Living under the Moon

I am thinking out loud about the Moon and women's lib. You see, about 25 years ago I was in a class with an astrologer who claimed that men are subject to the Sun, while women live 'under the Moon', a less brigther light:). He had the same ideas about other races and about catholics, by the way. Even astrology can be used to confirm biased ideas.

Of course, women's periods are related to the Moon, in astrology. But it does not mean that women should be subject to their periods. Or that the Moon would not have influence in the chart of a man. On the contrary, there are men who are ruled by the moon:). But unfortunately this astrologer was right about 80% of the women in the world. Most of the time, women ARE living under their Moon. The Moon symbolizes house, children, tradition, role models and 'being a lesser light'. Only when the Sun (the male, the father or husband or any other male) is away, her light can shine. That is still the fact today, International Women's Day 2009. But also men can be forced to follow tradition and 'live under the Moon'.

MOON PROMINENT IN WOMEN'S CHARTS
When the Moon is prominent in a female's chart, the way the Moon is expressed depends on the social, cultural and economical position of the female. But often she finds a career in education or care taking. Unless she follows the family traditions to become a politician or to rule the family estate, women with a prominent Moon are likely to owe their position in society to the fact that they are 'ruled by their periods'. Even those women in countries with equal right face inequality in wages, position and possibilities, unless they have more 'balls' and fortune than others. Famous women most of time are beautiful women. They make a career by marriage or as an actor. Even in politics and also in the common office a pretty face (in the eyes of males) contributes to success. Another way to express the prominent Moon is by being a prominent feminist (see link below).

But, also males are bound by the nature of the Moon.

MALE CHART
When the Moon in a male's chart is on top, rising before the Sun or 'calling' (not making major aspects within orb 5 degrees or in sign), then the Moon is prominent in his chart. Unlike other males he will want to educate, care or demonstrate emotional bindings. In some cases men with prominent Moons will be eager to be in the company of women. It is not that they are feminish, not at all. They just show the importance of the symbol of the Moon in their lives. In many cultures, this prominent Moon has difficulties to be expressed. For example when traditional role models forbid that men and women 'trade places' and in those countries where fashion and tradition has not changed for hundreds of years. The 'country' life didn't often allow a person to study, write poetry or to become a doctor. Even not if you were a male. The Moon is also the symbol of 'the kind of folks you belong to'. And if their are restrictions (Saturn, Pluto) related to the Moon, it will be hard or difficult to do what you long to do.

LESSER LIGHT
The Moon is also important in the charts of actors. What they do is 'reflecting lives', they impersonate another person (but they are not the 'light' itself). That is why the Moon is related to acting, but the Moon also is the symbol of keeping memories alive, history, environtment and archives. What has to be KEPT or MEMORIZED is related to the Moon. The first things we learn in life, we learn by imitating our mother and by remembering and memorizing words. Without the astrological vocabulary related to the Moon, we would not be educated. That is why it is important to respect mothers and those who teach children to behave in general.

The position of the Moon in astrology is that of an important light. But the Moon is not a star. It is just a large and close rock that shines at night and sometimes the Moon doesn't even shine at all. It crossed my mind that the same goes for the Sun on cloudy days (and there are a lot of cloudy days in the North, were women have more equal rights than in sunny nations). Just kidding. I hope it won't make a difference in future for all women all over the world.

EXAMPLES OF PROMINENT MOONS
Examples of males with an important Moon:

Prince (7th June 1958, 17h17 Minneapolis) has the Moon in Pisces opposition MC and Pluto (and trine Neptune, sextile Venus and square Mercury). Notice the pattern of artistic talent! And so: he became an artist.

Bo Derek (20 November 1956, 14:13 ST Long Beach CA) has the Moon in Cancer trine Neptune and opposition Midheaven and she became an actor after she was a ...model.

Björn Borg's Moon is rising before the Sun and in Taurus, without making major aspects in sign or orb 5 degrees. This calling Moon lead him into fashion after his career as a tennis player.

Bill Gates Moon is elevated, but it would be an astrologer's joke to say that he is the man of the HOME computer because of that, wouldn't it? There is so much more in his chart.

Madame de Pompadour had a Moon square Ascendant in Taurus. Attraction was very important in her life. She attracted the king of France and became his mistress.

The Moon is important in the charts of feminists Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem that you can see in this post...

