Huya and 28 Scorpio

An artist's impression of object 38628 - the Plutino we call Huya

(image credit: Lanthanum 138, May 2001)

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It strikes me as an interesting thing that we don’t hear all that much about the astrological Huya. After all, it’s a Plutino - just like Ixion (shudder), Orcus (sigh) and Pluto (do I have to?) are.

And no - we don’t hear all that much about Orcus and Ixion, either. But maybe we should.

And maybe Huya deserves a little respect. After all, it’s not your common Plutino. (As if any Plutino is commonplace?) Defined as objects which have orbits controlled nebulously, magnetically and astrologically alluringly by Neptune - which in its role as planetary Plutino puppet master acts as the very essence of idealism and illusion - Plutinos generally represent things which tempt us oh-so alluringly: Pluto temps with the thought of being able to control things and have our way ... Ixion tempts us to think we don’t have to care about standards, promises or anyone else and Orcus - by its ability to confront us with truths which stem from things we can no longer change tempts us to frenetic denials and bluffs of various types.

But Huya? Named for a Venezuelan rain god, Huya represents that very painful thing we learn in life ... and that life can be painful ... and how by taking that hurt, by thinking through that painful experience we can become stronger and actually emboldened by deciding to either expose the pitfall we fell into to others (so they don’t do likewise) or to push past those injuries of the past in such a way that we become embodied as someone who can help others recognize there is possibility ... there is viability ... there is personal satisfaction and success to be found through standing against and working to dismantle that which demeans, which cripples, which destroys possibilities for productivity, creativity and the simple blessings of life for others.

And that’s hardly the stuff of personal allure. Where with Pluto, Orcus and Ixion we tend to be the ‘source’ of our conflict, Huya speaks to a conflict we experience but must then examine and work past, and let’s face it ... nobody’s delighted with having to pick up the pieces.

So where’s the common thread?

That thread would be in the transformational experience Plutinos signify. We associate the word ‘transformation’ with Pluto and that’s correct - but it would also seem that every Plutino times out periods of transformation when they periodically transit our chart.

To say nothing of where such points reside in our chart.

Plutinos can all become a great gift. To the extent we get our ego out of the way and become willing to accept our part in things without trying to control them, undermine them (that being the Neptune part) we can be or become lynchpin for change - and by being that lynchpin enrich our own lives and those of others immeasurably.

What we can’t do is decide that such successes (whatever form they take) are about our brilliance or greatness or ‘heroic’ stance, as that’s an egotistical stance which Huya transits (or transits to your natal Huya) will then reveal as detriments or a lessening of your ‘brand’ or sense of personal power (real or imagined).

In going retrograde at 28 Scorpio, Huya is doing two things right off the bat: it’s ‘taking a turn’ in a degree which denotes mastery (suggesting we need to master something within the situation or within our Self) ... and it’s not fully conjuncting fixed star Toliman (at 29 Scorpio).

Not conjuncting it yet, that is.
 

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Fixed stars tend to represent ‘standing issues’ and ‘the background against which everything else gets set.’ And since in the world of fixed stars Toliman is a star which is relatively close to Earth, its issues tend to be more common, prevalent or ‘obvious’ to us than other stars. Spoken of by Ebertin (a famous fixed star astrologer) as expansive and possessed of a Jupiter-Venus quality, Toliman nevertheless is associated with peculiar situations which arise in, around, or possibly in spite of standing relationships ... and all of this is part of Huya’s station in that Huya will take its turn ‘in the face of’ Toliman - which is likely to manifest in any number of lives as those who turn around and go away (or blandly excuse themselves) after having ‘stirred up’ some sort of problem.

The Huya of it all here tells us that in many cases this combination is going to manifest simply as that - someone who goes away, or a situation which gets ‘backed away from’ (or which takes a turn which is then not publicly resolved) for some time - the  amount of time in this case like as not being at least until Huya goes direct on August 5 (2015).

And of course, as with all retrograde cycles it may take even longer - a notion anyone who’s had a really rancid Pluto transit knows well (oh, how some transits linger on ... and on ... and on ...). So the truth of this may well be that what we ‘face’ now (or what we ‘about face’ in the face of now) may not come back around for dealing with on any direct level until Huya returns to 28 Scorpio - an event which won’t even begin until November 2015. Even then, seeing as Huya is a relatively slow-moving object (in terms of its movement through zodiac degrees) once Huya does return to 28 Scorpio on November 2nd and lingers there for a couple of weeks (read: through November 26th), notions and inner understandings which need to be grown in association with 28 Scorpio (that which we grow to achieve ‘mastery’ of in our own mind, choice of actions or personality) may not be complete.

Yes, some of us are quick studies .,. and some of us are resistant, especially when it comes to Things Scorpio, a sign under which we tend to think (read: insist) that we’re right and “THEY” need to change (not us). For those who learn the first (or even second) time through, Huya’s subsequent passes become opportunities to utilize and improve on and polish one’s skills. Our current experience (the one which leads to Huya going retrograde on March 2nd, UT/+0) began this year back on January 10th - and that it began with Huya conjunct Charybdis suggest a need to ‘keep at it’ (whatever “it” is in your situation) in order to achieve you goal - or even some ‘level’ situation.

And still we’re not done. After Huya goes retrograde now (on March 2nd) and direct this coming November it will return to 28 Scorpio (in retrograde motion) on July 6, 2016 and after hanging there for a month goes station/direct at 28 Scorpio on August 7th, after which Huya remains at 28 Scorpio for another month until it finally vacates the degree premises (for another couple of hundred years) on September 8, 2016.

That’s a LOT of Huya at 28 Scorpio - almost two months of it now and two more months of this influence next year, after which Huya meets up with Toliman at 29 Scorpio and we get a ‘hurry up’ course in all those things we have been resisting about our Self ... which at the moment we’re still more or less intent on getting/gaining from (or through) others ... which, if we can find the emotional strength to accept and shift with will (in time) turn into an operational benefit.

It’s just we do have to wait. And we will have to do even more work (on our Self or our ‘side’ of things  most of all) to move ahead.

Even then we will meet up with glitches and course corrections and feedback which we could not have predicted, but which yes ... we will be all to happy to blame on someone else for not having mentioned.

