can be strong willed and even rebellious, defying authority, and may encounter disputes with bosses, officials, and supervisors. This person needs to do something creative and stimulating and highly original, even genius. The individual doesn’t want to be bound by societal definitions of what is a correct job or role in society, so these people can be anti-establishment.

This person often has the desire to make drastic changes in their career, wherever Uranus is placed in the chart is where we usually want change, progression, and development of ideas. Uranus in the 10th house brings upheaval and chaos into the career, as there is an exaggerated tendency towards originality and it often shows dramatic changes in business, as well as status in life.

Those with this Placement are sometimes found in careers involving science, technology, space engineering, computers, social welfare, politics, or anything that stimulates their need for growth and advancement in the world at large, and social contribution. Professionally these people are very creative and inventive, and they often work in free-lance. The individual can make a break-through in their career, or they may make unpredictable career choices and abruptly end one profession to begin a brand new vocational sphere.

The 10th house rules the parent and they may resist the emotional and material side of parenting the child. Astrologically, Uranus reflects a free spirit and breaks free from any form of bondage. Sometimes the mother has high expectations of the child, and she may be high-strung, unpredictable and a wild-card. Possibly she suffered from breakdowns, or was always on the edge of exploding. Uranus hates any form of suppression, and so there may have been an alteration in her life. On the positive side she may have an interest in new age subjects, metaphysics or astrology.

Saturn in 4th House

When Saturn is in the 4th house it is said to suggest conditions of coldness, isolation and unhappiness in the childhood home. The relationships with the parents may have been restrictive, unloving or unhappy in ways that prevent other people getting close to them later in life.

The fourth house rules our personal security and it is often thought that the individual carries heavy emotional burdens for the family. It can indicate a difficult upbringing, and also describes painful feelings and emotional frustration and some kind of obstruction stemming from the individual’s roots.

The family may have been a highly structured one, and they felt deprived is some way. Sometimes emotional separations, oppression and material difficulty are felt in early childhood. Crippling feelings of personal inadequacy can make it difficult for them to receive the emotional nurturing they so desperately need, and so forgiving their parents and letting of any resentments they have about the limitations they experienced early in life is essential.

Saturn here suggests a deep lack of inner security due to early experiences, and the individual builds  defence mechanisms and other psychological barriers to protect their vulnerable side. Saturn in the 4th house tends to over-analyse and examine their feelings and he or she often lacks real emotional spontaneity. As a protective measure this person has learned to be emotionally defensive.

One of the parents was either over-controlling, strict, or the child was made to feel unwanted. When Saturn is in the fourth house it can wear the critical and rejecting face of Saturn. Sometimes the father was a physical a burden, depressed or even ill. Even if the parent was loving and kind, the child may have still felt the parent was not good enough. The parent may have placed more value on parental duty than spontaneous displays of affection.

Saturn in the 4th house can be a tremendous strength, and they can make reliable and self-sufficient people. They neeed to embrace their past and learn how to be vulnerable and let others nurture them. Sometimes the feeling life is completley blocked, and they fear being let-down by their family and being imprisoned by the weight of family expectation.

The past needs to be carefully reviewed, and Saturn tests our ability to be self-sufficient and make our own way in the world. Saturn in the 4th house needs to define real inner-security. The individual may over-compensate materially, making sure the family have all the necessities they need.  And physical security replaces the emotional one. They need to build their own soild foundation, and invest time and energy into the home, domestic and inner life can help them form security.

Moon Trine Neptune

Those with Moon trine Neptune are artistic and gentle souls. The Moon and Neptune are both highly imaginative and sensitive planets and so there is a tendency towards hypersensitivity to their surroundings. In fact, the beauty and harmony of their surroundings has a powerful effect on their emotions. These people are very sensitive and cannot stand to be in an atmosphere where there is discord. Moon trine Neptune also describes a compassion and a desire to serve the collective, they will give or sacrifice much in order to make everyone feel at peace.

Moon-Neptune is also sensitive to the invisible realms of life and these people have a spiritual and mediumistic side. This also gives them powerful psychic abilities and they are receptive to everything around them. The dream-life and their artistic inspirations can be used as an outlet, and there is often a natural sense and gift for photography, film, or music.

Those with Moon trine Neptune can be prone to emotional illusions and hunger, and so the home needs to be a place of retreat and solitude and a gentle, heavenly environment soothes these gentle souls. The person hates harsh and noisy environments and so the home may have beautiful furnishings or works of art. Moon-Neptune signifies a highly devotional nature, and someone who may feel spiritually content. These people merge with others quite naturally in a sensitive and empathetic manner, and there is deep compassion for the needy and helpless in society.

Moon-Neptune also believes in emotional understanding and unconditional love, and so they will sacrifice their own  personal needs and give selflessly in favour of something greater. With great depth of feeling, and capacity for forgiveness, this contact has often been described as the universal mother, and these people desperately need to feel that there is a sense of goodness and purity in the world. Moon-Neptune aspects can easily feel what others are going through and can sense emotional pain. The trine between these two planets makes it much easier for the individual to be understood emotionally, and the relationship with the mother and females are favoured. The women in their lives are usually soft, tender-hearted and other-worldly.

Saturn in 7th House

Those with Saturn in the 7th house usually want a serious and committed relationship. Yet, there is a cautious and reserved approach to relating and often they need to develop more confidence and overcome old fears of  being hurt and rejected, and their interactions are sometimes conditioned by the anxiety that others won’t accept them.

Partnerships are an important component of their life, and perhaps their profession. Marriage is a serious commitment and not to be entered into lightly. Astrologer Liz Greene says that this person will attract to themselves situations which involve some degree of pain, isolation and disappointment until he or she begins to reorientate himself towards an inner search. Other tough lessons often involve need to learn how to be in an equal partnership and work within the boundaries of a relationship.

