THE ART OF

PREDICTIVE
ASTROLOGY
FORECASTING your life events
 Contents

Introduction
xi

Chapter 1
Psychological Profiles

Chapter 2
The Natal Promise
29

Chapter 3
Progressions
71

Chapter 4
The Importance of the Progressed Moon
91

Chapter 5
Progressed House Cusps
135

Chapter 6
Transits
151
 x I Contents
Chapter 7
Stationing and Retrograde Planets
183

Chapter 8
Lunations and Eclipses
201

Chapter 9
Putting It All Together
253

Glossary
263

Reading List
269

Index
2/1

Horoscopes
I. Carol Rushman . . . 37
2. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis . . . 39
3. Ron Howard . . . 63
4. Young Man-Natal Chart ... 255
5. Young Man-Founding of Company . . 257
6. Young Man-Sale of Company ... 261
 Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Dennis Ghetto and Hildegard Van Deusen for
their writing and editing expertise, to Alex Bunshank and Toni Paris
for their many hours spent transcribing my many lectures and
teaching tapes and transcripts, and to my daughter Renee Tazalla
who spent so many hours on the computer helping me organize
my work. l'd also like to thank my dear friend.Janis Robedeaux who
started me on my spiritual path, and also my teacher and mentor
Norman Arens.
Special thanks and gratitude to my mother, Cecilia Serio, to my
children Denise, Roger, Lisa, Renee, and Leslie, to my stepchildren
Paige, Robin, and Brett, and to all my many friends and clients
who have had such interesting lives and who shared their stories
with me. Also, many thanks to Andrea Neff, my editor, who did an
outstanding job. I thank you all.
 About the Author
Carol Rushman has been a professional astrologer-teaching, lec­
turing, and doing private consultations-for over thirty years. Her
clients include television personalities, movie stars, politicians,
musicians, and business people from all over the world, as well as
many of her professional peers. Carol has taught and lectured ex­
tensively, serving on the faculty of several national conferences,
and representing the United States at an international conference
in Sydney, Australia.
She was a board member of the American Federation of As­
trologers, the American Federation of Astrology Network, and the
Wisconsin Astrological Society, and was also a member of the In­
ternational Society of Astrologers and the National Council for
Geocosmic Research. Carol has appeared on television and radio in
New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, and Chicago,
as well as locally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was featured
in a documentary called "The Making of an Astrologer." In addi­
tion, she has had several of her own radio and telvision shows.
Carol currently resides in Bayside, Wisconsin, with her hus­
band, Dr. Jay Meili. She is at work on a new book on the astrology
of relationships.

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 I dedicate this hook to my husband, Jay Meili, who supports me in all
my endeavors and makes anything possible.
Acknowledgments
special thanks to Dennis Ghetto and Hildegard Van Deusen for their
writing and editing expertise, to Alex Bunshank and Toni Paris for their
many hours spent transcribing my many lectures and teaching tapes and
transcripts, and to my daughter Renee Tazalla who spent so many hours
on the computer helping me organize my work. Td also like to thank my
dear friend Janis Robedeaux who started me on my spiritual path, and
also my teacher and mentor Norman Arens.
Special thanks and gratitude to my mother, Cecilia Serio, to my
children Denise, Roger, Lisa, Renee, and Leslie, to my stepchildren Paige,
Robin, and Brett, and to all my many friends and clients who have had
such interesting lives and who shared their stories with me. Also, many
thanks to Andrea NefF, my editor, who did an outstanding job. I thank
you all.
 Introduction
In thirty years of working as a professional astrologer, I find that the
predictive part of astrology is by far the most exciting. There was a time
when predictive astrology was not the thing to do. It was the 1970s and
astrologers were using their expertise strictly as a psychological tool.
Psychology is certainly important and interesting, and it definitely plays a
very important part in what we do, but prediction is what clients want. I
have many psychologists who come to me because they, too, want to know
what's going to happen. Astrology's insight into the future is part of the
intrigue and mystery that draws people to it. The most popular
astrologers with great followings know how to make timely and accurate
predictions.
When you are a new astrologer, there is nothing like making your first
prediction. I can remember mine very clearly. I told a friend who was
waiting to hear from a lover (she had not heard from him for five weeks)
that word would come Thursday. When she called me that Thursday
evening, I don't know which of us was more amazed. He had called. There
was no thrill quite like it. That was over thirty years ago.
xii / Introduction
In my intermediate and advanced classes, I ask students to make
predictions for themselves for the coming week. I have them work with
their own chart. Some weeks the students have only minor events to look
at. Nonetheless, I encourage them to figure out something that's going to
happen. It may be an important phone call, or something as simple as
someone paying them a compliment. It may just be a good hair day But I
want them to predict something, say it out loud, and then watch it
happen. When it transpires, they are just as thrilled as I am.
Eventually, my students move on. In doing so they must decide what
astrological system they will use. A personal method is essential in
counseling clients. It gives astrologers a structure, congruency and a
consistency in their work. Clients appreciate all three. What is most
important is that each astrologer be comfortable with his or her own
system.
Perhaps because my Sun is in Virgo and I have Capricorn rising, I
believe in structures and systems more than the average person. I believe
astrologers must lay a firm foundation before they can teach or counsel,
so Tm presenting this material in a very pragmatic manner. It doesn't
matter what particular system astrologers use, but they should have an
outline that they faithfully follow if they are going to help their clients. It
will make both the astrologer and the client feel secure.
It is also important that there be a beginning, a middle, and a
conclusion to each counseling session. This is so both the client and the
astrologer feel complete when the client leaves. I prefer my clients to
consult with me just once a year because then every session is full and
worthwhile. Only if there is an important issue during the year do I
encourage them to come more often. I don't want astrology to be a crutch
for anyone. I think it is dangerous for astrologers to establish themselves
as gurus or present themselves as people who have all the answers.
My system begins with the natal chart and with what I call the natal
promise. The natal promise is the total of all the chart
components that, when combined, show each life's potential. All may
not be realized. For example, a client's natal promise might show the
potential for several marriages, but he or she may choose to marry only
once. But, it is in that potential—that natal promise—that all astrological
predicting begins. Without an understanding of the natal chart and what
it promises, predictions won t manifest.
Next, in order to time predictions accurately, astrologers must
understand the psychological makeup of their clients, because people
respond to energy differently and their profiles will show you the
differences. The difference in consulting a predominantly fixed client
compared to a cardinal one is enormous.
For timing, I use secondary progressions, which I outline below, with
an added emphasis on the progressed Moon and the progressed house
cusps. I look at progressed planets aspect-ing progressed and natal
planets. I also do a lot of work with transits and stationing planets, with a
special emphasis on the lunations (New Moons and Full Moons) and
eclipses. This is my system, and it has served me well for three decades. I
follow a logical order, which helps me feel organized and comfortable. I
encourage each astrologer who reads this book to do the same. Again,
here is my method:
1. Natal Chart
I look at the natal chart to determine what drives each client. I look at
his or her psychological makeup, which is indicated by the chart. I
evaluate what is promised.
2. Secondary Progressions
a. The progressed Moon
b. Progressed planets aspecting natal planets
c. Progressed planets aspecting progressed planets
d. Progressed house cusps aspecting both natal and progressed
planets
xiv / Introduction
3. Transiting Planets
I look next at the movement of the planets through the signs and
houses, and the aspects, or relationships, they make to the natal and
progressed planets, with a special emphasis on the stationing planets.
4. Lunations and Eclipses
The New Moons, Full Moons, and eclipses are extremely important in
timing events and also in evaluating what a client is working on at the
time of consultation.
While this system is not complicated, it is thorough, and a competent
astrologer can get what is needed for a good and accurate reading.
I think interpreting a chart is like playing the card game bridge. There
are some very good bridge players who understand all the many tools and
techniques, but they use only the very best ones. There are other bridge
players who try to incorporate all of the conventions and techniques of
the game, and end up confusing themselves and their partners. This can
also be true of astrologers. I have seen astrology charts that had so much
information written on them that I couldn't read them. In my mind, a
good basic understanding of astrology and the aforementioned
techniques is all that is needed. Good astrologers learn it all and then
select the best system for themselves after much experimentation and
research.
 Chapter One
Psychological Profiles
hen I started in astrology years ago, I noticed that it was very hard for
me to pinpoint timing in my predictions. People responded very
differently to the exact same energy Astrology is the study of how we deal
with, experience, and respond to energy Sometimes we experience the
energy as an inner need or desire to make a change, take a chance, or do
something new or different— this is stimulated by a conjunction.
Sometimes the energy emerges as an obstacle, a blockage, a challenge, or
an opportunity—this is demonstrated with a square aspect. With an
opposition, it may be a crisis in a relationship or a learning experience
through another person. The aspects, transits, progressions, lunations,
and eclipses in a client's chart create energy, but we all respond to that
energy very differently.
To better pinpoint when things were most likely to happen, I went
back to the basics. By examining the elemental placements
(fire, earth, air, and water) and the modality placements (cardinal, fixed,
and mutable), and some of each client's predominant psychological
patterns, I found I could refine my timing of predictions. From that point
on, I started all my chart work by looking at these components. These two
factors—modalities and elements—^began to reveal a pattern of how each
individual responds to a given situation.

The Four Elements

The four elements are fire, earth, air, and water. They tell an
astrologer much about a client's temperament. An abundance or lack of
an element will show how a personality manifests itself Certainly the
signs the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are in lend prominence to each
persons temperament or psychological makeup, but a stellium (group) of
four planets in an element also has a very noticeable impact on a person s
response to energy. The combination of elements in any chart defines the
personality and nature of the individual.
Fire Signs
Fire signs respond to energy very quickly and directly, with no holds
barred. They can be impulsive, ardent, and spontaneous. They favor
action and activity. They are also ready to go someplace, do something,
create something, or be somebody This is particularly true of Aries and
Sagittarius, but even Leos, with their fixity, have a strong, adventurous
spirit and, of course, the most confidence in the world. All fire signs are
willing to take a risk, start something new, begin a new project, start their
own business, or embark on a trip. Fire-sign people are also confident
and have high self-esteem. They get involved, and they approach life with
tremendous zest and enthusiasm.
Earth Signs
Earth signs are more cautious in their approach to energy. Earth-sign
people are more practical than the other elements, more real-
istic, and more inclined to need solid footing before they can go
forward. They take a more cautious, conservative, deliberate approach.
Taureans dig in their heels and really ponder things. Vir-gos want to
analyze. Capricorns, while they want to climb the ladder, do it with care.
They need a vision, a plan, and an organized structure before starting
their ascent. Earth signs need to be prepared. They are dependable,
thorough, and solid.
Air Signs
Air signs approach energy mentally. They are people-oriented, social,
and seek knowledge. They are always ready to start a new relationship or
friendship, and they love learning situations. They bore easily and
sometimes talk and think about things more than they actually do them.
Geminis have great intellectual curiosity. They will enter into a learning
situation at the drop of a hat, but their native duality is tricky. Anyone
who lives with a Gemini will tell you that it's hard to know which one of
the Gemini's many personalities is getting out of bed in the morning.
Librans are partnership-driven. They need a relationship, love to be in
love, and fall in love frequently Nothing, will stop an Aquarian when he or
she has a cause or passion. Aquarians need to express their uniqueness.
They need freedom, are very independent, and some feel they need to
leave their mark on the world. Air signs are communicative, social, and
into ideas and other people.
Water Signs
Water signs respond to energy almost unconsciously. They
emotionally float into and out of situations. They respond to energy
without even knowing they are doing it. I have a water-sign daughter who
has seven planets in this element. When she was younger, I saw her
emotionally drift into situations, relationships, and careers in a way that
seemed to be without a lot of thought. As she matured, this became less
apparent. Water signs move with whatever is going on. Cancers are
motivated to nurture and be nurtured. They only really find out who they
are when they have a home and someone to take care of Cancers often
have issues
4 / Psychological Profiles
with getting pregnant and having children. They either get pregnant
too easily or they can't get pregnant at all, or they get pregnant when
they're not married, or when they are married they can't conceive. The
Cancer astrologers I know are real caretakers. Katherine de Jersey, a
Cancer, is one of the most concerned astrologers I have ever met.
Scorpios have intense vision. They don't look to the right or the left,
but flow straight ahead with laserlike focus. Nothing stops a Scorpio
when he or she wants something. When this happens, I warn my clients
to get out of the way.
Pisces are the trickiest to describe. Their energy is chameleonlike and
absorbing. I advise my clients whose children have a lot of Pisces (or even
sometimes a lot of mutable influences) to make sure their children have
the most positive, constructive environment and friends possible because
they will adapt or adjust to whatever they're exposed to. They need to be
in an uplifting environment, because if they get in with the wrong
companions, they could follow the crowd. Pisces people, or those with
strong Neptune influences, are often affected by the moods of others
around them. My Sun is conjunct Neptune in Virgo. If my husband is
negative or depressed about something, I slide from being happy to being
in the pits. If I'm around someone who is in a bad mood, a sunny day can
turn to gloom, and my parade is sure to be rained on. I have a girlfriend
with the Sun in Pisces who has found that she cannot be around negative
people. She confessed to me that she had to stop seeing a mutual friend of
ours because every time she was with that person she was depressed
afterwards. Pisceans have porous psyches. They pick up and take on the
moods of other people and must be careful about who they spend time
with. In general, all water signs are fluid and will go wherever their
emotions take them.
Lack of an Element
A lack of any element in a chart creates challenges for the person and
the way he or she reacts to energy. These people either struggle to
compensate in order to have a balanced response to life, or
Psychological Profiles / 5
they have no idea that something is missing from their personality. If
fire is lacking, these people may have low self-esteem and little
confidence. They may be pessimistic, easily depressed, and lack buoyancy
of spirit. Those without earth in their chart may lack practicality and
grounding. One of my friends who has no earth in his chart constantly
struggles to keep his feet on the ground. He always says that he has
money for all of the luxuries of life, but none of the necessities. He has
been known to buy luxury items instead of paying his rent.
People with a lack of air have trouble being objective and tend to
internalize everything. They hunger for social interaction, but aren t very
good at it. I have a friend who has no air and an annoying tendency to
lecture. He wants his companion to sit and listen, isn t good at verbal
chitchat, and has trouble with social repartee. He's most interested in his
own point of view. People who lack water try to fill the emotional
vacuum. It's hard for these people to stay in touch with and to express
feelings. As a consequence, they tend to get involved with overly
emotional people. I have a client who has no water in her chart. When I
have a problem and try to talk to her about it, she says all of the wrong
things. She cannot commiserate with me and only approaches problems
objectively, yet she is a fabulous cook. She may lack compassion and
empathy, but she can make me feel better with delights from her kitchen.
If a person lacks an element, he or she needs to develop the missing
traits. Those who lack fire must develop self-confidence and an "up"
approach to life, and find their own personal spirituality. People who lack
earth need to develop practicality and do things to keep their feet on the
ground. The remedy for a lack of air is to cultivate the ability to really
listen to others and to learn objectivity by consciously putting themselves
in the other person s shoes. A lack of water in the chart can be brought
into balance by learning to touch, by consciously nuturing others rather
than listening and solving problems only on a rational, analytical level,
and by making a strong effort to really feel other people's pain.
6 / Psychological Profiles
The Three Modalities
After examining the elements, I look at the modalities—cardinal,
fixed, and mutable. The modalities most clearly express how people
respond to stimuli and especially how they act under tension. Will the
individual initiate action? Or try to block, stop, resist, hold back, and not
react? Or will he or she stew over things before doing something? The
modalities give a clear picture of how each person will handle the energy,
especially when there is an overflow of it.
 Cardinal Signs
It is easiest to make predictions for cardinal people. If you see a
cardinal T-Square or a stellium in a cardinal sign, you'll find a person for
whom things are happening. Tell this client what to expect, and he or she
will agree and probably say, "Yes, that's already going on" or, "I was
thinking of doing that." Life is full of adventure and change for such
people. They are the easiest to predict for because of the way they
respond to tension. They welcome change and aren't afraid to initiate it.
They also respond well to new ideas and are action-oriented. They thrive
on crisis and need it to motivate them. If there isn't a crisis going on,
they'll create one. One of my cardinal-sign friends says, "When I have a
crisis a day, I'm happiest."
Fixed Signs
Those with a lot of fixity in their chart will go into denial during times
of change. They will say, "Nothing is going on. Nothing is happening."
Pluto, Uranus, Saturn (all major forces) can be squaring everything in
their chart, and they will still insist that nothing is happening.
This is an astrologer's nightmare. The astrologer tries to help clients
see reality. But these clients believe that if they say something isn't
happening, then it isn't. The astrologer sees the tension in their chart and
the events that should be transpiring, but these clients feel that if they
deny it long enough or strong enough, then their life will not have to
change.
I sometimes notice this with myself because I have fixed signs on the
cusps of the fourth and tenth houses. So I stay in the same career or the
same job for years and resist moving even though I could be going to a far
better place. I always find reasons not to be happy about it and drag my
feet. Once I make the move, I adjust and adapt quickly, but the initial
changes in those areas of my life are never easy.
People with fixed energy are very resistant to change, so they need to
take time to prepare themselves for the inevitable change. There will
always be some who dig in their heels and refuse to make the change or
even acknowledge it for as long as possible. Of course, this ability to stay
on track and focus is also a great strength. A cardinal sign will respond to
the energy immediately, often with the first swing of a transit or the first
trigger of a progression. However, a fixed sign may have many triggers,
such as a transit, occurring three times, or the aspect can be way past
normally accepted orbs before he or she will acknowledge it. Many things
happen to these people, but it takes a lot of tension and pressure for them
to react or admit it.
I have a client who is a Taurus with Scorpio rising. He has fixed angles
and a fixed T-Square in his chart. I have been reading for him for twenty
years, and all of that time he has wanted to get a divorce. Ten years ago I
told him, "If you're going to get a divorce, get it now or don't do it. You're
going to make a lot of money in about three or four years and then a
divorce is going to cost you twice as much." He did not divorce and now
he says, "You were so right. I'm so sorry" He still comes in and talks about
a divorce, but he's in his seventies and I told him I think it's best to talk of
other things.
A fixed man who is very much in love may need to be given an
ultimatum to get him to walk down the aisle. Not only does the woman
have to take a firm stand, but she also may have to leave him. Fixity can't
stand change, so such a drastic measure may produce the desired result.
While this strategy works for some, it doesn't work for everybody
Nonetheless, the thought of a change is difficult at best for any fixed sign.
If these clients are forced to
8 / Psychological Profiles
decide between two changes—should they go it alone and start all over
(which they really hate) or make the commitment, they will often opt for
making the commitment.
Not only are the fixed signs slow to move or change, but they also tend
to be late. Taureans are just slow, Scorpios use tardiness as a subtle
power struggle, Leos enjoy making an entrance, and Aquarians want
things on their own terms. Even though fixed signs are often late for
dates, once they get there, they stay forever. A good ftiend of mine is an
example of this. He'll say, "Fll be over in the morning." At two in the
afternoon he shows up, and then he'll stay all night. If you're on the
phone with him, you can't get off^. He is slow to get going and slow to
move or change, because fixity is so prominent in his chart.
It's important to note how energy works when progressions are in
fixed signs. I am not a fixed person, but I have some fixity in my chart.
When I had a progression in fixed signs, I noticed that for the first two
years, when it was applying and exact, very little was happening. At first I
said, "It isn't working." Then when it was 2° after the progression, the
events of that progression took place. 1 had a fixed progression that
worked 2° late, and did it ever work! With the progressed Sun in the
ninth house of legal matters squaring Saturn, my chart ruler in the first
house, in fixed signs, I became embroiled in a two-year legal battle
through the federal courts to get the laws about astrology changed. At the
same time, my husband's partner died, which caused him a great deal of
anguish and financial pressure. There was also a bitter one-year legal
fight with his partner's widow. It was a very difficult time, and the
progression was 2"" past when all of this began. On the positive side, this
was also the time when I took stock of my body, lost twenty pounds, and
started a disciplined exercise program. I also got into a new business with
vitamins and became very health-conscious. In my case, as in those of my
clients, I have found that events happen later when there's a progression
in fixed signs.
Psychological Profiles / 9
Mutable Signs
I think the most interesting modality is the mutable. Much of what
happens to mutable people is in the head. So many times things are going
on mentally rather than in tangible form. Clients with many mutable
aspects are often influenced by what's going on in the rest of the chart.
They adjust and adapt to other influences. Because they work on a mental
level, those with a lot of mutability may react to an aspect by making a
list. When the list is done, they think the project is done. With negative
tension, much of what happens involves fear, paranoia, agitation, and
panic attacks. A client of mine with a mutable T-Square says that when
he's exposed to a lot of tension, he becomes almost paralyzed and afraid
to go forward or backward, afraid to make a decision. Mutable signs stew
and firet endlessly and really suffer in the process. While they experience
actual events, the hardest part of the process is the psychological anguish
they experience.
Tm extremely careful when telling something negative or difficult to
clients with a lot of mutability, because when they leave, they only
remember the bad things I say, never the good. I can say twenty good
things and one negative thing, and guess what they take with them?
Drivers
In addition to the elements and modalities, there is always an
additional component that really motivates people. For lack of a better
term, I call this the client's driver. It is what fires up their engine and gets
them going. It is a strong part of what propels these people and gives
them their life focus. Some powerful drivers are T-Squares, strong
applying squares, stelliums, conjunctions, and oppositions. Sometimes I
do a lecture that I call "The Ten Deadliest Aspects." As I was writing it, I
found that our hardest aspects are also our strongest, most positive
driving forces. When I counsel a client, I usually say, "This is the best
thing in your chart and the most difficult thing at the same time."
10 / Psychological Profiles
T-Squares as Drivers
T-Squares certainly are drivers. I once did a research project and
found that a large percentage of successful people have T-Squares. Here's
how they work in the different modalities:
The cardinal T-Square creates a feeling that comes up from deep
inside and says, "I have to take action. I have to lead. I have to be
somebody. I have to do something." It is a deep motivation, and I
consider clients with this aspect to be the born entrepreneurs of the
zodiac. They are the trendsetters, the action takers, and this is what
drives them. If I see a cardinal T-Square in someone's chart, I always talk
to them about having their own business. Often they already do, are
thinking about it, did it, or want to. There's always something
entrepreneurial in their spirit. Many of them say to me, "Oh, I started my
own business when I was ten years old with my first lemonade stand, and
I never quit." That's how people with cardinal T-Squares work. If they
don't have their own business, they will take on a leadership role
somewhere else in their life. Many times they will stay in a corporate
structure only if they are authority figures and are moving up the ladder.
Because they are natural self-starters, cardinal people do well in sales.
Again, even though they work for someone else, they feel like they are in a
leadership role, because they call the shots and have the freedom to make
most major decisions.
People with fixed T-Squares are the focusers of the zodiac. They are
people who finish what they start. For instance, if they start college, they
often won t quit until they have an advanced degree. They focus on
accomplishing their goals, and if the goals are good ones, they will be
successful. Whenever I counsel a person with a fixed T-Square, I always
say, "You can do or be anything if you focus on it. Set a goal, because you
will have the grit and the fortitude to accomplish it. And you will work
your way through difficulties because you learned early in life that there
are obstacles, stumbling blocks, and challenges. But you also learned how
to keep going." I saw this with my stepson, who has a massive fixed
T-Square. Pluto was setting it off and I was quite concerned. I
thought, "What's going to happen to him?" He already had his
undergraduate degree and was working in the banking field, but he
decided to go back to school. He got an MBA and then went on to law
school. He worked extremely hard and ended up in the top 2 percent of
his class.
People with mutable T-Squares also have the energy to achieve, but
many times it is through conscientiousness. These are the people who dot
their i's and cross their t's. They're highly creative and flexible. I have
noted that many times they are adult children of alcoholics, or there is
some issue around drugs, addiction, or weight management in their
environment (often connected to a parent or sibling). The mutable-T-
Square child many times is the hero-child of a dysfunctional family. Often
these children come from single-parent homes where they had to take on
a lot of responsibility as a young child.
Parents with a mutable child should express extra concern for their
child's friends and be aware of any negative influences. Mutable children
often become what they are exposed to. They are chameleons who absorb
energy and reflect it back. On the plus side, mutable T-Squares can often
create a drive for perfection, enormous creativity, and great versatility. It
is important to remember that all T-Squares are distinct drivers either for
the good or for the bad.
Squares as Drivers
The Sun square Saturn, the Moon square Saturn, Mars square Saturn,
and Venus square Saturn are a few aspects among many others that drive
a person or are a focus of the chart. They are also drivers that motivate a
person to achieve, to accomplish, and to go wherever he or she wants to
go. People with many Saturn squares are often highly disciplined. They
have learned that if they don't do it all right, they'll get into deep trouble,
so they usually try to do things the right way. They are achievers,
accomplishers, and are
12 / Psychological Profiles
very structured. They do what they say they are going to do and are
dependable, ambitious, and driven. They set high standards for
themselves and for others. The problem is that they cannot or should not
expect people to work or function at the same level of perfection at which
they function. They can be their own worst enemy and harshest critic by
being unrealistic about what they and others can accomplish.
WeVe seen a lot of this with the superwoman generation. Many
women drive themselves with overly high expectations, which can lead to
sadness and depression. They must learn to appreciate their
achievements, and they need to stop and pat themselves on the back and
luxuriate in a job well done. Also, they must not be so controlling. The
need to control comes from a place where they feel that everything must
be done perfectly. Even when I predict for them, their first response is,
"No, that's not right." They want to be in control. Being a superwoman
can be difficult in relationships. I have a client who is an incredibly
accomplished and successful businesswoman, but cannot find a man to
measure up (this also applies to her employees and friends). She has her
Sun, Mars, and Saturn conjunct in Aquarius. She is very pretty—five foot
seven and a size four. She earns a lot of money, but cannot find a man nor
keep an employee, and has very few friends who measure up to her rigid
standards. Her quest for perfection interferes with her happiness. She,
like many other superwomen, forgot that once you become a goddess, it's
very hard to find a god. Not every person is willing to work and perform
at as high a level as these women do.
A person with the Sun square Saturn and Mars square Saturn has a
driving force that comes up from deep inside and says, 'Tve got to go out
there and do it. IVe got to be more and have more. I must accomplish. I
have to achieve." If this aspect manifests itself in the second house, the
emphasis will be financial. Such clients never have enough money to
really feel secure. If the aspect shows itself in the tenth house, they never
have enough status to
feel worthy. If it's in the seventh house, their partners never quite
measure up. Because the Sun is involved, often they want to prove
something to themselves or to their fathers.
A client of mine, whose Sun and Venus square his Saturn, got the
message from his father that whatever he did was never good enough.
This man worked his way through college and graduated from
engineering school. It took him five years to do it, because he had to work
full-time and go to school full-time. He and his wife had three children
before he graduated. After his graduation, his father said, "Engineers are
a dime a dozen. You should have been a teacher." Whatever this client did
was never good enough to satisfy his father. Unfortunately, this man
modeled himself after his father, so he does and says the same things to
his children.
A person with the Moon square Saturn often has issues with his or her
mother or nurturing parent. Clients with this aspect may not have had the
unconditional love they needed from their mother, so they feel they must
earn love. They must measure up, and love will come to them only when
they live up to mother's standards and expectations. As children, these
people heard phrases like "I'll love you if you get all As on your report
card" or "I will be very unhappy with if you don't keep your room clean."
They are often compared in a negative way to other people's children.
Enough is never good enough. Because of this basic insecurity, they think
they must work hard to prove themselves.
Both the Sun square Saturn and the Moon square Saturn also create
control issues. The person with the Sun square Saturn had control issues
with his or her father, and someone with the Moon square Saturn many
times had control issues with his or her mother. Often the client's parents
were cold, judgmental, and controlling. Clients with these aspects often
incorporate this energy into themselves. They tend to model or to parrot
their parents' behavior. The challenge for these people (as it is for anyone
with hard aspects) is to work the energy constructively, and not to repeat
the negative expression of it, but instead to use it at a
14 / Psychological Profiles
higher level. A person who's evolving will recognize it and work hard
to avoid it. It can be helpful to say to clients, "You're going to slip into this
behavior unconsciously. The key to growth is to know when you're doing
it and then stop yourself."
When Venus squares Saturn in a client's chart, issues around love,
money, and self-worth usually arise. The individual often felt rejected as a
child, so he or she feels inadequate, unacceptable, unlovable, and not
perfect enough. Many times the source of these feelings was a real lack of
love ft-om one or both parents. As a result, these clients are always
looking for proof of their worth and have a hard time accepting love.
Sometimes they have a difficult time charging enough for what they do or
they cannot attract enough love or money to satisfy themselves. At this
point, the astrologer should go back to the basics. Venus is the love
nature and Saturn can be cold, so the love nature can be cool and there is
difficulty in expressing love or affection. Walls go up and the coolness
these people project can make it hard for others to approach them. Once
they feel others can be trusted or have passed the test, then they often
relax and allow people to come closer.
The Venus-square-Saturn person is almost always bitterly
disappointed in love. Even someone with soft aspects of Venus/Saturn
can experience delay or restriction in love. I have Venus trine Saturn and
I married my true love at age fifty. Any Venus/Saturn aspect will bring
into the life at least one deep disillusionment in love. I usually tell clients,
"There will be disappointment in your love life, and it can manifest with
love coming late in your lifetime. Saturn does not deny love, it delays it. If
you work through your Venus/Saturn issues, you will find love."
Unfortunately, I have heard other astrologers say to clients, "You will
never find love in this lifetime." That is not true. Love could be delayed or
there may be disappointments to work through. The client must learn to
modify his or her behavior. Once that is done, the walls will come down
and love can happen. Free will enters the picture here. These clients are
not bound by destiny, they are challenged by it.
In counseling, my underlying theme is always this: You can be
challenged by destiny, but you are not controlled by it.
Clients with a Mars/Saturn aspect are usually very focused,
disciplined, and prepared. They work hard to achieve their goals and
overcome obstacles. Those with a fixed square have a particularly strong
focus. Early on they learned that whatever they did had to be done right.
But there is also a stop-go energy at work here. They will work hard for
two or three days on a project, and then the fourth day they will have to
stay in bed because they are so worn out. Many times there is an
inconsistency present with their energy. They are very competitive and
work well under pressure, so they do their best work in competition. In
most cases they will triumph.
Clients with a link between Pluto and a personal planet are attracted
to power (as is the case with any Pluto aspect). They can be ruthless,
obsessed, or have a single-focus ambition that rules their lives. They have
a great fear of being controlled and so have to guard against being
controlling.
If a client does not have the particular aspects mentioned here, his or
her driver may be another square. Often it is the tightest square that
becomes the driver. The Moon square Sun is one driver that creates
conflict between the ego and the emotions. Over the years I have noticed
that Sun-square-Moon children feel the need to bond with only one
parent at a time. Sometimes they don t know which parent to please.
Famed astrologer Isabel Hickey once told me that the Sun-square-Moon
person was many times the child who was born of an inharmonious
conception, so the person is out of sync. I have not seen that to be true all
the time. I know a very happy couple who have two children with the Sun
square Moon in their natal charts. In this case, however, the parents have
reversed roles. The mother is the authority figure and big breadwinner
and the father is the nurturer.
While Saturn squares are about ambition and self-worth, Venus/Mars
squares often work more in personal relationships.
 16 / Psychological Profiles
Unfortunately, what fulfills these people emotionally does not
necessarily fulfill them sexually, or vice versa. They always yearn for more
and think the grass is greener somewhere else. They can be quite
promiscuous if other such indications are present in the chart. I have a
client who has Venus square Mars, and while her husband tremendously
fulfills her emotionally, there is not a good physical side to their marriage.
They live like brother and sister, and he is her best friend. I have other
clients who have a great sex life with their partner, but with no emotional
fulfillment. They feel they just can t have it all.
Conjunctions and Stelliums as Drivers
The reason conjunctions, particularly stelliums (three or more planets
in one sign or house), are so powerful is because more than one planet in
conjunction (even a wide one) will emphasize and exaggerate the
qualities of that sign. Many clients have their Sun in one sign and a
stellium in another, and because of this they present themselves much
more as the sign of the stellium.
Conjunctions and stelliums have an enormous impact on defining the
person. A person with a stellium of planets in the first house or in Aries
will express energy differently than a person with a stellium in Taurus or
in the second house. Stelliums or conjunctions indicate focused, directed
energy that manifests through the sign and house in which they fall.
Strong cardinal aspects (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) or first,
fourth, seventh, and tenth-house stelliums will respond quickly to the
energy with initiative, excitement, and a desire for action. As an
astrologer, you must integrate not only the sign the stellium is in, but also
the house. The following are some examples of how you must blend the
influences. Note that in this section I am not implying that every
Sagittarius has a wide breadth of knowledge or that every Gemini is
sharp, witty, outgoing, and social. I am simply describing the most
obvious characteristics of each concentration of energy.
A stellium in Aries or in the first house will express itself by being a
pioneer, a trendsetter with incredible energy. These people will come into
a room and say, "Let's do this. Let's do that. Let's get going." Their energy
is contagious and stimulates others to do and act. They are most
comfortable working on their own and being independent. They often
make great salespeople, as they are very self-actualizing and just don't
take no for an answer.
A stellium in Cancer or the fourth house normally exaggerates the
emotional nurturing qualities and is overly sensitive. Clients with either
of these aspects have great perception and understanding of other people
and the ability to lead by having intuitive insight of others. The Cancer
boss comes into the room and says, "How do you feel today? How's your
family? Did you get over that cold you had yesterday? I thought it would
be a good idea if we did this and that. This might be a good project for
today." When the boss leaves, the worker feels that he or she thought up
the project, but actually the Cancer boss led him or her to it.
A stellium in Libra or the seventh house usually bestows tremendous
tact and diplomacy. The truth is that most Libras lead by manipulation,
but astrologers don't say that. Libras actually lead by seeing both sides of
a question, considering all the angles, and looking at the ups and downs
of every situation. Libras have the ability to get along with people, and
most people think that they are a Libra's best friend. Often I will be at a
party and the conversation will drift to politics. A Libra will say, "Oh
yeah, yeah. You are right. The Democrats this and the Democrats that.
They're humanitarian. They give to causes." Ten minutes later I v/ill hear
that person talking to someone else and saying, "Those Republicans have
their heads on straight. They are good for this and that." They will take
the absolute opposite position and agree with both sides. They are not
two-faced, they just see both sides of any issue.
18 / Psychological Profiles
A stellium in Capricorn or the tenth house inclines a person to be the
boss, the one naturally in charge. A Capricorn leads just by being called a
leader. Give a Capricorn a title or a presidency of anything, and he or she
will be happy. Capricorns lead by climbing the ladder, getting to the top.
They need status, position, and respect. They eventually become the
president of most organizations to which they belong.
Strong fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) or second, fifth,
eighth, and eleventh-house stelliums will be resistant to change, more
cautious and hesitant, and will respond to energy more slowly and with
trepidation.
A stellium in Taurus or the second house usually gives a client a
strong material drive. More than any other sign, these people need to
accumulate beautiful things and associate with beautiful people. They are
committed to beauty, expensive possessions, and sensuous things such as
good food, massages, and nice clothes. When a Taurus client of mine got
his first luxury car, a Cadillac, he got behind the wheel and told me later,
"It was almost as good as having sex," which is also a priority for Taurus.
 A stellium in Leo or the fifth house gives the client a theatrical,
dramatic flair with a strong inclination towards enjoyment. Leos love to
be on stage. They like attention, need to shine, and want to be the
dramatic figure. If it means dancing on a tabletop or buying everybody
drinks, they will do it. I have a Leo client who says he gets upset when he
goes to a funeral because the corpse gets all the attention. When I go out
to lunch with a Leo, I let them pick up the check because it makes them
feel good. They are generous, warm, and romantic.
A stellium in Scorpio or the eighth house gives the client intensity and
magnetism. Strong Scorpio influences create some of the most focused
people you will ever meet. They have tunnel vision about their goals. I
always say, "If a Scorpio is going somewhere or doing something, get out
of the way They will do it. They will get there." They have incredible drive.
I have tactfully
told Scorpios, "You can be kind of ruthless." They have answered,
"Kind of ? I am ruthless."
A stellium in Aquarius or the eleventh house is often expressed as
having a tremendous need for freedom and independence. Typically,
Aquarians are unique, individualistic, cause-oriented, and friendly, but
they tend to be loners. Many times clients with stelliums in this sign are
geniuses in a given field or may just have what other people consider to
be weird ideas. They can be ahead of or behind the times. Many
Aquarians collect antiques. Whatever they do, they do not want to be like
anyone else. Two of the most insulting things you can say to an Aquarian
are "You remind me of so and so" or "You look just like a friend of mine."
The mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) or third,
sixth, ninth, and twelfth house stelliums will react to energy on a mental
level. Under tension, they may become paralyzed or caught up in mental
stewing.
A stellium in Gemini or the third house can give a client great mental
agility and vast intellectual curiosity. I have seen many clients with this
placement who have a great facility for foreign languages. These people
are alert, quick, witty, and have many different ideas. They are fun to be
around and are so clever with words that laughter seems to follow them.
The downside is that their personalities can change on a dime.
A stellium in Virgo or the sixth house can make the person a
workaholic, someone who must do and serve. These people feel fulfilled
only when they are productive. They are fastidious, good with details,
analytical, and precise. Virgos can be feisty, witty, and clever wordsmiths.
They can also be very earthy and lusty, especially if something in the
stellium falls at 7° Virgo, the promiscuous degree.
A stellium in Sagittarius or the ninth house can make a person
idealistic and a seeker of knowledge and the truth. These people are
lucky, optimistic, confident, buoyant, joyful, expansive, and have lots of
energy. Gemini, the opposite sign, is an information gatherer and likes
little bits and pieces of information and
20 / Psychological Profiles
gossip about many things. Sagittarians want the entire picture. They
want an advanced degree in everything they study, along with great depth
and wisdom.
A stellium in Pisces or the twelfth house makes a client creative,
sensitive, and intuitive. These people can, however, also become martyrs
and sacrificial victims. They often feel sorry for themselves and can pull
others around them down. They have to guard against being taken
advantage of and giving and doing too much for others when it is no
longer warranted. Pisceans are tuned in and psychic.
In addition to noting the placement of the stellium, it is extremely
important to note which planets are in the stellium and what their effect
may be. If Saturn is one of the planets in the stellium, it will seem to hold
jurisdiction over the others and to temper or restrain the expression of
the stellium. I was very surprised to have a client with a stellium in
Aquarius who had no friends. When I looked at her chart, I saw that
Saturn was part of that stellium. Usually, Aquarians love people and
people love Aquarians, but if Saturn is involved it tones down the effect of
the sign. It modifies, cools, restricts, and restrains the expression of the
sign. An exception to this rule is the sign of Capricorn, where a stellium
that includes Saturn only makes the person more of a Capricorn.
An Aquarian stellium with Saturn will limit the free spirit that is
characteristic of Aquarius, so the client may be less unconventional.
Aquarians usually dress with a lot of flair, but if Saturn is present they
often dress like a yuppie and wear Ralph Lauren or Brooks Brothers. A
Sun/Venus/Saturn stellium in Leo will not be overly generous.
Sun/Venus/Saturn in Taurus could make a client extremely practical and
thrifty and not very affectionate. Most people experience Geminis as
outgoing and talkative, but with Saturn involved they can be
uncharacteristically reserved.
Other planets can also modify a stellium. For instance, Uranus can
alter a Capricorn stellium by making it a bit unconventional or at least
less traditional. Neptune usually diffuses Virgo, making
it less precise. Pluto intensifies the energy of any stellium it is in,
making it more powerful.
Stelliums contribute more energy than conjunctions because they are
simply expanded conjunctions. As such, they can be strong drivers. A
client with four planets in Virgo will be driven toward order, and
concentrate on work and productivity. A stellium anywhere is a strong
driving force. An example is Mozart, who had four planets in Aquarius,
three of them in his fifth house. He was inspired to express himself
musically in a unique way. I have a client who was a famous baseball
pitcher with five planets in Aquarius in the fifth house, the house of
sports and entertainment. Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount, who has
four or five planets in Virgo, was always described as someone who
worked very hard to achieve his goals—he was a perfectionist.
People with four planets in Taurus in the second house are almost
obsessive-compulsive about money. A person with four planets in the
eighth house could have a preoccupation with the psychological meaning
of life. This stellium is often seen in astrologers' and psychologists' charts.
More on Conjunctions
The Sun conjunct Saturn, the Moon conjunct Saturn, and Mars
conjunct Saturn are all strong drivers that push a person to achieve.
Conjunctions work very personally. Squares often indicate outer forces or
influences, whereas conjunctions show inner ones. Squares can often just
be dealt with from the outside and concern things we draw to ourselves
from the outer world. Conjunctions force us to look at ourselves. For
example, my Sun con-juncts Neptune exactly. As a result, I have to look at
my susceptibility towards self-delusion. For many years I was not very
clear on who I was. I was vague about my self-worth. Now, I have
resolved this because the aspects to my Sun are good and have helped me
throughout my life. As I became more constructive and productive and
used my Virgo energy to become more successful, my self-image
improved.
22 / Psychological Profiles
/ Sun/Neptune conjunctions are also powerful and magnetic, as \/ ire
Sun/Uranus and Sun/Pluto conjunctions. People with strong Neptune
energy, just as with strong Pisces energy, often want to save others. A
woman with this energy may want to help an alcoholic lover or ft-iend
give up drinking. I had a client with her Sun square Neptune who drew in
every loser in the world. She would always say, "I can go to a party with
twenty-nine wonderful men and one loser, and guess what? I pick the
loser." I call it "Loser Radar."
Aspects involving the Sun and Neptune also give a person charisma,
psychic intuition, and the ability to weave people into their spell. These
aspects create an elusive, hard-to-define energy. I always say to my
students, "Whenever you are dealing with Neptune, don't be too
definitive. Because of the nature of the planet, you don't know all the
ways in which it works."
Those who have the Sun conjunct Saturn are self-disciplined and self-
motivated. At an early age, they learn that if they make a mistake they will
pay for it. With the Sun square Saturn, the effect usually involves the
client's father. It can indicate a father who never acted like one, a father
who traveled all the time, a father who just was not there, or one who had
no place in the home. It could indicate a father who told the child that
whatever the child did was never enough or never good enough. No
matter how it is experienced, as the conjunction, square, or opposition,
the end result with the Sun/Saturn connection is the same. People with
these aspects push themselves to perform, to achieve, and to do things
the right way.
The Moon conjunct Saturn can indicate that a client's mother was
controlling and had very high expectations for the child. A client of mine
has this aspect. She was brought up in a harsh religious atmosphere and
still deals with those issues many years later. She had a profound fear of
death and had anxiety attacks when she encountered those feelings.
These were all instilled by strict religious teachings. In addition to a fear
of death, Saturn can create personal fear, guilt, and anxiety.
In every conjunction it is important to go back to the basics and think
through the implications of the planetary combinations. The planets in a
conjunction work as a blended unit.
Oppositions as Drivers
Oppositions most often pit an individual against another person. With
the Sun opposite Saturn, many times it involves the father. Either he is
absent in some way or is harsh and not emotionally expressive. The
father often fails as a role model for the child, and other authority figures
often teach the child that if he or she does not do things right, then the
child is inadequate or unworthy. An example of this is a child whose
father was absent. The role of the authority figure was filled by the
collective teachers at her very strict church school. It was a severe
education experience in which the child learned to be ultraprepared in
order to avoid humiliation in the classroom.
Oppositions tend to manifest in relationships because they indicate
friction between a person and someone else. There is always that polarity.
I find that with the Sun opposite Pluto, many times these people become
successful because they are competitive with other people and they need
to prove something. The Sun/Pluto square forces people to struggle and
push, while the Sun/Pluto conjunction simply puts an enormous, intense,
driving force into their lives.
Squares generate a great deal of activity. Usually it is an outside
influence that forces a person to respond to the energy The push actually
comes from within, but it is triggered by someone or something from the
outside. As an example, let's say that one of your client's tenants moves
out without paying the rent. In a square aspect, your client will probably
have to renovate the place because the tenant has also damaged it. With
an opposition, there could have been some negotiating.
Clients whose charts are without squares usually lead contented lives
up to a point, but when a square is formed by a transit
24 / Psychological Profiles
or progression, they have a more difficult time of it because they
haven t had the experience of dealing with that type of influence.
Obstacles and blockages are new to them. Their squares are much more
intense, much heavier, and the results more potent. People without
squares often feel that the world owes them something and are not as
inclined to go after what they want in the proper way. They look for
someone to take care of them, someone to do it for them, or someone on
whose coattails they can ride.
Clients whose charts are without oppositions, however, have a difficult
time learning from their mistakes. This is also the case with a void-of-
course Moon (a Moon that makes no aspects before it leaves its sign.)
Without oppositions, the individual also is likely to have relationship
problems (certainly while they're young). They make the same mistakes
over and over. Because an opposition mirrors everything back, the client
can learn from his or her mistakes. On the negative side, the client may
also project his or her own shortcomings onto others. If a client lacks
oppositions, he or she must learn to walk in someone else's moccasins. A
transiting planet opposite the Sun or a progression forming an opposition
will integrate these lessons and principles within this client, and he or she
can resolve this issue at this time.
To predict for a client, you must first look for the chart driver. Find
out what makes this person tick. What is their motivating force? It could
be a tight square or a T-Square, or perhaps a conjunction or a stellium. It
will be something differen^^ every chart. It is extremely important and
you should rememl5b^ it because when that driver is triggered, your
client's life is going to change and things are going to happen. You have to
be prepared for it in order to make an accurate prediction. Over
the/years, I have learned that all psychological patterns can influence a
chart, but the drivers are the most important.
Yods as Drivers
A student once asked me if a yod wasn't a driver. I told him that I do
not feel it is so much a driver as it is the universe pointing its
finger at you and saying, "You are at a turning point and your life is
going to change." I look at yods positively I equate them to someone who
is an understudy for a famous actress or actor and who fills in for the star
one night and becomes an overnight sensation. That is how a yod
operates. I have one and that is how it has worked in my life. When I was
a new astrologer, my yod was being set off and my life changed. I spoke
on my view of eclipses at an American Federation of Astrologers (AFA)
convention. Up to that point, few astrologers had lectured on them. I
worked hard on my lecture, and fifty people attended the first one. At the
next lecture I drew a hundred and fifty people. By the third lecture I had
five hundred people in attendance. I was described as an up-and-coming
astrologer in some publications and was appointed to the AFA board of
directors. My career has flourished ever since.
A yod can also be negative. People with yods seem to have more than
their share of health problems, but they also seem to have the ability to
regenerate themselves. I always have little things wrong with me, but by
the time I get to the doctor, they are usually gone. Something life-altering
always happens when my yod is activated. When I was diagnosed with
cancer, my yod was set off. When I went through a divorce, my yod was
set off". It happened again when I met a certain someone who changed
my life in a profound way, and again when I got married. Yods are
configurations that change your life, but they do not drive you. My life
often goes to extremes, but as a person who has two yods, I see it more as
being in the right place at the right time and having something very
exciting happen. It's that weird sense of fate or kismet. So, while I do not
consider a yod to be a driver per se, it certainly is important.
Ease in the Chart
when assessing someone's natal promise, astrologers should also look
for things that make a client's life pleasant and easy I once had an
astrologer tell me, "Wherever Jupiter is placed, you will have
26 / Psychological Profiles *,
abundance. Wherever you have Venus, you will have ease." But the
flip side to this can be overindulgence and laziness. My antenna goes up
when I see a chart that has Venus trine Jupiter. These people are often
lucky, but they can make mistakes. Fortunately for them, when they do
make mistakes they often come out smelling like a rose. Even Venus
square Jupiter can be lucky. People with this aspect will land on their feet
and not face the same lessons that a Sun-square-Saturn person will face.
The same thing is true with a Grand Trine. The Grand Trine (three
planets in elemental harmony) is certainly a karmic gift. It involves a lot
of ease, but without a lot of reinforcing tension it will often result in
people who won't "go for the gold." They sit back, relax, and let life come
to them.
I have the Moon trine Venus in my natal chart, and this aspect has
always has been very good to me. When I walk into a hall to lecture,
people are more inclined to like me than to dislike me. There is a certain
public appeal that the Moon trine Venus gives me. With this aspect, the
negative side is to make sure that you prepare well for the task at hand
since acceptance can be unusually easy.
Easy aspects are not as important as squares, but when they are
triggered, something nice will usually happen to your client. I recently did
a research project on lottery winners. It was not a big undertaking, but I
did find that winners had a Venus/Jupiter aspect natally. This is
something I address in chapter 2 on the natal promise. If the promise is
not there natally, it's probably not going to happen. I don't have that kind
of luck promised in my chart, so I quit buying lottery tickets a long time
ago. However, Jupiter was stationing trine my angles when I was on a
cruise and I won eight jackpots playing video poker. I also won at bingo,
and I am someone who rarely wins. So even unlucky people can have
good things happen when the heavens produce the right aspects. But I
will not count on ever being a big winner.
Clients who have charts with many easy aspects often lack drive. They
will settle for whatever comes along, such as staying
in the same old job forever. These clients also stay in the same
marriage even if it is bad, and will tend to stay stuck forever if there is not
a stimulus such as a square to motivate them to break out and change
their life. They'll need a lot of tension from progressions and transits to
bring about positive change, otherwise they won't make a shift.
When I began practicing astrology, I learned that a Grand Trine is a
wonderful gift. It can indicate real talent and very special abilities. When
I started out in private practice, I found that people with Grand Water
Trines had artistic ability, but sometimes did nothing with it. I was
shocked when I encountered people with Grand Earth Trines who were
on welfare. They did not feel that they had to work. I also see it with
women who marry successful men who take care of them. I had a client
with a Grand Air Trine who got into terrible trouble. All his life he could
talk his way in and out of anything. He thought he could do it one more
time, but he ended up in jail.
Of all the Grand Trines, I do find the Grand Fire Trine to be the most
beneficial because it seems to endow the person with courage. These
people are risk takers and have a lot of fun. But even with the Grand
Trine, they won t reach their greatest potential without reinforcing
squares. They have an abundance of energy and keep themselves very
busy. They're warm and charming, and people respond to them
positively, but they are also used to having everything fall into their laps.
They take for granted what other people have to work very hard for. They
just assume that life is easy for everybody. They don't understand why
someone may hesitate or analyze before stepping forward, because
they're used to taking risks and coming out on top. They simply won't
achieve their greatest potential without reinforcing squares. Often they
don't recognize their limits, so they burn out.
I have seen people with Grand Earth Trines go bankrupt. Money
comes to them so easily that they become careless or don't take the
proper precautions to protect their finances. I had clients
28 / Psychological Profiles
who were investment brokers who thought they were going to profit
forever and didn't.
People with Grand Water Trines have an emotional self-contentment,
and many times their creativity tends to be more internal rather than
something they put into tangible form and share with the world. They
have enormous creativity, but use it only for their own enjoyment. They
can be emotionally fulfilled within themselves and may end up being
loners. They often are content living alone because they are self-
contained and emotionally self-sufficient.
The Grand Air Trine denotes an able communicator who can process
information easily and comfortably, but IVe also seen many people with
this aspect who attend school forever and never do anything in the real
world. They get hooked on the learning process. They can reach age fifty
without ever really working a job. I have a client with a Ph.D. who did
postdoctoral work, but has never worked. He enjoys learning more than
utilizing the information. He lives frugally on a small inheritance. People
with Grand Air Trines have great intellectual ability, sometimes lack
common sense, and often neglect their physical well-being. They know a
lot about many different things. They study and read voraciously, but
they are not doers. They don t know how to get out of their minds and
manifest their work in the material world.
Those with a Grand Fire Trine can be too rash and take too many
chances, like a fireman who rushes back into a burning building at great
personal risk. They feel they have nine lives. They can be impulsive, but
sometimes can survive things that other people cannot. I had a client who
lived through a German concentration camp and then went back to
Hungary. His Grand Fire Trine and the help of a good astrologer later got
him to safety when he needed to escape from the Communists. He also
had good reinforcing squares. He then came to the United States and
started a business that became very successful. People with Grand Trines
are very lucky, but they also need a driver, such as a T-Square, to push
them along to greatness.
Chapter Two The Natal Promise
^he previous chapter examined the psychological patterns and
profiles an astrologer must consider before predicting. What is promised
in the natal chart is also important. Most of what happens in our lives is
shown quite clearly in the natal promise.
Consider why clients consult astrologers. Most clients want to know
about love and marriage, career, business, money, health, and children. It
is an astrologer s job to determine the potential for each. Then the
astrologer must determine if and when a stimulus will come along to
actualize that potential. However, that potential must be found in the
natal chart first.
Is marriage promised in the natal chart? Is divorce? Many people ask
these questions. They may want to get married. They may want to get
divorced. But if it's not promised, it's not going to happen. Other clients
may want to know about success, fame, or money. These things don't
happen without luck in the natal
30 / The Natal Promise
chart. A prominent Jupiter, a strong Sagittarius influence, or a strong
fifth house indicate the natal promise of luck. Clients will often want to
know good days to buy lottery tickets or good days to gamble. If they
don't have that potential in their natal chart, nothing is going to happen.
However, if they do have a lucky chart, a good astrologer can certainly tell
when things will happen.
Sometimes fear is a burning issue. Is violence or rape a possibility?
The potential for this is indicated in a chart, too. Mars and Pluto can
show if and when a rape, assault, violence, or even emotional abuse could
happen. The astrologer's role is to help the client sidestep these aspects.
Are serious health issues indicated in the natal chart? A person is not
going to get a serious illness no matter what is happening with the
transits and progressions if it's not promised in the natal chart.
Clients often want to know about relationships. Will they have one,
and when? Relationships are particularly tricky because the potential has
to be promised in two charts, the client's chart and that of the other
person involved. The astrologer must synthesize the two.
Where career is concerned, I think it's important to realize that some
people are destined to have a powerful, important career and others are
not. Some people don't have the impetus, drive, or desire to climb
mountains. They may instead be meant to focus on other things in their
lives like raising children. Early in my life I was driven by my career, and
I was inclined to encourage my clients to do bigger and better things
professionally. It took me a while to realize that each person's destiny or
mission is unique. I learned I should not project my drives onto others,
because it was more important for them to concentrate on and develop
other areas of their lives.
Marriage
It has always been my belief that if clients want to marry, they can.
Some charts are more resistant to marriage than others. Strong Aries,
Gemini, Sagittarius, and Aquarius seem to have less need for
partnerships than other signs. They're self-sufficient and want to be free.
In contrast, someone with prominent Libra is rarely without a
relationship. Natal promise will indicate people who want to be free and
don t want to be married, and people who cannot be without a partner.
Clients will claim they want to be married, but the astrologer may find
they are not doing anything to make it happen. This is also shown in the
chart. I have never known Prince Charming to come and knock on
anyone's door, so it's important to advise clients who want someone
significant in their lives to get out and do things to meet people.
 The Sun will describe the men in a woman's life and the Moon will
describe the women in a man's life. One thing that will bring a lot of
marriages is Sagittarius on the seventh-house cusp or Jupiter in the
seventh house. Part of the reason these people marry often is because
they're optimistic, buoyant, and enthusiastic about jumping into an
alliance, and they often lack discrimination. The opposite is true when
Capricorn is on the seventh-house cusp or Saturn is placed there. Because
these people are naturally cautious in relationships, they may limit their
own marriage opportunities.
I have two clients who are astral twins, meaning they were born on the
same day, just a few minutes apart. However, when it comes to just a few
minutes, the chart can be different enough to change a life significantly.
One twin has Jupiter in the seventh, the other has Jupiter in the eighth.
Both have a cardinal T-Square with Jupiter square a Sun/Uranus
conjunction square Neptune. Neither client is comfortable with peaceful,
realistic relationships. At the start of any liaison, both are overly
optimistic, but after a while their relationships or marriages begin to
sour. The client with Jupiter in the seventh married five times by the time
she was thirty-five years old.
32 / The Natal Promise
The woman with Jupiter in the eighth has only been married once, but
she and her husband lead totally separate lives. Because Jupiter is in the
eighth house of joint finances, their relationship is based primarily on
financial security.
As astral twins, much of what happens in their lives is parallel. But
their lives demonstrate the difference between Jupiter in the seventh
versus the eighth. If a client asks if he or she will marry-again, an
astrologer can almost always say yes if Jupiter is in the seventh house or
is the ruler of the seventh. The astrologer should also remember that a
client with Jupiter placed there is less discriminating, more hopeful,
more impulsive, and more willing to take chances in relationships. It is
also important to note that if Jupiter is retrograde, marriage prospects
are much less likely, because with Jupiter retrograde what is promised is
often times not delivered.
When the Capricorn principle is connected to the seventh house, the
person may be inclined to find fault with potential partners. I have a
client whose seventh-house cusp is in Capricorn. He is a very handsome
and successful doctor. He would spend every session complaining about
his Capricorn wife. He cheated on her the whole time I knew him. After
about fifteen years his wife finally just left. He then proceeded to fall
apart and now laments that he'll never find anyone like her and that no
woman ever measures up to her. He, like others with their seventh-house
cusps in Capricorn, fears being disappointed or hurt, so he finds reasons
why a relationship won't work. It is also Capricorn's innate ability to plan
ahead and see the pluses and minuses of any situation that prompts these
people to rationalize themselves out of anything.
Another client with Capricorn on the seventh-house cusp always falls
for women who are not available. They are either married, much older, or
in a different financial bracket. These are women he can fantasize about,
but relationships with them are not likely to materialize. A key element in
his selection is that the woman is often older, more mature, and definitely
further along career-wise.
One of the women he has been fantasizing about is getting divorced
and he is suddenly finding all sorts of problems with her because she is
free. It's clear that he creates the obstacles to a committed relationship.
Interestingly, if a man with Capricorn on the seventh-house cusp marries,
many times it is to a woman who has her Sun or Moon in Capricorn or
who is quite a bit older and more mature and can nurture him. Or he may
marry a woman much, much younger, but rarely a peer. I do not see the
same problems with women with Cancer rising. They seem to express the
same energy in a more comfortable manner. Some signs, Ascendants, and
aspects may be difficult for one sex, but not for the other. For example.
Cancer placements are easier for women, and Aries placements are more
comfortable for men.
Let's take a look at what creates the potential for marriage in a natal
chart. There are a number of factors that indicate many marriages or
many opportunities for marriage. The following are the ones that I use
the most:
Classic Natal Indicators of Marriage Potential
• Aspects to and from the Sun in a woman's chart, or to and from the
Moon in a man s chart
• Applying aspects from the ruler of the seventh house
• Planets in the seventh house and their aspects
• An interception in the seventh house indicates multiple marriages
The relationship between the rulers of the first and seventh houses,
either natally or by progression, show how clients behave or what they
need in a relationship. I had a client come to me whose rulers of the first
and the seventh houses were square by progression. (Her Ascendant was
in Sagittarius, so her seventh-house cusp fell in Gemini. When she
consulted me, her progressed Mercury was in Gemini squaring Jupiter in
Pisces. Mercury is the natural ruler of Gemini, and Jupiter is the natural
ruler
34 / The Natal Promise
of Sagittarius.) I found out that she was pushing to get married. I
advised her to wait because her progressions were not supporting a union
at that time. She went ahead anyway. She got the ring and set the date,
but because the rulers were squaring each other, the marriage never came
off. This was a very interesting test for me. This woman was very close to
me, and as the invitations were sent out. the band was hired, and
everything seemed to be a go, I kept saying to my husband, "I just don t
understand. I am not going to buy a new dress until after the second
weekend in September." Well, that lunation triggered the progression and
they ended the engagement. I felt badly for them, but I didn't have to
burn my as-trolog}- books.
The relationship between the Sun and Moon illustrate how the
masculine and feminine principles work together in each client. It shows
how the client behaves in relationships, but it does not necessarily show
the number of marriages. The relationship between Venus and Mars is
just as important because they are the natural rulers of the first and the
seventh houses. They show a client's need for affection and whether love
works with or against the client's desires.
Mars in a woman's chart further describes the kind of man she will
attract, while Venus in a man's chart further defines the typt of woman
he's in tune w^ith.
Many clients will want to know if a relationship will lead to marriage.
There are several ways to determine this. In 90 percent of the charts I
have done, I have seen the potential for marriage shown in the following
way: For a woman, the number of applying aspects the Sun makes before
it leaves a sign will give the number of potential marriages. For a man, it's
the applying aspects the Moon makes before it leaves a sign.
This is a technique I learned as a young astrologer from older,
practicing astrologers. Over the years I have found it doesn't work 100
percent of the time, but it is a useful guideline. Here's how it works:
Determining the Number of Potential Marriages
• I use only the major applying natal aspects; that is, the conjunction,
square, opposition, trine, and sextile.
• When calculating the number of potential marriages for a woman, I
look at the applying aspects her natal Sun makes before it leaves a sign.
The Sun can only apply to the slower-moving planets—Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
• The Moon can apply to the Sun, and I have seen this aspect work to
indicate a potential marriage.
• Mercury and Venus can also apply to the Sun. However, what
happens is that these aspects are expressed most often as close alliances
that don t end up at the altar. They seem to work by bringing
opportunities for marriage, but not necessarily an actual marriage.
• When calculating the number of potential marriages for a man, I
look at the applying aspects his natal Moon makes before it leaves a sign.
It is possible for the Moon to apply to all the other planets if it is in an
early degree.
• I usually consider only the applying aspects between the luminaries
(the Sun and Moon) and planets, but I have seen the Sun and Moon in
applying aspect to the nodes indicate a strong karmic relationship. This is
not a marriage aspect, but is definitely a strong karmic tie.
• I have found that the stronger aspects will be expressed first. For
instance, when the luminary is in a wide applying conjunction to a planet,
this is a very strong aspect and will be expressed before a sextile, even
though the planet in sextile aspect may be closer in aspect—the strength
of a conjunction outweighs that of a sextile. So this means that a
conjunction (the strongest aspect) would describe the first marriage and
partner before a sextile would. However, all of the aspects to
36 / The Natal Promise
the Sun or Moon, both applying and separating, will somewhat
describe all of the partners a client normally attracts.
Case Study: Carol Rushman
My Sun applies to Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter, so three marriages are
promised. My Sun and Neptune are conjunct at 9° Vkgo. I have Pluto at
24° Cancer, in an applying sextile from my Sun. I have Jupiter at 28°
Virgo, an applying conjunction. I have Mercury at 1° Virgo (an applying
conjunction),^but as I said above I do not find that Mercur}^ applying to
the Sun promises a marriage. It could indicate a possible alliance, but not
a marriage. I also have Mars at 5° Scorpio (a separating sextile). Those
are my main aspects. I have some minor aspects that are not as
important. The Sun conjunct Neptune is my first applying aspect, and my
first husband was Pisces rising (Neptune rules Pisces). I had a significant
relationship with a Pluto person, which would be my second applying
aspect. Then I married a man who is Sagittarius rising with Jupiter at 28°
Pisces, and that describes the third aspect. I have found that the parmer's
rising sign seems to describe the aspect more often than his or her Sun
sign.
It's important to remember that the number of applying aspects does
not include marriage opportunities. I have three applying aspects from
my Sun, but overall I have had seven or eight marriage proposals. The
number of applying aspects involving the Sun or Moon shows the number
of times you could actually marry. I had several opportunities before I
married my first husband and a few more before I married my second
husband. But I will probably marry only twice, possibly three times,
because that is the number of applying aspects from my Sun.
Let's look at a few more examples of some famous women so that it is
very clear how to do this.