Huya can represent a lot of ugliness in us, and in the lives which we experience. Then again, it can also represent the very best we have to offer. This cycle is one of many, reflecting this time and the year-plus ahead as one in which we can succeed through that which we have worked on and that which we have - and which we work to offer others. The 'Huya part' of it all lies in the idea that we have to be the one doing the offering ... and that what we offer must be, or be connected to something we learned through dint of experience. Such experience will have taught us some harsh realities ... and part of getting past them will be in recognizing how some of this world's most rewarding gifts are those we indeed need to learn ‘the hard way’ - and which we then share with all the strength of those hard-won lessons. But where we are constructive in spite of all, where we've learned that our ultimate enrichment lies in that which we do to enhance the lives of others which is the Huya notion, for Huya asks that we choose to act as a force for the enhancing of individual lives.

And it does that because Huya is the emblem of not who we started out being, but who we ultimately become.

You know... once we've mastered that Self of ours.
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Venus in Pisces, Vesta in Aquarius

(background) Polyphony

by Paul Klee (1932, tempera on linen)

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Our world will heave a collective and universal sigh once Venus moves into Pisces - an event which will happen on January 27th at 15:01 ... or 3:01 p.m. for those not into global timekeeping.

Mind you, some will be sighing with relief and some with regret as Venus enters Pisces - there are those who truly enjoy the multi-faceted (if sometimes fractious) pace of information and opportunities which tend to create consequences (serious and sincerely, even riotously otherwise) under Venus in Aquarius.

All that now fades away as Venus enters a sign of astrological exaltation, bringing out the ‘softer’ side in many a conversation, relationship and thought.

 Venus in Pisces (text chart)

January 27, 2015 - 15:01 (3:01 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Venus in Pisces (glyph chart)

January 27, 2015 - 15:01 (3:01 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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But at the moment, though we want (and need) to continue dealing with whatever is on the table, in progress or our responsibility, one of the meanings of the t-square Venus fills in/creates by arriving in Aquarius, most of us could do without anything new being tossed into life’s ring when mentally, physically, financially or otherwise its already a bit of a 3-D circus.

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Make that t-squares with Saturn at the apex of the ‘t’ in both cases.

Saturn at the apex of the t-square represents all which is on one side a governor on something ... and which on the other speaks to a need and/or ability to persevere, learning as you go. The Saturn-Black Moon Lilith part of this formula having timed a slow but sure increasing need to ‘physician, heal thyself’ (as is uttered in the world of old sayings) since the latter part of last June  - a need which is (and/or has been) diligently responded to with denial as we determined a course of action which by now has proven very successful in some of its ‘doing’ phases and somewhat more questionably in its results.

For most of us, the issue is simply what we didn’t do (or what didn’t get done) because of that highly focused focus ... though there are those who simply refused to work on anything. Either way, this isn’t just Saturn-at-the-‘t’-of-the-t-square ...

(As if that would amount to being ‘just’ anything with Saturn, emblem of our need to try growth or be-and-become summarily ever-more-limited involved?)

... no, this is Saturn-Charybdis, which is all the Saturn with a definite ‘getting swallowed, then spit out whole’ sucked into the mix. Whatever Charybdis is, it isn’t a menial influence. Referred to as a ‘monster’ (which metaphysically translates either to an ogre or some force or influence which is ‘monstrously large’) Charybdis is the daughter of Poseidon (read: the feeling world) and Gaia, our tangible reality and all that we rely on to initially survive ... and to ultimately thrive.

The term ‘daughter’ here isn’t sexual - it’s more akin to the term ‘yin’ meaning responsive, recipient, container or respondent - which when combined with Saturn strongly suggests an attempt to limit something, whether that something is coming from without or something we’ve been doing up until now which (as we now recognize) we need to stop doing.

And because Saturn is now in Sagittarius, chances are we’re aware that we’re learning something from a substantially new perspective. (That would be the Sagittarian way.) And given that, we are also likely to want to tell others - or convince them of our having learned something new.

But back to that Poseidon thing for a moment ... the other name for Poseidon being Neptune, it’s interesting and (one would expect) informative that as Venus enters Pisces, Neptune is just out of reach - meaning, given the standard 5-degree orb of conjunction, though Venus (at 0 Pisces) is conjunct fixed and royal star Fomalhaut at 4 Pisces, and though Fomalhaut itself is conjunct Neptune, Venus isn’t.

So we really have two conjunctions (in the Pisces quadrant - Pisces being the “goal” or “answer” to this particular t-square. The Neptune conjunct Fomalhaut combines the need for purity (Fomalhaut) with that of (Neptune) inspiration-versus-illusion/self-delusion while Venus-Fomalhaut stands on a question mark between the result of something done for the right reason (or in the correct way) and that done for the wrong reason (or the wrong way) ... in spite of whether good or bad (Venus) comes from each or any of it.

Plus there are also a couple of interesting notices posted by Lilith being conjunct Orcus (equaling a denial of consequences) and Venus, in being at 0 Pisces at the ingress, setting off a ripple of conscience-meets-consequence arising from Venus at 0 Pisces being in opposition to Regulus at 0 Virgo, the net of which would seem to be signaling that some things (or at least the emotions and feelings we have vested in them) will end or be let go of so as we confront what (Regulus) course of action is based in fact, on pragmatic functionality and supported by well-rounded planning ... not on emotionalism.

Apart from this, there’s also a kite in the ingress chart...

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... and though Venus isn’t involved in this configuration, because the top of the kite is something in Libra tells us that whatever this kite represents in your world and life, the shift of Venusian influence or emphasis is going to be reflected - and reflected (interestingly enough) in how some current goal manifests (or could manifest), what we would have to do (or be) to achieve our aims ... or what we really want - at this particular Venus-in-Pisces point in time - out of what we’re doing.

We’re leaving a (January 3rd through 27th) Venus in Aquarius period behind. When we do that, the idea stops being enough. Aquarius is an air sign - the concept, the notion, the idea of alliance and ‘special-ness’ sounds and seems very appealing, so much so that under Venus in Aquarius we tend to think of the ‘idea of the thing’ in its entirety.

But then comes Pisces - the sign which shows us that beyond the idea is the instinctual understanding that everyone is special, and that in the end no alliance is any better than the heart and soul and spirit of those involved.

