Request for reading, please

[NewPhoenix]

Hi, I'd like a reading please. Here's my info:

Birthdate = Sept. 2, 1970
Birthtime = 8:25 pm
Birthplace = Kharkov, Ukraine (36E15 latitude, 50N00 longitude)

thank you very much!

[Fluffmeister]

Hi, New Phoenix!

Looking at the "Big Three" - Sun, Moon and Ascendant - you have Sun in Virgo, Moon in Virgo and Aries rising.

OK, now everyone knows their Sun sign - it's the thing you look up in newspaper horoscopes. Yours is in Virgo - and even people who don't know much about astrology usually know a few keywords about "their" sign! Virgo - analytical, careful, precise. Sometimes picky and critical :)

The Moon tells the same story - she's also in Virgo, and we'll come back to her in a minute because she is INTENSE - but basically the Moon is about your feelings, emotions, how you react (especially when hurt), security, childhood, mother and moods.

That Virgo is very sensitive, and can be very nurturing but practical at the same time. However, look at that Ascendant; this is also called your "rising sign", and it's in Aries. You Aries Ascendants are a pretty rare breed in the northern hemisphere (because of the tilt of the Earth, some signs rise quicker than others; Aries rushes through the sky taking only 40 minutes to rise, whereas Libra takes nearly 3 hours at your latitude). What's Aries about? Aries is headstrong, bold, daring, takes on the world without a second thought. This is how you may come across to people - they see that exciting Aries fire and don't always respect that sensitive Virgo underneath.

So, what's going on in your chart? Firstly, most of your planets are in the bottom half of the chart, so you're much shyer - or at least, more private - than that Aries Ascendant would suggest. And most of your personal planets are all bunched up on the right hand side - with five planets in Virgo.

You've got two major patterns in your chart. The first involves Neptune, Saturn and Mars. Saturn is opposite Neptune; coincidentally, that pattern in your birth chart is happening right now - Saturn is currently opposite Neptune in the sky.

This pattern repeats every 36 years. Let's start by asking what Saturn/Neptune is about. Last time Saturn and Neptune were next to each other in the sky (rather than opposite, where they are now), was in 1989. Given where you were born, I certainly don't need to give *you* a history lesson and say what happened that year all across Europe and the former USSR. Astrologically, it fits - the old order (Saturn) was broken down by a combination of Uranus and Neptune. In the early stages of that breaking down, there was a lot of optimism that the new order would be so much better than the old - the end of the Cold War, perestroika, glasnost, an enlarged EU; in Western Europe, we perceived this as a wonderful thing and a miracle that the Cold War had finally "thawed"; I don't know how you perceived it in Ukraine, assuming you were still there at the time. I was in Moscow and Leningrad on holiday that year, and the mood seemed to be optimistic, but it's difficult to judge these things as a tourist.

However, 17 years later, things are very different. That initial optimism of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction has become the Saturn/Neptune opposition. Disillusionment, disappointment, political unrest all over the world, deception; coups in Thailand, unrest in Hungary, Al-Qaeda, nuke testing in North Korea, the war in Iraq - while we all hoped for world peace in 1989, we're getting the other bitter side of the coin now. This pattern might resonate very strongly with you because you were born during a similar time of unrest and disruption - protests about the Vietnam War, horrific earthquakes in South America killing tens of thousands, half a million killed by floods in Pakistan.

OK - but that Saturn/Neptune opposition is hitting everyone born in 1970. The difference for you is that it feels more personal, because Mars is making a right-angle to both of these. Mars is a very important planet in your chart as you have Aries rising - he's your "chart ruler" - so you may be feeling a constant struggle in your own life in trying to juggle your need for survival and to earn a crust, and meeting your dreams and aspirations - and maybe with a sense that you really have to fight to get what you want, that every achievement is a major struggle.

The other big lineup you have is that bunch of planets in Virgo.