Carol Rushman September 2, 1933 / 3:55 p.m. CST Milwaukee, WI

38 / The Natal Promise
Case Study: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' chart promises three marriages. Her
chart is fascinating in that the marriages described are very literal. First,
her Sun at 5° Leo is in an applying sextile to Jupiter at 9° Gemini, and
John F. Kennedy was a Gemini. Then her Sun is in an applying trine to
Uranus at 11° Aries, and Aristotle Onassis was an Aries. Next, there is a
wide applying trine to Saturn at 24° Sagittarius. This, I think, describes
Maurice Templesman. Their relationship was very much like a marriage
even though they never legalized it. Her Saturn is in her second house
and she met him because he was her financial counselor. Mercury at 2°
Leo is in an applying conjunction to her Sun. This indicates the many
opportunities she had to marry, but chose not to act on.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis July 28, 1929 / 2:30 p.m. EST South
Hempstead, NY
40 / The Natal Promise
Another example is Grace Kelly, whose Sun at 19° Scorpio makes only
one applying aspect—it conjuncts Mars at 25° Scorpio. This was her
marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Rainier is a Gemini, but he
certainly looks like he is Scorpio or Aries rising, described by that Mars.
Her Mercury at 10° Scorpio is in an applying conjunction to her Sun, and
her Sun is in a Grand Water Trine with the Moon and Pluto (both
separating aspects). While these aspects talk about her opportunities to
marry, the Sun conjunct Mars was her one marriage.
It's important to realize that all of the aspects to the Sun, both
applying and separating, will somewhat describe all of the partners, even
most of the men a woman attracts. Again, let's look at the applying
aspects to my luminary. The Sun conjunct Neptune has been consistently
expressed by the men with whom IVe been involved. My first husband
has Pisces rising, and my second husband's Ascendant ruler is Jupiter in
Pisces. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry. Many of the men I have dated have
fallen into one of two Neptune categories: They've been either spiritual or
creative. Many have been musicians.
The second aspect is Sun sextile Pluto. Both of my husbands are
powerful men and have a certain need to be in control. I did date several
Scorpio men (Pluto rules Scorpio). All of the men I have dated have been
very powerful. Then my third aspect from the Sun is to Jupiter. The man
I'm married to now and with whom I am extremely happy has Sagittarius
rising. He's very well educated, a world traveler, and quite philosophical.
Both of my husbands became very wealthy All of the men I have been
with are described to a certain extent by the Sun/Jupiter aspect. They are
all travelers. They are all very intelligent and very spiritual in their own
way.
With Mercury applying to the Sun, I dated several Gemini and Virgo
men, and men who were younger. My Sun sextiles Mars in Scorpio. Since
the separating aspects also describe the men you draw in, that has
worked too. I have Mars at 5° Scorpio. The men in my life have been very
sexual, intense, driven, and powerful.
In a man s chart, all of the aspects to the Moon, both applying and/or
separating, will describe all of his women. Again, the applying ones will
describe the woman or women he marries. All of the women in a man s
life will have qualities and characteristics that are the same. I have a
client whose Moon is in Cancer exactly conjunct his Pluto. The Moon
trines his Mercury and Sun in Scorpio (both applying) and trines Venus
in Scorpio (separating). So, three marriages are promised. With the
Moon/Pluto conjunction, he selects very powerful, successful women, one
a famous ballerina, another a famous opera singer, and the third a
beautiful model. Because his Moon is in Cancer, he wants these same
powerful women to nurture him, a tricky request that has never been
satisfied by any of his wives. With the trine to Mercury and the Sun in
Scorpio, he needs them to be magnetic, intense, verbal, and powerful in
their own right. The trine to Venus in Scorpio brings him charismatic,
intuitive, creative women. Uranus squaring his Moon has given him a
restlessness in relationships and the potential for a sudden split. In fact,
all three of his marriages ended in divorce.
The aspects in a client's chart will tell you about his or her potential
partners, and if a person does not fit the profile, the relationship will
probably not amount to much. For instance, if a man has his Moon
square Pluto, every woman he attracts will be somewhat castrating,
controlling, or manipulative, or he will elicit that response in her. The
woman may not be that way, but his behavior will bring that out in her,
because that's how he perceived or experienced his mother. That's all he
knows, and he will unconsciously act in ways that will cause the familiar
response. So even a woman who is not at all inclined to be controlling
may find herself acting that way. Or he will be attracted to women who
are indeed manipulative.
By the same token, a man who has never been abusive to a woman in
his life may find himself inclined toward more destructive behavior when
he connects with a woman who has her Mars square Pluto. I had a man
come to me who was involved with a woman who had this aspect, and he
said that she brought out the
42 / The Natal Promise
worst in him. He was shocked by this response, because he had never
acted that way toward a woman before.
It is important for a woman with her Mars square Pluto to find a
constructive way to express this aspect. Otherwise she could
unconsciously act in a way that "pushes her partner's buttons," or she
may unwittingly be attracted to someone who is a more controlling
person. This is only one of the ways this aspect can express itself, and I
use it to illustrate a point. This does not happen to every woman with her
Mars square Pluto. It's important for all clients with this natal aspect to
be aware that this tendency is in their chart and that it's important to
figure out how to express it in a positive, healthy way.
It's important to remember that anyone can have a successful
marriage if they are willing to do the work. Negative patterns must be
broken, and in order to be successful partners, we must work on
ourselves. We are not stuck with the natal promise of our chart. There is
always the potential to outgrow the more difficult aspects. When I see
destructive tendencies in clients, I encourage them to seek counseling
and to work through their negativity.
Another factor to be aware of is that Mars in every woman's chart
tends to describe her lovers, just as Venus in every man's chart describes
the women to whom he is naturally drawn. Mars always describes the
men that a woman will be physically in tune with. A woman who has
Mars in Capricorn will be drawn to men who have position and status and
who are also earthy and sexual. With Mars in Leo she will want romantic,
gallant, self-confident, dramatic men who are generous and outgoing. A
woman with Mars in Libra will like men who are romantic, good-looking,
cultured, refined, and who have good taste and manners. With Mars in
Sagittarius, she will like men who are freewheeling, adventurous,
philosophical, smart, and exuberant.
What kind of woman will a man be attracted to? His Venus is the key.
For example, a man who has Venus in Aries will naturally be drawn to
high-energy vital, Martian women. With Venus in Gemini, he will want
women who are verbal, talkative, peppy, coy, intellectual, and social. So
many men with Venus in Gemini have
said to me, "Vm involved with two women. If I could just wrap them
up into one, Td be happy." But, of course, they could never be happy with
one woman. A man with Venus in Taurus will want women who are
earthy, stable, dependable, sexual, and attractive, and have the ability to
earn a good salary. A man with Venus in Cancer will be attracted to
women who are nurturing, sensitive, domestic, and who will mother him.
A man with Venus in Capricorn will be much more comfortable with
women who have achieved and who have attained position and status in
the community, or with women who come from a prestigious family or
who have money.
Another way to determine what clients want in a marriage partner is
to look at the sign on the seventh house and the planet ruling the seventh
house and what kind of aspects it makes. Those aspects add to the
description of the type of person who will most fulfill that client's
expectations.
I have the Moon ruling my seventh house. It conjuncts the North
Node and sextiles Uranus. It doesn t make any bad aspects, but I did get
divorced. However, my ex-husband did not divorce me, I did the
divorcing. It's in a wide opposition to Mercury, which represents all the
younger men I didn't marry. The Moon is also in a wide conjunction to
Saturn and it trines Venus. With the Moon conjunct Saturn, both of my
marriages were of a long duration. With the trine to Venus, both men
were nice-looking, well dressed, and cultured.
The sign in which the seventh-house cusp falls also indicates what's
required in a client's partner. Those with Gemini on the Descendant want
a partner who is fun, witty, smart, who has a good sense of humor, and
who will entertain them. Those whose seventh-house cusps are in Virgo
want a partner who is hard working and practical, and they also can be
very picky about their partners. Clients with Aquarius on the Descendant
want someone who is unusual, unique, interesting, and different.
Planets in the seventh house are also important. They say much about
the client's marriages and relationships. Jupiter in the seventh
44 / The Natal Promise
house can indicate many marriages, as I mentioned earlier, because
these people are willing to plunge in, take a chance, and go for it. Those
with Saturn in the seventh will be much more hesitant, fearful,
distrustful, and circumspect about a commitment. Saturn in the seventh
doesn t necessarily indicate fewer marital opportunities, but rather it
describes the person s reserve and caution. These people think through
all of the consequences of marriage and are not as willing to take a
chance.
Those with Pluto in the seventh house either take the power or give it
away in a relationship. Mars in the seventh indicates action, activity, or
combat. The Moon in the seventh creates fluctuations in relationships
and strong emotions.
Another thing I look at to see if the person can have a successful
marriage or not is the relationship between the rulers of the first and
seventh houses. Are they conjunct? Are they trine or sex-tile? Are they
square or opposed to one another? The rulers of my first and seventh
houses are in the same sign (Aquarius), so I have long-lasting alliances.
With the Moon, ruler of my seventh, conjunct Saturn, the ruler of my
first, I feel like my husband will never leave me. I feel very secure when
Tm married to someone. With the ruler of the first and the seventh
trining, it's a very comfortable, easy union. With a square or opposition, it
can work, but problems will always come up.
Clients who have been married once don t need as much "push" from
the heavens to marry a second time. If they have been married twice, they
need even less incentive. If theyVe been married three times, they need
very little to trigger another union (a progression and a transit will do it).
And as we Ve discussed, if a client has Sagittarius on the seventh-house
cusp or Jupiter connected to the seventh house, his or her optimism will
expand marriage possibilities. Of course, an afflicted Jupiter or Jupiter
retrograde can alter this. Those are important factors to look at when
predicting a marriage. The astrologer must zero in on the natal potential
first and then look to see what's going on with the pro-
gressions and transits. If it isn't promised natally, it won t happen no
matter what is going on by progression or transit.
 Clients in their 40s or 50s who have never been married need a lot to
pull it off. If their chart does not easily promise marriage, I usually find
they really don't want one. (It is just like a person who has a progressed
Venus square Mars or progressed Venus square Saturn. Love and
relationships are often the last thing they want at that point in time.)
Occasionally IVe still seen marriage happen; however, they will need
several progressions, reinforcing transits, and an eclipse activating the
appropriate parts of the chart. They will need a lot to bring it about, and
they will have to want it.
There are other ways to see the potential for more than one marriage.
Having mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) on the first
and seventh-house axis usually indicates more than one marriage. An
interception in the seventh house can be another marriage, and that
intercepted sign might really describe the partner. For instance, if Leo is
intercepted in the seventh in a client's chart, he or she may attract
someone whose Sun or Moon is in Leo. I remember the late astrologer
Katherine De Jersey telling me, "Oh, I know you'll marry a second time."
I said, "Well, my Sun makes three applying aspects." She said, "Yes, but
you also have an intercepted seventh house. People with intercepted
seventh houses almost always marry twice."
Another point that seems to be up for discussion among astrologers is
which houses describe the second, third, and fourth marriages. Everyone
agrees that the seventh house is the first union, but when it comes to
more than one marriage, I have my own system to determine which
houses to look at. This system is based on what the late Louise Ivy taught
me. (She was one of my mentors and was a very wise astrologer.) The
second marriage, she said, is the eleventh house. Her reasoning was (and
this is very moralistic logic), when you marry someone, it's a union
forever. Any marriage after the first is really a love affair. So Ivy would
count five houses away from the seventh house to the second marriage.
By the same logic, the third marriage is five houses
46 / The Natal Promise
away from the eleventh and is represented by the third house. I have
found that her premise does work. But for any marriage an astrologer
must always look first to the seventh house, because that house will
always set the tone for any marriage and express basic needs for
partnerships.
Many astrologers look at the ninth house to indicate the second
marriage. I think the reason they go to the ninth is because marriage is a
legal matter. Because marriage means legalizing a union, this house will
be active. But I am inclined to describe the second marriage by the
eleventh house. It describes the second marriage and the second
husband. This has been true in my own life. I have Jupiter ruling the
eleventh, and my second husband is so Jovian— well educated, spiritual,
and optimistic. In fact, the cusp of my eleventh house is in the same sign
and degree as his first house. I have seen clients with Capricorn on the
eleventh marry much older business types or Capricorns. I have a client
whose eleventh-house cusp is at 29° Cancer, which is the millionaire's
degree, and her second husband is a millionaire with his Sun in Cancer.
Sometimes astrology is so very literal that I'm stunned by it.
If there are no applying aspects to the Sun or Moon in a chart, or if the
luminary is in a late degree (27°, 28°, or 29°), I have found that anything
can happen when it comes to marriage. It's truly up to the person to
realize the potential. I do consider 27°, 28°, and 29° to be very special
degrees. I call them "wild-card" degrees. I feel that clients can get
anything out of this placement that they want if they are willing to go for
it.
Divorce
Another issue clients frequently ask about is divorce. Many times,
getting divorced is a lot harder than getting married. Clients need divorce
potential in their chart, especially if they have a lot of fixed signs natally.
Divorce has to be promised natally. I have had a number of people come
to me who were unhappily married but who had no promise for divorce
in their natal chart. These individuals
were miserable in their marriages but couldn't seem to get out. I have
seen them separate for a while but they end up getting back together and
stay locked in an unhappy state.
Let's examine what indicates the potential for divorce in a chart.
Classic Natal Indicators of Divorce
• Uranus connected to the seventh house in some way: either ruling
the seventh, in the seventh, or aspecting the ruler of the seventh.
• Strong natal Uranus aspects in the chart. Uranus is a selfish planet.
It wants things on its own terms, so a person with strong Uranus energy
can have a difficult time understanding what he or she needs to do to
make an intimate relationship work.
• Venus, Mars, or the Sun in hard natal aspect (square or opposition)
to Uranus.
• The Sun square the Moon natally.
 • Venus square Mars natally.
• The rulers of the first and the seventh houses square to each other
natally
• A strong natal Pluto influence can certainly create power struggles.
Strong natal Neptune influences indicate deception and self-delusion. A
prominent Uranus pushes the person to be free and live life on his or her
own terms.
Here are some other factors to take into consideration when
determining the potential for divorce:
Uranus in some way, shape, or form is usually involved with divorce.
Pluto breaks down and rebuilds, and Neptune dissolves, but it's Uranus
or Aquarius that breaks out, breaks free, and wants to do it's own thing. It
doesn't want to be encumbered. Rarely will anyone ever get divorced
without heavy-duty Uranus activation, and that will show in the natal
chart as well as in progressions and transits for that time. Also, divorce
has got to show somehow in
48 / The Natal Promise
the seventh house, or be tied to the seventh house or to the seventh-
house ruler.
Uranus involved in a transit or progression can trigger a split. When
Venus or the Sun comes up and squares Uranus, that's often when the
natal promise of divorce will manifest.
When any personal planet (Sun, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) comes up
by progression into hard aspect to Uranus, it can trigger a divorce. Again,
it has to be promised natally. If divorce is not promised, it could be a time
of separation for the couple. It could be a time when careers force them to
have a bicoastal relationship. What happens for the person is a very big
change in the area that the planet represents. With the Sun it's an ego
shift, with Mercury it's a change in mental attitude, with Venus it's a
modification of emotions and love, and with Mars it's a need to feel and
be free in how the person does things. Often the person changes so
dramatically that a rift forms that cannot be repaired.
A transit of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto through the first or
seventh house will cause people to reevaluate themselves or their
relationships. If one of these planets transits the first house, the person
will undergo tremendous personal changes that will impact their close
partnerships or friendships. If it goes through the seventh, the person will
reevaluate his or her relationships. If there is a natal promise for divorce,
again this is the time it could happen.
 An intercepted seventh house means the person could be married
more than once. It doesn't necessarily mean divorce. The person could
become a widow or widower.
When clients want to know about divorce, something is usually
happening in their chart or their spouse's chart causing them to question
their marriage or putting their marriage on the line. They may be
experiencing a Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto transit through their
first or seventh house, shaking up the Me/You axis. Or they may have
Venus square Mars by progression, a classic divorce aspect. They may
have a square betv,^een the rulers of the first and seventh houses, either
natally or by progression, being triggered, another classic divorce aspect.
Or they may have a personal planet that progresses into hard aspect to
Uranus.
Any of these can cause clients to seriously question their marriage and
commitment to it.
If a personal planet progresses into hard aspect to Neptune,
disillusionment with the marriage often takes place, and the person feels
he or she cannot stay. If a personal planet makes a harsh aspect to Pluto,
the power struggles become too intense to endure.
If divorce is not promised natally, your client will most likely work
through these difficult aspects. People with fixed angles, especially
Taurus/Scorpio on the first and seventh houses, find it almost impossible
to leave a marriage. It is a 'til-death-do-us-part experience for them.
I had a client who had fixed angles. Along with this, her natal chart
had Venus sextile Mars (the natural rulers of the first and seventh
houses), the Sun trine Moon, and the rulers of the first and seventh
houses in harmony. Even though she was having some very difficult
transits and progressions that were causing her to think seriously about
divorce, I thought it was very unlikely that she would get divorced,
because divorce is not promised in her chart. Her chart is all about being
positive, constructive, and making her marriage work, and that is what
she did.
On the other hand, if a client has an afflicted Uranus or disruptive
relationship aspects, and he or she experiences the exact same transits
and progressions, divorce will follow. Again, it goes back to the natal
promise.
Elizabeth Taylor's chart is a good example of someone with the natal
promise for divorce. She has Venus conjunct Uranus in the seventh
house. She has been divorced seven times and widowed once. Every time
this conjunction is heavily triggered, she gets a divorce. She doesn't need
much activation to break out, break free, and do her own thing.
Elizabeth's chart is a classic divorce chart. She has cardinal signs (Libra
and Aries) on the cusps of her first and seventh houses, so she rushes into
marriage and gets bored easily. She also has a lot of applying aspects to
her Sun, so she intuitively knows there will always be another man. With
her Sun opposed Neptune, she doesn t have the best judgment
50 / The Natal Promise
when it comes to men, but this aspect does indicate tremendous
charisma and magnetism. She can attract men and she knows it.
In general, it has been my observation that cardinal (Aries, Cancer,
Libra, and Capricorn) people divorce very quickly and don't look back.
WeVe talked a lot about Uranus being disruptive in marriage, but I do
have a client who has Uranus in the seventh house who has a very
successful marriage. It is a relationship that is very independent, unique,
and different. She and her husband lead very separate lives. So it is very
possible to have Uranus in the seventh house and have a successful
marriage. She found a man who was happy to let her do her own thing.
They both travel in different directions for their jobs, and even though
they lead very independent lives, when they do come together they
complement each other well.
Venus square Pluto can promise divorce. It's not always a divorce
aspect, but it does create very intense responses to relationships. If it is a
Pluto-influenced divorce, when the marriage is over it is really over. It's
so dead there's no way to ever breathe any life into it again, even as
friends.
The Sun square Moon is another aspect that can indicate divorce. The
masculine and feminine principles within the person are in disharmony.
Many times the client did not see a positive role model for marriage in his
or her parents' relationship. Again, this is not an aspect that's about
divorce per se. It's more about an inner struggle that can spill over into
personal relationships. I have seen people with the Sun square Moon who
never divorce, but they must come to terms with themselves and the way
they express themselves with others.
Venus square Mars is yet another potential divorce aspect. Venus and
Mars are the natural rulers of the first and seventh houses, which are all
about getting along. When they are square, there is a challenge. Many
times it indicates an unhappy marriage, or needs not being met, or strife.
People with this placement tend to choose partners who meet either their
emotional needs or their sexual needs, but not both. Their need for love
may be out of sync
with their sexual desires or their outward actions may be just the
opposite of their inner needs, so a person with this placement might act
distant or aloof, yet really want intimacy
Most often the key planet for divorce is Uranus. Uranus has to make a
strong statement both natally and by progression in the client s chart. If it
does not, the prospect for divorce is not as likely.
Other Factors in Divorce
Many times people think about getting a divorce when they are ready
to begin a new cycle. That can be when the progressed Sun or Venus is at
28° or 29° and is getting ready to enter a new sign. The person is ready to
make a big change in life, which can affect all close personal
relationships.
When there is a heavy planet (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or
Pluto) transiting the first or seventh house, the person and the marriage
do not remain the same. The person and the partnership will go through
monumental changes.
When people have the nodes in the first and seventh houses, they're
supposed to work on marriage and relationship issues, particularly if it is
the North Node in the seventh. The South Node is what a person is
comfortable with and the North Node is what a person is in the process of
defining. Those with the South Node in the seventh know how to "do''
relationships. Those with the North Node in the seventh know how to be
alone, but don't have the ability to be a partner. They can have a very
difficult time in relationships early in life because they don't know how to
do it. They have always been loners in past lives. Those with the South
Node in the seventh will live vicariously through their partner instead of
working on their own identity. It is important for clients to learn to
balance their nodes.
I've seen people have long-standing relationships with partners whose
signs on the first and seventh axis are the reverse of theirs. For example, a
person with Cancer rising and Capricorn on the seventh would be very
tied to a person with Capricorn rising and Cancer on the seventh-house
cusp. These two signs are an astrological pair. Together, they form a
complete unit, a whole. Their
52 / The Natal Promise
charts are in sync, as is their approach to life. It's very hard to break
this type of tie. It is a very strong link between the two people. If fixed
signs are involved, the couple rarely break the bond.
Many times the degrees will indicate exact time frames. It can be very
literal and accurate. For example, natally I have Pluto in the seventh
house at 24° Cancer square Uranus. Guess how long I was married the
first time? Twenty-four years. Degrees can indicate age, too, but more
commonly, they indicate time. I have a client for whom the degrees
indicated age. Twenty-two degrees of Aries is on her seventh-house cusp,
and that was her age when she got married the first time. When she
turned fifty-two, she married for the second time. This is something I
make note of I have also seen this type of thing present with divorce.
Uranus squaring Pluto in my seventh house is clearly my divorce
aspect. It's interesting, though, because I went to several astrologers, and
I can remember them saying, "You'll never get divorced." Part of me
wanted to get divorced. That's what I wanted to hear. But my chart
indicated that it just wasn't something that would happen easily, lightly,
or without a lot of aggravation, because it involved Pluto.
I had one client who consulted me for years. He had Uranus conjunct
his Ascendant, and every time a progressed planet as-pected his natal
Uranus, he responded to that energy by getting divorced. He came to me
with his first divorce when progressed Venus squared natal Uranus. He
got married again. Then progressed Mars moved up and squared Uranus,
and he divorced again. Then his progressed Sun moved up and squared
Uranus. Recently I heard from him and he's getting divorced for a third
time. In his chart, Venus, Mars, or the Sun to Uranus triggered divorce.
Any one of these is a classic divorce aspect.
Children
The number of children promised in the chart is not necessarily the
number you will elect to have. With the invention of birth control,
couples are not having all the children promised in either
the woman's or the man's chart. I have five applying aspects to the
ruler of my fifth house, and I had five children. I see people with the same
setup who won t have a lot of children. The couple will decide not to have
a large family. However, they can usually get pregnant whenever they
want to. They are fertile, but they are using birth control. I didn't use
birth control, so I manifested all that energy. The number of applying
aspects to the fifth-house ruler is the potential number of children you
can have. It works the same way as the applying aspects to the Sun or
Moon. Remember that the number of applying aspects to the luminary
indicates the number of potential marriages, but is not necessarily the
number of marriages the person will elect to have.
Here's how the ruler of my fifth house promises five children: I have
Gemini on the fifth house, and Mercury, my fifth-house ruler, is at 1°
Virgo. Before it leaves the sign, it applies in sextile aspect to my Mars in
Scorpio. It makes a conjunction to my Virgo Sun and a conjunction to
Neptune in Virgo. It then applies in sex-tile aspect to Pluto in Cancer, and
the last applying aspect it makes is a conjunction to Jupiter in Virgo. The
aspects Mercury makes actually describe all of my children—the planets
involved in these aspects, the signs they are in, and the signs they
naturally rule. Let's look at how this works:
• My oldest child has her Cancer Sun conjunct Jupiter, with her Moon
in Pisces, and Gemini rising. Her Ascendant is at the same degree of
Gemini as my fifth-house cusp. The fifth house always represents your
first child.
• My second child is a Virgo with his Moon in Sagittarius and
Sagittarius rising. His father has Pisces rising with Virgo on the seventh-
house cusp, and my son's Sun falls in his father's seventh house. They are
business partners. Often a woman's second child is more like her
husband (the seventh house represents both the first husband and the
second child).
• My third child is an Aries with the Moon in Sagittarius and Virgo
rising. I have Mars in my ninth house, and that house represents the third
child.
54 / The Natal Promise
• My fourth child is a Virgo with her Moon in Cancer and Libra rising.
The ruler of her Sun, Mercury, is at 27° Virgo. This is so interesting
because the ruler of my eleventh house is Jupiter at 27° Virgo. The
eleventh house designates the fourth child. I find this to be an amazing
connection.
• My fifth child is a Sagittarius with the Moon in Gemini and
Capricorn rising. Often the fifth child can be more like you because this
child is represented by your first house, or Ascendant. We both have
Capricorn rising and are very much alike.
If you have planets in the fifth house, they will describe your children
in the same w^ay the aspects to my Mercury describe mine. A lot of times
people will have two planets in the fifth house and will have rvv^o
children. Each planet will describe one of the children. I have seen people
with their Sun in the fifth have a Leo child. Many times that child will be
the central focus of their lives. That child could be also be famous,
remarkable, or stand out in some way. For instance, I have a friend whose
Sun is in the fifth and her child went to West Point and will probably have
an exceptional military career. I have seen people with Gemini on the
fifth-house cusp or Gemini prominent who have had twins. Again,
sometimes astrology is so literal and so easy that it stuns me. Other times,
it's hard and frustrating.
I have several friends who have ten and twelve children. That's when
the rules for determining the number of children are broken. There's no
way you can have ten or twelve applying aspects to the ruler of the fifth
house, but what I have observed with many of these women is that
Jupiter is in their fifth house or strongly connected to the ruler of the
fifth. In my generation there were a lot of people who had large families,
and they expressed every applying aspect to the ruler of their fifth, or they
let their fifth-house Jupiter fully manifest itself Today people are making
different choices and decisions. While they might have those aspects,
they're exercising free will and choosing to limit their families.
If it's a client's first marriage, I look to the eleventh house for adopted
children or stepchildren. The eleventh house will describe the client's
relationship with those children, and it will also describe the first of these
children. Count around the wheel to every other house for each successive
child. The second adopted child or stepchild will be defined by the first
house, the third by the third house, and so forth.
For grandchildren, I look to the ninth house. Because it is five houses
from my fifth house of children, it will describe my children's children. I
have Libra on my ninth-house cusp and Mars in Scorpio in the ninth. I
have nine grandchildren and aU are attractive, athletic, and energetic.
Each one of them has Libra, Scorpio, or Aries prominent. The sign on my
ninth-house cusp and the planet in it (Mars) describe all of them.
Further, the ninth house specifically describes my first grandchild. I then
go around the wheel to every other house to describe each grandchild in
turn. So the second grandchild will be described by my eleventh house,
and so forth.
Wealth/Money
Many clients ask about money. They want to know if they will inherit
money or if they will make money. Income and inheritances are shown by
the second and eighth houses, respectively. Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto in
positive aspect to Venus and/ or Jupiter can bring wealth. Uranus to
Jupiter or Venus can be some sudden, unexpected windfall. I have seen
lottery winners with a combination of these aspects. Neptune is more
cumulative. If a client has good Neptune/Jupiter connections, he or she
seems to be able to manifest money. The client knows he or she is going
to be rich, so it happens. Faith and beliefs seem to materialize wealth. As
the natural ruler of the eighth house, Pluto can bring inherited wealth. It
can indicate great wealth. You'll see many multimillionaire charts with
Pluto/Jupiter or Pluto/Venus connections, and many times their money
is inherited. I have a client who has a strong Pluto / Jupiter connection,
and her fortune came to her in a fascinating
56 / The Natal Promise
way. She worked for a start-up company and her employer couldn't
pay her, so he kept giving her stock in the firm. The business grew very
quickly and the stock ended up being worth hundreds of millions of
dollars. It wasn't exactly an inheritance, and it wasn't a typical way of
creating wealth, but it was certainly a bonanza. At one point, she was the
highest-paid woman executive in the United States.
I believe Jupiter trine Saturn and even Jupiter square Saturn can
bring wealth. Many times if these planets are in Cancer or Capricorn,
wealth can come through property or real estate. A client of mine has his
Sun and Venus in the second house squaring Saturn. He has an enormous
capacity for hard work and is very disciplined. His Sun and Venus are
also trine Jupiter, and he is often in the right place at the right time. He
has both a positive and a negative aspect, a trine and a square. The square
is hard work, tension, and drive. The trine is luck and the ability to seize
the right opportunity at the right moment. He made his money in real
estate, through a lucky partnership, because Jupiter is trining the Sun
and Venus from the seventh house. The hard work involved was
described by the Saturn square.
If an astrologer sees the Sun in the second house and making several
aspects in a client's chart, that person must make money. These clients
will not find satisfaction or individuality until they create wealth. With
the Sun in the second house, they are more likely to do it themselves.
Planets in the second house indicate activity around earning money and
spending it. The Sun in the second house appears in many millionaires'
charts. These are people who work hard to make it, and I've seen success
with both good and difficult aspects to the Sun.
An unaspected Sun in the second house means the client is more
limited in ability to make money than if he or she has many aspects. A
transit or progression to the Sun would be needed to bring out some of
the planet's ability to make money. A chart is a stagnant thing. It shows
promise, but it needs something to excite it, stimulate it, bring it alive,
and set the stage. The transits excite it and stimulate it. The progressions
set the stage. The chart itself
The Natal Promise / 57
is quiet without them. As the planets move through the heavens, an
unaspected Sun is going to be lit up some of the time, even though it has
no natal aspects to it. A person v^ith any unaspected planet doesn t have
access to the energy of that planet as often as if it were an aspected
planet. Think of it this way: Every time a planet is triggered, all the other
planets in aspect to it are triggered, too. A series of events occurs. It's the
aspects that trigger the energies of the planets.
Another good stimulus for making money is having the Sun in one of
the angular houses. An angular Sun must express itself publicly and there
will be the push to "make it." The Sun in the first house can enable the
individual to personally create wealth. This is someone who has a strong
personality. If this person concentrates on making money, he or she will
be successful. If the Sun is in the fourth house, destiny and family will
help propel the person to succeed. He or she may inherit a family
business, property, or wealth. When the Sun is in the seventh, success
comes through partnerships, relationships, and patronage. Someone with
the Sun in the tenth house will attract a lot of career opportunities. This is
an individual who has a lot of ambition and a need for power and status.
Career is everything to this person.
The eighth house is also important for wealth. This house represents
joint finances, shared resources, taxes, insurance, business mergers, a
partner s money, other people's money, invested money, and inherited
money. People with this placement can accumulate wealth through
investments. They can also marry wealth or inherit it. If a woman has her
Sun in the eighth house, money could come through her husband or
business partner. Her chart can help her husband make money, but it can
come through other things, too. A person with a weak fifth house (house
of speculation) but a strong eighth house should not make investments
without advice. I have a client who has an afflicted fifth-house ruler, but a
very good eighth house. She cannot speculate with money herself If she
picks a stock, it usually doesn't do well even if all the forecasts are
promising. However, if she uses her eighth
58 / The Natal Promise
house by getting an investment counselor to handle her money, she
does very well in the marketplace.
 When I'm doing a chart and I see planets at 27°, 28°, and 29°, I make
note because this person has the potential to achieve something special. I
have had many clients who have planets at these degrees who are very
rich. I have a lot of millionaire clients who have enormous real-estate
holdings with their Sun at 29° Cancer. One year I had two students in one
of my classes who both had their Sun at 29° Cancer (family) who were
blessed with inherited wealth. One had a family farm, and the land was
developed into a commercial project that catapulted her into the
millionaire category. The other student inherited family real estate and
the family business. I have another client who is a multimillionaire with
Saturn at 29° Capricorn (Capricorn needs to build and rules
construction). He started with a small construction company that grew to
be a large international business.
I have seen millionaires with planets at 27°, 28°, and 29° in all of the
signs, but most often they are in earth or water signs. I have seen 29°
Taurus or Scorpio also indicate bankruptcy. These two signs can go to
either extreme, great wealth or financial disaster. Bette Davis is an
interesting example of this. She has Venus and Mars at 28° and 29°
Taurus. After many successful years in the movie business, she
experienced great financial losses and could not get an acting job. She
had to put an ad in the trades seeking work.
Planets at 28° or 29° Leo are conjunct the royal fixed star Reg-ulus.
This placement can bestow prominence and a love of power and success,
among other things. I have noticed that with clients who have planets
here are not necessarily wealthy, but they do travel in very influential
circles. However, America's "queen," Jackie Onassis, had Regulus
conjunct her Midheaven at 29° Leo, and not only did she travel in the
most important circles, but she was very rich.
Bill Gates, who has made his fortune with computers, has Pluto at 28°
Leo, which is the ruler of his Sun in Scorpio. Writer Scott Turow has three
planets at late degrees, Saturn at 29° Leo, Jupiter at 29° Capricorn, and
Uranus at 27° Gemini.
The Natal Promise / 59
I have a client who has Neptune conjunct Regulus at 28° Leo in his
ninth house of higher learning. He attended Princeton and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, two of the best universities in the United States.
There are some people who are very, very lucky. Those with a
Venus/Jupiter aspect, any Venus/Jupiter aspect, fall into this category
They usually marry money, inherit it, create it, or win it. This is the
potential in their chart, but there can be overindulgence, overoptimism,
and extravagance. When these two benefics are in aspect to one another,
there is enormous ease, but without reinforcing aspects, the person can
lack drive and push. ^
Many people who come to me want to know if they are going to win
the lottery. Tm always amazed when people ask this question because I
don t think winning the lottery is such a gift from God. I have had a few
clients who have won, and in some cases it meant trouble.
Once you win the lottery, all sorts of problems crop up. After winning,
you can't please the people close to you. Relatives get upset if you don't
share your good fortune. (Why they think they are entitled to it is a
mystery to me.) If you give them money, it's not enough. It never ends. I
thing it can be a real curse. But if it's not promised in the natal chart, it's
never going to happen. You are not going to win at all. I looked at my
chart. There is no way I'm ever going to win because I don't have an
aspect that promises that kind of luck. I can win at games of skill, because
my Mercury makes some good aspects (such as Mercury conjunct the
South Node), but I will never win at games of luck. For me, putting
quarters in slot machines is like throwing them into the street. It's just
never going to bring me anything. I'm very happy to play at games of
chance for entertainment and fun, but I know I will never be a big winner.
Success
Jupiter and Sagittarius create luck. Success is different from luck. We
think of luck as an unexpected, unearned gift from the powers
60 / The Natal Promise
that be. We think of success as the result of hard work or as something
we plan and work toward. There are several factors in a chart that can
promise success. Having the nodes in angular houses (1, 4, 7, and 10)
seems to bode well for success. I have found that having either the North
or the South Node in the tenth house is equally favorable for success.
Having the nodes in the first and seventh houses seems to be good, too.
The seventh house talks about patronage, and when a node is there, it can
promise lots of clients or business for that person. For example, a
therapist who is self-employed is dependent on having many patients and
referrals. Having either node in the seventh house can promise good
patronage.
When the nodes, which are destiny points, are in angular houses,
success is meant to be. If a client has the North Node in the tenth, it is his
or her destiny to have a great career. Many times my clients have had
great careers in spite of themselves. It's the most fascinating thing to
watch. They always seem to be in the right place at the right time and
career success seems to unfold without much effort.
The North Node does read somewhat like Jupiter, and the South Node
reads somewhat like Saturn. Both are equally good for success,
achievement, and making it. While the North Node's influence, like
Jupiter's, is more apparent, and the South Node, like Saturn, can delay, I
don t see either one limiting success. What I have found with clients who
have the North Node in the tenth and the South Node in the fourth is that
they may not necessarily have the drive or want to have their own career
that much. In past lives they have been the person behind the scenes, the
person at home. They know how to build a home and family, but building
a career isn't that comfortable for them. However, if they get out there at
all, things will click into place for them very easily because it's their
destiny to have a prosperous career. Of course, I am talking about
unafflicted, well-aspected nodes.
I have a great story about a client who has the North Node in the tenth
and the South Node in the fourth. He married a woman who already had
a big career. His wife traveled a great deal, and
he was content to stay at home and do a lot of the domestic things like
watching the kids and taking care of the house. He was an attorney, but
didn t really enjoy the law. He started a real-estate company and his wife
backed him. With Uranus in the first house and his Moon in Libra, this
gentleman has enormous charisma and charm. Before long, he became a
superstar, a multimillionaire. He became very successful.
The South Node indicates what a person knows how to do, and the
North Node indicates what he or she must learn. The key is to balance
them both. So when people have the South Node in the tenth house, they
instinctively know how to build a career. In other lifetimes these people
probably made career a priority What they're supposed to do this time is
have a good home and family life, too. That's what they came here to do,
but they don't want to be home all the time. They really want to be out
there having a career, because that's what they are comfortable with.
During this lifetime, however, it is their destiny to build a home and
family life in addition to having a flourishing career.
When threatened, people retreat into their South Node. When they
feel they can't cope with a stressful situation, they retreat into behavior
that is familiar and natural. A priest was my client for years. He had the
North Node in the tenth and the South Node in the fourth. Doors opened
easily for him, he did very positive things, and was really moving up
through the ranks of the church hierarchy
Then there was a scandal at his church that didn't touch him, but he
was really disgusted and upset by it. When he came for a consultation, I
said, "I know what you did, you ran home to hide, didn't you?" And he
said, "Yes, I did." He just left everything and went back to his hometown
and stayed there for a couple of months. When his career (North Node in
the tenth) was threatened, he ran to his home (South Node in the fourth),
where he was safe and comfortable. I said, "You know, you can only stay
there for a little while. You will have to go back to your career because
you're going to end up being a bishop or something like that in spite of
yourself" He went back. I don't know if he's a bishop.
62 / The Natal Promise
but the last I heard, he was very succe'ssful in the church. Clearly it
was his fortune to have a distinguished career in the priesthood.
Jupiter in the tenth house is certainly fortunate for success, as is
Sagittarius on the tenth-house cusp. I also see a lot of people with squares
out of the tenth house doing really good things, because that's where they
have the tension and the energy. (What I mean by squares out of the
tenth is that the planets placed in the tenth are making squares.) There
can be blockage and delays, but hard work pays off. A well-aspected Sun,
Jupiter, North Node, or South Node in the tenth can make career success
flow much more easily.
Case Study: Ron Howard
Ron Howard has both his North Node and Moon in the tenth house in
Capricorn. His Moon is in a T-Square out of the tenth house, opposing
Uranus and squaring Neptune. This cardinal T-Square gives him drive
and ambition. Uranus is also in a Grand Water Trine, which gives him
great creative genius. The orbs between the planets of this Grand Water
Trine are very wide, but I find this works to the person s advantage. Many
times I have found that when planets in a Grand Water Trine are in very
tight orb, the person has enormous creativity yet seems too emotionally
self-sufficient.
Pluto in the tenth house or ruling the tenth bodes well for career
success. That is because there is such a deep psychological need for
recognition that the person will do whatever is needed. A stellium in the
tenth gives you a lot of energy to work on your career. When clients have
many planets up in the tenth, there's a lot of activity in that area of their
lives. It is what is important to them. But having a chart with nothing in
the tenth doesn t mean the person won t have a big career. The ruler of
the tenth house may be very active and give them many outlets for
expressing career goals.

