Aspects in Astrology

The horoscope chart is like a roadmap. It very succinctly shows us the things we can take for granted as well as the areas of life that we’ll need to work on. Astrological aspects give us one way to analyze the map’s potential.

“Soft” or flowing aspects indicate things that are easy for us. With sextiles and trines, only a little effort is necessary to maximize what’s promised by the linked planets. With the Moon sextile Venus, for example, one easily finds opportunities to develop relationships with women and can have an intuitive connection with them. However this aspect does not push one toward any kind of spectacular achievement. If things become difficult, other relationships generally come along to release the pressure.

“Hard” or challenging aspects are motivators that force us to do more. These planetary patterns are not easily ignored and will be activated periodically throughout life. The Sun square or opposite Saturn demands hard work in order to succeed. Those with hard aspects may also experience more disruptive changes or set-backs from time to time than a person with the Sun trine Saturn. People with challenging aspects might crave a comfortable rut, but the Universe will not let them rest in it for very long. These aspects create those determined to achieve, who can learn to make the most of what they’ve been given.

Of course, the ideal is to have both hard and soft aspects in the natal chart, which most people do. While we’re given challenges to motivate us, there are also opportunities to embrace. We’re pushed to solve problems but also have enough support and opportunity to help us do so.

The Pope, Uranus and Pluto

Pope Francis has called an “extraordinary synod” of bishops who have traveled to the Vatican from around the globe to discuss church policies from October 5 to 19, 2014. Mercury retrograde should be helpful to them as they review surveys of family religious attitudes and rehash the church’s stance on divorce, contraception and homosexuality. Uranus square Pluto is obviously at work here, as the bishops are analyzing parishioners’ contemporary behavior (Uranus) in the light of Church dogma (Pluto). Given this astrological signature, there’s a good chance for innovation.

Francis was born on December 17, 1936 at 9:00 PM in Buenos Aires, according to Astrodatabank. With an out-of-sign Uranus square Pluto in his own birth chart, he’s been called a “herald of change” by commentators. And in the Jesuit manner, the Pope’s thinking has inspired open discussions at the synod.

In addition, his Mercury at 11 Capricorn 49 is conjoined by transiting Pluto as the synod progresses. The Uranus-Pluto square already activated Francis’ Mercury in 2013 when he requested that every diocese around the world survey its families.

The Catholic Church doesn’t often hold this type of unusual meet-up. The previous one, known as Vatican II, was held from 1962 to 1965. Uranus was exactly conjunct Pluto in October of 1965 when the talks ended. After that time, mass began to be celebrated in local languages and priests turned to face the congregation. These were noticeable, if not monumental reforms, and we can expect similar developments when the bishops formulate new guidelines next year as the Uranus-Pluto square winds down. But given Catholic lifestyles in communities around the world as well as the Pope’s compassionate attitude, there’s hope that the new policies will be more inclusive and better reflect our changing times.

Evangeline’s Autumn Forecast

While Evangeline Adams never wrote the typical 12-sign horoscope column we know today, she did write other kinds of weekly columns that were syndicated in many papers around the country. In these, she often described the characteristics of the signs and tried to offer a transit forecast for the coming year for people born within 10 days of a certain date. In addition, she used other cookbook-like approaches to give some idea of the upcoming astrological weather. Consider the following, which was printed in 1922, but can apply to the fall of 2014 (I’ve updated the periods it refers to):

The fact that the Sun and Venus travel side by side from mid-September through November indicates more harmony may exist in the world and more will be accomplished along constructive lines. In fact, everything should be done to establish confidence and optimism.

We can immediately see that she associates the Sun with confidence and optimism and Venus with harmony. But cookbooks have obvious limitations. The Sun and Venus in Libra in October may strengthen the need for harmony, since Venus is accentuated in one of its own signs. Yet they’ll both become part of a T-square with the Uranus-Pluto square mid-month. Is this peaceful? Or not? Any sense of harmony in the world will be challenged and we’ll need to find new and unique ways of expressing it.

Scotland Independence

Scotland went to the polls on September 18, 2014 at 7:00 AM to decide its future. Would it split from the UK and become independent? Based on the horoscope for the event, it’s clear why the answer was No!

The Sun rises in Virgo, giving Scotland, the initiator, a strong self-identity. Yet it’s in a mutable sign and no aspects to the Sun reflect autonomy. It conjoins Venus in the 12th house, showing peacefulness and a passive bent. The Sun also sextiles Saturn in Scorpio in the 3rd house, putting Scotland in close and agreeable contact with the authorities.

Perhaps more importantly, the Moon in Cancer in the 10th house also indicates the authorities, and there appears to be a significant sense of security coming from the Queen and her kingdom – another angular placement which is possibly as strong as the Sun rising. And finally, the Moon approaches a sextile to the Sun, so Scotland retains its relationship and the stability of the past flows smoothly into the future.

Of course, there are signs of a need to break away as well, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a vote at all. The transiting square of Uranus and Pluto created a T-square with the Moon in Cancer, but at the time the polls opened, the Moon had already passed its aspects to these two disruptive planets and was approaching its sextile to the Sun. Pluto was in the angular 4th house of the homeland, but its interception in the sign of Capricorn also weakened its influence.