Requirements for a mate can be very exacting with this placement and Saturn here suggests that some duty and responsibility is also necessary. Relationships are not always easy, and sometimes those with this placement feel as if they have few or no romantic possibilities. Saturn in the 7th house, will first have to deal with the feeling of being undeserving, and even if there are painful experiences connected to relating,this is the area of life where personal defining will take place, and is the most important area of growth.

In alchemical symbolism this marriage is always accompanied by darkness and death previous to the distillation of the elixir; and the darkness which often accompanies a seventh house Saturn is matched only by the brilliance of the gold which is also promised. By Liz Greene, Saturn a New Look at an Old Devil

Saturn in the 7th house can create barriers to relationships out of fear, and they  may be afraid of the degree of commitment that a relationship requires. The partner in life is sometimes viewed as an additional responsibility, a burden and a handicap and they feel imprisoned by the marriage. There might be frequent obstacles getting in the way of forming a real relationship. Saturn here may test and analyse their lovers constantly, asking for concrete definitions of commitment through their own need for security. The placement can suggest that they look for a partner who they can respect, and need time to evaluate a potential lover. Prestige and standing may be looked for in a potential mate, and sometimes they look for a partner who can maintain them. Saturn here may be recognized through their practical stance and down-to-earth attitude towards relationships. The relationship needs to have goals and there is a need to feel safe and secure in a partnership. Therefore they weigh up a potential partner carefully and don't rush in.

Sometimes they choose someone who is is inadequate or form a partnership with a significant age gap. Or in a different financial bracket, or further along career wise. Instead of being reliable, hardworking and trusting, a partner may become cold, aloof, indifferent, restrictive and inhibiting. A good partnership for these people is one that is rock-solid and dependable, but the problem is that they sometimes hold onto relationships out of a sense of obligation and fear of the future.  Above all they need someone they can trust and respect.

Wherever Saturn falls in the chart we feel that we are lacking, undeveloped and crippled and in the area of relationships they must overcome their fear of being vulnerable. Saturn int he 7th house takes the whole relationship business extremely serious, and once they have decided to go for it, that's it. They want to make sure they make the right choice, and some may be very drawn to the traditional side of relationships, and they want the church wedding and everything is a formality. They may look for a conventional partner, marry late in life, or choose a partner who is mature and already established. Saturn's strength and determination in making a relationship work should never be underestimated and they make an astute and loyal lover.

Pluto in 7th House

Those with Pluto in the 7th house will find that partnerships are the catalyst or agents for personal transformation and change. Relationships will plunge them into deep emotional complexes and will test the depth of their unions. Any problems with a partner will tend to simmer and seethe under the surface, and since Pluto is the planet of extremes, these people are learning to relate in a balanced and cooperative way. The issue of who holds the power in the relationship is brought into sharp focus, and this may require a complete breakdown and rebuilding of the relationship.

Pluto here can indicate power struggles with business partners or those involved in joint projects. The person can form alliances with powerful people, and they have a tremendous impact on their future. Relationships will never stay the same and they encounter people with enormous emotion, passion and vulnerability. Many will have lived with a decaying relationship and so the person needs to bring new life into the marriage. Often these people believe that they have met their soul mate and that he or she has known this person in former lives.

According to past life astrologers the individual has chosen to empower themselves in relationships this lifetime by overcoming the same emotionally abusive relationships that controlled them in a previous life. The person may feel haunted by all past relationships and so resentment, guilt and feelings of persecution at the hands of others needs to be healed. Empowering themselves in relationships is the key to understanding their evolutionary development, and once issues are healed some make very good counsellors and agents for change in the lives of others.

The proclivity for destruction exists in the area of relating and Pluto stirs deep feelings in this house. The potential for treachery, betrayal, secrecy, jealousy, abuse and severe trust issues in relationships may threaten the strength of the bond. The people they get involved with mirror back the shadowy parts of themselves that have not been allowed full consciousness. Pluto here can have difficulty trusting a partner and feeling safe in a union, and these people are working on exposing all issues within the relationship and healing them.

There can be divorce or the loss of a partner through death, and it can become the single obsession of their lives. Similarly, they may fear the loss of a partner and attempt to control and dominate the relationship. Furthermore, there can be difficulty in letting go of a partner, and their own destiny is so tightly wound with him or her that to lose them would feel like a death. Some may have helped a partner through a terminal condition, depression or mental illness and there is usually a fated feeling about relationships. The partner is sometimes emotionally troubled and involved in criminal and underground activities. Conversely, the partner has a Plutonian vocation, and perhaps they work in the police force, psychology, or healing practices.

Butterfly: Gemini - Scorpio

The Butterfly is often used as an interesting analogy to describe the zodiac sign of Gemini. However there is also the comparison made with Scorpio and the metamorphosis process of the caterpillar into a butterfly. We could even compare the overnight transformation of the pond water into ice as relating to Scorpio. In astrology we talk about Pluto (Scorpio's ruler) transits when someone has gone through a complete or marked change in personality, lifestyle and way of life.

A number of cultures have associated the Butterfly with the souls of the dead. The Greek word Psyche means both soul and butterfly. In China, Japan, and Java the butterfly may sometimes carry the soul of the deceased or even a sleeping person. The Butterfly may also be considered the soul of an old friend visiting someone or trying to deliver a message to the living. The Butterfly in Christianity usually symbolizes resurrection instead of rebirth.

The transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly is described by the sign of Scorpio and the lighter, breezier and colourful side of the butterfly, really belongs to Gemini. In addition, there is something quite beautiful in visualizing our loved ones who have departed from this plane of existence to have transformed from a dead and empty shell into a soaring, spiralling and magnificent Butterfly/Spirit.

