Saturn Season Astrology

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Category: Aspects

  • WTF is a Stellium in an Astrology Chart

    WTF is a Stellium in an Astrology Chart

    The idea for this entry came to me when I answered someone’s question on reddit about a stellium in their astrology chart. The question of “What is a stellium?”/“Do I have a stellium in my chart?”/“Tell me about my stellium!” seems to get asked a lot. Whether I’m being asked about this directly when reading a client’s chart, or if I just notice people asking these questions on forums (like reddit) as I creep in the shadows and answer questions (hahahaha!), it seems like everyone has questions about WTF is a stellium even is in the first place. But….astrologers can’t really seem to come to a consensus as to what exactly constitutes one. This is probably because there are many different ways to read a chart (and many different schools of astrological thought to practice from). Over 30 years of being a student of the discipline and 7 years of being a professional astrologer have caused me to come up with my own “guidelines” for reading a stellium in an astrology chart, and “rules” for deciding what constitutes a stellium in the first place. But before we get to all that, first a bit of pertinent information:

    WTF is a stellium, anyway? It is a massive group of planetary/celestial body energy (either 3 or more OR 4 or more) in an astrology chart in one location (such as having 4 planets in the 11th House). All of the planets might be in one house or sign, or the planets may cross over into two signs and/or two houses. Depending on the astrologer that you’re talking to/listening to/reading their work, some won’t count a bunch of planets/celestial bodies as a stellium if all the planets aren’t in the same sign and/or house.

    Side note: Have a stellium in your chart and want to know WTF it means? Or would you like some other kind of astrology reading? Get a reading from me here! Also, if you are more of a watcher than a reader, video incoming below:

    And with all that said, let’s begin with my guidelines for what counts as a stellium in an astrology chart:

    1. If there are only 3 planets in conjunction with one another, and two of those planets are the Sun and Mercury, I wouldn’t consider it a stellium. Reason for this being that the Sun and Mercury are usually quite close together anyway (Mercury’s maximum distance from the Sun is 28°). If the Sun and Mercury are two of the planets in a stellium, I would want to see 4 planets clustered together.
    *Example 1: The Sun @ 3° Virgo, Mercury @ 5° Virgo , Mars @ 6° Virgo, and Saturn @ 8° Virgo WOULD be a stellium.
    *Example 2: The Sun @ 3° Virgo, Mars @ 6° Virgo, and Saturn @ 8° Virgo WOULD be a stellium.
    *Example 3: The Sun @ 3° Virgo, Mercury @ 5° Virgo , and Mars @ 6° Virgo WOULD NOT be a stellium.
    (^^^ It’s still really important in the chart, though, since it is a triple conjunction.)

    2. When I look at stelliums, personally they don’t all have to be within a 10 degree orb in total, but each planet has to be within 5-degrees of the next one in line (for the Sun and the Moon, I will sometimes widen the orb to 7°). For instance: Venus @ 3° 33′ Sagittarius, Jupiter @ 8° 12′ Sagittarius, and the Sun @ 15° 04′ Sagittarius. Even though Venus and the Sun are out of the 10 degree orb, they are linked by Jupiter in the middle. 

    3. Sometimes I will consider the North Node as part of a stellium if it falls somewhere in the middle of the stellium/all the planetary energy. If it falls as either the first or last planet in the stellium, then I usually don’t count it as part of it. Though that also really depends on the whole chart. I would definitely need to see 3 other planets with the North Node involved to count it as a stellium.
    *Really, in the case of the nodal axis I would be MUCH more focused on why (from an evolutionary standpoint) this person came into this incarnation lacking familiarity with so much planetary energy. That’s a whole other animal, though.

    4. Some people don’t like to count the major angles as part of a stellium situation. Really, for me, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I will ALWAYS count an angle in a stellium if the planetary ruler of the angle is involved in said stellium. I don’t believe that they should be disregarded here. If I was counting a major angle as part of a stellium, I would want to see 3 planets around it forming a stellium.

    5. Some astrologers feel that in order for something to be a stellium, all the planetary/celestial energy has to fall in one house of the natal chart, or in one sign. Some are okay with the energy falling in different signs as long as they all fall in the same house. Some are okay with the energy falling in different houses as long as they all fall in the same sign. And some, like yours truly, are okay with the possibility of a stellium straddling different houses and/or different signs. We are such complex beings that it seems like it would shortchange the person on the quest to better understand themselves to not consider something a stellium just because the planetary energy straddles two houses and/or two signs.
    *The stellium will be strongest if it happens to take place in the same sign and house. The stellium is weakened when it happens to straddle two signs and/or two houses.

    6. The best way that I have found to read a stellium in a natal chart is to first start by reading them as a series of conjunctions within the AREAS OF LIFE (house) that they play out and HOW in the manner of the sign that they fall. If the luminaries (the Sun and/or the Moon) are part of the stellium, I would start with one of those first and the planets that they conjunct. If neither of the luminaries exist, I would then look for the tightest conjunction between two planets and start there. Once you have a firm grasp on the energies that the series of conjunctions bring to the table, you can then merge those different planetary conjunctions together to give you a good idea of what the stellium in question might mean for the person.

    7. The generational planets (and slightly slower moving planets like Saturn) can be involved in a stellium, but a clusterfuck of generational/slower moving planets (like Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn all on top of each other in 1989) are not a stellium. THIS is called a SUPER-CONJUNCTION (or triple conjunction) and is not the same as a stellium. The reason it is not the same thing as a stellium is because these planets are slower moving so many people born under a certain generational super-conjunction will come under this super-conjunction influence.

    8. Since stelliums are such a massive amount of energy in one house, sometimes all that energy can be confusing and can cause some issues within the chart holder. If there are any issues to work out, one of the best ways to work them out (if possible) is to channel that energy into the opposite house (which generally gets neglected somewhat in this situation since the stellium puts so much focus on the house it is in). The only time this wouldn’t be applicable is if there is a stellium in the polar house as well (such as having stelliums in the 3rd and the 9th houses), or just having multiple planets in the polar/opposite house. 

    Disclaimer: I am not saying that I am unequivocally right here, these guidelines just work for me (and have for a very long time), and I figured that if they work and resonate for me then they might work and resonate with someone else as well. That’s the only reason I figured I’d throw my hat in the “WTF is a stellium” ring here. It really all boils down to how someone feels about a particular chart while they’re reading it. No right or wrong answer here 🙂

  • WTF is Declination in Astrology??

    WTF is Declination in Astrology??

    Recently, declinations in astrology have come up a WHOLE bunch in different places in my professional life (questions from clients, podcast interviews/conversations, etc.); you name it, it’s probably come up there. So….WTF is Declination in astrology, anyway?! Declinations are the movements of the planets North and South of the celestial equator. The regular natal chart wheel that we are used to seeing measures longitude (2D) along the ecliptic while Declinations measure the planets latitude North and South of the celestial equator (which brings it into 3D). Declinations are another way of seeing where a planet is in space, and where the planet is relative to other planets. Here is a picture to illustrate what I’m talking about:

    First! A few basic things!
    Question: How do you find the declinations of the planets in an astrology chart?
    Answer: You have to pull the table that lists the declinations! To do that (on free software), go to astro.com and enter your chart info/create your account. Assuming you have already done this, pull the chart wheel up. On this page you will see something that says “PDF” towards the top – click on it. Then you will see something that says “PDF Additional Tables” – click on it. The next page will say “planet positions;” go to the last column and you will see “Declinations.”
    **And if you would ever like to have me read for you (declinations or otherwise),
    you can get a reading from me by clicking here.
    Question: What can I do with declination? Why do I want this in my astrological toy box?
    Answer: You are able to see aspects and things in declination that add another layer/dynamic to chart weaving/reading. The kinds of things that I’m talking about are the parallel and contra-parallel aspects, and planets out of bounds (OOB).
    **The northern declination signs are Aries through Virgo. The southern declination signs are Libra through Pisces. Planets are at their highest northern declination in the signs of Gemini & Cancer. Planets are at their highest southern declination in the signs of Sagittarius & Capricorn. The higher the planet’s declination (north or south) the more likely the planet is go out of bounds.