Pluto/Mercury/Moon - this is an intense combination, especially the Pluto/Moon which can indicate very intense emotions, with lots of highs and lows. Your emotions can be like a rollercoaster ride, and sometimes it feels like a life or death struggle. That Moon is carrying a lot of weight - maybe from a childhood that had many disruptions, or perhaps feeling a sense of alienation because of the way you were treated by a parent or authority figure. This is a very deep Moon, and there's a tendency to feel that you need to "serve" others all the time, and that you get bogged down in emotions and feel hurt and neglected.
This can be a big block when it comes to relationships; in fact, your chart suggests that you can be very content in a relationship - Venus is in the 7th house of relationships, in rulership in Libra, and next to Jupiter; this is good stuff. However, to reach that stage, you need to let go of past hurts; that Moon/Pluto combination is holding on to a lot. Of course, you may already have done this - the birth chart shows potentials and lessons, and this is a lesson that you may already have learned and dealt with.

With all that stuff in Virgo, your Mercury is important - and your Mercury is strong, in rulership in Virgo, and making a nice 120 degree angle (called a trine) to Saturn. This is your get out clause; you can communicate. This may be by writing, by talking, by programming computers, by doing magic. While Pluto/Moon can hold onto very deep and dark issues, Pluto/Mercury can talk about them and deal with them. This Pluto/Mercury/Moon combination screams "psychotherapy" or "psychoanalysis" and the ability to do something along these lines as a career. It doesn't have to come out that way - though counselling would be a good signature for this, you could also be cut out as a detective, an investigator, a journalist or a crime writer - but whatever you do, it's likely to be something deep and meaningful. Cut yourself some slack though - all that deep stuff is cathartic and helpful, but let your lovely Venus come out to play and pamper yourself from time to time too.

[NewPhoenix]

Hi Fluffmeister,

Thank you SO MUCH for this wonderful reading. I've been dabbling in Astrology for about 12 years now, here and there, and have always had an interest in it. And I really appreciate seeing other's perspectives and interpretations. I feel Astrology is one of those things that can never be fully mastered, as there's so much to learn. Do you agree?


OK, now everyone knows their Sun sign - it's the thing you look up in newspaper horoscopes. Yours is in Virgo - and even people who don't know much about astrology usually know a few keywords about "their" sign! Virgo - analytical, careful, precise. Sometimes picky and critical :)

We Virgos get such a bad rap. lol! All that is applicable, by the way, but one of my favorite descriptions of Virgo spoke of the purity and innocense of the vision that Virgo holds. Virgo works toward the ideal that lives in her mind and heart... and what appears on the outside as a propensity for service is actually the dedication she has to serve this vision, not necessarily service to a specific person or task.

The Moon tells the same story - she's also in Virgo, and we'll come back to her in a minute because she is INTENSE - but basically the Moon is about your feelings, emotions, how you react (especially when hurt), security, childhood, mother and moods.

Yes, this is very true. My feelings run very deep and I'm quite empathic. I constantly go through emotional transformations and purgings, which often include relationships that I outgrow. I cannot keep such ties and connections unless they fit with who I evolve into. My mother... lol... is no longer a part of my life. A necessary divorce resulting from a very toxic and painful relationship. But I'm sure that's no surprise to you, with this moon/pluto configuration. I also go through regular transformations of my thoughts, ideas, and beliefs (Mercury/Pluto conjunction), often purging, clarifying and honing my mind.

That Virgo is very sensitive, and can be very nurturing but practical at the same time. However, look at that Ascendant; this is also called your "rising sign", and it's in Aries. You Aries Ascendants are a pretty rare breed in the northern hemisphere (because of the tilt of the Earth, some signs rise quicker than others; Aries rushes through the sky taking only 40 minutes to rise, whereas Libra takes nearly 3 hours at your latitude). What's Aries about? Aries is headstrong, bold, daring, takes on the world without a second thought. This is how you may come across to people - they see that exciting Aries fire and don't always respect that sensitive Virgo underneath.

Yes this is quite true. It seems I read somewhere that the ascendant describes our Soul Path, whereas the sun describes the personality of the current incarnation. I feel that, on a soul level, I'm an Aries... the courage, fierce independence, boldness, facing fears, pioneering spirit, essential aloneness. However, the Virgo sensitivity is also there... and sometimes if I'm not careful, the constant questioning and self doubt can undermine the balls-to-the-wall attitude of my Aries spirit. It's like Aries is the gas pedal and Virgo is the break.. and sometimes it's tricky to balance the two, although if that balance can be achieved it certainly adds common sense to that fiery drive. Often people see that fieryness on the surface and fail to understand the sensitivity underneath, just because it's not as apparent.