I will leave you with two authors’ quotes and they explain both realities succinctly. In Myth there is a link between Hermes the messenger of the gods (Mercury) and Hades (Pluto) who ruled the underworld kingdom inhabited by the souls of the dead.

The Gemini woman can be a fascinating creature. She can also be an elusive one, and a thoroughly confusing one if you attempt to type her. She’s particularly confusing if you expect her moods to be consistent and her interests focused. But once again remember the butterfly. Butterflies aren’t provided for utilitarian reasons such as our food supply or the wood from which we build houses. Whatever nature had in mind, we enjoy butterflies for their beauty, for their grace, for their freedom, for their brightness. By Liz Greene, Astrology for Lovers

We speak poetically of the death and rebirth process and relate it to the chrysalis process of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly. Indeed it is a beautiful sight to behold, but one wonders, how does the caterpillar feel about it? It is the one whose guts are being eaten out! Pluto processes often feel just like that – like your guts are being eaten out through the process. It takes profound faith to let go of a past identity and to believe that a higher form of existence awaits you on the other side. Since Pluto is beyond the ego’s ability to control the experience, the ego must surrender its grip on reality to go through the process. As the caterpillar must surrender its life to become the butterfly, the ego must surrender its life to evolve to yet greater levels of reality. Astrology and Relationships, by David Pond

I would suppose that Gemini enjoys the lightness, agility and weightlessness of life and hates the heaviness of being contained in a physical body, and it is comparable to the Castor and Pollux myth. One twin was mortal and the other was divine and they often switched places. It’s a pity that we don’t have this freedom to leave for a while and then come back again.

Earthquake in New Zealand

The latest and tragic New Zealand Earthquake has astrologers speculating on the possible indications of such an event. Our knowledge is not sophisticated enough to predict such events with accuracy, and I don’t specialize in mundane astrology. I don’t have the natal chart for New Zealand, and so I can’t refine the astrological reading. In the current sky we have a cardinal t-square and some astrologers’ associate earthquakes with the cardinal signs. I would then expect that the t-square formed with Jupiter in Aries, Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra may have caused such a shift under the earth’s surface.

The Jupiter-Pluto square is exact and the cardinal signs respond to the major angles of the mundane map. Astrologer Sue Tompkins says that we can expect to hear stories about ruthless leaders, power-struggles, mining, and various recycling groups under the Jupiter-Pluto’s cycle. We could also examine the large (Jupiter) destruction (Pluto) or the massive amounts of (Jupiter) rubble (Pluto) which has occurred under this transit.

This is New Zealand’s worst disaster in 80 years and it has been described as their darkest day. Apparently they sit on top of an Earthquake centre. The Earthquake in September was larger and caused more damage, but it didn’t claim any lives, and this one is an aftershock of the previous one. Under difficult Jupiter –Pluto squares the future can look dark, frightening and bleak. Our sense of future may go ‘underground’ and people can feel as if they are stuck in a dark place.

Jupiter-Pluto transits also represent super-human strength and the people in New Zealand are feeling terrified and hopefully they can use this energy to find extra reserves of power. Another astrologer has said that the sign of Pisces corresponds to earthquakes, but I don’t know the reasoning behind his knowledge. Yesterday, we had a line-up of planets in the sign of Pisces. Neptune has reached the critical degrees of Aquarius, and the nodal axis in is cardinal signs at 0 degrees, but I don’t want to read too much into events. Furthermore, other astrologers predict that’s it’s the planets in fixed signs that predict major earthquakes.

I haven’t researched many earthquakes to offer any more information and I usually like to do my own research on such events before attempting any astrological signature. Astrologer Lyn Birkbeck has written about the Earthquake alert in 2009-12, and he gives indications that the current Uranus-Pluto square is bringing upheaval, crisis and shake-ups on a worldly level.

Earthquakes and other natural disasters, plus freedom from repression, repression of freedom and terrorists’ acts are all likely to intensify during this period.

The Astrology of Settling Down

Commitment is a scary word to some signs, but to earth signs it provides a solid foundation. Earth represents the stabilizing of a relationship into a commitment. It is the building of a life, partnership and home, and represents something real, solid and enduring. Earth signs are deeply concerned with the practical aspects of life and about “settling” down. They need assurance and dependability before they invest in a partner. For some of the other signs who are still in the process of self-discovery and need fun and adventure, “commitment” is too binding a word.

In long lasting relationships Taurus gives the much needed stability, and so they buy or invest in a property and settle down to a comfortable life, and he or she doesn’t like their security being rocked. Earth signs like to live an ordinary life, and the inherent fixed nature of the Taurus won’t allow them to give-up easily on a marriage. The creature comforts are soothing to Taurus and these people are old fashioned lovers with plenty of patience.

Taureans are known to be possessive and ownership is important to them, and so the Bull doesn’t like anyone trying to take their valuable possession, and they are prone to physical violence. Taurus needs to have a satisfying sex life and they are very sensual and romantic people who have basic urges that need to be satisfied.

Virgo likes to settle in a routine in a relationship and this may be monotonous and dull to other people, but all earth signs like to be secure. Virgo is interested in what works and what is known. Both Virgo and Capricorn are prone to becoming workaholics, but Virgo has an emphasis on good service. Virgo also understands the finer details and the right way to do something, and it’s the little stuff that counts when trying to make a relationship work. Many people underestimate Virgo’s refined and understated qualities, but they know and understand the skill, workmanship and technique that is involved in building the marriage vessel.

Capricorn is like a healthy dose of cement in relationships, and obligation and duty make their partnerships solid. Rock-hard Capricorn can handle responsibility, discipline and the hard-work it takes to make a relationship successful. However, the sign fears failure and feeling inadequate and so will do their upmost best in a relationship, but they also need social acceptability.