Ron Howard March 1, 1954 / 9:30 a.m. CST Del City, OK

64 / The Natal Promise
One of the aspects I constantly see for success is the Moon in
harmonious aspect to Venus, which indicates public love and acceptance.
I have noticed this to be a consistent aspect for famous people because it
bodes well for public approval. I have also found the Moon trine Jupiter
to work in a similar way.
Violence/Rape
Some clients worry about violence or rape in their lives. There's not
going to be that kind of trauma in life unless it's promised. It's the same
with cancer or a serious illness. Then, the natal setup has to be stimulated
for the violence to occur. The stage is first set by progressions, then
triggered by a transit, lunation, the progressed Moon, or some
combination of these.
One of my students was raped. She had her Moon/Mars/ Pluto in a
fixed T-Square. When the progressed Moon came around and conjuncted
her natal Moon, the T-Square was triggered and that's when it happened.
Obviously there were other things going on in her chart to back up this
experience. After years of doing charts, I have found that if someone is
raped or in any way sexually abused, nine times out of ten he or she gains
weight and become very hea\y as a protection. When I have a client come
to me who is very heavy I try^ to get to the bottom of it.
I have one client who is overv,^eight and I know she wasn't abused or
raped. After talking with her it turned out that she had had a very bad
experience. She had never dated much, and then she went out with some
friends from another city. She ended up in bed with one of the guys. This
was her first sexual experience. Her period was late and she was worried
that she was pregnant. She wasn't, but it was a big mess. When she spoke
with her partner, he was neither gallant nor nice. I think that encounter
set her up to protect herself with extra weight.
Natally she has her Moon conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius.
Jupiter/Sagittarius can expand, and the Moon is food, nurturing, and the
stomach. So the natal promise is there for weight gain,
The Natal Promise / 65
and I feel what was happening in her chart at the time to cause the
trauma also triggered the setup for gaining weight. This is one isolated
incident—not everyone with a similar setup will have the same results.
Mars/Pluto is definitely a violent aspect. It is one of the rape aspects,
either Mars conjunct, square, or opposite Pluto. I always worry about
these aspects because it is important to use this energy properly,
otherwise it could manifest in a negative way. If I see it in a child's chart, I
will talk to the parents. I don t want to scare them, but I want them to get
the child into activities where he or she will channel the energy
constructively. I have seen young people with this energy become very
good ballerinas, gymnasts, athletes, and debaters (especially if Mercury is
connected in some way).
One of my young male clients with a Mars/Pluto aspect is such a fierce
athlete that I know he's using up all the energy in sports. He's only
sixteen years old and has varsity letters in three sports, so that's where
the energy is going for him. I also have a young female client with this
aspect who is turning out to be quite the dancer. Another young client
had this aspect and when the aspect closed, she got into sports. (What I
mean by "the aspect closed" is that by progression her Mars moved
forward and squared her natal Pluto exactly.) The time when any aspect
becomes partile, or exact, by progression is when I expect the aspect to
manifest. So I was relieved to see her get into sports and become a fierce
competitor, and not have an unpleasant incident.
 I have a client who is very brilliant and has several doctoral degrees.
She has her Mars square Pluto and I asked her about it. She said that she
was terribly emotionally abused. For her, the aspect comes out of the
third house, as her Pluto is in the third, so it was expressed as mental and
verbal abuse instead of physical abuse. But she turned things around and
used that aspect scholastically to get several advanced degrees. Natal
Pluto in the third house can indicate someone who cannot get enough
knowledge.
66 / The Natal Promise
The other thing that can happen with a Mars/Pluto aspect is abuse,
battery, or violence. I saw a client who had her Mars opposite Pluto from
the first to the seventh house. I said to her, "You know you have to be very
discriminating about who you go out with. You have to be very careful
when you date." I was saying all the things you would say if somebody
had that aspect. And she said, "Well it's already happened to me. There
was a lot of violence in my home growing up and then in my marriage."
She continued, 'As a result of that, I now run a shelter for battered
women."
I was impressed. She's using the Mars/Pluto energy in a very
constructive way. It reflects the opposition, because it is relationships and
choice. She chose how to use the energy. Up until that point, she was
placed in (as a child) or put herself in (as an adult) difficult situations.
She had a troubled childhood, boyfriends who beat her up, and then
chose a violent husband.
With squares, the difficult situations just come and they do not offer
choices, like oppositions. So a client with a strong square has to be very
careful in certain situations that are safe for other people, like going to a
bar. Bad energy often comes without being invited. With the opposition,
it's more a matter of making bad choices.
I can't tell you how many times I've said to a client, "You have an
aspect here where you might attract danger. I think it's really important
that you always know who you date. Don't pick up people in bars. Be very
careful who you associate with because you have this potential for
danger." Too many times they've said to me, "You're too late. It's already
worked. Somebody crawled in my dorm room and raped me. . . . My
stepfather raped me. ... A man followed me out of a bar and beat me up in
the parking lot," and so on. Astrologers must help clients sidestep these
aspects.
Vocation
 If clients aren't coming to you about relationships and money, they
will come to you about their careers. For people who have a power-
The Natal Promise / 67
ful tenth house or tenth-house ruler, or a lot of planets in the tenth
house, career will be of prime interest. Someone with an earth sign in the
tenth can be a person who will have an unrelenting quest in the career
arena. With Leo there, the need will be to shine and gain recognition. If it
is Scorpio, there will be a strong career focus. Cardinal signs on the
Midheaven inspire people to be entrepreneurial. Some of the luckiest
people career-wise are those who have Sagittarius on the tenth with a
well-aspected Jupiter. Professional success just falls into their laps.
A client may want to be president of General Motors, but for most
people that will never happen. So an astrologer should help people have
realistic career aspirations. Sometimes counseling clients means walking
a very fine line. The tenth house determines the client's motivation and
push for career. My style has been to try to motivate people to reach their
greatest potential. I try to encourage them to stretch rather than settle.
The tenth house describes what you'll be inclined to do career-wise.
Planets in the Tenth House as Vocational Indicators
• The Sun in the tenth house or ruling it indicates someone who wants
to be the dramatic, central figure and who wants to shine in his or her
career.
• The Moon in the tenth house means the client can deal well with the
public, but his or her career may be subject to many changes.
• Mercury connected to the tenth house inclines the person toward
teaching, lecturing, writing, or some other aspect of communication.
• Venus associated with the tenth house often indicates a profession
involving beauty, beautiful things, the beauty industry, interior and
clothing design, modeling, cosmetology, or the arts.
68 / The Natal Promise
Mars in the tenth house can incline the person toward a military
career, police work, or medicine. I've seen surgeons and doctors who have
Mars in the tenth and Saturn in the first. This is often the signature of
someone who is a doctor.
Jupiter is just plain old luck, career-wise. Education, philosophy, or
promotion can be a part of the person s career. Jupiter in the tenth house
often positions the person to be in the right place at the right time.
However, if it is afflicted, the person can be overly optimistic and have
unrealistic expectations.
 Saturn connected to the tenth house can mean very good success in
the career arena. Many times these are people who work in government
or the corporate structure. There can be career ft-ustration, or career
recognition can be delayed or, in a few cases, actually denied.
Uranus affiliated with the tenth house is good for astrologers,
chiropractors, airline pilots, and television work, among other things.
Usually there will be a sudden, unexpected career shift sometime during
the life, and unanticipated highs and lows.
Neptune in the tenth house can weave a spell. It can give the person
incredible charisma and magnetism and is common in very compelling
actors, actresses, and public figures. Two of America's most famous
public icons, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, had Neptune in the
tenth. However, the person must watch carefully because if Neptune is
afflicted, he or she can be subject to scandals. Career-wise, there can be
involvement with the healing arts, the movie business, the
pharmaceutical and chemical industries, music, photography, and dance.
Jackie Kennedy had her tenth-house Neptune in Scorpio, and she was a
book editor.
Pluto on, in, or connected to the tenth house creates a deep
psychological need for power and success, and the person will intently
pursue his or her goals. I have a client who has Pluto in the tenth who is a
psychologist, and for a period of time
The Natal Promise / 69
she worked in covert activities for the Pentagon. I have other clients
who are FBI and CIA agents who all have Scorpio or Pluto strongly
connected to the tenth house. Many times the person can start out down
one career path, and then go through a metamorphic transformation and
go on to something entirely different. Actually, with any of the higher-
octave planets connected to the tenth house, the person can start out in
one career and move on to something else.
Tm just touching on career potential. There are many good books
written on the subject, such as Joanne Wickenburg's In Search of a
Fulfilling Career.
Health
There are good books written on medical astrology. I really avoid this
subject with clients because Tm a predictive astrologer and I don t want
to do any projecting, or be responsible for helping someone create a self-
fulfilling prophecy. There are times when I will tell clients to get a
checkup or that this is a good time to start an exercise program or take
vitamins. If Saturn is transiting the sixth house, this is a good way to use
the energy. For the most part, I don't do much work with health. I had a
student who was a medical doctor and a very good astrologer. I send
clients who are interested in medical issues to him.
Steps in Making Predictions
Once an astrologer understands natal promise and masters the
technique of spotting drivers and interpreting them, the next step is to
begin the process of making predictions. This is done in the following
four steps:
1. Progressions, heavy transits (such as Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune),
and eclipses portend the events of the large one to three-year cycles.
These factors will describe a marriage
70 / The Natal Promise
in the coming years, a divorce, the success of a business, the birth of a
child, or other major life-altering events.
2. Saturn and Jupiter transits show shorter cycles of one year or less.
3. The progressed Moon refines predicting into a one to three-month
cycle.
4. Lunations (New Moons and Full Moons) give us specific dates, as
do triggering transits, stationing planets, and exact transits of all of the
major planets.
Chapter Three
Progressions
C/ find that progressions are the key to all predictive astrology. When
I lecture and travel, I am surprised to find that many astrologers don t
use them. Without progressions, the whole story is not told. There is a
gap in the information needed to make an accurate assessment of a
person s chart. When progressions are positive and the transits are
adverse, matters can turn out in a constructive manner. However, that
often is not the case when the progressions are difficult and the transits
are easy. A problem can be lurking that is unknown or masked.
I personally use secondary progressions. This is the day-for-a-year
system. The progressions are divided into four categories:
1. The progressed Moon
2. Progressed planets to natal planets
72 / Progressions
3. Progressed planets to progressed planets
4. Progressed house cusps
The most significant progressions are the progressed planets to natal
planets. I am incorporating progressed house cusps more and more into
my work, as they give important additional emphasis, value, and insight.
They are invariably active at the time of a major event or change.
One planetary influence or aspect standing alone will not produce a
major event, but a combination of transits, progressions, lunations, etc.,
all working together will produce a major event. It is critical to analyze all
of these aspects, synthesize them, and then come to a conclusion as to
what to expect. A personal system is very useful in helping you
accomplish this. I often need to return to my basic structure and review
the natal promise, the psychological profile, and all progressions, transits,
eclipses, and lunations before I make a prediction. I do want to state one
more time the necessity of looking at the whole picture. Many times when
I was teaching, a student would approach me in a panic expecting a
horrible event because an eclipse in the heavens was aspecting a planet in
his or her chart. The student was not looking at the whole story and
making an accurate assessment of what could happen, but rather taking
one factor out of context and coming to the wrong conclusion.
 Rules for Progressions
1. The progression will impact the houses in which the two planets
involved in the progression are placed natally. For example, say Venus is
in the sixth house natally. When Venus is involved in a progression
(either when natal Venus is being aspected by a progressed planet, or
when progressed Venus is making an aspect to a planet), sixth-house
matters will be involved.
2. The progression will impact the house the progressed planet is in if
it is different than its natal placement. If Venus is in the natal sixth house
but has progressed into the natal seventh, seventh-house matters will be
activated. The progression will impact the natal house or houses that the
progressed planet rules.
3. If the progression involves Venus, look to the natal houses where
Taurus and Libra are placed because they will be important.
4. The progression will impact the natural house or houses that the
progressed planet rules. If the progression involves Venus, the second
and seventh houses will be important.
5. The progression will express the basic nature of the planets
involved. For example, Venus rules love, money, relationships, values,
and things of beauty. A progression involving Venus will be about these
matters.
6. The progression will express the signs that the planets involved in
the progression are in. For example, if progressed Venus is in Gemini and
is involved in a progression, the object of love and affection could be a
Gemini. There could be some duality involved, perhaps two love interests.
If finances are indicated, there could be two sources of income.
7. Progressions are usually strongest when they are applying.
Typically, as the progressed planet approaches the natal or progressed
planet, the influence strengthens. This influence lessens after the
progression has been exact and is leaving the natal planet. This does not
seem to be the case though if the progression is in fixed signs. Fixed
progressions can and often work very late, even 2° or 3° past the exact
aspect. While the influence will be felt as the progression forms, the event
may occur later. An example of this is a progression I had that involved
the progressed Sun and
74 / Progressions
natal Saturn in fixed signs. T felt disciplined in my personal habits,
exercise, diet, etc., and both my husband and I felt life was treating us
just fine when the progression was exact and even 2° past. But after that
time, we both had problems. He had business problems and I was forced
to sue the city of Milwaukee in order to practice astrology in a public way,
such as personal appearances on Milwaukee radio and television shows. I
also was banned from lecturing and teaching in the city of Milwaukee. My
institute was in a suburb, and while I could work there, I felt compelled to
sue for the right for me and all of the other Milwaukee metaphysicians to
practice. I won the case and a financial settlement, but it was a terribly
difficult two years.
8. Progressions involving progressed planets to other progressed
planets can be very powerful, but the length of influence seems to be
shortened to only about one year. This is even true when one of the
planets is the progressed Sun. Typically, progressed Sun aspects to natal
planets will operate for at least three years.
9. Progressions that involve a progressed planet to a natal planet and
then continue on to hit the same progressed planet have a very long
duration. An example of this would be a progressed planet aspecting
natal Saturn at 10° and then continuing on to aspect progressed Saturn at
13°. This would be a very long progression.
10. Progressions can form with a very slow-moving planet, such as
progressed Saturn to a natal planet. I refer to this as a permanent
progression. For example, progressed Saturn closing a trine to Jupiter
would ensure financial security for life if there were not mitigating
circumstances present. This would be a very beneficial progression.
Progressions / 75
Sun Progressions
The Sun represents the vital life force, the physical body. It has to do
with power, success, ambition, energy, and the ego. It has jurisdiction
over the men in your life, such as the father or male authority figures, and
for women it also includes their husband. Because the Sun rules the fifth
house, lovers, children, sporting events, gambling, speculation, and
creative projects are also connected to the Sun.
Sun progressions will affect you in a deep, personal way and could
involve all of the areas mentioned above. Wherever the Sun is placed in
the natal chart is where a person can shine, where he or she can be the
dramatic, central figure. As it progresses into other houses, there will be a
new emphasis placed on this area of life. For example, when my
progressed Sun moved from the eighth to the ninth house, I immediately
began to travel. I took my first trip out of the country when it was on the
ninth-house cusp. I also became very interested in educational and
spiritual matters and began teaching and lecturing.
When the Sun progresses into the first house, enters THE SIGN Aries,
or makes an aspect to Mars, the ego expresses itself in a dynamic and
exciting way. The vitality becomes stronger, the personality becomes
more extroverted, and self-confidence prevails. Under harsh aspects,
there can be egotism, misuse of energy, and rash and impulsive behavior.
When the Sun progresses into the second house, enters THE sign
Taurus, or makes an aspect to Venus, the ego will find satisfaction
through the accumulation of assets and financial power. There will be a
stronger drive to achieve materially. Possessions and beautiful things will
become more meaningful. A clearer, more definite set of personal values
will be established. Any good aspect between the Sun and Venus is a
positive indicator of a love relationship, while a harsh aspect may indicate
excessive materialism.
76 / Progressions
When the Sun progresses into' the third house, enters THE sign
Gemini, or makes an aspect to Mercury, there is an inclination towards
learning and communication. There will be more interaction with
relatives, especially siblings. You may buy a new car or take short trips. I
have seen people study and master a foreign language. Even harsh
aspects to Mercury always stimulate the mental process.
When the Sun progresses into the fourth house, enters THE sign
Cancer, or makes an aspect to the Moon, parents and family become a
priority. Even a wanderer will want to put down roots and own real
estate. There is a strong nesting urge and your home can become a
cocoon. Under harsh aspects, the ego and the personality will seem to be
out of sync and the inner self and outer self won't blend.
When the Sun progresses into the fifth house, enters THE sign Leo, or
makes an aspect to the natal Sun, the personal, creative self will be
enhanced. Children, creativity, and working in the arts may become a
priority. I have seen people with the natal Sun in the fifth house have
famous children. It is also true that when your progressed Sun moves into
the fifth house, your children could become renowned in their field of
endeavor or one of their creative projects could attract recognition. This
is a very good placement for ego satisfaction and confident self-
expression.
When the Sun progresses into the sixth house, enters THE SIGN
Virgo, or makes an aspect to Mercury, work, service, productivity, and
efficiency will be highlighted. There will be more concern with health
matters and overall fitness.
When the Sun progresses into the seventh house, enters THE SIGN
Libra, or makes an aspect to Venus, the focus will be on relationships,
partnerships, and marriage. It is also a time when patronage and
business partnerships are spotlighted. Single people may marry, or they
will certainly attract suitors,
Progressions / 77
and professional people will attract new clients and opportunities.
Whenever there is a Sun/Venus progression, it is a time to love and be
loved.
When the Sun progresses into the eighth house, enters THE SIGN
Scorpio, or makes an aspect to Pluto, investments, legacies, and the
partner's income can be enhanced. It can usher in a time when you feel
the need to delve into the deeper meaning of life through psychology,
therapy, and psychic research. A search for the truth that lies beyond the
five senses may fascinate you. Metamorphic change and transformation
happens at an accelerated pace. Under positive aspects, your personal
power will grow. Under harsh aspects, you may engage in power
struggles.
When the Sun progresses into the ninth house, enters the sign
Sagittarius, or makes an aspect to Jupiter, you may find yourself traveling
abroad or expressing an interest in foreign cultures, international affairs,
and legal matters. You will have an inclination towards philosophical
pursuits, religion, and spirituality. Returning to college, writing, and
publishing could come to the forefront of your life. There could be legal
matters to attend to.
When the Sun progresses into the tenth house, enters THE sign
Capricorn, or makes an aspect to Saturn, you could be thrust into the
limelight. There could be a dramatic effect on reputation, career, and
status. You could become a community leader or a public figure. A harsh
Sun/Saturn aspect could create career obstacles and delay success.
Events with parents may transpire; the aspects would describe the nature
of the events.
When the Sun progresses into the eleventh house, enters THE SIGN
Aquarius, or makes an aspect to Uranus, friends, groups, and
organizations become very important. Any aspect between Uranus and
the Sun heightens magnetism and
78 / Progressions
creates a restlessness and a strong heed for freedom and expression of
individuality. If there is a harsh aspect, you may want everything on your
own terms and break away from jobs and relationships that are actually
quite good for you. I have also found that there is a great need to travel
and experience new and different things.
When the Sun progresses into the twelfth house, enters THE SIGN
Pisces, or makes an aspect to Neptune, charisma is heightened, creativity
is abundant, psychic ability is enhanced, and the ego is somewhat
defused. You are open to illusion, confusion, and delusion, and are often
drawn to a service type of experience such as hospital or hospice work.
When giving to others, you may be quite comfortable with this twelfth-
house energy.
Mercury Progressions
The natal placement of Mercury shows the way knowledge is
assimilated and communicated. When it progresses into a new house or
sign, it will acclimate and reflect the qualities and characteristics of that
sign or house. The influence of that sign and house will be added to your
Mercury experience. For example, if you have Mercury in Scorpio and
have a certain fixity of thought patterns, as your Mercury enters
Sagittarius or the ninth house, or aspects Jupiter, your mental process
will become broader, more expansive, and more optimistic.
When Mercury progresses into the first house, enters THE sign Aries,
or makes an aspect to Mars, the mental energy will express itself in a
dynamic, self-assured, assertive manner. The mind is quick, rash
decisions can be made, and opinions are strong. There is a desire to learn
and perhaps even to teach or write. In any event, communication is
articulate, glib, and self-confident. The mental process speeds up,
decisions are made easily, and intellectual confidence will be developed.
Progressions / 79
When Mercury progresses into the second house, enters THE SIGN
Taurus, or makes an aspect to Venus, the mental process will be
deliberate. Communication can be charming and poetic. I have seen
clients take voice or singing lessons under these conditions. There can be
a lot of mental energy spent on financial matters, investments, and
patterns of income. Mental rigidity must be guarded against. Creative
pursuits and cultural interests will also be given a lot of thought.
When Mercury progresses into the third house, enters THE SIGN
Gemini, or makes an aspect to natal Mercury, the mind is quick and
sharp since Mercury is well placed in this sign and house. Thoughts of
learning, teaching, or writing may surface at this time and these projects
should go well. Even under adverse aspects I have seen clients place
themselves in an educational setting. With this placement foreign
languages are often mastered. All forms of communication are easy. New
interests are developed, new hobbies are undertaken, and new skills are
perfected.
When Mercury progresses into the fourth house, enters THE SIGN
Cancer, or makes an aspect to the Moon, much thought is given to family
matters. Domesticity becomes a priority, as does property and real estate.
A person can express more compassion and understanding with this
placement, and also can be more sensitive. Knowledge seems to be
soaked up liked a sponge rather than gained analytically.
When Mercury progresses into the fifth house, enters THE SIGN Leo,
or makes an aspect to the Sun, opinions will be very definite. There can
be an intellectual arrogance, and the person will argue his or her point.
Mercury is very creative, verbal, and witty here. I have seen clients put
themselves in situations they have not sufficiently mentally prepared for,
but the Leo confidence seems to carry them through.
80 / Progressions
When Mercury progresses into the sixth house, enters THE sign
Virgo, or makes an aspect to natal Mercury, the mind is analytical and
organized, as it is comfortable in Virgo. Thoughts might center around
health and fitness. Much of the mental energy will be spent on work-
related projects. This energy may be used to find more efficient ways of
doing things. Care and caution must be taken to avoid being overcrit-ical.
I have seen people get a pet under sixth-house influences.
When Mercury progresses into the seventh house, enters THE sign
Libra, or makes an aspect to Venus, much of the mental energy will be
expressed in a creative way. Thoughts will turn to love and marriage.
Communication will be charming and articulate. As with any Venus
progression. Mercury in aspect to Venus can incline a person to love and
to attract love. A love of learning may also surface at this time. I had a
client become an art collector under progressed Mercury sextile natal
Venus.
When Mercury progresses into the eighth house, enters THE SIGN
Scorpio, or makes an aspect to Pluto, great depth is added to the mental
process. The mind becomes investigating. There is a need to dig into the
mysteries of life. Psychic matters and psychology become interests. There
is a great ability to focus on any mental pursuit.
When Mercury progresses into the ninth house, enters THE sign
Sagittarius, or makes an aspect to Jupiter, thoughts turn to things of the
higher mind such as religion, philosophy, and spirituality. The mental
attitude is optimistic and buoyant. Thoughts of travel, adventure, and
faraway places also may be present. Additional education, workshops,
and lectures would be welcome at this time. The mind takes on an
expansive quality.
When Mercury progresses into the tenth house, enters THE SIGN
Capricorn, or makes an aspect to Saturn,
thoughts of career, status, and position will take precedence. How to
organize and streamline your business and how to become more effective
will be priorities. The mental process may become more thoughtful,
ponderous, somber, and serious.
When Mercury progresses into the eleventh house, enters THE SIGN
Aquarius, or makes an aspect to Uranus, the mind will become very
inventive. With Mercury and Uranus together, flashes of genius and
unusual insights are common. Friends, groups, organizations, and causes
will be given much time, energy, and thought. You may become more
tolerant of others and their needs at this time.
When Mercury progresses into the twelfth house, enters THE sign
Pisces, or makes an aspect to Neptune, the mind becomes more intuitive
and perceptive creativity is heightened. Caution must be taken against
oversensitivity and overre-action. I advise clients to set priorities and
make lists so that the Neptune/Mercury energy is used constructively.
Venus Progressions
When Venus progresses into the first house, enters the SIGN Aries, or
makes an aspect to Mars, the love nature will be ardent, aggressive, and
passionate. Self-confidence will allow you to pursue the object of your
desire. There also can be an impatience and willfulness in love. I have
observed combat-iveness in love relationships for the sake of the
excitement of fighting and then making up. When progressed Venus and
Mars come together, there often will be a marriage. Even under the
square there will be enormous chemistry.
When Venus progresses into the second house, enters THE sign
Taurus, or makes an aspect to natal Venus, this is a great time for loving,
attracting love, and financial gain. Venus is well placed in Taurus, so love
is true, generous, and
82 / Progressions
loyal. You will have a great appreciation of beautiful things and
beautiful people. Because Taurus is a very sensual sign, you will want to
give pleasure and also have your needs met. Under a harsh aspect,
overindulgence of all kinds can be an issue.
When Venus progresses into the third house, enters the SIGN Gemini,
or makes an aspect to Mercury, love can be articulated in a very charming
way. Love is more intellectual here than emotional, however, and so you
will be drawn to a very intelligent person who will share your interests
and the need to learn and communicate. With Venus in Gemini, a person
often has two loves at the same time. I can t tell you how many times I
have heard clients with this combination say, "If I could just wrap these
two people into one package." Creativity is versatile and very cleverly
expressed in these placements.
When Venus progresses into the fourth house, enters THE sign
Cancer, or makes an aspect to the Moon, a lovely home environment can
be created. Nurturing and taking care of loved ones will be the mode for
expressing feelings of love. You also desire this yourself Public acceptance
and approval seem to come more easily now, and relationships with
women flow better.
When Venus progresses into the fifth house, enters the SIGN Leo, or
makes an aspect to the Sun, the love nature is expressed passionately,
confidently, and very dramatically. When you fall in love, the world will
know about it. There will be a generous expression of love, both with gifts
and verbal expression. Children are a joy, creativity is easily expressed,
and your ego is strong and confident.
When Venus progresses into the sixth house, enters the SIGN Virgo,
or makes an aspect to Mercury, the love nature is expressed practically
and sometimes in a critical manner. One astrologer told me when Virgos
(or people with Virgo
placements) pick at you, you know they love you. They also tend to
express love by doing practical things for you. For instance, instead of
sending you flowers, a suitor might surprise you by washing your car.
Often what people with progressed Venus in Virgo or in the sixth house
love the most is their work. That is what they are devoted to. People with
progressed Venus in aspect to Mercury can speak articulately and with
charm, and they can write well. Work, coworkers, and the work
environment can give them great pleasure.
When Venus progresses into the seventh house, enters THE sign
Libra, or makes an aspect to natal Venus, the love nature is expressed
beautifully. Venus is very comfortable and at home here, so all of Venus'
good qualities are emphasized. Love can blossom, there will be a burning
desire to be in love, and thoughts will be around marriage and
commitment. Your own artistic endeavors will also bring satisfaction.
There is a love of beauty and beautiful things. Cultural pursuits will be
rewarding and fulfilling.
When Venus progresses into the eighth house, enters THE SIGN
Scorpio, or makes an aspect to Pluto, the love nature is expressed
intensely and even occasionally in a possessive, jealous manner. A
magnificent love obsession can control the life. It so often seems to be all
or nothing at all here. While the love feelings are almost too emotional for
comfort, the progressed Venus to Pluto often is associated with the
attainment of great wealth. Whatever is one's passion, it will be pursued
ruthlessly.
When Venus progresses into the ninth house, enters the SIGN
Sagittarius, or makes an aspect to Jupiter, the love nature is expressed
joyously, optimistically, and with great enthusiasm. The love object may
be an adventurer, a foreigner, a world traveler, or a spiritual person. As
well as being positive for love, this can also be a positive time for money,
as Jupiter,
84 / Progressions
the ninth house, and Sagittarius expand. Of course, overopti-mism
and overexpectations can be negative factors. Some care must be taken to
avoid overspending, overdoing, or rushing into an alliance or business
venture without enough thought. Another aspect of Venus in Sagittarius
is the need to keep the object of your love on a pedestal; if this person
falls off, the love will disappear.
When Venus progresses into the tenth house, enters the SIGN
Capricorn, or makes an aspect to Saturn, the love nature expresses itself
more practically than romantically One of my friends who always wanted
a man who was handsome, charming, and a good dancer, now with her
progressed Venus in Capricorn says she wants money and security Status,
position in the community, and security take on a whole new meaning
here. I have also seen the great love of one's life become one's career with
this placement. The love nature will be more aloof here, less
demonstrative, and less affectionate. Under harsh aspects, there can be
blockage and delays in love and career affairs, and, of course, this can
indicate a gold digger.
When Venus progresses into the eleventh house, enters THE sign
Aquarius, or makes an aspect to Uranus, the love nature is expressed like
electricity. It can be love at first sight, like a bolt of lightning, or over as
fast as it began. A friend with natal Venus in Aquarius always maintained
he knew he could love someone within fifteen seconds of meeting her.
Another comment Venus in Aquarius always makes is, "Whether this
works or not, we still have to remain friends." These inclinations will be
incorporated into your love nature as progressed Venus enters the
eleventh house or the sign Aquarius, or especially if progressed Venus
aspects Uranus. If in an existing relationship, a square to Uranus can
mean freedom, divorce, or a need for dramatic change. Any
Venus/Uranus aspect is restless and very magnetic.
When Venus progresses into the twelfth house, enters THE SIGN
Pisces, or makes an aspect to Neptune, you can love in the most unselfish,
unconditional way, but you can also become a sacrificial lamb. The
inclination to continue to give when you're not getting anything in return
must be curtailed. Progressed Venus in the twelfth house can incline you
to engage in clandestine alliances. Venus in harsh aspect to Neptune can
draw you into a deceptive situation. Drug involvement, alcohol, and the
erroneous thinking that you can save someone from a destructive lifestyle
can pull you into a very dangerous alliance. Even under harsh aspects, all
creativity is heightened.
Mars Progressions
When Mars progresses into the first house, enters the SIGN Aries, or
makes an aspect to natal Mars, the energy of Mars will be comfortable,
since it is in its natural sign and house. Energy will be very strong; in fact,
I've seen people almost become hyperactive because the energy is so
exaggerated here. Mars progressed here can be overconfident and too
aggressive, and can waste energy. A fierce independence and im-
petuousness can ensue. Accidents can happen due to rashness and haste,
and the temper needs to be controlled. This is a great placement for
accomplishing things that require physical stamina and courage.
When Mars progresses into the second house, enters the SIGN
Taurus, or makes an aspect to Venus, energy will be expressed in a more
cautious manner. This is a sensual placement and is conducive to love
and sociability. There will be an urge to make more money and to spend
more. Any time Venus and Mars come together in harmony, there can be
a marriage or a commitment. This is also a great aspect for a socializing
and making new contacts.
86 / Progressions
When Mars progresses into the third house, enters the SIGN Gemini,
or makes an aspect to Mercury, this could mean an increase in mental
energy. The mind will be stimulated here. An aggressiveness in learning
and communicating your ideas might be expressed. The whole mental
process seems to speed up, you learn quickly and grasp things easily, but
also get bored easily.
When Mars progresses into the fourth house, enters THE SIGN
Cancer, or makes an aspect to the Moon, the emotions can become more
volatile. You do express your feelings under these placements. The home
can become a beehive of activity. Under progressions involving Mars to
the Moon, there is often some kind of surgery, which can be very minor
such as gum surgery or a tooth extraction. It is a better time for initiating
home projects than completing them, but whatever you do in the home
you will do it fast, whether it's cleaning or remodeling. Only high-speed
action is expressed with this placement.
When Mars progresses into the fifth house, enters the SIGN Leo, or
makes an aspect to the Sun, the energy is not only strong, but there is
great endurance and less of a tendency to scatter energy as in some other
placements. Self-expression may be done in a dramatic manner. With
progressed Mars square the Sun, the first reaction to the energy might be
destructive, but unless you are a destructive person, as you become
accustomed to the energy, it can be put into productive activity. I have
seen elaborate exercise programs initiated under these aspects.
When Mars progresses into the sixth house, enters the SIGN Virgo, or
makes an aspect to Mercury, your mental energy becomes more
aggressive, and you make decisions quickly. Care has to be taken not to
become combative with coworkers and employees. You can become a
health enthusiast.
Another use of this energy is to develop new skills and incorporate
innovative ideas into the workplace. Harsh aspects between progressed
Mars and Mercury can create nervousness and nervous conditions.
When Mars progresses into the seventh house, enters THE SIGN
Libra, or makes an aspect to Venus, the energy is not always expressed
well, since Mars is not very comfortable in Libra. Too much aggression in
love or in partnerships can ensue. Also, impulsiveness, followed by a
change of heart, can cause a broken heart. While a good aspect of
progressed Mars to Venus can be a marriage aspect, a great time socially,
and a good sexual relationship, negative aspects can cause dissatisfaction
in love, since the desire nature and the love needs are out of sync. Mars
progressed into the seventh house can at times describe a dynamic
marriage partner or literally marriage to an Aries.
 When Mars progresses into the eighth house, enters the SIGN
Scorpio, or makes an aspect to Pluto, there is almost too much energy
There is great intensity and endurance. The Martian energy will be
expressed in a focused, direct, obsessive, jealous way. There will be
energy put into financial affairs such as taxes, insurance, inheritance, and
investments. Too much emphasis can be placed on sex and materialism.
When progressed Mars makes an aspect to Pluto, obsession with these
things can manifest, as well as an attraction to violence. Athletic
endeavors are a great way to use Mars/Pluto aspects.
When Mars progresses into the ninth house, enters the SIGN
Sagittarius, or makes an aspect to Jupiter, you will want to travel, have an
adventure, and experience the world. There is energy for the pursuit of
spiritual matters. Higher education may become a priority. Progressed
Mars in aspect to Jupiter enhances the energy and enthusiasm for these
matters. Any Mars/Jupiter aspect has some merit, but the harsh aspects
can be overly expansive.
88 / Progressions
When Mars progresses into the tenth house, enters the SIGN
Capricorn, or makes an aspect to Saturn, energy will express in a dynamic
but disciplined manner. Most of the Martian focus will be on career
matters. There will be an aggressive pursuit of career goals, as well as a
drive for recognition and status. An adverse aspect from the tenth house
can result in scandal and gossip. A progressed-Mars-to-natal-Saturn
aspect will expand the drive and ambitions but there is a stop-go reaction,
working feverously one day, and then collapsing from exhaustion the next
day and accomplishing nothing. You have to develop a steady, organized
use of this energy
When Mars progresses into the eleventh house, enters THE SIGN
Aquarius, or makes an aspect to Uranus, an active, aggressive role may be
taken with groups or organizations. The types of friends you attract may
be athletic, dynamic, or activity-oriented. Goals and aims can be pursued
with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. Progressed Mars forming an aspect
to Uranus can create erratic energy patterns. People can come into your
life suddenly and leave just as suddenly. In an ongoing relationship,
friendship, or business alliance. Mars/ Uranus aspects can cause
disruptions. This is also an accident-prone aspect, so caution should be
taken in all these matters.
When Mars progresses into the twelfth house, enters THE sign Pisces,
or makes an aspect to Neptune, the Martian energy is defused and not as
strong. Energy can be easily sapped and drained by negative people and
influences. Opportunities for clandestine alliances will present
themselves. Im.po-tence can be a problem. Progressed Mars in good
aspect to Neptune can heighten creativity, a good sense of color and
design can be developed, and photography, painting, and sculpting can
become worthwhile pursuits.
Progressions of the Slower-Moving Planets
The slower-moving planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and
Pluto) rarely progress into a new sign or house. When this does happen,
on occasion, it goes without saying that it is extremely important and will
bring a significant lifestyle modification. For example, if Jupiter
progresses into a new house, great opportunities and possibilities for
growth and expansion will take place in that area of the life. If Jupiter
progresses from the first house into the second house, money-making,
spending habits, and values all will take on a Jupiter-like quality. If
Saturn progresses from one house into another, reality, clarity, and
discipline will color that house.
When the slower-moving planets form a progression, it is usually just
a tightening of a natal aspect. For example, if progressed Uranus at 18°
Taurus is in square aspect to natal Venus at 20° Leo, as progressed
Uranus closes that aspect and becomes partile (exact), the meanings and
ramifications of that natal aspect will become even more intense. In fact,
every time it is aspected, even in a minor way, there will be some kind of a
result.
Another type of progression can be formed, which I call a permanent
progression, because it will last for years and years. For example, if
progressed Jupiter forms a progression with natal Saturn and then with
progressed Saturn, this aspect will last for fifteen to twenty years. From
the time progressed Jupiter starts the approach to natal Saturn, is within
a 2° orb, and then moves on to aspect progressed Saturn, the person will
be building an estate and providing for the financial security that he or
she will have for a lifetime, due to the length of this progression. This type
of progression can have a very positive effect on the life. But if a long-
term adverse aspect is formed, it can promise a chronic illness or some
other very long-term problem.
Another way that a long-lasting progression can be formed is when a
progressed planet changes direction and forms a progressed aspect. I've
seen progressed Venus go retrograde and station at a
90 / Progressions
 degree in square to Uranus. This client got a divorce and wanted to
remarry, but no relationship could hold up under the progressed Venus
square Uranus. Such aspects operate for many, many years. Progressed
Venus going retrograde in itself can change the love consciousness in
such a way that relationships from that point in time on can be difficult.
But with Venus/Uranus in long aspect, while my client was still magnetic,
the relationships ended very quickly for very little reason, at least none
that she could figure out. IVe also seen people who married several times
and had many suitors. A client with Sagittarius on the seventh-house
cusp had a different kind of situation when her seventh-house ruler,
Jupiter, changed direction. Retrograde Jupiter does not deliver what it
promises, so when a man would seem like a good candidate for marriage,
it ultimately would turn out that he was not what was promised at first
and the relationship didn t work out. All these things must be considered
when making predictions.
I have also seen progressed Mercury station retrograde in progressed
aspect to Saturn. This does not portend fifteen years of depression, but it
will take a while to get accustomed to the different energy and learn to
use it in a way that is comfortable.
Timing of Progressions
With progressions, there will be a time of beginning and a time of
conclusion. Sometimes a progression will end because another one forms.
This is especially true with the progressed Moon. I remember feeling the
negative effects of the progressed Moon squaring my natal and
progressed Saturn for many months. The relief came when my progressed
Moon made a good aspect to another planet An eclipse or New Moon
oftentimes will activate a progression if it hits the progression or aspects
it. The progression can operate early, even if the aspect is just forming. If
the eclipse or New Moon falls on an exact degree of the progression, the
progression will definitely be activated. An eclipse or Full Moon can also
end a progression if it hits the progression or aspects it. Some evidence of
a progression will be felt until there is some kind of a conclusion.
Chapter Four
The Importance of the Progressed Moon
.7o
G/ owe so much to the many astrologers who have mentored me.
Some have done it with workshops and classes, and some by openly
sharing their knowledge in a very unselfish way. One of these is Katherine
de Jersey. I remember sitting at an AFA Conference with her in 1972, and
staying up until maybe three or four in the morning while she generously
shared her knowledge with me. In the course of our conversation,
whenever I would talk about events in my life, she kept asking, "What was
the progressed Moon doing? What was the progressed Moon doing?" I
thought, "I don't know." Finally I said, "You know, Katherine, you're a
Cancer and I'm a Virgo, and I think the progressed Moon works more in
your life than in mine for that reason." And she said, "No. The progressed
Moon is an important predictive tool.
92 The Importance of the Progressed Moon
You'll find that nothing ever happens in a person s life without a
progressed-Moon aspect. It may be 3° applying or leaving, but its eflfects
will be felt. " I was doubtful, but I went back to my room, got out my
hundred-year ephemeris, and reviewed my life. I was up the rest of the
night and found that ever}' major thing that happened in my life did have
a progressed-Moon aspect. From that time on. I studied, researched, and
utilized the progressed Moon in my work. That was a vtry important
turning point for me with my predictive work.
It is my opinion that astrologers have overlooked the great importance
of progressions as a predictive tool, especially the importance of the
progressed Moon.
Indeed. I have found that the progressed Moon has a strong effect in
the lives of people who have the Moon prominent. If a person has the
Sun. Moon, or .\scendant in Cancer or if the Moon is angular in the chart,
the progressed Moon takes on added significance. However, it is
extremely important in ever}'one's chart.
.\fter talking with Katherine de Jersey and going back through my
own chart and the charts of my children and close friends, I was
astounded at how I could pinpoint evevy major event in our lives in spite
of the fact that we don't all have Cancer prominent. I have since worked
with the progressed Moon in the charts of all my clients and have
concluded that it is one of the best predictive tools available. If you wish
to predict and are event-oriented, you must use the progressed Moon to
come up with an event-oriented chart interpretation.
All progressions set the stage for our Hves to unfold. They acclimate
us to the different signs and houses. They allow us to experience the
personalit}' traits and characteristics of the signs other than our natal
signs. Progressions highlight and focus our attention on the affairs of the
house being spotlighted. That house and its issues become significant in
our lives for a certain period of time.
 The progressed Sun (which we will discuss in chapter 6) is the ego
being accKmated to the new sign, house, or aspect. Someone
with the Sun in Virgo, for example, will always be a Sun in Virgo. That
never changes, but as the Sun progresses through Libra, the person will
experience many characteristics of that sign for that thirty-year period.
For example, a man who is born and raised in France will always be a
Frenchman. But when he moves to the United States, he adapts socially
and culturally to the new country. He is a Frenchman, but he is modified.
The progressed Sun is the ego being acclimated, its purpose being altered
or changed. The Sun and progressed Sun have a great deal to do with
your career life and ego needs.
The Moon, on the other hand, controls your emotional life. The
progressed Moon is extremely important because it determines the cycles
of your emotional needs. Since the progressed Moon is in each sign for
two-and-a-half years, it takes the Moon twenty-eight to thirty years to go
through all the signs and houses. During this time, you have a chance to
experience all of the signs emotionally and to integrate them into your
personality. That, coupled with Saturn transiting through all the signs
and houses during the same twenty-eight-year period, brings you to a
new level of maturity. There are so many changes happening for you that
if you are with someone, you could outgrow him or her. That's why I
believe no one should marry until they have their first Saturn and
Progressed Moon Returns. Both the Moon and Saturn return to their
natal positions by progression at roughly the same time—at about age
twenty-eight.
In counseling clients, I always recommend that they wait to marry
until they have experienced these returns, because afterward they are
who they are going to be for a while. They have now had enough
experience to step into life on their own terms, based on their own
choices. How they adapt to each sign molds their personalities.
They have had opportunities to broaden themselves. The progressed
Moon shows intuitive and subconscious choices they will make, the
habitual responses they develop, the people they draw
94 TJie Importance of the Progressed Moon
into their lives, and the cycles and trends they are under at a given
time. It is therefore essential to give the progressed Moon careful
auention when predicting.
The beaut}' of the progressed Moon is that by age twent)'-eight youVe
had the abilit}' to experience the wide spectrum of emotions of ever}' sign
in the zodiac. YouVe stood in other people's shoes emotionally, and
hopefuUy it has given you a greater understanding of others" emotional
needs.
The influence of the progressed Moon is especially strong in the
following four areas of personal life:
1. The progressed Moon highlights the basic emotional need of the
period. Xoel Tyl once told me, " The natal Moon in the chart is the
reigning need of the person." In the same way that the natal Moon
determines your lifelong emotional needs, the progressed Moon is your
emotional barometer for that point in time. For example, when your
Moon progresses from Pisces into Aries, you wHl experience a big shift in
consciousness. You will stop sacrificing yourself for others and begin to
take care of yourself. You will watch out for your own interests and
explore what you can do. Your emotional needs will revolve around you.
2. As the progressed Moon travels through a certain house, the affairs
of that house are highlighted. WTien the progressed Moon is transiting
through the natal fifth house (children, creativity etc.), manv times that is
when a child is conceived. In my case, that is when I began writing my
first book. There is almost always a dramatic career change when the
progressed Moon goes through the tenth house. Many a confirmed
bachelor has decided to get married when the progressed Moon entered
his seventh house. Through the sixth house, vou may fmd that your
emotions affect your health.
3. The progressed Moon has a strong influence on the kind of people
you draw into vour life. When vour progressed
Moon is going through Scorpio, you will draw to yourself deep,
intense people, and power struggles may occur. When it is in Sagittarius,
you will attract world travelers, educators, foreigners, and free spirits.
With the Moon in Capricorn you may gravitate toward older people and
more business-minded people. So you see, you literally draw to yourself
people who represent that sign and who often are that sign. If a client
whose progressed Moon is in Leo asks about a new relationship with
someone who has strong Leo, I feel very comfortable saying, "Well, he'll
certainly be in your life or thoughts the whole time your progressed Moon
is in Leo." When the Moon leaves Leo, the client may no longer connect
to that sign or the person in the same way.
4. The progressed Moon has a lot to do with our instinctive habit
patterns. When my progressed Moon was going through Libra, it was a
lovely period, a time when I appreciated the arts and dressed very
carefully to project the romantic image this beautiful sign represents.
During this time, I had a habit of wearing false eyelashes. As soon as my
progressed Moon moved into Scorpio, off they came, and I haven t worn
them since.
One word of caution. It's important when we're interpreting the
progressed Moon to take into consideration not only the sign it is in, but
the natal house it is passing through. They will influence each other, and
a good synthesis should reflect the blend. For example, when my
progressed Moon was in Cancer, it was an uncomfortable and emotional
time for me. My natal Moon is in Aquarius, so the experience of a water
sign is not easy for me.
At the same time my progressed Moon was in Cancer, it was going
through my sixth house. The net result was that I didn't want to go out
much. I became a real homebody and I focused on fixing up my house.
Health issues were highlighted, and I had a lot of mood swings for no
apparent reason.
The Importance of the Progressed Moon
The progressed Moon should 'be good in Cancer because that's the
sign the Moon rules. But because my natal Moon is in an air sign, I always
feel uncomfortable when the Moon progresses through a water sign. So
another factor to consider is whether or not the Moon s natal sign is
harmonious with the progressed sign. Also, my clients have reported
discomfort when the Moon progresses through one of the water houses—
houses four, eight, and twelve—especially eight and twelve. The
progressed Moon in the eighth house, no matter what the sign, is like
having the Moon in Scorpio, and that is the most intense, difficult sign for
the Moon to be in. One client had her progressed Moon in Libra going
through her eighth house. Her emotions were very deep, focused, and
sometimes overwhelming. So you see, sometimes the house can override
the effect of the sign.
General Effects of the Progressed Moon
The natal Moon must be given close attention when studying a chart
for prediction since the natal Moon is the expression of your emotional
nature. A natal Moon in Capricorn indicates emotional control,
discipline, or strong ambition. A natal Moon in Aquarius shows a
tendency to be involved with groups, friends, organizations, or good
causes. If you have your natal Moon in the second house, you will always
have a lot of emotion around financial matters. Your emotions will
fluctuate according to your financial state. So if your natal Moon is in Leo
in the second house, there could be some rigidirv^ in your emotional
nature, especially when the focus is on money or values. The Moon in Leo
is fixed, and the second-house placement (an underlying Taurean
influence) makes it more fixed. Remember, this is a fixed sign in a fixed
house. Both the house and sign define the natal Moon and describe the
ultimate emotional nature. This must be blended and considered with the
progressed Moon interpretation.
The Importance of the Progressed Moon / 97
When the progressed Moon is in a fire sign, your emotions are
buoyant. You have a zest for living and are self-oriented, confident, and
poised. You are emotionally courageous and will talk and walk with spirit.
In an earth sign, you will want to accomplish things on a material level.
You will be concerned with property. You will build things and want to do
something substantial with your creative talents. You will want to take
your emotions, inspiration, and creativity, and put them into tangible
form. When the Moon progresses through a water sign, emotions can run
your life. You will be perceptive, sensitive, intuitive, and operating very
much on a feeling level, sometimes more than what is comfortable. It's a
great time to develop psychically. Through the air signs, you will have an
intellectual curiosity and want to learn new things. You will be people-
oriented and more socially active. Seeking knowledge, connecting with
friends, and communicating ideas will be strong priorities.
Your affairs will be public when the progressed Moon is transiting an
angular natal house (the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses). Other
people will be aware of the changes you experience and the conditions
around you. For example, when the progressed Moon is going through
the tenth, it will be public knowledge that you got a promotion or lost
your job. Through the first house, people will easily recognize any
physical changes in you.
When the Moon progresses through an angular house, events can
manifest early, even before the Moon is in the sign or before it has made
an exact aspect. This is particularly true when the progressed Moon is in
a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn). When the Moon
progresses through a succedent house (the second, fifth, eighth, and
eleventh houses) or through a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and
Aquarius), the affairs of your life will be less public. Changes and
adjustments are necessary. There is more resistance and delay in events
manifesting themselves. In fact, many times you feel your emotional life
has slowed down
 98 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
and things are on hold. Through the cadent houses (the third, sixth,
ninth, and twelfth houses) or mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius,
and Pisces), you go through psychological changes, changes in attitude.
Many will be of a deep nature, hidden rather than apparent, and many
things happen on a mental level rather than in an event-oriented way.
Obviously, it is a challenge to synthesize and come up with the correct
interpretation when the progressed Moon is going through an angular
house in a fixed sign, or any other mixed combination.
In astrology, because of synchronicity there will always be many
planetary influences operating at the same time. There is never just one
thing happening. I had my progressed Moon at 14° Cancer square my
natal Venus at 14° Libra, and transiting Mars was stationing at the same
time. It brought on a rash and terrible pain in my hand that lasted for a
good two weeks. It's interesting that as the progressed Moon made the
exact square to Venus, the diagnosis was made and I got the medicine to
cure it. This coincided with Mars moving forward, away from its
stationing position. The day the transiting Moon went through Cancer,
and con-juncted my progressed Moon, was the beginning of the end. The
rash started to dry up and fall off my hand. However, it wasn t totally over
until the progressed Moon made its next positive aspect, a trine to my
progressed Sun. This example also illustrates that there is a beginning
and ending to progressions.
This is a very important point to remember. There are always
beginnings and endings in astrology, and this is certainly true with the
progressed Moon. As the progressed Moon applies, you're going to feel its
influence. For instance, if your progressed Moon makes an applying
square to natal Saturn, you may feel unloved, or unable to express love, or
emotionally heavy. This experience will continue as the progressed Moon
goes on to apply to progressed Saturn (this is assuming that progressed
Saturn is direct, not retrograde), which could last for several more
months, depending on how far your Saturn has progressed. This feeling
or
emotional climate won t abate until the progressed Moon makes a
positive aspect. Just leaving the square to natal and progressed Saturn
won t change the experience—the progressed Moon must make a good
aspect before the mood goes away or changes. Sometimes you can have
several more months of being in that emotional funk, although it will
wane and not be as intense, but the feelings will continue. This is how you
determine for your clients when they will experience relief IVe seen too
many astrologers make mistakes and think that when the aspect is over,
the effect will be over. I have found it's not totally complete until the
progressed Moon makes its next good aspect.
How to Calculate the Progressed Moon
In all my work with progressions, I prefer to use the day-for-a-year
system called secondary progressions. In this system, the progressed
Moon moves approximately 59' to 1°15' per month.
If the Moon is moving slowly, aspects are longer lasting and events
will unfold slowly. If it is moving quickly, life takes on a quicker pace and
aspects are of a shorter duration. Twelve degrees of movement in a year is
average, less than 12° is slow, and 13° or more is very fast.
It is extremely important to note whenever the progressed Moon
changes signs. Often the effects of the new sign can be felt when the
Moon is still at 28° or 29° of the previous sign. When coming off a
difficult cycle, you can feel a lightening in your life prior to the Moon
changing signs. A month before my progressed Moon passed from
Scorpio into Sagittarius, I began to feel a loosening up. The entire period
my progressed Moon was in Scorpio was a very difficult, heavy time for
me, but as soon as it hit 28°, I felt as if I was being let out of prison. By
the time the Moon entered Sagittarius, I felt free and exhilarated. You can
also feel an energy shift when the progressed Moon is about to change
houses. You can feel the effect of it moving into the new house a degree or
two before it happens.
The Importance of the Progressed Moon
The Progressed Moon in the Signs Progressed Moon in .Iries
The progressed Moon through the first house and through Aries are
similar because .\ries is the sign on the first house in the natural
horoscope. the progressed Moon goes through this sign, you ^sill get a
solid sense of self. You will acquire more self-direction than you had
previously You look out for yourself, see to it that your needs are being
met. and go after the things you want.
You will also take on a buoyant qualit}-. an optimistic attitude that
shows in an energetic nature. You will often be motivated to lead, to act.
You will be more enterprising. Others will see it in your walk. You may
walk faster with your head down Like the ram , or use gestures to express
yourself. In fact, all parts of your personalit}' wlQ be affected. You will
move. talk, and think more quickly. You'll be less patient and more
impulsive. Your projection of yourself is usually more public, more
gregarious, and more outgoing than it had been previously
This is a welcome change because you have just moved out of the
influence of the sign of Pisces. In Pisces you may have had dif ficult time,
and been inclined to deep introspection or to giving up your identit}' for
others. I had a client who was madly in love with an alcoholic. The entire
time her progressed Moon was going through Pisces, she devoted herself
to him. losing her identit}- in him and his problems. She was constantly
taking care of him, bailing him out. saving him from himself and
sacrificing herself for him. soon as her Moon progressed into .\ries. she
said, i'm too good for this. I don't need this in mv life." and she just
walked away. This is t}-pical. You start to think about vourself when your
Moon progresses through Arits. It can be a ver\' positive experience.
With the progressed Moon in the first house or .\ries, you will be less
inclined to domesticity- because of your need for self-actualization. Your
health and vitalir^- will be good, though you could have headaches or
sinus problems. Also, you will tend to be more accident-prone. The
people you draw into your life will be Hke vou—self-reliant, assertive, and
dvnamic.
If you reflect back to when the progressed Moon was in the same sign,
about twenty-eight years earlier, and if you remember that your
experiences then weren't the greatest, it's important for you to create a
different experience the second time around. For example, I had a client
whose progressed Moon was in Aries and it ruled her third house. The
first time the progressed Moon went through that sign she had several
auto accidents and a red car (very "cookbook" astrology: Aries=red car,
accidents). The second time the progressed Moon was in Aries, she was
cautious and took care to avoid accidents, but she did buy her second red
car.
In synthesizing the progressed Moon in Aries, look to the house natal
Mars rules and the house that it is in. The affairs of both houses will be
highlighted during the time the progressed Moon is in this sign.
Progressed Moon in Taurus
When the progressed Moon goes through Taurus or the second house,
you will become more cautious than you were when it was in Aries. Your
mind will work deliberately and slowly, sometimes even ploddingly. You
will become practical and realistic. You will plan things out and may be a
little conservative in your approach. You may spend your energies
undoing some of the mistakes you made when the progressed Moon went
through Aries and you were impulsive. You will start to save some money,
because you are much more concerned with security and having a solid
base. Material things will be important and almost everyone will start a
bank account or buy property.
Even the most impractical person in the world will decide that he or
she needs to acquire some assets. I had a client who spent money like it
was going out of style. He lived like a millionaire. He traveled. He saw the
world. He went from paycheck to paycheck without saving a dime. When
his progressed Moon went through Taurus, he suddenly decided he had
to own some property. "I have to put down roots," he told me. "I have to
be concerned with my future."
102 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Home and roots become priorities. You will spend more time at home,
and you may want to beautify it. Some people buy paintings, the best
furniture, luxurious window treatments, etc. You can become concerned
with having the finest possessions—a beautifully appointed house or the
classiest car on the block. You can really get into luxury, and sometimes
get involved in a pattern of keeping up with the Joneses.
It is not uncommon to have influential people come into your life at
this time. One of my clients dated two very wealthy men during this
period in her life; one was a banker, and the other a man of great
property and possession.
If the progressed Moon in Taurus is making poor aspects, you can
become self-indulgent. You could get lazy, put on weight, and become too
materialistic. But for the most part, you will keep yourself on a practical
track and will start to build something of substance for yourself.
When the progressed Moon is in Taurus, you could be prone to throat
problems. For me, when the progressed Moon was in this sign making a
square to natal Saturn, my chart ruler, along with a Mercury/Mars
progression, some heavy transits, and an afflicting eclipse, my thyroid
went out of commission. This incident is what led to all the research I
have done on lunations and eclipses. About the same time I heard Eugene
Moore give a lecture on eclipses. He talked about a client who had very
similar aspects to mine during the same period (obviously with a much
more difficult natal chart) who the police found in a vacant lot with her
throat sHt. That got my attention. The point of this story is synthesis.
Start with the natal promise. Look at progressions and transits. Correlate
these with the eclipses and lunations. And then use the progressed Moon
for timing and further explanation. For one person it could be just a sore
throat, with the previous example showing the extreme expression of it.
 It's important to look at a number of factors when determining the
influence of the progressed Moon in a sign. Let me tell you
what happened another time when my progressed Moon was in
Taurus. Taurus is on the cusp of my fourth house. When my progressed
Moon was in that sign, I did extensive home remodeling and
refurnishing, and nothing but the best would do. Also, I did some very
lavish traveling because Venus rules my ninth house. I took my first
extensive trip to Hawaii. My natal Venus is in the eighth house, so there
was great improvement in my husband's income. Actually, my husband's
income improved both times my progressed Moon was in Taurus. The
first time he went into real estate and started to do very well, and I was
able to remodel my kitchen. The second time, twenty-eight years later,
the progressed Moon went into Taurus and I renovated the entire house—
stone floors, leather sofas, etc. We did some very lavish traveling, and my
second husband's income soared. When I looked at what happened
twenty-eight years before and then looked at what happened the second
time, many of the same things had occurred.
Twenty-eight degrees and 29° of Taurus are the bankruptcy degrees.
Because of lavish spending and a strong desire for luxury when the
progressed Moon is in Taurus, you can incur a lot of debt. By the time the
progressed Moon hits 28° to 29° Taurus, you may have to pay the piper.
This doesn't mean you'll go bankrupt, but you will have a reckoning if you
have been imprudent. An interesting note: I have a client who is a
bankruptcy lawyer whose Sun is at 28° Taurus.
Taking Taurus as the example, the key to correct interpretation is to
look at what houses natal Venus rules and what house Venus is in.
There's a potential for the affairs of all houses involved to be stimulated
during the two-and-a-half years the progressed Moon is in this sign.
Progressed Moon in Gemini
There is a big shift when the Moon progresses into Gemini, because
things of the mind become important and you can develop a strong,
intellectual curiosity. You seek mental stimulation and your mind
becomes very active, very alert. You can become very
104 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
communicative. You can easily grasp things because your mind is
hungry for knowledge, and a new kind of perception takes place. During
this time people go back to school, and often women in their forties do
very well in the classroom. Frequently a child who starts out with the
natal Moon in Taurus will seem much brighter and quicker when the
progressed Moon moves into Gemini. If you're counseling someone about
their child, it's important to remember that kids who may have been a bit
slow when the Moon was in Taurus often grasp things better and their
grades improve when the progressed Moon changes sign. Talents that
