Taylor Swift and the “freedom/closeness” dilemma

October 31, 2012 By

Taylor Swift is loaded with charm and talent as well as the kind of exceptional beauty that is very helpful in today’s visual age, and she has made millions of dollars writing songs about her love life.  Still, she was recently quoted as saying “I don’t really know that much about love as it turns out.”

We could argue that this is not that uncommon for a young person just shy of 23 years old, but her astrological chart does show some interesting things that offers insight into the complexity behind the relationships that make such interesting material for song lyrics.

Ms. Swift (December 13, 1989) was born with the Sun in Sagittarius, the lucky and optimistic sign that can be somewhat fickle. Her Sun is unaspected, meaning it doesn’t interact with any of the other planets in the chart.  People with unaspected Sun’s tend to have a path that is more solitary, even though they may (and frequently do) engage in relationships with others and even marry.  But still, singleton Sun people make their own way and tend not to merge their lives with anyone else’s (Brad Pitt has a singleton Sun).

The Moon in her chart is in emotional Cancer, revealing her inner sensitivity and desire to nurture and care for others.  The Cancer Moon can be moody and reactive to emotional hurt, and with her Moon conjunct Jupiter, also in Cancer, the emotionality of her inner world is amplified which comes out in her song lyrics.  The Cancer Moon longs to attach and find emotional security, but her Moon is opposed by Uranus, the planet of individuality and autonomy, revealing an opposing need for distance and independence.   This is intensified by the fact that Venus, the planet of love and attraction, is in the sign of Aquarius which is ruled by Uranus.   In Aquarius, Venus seeks relationships that offer plenty of freedom and the ability to continually bring fresh new energy into the partnership.

Ms. Swift was recently quoted in Rolling Stone magazine: “You have to make it work by prioritizing it, and by falling in love really fast, without thinking too hard. If I think too hard about a relationship I’ll talk myself out of it..”  The Cancer Moon feels all of the emotion, and the Uranus influence wants to jump right into the relationship without thinking.  But after a short time the stress between the need for emotional connection (Cancer Moon) and the desire to flee and be free (Venus/Uranus) creates a schism that requires a breakup.

This is a classic “freedom/closeness” dilemma that Liz Greene talks about in her series on psychological astrology and which I see every day in my practice.  A part of us longs to be connected and find our true partner.  Another part of us sabotages our relationships at every turn.  This dynamic tends to operate on the subconscious level, which makes it difficult to resolve, especially for someone in their 20s.

It has been said that relationships take 100 days to solidify – after that point the initial flush of being in love begins to fade and the truth of the relationship becomes more visible.  Ms. Swift’s relationships have all lasted approximately three months: She dated Joe Jonas from July to October 2008, and Taylor Lautner from October to December 2009.  She dated John Mayer from December 2009 to early 2010, and Jake Gyllenhall from October to December 2010.  I suspect that for Ms. Swift, the early days of the relationship offer the overwhelming emotional connection of the Cancerian Moon/Jupiter conjunction combined with the excitement of Uranus and the newness of the connection.

The intensity of Hollywood’s goldfish bowl makes relationships even more difficult than they are in regular life, but Taylor Swift’s Sagittarian luck has helped her turn heartbreak into songs that are loved by millions of people.

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Musings on soulmates

September 4, 2012 By

At the Body, Mind, Spirit Expo that I worked in Raleigh a couple of weeks ago two readings brought up the question of soulmates in very different ways.

One reading was for someone who had experienced a very intense connection with someone who then withdrew and later denied the connection had ever occurred.  This was incredibly confusing for her because when we experience this kind of connection it is undeniable.  She had come to see me at the February show when this first happened and several other readers at the show had told her that the gentleman in question was her soulmate and that everything would work out.  Now, six months later, that had not come to pass and she wanted to know why.

The other reading was for a couple who had been married less than a year and while their connection is powerfully strong they were seeing incompatibilities that disturbed them.  An astrology reading pointed out where there might be communication issues and the needs that each one had in the relationship and how their differing energies could be used to help provide balance for each of them, but also where they would find challenges that need to be overcome.