In addition, Jupiter in the 11th house in Leo is a strong influence for the values of the authorities (as the 11th house is the 2nd from the 10th), and Jupiter trined Uranus, showing once again the ability to work things out. Jupiter will also square Saturn, perhaps indicating future frustrations, but taken together, the aspects for the status quo do outweigh those for independence. Although the final vote was only 54% for remaining part of the United Kingdom, the astrology is much clearer than the actual votes, as often happens.

Joan Rivers – Astro Obvious

Celebrity horoscopes are often complicated, hard to analyze and understand. Joan Rivers’ chart is not one of them! It’s refreshing to consider a horoscope that almost interprets itself.

Aries rising: candid, courageous, vital, endless energy.

Uranus in Aries rising: vivacious, outrageous, frenetic, irrepressible, strong personal identity, original, trailblazer, remained relevant for over 50 years.

Sun in Gemini in 3rd house: fast-talker, ideas and communications central to her self-expression, youthful.

Uranus sextile Mercury and Venus in Gemini conjunct IC: ease of expression, attractive, quirky interest in home and family, beauty and fashion.

Uranus square Pluto in the 5th: unusual, intense personality, broke from conventions of her generation; extremes of comedy vs. tragedy in life, associated with daughter.

Moon in Sagittarius in the 9th house: funny, spirited, brash, generous, adventuresome, world-traveler, potty-mouth, top college grad.

Full Moon: dramatic events in life.

Mars conjunct Jupiter in Virgo in 6th house: outspoken critic, edgy, self-deprecating, workaholic, excessive plastic surgery (Jupiter also conjoins Neptune in Virgo in 6).

T-square in mutable signs (Sun-Moon-Mars-Jupiter): constantly active, keeps up with people and the times; extremely motivated.

Saturn in Aquarius in 11th closely trine Sun and sextile Moon (dignified by sign and outlet for T-square’s energies): consistent pursuit of goals, long career, hard-worker, overcomes adversity.

Capricorn on the Midheaven: consistent pursuit of goals, long career, hard-worker.

Moon Out of Bounds in Declination: anomalous female, unusual lifestyle, focus on women’s issues, vacillating/intense connection with daughter; pushes the limits of acceptability.

Mercury exactly conjunct Venus with both Out of Bounds: goes beyond the norm in use of mind, personal relationships; successful author of many books.

At Death:
Transiting Uranus returns to the 1st house and sextiles natal Sun and Saturn; trines the Moon: abrupt flight, did not suffer.

Transiting Pluto through the 10th trine Jupiter-Neptune midpoint in the 6th: change in health status, career celebrated.

Transiting Saturn in Scorpio in the 8th trine natal Pluto: transcending physical plane.

Transiting Mars in Scorpio through the 8th inconjunct 1st house Uranus (trigger): sudden change.

Joan Rivers was born on June 8, 1933 at 2:00 AM a.m. in Brooklyn, New York, rated “A” by Astrodatabank.

Qualities of the Signs

The cardinal, fixed and mutable qualities in astrology describe various personal characteristics. Most of us have some of each quality, but many horoscopes show a preponderance of one or another.

The fixed signs give commitment and follow-through. They’re helpful in overcoming adversity, maintaining long-term relationships, pursuing a lawsuit or achieving definite goals. People with strong fixed signs in their horoscopes know how to focus on one thing and see it through to its completion. However they may find it hard to change. They tend to be insensitive to the signals for change outside of themselves and can become stuck in habitual ways of doing things.

Those with strong mutable signs are just the opposite. They easily adapt to people, circumstances and situations and can juggle many things at once. Al H. Morrison felt that mutable energy aids all personal and professional relationships, as it provides the give and take necessary for all interactions. However mutable people often have difficulty with situations that demand persistence and follow-through.

Those with an emphasis on cardinal signs in their horoscopes are not as obvious or simple to understand. Cardinal people provide the forces for change in the world. A strongly cardinal person will feel impatient, annoyed, frustrated or anxious if they feel thwarted in their goals and ambitions. They’ll address obstacles from different directions until they overcome them.

Cardinals spearhead developments, while fixed signs may find it hard to begin projects. Once started, though, fixed people move forward steadily, but it may be difficult for them to stop. Mutables easily start something new but there are always other things that attract their attention.

Aries, which is cardinal and fire, can be seen as the most cardinal sign, since it effectively harnesses the fiery energy to move ahead with initiative. Taurus, which is fixed earth, may be the most fixed sign since it’s heavy and bound in matter. Gemini, representing mutable air, could be the most mutable as it’s light and responsive. It’s interesting that these are the first three signs of the zodiac.

A strong Mercury and Jupiter may compensate for a lack of mutable signs in a chart. A strong Pluto might provide the stick-to-it-iveness that someone lacking fixed signs needs. And a strong Mars or Saturn could make up for a deficiency in cardinal signs in a horoscope. There are so many elements to astrology that whatever the tendencies of the signs, there’s a wealth of other energies to draw upon.