Pisces, like Aquarius, is a universal and universalist’s sign which manifests either as emotions we hold very much in common with every existent thing ... and as anything which will push us to stop thinking only in terms of Self not so we can be ‘drowned’ by being one among an uncountable many, but so we can feel connected - first and last with what we are ... the reality of who we are and how we feel about what we believe and don’t believe in.

Through that we arrive at what we can best offer and who we have the capacity to be in the world, and to others.

There’s just one catch. Pisces is a sign someone once described to me as ‘the distance by which we fail our own expectations.’ We all dream big - and big dreams are wonderful venues for possibilities. They’re the stuff of conviction and faith and trust which gets us past the hard parts and dark days and all that would have us give up on our Self. But when that dream becomes a substitute for reality, no matter how wonderful the intent or instinct, we’re bound to be or become disappointed.

And it wasn’t life which did it - it was our willingness to delude our Self by turning that which was supposed to be inspiration into expectation.

Hope is okay under Pisces. Expectation gets us into trouble - an aspect of which may be found on the subtle shift of perception with which we view our goals ... and our relationship to those goals as Venus exits Aquarius and enters Pisces.   

As to that kite I mentioned, like all kites it’s about a focused interest, intent or effort which in (grand trine) part rests on something which can be relied upon to be what it is (at least for the moment) and which makes a concerted effort (represented by the two sextiles at the top of the figure) to achieve our given aim.

The ‘focus’ is the opposition - in this case North Node (plus) Medusa at 12 Libra in opposition to the South Node at 12 Aries conjunct Uranus at 13 Aries. This is a bit of a quirk (which isn’t surprising, what with Uranus in the mix) as usually it’s the North Node which is the “should do this” point and the South Node (the easy or at least easier way to do things) which we’re not supposed to rely upon. But with a kite, it’s the bottom point (the kite’s “tail”) which is the point to operate from ... or which people are going to be operating from.

The ‘support’ points here come from Pallas (the coolly dispassionate, logical and well-informed perspective) and Juno - the ability to manage our (Leo) abilities and/or self-concern (read: ego) in order to support our interactive aim(s).

And when you combine that with Venus ... well, apparently it’s easy to think, discuss or debate about things and its going to take a lot to get us to the real goal of the moment - the feeling part (or the part which pertains to our real feelings or the reality of our feelings).

Can we be human - or is that too much of a human thing to do at the moment?

Fortunately, Venus in Pisces is a passage which can allow us to let go of certain fears. And because of that, we often make connections (to others, to ideas, to opportunities, etc.) under Venus in Pisces which we wouldn’t quite get to during Venus’ more analytical passages.

Whatever happens now, because this Venus-Pisces ingress comes with a side order of Typhon going retrograde at 22 Libra, things around us (that coming from the degree, which is social and not personal) seem pointed at the basic, the primal, the necessary-to-maintain, lest all else fall in a heap. In Libra, there are two sides to the question - both of which (despite the sign’s reference to others) are about who we are in relationship to others ... which 22 Libra adds to by adding a necessity to define and/or be definite.

In other words, no tap dancing, no wiffle-waffling, no joining the Gilbert & Sullivan chorus (where you take the side of whoever last spoke) ... and because 22 Libra seems to turn dalliances and indulgences of the ego into invitations to passing karmic sharks, especially considering how this is the second thing of the moment which oozes a ‘no-no on the e-go’ aura, it might be best to turn the wattage of our personal Klieg lights down.

For how long?

No one knows that for sure. But we do have a hint - that coming from the (Lachesis) duration of what would seem to be the (Vesta) cost we pay to uphold that we hold as our (Aquarius) system of thinking or that which supports our life and lifestyle - all of which begins as Vesta moves into Aquarius at 19:41 (7:41 p.m.) on the 28th - the day after Venus enters Pisces).

'Les Parques' (the Greek Fates)

by Alfred Agache (c.1885)

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As one of the Greek Fates (of which there are three), Lachesis refers to how things simply are. It’s ‘fate’ ... this is the way it is. If this was Klotho (beginnings), we would know something was going to start. If this was Atropos (the cut-off) we would know something was about to end or come to its conclusion.

But no... this is Lachesis - a reference to how long something lasts: Its duration.

In going retrograde at 3 Libra, Lachesis not only adds another vote for the ‘how I relate to others or things’ department work we’re about to undertake over the next couple of months as we experience whatever it is we need to feel to get us ‘down to basics’ (Typhon) ... for however (Lachesis) long a time - and that would be ‘down to basics’ with our Self.

According to writings on this degree, 3 Libra is degree which underscores (and perhaps promotes) difficult insights in spiritual people ... and a treacherous tendency to refuse to see in those who are of a more earthy and/or ‘prove it to me’ nature.

Lachesis direct is going through a process or working towards some aim. Give or take how Lachesis is placed in your natal chart (which can always change things towards a plus or minus), transiting Lachesis in retrograde is akin to how long it takes to... (finish sentence with your desire-de-jour) ... and what it takes to get me through that period, or what happens along the way.

As such, obviously not all such desires are going to get taken care of during Lachesis’ several months of retrograde. But during that time we are surely going to deal with what it means to have something for a certain amount of time, whether that’s a positive or negative.

In other words, in terms of the Vesta cost (to retrograde us) of doing what we need to do - a notion which is somewhat different than lasting through the cost - which is also valid here.

The last note to add to this muddle of mid-week motion is asteroid Terpsichore - the ‘dancer’ of all types - going direct at 21 Gemini, a position which is exactly conjunct fixed star Bellatrix (the thing difficult to put across - or - the difficulty/effort it takes to put the idea across) ... and one degree off fixed star Capella (‘singing the song’) - both of which are often associated with communication, oratory, writing (any form), even plain old everyday texting, conversing, philosophizing, daydreaming or even out-and-out arguing - or a lack of same.

Terpsichore is an asteroid which in referencing ‘dance’ speaks either to a deft and gifted (often well-practiced) ability which may be genius or something which just be a flash in the pan - or even a fabulous farce which we now get to display ... as opposed to embodying it, as we would have over the past couple of months of Terpsichore retrograde. With all that’s going on - and let’s not forget that eclipse effects began just last week ... is it small wonder that we’re under Mercury retrograde, asking us to think/check/ask twice (or even thirty-three times) before doing?

What could this possibly be about?