were buried or underdeveloped come to the fore and become a reality. I
have seen a child who was born with the Moon in early Taurus whose
parents were concerned because the child was two and still wasn't
talking. Then the Moon progressed into Gemini and all of a sudden the
child started talking in whole sentences.
Sometimes you learn skills at this time that help you extend your
experience. I've seen clients who had never driven before learn how to
drive or buy a car for the first time. They are then able to be on the move,
go more places, and fulfill the Gemini urge to travel and experience as
much as possible.
The Gemini duality comes into play, too. Many times a client gets
involved in dual relationships with the progressed Moon in Gemini. I
know one person who dated two people, and another who had two
different jobs. Sometimes clients will come to me whose husbands have
Gemini prominent or whose progressed Moon is in Gemini. The wife is
worried that the husband is straying because he's flirting more. After
analyzing the total chart to determine if he is a player, I will reassure her
that he may flirt, but he won't fool around. You've got to remember that if
a man has prominent air signs, he is often not that sexual, but will have a
rich fantasy life. He'll think and fantasize about sex a lot, but that's about
it.
When the progressed Moon is in Gemini, you will have a lot going on,
and it is a light, fun time. It's a great time for speculation because you are
willing to gamble and take chances. It's also a good time for your social
life.
Sociable people and people who are interested in intellectual pursuits
are the people most likely to come into your life at this time. It's natural
to meet others because of new studies or new intellectual interests, but
relatives and young people are also often extremely important. When my
Moon progressed through Gemini, I formed a singing group for young
people at my church.
In my early 30s when my progressed Moon was in Gemini, I studied
astrology with every teacher I could find. I traveled all over the country
and learned from Isabel Hickey, Bob Pelletier, and others. The next time
my progressed Moon was in Gemini, I did the same thing but the new
subject was bridge. Just as I enjoyed all the socializing that the astrology
world brought me—the students, the clients, the friends, the study groups
—I enjoyed the same thing with bridge. I went into a whole new social
world. My natal Mercury is in the seventh and it rules the fifth, sixth, and
eighth houses. With the fifth house, I learned bridge (a hobby) and took
on creative projects (making dollhouses and this book), which are both
tied to my sixth house of work. Twenty-eight years ago I took on astrology
as a fifth-house hobby and it became a business. Take note that when the
same sign is on the fifth and sixth houses, your hobby can become a
business.
Naturally, with the progressed Moon in Gemini, you are not going to
be very involved with your home because you are too busy. Your curiosity
will push you out and about and you may feel restless if you're at all tied
down.
Again, the correct approach to interpretation is to look at which
houses natal Mercury rules and what house it is in. The affairs of these
houses will be activated when the progressed Moon is in Gemini.
Progressed Moon in Cancer
If you have clients who complain that their mates are too much on the
go, that they don t want to stay at home or buy one, or that they don't
want children, you will often find that the partner is going through a
Gemini period. You can reassure your client that the focus will shift when
the progressed Moon reaches Cancer.
106 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Domesticity becomes central at this time, and the home becomes the
focus your life. You may buy a home when the progressed Moon goes
through Cancer, or remodel one. At the very least, you will stay at home
more.
The Moon is well placed in Cancer, so you will be able to express
emotions strongly. You will project a caring attitude and be nurturing,
sensitive, and maternal. You will want to draw people to you and take
care of them. While the Moon is well placed in Cancer, I don't particularly
like the progressed Moon in this sign, but that is because I have my natal
Moon in Aquarius.
Foremost among your concerns will be your children. Your sense of
responsibility to family is heightened and your energy and thoughts go to
your children. You will be more involved with your kids and spend more
time interacting with them.
Frequently this is a time when a couple will have a new baby. I had
some clients who got married, and the husband insisted he was not
interested in having a family. All of a sudden, when his progressed Moon
went into Cancer, he decided he wanted to start a family, and they did.
Your social life almost always revolves around the home, and it is
common to invite people to dinner. With the progressed Moon in Cancer,
you could develop an interest in cooking, take gourmet-cooking classes,
or simply buy a microwave oven or new stove.
Contentment is within easy reach when the progressed Moon is in
Cancer or the fourth house, and self-expression is seen in the nurturing of
other people.
A lot of times when the progressed Moon is in Cancer, old, pending
matters are resolved, making way for a new beginning, and people come
back into your life from the past. It's often a time when you go to a class
reunion or see people you haven t seen for a while. Many times you will
meet people who seem like old friends, and perhaps they are from a past
life. You may draw in past-life contacts and have deja vu experiences.
With the progressed Moon in Cancer, you may have to watch out for
water retention, weight gain, or stomach problems.
When interpreting what effect the progressed Moon in Cancer will
have on a client, look at which houses the natal Moon rules and what
house it is in. The affairs of these houses will be enlivened and must be
taken into account.
Progressed Moon in Leo
When the Moon progresses from Cancer into Leo, the change is often
startlingly apparent, even to outsiders. The domestic homebody becomes
more outgoing, more gregarious. You need more attention. You seek the
limelight. Whatever you do is done in a much more dramatic way, with
more flair, and both poise and confidence are evident and enhanced.
Public activities and amusements suddenly become the focus of your life.
You may begin doing things that you have never done before, and
surprise your friends with your new desire for the spotlight and center
stage. When the progressed Moon was in Cancer, you may have dressed
in a more romantic, subtle fashion, but with the progressed Moon in Leo,
you may dress with more flash, glitz, and drama. You want the attention
on you.
One of my clients went through an extremely difficult two-and-a-half
years with the progressed Moon in Cancer. She had divorced her husband
during the exuberant Gemini stage, but just as her Moon progressed into
Cancer, her ex-husband became very ill. She took him back into the house
and nursed him for over two years. She had no social life at this time,
hardly left the house except to go to work, and felt an overwhelming need
to nurture that even she could not rationalize or understand.
No sooner had her progressed Moon moved into Leo than she cast
aside all her domestic binds. She sold her house in a small town, pushed
her now-recovered ex-husband out the door, disposed of as many
possessions as possible, moved herself and her children to a big city, and
began a virtual whirlwind of social activity She
108 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
attracted several Leos into her life,'and tried out for roles in two
dramatic productions. As a modest Virgo, she of all people was the most
surprised at her actions. "I hadn t been in plays since high school, and for
years I had been afflicted with such stage fright that it was difficult for me
to speak my mind in front of a group of twenty people. Yet during the
rehearsal of the first production I was in, I found myself demanding a
bigger part. I astonished myself by talking the director into letting me
sing a solo. I further surprised myself by delivering it without a quiver, a
quaver, or a knocking knee," she recalled in describing her Leo change.
Watch out for back problems when the progressed Moon is moving
through Leo. Also, clients may have heart problems or be involved with
someone who has heart problems. I have found this to be particularly
true when the Moon is at 15° Leo. This seems to be a sensitive degree for
the heart. I have had several clients who have had open-heart surgery or
congestive heart failure when the progressed Moon hit this degree. Of
course, heart problems have to be promised in the natal chart.
A person could be luckier at games of chance with the progressed
Moon in Leo. A lot of times a client may get into gambling, the stock
market, or other forms of speculation, and do well (again, look to the
natal promise). A woman can get pregnant more easily with the
progressed Moon in either Cancer or Leo. Love relationships are a
priority with the progressed Moon in Leo. However, prominent Cancer
and Leo are the signs that have the most karma around relationships,
love affairs, and children. So with the progressed Moon going through
Cancer or Leo, karmi-cally challenging situations may come up.
It is important to consider the house the natal Sun is in and the house
it rules, because these houses will be active when the progressed Moon is
in Leo.
Progressed Moon in Virgo
When the progressed Moon moves into Virgo or the sixth house, you
can experience lowered vitality. Even if you are normally easygoing, you
can find yourself being critical, picky, and con-
cerned with order. You can aim the criticism at yourself or others.
There can be a strong impetus to get involved in self-improvement
projects.
Work, of course, becomes very important. You may overwork, and, in
fact, you may be working for others. But on the whole, useful, productive
skills come to the fore, and you learn to do something new that will have
a practical application. One of my clients learned to run a computer when
her progressed Moon moved into Virgo. Another client had not had a job
outside the home for twenty-eight years, but now she is a working woman
once more.
Another major concern is health, and many times you can become
your healthiest during this time. You are aware of the foods you eat, and
it's easy to discipline yourself as far as diet and exercise are concerned.
It's a good time to lose weight and get in shape. It's also a good time to
take care of any little thing that is wrong with you or that you haven't
handled. When my progressed Moon was in the sixth house, I became
very health-conscious. I gave up sugar, lost weight, and exercised every
day That's classic progressed Moon in the sixth.
People often become very fastidious at this time. Even the most lax
housekeeper will suddenly decide to get crazy-clean when her progressed
Moon goes into Virgo. Even little children will worry about dirt. I once
had a secretary whose Moon progressed into Virgo, and for that two-and-
a-half years my institute was cleaner than ever before or after.
Since security is tied to practical matters at this time, you can become
very responsible about money. It's a good time to save money or get an
accountant to untangle or take care of your tax matters. Simply speaking,
you are more realistic and down to earth.
With the progressed Moon in Virgo, you may not draw in as many
people to your life as you once did. You are more discriminating about
who you want in your life and more critical of others. The people you
socialize with most are most likely the ones with whom you work.
110 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Working conditions, coworkers, and the work environment will be
very important with the progressed Moon in Virgo. You become much
more detail-oriented. I noticed when my progressed Moon was in
Capricorn that I really put structure in my life. However, with the
progressed Moon in Virgo, you get caught up with the details and finer
points. When we moved into our new house, my husband's progressed
Moon was in Virgo, and he had to do every little project himself and he
wanted everything perfect and in order.
With the progressed Moon in Virgo or in the sixth house, you may
have pet issues. You may get a pet or be concerned about a pet.
Health issues for Virgo can include digestive problems. It is the sign of
service, and sometimes you're drawn into a service occupation or you do
volunteer work.
For correct synthesis of the progressed Moon in Virgo, it is important
to note which house natal Mercury is in and which houses it rules. The
affairs of these houses will be activated during the time the progressed
Moon is in Virgo.
Progressed Moon in Libra
The progressed Moon in Libra is absolutely lovely. It's one of the
nicest times. When you are under the influence of Venus (the ruler of
Libra), harmony, cooperation, and relationships are your focus. You are
good-natured, gracious, charming, easy to get along with, and you want
to do things for other people. In general, you feel good (always check the
aspects the progressed Moon is making), and the circumstances of your
life improve.
Thoughts turn to beauty, love, and romance. You may find yourself
interested in the arts, music, painting, ballet, etc. You have a heightened
perception of beauty that may be reflected in your appearance. You could
change your hairstyle or makeup, or take care of your skin (cosmetic
surgery is also a possibility). You could dress in a new way—lovelier, more
glamorous—and buy new clothes.
One of my clients told me that when her husband's progressed Moon
entered Libra, he lost twenty pounds and came home with four new suits.
It was the tip-off to her, however, that he was having an affair. This is
something that can happen when the progressed Moon is in Libra. Libra
loves to fall in love. You could go on a search for the romantic ideal. You
become other-person-oriented and want to interact on a one-to-one
basis. You could feel more romantic and tender, and do chivalrous things.
With the progressed Moon in Libra or in the seventh house, you
naturally think more in terms of partnerships—^business or personal.
Even if you have not been interested in marriage, you may start to think
about it at this time. One of the most obvious signals for marriage is when
the progressed Moon moves into the seventh house. I have seen clients
who have been dating for a while decide to get married when one of them
has their Moon progress into the seventh house.
In the domestic arena, you may expend energy beautifying your home.
You may buy drapes, do wallpapering, buy paintings, or do anything that
will improve your surroundings.
Health problems can revolve around the kidneys, bladder, and, as
with all the signs, the polarity may be drawn in, too, with headaches
(Aries is Libra's opposite sign, and Aries rules the head).
For the progressed Moon in Libra, as with the progressed Moon in
Taurus, look to the houses that natal Venus rules and what house natal
Venus is in for the key to a more comprehensive interpretation.
Progressed Moon in Scorpio
One of the most difficult times in your life is the period when your
progressed Moon is going through Scorpio. You experience deep,
powerful emotions, and all your feelings become magnified. There is a
heaviness and intensity about you that is missing when the progressed
Moon is in the other signs.
You are goal-oriented in Scorpio, but the goals are fixed, almost to the
point of being obsessive. You become so committed
112 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
to something that you stay on the path whether or not it's good for
you. I have seen the most free-wheeling and independent women become
compulsive and possessive about a man. IVe seen a client go to the
extreme of going through her boyfriend's garbage and old mail in order to
keep tabs on him. Another client had the code for her ex-husband's
answering machine and would dial up his number every day to see who
had called him and what messages were left. She wanted to know who he
was dating and who he was sleeping with months after they had broken
up. Yet another client was so intense in a relationship that she drove it to
the point of separation. She grieved over it for a long time, and it was all
we heard about for months. She was obsessed with him and she drove all
of her friends crazy.
The progressed Moon in Scorpio is the fatal attraction Moon. I had a
client who was involved with a married man who promised her he would
leave his wife. However, when she found out he was going on a trip with
his spouse, in revenge she sent a hundred pizzas to his house. Another
client was going with a married man for fifteen years. He was the head of
a corporation. Something happened that set her off" and she wrote letters
of complaint about him to the board of directors of his company, to his
boss, and to his wife. Then she felt remorseful and thought, "What did I
do?" So she took a can of Sterno, set it on fire, and threw it in the mailbox
where she had mailed the letters. The mailbox happened to be right
across the street from my house. I remember the fire truck coming and
wondering what had happened. It turned out that it was my client who
was responsible for this! All of her letters were destroyed, but so was
everybody else's mail. This is an extreme example of what you can do
when you are under the compulsive energy of Scorpio. You are not
yourself It is as if you are possessed.
I had another client who was involved with a Scorpio man when her
progressed Moon was in this sign. It's very typical that you attract people
with the sign or with the characteristics of the sign that your progressed
Moon is in. She said that every time she had sex with him she felt like she
had died and was reborn, because
it was so powerful. She also had her progressed Sun squaring Pluto
and Pluto squaring her angles at the same time. She learned more
psychologically about relationships and men than she ever would have,
because she experienced a lover who was a class-one manipulator. He
was a master teacher, her magnificent obsession.
When your progressed Moon is in Scorpio, you have more follow-
through and an extra amount of intuitiveness, but you also have a much
shorter fuse, and your emotions can be almost too deep to handle. The
deep, intense emotions often cause health problems that emerge later. I
have seen people develop cancer because they "stuff" too much and
because they hold on to too much deep-seated anger. I have also seen
people develop sexual problems such as psychologically induced
impotency or self-imposed celibacy. IVe seen women have female
problems, or their tubes tied, and men have vasectomies.
To make matters worse, the people you attract are usually deep,
intense, troubled people. You socialize less at this time because you may
develop a tendency toward introversion and want to be off by yourself It's
a time of power struggles, manipulation, and mind games, and it can be
either you doing it or it being done to you.
Look to the natal Scorpio house and to the houses that natal Mars and
Pluto are in when synthesizing the interpretation for the progressed
Moon in Scorpio. Why both Mars and Pluto? Because in my thirty years
of practice, IVe found that both Mars and Pluto work as the co-rulers of
Scorpio.
Progressed Moon in Sagittarius
When the progressed Moon leaves Scorpio and goes into Sagittarius
or the ninth house, you feel all the heaviness, intensity, and weight lifted.
You feel more independent and freedom-oriented. Optimism replaces
moodiness as the prevailing emotion, and you are happier and take joy in
life. You walk more buoyantly and have a zest for living. You can be more
philosophical, spiritual, truth-seeking, and idealistic than you were
before. However, you may also be more brutally frank and honest.
114 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
When the progressed Moon is in'Sagittarius, you may feel
adventurous and want to travel. When my progressed Moon was in this
sign, I went on trips all the time, and I met my husband (who has
Sagittarius Ascending) on one of them. Naturally, you can make a lot of
new friends when you travel, and the ones who become important to you
are often foreigners, educators, and people who take a broad view of the
world. They will support both your spirit for adventure and your
appreciation of freedom. Sometimes you go back to school, or take
advanced career training.
The outdoors can also take on a strong importance, which can be
expressed in interesting ways. One of my clients bought a second home at
that time. He was traveling back and forth to the West Indies a great deal
and he purchased a home there. The house was on the sea with lots of
windows, so he was, in effect, letting the outdoors come right inside.
Other people react to the call of the outdoors by taking up spectator
sports or physical activities. Even if you don't like exercise, you may find
yourself working out.
Something to be aware of during this period is a tax or government
problem. One year I told a class of mine that I could be audited because
my progressed Moon was going into Sagittarius. Bingo. The next week I
got a letter from the IRS. That's right. They were going to audit me. When
the progressed Moon went into Sagittarius, it squared my Mercury, the
ruler of my eighth house (taxes) in the seventh. In fact, in almost every
case when a client was getting audited, their progressed Moon was in
Sagittarius or the ninth house. After tracking this for a while, I have
found that when the ninth house or Jupiter is activated, or if the
progressed Moon is in Sagittarius or the ninth house, there can be the
possibility of an audit.
Because Sagittarius rules the hips and thighs, problems in these areas
can surface. It is a time when hip replacements can occur. It's a nervous
sign, so sometimes you suffer from insomnia. You will feel inspired and
may be tempted to take on more than you can handle. It's important for
you to guard against being hyper and overexpansive, and overextending
yourseff.
When the progressed Moon is in Sagittarius, look to the house natal
Jupiter is in and to the house ruled by Sagittarius for a more in-depth
interpretation.
Progressed Moon in Capricorn
The progressed Moon is not well placed in Capricorn. This is not a
wonderful time emotionally. You can feel lonely, isolated, or duty-bound.
Ambition is the great ruler of Capricorn and the tenth house, so you can
become more career-oriented. You are better able to define a goal, go
after it, and make great strides. Frequently, there are changes in business
or profession. You can become entrepreneurial and set up your own
business, or get into more important work, or raise your position in the
corporate structure. Whatever your goals, you work toward them in a
practical, systematic way Carefulness and thoughtfulness mark your
behavior, and you can become very responsible with money. Recognition,
fame, status, and position are high on your list of priorities.
I have noticed that many of our world leaders have their natal Moon
in Capricorn, and many U.S. presidents have had their progressed Moon
in the tenth house when they were elected.
Health problems revolve around skin, teeth, bones, and nails. Bones
start to ache when it's going to rain outside. Dental problems should be
immediately attended to so they don t get worse. The skin seems to be
much more sensitive. For an adolescent, the progressed Moon in
Capricorn can mean the onset of acne. This is particularly true if the
person has the Moon square Saturn natally or Venus square Saturn
natally (or even a soft aspect between these planets). If the progressed
Moon sets off one of these aspects, that can be when the acne starts.
The affairs of the house natal Saturn occupies and the natal Capricorn
house are key to delineating the progressed Moon in Capricorn.
Progressed Moon in Aquarius
When your Moon progresses into Aquarius or the eleventh house,
freedom issues come to the fore. The impulse to be your
116 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
own person can be very strong. You can be quite the individual—
dressing uniquely, developing a different flair from other people, and
refusing to be rubber-stamped. You are definitely your own person. It is
not at all easy to get you to do something just because everyone else is
doing it. You make up your own mind about what is important and
express your emotions in an independent, individualistic way. With the
progressed Moon in Aquarius, you may find yourself saying, "I don t care
what other people think. I need to be myself." This is very different from
the Moon in Capricorn, when you did care what everybody else thought.
You can be inventive and innovative, displaying a broad outlook. Your
mind expands and creativity takes on an intellectual form. Many times
you can have flashes of real genius when your progressed Moon is going
through Aquarius. You can be humanitarian in your pursuits and
altruistic. You want to make the world a better place.
You may find that causes claim your attention and, as a result, groups,
organizations, and friendships become important. You may get involved
with politics or some idealistic reform, and the people you draw into your
life are special and unique. You are not inclined toward intimacy at this
time. You are more likely to make your mark and then withdraw.
Domesticity and home take a back seat.
My natal Moon is in Aquarius, and my attitude toward astrology is
that it needs to be presented in such a way that people will understand it
as the great profession it is and not confuse it with fortunetelling. I made
this my cause, and I worked for it through groups and organizations.
Once I had gone through the two-year process to get astrology legalized
with the city of Milwaukee,I felt my mission with astrology was over. In
the past I had been so
* It is a landmark case throughout the entire country, and whenever
the legality of practicing astrology comes up, this is the case that is
referred to. A federal judge handed down the final decision. However,
when the case was over, I felt less involved with astrology. My mission
with it was over.
involved with this cause and others that I sometimes neglected the
people close to me.
Circulation problems and leg cramps are a few of the health problems
that could surface when the progressed Moon is in Aquarius.
Be sure to incorporate into your synthesis the house natal Uranus is in
and the natal house that has Aquarius on the cusp.
Progressed Moon in Pisces
When your Moon progresses into Pisces or into the twelfth house, you
are more sensitive, emotional, intuitive, perceptive, and creative. This is
one of the more difficult signs for the progressed Moon. Personally, I find
the progressed Moon in any of the water signs to be more difficult. In
Pisces, this is a time when you can play either victim or savior, and
sometimes both at the same time. You can get into relationships where
you are doing all the giving, and you can sacrifice your identity for
another. There is almost always a shedding of tears because you feel
intensely. You can also feel sorry for yourself
Under harsh aspects, you can become your own worst enemy. I have
seen clients hold on so rigidly at this time to some principle that they lose
track of the important things in their lives. Distorted ideas about love,
purity, and generosity can allow you to undo yourself and destroy the
things around you.
One of the positive things that can come out of a progressed Moon in
Pisces is a heightened intuition that leads you to investigate the hidden
meaning of life. You can develop an interest in the occult because you are
more psychic. By going deep within, you can come up with a new
understanding of your needs and who you are. It is a good time to go to a
psychiatrist and explore. You can get in touch with your direction and
where you are going. Sometimes you can even get in touch with psychic
and spiritual information you have brought in from a past life.
Home is usually a haven, and you can be domestically creative and
express your artistic qualities there. But it is also a time
118 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
when many individuals spend timfe in the hospital or visit those in
hospitals.
Sometimes you can go off the deep end with drugs or alcohol (always
look to the natal promise). Erroneous prescriptions, food poisoning, or
overindulgence in drinking are possible. You can get hooked on drinking
or drugs. This can also be a time when you may want to escape reality. On
the positive side, this is a time when you can dream your most wonderful
dreams and be truly inspired in your creative work. Musicians can write
their most haunting songs and artists can paint their most fabulous
pictures. It's a time of true heightened creativity and inspiration.
Look to the house where natal Neptune is posited and the natal house
cusp that Pisces is on for synthesis of this progressed Moon.
The Progressed Moon Making Aspects
when the progressed Moon makes aspects, it acts as a trigger for
events. When you are interpreting a chart and making a prediction, it is
very important that you start with a 1° orb. There are times to break this
rule, of course, such as when you are dealing with client relationships.
Katherine de Jersey, whom I feel is an expert on the progressed Moon,
taught me to give it a 3° orb, especially when it involves a relationship
with another person. Her reasoning is that sometimes you need the extra
time to catch up with each other.
Another of Katherine's relationship theories that I have really
embraced is that whenever you meet someone, the progressed Moon
must be active in both charts. Not only do you have to have your
progressed Moon making an aspect in one of your charts (natal or
progressed), but it must be making an aspect to something in the other
person s chart (natal or progressed). Correspondingly, if the relationship
is going to last, the progressed Moon must be making an aspect in the
other person s chart as well as contacting something in your chart. I have
found this to be a very exciting theory
that is almost infallible. However, I find it is necessary to use up to a
3° orb. As long as both progressed Moons are making an aspect within 3°,
the relationship will be truly meaningful. This is a prime rule for a
sensitive synthesis and should be followed. If there's no aspect from the
progressed Moon within 3°, I find the relationship will die on the vine.
That person will not stay in your life very long.
I have been asked what the result is if the progressed Moon of, say,
the man (in a heterosexual romance) is making harmonious aspects in
both charts, but the woman's progressed Moon is making a difficult
aspect in one of the charts and a good aspect in the other chart. Will the
relationship last? The answer is, "Yes, but they will have issues to work
out."
When I met my husband, my progressed Moon in Scorpio was
sextiling my Jupiter at 28° Virgo and trining his Jupiter/Uranus at 28°
Pisces (an interesting note is that we met on a trip). His progressed Moon
in Leo was trining his Venus (this is often the case when you find true
love) and trining my progressed Venus/Mars in Sagittarius.
Progressed Moon Making a Conjunction
If the progressed Moon makes a conjunction, there will be a strong,
energizing effect. As it conjuncts within a degree, energy will be fused,
there will be an emotional spark, and something will happen that will
affect you personally. It is a very dynamic time, and there will be a lot of
changes. Usually the changes will be of your own doing. It's in your
hands. It's something you do. However, sometimes the energy can be a
bit compulsive. The changes that occur for you will not only involve issues
that the planet rules, but will also affect the house the planet is in and the
house that it rules. For example, I had a client whose progressed Moon
conjuncted her natal Mars in the eighth house. This Mars rules her
eleventh house (signifying her second husband). She and her husband
agreed to divorce—a big personal change for her second husband. She
also took control to see that she got some of his assets (eighth house).
120 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Please note that the experience of a conjunction can be either easy or
difficult depending on the planet involved and its natal aspects. A
conjunction to Venus often will be good, a conjunction to Mars or Saturn
may not always be so good, but of course it depends on the condition of
the planet natally. Again, this is why the natal promise is so important. If
an important natal trine is set off or a favorable progression is activated,
no matter what the planets involved, it's going to be positive.
Progressed Moon Making an Opposition
When the progressed Moon makes an opposition, you will have a
choice. Patterns will be changing, but there will be something you will
have to confront. You may find out something. You may learn about
yourself through interactions with other people, but you will be the one
making the decision. You will have the control. Things will not be merely
happening to you. An opposition is still a harsh or difficult aspect, and
you may have to take a blow to your ego or concede a point. You should
also be careful about using poor judgment or making an unwise decision
where a relationship is concerned. The opposition always involves a
relationship. It can be a business, personal, adversarial, or client
relationship. No matter what type, it will always involve another person.
It's the first and seventh-house axis—^you and the other—and you always
have a choice in your actions. You can compromise, insist on your point
of view, or walk away.
Progressed Moon Making a Square
The square is harsh, and when the progressed Moon makes a square
to a planet, you will be forced to break away or to over come an obstacle.
A square brings things out into the open and indicates a difficult change,
a trying time emotionally, a time of restriction. Something comes at you
and you have to deal with it. There's no avoiding it. You may be exhausted
or emotionally
drained. You will have to deal with something, and you will have less
control than you had with the opposition. Health problems sometimes
surface at this time. You can feel disorganized and out of focus. It is a
separative time. Confrontations and estrangements will be out in the
open. In extreme cases, I have even seen death when the progressed
Moon is squaring the Sun, but usually it's some other kind of ending or
completion.
It's important to note if it is a fourth-house square or a tenth-house
square. A fourth-house square is more of a completion, whereas a tenth-
house square may be more of a new beginning. To determine whether it is
a fourth or tenth-house square, rotate the chart so that the planet is on
the Ascendant (put the planet on the Ascendant). Then you see where the
progressed Moon is coming from, the fourth-house side or the tenth-
house side. The fourth-house square is always the end of the matter, a
completion. The tenth-house square thrusts you toward your destiny. It
offers a new beginning, so it is less restrictive.
Progressed Moon Making a Trine
The loveliest aspect in your chart is, as we all know, the trine. When
the progressed Moon makes a trine to a planet, people seem to invent
opportunities that fall into your lap. You have a talent, a skill, or some
knowledge that everybody wants or demands. Lucky you. If you have
health problems, they'll clear up. If there has been an estrangement, there
could be a reconciliation. Wonderful things will happen to you.
Progressed Moon Making a Sextile
The progressed Moon making a sextile to a planet indicates an
opportunity. It is there for you if you want to seek it out. Other people
may open doors for you. Some choose to walk through, and others do not.
You can take advantage of an opportunity that may be presented to you,
or pass on it.
122 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Progressed Moon Making an Inconjunct
One other aspect I look at is the inconjunct, the 150° aspect. When the
progressed Moon makes an inconjunct to a planet, I find it indicates that
a person or situation comes into your life and causes you to make an
adjustment. It's a sixth and eighth-house condition. It often is tied to
health matters or work/service, or psychological issues. I call the
inconjunct a dilemma aspect, because there is usually some condition to
resolve.
The Progressed Moon Aspecting the Planets Progressed Moon
Aspecting the Sun
Any aspect that the progressed Moon makes to the natal Sun is part of
your cyclical development. For instance, when the progressed Moon
conjuncts the natal Sun, it is also a progressed New Moon and is a time of
wonderful new beginnings. Life takes a positive turn. There will be a new
alliance, a new relationship, a new business, or a new romance. You will
get a promotion. You will make more money. You will be one with
yourself When the opposition occurs, it is a progressed Full Moon, and
this is often a time of separation for you. I have seen people divorce,
businesses close, and jobs end (of course, there will be other factors
describing this in the chart).
Progressed Moon Aspecting the natal Moon
The progressed Moon making a positive aspect to the natal Moon is a
wonderful time for interacting. You will be in touch with your inner self
and your emotions. Your health will be good. You will have a positive
domestic arrangement. You will receive public ac ceptance. You'll be well
balanced and well adjusted. It is a good time to make domestic changes if
you want to. On rare occasions I have seen problems. If the client's natal
Moon is very afflicted, even if the progressed Moon is making good
aspects, it can be too emotional and discordant an experience for the
person. For example, if the natal Moon is in a T-Square, even if the
progressed
Moon is trining the natal Moon, the T-Square will be set off and it will
be an uncomfortable time for the person.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Mercury
Mercury rules how we assimilate knowledge and communicate it.
With comfortable, easy aspects from the progressed Moon to natal
Mercury, you may become involved with younger people, sometimes as
an intellectual mentor, sometimes as a romantic partner. Communication
will be important. You will give and seek good advice. You will have a
positive learning experience, learn a new skill, or develop a new
intellectual interest or mental pursuit. With difficult aspects, there will be
misunderstandings or difficulty communicating. You may drop out of
school. You may not understand things. There could be negative gossip,
too. You may have car trouble. A writer with the progressed Moon
squaring Mercury may have to struggle with his or her writing or may
have writer's block. However, this is very different from the natal promise
involving Mercury, because the more aspects the progressed Moon makes
to Mercury, the better. There are always mental outlets, even with tense
aspects. Any aspect provides an outlet for mental and intellectual
expression.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Venus
Our love nature, what we value, our pleasure principle, and the way
we experience love are all under the control of the benefic planet Venus.
Good aspects between the progressed Moon and natal Venus assure your
popularity, a good social life, and an opportunity for receiving gifts. You
will be charismatic and magnetic. You could meet someone and fall in
love. Your social life will improve. Your relationships with others will
blossom. Your appearance will improve. It is also a time when your
creativity is beautifully expressed. It's a great time to get a facelift, change
your image or hairstyle, buy new clothes, etc., and be happy with it all for
a long time. And, of course, it's a wonderful time to fall in love. If the
planets are well placed, for instance natal Venus in
124 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Taurus or Libra, and if natal Venus'is well aspected, this could be one
of the best periods of your whole life.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Mars
Although a conjunction with Mars, which controls our drive and
energy, is usually inharmonious, when the progressed Moon makes a
harmonious aspect to this planet, it is an exciting period. You have lots of
energy and are very productive. You are self-actualizing. You are
motivated. You get things done. Sometimes you accomplish things you
have been waiting to do. With a difficult aspect, there could be an
overreaction, an accident, a need for surgery, or a misuse of emotional
energy. You may run into difficult people, lose your temper, be volatile, or
attract violence and irritability.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Jupiter
When the progressed Moon makes good aspects to the great benefic
Jupiter, you can expect many good things to happen. You will be buoyant
and draw to yourself happy, helpful people who will encourage you and
appreciate you. You will make financial gains, and it is a good time for
you to make investments. If you are involved with a lawsuit, you will win.
If you are writing a book, you will have it published. If you have a travel
chart, you'll take a trip. If you go back to school, you will do well. It is a
good time to right wrongs. Since Jupiter is a kind planet, guiding our
spiritual expansion, even the difficult aspects are not that bad. You will,
perhaps, be overly expansive, overly optimistic. Some of your plans may
be unrealistic. You could have unanticipated difficulty winning a court
case because you are so optimistic that you don't prepare properly. But all
in all, aspects to Jupiter are fun. An old astrologer once told me that if
youVe lost something, when the progressed Moon conjuncts or makes an
aspect to Jupiter, you might find it. (When Jupiter makes a harmonious
aspect to Uranus, you can also find lost things.)
I learned a very important lesson about natal promise when my
progressed Moon trined natal Jupiter. I had planned a trip to Las Vegas,
and when I looked at my chart, I saw not only the progressed Moon
trining Jupiter but other Jupiter aspects as well, and I thought, "Wow ril
probably win (at gambling)." Even though I don't have the natal promise
of winning at games of chance, I thought I would win because I had
strong Jupiter aspects. I didn't win at all. I lost money. I realized that the
trine in my chart indicated being able to go on the trip. I don't have a
chart that promises winning at games of chance. You're not going to win
at gambling if you don't have a lucky chart.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Saturn
When the progressed Moon makes a good aspect to the teacher,
taskmaster, disciplinarian Saturn, it helps you make solid plans for the
future. You will lay important foundations and build solid bases. Your
approach will be practical and the way crystal clear. You will have stable
relationships. You will get advancements. There will be definite progress,
and you can clear up old debts. You will end up being more solvent, in a
much more positive place. This is a good time to deal with big business
and authority figures. When the progressed Moon squares Saturn, there
will a lot of blockage, obstacles, and delays. Your patience will be tested.
You will feel let down, have difficulty with your boss, or feel dragged
down by loads of responsibility. Emotionally you can become bankrupt. I
tell my women clients if the man they are dating has his progressed Moon
square Saturn, they should not expect anything from him. Under this
aspect he will have nothing emotionally to give, so trying to pull emotion
or feeling out of him at this timxe would be unproductive. They need to
wait until the aspect is over to probe how he feels about them or look for a
commitment from him. After all, timing is what astrology is all about.
126 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
Progressed Moon Aspecting Uranus
Life is exciting and an adventure when the progressed Moon makes
easy aspects to Uranus, the awakener, the planet of unexpected
happenings. The people whom you come in contact with will be unique.
You will draw in exciting friends and do unexpected things. You will be
more spontaneous. Opportunities will come up that were never
anticipated. When the progressed Moon makes difficult aspects, however,
there are problems because the emotions are volatile and reckless. You
may get rid of things or people that you may later find you need. This is
the don t-throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bath-water aspect. Don t make
changes that you'll regret later. Many times people who enter your life
buzz in and out and only stay for a short period of time.
You will experience energy highs and lows. There may a miscarriage
or an unexpected pregnancy. During this time you should think about
things and not act as impulsively as you want to. Take a trip or rearrange
the furniture rather than quit your job or get a hasty divorce. Just don't
make a change that's irreversible.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Neptune
Creativity is at a high when the progressed Moon makes a positive
aspect to natal Neptune. It rules your spiritual dimension and can make
your life a magical, mystical time. You can be dreamy, read a lot, delve
into the occult, or have prophetic dreams. You may soak up knowledge
like a sponge. You may travel. You may beautify your home or office
because you are much more creative. But Neptune is also the planet of
illusion, delusion, elusion, and confusion, and with difficult aspects, you
may meet people who are not honest. You may have trouble with
incorrect prescriptions or food poisoning. Your emotions are vulnerable.
Because you don t get the facts, you can be the victim of deception. You
see life through a veil, not as it is. The truth is vague and confusing. One
thing to remember, however, is that even with a bad aspect to Neptune,
you can have great charisma and magnetism.
Progressed Moon Aspecting Pluto
There is a fated quality to events when the progressed Moon makes an
aspect to Pluto, the planet of rebirth, regeneration, and new perspectives.
With a good aspect, your emotions are deep and intense. Pluto is a deep,
profound, and powerful influence. The people who come into your life are
intense. Your relationships with them are long-term, and you will
remember them for a long time after they have gone. You may attract
powerful women or profound people. It is a time when you can unleash
deep psychological problems and rid yourself of issues blocking your life.
You can get positive, therapeutic help. You can also make great financial
gains, become a millionaire overnight (other aspects must be present),
get a raise, receive a good return on your income tax, be paid a long-owed
debt, get an insurance claim, or inherit money. There will be solutions in
your life, secrets revealed, or problems with roots in the past finally
solved. When the Moon makes difficult aspects to Pluto, it is a
psychologically exhausting time. Skeletons come out of the closet. You are
pushed to the limit. You may draw to yourself people who want to play
games or become involved with a power struggle and a clash of wills. You
could also be brutalized and victimized. The progressed Moon to Pluto
can trigger a girl's menses or a woman s change of life. It can also figure
in a man having a vasectomy or a woman having her tubes tied. With
Pluto aspects, you can always be sure that there will be personal growth.
All progressed Moon aspects operate in an event-oriented way, in a
spiritual way, and in a psychological way. But the aspects involving
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto operate in more of a subconscious, fated way
than aspects to the other planets. The experience is deep and beneath the
surface. A progressed Moon aspect can bring you to a new level
spiritually. There can be growth. It will affect you psychologically If in
therapy, you can experience many deep insights into the working of your
subconscious. It can bring you to a
128 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
new level of cognitive understanding. There will certainly be events,
but I have found with years of practice that when the aspects of the
progressed Moon involve Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, the result is much
more psychological. Everything is exaggerated, much more fated, and out
of your hands. You are driven to react, to do. You're driven certain places
and you don't even know how you got there.
The Progressed Moon in Critical Degrees
Now let's talk about the progressed Moon in Critical Degrees. For
many years I kept hearing the term Critical Degrees. What are they? They
are degrees that are considered to have a little more weight, importance,
or intensity For the cardinal signs, they are 0°, 13°, and 26°. For the frxed
signs, they are 8°-9° and 21°-22°, and for the mutable signs, 4° and 17°.
Many astrologers also consider 0° and 29° of any sign to fall in the same
category.
I wasn't sure how and if Critical Degrees worked. I knew they were
considered to be sensitive degrees, and if a planet was in one, it meant
additional stress or emphasis on the affairs of that planet. I investigated
them, and at first I didn't see anything major happening with people who
had planets in Critical Degrees. However, I did notice that when people
had a planet at 29°, there was additional focus for the person in the
affairs the planet ruled. It took a while before I realized that when a natal
planet is at a Critical Degree, the things that planet represents are strong
issues in the person's life. For example, my natal Uranus is at a Critical
Degree, and astrology has been a major force in my life, mostly good,
sometimes bad. I have a good friend whose Venus is at a Critical Degree,
and relationship and money issues demand a lot of her attention. There is
often a crisis in her love life. I have also seen scholars who have Mercury
at a Critical Degree.
While I do see natal planets at Critical Degrees working, they don't
work all the time. It's a condition that can be temporarily resolved. It can
be a subtle effect. But I really see excitement when a
progressed planet or the progressed Moon hits a Critical Degree. Then
there will be a crisis in your life.
Now I want to define the word crisis as an area of your life that needs
attention. Don t look at it as something that is necessarily bad. When the
progressed Moon hits a Critical Degree, I find that matters come to a
head. There will definitely be a crisis in your life or issues on the table. It
may involve the affairs of the house the progressed Moon is moving
through, the sign the progressed Moon is in, or any planet the progressed
Moon aspects, the house that planet is in, or whatever house(s) that
planet rules.
I became aware of this because out of the blue, I would have a crisis
come up. I wanted to know what was causing it. I would look at my chart
and one day I finally realized a crisis came up when my progressed Moon
was hitting a Critical Degree. These are crises that usually last less than a
month, unless the progressed Moon is setting off a heavy transit or
progression. So when the progressed Moon was at a Critical Degree, but
not aspecting a planet or setting off a transit or progression, I would have
a crisis related to the affairs of the house the progressed Moon was
transiting that would be resolved very quickly
However, if the progressed Moon was at a Critical Degree and setting
off other things in the chart, then the crisis would be more complicated
and longer lasting. It could activate a progression that up until then had
been stagnant. Progressions will just sit there until something comes
along to get them going. The progressed Moon is a big timer. People talk
about Mars being a timer and it is, but so is the progressed Moon.
There was always some issue to be resolved or some matter coming to
a head. For example, when my progressed Moon hit 0° Cancer in my
sixth house, I had a health crisis—problems with my breast (Cancer)
implant. When my progressed Moon was at 17° Gemini in my fifth house
(children and the oldest child), there was a crisis that involved my oldest
child. One of my clients, who was a multimillionaire, had a crisis when
his progressed Moon
130 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
came to 13° of cardinal. At that^time his progressed Sun was squaring
Venus at 13° of cardinal. When his progressed Moon hit that degree, he
lost millions on the stock market. He did regain a lot of it, but that time
frame was very negative for him financially.
Another degree that should be viewed as a Critical Degree is 29° of
any sign. Some astrologers do consider 29° to be a Critical Degree.
Technically it's not, but it certainly is important. It's a degree to be given
major consideration. I had a client whose life changed completely when
the progressed Moon was at 29° of cardinal con-juncting her natal Mars
and transiting Neptune. This setup activated her natal yod. That very day,
when the progressed Moon hit the Mars/Neptune exactly, was the day
she agreed to a book deal and went out on a first date with an important,
new man.
Modality affects how the Critical Degrees work in yet another way.
The cardinal works faster, the fixed may drag on more and be delayed,
and the mutable may be more of a mental experience. As your progressed
Moon moves through all the signs, you experience all the Critical Degrees
in a twenty-eight-year period.
I sometimes use Critical Degrees for natal chart rectification. I have
seen extremes in height and weight and personal appearance with Critical
Degrees on the Ascendant. I had a client whose Ascendant was rectified
to 26° Cancer who is very petite. Also, people with Critical Degrees on the
Ascendant seem to be very magnetic.
This is an area to watch and incorporate into your synthesis when
you're looking at a client's chart. When you are interpreting the
progressed Moon, pay attention to the Critical Degrees, start researching
them, and note their effects.
Using the Progressed Moon in Synthesis
The natal Moon is the reflective self. It is what we project of our
personality into the world. The progressed Moon is the emotional
barometer for a two-and-a-half-year period. To ignore the pro-
gressed Moon when interpreting, synthesizing, or predicting is akin to
drawing up plans for a house without looking at the lot on which it is to
be built. Your clients' emotional needs are set by the cycles of their
progressed Moon, and their reactions and responses to events will be in
tune with it. In synthesizing, it is very important to use the progressed
Moon to determine the emotional climate your clients are under. You are
able to understand the kinds of people they are going to attract, the
choices they will be faced with, and the kind of emotional responses they
are liable to have.
As an example, when my progressed Moon was in my sixth house and
came to 0° Cancer, it conjuncted my Part of Fortune. At the same time it
set off my progressed Venus at 0° Capricorn, which was trining my natal
Mercury at 1° Virgo. Before I enumerate the results of this combination, it
is important to think about all of the areas of my chart that were
activated:
• The sixth house, the house that the progressed Moon was moving
through
• Venus in the natal eighth house, Mercury in the natal seventh house,
and the Part of Fortune in the natal sixth house
• The fourth and ninth houses, both ruled by Venus
• The fifth, sixth, and eighth houses, all ruled by Mercury
There were quite a few results when my progressed Moon hit the
Critical Degree and triggered the progression. I began writing this book
and making doUhouses (fifth-house creativity) for each of my
grandchildren, both of which I want to be legacies (eighth house). In the
sixth house they're productions. The Venus progression is also
beautification and I did have some skin treatments done. Venus also
indicates the beautifying of myself and the beautifying of my house. It
rules my fourth house (dollhouses and legacies). It also rules my ninth
house of writing and publishing and long trips. Mercury rules my fifth
house of children and creativity, my sixth house of work, and my eighth
house of other
132 / The Importance of the Progressed Moon
people's money, and is in my seventh house. It also rules young
friends and mental pursuits.
To summarize, the following is a list of everything that was initiated
when my progressed Moon hit that Critical Degree:
• The decision to write a book
• The decision to have skin treatments
• The need to have the breast implant changed
• A two-and-a-half-month world cruise
• The renovation and redecorating of my house
• A great increase in my husband's income
• Great material gain for all of my five children
• A decision by all of my children to lose weight—they have all
beautified themselves and lost weight
• Receiving a beneficial insurance claim
• Starting to make the dollhouses for my grandchildren
• Starting a new hobby
 All of these things happened when my progressed Moon hit that
Critical Degree and set off the Part of Fortune and the Venus/Mercury
progression. When I interpret a chart, I really dig and try to pull out all
the potential ways that this aspect might manifest. It is rare when only
one or two events occur. Usually, quite a few things happen when a
progression or a transit is set off. Often, 90 percent of what is possible
will happen.
Using the Progressed Moon to Pinpoint Events
As you could see in the previous example, the progressed Moon that
sets off a transit or progression takes on a double significance. A heavy
transit, of course, can last for several years, a progression operates for up
to three years, and the progressed Moon further defines when (what
month) the important events will take
place. It is one of the indicators of when important events will take
place, although it's not the only one, because lunations and eclipses can
do this, too. If the progressed Moon hits a Critical Degree in a dramatic
way, there is an added emphasis and it can bring matters to a head.
Chapter Five
Progressed House Cusps
C/1 is quite common for astrologers to progress the Midheaven and
the Ascendant. I have found, however, that it is important to progress all
of the house cusps. They are important indicators of the developing cycles
in our lives. Consequently, I use all of them to clarify what is happening
and how my client is being affected.
As the cusps change signs, come to Critical Degrees, and aspect the
natal and progressed planets, major cycles of life unfold and many events
are described by what the cusps are doing. It is rare, for example, that the
first and seventh-house cusps are not active at the time of a marriage or
divorce. It is rare that the fourth and tenth-house cusps are not active at
the time of a career change or move. The cusps often work in pairs;
change in one area of your life includes change in another area. For
instance, if you switch jobs, you often relocate, too. If you get a divorce or
get married, who you are and how you present yourself also change.
136 / Progressed House Cusps
I had a client come to me who was having difficulty getting pregnant.
She was forty and was all set to begin in vitro fertilization. At that time,
she had the progressed fifth-house cusp joining Saturn. The next year the
cusp was going to trine natal Venus/ Uranus, which I thought would be a
better year to get pregnant. Venus is beneficial and Uranus represents
new technology. She tried the year she came to me, anyway, and failed.
However, she tried again the second year and was successful.
Many times a relationship can come to a point of stagnation when the
progressed fifth-house cusp aspects Saturn. The influence can last a year
or two. The person wants the relationship defined, and often people will
break up because the other person is not interested or ready to define it at
that time. If you are trying to meet people, it is not a great time for
socializing. The energy is used more comfortably in solitary activities.
A cusp is a point of sensitivity, a fence line separating different regions
of a person s life. The cusps are tied to the affairs of a house, and as they
change signs, come to Critical Degrees, or aspect the natal or progressed
planets, major cycles of life unfold. It is a time of excitement, and events
are described by what the cusps are doing. There is an energizing that can
be either positive or negative. When a cusp moves from 29° of one sign to
0° of another, it always signals an important transition for the person in
the affairs of that house. It is a time of transformation. If it is the second
house, it could be a financial shift. A learning situation may occur if it is
the third house. The fourth-house cusp changing signs can signal a
domestic transition. A career change—either an opportunity or a
disappointment, depending on the aspects—can result with a shift of the
tenth-house cusp. There is either ease and harmony, or tension and strife,
depending on the aspects that are made. The affairs of the house are
affected favorably or unfavorably. When the cusps are changing signs, it
is time of electrification. The effect can last anywhere from one to three
years. Sometimes it lasts longer because the cusp hits a natal planet and
then a progressed planet. I use only the classic aspects: the conjunction,
opposition, square, trine, and sextile. I have found the sextile to be
one of the most important aspects. It is a time of opportunity. I encourage
my clients to be alert to the opportunities and take advantage of them
when they present themselves.
After researching both systems, I progress the house cusps using the
secondary progression system because I have found it works more
effectively than any other system. I construct a new horoscope for the
progressed birthday using the day-for-a-year system. The cusps move an
average of 1° per year, but some people have a long and/or slow ascension
and the cusps move only one-half of a degree per year for them. The signs
of long ascension in the Northern Hemisphere are Cancer, Leo, Virgo,
Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. Other house cusps move as fast as 2° per
year, because the person s rising sign is one of short ascension. The signs
that rise more quickly in the Northern Hemisphere are Capricorn,
Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. In the Southern
Hemisphere, the signs of long and short ascension are reversed.
Not only do I progress the house cusps on a natal chart, I also move
them for solar returns, event charts, and horary charts with amazing
results. In this book I will limit my discussion to how the progressed
house cusps make an aspect to a natal planet or to a progressed planet,
and the corresponding outcome. Incidentally, people often ask me which
house system I use. After researching both Koch and Placidus, I use
Placidus because I find it to be the most accurate.
The Axis of Relationships
when the progressed Ascendant and Descendant change signs or
make an aspect to a planet in the natal or progressed chart, it defines
what is going on in a person's life as far as one's relationships are
concerned. These cusps form a relationship axis and therefore govern all
partnerships: marriage, business, intimate friendships, patronage, and
even adversaries.
138 / Progressed House Cusps
It is almost always the case at the time of a marriage or divorce that
the progressed first and seventh-house cusps are active. They are either
changing signs or making an aspect to a planet in the natal or progressed
chart. It may be a harsh or an easy aspect, but it is rare that there is no
activity.
When a client of mine married for the first time, her progressed
Ascendant conjuncted Saturn. When she married her second husband,
her progressed seventh-house cusp joined Jupiter. This really gave me
insight into the nature of her two marriages. With the first marriage, she
entered into a lifestyle where she was almost totally controlled,
subservient, made to work very hard, and where she took on an
enormous amount of responsibility Her second marriage has been, and
still is, one of joy, optimism, travel, adventure, and fulfillment.
I find that when Saturn is part of a progressed aspect to the first and
seventh houses, it indicates marriages that last a long time or involve
responsibility. Even if they are not good marriages, the taskmaster Saturn
forces people to stay together to stick it out. It is interesting to note that
nowadays, Saturn is not as conspicuous in a man's chart at the time of
marriage as it was years ago. I believe the reason for this is because
women are now sharing the financial burden in a marriage. In the past,
Saturn figured more prominently in the man's chart because he would
take on all of the financial responsibility for his wife and children. Usually
the couple had children right away and the man assumed the role of the
breadwinner. Today, men sometimes take on a lighter workload when
they marry, so it is not uncommon to find Saturn prominent in a woman's
chart at the time of marriage. This is especially true when the woman is
working when she marries, or if she is doing something like putting her
husband through college or juggling home and career. Whatever the
situation, unions under Saturn involve great responsibility and can last a
long time. Saturn endures and teaches lessons.
Any good aspect that the progressed first and seventh-house cusps
make with a planet indicates a positive relationship change.
Some marriages occur, however, under difficult aspects. If a couple
marries under a square, they will have a rough start. I have seen this
happen most often when the woman is pregnant or one of the people is
married and going through a divorce before they can remarry When I see
a square from the seventh-house cusp to a planet, I will ask, "Were there
obstacles you had to face?" Usually there were. This does not mean the
marriage cannot work out, because it can.
There is also activity on the part of the first and seventh-house cusps
when a couple gets a divorce. Again, the aspect may be harmonious or
inharmonious. It is common, for example, to find a square in the chart of
the person who is fighting the divorce. He may give it to his partner, but
not without a struggle. On the other hand, I had a client who wanted a
divorce for long time and she did get it when her relationship axis
conjuncted Jupiter. Not only was it a peaceful divorce, but she received a
fine settlement and she had a wonderful sense of freedom. Another one of
my clients divorced with the same conjunction and she immediately
married a very wealthy, fine man.
Frequently, when you marry or divorce, the progressed first and
seventh houses are changing signs. The year the angles are at 29° and 0°
can be a time of crisis or a turning point. The sign change ushers in an
ending as well as a beginning. Even a marriage that continues usually
takes on a new quality. It will be colored by the new sign and leave the old
behind. A client, whose angles changed from Aries/Libra to
Taurus/Scorpio, felt that the marriage became more intense and more
committed. She had an overwhelming feeling that that was where she
belonged for the rest of her life. She felt she was going to be with this man
forever, even though she did not feel that way for the first twelve years of
their marriage. The same kind of redefining of a relationship can occur
when the Ascendant makes a square to a planet. It need not mean a
rupture, but it always means a restructuring of some kind.
The relationship axis involves all types of partnerships including
business relationships, patrons, and intimate friends. The first
140 / Progressed House Cusps
and seventh-house cusps aspecting a planet may cement or dissolve a
business relationship. Aspects to the progressed seventh-house cusp also
may affect those who are dependent on patronage, like an astrologer who
relies on her clients for a successful business, or a doctor who depends on
his patients. The progressed seventh-house cusp in good aspect to Venus,
Jupiter, or the Sun could indicate increasing patronage. The person could
suddenly be overwhelmed with clients and patients. I have a client whose
progressed seventh-house cusp conjuncted Venus. Not only did she
marry, but her business parmership was affected in a positive way. When
yet another client had the progressed seventh-house cusp in a difficult
aspect to Saturn, she experienced a decrease in business and patronage,
and had fewer suitors and fewer good friendships. She felt very lonely and
isolated and felt that she was being limited in a number of different ways.
At the same time, she also had a Pluto transit, so it was a time of personal
metamorphosis.
The length of time anyone experiences any of these effects varies
depending on what else is happening in the chart. The progressed house
cusps reinforce the transits and other progressions, so they give you the
message for a second or third time. They may not give the astrologer new
information as much as they will reinforce what is already there.
However, occasionally they do give new information. In one case, my
client, who was very magnetic and always had a lot of suitors, had fewer
suitors and dated less than ever before when her progressed fifth-house
cusp squared her Saturn. When she was asked out, the person was always
much older and often very serious. This square was the main indicator of
what was happening with her love Hfe.
Adversaries and competition will also be affected by activity of the
first and seventh-house cusps. A client, who is a professional golfer, had
his progressed seventh-house cusp trining his Sun, and he beat his
competition easily and comfortably. He won a national championship, as
I predicted he would. Again, his other transits and progressions also
foretold this. The more often an indication is presented, the more
confident you can be in making a prediction.
The first and seventh-house cusps also deal with areas of your life that
include health and vitality. Difficult aspects to these cusps can lead to
health problems because the Ascendant rules the body Often health
problems that manifest during these aspects are tied to relationship
issues.
The first and seventh-house axis also has to do with your second child.
When it is very active, your second child's life will be very active. With
good aspects, his life will be enhanced and he will draw opportunities to
himself If your cusps change signs, he may marry, if he is at the right age
in life. With harsh aspects, he will experience challenges.
Extremely difficult aspects to the first and seventh-house axis are
usually a sign of a relationship in crisis. A square to Uranus may be a
sudden disruption. A Neptune square can mean dissolution or deception.
A Pluto square can indicate destruction or transformation of some
nature. A client of mine had her relationship axis in a square to Uranus
and her husband died suddenly of a heart attack. Once more, I need to
state that there were reinforcing progressions, transits, and eclipses at
work.
Sometimes the planet that aspects the first or seventh-house cusp
describes the person you will marry. For example, one of my clients
married a man ten years her junior when her relationship axis connected
to a planet in Gemini. I have also seen this happen when a client's
progressed seventh-house cusp conjuncted Mercury. They both are
aspects that attract younger men. Another client married a successful,
older businessman when her seventh-house cusp trined Venus in
Capricorn. The same situation may occur when the cusp connects to
Saturn. If the seventh-house cusp conjuncts Mars, the partner may be
dynamic and assertive. If it conjuncts Uranus, he may be unusual, an
astrologer, or different from others and magnetic. If it conjuncts Jupiter,
he may be a foreigner, a scholar, very spiritual, or a world traveler. If it
conjuncts Pluto, he may be someone very powerful, and your whole
concept of marriage will be totally revamped and transformed through
this partner. This can also work very literally. When the
142 Progressed House Cusps
seventh-house cusp joins Uranus, you can marn^ an Aquarian, or if it
joins Jupiter, you can marry a Sagittarius.
It is important to note that if a person's frrst and seventh-house cusps
are vtry active, yet nothing is happening in their chart, there is a good
chance that the chart is not right and the birth time is off. The chart cusps
should show the activity- the person is experiencing. This is one of the
main components in my system that I use to rectiR- a chart.
The Axis of Desire
The second and eighth-house cusps are the .-Vxis of Desire. They
govern physical as well as material desires and have to do with a person s
financial situation, sex life, insurance, legacies, and even death. Money
earned, money accumulated, and assets are affected when the second-
house cusp makes an aspect to a planet in the natal or progressed chart.
For example, a client had her progressed second and eighth-house cusps
squaring Pluto at the time of her divorce. ?iS a result, she lost everything.
She did not get a fair financial settlement in spite of the fact that she
should have. .Another client had his .-^xis of Desire conjuncting Jupiter
and went through a terribly extravagant period. He bought everything in
sight. He did not have discipline or control where money was concerned.
Fortunately he was earning a lot of money at that point in his life. A third
client's second and eighth-house cusps changed signs, and her second-
house cusp conjuncted Pluto at the same time. During this period, she
changed her pattern of income and her career was very different from
what she had been doing. I also had a client whose progressed second and
eighth-house axis trined and sextiled Pluto. He became very- wealthy
instantly through a large inheritance.
Sexual experiences are also described by the activities of the second
and eighth-house cusps. Sometimes a person will enter the most
wonderful sexual time of his or her life when the eighth-house cusp trines
Venus, Jupiter, or the Sun. A client of mine was celibate for over a year
when the progressed eighth-house cusp conjuncted Saturn.
Death is also written in the activities of this axis. One client contracted
AIDS when his eighth-house cusp was square to Pluto. Another client