Lauren Becall and New York

Lauren Becall died on August 12, 2014 at her home in the Dakota Apartments. While best known for her success in Hollywood, she was born in Manhattan. Her Moon in Aries closely conjoined NYC’s Moon, making her a quintessential New Yorker: she resonated with the City and lived here for most of her 89 years.

Becall’s family was Jewish, from Poland, and she grew up in the Bronx, Brooklyn and the Upper West Side. As a teenager, she studied acting and ballet and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. She modeled and was discovered through a Harper’s Bazaar magazine photograph, going to Hollywood at 18. Her films didn’t always succeed or garner rave reviews but she enjoyed marriage and a family with Humphrey Bogart. She returned to Manhattan in 1958, where she spent the rest of her life.

Becall’s Aries Moon gave her a tough, no-nonsense side, but she could also be charming. In her interviews and autobiographies, she was typically Aries – blunt, honest and direct. She was impatient with the public’s continued interest in her partnership with Bogart decades after his death.

Lauren Becall starred on Broadway beginning in 1959. She won Tony Awards for Applause in 1970 and Woman of the Year in 1981. Her prominent Moon gave her a big splash while young and often attracted media attention, but her more substantial success occurred in her 40s and 50s. Saturn opposed her Aries Moon in the 10th house and squared her Ascendant, and Saturn may delay things.

Becall’s Moon and the angular houses of her horoscope line up with NYC’s angles, showing a significant connection. In relationships, this often signals a prominent influence on one another. NYC’s Ascendant and Jupiter in Libra conjoined her 4th house, providing her with a lovely and expansive home base. Her Moon opposite Saturn fell in NY’s angular 7th and 1st houses. Her first house Venus in Leo fell in the City’s 10th, showing how her attractive appearance initially brought her success in NY. Her natal Pluto in Cancer was behind-the-scenes in her 12th house, but tightly conjoined the City’s Midheaven. So her inner angst and personal struggles were very much aligned with the fabric of NY and the City provided a showcase for her strengths. She never seemed spoiled by success or deterred by misfortune; rather, she often reminded us that life is what you choose to make it.

Lauren Becall was born on 9/16/24 at 2:00 AM according to her 1978 autobiography.

Robin Williams, Uranus and Pluto

Robin Williams’ tight Mars-Uranus conjunction exactly trined his ascendant – making his manic, unpredictable energy his most prominent characteristic. Mars was Out of Bounds in declination in his birth chart and nearly exactly parallel Uranus as well, reinforcing the role these two planets played in his life.

Mars and Uranus were also closely parallel intense and complicated Pluto, and so Williams actually had a triple parallel of Mars, Uranus and Pluto – with the Uranus-Pluto parallel the closest aspect in declination in his birth chart. He was very much an expression of these planets’ energies.

When we think of the characteristics of Uranus-Pluto that have been described in many recent astrology articles, they include upheavals, extreme conditions and sometimes radical or revolutionary change. Robin Williams’ career and personal life also reflected these characteristics, ranging from happy marriages, beautiful homes, loving family and an Academy Award, to lawsuits, divorce, box-office flops and substance abuse. While the public often saw the manic side of his personality, he was reported to suffer from deep depression.

The transiting Uranus-Pluto square of course played a role in Robin Williams’ death. Transiting Uranus squared Mars and Uranus in his birth chart earlier this year. And transiting Pluto was beginning a long station exactly opposed to both natal Mars and Uranus at the time of his death. True to these planets, he was unpredictable to the end.

Robin Williams was born on July 21, 1951 at 1:34 PM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to his birth certificate and Astrodatabank.

Shift Work and Biological Clock

A recent research report in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine concluded that shift workers were 9% more likely to develop diabetes. Among men who worked shifts, the likelihood rose to over 35%; men working rotating shifts had a 42% greater risk of developing diabetes. The Chinese researchers considered 12 previously published studies with a total of over 225,000 people.

Shift work disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, hormones and many body chemicals. The researchers suggested that for men, the hormone testosterone is linked to circadian rhythms, and lower levels of testosterone are associated with the development of diabetes.

While the study could not claim a cause and effect relationship, circadian rhythms are defined as those based on a 24-hour cycle: our daily rhythms of life and internal clock. And these are of course determined by the Sun! While this is, strictly speaking, not astrology, it shows that our health is directly linked to our experience of the Sun’s cycle.

Libra Rules the Kidneys

No matter how deeply we look at astrology’s archetypes, they continue to remain meaningful. Take Libra’s traditional rulership of the kidneys, for example.

Dr. Rich Snyder says in his book, What you Must Know About Kidney Disease, that “the kidneys have a kind of ‘sixth sense,’ in that as they filter the blood, they instinctively know when the body is out of balance. When it is, the kidneys correct it.” (p. 7) The kidneys regulate the electrolyte balance, acid/base balance and salt balance of the body. Adjusting sodium helps maintain normal blood pressure.

Of course we know that Libra is also ruled by the scales and is all about balance. But how fascinating to see that medically the Libra-ruled kidneys work in the same way, too!