So, what's going on in your chart? Firstly, most of your planets are in the bottom half of the chart, so you're much shyer - or at least, more private - than that Aries Ascendant would suggest. And most of your personal planets are all bunched up on the right hand side - with five planets in Virgo.

I forget what that means when the planets are bunched up on the right. Also, is there any significance to all my planets being on the right side, except for Saturn?? I'm not so much shy as I am private. In a way I'm extremely private and can go through hermit phases, although I can also easily be extroverted and outgoing, depending on the circumstance. Alas... I'm an enigma, even to myself. lol!

You've got two major patterns in your chart. The first involves Neptune, Saturn and Mars. Saturn is opposite Neptune; coincidentally, that pattern in your birth chart is happening right now - Saturn is currently opposite Neptune in the sky. This pattern repeats every 36 years.

Yep I'm 36 right now (shhh... don't tell anyone). Do you call this a grand cross or a grand square? Do you include my North Node, which opposes Mars and squares Saturn & Neptune? That would make it a grand square, would it not?

Let's start by asking what Saturn/Neptune is about. Last time Saturn and Neptune were next to each other in the sky (rather than opposite, where they are now), was in 1989. Given where you were born, I certainly don't need to give *you* a history lesson and say what happened that year all across Europe and the former USSR. Astrologically, it fits - the old order (Saturn) was broken down by a combination of Uranus and Neptune. In the early stages of that breaking down, there was a lot of optimism that the new order would be so much better than the old - the end of the Cold War, perestroika, glasnost, an enlarged EU; in Western Europe, we perceived this as a wonderful thing and a miracle that the Cold War had finally "thawed"; I don't know how you perceived it in Ukraine, assuming you were still there at the time. I was in Moscow and Leningrad on holiday that year, and the mood seemed to be optimistic, but it's difficult to judge these things as a tourist.

I immigrated to the US in 1979, and I was going to college here in the States at the time of the fall of communism in Russia. I still had some family there and from what I recall there was much chaos and insecurity. Many people resisted the change (as is typical for most people) just because the new way was so unknown, and the comfort of a known evil seemed more appealing than the unknown. Some people reacted to this uncertainty by seeking a scapegoat (typically Jews in Russia) and taking their frustrations out on them. I'm really glad I wasn't around at that time. I think my Aries ascendant would have been more pronounced in Russia and could have gotten me in trouble, I'm afraid. Do you ever revise charts to show the new house configuration based on the new location? I believe that my Ascendant (in central US) would be Scorpio... which I think doesn't negate my Aries, but just adds a Scorpio flavor to it. What do you think about that?

However, 17 years later, things are very different. That initial optimism of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction has become the Saturn/Neptune opposition. Disillusionment, disappointment, political unrest all over the world, deception; coups in Thailand, unrest in Hungary, Al-Qaeda, nuke testing in North Korea, the war in Iraq - while we all hoped for world peace in 1989, we're getting the other bitter side of the coin now. This pattern might resonate very strongly with you because you were born during a similar time of unrest and disruption - protests about the Vietnam War, horrific earthquakes in South America killing tens of thousands, half a million killed by floods in Pakistan.

Yes, the disillusionment is a major theme... to me it translates as disillusionment in the status quo, in the consensus thought of people around me and the world that I've always known. I examine what's under the rock, what's beneath the surface, and I have the ability to see the big picture... so much so that the grand illusion of life becomes so very apparent. My life can best be described by the movie The Matrix, when Neo realized that what he once new as life and the world, was just a grand illusion. Sometimes that pill is hard to swallow.

OK - but that Saturn/Neptune opposition is hitting everyone born in 1970. The difference for you is that it feels more personal, because Mars is making a right-angle to both of these. Mars is a very important planet in your chart as you have Aries rising - he's your "chart ruler" - so you may be feeling a constant struggle in your own life in trying to juggle your need for survival and to earn a crust, and meeting your dreams and aspirations - and maybe with a sense that you really have to fight to get what you want, that every achievement is a major struggle.

Yes and Mars makes a wide conjunction (10 degrees) to my Sun, which adds more fire flavor to my gentle earth. It's always a challenge for me to balance reality (Saturn) with the ideal vision (Neptune) and then act accordingly (Mars). If the balance isn't there, I find it's difficult to act, and here lies my grand challenge, which... if you include the North Node (in Pisces, 12th house) then the result of such balance also points to my goal in this lifetime, which is to realize spiritual truth and learn to let go and trust in Spirit, to follow that inner guidance. The theme that comes back to me over and over and over again is: To Be in this world while recognizing that I'm not OF this world.


