Astro Update - Issue #19

Just today I was reading a basic Sun sign astrology book. Your Sun sign provides a wealth of information about you, but it isn't everything by a long shot. There are all the other planets and the interactions among them. You need the whole chart to tell the full story about yourself or anyone you meet.

For most astrology students, the hardest thing is learning how to integrate all the details so they make sense. Llewellyn has published two books, Aspects and Aspect Patterns, to help you do just that.

Aspects are relationships and energetic exchanges between planets that can influence a person's chart in profound ways. Here is a brief description of an experience with one of Robin Antepara's students (Robin is the author of Aspects):

Several months ago I was giving an astrology workshop in which participants were exploring the four elements — fire, air, earth, and water — and their influence in the natal chart. At one point Maiko, a Japanese woman from Tokyo, raised her hand. "I don't understand it," she said. "I have five planets in earth, including Sun in Capricorn. Earth is very practical and business-minded, right? But I'm so imaginative!"

I looked at her chart, and lo and behold, she had a strong aspect between Mars and Neptune. Neptune is the god of the sea and associated with the imagination, creativity, and mysticism. I told her this. "And by the way, Someone else with four planets in earth and an aspect between Neptune and Mars is Walt Disney. ... You could put your creative energies to use in a very concrete way, perhaps some day running your own business."

Her eyes lit up. A big Disney fan, Maiko could immediately relate. Suddenly she understood something about astrology — and herself — that she had not known before.

That example combined just two planets in a chart and provided deeper insight into how the chart reflects the way our minds work.

Aspect Patterns

Aspect patterns among three or more planets can go even deeper into the meaning of your chart. They begin to reflect your life almost as soon as you are born. Feedback from the parents of infants indicates that tiny babies respond to the world in just the ways we would expect from looking at their birth charts. The charts are reflections of their individuality and character.

Marc Edmund Jones¹ and Robert Jansky² identified and interpreted two kinds of patterns in charts. The first is the arrangement of the planets around the circle. The names of the patterns—words like bowl, bucket, and fan—describe the look of the chart as a whole. They give a quick indication of how the individual tends to process information, evaluate it, and act upon it.

The second pattern involves aspects of three or more planets. When aspects connect up in geometric shapes—like a square, equilateral triangle, or pentagram figure—the energy flows continuously from one planet to the next, providing an easy energy pattern for the person to follow. Aspect Patterns considers both kinds of patterns and how they relate to each other. In the back of the book there are handy tables to help identify the patterns, with references to the myriad patterns in about seventy chart examples.

Paula Abdul has a rectangle in her chart that is formed by drawing lines between the planets Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. At the time when Pluto had moved forward by solar arc to make one of the aspects exact, her mother said that Paula already knew she wanted to be an entertainer. In looking at this pattern, you can use words for each planet:

• Mars—energetic, impulsive

• Jupiter—aspiring, confident

• Neptune—imaginative, clairvoyant

• Pluto—actors, extra-sensory perception

Interpretation is as easy as putting the words together: Paula Abdul, even at age four, was an energetic, imaginative child who aspired to be an actress (performer). Of course we could have chosen the other words for the planets: Paula, an impulsive, confident child, showed an inclination to clairvoyance or ESP. Or we could say she is an energetic, confident, clairvoyant who enjoys acting. I don't know if she is into the mystical stuff, but it would add an interesting dimension to her character, and might serve her well in her career as a performer too.

As you further your studies of astrology, keep aspects and aspect patterns in mind. Or visit us online to explore other astrological studies that might interest you.

—Stephanie Clement

¹Jones, Marc Edmund. The Guide to Horoscope Interpretation. Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972.

²Jansky, Robert Carl. Planetary Patterns. Venice, CA: Astro-Analytics, 1975.

Excerpt from the article
Maria Shaw's 2007 Love Predictions
by Maria Shaw

Aries — Your love life could easily be a roller coaster ride until September, at which time heavy Saturn exits your solar fifth house of love and romance. Problems with partners ease up then and you’ll be much more carefree and optimistic. The first nine months of 2007, however, is a time in which you’ll have to make a decision; if a relationship is truly worth keeping or if it’s time to cut ties for good. Your lucky love months are August and October.

Taurus — Money issues would be a source of irritation between you and partner all year. Don’t allow them to cause friction. It could easily happen as Taurus tends to tighten the purse strings but their partner prefers to splurge on all out shopping sprees! Jupiter is visiting your solar eighth house, which rules, among other things, sex. So all is not lost! If you’re a Taurus that hasn’t already made a commitment, the cosmos are pointing you in that direction this year. Your lucky love months are September and November.

Gemini — 2007 is the best year in over 12 years for your love life! If you're a soul-mate-seeking Gemini, this year you could find the man or woman of your dreams. So, don't sell yourself short or settle for anything less than your heart desires. If married, you will fall in love with your mate all over again. If, by chance, you're in a dead-end relationship, you can cut those ties and move on to greener pastures with little effort. Your lucky love months are October and December.