|
|
 |
|
|
|
Astrologer's Notes: |
|
|
The Issue of Identity In The Horoscope |
|
|
by Basil Fearrington |
|
|
|
|
|
Do you know a person with issues? This is a question that I ask frequently during my lectures on the topic of identity concerns. The response usually brings laughter, smiles, and a room full of raised hands in recognition of the awareness of the number of people who are behaviorally challenged for any number of reasons.
The Astrology of Today
Today's society is complex and challenging. Take a look at any talk show on any day and you see a full display of people who are being challenged in the management of life. A show like, "Dr. Phil," can exist because people are looking for answers to their problems, issues, and concerns. The times demand that this kind of a show exist right now. Astrology plays an important role in being able to detect and counsel identity issues. At the end of the day, being clear about who one is does much to ease and even dismiss the insecurities that prevent one from successfully managing life's challenges. Identity comfort leads to and supports self-security.
Astrology has been in existence for thousands of years in different forms. For the most part, it has been used in a fatalistic fashion. But just as medicine, music, science, art, technology, culture and so much more have changed with the times, so must our astrology. Astrology is belittled when it is reduced to being a tool to predict the future. Today's astrology (and astrologers) must be in concert with the psychological reality of the times that we live in. Just as a "Dr. Phil" show or an Iyanla Van Zant book exists because of the times we live in, our astrology must also reflect the needs of today. Dane Rudhyar was the first astrologer to come to this realization and as far back as 1930. His book, "The Astrology of Personality," ushered in a new era of astrology for astrologers based on holistic realities instead of dark fatalisms. In more recent times, Noel Tyl came up with tremendous innovations during the seventies, marrying the world of psychology to astrological symbolisms in his landmark, epic series of books titled, "The Principles & Practices of Astrology." Through the works of Rudhyar, Tyl, and so many more like them, we are now aware that the horoscope is a map of the potentials of a person and that a planet doesn't "make" a person do anything.
The Early Environment
The foundation of a person is based upon the environment that they came from. The early experiences with our parents and the environment play an invaluable role in molding and shaping identity. Given the same horoscope, would George W. Bush be the President of the United States if he was born to impoverished parents in any American ghetto? What if Mike Tyson was born to a supportive father who was the Dean of Harvard and a mother, also supportive, who ran her own law firm? Would that have changed Mike Tyson's potentials? Absolutely! What if Bill Gates had been born in Zambia to poor parents basing a living on working the coal mines? The chances are that Bill Gates would not be the mogul that he has become. Imagine having been born Jewish in Hitler's camp! What kind of an effect is that person's early life experience going to play in the reflection of the horoscope? It is the person and the choices made (possible) by the environment) during the formative years of development that creates the foundation of the person's reality, not the person's horoscope.
Nevertheless, there is nothing better in the humanistic sciences that is better at reflecting the behavioral dynamics of a person than astrology. No matter what the environmental influences are, a horoscope magically reflects the best that a person can be. The perfections and blemishes are all revealed in the horoscope.
This essay is intended to give you an introduction as to how to get into the horoscope quickly and easily to determine if identity concerns are present and how they may manifest in life. The counseling of these issues is a subject for another essay.
Measuring Identity Concerns In The Horoscope
In today's world, it is very important to know who you are. The word, "identity," has as its synonyms: individuality, uniqueness, distinctiveness, personality, self, and character. Knowing who you are, what you are and what is important and distinctive about you cannot be overstated (Imagine what it would be like if you did not know your name, know your parents, know your place of birth!). When a person's identity is in question (usually as a result of the early environment), there can be concerns with self-esteem, the mindset, communication, the giving of love sexually and romantically, the ability to cooperate with others; relationships become challenging, dealing with the values and esteem measurements of others can become problematic, the opinions of society are fought against. The wrong career path can be taken, feelings about how lovable you are can become a dominant concern. In extreme cases, identity concerns contribute to such a strong sense of being uncooperative with society that one ends up in jail or becomes seriously ill from unresolved tensions.