died when his progressed eighth-house cusp was at 29"" Aries and
conjuncted his natal Sun in the ninth house. Of course, there were
reinforcing transits and progressions. Transiting Saturn and Pluto in
Libra were opposing his Sun. His progressed Sun was conjuncting the
north node and progressed Neptune was making prominent aspects. His
chart indicated that he had made a very pleasant journey, since the
progressed eighth-house cusp was in easy aspect to the Sun, North Node,
and Jupiter. There was no tension in his death. He died because he lived
in an apartment over a garage and someone committed suicide below him
by running her car all night. The fumes killed him, but it was a very easy,
peaceful death.
The death of someone in one s environment is also described by the
movement of the progressed second and eighth-house cusps. In the
previous example, the man s chart indicated an easy passing, but his ex-
wife, who still loved him, had her progressed eighth-house cusp
conjuncting Mars and squaring Saturn in her chart. She experienced a lot
of pain and grieved for a long time. She was left behind to suffer with his
death. My own father died when my progressed eighth-house cusp
conjuncted Mars. It is rare that you have a death in your environment
without the progressed eighth-house cusp making an aspect. If a person
has been sick for long period of time and is suffering, the progressed
eighth-house cusp trining a planet is often when the person leaves, r To
receive a large inheritance, you have to have a goodeighth house natally.
You must always go back to natal promise. Any well-aspected planet in
the eighth house could bring an inheritance, particularly Venus or
Jupiter. A person could have an inheritance when the progressed eighth-
house cusp is making an aspect to either of these planets. I had a client
whose father began gifting $20,000 per year to him when his progressed
eighth-house cusp sextiled Jupiter.
144 / Progressed House Cusps
The fifth house is tied to speculation and the eighth house is tied to
investments. Whichever house is better shows what works best for each
individual. The natal eighth house shows whether or not someone will do
well in investments, often with someone else making the financial
decisions. This can be shown by well-as-pected planets in the eighth or
the ruler of this house making good aspects. If the natal promise is there,
the person s investments do particularly well when the progressed eighth-
house cusp makes a good aspect. I had a client who had a strong eighth
house and always did very well with investments. When his progressed
eighth-house cusp squared natal and progressed Saturn, he experienced a
four to five-year dry spell where none of his investments panned out. He
changed advisors several times but still did poorly This can be a typical
experience for cHents when this happens. If the fifth house is the better
aspected house, clients may do better buying and selling stocks and
bonds on their own.
The Axis of the Mind
The cusps of the third and ninth houses are the philosophical and
intellectual axis. They have to do with education, mental potential,
religion, and environment, as well as relatives, both in-laws and blood
relatives.
Many people go back to school when the progressed third and ninth-
house cusps make good aspects to the natal or progressed chart. When
my ninth-house cusp went from Scorpio to Sagittarius, my spiritual and
philosophical base broadened. I had tremendous opportunity to travel at
this time. I also immersed myself in a new learning endeavor. At the same
time this cusp changed signs, Venus progressed into Sagittarius. My
progressed third and ninth-house cusps and my progressed Venus began
to move together at the same speed, and I have been traveling ever since.
When there is a harmonious aspect between the progressed ninth-
house cusp and Jupiter, you know a client is going to travel. The person
will take a trip, but it will be relative. For one person
who lives in Milwaukee, it may be going to Chicago, which would be
the person s first out-of-state trip. For another more experienced traveler,
it may include a trip to Hong Kong. I have a client whose progressed
ninth-house cusp trined the Sun in her natal horoscope, and she went to
Europe to study for a year.
With bad aspects from the progressed ninth-house cusp, a person
could have trouble with relatives for a whole year, even becoming
estranged from them. They might also find themselves in the midst of a
challenging legal battle.
The Axis of Home and Career
The fourth and tenth-house cusps are the parental axis, the axis of
authority figures and also of home and career. Job changes, promotions,
moves, reputation in the community, and changes in the lives of one's
parents are all shown in the activity of these cusps in the progressed
chart.
Often when a person s progressed tenth-house cusp comes to 29°, he
is ready to approach his career with a whole new emphasis. He may go
into a different job or choose a new career. But even if he does not, he will
find a new way of projecting himself in his present career. When my
progressed tenth-house cusp moved from Sagittarius to Capricorn, I
became far more businesslike regarding my astrology career. I became
more ambitious, more organized, appeared on television, had a radio
show, put my knowledge into a teaching manual, and taught classes.
While I had always worked very hard and saw a large number of clients, I
tended to be easygoing about the business side of my astrology This
aspect encouraged me to set new goals for myself
One of my clients had her progressed fourth and tenth-house cusps
trining and sextiling her Venus. Her creative hobby of designing
handbags became very successful and became a full-blown career. She
also moved into a new home, which had a studio with it, so both areas of
her life changed in a lovely way.
146 / Progressed House Cusps
Honor and standing in the community are linked to the tenth house.
Harsh aspects can damage your reputation. I had a client whose
progressed tenth-house cusp squared Neptune. For an entire year she
was besieged by horrible gossip. Scandal followed her everywhere and her
reputation took a beating. She suffered deception at the hands of her
coworkers. She commented to me, "I felt as if I had lost all my
magnetism."
Major changes in the life of a parent show up in either the fourth or
tenth-house aspects. The fourth house describes the more nurturing
parent, the tenth the more authoritative parent as well as other authority
figures in one's life. When the progressed fourth or tenth-house cusps
conjunct or square Saturn, I have seen big changes in the life of a parent,
from career changes, to retirement, to even death. I had a client who was
very concerned about her mother. However, it was her employer who
passed away under this Saturn aspect.
In esoteric astrology, the fourth-house cusp is linked with past-life
soul experiences, and the tenth house is a person s destiny, mission, or
path during this lifetime. The progressed tenth-house cusp making a
good aspect to a planet can take you further along on your path. The
progressed fourth-house cusp making a powerful aspect may bring people
into your life who were important to you in past lives.
 The Social and Creative Axis
The fifth and eleventh-house cusps have to do with all forms of our
creativity and the social organizations to which we belong. It is the axis of
creation, social intercourse, and speculation.
The fifth house describes whatever is created, whether it be love given,
a child, a book, or a work of art. This house reflects all forms of creative
effort. It is difficult to have a smooth-flowing love relationship if the
progressed fifth-house cusp is making harsh aspects, but a relationship
will take off" and be smooth-flowing if the aspects are harmonious. This
is also true of any creative projects
and relationships with your children. At this time in my life, my
progressed fifth and eleventh-house cusps are making good aspects to
Venus, so I feel that my creativity is heightened, my social life is terrific,
and all of my children's lives are v^orking very well.
Understanding the effect of a progressed house cusp aspecting a
planet can be very helpful to a client. I had a client who was experiencing
"writer's block." He was ready to leave his writing profession and switch
to something else. When I looked at his chart and saw that his progressed
fifth-house cusp was separating from a square to natal and progressed
Saturn, I told him he had not lost his ability to write. The block was
temporary, and the aspect would pass. Instead, for just a little bit longer,
it was a good time for him to do research and work on other things. He
was so relieved when he knew the effect would be over soon.
The effect of a cusp making an aspect can be felt for up to two years,
but it usually lasts for one year. It is most powerful when applying to an
aspect. Once the aspect is exact, the effect lessens. The effect can linger
for fixed signs even when separating. However, if, for example, your
Moon is at 23° Aquarius, and your Pluto is at 24° Cancer, and the
progressed fifth-house cusp in Scorpio squares your Moon, it will then
quickly trine the Pluto, so the adverse aspect will be very brief
Frequently, a woman will find herself pregnant when her progressed
fifth-house cusp makes a harmonious aspect. If it con-juncts a planet in
Gemini, twins or two children born very close together may result. I had a
client who had gotten pregnant very easily in the past, and she decided
she would like a fourth child. This time, it took her two years to get
pregnant because her progressed fifth-house cusp was conjuncting
Saturn, so conception was delayed.
If Sagittarius is on the progressed fifth-house cusp or if the cusp is in
aspect to Jupiter, the person might have two suitors. The progressed
fifth-house cusp squaring Neptune can indicate a deceptive, unrealistic
love affair. However, I have also seen great works of art produced under
this square. If it is in easy aspect to Venus, an artist
148 / Progressed House Cusps
can be very prolific. A writer may find himself writing easily and
comfortably, and his creativity will express itself well. Love relationships
will also be harmonious.
Relationships with friends, hopes, wishes, goals, and aspirations are
linked to the eleventh-house cusp. If this progressed cusp makes good
aspects, friends will be plentiful and loyal. If it makes harsh aspects, it
will be difficult to fulfill goals and aspirations and there will be
disappointment with friends.
When the progressed eleventh-house cusp conjuncted my Ascendant,
I was asked to be on the board of the American Federation of Astrologers
(AFA). I jokingly tell my students that when the progressed eleventh-
house cusp makes an easy aspect to Jupiter, "Be careful of what you wish
for, as you will create it." You will also attract spiritual people, foreigners,
and Sagittarians. When it makes a harmonious aspect to Venus, you will
draw in a lot of creative, loving friends, perhaps a Taurus or a Libra.
When it makes an aspect to Uranus, your friends will be different or
unusual in some way, such as an Aquarian. An aspect to Neptune brings
spiritual, artistic companions such as a Pisces, and aspects to Pluto bring
powerful people such as a Scorpio. It may be a person with either that
Sun sign or rising sign who enters your life.
The Axis of Service and Sacrifice
The cusps of the sixth and twelfth houses have to do with productivity,
working conditions and environment, health, service, sacrifice, and
karma. The twelfth house is often referred to as the house of self-
undoing, but it need not be so. However, service to odiers is demanded
when there is a twelfth-house emphasis.
When the progressed sixth-house cusp makes good aspects to a
planet, there is good interaction with coworkers. There is a positive work
environment. You could attract good employees. Management and labor
get along well. You tend to be extremely productive and have a lot of
physical energy and vitality. Under harsh aspects, there could be
difficulty at work and health problems. A
square to Mars may indicate surgery, a square to Saturn suggests a
chronic illness, and a square to Jupiter can reflect dissipation and
overindulgence.
 Progressions involving the twelfth-house cusp indicate confinement,
self-sacrifice, and the workings of the subconscious. I had a client who
was confined to a Mexican jail for possession of marijuana when his
progressed twelfth-house cusp squared natal and progressed Saturn. He
was incarcerated for four years. Again, I must state that there were other
reinforcing aspects at work.
The most positive twelfth-house aspects depict a person working well
alone, enjoying his or her own company, and doing solitary projects. This
is also a great time to do research. Interests such as yoga and meditation
are rewarding. When the progressed twelfth-house cusp squares a planet,
however, you could be your own worst enemy A square to Mars could
indicate self-destructive behavior.
Some squares from the progressed twelfth-house cusp may also
suggest periods of deep withdrawal and isolation. Good aspects can result
in incredible psychological breakthroughs. You could become involved in
a behind-the-scenes job, hospice work, or community service. It is a time
when you can make positive contributions to the world.
Since so few astrologers use the progressed house cusps, there is little
written data on how this system operates. I suggest that astrologers
observe the cusps and note the results. This is particularly true of the
succedent and cadent houses rather than the angular houses. Some
research has been done on angular houses. Another value I find in this
system is in chart rectification. If the anticipated activity is not present, I
question the client about the source of the birth time.
Chapter Six
Transits
e,Z/his book is not going to emphasize transits, because there are
already many good books on the subject. An excellent and very thorough
book on transits is Rob Hand's Planets in Transit. Here are some key
things regarding transiting planets that I have observed in my years of
practicing astrology
When I start a lecture on transits I always state, "When you do a chart,
you stop the planets in the heavens for the exact moment, and latitude
and longitude, of birth. This is the natal chart. But these planets keep
moving through the universe. As they continue to move they are called
transiting planets." The natal chart describes our destiny, potential,
tendencies, etc. It's our road map, but it takes a transit to trigger events
that our chart has promised. Transits are the day-to-day positions of the
planets in the heavens as shown in the ephemeris and are important in
how they affect the natal chart.
152 / Transits
There are two important things to remember when dealing with
transits. First, a transit cannot bring what is not promised. Look at the
natal aspects to determine what to expect. Secondly, the slower the
transit, the more the effect will be felt and the more it will change your
life. Therefore, a Pluto transit has the greatest effect and the transiting
Moon has the least impact. The conjunction and opposition are the most
powerful transits, followed by the squares and trines. Every conjunction
will affect you in a personal way. The opposition involves relationships
between you and someone else. Squares can test you and present
obstacles and roadblocks. Trines and sextiles are what we wait for,
bringing lovely times, opportunities, and benefits.
When you evaluate a transit, any transit, you have to examine the
nature of the transiting planet. Jupiter expands. Saturn is the reality
factor. Uranus is all about freedom. Neptune dissolves, and Pluto breaks
down and rebuilds. Not only is it important to keep these things in mind,
it is also important to remember that a transiting planet will carry with it
the influence of the house and sign that it's in and the house that it rules
in the natal chart. I will give you an example. I have Saturn ruling my first
house, so every Saturn transit affects me personally. I have Capricorn
rising with Saturn in the first house, so that is doubly true. I have Jupiter
in my eighth house, so every Jupiter transit affects me in an eighth-house
manner. The transiting planet will always carry with it the nature of
where it is placed in your chart—the nature of the sign and the house that
it rules. You have to look at these factors with every single transit. I look
at transits psychologically, spiritually, and in an event-oriented way. I ask
myself, "How will this transit change the person? What lessons will be
learned? How is this transit providing opportunities for the client to
evolve? And what sort of events will happen?" It is important to look at
the transits in all these ways and then synthesize it.
Rules for Transits
1. Every transit will carry the flavor of the natal house placement of
the transiting planet. For example, if natal Saturn is placed in your
second house, every Saturn transit will affect your finances, your values,
and your sense of self-worth.
2. Every transit will carry the flavor of the house the transiting planet
rules. For instance, if Saturn rules your natal eighth house, then every
Saturn transit will deal with psychological reflection, joint finances, taxes,
sex, etc.
3. Every transit will carry the flavor of the transiting planet's natural
rulership. For example, since Saturn is the natural ruler of the tenth
house, every Saturn transit will somehow impact career, public image,
reputation, a parent, or other tenth-house matters.
4. Every transit will carry the flavor of the sign the transiting planet is
in. There is a great difference between a Saturn-in-Taurus transit and a
Saturn-in-Aries transit. For a fixed sign (like Taurus), the results will be
slower to manifest, possibly delayed or denied, and longer lasting in
duration. This will be the situation for a Saturn-in-Taurus transit.
5. If your natal planet that is being transited is well aspected, your
gains are greater and your losses mitigated. If it is poorly aspected, your
gains are fewer and your losses are greater.
6. If your natal planet is well placed by sign or house, the outcome of
the transit can be very positive. For example, if you have natal Saturn in
the tenth house or in Capricorn, there will be greater benefit than if your
natal Saturn was poorly placed or in detriment or fall. For example, natal
Saturn in the fourth house or in Cancer is not favorable, because Saturn is
weak there.
154 / Transits
7. A transit setting off a progression is of major importance. It can
activate a progression early or reactivate a progression that may seem to
have passed.
8. A transit setting off an eclipse is also of major importance. A
transiting planet hitting an eclipse point, either before or after the eclipse
occurs, will activate the eclipse.
9. Neptune and Pluto transits manifest in a fashion similar to a
progression, due to the long length of the transit. The same rules we have
for progressions would almost apply to these transits, because they last
for such a long time. Transits of Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus have a fated
quality to them. They work on the subconscious level as well in an event-
oriented way.
10. Minor transits can be very important under certain circumstances.
Rules for Minor Transits
1. Minor transits can be very important when they trigger a
progression. They can be quite significant if the transiting planet is in the
progression. For example, if the progressed Sun is conjunct natal Venus,
either the transiting Sun or transiting Venus can be significant.
2. Minor transits can be very important when they trigger a major
transit. Major transits involve Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto.
3. Minor transits can be very important when they trigger an eclipse.
Any transiting planet can trigger an eclipse point. Mars, in particular,
transiting over that degree can give you a hint of what the eclipse will
bring in your chart.
4. Minor transits portend minor events. Good minor transits can
signal a time when you may receive a small gift, get an important phone
call, give a great party, receive a nice com-
pliment, or just generally have a good day. Difficult minor transits can
indicate a bad haircut, a spat with your spouse, a small disruption at
work, or just generally having a bad day.
5. A minor transit can be significant if it triggers a shared-experience
tie between two people involved in a relationship. A shared-experience tie
occurs when each person has a planet at the same degree. For instance,
one person may have natal Venus exactly on the other person s natal Sun.
This is a very nice love tie, and if it is triggered by a minor transit, the two
people concerned will be very loving toward each other that day.
Rules for Orbs of Transiting Planets
Orbs are very important and vary greatly between the faster and
slower-moving transiting planets.
1. The orb of the transiting Moon is just a few hours long. Only the few
hours in which it is applying in aspect have merit.
2. Sun, Mercury, and Venus transits tend to work the day before the
transit approaches the planet and the day it is exact, but rarely as it leaves
the planet.
3. Mars is referred to as the timekeeper, but many times I find it
works a degree early.
4. Jupiter transits start working several degrees early. You feel the
optimism and buoyancy of Jupiter 5° or 6° approaching, but this
diminishes when Jupiter is 2° past the planet.
5. The Saturn influence is felt 3° or 4° as it approaches. It is very
intense 2° before, but often when it is exact you seem to have a reprieve
(during hard Saturn transits). Then a degree or two later, you experience
a whiplash effect.
156 / Transits
6. The electric magnetism of Uranus, the excitement, the restlessness,
and the desire to make changes starts to be felt 5° or 6° approaching.
There usually is an event when the aspect is exact—something manifests
right on the exact day. The essence of the transit remains at least 2° past.
 7. Neptune's magic, inspiration, charisma, and mesmerizing and
elusive qualities, including openness to deception, disillusionment, and
disorientation, go into effect several degrees early, and will be in effect 2°
past. Under positive influences, creativity will be heightened, and
spirituality and idealism will be enhanced during the period of the transit.
8. The power of Pluto starts to be felt as many as 4° or 5° approaching
and several degrees past a planet. As with Uranus and Neptune, the very
slow-moving planets, you can expect to feel these influences operating for
several years. But I do expect events to happen on the exact day of
contact, particularly if the planet is stationing retrograde or direct. The
positive transits of Pluto are very subtle. Many times when the aspect is
totally past, you realize you were empowered in some way during that
period.
Minor Transits
Moon Transits
The Moon transiting the first house, or going over your Sun sign or a
stellium of planets, will be felt. If you have the Moon trine Venus natally,
when the transiting Moon is in easy aspect to Venus, that could be a good
time to schedule a hair appointment, have lunch with a woman friend, or
make a minor public appearance. If you have the Moon in hard aspect to
Saturn natally, when the Moon aspects Saturn, you may feel blue or out of
sorts for a couple of hours.
The transits of the Moon are very important in event charts. When I
do an event chart, I try to create a chart where the Moon
is making no adverse aspects. Other planets can have some affliction
to add spice or energy to the event, but the Moon should be perfect. No
squares and preferably no oppositions, although they can be tolerated.
Sun Transits
The Sun rules our ego and will. Sun transits are often triggers for
heavy transits and progressions. On a day when the transiting Sun
aspects our Venus or Jupiter, we can feel positive, optimistic, and
attractive. When the transiting Sun aspects Mars, we will experience
more energy. When the Sun transits Saturn, we could feel more serious
and authoritative. An aspect to Uranus is more magnetic, to Neptune
more creative, and to Pluto more powerful.
Mercury Transits
Mercury is the planet of communication. For a writer or speaker,
transits from Mercury will be helpful. You can pinpoint days when you
will be more prolific as a writer or days when you will receive important
news or letters. You can concentrate well under any Mercury/Saturn
transit. Mercury/Jupiter tends to exaggerate, and Mercury/Uranus gets
flashes of insight. Mercury/Neptune can be inspired writing, and
Mercury/Pluto or Mercury/Mars can be outbursts of temper.
Venus Transits
Venus is the planet of love and beauty. Under good transits from
Venus, we feel loved, emotionally secure, and attractive. These are the
days when our hair turns out beautifully, our makeup goes on well, we
find beautiful things when we shop, and socializing is enjoyable.
Venus transiting Mars is good for sexual compatibility, and Venus
transiting Jupiter can be extravagant. Venus transiting Saturn can define
love, and Venus with Uranus can bring a sudden love experience or
unusual events. If you begin a love relationship with Venus to Uranus, or
Uranus to Venus, it can be over as quickly
158 / Transits
as it started. Venus to Neptune can love unconditionally and is
exceptionally creative. When Venus connects to Pluto, you have a deep
need to be loved and can be compulsive and obsessive about love or a
loved one.
Mars Transits
Mars rules our energy. It is often referred to as the timekeeper of the
zodiac. Mars is the planet we can use to rectify a chart. When Mars
crosses the Ascendant, its energy is felt and there is usually an event. I
remember telling my husband that I didn't feel his time of birth was
exactly correct, so I changed his Ascendant degree. I said, "If I am right,
today when Mars crosses your Ascendant you may get a headache." He
said, "I never get headaches." I said, "Well, if I am right, something will
happen." Later that day, he broke off a tooth eating popcorn so I knew I
had the right Ascendant. I was never sure of my exact birth time either.
My baby book said one thing and my birth certificate another. So I
watched Mars in Capricorn very closely. One day I got up very quickly
from where I was sitting and bumped my knee on the coffee table. I got a
big, huge bruise. I was very excited because I knew that the degree Mars
was at that day was the correct degree of my Ascendant, because
Capricorn rules the knees and Mars can be a minor injury.
Jupiter Transits
The planet Jupiter is known as the "great benefic." It is the transit for
which we all wait. It is known as the expander, the planet of luck,
opportunity, and good fortune. The planet Jupiter is expansive,
stimulating, buoyant, and optimistic. However, I have found many times
that it brings flash-in-the-pan success, rather than something of lasting
value. I find that I benefit more from a nice Saturn trine than I ever do
from a Jupiter trine. This is where the fall and detriment of the planets
are important. This attitude reflects the experience in my chart. I have
Jupiter in Virgo. It is not well placed in this sign. Somebody with Jupiter
in Sagittarius will
have a much more significant gain with a Jupiter transit than I will. I
also have Saturn in Aquarius. It is well placed here, and therefore my
benefits under transiting Saturn tend to be positive.
One thing I tell my students when they are viewing Jupiter transits
through the chart is that if things are positive in the natal chart and
positive with progressions and other transits, Jupiter can make them
even better. But if your chart is difficult, and you have negative, heavy
transits and negative progressions, Jupiter can make things worse. What
you have to remember is that Jupiter will expand and enhance whatever
is going on. I have seen people who had great Jupiter transits, but things
just got worse because of the rest of the influences in operation.
While a Jupiter transit over a planet can be very brief, there is much
more benefit when Jupiter transits over a stellium of planets. Also, I find
Jupiter to be quite beneficial to any house through which it is transiting
because of the duration of time spent there.
When Jupiter transits the first house, enters the sign Aries, or aspects
Mars, the attitude and approach to life is cheerful and optimistic.
Dynamic energy is enhanced; in fact, there is almost too much of a good
thing. Because Jupiter is the planet of expansion, great care must be
taken that only the personality and approach to life expand, and not the
body, too. For some people, this is a time when they can easily gain
weight. Opportunities seem to present themselves. Confidence soars and
personal magnetism increases.
When Jupiter transits the second house, enters the sign Taurus, or
aspects Venus, money-making opportunities seem to increase, but so
does the tendency to be overly optimistic about money and to spend too
much. Jupiter is the planet of extravagance as well as abundance.
Personal values can become more spiritual, and we are inclined to be
more generous. Whenever Jupiter and Venus come together, it is a time
of increased luck. It's a good time to buy a lottery ticket.
160 / Transits
When Jupiter transits the third house, enters the sign Gemini, or
aspects Mercury, the mental process is stimulated. We are drawn to
learning situations. I have seen students achieve more in school,
opportunities for short trips present themselves, and the mental state
improves. We become more confident and upbeat. This can be a time of
gain for your siblings, particularly your oldest sibling. Your relationships
with them will also improve. Learning endeavors are approached with
optimism and excitement. It is a great time to write, learn a new
language, or interact with people of different cultures and countries.
When Jupiter transits the fourth house, enters the sign Cancer, or
aspects the Moon, there can be a gain for one of your parents. It can be a
time when your home environment becomes more important to you, and
you will find yourself becoming more domestic. It may be a time to
redecorate your home or office, and entertaining in the home may be a
pleasure. Your public image may improve. There will be gain through
women in your life. Real-estate ventures may be very beneficial.
When Jupiter transits the fifth house, enters the sign Leo, or aspects
the Sun, it will be a positive time for your children and your interaction
with them. It is a great time for socializing, recreation, sports, and
creativity. It is also a good time for conception, but, because Jupiter can
overdo, I have seen clients have multiple births at this time. It is a
fortunate time for gambling, speculation, and, of course, romance.
Jupiter is a generous planet, and in Leo this is enhanced.
When Jupiter transits the sixth house, enters the sign Virgo, or
aspects Mercury, it can be very positive time for work, in your working
environment, and in your interaction with coworkers. You can hire very
good employees, and your productivity can be at an all-time high. Health
can be good if
you do not overindulge. If you are not health-conscious, you must diet
and exercise, or you may put on weight. It is also a time when people can
get a pet. All mental pursuits are rewarding. Communication flows and
you feel understood.
When Jupiter transits the seventh house, enters the SIGN Libra, or
aspects Venus, even the most confirmed bachelor will think about
marriage. Jupiter or the progressed Moon in the seventh house can
incline you to think very seriously about commitment. An existing
marriage can be improved, or there can be gain for the spouse. It is also
positive for business partnerships. I have had clients who were separated
from their spouse and then reconciled when Jupiter transited the seventh
house. They were optimistic about making the marriage work. However,
some separated again when Jupiter left the seventh house. Jupiter is
Libra is very romantic, and whenever Venus and Jupiter come together,
luck is expanded. Even a square from Jupiter to Venus tends to be lucky,
although it could also be overgenerous or extravagant.
When Jupiter transits the eighth house, enters the sign Scorpio, or
aspects Pluto, it is a very good time for investments and savings. But you
also could have an inclination to dig into savings, spend money, and be
too free with assets. It can be a time of inheritance, there can be an
improvement in the spouse's income, and your sex life can be enhanced. I
have seen millionaires created when Jupiter and Pluto came together in
harmony.
When Jupiter transits the ninth house, enters the sign Sagittarius, or
aspects natal Jupiter, it is usually very positive because Jupiter is the
natural ruler of the ninth house and of Sagittarius. Almost everyone will
travel, take some kind of classes, courses, or workshops, or become more
spiritual. If there is a legal situation, it will end positively. As a general
rule, Jupiter transiting the ninth house is exceptionally good unless it
makes very difficult aspects. So often Jupiter transiting natal
162 / Transits
Jupiter indicates travel. Jupiter in Sagittarius seems to benefit almost
everyone because it is so well placed in this sign.
Jupiter transits the tenth house, enters the sign Capricorn, OR
ASPECTS Saturn, I have seen clients get credit for things they did not
deserve. Your reputation is enhanced and people speak kindly of you.
Career opportunities are prevalent. If you have a business, you should be
careful not to overexpand under this Jupiter transit, as Jupiter in the
tenth or on Saturn can be overly optimistic and enthusiastic. Some kind
of career opportunity will almost always present itself when Jupiter
makes a positive aspect to Saturn. Even harsh Jupiter transits will never
be too difficult.
When Jupiter transits the eleventh house, enters the SIGN Aquarius,
or aspects Uranus, it stimulates sociability, friendships, and involvement
in groups and organizations. There is gain through friendships, and you
can attract influential people. This is a very positive time for manifesting
goals, aims, and wishes. I warn people to be careful about what they wish
for, as they probably will get it. With Jupiter in good aspect to Uranus,
there can sometimes be a sudden windfall, a wonderful surprises, or you
can find something you lost.
When Jupiter transits the twelfth house, enters the sign Pisces, or
aspects Neptune, it seems to be a period when you can easily and
comfortably surface some old psychological issues and resolve them.
Therapy is effortless, and things become crystal clear. Jupiter is
protective of you when it goes through the twelfth house. Many people
are drawn to volunteer work at this time. Creativity is heightened and so
is the ability to fantasize. Some old mystery could be solved, and Jupiter
aspecting Neptune could realize a dream.
Saturn Transits
Saturn is known as the teacher, the taskmaster. Under difficult
transits, it can inhibit, restrict, delay, cause fear and mistrust, and be
separative. Positive aspects can improve your concentration, steady your
emotions, and can be a self-disciplining factor and create a firm
foundation wherever it is transiting. When I talk to my clients or students
about Saturn, I describe it as the "heavy hand" of reality. Saturn defines
and creates realism wherever it transits. Marc Robertson wrote a great
book on the cycles of Saturn called Transit of Saturn. I find it is a must for
every astrologer's library.
When Saturn transits the first house, enters the sign Aries, or aspects
Mars, you can be defined as an individual—a serious and dedicated one.
It may define new goals and bring about a clearer approach to life and
self-discipline. Healthier eating and exercising become practices that last.
Often, habits that are incorporated in your life when Saturn goes through
the first house become habits for a lifetime. When Saturn crosses from
the twelfth house to the first house, something is usually left behind from
the past, and life is approached in a different way We can let go of a
marriage, a job, or a responsibility. Self-expression may be more diff'icult
when Saturn is in the first house, and we may appear to be more serious
and thoughtful. Saturn in Aries will tame the impetuous-ness of Aries.
When Saturn was transiting through Aries, many Aries remarked at that
time, "I feel as if someone is raining on my parade." Whenever Saturn
and Mars come together there is a stop-go kind of energy. Mars wants to
forge ahead and Saturn says you must be cautious. What usually happens
is a tremendous amount is accomplished in a very short time because of a
great spurt of energy, followed by a standstill and near collapse after the
project is complete. A Saturn/Mars aspect natally can suggest some
frustration in life, and when Saturn transits in
164 / Transits
hard aspect to Mars, this is what you feel. Only a steady, stable use of
the Mars energy with Saturn will work well.
 When Saturn transits the second house, enters the sign Taurus, or
aspects Venus, it is a time to define financial goals. Even a person who
has been very extravagant and careless with money becomes more
practical and realistic where finances are concerned. If Saturn is making
good aspects, it can greatly improve the income through diligence and
hard work. Saturn in Taurus is practical and conservative. When Saturn
aspects Venus, love is defined. It is not a good time to take a new job,
because it could turn out to be a disappointment. A relationship becomes
committed or is broken. Self-discipline with both the love life and
finances is what is demanded.
When Saturn transits the third house, ExNters the sign Gemini, or
aspects Mercury, there may be concern for siblings or relatives. Under
harsh aspects a person could be inclined to depression or negative
thinking. But under good aspects, a serious pursuit of learning can be
accomplished. A good use of the energy is a disciplined, dedicated pursuit
of an intellectual goal. Usually whatever is learned under Saturn transits
is retained for life.
When Saturn transits the fourth house, enters the sign Cancer, or
aspects the Moon, there can be responsibility for a parent, a more
expensive home can be purchased (carrying with it more responsibility),
or an existing home can be renovated. People feel inclined to put down
roots, purchase real estate, and enhance their properties. One of the most
important things that I have observed when Saturn crosses the fourth-
house cusp is major job changes. There is a cyclical change that
oftentimes puts people on a whole new career path. Saturn as-pecting the
Moon can be somewhat depressing, or the emotions can become clearly
defined. Women from the past may reenter the life. Also, a relationship
with an older woman may prove to
be very beneficial. If you can avoid extreme sensitivity to slights,
imagined or real, and remain somewhat detached, this aspect is easier.
Almost always there is some feeling of isolation.
When Saturn transits the fifth house, enters the sign Leo, or aspects
the Sun, you may feel more responsibility for children, or you may take
on the responsibility of having another child. Artistic goals can be
crystalized, or under difficult aspects there can be temporary creative
blocks. If you are in a love relationship, you will want it defined, and it
will become a commitment or it will end. Love relationships rarely stay
the same with Saturn in the fifth, or when Saturn transits the Sun. I do
find that career opportunities and career goals become stable under
Saturn transits. Also, more responsibility can be taken through an
expansion of your business or a promotion. A man from the past can
come back into your life under this transit of Saturn to the Sun. While
you may feel overworked and underappreciated, this is a great time for
achievement. Even under the harsh aspects we accomplish much and can
also lose weight.
When Saturn transits the sixth house, enters the sign Virgo, or aspects
Mercury, working conditions, productivity, and the work environment
will be clarified. If there are misunderstandings with coworkers, this is a
good time to clear the air. If you are in a job or work that is not suited to
you, often this is the time when you will leave. I have seen Saturn going
into the sixth house strike terror into the heart of some astrologers as
they worry that they will become sick. What usually happens is that what
needs fixing gets fixed. If you have delayed going to the dentist, you'll go.
If you have back problems, you will find a chiropractor or someone to
help resolve the problem. If you have skin problems, you will find a
dermatologist and a skin-care regime will follow. It is easier to become
disciplined in regard to eating, taking vitamins, and exercising.
166 / Transits
Most people are a lot healthier when Saturn leaves the sixth house.
Saturn in Virgo can greatly enhance productivity as it is comfortable in
this sign. New levels of efficiency can be reached. Saturn transiting the
planet Mercury can cause depression or at least some serious thinking. A
good use of the energy is to pursue a new intellectual study. Focus and
concentration will be enhanced.
When Saturn transits the seventh house, enters the sign Libra, or
aspects Venus, a relationship needs to be understood. Partnerships are
strengthened or ended under this transit. You will work on learning about
what is needed and expected from your partner. New, lasting
relationships can be formed only if the aspects and progressions are
extremely positive. Sometimes a person from your past will resurface and
want to interact once more. If you are dating someone with Saturn in the
seventh, you may feel you are being tested and analyzed constantly. A
wife or husband may see their partner take on additional responsibilities.
Rarely do I see someone marry with Saturn in the seventh house. If they
do, it is usually an older person, a Capricorn, or one who is quite serious.
In a solid marriage, after Saturn has gone through the seventh house, the
marriage is stronger than ever.
When Saturn transits the eighth house, enters the sign Scorpio, or
aspects Pluto, it defines investments, insurance, wills, and all joint
finances. Assets and building an estate will be important to you. Unless
the aspects from Saturn are extremely positive, Saturn going through the
eighth house is a very poor time to get a divorce. You will not be treated
fairly financially. There can be a death in your environment, and sex is
not particularly exciting at this time. A definition of your personal power
will be realized when Saturn has completed the transit to Pluto.
When Saturn transits the ninth house, enters the sign Sagittarius, or
aspects Jupiter, you will define your belief system. Often, with Saturn
transiting in the ninth, you can become very conservative in regard to
religion. College students will be very disciplined and structured about
learning and take school very seriously, or in some cases decide college is
not for them and drop out. Most often, travel is not for pleasure as much
as it is for business. One Sagittarian client said to me that during the
transit of Saturn on his Jupiter, he felt hopeless. I personally did not
experience that feeling during this transit, but I have asked clients how
they felt and they said "hopeless" was a good way to sum it up.
When Saturn transits the tenth house, enters the sign Capricorn, or
aspects natal Saturn, significant personal defining will take place. When
Saturn transits Saturn at age twenty-eight or twenty-nine, it is a difficult
time because the maturing process is being felt. Goals must be set, and
life for a time becomes much more serious. When you reach your late
fifties, during your second Saturn Return, goals have to be redefined
again, perhaps those concerning retirement or financial security. Because
Saturn is the natural ruler of the tenth house, the transit of Saturn in the
tenth can be very positive. Many times there is a reward for hard work
done in the past. Saturn in the tenth house can place you in a position of
real status, responsibility, or acclaim, if youVe done the proper things
career-wise as Saturn rose through your chart from the fourth house. This
is particularly true if Saturn is making good aspects. If Saturn is not
making good aspects, a parent can be a responsibility, or your reputation
as well as your career could be in jeopardy. Under a good aspect the
career will become very stable and secure. A clarity of future direction
will be manifested, and new goals will be set.
168 / Transits
When Saturn transits the eleventh house, enters the SIGN Aquarius,
or aspects Uranus, you will define and set personal goals and also define
your friendships. Friends who are not positive and constructive may be
eliminated from your Hfe. You may become more involved with groups
and organizations, even taking on a leadership role. If the organization
does not benefit you, however, you may drop out. A person could enter
your life who is older and become a very valued and cherished mentor or
friend. Saturn aspecting Uranus tends to tone down the unconventional
side of Uranus, and you become very discriminating about who you want
to spend time with.
When Saturn transits the twelfth house, enters the SIGN Pisces, or
aspects Neptune, it can be another time of psychological defining. You
can grow as far as your self-worth and identity are concerned, but not
without paying dues. With Saturn in the twelfth or in Pisces, skeletons
can come out of the closet and even the most positive person can be self-
destructive. Without being very disciplined and maintaining a positive
attitude, this can be an adverse period. Saturn transiting through the
twelfth house completes things and clears out old baggage, so that when
Saturn goes into the first house, we are ready for a new beginning. Saturn
aspecting Neptune gives us clarity about our spiritual and philosophical
views. It is a good time for putting our creative visions and dreams into
tangible form.
Outer Planet Transits
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are long-lasting transits that have far-
reaching eiffects. The transits of these planets are similar in effect to
progressions. They also affect us on a subconscious level, as well as in an
event-oriented way. Often we feel the aspects are very fated.
Pluto breaks down in order to transform and rebuild. The way you feel
about matters of the house this planet is transiting wlQ be completely
altered. For example, if Pluto transits your seventh
house, marriage and partnerships will never be viewed in the same
way.
Uranus inclines us to want to break out and break free; we want
things on our own terms. For example, as Uranus transits the first house,
you will become very autonomous, independent, and freedom-oriented.
In the second house, you could have dramatic changes in your pattern of
income, or under very good aspects, a sudden windfall.
Neptune transits are more inclined to dissolve, delude, confuse, or
idealize. A client was married to an alcoholic for the whole transit of
Neptune through her seventh house. When Neptune entered the eighth
house, she said, "Why I am I with him? This is a horrible marriage and I
want out of it now." She had made excuses for many years, but reality hit
after Neptune left. This is an extreme example. There is usually some fog
or self-deception present under a Neptune influence.
With the higher-octave planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, as they
cross the angles of a chart, the Ascendant (first house). Nadir (fourth
house). Descendant (seventh house), or Midheaven (tenth house), we can
enter into dramatic new cycles and levels of evolvement.
Uranus Transits
When Uranus transits over the Ascendant and through
THE FIRST HOUSE, ENTERS THE SIGN ArIES, OR ASPECTS
MaRS,
the physical body, appearance, lifestyle, and the way you view life can
all be dramatically changed. I have seen the death of a partner, divorce,
and also marriage. All of it was sudden and unexpected. During this
transit, I traveled almost constantly, so my environment was constantly
being altered. One of my friends had serious heart palpitations, which
ultimately changed her health regime for the better. One of my teachers
said, "Whatever you think Uranus will be, it won't be. The only thing you
know for sure about Uranus is that it will be a surprise." Uranus in aspect
to Mars can cause erratic energy and a
170 / Transits
proclivity to have accidents, aS well as sudden, unexpected surgery.
There is intense restlessness and a desire for change. Many times the
change is made without careful thought, and this rashness can cause
problems at a later date.
When Uranus transits the second house, enters the sign Taurus, or
aspects Venus, in some way the pattern of income will change. I have
seen people change jobs, change careers, and some who worked on a
salary went to a commission structure or received a bonus. In any event,
money will be inconsistent. It is the fixed signs that have the most
difficulty with this transit because flexibility is a must. Sudden losses or
sudden windfalls are to be expected. Personal values may be altered. Love
can enter your life suddenly and in an unusual and unexpected way. The
person will not fit into the old mold of what you have attracted before.
This person can also leave just as quickly as he or she appeared. What will
remain, however, is a change in the love consciousness, and what was
learned from the relationship will benefit you forever. If used positively,
this transit can add a new, exciting dimension to an existing relationship.
When Uranus transits the third house, enters the sign Gemini, or
aspects Mercury, your mindset may change in some way. A new mental
endeavor, a more innovative way of communicating, a change for one of
your siblings—all of these things can manifest. I have seen this as a time
when clients or students have become interested in astrology. The
attitude will become more independent and the thinking more inventive.
Flashes of genius and brilliant insights can surface. People who said they
would never buy a computer will find themselves spending hours
mastering one.
When Uranus transits the fourth house, enters the sign Cancer, or
aspects the Moon, there can be an impulsive change in residence. I have
also seen it manifest as a change in the office or work environment. If
there isn't a move, there
may be a strong desire to renovate or remodel. The life of a parent
may also undergo a change, such as a sudden retirement or change of
residence. The emotions can be erratic and the moods fluctuating. It can
also be a time when your personal and public image is altered. A positive
use of this energy on a personal level is working on changing old habits
and routines. Vary the way you react to things that challenge you. Try to
free yourself from old, limiting emotional responses.
When Uranus transits the fifth house, enters the sign Leo, or aspects
the Sun, it can bring a sudden love alliance or an unexpected pregnancy,
as well as flashes of creative insight. New and unusual interests may be
pursued. Changes in the life of children, especially the oldest child, may
transpire at this time, and that individual may project himself or herself
in life in a very different manner. You will be drawn to people and
situations that are different and special in some way, but the involvement
may be fleeting, ending as quickly as it started. If you are normally quite
conventional, you may present yourself in a more unusual manner and
may no longer want to conform at all. There is an intense restlessness as
well as a rebellious streak, and you may take a totally different position
on an issue you felt strongly about just a few months before. It is indeed
an unusual and interesting time. I usually try to caution clients to wait a
few months before making life-altering changes. Take a trip before you
quit a good job. Rearrange the furniture or paint the walls before you sell
a house you loved several months before. I often tell clients that this is a
good time to have a stress test, because the heart is ruled by the Sun, and
Uranus can upset its function. I told this to one client who then went to
the doctor and ended up in the hospital having open-heart surgery that
same week.
When Uranus transits the sixth house, enters the sign Virgo, or
aspects Mercury, there can be sudden changes in
 172 / Transits
the workplace, with employees br with coworkers. A restlessness to
change jobs may also surface. A pet may unexpectedly come on the scene
or run away. Strange health problems may occur, and just as suddenly
disappear. Decisions will be made impulsively, without the usual
planning, and things will be said without forethought. There can be
wonderful and innovative ideas and systems put in place in the
workplace, and practical creativity will be enhanced.
When Uranus transits the seventh house, enters the sign Libra, or
aspects Venus, there can be dramatic changes in the state of a marriage or
partnership. If married, the marriage partner may go through many
changes during this transit. A business alliance may suddenly be
disrupted. When people enter your life under this transit, it happens
suddenly and they often leave just as quickly. This is often called the love-
at-first-sight aspect, and love does happen quickly and unexpectedly.
Without reinforcing progressions and natal promise, a person who enters
your life under this transit may not stay. It is an exciting time and great
magnetism is present. I remember well the time Uranus transited the
sign Libra in the sixties. Marriages and unions have not been the same
since.
When Uranus transits the eighth house, enters the sign Scorpio, or
aspects Pluto, joint finances can fluctuate. There can be a sudden death in
the environment. There can be an unexpected financial windfall or loss. I
have seen surprise inheritances, as well as sudden costly tax audits.
Investments are inconsistent at best. Financial planning is diff^icult and
seems to be out of control. Because this is a generational transit and
everyone your age is having the same aspect, it may not be as significant
if Pluto is not natally angular, prominent, or a personal or chart ruler.
When Uranus transits the ninth house, enters the sign Sagittarius, or
aspects Jupiter, it may indicate a sudden
change in your spiritual beliefs. I have seen clients change religions,
embrace an entirely different philosophy, or become atheists. Unexpected
travel opportunities may manifest, as well as unexpected visitors from
afar. A foreigner may influence you. A sudden impulse to return to school
or drop out of school are both possibilities under this transit. Uranus to
Jupiter very often brings a surprise gain. Sometimes a friend resurfaces,
or you find a lost object.
When Uranus transits the tenth house, enters the sign Capricorn, or
aspects Saturn, it can be a time of very dramatic changes in business, as
well as in status in life. Because the tenth house is an angular house, it
will be quite important and very public. Your career can suddenly change,
as well as your destiny. There can be an alteration in the life of one of
your parents. The way you see and perceive the world will be different
now. Uranus to Saturn can bring an unexpected promotion or business
opportunity, or an older person could suddenly leave your life. Your
personal habits and regimes may be altered.
When Uranus transits the eleventh house, enters the SIGN Aquarius,
or aspects natal Uranus, there is change in the lives of your friends, and
your friends themselves may change. Certainly, new and novel people will
come into your life. You may join groups and organizations, or feel the
need to drop out of them. Your social life will undergo change. You will be
attracted to people who are special or unique in some way. Your goals
and aims will also be different than they were before this transit. Great
technical advances, inventions, and discoveries will be made. Uranus in
any aspect to natal Uranus stimulates your need to be unencumbered and
free. Your uniqueness, individuality, and ability to express an innovative
side of your nature will be evident.
When Uranus transits the twelfth house, enters the sign Pisces, or
aspects Neptune, skeletons can come out of
174 / Transits
the closet. Long-kept secrets from the past may be revealed. There
may be a desire to do something for humanity, such as working in a
service occupation or doing volunteer work. One of my clients began to
volunteer at a hospice under this transit. An opportunity for a clandestine
alliance may present itself. It may be a sudden electric romance that ends
as quickly as it began if it is not reinforced with progressions and other
factors. Your creativity may become much more innovative and your
spiritual beliefs more progressive.
Neptune Transits
When Neptune transits over the Ascendant and through
THE FIRST HOUSE, ENTERS THE SIGN ArIES, OR ASPECTS
MaRS,
you are unusually charismatic. While you may become more of a
visionary under this transit, your personal identity seems to allude and
confuse you. Others may view you as "spacey." Your approach to life is
not as clearly defined as it was before. Your imagination and creativity
can be magnified as well as your fantasy life. Your personal spirituality is
enhanced and becomes a very meaningful part of your life at this time. An
altruistic approach to life may be present. With Neptune to Mars,
however, your energy seems drained and the desire to pursue physical
activities and exercise is less appealing. Sexual energy and experiences
will take on a more transcendental than physical nature.
When Neptune transits the second house, enters the sign Taurus, or
aspects Venus, earnings can come from creative and spiritual endeavors.
Because the second house is tied to your value system, you can become
much more spiritual and idealistic at this time. This would not be a good
time to lend money or get into a get-rich-quick scheme, as you would
certainly lose. Neptune is, however, an expansive planet, and earned
income can grow under good Neptune transits, though not in a
traditional manner. Transiting Neptune in any aspect to Venus is very
expansive to the love nature. A love relation-
ship can become very compelling and magical. The relationship will
have very idealistic and spiritual undertones, many times based more on
fantasy than realism. Sometimes love given may not be fully appreciated,
and possessions loaned not returned. There is always a danger of
deception and disillusionment under a Venus-to-Neptune transit. I
remember putting a very elaborate security system in our home when I
had Neptune square my Venus, as I felt I could be robbed. My home was
not robbed, but my office was. Although a relationship can work out if
there are good reinforcing natal and progressed aspects, it will be a more
realistic relationship after the transit has passed. A familiar quotation
from clients after a Neptunian romance is, "What did I ever see in him or
her?" I do say to my students, however, that every good love affair needs a
little Neptune.
When Neptune transits the third house, enters the sign Gemini, or
aspects Mercury, the mental process can be a bit nebulous and fuzzy.
While you can dream your wildest dreams and fantasies, your practical,
day-to-day decision-making process is clouded. This is another period of
time when it is necessary to make lists and prioritize, or else you could
just dream your time away. This would be a favorable time to study yoga,
take up meditation, or begin a spiritual endeavor. I strongly recommend
to clients that they utilize the energy in a creative or spiritual way, so that
they are in control of the energy, and not victims of it.
When Neptune transits the fourth house, enters the sign Cancer, or
aspects the Moon, you can feel inclined to beautify your home and
garden. Creativity, particularly in domestic pursuits, is heightened. I have
seen people build their dream homes under this transit or literally
purchase a house on water, as Neptune rules water. With bad Neptune
transits, I have seen flooded basements and plugged sewers. A friend had
176 / Transits
transiting Neptune cross her fourth-house cusp recently, and she had
thousands of dollars worth of flood damage. I also observed a friend's
parent get Alzheimer s disease when Neptune entered my friend's fourth
house and made very difficult aspects. Neptune transits to the Moon can
create confusion and deception with a woman or even scandal with the
public. I had one client who was a good cook become a gourmet chef and
eventually turn this knowledge into a successful business. Under this
transit you often are not perceived the way you really are. You can
misjudge or be misjudged.
When Neptune transits the fifth house, enters the sign Leo, or aspects
the Sun, the love nature can be magnified. You may feel that the object of
your affection is absolutely amazing. Neptune inclines us to see the God
quality in another, so there can be a magnificent idealization that takes
place. The person drawn in may be a musician, an artist, or a spiritual
person. Creativity is at an all-time high, and you can be truly inspired. If a
child were to be born at this time, he or she would have the sign Pisces
prominent in the natal chart. Your own children are also adored during
this transit. One of my friends said that after fifteen years of Neptune
through her fifth house, "All of these past years, I thought my four
children were perfect, and now all of a sudden I see all their flaws."
When Neptune transits the sixth house, enters the sign Virgo, or
aspects Mercury, an iUness or series of ailments may appear that are
difficult to diagnose. You can be given the wrong prescription. One of my
clients had a serious case of food poisoning. There can be deception
among coworkers or employees. Robberies or treachery can be present at
the workplace. These things can happen under harsh aspects. Under very
positive aspects, you can be more inspired in your work or find a job you
really love. You also can be truly motivated to do very beautiful writing or
creative work. Psychic ability is enhanced, and many people report
having deja vu experiences.
When Neptune transits the seventh house, enters the SIGN Libra, or
aspects Venus, it describes your suitors, if single, or your marriage or
marriage partner, if married. An alcoholic, drug user, or a person who is
ill could be drawn into your life under very adverse aspects. There can be
deception in a marriage or a business relationship or partnership. A
marriage or business alliance may be entered into without full
understanding and knowledge of the partner or his or her motivations.
Under good aspects the partner may be artistic, spiritual, or someone you
absolutely worship. A new and magnified appreciation of music and
ethereal beauty may also be experienced at this time.
When Neptune transits the eighth house, enters the sign Scorpio, or
aspects Pluto, it can bring confusion to the joint finances. It is not wise to
make important financial decisions about your assets at this time. If you
are getting a divorce, your partner could be hiding assets or lying about
what he or she earns. You could also be cheated out of an inheritance or a
legacy. Your sexual drive could be altered at this time. I have seen clients
freed from old sexual limitations under a Neptune transit, or the sexual
drive dissolved with impotence resulting. Psychologically, you may be
lifted to a much higher spiritual level.
When Neptune transits the ninth house, enters the sign Sagittarius, or
aspects Jupiter, religion and spirituality can become a great passion. You
may decide to follow a guru or spiritual master. I have seen people
become fervent born-again Christians under this transit. There could be a
desire to take a cruise, as Neptune rules water. If you were to go back to
school, it may be to study philosophy. You could become disillusioned
with a religion or a spiritual leader. Neptune can certainly expand the
luck with a transit in good aspect to Jupiter. I have seen extreme good
fortune and opportunities present themselves at this time.
178 / Transits
When Neptune transits the tenth house, enters the sign Capricorn, or
aspects Saturn, your career goals could be dissolved, or you could feel
very jaded about your work, business, or career. You may be more
inclined to get into an altruistic, spiritual, or creative field. I saw a very
successful lawyer give up his practice to become an artist, and a doctor
give up traditional medicine and go into alternative healing disciplines.
Scandals are possible with adverse aspects from Neptune in the tenth
house. I have seen deception, loss of status, and loss of reputation
through a person's own doing or through false accusations. Under very
good Neptune transits, I have seen people put on a pedestal and
worshipped. Neptune can also expand, and I have seen clients go to new
levels of achievement with a positive transit of Neptune to Saturn.
When Neptune transits the eleventh house, enters the SIGN Aquarius,
or aspects Uranus, spiritual, artistic, and creative people are drawn into
your life as friendships and associates. Some of your other associations
will dissolve. Your goals may be unclear. You may want to join spiritual
groups and organizations, or you may become disillusioned with groups
you already are involved in. A love interest or a friend may be viewed in
an unrealistic way.
When Neptune transits the twelfth house, enters the SIGN Pisces, or
aspects natal Neptune, wonderful things can happen under good aspects,
because Neptune is the ruler of the twelfth house and the sign Pisces. As
an artist, you could do truly inspired work. Psychic ability could surface
and prophetic dreams and deja vu experiences could manifest. You could
be drawn into service occupations or do philanthropic work. Under
adverse aspects, nightmares, bad psychic experiences, and panic attacks
could ensue. Fear, self-doubt, and paranoia could color the life.
Pluto Transits
Pluto is the planet of rebirth and regeneration. Pluto transforms. It
will break down, rebuild, and force you to gain a new perspective on the
affairs of the house it is transiting. Pluto is very intense and goes to
extremes. One thing I tell my clients and students is, "When Pluto has
finished a transit, even though it may have been very difficult, you will
never want to return to what existed before."
When Pluto transits over the Ascendant and through
THE FIRST HOUSE, ENTERS THE SIGN ArIES, OR ASPECTS
MaRS,
it signals a major lifestyle change. It can be a marriage, a divorce, a
new child, the death of a partner, retirement, or some other life-altering
change. Many people become obsessed with making physical changes at
this time. I had a client lose one hundred pounds, and I have had clients
have massive cosmetic surgery. Because Pluto is in the first house, the
change may be physical, but there can also be psychological change, or a
big change in your personality. In any event, your approach to life will be
metamorphically different. Without a doubt, the sexual and physical
energy will be greatly increased. Pluto in aspect to Mars is almost too
much energy, so much care must be taken in how to utilize the energy.
Dancing, athletics, and exercise regimes are strongly recommended to
direct the energy into positive channels.
When Pluto transits the second house, enters the sign Taurus, or
aspects Venus, the pattern of income is changed. The aspects will tell you
how it will change. You could become extremely wealthy or go bankrupt.
A lot will depend on the reinforcing progressions and other transits that
are active at the time. A magnificent love obsession can also take place at
this time. I call Pluto transits to Venus the fatal attraction aspect. If the
aspect is positive and the progressions and natal aspects are positive for
love, it can be wonderful, but Pluto always takes things to extremes. I
have had many clients sit across my desk
180 / TransiU
with their hands shaking, theii" nerves raw, and feeling totally out of
control because of a love interest under this transit.
When Pluto transits the third house, enters the sign Gemini, or
aspects Mercury, there will be a change in attitude. I have had clients
become passionate about learning. You could have an intellectual
obsession. There could be a major change with a sibling. I have seen this
Pluto transit in a child's chart where the parents moved frequently and
the child was thrust continually into new schools and new environments.
This is a wonderful time for detective work, solving puzzles, and doing
heavy-duty research.
When Pluto transits the fourth house, enters the sign Cancer, or
aspects the Moon, some of the major changes will involve home and
family. I have seen clients lose a parent as Pluto conjuncted the fourth-
house cusp. Most often Pluto in the fourth house is a major change in
your living conditions. Pluto aspecting the Moon is a heavy, intense, and
profound transit. Old issues from the past surface in order to be resolved.
The emotions are profound and there is heightened sensitivity.
Sometimes these deep feelings take a toll on the body. I have seen clients
get ulcers and other emotional illnesses during this transit.
When Pluto transits the fifth house, enters the sign Leo, or aspects the
Sun, you could have an obsessive love affair that controls your life. There
could be radical changes with children, particularly the first-born child,
or your life could be dramatically transformed because of the birth of a
child. There could be an obsession with a creative project, such as a book
or artistic conception. Your self-image and self-perception will undergo a
change. You may be drawn into power struggles or have control issues
with a man. After the transit, a new and a better sense of your personal
power will have been defined as well as a new, more confident sense of
identity.
When Pluto transits the sixth house, enters the sign Virgo, or aspects
Mercury, dramatic changes in the workplace may take place. Your
relationship with peers and other employees can be affected. There can
be enormous changes in your life around health issues. You may have a
life-altering illness under extremely adverse aspects, or you could become
a fanatic regarding a health regime, such as health foods, exercise, or
vitamins. Pluto in aspect to Mercury alters the attitude and mindset. New
intellectual pursuits may be passionately enjoyed.
When Pluto transits the seventh house, enters the sign Libra, or
aspects Venus, it is rare that there is not a profound change in the state of
a marriage, the love nature, and existing close relationships and business
alliances. Often there is a divorce or the loss of a partner through death.
There always will be some change. It may be that the marriage itself will
be transformed during this transit, and your view of it may be different.
Pluto transiting in aspect to Venus indicates a powerful and passionate
inclination to love and be loved. Love and romance can consume you in
an almost damaging way, as this kind of obsession can become the single
focus of your life, so the other areas of your life may suffer and be
neglected.
When Pluto transits the eighth house, enters the sign Scorpio, or
aspects natal Pluto, joint finances can be transformed. This includes your
partner s income and your joint investments. I had several clients who
had transiting Pluto conjunct natal Venus in the eighth house become
instant millionaires. Under good aspects the finances almost always go to
an entirely different level. Unfortunately, adverse aspects can bring
financial loss. There can be an inheritance that will transform your life, or
under harsh aspects there can be a power struggle over money.
When Pluto transits the ninth house, enters the sign Sagittarius, or
aspects Jupiter, religious beliefs can be
182 / Transits
greatly changed. I have seen clients become religious fanatics, join a
cult, or totally disown their religion. There is a desire to travel to distant
places. I have seen people go to college and become obsessed with
achieving good grades. Sometimes they switch majors, or in extreme
cases drop out of college. Because Pluto is in Sagittarius at this time,
more than ever I see clients with Pluto in the ninth house become quite
obsessive about their beliefs.
When Pluto transits the tenth house, enters the sign Capricorn, or
aspects Saturn, not only do people change jobs, but many times they
change careers and go into a completely different field. Reputation and
standing in the community can be changed according to the aspects Pluto
forms. It can be incredibly empowering, or the reputation can be
destroyed and the image tarnished.
When Pluto transits the eleventh house, enters the sign Aquarius, or
aspects Uranus, your relationships with friends, groups, and
organizations will be altered. You can become empowered through a
group or organization or attract very influential and powerful friends and
clients. I have also seen people choose to disassociate with friends and
groups and become quite antisocial. New trends and modern technology
may make a significant difference in your life.
When Pluto transits the twelfth house, enters the sign Pisces, or
aspects Neptune, you may go on a quest to explore the depths of your
subconscious and find answers to your inner motivations. I have seen
clients develop a deep need to do something for humanity, obsessively
pursuing a passion or cause that they feel will benefit others and
themselves. Under adverse aspects I have seen people become self-
destructive and have limiting phobias and thoughts of suicide.
Chapter Seven
Stationing and Retrograde Planets
C/C][ of the planets except for the Sun and Moon (which are the
luminaries) will go retrograde for certain periods of time. Retrograde
motion is the apparent backward motion of a planet. When a planet goes
retrograde, it is not actually going backward in its orbit, but it appears to
be moving backward from our perspective on Earth. The planet appears
to slow down to change direction, and it actually appears to stop or pause
in the heavens. When it pauses or stops, it is said to be stationing or to be
stationary. At that time there is a magnification of the expression of that
planet, and its energy is greatly intensified. It is very powerful and can be
very potent if it keys, or ties, into your chart.