These were two very different situations that exposed the true nature of the soulmate connection in very different ways.  The “New Age” movement has perpetuated a dangerous myth with the idea of the “Twin Flame” – the soulmate that is our perfect twin and completes us in every way.  Many of us would like to think that when we find our true soulmate we will live together with them in pure harmony and bliss and that our troubles will be over.

I have posted on this before, and the fact that compatibility is very rarely present in true soulmate connections.  Compatibility occurs when two people are similar in every way, but this dynamic does not foster soul growth and personal evolution.  When we encounter a soulmate, someone we recognize immediately and to whom we feel at once deeply connected, we can be certain that this individual is coming into our life to stretch us and to bring healing and growth.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will end up married to them, and like the first person in this story, it doesn’t mean that we will necessarily even consummate a relationship.  I have seen situations with clients where a relationship came into their life like a thunderclap and then exploded, leaving them devastated.  But as a result their heart opened, and they were ready for a more balanced and loving relationship than they had been before.

For the couple in this story, the very qualities that they admired about each other were the ones that they found most difficult.  This is quite typical, since we often admire qualities in others that we lack in ourselves.  For example, let’s say one person has difficulty expressing their needs and they are drawn to a partner who is courageous and fearless in doing so.  Once they are in a relationship with each other, the partner who is unable to express themselves may quietly begin to resent the one who can do so rather than learn those skills.  If we simply react to each other, these relationships may not work out even though the partner is in fact a true soulmate.

Which brings me to my next point: Soulmates aren’t necessarily for forever.  I have seen, both in my own life and in the lives of clients, that there are some people that come into our life for mutual learning and growth and then move on.  Sometimes, like in the case of the first client in this story, the soulmate isn’t ready for the intensity of the connection and runs away.

Fate brings us together – free will gives us the option how we are to handle the situation.  If we are ready for the kind of soul growth that a soulmate relationship offers, and one soulmate connection fails to ignite, there will be another one to take its place.

 

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Katie Holmes: Free at last

July 5, 2012 By

Katie Holmes astrology by Lynn Hayes

Katie Holmes has filed for a divorce from Tom Cruise.  Evidently she filed Thursday as Cruise was heading to Iceland to shoot his new movie.

I wrote a profile of Katie Holmes in 2006 when she and Cruise first became a couple.  In that article (snarkily entitled “Run Katie Run!”) I wrote:

She has both Moon and Jupiter in Leo, showing a strong need for admiration and attention and a need to develop the personal ego. Her Venus is in Scorpio, indicating someone who has strong passions and emotions, and craves intensity in relationships. Yet her Moon is square to Venus, a configuration that often indicates a conflict between the maternal archetype (Moon) and the sexual nature of the goddess Venus. Women with these conflicts tend to have difficulty integrating these two archetypes and tend to swing from one pole to the other.

In addition, Katie’s Venus is conjunct rebellious and independent Uranus, showing that she craves freedom and resists convention. The combination of Venus in Scorpio, which craves an intense bond, with Uranus sets up an inner conflict that is difficult to manage, particularly for a relatively young person who may lack a deeper level of self-understanding.

You can read my profile of Tom Cruise here.  Friends of Katie’s have evidently reported, not surprisingly, that Cruise dominated the relationship, dictating the clothes that she wears, the parts that she played and even the name that she used.

The astrology of Katie’s rush to freedom begins back in January with a series of Jupiter transits throughout January and February that would have inspired courage and confidence to expand her life.  A challenging aspect of Saturn to the progressed Moon in early March could have created some depression, followed by the beginning of a transit of Uranus, the planet of liberation and breakthroughs, in a strong aspect to her Mars, planet of will and assertion.

In addition, her progressed Sun and progressed Mars align this year, giving her the fuel that she needs to assert herself in the world with greater force.  She’ll need it, because this is likely to be a battle not only with her soon to be ex-husband, but the forces of Scientology as well.

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The astrology of Ashton Kutcher

October 14, 2011 By

Ashton Kutcher Demi Moore divorceMuch has been said lately about Ashton Kutcher’s alleged adultery, and the possible demise of the May/December relationship is being blamed on their age difference.  But I suspect it has more to do with the fact that Ashton’s chart reveals a psychological conflict between a serious and sensible nature and a yearning to be free.

