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FOR JOHN SMITH AND JANE DONE

by Brian Habit

JANE'S BIRTH CHART

The Core of Jane’s Chart

As we did with your chart, let’s start our brief examination of Jane’s birth chart by looking at the core of who she is and what she needs, as indicated by her Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Descendant.

Jane’s Sun lies in logical, innovative Aquarius, an air sign, the sign of the Genius. In a past life, she had to live life largely on someone else’s terms. Now, in order to develop a strong sense of who she is and respect herself, she needs to invent her own rules and choose to play according to them. This includes showing the world her genius—her particular brand creativity or some special ability, her ability to think and act in ways that no one has taught her along the way. Even if her behavior is unconventional or unpredictable, she also needs to act rationally, like a scientist. That means studying matters with a detached intellectual interest, using systematic observation and experimentation. Her Aquarius Sun sits in the 5th house of self-expression. This indicates that she needs to act like the ultimate authority in her “play time” in order to respect herself and really shine. How? By claiming her right to choose her own hobbies or creative activities, to decide how to invest her money or raise her children, to assert her prerogative to approach her romantic life as she sees fit. 

Jane’s Moon lies in intense, passionate Scorpio in the 2nd house of resources. She needs deep, emotionally intense experiences, ones that require probing beneath the surface and looking at taboo subjects, even if doing so requires “intestinal fortitude.” It’s as if in previous incarnations other people (or life itself) seemed to laugh in Jane’s face about her ability to take care of herself or make a meaningful contribution to society. Now she needs to look deeply at such old wounds. She most needs emotionally demanding experiences in connection with developing her self-confidence. If her close interactions don’t become more honest and more deeply intimate over time, she might “stew” much of the time… and have big outbursts every now and then. She needs to earn money or spend money in ways that allow her to satisfy her craving for cathartic experiences—those that help her purify and heal deep wounds about what she has going for her.

As we saw with her Sun in Aquarius, she needs to act logically and have innovative experiences in order to feel vital and alive. At the same time, she also needs emotional depth in order to feel safe and sound. There’s a natural clash between building a sense of security (your Moon) and seeking high adventure (your Sun), between acting based on logic (your Sun) and acting based on desire (your Moon). She can expect to have to come up with workable compromises between these principles in order to feel both good about herself and emotionally satisfied. Given her Scorpio Moon, a romantic partner should be prepared for her to “go into herself” at times and then emerge and want him to really “be there” with her, when she’s ready to have intense contact again.

Jane’s Ascendant lies in another social, idea-oriented air sign (Libra). In order to move through everyday life with grace, comfort and ease, she needs to cultivate a refined, congenial, gracious style. She needs to act like an artist or diplomat, to bringing separate parts or elements into some sort of pleasing or elegant arrangement, whether those individuals, groups of people, aesthetic components (such as colors and shapes), or something else. I’d tell her: Reach out to other people, and try to build social ties and foster understanding. Seek out ways to apply your natural elegance, diplomacy and aesthetic sensibility. Libra, like Aquarius, can avoid emotional territory if it seems like it might get “sticky,” though for Libra, it’s not to maintain freedom so much as it is to keep things pleasant. With both signs, there’s a hazard of giving others the appearance of conformity or agreement, but if she does that, she could become alienated or compromise away her integrity for a shallow illusion of belonging and connection. It also certainly wouldn’t satisfy her Scorpionic Moon for emotionally transformative experiences.

The Descendant, the point that lies directly opposite Jane’s Ascendant, represents the kind of person to whom she’s drawn, as she unconsciously goes about trying to balance her most characteristic blind spots or limitations.

With Libra rising, there’s a risk that she’ll get so caught up in charming others or negotiating with them that she doesn’t satisfy your Aquarian need for independence. That’s a potential blind spot for Libra. She could settle for peace rather than holding out for justice.

Libra finds its potential complement in the sign that lies opposite it (Aries). With Aries on Jane’s Descendant, she and Aries-like individuals are naturally attracted to each other. Such individuals believe in action, not talk. Fiery and high energy, they’re willing to go toe-to-toe with others to stand up for themselves. They’re independent, pioneering types or take-charge leaders. They don’t let their fear hold them back from taking bold action. They thrive on challenges—physical, interpersonal, internal, or organizational challenges. 