RELATED
About the Moon in signs, see Basic Astrology (on Astromarkt)
About the transit Moon and diet, see Astromarkt about the Moon

c) http://astropost.blogspot.com

Karl Rove, Sun-Pluto and Mercury-Pluto

This post is about the effect of Sun-Pluto and Mercury-Pluto. As it happens, Karl Rove has transit Pluto conjunct natal Sun right now. In his natal chart Pluto is ruler of the Ascendant and elevated. Pluto is sesquisquare Sun in his natal chart. He also has Mercury inconjunct Pluto in his natal and Mercury opposition Pluto in his progressed chart. Here you read about both aspects with Rove as an example.

SUN-PLUTO
The progressed aspects and transits that relate planets who are in aspect with each other in the natal chart, are the most important transits and progressions. They activate an existing issue that often keeps coming back.
With Sun-Pluto authority, power (and stress) are the issue. The aspect is almost always present in the chart of footballl coaches. The authority of coaches is related to the fact that they are experts in their job and to winning or losing games. It is the aspect of power play, too. With Sun-Pluto you want to win or overcome problems and there will be opportunities to use the force and strength needed to battle stressful times. Difficult aspects express difficulties in the way a person wants to win or overrule, perhaps because they are too fanatic, severe or strict.

Pluto's transits and progressions often show up when an artist has a 'come back', most of the time because there is a financial problem. Pluto often makes it a problem to continue in the way you did before. Something changed and you must try to 'survive' (sometimes litteraly).

Rove's transit Pluto conjunct Sun might force him to 'come back' and 'replay the game', while he actually resigned on August 21, 2007. That was nine months after his progressed Sun changed sign. Usually the changing sign of the progressed Sun indicates a change in the way of living or a life changing period.

NATAL CHART
In september 2008 I wrote about Rove's chart:

ALL of his planets are afflicted and harmonious aspects are rare*). The tightest aspect is Sun sextile Jupiter, however. I see that as another indication of the validity of narrow aspects. He DID improve his life and have success, whatever political opinion you may have about him. At the time of the Bush campaign it was said that Karl Rove was the man behind the sleaze ads of those days...

Karl Rove did not have an easy personal life and yet managed to get on top of the USA administrations. That is maybe the effect of hard aspects. They force you to move on. But it sure was the effect of the fact that Mars, Jupiter and Pluto are prominent in his chart.
See Jupiter angular (on the IC). Jupiter is inconjunct Saturn (for the hierarchy and the disadvantages of success). Mars is calling!, inconjunct Uranus (for special efforts and a short circuit). And notice that Pluto is on top of this chart. Politics, money, influence and power above all...The combination of Mars calling, Jupiter angular and Pluto on top is the combination of Mars-Jupiter-Pluto, a success combination! Pluto is the Apex of a midpoint yod with Mars/Jupiter for another success combination.
(.....)
but mid January 2009 he will have the progressed Sun inconjunct Saturn. Should that be an indication of Republicans losing, I wonder? Anyway, this aspect will make him lose control or status somehow. Notice that he has Jupiter inconjunct Saturn for ups and downs or are they downs and ups?

And as the Republicans lost indeed, Rove lost his status and now with Pluto conjunct Sun he faces challenges and stress. He will testify in the case of the attorneys who lost their jobs apparently because they did not do what republicans wanted them to do.

MERCURY AND PLUTO
In his progressed chart Mercury is opposition Pluto. In December Mercury will be opposition natal Pluto. Mercury-Pluto is mirroring 'change of mind', possibly under pressure. The progressed aspect is activating the natal Mercury inconjunct Pluto (disproportional power of communications). Pluto sometimes means a treasure and other times Pluto means 'the price you pay'. With Mercury inconjunct Pluto there is the treath that there is a price to pay for what you say or said (influencing others).

In his natal chart Mercury is inconjunct Pluto. AND semi square Saturn. The combination of Mercury, Saturn and Pluto is frequent in the charts of politicians. It means that they are die hards in communications. (See the posts about Mercury and lies...)

ALL in all we see transformational progressions and transits coming from the planet of politics, power, challenge, influence and force: Pluto. It must be a difficult period for Rove, and the fact that he has Sun square Saturn (ruler Midheaven) doesn't help. This aspect shows ambition, ruling alone and the possibility of public decay if you make mistakes or do the wrong thing.

See the post about Sun and Saturn.

RULE OF 3
Transit Pluto conjunct Sun and Saturn 105 degrees from the Sun completely mirrors the natal composition of Sun square Saturn and sesquisquare Pluto. But all difficult moment come in 3. Transit Neptune square the natal Ascendant of Karl Rove symbolizes the bad press (the media are related to Neptune) and 'being suspect'.