The other big lineup you have is that bunch of planets in Virgo.

Pluto/Mercury/Moon - this is an intense combination, especially the Pluto/Moon which can indicate very intense emotions, with lots of highs and lows. Your emotions can be like a rollercoaster ride, and sometimes it feels like a life or death struggle. That Moon is carrying a lot of weight - maybe from a childhood that had many disruptions, or perhaps feeling a sense of alienation because of the way you were treated by a parent or authority figure. This is a very deep Moon, and there's a tendency to feel that you need to "serve" others all the time, and that you get bogged down in emotions and feel hurt and neglected.

I have been constantly evolving (Pluto), emotionally (Moon) and mentally (Mercury). I've had to purge my past and childhood (Moon) and old thinking patterns (Mercury). I actually cured myself of daily anxiety and depression by recognizing how my mental mind patterns and habits contributed to this state. Not suprising... with this stellium... I'm able to psychoanalyze myself and understand my own emotions and thoughts.

This can be a big block when it comes to relationships; in fact, your chart suggests that you can be very content in a relationship - Venus is in the 7th house of relationships, in rulership in Libra, and next to Jupiter; this is good stuff. However, to reach that stage, you need to let go of past hurts; that Moon/Pluto combination is holding on to a lot. Of course, you may already have done this - the birth chart shows potentials and lessons, and this is a lesson that you may already have learned and dealt with.

Yes I feel that I have come a long way and have healed myself enough to truly enjoy a blessed relationship. I couldn't be in such a relationship and give the level of love that is required, if I hadn't gone through the prior stages of healing and renewal. Actually this relationship helped me quite a bit to heal, and I consider it to be the most beneficent aspect of my life, a gift better than winning the lottery (Venus conjunct Jupiter in 7th house).

With all that stuff in Virgo, your Mercury is important - and your Mercury is strong, in rulership in Virgo, and making a nice 120 degree angle (called a trine) to Saturn. This is your get out clause; you can communicate. This may be by writing, by talking, by programming computers, by doing magic. While Pluto/Moon can hold onto very deep and dark issues, Pluto/Mercury can talk about them and deal with them. This Pluto/Mercury/Moon combination screams "psychotherapy" or "psychoanalysis" and the ability to do something along these lines as a career. It doesn't have to come out that way - though counselling would be a good signature for this, you could also be cut out as a detective, an investigator, a journalist or a crime writer - but whatever you do, it's likely to be something deep and meaningful. Cut yourself some slack though - all that deep stuff is cathartic and helpful, but let your lovely Venus come out to play and pamper yourself from time to time too.

Funny... I got a degree in Psychology and pursued the Counseling course, only to become disillusioned (hahaha) by the profession and abandoned the whole thing. I find that I have a deep thirst for self knowledge and awareness. I can't know anyone else like I can know myself and I have a lazer-like ability to penetrate my own mind. Heal thyself! That is my motto. Of course, as I feel we're all ONE, really, to truly know myself I come to know others as well. Yet, I have come to feel very humble in regard to helping others, as I do not believe that I'm on any kind of level "above" someone else, but rather, and depending on the circumstances, would offer my perspective as a friend, fully respecting the other's viewpoint and choices.

Yes, I do see that my planetary configuration is very cathartic for me, and I do appreciate this. And I love to play, and despite the ability to go deep, I can skip along the surface too and be quite lighthearted. An Irish friend once told me I had the craic: a lighthearted humility and poking fun at self. I do this alot... sometimes people misunderstand that I'm horribly self critical. And in a way I am self critical... but I can also laugh about it, as I'm not entirely identified with this "self" of whom I'm critical.

:)

Thank you.

[Fluffmeister]

Hi Fluffmeister,

Thank you SO MUCH for this wonderful reading. I've been dabbling in Astrology for about 12 years now, here and there, and have always had an interest in it. And I really appreciate seeing other's perspectives and interpretations. I feel Astrology is one of those things that can never be fully mastered, as there's so much to learn. Do you agree?


