Dear Once,

It’s very funny. I knew what I was going to have to say to you before I looked at your chart and when it popped up on the screen, with Saturn (oppression) in the 9th house (religion) opposing your Sun (your creative self), your Mercury (your thoughts) and the rest of your stellium in Virgo, well it doesn’t get plainer than this. Or cuter. And neater petite-r for a Virgo like you.

See these advice questions have to apply to more than one person to make it on to this blog. And I was going to tell you that to evolve in the course of your lifetime… be it around religion or anything else, when you are challenged there is really only one thing to do. Stand firm. You must have integrity and I am a good example.

I started identifying myself as an astrologer (as a career) at my Saturn return. Needless to say, I was mocked without mercy. People who knew me before I identified myself this way shook their heads and the new people I met… well most of them took a step back, not forward.

However, I am an astrologer. I will die an astrologer so when my future inl aws told a man who loved me that they would disown him if he married that “astrologer crystal ball person”, I remained an astrologer and I think you can see I understand your circumstance.

And I think everyone needs to stand for what they believe but in your case this could not possibly be any clearer, with a 9th house Saturn. Your beliefs (9th house) must have integrity (Saturn). And here’s the deal with an opposition like yours… which utterly dominates your chart by the way.

When you have an opposition like this in your chart you wind up living one side and projecting the other. So for awhile there, you were the Saturn in the 9th figure. You were the religious (9th house) authority (Saturn). But now you’re on the other end, being a critical thinking Virgo!! And what you have to do is own both sides.

Now I want to tell you, you are a preacher whether you like it or not. And if you go up there and read your post, you can see this is in your writing. There is a cadence of someone preaching. So really, you have not escaped your destiny, have you? You are still going to teach about religion or belief systems, it’s just that you beliefs have morphed!

So when these people come down on you… don’t let that stand. Don’t be the little Virgo maiden crushed by authority (the projected 9th house Saturn). Instead, get on you own box there and preach right back!! Because you have authority when it comes to religion / belief systems. But as long as you try to divorce yourself from this and ignore what is essentially your job on this planet… well you are going to continue to meet the oppressor outside yourself, and why is that?

It’s to force you to define (Saturn) your beliefs (9th house)… to one and all. And I can tell you from personal experience that when you do this eventually the opposition fades and support forms. There isn’t a person in the world who would dare try to tell me I shouldn’t be an astrologer now. What would it get them? A quizzical look?

Good luck.

~~
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Dear Sister,

Your problem is terrifically complicated but also very simple. First the conundrum: Mercury rules “siblings” and yours is highly stressed. It’s involved in a T-square with Uranus and Saturn which plays about million ways. Like this:

Rebel (Uranus) against your siblings (Mercury)… and vice versa.
Oppressed / Restricted /Rejected (Saturn) by your sibs (Mercury)… and vice versa.

And I could go on and on. These things go ’round and ’round, bing, bang, bing like a pinball machine. And although there are positive ways for these energies to express, this is an advanced game, beyond the scope of what can be addressed on this blog. So leaving that be, I would advise you to focus first on something much simpler. The basic way you’re living that is, because this is what is causing most your symptoms anyway.

See, you’ve got a Capricorn Moon. And Capricorn cannot thrive until and unless they are living completely above board. You must live with integrity or else… well in the case of the Sun in Capricorn, life without integrity is a dismal failure. In the case of a Capricorn Moon, you are going to be depressed! So you get my drift. It is you responsible for your depression and you who can fix it.

And your Sagittarius rising echoes this theme. Sagittarians are all about what they believe. And who are you if you are concealing your “religion” (or lack of) courtesy your fear of being rejected (Capricorn) by your family (Moon)?

I vote that you express yourself. Live free and let the chips fall. Because I’m telling you, your relationship with your sibs is going to be taut regardless. But at least this way you’ll have integrity, and with your Sagittarius standing proud I bet your mood improves.

Good luck.