By coming together, Jane and a person with Arian qualities stand to “round each other out,” to keep each other from becoming too extreme. She can keep them from running roughshod over others and becoming socially isolated. In turn, they can keep her from acting too “nice.” They can help her develop not only her ability to collaborate with others but also her potential to strike out on her own sometimes. Jane doesn’t have to put a lot of energy into learning to like such people. They offer a natural, unconscious appeal for her. It’s an attraction between opposites, and it’s only after they come together and get to know each other that the issue of what to do with their differences really surfaces.

To review what we’ve seen so far: Based on the barest core of Jane’s chart, we can say that Jane is the Genius (Aquarius Sun) wearing the mask of the Artist (Libra Ascendant), with the soul of the Detective (Scorpio Moon). She’s someone who needs to wade into controversial waters in order to be fulfilled, yet also present herself in a polished, congenial way to others. She needs to be innovative without being unnecessarily “difficult,” and she needs “worthy opponents” in her closest relationships to complete her. The more she can find activities that feed her needs for not only individuality and intellectual stimulation but also depth and emotional intensity, the more satisfied she’ll be in the long run.

Now let’s check out a couple of planets that are closely connected to Jane’s Sun/Moon/Ascendant. These include Venus and Uranus. 

Jane’s Venus sits in Aquarius, in her 5th house of self-expression. There’s a sense that, in past lives, she was forced to be sexual with someone not of her own choosing. Now her soul seeks to relate to others in a way that respects her need to determine her own path, as an individual. There’s an unconventionality and free-spirited restlessness about her tastes. Maybe she’s drawn to extreme pleasures, like skydiving, or Aquarius-ruled subjects, such as high-tech electronica, cutting edge or unusual fields, the Internet, broadcast media, or international affairs. Flamboyance, thrills and spills, unusual interests, and bohemian lifestyles offer a certain appeal to her. Maybe she prefers a bohemian lifestyle or hangs out with unusual types of people.

For Jane to attract the sorts of experiences and people that she would find enjoyable, I’d tell her: Emphasize how free-spirited you can be, what an original thinker you are, how committed you can be to saying, “The Emperor has no clothes,” even if everyone around you agrees to act as if he does. Don’t waste your time on social conformists, people who put stability ahead of excitement. You need companions who are open to radical change, innovation, and thinking and acting in ways that no one has taught them to think or act. Look for people who are interested in social change. People who have unusual tastes. Those who encourage you to act with independence and daring, because they themselves are willing to be considered unusual or odd for the sake of following their own inner drumbeats. They’ll help you develop the best of your potential socially.

Jane’s Venus conjoins her Sun. For Jane, the way that she develops and expresses her Venus function is very integral to her sense of identity, her general vitality, and her self-respect. Part of defining who she is hinges on how well she cultivates adequate social, artistic, or perhaps even recreational outlets for her Aquarian tastes and sensibilities. If she chooses, for example, she could play the misfit or exile, in which can she’d see herself as being horribly unlike others or she’d attack the conventionality that surrounds her. She could also identify with being an innovative trailblazer, someone who finds both personal gratification and a satisfying social role in her uniqueness. 

Jane’s Uranus lies in Scorpio, in her 2nd house of resources. With Uranus in her 2nd house, Jane’s motivated to express her individuality through developing and applying her resources in intense, original ways. To feel like she’s her own person, to know that she can take care of herself regardless of what life dishes out, she’ll need to capitalize on her innovativeness and independence. For example, maybe Jane teaches herself how to play a musical instrument. Uranus, like Aquarius, can be inventive or clever in technical matters, so designing gadgets or starting a website designing business is worth considering. Jane can count on having to break the rules and displeasing so-called experts in how she earns and spends money. Maybe she starts a literary or artistic movement that turns conventional thinking upside down. She might create an organization that takes an innovative approach to addressing old issues, such as a new political party or a group like Alcoholics Anonymous. It could also be an organization that centers on unusual pursuits, such as astrology. At best, she could exhibit a determined, uncompromising feistiness, a readiness and willingness to challenge those who might try to tear down her sense of self-esteem or shortchange her financially.

Jane’s Uranus conjoins her Moon. This adds a tempestuous, rebellious “live free or die” quality to her instinctive emotional reactions. It reinforces her taste for Aquarian pleasures, as indicated by her Venus.

Venus and Mars: Attraction and Drive

We’ve already considered Jane’s Venus, so let’s look at another planet that’s especially important when it comes to relating to others: Mars.