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Every situation and life is individual, of course. But the degree 21 Gemini being considered as 'being about' a 'coming back into balance' goes with Bellatrix rather seamlessly seeing as Bellatrix has an assertive (Mars-like) reputation which tends to come out in or through  Gemini or Mercury modalities - through how we think or what we want to think about ... and though such expressions may be well formed or formulated, they aren’t necessarily known for grace.

Emotional grace, that is. Bellatrix-Capella is Gemini at its airy and driest mode. Wit, you get. Deftness goes well. But caring about the Other - or even beyond the thought? Not always.

This doesn’t mean that wonderful things can’t come out of what we do in this moment. But with Mercury in retrograde and Venus entering a sign of exaltation, reconsidering who we are to be doing anything ... and why it matters (beyond the need of the moment, that is) ...that would all seem to be up for thinking about this week.

Which only leaves one question: are we willing to do the thinking?
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This Week in Astrology: Getting the Point

 From the Duc de Barry's private collection,

a calendar page depicting December

This is a really busy astrological week. Seriously! And first things first: ALL TIMES ARE UT/+0. So if you want to know when something specific happens in your local world, adjust to your local time zone.

The week starts with Sunday the 19th and Byblis conjuncting Scheat at 5:48am. Byblis being a point specifically about the attempt to justify something you know is unacceptable and Scheat being the essence of public disapproval, it’s not too hard to guess that there’s a whole lot of condemnation (and self defense) going on.

Monday the 20th starts with Venus exiting the shadow of its recent retrograde. Venus being a planet, this is a mode of life or part of our life which is now feeling ‘freed’ of constraints first encountered back in early September. Does this mean everything is peaches and cream? Heck no! But it does mean that the sticky-icky drama, the lack of clarity and all the indecision which has been in the mix since then is finally over. And yes, either out in the open or out with the trash!

Tuesday also has Photographica going retrograde in Leo early in the morning - at 2:52pm plus Kleopatra entering Scorpio later in the day (at 6:26 pm).

Photographica is the ‘how others see us’ point – otherwise known as our “image” or ‘putting on the social/societal mask.’

Kleopatra is a point of ‘intelligence exhibited through charming gestures’ and ‘charm revealed through intelligence.’ Either way, with Kleopatra entering Scorpio, gains are made through knowing enough about whoever you’re dealing with.

 Currently housed in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum,

a statue of Cleopatra - known astronomically as 'Kleopatra' 

photo credit E. Michael Smith (2007)

Since this is Scorpio however…a caution: if all you do is exploit others to get what you want without regard for who they are or what they value, you WILL pay – big time! It may not be today, but beware – karma is a bitch!

Put these factors together and it seems likely there are social/societal connections to be made today – or that events will reveal how you have operated in society or with regards to social/societal contacts. Whatever happens, this is a moment when each of us can learn a lot about what works for us and where we need to re-balance the ‘me/them’  priorities.

Tuesday the 21st starts with Atlantis entering Libra at 4:26am. This is a signal all about letting go of what has been in order to find that which is truly fitting. But boy…is that hard, or what!

Not making anything any less good or bad is the fact that then comes a Lunar Eclipse at 8:18. (And yes, there will be a special post on the eclipse as of tomorrow, giving us all time to sort things out. So check back for that!)

With Byblis enters Aries at 10:49pm (mere minutes before the Capricorn Solstice at 11:49pm) our errors and those of others – and the world around us – seem to hang in the air for most of the afternoon or evening, depending on where you are. Given that we’re moving into Capricorn and the zodiac’s most worldly (non-personal quadrant) realism and letting go of  personal designs in favor of workable solutions seems apt.

Wednesday the 22nd has Medusa going direct at 12 Taurus early in the morning (at 6:40am – which would still be late on the evening of the 21st in some parts of the world). By general definition, 12 Taurus would be a degree about emotional values, the difference between ‘things of worth’ and ‘self worth’ and how we feel about ourselves. More specifically, lore has this degree imbued with a sweetness which assists with negotiating who does what without some of the irritation of feeling ‘put upon’ which can be present at other times.

With Medusa going direct here, the Medusa ‘fearful truth’ is softened as we realize that honesty honestly expressed is calming and reassuring. We may not like it all, but at least we can proceed knowing where we stand!

Oh…and in case you’ve never read it…an ARTICLE ON MEDUSA.

Thursday the 23rd is the busiest day of all. With Child entering Sag at 3:20am, against Lachesis (duration) entering Capricorn at 5:15am, there’s an awareness that not all things last forever…otherwise known as ‘time waits for no man!’ (or woman, either!) While this stresses what needs to be done (and for some may indicate a busy mental day) it’s also a call to enjoy what we have.

How well you deal with this dichotomy should tell you something about yourself. (Sorry, can’t help you there!)

But when we add in Industria going direct at 6:46am at 4 Taurus…?

Industria is an obvious one: it’s “industriousness.” And in direct mode, it’s life coming towards us, asking us to be industrious and get a lot done. Yet the Taurus part asks ‘is this really worth it’?

And yes, this is the continuing 'flash' of the early morning transition.

Especially in the lee of the Lunar Eclipse, whether said eclipse smacked us personally or not we are all likely to be a little more discerning in and about our choices. And with Charybdis – a symbol of having to continuously ‘do’ or ‘put something out there’ entering Aquarius at 11:21 am, we may find ourselves cutting down our lists in what may be sort of a ‘who’s been naughty or nice?’ sort of way, to use the phrase of the season.

 Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis

by James Gillray (1793)

And no, that's not just about gifts - except in the most personal sense! Yes, this is about the gift of our effort, time and attention...most of all to who we are, who we want to be, and what we are capable of (i.e., our gifts!).

Those who deal with all realistically (the Sun is in Capricorn, remember?) will arrive at Bali entering Scorpio at 5:17pm looking forward to pleasant times.

Those who arrive there merely figuring on having things be the way they want them to be (or that all their work is done) will be…well, less than delighted.

The point now is togetherness. That which works should work for all, and that’s the basis upon which choices should have been made…and upon which they need to be made going forward, especially over the next days and several weeks.

A last note here: remembering that all this is happening – still – under Mercury retrograde should remind us that all these shifts are about our recognition of who we are and why we do what we do the way we do it. 

Against this, if you’ve been following the Asteroid Factor posts, you’ll also remember how there’s been a lot of energy going into the yang ‘what I want/need to do’ category. This week doesn’t change that balance, but with the Sun having moved out of theoretical Sagittarius into realistic Capricorn, this is where the rubber begins hitting road.