A horoscope is the best way of instantly seeing if there is an identity issue present in life. It will show the areas of life experience that it manifests in. This is how: Anytime the planet ruling the Ascendant (or a planet that is in the Ascendant) is involved in a tension aspect (conjunction, square, quindecile , opposition), or if that planet is retrograde, there is going to be a suggestion that the formation of identity in life will be challenged. The House position of the Ascendant ruler will often suggest the area of life experience that the person needs to address in order to find the Self. Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto in conjunction or square to the Ascendant degree will suggest the same concerns. This simple initial insight into a horoscope opens a door of enormous analytical potential that brings the horoscope to life as measured against the reality of the person that it represents.
Companion Tools Hemisphere Emphasis
Magically, you will find that the suggestion of identity tension via the Ascendant's significator will be accompanied by a decided hemisphere emphasis. In a horoscope, planets may group together conspicuously, emphasizing one area of the horoscope emphatically. When there is such an occurrence, the horoscope is trying to tell us something, to give us the beginning of elements and an overall orientation to life that "tips you off" regarding the direction that identity tension may take.
Every horoscope is divided into four hemispheres: Southern (Houses 7-12), Northern (1-6), Eastern (10-4), and Western (4-9). Each hemisphere has a horoscope Angle at its midpoint that conditions the manifestation of that hemisphere. In the East, that point is the Ascendant; in the West, that point is the Descendant; In the North, that point is the Nadir; in the South, that point is the Midheaven. When the majority of planets are clustered in a particular hemisphere, behavioral faculties set up an orientation, a general direction that will help you in the addressing of identity concerns.
With an Eastern emphasis, there is a suggestion of self protection and defensiveness. With a Western emphasis, there is a suggestion of projecting to others, of focusing on others to a point of perhaps forgetting about oneself. In a Southern emphasis, there is an emphasis somehow on being controlled, pushed around or victimized by experiences in the world. In a Northern emphasis, there is the issue of parental tensions, perhaps unresolved, from the formative years of development.
When you see that a group of retrograde planets gather in one hemisphere alone, look to the opposite hemisphere to be emphasized in the person's orientation.
Significator Dynamics
The word, "significator" means "that which indicates." In a horoscope, a significator is the planet ruling the Sign on a cusp, intercepted in a House, or a planet within a House. The most important significator is the planet ruling the Sign upon the cusp. Anytime planets are tied together via aspect measurement, the aspect's meaning manifests in the Houses that the planets are in and rule. We refer to this as significator dynamics and it is these dynamics that provide the astrologer with the routings of a horoscope. These dynamics, along with the hemisphere emphasis, will unfold the story of how identity tensions are manifesting.
For example, a horoscope has Saturn squaring a Venus-Moon conjunction. This aspect suggests that there is a control factor upon a person's ability to comfortably relate emotionally, romantically, sexually, or socially. Such a person will tend to feel confined in these situations or will set out to control others. If we place Saturn in the 2nd House and Moon-Venus in the 11th, we can relate all of this directly to the person's sense of self-esteem (2nd House) and how they feel about Self in terms of being lovable (the 11th House is the 5th House of the 7th , thus the love given to you by another person. Please dismiss all the friends-hopes-wishes business as the astrology of yesteryears). If Capricorn is placed on IV, Cancer will be on X and Libra will be the Rising Sign. We would deduce that the Saturn to Moon-Venus tension exists in reaction to/because of the parental influence because the parental House rulers are the Moon and Saturn with Venus ruling the 1st House. Since Taurus is likely to be on the cusp of VIII (the secondary part of the sexual profile), we deduce that there will be concerns about sex also. There is more, for sure but can you see how much is learned just from the one aspect and its application in significator dynamics? It is absolutely powerful!
There are other helpful tools. Chief among these is the Saturn retrograde phenomenon. Pioneered by Noel Tyl, this symbolism dominates a horoscope when it is present. It suggests important missing dimensions from the father relationship that contribute to inferiority feelings or over-compensatory superiority feelings, especially in the areas of the horoscope where Saturn is and on the House cusp where Capricorn is.
There are other factors that add depth to the portrait of a person as seen in the horoscope. To learn more, please see my text, "The New Way To Learn Astrology," or email me for information about my Course of study.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton needs no description. She is the daughter of very prominent politicians. One can only imagine what it must have been like growing up in the circumstances that Chelsea has grown through and it is natural to expect and assume identity concerns and insecurities in her life as a result of the relationship between her parents. We do not need astrology in order to know this but we can surely expect the horoscope to pinpoint and delineate the unfolding of Chelsea's identity.