    You can have planets that are in a parallel aspect and contra-parallel aspect. The parallel aspect functions like a conjunction. Planets that are in a parallel aspect will both be North or both be South. For instance, someone with a planet that has a declination 14° N 21′ and another planet with a declination of 14° N 05′ would say those two planets are parallel. The contra-parallel aspect, on the other hand, functions like an opposition. Planets that are contra-parallel will have one planet north and one planet south. For instance, if someone has a planet at 14° N 21′ and another planet at 14° S 05′, those two planets would be contra-parallel.
    ***When planets in a chart are BOTH conjunct AND parallel, that makes this particular aspect REALLY STRONG in a chart (a “double whammy” if you will). Same thing can be said about planets that are BOTH in opposition and contra-parallel.

    Table of declination and longitude from astrogold
    Table of longitude and declination of the planets from astrogold

    In the table above, you will see that I have the declination of the Sun and Mercury circled in red, and a pinkish/purple line going from the declination of the Moon to the declination of Chiron. Both of these are examples of parallel aspects. Because the Sun and Mercury are conjunct one another via longitude (what we are used to seeing when we look at the degrees of the planets), the parallel aspect STRENGTHENS and EMPHASIZES this conjunction. The Moon and Chiron are NOT conjunct one another via longitude, but when looking at declination they ARE parallel. This means that they are more blended together (or fucking each other) like a conjunction than they might initially appear (and should probably be read that way, even as undercurrent). Essentially there is a high likelihood that this person may carry the same flavor with them that Moon conjunct Chiron (via longitude) people carry.
    **It’s not circled or whatever, but Venus’ declination is contra-parallel the declinations of the Moon and Chiron. This person has their natal Venus and Moon opposite one another via degrees of longitude which is STRENGTHENED and EMPHASIZED by the contra-parallel aspect in declination. The declinations also bring Chiron into the equation in a way that wouldn’t be seen without looking at the declinations.

    Declination is where and when out of bounds (OOB) planets come into play. Any planet is considered OOB that has a declination of more than 23°26’28” North or South. The reason for that is the Sun’s maximum declination is 23°26’28″…meaning that any planet OOB is not under domain of the Sun and can give it the middle finger. The person above has both Mars and Jupiter OOB. Without going TOO much into things about this person, they can really DO whatever they want with that Jupiter + Mars conjunction in Capricorn since those planets can function in whatever way they want. This has both been used to their benefit and to their detriment at different times in their life.
    **It’s really important that when a planet is OOB that the person taps into the highest possible expression of the planetary energy of the planet (in whatever sign it happens to be in). Because the planet can function basically however the hell it wants to function, if it’s functioning at a lower vibrational expression the planet can do a lot of damage. OOB planets very much feel like the quote “with great power comes great responsiblity.” Wield it wisely.

    Have any planets parallel, contra-parallel and/or OOB in your own chart? Leave your thoughts on them in the comments if you’d like. I’d love to read what anyone comes up with 💜. Also, if you’re more of a watcher than a reader, here is a video I did on declination:

  • WTF is Horary Astrology (and how to use it for yes/no questions)?

    WTF is Horary Astrology (and how to use it for yes/no questions)?

    Recently I’ve seen an uptick in horary questions on the Let’s Fuck with Astrology subreddit (which is awesome – I’m glad that so many people seem to be curious about this!). For those unfamiliar with what horary astrology is here is a definition from Wikipedia (it’s less “wordy” than anything I tried to type up myself hahaha):

    “Horary Astrology is an ancient branch of horoscopic astrology in which an astrologer attempts to answer a question by constructing a horoscope.”

    So, essentially, what you do is you ask a question such as “will I get into university?” (or whatever) and then you cast the chart for the date, time, and location that the question was asked/came to your mind. The chart can, hopefully, answer the question in a direct yes or no way. One of the best ways to use horary astrology is for direct “yes” or “no” questions. If a client has a question like “will I get into university A or university B?” – questions where there is more than one “yes” or “no” thing to be answered in the question – I will break the question down to ONE thing. Even though they are asking about two different universities I will focus on university A (or university B) when casting the chart.
    **Another way to use horary astrology is when you’re looking for something that you’ve lost. That will be talked about in a different post**

    Real Quick! For those of you who would rather watch stuff than read stuff, video incoming below:

    In order to do horary astrology, you have to know WHAT houses to look at in a horary chart. For a question like the one above (“will I get into university?”), you would be looking at the Ascendant (which represents the querant) and the 9thHouse (which is the house where university and higher learning falls). It’s also important that you understand planetary rulerships, too. For this reason, below you will find a list of all of the houses (and the WHERE/areas of life under their domain)

    *First House – sense of self, knee jerk reactions to the world, the vibe of the person
    *Second House – resources/money, values/self-value, security, stability, survival, where we are comfortable (or not!)
    *Third House – communication, basic learning (school), thinking, area that is local to you, logic & reason
    *Fourth House – home, family, private spheres of life, the deeply conscious
    *Fifth House – creative self-expression, risk taking (or not), leisure/hobbies, lighter side of sex and dating, where we create (this can include children)
    *Sixth House – work/work environment, daily routines/habits, health of the body & mind, real world, unequal relationships
    *Seventh House – relationships/partnerships of ALL varieties, legal contracts, balance (or lack thereof)
    *Eighth House – other people’s money/resources/values (or those that are shared), deep soul merging between two people, insecurity, instability, discomfort, inheritance (tangible & intangible), the bridge between the conscious & unconscious
    *Ninth House – understanding & assimilating information, higher learning (university, etc.), areas that are NOT local, abstract thinking, beliefs of all kinds
    *Tenth House – public spheres of life, career, reputation, goals & ambitions (or lack thereof)
    *Eleventh House – long term goals, hopes & wishes, influence, (career) legacy, what we share with other people, friends/groups/social & humanitarian causes
    *Twelfth House – health of the mind & spirit, release (what this house wants most of all), the unconscious/unseen, imprisonment (of all kinds), escape, spirituality
    **This above is in no means a complete list, lol, but it gives you an idea for the purposes of this blog post**

    You also need to have a firm grasp on basic planetary rulership to do horary astrology. They are as follows:
    *Aries is ruled by Mars
    *Taurus is ruled by Venus
    *Gemini is ruled by Mercury
    *Cancer is ruled by the Moon
    *Leo is ruled by the Sun
    *Virgo is ruled by Mercury
    *Libra is ruled by Venus
    *Scorpio is ruled by Mars (traditional) & Pluto (modern)
    *Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter
    *Capricorn is ruled by Saturn
    *Aquarius is ruled by Saturn (traditional) & Uranus (modern)
    *Pisces is ruled by Jupiter (traditional) & Neptune (modern)
    **Specifically in horary, I’d focus more on traditional than modern rulership (since the traditional ruling planets move faster than the modern ones)**

    ….and just throwing this out there: if you want to REALLY learn the language of astrology (for horary astrology purposes, general astrology purposes, etc.), check out The Star Cards! Also, if you ever want me to read for you (a horary question, a regular astrology chart reading, whatever), you can get a reading from me by clicking on this text.