Thank YOU, New Phoenix, for your detailed feedback; it's really, really useful for astrologers doing readings here to get feedback, as it helps us improve our readings. Lots of people, especially if they don't know much about astrology, find this quite difficult - but with your background in both psychology and astrology you've given me (and the other astrologers here) some very helpful and detailed comments, which is wonderful!

I certainly agree that astrology is so deep it can never be mastered :)


We Virgos get such a bad rap. lol! All that is applicable, by the way, but one of my favorite descriptions of Virgo spoke of the purity and innocense of the vision that Virgo holds. Virgo works toward the ideal that lives in her mind and heart... and what appears on the outside as a propensity for service is actually the dedication she has to serve this vision, not necessarily service to a specific person or task.


That's a lovely image, and a very important point. Virgo often gets a very undeserved reputation for being a "Cinderella" figure - all about detail and "service to others". As you say, it's not necessarily service to a specific person or task. You describe it as dedication to serve a vision, and that is such a perfect description. I hadn't heard it expressed like that before, but it fits beautifully.


Yes, this is very true. My feelings run very deep and I'm quite empathic. I constantly go through emotional transformations and purgings, which often include relationships that I outgrow. I cannot keep such ties and connections unless they fit with who I evolve into. My mother... lol... is no longer a part of my life. A necessary divorce resulting from a very toxic and painful relationship. But I'm sure that's no surprise to you, with this moon/pluto configuration. I also go through regular transformations of my thoughts, ideas, and beliefs (Mercury/Pluto conjunction), often purging, clarifying and honing my mind.


I'm sorry to hear about the relationship with your mother; this is a common theme with difficult Pluto/Moon contacts. A "divorce" is very painful, but necessary to get out of a toxic relationship - this is another function of Pluto, purging toxins. Pluto does what has to be done, no matter how painful.


Yes this is quite true. It seems I read somewhere that the ascendant describes our Soul Path, whereas the sun describes the personality of the current incarnation. I feel that, on a soul level, I'm an Aries... the courage, fierce independence, boldness, facing fears, pioneering spirit, essential aloneness. However, the Virgo sensitivity is also there... and sometimes if I'm not careful, the constant questioning and self doubt can undermine the balls-to-the-wall attitude of my Aries spirit. It's like Aries is the gas pedal and Virgo is the break.. and sometimes it's tricky to balance the two, although if that balance can be achieved it certainly adds common sense to that fiery drive. Often people see that fieryness on the surface and fail to understand the sensitivity underneath, just because it's not as apparent.


Yes, I know the feeling - I've got a Pisces Sun and a Leo Ascendant. Some signs just have a reputation for being more fun than others - and for me it's much easier to play out that Leo Ascendant than the sensitive Pisces. Sounds like it may be the same for your with Aries/Virgo - and people notice the Ascendant and often don't bother looking beneath the surface to the real you until they get to know you much better.


I forget what that means when the planets are bunched up on the right. Also, is there any significance to all my planets being on the right side, except for Saturn?? I'm not so much shy as I am private. In a way I'm extremely private and can go through hermit phases, although I can also easily be extroverted and outgoing, depending on the circumstance. Alas... I'm an enigma, even to myself. lol!


The top/bottom divide, simplistically, is extrovert/introvert. The left/right divide is self/other - the houses on the right tend to involve other people (5th=children, 6th=employees and service, 7th=relationships, 8th=other people's money, 9th=higher education, politics etc). However, I'm a bit dubious about this - after all, the 11th house is about groups and friends, and yet that's on the left hand side; the 3rd is about communication, and if that doesn't involve others, then it's a pointless communication :) What it does mean is that most of your planets are in the 6th house, with a couple in the 7th. I'm not a great fan of the "astrological alphabet", whereby 3rd house is a bit like the 3rd sign, and so on - but I think it works to an extent. Using this method, 6th house is a bit like the 6th sign, Virgo; this will apply to most of your houses since you have Aries (the first sign), so it's like a "super-Virgo" chart! The sixth house is literally about service, routine, and health/illness; Virgo carries some of those themes, but as you pointed out earlier, Virgo is about so much more than just "service".


Yep I'm 36 right now (shhh... don't tell anyone). Do you call this a grand cross or a grand square? Do you include my North Node, which opposes Mars and squares Saturn & Neptune? That would make it a grand square, would it not?