More about the testimony on New York Times...

PS
For more about the explosive nature of Mars inconjunct Uranus, see the article on Astromarkt.

(c) http://astropost.blogspot.com

Sun in aspect with Saturn: managing to be in charge

DICTATORSHIP
Lots of dictators have a Sun-Saturn aspect in his chart. This aspect means that you want to manage and control. This aspect in the hands of a leader in an undemocratic nation or organisation (...) easily leads to total control and one headed management.

Famous charts with this aspect:


Robert Mugabe (21 February 1924, Sun tightly trine Saurn)
Mao Tse Tung (26 December 1893, Sun quintile Saturn)
Benito Mussolini (29 July 1883, Sun sextile Saturn)
Norodom Sihanouk (31 October 1922, Sun half semi square Saturn)
Kim Young II (16 February 1941, Sun quintile Saturn)
Ceausescu (26 January 1918, Sun opposition Saturn and inconjunct Pluto)
Karl Rove (25 December 1950, Sun square Saturn and sesquisquare Pluto)
Hugo Chavez (Sun square Saturn, see the reading of his chart on Astromarkt)

Now if you have a Sun-Saturn aspect, you need not be afraid of becoming a dictator. It takes a place on the top to be one and there can be only one at the top:), certainly in the eyes of dictators. So it is not easy to get there. And don’t worry, even Oprah Winfrey has a tight Sun square Saturn in her chart. She surely managed to be in charge. But WHY? Why do people with Sun-Saturn aspect want to be responsible for themselves? Why is it such a problem to rely on others? I guess it is because at early age something happened that made them aware of what life is like when you are poor, alone, abondaned, an orphan or disabled. And this in particular when Sun or Saturn are prominent in the natal chart. In most countries it is unfortunate to have only one or no natural parents and when the father is missing (after divorce or death) the circumstances of children change in a depressing way, most of the time. That is why the classical interpretation of Sun-Saturn aspects include losing contact with the father. And even when you are rich, this aspect introduces the nasty side of life at early age.

Now what if your child is born with a tight, prominent affliction of Sun and Saturn in the natal chart? You are the parent, the responsible person. Perhaps you are also the one who takes care of the child. What can you do? Try to give the child self confidence and if the child makes a mistake, don't make it feel guilty and blamed. The theme in the child's life is to learn to live with limitations, guilt, responsibilities and fear. I don't know why. All I know is that with this aspect in a chart time and timing is important, too. Time is always important in business and Saturn is related to business, government and the end of time (aging, for example). Saturn is oriental in the chart of those who want to be respected, responsible and in control (or a 'controler'). When you don't trust life, you want to control it. When you don't trust your health, you want to manage your body and keep it under control. And when you don't trust the world, you want to be in charge. But when you are the responsible one, you will notice that being the 'elder', 'the manager' or 'the government' or just 'the parent' is not easy and that you make mistakes.

HIGHLIGHTED MISTAKES
When the Sun is in touch with Saturn the mistakes are highlighted. That is why so often Saturn or Sun in 12 with a Sun-Saturn affliction (and an additional Saturn-Uranus conflict) is reflecting imprisonment: the mistakes are being highlighted and the person in question is being 'isolated'.

MEDIUMS
Jomanda, Char Mangolis and Derrick Ogilvie are 'mediums' and all three have Sun afflicted by Saturn. They deal with endings, times and business related to life. When they make mistakes, they are being highlighted. They operate alone. Mediums want to be acknowledged, but often they are being blamed, accused and prosecuted.
The aspect in itself does not mean anything more than that they have to learn to live with the hard sides of life, because they are ambitious and in business.

PS 2013
Addition to the list Sun-Saturn leaders/dictators: PM Turkey = Recep Erdogan with Sun trine Saturn,like Mugabe

Café Astrology has a range of readings for Sun-Saturn aspects on http://www.cafeastrology.com/natal/sunsaturnaspects.html

(c) http://astropost.blogspot.com

Charts of Rush Limbaugh and Barack Obama (Sun sq Neptune)

Funny that CNN mentions Rush Limbaugh as Obama's republican opponent...Why? Because he has Sun square Neptune, just like Obama has. It is as if they were meant to fight each other over ideologies. (Or is it 'addictions'? They both are famous smokers!:)

SIMILARITIES
Rush Limbaugh has a prominent Venus for diplomacy on his Ascendant. Neptune is the first outer planet rising before his Sun. Neptune is on top of his chart in his ninth house.