Those who enjoy the ride instead of speeding through things will by definition, enjoy more. Those who take risks will like as not experience real ramifications. The days between eclipses are a built-in period of flux.

Feel life – don’t try to mastermind it!

Ceres Direct(ions)

 

 Dwarf planet Ceres orbits as part of the

asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

Ceres is the only dwarf planet which orbits as a member of the asteroid belt. Considering that one of the things which makes a dwarf planet a dwarf planet is its spherical shape (who knew scientists were so fussy?), what this amounts to is that Ceres is large enough that it's mass has like as not helped it spin itself into that required, rather spherical shape.

Yes, even in space, greater mass creates roundness. Funny how universal some rules are. Or is it really strange? From a metaphysical point of view, actually not.

By Roman goddess tradition, Ceres is a goddess of agriculture, grains, fertility and relationships which are motherly, which many of us have come to think means Ceres is in some way female. It isn't. Ceres is the dynamic which motivates us to protect and provide for ourselves and others, which is obviously a purely human and not female trait.

 Roman statue thought to be of Ceres

When discovered on January 1, 1801, Ceres was in Taurus, giving us to understand that its metaphysical meaning is about use of resources and either things we need to do in order to ultimately be satisfied, things we find satisfying (to do or have) and the resources which we harness and/or use in the pursuit of personal security and satisfaction.

In conjunction with male/female assertively fixed stars Algol and Capulus at the time, we again get the male (or) female message here. But with that is the suggestion that Ceres is about asserting ourselves - it's about what we do which counts with Ceres. Considering how most people think of Ceres as goddess of the harvest, this puts a bit of a different spin on things. Ceres isn't just about the reward and celebration of harvesting, it's about all you have to do to get there.

 Discovery of Ceres

Conjunct Psyche (the mind) at the time of discovery, this also tells us what the tool and reward really is. We have to use our minds - and when we do, Ceres helps us gain security through knowing how to 'grow' our minds and through achieving mental satisfaction, aka peace of mind. (link to article on Pysche)

In trine to service-oriented Vesta at discovery, we know Ceres is not about just us, however. This is doubly emphasized by Ceres being discovered in perfect square to Saturn in Leo, which means the work is to create but that arrogance and personal pleasure cannot be the alpha and omega of the Ceres all.

Saturn in Leo has a couple of great ills: one is  arrogance, one is selfishness and third is being the 'know it all' (so don't bother me with facts) sort of thing. The perfect square here warns us that even when we think we're being a 'giver' that we must beware our lesser nature. And the cue here is probably all about what we most want. That wanting thing - at Ceres moments and in Ceres situations...that can just throw us under our own train.

Look at it this way: if you have everything you need but the storms of hell are swirling around you, how long can you hold out? You're still under threat. But if you create a better, more functional, more generous situation, group, society, world...then you have latitude.

As Ceres now goes direct on August 8, it's in an interesting oppositional situation...

Let's start by listing the players. On the Ceres side we have Ixion (ingratitude ultimately leading to undoing) in an emotional position of Sagittarius. Considering Sagittarius is always about expanding one's horizons and here positioned to be either the need to find what works or the finding out if something new you've embarked on works...? Well, that suggests that this station - a literal Ceres 'turning point' - would seem to be in part about where your emotions, emotional mindset or your understand of your own emotionality have gotten you, and whether that works or not.

With Charybdis ahead of Ceres, there's a lot of continuous effort ahead whether you continue on your current course or not. To this we add Ceres exactly conjunct Orpheus in a social/societal degree about how your emotional attitudes and choices play in public. 

And that sets an interesting stage, seeing as Ixion is plainly by degree behind Ceres and Orpheus is among other things a symbol which says 'don't look back!' lest all be lost.

In opposition to all this we have Agamemnon (strength of determination), fixed star Bellatrix (working through difficulties) and Pandora - the box of ills which only at its end reveals hope.

The synthesis here would seem to be all about what we've been up to - the Ixion as the only numerically  'lagging' symbol appears to be the cue, telling us that some of us have been too headstrong...some have not known our mind (or heeded common sense or our better angels)...some of us refuse to look back lest we have to own up to something...and some of us are/have been defeated by looking back when we shouldn't.

No matter which team you have been playing for, now - with the station comes a shift in dynamics.

But wait...there's more! We actually have a picture of the proverbial wrench tossed into your personal works: 

 

 
Also a dwarf planet, Sedna orbits waaaaaay out there beyond Neptune. Thus it is defined as something which is not only beyond our grasp, but metaphorically beyond our conscious grasp. Arachne and Sabine thus become the 'manifesting tools' through which our Sedna irresponsibility or immature, maybe even petulant insistence is likely to act out.

So whatever happens now, the 'entangling factors' and what's 'holding you back' or what you are holding onto - or perhaps something you have put into 'captive limbo' is the issue.


Why you did what, how others feel are now acting towards you...it's not all entirely a direct cause/effect. Some of it is karmic, which speaks to the part of astrology people often find difficult to get hold of. The immature or selfish things we do may come back to haunt us when we see someone else do a like thing. Our own unwillingness to confront our own conscience or deal with our feelings may get irritatingly aroused by someone who is doing something very much of the same ilk.

That's the point with Team Wrench Tosser - being collectively in an inconjunct to Ceres as it takes its station tells us that the issues, the prompting, the situational dynamic which nudges us to get hold of who we are an know our mind better....those things are coming from outside.

With all this said, because this is a global (aka 'mundane') transit, unless there's something in your natal chart being aspected by this station, you're more likely to notice these situations and feelings going on around you than in your own life.

But those who have anything within orb of 20 Sagittarius (which would be anywhere between 15 and 25 Sagittarius)? You're going to be going through this quandary big time.

For those with placements between 15 and 25 Gemini (the opposition), you're likely to be dealing with someone who has embodied the dynamics we've discussed. And that may be your problem you're taking them on about - or merely a problem in their own world you're watching them go through.

If you have a placement between 15 and 25 in either Pisces or Virgo, challenges and choices shaped by these issues are either on the table - or by refusing to fall into the person pot hole described, you keep yourself (and maybe others) from ever facing such an issue.

One other special nod to those who have placements between 18 and 22 Taurus. For you, the challenge is to 'let go' of the safe path and risk owning your own power for the good of all concerned.