Ashton’s chart (source: Astrotheme) shows that he is a New Moon personality, with the Sun and Moon conjoined in Aquarius.  New Moon people are somewhat impulsive and can have a tendency towards rash behavior – they are on the path of a new beginning and carry a great deal of excitement with them.  The fact that the New Moon is in Aquarius adds an even greater touch of eccentricity and a desire to be authentic and true to one’s own self.  The New Moon configuration (and Mercury, the planet of the mind) fall in the Ninth House of travel and adventure, revealing Ashton’s need for experiences that continue to broaden his horizons and deepen his understanding.

That New Moon also conjoins Venus (attraction and relationships) at the Midheaven of the chart, the point of highest aspiration, with both Venus and the Midheaven also in Aquarius and all three planets are in a harmonious trine to Jupiter, the planet of good fortune.  This is a very positive aspect for career success, but it also alludes to the importance of relationships in advancing his career.  This is a powerful Aquarian influence that can be brilliant and innovative, but also detached and isolated.  Aquarius has two rulers: Saturn (the detached and isolated influence) and Uranus (the brilliant innovator).  Yet both of these planets have something in common – neither of them is very comfortable with the emotional realm (especially with the Moon, representing the emotions, in Aquarius).  The fact that Uranus is locked in a challenging square to the New Moon/Venus configuration provides extra fuel for that particular fire and strengthens the Uranian yearning for liberation.

Gemini is rising in his chart, and Jupiter, the planet of expansion, is also in Gemini in the First House of personal identity bestowing confidence and a desire for a world that continually expands.  The Gemini ascendant signifies a need for a constantly changing world in which a multitude of experiences combine to inform the path of the individual’s evolution.

These are not planetary configurations that suggest a tremendously disciplined personality, or one that seeks commitment and family ties.  However, we also see Saturn in the chart opposing the that New Moon/Venus, and Saturn is retrograde which intensitifes  the Saturnian influence that seeks structure and a disciplined approach to life.  In addition, his Mars is in Cancer so he has a strong drive (Mars) towards nurturing and caring for others (Cancer), although Mars makes no major aspects to any other planet in his chart and therefore has a difficult time finding a way to find expression.

Saturn opposite the Moon can signify depression and loneliness and Ashton has admitted to contemplating suicide at the age of thirteen.  At the time transiting Saturn was passing over his Aquarian planets and over the next few years under the Saturnian influence his home life worsened and his parents divorced.

Ashton and Demi met at a party in March 2003.  Ashton’s progressed Moon had been in Capricorn for the previous 18 months and he was likely feeling the need (Moon) for a more structured and committed life (Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and shares its connection to success, achievement and responsibility). When they met, his progressed Moon was nearing a conjunction to Juno (asteroid of marriage) and they began dating right away.

Ashton and Demi married on September 24, 2005.  At the time Ashton’s progressed Moon was transiting the New Moon/Venus configuration in his chart and passing over the Midheaven.  He likely felt that this was the culmination of his life’s experiences – more than just a relationship, he was moving into a public persona of marriage and family life, Saturnian structures of responsibility and commitment.  Yet the conflict between Saturn’s pressure for structure and the need for autonomy of Uranus is an ongoing battle in Ashton’s psyche.

The Saturn Return is a significant planetary cycle that affects people in different ways.  Some people find this the most productive time of their life as Saturn inspires them to work hard and achieve long-lasting goals.  But some people are kicked to the curb if Saturn’s School of Hard Knocks teaches their lessons the hard way.  To some extent we have some influence over how planetary cycles will affect us if we are aware and understand what is required, but that is not universally true.  Because Saturn is in a planetary system in Ashton’s chart that includes the New Moon and Venus and his Midheaven, his Saturn Return in 2007 was particularly potent and his career floundered during that period.  The 70′s Show, which had made him a star, had ended its run and Ashton struggled to find himself.

Rumors of Ashton cheating on Demi began in September of 2010.  During that year, Ashton’s Venus had progressed to the early degrees of Aries where it has been beat up by the Cardinal Drama, a major planetary configuration which created a great deal of tension both in the world and in the personal lives of individuals over the past three years.  The rumors soon died down until this summer when rumors began circulating that Ashton and Demi were living apart, a story that coincides with his great television success as the new cast member of “Two and a Half Men.”   When photos of Ashton cavorting in a hot tub with a blonde on the day of his wedding anniversary splashed across tabloid covers last week, the rumors became news.