Obama has Venus without Ptolemaic (major) aspects rising before his Sun. Neptune is on top of his chart in the ninth house.

Both are diplomats and hold their ideals high.

SHARING SUN-NEPTUNE
Now what happens when two people are related in the professional field and share Sun-Neptune squares? I wrote this on Astromarkt:

Sun and Neptune shared in aspect gives you shared ideals, dreams and faith or even a shared idol! But with hard aspects you might share the same disillusions as well or this relationship is disappointing. Cooperating could work out best in an asylum or in a non-profit organization where they can help others, and each other.

Another possible combination is between enemies and with Sun in hard aspect with Neptune shared. Ideology stand between you as was the case with the murderer of director Theo van Gogh who shared Sun square Neptune with his victim.

MARS INCONJUNCT MARS (Disproportional competition)
The competition is expressed by the tight aspect of Mars inconjunct Mars of the other (two men fighting a fight you cannot win). The inconjunction tels me that it is an unbalanced or disproportional competition. If someone wins it, it will be with a 'but...'...But they will certainly have to hit each other.

JUPITER AND PLUTO
More surprising is Obama's Jupiter on Limbaugh's Ascendant and Limbaugh's Pluto on Obama's Descendant. I wouldn't know how to interpret this, but the combination of Jupiter and Pluto with the horizon of their joined Ascendants promises great success if they would cooperate or perhaps...fight each other. Maybe they stimulate each other:)

Obama's Jupiter on Limbaugh's Ascendant can be explained. It is Rush's job to lead the fight against Obama. Limbaugh has now progressed Sun conjunct Jupiter so probably this is a promotion and Obama's success influences his situation.

READ ALSO:
The article on Astromarkt about relationships between people with the same kind of aspects in their natal charts....

EXTERNAL LINKS:
Hot Air (Limbaugh crossed a line)
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/01/cnn-limbaughs-angry-sinister-speech-crossed-a-line/


CNN about Limbaugh
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/06/anti.obama/index.html

(c) astropost.blogspot.com

Astrology chart of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is a holy man to many and Jupiter-Neptune shows it. Mahatma Gandhi's glasses were sold at an auction today. Time to have a look at his chart.

I saw this: the chart of a man with will power, an emotional involved leader with a disproportional effect related to an ideal or vision, who (in the given situation - Ascendant) became a sort of an icon (Jupiter-Neptune). It is easy to see the issue of violence,too.

How did I come to this conclusion? I used my usual method for quick readings as follows:

1. Astro I.D.
I see a calling (unaspected) Mercury on the Ascendant, Node on the MC, Moon rising before the calling (unaspected) Sun.
The calling Sun refers to a vocation to be drawing attention at any kind of level (perhaps performing or as a leader). Gandhi was a leader.
He was above all busy for a community of people (family, folks, a nation) and that is shown by the conjunction of Midheaven and Northern Node.
He was emotionally involved and behaving like a king or leader, too. He had a need to be leadig and to be in the centre of attention.
He was a person with an important message (calling Mercury on the Ascendant) in his eyes.

2. Quick scan
60% of the placements in fixed signs: he had a strong will and perseverence
Calling Sun Libra, oriental Moon Leo, Asc Scorpio conjunct Mercury: we see a very strong willed diplomat with a message

3. Moon square Jupiter and Pluto: he was used or became used to successes, a very popular man. With Venus square Pluto he had strong sympathies and antipathies and equally strong needs and habits. It was not an easy person to live with (and he had serious problems with his children). Moon and Venus are related to Pluto and so is Mars. Mars opposition Pluto is almost the tightest aspect. Bernadette Brady says that opposition refer to what others are doing (related to you). Mars - Pluto is the use and abuse of violence. Gandhi fought (Mars) against (opposition) violence (Pluto). And he died in a violent way. He was murdered.

Mars inconjunct Neptune is very important in this chart. This aspect is reflecting the disproportional effect of acts related to a religion, vision, ideal or belief.

4. Jupiter and Neptune quindecile ASC...really, they are on either side of the descendant. Here you see the combination of devoted followers (fans) and of religion or idealistic conviction. It is sort of a pointing finger at Mercury. Mercury is quindecile Jupiter and Neptune, too. This combination of Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune is perfect for a great story teller or for anyone who wants to convince others of a dream. The quindecile reveals a very strong focus on the issue of the successful dream.

BTW Moon-Jupiter aspects are frequent in the charts of top politicians who need to be popular to be elected.
(c) http://astropost.blogspot.com