By Lynn Koiner
NOTE: These are my notes from a lecture I gave on Retrogrades in Pisa, Italy. I have given this lecture so many times that I do not want to give it again…so I am sharing my notes with everyone.
All of the planets, with the exception of the Sun and Moon which are not actual planets, have a period of retrogradation. It is an apparent motion observed only from planet earth when the planet “appears” to move backwards in the sky. You will know that Venus or Mercury are about to turn retrograde when you see them move far ahead of the Sun. Mercury turns retrograde when it is about 14 degrees ahead of the Sun and Venus turns retrograde when it is about 30 degrees ahead of the Sun. Mercury is retrograde for 3 weeks 3 times each year and Venus is retrograde every 19 months.
The other planets turn retrograde when they are only the opposite side of the chart from the Sun. In a natal horoscope, any planet in opposition to the Sun will always be retrograde. Many times a planet forming a trine to the Sun will be retrograde also. Mars turns retrograde for slightly less than 2 1/2 months every 2 years.
Jupiter through Pluto are retrograde every year.
Jupiter is retrograde for 4 months.
Saturn through Pluto are retrograde for 5 months.
When a planet is retrograde, it does not work in its normal manner. It frequently needs to make changes or work on an inner, psychological level before it can express itself outwardly.
Because these people need to digest and process first, they are slow to defend themselves and slow to respond to queries of a personal nature unless they are prepared ahead of time. They appreciate a slow reaction in another.
They can easily discuss non-personal subjects, their own interests and expertise, without introspection. This has already been done in the past.
On personal subjects, they may not know immediately how they feel about something— they need that brood and ponder time.
Perception is quite good because they are sensitive to how they feel about things; the perceptions are highly individualized.
They prefer a Reflective Analysis. In intellectual matters, they are rarely superficial but they tend to analyze, re-analyze, reflect and then apply internally.
There is a perfectionistic side so they can talk in absolutes— using terms such as “always” and “never.”
Many Mercury retrograde people feel that they had no one to talk to as a child. The thoughts and mental activity became internalized and highly subjective. They may be prone to day dream. Some may be so absorbed in their own internalized thoughts that they seem absent-minded and unaware of external activities. This is especially true if Mercury is retrograde in the cadent (3, 6, 9, 12) Houses. And, especially if aspecting Neptune, a planet that can go off into its own world and lose track of time.
Afflictions in Houses 3-6-12 can cause learning disabilities— Dyslexia, ADLD(Attention Deficit Learning Disorder). One child was later discovered to be deaf in one ear and tried to compensate by listening a lot.
This can be the signature of the scientific thinker. Many of the astronauts in the late 1960-early 1970s had Mercury Retrograde.
SPEED OF MERCURY: The speed that Mercury is moving can indicate the speed at which an individual can process information. One friend whose Mercury moved 2 degrees on the day she was born was a very fast and sharp thinker. She had a rare ability to think quickly with little time for reflection.
Those born with Mercury Retrograde take longer to process information but their solutions to problems often have more insight and wisdom.
FEEDBACK: “I have learned that, when something is presented quickly, I need to ask to think about it.”
Mercury in the 2nd can be the bargain hunter
Mercury in Houses 3-4 often needs quiet in order to think. This is often true of Venus R in these Houses as well. They have a problem concentrating when there are distractions and arguments in the home.
Mercury in the 3rd is very prone to study and research but they need quiet. They may appear slow only because they need to have all of the facts first.
Mercury in the 5th can think more than create but this develops in time. This is a signature of a good teacher. They a good with games that require detailed concentration.
Mercury in the 6th— here you will see more of the perfectionist qualities coming out in their work; they appear slow because they require all of the facts.
Mercury in the 7th has difficulty making up their minds about marriage, then they may marriage hastily and rethink it later. They often have difficulty discussing the problems in the marriage.
Mercury in the 8th is best suited for 8th House research and study.
Mercury in the 9th can be the fact collector and they may not be able to get all of the answers that they want. Any planet in the 9th House can indicate an interruption in education. They often return to school later to complete their education.