It appears inevitable that Ashton and Demi will end their marriage if it’s not already over, but it won’t be because of the age difference.  It will be because Ashton has not yet grown up enough to balance the urges within his chart and his personality which are in conflict with each other.  This is not an uncommon problem and it takes a certain amount of self-knowledge and understanding to find that balance.

 

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The astrology of the Shriver/Schwarzenegger split

May 11, 2011 By

Arnold Schwarzenegger Maria Shriver separateI suspect that more people were surprised when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver married than when they announced their split this week after 25 years of marriage.

When clients come for an astrological reading about their relationship, they generally want to hear that their relationship is compatible.  But astrologers know that compatibility does not always spell success in relationships.  Couples who are compatible with each other: who  think the same way, who feel the same things, who want the same lifestyle – these couples rarely marry or stay together.  We are more likely to gravitate towards partners who have qualities that we lack; partners who stretch us and help us to develop qualities that may be more difficult for us.

It will surprise no one to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger was born with the Sun in Leo, but that Leo Sun which is larger than life is locked in a challenging square with Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing.  When the ego (Sun) has been wounded (Chiron), that Leo desire for attention and acclaim becomes bigger and more urgent.   It doesn’t help that a tight Saturn/Pluto conjunction in his chart (also in Leo) suggests a deeply entrenched fear and anxiety, and the proximity of this conjunction to his Sun shows that his confidence is likely rather superficial. The anxiety of Saturn and Pluto falls in Schwarzenegger’s second house of money and personal resources, and I suspect that he has never forgotten the insecurity of his impoverished childhood.

Such a challenge to the Sun requires hard work and discipline (Saturn) to overcome one’s fears and self-doubts, and Pluto’s presence there shows a nascent connection to one’s inner development of personal power that will be the key to transformation.  It’s no surprise that Schwarzenegger sought public office in order to achieve this power in an external manner, but it’s the inner power that is required here.

A distressed Leo often requires constant stroking of the ego (we saw this same dynamic with Bill Clinton), and it’s not unusual for this need to lead to infidelities.  Maria Shriver’s friends report that she complained for many years about Schwarzenegger’s “roving eye” and had been planning to leave him before both her parents died over the past few years.  But with the family-oriented sign of Cancer rising, and with his Venus in Cancer, Schwarzenegger likely feels a deep connection to his family and a desire to keep his family intact; however, like many marriages, that need and the need for fame and power cannot always be resolved.

Maria Shriver’s chart shows a Scorpio Sun in the sixth house of service and work; in fact, she has five planets in the sixth house revealing her deep commitment to helping others.  With Taurus rising she avoids change wherever possible and prefers stability and financial security to a more transitory life.  When Schwarzenegger was governor she rarely spent time in Sacramento with him but instead stayed in their home in Los Angeles.

Shriver’s Moon is in Leo, so there is a part of her that also needs the attention that Schwarzenegger seeks so easily.  Her Moon conjoins his Pluto which generally shows an intense and powerful connection, although the Pluto person (in this case Schwarzenegger) often overpowers the Moon person who can feel left behind.  His Saturn also conjoins her Moon which can feel confining but also protective.  This is an important significator for marriage and commitment.  The linkages between their charts is less powerful for him than for her which has likely made it easier for him to minimize the marriage if in fact that is what occurred.

Shriver’s progressed Midheaven is preparing to move into Aries – the beginning of a new 30-year cycle that will inspire a powerful motivation to find her own way in the world and develop a career in which she can play a leading role.  Last year’s Chiron/Neptune conjunction transited her ascendant between May of 2009 and November of 2010 – a cycle which likely caused her to re-examine who she is and how she wanted to express her life.

The planet Uranus is at work here as well, forming a trine to Uranus in her chart.  Because Uranus is the planet of personal innovation and authenticity, under this influence we strive to bring new experiences into our lives that will help us to feel truly free.