You can call it either a grand cross or a grand square. Yes, I'd include the North Node, but the aspect between the Node and Saturn is a bit wide really - it's a little over ten degrees. I'd call it an "almost grand cross", because Saturn *does* square Mars, which *does* square Neptune, which *does* square the Node. It's just that the Node doesn't quite complete the square to Saturn. However, you've got four planets with each one squaring the next, so it's practically a grand cross!


I immigrated to the US in 1979, and I was going to college here in the States at the time of the fall of communism in Russia. I still had some family there and from what I recall there was much chaos and insecurity. Many people resisted the change (as is typical for most people) just because the new way was so unknown, and the comfort of a known evil seemed more appealing than the unknown. Some people reacted to this uncertainty by seeking a scapegoat (typically Jews in Russia) and taking their frustrations out on them. I'm really glad I wasn't around at that time. I think my Aries ascendant would have been more pronounced in Russia and could have gotten me in trouble, I'm afraid. Do you ever revise charts to show the new house configuration based on the new location? I believe that my Ascendant (in central US) would be Scorpio... which I think doesn't negate my Aries, but just adds a Scorpio flavor to it. What do you think about that?


I live in the UK, and so do most of my clients - and because the UK is so small, relocating a chart from one part of the UK to another doesn't make much difference. It's a useful technique, it's just not one that I've needed to use in my work very much. Of course, for someone like you who has moved a long way from home, it's a valuable thing to do - I just don't have much experience in interpreting relocated charts myself.

However, one useful way of looking at it is "astrocartography". The way this works is like this - you were born at 20:25. The Sun certainly wasn't overhead (on the MC) at that time - in fact, the Sun had set. However, at various places in the world, the Sun was directly overhead at the moment you were born - Cleveland, Ohio; Miami; Panama and so on. So you can draw a line through these places, and call that your "Sun MC" line. These could be places where you "shine" in your work - and you don't have to move there. You may find in work you keep having an unexpected connection with Cleveland (eg you work for a corporation whose head office is there). Similarly, there are other places in the world where, say, Jupiter was rising when you were born. These places might be lucky for you.

I've attached two maps - one for Ukraine, one for central USA including Missouri. You can see that you've moved to a place where you have Mars on the MC - no wonder you're acting out that Aries Ascendant! Khar'kov, on the other hand, is near your Venus/Dsc line - this simply means that Venus was close to setting in your home town when you were born; you can see this from the chart, of course (Venus near the Descendant). This doesn't necessarily mean that relationships for you will be better in Ukraine than in the US, but you may find a Ukraine connection in your relationships.


Yes, the disillusionment is a major theme... to me it translates as disillusionment in the status quo, in the consensus thought of people around me and the world that I've always known. I examine what's under the rock, what's beneath the surface, and I have the ability to see the big picture... so much so that the grand illusion of life becomes so very apparent. My life can best be described by the movie The Matrix, when Neo realized that what he once new as life and the world, was just a grand illusion. Sometimes that pill is hard to swallow.

Yes and Mars makes a wide conjunction (10 degrees) to my Sun, which adds more fire flavor to my gentle earth. It's always a challenge for me to balance reality (Saturn) with the ideal vision (Neptune) and then act accordingly (Mars). If the balance isn't there, I find it's difficult to act, and here lies my grand challenge, which... if you include the North Node (in Pisces, 12th house) then the result of such balance also points to my goal in this lifetime, which is to realize spiritual truth and learn to let go and trust in Spirit, to follow that inner guidance. The theme that comes back to me over and over and over again is: To Be in this world while recognizing that I'm not OF this world.


I missed the Node in the 12th in Pisces - I like the being in this world but not of it - that's a great interpretation!


I have been constantly evolving (Pluto), emotionally (Moon) and mentally (Mercury). I've had to purge my past and childhood (Moon) and old thinking patterns (Mercury). I actually cured myself of daily anxiety and depression by recognizing how my mental mind patterns and habits contributed to this state. Not suprising... with this stellium... I'm able to psychoanalyze myself and understand my own emotions and thoughts.

Yes I feel that I have come a long way and have healed myself enough to truly enjoy a blessed relationship. I couldn't be in such a relationship and give the level of love that is required, if I hadn't gone through the prior stages of healing and renewal. Actually this relationship helped me quite a bit to heal, and I consider it to be the most beneficent aspect of my life, a gift better than winning the lottery (Venus conjunct Jupiter in 7th house).