Mercury in the 10th may see a job as a learning experience where they will acquire the knowledge and experience that they need to know. They are thorough and reliable.
Mercury in the 12th works very well at deep psychological and investigative level. A friend works as a therapist in the prison system. She said that she has thoughts buried so deep inside of herself that she does not even know what they are— and she does not even know how to get them out. They do not show others that they are depressed. They can experience problems with their sleep patterns.
With the humanitarian goals, they have a great capacity to dedicate themselves to a higher purpose.
A few years ago I looked at the horoscopes of Great Rescuers duringWWII. Many of these people, because they feel that others were worth more than themselves, dedicated their lives and risked their lives to help the Jews escape the Nazis.
A neighbor with Venus R in Gemini in the 9th has never been interested in making a lot of money. He has often dedicated his life to a guru or inspirational teacher. Currently, he is in China teaching English. I have observed a pattern of people with Venus Retrograde moving to under-developed countries to teach English. They do not make a lot of money in these jobs for they always feel that they are going great good for others.
They have blocks connected with expressing affection due to a fear of rejection. Often a late bloomer, they do not bloom until they figure out what is the correct situation (career and relationships) for them— how to use this Venus and how to find love and fulfillment through the Venus Retrograde.
Example: One woman was a large but very attractive woman whose mother realized that she was never going to be a beauty queen. She always had a feeling of being unloveable because her appearance was not what her mother valued. If anyone saw her, they could not deny that this was a very attractive woman (big beautiful woman). When Venus turned direct by progression, all of a sudden she started to accept herself, appreciate herself as a beauty on her own terms.
Sometimes, there can be a self-centeredness as a defense against their unlovableness feelings. They need a lot of reassurance but this attitude does not really work for them.
Venus R is not just being unloveable but feeling unacceptable. These individuals often seek out those people who are a little eccentric, different, not of the ordinary mode— they seek new levels of relating where they feel that they truly belong and fit in. They have a capacity to help others who themselves feel that they do not belong in the world of traditional values. They learn to appreciate others for less superficial reasons, other than show and appearance.
They often feel that they are not in tune with people that they consider shallow.
Being a bit anti-social, they feel more comfortable in 1-to-1 relationships rather than social functions and parties where there is a lot of phony, showy behavior. They do not like superficial relating. They are definitely not the “cocktail party” types.
FEEDBACK: “I have always had trouble with peers, people my own age. I had to grow up early in life after the death of my mother.” She says that she has learned to be compassionate and understanding of others. However, I have observed that this woman had allowed men to take advantage of her. She tolerates too much from people who are abusive. Currently, she prefers to be alone. She now dedicates herself to animals.
There is a deep scar and wound in these people. It is how they learn to heal this in themselves that determines the course of their lives.
PROGRESSED CHANGE OF DIRECTION: Sandra Leigh-Serio gave a lecture on this subject. She has observed that, whenever Venus changes direction by progression (a rare event), it has a dramatic impact on our attitude towards relationships and closeness in general.
Venus in the 2nd— Internal insecurity can make these people desirous of financial security. They can marry for money but it is because of an inner fear of rejection and insecurity.
EXAMPLE: One woman with Venus R in Aquarius in the 2nd was a prostitute who would fall in love with her customers and then give her services away for free. She would complain when she was not making money. Yet, she was very desirous of having money and fine possessions as proof of her worth.
Another man with Venus R in 2nd in Aquarius always gave presents to other people so they would love him…but he was a very loveable man anyway.
Venus in the 3rd and 4th House need peace and quiet in their personal environment. They do not like quarreling, arguing and contention in their environment.
Venus in the 6th House can undervalue themselves and their work. Some can be so insecure that they do not do their work, feeling that anything that they do is unworthy.
Venus in the 7th often prefers the unconventional in relationships. They can attract an undemonstrative partner. If you feel that you do not deserve more, you will not demand and get more.