~~
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Dear Path,

You can’t get anyone to do anything. All people do whatever they want, but this is especially true for Taurus, the most stubborn sign in the zodiac! So in regards to turning this guy, well picture this: imagine a bull in a field. He’s just standing there, for the most part. Maybe he’s swinging his tail to keep the flies off. But only as necessary! Mostly he’s just chewin’ the grass. And then you come along.

And what do you want? You want him to climb up a hill and look out over the horizon. You want him to dance around a teepee, but so? What’s the horizon got to do with him? He’s happy in his field, yes?

“But come away with me!” you say. “Come to these exotic places!” you cajole him.

He just stares at you with his big brown eyes, waiting for you to understand. Understand that he’s not going anywhere. If you want to run around to and fro… well you go right ahead. That’s your life. But it’s not his!

So this is where you’re at. You will not get this man to do anything… unless he damn well pleases. And if he ever pleases, I doubt it will be soon. So based on this, you have choices.

If you love him where he is, the way he is, that’s fine. Otherwise, you need another man.

Good luck.

~~
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Dear Mom,

I don’t think your kids are suffering. I think their mother is a Sagittarian. Sagittarians are seekers and there is nothing wrong with that.

On the grounding though, I wouldn’t hold my breath. You’re obviously a person on the move on many levels, so how are you going to lock your kids up in a small space? You’re not. You’re far more likely to expose them to a wide range of belief systems. You’re far more likely to educate them and allow them freedom to choose.

So what about the family, huh? Well, you’ve have your Moon conjunct Uranus and it’s a given that you’re going to break ranks. The Moon rules the family and with Uranus involved, you’re going to want to innovate and make your own rules. And as you can see, this is exactly what you’re doing.

So what about your kids? Well, I think they’re fine. They have an eccentric Sagittarius seeker for a mother and I doubt it’s an accident. Your parents taught you one thing and you grew up and took it from there. You will teach your kids what you teach them, and they’ll grow up and take it from there.

Sounds good to me. Sounds like evolution.

~~
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Dear Suffering,

I want to be able to tell you it all wraps up and turns around, just one week from now. Then I look at your chart and think, “Oh crap, she’s just getting started!”

But don’t fret!! There is a way to cope, and ultimately thrive even with Neptune transiting the T-square in your chart. If you read your post up there, you can see you’re completely out of whack. You’re out of sync with everything, but most importantly, you’re detached from your own intuition. And this has got to change.

For example, the guy. You didn’t have any inkling? Did you see some signs and override them? And what about the pregnancy – it was a total fuckin’ surprise?

And I’m not trying to blame you for your problems. This is NOT my point. My point is you have a lot things listed up there, most of them are stress-related. And I’m suggesting that the root cause of your stress is a disconnect between you and your intuition.

And this is resolvable! In fact, I think you can become excited at the prospect of working this angle. Ask yourself, “What did I know about this guy and when did I know it?” And don’t be surprised if you’re flooded with information.

At that point, the next trick. Don’t beat yourself up. You know. How could I have been so stupid… or that kind of thing. That’s a total waste of time. Just learn from this. Get yourself aware that you have intuition that is not tangible and commit to paying attention next time. And if you do this, guess what’ll happen?

Your face will clear up and your blood pressure will go down! All because you’re happy, see. Happy knowing you can navigate anything, if you will just pay attention to the subtle things around you.

Good luck.

~~
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Dear Wants,

You don’t sound suicidal to me. You don’t sound depressed either. I think you’re exploring various states of feeling. You sound like you are experimenting… and as an extra bonus, people may be shocked by what you have to say.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not insulting you at all. I think you just want to feel passionate about something, and this may be a way to access that elusive feeling. If you go way out on this limb and hang there for awhile, what might you learn? And what might the people around you learn, with this sort of provocation?

I think you’re seeking an epiphany. Perhaps there is some exotic piece of information you can glean this way. You just might, as I’ve seen a situation like this before.

My lifelong pal Ben has Aquarius and Scorpio, just like you. I watched him go down once… way down, in search of some insight he felt he needed. I was worried about him but respected his process – hoping he’d survive it, and that it’d be productive. He did, and it was. I hope the same for you.

If you want a clue from astrology as to what is missing, I’d think about feeding your Moon in Cancer in the sixth house. Whose mother are you? Who are you serving?