Pluto is the ruler of Chelsea's Ascendant. It is both retrograde and opposes Venus exactly. This suggests that Chelsea has a perspective on relating that is out of reach with what is possible, causing frustration. Since Venus and Pluto rule the 7th and 1st Houses, we can see that her identity development and her relationships are tied into this difficult sexual/relating perspective. Venus also rules the 12th House, adding a feeling of a confinement regarding her relationship perspective.
Every planet above the horizon is retrograde, which calls attention to the lower hemisphere, suggesting unfinished business in the early development. Something is there (occurred then) that may undermine development. Saturn is retrograde. This is a clear-cut symbolism of one with identity concerns related specifically to unfinished business in the home centered upon the father. This takes seconds to see and you are already into a core concern of Chelsea's life. The significator dynamics will then continue to develop the story.
The Sun is in IV and rules X, both arms of the parental axis. It is opposed by Mars, Jupiter. Saturn makes a quindecile (notated on the horoscopes as a dotted line) to the Sun (upset in the home). All of this occurs in the parental axis. The tensions will also manifest within cooperative dynamics (Aries on 6th House cusp); affects the self-worth (Sagittarius on the 2nd House cusp), and her overall mindset (Capricorn on cusp of III).
Neptune is in the 2nd House, which is always an indication of an uncertainty or insecurity of worth. Neptune squares the opposition of Saturn to Mercury. This T-square suggests control factors upon the way Chelsea needs to think and communicate, all in terms of ideals. The relationship among these three suggests mental anxiety and even depression. Neptune rules V, relating all this directly to the giving of love [again], her feelings about how lovable she is (Virgo on XI) and how she interacts with the self-worth profiles of others (Gemini on VIII). And Mercury is retrograde so we expect an uncomfortable subjectivity in the 8th and 11th House matters.
There is more, for sure, but you can see in this example how the symbolism for identity tension couples with the hemisphere emphasis and significator dynamics to give you quite an anticipation of identity. If your role model for relationships was the marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton, you might have issues when it comes to relationships, don't you think?
Halle Berry
Halle Berry's horoscope presents a textbook example of absorbed identity formation tensions. Neptune, ruler of the Ascendant, squares the Sun. As an actor, Halle has found a way to use this idealistic, creative energy positively. However, on the deepest psychological level, this symbolism suggests an unsureness, uncertainty, or vagary in identity awareness because of Neptune's rulership of the Ascendant and its tense disposition.
Halle was born to interracial parents. She suffered many trials and tribulations in the formative years of her development from insensitive, unevolved people because of her dualistic heritage. People from both sides of the color line denied her and this was coupled with hate crimes This is a classic example of a scenario that would make one wonder exactly who and what one is in this world.
Saturn is retrograde in the 2nd House, suggesting self-worth concerns as a result of the father relationship. Halle's parents divorced when she was just 4 years old and she never got a chance to know her father. With Capricorn on the cusp of XI, the self-worth concerns spill over to how Halle feels about herself in terms of being lovable. Publicly, Halle has been greatly admired for her beauty and desirability, surely helping to work out any questions about lovability. Venus in VII conjunct the horizon line symbolizes the graceful, beautiful projection to others. Through it all, the astrology suggests that Halle Berry has had deep seated issues to work her way through before coming to a realization of who and what she is in this world. While her public carriage is quite graceful and charming, we can see the potential tensions that may have existed privately, most surely manifesting in deep relationship concerns. She has made the act of pretense into a profession. When does the acting end?
Continue
|
|
|
|
Basil Fearrington,
Astrologer
|
 |
Basil Fearrington is the author of "The New Way To Learn Astrology." He has been a professional astrologer for 22 years.
Basil's articles have appeared in the leading astrological publications around the world. He was the Inaugural Chairman for the MilleyDome project in Johannesburg, South Africa and taught astrology there for one year.
Basil has twice been a faculty member of UAC and spoke at Astro 2000. In addition to his work in astrology, Basil is a professional musician who has toured with and/or recorded for artists such as Stevie Wonder and George Benson.
He was on a team of composers who did the music for a network show called "New York Undercover." The same team won a Grammy award in 1980.
bfearr@aol.com
|
 |
You'll find
it in
The Directory!
|
|
|
|
|