    Some simple guidelines that I follow when I do horary astrology for clients and friends:
    (this is not a complete list AT ALL 🤣 but it’s pretty good and gets the highlights across)

    • Focus on the Ascendant (the querant) and the planetary ruler of the Ascendant. The other part of the equation is the house with which the question deals. If you’re asking about money, you would probably look at the 2nd House (and planetary ruler(s)). Asking about marriage? You would look at the 7th House (and planetary ruler(s)). Focus on looking for an aspect between these two planets.
      -If there are two rulers of one (or both!) of the houses that you’re considering with your question, focus on traditional rulership first. If there is no aspect made between the traditional rulership planets, then I would extend that to look at modern rulership (should that exist).
    • Planets applying in a trine or a sextile are thought of as a “yes.” Planets applying in a square or opposition are thought of as a “no.” Planets applying in a conjunction could be a “yes” or a “no” (though, generally speaking, I find them to be a “yes” more often than not).
      -While the quincunx isn’t a major aspect, I think of planets applying in a quincunx as EITHER adjustments need to be made OR “ask again later.”
    • Aspects between planets only matter when they are applying. An aspect can be considered applying anywhere from 0° to 29° of a sign. Orbs don’t matter as much in horary. For instance, in horary astrology Venus at 3° Sagittarius can be considered applying in a trine with Mars at 26° Aries. Another example is Mars at 17° Sagittarius and Venus at 21° Aries. Since Venus is the faster moving planet
    • If the Moon is void of course, I won’t fuck with it (lol). When the Moon is void of course things don’t always go “as planned.” The energy can be “off,” and things might not make as much sense. It can also translate as there won’t be much that comes of the question, or it might not really matter. I tend to think of the Moon void of course in a horary chart as a magic 8 ball saying “ask again later.” 
    • The Moon is always co-ruler in a horary chart. The Moon can be used to reinforce (or not!) the answer that you get from looking at aspects between the planets in question. For instance, the Moon making an applying trine to the ruler of the 9th House (from the example question of getting into university), that would back up a “yes” answer that was already seen via the rulers of the Ascendant and 9th House making a harmonious/”yes” aspect.
    • Finding Pluto and/or Mars in the 1st House will back up an already found “no” answer. Finding Venus and/or Jupiter in the 1st House can back up an already found “yes” answer. Finding these planets in the 1st House very rarely gives the “yes” or “no” answer in total.
    • Retrograde planets don’t automatically mean a “no” answer. I only bring this up because I’ve seen it different places that when you have a retrograde chart ruler/planetary ruler of the Ascendant (or whatever), it means that the answer is a “no.” I haven’t found this to be the case. I have found, however, that retrograde planets ruling one of the important houses in a horary chart can point towards a “yes” or a “no” answer to take a little longer to play out in real life.
    • Planets that are “domicile” or “exalted” are strengthened while planets that are in “detriment” or “falls” tend to be weakened. I tend to look at this in horary as “strengthening” or “weakening” the “yes,” “no,” or “ask again later” quality of the answer that comes up.

    This is one of the MOST important things (and will greatly “simplify” how you find an answer): Go into the reading with a strategy in mind. In the example question “will I get into university” (chart pictured below), I am the Ascendant (and planetary ruler of the Ascendant) since I’m asking the question. The 9th House (and planetary ruler) represent the university part of the question. I am going into this reading looking for aspects between the planetary ruler of the Ascendant and the planetary ruler of the 9th House. 

    Horary Chart Question

    In the chart above, you will see that I (the querent) am the Capricorn Ascendant with Saturn at 27° Pisces in the 3rd House. The 9th House (university) is in Virgo and its planetary ruler is Mercury at 0° Scorpio in the 10th House. The Moon (co-ruler of the chart) is at 8° Aries in the 3rd House. Mercury (the faster moving planet out of Mercury and Saturn) is making an applying trine with Saturn. The applying trine between the two planets would indicate to me that the answer to this question is a “yes.” Because Saturn is retrograde, it could indicate that it might take a little longer for me to get into university (or something like that), or for this to play out in real life.

    There are a couple of other things to mention with horary:

    • If you are doing horary astrology on behalf of someone else, you want to use the time, date, and location of where YOU (the reader) were when you first understood a question was being asked.
    • Some astrologers feel like if you are running a horary chart for someone else, that the “someone else” asking the question should be represented by the Descendant (since the 7th House is the house that deals with the concept of “the other”…among other things). I personally DON’T subscribe to this way of doing horary astrology (it’s totally fine if it’s your jam to do this and it works for you – not knocking it 🤣). The way I think of it is if the question didn’t initially come organically from me and my mind, then the other person asking the question is still the querent meaning they should still be represented by the Ascendant and the 1st House planetary ruler/chart ruler. The other person is still the one ASKING the question, I’m just the astrologer translating it.
    • This is my personal preference as a practitioner, but I will ask ONE horary question at a time about the same subject. In the example of getting into a university, let’s say there are multiple universities that I’m curious if I will get into. I would ask about university A first. Then a day later (or whatever) I would ask about university B (and so on).

  • INTRODUCING THE STAR CARDS

    Hey Everyone!

    So I haven’t been as active on here lately, but that is because I have been very busy! On top of all the client work I’ve had the past few months (which, by the way, I am so grateful to all of y’all that have hired me), myself and probably one of the dearest friends I’ve ever had, Natalie Mithqal, decided to create something. And without further ado, here are the Star Cards.

    These little beauties can be used to help you learn how to read your own (or anyone’s chart)! They are 45 cards and an over 100 page notebook for study (and you can actually take notes in the damn thing!). Here is a layout of all of the cards (in the proof version) if you want to get a better idea of what is included in full.

    There are 12 Sign cards, 10 Planet cards, 12 House cards, 6 Aspect cards, and 5 “Miscellaneous” cards (the North Node, the South Node, Chiron, Black Moon Lilith, and the Sun/Moon Midpoint). The backs have the glyphs for each thing talked about on the front.

    I am pretty visual person, so having the sign, planet, and house cards all next to one another laid out helps to create the synthesis visually between the different parts of the chart. Start easy first (with just a planet in a house, or just a planet in a sign), and then moving on to more complicated synthesis – such as a planet/house/sign combo. Then moving on to throwing in aspects between the different planet/house/sign combos in your chart. These are just really, really cool. And they FEEL really nice, too! These are very much the kinds of learning tools that both Natalie and myself wish had been around when we started learning this astro language many years ago. And NOW they EXIST!

    That’s just the introduction video to the Star Cards. If you want to see more videos about them, lol, I have them on IG @saturnseasonastrology and @letsfuckwithastrology (Let’s Fuck with Astrology is the joint venture between Natalie and myself). We also have a YouTube channel to check out & subscribe if you want 😊🙃 here is the link:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJcYjT5uheLdqbJwcUSdJ4A

    If you would like to purchase the Star Cards, you can do so below. We do free shipping here in the US (and we are eating the taxes, so you won’t have to pay those). We have two options below for purchase:
    -First option below is for the set of cards and the physical book. This option is $50 USD.
    -The second option below is for the set of cards, but instead of coming with a physical copy of the book, we will email you a PDF copy of the book. This option is $30 USD.
    We also ship internationally, but don’t do free shipping for international orders. You can bet your ass my Capricorn Moon and Saturn Rising will be looking to find you the cheapest shipping option, though!