The breakup is signified in Schwarzenegger’s chart by a challenging square of Uranus to his Moon.  The Moon represents emotional security, but also the women in our lives and this cycle reflects the abrupt change in his living situation.  It’s not uncommon for a man to be surprised when a woman leaves, even though she may have been dropping warning signals for years and the timing of this  Uranus cycle suggests that this may have been the case.

In any event I know we wish them all the best as they strive, like all of us, to find peace and happiness in a changing world.

 

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The astrology of the Royal Wedding

April 29, 2011 By

Royal Wedding astrologyI confess I’m not that interested in the Royal Wedding that occurs today. I wasn’t that interested in Charles and Diana’s wedding either, even though that wedding had much more of the pomp and circumstance that we associate with royalty than the more modern wedding of William and Kate.

But then I read my friend Kathryn’s analysis and the whole situation became much more interesting.  Some of the interesting facts about the royal wedding according to Kathryn:

  • The wedding date occurs on the eve of the Beltane festival, also called the Festival of Unification.
  • The ascendant for the chart of the Coronation of William in 1066, the birth of England, is at 21.57 Aries. At the time of the wedding, Jupiter (“planet of Faith and Kings” ) will be at 21.56 Aries and will cross the ascendant of the 1066 chart just after the ceremony.
  • Mars (the defender) conjoins Jupiter (the Faith) at 21 degrees Aries on the wedding day.

Kathryn’s post predicts that because of the Mars/Jupiter conjunction you will see “lots of people wearing red or shades of it” (red is the color of Mars).  Sure enough, William will wear his red army uniform to the wedding.

With Jupiter sitting right on the Midheaven of his chart, Prince William was born to the throne, but Neptune on his ascendant makes it more difficult for him to know who he really is.  (Chart of Prince Williams here.)This makes him more malleable and easy to manipulate, which in some ways may be a desirable attribute for a royal character who is really a figurehead for the country.  He’s extremely sensitive, with the Sun conjunct Moon in emotional Cancer, and was very connected to his mother, the Princess Diana.

The exact conjunction of Venus to Chiron in his chart suggests that relationships are painful for him, and it’s well known that Kate Middleton was not his first choice of a bride.  His heart was broken several times before he came to this decision, and the fact that the decision to marry came during his Saturn Return is, in my mind, problematic.

The Saturn Return occurs around age 28-30 when Saturn returns to its place in the birthchart.  These can be challenging times when we are forced to make choices to grow up rather than continue to pursue childish things.  There is a tendency for Saturn Return marriages to fail because so often the decision is made solely for the reason of taking that step into adulthood, rather than for the emotional connection that sustains a marriage.

Prince Williams Mars conjoins his Saturn and is being affected by his Saturn return as well.  Mars represents our drive and our desires, and when Saturn is present there can be some inhibition of our ability to seek our own path.  The fact that both Mars and Saturn are in Libra indicates a need to please others and to put one’s own needs aside for the sake of harmony.

Kate Middleton (see Astrotheme chart here with an unverified birth time) has the Sun in Capricorn which is perfect for taking on the responsibilities of the royal family, but it lies opposite her sensitive Cancer Moon.  This is the Full Moon aspect that suggests difficulty balancing one’s emotions.   Both ends of this opposition are squared by Saturn, and so Kate is undergoing a long-term transit of Saturn which encompasses her Sun, Moon and also her natal Saturn.  There is a great deal of glamour in a royal wedding, but also a great deal of responsibilities to come.

The new planet Eris sits right on the ascendant of this chart, and we don’t know enough about how Eris works to be able to make predictions based on this.  But because Eris is the planet of discord and change, it appears likely that Kate will be shaking up the establishment in some way.

With both having Moon in Cancer, Kate and William share a deep emotional connection that will hopefully be able to overcome the fact that there are not many points of contact between their charts.  Those points of contact create emotional connections between two people that we don’t see here, and the composite chart (the chart of the couple) shows Aquarius is rising and Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, sits right on the Midheaven of the composite chart.  Uranus and Aquarius are about social change and the good of the collective, but rather impersonal.

With a Cancer Moon in the fifth house of the composite chart, children are likely, but an exact square between the Sun and Moon suggests a lack of emotional connection that will eventually drive the two apart.  Mars also squares the Moon exactly, suggesting anger and resentment, and opposes the Sun which would encourage long periods of separation and conflict.