184 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets

Rules for Stationing and Retrograde Planets
The intensity of energy begins when a planet starts to slow down to
change direction, either to go retrograde or direct. It is felt 3° or 4° before
and after the degree at which it stations. The main heightening of energy
is felt at the degree of stationing. For example, Neptune just moved a
degree past the point where it stopped to change direction and go
retrograde, and I felt confusion, disorientation, idealism, etc. I expect
when it moves 2° or 3° past the stationing degree that I will feel more
clarity and realism.
You start to feel the planet's intense energy as it slows down to change
direction. You feel it during the 3° or 4° as it approaches the point of
stationing, and you feel it very intensely the entire time it is at that degree
when it retrogrades. When it moves a degree away, the intensity lessens.
At 2° or 3° away from the stationing point, the experience and feelings
are greatly diminished.
Like all transits, a retrograding planet will carry with it the influence
of the sign and house it is transiting, the house it rules in your natal chart,
and the house it rules naturally. Matters pertaining to these areas will be
greatly intensified, many times to crisis proportion. Just remember that it
is not necessarily good or bad energy. It is just different.
Again, go back to the natal promise. It makes a difference if the planet
is retrograde or direct in your chart. For example. I worked on
committees with a friend who had Mercury retrograde natally. When
Mercury would go retrograde by transit, she was the only one who felt
comfortable with the energy and was very effective in getting things done,
whereas those of us with Mercury direct in our natal chart had to do
everything three times.
If you have Mercury direct at birth and it goes retrograde by
progression, the transiting retrograde energy will react differently in your
own chart. I have noticed this because Mercury is stationing and has
turned retrograde by progression in my chart. The last time Mercury
went retrograde by transit, I wrote comfortably
and things flowed more easily. I was focused and I could concentrate
more effectively.
When my progressed Mercury got within a degree of going retrograde,
I no longer wanted to counsel, lecture, and teach astrology or go on radio
or television (the outward expression of direct Mercury) as often. But I
started to write, do research, and do more introspective things (the
inward expression of a retrograde Mercury). I find myself doing more
solitary things like gardening and creating beauty, such as making
miniature dollhouses for my grandchildren and, of course, writing.
A classic example of this is a client of mine who was a professor at a
university. When Mercury by progression went retrograde, he gave up his
job as a professor and became a writer for a national newspaper.
A stationing planet will be incredibly important when it sets off a
heavy transit, an eclipse point, or a progression. It brings the energy to a
head. A number of things start to happen to bring the issue to
culmination for good or bad. If it is a good progression and the planet
stationing is making a harmonious aspect, you could receive a windfall.
But if it is a difficult progression and a planet stations and triggers it, you
could have a crisis or difficulty— a "crisis" meaning an area of life that
needs a lot of attention, not necessarily bad or good. It is just a time to
take care of business.
If a Critical Degree (cardinal at 0°, 13°, or 26°; fixed at 8°-9° or
21°-22°; mutable at 4° or 17°; and 0° and 29° of any modality) is involved,
then it will be more intense. If a planet stations on a Critical Degree, it
will create a crisis situation. Again, "crisis" means an area of your life that
you need to take care of It can be either easy or difficult. An interesting
example involving a Critical Degree was the 1993 World Trade Center
bombing. Pluto, in the Midheavens, was at a Critical Degree and
stationing retrograde at that time.
As I write this book. Mercury is stationing at 17° Pisces. This is a
Critical Degree and people have been experiencing a lot of psychological
anguish. I have been inundated with clients who are
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feeling sad, victimized, and hopeless, and some with an intense need
to process grief. An extreme response is an acquaintance of mine who had
minor surgery when Mercury stationed, had a bad reaction to the
anesthesia, and went into a coma (Pisces).
Besides Critical Degrees, I have done extensive research on the
meaning or significance of degrees. What I have found is that certain
degrees, sometimes in specific signs, can indicate or bring to attention
certain issues. For instance, a personal planet in your chart at 15° Leo
may indicate the possibility of heart problems. At the time of writing this
book, transiting Uranus is stationing at 16° Aquarius, and I have noticed
that a number of people are having issues related to heart disease. I
talked with someone who works in the field of cardiology and he, too, has
noticed an upsurge of patients coming in with heart-related problems. I
have also seen this Critical Degree manifest as problems of the heart due
to love not being valued or returned.
I have found that people who have 7° Pisces or Virgo prominent in
their chart can be promiscuous. When a planet stations at that degree in
either sign, I have often seen people start illicit affairs. Twenty-four
degrees of Cancer is one of the astrologer's degrees, among many other
degrees. I remember going to another level in astrology when Mercury
stationed at that degree on my natal Pluto. I became a much more
competent astrologer at that time.
When Mercury retrogrades and sets off an important natal aspect
(such as the chart driver), a progression, an active, heavy transit in the
natal chart, or an eclipse point that is in aspect to a point or planet in the
natal chart, I mention these days (the stationing period) to my clients and
point out what they can anticipate to happen.
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury goes retrograde approximately three times per year. Much
has been written about Mercury retrograde, but the people who are most
affected by it are those with Gemini or Virgo prominent in their natal
chart. For everyone, the areas of your life that
will be most affected are those where you have Gemini and Virgo
placed in your chart. For instance, I have clients who do not have
prominent Gemini or Virgo, but who do have one of these signs on the
Midheaven. When Mercury goes retrograde, there is always a lot of
shifting, redoing, and rethinking where career matters are concerned.
Even people who do not have Virgo or Gemini prominent will experience
some Mercurial things. For instance, my husband became a real believer
in astrology when Mercury went retrograde and his car radio stopped
working. All of a sudden, three weeks later, it miraculously started
working again when Mercury went direct.
I have tested Mercury retrograde over and over again, and most of the
time the things I have bought during this period I haven't liked, the
decisions I have made I have changed, the people who have come into my
life have not stayed, and the projects I have started have not materialized.
This has been the case approximately 95 percent of the time. Of course, I
am a Virgo, so Mercury is emphasized more in my chart. I have people
call me who know nothing about astrology and ask, "Is that Mercury
retrograde?" They can feel the energy and they know that something has
shifted and that their mental process is different.
I find that Mercury retrograde is not a positive time to initiate new
projects or start a new relationship. I avoid it in all the event charts I do.
A couple came to me who had already picked a wedding date, and I
stated, "Mercury is retrograde on the date you chose to marry I would
think that this would be adverse for good, positive, constructive
communication with one another." They answered, "We communicate
wonderfully and it is not going to be a problem." Five years later when
Mercury stationed to go direct by progression in the event chart, they
divorced, the reason being a lack of good communication. They
discounted the advice I had given them and were skeptical, but
unfortunately they ended up divorced. Both of them remain clients and
have remarried. I picked the dates for their second marriages, and they
both followed my advice to the letter.
188 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets
When clients come to me to find an auspicious time for marriage, but
they happen to be locked into a certain date that turns out to be
unfavorable, I suggest the following solution. I tell them to get married
quietly on a good date before the public ceremony, and then have the
party at the time they have planned. This worked very well for a good
friend of mine who is also an astrologer. She just could not find a good
date in the summertime, so she got married privately in April and then
had the "public" wedding in June.
Another interesting Mercury retrograde story concerns a married
client of mine who decided with her husband for financial reasons to get a
divorce. Her husband was going to lose all of their assets, so he decided to
put everything in her name and they would then divorce "temporarily" so
their assets would be protected. This decision and the divorce both took
place while Mercury was retrograde. He did not really intend for them to
stay divorced. However, after six months of living alone, she decided that
she liked being single and did not want to remarry him. But they had
gotten a quick divorce in a foreign country and later found out that it was
not legal in the United States, so they had to go through another divorce
in the United States. This is a perfect example of miscommunication,
people changing their minds, and contracts needing to be redone during
Mercury retrograde.
When Mercury is retrograde, it is a positive time for redoing projects,
for revising, editing, rewriting, and rethinking decisions. Sometimes
under one Mercury retrograde, an issue will go into abeyance and will not
be resolved until a future Mercury retrograde and direct period. It is good
practice not to buy a car, mechanical things, or things that involve
communication, such as a cell phone, computer, or television set during
Mercury retrograde. There could just be too much difficulty with any of
these things functioning properly.
I had a client who asked, "Look at my chart and tell me why I always
end up with a lemon when I buy a car." After backtracking
for a couple of years, I found that every time she purchased a car,
Mercury was retrograde and she got a lemon. Then after a couple of years
when she could not take it anymore, and Mercury would again be
retrograde, she would trade it in and buy a different car. Alas, another
lemon. I had to get her off" that track and have her buy a car under good
aspects with the planets direct. She never had a problem again.
 Some of the things that Mercury rules include travel, cars, buses, all
forms of communication, computers, contracts, cell phones, telephones,
dexterity, languages, journalists, mental pursuits, news, newspapers,
writing, and publishing.
When Mercury goes retrograde, a lot of things that have been started
are put on hold. It is difficult to put things together and have them stay
together. When Mercury goes direct, things do not straighten out
immediately. The planet has to move forward to the degree it was at when
it went retrograde before there is a completely free flow of energy again.
This is a phenomena referred to as the planet's "shadow" period. This is
the period of time after a planet has resumed direct motion, but has not
yet returned to the degree and minute it was at when it went retrograde.
There is still some experience of the effects of retrograda-tion. When the
planet moves past the degree and minute at which it went retrograde,
then the energy moves unencumbered.
Again, it is important to remember that it is never just one planetary
influence or aspect that creates an effect or event in our lives. A stationing
planet all by itself will not necessarily create the effect, but a group of
aspects, transits, and progressions working together will. Here are some
examples of how Mercury stationing, particularly direct, may express
itself through the twelve signs of the zodiac and through the different
houses. This happens several times a year, so it is very significant.
When Mercury stations in Aries or in the first house, verbal
expression is assertive and occasionally combatant, because the mental
energy is fast and aggressive in Aries. Decisions
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are made without due diligence and regretted at a later date. While
new concepts are quickly grasped, they can be also can be easily
abandoned.
When Mercury stations in Taurus or in the second house, the mental
process is slower and plodding. Decision-making can be hesitant and
painful. However, once a stand is taken or a decision is made, Mercury
stationing in Taurus can be extremely fixed, rigid, and resistant to
change.
When Mercury stations in Gemini or in the third house, the mind will
be agile and quick, as well as changeable and indecisive. Vacillation must
be guarded against. At this time many projects may be started, but none
completed. The mind is prolific with ideas, but it is hard to implement
them because the mind is so scattered.
 When Mercury stations in Cancer or in the fourth house, the mental
energy will be sifted through the emotions rather than through the
intellect. There is heightened intuition. Creativity is at an all-time high,
but oversensitivity must be guarded against. Family and home projects
bring great satisfaction. Crying for no apparent reason and emotional
outbreaks are common.
When Mercury stations in Leo or in the fifth house, the mental energy
is expressed in a strong and very definite manner. Positions are taken and
are almost impossible to change. Over-confidence and egotism regarding
one's decisions may be present. Any project started will be seen through
to conclusion even if it is an idea that doesn t have merit.
When Mercury stations in Virgo or in the sixth house, the mental
energy expresses itself in an analytical way. The mind is organized.
Opinions are reached after much consternation and thought. The need
for perfection, however, may delay decision-making. During this
stationing period, people will be
exceptionally picky and critical. They can be critical of others, but are
usually hardest on themselves.
When Mercury Stations in Libra or in the seventh house, the
indecisiveness of Mercury in Libra is exaggerated at this time. Views
change by the minute and decision-making is almost impossible. Artistic
ability and appreciation of the arts is heightened, as are thoughts of love
and romance.
When Mercury stations in Scorpio or in the eighth house, the ability to
probe and investigate a subject becomes easier as Mercury stations in the
heavens, since Mercury in Scorpio by definition is a mental detective and
researcher. The mind is focused and ideas are strong and committed.
Mental investigation takes on an almost obsessive quality
When Mercury stations in Sagittarius or in the ninth house, the mind
may turn to spiritual matters. Fervor, idealism, and optimism can
manifest. Thoughts of travel to far-off places may consume you. There
can be a strong need to communicate your ideas with Mercury stationing
in Sagittarius, and there is also an inclination to exaggerate and elaborate
on your ideas.
When Mercury stations in Capricorn or in the tenth HOUSE, while the
mental process may be slower and more deliberate, good decision are
made due to caution and much soul-searching. There can be a tendency
toward negativity and depression at this time. Organization and planning
can be done in a very effective manner. Thoughts of career and work
opportunities will consume you.
When Mercury stations in Aquarius or in the eleventh HOUSE, there
can be flashes of brilliance. Clever, innovative ideas can be conceived.
Articulation can be witty. Because Mercury is exalted in Aquarius, the
energy is expressed in a very positive way. This is a great time to invent,
teach, or write.
192 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets
When Mercury stations in Pieces or in the twelfth house, the negative
qualities of Mercury in Pisces can surface, because Mercury is not
comfortably placed in this sign. There can be replays of sad times and
experiences in your past. You may have bouts of depression and paranoia.
It is difficult to stay abreast of the joy and beauty in life. You are instead
more inclined to look at the dark side. Artistic ability, compassion, and
psychic talents can be easily expressed.
Venus Retrograde
Venus goes retrograde approximately every eighteen months. The
time of year that Venus goes retrograde and then direct by transit turns
out to be the busiest time of year for astrologers, especially if you
specialize in relationships like I do. Venus stationing to go retrograde or
direct is a time when love energy really intensifies. In fact, both times that
I met my future husbands, Venus was coming off a retrograde motion and
going direct. I have found that a relationship can be very important and
meaningful if you meet someone and start the relationship when Venus is
stationing and going direct. The love energy is deep and profound and
often you can experience love at first sight when you meet during this
time. This is one time when you may experience intense, magical love.
However, if you meet someone when Venus is slowing down to go
retrograde (but is still direct), you can have a hot and heavy romance, but
you will have a problem later, when Venus goes retrograde. There will be
a big shift in the love consciousness of the relationship.
If you start a relationship during the period when Venus is retrograde,
feelings of love are never expressed comfortably or easily. This would be
especially true for a Taurus or a Libra, but actually I find it works in most
charts. During the period Venus is retrograde, existing love relationships
can be tested. Communication of love feelings can be misconstrued
and/or misunderstood. People tend to be more insecure in love. To
further stress the danger of marrying when Venus is retrograde, I recall a
client who
dated a man for eight years. They married when both Venus and
Mercury were retrograde and they separated and divorced four months
later.
I find Venus retrograde to be positive for creativity. During this
period, I have seen ballerinas do their most magnificent dancing, artists
complete their most wonderful masterpieces, and writers produce their
best books.
I advise my clients against any type of beautification process when
Venus is retrograde, particularly cosmetic surgery. Even permanent
waves, hair coloring, hairstyling, and haircutting can be unsuccessful. My
daughter and I went to have our hair cut on the day that Venus went
retrograde and we both cried all the way home because we got such bad
haircuts. We each had wanted a trim, but we both went home with very
short hair.
If Venus stations on a natal aspect such as Venus trine Mars, an
important progression, especially a love progression such as the
progressed Sun in good aspect to Venus, an important transit such as
transiting Uranus trine Venus, or an eclipse point that may be stimulating
a love relationship, I mention these days to clients as an important time
frame for attracting someone important into the life.
Mars Retrograde
Mars goes retrograde approximately once per year. If a person has
Mars retrograde natally there isn't an even, comfortable expression of
energy. In fact, some Mars retrograde people will tell you they feel they
have lower energy than people born with Mars direct. They also say that
they get the most accomplished when they are in a crisis state. The
adrenaline seems to pump and they feel most effective at this time.
When Mars is retrograde in the heavens, people complain about low
and ineffective energy. Also, instead of operating through an open
conflict, there can be a more subtle form of manipulation going on. With
Mars stationing retrograde or direct.
194 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets
there can be an experience of combative energy on the personal level.
I have a whole new appreciation for Mars retrograde. I had nothing
but physical problems on the personal level when Mars stationed and
went retrograde in a cardinal sign, squaring several of my planets. Mars
squared my natal Uranus in Aries (Uranus is the ruler of my intercepted
first house) and I had a broken blood vessel in my eye, a toothache, and a
rash. Clients also speak of having sinus and tension headaches when
Mars is retrograde, which is a result of the intense Mars energy. This
really shows astrology in action and the need to step back and slow down
during this period.
If Mars is stationing and setting off a natal aspect, such as Mars
square Saturn, an adverse Mars progression, a heavy transit, or an eclipse
point, I warn my clients. I suggest that they be careful about the way they
expend their energy. Rashness, impulsiveness, carelessness, loss of
temper, and so on, must be guarded against. I mention the stationing
period as a critical time, give specific dates, and explain all the ways this
energy could be expressed in their chart.
Jupiter Retrograde
Jupiter retrogrades approximately once per year. During this time, the
affairs of the sign that Jupiter is in will be intensified, and the affairs of
the house in which Jupiter is stationing will be exaggerated. What I
observe most often with stationing Jupiter in connection with personal
planets is that it magnifies, creates more of, or expands the effect of that
planet and its status. For example, if you have your Moon conjunct
Saturn natally and transiting Jupiter stations and goes retrograde over
those planets, it can really magnify the energy and you can get very
depressed. On the other hand, I have seen clients win big in Las Vegas
when Jupiter was stationing, setting off a natal Venus/Jupiter trine. The
most important thing to remember about stationing Jupiter is that it will
intensify what is already promised in the natal chart or by progression.
With Jupiter retrograde, what is promised during that period may
never be delivered.
If Jupiter stations on an important natal aspect, such as Venus trine
Jupiter, an extremely positive progression, a good heavy transit, or an
auspicious eclipse point, 1 certainly mention the stationing days as being
very lucky to the client. If these factors are negative, I warn against
extravagance, excess, overoptimism, or overindulgence. Once more, I
mention these specific days as a very fortunate time frame, and I explain
to the client all of the possible ways this energy could express itself.
Saturn Retrograde
Saturn goes retrograde approximately once per year and stays
retrograde for several months. During the stationing retrograde and
direct periods, the sign Saturn is in will be emphasized. For example, if
Saturn is stationing in Taurus, the sign of money, finances and personal
assets, people will be very realistic about those areas of their lives. They
will tighten their belts, define their financial goals, and become very
realistic about security needs. In Aries, it is much more of a personal
defining. In Gemini, it will operate on a mental level.
When Saturn stations in a certain house in the natal horoscope, the
affairs of that house will demand defining. For example, if Saturn stations
in the seventh house, a marriage or partnership will be defined. If there
has been some confusion around this area, things will become clear and
you will become very realistic about the state of the marriage or
partnership.
With Saturn stationing in the first house, you will want to define
yourself This is one of the best times for losing weight, getting physically
fit, and creating a new lifestyle. Saturn is the natural ruler of the tenth
house, which has to do with career, reputation, and your standing in your
community So when Saturn stations (in any house), most of us try to
define our career goals. We reevaluate our businesses or jobs, set new
priorities, and create a new career
196 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets
vision. One of the most common things I notice when Saturn is
stationing, either retrograde or direct, is that people are much more
disciplined in their undertakings.
I would like to describe a very important event in my life that occurred
when Saturn stationed to go direct. It stationed on my natal Venus, which
trines Saturn natally. One of the possible meanings of this natal aspect is
that one finds one's great love later in life. At the same time I had
progressed Venus sextile natal Saturn, which indicated that this was the
time for the natal aspect to manifest. Because of the positive natal aspect
and the good progression, this stationing period was extremely favorable
in my life. In fact, my husband proposed marriage to me at that time. You
may have read elsewhere that Saturn transiting Venus is not favorable,
and sometimes it's not, but this illustrates the importance of synthesis
when making an assessment. Saturn retrograde is another time when I
give clients important dates, particularly when they are dealing with
important career decisions.
Uranus Retrograde
Uranus retrogrades every year for several months. Uranus is the
higher octave of Mercury and involves higher levels of communication. It
always involves innovation, inventions, new concepts, and ideas. Every
time Uranus stations in Aquarius, the energy intensifies and we see
incredible breakthroughs in science. With Uranus in Aquarius, there have
been enormous discoveries in technology, particularly the Internet, and
in medicine. When Uranus stationed in 1999, we saw at least three
important medical advances emerge: cancer cures, advanced techniques
for controlling AIDS, and Viagra. As Uranus continues to travel through
Aquarius, amazing things will keep on happening at an incredible rate.
Uranus is very well placed in Aquarius, bringing about many positive
things. It was very different when Uranus was in Capricorn. During this
time, people became distrustful of authority figures, including the
medical profession, the legal profession, politicians, and the government.
Big business also felt the disenchantment of the
public. Anyone who was in a position of authority was scrutinized and
was considered suspect.
In your own chart, when Uranus is stationing and making aspects to
your personal planets, you can have unusual and remarkable things
happen to you, for the good or bad. One word of caution with Uranus is
that there can sometimes be an urge to make sudden changes and breaks
with the past without fully considering the consequences. I have had
many clients impulsively make decisions under a Uranus aspect that they
later regretted.
Recently, two clients, one a Scorpio and the other a Taurus, had
stationing Uranus squaring their Sun. They both rushed to make a major
career change for the sake of change. On some level they both knew it was
a mistake, but they were propelled to make the change regardless. My
advice to clients is, "Don t throw out the baby with the bathwater."
Instead of making irreversible changes in your life, like getting a divorce
or quitting a job, take a trip instead, or do something differently to
express your energy. Just don t get yourself into trouble. When Uranus
has gone direct and is away from your natal planets, then make the
change if you still think it is the right thing to do. If Uranus stations on an
important natal aspect, a progression, an eclipse point, or even a house
cusp, particularly an angular house cusp, I mention these days to clients
as being important. If there is a change that needs to be made, the intense
push from Uranus is exactly what may be needed to motivate a person to
make a change that is long overdue. People with fixed signs, in particular,
need the kind of impetus that a stationing major transit can bring.
Neptune Retrograde
Neptune is retrograde once a year for several months. Neptune is the
planet of illusion, confusion, and delusion. It is the planet of creative
visualization and inspiration. Neptune retrograde can be a time of
heightened artistic ability, motivating poets, writers, painters, and
sculptors to create their finest work. Psychic ability can be enhanced, but
unfortunately so can self-doubt and paranoia.
198 / Stationing and Retrograde Planets
Clients have reported deja vu experiences and prophetic dreams. It
can be a time of spiritual growth, a time when you have a heightened
sense of idealism and life purpose.
As Neptune retrogrades in Aquarius off and on over the next fourteen
years, that energy will be intensified. In fact, as I write this book, Neptune
is stationing in Aquarius, and more and more I am hearing about the
acceptance of spiritual healing and alternative treatments by the medical
community My own doctor is presently setting up an institute based on
these principles. With Neptune transits, particularly when the energy is
intensified during the stationing, retrograde, and direct periods, I advise
my clients to prioritize, make lists, set goals, remain realistic, and stay
focused. Use the energy in a creative, positive way, rather than have the
energy use you.
When Neptune sets off a natal aspect, a progression, or slots into an
eclipse point, I mention these days to clients as being significant. I
recently saw a client who had Neptune activate a Sun/ Mercury-opposed-
Pluto/Saturn natal aspect involve herself in a power struggle she couldn t
possibly win. This aspect is the hot spot of her life, resulting in
relationship after relationship ending unhappily for her, and it seems she
needed to go down that path one more time. Sometimes no matter what
the astrologer says, the client just has to learn the lesson. The astrologer
can t say anything about it, especially not, "I told you so." I have seen
people make some of their biggest mistakes under higher-octave planet
stations. I point this out to clients and warn them of this situation. I
clearly explain the danger and the potential of this important time frame,
and also try to give them alternative ways to use the energy.
Pluto Retrograde
Pluto goes retrograde approximately one time each year for several
months. Pluto represents power. While Pluto is in Sagittarius, there will
be manifestations of power and power struggles in the
areas of religion, education, philosophy, spiritual beliefs, legal affairs,
travel, and the travel industry. When it stations and retrogrades, we will
see these power struggles exaggerated. With Pluto in Sagittarius, religious
issues are certainly going to be a major campaign topic. We will see
conflicts emerging from some of the fundamentalist religious groups, and
their expression can be so extreme as to result in an act like the 1993
World Trade Center bombing, which occurred when Pluto was stationing
in Sagittarius. With reference to the travel industry, more and more
people are using the Internet to book their own flights. By the time Pluto
leaves Sagittarius, there won t be much left: of the travel industry as we
know it today. Everything will be done on the Internet. In mid-August of
the year 2000, with Pluto in Sagittarius stationing to go direct, the
supersonic jet, the Concord, was pulled from the airways.
Higher education and the legal profession will be revamped. We will
end up with a very different tax structure. Perhaps a flat tax may
eventually be implemented. A likely time for such major changes to
manifest will be when Pluto conjuncts the next Critical Degree at 17°
Sagittarius.
When Pluto stations and goes retrograde or direct on a natal personal
planet, you can undergo tremendous personal change and
metamorphosis. Power can be expanded or lost completely. Obsessive
behavior or situations that involve manipulation or power struggles can
ensue. Therapy can be very successful, and clients can undergo deep
transformation and resolution of long-standing, limiting issues.
Whatever happens, the effect will be total, complete, and inescapable.
You emerge an entirely different person as the result of an intense Pluto
influence.
When Pluto stations on an important natal aspect or progression, or
stimulates an eclipse point, I mention to clients these important dates
and the possible resulting events. A progression that is even a bit out of
orb could be reactivated at this time.
Chapter Eight Lunations and Eclipses
i^ymations happen every month. Traditionally, the term lunation
refers to the New Moon and Full Moon. The New Moon is the beginning
of the lunar month. It starts when the Sun and Moon are conjunct in the
same sign at the same degree and minute. The Moon waxes, or grows
toward full, in the heavens until it creates an opposition with the Sun, at
which time we have a Full Moon. Astrologically these two phases of the
Moon are significant because the two houses in your chart where they fall
are the areas of your life that will be energized and emphasized for that
month.
The way I describe the lunations and eclipses to my students is that
the New Moon and Solar Eclipse are both a time of beginnings, initiation,
renewed energy, and vitality, a time of excitement and stimulation. The
Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse are both a time of fruition, a time when
issues, problems, or projects are finalized or resolved, many times
delivering what the New Moon
202 / Lunations and Eclipses
promised. Both lunations and eclipses offer opportunities to
prioritize, focus, and put energy into those areas of your life that are
accented by the lunation or eclipse. You are able to see and evaluate
exactly what is important and what you need to do or change in your life.
I also tell my students that I can tell a lot about the coming year for a
client just by looking at the eclipses and lunations. The lunations and
eclipses are one of the most important predictive tools in astrology. To
get a handle on what is happening in someone's life, look at where the
eclipses fall for that year, and then follow the events with the New Moons
and Full Moons. There is a pattern that forms.
I tell my students to buy a copy of the yearly Rosecrucian ephemeris.
At the top of the page, next to the New Moon and Full Moon, write where
each lunation and eclipse falls in the chart and what aspects they make,
and then take notes of what happens. Using this method, you will have a
journal to monitor what happens during the year, and you will grow to
really understand how the eclipses and lunations work in your life. I have
found this to be an excellent teaching tool.
You start the predictive process with the eclipses, and then you look at
each of the lunations that follow Observe the sequence of aspects the
lunations make to each other in the chart. The aspect sequence starts
with the semisextile and then goes to the sextile. Next is the square, then
the trine, then the quincunx or incon-junct, and finally the opposition.
There will be a correlation between these aspects to the events that
happen in the person's life throughout the year.
For instance, if you start a relationship under a New Moon or Solar
Eclipse in Leo, then the next month the New Moon in will be Virgo and
will be in semisextile aspect to the initial lunation. This may be when you
start dating and are getting to know one another. The second month the
New Moon in Libra will be in sex-tile aspect to the initial lunation. The
relationship may now look like it has promise and there is opportunity
around it. You start to
feel positive about each other. Next, the New Moon in Scorpio will
square the first lunation in Leo, and you will have a challenge. Every
relationship I have seen has some issues that need to be addressed in the
third month. If you get through these issues, then in the fourth month the
relationship goes to a new level when the New Moon that month in
Sagittarius trines the original New Moon in Leo. The fifth month, with
the New Moon in Capricorn, is the quincunx or inconjunct. There will be
another major adjustment or perhaps a dilemma. By the sixth month,
with the opposition (New Moon in Aquarius), a decision will be made
whether the connection will continue or not. If you watch relationships,
this is often exactly how it works. Many relationships do not get past the
semisextile because you can t make the adjustments to one another, or
the basic connection is not powerful enough. Maybe you get through the
semisextile and the sextile, and then you hit the square and that
completes the relationship. Many relationships break up at three months.
You can use this model for any issue you are dealing with, no matter what
it is. I have seen this work for a business relationship, a friendship, and
the hiring of an employee.
The eclipses, which are also lunations, have an added emphasis and a
much more intense focus. The New Moon Eclipse is called a Solar Eclipse.
The Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun so that the sunlight is
blocked either partially or fully. The Full Moon Eclipse is called a Lunar
Eclipse. This happens when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun,
blocking the light of the Moon. There has always been a lot of hype about
the dire consequences of eclipses. Often, I find that new students are
overly concerned about them. When they see that an eclipse is falling on a
planet in their chart, they fear something terrible will happen. This is not
necessarily true. The eclipses and lunations work in harmony with the
transits and progressions. Because of the beauty and the magnificent
order of the universe, what the eclipses and lunations stimulate is pretty
much what is already promised with the transits, progressions, and natal
potential.
204 / Lunations and Eclipses
It is very important to keep in*mind that an eclipse radiates a much
more intense energy than a regular lunation. The way I describe eclipses
to my students is as follows: It is as if you are in a room at night with the
lights on, and then someone turns off the lights. When they are turned
back on again, you experience everything in the room as clearer, brighter,
and magnified. It's an illuminated region. This is the kind of energizing
that I see an eclipse doing in a given house. The eclipse house is an area
in your life that you will be working on for the coming year, and it will
demand your attention for that time. An eclipse signals the beginning or
ending of a cycle of development in your life, which can work either
positively or negatively. I had a client who had a difficult Lunar Eclipse
on her tenth-house cusp, and I suggested to her that there would be some
stressful events around her career. She panicked and assumed she would
lose her job, but what happened was her boss died. She is still in the same
job, but that year brought traumatic change to her company. No matter
what the specific expression, the eclipse will make a great impact in that
part of your life.
The New and Full Moons and the eclipses work as pairs. They
complement one another. I already talked about the tie between the
opposite houses in chapter 5: the first and seventh houses are the Axis of
Relationship, the second and eighth houses constitute the Axis of Desire,
etc. The lunations and eclipses stimulate these axes. If the eclipses fall in
your first and seventh houses, you are working on yourself, on your
marriage, or on a relationship. If the lunations and eclipses fall in your
second and eighth houses, it is your earnings or joint finances that will be
affected. If the lunations and eclipses are in your third and ninth houses,
it could be a year of travel, educational pursuits, or issues with relatives.
In the fourth and tenth houses, home and career will be your focus.
Lunations and eclipses in the fifth and eleventh houses put the spotlight
on creative self-expression, children, pleasure, hopes and wishes, and
groups and organizations. Finally, with lunations and
eclipses in the sixth and twelfth houses, health, work, service, and
even sacrifice may be priorities.
I always urge my clients to use lunations, eclipses, or any influence
from the heavens in the most positive and life-afFirming way possible.
There is nothing more frustrating to me than a client who comes in and
the only concern in her life is a squabble she is having with her sister-in-
law. But then, for some people, that's the extent of what's going on in
their life. Buying a new car can be the big event of the year for some
clients. It's certainly fun to get a new car, but it is just one thing from a
huge realm of possibilities. I prefer to help clients focus on using the
energy in the best way possible, whatever the specific expression is. There
is free will, and people use the energy on many different levels. For one
person, eclipses to the third and ninth houses may mean world travel,
while for another it may mean reading a couple of novels. Some people
may start to do crossword puzzles and others may decide to go back to
college, both of which are mental pursuits.
Not only is synthesis very important, but it is also important to know
at what level your clients are using the energy of their chart. What you say
to your clients must make sense to them and to their lives. As an
astrologer, you use your knowledge of and experience with astrology, but
you also use other skills. This is where your intuition and psychic ability
may come into play. When you meet with clients, you can get a better
sense of how they utilize the energy. By seeing the way a person walks
and talks, you are also able to pick up many nonverbal signals that tell
you a lot.
Occasionally, 1 have made near-mistakes. I had a client come in who
was not well dressed and who did not look like a woman of means.
However, when I looked at her chart, I thought, "This woman is a real go-
getter, a real entrepreneur." I decided to approach her interpretation as if
she were a businesswoman. It turned out the reason she came to me was
that she was considering an offer of fifteen million dollars for her
company and didn't know if she should take it. Had I just paid attention
to what was
206 / Lunations and Eclipses
visible, I would have been wrong: I had to trust the astrological chart.
People with very similar birth charts may express the energy
differently I have two clients who were born on the same day and have
near-identical horoscopes. I refer to them as astral twins. Both are Virgos,
and one is Gemini rising and the other is Capricorn rising. The one with
Capricorn rising is more driven and entrepreneurial, and has her own
business. She also has four planets in the eighth house, so she is driven to
succeed. She is extremely self-competitive. The twin with Gemini rising is
more relaxed and social, and less driven and intense. Her disposition is
lighter, she has a lot more fun than her twin. While she works very hard,
she is not as ambitious as her Capricorn-rising twin. She has lived
comfortably on her investments and inheritance. Both twins are
interested in metaphysics and both have had metaphysical businesses.
Each has extensive real-estate holdings and each travels a lot. You can see
that even though most of their planets are at the same degree and minute,
because of the difference in rising sign and house placement, they have
created very different lives. However, what is interesting is that many of
the major events and changes in their lives have transpired at about the
same time. They switched careers at the same time. One got divorced
before the other, but the twin who remained married a while longer knew
her marriage was over at the time of the other twin's divorce. Both had
cancer at the same time. They discovered that they had taken major trips
at the same time. In many respects, their lives have been parallel.
House size influences how long or how intense the experience of a
lunation or eclipse will be. Unless you are using the Equal House System,
there are different sizes to the different pairs of houses. If the houses
where lunations fall are smaller, the issues on the table may be fewer or
may last for a shorter time. If you have larger houses or houses with
interceptions, you may feel bombarded. Most likely, two lunations in two
months will fall in those houses. Two lunations in a row in a pair of
houses may cause you to work on those areas for two months. If there is a
pair
of eclipses that falls in those houses, you may be working on those
issues for several years.
When there is a pair of lunations in Aries and Libra, you may find
many clients coming in about relationship issues. The houses the
lunations fall in will determine what type of relationships will be the
focus. A pair of lunations in the first and seventh houses will highlight
one-to-one connections. In the second and eighth houses, the focus will
be on financial, sexual, or therapeutic relationships. In the third and
ninth houses, the focus will be on relationships with siblings, relatives,
teachers, foreigners, etc. A pair of lunations in the fourth and tenth
houses will highlight relationships with family members and career
associates. In the fifth and eleventh houses, the focus will be on
relationships with children, ftiends, and acquaintances. In the sixth and
twelfth houses, the focus will be on relationships at work or service-
related relationships.
Just as a pair of lunations or eclipses in Aries and Libra will be about
you and others, a pair in Taurus and Scorpio will be about what belongs
to you and what belongs to others, values, and finances. In Gemini and
Sagittarius, the lunations or eclipses will focus on how you think and
communicate, and on your sense of how you fit into this world. Home,
family, parents, career, and your place in the world will be the focus of a
pair of lunations or eclipses in Cancer and Capricorn. In Leo and
Aquarius, the focus will be on self-esteem and self-expression, your
ability to enjoy life, to give and receive love, your creativity and children,
how you fit into group situations, and your fiiends, goals, and aspirations.
Finally, a pair of lunations or eclipses in Virgo and Pisces will center on
the way you work, your productivity, your ability to be alone, and your
health and vitality
Guidelines for Evaluating Lunations and Eclipses
1. Know the promise of the natal chart.
If an eclipse or lunation sets off" a natal trine, you can expect a gift.
For example, if you have your Moon trine Venus in air signs, and an
 208 / Lunations and Eclipses
eclipse or lunation sets oflf that tfine or makes it a Grand Trine, then
you can expect something lovely to happen. You could have a favorable
communication experience, a successful speaking engagement or public
appearance (the Moon rules the public), or an improvement in your social
life, such as a new friendship. Obviously, the specific result would depend
on the interests and activities in your life. For one person it might just be
a very nice chat with a friend. However, if you have your Moon square
Saturn, and the eclipse or lunation sets off that aspect, there could be a
tendency for you to become depressed or negative in your thinking. If you
are able to use the energy positively, you could become very driven and
disciplined, and achieve a lot.
2. Evaluate the progressions that are active at the same time as the
lunation or ecUpse.
For example, if you have a favorable Venus progression, such as
progressed Sun to natal Venus, and an eclipse or lunation sets it off, that
would certainly promise an important love or financial gain that year. A
lunation or eclipse on either planet in the progression could indicate the
exact month that you could meet a new love interest. In 1981, I had an
eclipse that foretold that I would meet a new love. On February 4, 1981,
there was a Solar Eclipse at 16° Aquarius in my first house, which trined
my natal Venus at 14° Libra. It set off my natal Venus/Saturn trine, which
promised a great love later in life. In July 1981, there was another Solar
Eclipse at 8° Leo, which trined my progressed Venus and Mars at 7°
Sagittarius and sextiled my progressed Jupiter and Saturn. This whole
progression was triggered by that Solar Eclipse. It is interesting to note
that this permanent progression of Jupiter trine Saturn certainly
describes my husband. He is a Capricorn with Sagittarius rising. This is
how literal astrology can be. Then on January 25, 1982, the Solar Eclipse
at 5° Aquarius set off that progression again. Venus went retrograde on
January 1, 1982, in
Aquarius, also setting off the Venus/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn
progression, and then went direct on February 9, 1982. On February 13,
1982,1 went on the cruise where I met my husband Jay
3. Evaluate the transits.
Pay particular attention to the heavy transits that are operating at the
same time. An eclipse or lunation will clearly activate a heavy transit, and
will pinpoint the events the transit promises and narrow down the time
frame. For instance, transiting Uranus can go back and forth, back and
forth over a planet, but when a lunation activates it . . . wham! Expect the
unexpected. With the slower-moving planets, the transit goes on for
many months, but the eclipse or lunation will pinpoint the exact event
promised and narrow down the time frame.
For example, transiting Uranus over Venus changes your love
consciousness. As the transit operates, you may feel your magnetism
increasing. There is something different and interesting about you. You
become more scintillating and more exciting to other people. You draw
more admiring glances. People are attracted to you and there could be
more social opportunities. When a lunation activates this transit, that is
when an exciting relationship can occur or an interesting financial
opportunity can present itself
4. The house that a lunation or eclipse falls in will be activated.
An eclipse or lunation can activate even an empty house. This house
will take on added importance during this time.
5. Any planet that a lunation or eclipse touches w^ill be activated.
The planet and the aspects it makes will be stimulated either by a
conjunction, square, opposition, sextile, or trine from a lunation or
eclipse.
210 Lumttions and Eclipses
6. The energ\' of a lunation or eclipse will be expressed through the
sign and house it falls in.
For example, an eclipse on the Sun in Capricorn in the second house,
the ego \^t11 express itself through monevmaking ventures.
7. Eclipses can work for up to three years.
They can be activated before or after the exact dav of the eclipse and
can be somewhat sensith.-e for years.
8. Lunations and eclipses must be examined like a transit.
They can make aspects just like transits do. Look to see if they make
any aspects and if the nature of the aspects is eas}* or difficult.
9. Lunations and eclipses will start and end the energy-of a transit.
They will show when the transit is starting to operate, even 3° or 4°
early. They \\ill also show when you can expea the energ}- of the transit
to be over, perhaps 3° or 4° past. There are beginnings and endings to
transits, and the lunations or eclipses defme them and create the time
frame.
10. Lunations and eclipses will start and end the en-erg)- of a
progression.
The progression will be dormant until it is triggered. A Xew or Full
Moon or a Solar or Lunar Eclipse will come along and excite that energ\-
and stan the progression. Then another one v.-ill come along and end it.
For example, a client had progressed Venus in Mrgo sextile natal
Neptune in Scorpio. She has them square natally in Leo and Scorpio. She
was in a relationship \^ith a Pisces that was on again, off again. It wasn't
a good relationship. She got into this relationship when progressed \ enus
first sextiled Neptune. It was a ver)- Neptunian relationship and she was
not realistic about it. She did not recognize his destructive behavior
Remember Neptune blocks realization. They broke up when a Full Moon
fell on the
degree of that Venus/Neptune progression. It was then that she
realized that the relationship had not been a good one. The most
interesting thing about this was that she had an opportunity to learn from
the experience, because it was a progressed sextile that set off a natal
square. She said, "I'll never stay in a destructive relationship like that
again." With the sextile, she finally understood what she had been going
through with men because of her natal Venus square Neptune. Through
the progression she resolved this issue. That's an important part of
progressions. They are not just predictive tools. They are opportunities to
resolve issues psychologically if one rises to the occasion, which she did.
At the same time, progressed Venus came to within 2° of her natal
Sun. Four months later a lunation fell on that progression and she started
a new relationship. It turned out to be a good relationship and she
married this man. One relationship had to end for the new one to begin,
and the lunations are what timed it. Because the progressions were so
close together, I thought she could probably rekindle the old relationship
if she wanted to, but I felt this progression would bring somebody new
and much better. I knew she would have the opportunity to get back
together with her first boyfriend. I kept saying, "He'll come back. He'll
want you back." He did, but by the time he returned, she had met the new
man and didn't want him anymore. In retrospect, it was clear that two
separate men were described by the two progressions. The Pisces man
(progressed Venus trine Neptune) and the new man with Libra rising
(progressed Venus conjunct the Sun). The Libra-rising relationship began
and the Piscean one ended.
11. You can get good events from eclipses.
The old astrology texts wrote about pestilence, famine, floods, and
wars, but you can have positive things occur from eclipses. However,
when you get something good from an eclipse, there is always a price to
be paid. One person will experience a loss, and another person will gain.
For example, you fall in love with someone who is involved with another
person. Then he or she leaves
212 / Lunations and Eclipses
the other person for you, and that person pays the price. Another
example is you get a promotion at work because the previous person was
fired. You gain, they lose.
12. The dignity or debility of the planet the ecHpse falls on must be
noted.
Eclipses that fall on a planet in detriment or fall seem to have more of
an adverse eflfect. Eclipses that fall on a planet in its ruler-ship or
exaltation seem to be more beneficial.
13. If Mercury is retrograde at the time of an ecUpse, sometimes the
results are delayed.
14. The type of house the lunation or eclipse falls in must be noted.
In angular houses, the eclipse or lunation will work in a \try pub-He
way. In succedent houses, many times the eclipse or lunation wiU bring
an opportunity or offer, but you have to rise to the occasion. In cadent
houses, the eclipse or lunation will demand that you make an adjustment
or change, and they are much more psychological and behind the scenes.
Length of the Effect of an Eclipse
There are several theories as to the length of the effect of an eclipse.
One theory says that an eclipse will last until the next eclipse of the same
type, with a waning effect until that time. For instance, if there is a Solar
Eclipse in January, that eclipse will be in effect until the next Solar
Eclipse in June or July.
Another theory is that the length and strength of the eclipse are
dependent on the length of the duration of the eclipse in the heavens.
With an eclipse that lasts a long time, this is probably the one whose
effect will last for three years. Yet another theory is that the total eclipse
of the Sun (Solar Eclipse) is the strongest. The partial Solar Eclipses are
next in strength, with the Lunar
Eclipses (no matter what type) the weakest. These are the theories. I
agree with all of them and none of them. There is some truth to them all.
Another theory is that the people most affected by eclipses are people
with a prominent Moon or Sun. So someone with prominent Cancer in
the natal chart would be more affected by the Lunar Eclipse, and
someone with prominent Leo would be more affected by the Solar
Eclipse. Also, women would be more effected by the Lunar Eclipse, and
men more by the Solar Eclipse. Tm not sure this is true. I feel them all.
Using the Derivative House System to Evaluate Lunations and
Eclipses
I have found it important to use the derivative house system when
evaluating the effects of lunations and eclipses on close family members.
When an eclipse falls in my chart, I investigate every possibility of how it
can work in every one of my children's lives.
The derivative house system was taught to me by one of my mentors.
Because finding the time of birth was so difficult years ago, if an
astrologer had one correct chart, she could read everybody off of that
chart. Let me explain. In the derivative house system, your children,
particularly your first child, would be your fifth house. His pattern of
earning money would be your sixth house, his second. His attitude about
learning and education would be your seventh, his third. His home and
family life would be described by your eighth, his fourth. Your
grandchildren would be described by your ninth, his fifth. His work,
working conditions, and interactions with coworkers would be your
tenth, his sixth. His marriage would be described by your eleventh, his
seventh, and so on. If you were doing this with your sister, you'd start
with your third house. With your husband, you'd start with your seventh
house. (If it's your second marriage, you would start with your eleventh
house.) For an aunt, you would begin with your third house.
214 / Lunations and Eclipses
Both my husband and second child are represented by my seventh
house. My second child, my son, is in business with his father. They are
both financially successful, shown by Venus and Jupiter in my eighth
house, their second house of money. They both travel a lot. Venus is the
ruler of my ninth, their third house. My son s life is very much parallel to
his father's. That's why the second child is more often like the father. My
fifth child, represented by my first house, looks and acts the most like me.
She's a Sagittarius and I'm a Virgo, but we are both Capricorn rising. We
approach life similarly and we get along well.
Rules for Orbs of Lunations and Eclipses
1. Major influences are felt if the eclipse or lunation is exactly on a
house cusp, or if it is exactly on a planet.
2. I've seen major happenings within 5° of a cusp and within 5° of a
planet, either applying or separating.
3. I've seen an effect, much less of an effect, but an effect nevertheless,
up to 10° from a cusp or planet.
 4. Don't rule out some minor effect if the eclipse or lunation is in the
same sign as a planet, even though it may be very far from the planet.
5. The events don't necessarily happen on the day of the lunation or
eclipse. The day of the eclipse or lunation is when the effect or happening
is portended or predicted. They can work early, late, or on the exact day.
When I read for a client, that is what I tell them. Many times events
happen five days before or after, as well as on the actual day of the
lunation or eclipse, or even several weeks earlier or later. Other planets
can trigger it early (before) or late (after). Many times the event is a fait
accompli by the time of the eclipse. For example, I had a client who lost
her job because she was coming in late and taking a lot of time off to be
with her new
boyfriend. She lost her job three weeks before an eclipse fell in her
seventh house squaring the ruler of her sixth house of work. What
happened was a close relationship (seventh house) ended up affecting her
job (sixth house).
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Houses
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the First House
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the first house is a time of personal
emphasis, when you have new energy and enthusiasm. It tends to be a
period of self-focus. It is a good time to initiate programs that benefit
your appearance and body. If you have been thinking about losing weight,
and there is a New Moon on your Ascendant, this is a good time for you to
begin a diet. If the transiting Moon is in a fixed sign, you will be more
inclined to stick with a weight-loss program. Please note that if your
Ascendant is not in a fixed sign, it is better to wait until the Moon moves
into the next fixed sign to begin the program. For example, if your
Ascendant is in Gemini and the New Moon is in Gemini, wait until the
Moon goes into Leo and then start the diet.
The first house rules the personality and personal appearance. It's
your projection into life. Isabel Hickey always said that the first house is
the window through which you view the world. So your outlook on life
could change with a lunation in the first house. It's also a time of
beginnings. The main thing is that it's all about you. The thing that you
must guard against is too much self-involvement.
A New Moon or Solar Eclipse on the Ascendant can cause a beneficial
change in your personality or personal appearance. If it's right on the
Ascendant, it will be intensified, but a lunation anywhere in the first
house will certainly energize the affairs of that house. I have seen it be
anything from a new hairstyle, to a shopping spree for a new look, all the
way to major cosmetic surgery. The more extensive changes will be tied to
an eclipse.
216 / Lunations and Eclipses
backed up by transits and progressions; and the simpler, more
moderate expression will be tied to a lunation. This is a time when house
cusps seem to be important. When the lunation or eclipse is exactly on
the house cusp, there is an added emphasis concerning the affairs of that
house. House cusps are entities unto themselves, and I have noticed that
when transiting planets make aspects to house cusps, it is important. For
example, my finances stabilized when Saturn stationed and exactly
trined/ sextiled my second and eighth-house cusps.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Second House
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the second house can create an
emphasis on values, finances, and possessions. During this period, your
pattern of income may change. It's a good time to decide if you are
satisfied with your financial setup. You may feel the need to acquire
assets. A client of mine purchased a major painting when he had a
lunation in his second house. The second and eighth houses are the Axis
of Desire, so you may be drawn to luxury items as opposed to life's
necessities. You may make a decision to hone a skill that could make you
more marketable. A lunation or eclipse in the second house could
enhance your feelings of security or insecurity depending on the aspects
the Moon makes.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Third House
Intellectual or learning activities will be stimulated with the New
Moon or Solar Eclipse in the third house. For example, I had a client who
had transiting Jupiter (expanding her knowledge) in her third house
coupled with a progressed Mercury (natural ruler of the third) sextile
Venus. When the New Moon fell in her third house, she began an intense
course of study (Please note that a good astrologer must be able to
synthesize all of the related or concurrent astrological influences.)
Because of this client's progressions and transits, she also bought a new
car that month and took a short trip, whereas another client with a
lunation in the
third house throwing a bad aspect had extensive car repairs done.
Another client began to organize a family reunion. Yet another client had
her only sibling come to visit for several weeks from another part of the
country. The visit was planned ahead, but her sister arrived around the
time of the lunation. When my daughter had a lunation in her third
house, she organized a neighborhood block party Invariably during the
last couple of years, when there was a lunation in my third house, I had
many speaking engagements and lots of radio and television appearances,
and usually a significant trip was in the offing. These activities and events
were also the result of related progressions.
Recognize that the effects of a lunation in the same house will be
different for different clients depending on all the other things going on
in their charts. Not only is learning and study stimulated by a lunation in
the third house, but it also represents aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters,
cars, communication, letter writing, e-mail, short trips, and the
immediate environment. Years ago at the time of the New Moon you may
have felt the need to write letters or call people, but now you may find
that you are e-mailing people more than ever before. My husband and I
almost always travel in April and October. This is when the lunations and
eclipses fall in my third and ninth houses. Next April we are taking a
cruise to South America and Africa for a month. Last October we went
around the world for two-and-a-half months. All of our major trips have
been at those times. This has been the case since my progressed Sun
moved into the ninth house, and a permanent progression (a trine)
formed between progressed Jupiter and natal Saturn. Jupiter rules my
eleventh house, which represents my second husband, and Saturn is my
chart ruler. This permanent progression is very important to me in many
ways. It literally describes my husband. He is a Sagittarius with Capricorn
rising, and it's his Sagittarius energy that is getting us to go all of these
places. As the progressed Jupiter trine natal Saturn is waning, the
progressed Jupiter is approaching a conjunction to natal Venus.
218 / Lunations and Eclipses
Venus rules my ninth house of'foreign travel, so the traveling should
go on forever.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Fourth House
Because the fourth house is an angular house, it seems to take on
added importance, and the events that happen will be more public. The
fourth house has to do with matters of the home, personal environment,
and family. One year when I had a Solar Eclipse in the fourth house, I not
only moved from one house to another, but I also moved from one office
to another all in the same month. When I looked back through my life, I
found that all major moves, renovations of my house, decorating, and
furniture purchases usually happened in May and November, which is
when the lunations and eclipses fall in my fourth and tenth houses. As I
began writing this book, I thought, "What could possibly happen this
November?" We had completed renovations on our house and I no longer
had an office. However, a tenant in a condo that I own gave notice that
she was moving at the end of October. She had lived there twenty years,
and the place needed updating. I renovated it, and in November when the
lunation was in my fourth house, I put it on the market for sale. I've
noticed that the most likely time to sell property is when the fourth house
is active. It sold!
Often with a lunation in the fourth house there could be significant
interaction or exchange with parents. One of my clients with a lunation in
her fourth house moved her mother into an as-sisted-living situation. It
was a new beginning for her mother. Because the fourth house is the
seeds of the soul, the roots of our being, this may be a time of spiritual
self-examination and growth. Several times with lunations and eclipses in
either the fourth, eighth, or twelfth houses, I have had spiritual deja vu
experiences or psychic experiences. One time I was at a conference, and
we were playing a game with flash cards. I have never considered myself
to be very psychic, but I was able to identify the shapes on the cards every
time. I actually saw them in my mind's eye.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Fifth House
The fifth house is the house of personal creativity. It encompasses all
personal creations from your children to things like artwork, books, or
music. It stands for all of your children, but it specifically represents your
oldest child. My first child's rising sign happens to be the same sign as the
sign on my fifth-house cusp. When she has a new beginning in her life
with the New Moon on her Ascendant, that same New Moon in my fifth
house shows a change for her. I am more caught up in the affairs and
activities of my children when there is a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in my
fifth house. Sometimes you'll be connected to all of your children, and
sometimes just to your first child. It is a time when I feel like playing and
having fun. With one Solar Eclipse in my fifth house, I initiated intensive
dance lessons at a local dance studio. We continued them for two years,
about the length of time the eclipse was in effect. It may be a time when
you reevaluate your speculative investments, or you may find yourself
being drawn to try your luck at a casino. Recently I signed up to take
duplicate bridge lessons when the lunations were in my fifth and eleventh
houses. Along with these lunations, the ruler of my fifth house. Mercury,
was in a sextile progression to Venus. Everybody Tm playing against is a
very intelligent bridge player, and I am thrilled that I can hold my own.
So this experience has also enhanced my self-esteem, which is very much
a fifth-house matter.
New Moon or Solar EcUpse in the Sixth House
Productive work, coworkers, your work environment, any employees
you may have, and services you perform are all part of the sixth house. It
is also concerned with health, habits, and pets. IVe seen clients put
themselves on a very serious health regime with a New Moon or Solar
Eclipse in the sixth house along with a good Mercury progression (the
natural ruler of the sixth) and transiting Saturn in the sixth house. Their
program included daily exercise, healthy eating, and all-around
improvement of personal habits.
220 / Lunations and Eclipses
When the lunation or eclipse is in your sixth house, it will probably be
the month you decide to see your doctor, hire a new employee, or
establish and set new priorities for employees or yourself in a productive
work situation. Looking back on my life, I remember it was often a time
when I thoroughly cleaned my house. In more recent years, since I've had
a career, I have focused more on organizing my workplace and setting
new goals for my employees and myself. Many people do major
housecleaning in September because that New Moon falls in the sixth
house in the natural zodiac wheel, and we're all kind of stimulated that
way. I find more people feel a need to get their house in order and get
organized after the kids go back to school. A lunation or eclipse in the
sixth house is another great time to work on personal habits and go on a
diet, quit smoking, start taking vitamins, start an exercise program, or get
a pet. You may decide to enter your pet in a show. A client of mine
recently had an eclipse in her sixth house square her natal Neptune, and
two employees who she spent a lot of money training quit that month,
almost on the day of the eclipse. I anticipate that every time that point is
triggered, she will have another employee issue.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Seventh House
With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the seventh house, the emphasis
will be on all close relationships—marriage or business partners, very
close personal friends, or adversaries (because the seventh house has to
do with competition). Many marriage proposals happen with a lunation
in the seventh house. I always say to clients who have a lunation or
eclipse in this house, "Someone will initiate toward you, perhaps ask you
out, offer you a job, or invite you to an event or happening." One day I
remember telling my stepson this. When I saw him later, we talked about