Earlier we saw that Jane’s Sun and Venus are both in Aquarius. To cultivate a sense of vitality and enjoy herself, she needs experiences that are Aquarian in nature, those that are analytical, futuristic, and adventurous. Jane’s Mars, in contrast, lies in Cancer. Cancer is emotional, imaginative, oriented toward the past, and security-conscious. Both her Mars and Moon lie in sensitive, introspective water signs, so there’s a greater emotional depth to Jane then her Sun and Venus in restless Aquarius might suggest. Her modus operandi should include going after whatever or whomever she wants in a gentle, nurturing, imaginative manner. She might offer up “tea and sympathy” for whomever she cares about. “Have some chicken soup. You’ll feel better.” “I’ll protect you from the cold, cruel world.”

In previous incarnations, Jane no doubt got seriously burned when she opened herself up to someone, so now she’s still learning to let others into her inner world and to let them nurture her. What’s key here is to take calculated risks with those who might treat her gently, with tenderness and consideration—not to spill her guts to people willy-nilly. If she avoids taking such risks, then she can expect to feel haunted by the challenges that she never faced. She might nurture the world or people as a collective, but keep individuals at arm’s length and so never know real intimacy. If she opens herself up to callous, self-centered people, then she’s likely to get into touchy arguments with them or close down completely…and think twice about ever risking that again. Jane’s Mars reinforces the need that we saw with her Moon for some private time, time to go into “retreat mode” and tune in to what she’s feeling. To stay energized, she needs time to feed her poetic, imaginative side. She also needs to have someone or something to nurture—some plants, a pet, or a kind human soul.

The Arc of Intimacy in Jane’s Chart: Dimensions of Relating

As we did with your chart, let’s check Jane’s arc of intimacy (her 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th houses), to see what light they can shed on the process by which she builds relationships.

Jane’s 4th house, the house of physical and emotional roots, contains Mercury in Capricorn. It’s as if in past lives she was cooped up like Rapunzel in a tower, with no mental stimulation, no lively companionship. Others said, “We’ll do the thinking,” or the family patriarch said, “I’ll speak for all of us, including you,” and her intellectual ambition was chronically malnourished. In this lifetime Jane’s learning how to get adequate variety and mental stimulation into her life, especially her private life. She’s learning how to be heard, how to entertain all sorts of ideas in an intellectual salon sort of atmosphere. To accomplish this, she needs a home life that allows her to communicate and travel in a purposeful yet free way.

It’s as if she were a compass, the kind used to draw circles. In order to feel mentally alive and stimulated, she needs to have both some sense of rootedness in the world (a fixed point) and the freedom to range far and wide (a point that swings freely in a radius around the fixed point). There are all sorts of ways to accomplish this. For example, maybe she travel a lot for work or pleasure, or she lives on a houseboat hits the road (uh, the water) every now and then. (She might even build the boat herself!) Maybe she takes correspondence courses and travels more mentally than physically.

However she gets it into her life, Jane needs to share knowledge, ideas, and clever strategies with others who live (or used to live) under the same roof with her, such as a parent, romantic partner, child, or roommate. For someone to become a member of Jane’s clan, he needs to be curious, lively, communicative, and open-minded. It won’t work for her to live with people who keep their thoughts to themselves or who close themselves off from new ideas or experiences. She needs people who pursue long-term goals with determination and organization, those who are dependable and mature, but who aren’t stiff stuck-in-the-mud party-poopers.  

Jane’s 5th house contains both her Sun and Venus. With the ego-centric Sun and pleasure-loving Venus in her house of self-expression, it looks like Jane was pleasure-starved in past lives, perhaps even as a child this time around. Part of her evolutionary journey involves letting her hair down, taking pleasure and pride in whatever she creates, doing the kinds of things that put a smile on her face for the sheer delight of it. To help the process of falling in love along, and to help keep romance alive in the long run, Jane should seek out people with whom she can take turns performing and applauding. Sharing offbeat or exciting new pleasures can also go along way toward keeping the spark and the sense of fun alive. I’d tell her to look for “playmates” who exude a sense of aesthetics, who are kind and have a social conscience. If she finds that someone tries to dominate or overshadow her, that’s an indicator that she need to wrap up old spiritual business with him and move on. If he acts crudely or puts her down for not being modest enough or for being too showy, she can figure that he represents more your past you’re your future. Another warning sign would be if he’s too charming, too slick, the kind of person who tries to mollify her and keep things pleasant rather than genuinely work out differences. 