For Capricorns status, reputation and material possessions are considered important. Capricorns are the more controlling types and they often have a real terror of being dependent and weak. Capricorns can sacrifice fiery passionate or sentimental and romantic love for what is safe and they tend to take relationships very seriously. Above all, earth needs relationships that are productive, useful and full.

If we look at the water planets in the horoscope Cancerian planets and powerful Lunar aspects can show a maternal side to the personality, and someone wanting to form a family quickly. The moon in the 7th house can stay in relationships for security reasons. Scorpio lovers need monogamy and true commitment and so they may be willing to settle down, although they need some “drama” and theatre in their lives. Scorpio is a fixed sign and they value unchanging emotions and don’t trust easily. Scorpio’s don’t easily give up on things.

They don’t need practical security, but they do need your undying and unwavering love. Scorpio lovers look for a soul-mate and Scorpio’s value the F-word. First off, get your minds out of the gutter, and what Scorpio’s passionately believe in is - FATE. This is a “meant to be” love which is binding forever and ever and ever. Astrologically Pluto means destiny, fate and evolution, and that which is inevitable and can’t be changed. This stuff sounds real deep and profound, but it leads us closer to the emotional environment and landscape of Scorpio.

Of course we can have conflicting signatures in the horoscope and part of us may desperately need security and safety whilst other personality factors long for adventure and excitement. Sometimes we have to try and live both these sides out in our relationships.

Trines

A trine aspect is a 120 degree angle between two planets on the astrological chart. In general they have the reputation for being positive, enjoyable and “easy” aspects. Occasionally Trines in the natal chart are given less importance than other factors. Sue Tompkins once remarked that she completely ignores the trines in her astrological readings, and regards them as having no “oomph”.

Easy aspects are effortlessly integrated into the personality and symbolise our natural talents and areas of ease. Trines don’t require a lot of effort to allow them to work well and they are almost second nature.

Our trines are usually things we do quite happily without conscious thought, and they usually fall in the same element, but not always. I see two planets in trine as being of assistance to one another, and I like some of the entertaining names given to the trine aspects. The Moon trine Venus is referred to as an “emotional blessing” and Sun trine Jupiter has the “Midas touch”, this word comes from Greek Mythology, a Phrygian King who befriended Silenus, a follower of Dionysus with the gift of making everything he touched turn into gold.

Sometimes we can lean on our trines to avoid dealing with the harsher aspects of life, and our squares usually suggest more work is needed to perfect its energy. However, overcoming such challenges in our lives can be incredibly rewarding. Trines are also susceptible to complacency and modern interpretations take this into consideration.

Moon Trine Venus

Those with the Moon trine Venus have an emotionally harmonious disposition; these people can be empathetic, loving, sweet natured, and passive. There is a well-developed sense of positivity, and consideration for others. There are natural artistic abilities and they may excel at music, poetry, and drama. Anything that combines sensitivity, beauty, femininity and personal values are necessary to maintaining their sense of natural balance.

Some astrologers believe that this is an “emotionally blessed” aspect in the horoscope. Relationships with females usually run smoothly and women are generally viewed as caring, protecting and nurturing. This person may benefit through women, and occasionally there is jealousy and rivalry between loved ones.

The character is often pleasing and socially popular and they do well in any career involving public relations, and they will generally receive a positive response from others. No doubt, there is plenty of encouraging feminine energy in the chart. This is the type of person who needs to please others and who desires a pleasant and sympathetic home environment. Moon trine Venus needs both security and loving home to feel comfortable and their peaceful demeanour allows other people to feel at ease in their presence. Much emotional satisfaction is derived from positive relationships, and the individual tends to be easy-going.

The wife is, in a man’s case, almost always a real help-meet, and she is likely to possess the Venus qualities of form and mind, unless there are severe afflictions. I am not sure if the same applies to the husband in a woman’s horoscope, but in this case the native will certainly possess considerable charm, and, probably, a liberal measure of the Venus temperament and abilities. By Charles Carter, The Astrological Aspects

Moon trine Venus easily compromises, and they are very adaptable people. These folks value the art of sharing and supporting others. Often the individual has a loving and caring mother, but other factors in the chart must support this interpretation. The mother may be popular and generally a people pleasing woman, but she may have tried to overly-please the child constantly with toys and sweets, and they may have developed a sweet tooth. Still, this person enjoys giving and receiving gifts, and they usually want to be cushioned from material hardship. The desire for the good life can make them overindulgent, and they can also be extravagant and luxury loving.

Pluto in 12th House

Those with Pluto in the 12th house have a deep interest in secrets, the unconscious, and anything mysterious. Psychoanalysis, investigating dreams and other methods of uncovering mysteries are interesting to them. They may be exceptionally perceptive intuitively or psychically.

The individual has the challenge of not feeling overwhelmed by the collective shadow of suffering, sadness and grief. Pluto in the 12th house has unfathomable and complex emotional guilt and feelings of persecution, and it is not unlikely for this individual to take on the role of family scapegoat. Frequently there is a dark history of abuse, brutality, or violence, and the individual senses that there is something shadowy lurking in the background.

Pluto is working on transforming the collective shadow, and the task is to bring those repressed parts that are weak and undeveloped into full awareness so that they are faced and integrated into the personality. Blocked energy in the unconscious can be released through therapy, self-analysis and dream-work. The depths of the subconscious are explored, and there may be a powerful urge to study psychology or another avenue that explores the unconscious realms of the human psyche.

Pluto in the 12th house possesses a psychic sensitivity to the hidden lives of others. Sue Tompkins says this placement is like a psychic refuse bin, and they absorb the negativity around them; all the unexpressed grief and fears that others conceal behind a happy face. Problematic areas relating to the 12th house are unseen health problems, addictions, excessive escapism, and an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness.