All in all this is not the astrology of an ideal marriage, but royal marriages are rarely for the purpose of emotional harmony and personal growth.  It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

 

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Saturn Rx in Libra: Facebook relationship news

February 22, 2011 By

facebook astrology

In Libra, Saturn likes to codify relationships.  Saturn after all is the planet of structure and form, and Libra is the sign of relationships and connections. Saturn turned retrograde a few weeks ago, so it is now appearing to move backwards from our point of view here on Planet Earth, turning our attention back to areas of life that need tweaking and realignment so that they can be most effective.

So it’s not surprising that Facebook took this opportunity to adjust its definition of relationships, adding  ”civil unions” to the list of relationship status options.

And for those seeking relationships, a new app makes it easier to pounce on the newly single.  Meet the Breakup Notifier, your new friend in the dating world, which will tell you when your chosen crush breaks up with their significant other.

Wherever Saturn travels, he demands that we face the reality of the world in which we live, and in the sign of Libra he creates challenges for relationships, but also urges commitment and defined alliances.  It’s comforting to know that Facebook is our ally on the path to relationship success!

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The astrology of the Tony Parker/Eva Longoria split

November 21, 2010 By
longoria-parker.jpgJust one day after both parties denied split rumors last week, actress Eva Longoria has filed for divorce from basketball star Tony Parker after three years of marriage.  Ms. Longoria found hundreds of text messages on her husband’s phone from the wife of another NBA player.

The Longoria/Parker relationship is a great example of how unhelpful Sun Sign compatibility is when it is considered as the most important factor in a relationship.  Longoria’s Pisces Sun is in a nearly exact sextile, an extremely harmonious aspect, to Parker’s Taurus Sun, suggesting a high degree of compatibility between them.  But people are complex, and these two are no exception.

In Eva Longoria’s astrological chart her Pisces Sun conjoins Jupiter, the traditional ruler of Pisces and the planet of good fortune and optimism.  She definitely has a sensitive side, but she has a strong and forceful personality with her Aries (the warrior) Moon and Venus and Mars, planet of aggression, in a challenging aspect to Uranus, planet of radical behavior.  Her chart shows that she is very like the fiery character she plays on the Desperate Housewives program – a powerhouse of energy with a sweet and sensitive side.

Tony Parker’s chart is also sensitive with his Moon in the dreamy and empathic sign of Pisces, but he lacks the fire that Longoria’s chart reveals.  His Mars is in Libra, demonstrating a drive (Mars) to please others and find harmony in relationships (Libra), and while his Venus is in that fiery sign Aries, suggesting that in his relationships (Venus) he needs to be the one in charge (Aries), Saturn opposes Venus which can create a great deal of self-doubt and hesitation.  I suspect that over the course of their relationship he became overwhelmed by her assertive personality and his own insecurities took control.

Both of them are wounded people as indicated by the tight aspects of Chiron, the wounded healer, in their charts.  Longoria has Chiron conjunct her Moon and Venus, which reveals a wound (Chiron) to her sense of beauty (Venus) and security (Moon).  Longoria has openly discussed her background of poverty and the fact that in her family she was considered the ugly one, and called the “ugly duckling.”

Parker’s Chiron conjoins his Sun, affecting his self-image and ability to know who he is.  Over the past couple of years transiting Chiron in the sky has been moving back and forth over a challenging square to Chiron in his own chart, and Chiron is virtually stationary right now in a square to his natal Sun, an aspect which is in effect from October to December of 2010.  All of his inner insecurities have likely been coming to the surface during this period. (Please note that astrological explanations do not excuse bad behavior; but it is helpful to understand the motivating factors behind the actions of individuals.)

There are some difficult interaspects between their charts that create challenges between them, most notably the opposition of Pluto in Parker’s chart to the sensitive Moon/Venus/Chiron combination in Longoria’s chart.  Pluto is a powerhouse of intensity and often suggests danger and the death of something, and this is a challenging dynamic in the chart of any two people.  It also appeared that it may have been difficult for them to really get to know each other, since the Neptune (confusion/illusion) of each of them is in a challenging square to the Sun (self) of the other.