Jane’s 6th house, the house of responsibilities, doesn’t contain any planets or other major points. However, we might consider the ruler of her 6th house for indications about matters related to this house. The sign Pisces lies on the cusp (or beginning) of her 6th house. The planet that rules Pisces is Neptune, so, by association, we can look to Neptune as indicative of Jane’s 6th house.

Jane’s Neptune lies in Sagittarius. Neptune in Sagittarius is a very idealistic, visionary, compassionate Neptune. When two people have a relationship that grows beyond simply having a good time together, the issue of dependability becomes important. Can I count on you? To do what? Can you count on me? To do what? For Jane to be able to depend on someone, and for her to act dependably toward someone, there needs to be a broadminded, spiritual, philosophical quality about him. He needs to be the sort of person who acts on an inspired vision, like a poetic philosopher, a compassionate student of life, or an imaginative gypsy. Such people can help her learn useful skills related to applying her own imagination and idealism in expansive ways. Life can get pretty mundane and routine at times. For Jane to weather it well, I’d tell her to look for someone with a sense of humor, someone who won’t be petty about the details when it comes to  acting responsibly toward each other.    

In Jane’s 7th house, her house of intimacy, we find the South Node of the Moon.

Earlier I talked about the North Node of the Moon being in your 5th house of self-expression. The North Node represents unnatural, unfamiliar, but potentially very soul-satisfying areas of growth. It represents our evolutionary future, the direction in which we should stretch ourselves. In contrast, the South Node of the Moon symbolizes our evolutionary past. It represents the emotional memories that linger from past incarnations, our karma (old habits or tendencies), and our unquestioned assumptions.

Jane’s South Node lies in fiery Aries, in her 7th house. On a soul level, Jane has lots of experience grappling with people, interacting energetically with them in one-to-one situations. It comes pretty naturally for her to play the warrior or the daredevil when she engages directly with another person: to speak her mind, to challenge people when she disagrees with them. There’s some familiar and secure about acting this way. Some of these behaviors make sense in light of her past experiences. For example, perhaps she were neglected or abused by parents who were self-absorbed or angry while you were growing up. Perhaps she had such experiences in past lives. Now, as an adult in this life, she might be tempted to routinely go on the offensive, to make sure that she doesn’t get treated the same way again. However, what was very functional in earlier situations may not be so helpful in the present or the future, especially if she relies on it too frequently. If she gets too caught up in such behaviors, it will hold her back from becoming more satisfied in her life.

Here are some scenarios that serve as warning signs of old “holes” to avoid falling into repeatedly:

Suppose Jane comes on strong when dealing with strangers. She acts overly forceful or overbearing in one-on-one encounters with them. She’s like a spouse who takes a belligerent, combative stance to keep others from doing any harm to her loved one. “Oh, yeah? You’re going to have to go through me to do it!” She might get into a game of tit-for-tat that escalates out of control. It’s also possible that Jane finds yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s overly forceful behavior. Someone uses coercion to try to get what he or she wants from her.

Maybe she gets into unbalanced relationships of a more personal or involved nature. One party tries to dominate the other. If Jane’s the one who comes on too strong, then she shows Aries at its darkest. Self-absorbed and impatient, she tells others what they should do without really opening yourself up enough to “where they’re coming from.” She’s an egotistical braggart or a selfish romantic partner. Maybe she plays one person off against another to get what she wants. If the other person comes on too strong, then Jane might have to contend with a physically or emotionally abusive parent, or a jealous, domineering romantic partner. Somehow the other person balks at the idea of her living her life as she sees fit.

Another way that Jane could go awry in terms of her South Node would be by giving in to her fear, and avoiding intimacy with others, perhaps by overemphasizing how much more independence she has if she’s not in a relationship. 

Like Jane’s 6th house, her 8th house contains no planets or major points, so again, we can look to the house ruler for indications about the affairs that are associated with the house. Taurus lies on the cusp of Jane’s 8th house, so its ruling planet Venus acts as a representative of her 8th house.

As we saw earlier, Jane has Venus in Aquarius. If she want to form a deep bond with someone, a bond that is so instinctive and primal that it connects as deeply as two separate souls can connect, I’d advise her to avoid people who act crass or who play fast and loose with people’s feelings. She should hold out for someone who’s gracious, who can support a live-and-let-live approach to intimacy. Her companion needs to be secure enough to encourage her to follow her free spirit, not someone who tries to possess her and “put her on a shelf.”