Pluto is sensitive to what is dark and destructive in society. Self-destructive, suicidal, paranoid and destructive fantasies leave the individual feeling helpless and unable to prevent something bad from happening. Yet, this is also a frequent placement in the charts of those who work in mental health, crisis situations, counselling, and crime prevention.

There is a deep need to do something for humanity that will benefit others and themselves. Pluto in the 12th house possesses a deep reservoir of healing power, regenerative ability, capability and strength in the face of unimaginable terror. The person can go through sustained periods of inner growth and periodic transformations and personal crisis are experienced liberally throughout their lifetime.

Common characteristics of Pluto in the twelfth house include: being deeply private, not what they seem as interpreted in other’s eyes, deeply sensitive; taking things to heart; being amazingly shy at a core level; being ultra-emotional; although you may not know it, they can be extremely giving in a silent way; having many deep and unresolved fears, and aura of dreaminess, and powerful dreams or never any dreams because of exhaustion; being naturally psychic. By Jeff Green

Mercury in Scorpio

Those born with Mercury in Scorpio understand life through the hidden layers of reality, and they seem to know things on the instinctive, nonverbal level. The individual has a detective-like mind which sees through fake people and situations. Mercury in Scorpio gets to the bottom of what is going on, and their powers of observation are acute, and so it’s impossible for anyone to play tricks or to put anything over on them.

They are curious to the get to the bottom of taboos and prohibitions and enjoy probing beneath the surface to uncover the secrets within. Occasionally it can lead to obsessive, compulsive and fanatical thinking, but usually their mind is penetrating and insightful and digs until the answer is found. The person may be gifted at research and learns best when they are allowed to delve deeply into a chosen field of study.

The native’s perceptiveness can lead to the examination of human motives and they leave no stone unturned.  Scorpio does not flinch from facing facts or exposing corrupt people. The person will be more introspective, pensive and tends to think in a sad or serious manner. These people are also prone to a great deal of self-analysis, deeply and candidly examining their own feelings, thoughts and motives.

Mercury here can also find it tough to open up and are inclined to intentionally withhold information, and tending by nature to be intensely secretive. Enormously perceptive, they know the other person’s weaknesses so well that they know where to strike. Mercury is aware of any hidden agendas, and they may give the impression of having a sarcastic tongue, but sometimes this person is also very quiet.

Mercury in Scorpio can go to both extremes and when he or she has something to say they speak with intensity, feeling and passion. The person has also been accused of having a suspicious mind, and this is because they are not always happy with superficial, shallow and phoney explanations. They are often interested in psychology, sex, death, medicine, espionage, mysteries, hidden intelligence, or the occult. These people have a very honest view of life and understand the true nature of human beings and the dark side of life.

Orbs

The use of orbs is a common question amongst astrologers, and it sometimes creates much debate and argument. It can actually be one of the most boring topics to discuss in astrology. I was once on an astrological forum and met (ran into) an orb fanatic on the board. He would look around for threads to continually debate his use of orbs in astrology.

I use wider orbs and have found that they work, some astrologers won’t go past 5 – 6 degrees for major aspects, and others will be more generous and use 8-degrees. Astrologer Liz Greene uses 10 degrees for all of the major aspects, and 6 degrees for the sextile. These are also the degrees she uses for the transiting planets, and I follow her lead on this one.

Jeff Green uses 5 degrees for his transiting orbs, and he puts a kind of supernatural spin on the whole idea, but emphasises some great points:

Prior to the actual aspect to a planet, or to the exact crossing of a house cusp or angle, one is given the opportunity to prepare for the issues that will be occurring. These opportunities are associated with premonitions and or “forebodings” about the “things to come.” Externally signs or events of what is to come can manifest themselves on a very tentative basis. These signs or events will commonly be very irregular and disjointed, and have little apparent bearing on one’s immediate reality. Of course, many individuals dismiss these signs, pay no attention to them, or are simply confused as to their significance and meaning.

For those who have been travelling the path of realization the capacity to understand and interpret these events and signs can help them prepare for what is come. At minimum these events and signs will catch their attention and they will attempt to understand what they portend for the future. Thus, some kind of preparation will occur.

Some astrologers will only allow a 1 degree orb for a transiting planet, and I don’t understand their reasoning behind this. If the majority of astrologers read natal aspects 8 degrees applying or separating, why are these same astrologers using such a tight orb for transits? If we are said to feel the energy of natal aspect 8 degrees wide the same logic should be used when analysing the transits.

The quicker moving planets I would actually use a smaller degree because there isn’t much time to prepare for a “minor” event. It’s the larger transits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto we look at for all major life events. Neptune and Pluto move at the slowest speed and have the most far-reaching effects on the individual. I personally wouldn’t go on other astrologers’ word (even this one)and would study the natal chart and transits for yourself, and come to your own conclusion.

Everything Changes

Let’s look at some possible ways to view change, passages of time and transitions in the natal chart. Throughout our lives we experience some significant ups and downs. Transitions in life sometimes represent a time of letting go of the past and crossing from the old and familiar into new and unfamiliar territory. Transitions and the disruptions they bring force us to re-examine our values, beliefs and lifestyle. They enable us to make fundamental changes to how we see the world and give us the opportunity to respond creatively to our new reality, good or bad. If navigated correctly, all transitions can lead to personal growth.