    Star Cards

    THE MOTHERFUCKING STAR CARDS! (Both the Star Cards and the physical book)

    $50.00

    Star Cards and PDF of the Book

    This is for the full set of the Star Cards, but instead of coming with a physical copy of the book, it comes with a PDF of the book that would be emailed to you.

    $30.00

    If anyone has any other questions about the Star Cards, don’t hesitate to email Natalie and myself at letsfwithastrology@gmail.com (gmail wouldn’t lets us have the email “letsfuckwithastrology”…..assholes, lol). We will have a website for this business venture soon, and when that’s done I will link it here, too. Follow us on IG if you do the IG thing (@letsfuckwithastrology) and join us on reddit at r/letsfuckwithastrology!

  • What the Hell is a Midpoint in Astrology (and how to use them)

    What the Hell is a Midpoint in Astrology (and how to use them)

    Midpoints! A very important astrological concept and one that is not talked about as frequently as they should be. So I am here to talk about them now, hahaha. A midpoint is essentially the equal distance between two planets (or celestial bodies). You can take the midpoint from planets that are aspecting one another in a chart, or planets that don’t aspect one another. Midpoints can be used either way.

    How to actually calculate the midpoints for any planet/celestial body aspect? You can either use a computer generated program, or you can do them by hand. You will need to turn the degrees to the 360 degree zodiac first. The 360 degree zodiac is as follows:
    Aries: 0 to 30 degrees
    Taurus: 30 to 60 degrees.
    Gemini: 60 to 90 degrees.
    Cancer: 90 to 120 degrees
    Leo: 120 to 150 degrees
    Virgo: 150 to 180 degrees
    Libra: 180 to 210 degrees
    Scorpio: 210 to 240 degrees
    Sagittarius: 240 to 270 degrees
    Capricorn: 270 to 300 degrees
    Aquarius: 300 to 330 degrees
    Pisces: 330 to 360 degrees

    So, this is my chart above. I have the Sun and Moon Circled in Yellow. The software I’m using (Astro Gold) is able to pull midpoints, but a lot of them don’t seem to be able to do this. If I wanted to find this midpoint by hand, I would have done this:
    ——–Turn 1 Sagittarius 45 to 241 Sagittarius 45
    ——–Turn 16 Capricorn 03 to 286 Capricorn 03
    Then you add them together (adding the degrees and the minutes separately):
    ——-Degrees: 241 + 286 = 527
    ——-Minutes: 45 + 03 = 48
    Then you divide the degrees & minutes by two:
    ——527/2 = 263.5 which translates to 23 degrees Sagittarius
    ——48/2 = 24 minutes
    Then you add in the .5 + .24 (which is the minutes) and you get .78. Translate this to degrees and it looks like 1.18. Then you add:
    ——23 degrees Sagittarius + 1.18 and you get 24 Sagittarius 18 minutes.
    **Really, you don’t even have to mess with the “minutes” part of all of this and can focus solely on the degrees. If you didn’t mess with the degrees here, you would get 23 Sagittarius 30 as the Sun/Moon Midpoint. It just depends how precise you want to be.**
    ***Sometimes the midpoints don’t come out completely clean like that after dividing by 2. For example, if you have your Sun at 12 degrees 00 Aries and your Moon at 24 Pisces 00, this would change them to 12 Aries 00 and 354 Pisces 00. Added together you get 366, and when diving by 2 you get 183. Now, 183 translates to 3 degrees Libra which is clearly NOT the midpoint between a Sun in Aries and Moon in Pisces. However, look to its opposition on the other end of the Axis, which is 3 degrees Aries….which absolutely IS the midpoint.

    You can literally calculate the midpoint for any planets, whether or not they make an aspect. When calculating them between planets that form no aspect, the midpoint just shows where these two planetary energies meet one another halfway. For example, say your Venus and Jupiter formed no aspect, but you wanted to know where the midpoint was anyway. Finding that midpoint could show a place in our chart where we have the ability to expand (Jupiter) upon our love (Venus)..or any other Venus and Jupiter expressions. Any planets that happen to aspect the midpoint (especially the conjunction) would flavor the midpoint further. For example, say the Venus/Jupiter Midpoint was within 1° of the Moon. This might create a scenario where your emotional core (your Moon) is a vehicle to be able to expand upon the love that the Midpoint between Venus and Jupiter offers.

    I think that Midpoints are most useful when looking at the midpoints not just between random planets, but planets that actually aspect one another. They show the place where the energy between the two planets is “met halfway,” either via frustration (as with the challenging aspects) or harmony (as with the easier aspects). Challenging aspects spur growth, so the midpoint of a challenging aspect (like the square) can show how and where to release the tension from the aspect. On the flip side, harmonious aspects can show where we can become lazy (like with the trine), and the midpoint of the trine might show us how to best battle that should it be an issue for the native.
    —Personally, I think they’re most important when looking at the challenging aspects, the square, the opposition and the quincunx. This midpoint can help to show where and how (by house and sign) to release the tension from the square aspect, making them easier to deal with over all. For the opposition, the midpoint can show how and where we stop going back and forth between the two planets by sign and house. For the quincunx aspect, the midpoint can be the place where the planets actually are able to “see” one another. This is important for the quincunx aspect because the planets in this aspect don’t understand or see one another easily. The Midpoint gives them a way to “see.”

    Some of the most important midpoints in the chart to look at generally are the the Sun/Moon Midpoint and the Ascendant/Midheaven Midpoint. The Sun/Moon Midpoint shows where the masculine & the feminine/the life force & the emotional core come together in our chart and “marry” one another. The Ascendant/Midheaven Midpoint shows where our natural sense of self & the highest and most idealized form of ourselves come together and “marry” one another, and how we are able to reconcile that struggle (and it *usually* is a struggle). As far as the your own individual chart goes, you will want to look at the two midpoints mentioned above, but also pay close attention to the square, opposition and quincunx aspects and their midpoints.

    When trying to figure out what a Midpoint means, think about the energy of the planets in question. For example, with the midpoint between Moon and Pluto, you would be looking at the merging of the emotions (Moon) and intensity (Pluto)…along with other Moon & Pluto expressions. For Mars and Uranus, you would be looking at the merging of one’s drive (Mars) & liberation (Uranus)…along with other Mars & Uranus expressions.

    If you would like me to read midpoints in your chart (or any kind of astrology chart reading), get a reading from me here 🙂 Also, if you are more of a watcher than a reader, head to my YouTube channel where I have a bunch of content.

  • WTF is a Yod in an Astrology Chart (and how to read them)

    Yod, Yod, Yod…..what the fuck is a Yod in astrology? I see this question (though maybe not asked this exact same way, hahaha) posted quite frequently on different forums and even by my own clients. People are always wondering (and with good reason!) what the fuck the Yod in their chart means for them. They’ve been popping up in my own client’s charts more recently, and I figured this was the time to actually do a post on them.
    **Side note –click this if you would like for me to do any kind of chart reading for you 🙂
    **If you are more of a watcher than a reader….video incoming below:

    The Yod (also known as The Finger of God) is an aspect, like the one mentioned in the chart above, where you have two planets sextile (60°) one another with the two sextile planets quincunx/inconjunct (150°) from the same planet (or the apex of the Yod). The sextile planets are in harmony, operating on the same wavelength, while both of those planets are putting stress on the apex of the Yod through the quincunx aspects. While the sextile is harmonious, usually until the Yod is worked through the sextile may operate at the lower end vibrationally (i.e.: exhibiting the least desirable traits of the sextile in question) due to the quincunx stress.