Bottom line, whether your chart is aspected or not, this is a moment of 'attitude adjustments.' So...will you be adjusting yours?

And if not, isn't that exactly the issue described?
    

 

URANUS STATION/EFFECTIVE JULY 3RD through JULY 7TH

Uranus actually goes retrograde on July 5th. Yet because we always give planetary stations a two-day ‘lee-way’ (before and after) this means that the days of/between July 3rd and July 7th are all subject to this Uranian ‘turning point’ effect.

Remembering that Uranus the planet pretty much ‘rolls’ around the sun (as opposed to other planets which do a sort of spinning-like-tops thing), for us to think that Uranian events signal the unusual is…well, because the planet itself is unusual. It does things ‘a whole different way,’ which fits with the idea that astrology sees Uranus as the symbol of change and all things different.

So what about this station thing? Well first, let’s be real here about one thing: planets don’t actually back up. Retrograde is all about the fact that other planets move faster or slower in their orbits around the Sun than Earth does – it’s all something of an optical illusion. Yet speaking from either the metaphysical or science side, this does mean that energetics Uranus' moving through space generates/sends out does change in tandem with its relative position/directional movement to Earth.

Next thing to remember is the basic ‘rule’ of this station leeway thing...that the farther you are from the actual station (which in this case occurs at 4:50 in the afternoon GMT time)…the farther you are from the crux, or crucial effect of any ‘turning point’ happening in your life. (Not that you should ignore anything which happens during this period. Or more likely, that you could ignore them! Uranus events do tend to be things we take note of!)

There’s also a metaphysical ‘playing out’ indication here. Those who encounter the ‘new and different’ moment prior to the station are working towards change. Those who encounter those 'moments’ after the exact station time are moving on, or capitalizing on changes already made.

The general metaphysical rule of thumb here is ‘a day’ equals either a month or a year. So if something happens in your life on the 4th, you'll see effects play out in a month...or a year. And maybe both! It depends on your chart - and how prominent Uranus is in that chart. So since we can't look at everyone's chart here (how many billions of people are there in the world now? Whew - that's a LOT of charts!)....let's just go with the idea that the overall theme is one of a ‘turning point.’ If you do know your chart, you can add to that using details about where Uranus is by house, sign, degree and aspect in your natal horoscope.

But even if you’re a bit astrologically challenged, here are some important ideas on the subject read by yours truly from signposts along this particular cosmic road (none of which say Burma Shave, by the way…)

First of all, the station occurs with Uranus at zero Aries – the first degree of the zodiac. So automatically we think ‘beginnings.’ And because this is Aries, we think physicality, ‘bringing into being,’ ‘giving life to’ and initiation of the idea, action or determination type. There is clarity of purpose here, but also a degree of limited ability to really do much – at least yet (baby steps, people - baby steps!). Also, egotism can be up, humility down, and with Jupiter at 2 Aries conjunct a brilliant Pulsar at 3 Aries, we've got one part ‘what you sow is what you reap’ plus one part of a ‘news flash’ in the mix.

And what is this 'news flash' about? It's about a recognizing in your own mind, heart or wherever else you do your recognizing about just how dangerous or problematic haste, vanity and impulsiveness can really be.

Despite this being an Aries (‘who I am in my own mind’) degree, there’s also a note about interactions here which suggests – as a whole – that this station is about a change in interaction and relationship. And since this is definitely a first decan degree (one falling in degrees 0 - 9 of some sign) this is definitely about what you do or do about it. Past or present, where things have come to, or where you are going because of past choices or events, that seems the likely overall theme.

Other signs on this celestial highway....with a Black Hole and fixed star Scheat at 28 and 29 Pisces, there's a message about ‘oh, THAT’s why that happened?’ in the mix. And with Lust (fixation) sitting with Jupiter (what works and learning better), it’s oh so very likely that obsessions or too much attention to one thing (and lack of attention to something else) creating an imbalance has brought you to wherever you are at the moment.

Also, be aware of...you may still be too fixated (and thus out of balance) too. And whether or not this is true (or if you recognize it as true), with Saturn, Panacea and supermassive black hole M87 sitting in opposition to this station, you may just feel like ‘placating’ someone. Or that someone is just trying to placate you.

Is that true? That depends....and unfortunately it's not just all about you. Jupiter and Saturn in opposition is certainly the effort to build something, but the 'opposition' part may be causing a problem. What you're trying to build may be incompatible with what someone else is trying to build. Or how you're going about it may not mesh. Even the rates of growth or effort may be a bit - or even greatly out of sync. 

But with this station being Uranian, the real message is that the truth of the matter is probably somewhat other than you think. Also - because Uranus symbolizes all things and forces we can only cooperate with, not control…and especially as there are galactic black holes positioned at either end of this Jupiter/Saturn balance beam, you may be sure that neither party really understands each other. At least not yet! 

Plus (seemingly just to be annoying), let’s be galactically real: black hole M87 is one of the biggest black holes we know of. So its black holey ‘altered reality’ potential is truly huge, and it's positioned in 'the other guy's court.' Considering this, you may think they're the one living in an altered reality. Yet remember - from their point of view, you're the one occupying some oddity-of-karmic-space zone.

Yes, this would be the sticky wicket part of global transits!.

Can you ignore it? No. Can you simply insist that you're right and they're wrong? You can, but that will probably play against you.

So! What to do…! Oh what to do…?!

The answer probably comes from [deep breath...] Pluto/Charybdis at the midpoint of this opposition...a position which makes the whole of this 'stationary affair' a prime example of an infamously annoying (yet potently powerful) figure known as a t-square. With Charybdis/Pluto at the ‘t’, the instruction is to keep trying (with Charybdis, the worst thing you can do is not keep trying!) and to participate in the attempt to create positive change, granting that you may not have done all perfectly to begin with.

Pluto is one of those ‘outcome’ symbols (a Plutino). And yet because it represents transformation, unless someone out-and-out dies (and we hope that isn’t the case here) there is always room for exploration, negotiation, rehabilitation, conversation…

So long as both sides (BOTH sides…hear me?) are willing to own who they are, what they may have done or not done - and that differences are sometimes not merely okay but a positive…then what comes out of this station may be truly innovative and lead to greater freedom and happiness all the way around.