Funny... I got a degree in Psychology and pursued the Counseling course, only to become disillusioned (hahaha) by the profession and abandoned the whole thing. I find that I have a deep thirst for self knowledge and awareness. I can't know anyone else like I can know myself and I have a lazer-like ability to penetrate my own mind. Heal thyself! That is my motto. Of course, as I feel we're all ONE, really, to truly know myself I come to know others as well. Yet, I have come to feel very humble in regard to helping others, as I do not believe that I'm on any kind of level "above" someone else, but rather, and depending on the circumstances, would offer my perspective as a friend, fully respecting the other's viewpoint and choices.

Yes, I do see that my planetary configuration is very cathartic for me, and I do appreciate this. And I love to play, and despite the ability to go deep, I can skip along the surface too and be quite lighthearted. An Irish friend once told me I had the craic: a lighthearted humility and poking fun at self. I do this alot... sometimes people misunderstand that I'm horribly self critical. And in a way I am self critical... but I can also laugh about it, as I'm not entirely identified with this "self" of whom I'm critical.

:)

Thank you.

That is a fantastic example of how you've used the energies in your chart to transform your life. Far too often, people (including astrologers) consider themselves to be at the mercy of fate, and look to their chart to provide an excuse for why they're hard done by. You've shown that you can use what is in the chart - even when it's a really challenging configuration like your Pluto/Moon - as gifts to transform your life and turn it into what you want; this is genuine alchemy! I think your story is truly inspirational, and a lesson to all of us - thank you so much for sharing it.

[NewPhoenix]

Hi again!

Thank YOU, New Phoenix, for your detailed feedback; it's really, really useful for astrologers doing readings here to get feedback, as it helps us improve our readings. Lots of people, especially if they don't know much about astrology, find this quite difficult - but with your background in both psychology and astrology you've given me (and the other astrologers here) some very helpful and detailed comments, which is wonderful!

You're very welcome. :)


Yes, I know the feeling - I've got a Pisces Sun and a Leo Ascendant. Some signs just have a reputation for being more fun than others - and for me it's much easier to play out that Leo Ascendant than the sensitive Pisces. Sounds like it may be the same for your with Aries/Virgo - and people notice the Ascendant and often don't bother looking beneath the surface to the real you until they get to know you much better.

That's very interesting... my daughter has a Pisces Sun and a Leo Ascendant too. My condolenses to your parents, btw. (just kidding). :hahugh: She can be a handful, wanting to be center stage and needing constant attention. Yet she's very loving and affectionate too, and a blessing for me in that regard. She has an Aries moon also, so her top 3 are an interesting mix, don't you think? Another interesting coincidence is that my husband (her father) has Pisces Sun, Aries Moon and Aquarius Ascendant... so the two of them are like 2 peas in a pod... very playful. I bet you're playful too, aren't you??

The top/bottom divide, simplistically, is extrovert/introvert. The left/right divide is self/other - the houses on the right tend to involve other people (5th=children, 6th=employees and service, 7th=relationships, 8th=other people's money, 9th=higher education, politics etc). However, I'm a bit dubious about this - after all, the 11th house is about groups and friends, and yet that's on the left hand side; the 3rd is about communication, and if that doesn't involve others, then it's a pointless communication :)

Yeah, I see the contradiction too. I had to stop and look something up in one of my favorite Astrology books: The Inner Sky, by Steven Forrest. (I highly recommend it). He says that the upper hemisphere represents objectivity and the lower hemisphere represents subjectivity. This is a different emphasis than extravert/introvert. One can still be extraverted but more subjective about it, for example. Also, he goes on to say that the chart is also divided into the east hemisphere (left) and west hemisphere (right). The east symbolizes freedom and individual choice whereas the west symbolizes fate or destiny. And I think this really does fit, as I feel VERY strongly that my life is guided by fate and destiny.

ooohhh... I just had a big AHA! I realized that I've always had this sense that I SHOULD exercize freedom and choice about the course of my life and have had a hard time reconciling that with the fact that it has always been subjected to the forces of destiny. And I just realized that what was driving this sense of "should" was my Saturn... being the only planet on the east side. HAHAHAHA!!! That's too cool!