It is estimated that there are ten to twenty major events in a person’s lifetime. Some are voluntary such as marriage, relocation, or planned birth. Others may be thrust upon us like unexpected job loss, death, divorce and illness. Life transitions can involve both losses and gains. For example when a woman has her first baby she may experience happy feelings of something new growing inside, and although this represents a new chapter in her life it also signifies that another chapter in her life story is closing and making way for new developments in the plot-line. Also having a baby can sometimes bring sacrifices, and she might give up her job and stay at home.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Each one of us contains a past, present and future and all of time includes ourselves. Transits carry the past as well as influencing the present and a lot depends on how much emotional understanding we have achieved, and if a similar transit has occurred in the past we can see the memories of such planetary movements re-activated. Pluto transits often represent an impending death, physical and non-physical. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross found in her studies of the dying that “denial”, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance were the common feelings of someone faced with a terminal condition. In a figurative sense we can feel a lot of of the same emotional losses under Pluto’s influence, and may feel this same sense of anger when something in our life is removed, or we suffer a significant loss of some kind. According to evolutionary astrology the natal chart reflects what one has been and can become, and transits and progressions correlate to the developmental timing of our life events.

Jeff Green describes Pluto’s transitional process from old and familiar patterns to new to be very difficult for many people. The degree of resistance to such periods will determine the level of intensity associated with the events themselves. Pluto represents the inevitable and regardless of any interventions or plans it wipes everything clean. Pluto is the planet of rebirth and transformation, and whatever happens we can never return to what existed before. Some astrologers believe that we need to find an obsession rather than let Pluto take over compulsively, but one thing’s for sure, Pluto is sweeping in its breadth and depth and nothing remains unchanged.

The transits at any given time can reveal what we really feel, and this may be somewhat different to what others might expect. Liz Greene gives a great example of this in The Horoscope of Manifestation, and offers examples of what a person may feel about a separation, dependent on the transits present and offers an enlightening view of the transits in our natal chart.

If a separation occurs during a transit of Uranus trine Venus, it will have a completely differently feeling from the one which occurs under a transit of Pluto opposition Venus. In the eyes of others, the event may look the same. Joe Bloggs leaves his wife and runs off with his eighteen-year-old secretary. But if Joe’s wife has Uranus trine Venus at the time, she will probably have a great sigh of relief to be rid of him and be free at last. If she has Pluto opposition Venus, the most bitter thing about the whole situation is the betrayal. If progressed Venus opposes Neptune, she may feel victimised. If transiting Saturn squares Venus, she may be preoccupied with material survival and a gnawing sense of inferiority in the face of humiliating rejection.

An Uncaring Cosmos

Bear with me

I was wondering this morning about what the real purpose behind transits really is. I am not an astrologer, who claims to have all the answers in her back pocket, and this blog has always been a growth of ideas rather than one set of fixed astrology beliefs.

Now, growth is the first idea that came to my mind when considering the meaning behind transits. However, some events are not plausibly growth inducing and especially when they potentially ruin a person’s life. More often than not transits feel more of a burden and before one evolutionary lesson has had enough time to settle and be resolved; something else kicks-off and we are onto the next experience. Depending on our natal planets we can have a whole succession of hits with not much of a breather in-between to rest and reflect.

Astrologer Bill Tierney urges us to have a more enlightened attitude to transits, but to be perfectly honest transits can suck big time. Have you ever wondered if there are some life experiences you would have been much better off without? I do. I know this is not the enlightened approach, but when you’re taken through the grinder of life, you can’t always feel so spiritually resolved.

Tierney believes that our transits our symbolic reflections of conditions triggered by our psychological selves. I honestly don’t think we get enough time periods to further reflect on what has happened to us. On the everyday and mundane level, it feels as if transits put more obstacles in my way than generate real growth. I think I have currently fallen into the mechanical approach, which according to Tierney is when we feel the cosmos is cold and uncaring. I will have to take some time to study this dilemma and see if I can find any satisfactory answers.

Transits are so complicated......

Relationship Mistakes: Neptune - Unobtainable Lover

Apparently one of the biggest relationship mistakes that a woman can make is falling for a man who is off-limits. This can range from a married man, to homosexual man, dating a man who lives thousands of miles away, or a man in prison. Astrologically, Neptune can have problems with falling for “unobtainable” men.

Princess Diana said to her astrologer that she always wants “unobtainable” men and this may have something to do with Sun trine Neptune in her natal chart. Neptune represents the unconscious frustration and sacrifice of choosing an unobtainable man and this makes the relationship - unfulfilling. There is always yearning, longing and fantasising. Unobtainability can also come in the form of illness, a cheating partner, or an alcoholic. The lover is always inaccessible even if physically present and there is always suffering entailed and sacrifices to be made.

Some women with the Sun in aspect to Neptune fall in love with men who are married or hard to get, and it is similar with Venus-Neptune and wanting what is elusive and the need to sacrifice in a relationship in one form or another. The creative fantasy is another lure of such of a relationship, and just like the romance novel is an indulgence of fantasy, it gives some of our unfulfilled longings a creative outlet.

Neptune is also connected to the concept of unselfish love and their love is all encompassing and unlimited. And of course what follows is disillusionment, and often the relationship loses all its magic, enchantment and fairy-tale quality. Neptunian relationships have difficulty in seeing a partner as he really is, and see some idealized version of the relationship.

The relationship Neptune imagined doesn’t really exist and when the real partner discovered is not the person they thought or hoped he or she was, and so they begin to see the flaws and imperfections and somehow feel deceived and even betrayed. There can be confusion and a sense of loss at this stage, but once these people can accept their loved ones on more realistic terms it may go a long way in helping. The source of the disappointment is not the partner it is the unrealistic longings projected onto them.

Uranus Transits Sun: Baby Boom

Sun-Uranus transits often appear to indicate the birth of a child, and on the whole I have seen many first time mothers with this contact, so it can indicate a Baby Boom period. Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears and your resident astrologer from The Astrology Place had this contact when they had a baby.

The last Baby Boom period on a world level happened when transiting Pluto was in Leo (children). However, apparently the babies born in 2007 in the U.S broke this earlier record, and seemingly it increased so much because of the span of ages. Older mothers and younger mothers and unmarried women were all having babies. At this juncture, transiting Uranus in Pisces formed a trine to America’s Sun in Cancer, so my Baby Boom theory still pans out and the birth rates increased.