his day. He said, "You know, Carol, nothing happened. I can t believe it,
but you were wrong. Nothing happened. I didn't meet anybody neat or
anything." Later he was talking to his father and he told
Lunations and Eclipses / 221
him about coming home on the bus that day. He told his dad that this
really fat, ugly girl just kept coming on to him and bothering him and
initiating conversation. It was just awful. He couldn t get rid of her. My
husband said to him, "Carol didn t promise that a Hollywood starlet
would initiate toward you. She just said someone was going to initiate
toward you, and someone did." Because it wasn t exactly what he wanted,
he discounted what I had told him. That is precisely what clients do. They
will say nothing happened, when in fact something did.
If an eclipse falls in your seventh house, a relationship will be your
major focus for the entire year. It may be a time of courtship. If it's a
difficult eclipse, it may be a time when you're working through a
separation or divorce. The seventh house is an angular house, so the
events of this house will be more public. In fact, any time an angular
house is stimulated, the events associated with that house will be more
important. The seventh house is also the house of patronage, and I have
found that with a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the seventh, especially
with good aspects, the number of clients that came to me increased. This
would be true for any shopkeeper, small-business owner, or any
professional person, such as a doctor, dentist, psychologist, or lawyer.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Eighth House
The eighth house is the house of other people's money, investments,
legacies, inheritances, insurance, sexual activity, and death. A New Moon
or Solar Eclipse in the eighth house will be a good time to reevaluate your
investments, determine how well you are doing, and make decisions
about any changes that have to be made. You could receive a financial
gift. You could have a new sexual encounter or heightened sexual activity
A client of mine was dating a new beau who was a little shy to make his
move. I told her, "When the New Moon falls in your eighth house, he will
initiate sex with you." When the lunation was in her eighth, he made his
move and was successful.
222 / Lunations and Eclipses
There could be an inheritance, a death in the environment (it may not
be someone close to you), or a major change in finances with a New Moon
in the eighth house. One year when I had an eclipse in my eighth house
conjunct my natal Jupiter, I lost my father and three friends to death
(Jupiter rules my eleventh house of friends). Also, this is the year to be
particularly careful with your taxes, especially if your progressed Moon is
in Sagittarius, because the Moon in this sign could be a harbinger of a tax
audit.
 Because the eighth house is the house of mysteries, you may choose to
investigate some of the mysteries of life, or go into therapy in order to
delve into the inner workings of your subconscious. You may take a
meditation, psychology, or hypnosis class (some of these disciplines also
pertain to the ninth and twelfth houses). I have noticed that clients are
more likely to have their first exposure to metaphysics when the lunation
is in the eighth house (often corresponding to their chart reading). When
the lunation or eclipse is in the ninth house, that is when they will often
begin a course of study. The same thing happens with Bible studies. They
may make a commitment to church when the lunation or eclipse is in the
eighth house, and then begin Bible studies when the New Moon or Solar
Eclipse is in the ninth.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Ninth House
The ninth house is the house of spirituality, philosophy, higher
education, and long-distance travel. It has jurisdiction over in-laws,
lawsuits, and legal matters. The ninth house is the house of public
relations. Typically, people with lot of planets in the ninth house, or in the
third quadrant (houses seven, eight, and nine), are very good at self-
promotion. With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the ninth house, you
may begin a spiritual quest. You may start a course of study in Eastern
philosophies or take astrology or yoga classes. You may begin Bible
studies. This is a time when travel could be emphasized. If you don't
travel physically, you may find yourself reading about faraway places. In
my own chart, when my
progressed Sun moved into my ninth house and I had an eclipse in
that house, I took two major trips out of the country that year (and up to
that time I hadn t even been on an airplane). You may decide to go back
to school and get an advanced degree or advanced training. That was also
the year I totally committed to learning astrology. Whatever the course of
study, it will be education beyond high school to develop special skills or
talents. I have had clients who had a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in their
ninth house, and all they did was fight with their in-laws. As an
astrologer, you would hope that they would be traveling or taking classes,
and what are they doing with the energy? Fighting with their sister-in-law
What a waste of a good opportunity! But the energy is expressed
differently by different people. It can also be a time of legal battles.
Sometimes if you don t take a trip with a New Moon in the ninth, you may
start to plan a vacation. You could study a foreign language or start a
meditation class. I have also seen people with an eclipse in the ninth
house start to follow a guru.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Tenth House
The tenth house is another public house, and again lunations or
eclipses in this house will be very important. The tenth house rules your
reputation and standing in the community. It shows how the public views
you, and it rules your public appearances. Political views are the province
of the tenth house. Productive work is more your sixth house, but a
business you own or your career is the tenth house. It also has to do with
your employer. With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the tenth along with
reinforcing transits and progressions, it might be the time to start a new
business.
You may want to promote your business. Often you will get free
publicity for your business at this time. When I had the New Moon in my
tenth house, I found I was written up in the newspaper because of a
speaking engagement, or I made a television appearance, or I had an
article written about me. With an eclipse in the tenth, the effect lasted all
year and it was a very public year for me.
224 / Lunations and Edipses
The tenth house also has to do with your authoritative parent. It is
also a time when your standing in the world could be emphasized. I had a
client who had an eclipse in the tenth house that set off a progressed-Sun-
square-Xeptune aspect m her chart. She became ver\- disillusioned with
her husband, and her reputation was ver}' maligned during that year. It
wasn't until several years later, with another New Moon in her tenth, that
things calmed down for her This is a great example of how lunations and
eclipses start and stop the progressions. The first eclipse set off the Sun
Neptune progression, and the later lunation ended it. You could get a new
boss, a new authorirv- figure, or a new management team at work. You
could also take on a new role as a public figure. For instance, you could
become an elected officer in an organization, or have your name appear
in the paper.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Eleventh House
With the New Moon or Solar Eclipse m the eleventh house, it is a good
time to join groups and organizations. You may tlnd yourself forming
new friendships, and it is likely that your social life will be vePv" active. It
is a time to set new goals and priorities, and to manifest dreams, hopes,
and wishes. The fifth house is considered to be the house of the love you
give to others. The eleventh house represents the people who love you.
like your friends. I often find the eleventh house to be the second
marriage. Other astrologers may look to the ninth house for the second
marriage, but I find the eleventh works better I find when I have a
lunation or eclipse in the eleventh house that my husband, who is my sec
ond parmer, starts a new project or has a new beginning in some part of
his life. Because Sagittarius is on the cusp of my eleventh house, this
coincides with the lunation on his Sagirtarius Ascendant. My social life
heats up vnxh a lunation in the eleventh. It s a month with a lot of social
activities and in\'itations.
New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the Twelfth House
The twelfth house is the house of introspection, the subconscious, and
hidden good works. With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the twelfth
house, sometimes skeletons come out of the closet or secrets are revealed
to you. You may experience a psychological breakthrough. An eclipse in
this house would offer an opportunity for you to work through any deep,
hidden psychological issues during the next year. Some of my clients have
had clandestine affairs with the New Moon or Solar Eclipse in the twelfth
house. Others have had romantic attachments with people with whom
they feel very spiritually linked. Things that begin under a lunation in the
twelfth house are usually karmic in nature. The natal placement of the
Sun in the twelfth is also very karmic, and unless you are doing
something to serve humanity, you may have quite a frustrating life. You
may feel that you have never achieved what you wanted in the world.
Because the sixth and twelfth houses are the Axis of Service and Sacrifice,
you may visit people in a hospital, or be connected to a service occupation
in some way, or find yourself helping people knowing that they will not be
able to reciprocate.
If you have other planets in the twelfth house, you have probably felt
the need to spend part of each day alone. I took a trip with a ftiend who
has several planets in the twelfth house. All of a sudden she w^ould
disappear and go back to her room to be by herself for a while. If I didn't
know astrology, I would have been offended, but I understand her need
for introspection. People with a strong twelfth house will find they need
more alone time than other people. This will be emphasized during a
lunation in that house. However, even if you don't have any natal
placements in the twelfth, when there is a lunation or eclipse in this
house, you may find that you want more private time, more time for
reflection (with the lunation, it will be for about a month, and with the
226 / Lunations and Eclipses
eclipse for about one year). You may want to meditate, soul-search,
and look within.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Houses
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the First House
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse is all about new beginnings, new
starts, and areas of life you want to work on. The lunation started
something new. and most likely you began to make some changes. The
Solar Eclipse provides us with the opportunit}^ for a new start. As we
discussed, if you have a Xew Moon or Solar Eclipse in the first house, it
could be the beginning of many personal and physical changes. Two
weeks later, when the Full Moon occurs, that's when you'll be able to see
how these issues are coming to, or w^ill come to, fruition. The Full Moon
or Lunar Eclipse brings matters to a head, and there is more completion
and a lot more endings connected to this Moon. I have found that when
the Lunar Eclipse occurs, it creates an ending that is usually permanent.
For example, if someone has a Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the seventh
house of relationships, and they have a separation from someone, it tends
to be permanent. Many times there is no going back to the way things
were.
When you have a New^ Moon in the seventh house, a relationship
may get under way. With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the first, you
are dealing with that relationship or the effect it has on you. the result of
it. If someone asks you out under the Xew Moon in the seventh house, by
the time the Full Moon is in the first house D.vo weeks later, you will
make some decisions about this relationship. Will you continue with it?
You'll be reacting to it. If someone approaches you and offers you a job
under the New Moon in the seventh, with the Full Moon in the first two
weeks later, you'll have to make a decision about whether or not you'll
take it.
I had a client who began a lot of extensive dental work when the New
Moon fell on Saturn in her first house. Six months later,
when the Full Moon was in that house, all the dental work was
completed. I had another client fall five days after a Full Moon occurred
in her first house. So many times something happens five days after the
Full Moon. The Full Moon was in Pisces opposite her natal Mercury in
Virgo and squaring transiting Pluto in Sagittarius. At the same time that
the Full Moon opposed Mercury, it also squared her progressed Mercury
in Sagittarius (which was conjunct transiting Pluto). I think of Mercury as
a locomotion, and in a sense it put pressure on her coordination and
movement. A fall was the result, but because this Full Moon trined her
natal Mars, she wasn t seriously hurt.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Second House
A New Moon in the eighth house will open up a period when you will
examine your investments and financial matters. By the time of the Full
Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the second house, you may have created a
budget or made some changes or decisions about handling your finances.
Also, you may examine your feelings about your values or your own
sexuality. If under the New Moon in the eighth you inherited or came into
some money, by the Full Moon in the second you could have decided
what to do with it, how to manage it. In general, the New Moons tend to
be more proactive and the Full Moons are more reactive. I had a client
who decided to refinance her mortgage when the New Moon was in the
eighth. By the time of the Full Moon in the second, the application went
through. A Full Moon in the second house indicates financial completion,
and I've seen clients pay off" credit card debts or make their last car
payment. If it's an eclipse, it shows that money, finance, and values are
what you'll be working on all year.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Third House
A lunation in the third house will emphasize connecting with others,
communicating, learning, study, transportation, vehicles, travel, siblings,
and relatives. If it is the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the third house, it
can be the completion of a project, the culmination
228 / Lunations and Eclipses
of a course of study, or the end of a trip. If the lunation or eclipse is
throwing a square, you may have trouble with your car, computer, phone,
or television. A client of mine who had been having a kind of "to do" with
her sister resolved the conflict when the Full Moon fell in her third house,
making a good aspect. The lunations work in pairs. If you start a new
interest with the New Moon in the ninth, by the time the Full Moon falls
in the third you are really into it and enjoying it. Sometimes a lunation in
the ninth can initiate a trip or a vacation, and by the time the Full Moon
falls in the third, it is coming to a close.
An eclipse in the third house could be a crisis or problems all year in
the life of a sibling. It could also be a series of car problems or
miscommunications for that year. In a positive vein, it could initiate a
succession of speaking engagements or a number of public-relations
opportunities. If your natal chart promises travel, when there are positive
eclipses in the third and ninth houses you may take a number of trips that
year. If you are not a traveler, you may take short trips or just find
yourself being more mobile, perhaps going out of town for the weekend.
You could also finalize a course of study by taking tests or having your
efforts evaluated. Whatever the expression, there may be more emphasis
on education. With the lunations in the third and ninth, if you're not
pursuing a formal course of study, it could be a time when you hone or
develop a skill.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Fourth House
The fourth and tenth houses are the Axis of Home and Career. A pair
of lunations or eclipses in these houses may highlight the need to balance
or give equal time to both of these areas of your life. The water houses
(houses four, eight, and twelve) are not only concerned with endings, but
in esoteric astrology they are strongly connected with karma. With a
lunation in the fourth, you may have a karmic or deja vu experience,
perhaps meeting someone whom you feel you have known before. Again,
because
this house is the end of the matter, many times I have seen clients die
when the Full Moon fell in their fourth house, especially if they had had a
long bout with cancer or some other illness. Not that I predict death—I
don t, but I have noticed this connection. Old astrologers refer to the
fourth house as the end-of-the-matter house. With a lunation or eclipse
in the fourth, there may be some kind of ending in your life, or something
coming to a completion. It could involve one of your parents, or your
home, or even a real-estate investment or any project you have started.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Fifth House
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the fifth house, you might
complete a creative project. If you are an artist, you might finish a
painting or a series of paintings of a specific theme or in a particular style.
If you are a writer, you might finish a book. Any personal, creative
experience could come to fruition. It could also be the resolution of a
matter or issue with a child, particularly your eldest child. A New Moon
in the fifth house is good time to try to get pregnant because there is new
life or the opportunity for a new beginning. It's a fabulous time to try if
there is a pair of eclipses in the fifth and eleventh houses. A Full Moon in
the fifth house that is throwing a good aspect or setting off" a good
progression or transit could also result in pregnancy.
One of my daughters had an eclipse in her fifth house and all she did
that year was run to children's activities. Even though she had a career, a
marriage, and other obligations, it was the focus of her life. Her priority
that year was children's activities, more than ever before or since. The
fifth and eleventh houses can be personal love or Infatuation, and
friendship encounters for younger people. When people are older and
looking for a marriage partner, the desire to connect with another seems
to operate more in the first and seventh houses. Relationships move more
quickly when you are older, and that's why I look to those houses rather
than the fifth and eleventh.
230 / Lunations and Eclipses
When you have lunations through the fifth and eleventh, you will do a
lot of socializing. You'll be interested in entertainment pursuits, sporting
events, gambling, having fun, and playing. People with a lot of planets in
the fifth and eleventh houses have lives that are all about amusement and
enjoyment. It is hard for them to get a lot accomplished because they are
so distracted by their social life. Their place of business can become a big
party, a social scene. I had a ftiend with four planets in the fifth house
who owned a bookstore that was never that successful, but it was a social
hangout. It was a place where he saw his ftiends. A lunation in the fifth
could be a friendship or a love relationship that goes to another level.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Sixth House
The sixth house has to do with your work environment, employees,
productivity, pets, health, and habits. An eclipse in the sixth, either solar
or lunar, is a good time to give up smoking, go on a diet, or change your
personal habits for the better. One of my clients had a Lunar Eclipse fall
in her sixth house making hard aspects, and two of her employees quit.
Two weeks before, when the Solar Eclipse fell in her twelfth house, again
with hard aspects, she self-destructed around business issues. When she
was able to assess what happened, it was clear to her that her employees
left because they were responding to her anxieties and fears. The lunation
in the sixth did trine Jupiter, and she took a trip and got away from her
daily routine. With an eclipse in the sixth, health can be your focus for the
year. It can be anything from a visit to your doctor to a major health
issue. I have seen clients who had the Full Moon in the sixth house square
Neptune, and they got food poisoning, were prescribed the wrong
medicine, or were given an incorrect diagnosis by their physician.
When the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse falls in the sixth house, I have
had clients have a pet die or give a pet away My son had a Full Moon in
his sixth house and had to give his dog away because it bit
two people when it was trying to protect his kids. That didn't matter,
the dog had to go. On a more cheerful note, if the New Moon falls in the
sixth, you can get a new pet. The Full Moon in the sixth has to do with
habit patterns. You could break a bad habit, but on the negative side you
could go off a diet.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Seventh House
A Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the seventh house will put the focus
on relationships. It could be your spouse, lover, business partner, close
friend(s), or a competitor. A business agreement could be finalized or
resolved or a partnership could end. IVe seen people get fired or laid off
with lunations throwing a square from the seventh house. This happens
as much with the seventh as with the tenth house. A client of mine just
got fired from her job when the Lunar Eclipse at 4°-5° of Aquarius fell in
her seventh house and squared her natal Jupiter in Scorpio, the ruler of
her sixth house. By her own admission, she had been taking a lot of time
off from work, arriving late, and really not giving it her "all." So, she got
fired. Often people will issue ultimatums in a relationship with the New
Moon in their first, and when the Full Moon comes to the seventh, it will
come to a head and they either break up or become more committed.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Eighth House
A Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the eighth house will have to do with
joint finances, investments, legacies, death, rebirth, and sex. With a
lunation in this house, you could have a death in your environment. The
year that I had a Lunar Eclipse in my eighth, four or five of my
acquaintances died. A Full Moon in this house would be a time for
revisions of financial investments or a time to move your investments
around. Shared or joint finances might be looked at, with either a
business or personal partner. It is a good time to get your will in order.
You may also find that you are involved with tax or insurance matters. A
client who had the Full
232 / Lunations and Eclipses
Moon in her eighth just refinanced her house to get a lower mortgage
rate. With a personal relationship, a Full Moon in the eighth may be the
time to take the relationship to a more intimate, physical level.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Ninth House
A Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the ninth house puts the focus on
long-distance travel, spiritual life, higher education, and legal matters.
For example, plans for a long-distance trip that my husband and I took
were finalized on the day the Full Moon was in my ninth house. I am very
careful when I talk to clients to clarify the effect of the New Moon versus
the Full Moon. I say, "You could be formulating or starting a trip with the
New Moon in the ninth. When the Full Moon is there, you could be
completing your plans or finishing the trip. Sometimes you are making a
plan, and sometimes you are actually on the trip." Because the lunations
in my ninth house are in Aries and Libra, I find myself traveling a lot in
April and October. With the Full Moon throwing a square from the ninth,
IVe had clients who have had serious confrontations with relatives and
inlaws. The two-year legal battle for astrology that I had with the city of
Milwaukee happened in 1996 when the eclipses were in my third house
(the Solar Eclipse at 28° 12' Aries) and ninth house (the Lunar Eclipse at
14°3r Libra). The financial settlement came in 1997 with the eclipses in
my second and eighth houses of finances.
IVe seen students drop out of college with a Full Moon in the ninth
throwing a bad aspect. When I was on a three-month world cruise,
several people on board became very ill and had to be taken off the ship
by helicopter. I thought to myself, "I bet they have the Full Moon in their
ninth making a square, so the trip is ending badly for them." I have seen
people make major philosophical decisions like changing their religion. A
client of mine had an eclipse in her ninth that triggered her conversion to
Judaism.
Full Moon or Lunar EcUpse in the Tenth House
With a Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the tenth house, the matters of
your life that will be energized will be career, reputation, and
your standing in the community. This will affect your entire destiny,
your purpose or mission in life. Issues with one of your parents are also
likely to surface. You are more likely to start a new job, get a new boss,
transfer to a new department, or be assigned a new project with the New
Moon in the tenth.
With the Full Moon in the tenth house, you are more likely to have a
project come to fruition or have a job end. I have seen people with a
Lunar Eclipse in the tenth throwing a square not only leave jobs, but
leave their careers. Just the other day, there was a Full Moon in Pisces
that fell on the Midheaven of two different clients. They both reported
that career issues were highlighted. In the first client's chart, the lunation
threw a square. Her employer gave her an unexpected and unfavorable
job review on the day the Moon was full. For the other client, the lunation
conjuncted her natal Moon/Midheaven and made good aspects. She felt a
strong push to develop and move forward on a positive career change.
Many times the lunation will clarify what it is you need to do in that
particular area of your life, and that is where you'll be putting your energy
for that month.
 I have seen teenagers have major clashes with parents and/or
authority figures with the lunation in the tenth. You can get awards or
some form of recognition with a Lunar Eclipse making favorable aspects
from the tenth.
In 1999, when the eclipses and transiting Uranus squared my
Midheaven, the progressed Sun came to my Midheaven, and Pluto
squared my Sun/Neptune, the counseling part of my career ended. I
found I had no desire to see clients anymore, and it was not something
that I had planned. I had health problems, had to rest, and went on a
cruise. When I returned home, I just couldn't get into doing charts
anymore. This was the result of the progressed Midheaven coming to my
Ascendant and the progressed Sun coming to my natal Midheaven. Some
sort of change in my career was indicated. I was getting ready to start a
new phase of my career-writing this book.
234 / Lunations and Eclipses
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Eleventh House
The eleventh house has to do with friends, groups, organizations,
hopes, and wishes. It can also be the financial rewards from your career.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the eleventh, you could decide to
take on more responsibility within a group or end your affiliation with
one. A project could end, or you could see the culmination of a goal. You
could formulate, prioritize, and realize a goal(s). You could take on more
responsibility within an organization or for a cause, like heading up a
committee, or you could terminate your connection to it depending on
the aspects the lunation is making. A friendship could go to another level,
for the good or the bad.
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the Twelfth House
I find the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in the twelfth house to be very
dangerous. You may experience a very difficult year. I suppose someone
on a high path could dedicate himself or herself to a year of service, but
usually it is a time when you self-destruct or dredge up personal demons
and wreak havoc in your life. If you are in therapy and the Full Moon falls
in your twelfth house, you could have a real "ah ha" moment, a
subconscious breakthrough. Often, however, you are your own worst
enemy. Many times I have seen clients indulge in destructive behavior. I
have even seen this happen when the lunation falls in the solar twelfth
house.
Not only does your natal chart work with lunations and eclipses, but
your solar chart does as well. Virgos may be down in August, whereas
Aquarians may get depressed in January. I got into this with people on
the radio. I would talk about what was going on in their solar chart. A
lunation in the twelfth house is a good time to either begin (New Moon)
or end (Full Moon) therapy. When you have a lunation or eclipse in the
twelfth, it is a good year to get into therapy and sweep out the corners of
your mind. It is an opportunity to work through any hidden issues, to
take care of unfinished business. People who have already done a lot of
personal work may find they are comfortable with them-
selves on the deepest level. Another good use of twelfth-house energy
is to perform service like volunteering at a hospital or for a nonprofit
organization.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting the Planets Lunation or Eclipse
Aspecting the Sun
When a lunation or eclipse aspects a natal planet, it is important to
remember to always consider the sign and house the planet is in and the
house(s) it rules. The Sun in the natal chart describes the ego. It is the
vital life force. It represents men in your life—father, husband, mentor,
authority figures, etc. It is what you are in the process of becoming, your
ongoing path of growth, the "unfolding" you.
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect (conjunct, trine, or
sextile) to the Sun will be stimulating for energy, growth, self-expression,
and self-esteem. It is very energizing, a time of creation in all matters
ruled by the Sun (look at not only what the Sun rules, but also what house
it rules in your chart to see what areas will be affected). It is another
opportunity for a new beginning, a chance for self-expression, a
possibility for renewal, a prospect to start something new, a time to start
over. Doors close, but there are always new windows of opportunity.
Creative projects are highlighted. A New Moon in easy aspect to the Sun
can bring in a new, important, exciting relationship with a man, not only
as a potential suitor but also as a mentor or business associate.
A challenging aspect (square or opposition) of the eclipse or lunation
to the Sun can bring problems for a man in your life, such as an illness to
your father, husband, an authority figure, or your boss. You could have
difficulties relating to the men in your life. You could experience a
creative block, and a project that should be a "go,'' you just can t seem to
get off the ground. There may be a sense that you are inhibited in some
way and cannot fully express yourself You could also have an encounter
or event that is a blow to your ego.
236 / Lunations and Eclipses
 The Full Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to the Sun can be the
completion of a project or cycle in your life. It can bring things to a
culmination, and can complete or close a chapter on an important
relationship with a man whether it is a business relationship, a mentor, or
a marriage partner. When I had a Full Moon on my
Sun/Neptune/Mercury in March of 1999, I found that I had a whole new
appreciation for my husband and his business and financial acumen. I
had also finished a course of study and reached a new level in my ability
to play the game of bridge, which was very ego-affirming for me.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in easy aspect to the Sun is a time
when projects will be finished and karmic relationships with men will be
completed. If you have a very traditional marriage, the lunation or eclipse
on your Sun may affect your husband rather than you directly. It may
mark the conclusion of a phase or an undertaking in your husband's life,
which in some way always reflects back on you.
By the same token, a Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse making a hard
aspect to your Sun could create a problem for your husband, father, or an
important man in your life. It could involve his career or business, his
health, or your relationship with him. Sometimes there is a separation
(with the opposition, usually), which can be temporary or permanent.
You may decide to abandon a creative project or give up a career or
hobby. Because the Sun is the natural ruler of the fifth house, I have
sometimes seen the hard aspects signal a problem for or with a child.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting the Moon
The Moon in your natal chart describes your inner nature, your inner
world. It is your reflective self, the subconscious. It is your emotional
makeup. It represents all the women in your life— mother, daughter(s),
women friends, and nurturing figures. The Moon is what you already are,
what you brought in from other lives.
Lunations and Eclipses / 237
Because it is the sum total of your past-life experiences, the Moon
describes your instincts, habits, and habit patterns. It is the first energy
you express. It is what you are when you are young. It shows how you
nurture yourself and others. The Moon also defines your relationship
with the public.
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to the Moon can
initiate a time of important happenings with women, the public (always
look to the house the Moon rules), family, and home. With the New Moon
conjunct my Moon (in Aquarius), I started a major renovation project in
my home. It wasn't completed until six months later when the Full Moon
in Leo was opposite my Moon. It can bring in a new, significant
relationship with a woman, or it can begin a new phase in your
relationship with your mother, daughters, or women friends.
Your psychic abilities can be enhanced or heightened with the New
Moon or Solar Eclipse in easy aspect to your Moon. You can also have the
nurturing side of your nature magnified. It is a time when you may feel
the urge to connect with others. Because the Moon rules the
subconscious, it has a lot to do with your instinctive habits. You could
change a habit pattern. I have a client who has her Moon in Pisces in her
ninth house. She loves to study new philosophies, spiritual disciplines,
and belief systems. One year when the New Moon was on her Moon, she
decided to study Kabbalah. Six months later when the Full Moon fell in
her ninth house, she didn t stop studying it, but she did complete formal
classes.
With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse square or opposed to your Moon,
you can have domestic problems, or problems with women or the home.
A client of mine had her contractor begin an addition to her house, and a
project that should have been done in six months took over a year to
complete. The project was initiated when the Solar Eclipse was square
her Moon. She had nothing but delays, obstacles, and problems, and it
ended up costing much more than it was supposed to.
238 / Lunations and Eclipses
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in hard aspect to the Moon can be a
time of emotional fluctuation or, in the extreme, instability. There can be
issues with or concern for a woman in your life—your mother, daughter,
or close friend. Because of the emotional impact of the Moon, you could
become self-destructive and do things like fall off a diet, stop exercising,
or start smoking. This is quite a challenging aspect. It can be an extremely
uncomfortable time, especially if an unfavorable progression or difficult
transit is occurring at the same time.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in easy aspect to your Moon can be a
time of emotional upheaval, or your emotions could be running high.
Emotional matters can come to a head. Insecurities from the past can
surface so that you can resolve them. You are more impressionable, more
vulnerable. You can be hurt more easily and are more sensitive to slights,
real or imaginary. You can be more touchy, moody, and crabby. Domestic
problems can be resolved. Wherever the Moon is in our chart (by sign,
too) is where and how we soothe and nurture ourselves. When your Moon
is triggered by the Full Moon and you are feeling insecure, you will
instinctively do something to feel better, whether that means shopping,
studying, hiding, talking, traveling, reading, eating, playing the guitar, or
whatever. You will do what you learned to do as a child to feel secure and
happy. The house the natal Moon is in is an area where life is always
changing, always fluid. The Moon represents fluctuations in our lives.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse can indicate an ending and therefore
signal a shift in your life.
The hard aspects from the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse to your Moon
can trigger quite an intense emotional challenge. I have seen severe panic
attacks, emotional outbursts, or a separation from mother, daughters, or
women friends. The square can be quite deadly and create deep, internal
discomfort. It's as if you are extremely uncomfortable in your skin, but
you cannot get out. Clients have to be warned that they will be running on
emotion
instead of intellect and have to be advised to try to keep an even
perspective on things. The emotional mood sv^ings will be fierce. With
the opposition, you have be careful not to project onto another person. If
there are reinforcing negative transits or progressions (especially
involving Saturn or Pluto), under an aspect like this I would advise a
client to seek help or counsel to resolve any old issues. It can be a turning
point. If the square comes from the twelfth house, and the natal promise
confirms the tendency, a person may go into a deep depression.
Obviously, I advise such clients to get help immediately
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Mercury
Mercury describes your intellectual process. It is the way you
assimilate knowledge and communicate it. It is the significator of
siblings, close relatives, early environment, early education, and young
people. It has jurisdiction over mechanical things and short trips.
Expanding your thinking will be one of the themes of the New Moon
or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Mercury. The lunation could be a
trigger to start a new learning project or course of study. It is a time of
intellectual stimulation, a time to reach out and connect mentally with
others. The emphasis will be on communication—talking, teaching,
learning, writing, speaking, and so on. You will be receptive to new, fresh
concepts and ideas. It is a good time to hone your skills. The lunation or
eclipse could bring young people into your life—a younger man or woman
or a younger group of friends. If the other aspects are supportive, it's a
good time to buy a new car or to take a local trip. Mercury also has to do
with pets, so a new companion could be on the horizon.
Even with the hard aspects to Mercury, your mental processes will be
stimulated. I have seen people meet great intellectual challenges and rise
to the occasion. With the hard aspects from the New Moon or Solar
Eclipse to your Mercury, someone could say something that hurts your
feelings or you could get into an argument or debate with someone. At the
very least, it could be a conflict of
240 / Lunations and Eclipses
ideas. You may find that you don't verbalize as effectively as you want
to. It is not a good time for taking tests, buying a car, or planning or going
on a trip.
A course of study could be completed or reach a new plateau with the
Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in easy aspect to Mercury. If there is a block
in a relationship, it would be a good time for you to clear the air and
communicate your needs. A writing project could be completed at this
time. It may be a good time to give a brother, sister, or relative a call and
reconnect. Plans for a trip may be formulated.
If there is a stressful aspect from the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse to
Mercury, you may decide youVe had it with car repairs and buy a new car.
With a Full Moon in the sixth house, a client of mine had her pet run
away. Because Mercury is the natural ruler of the sixth house, I have seen
employers have employees quit or have to fire them. You could have a
health problem, especially one involving the nervous system. I saw a
client's child break an arm (ruled by Mercury) when the Full Moon
squared that child's Mercury. With a square, sometimes a trip you
planned may fall through. I have seen students with a lunation square
Mercury not test as well as they thought they would or get as good a grade
as they were expecting.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Venus
Venus rules love and affection. It determines how you reach out for
love and give love to others. It shows how you express your love nature. It
rules your values and money, the arts, culture, and beauty. It describes
your artistic expression. In a man's chart, it describes the women he
loves.
Where Venus is in your chart is where you take your pleasure, and
what you really enjoy and like to do. It is where you receive gifts, where
things come easily. It.also rules love in your life. A New Moon or Solar
Eclipse in positive aspect to Venus is one of the most powerful indicators
of when a new love or passion could come into your life. This could
certainly indicate a relationship, a
new love. It can also indicate other kinds of passion, like a special
interest. For example, when a Solar Eclipse was on my Venus, I got into
astrology, which is a great love for me, a passionate interest. It is a time of
enhanced creativity You want to create and enjoy more beauty around
you, to surround yourself with more beautiful things. You may also want
to make yourself more attractive with a new hairstyle or cosmetic surgery
A month where the New Moon is on or within orb of your Venus
should be a good month for you. I have a client who has Venus in
Sagittarius in her sixth house. Last year she met a man through work
(sixth house) who became her boyfriend. The romance heated up in
December at the time the New Moon in Sagittarius was on her Venus. It
is interesting to note that, almost always, where your Venus is natally is
where you will meet your love. This client met her love at her job (sixth
house). My Venus is in my ninth house, and I met both of my husbands
on trips. I have a client who is a nurse and she ended up marrying a
patient of hers. Her Venus is in her twelfth house, the house of hospitals
and institutions. When she met her husband-to-be, she said that she felt
it was a very karmic relationship (also a twelfth-house matter).
With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse in easy aspect to Venus, you might
decide to have a party or plan a social event. Cultural or creative pursuits
may be of interest to you, like art history, music, or painting classes, or
lectures. It is a very good time to buy cosmetics and clothes. It seems as if
you like almost everything you try on and it looks good on you, too. It is a
good time to select carpeting or to buy furniture. I have a friend who has
Venus in Taurus, and with the New Moon on her Venus she went out and
spent a lot of money on jewelry. Taurus does love the luxuries of life.
I had a client who was a songwriter and had natal Venus in his fifth
house. He always had a very creative, prolific period when the New Moon
was on his Venus in the fifth. In fact, he wrote his best score with a Solar
Eclipse on his Venus. He also met a woman at the same time whose
Venus was in close degree in the same
242 / Lunations and Eclipses
sign and so had the same eclipse *on her Venus. Needless to say, they
fell madly in love and had a very lovely romance.
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in easy aspect to Venus is a positive,
harmonious time for relationships, unless your natal Venus is afflicted.
Many times Venus in your chart can have jurisdiction over your
daughters. When a New Moon was on a client's Venus in her seventh
house, her daughter had a new love. This was her second child, and the
seventh house represents your second child.
Through years of doing charts, I have found that many people meet
their love through the natal sign and house Venus is in or rules. For
astrologers, this is something worth paying attention to. Many times with
a New Moon on Venus in the sixth house, you will meet someone through
work. With Venus in the eleventh, your friends are always fixing you up.
Venus rules my ninth and is on the cusp of my ninth, and I met both of
my husbands on trips. I had a client whose Venus was in the fifth, and I
told her that if she wanted to meet someone she had to get out there, have
fun, and socialize. It was likely she could meet a man at a concert, the
theater, a sporting event, or a casino. When Venus rules your fifth house,
going out on the town can be a great way to connect with someone. If
Venus is in your third house, personal ads might be a good way to meet a
man or woman. Another possibility would be at a lecture or class. With
Venus in the first house, you would be likely to go up to someone and
initiate the contact and have the charm to get away with it.
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in challenging aspect to Venus can
lead to self-indulgence. It can be too much—too much eating, drinking,
spending, or socializing. With a New Moon or Solar Eclipse square to
Venus, you could feel that you do not want to get involved romantically or
socially with anyone. With the opposition, you could have problems with
a love interest. It is important to warn your clients to guard against being
too self-absorbed, because one of the things this could lead to is a
relationship problem. I have
found that typically the squares to Venus and Jupiter, unless
extremely afflicted, are never too damaging.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in positive aspect to your Venus,
creative projects can be completed. Love relationships usually go to
another level or a love relationship can go out of your life, especially if it
began six months earlier. If it began six months ago, now, when the
lunation is opposite that earlier lunation, it will reach a turning point.
The relationship will either go forward or it will end. It may be a time
when you feel like withdrawing socially. You might define your social
preferences and do a little social weeding or pruning. That is, you may
think it is time to prioritize and get people out of your life who are not
that important. Usually this happens when you find that you don't have
time for the people you love. You decide who is most important to you
and who is not as significant. This is especially true with an eclipse. I have
clients who have a fifth-house or eleventh-house Venus, or Venus in
Libra, who are extremely social. Often under a Lunar Eclipse, they find
the need to prioritize their social contacts and ft*iends and their
involvement in social activities. If you are inclined to party too much or
eat too much, under a Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in easy aspect to your
Venus, you may resolve to cut back at this time.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in hard aspect to Venus, a
significant relationship can take a bad turn or you can be hurt deeply,
although the relationship doesn t necessarily end. There can be a
challenge to the relationship or a separation. You may experience an
imagined slight, or you may feel that you are not getting enough
attention. What I have found most often is that if you have bad spending
habits, they catch up with you. You pay the piper for self-indulgence. At
this time, charge cards can be pushed to the max due to overspending.
You gain weight because you are eating too much rich food, or your skin
breaks out because you have eaten too many sweets.
244 / Lunations and Eclipses
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Mars
Mars is the planet of desire. It describes your energy and your
sexuality, the way you go after things. It rules young men in your life.
Mars signifies lovers for young women the same way that Venus indicates
lovers for young men. It's your action principle, how you go about
fulfilling your needs and urges.
One old, experienced astrologer once told me that a New Moon or
Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Mars is the most exciting month of the
year. I don t know that that is 100 percent true, but you usually have a lot
of energy and have lots of activities going on. You are very busy and it's a
very exhilarating, dynamic time. With a New Moon in easy aspect to
Mars, you can bounce back from a health problem. I have seen people
become revitalized after a serious illness or operation and get all of their
old energy back. You have to guard against being rash, impulsive, and
edgy. Because of the accelerated energy, you have to protect against
accidents with either the New or Full Moon. I have seen people have
surgery and tooth extractions under these lunations. Sometimes you can
literally cut people out of your life. It can also be a time when a love
interest comes into your life.
With the New Moon or Solar Eclipse in challenging aspect to Mars,
the acceleration of energy is exaggerated. While you have tremendous
amounts of energy under the square, you are much more accident-prone,
much rasher, and more impulsive. You can participate in a destructive
use of energy and experience burnout.
When the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse falls on your Mars, you can
have volatile outbursts or accidents because you may not be using your
energy wisely. You can be overly assertive, aggressive, and feisty. You
may feel like arguing for the sake of arguing. Heaven help anyone who
gets in your way. A lot of times I advise clients who have the Full Moon or
Lunar Eclipse on their Mars to start exercising religiously or to increase
their exercise schedule at this time. It is important to use up that energy
in a positive way, and strenuous exercise is the best way to process this
energy You
don't want it to build up and become harmful. You can also cut
yourself, because Mars represents knives and cutting. It is a great time to
do something like work in your garden. You won t have a weed left. You
could also use that energy to clean your house, but be careful not to throw
out things you might need later.
With any lunation or eclipse squaring Mars, it is as if everything is
exaggerated. The harsh aspects never cut back on energy. You might
expect that there would be a depletion of energy, but I have never found
that to be the case. Any square from Mars intensifies your energy and
intensifies your sexual drive. It revs up your energy and gets the
adrenaline pumping. It might be that you are running "on empty" (false
energy), and when it is over you get sick. The problem with the square is
that you can misuse your energy. I had a client whose Mars was squared
by an eclipse. Under the effect of that aspect, she committed to a job that
involved a two-hour commute every day. For the entire time the eclipse
was in effect, she traveled all that way to work. She ended up exhausted
and nearly collapsed after a year of this. She forced herself into a
'l3urnout."
Mars rules lovers. The Sun is your father and husband, but Mars
represents lovers. Love relationships can begin or end with a lunation or
eclipse. Mars rules sons and young men in your life, and also rules sex.
With either a lunation or eclipse to Mars, sexual energy will be
heightened. With the squares, sometimes your timing is off with your
partner. When you have sexual desires, your partner may not. With
extreme cases there can be sexual abuse, rape, or violence, often involving
Pluto in some way. I had a client who had Mars square Pluto natally
which was being triggered by a heavy transit of Pluto. When an eclipse
squared it, her boyfriend became violent and abused her.
 Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Jupiter
Jupiter is the growth principle. It is the planet of expansion. It has
jurisdiction over your spirituality, your philosophy, and your beliefs. It
represents the way you learn the more profound truths of
246 / Lunations and Eclipses
life. It is your generosity factor. Jupiter is often referred to as the
planet of optimism, luck, and abundance.
One of my teachers said, "With the New Moon on Jupiter, you always
get something you wish for." So be careful what you ask for, because you
could get it! The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Jupiter
may present an opportunity for long-distance travel. It could be a time of
financial expansion. It can be a time of real optimism, buoyancy, joy of
life, and spirituality. It is a particularly opportune time to expand your
business or expand a relationship or move forward in some way. The
lunation in easy aspect to Jupiter may activate an interest in a particular
philosophy or religion.
When the New Moon or Solar Eclipse is in hard aspect to Jupiter, you
have to guard against being overly optimistic, overly expansive, and
overly indulgent. You may become disenchanted with your current
philosophy. You may go on a trip, spend too much money, and it may be a
disappointing time. Lunations square to Jupiter many times bring events
that don t live up to your expectations. As always you must look to the
house that Jupiter rules na-tally to see what effect a harsh aspect will
have on that area of life. A client of mine had a New Moon square her
Jupiter, which rules her eleventh house. In hindsight, this aspect was the
beginning of the end of a friendship for her. She also went on a trip that
cost her too much money and didn't meet any of her expectations.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in easy aspect to Jupiter, you
must guard against being overly indulgent and overdoing things. You
could eat too much, drink too much, or spend too much. Long-distance
travel plans could be finalized. If in graduate school, you could complete
your Ph.D. thesis. You might make a long-term decision about what
philosophy or religion to embrace.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse square to Jupiter, you may feel
very letdown about something. You may get something you wished for
and then find out it wasn't what you thought it would be. It could be that
someone you counted on didn't come
through for you, or it might be the end of a trip that did not live up to
your expectations.
 Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Saturn
Saturn represents your ambitions. It is the principle of structure and
limitation. It is the planet of realism and clarity. It is all about discipline,
responsibility, duty, delays, obstacles, and hard work. It is the place in
your life where you will ultimately be the most realistic. Saturn signifies
teachers, mentors, authority figures, and older people in your life.
The New Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Saturn could
stimulate a new career endeavor or bring new career opportunities. You
could make reality, structure, and discipline your priorities. You may
become more cautious and more security-minded. You will become more
aware of your security needs with the New Moon in easy aspect to Saturn.
You may take on more responsibility by perhaps doing something like
becoming a parent or winning an elected office. With a New Moon or
Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Saturn in the seventh house, a man
may take a wife and assume responsibility for her children from a
previous marriage. The lunation or eclipse in easy aspect to Saturn could
bring older people or authority figures into your life. It may initiate you
into a serious contemplative cycle.
Just as any aspect to Mars heightens your energy, any lunar aspect to
Saturn heightens your sense of discipline. The most disciplined people
you will ever meet will be people with all kinds of squares from Saturn.
With the New Moon or Solar Eclipse square Saturn, you will feel the
heavy hand of responsibility on your life. You may feel very weighed
down, like you are assuming more than your fair share of burdens. Living
is a more monumental task, and there is some sense of oppression.
Because Saturn is the natural ruler of the tenth house, you may feel that
you are giving more to your career than you are getting back. You may
feel unappreciated by bosses and authority figures.
248 / Lunations and Eclipses
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse on Saturn may make you more
cautious and may bring out your insecurities and your fears—fear of loss
or rejection. It may trigger feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. I
had a client who had Saturn transiting in the seventh house, and with the
Full Moon in the seventh he left a good relationship for no reason other
than his own insecurities, his hesitation to commit, and his fear of
rejection. Natal Saturn in the seventh house is difficult because these
people are cautious about getting into a relationship and afraid of being
hurt. If they are in a relationship and it isn t good, they don't get out of it
easily. They feel compelled by a sense of duty to stay put. The Full Moon
on Saturn can bring career matters to a head. You may also have an older
friend pass away or leave your life in some way.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in hard aspect to Saturn, you
could feel rejected, abandoned, unappreciated, and overburdened. You
may find yourself working too hard. The square brings a feeling of
heaviness and responsibility. People who have Saturn in the second
house have a great deal of fear and insecurity around money. I have a
friend who has Saturn in this house. She purchased some clothing on
sale. Several weeks later when the Full Moon was on her Saturn, she
returned it all. The lunation on her Saturn brought up her insecurities
about spending money and financial loss. She has more than enough
money to cover all of her needs and desires, but she constantly struggles
with an overriding sense of guilt and fear about enjoying the pleasures of
life.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting the Outer Planets
Uranus is the planet of sudden, unexpected change. Neptune is the
planet of creative visualization. Pluto is the planet of power and intense
transformation. With a lunation or eclipse on Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto,
it is especially important to look at the house the planet is in and the
house or houses it rules natally because this is how and where in your life
you will feel the result of the lunation or eclipse. Because these are the
higher-octave planets, the effects will
work in a much more subconscious way. They work in a generational
way, and they really operate karmically and spiritually as well as in an
event-oriented way.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Uranus
With the New Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Uranus,
expect sudden, unexpected change. An astrology teacher of mine once
said, "Be very cautious about predicting for Uranus because whatever you
predict probably won't happen." You can t predict what a New Moon or
Solar Eclipse on Uranus will mean, although it could involve technology
or astrology or some unique interest. Abrupt changes, unusual
experiences, and odd twists and turns are the rule rather than the
exception. You may want to rebel and be a total nonconformist. The
positive side would be that you may want to express yourself uniquely
and as a strong individual. You must guard against being too avant-garde.
Any triggering of Uranus always propels you toward change. You may feel
restless. You may sense the electricity in the air. Because the urge for
change is so strong with Uranus, be careful that you don't throw the baby
out with the bath water. Don't change something that is fine the way it is.
Unexpected challenges that come your way without any warning could
be the result of the New Moon or Solar Eclipse in hard aspect to Uranus.
It could be a sudden accident, a sudden illness, an unexpected loss of
fortune if the aspect came out of the second house, or a surprising shift
where career is concerned if it came out of the tenth house. The only
thing that you can know for sure with Uranus is that it won't be what you
expect. A sudden separation or divorce can happen with the aspect
coming out of the seventh house. Uranus is associated with divorce and
separation, and many times it will work in this way. With a lunation or
eclipse square Uranus, the changes are beyond your control. It is change
that comes at you.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse in positive aspect to Uranus, it
will be very difficult to stay structured, disciplined, and
250 Lunations and Eclipses
focused. You will want to change the rules and do things differently. I
find Uranus to be a selfish planet, and the tendency will be to run your
own agenda, sometimes disregarding the needs and concerns of others.
You will want to get out of your rut. Any time Uranus is triggered with a
lunation or eclipse, there is an inclination to break out. break free, break
loose, become independent, and experience freedom of some sort, in
some area of your life. You will want to engage life on your own terms.
You may feel the urge to go someplace new and do new things, so a lot of
times you will see people travel with a lunation on Uranus. You will feel
restless, high-strung, and nervous. It is a great time to exercise regularly
(try something different like karate or kickboxing) to help you manage
the sudden bursts of energy* or the nervousness. Beware of making
purchases because when the influence of the Full Moon lifts and lessens,
you may find that the things you purchased are too cr^zy or odd.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse square to Uranus could suddenly
bring an ending in a friendship, relationship, or job. You could have
abrupt financial loss, but again, alw^ays expect the unexpected.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Neptune
The Xew Moon or Solar Eclipse in positive aspect to Neptune can be a
positive time to have psychic and deja \'u experiences. You may feel much
more in tune with the people and things around you. It can be a ver\"
spiritual time, a time of heightened inspiration, creativity: and sensitivit):
Personal magnetism can be at an all-time high. .Artists can be at their
most creative. Musicians can write their best songs, and dreamers can
dream their most fantastic, beautiful dreams.
On the negative side, you could feel ver\' \njlnerable and frightened,
discouraged, or hopeless. You have to be careful that you are not too
idealistic. Don t fool yourself about whatever issues are on the table. Be
watchful that others don't deceive you, and by the same token, guard
against paranoia and thinking other people
are out to get you. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto can cause paranoia
because they all work on the subconscious level. With Uranus, it would be
flashes of real insecurity; with Neptune, it would be a corroding of your
self-esteem; and with Pluto, it would be a deep sense of insecurity. Weird
things can happen to you. Reality is the key to staying balanced. It is
important to try to use the energy of Neptune in a creative, spiritual way
so that the energy doesn't use you. Especially with the squares, it is
important to take positive action by doing something like signing up for a
class in dance, art, or spiritual awareness. Use the energy in the most
positive way possible.
With the Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse on Neptune, a lot of your
subconscious fears may surface in the form of bad dreams or nightmares.
Neptune rules illusion, confusion, and delusion. I have seen people with
the Full Moon on Neptune have panic attacks. Neptune represents
unformed anxieties. Again, artists, musicians, and writers can experience
a profound level of inspiration. This is when a creative project could be
finished. However, you have to remember that reality will not be part of
your makeup during this time, especially with lunations square to
Neptune.
With the Full Moon on Neptune, sometimes the dream can die. There
can be disillusionment or deception unearthed that forever changes you.
As with the New Moon, people feel you are in tune with them. You may
experience heightened spiritual awareness or greater creative
visualization. Any aspect involving Neptune heightens personal charisma.
Lunation or Eclipse Aspecting Pluto
A New Moon or Solar Eclipse on Pluto can bring a crisis. It can be a
time of power struggles, control issues, obsessions, or metamorphoses.
Inevitable change can occur involving heavy-duty emotional investments.
A positive New Moon or Solar Eclipse on Pluto can mean tremendous
self-will, determination, courage, and tunnel vision toward reaching a
goal.
252 / Lunations and Eclipses
With the square to Pluto, you can be too obsessive about reaching
your objectives, not knowing when to let go and move on. With the
opposition, you could feel people are trying to control you when in fact
you may be trying to control them. Power struggles are primary issues.
You may feel that you are engaged in a life-and-death power struggle. You
feel if you don t take control, you will be controlled.
The Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse on Pluto can mean a loss of power. I
saw someone's entire life crumble with a Lunar Eclipse on his Pluto. He
lost all of his power. He was very egotistical, and when he was on top, he
never gave back. I always reminded him that because he had so much, he
had a responsibility and obligation to help other people coming up and to
give back. He ignored my advice. When the Full Moon fell on his Pluto
accompanied by some difficult transits and progressions, he lost his place
in the sun.
I have also seen people lose their self-control. Many times people will
have emotional breakdowns. Because Pluto rules the hidden and dark
undercurrents, I have seen issues come to light like rape and childhood
abuse. Skeletons can come out of the closet. Pluto has to do with gangs,
the abuse of power, and sex. It deals with the darker side of human
nature. Many times under a hard aspect to Pluto, old, buried, traumatic
issues resurface and must be dealt with.
Chapter Nine
Putting It All Together
e^his is the chart of a young man who began a business in his parent's
basement in 1994. He worked very hard, expanded the business, and
eventually moved it to California. After five years he sold the company for
over fifty million dollars. He is currently the vice president of the
acquiring company and he resides in Europe. This is a great horoscope to
illustrate my predictive style.
Natal Promise and Profile 1. Examine the natal promise.
Venus in Libra conjuncts Pluto and sextiles Jupiter in Sagittarius. This
is one of the most common signatures of great wealth. Venus in the sixth
house of work and productivity also trines Saturn in Gemini in the first
house of personal endeavor, and trines Mars in Aquarius in the tenth
house of career. This suggests a dynamic, innovative career concept.
254 / Putting It All Together
2. Examine the natal profile. ^
A stellium of Virgo planets suggests a hard worker whose emotional
fulfillment (Moon in Virgo) and ego satisfaction (Sun in Virgo) come
from productivity and achievement. Mercury in Virgo is well placed and
describes a fine, analytical, practical mind.
The fifth and sixth-house influence and the planets placed within
these two houses indicate a very creative, inventive use of energy The Sun
and Moon in the same sign is extremely focused and driven. The mutable
T-Square between Mercury, Saturn, and the Neptune / Jupiter
conjunction is another driving force that demands precision and
perfection.
He has a Grand Trine in the air signs. The Grand Trine itself is
indicative of ardent knowledge-seeking, social skills, objectivity, and the
ability to communicate ideas efficiently and get them accepted. Venus
conjunct Uranus in Libra is in the sixth house, giving him the ability to
attract and motivate good employees. This trines Mars and the North
Node in Aquarius in the tenth house, promising a dynamic, innovative
career. And then this trines Saturn in Gemini in the first house, giving
him personal charm and self-discipline.
1994: Founding of Company 1. Examine the progressions.
Progressed Moon. In 1994, the progressed Moon sextiled the natal
Sun and Moon in Virgo. These sextiles suggested an opportunity for a
new start and a major turning point in his life. The progressed Moon also
squared the progressed Sun and Mercury, and he dropped out of college
to begin his business. The progressed Sun and progressed Mercury came
together and trined the progressed Mars in the tenth house and the
Midheaven cusp itself, so this business got off to a very fast and positive
start. Progressed Venus changed signs from Libra to Scorpio, suggesting
a financial turning point. By this time progressed Pluto exactly joined
Venus, Neptune exactly joined Jupiter, and they all formed an exact
sextile.
 Young Man — Natal Chart September 18, 1971 / 8:59 p.m. CST
Madison, WI
256 / Putting It All Together
Progressed House Cusps. The progressed first-house cusp was at 14°
Gemini trining the progressed Uranus. The progressed tenth-house cusp
was conjuncting the progressed Mars. The progressed sixth-house cusp
was trining the natal Mars. All of these aspects describe his incredible
idea, resulting in an exceptional business endeavor promising
outstanding success.
2. Examine the transits.
In January of 1994, transiting Uranus and Neptune were within orb of
conjuncting his Midheaven. This is when he started his business. Uranus
and Neptune also trined his Moon and Sun. He felt very positive and
optimistic about his new venture. He also received support from his
parents, allowing him to begin his business in their family home.
Transiting Pluto had sextiled his Sun and was going to do this two more
times in the year 1994, including a five-month period of time when Pluto
stationed, retrograded, and then went direct, sextiling his Sun. This five-
month period of June, July, August, September, and October was a time
of personal empowerment. Transiting Jupiter in the sixth house attracted
good employees who grew with the company. By October of 1994, Jupiter
entered the seventh house of patronage and he began to attract clients.
 By January of 1995, transiting Pluto would be conjuncting his
Neptune/Jupiter in the seventh house and sextiling Venus in the sixth,
attracting some very important clients, thus ensuring him enough
security to move out of his parent's home and expand the business at a
new site in the area. He eventually moved to San Francisco, where he was
able to attract more technically advanced employees.
On October 13, 1994, Venus was stationing to go retrograde at 18°
Scorpio in his seventh house, exactly sextiling his Moon in the fifth house.
This intense energy attracted clients. Venus stationed and went direct on
November 23, 1994, at 2° Scorpio, stationing on his progressed Venus.
This was positive for work, working conditions, employees, and
enhancement of finances.