You can call it either a grand cross or a grand square. Yes, I'd include the North Node, but the aspect between the Node and Saturn is a bit wide really - it's a little over ten degrees. I'd call it an "almost grand cross", because Saturn *does* square Mars, which *does* square Neptune, which *does* square the Node. It's just that the Node doesn't quite complete the square to Saturn. However, you've got four planets with each one squaring the next, so it's practically a grand cross!

LOL! Grand square by association! It still does the trick. :wth:


I live in the UK, and so do most of my clients - and because the UK is so small, relocating a chart from one part of the UK to another doesn't make much difference. It's a useful technique, it's just not one that I've needed to use in my work very much. Of course, for someone like you who has moved a long way from home, it's a valuable thing to do - I just don't have much experience in interpreting relocated charts myself.

However, one useful way of looking at it is "astrocartography". The way this works is like this - you were born at 20:25. The Sun certainly wasn't overhead (on the MC) at that time - in fact, the Sun had set. However, at various places in the world, the Sun was directly overhead at the moment you were born - Cleveland, Ohio; Miami; Panama and so on. So you can draw a line through these places, and call that your "Sun MC" line. These could be places where you "shine" in your work - and you don't have to move there. You may find in work you keep having an unexpected connection with Cleveland (eg you work for a corporation whose head office is there). Similarly, there are other places in the world where, say, Jupiter was rising when you were born. These places might be lucky for you.

I've attached two maps - one for Ukraine, one for central USA including Missouri. You can see that you've moved to a place where you have Mars on the MC - no wonder you're acting out that Aries Ascendant! Khar'kov, on the other hand, is near your Venus/Dsc line - this simply means that Venus was close to setting in your home town when you were born; you can see this from the chart, of course (Venus near the Descendant). This doesn't necessarily mean that relationships for you will be better in Ukraine than in the US, but you may find a Ukraine connection in your relationships.

Well what's interesting about that is that the culture in Russia, at least at the time of communism, was one where the male was more dominant. So I probably would have been conditioned to be more subdued and accomodating in Ukraine. However here in the U.S. I've typically taken on more of a male role in my relationships... such as being the primary breadwinner, etc. The relationships themselves are very equal... and I gotta have it that way, with my Libra ruling the 7th house, and with Venus and Jupiter there. But to the eyes of society (MC) I appear to be the head of household.

Thank you for those charts and the suggestion of astrocartography. I'll have to check that out.

That is a fantastic example of how you've used the energies in your chart to transform your life. Far too often, people (including astrologers) consider themselves to be at the mercy of fate, and look to their chart to provide an excuse for why they're hard done by. You've shown that you can use what is in the chart - even when it's a really challenging configuration like your Pluto/Moon - as gifts to transform your life and turn it into what you want; this is genuine alchemy! I think your story is truly inspirational, and a lesson to all of us - thank you so much for sharing it.

Thank you. Yeah I don't believe in using Astrology in a fatalistic way. The way I see it is that there are no good or bad planets. Each planet and configuration paints a picture of a particular potential, offering us an opportunity to choose how to use the energies we're given to work with. It's like an artist with a block of marble... not everyone creates a David, although the possibility is there. :hahugh:

Hey I got a proposition for you. :idea: How about you let me read your chart. That way I can get some practice and you can give me that higher level of feedback that is so hard to come by. I'm having loads of fun discussing all this with you. What do you say??

[Fluffmeister]

Hi again!

I bet you're playful too, aren't you??



Who, moi? Well, maybe - when my Saturn lets me :)

Hey I got a proposition for you. :idea: How about you let me read your chart. That way I can get some practice and you can give me that higher level of feedback that is so hard to come by. I'm having loads of fun discussing all this with you. What do you say??

Sounds good to me! Thank you, that would be lovely!

My data: 15 March 1960, 15:25 GMT, Windsor UK 0W38 51N29. Asc: 28Leo, Sun 25Pis.

Chris.

[business voodoo]

new thread ... the fluff under the scope ...

[NewPhoenix]

Who, moi? Well, maybe - when my Saturn lets me :)



Sounds good to me! Thank you, that would be lovely!

My data: 15 March 1960, 15:25 GMT, Windsor UK 0W38 51N29. Asc: 28Leo, Sun 25Pis.

Chris.

Woohoo!! This weekend I will uncover the mystery of Chris. :heybaby:

[KEishin]

You knew it was inevitable. He couldn't hide forever. :D