    To understand what a Yod is, I suppose you need to first understand what a quincunx aspect is. The 150° aspect means that you’re (more than likely) dealing with two different sign energies that don’t understand one another. One sign is usually better expressed and understood, while the other one is completely left out. In the case of the Yod, it’s usually the apex planet that is left out (since there will be a harmony felt between the two sextile planets while neglecting the Yod). There is a lack of being able to incorporate the apex planetary energies between not only one other planet + the apex planet, but from two! This will definitely be felt by the apex planet through the sign and house in which it falls, begging to be worked through (and begging not to feel so “separate” from these other planets in the chart). It’s less constant tension like in the case of the square aspect, and more of a constant nagging or longing. It also may feel that you don’t fully have control over anything going on here (thus the Finger of God name comes into play). So, the apex of the Yod needs to feel together with these other two planets, and with the rest of the chart. Depending on what the apex planet is, and where it falls, and all that good stuff will help to shine a light on WHAT that actually is. If Mars is the apex of the Yod, you’re looking at energy dealing with your drive and impulse. If Venus is the apex, you’re looking at energy dealing with love (how you love and need to be loved, along with your values). And that apex planet really is a gift of sorts….energy that your soul really wanted to master this time around and use to your benefit.

    How exactly you work through Yod’s has a lot to do with understanding the apex planet. Really get to know it and how it functions. Understand how you might be leaving it out/how to incorporate it better in your life. Different transits also play a role in understanding the Yod better. Transits to the different parts of the Yod (specifically the apex) are important, especially transits that are in conjunction and opposition to the planets that make up the Yod. A major sort of transit by conjunction that will light up the Yod are outer planet transits to the mid-point between the two sextile planets in this aspect. This midpoint is opposite the apex planet. While the outer planet conjunctions to this midpoint aren’t really that comfortable for the person to go through, they usually do allow for tremendous growth through the challenge. If one should go through this, it may really feel like life has hit a sort of “crisis” point….and this crisis point is wanting that apex planet to be integrated and used properly.

    Since these aspects aren’t super, super common, I have always felt that they have karmic implications to them (especially due to the lack of control or even fated quality about them). How exactly that would come about would depend on what that planet is, the motion of the planet, and everything else going on in the chart.

    **I’d also like to make mention that really, when considering what in the chart creates a Yod, the focus probably should be on planets. I say “probably should be” because there are cases where I will consider something to be a Yod when it traditionally wouldn’t be considered one. For instance, let’s say there is something that looks like a Yod happening with the Midheaven in Aries, Mars in Aquarius and Mercury in Virgo. Traditionally this wouldn’t be considered a Yod but I would count it since Mars is the planetary ruler of the Midheaven in Aries. Another mention should be made that with the traditional definition of a Yod the apex planet is always the fastest moving planet. While I do think the Yod probably has more punch when the Apex planet is the fastest moving planet, I still think it should be looked at as something that may function in a Yod-like way.

  • Lilith (Part II) or: “Mama, they call her a bad girl, all because she wanted to be free.”

    Lilith (Part II) or: “Mama, they call her a bad girl, all because she wanted to be free.”

    Lilith is a common thing to come up in readings (people often have questions about her). Not only that though, but I’m constantly seeing questions about Lilith on the different forums that I creep on & answer questions. “How does she affect my life?” “What does it mean to have Lilith in Libra in the 6th House?” “What does it mean that she’s in conjunction with my Midheaven?” “Does having Lilith in the 8th make me a fucked up bitch?” These are just a few examples of questions that I’ve either received myself or just seen posted different places. I think before you can really understand HOW Lilith affects your life by placement in the natal chart, it is important to not only understand who Lilith was, but also to make sure that you know which Lilith you’re talking about. There are actually four Lilith’s that can be pulled in a chart:

    -Asteroid Lilith – No. 1181
    -Black Moon Lilith (mean) – this is what comes up when you choose the Lilith option on astro.com
    -Black Moon Lilith (true) – h13
    -Dark Moon Lilith/Waldemath’s Moon – h58

    So, if you use Astro.com at all to create charts, Black Moon Lilith (mean) is probably the version of Lilith that you are most familiar with (since it’s the one that comes up when you look for Lilith under “additional objects”). Also, this is the version of Lilith that is commonly used when looking at charts and talking about Lilith. Both Black Moon Lilith’s (mean and true) aren’t actual objects in the sky, but they are the apogee of the Moon’s orbit…meaning this is the place in the Moon’s orbit that is furthest from the Earth. The difference between the mean and true Black Moon Lilith (BML) is mean BLM is taken from an average and the true BML is the actual calculation of the apogee of the Moon’s orbit. This sort of empty-void-hypothetical-point is a place where one can do “good” or do “bad.” They can take Lilith’s intuitive and psychic energy and use to it to connect to “the other side” (and connect that other side to themselves) in a positive way, or in a negative way.

    As far as the story of Lilith goes, supposedly she was created from the earth to be the wife of Adam (at the same time as Adam), before Eve. Adam wanted Lilith to be submissive to him, specifically sexually, and wanted to fuck her with him on top, and only him on top. Lilith wasn’t having any of this bullshit; she wanted the relationship to be more equal in nature and wanted to fuck in various different positions. Adam didn’t like this (and I guess God didn’t like it much, either) because it is said that she either grew some wings and flew away from that paradise prison, or that she was cast out by God for being a disobedient bad girl towards Adam. Her job was to be Adam’s bitch, and she didn’t want to play ball. It is at this point, once she is either cast out of the Garden of Eden or chooses to leave on her own, that she turns to the darker side of things (such as hooking up with and fucking some demons and having demon babies which are then killed, turning into a snake, and actually killing children). Or so the mythology says depending on what version you read. Who really knows? I DO think she gets a bad rep though (she probably doesn’t usually mind this). While I believe her energy absolutely can manifest in more challenging ways in one’s natal chart (such as obsession and the “darker” sides of sex), I also believe that she can represent wild and uninhibited freedom and/or sexuality from oppression. This isn’t a bad thing for a person to embrace, it just depends on how it is embraced. She represents the sort of “nasty woman” energy (or whatever you want to call it) that more patriarchal societies don’t want to see in their countrywomen….and if they actually had their way, would probably try and do away with completely. But that’s another rant for another time.

    *As far as how Black Moon Lilith might express herself, you will find below some ideas about how Black Moon Lilith might express herself in Libra through Pisces (some ideas for Aries through Virgo are in this post). This is will only show the HOW of how she expresses herself through the sign in question. You will also need to look at the house your BML falls in to know WHERE/WHAT AREA OF LIFE she expresses herself through, as well as taking into account any aspects that she makes in your chart.*

    Black Moon Lilith in Libra: BML is all about expressing herself wildly & independently, but in the sign of Libra, there could be some difficulty in merging these qualities with Libra’s need for balance, harmony, and partnerships. These people are very adapt at getting what they want through diplomatic means, but it usually isn’t just for the sake of diplomacy on it’s own and more self-serving (though she is good at hiding this). They can also out-charm just about anyone. In personal relationships, which are important to her here in Libra, sex can be all consuming in both thought and action, which can then make these partnerships feel a little lopsided. Being physically attractive (whatever that is to the person), feeling physically attractive, and presenting yourself a certain way are important to her here….but Lilith has more depth to her than this superficial shit and will eventually rebel against Libra if she isn’t allowed to express herself. Swinging the scales so far into the superficial realms to try and keep Lilith under control will only backfire here. She needs to be able to really express herself, and through partnerships this is extremely important. Acknowledge your darker side and desires, learn to make piece with them (and not just tolerate them), so it doesn’t come busting out, causing a bunch of disharmony and strife. The way that this manifests in her life will depend on the house that Lilith falls in along with aspects that she makes.