And if it doesn’t, we assess and go from there. Just try not to assume or act in haste – that’s so against the grain here, and as always where Uranus is concerned, flex - lest you break something you need value, or stand to ultimately depend on.

Finally, remember that retrogrades are all about internal things, so don't go looking for your answers "out there." Uranus retrograde in Aries is a primal call to look at ourselves with enough clarity of perspective to actually see where we're going wrong and thus why things aren't working out. Only by facing our grinches, glitches and gremlins can we get what we want from our life, and here we see Uranus as the force which forces a crack to shiver the walls of our internal resistance so that we can see ourselves. So that we learn what needs changing.

Oddly enough, this means that even the most unpleasant of scenes and situations which arise now are merely the universe delivering us a message. We're feeling what we feel and struggling with what we encounter because we need to. If we were actually as 'together' as we think we are, things would be peaceful. So if they're not, where they're not (and the feelings which get stirred up) are clues to what we need to take a good hard look at...not through the eyes of self-justification, or recrimination, but with a liberating dose of perspective.

In so many of our lives, we are our own problem. So to the degree that this station proves unsettling, that's actually an Aries gift of revelation in (possibly uncomfortable) disguise.

But here's the best part: any negative you find and get hold of is really a road map to your answers. Problems are our potentials seen on edge - a cutting edge. And to allow yourself to see this is to own your untapped genius.

And genius? That's Uranus incarnate.

Dahmer's All-Consuming Mentality

Granting that the tale of the person, company (or whatever) is the whole of any chart, in the prime vertical and horizontal axis lines we can see very important basics.

The vertical axis is composed of the Midheaven or MC (the top of the chart)  and the Nadir or IC – the bottom of the chart. This is the internal line – who we think we are on the inside...where we have 'come from' and who we want to ‘grow up to be.’ 

The horizontal axis being literally the horizon line (Earth revolving into time as the present and past), the Ascendant (the left end - "9 o'clock") is Now: who we are being. The Descendant (the right end - "3 o'clock") is the impression we create – the legacy we leave in our passage or (after death) in our passing. 

Because the Earth isn't a nice round ball, these two axes are not always in a perfect, 90-degree square. But the distance between them - large or small? That is pretty much the difference between who we think we are and who we're seen to be. 

They're so not always the same thing. And oh, what a sobering thought that is, right? But educational - especially if you're someone who keeps wanting to be one thing and who so consistently gets seen as something else. 

Not that you're Jeffrey Dahmer - at least we hope not. For one, if you were Dahmer, you'd be dead. And if you're dead, why are you reading my blog? 

(Should I ask you to comment in that case? Oh, decisions, decisions...!) 

Back to the point - that being that the distance between who we mean to be and who we are seen to be can get changed. But to change things we have to recognize and reconcile differences which (yes...) we would so often like to think are 'about' or 'in them' but which in reality are in us. To paraphrase someone who was not very happy with this idea, if the problem keeps happening, it really is all about us. 

So with this said, off to the chart of Jeffrey Dahmer - a man most people know of as one of the most bizarre serial killers of modern time (making the term 'off' very apt). Appearing to many as a moody, almost shy guy, Dahmer killed male lovers though a variety of gruesome acts...which was apparently his way of trying to keep them from leaving him. It’s a story all the more horrible for being truly pathetic – and universal; his was a need for love expressed in a (literal) stew of bloody violence totally lacking in compassionate recognition of anyone else as a valid human being replete with the right to exist. 

Dahmer’s Ascendant is fairly unremarkable expect for being marked by the presence of Arcturus, a fixed star all about doing ‘the different thing.’ We begin to feel a bit of his desperation however, when we think of his Libra Ascendant as being ruled by Venus - Dahmer's Venus being at 22 Taurus in the 8th house. 

Venus is notoriously ungraceful in the 8th house. At home in the (opposing) 2nd where (if not afflicted) it manifests through self-worth as an ability/willingness to initiator a profitable exchange known as human ‘give and take.’ But when Venus appears in the (oppositional) 8th we have someone who needs to get from others. 

Even more potently, with Dahmer's Venus being in Taurus (native sign of the 2nd) he felt his self worth came from others. Or that through the possessing of others, he would feel his own self worth. He would 'find himself' in others - as many people do with all things 8th house. People with such placements (as sometimes happens with planets in Scorpio, native sign of the 8th)...there is a need to 'achieve self through others.' Dahmer needed input or validation (maybe both) from others to allow him to even begin feeling something about himself in order to then make something of himself, this being maybe a better way of putting the difference between planets in 8 and in Scorpio. The 8th house planet/symbol seeks to understand the self, the Scorpio planet wants to make something of the Self through wherever it happens to be placed (that "department" of life as indicated by the house). 

Bottom line, the 8th house is where we interact with others and test our emotional choices and risk ourselves emotionally. It's INTERACTIVE. 

So with Dahmer’s Venus conjunct Industria (industriousness), Sabine (forced imprisonment) and Fanny (the behind, literal or figurative), his way of putting his self-worth demons behind him and to work was expressed by taking his lovers captive. And sex of that particularly 'putting it behind me' sort, of course. 

(So to speak...) 

Just a side comment here, before we get back to specific axis points....In Dahmer’s 8th house was also a Sun at 0 Gemini. That defines him at least at some level as a mental naïf - any symbol at zero of any sign is at an initiation point, however you want to take that. In conjunction with headstrong Phaethon, this Sun speaks to Dahmer's need to keep doing what he was doing despite all: its mental compulsion in an interactive setting. 

To this we then add the other asteroid closely present: Charybdis – a sea monster (water=emotion) which says you have to keep trying and trying lest you get eaten up and spit out. 

(Yes, I said that.) 

The other end of the horizontal axis – the Descendant – of Dahmer’s chart is 19 Aries, a degree known for difficulties often including a ‘dark and fearful life’ which includes an early end (Dahmer was murdered in prison at the age of 34). The solution for  conditions expressed in this degree would seem to be compassion but with Dahmer, that apparently was not forthcoming – at least for others, though we can guess his choices were a gigantically convoluted attempt to make himself feel better!

But with the ruler of the Descendant – Mars – in Aries and the 6th conjunct Chaos, the effort was futile in the extreme. Astrologically, Chaos is ‘the void’ the great ‘undefined’ from which comes both the highs of artistic and spiritual inspiration and the total emptiness of fear, grief, loss and helplessness. 