I remember I said to my mum before my Sun-Uranus transit that there is a “possibility” of pregnancy and giving birth around these times. My mum just laughed and said I didn’t even have a boyfriend. At the beginning of 2005 I had a new man and was pregnant. With Uranus transits “expect the unexpected”. Uranus transits are not about planning, waiting, or even organizing, they come out of the heavens like a bolt from the blue and change your life. I will study the effects of the Sun-Uranus aspects in upcoming posts.

I have already covered Sun-Pluto trines and as would be expected the Sun trine Pluto can describe a time when we get a radical makeover of style and sometimes even surgery enhancements, move across country, or begin a new life. In Yoko Ono’s chart when Pluto trined her Sun, her partner John Lennon was shot and killed, and so she took her little boy and went into hiding and started a brand new life from the ashes of the old. In some ways the transit may have helped to empower her to do this. Some of us would just fall apart at these stressful times. I have dubbed Sun-Pluto trines – “A New Day has Come”, and it’s quite fun making up names for transits, and it helps to remember their meaning.

The Sun-Neptune trines I have dubbed the Fairy-Tale contacts, but I might need a better name and it sounds like I am 7 years old when I call it a Fairy-Tale transit (blame my powerful Neptune). Still, the women undergoing this transit have often found “the one”, but I can’t guarantee this is always this case.

When Neptune transits in aspect to the Sun, it dissolves the borders of our ego identity, and asks us to give up or let go of our existing self in order to make room for something new. The transiting trine or sextile usually does this in a gentle way, offering us a new version of ourselves that is more expansive or creative than before. By Howard Sasportas, The Gods of Change

I do consider transiting Sun-Neptune trines to mark a period in life when the individual might meet the man (Sun) of their dreams (Neptune) and fulfil some creative longing, and their goals and aspirations are in synchronisation.

The Experiments

I will also begin to group and build my transit files in a separate post, because all the examples are spread out all over the place. I am sounding like my Mars in Aquarius at 29th degree (extreme) in the 6th house square Uranus in the 3rd house in Scorpio. I am like a mad scientist with all my researching and labels. Throws on white coat and goes back to the astro-laboratory to experiment.

You are my Rock: Saturn in Synastry

The other night as we were laying in bed my partner turned to me and told me I was his rock, but it’s something I have been expecting him to say in the relationship. I have Saturn (stonehenge) rising in Virgo and his Sun in Virgo conjuncts.

I should be grateful because there are usually worse things said about Saturn in synastry and particularly swiping comments directed towards the Saturnian person. Maybe Saturn contacts in synastry are built to endure and stand the test of time. However, the Saturn person may not feel so reliable, dependable and solid (Saturn), but in the relationship they often feel this energy.

I could also be viewed as being heavy and limiting and perhaps even inhibiting the relationship. The Saturn person may suffer from too many doubts and insecurities, and they may also shoulder the responsibility or burden of the connection. The Saturn person can be experienced as heavily critical, rigid and restrictive in the relationship. Some astrologers believe that any given relationship with Saturn will have a deep effect on the lives of either partner.

The majority of Sun-Saturn contacts in relationships appear to occur when it is the woman’s Saturn and the man’s Sun which are involved. This is perfectly in line with the idea that women do not freely express the quality of the Sun, and consequently a tie involving the woman’s Sun would be largely unconscious and not so obviously powerful. There seems to be no doubt that Sun-Saturn contacts are powerfully binding in relationships as well as being more common than the proverbial Sun-Moon or Venus-Mars interchanges. By Liz Greene, Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil

Although he calls me his "rock" I do like what Greene says about the Sun’s effect on Saturn, and a relationship goes both ways.

Only the Sun, the great life giver, can offer warmth and light to Saturn’s chilled bones. Saturn can give direction and support to the Sun and help him realize his goals in a practical fashion at the same time that he himself is learning to be more joyful.

I Hope I am not getting all wet and sentimental or airy and fairy on this Valentine’s Day. I have Venus in Capricorn so “bah humbug,” as Scrooge would say, and just give me the chocolates. Getting romance out of me is like getting blood out of a stone. I find relationships themselves fascinating and I can analyse them for hours. My partner has Venus conjunct Pluto in Libra, so he enjoys romance and he is enormously flattering and romantic and idealistic in the relationship, and he does his best to thaw-out his girlfriend.

Astrology-Valentines-Musings

Valentine’s = V for the planet Venus, and astrologers should call it Venusians day. The history of Valentine’s Day surrounds a man named Saint Valentine; he was a priest who helped people in love, and he would secretly wed couples, even though it was against the law. Valentine refused to give up his Christianity and was sent to jail, and fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. The girl was blind, but Valentine performed a miracle and restored her sight.

People often believe that love is blind, irrational and temporary, and that choosing a life-long partner is a serious business. Marriage should be given careful consideration, and when we don’t choose the right partner for us, it is viewed as an error in judgement (Libra). On February 14th he was killed. Sounds real romantic this story, doesn’t it? However, many people still do get engaged and married on this day, so in some way Saint Valentine’s spirit is still present.

On February the 14th we think about the people we love and show our appreciation by giving them a card, love letter, or present. Perhaps it’s a time we choose to tell someone that we have a secret crush on them. No doubt, it feels good to get a valentines card and have one or a few admirers, and we also indulge (Venus) ourselves in chocolate, so it's doubly lovely. Venus has to be constantly validated by others, and she had to power to make anyone fall in love instantly.

Astrologically Venus is the goddess of love and marriage, and beauty. Venus has always been one the most popular of Olympians and people would pray to her to help them find love. Roses are one of Venus’ symbols and signify love. In love, Venus was not loyal, and Venus and Mars were lovers, astrologically these planets are another way of expressing the Sun and Moon (Yin and Yang). Venus symbolises the need which seeks to share with another, even to the point of being subsumed. Mars rules the impulse to conquer and win, and whilst Mars desires, Venus represents the urge to be desired. Venus and Mars had a son named Cupid together.