Young Man — Founding of Company Progressed chart for January 1,

1994 / 8:59 p.m. CST Madison, WI
258 / Putting It All Together
3. Examine the lunations and eclipses.
Eclipses, The first eclipse in 1994 was at 19° Taurus on his Ascendant,
exactly trining his Moon in the fifth house. This described his creative
idea. The second eclipse on May 25, 1994, was at 3° Sagittarius on his
Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in the seventh house, sextile progressed
Pluto conjunct his natal Venus. This stimulated his natal promise for
wealth and prosperity, and also stimulated the progressions for 1994
(progressed Pluto conjunct natal Venus, sextile natal Jupiter, conjunct
natal Neptune), activating the commencement of his successful career.
The third eclipse on November 3, 1994, exactly sextiled his natal
Mercury in the fifth house of creativity, expanding his innovative idea.
Mercury rules his sixth house of employees, and he attracted some very
bright young minds to help him manifest his dream. The fourth eclipse on
November 18, 1994, fell in his first house in an exact trine to his tenth-
house cusp and his natal Sun in Virgo, resulting in personal satisfaction
and expansion of his career goals.
Lunations. The lunation at 21° Capricorn on January 11, 1994, was on
his tenth-house cusp. This was the start-up time of his company. On
March 12, 1994, the lunation sextiled the tenth-house cusp and there was
a new development in the business. On May 10, 1994, the eclipse trined
the tenth-house cusp, describing further growth and opportunity. There
was a lunation on July 8, 1994, at 16° Cancer in his third house, sextiling
the Moon, stimulating his creative process. Then there was the lunation
on September 5, 1994, in his fifth house at 12° Virgo, further developing
his creative ideas.
1999: Sale of Company
1. Examine the progressions.
Progressed Moon. The progressed Moon conjuncted his natal Sun and
Moon and, in March of 1999, the midpoint between them. This
conjunction happens, at most, four times in a person s life, so
it is incredibly significant. His progressed Sun was trining his
progressed Midheaven, suggesting great career opportunity. In 1999,
progressed Jupiter was forming a very long-term opposition to Saturn,
indicating financial security for the rest of his life. He also had a long-
term progression, or what I refer to as permanent progression, of
progressed Pluto in Libra conjunct natal Venus in the sixth house, sextile
natal Neptune, conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius in the seventh house. This
was already operating at the time he began his business.
Progressed House Cusps. His progressed Ascendant, while trining
progressed Mars, squared his natal Moon. The trine suggests global
expansion of the business and world travel for him. The square indicates
some loss of control of his company when he sold it. The second and
eighth-house cusps, sextile and trine his natal Mercury, indicate
unbelievable wealth (stock=eighth house, salary=second house). He
made many purchases such as a home, a car, etc. He also shared his
wealth with his family and employees. The third and ninth-house cusps
changed signs from Cancer/Capricorn to Leo/Aquarius, relocating him to
a foreign country, where he is vice president of the acquiring company.
2. Examine the transits.
In March of 1999, Saturn entered the sign of Taurus, his Ascendant
sign. IVe observed that the transit of Saturn over the Ascendant indicates
a letting go of the old to make way for the new Saturn in Taurus will soon
trine all of his Virgo planets, which will create a great stabilizing effect. In
February of 1999, transiting Jupiter in Aries trined his natal
Jupiter/Neptune conjunction, sextile progressed Pluto conjunct natal
Venus, his fantastic permanent progression, thus setting the stage for
enormous opportunity. Transiting Neptune from the tenth house was
sextiling his natal Jupiter/Neptune and trining his progressed
Pluto/Venus conjunction, further expanding his opportunities. Mars
stationed on March 17, 18, and 19, 1999, on his seventh-house cusp,
indicating a time of negotiations for the company. Pluto at 10° Sagittarius
was sextiling
260 / Putting It All Together
his natal North Node in Mars at 12*^ Aquarius in the tenth house,
portending great growth for this company in the future.
3. Examine the lunations and eclipses.
The eclipses in 1999 were in Leo and Aquarius, activating his fourth
and tenth houses. Career matters were highlighted. On January 17, 1999,
the lunation at 27° Capricorn was on his tenth-house cusp, promising
great career activity. In March, when the company was sold, the lunation
was on March 17, 1999, sextiling his Midheaven and opposing his Sun,
giving him opportunity and choice where his business was concerned. By
March 31, 1999, the lunation at 10° Libra set off his Grand Trine in air,
and he sold the company for over fifty million dollars. Since that time, his
stock has grown to over two hundred million dollars
 Young Man — Sale of Company Progressed chart for March 31, 1999 /
8:59 p.m. CST Madison, WI
Glossary
Apparent Retrograde Motion —This term refers to the slowing down
of planets that makes them appear as if they are going backward.
Applying Aspect —This term refers to a planet that is moving towards
an exact aspect with a slower-moving planet. An applying aspect can also
be made as a planet applies towards a fixed point, such as the Midheaven
or Ascendant.
Ascendant —The sign of the zodiac that is rising in the east at the
moment of birth. Also referred to as the sign on the first house.
Aspect —The relationship between two planets, or the relationship
between a planet and the Ascendant or Midheaven. It is the angular
distance between these two points.
Birth Chart —The birth chart is also referred to as the horoscope. The
birth chart is a circle divided into twelve parts, or houses, each of which
describes a different area of life or experience.
264 / Glossary
Birth Data —The date of birth, the moment (the exact time) of birth,
and the longitude and latitude of birth are considered the birth data. This
information is needed to construct a birth chart.
Cycle —A cycle is the planetary movement around the entire circle of
signs. Pluto is the slowest-moving planet and takes 248 years to cycle the
entire zodiac. The Sun's cycle takes one year.
Degree —The horoscope has 360°, and each sign has 30°. Degrees are
used to measure exact positions of planets and other astrological factors.
Eclipse —An eclipse is a phenomena that involves the Sun, Moon, and
Earth. Eclipses stimulate change in the area of the horoscope in which
they fall. There are two distinct types of eclipses: Solar Eclipses and
Lunar Eclipses.
Electional Astrology —The branch of astrology that specializes in
choosing the most auspicious time to plan an event or begin a new
project. Electional astrology is used by astrologers to help clients set
marriage dates, start new businesses, plan important events, and so on.
Ephemeris —A book of tables showing the exact positions of the Sun,
Moon, and planets on a daily basis.
Full Moon —The opposition between the Sun and the Moon. The time
when the Moon is 180° from the Sun.
Hard Aspect —Planets that are 120° apart are called square aspects.
Planets that are 180° apart are called opposition aspects. These aspects
are considered difficult and create tremendous tension. Planets in close
degree in the same house or sign are called conjunctions. Some of these
conjunctions can be considered hard aspects, depending on the planets
involved.
Horoscope —Another term for birth chart. The word horoscope comes
from a Greek word meaning "map of the hour."
House Cusp —The first degree of any house in a horoscope or birth
chart.
Lunar Eclipse —The Lunar Eclipse occurs at the Full Moon. This
happens about two times per year, when the Earth is exactly between the
Moon and Sun, and the Earth's shadow on the Moon obscures the normal
Full Moon.
Lunation —The New Moon and the Full Moon, which occur every
month, are referred to as lunations.
Major Aspect —The major aspects in astrology are the conjunction,
sextile, trine, square, and opposition.
Midheaven —The sign on the cusp of the tenth house of the horoscope
is referred to as the Midheaven. Another term for Midheaven is Medium
Coeli.
Minor Aspect —Some minor aspects in astrology are the semi-square
(two planets 45° apart), the semisextile (two planets 30° apart), and the
quincunx (two planets 150° apart).
New Moon —The conjunction of the Sun and the Moon. The time
when the Moon is at the exact same degree as the Sun.
Nodes of the Moon —The nodes of the Moon are intersections of the
Moon's orbit around the Earth with the ecliptic. They are considered to
be of karmic significance.
North Node —The house and sign in which the North Node is placed
define the area of life that you are striving to develop. This node has
somewhat of a Jupiter effect.
Orb —Refers to the range of degrees within which an aspect is
considered to be operating. The closer the two planets are in degree, or
orb, the stronger or more potent the aspect will be. The farther the two
planets are in degree, or orb, the weaker the effect will be.
Predictive Astrology —The area of astrology that seeks to forecast
future events, cycles, and trends.
266 / Glossary
Ruler —Certain planets have been given rulership over certain signs.
In modern astrology, the Sun rules the sign Leo, the Moon rules Cancer,
Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mars
rules Aries (and also has a tie to Scorpio), Jupiter rules Sagittarius,
Saturn rules Capricorn, Uranus rules Aquarius, Neptune rules Pisces, and
Pluto rules Scorpio.
Separating Aspect —A separating aspect refers to a planet that is
moving away from an exact aspect with a slower-moving planet.
Soft Aspect —Planets that are 60° apart are called sextiles. Planets
that are 90° apart are called trines. These aspects are comfortable and
harmonious, bringing ease and opportunity. Some conjunctions are
considered soft aspects, depending on the planets involved.
Solar Eclipse —The Solar Eclipse occurs at the New Moon. This
happens about two times per year, when the Moon, in its orbit around the
Earth, gets exactly between the Earth and the Sun and obscures the light
of the Sun from the vantage point of the Earth.
South Node —The house and sign in which the South Node is placed
describe the area of life that you have already mastered in other lifetimes.
It is the line of least resistance, and an area of life that may limit or
restrict you, as it holds you in old habit patterns. This node has somewhat
of a Saturn effect.
Stationary —Refers to a time when a transiting planet seems to stand
still just before shifting to the opposite direction from which it had been
moving.
Transit —Refers to the current movement of the planets through the
signs and houses of the horoscope.
Transpersonal Planets —The transpersonal planets, or higher-octave
planets, are planets in our solar system that are not visible from the Earth
without a telescope. They include Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
VoiD-OF-couRSE MooN—When the Moon has reached a late degree
in a sign, and will not make any more aspects to planets before it leaves
that sign, it is considered to be void-of-course. In an event chart, this
suggests a situation that will be held in abeyance.
Reading List
Arroyo, Stephen. Astology, Karma and Transformation. Sebastopol,
CA: CRCS Publications, 1993.
De Jersey, Katherine. Destiny Times Six. Tempe, AZ: American
Federation of Astrologers, 1992.
Hand, Robert. Planets in Transit. Gloucester, MA: Para Research,
1976.
Hickey, Isabel. Astrology, a Cosmic Science. Sebastopol, CA: CRCS
Publications, 1992.
Mason, Sophia. Delineation of Progressions. Tempe, AZ: American
Federation of Astrologers, 1985.
Merriman, Raymond. Evolutionary Astrology: The Journey of the
Soul Through the Horoscope. Rochester, MI: Seek-It Publishing Co.,
1977.
Pelletier, Robert. Planets in Aspect. Gloucester, MA: Para Research,
1974.
270 / Reading List
Robertson, Marc. Transit of Saturm Tempe, AZ: American Federation
of Astrologers, 1976.
Stearn, Jess. A Time for Astrology. New York, NY: Coward, McCann
3C Geoghegan, Inc., 1971.
Tyl, Noel. Synthesis Counseling in Astrology. Saint Paul, MN:
Llewellyn Publications, 1994.
Wickenburg, Joanne. Your Hidden Powers: Intercepted Signs and
Retrograde Planets. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers,
1992.
. In Search of a Fulfilling Career. Tempe, AZ: American
Federation of Astrologers, 1992.
Ascendant, 2, 33, 40, 52-54, 92, 121, 130, 135, 137-139, 141, 148, 158,
169, 174, 179,215, 219,224, 233, 258-259, 263 aspects
applying aspect, 35-36,
40, 53-54, 263 easy aspect, 138, 143,
147-148, 156, 235-238,
240-244, 246-247 hard aspect, 48-49, 156,
163-164, 236, 238, 243,
246, 248-249, 252, 264 major aspect, 265 minor aspect, 265
derivative house system, 213 driver, 9, 15, 24-25, 28
eclipses
Lunar Eclipse, 201, 203-204, 210, 213, 226-234, 236, 238, 240, 243-
244, 246,
248- 252, 265 Solar Eclipse, 201-203,
208,212-213,215-216, 218-226, 230, 232, 235-242, 244, 246-247,
249- 251,266 ephemeris, 92, 151, 202,
264
horoscope, 100, 137, 145, 195,253, 263-266, 269
house cusp, 118, 147, 197, 214, 216, 265
271
lunations
Full Moon, 90, 122, 201-203,
210, 226-234, 236-238,
240, 243-244, 246,
248-252, 264-265 New Moon, 90, 122,
201-203, 215-229,
231-235, 237-242, 244,
246-247, 249-251,
265-266
Midheaven, 58, 67, 135, 169, 187, 233, 254, 256, 259-260, 263,265
natal promise, 25-26, 29-70, 72, 102, 108, 118, 120, 123, 125, 143-144,
172, 184, 239, 253,258
nodes of the Moon
North Node, 43, 51, 60-62,
143, 254, 259-260, 26 South Node, 51, 59-62, 266
orb, 62, 89, 118-119, 155, 199, 241, 256, 265
predictive astrology, 71, 265 progressions
progressed house cusp,
135- 137 progressed Moon, 70-71,
90-133, 161, 222, 254, 258
progressed planet, 52, 72-74, 89, 128-129,
 136- 137
retrograde motion, 183-199, 192, 263
stationary, 183-199, 266
transits, 1, 27, 30, 44-45, 47-49, 56, 70-72, 102, 140-141, 143, 151-182,
184, 189, 198, 203, 209-210, 216, 223, 239, 252, 256, 259
transpersonal planets, 89-90, 168-169, 266
void-of-course Moon, 24, 267
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• International Surface Mail: Add $1.00 per item
• International Airmail: Books—Add the retail price of each item;
Non-book items—Add $5.00 per item
We oflFer a 20% discount to group leaders or agents. You must order
a minimum of 5 copies of the same book to get our special quantity price.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery on all orders. Postage and
handling rates subject to change.
Discounts