Many of my clients who have been married for long periods of time have challenging dynamics like this in their chart, but it does require a great deal of commitment and work to manage these relationships.  Parker has not yet gone through his Saturn Return, the period of our lives at age 28-30 when we really begin to grow up and mature.

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Saturn in Libra: Testing the boundaries of marriage

October 17, 2010 By

Sister WivesSaturn as we know presides over structures that we create in our world and in our society, such as the institutions of government and marriage, which is a formalized relationship that is sanctioned by the State.  Libra is the sign of relationships between things, ideas, and people.  So when Saturn travels through Libra, the limits (Saturn) of relationships (Libra) are tested.

My generation has Saturn in Libra, and we were the first generation to question the need for marriage – much to the consternation of our parents, the Pluto in Cancer generation who saw their biggest fear come to pass:  the virtual destruction (Pluto) of the nuclear family (Cancer).  Saturn entered Libra in late 1950, a time of post-war prosperity and low divorce rates.  The solid commitments exemplified of the Ozzie and Harriet-type nuclear family became the American Dream: a happy family living in their own homes, enjoying a life of safety and security within the confines of the eternal commitment of marriage.

Saturn entered Libra this time around back in the fall of 2009, and we have seen a resurgence of the discussion over who has the right (Saturn) to wed (Libra).  Gay people?  Polygamists?

A new reality series called “Sister Wives” is bringing the practice of polygamy by fundamentalist Mormons into the light of day, and Utah police have begun investigations into the lives of the Browns, a family practicing polygamy under the auspices of the Apostolic United Brethren, the largest polygamous group in Utah that has worked hard to separate itself and its image from the FLDS, the group headed by Warren Jeffs and depicted in the television series “Big Love.”

Kody Brown believes that his family has not broken any polygamy laws because only one of this marriages are legal; the others were performed through commitment ceremonies, but regardless of whether the state of Utah finds grounds to arrest the family members, there is no doubt that this television show is creating discussion on what does constitute marriage, and who can marry.

It’s interesting to me that when the topic of gay marriage was first raised it was said that if gays were allowed to marry, polygamists would be next.  It appears this horse has left the barn, and under Saturn in Libra (through 2012) we will likely see continued discussion.

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Venus prepares to retrograde, 2010

September 25, 2010 By

Venus will turn retrograde on October 9th and is at a virtual standstill now as it prepares to change direction.

Don’t believe all of the negative hype you read about Venus turning retrograde; as planets go Venus is generally a beneficial one.  But when retrograde, Venus forces us to look into our past and see where changes need to be made in current relationships and sometimes urges us to look into past situations that we thought were long gone.

From an article I wrote after the last retrograde period:

The Venus retrograde period (March 5 to April 17 2009) was greeted with great trepidation by some astrologers and the readers who follow them. Venus is generally known as a beneficial planet, but when retrograde she can challenge our relationships and force us to look below the surface at what motivates us in our interactions with others.
There was a large number of mass murders (eight?) during the Venus Rx period, and most of those were connected to disappointment and resentment of family members and spouses. Fortunately, it’s a very small number of people who experienced the self-examination of the Venus Rx period in this manner, but many people wrote to me of their experiences dealing with friends and loved ones.
I was not exempt from this process, and much of my Venus Rx experience was facilitated by Facebook which I joined after much resistance (I already spend way too much time online!!). But through Facebook I found a couple of old friends who I had just lost touch with because we never found each other and as it happened, both of them made visits to where I live during the Venus Rx period so we were able to reconnect.

There were some challenging moments, such as the time I asked one friend why she had broken up with me 15 years ago (we had since made up, but never addressed the cause of the breakup). I wasn’t very happy with the answer (Chiron was also squaring my Venus at the time) and it caused me some distress as I vacillated between anger (how could she misread me so badly?) and shame (how could I have hurt her feelings so carelessly?).   But in the end a resolution occurred that has already improved our connection. …

We would like to think relationships are meant to be easy, but the relationships with people that are truly our soulmates are designed to aid us in our personal growth. Sometimes this is fabulous and thrilling, and sometimes it’s painful and exposes parts of our selves we would just as soon ignore. This, to me, is what the Venus retrograde period is all about.

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