    Black Moon Lilith in Scorpio: BML here in Scorpio needs to be able to express her sexuality (which may or may not be of the different and/or “darker” sort of variety, but it is definitely “heavy”), along with being able to transcend, evolve, and have deep emotional experiences. Sex is important to her here, but she will fully embrace this side of herself recognizing that it is just a natural part of who she is. Having intense emotional experiences are also important to Lilith here; she will take things/her feelings to extremes (to the limit) in order to have these intense and deep experiences. What type of experiences she’s driven to have here will be better understood by house placement and any aspects she makes. She will be driven towards the taboo and the intense, though some of the things she gets herself into may not always be the healthiest or safest situations (especially on the more extreme ends of this spectrum). There are also themes of power and control that she wants to transcend beyond, but this may prove difficult. This power and control could have to do with her needing to hold on to her own power tightly, or having power and control over others (especially sexually/in relationships). She may also have the tendency to attract others that operate the same way (which may or may not be a good thing). You will need to learn to let go of some of that need for control. Besides all of that, there is something sort of magical about this placement, with the person having the natural inclination towards “magic” (however you want to think of that). In this placement, it really is a toss up as to how she will use to her powers.

    Black Moon Lilith in Sagittarius: BML in Sagittarius needs to be able to roam, expand her mind, and to explore in a wild and uninhibited way. She also needs to be allowed to BELIEVE in things in the same way (and to have something to believe in). The issue here is WHAT is chosen as a belief here and treated as dogma. This one has the ability to become quite rigid in their personal dogma once they have formulated it, and this could be anything of the philosophical/spiritual/metaphysical variety (and may actively expand on this belief even if it has been flat out disproven). Actually, it could even be the complete absence of any sort of belief in anything that could also be the case here, such as someone who doesn’t believe in the “rule of law” and just goes around breaking the law for shits and giggles (and I bring up the concept of “law” specifically since Sagittarius does naturally rule over this). As far as sex goes, this one wants to have a good time and expand on these carnal delights and probably doesn’t think that too much is “right” or “wrong” in this regard (this one tends not to be repressed sexually, unless their personal dogma goes against sex in some way….which….it usually doesn’t). Really, you can think of her as Dr. Goodtimes, but sometimes these “goodtimes” can be taken to excess, or be a detriment to her and/or other people. Freedom is a big deal with her here in Sagittarius, and the less personal freedom that she feels she has to explore, to expand, and to roam, the more likely the negative traits will come out to play. How she will express herself in Sagittarius will, of course, have a lot to do with everything else going on in the chart.

    Black Moon Lilith in Capricorn: BML in Capricorn really has a firm grasp on her own sense of authority and actually does need this to function well. Some might even use the term “cold hard bitch” to describe this placement, for this one doesn’t play games (she’s not really a cold hard bitch, but she does play one on TV). She’s actually more emotional than she would ever really let on, but somewhere along her life she learns that it’s for the best that you push your emotions to the side in the more public spheres of life. Maybe she was fucked around one too many times in this regard and/or taken advantage of. So she learned to adjust and really lean in to her own sense of personal authority. While this placement can actually go really far in life, this aspect can also become a sort of autocrat wanting absolute dominion over all of her subjects. How she chooses to use this personal authority will depend on the house that she falls in and the aspects that are made. As far as sex goes, what goes on here in this regard could be completely restricted, such as she feels like there are better and more important things to focus on than fucking for fun (or for any reason). It’s this very sexual repression that could swing her in direction of the more autocratic ways of wielding authority. If she isn’t sexually repressed, she’s probably more of a dominant type. Hand Lilith here a whip (or ties, chains, etc)…she’ll easily know what to do.

    Black Moon Lilith in Aquarius: BML in Aquarius has always seemed sort of awkward to me. While she isn’t repressed in regards to her sexuality, she doesn’t tend to do the “feeling” thing as well on a personal level, and can come off as more mechanical in nature. Sex for her may be to specifically try out something new or bizarre, for the sake of the new and the bizarre. Sex is also probably a fluid thing, and since Aquarius is more androgynous by nature, she probably is more likely than some other BML placements to not care as much about the sex/gender of the people she bones. She will probably have some pretty far out and electric hopes and wishes, forcing her to either stay more inside her head and watch them play out, or actually try and bring these to fruition in real life. If she chooses the later path, she can end up being a revolutionary of sorts in her own right. If she ends up down this path, she could end up with people following her lead (even if she didn’t ask to be put in this position). What matters is how she handles all of this, which would be shown by taking the entire chart into consideration. Does she use her electric mind to tap into the collective conscious in a positive way, or in a negative way (something this placement has the ability to do very well, with Aquarius being rather psychic itself and very in-tune with the collective consciousness)? Does the detachment from emotion and fluidity that she may feel sexually help or hinder her cause? Only the rest of the chart can tell.

    Black Moon Lilith in Pisces: BML is Pisces is kind of like the “dream weaver;” she has big dreams and really has the ability to get caught up in these dreams. As long as what she’s dreaming of is of the positive variety, this uninhibited ability to reach for the stars can serve her very well in allowing her to make her own dreams come true. The downside here tends to deal with the unrealistic nature of some of these dreams, and even the ability to con herself and/or con other people, sort of playing the role of “lord of illusions.” She can spin a very good tale for other people if she needs too, and for her to help herself make it through the day. Help making it through the day is another thing that speaks here, since Lilith in Pisces may find the world too hard and ugly to deal with on a day to day basis. This could lead her down a path towards trying to escape this ugliness with proclivities towards addictions (and this could be any sort of addiction, but specifically those of the substance variety). Sex could also end up being a sort of escape for her, but sex for the sake of escape will leave her feeling empty and even more self-sacrificing. She needs to turn all of her intuition (this placement is highly intuitive) towards actually helping others in the physical reality and not just spinning them stories that are nothing more than illusions. She really shines here when she allows herself do this. The different ways that this placement could manifest would, again, depend on house placement and aspects made.

    If you would like for me to read Black Moon Lilith (mean) in your chart, or any of the Liliths (or anything!), you can set up an astrology reading with me 🙂. If you prefer to watch your astrology than read it, incoming video below:

  • What the hell orb should I use? And when? And why?

    What the hell orb should I use? And when? And why?

    **I know this post deviates quite a bit from the out of bounds stuff I was talking about last week. I’m not through there at all, but the topic of orbs has come up many times on the forums that I creep on (and answer questions), and it struck me that this would make a good post.**

    What is an orb exactly you may be asking? An orb is how close together planets are in aspect in a natal chart (or any kind of chart, really). Why are they important? The tighter the orb between two planets, the more that particular energy may manifest in the person’s life. Which ones to look at first? I generally like to look at the orbs between the aspects made by the luminaries and the chart ruler (ruler of the Ascendant) first. An example of an aspect’s orb from my own chart can be found in the pictures below. In the first picture, circled in purple, you can see the conjunction between Pluto and Mercury in Scorpio in the 11th at about a 5 degree or so orb. The second picture is of the different aspects in the chart. You will notice next to the little symbols in the boxes there is also a number. That number is the orb between the aspects.