I say, circle the drain for as long as you want (need) to, then pick your ass up and get to work.

::smiles::

~~
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~~
photo used with permission. Thanks, Jacob

Dear Searching,

I’m not going to mince words. Your chart is brutal. It’s very difficult – not just right now, but in general, your entire life. And I don’t say that to make you feel bad. I say that to validate you. Because as a matter of fact, some people have more challenges than others – and you’re one of them.

Now around making a contribution, you need to look away from the “practical” and towards the ethereal and artistic, because this is an area where you have definite gifts. And beyond that, it will help to learn to trust your inner rhythms.

In obvious terms, this means when you’re tired – QUIT. And don’t beat yourself up about it. You have physical limitations and this is just the way it is. But I swear there’s a profound gift in the middle of all your pain.

I’m not sure exactly what it is, but put these words in your head: Love, art, expansion, giving, generosity, beauty, liberation, feeling, humanity, transcend, music, magic.

And when these words come up, erase them: Limits, fear, unworthy, insecurity.

This is an exercise meant to lead you somewhere but at the same time, it’s the answer to your question. Because by putting these type thoughts into the world, you will be making a positive contribution.

Good luck.

~~
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Dear Dazed and Confused,

Oh my! Your chart is shocking. It’s painful to look at, but it’s very easy to read.

Now I am loathe to tell someone what they ought to do with their life. For one thing, I don’t want the responsibility! But your case is exceptional, so here’s what I think, in plain language:

Regardless of supposed impracticality, I don’t think religious studies is a bad choice of study for you. On the contrary, you’re a faith-based person. You’re all about what you believe. Although you’re lost in the moment, over the course of your lifetime I think you’ll go back again and again to what you’ve learned in school. And this will work for you! So maybe you can see that in the grand design, you’ve not made a mistake. You’ve made an investment in your future.

Now as for working with trauma victims… by the look of your chart, this seems an extremely good fit for you. For starters, you have significant Pisces in your chart and you’re simply going to have to serve or suffer. So that meets that need.

Furthermore, you have Scorpio prominent, so you’re a natural in the field of psychology. You know how to swiftly get to the root of something, and better yet, the capacity to heal others. So what’s holding you up?

It’s your Capricorn. You feel you are broken in some way. You say so in plain language.

You’re interested in effects of violent trauma. Never mind how you got that way, the fact is that not everyone is. This is a focus for you, while the person next to you may be interested in Wall Street or engineering. So who do you think ought to go into this field, hmm?

And I’m not ignoring the money issue. It’s just that I have faith too. Look for the resources and if it’s meant to be, you will surely find them. Good luck.

~~
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~~
*pictured – Allegory of Faith by Moretto da Brescia, 1530s, oil on wood

Dear Living,

Can you expect things to get better? Yes and no. When things have been hard your whole life, it’s fairly safe to assume that this is just the way it is. Some of these things are just plain hard-wired.

Now you are a double Pisces. Scorpio Sun, but Pisces Moon and rising and you’re not going to get away from that. And Pisces is always a little bit sad. I can’t remember who said that, but I’ve never heard it better put. Pisces can perceive and achieve a state of bliss, at least intermittently. They dream of a world where people are considerate and kind and they want to get there. They yearn to escape to this place they can imagine, when it just doesn’t exist on this plane.

So in this way, I don’t think you can expect improvement. Bad things will continue to happen as long as you walk this earth. But, you can change your perspective about it! You can endeavor to live in this flawed world in a way that is inspired – understanding, like Pisces inherently does, that everything you do affects everything and everyone else.

The bottom line is, YOU can make things better. I was talking to a Pisces pal a couple nights ago. She was feeling pretty low with the stuff going on around her. I told her to rise the boats! Have you ever heard that saying? “All boats rise”.

It refers to the fact that when the tide comes in, ALLLLLLLL the boats rise. The big ones, the small ones, the ugly ones… all of them. So you see what I’m getting at. Lift your boat. The ones around you will benefit, which will lift your boat some more.

I know you get it. Good luck

~~
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