As always – this being an important note in astrology – we need to look to the symbol ruling the house to see how all in that house will “behave,” good and bad. With Pisces, the first place we look is (primary) ruler Jupiter. Dahmer’s Jupiter is ill-placed in the 3rd house, telling us his was a mind which cannot be quieted. In Capricorn, we have the indication that he was capable of doing ‘hard things’ and going beyond ‘hard limits,’ which in Dahmer’s case involved murder by skull drilling. 

And why SO aberrant?

One explanation given by the chart would be the direct opposition from Jupiter to calculated Lilith. There are two forms of Lilith – the calculated one (which has to do with social/societal morays) and the asteroid Lilith (which has things to do with things in ourselves we don’t approve of). This being the calculated form, we know Dahmer would deny societal ‘rules’ – that ‘hardness’ image in the Capricorn Jupiter would ‘bar’ such things from his thoughts. It wasn't (in other words) hard for him to do at all - that we know from Lilith also being conjunct Betelgeuse, a fixed star about ‘ease of process.’ So we can bet that either Dahmer had little trouble ignoring societal values or that they didn’t really occur to him either way, for good or bad.

So saying, back to that Descendant. The Moon in Dahmer’s chart is exactly conjunct the Descendant. So those dark and fearful feelings are not only what he felt every day of his life, it is what he has left us with as his legacy. In the greatest and karmic sense, that he lived is a lesson to us all.

A very distasteful lesson to be sure, but a lesson nonetheless.

And that’s not all. The Descendant also highlights Icarus: rash actions and, reckless choices. Because the Descendant is not only what we do and how we are seen but about those drawn to us, this also speaks to Dahmer’s victims and why they became his victims. Also present here: Typhon, a TNO (Trans Neptunian Object) all about our most primal states and urges. (Link to article on Typhon.)

These qualities – the naïf, the primal urges, the fear and sadness in Dahmer…they would also be qualities he was drawn to. And that his lovers were drawn and which they possessed at some level -  defining the eternal like attracts like of human relationship inevitability. We will attract people who ‘fit,’ emulate or ‘set off’ most of all what we haven’t dealt with (in full) in ourselves.

And while sometimes those qualities are good, often it’s not so good. Why? Because how else is life going to prompt us to do the work we need to do on ourselves? 

Ouch. What that says about us as much as a Jeff Dahmer is simply distressing.

Moving on to his vertical axis, it expresses as 23 Capricorn/Cancer – with Cancer at the MC. Cancer being ruled by the Moon and the IC the other point in the chart most known as ‘public recognition’ this surely gives us the picture of someone ultimately known for a chaotic and fearful legacy. 

More important maybe…that that’s what Dahmer’s life was. When will we learn that to have such things not happen we have to care about human beings beyond their childhood years? 

People say once we’re adults we can’t be changed – at the same time everything in life causes us to evolve. We can’t have it both ways and the truth is that people don’t change maybe because they don’t want to, yes. But probably also because they don’t know how to.  

Am I my brother’s keeper? That’s SO very too biblical. How about am I a fellow human? Is it really okay to ignore and desert others out of preference when they're displaying a plaintive need. Aren't the Jeffrey Dahmers and other horrors known to dark histories an example of what comes from just that?

Even worse, when we don’t care about others (or the world) is that US being our own tiny version of the Dahmer who didn't value the lives of other people? 

All points appear in all charts. 

The foundation of Dahmer's chart (23 Capricorn) is a degree about excesses and difficulties controlling one’s passions. It’s a degree I happen to wrestle with myself in my own chart (no, I'm not a mass murderer!)....plenty of people have plenty of planets at this and other trying degrees. My comment about this one is merely that it's no  better uncontrolled than totally controlled – it’s the balance which counts. 

And which is hard. But that's a valuable lesson to us all, since all degrees occur in all charts - and considering the number of celestial objects out there, what do you think the chances are that NOTHING is in your chart at 23 Capricorn?

That's right - slim and next to zilch.

Ruled by Saturn, ultimately this is a degree which can only be learned through structured responsibility – which Dahmer evidently has perilously little of. His Saturn is in Capricorn. So Saturn ruled he was: his was a literally and figuratively ‘fearful foundation.’ That this Capricorn Saturn is sitting in a 3rd house tells us it functioned mentally and through his choices – and this is the Saturn ruling the Jupiter involved in that Jupiter/Lilith/Betelgeuse conglomerate.

I’d ask how scary is that except we all now know how scary that turned out to be.

And that this 3rd house had Sagittarius (sign of knowledge) on the cusp with the Sag ruler (Jupiter) in that very 3rd house? This is the snake not just eating its own tail by being consumed by the knowledge that it’s eating its own tail. This is torment and self-torment of a maximal, cognizant form. If you’ve seen any of the filmed interviews with Dahmer, it’s apparent: he knew what he was doing. He knew that it was wrong. He knew he was doing harm. But he simply could not fend off his own mentality.

Do we know that his aims were? That would be told at Dahmer’s MC, where we not only see 23 Cancer, but also Nemesis (a warning often ignored) and Rhadamanthus (dispassionate fair judgment). He wanted someone to stop him. Twenty-three Cancer is degree from Cancer’s third decanate. All third decan degrees are about things we have to put out into the world to see if they work. To see how they work or how to fix them. There is a danger of falling here, but only when like children, we have not been taught to climb.

Again…it’s a busy world. But at what point to business and the preference to pleasure one’s self become harmful? It’s not just parents and its not just Dahmer – it’s all of us.

He’s paid. His victims have paid. His family has paid. Do we all have to pay in our own way too not just for him, but for our own lack of balance?

It's that all points being in all charts which gets me. This doesn't mean that if you have Saturn and Jupiter in Capricorn in your 3rd house that you're going to be like Jeff Dahmer - it's the whole of the chart which counts and charts only repeat every 25, 920 years (even without all the 'new' points being used - the asteroids, TNO's and all that).

But there are no 'perfect' charts. That's one of the first things I ever learned when I started attending lectures with astrologers who had been in the biz for plural decades. And what that means, like the fact that all of these points are in each of our charts is that we all have challenges, some of which are nasty.

It's how we cope with having them which counts.  So there we leave it. I go off to continue being me and you go on coping with being you. 

And I wish us all well.

.