    In purple: Conjunction between Pluto and Mercury at a 5 degree or so orb in Scorpio in the 11th.
    In Black: You can see where the Pluto and Mercury conjunction appears, with the orb “5”

    Different astrologers have different ways of reading charts and reading the orbs made between planetary aspects. Some use a 10 degree orb across the board, and some use a slightly larger orb or slightly more narrow orb all the time. Some open that orb up somewhat for certain planets and narrow it some for others. I tend not to think anyone is wrong in this regard; it really all comes from personal experience and what just “feels” right to the astrologer. For me personally, it does depend on the feel of the entire chart somewhat, but I do have some “guidelines” that I generally follow. They are as follows (for a Natal Chart):

    No.1 – I tend to go by the 10 degree orb rule for aspects between the planets, luminaries, and Chiron. This has just always felt right to me personally. Every once in a while I *may* open this orb just a touch if the luminaries are involved in some capacity, but then I will only usually open it to 12 degrees. Also, when I open this orb slightly, this part of the chart really needs to be “speaking” to me in someway, for some reason.
    No.2-For aspects made to the North and South Nodes by the planets and Chiron, I really don’t like to go above a 5 or 6 degree orb. This is because the North and South Nodes aren’t even real celestial bodies but hypothetical points.
    No.3– For asteroid aspects, regardless of what the asteroid is making an aspect with, I really like to keep these even tighter, usually in the 3 degree range (though depending on what planetary body is involved, this orb may end up widened to 4 or 5 degrees).
    No.4-For me to count a fixed star aspect, regardless of what the fixed star is making an aspect with, these orbs have to be really fucking tight, like an orb 1 – 1 1/2 degrees (maybe 2 degrees if the connection seems really outstanding due to other factors in the chart). This is because fixed stars don’t move around and are always found in the same location in everyone’s chart. An example is Algol, which is always at 26 Taurus.
    No.5-As far as orbs having to do with a Stellium (and what a Stellium is), I have another post on this for your reading pleasure.

    I also have a few different guidelines for different types of charts, as you will see below:
    **For Transit Charts, I do use the same guidelines for orbs listed above for the Natal Chart, but I use them slightly differently. For planet to planet connections, I use the 5 degrees before the transit planet becomes in exact aspect with the natal planet (ascending), and the 5 degrees after becoming exact (descending). For example, if you have your natal Moon at 20 Libra, transit Pluto would be considered to be in opposition anywhere from 15 to 25 Aries. And with the transits, the more exact the orb, the more the particular transit will be felt (usually).
    **For Synastry Charts, I use the same ascending and descending orb mentioned above, but I really like synastry aspects to be a little tighter. I usually will only go to a 10 degree orb with the luminaries, around 7-8 degrees for the planets and Chiron, with the Nodes, Asteroids, and Fixed Stars remaining the same.
    **For the Composite Chart (midpoint method), I really like to see even tighter aspects (since this chart is based off of the midpoints between both people’s charts). For the luminaries I usually try to keep it an 8 degree orb, and for the planets and Chiron I try to stay around a 5 or 6 degree orb. I like to keep the aspects made to the Nodes at 4 to 5 degrees. With fixed stars, I really want them between a 0 and 1 degree orb, and for asteroids, around 2 degrees is good with me.
    **I tend to keep the aspect’s orbs the same as the Natal Chart ones when reading Draconic Charts…..since it is essentially a type of natal chart itself, just the chart of the soul across all incarnations (in this dimension, in this plane. I won’t go into what I mean about that right now. That’s another post for another day). For even more reading pleasure, here is my post on Draconic Charts.

    Just thought I’d throw my own hat in the ring on this subject. What rules for orbs do you personally go by, and why?

  • Moon/Mercury Contacts of the “Harder” Variety

    A question that I get asked often has to do with mental illnesses/mental differences, and if I’m able to see things like that in the natal chart. The answer to this particular question is yes and no. The natal chart is like a blueprint of possibilities for the person (and the soul) in this lifetime. Just because something “difficult” shows up in one’s natal chart regarding mental illness (or anything, really) doesn’t necessarily mean that the person will ever manifest that particular difficult energy into reality. Though, if the propensity *is* there for mental illness to occur, whether or not it actually occurs depends on a number of factors (such as biology, environment, and nurturing), as well as heavier transits hitting the aspect in question, thus activating it. Since I am specifically talking about mental illnesses & mental differences, certain aspects made between The Moon and Mercury (specifically the square, opposition and conjunction) seem to cause people some issues in the areas of mental health. The specific types of mental health issues that these hard aspects between Mercury and Uranus tend to produce are anxiety (either full blown or just some general nervousness), and moodiness (all the way to the extreme end of the spectrum with intense mood swings). This is a trend that I have noticed time and time again, and I suppose the part of me that finds mental health and psychology fascinating wanted to discuss it 

    **Just for a bit of reference……Mercury is essentially the mind of the natal chart, where we think and learn in a concrete way, and where we communicate. It is traditionally quick and logical. The Moon represents our feelings and our emotions.**
    ***Also, as a disclaimer, I am in no way, shape, or form saying that people automatically have mental issues and differences by default when they have these harder aspects in their natal charts. I’m only saying that the possibility could exist of something like generalized anxiety disorder occurring in their life if one of these aspects is in the natal chart of the person. Just want to make that part really, really clear.***

    Moon/Mercury Conjunction: Out of all the harder aspects in this post, this is usually the easiest for the native to carry. With the Moon and Mercury in conjunction, this causes a natural merging of the mind and the emotions. The typically rational mind may have a more emotional bent to it here, and this can cause some confusion for the person. They may become overly attached to things (especially things having to do with the house where this conjunction falls). There is also usually an above average emotional intelligence that these people possess which helps them to communicate with other people (and to communicate internally with themselves). Mercury tends to be more anxious and nervous by default, and the Moon here feels this, making the person possiby more emotionally and mentally anxious. You may also be more emotionally sensitive as well, for your emotions here are very changable; the Moon is changable anyway, and so is Mercury. This can add to this anxiety you may feel, as well as any anxiety that you feel from being an emotionally sensitive person. Anxiety can also creep into the native’s mind and life when the merging of the two planets causes conflict. There are times to use your emotions and times to use your rational mind (and then times to merge the two), and the key here is figuring out how to pull one or the other out and use them independently. The tighter the conjunction here, the harder this will be to do.

    Moon/Mercury Opposition: With the Moon and Mercury in opposition, this can cause there to be natural tug of war between your emotions and your rational mind. Issues can creep up dealing with how you process and think about your own emotions. There can be an over emotional quality to this aspect, and also an over rationalization (though not usually in tandem, until the native gets a handle on these energies). There will be times that you will be pulled more towards Mercury, and times that you will be pulled more towards the Moon, and it will be be an situational appropriate match. This can also end up happening in the opposite way that it should, such as you should really be operating through Mercury and your rational mind in a certain situation, but the Moon takes over instead, so you operate out of emotion instead. There can also be some general moodiness (to intense mood swings) and changability in thought because both planets want to have their own way here and aren’t operating in harmony. There could also be some issues with how to communicate with people, and when to do this, and what to communicate. This disharmony naturally can cause quite a lot of anxiety in the person and moodiness (even more than with the conjunction). They key to this aspect and tempering the anxiety that comes along with it is finding the balance between The Moon and Mercury, and knowing when to use one or the other (or when to use both at once).