Artists often depict Cupid as a young boy with wings who shot magical arrows and people struck fell in love instantly with the first person they saw, and this may have something to do with love-at- first-sight. The Venus-Mars connection is stated in older astrological textbooks, to indicate this phenomenon. In myth, Uranus was overthrown by his son (chronus), who lay in wait for his father then leapt up and castrated him with a sickle. The creative seed of the primal sky god was scattered throughout heaven and earth. Some of it fell into the Ocean and gave birth to Venus, whom the Greeks knew as Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Falling in love is an exciting experience and whatever infatuated us about our partner has something to say about our own Venus. When someone falls in love with us, we feel appreciated, beautiful and valued, and this describes the desirable nature of Venus. Psychologists and those involved in astrology will emphasize the role played by internal images which are found through observing the astrological planets.

Relationships which contain any element of “falling in love” inevitably contain anima and animus projections; and the curious feeling of familiarity one has about the loved one is only too explicable by the fact that one has, in actuality, fallen in love with oneself. What distinguishes it from narcissism is that the “beloved” is not one’s conscious ego, but an aspect of the unconscious self. The anima continually seduces man into the dark world of feeling and emotional entanglement, which is an uncomfortable to his natural psychology as underwater submergence is to a cat; and woman is continual being driven to animus into isolation, independence, and self-realisation, which are antithetical to her instinctual propensity to live life through personal relationships and unconscious identification with others. By Liz Greene, Relating

One of the most asked about questions in astrology is: When will I meet someone and fall in love? There are various theories around to help find the answer, but they still don’t guarantee when a lover will arrive in our life. Many, many times I have seen outer-planets transit the Sun in a woman’s chart when a relationship formed and as soon the transit was separating - the relationship ended.

This does not happen with every relationship and I have sustained a lover past a transiting expiry date. I had the transit of Uranus cross my natal Sun in the 7th house and 6 years later the relationship is still strong. However, the intense few years of the transit introduced this person as a catalyst and an opportunity for growth. I met a man and fell pregnant almost instantly, and this was a massive change in my life; and significantly changed its course and put me on an entirely new road.

Take Angelina Jolie’s transit when she met Billie Bob Thornton, she was undergoing
Pluto’s transit to the natal Sun, and it described the compulsive, obsessive, and irrational relationship. Further down the line when she met Brad Pitt, transiting Saturn was conjunct natal Venus and it aspected all of her angles. In addition, transiting Uranus was approaching a square to Angelina’s Sun and she fell pregnant the following year.

Angelina also had the “Fairy Tale” transit when she met Brad and they formed: ”Brangelina”. Transiting Neptune in Aquarius had formed an on-going trine aspect to Angelina’s Sun in Gemini. I love the relationships that have formed under this contact and so far they have denoted some happy connections. From the beginning of the transit in 2002 she had adopted her first baby and this is something that she had always dreamed of doing, she had split from Billy in 2003, and they separated only 3 months after the adoption. In early 2005, she fell in love with Brad Pitt on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith, and the critics said they had thermonuclear chemistry on screen. Read more about their Relationship Chemistry.

Sandra Bullock’s and Jessie’s James’ romance was an interesting one, and they always looked ill matched in many respects. However, it seemed that Bullock was madly in love with him, and she fought for legal custody of his daughter. The couple married in 2005, but I am not sure when they first formed a relationship. Still, transiting Pluto in Sagittarius was forming an opposition to Sandra’s Venus and Mars in Gemini when they got married. Poor Sandra attracted the wrong kind of man and made an “error in judgement”, but we can’t really judge why two people form a relationship, and there might have been many lessons involved on both sides. We astrologers call Venus-Pluto aspects the contact of love and hate/hate and love – read more here on Venus-Pluto Transits and this difficult dilemma.

In March 2010 transiting Saturn had entered Libra and celebrity relationship crisis were coming thick and fast. Transiting Saturn was forming a square to transiting Pluto in Capricorn on the world level. Now, when all the allegations of cheating had come out transiting Neptune was forming a trine to Sandra’s natal Venus-Mars conjunction. You can read more about The Astrology of Cheating and the connection with Neptune transits to Sun/and or Mars contacts in the natal charts.

The tight Pluto transit opposite Venus-Mars had now separated by about 8-11 degrees. The intensity of the relationship had ended and its deceptive nature (Neptune) was revealed. Jessie James had transiting Neptune sextile his Sun in Aries and Mars in galloping Sagittarius. Furthermore, transiting Pluto was approaching a square to natal Venus (-7) and he is in another relationship, and displays all the communal charms of a caveman, the inconsiderate brute. Jessie has Sun in Aries conjunct Saturn and I have seen this contact in another person’s chart and the man was extremely selfish, sexist and so forth. Underneath there are deep inferiority (Saturn) issues and lack of potency, which is masked by a sense of overt maleness (Aries).

On January 20, 2011 James announced his engagement to Von D, stating "You know sometimes the public and press gets it wrong. This is one of those times. 2010 was actually the best year of my life because I fell in love with my best friend. An amazing woman who stood behind me when the world turned their backs", and declared that "Growing old with her is going to be a f----n' blast!"

Hopefully for Valentine’s Day our Sandra will treat herself to a box of chocolates and nice movie and a couple of drinks, unless, she is engaged with a new man. Sandra is a Leo and she has retained her pride and dignity through-out this whole drama. I know its cliché, but it really is the inner relationship with ourselves through-out all our romantic highs and lows which sustain us, and self-love is responsible for the pleasurable sense of well-being and equilibrium (Venus).