    Moon/Mercury Square: Out of all the harder aspects in this post, this one is by far the most difficult to deal with. The square is constant tension, so with this aspect there is probably a constant tension between the person’s rational mind and their emotions. This can cause the native to be incredibly anxious concerning their own emotions and emotional state and how they process these. Decision making can be incredibly difficult for the person, especially if either the head or the heart needs to be used exclusively for the decision to occur. The person knows that this tension between the two exists (even if it isn’t on a conscious level), and naturally has some difficulty in this area. Communication may not always be as effective, either. This can be communication that the person has internally with themselves, or it can be communication that the person has with other people. They may have difficultly really expressing how they feel and why to other people, and have difficulty understanding their feeling themselves. This tends to rear its head most often in intimate one-on-one relationships/familial relationships, where people are more likely to need to share and communicate their emotions and feelings freely. The mood swings here can be on a much grander scale, as can the anxiety that they may feel. If any of this is prevalent in the life of the person, it is very important that they consciously are aware of when to operate out of one planet or the other. By operating in spite of the tension, they are able to ease a lot of the anxiety and moodiness that may naturally accompany it.

    Links to other posts in this series for your reading pleasure 🙂
    Squares to the Sun
    Mercury/Uranus Hard Aspects
    Mercury/Saturn Hard Aspects

  • Mercury/Saturn Aspects of the “harder” variety

    Questions that I get asked often have to do with mental illnesses/mental differences/learning differences, and if I’m able to see things like that in the natal chart. The answer to this particular question is yes and no. The natal chart is like a blueprint of possibilities for the person (and the soul) in this lifetime. Just because something “difficult” shows up in one’s natal chart regarding mental illness, learning differences, or anything really, doesn’t necessarily mean that the person will ever manifest that particular difficult or different energy into reality. Though, if the propensity *is* there for mental illness or learning differences to occur, whether or not it actually occurs depends on a number of factors (such as biology, environment, and nurturing), as well as heavier transits hitting the aspect in question, thus activating it. Since I am specifically talking about mental illnesses/mental differences/learning differences, certain aspects made between Mercury and Saturn (specifically the square, opposition and conjunction) seem to cause people some issues in the areas of mental health and information processing/learning. The specific types of issues that these hard aspects between Mercury and Saturn tend to produce are being overly critical of oneself, overly restricting the things that one says, possible learning differences dealing with information processing (though these people are usually very smart regardless), and depression/depressive ways of thinking. This is a trend that I have noticed time and time again, and I suppose the part of me that finds mental health and psychology fascinating wanted to discuss it 

    **Just for a bit of reference……Mercury is essentially the mind of the natal chart, where we think and learn in a concrete way, and where we communicate. It is traditionally quick and logical. Saturn tends to represent hard work, perseverance, seriousness, and yes, restriction.
    ***Also, as a disclaimer, I am in no way, shape, or form saying that people automatically have mental issues and learning differences by default when they have these harder aspects in their natal charts. I’m only saying that the possibility could exist of something like depression occurring in their life if one of these aspects is in the natal chart of the person. Just want to make that part really, really clear.***
    ***Also as a disclaimer, I am in no way saying that learning differences are mental illnesses, and I never would. I only lump them together here because these harder Mercury/Saturn aspects can cause either/or; this aspect can indicate the possibility of one or both of these manifesting in the life of the native. To know for sure which (or both) are actually a possibility in someone’s life, you would need to take the whole chart into consideration. ***

    Mercury/Saturn Conjunction: This conjunction blends the energies of Saturn and Mercury together, and depending on how tight the conjunction is, it may be quite hard to discern them from one another (the tighter the conjunction, the harder this will be). Saturn here can cause Mercury (communication and thought) to be more serious, more focused, and possibly more restricted. This restrictive influence could cause one to really censor what they have to say (and sometimes this could be to the native’s benefit, depending on other aspects in the chart). If it isn’t a good thing though, this can make the person extremely cautious about what they say, how they say it, and who they say things to/speak with in general. There can be issues with communicating anything at all, but especially things dealing with the native themselves, and their own emotions (and this will be magnified even more if the Moon is somehow tied to this conjunction/depending on other aspects). Because this aspect causes one to be more serious-minded, it is important that they stay mentally busy and of productive use. Being overly negative in thought and thought patterns is definitely a possibility here if Saturn isn’t kept productive and the mind is allowed to stay idle too long. All of the above can give the mind more of a depressive bent. But unlike the opposition and the square, all of this will feel natural to the native; there is no tug-of-war or tension feeling with the conjunction aspect.

    Mercury/Saturn Opposition: This opposition shows up in people that are incredibly smart, but there may be issues in how you communicate and think about everything that you know and want to share. The ability that you have to censor yourself may not feel as natural here in the sense that there may be a tug-of-war quality about it; there may be times that you know it would be in your best interest to NOT censor yourself, and can see what you need to do to not do this, but there can be issues in actually acheiving this and not doing it. Because of this, I feel that this is the one of these three aspects where anxiety can creep in. There can also be a real tug of war in terms of the way that you process information and learn new things. Mercury wants to learn things quickly and wants to share this newly learned information just as fast, but Saturn here in opposition says “hold up, let me really take in this new information I’ve learned.” While extremely smart, you may not process things quite as quickly or in as fluid a way as other people at times, which can leave you feeling less than. The same thing can be said about the way that you communicate this information; it may be a little slower (and you may even speak slower, more deliberately, when you do speak), as a way of really getting your thoughts across in a clear manner. Too much self-censoring, and feeling less than, can leave you feeling depressed. This possible depressive inclination is exacerbated by the seriousness of the mind here, and it’s inclination to lean more towards the “negative.” Learning to consciously balance the mind here, (kind of consciously allowing Mercury & Saturn to come through at times), as well as giving yourself grace to operate differently from other people (we are all unique!) is key here.

    Mercury/Saturn Square: Out of all these aspects, this one is probably the most difficult to have in your natal chart. There is no merging here, no give and take, just pure tension all the time, and one has to learn to live and operate in spite of this tension. Mercury is quick, wanting to take in everything that it can learn and always curious. Saturn never really wants to give in to Mercury here, and is constantly “restricting”. At the same time, Mercury never really wants to slow down enough to appease Saturn. Having this aspect can cause some real issues with a lack of self-confidence, shyness (and possibly even loneliness) due to this lack of self-confidence, negative/depressive thought patterns, and a variety of learning differences. Because of Mercury and Saturn not ever seeing eye to eye here with this aspect, the mind (while again, usually very intelligent), may need extra time to really catch up and process in some way. You may have a different way of needing to learn certain concepts (nothing wrong with that, we’re all different!), and one of the ways to take on the challenge of this aspect is to embrace this about yourself if it happens to be the case in your life. The censoring that you can do to yourself here in regards to how you actually communicate can be crippling. It is massively important for any depression that you may suffer from, or for any intense shyness and loneliness that results from this, that you actually do force yourself to communicate your thoughts to the world. I’m not saying you have to turn into Chatty Cathy with anyone and everyone, but communicating when you have knowledge that you want to share (of which you have oodles), or something that you really want to say…..try just saying it. You could start out doing this with people that love you and have your best interest at heart, and slowly widening your circle. By just dipping your feet into the shallow end of communication, you may find that some of the depression, self-criticism, and loneliness that you may suffer from are alleviated some.

    To read more on the subject of mental illness & mental differences in the natal chart, here is the link to a blog post of mine about Mercury/Uranus Hard Aspects:
    https://saturnseason.com/2019/02/15/mercury-uranus-aspects-of-the-harder-variety/