Venus in the 9th often marries someone from a different social or cultural background. This can give them an edge of superiority. Because they feel that they do not fit in, the difference in the relationship is less threatening. Delays in education— they can put others through college before themselves or it gets postponed because of the needs of others.
Venus in the 10th has a shyness that is very obvious. They can allow bosses to take advantage of their work and recognition comes much later.
Venus in the 11th is a position that actually does better in group situations. 1-to-1s can be scarey. They can easily make sacrifices for the benefit of the group.
Venus in the 12th gives a larger overview of Venus Retrograde generally.
In the 12th, there can be much internal scarring so that the individual may set themselves up as a victim in all relationships because they do not feel lovable.
Ideally, they work best with “unlovable people” as therapists, in the helping professions, championing the underdog.
They have problems when they judge themselves by traditional values, by other people’s standards. Happiness comes when they develop their own unique values about what is worthy, lovable and of value!
Feedback by student : Timing is a problem in relationships— meeting the right person at the wrong time. They feel that they do not deserve to reach out to another person. They lack relating confidence. Many feel that there is a “protective” quality to this Venus which comes at a critical moment in their lives.
With Mars R, reactions, aggressive urges and hostilities are internalized in some way. On the surface, they can appear calm but, inside, they can be a raging volcano. In other cases, anger is expressed inappropriately. And, it can be passive-aggressive in its indirectness. These people do not know how to express their anger.
The House position of Mars Retrograde is where you bottle up, bottle up, bottle up and then BOOM— they explode and cut off the situation. They feel anger inside but they do not know how to direct it and get it out.
They are rarely comfortable with direct, competitive activities, preferring to work alone or indirectly. This can manifest through encouraging the energies and supporting the enterprises of others… such as a coach.
EXAMPLE: A client with Mars Retrograde in Libra finds it too difficult to fire an employee. As the owner of a successful business, she hired an aggressive woman who LOVES to fire people… so this is her job.
When anger is internalized, it leads to various psycho-physical distresses, including depression. They can be accident prone but, statistically, accident-prone people live longer than other “angry” types because they will release their anger through jamming their toe on a chair rather than internalizing it for 20 years and suddenly dying of a heart attack!
FEEDBACK from Students:
Mars in 2nd— There is a sabotaging pattern with anger— they can work hard, save their money and then one day they get angry at the wife, take out all of the money from their savings account in the bank and buy a Porsche…then they have to start all over again saving their money.
Mars in the 3rd and 4th tends to get along with family members for years and then all of a sudden they have a big fight and never speak to them again. In the 3rd, there can be a change in the behavior during the school years— the quiet child who all of a sudden starts getting into fights with other children.
Mars in the 5th does better motivating the creativity or recreativity of others. Dancing or playing the drums helps them release energy.
Mars in the 12th often causes subconscious resentments, passive-aggressive behavior that they do not recognize in themselves but others clearly see it. It is best applied in helping the disadvantaged.
The House position of Mars Retrograde is where you bottle up, bottle up, bottle up and then BOOM— they explode and cut off the situation. They feel anger inside but they do not know how to direct it and get it out.
In your chart, this would apply to your one-to-one relationships. Anger issues are projected into the relationship but not in an obvious manner.
When Jupiter is Retrograde, if you strive for material accomplishment and this is your main goal, you will find that these material things come up short; the more material/external your accomplishments, the more you will come to feel dissatisfied with your life.
There may be a great questing and seeking but, until they look inside, they will never find what they feel they are looking for. Their inner faith has some doubts or holes on it. This is why they are always searching for something that would give meaning to their lives— what they seek is anything that is philosophically uplifting.
I have a Direct Jupiter so I am always acquiring knowledge and information. If my Jupiter were Retrograde, I would need something that is more enriching internally.
Jupiter R often has an eye for quality because they are able to look beyond the externals. I tell my students that, where you find Jupiter R, this is where the individual has the ability to restore to life things that are considered dead or dying.
Jupiter rules playing a role in order to gain approval. Jupiter R does not want to play this role with anyone. When Jupiter is ℞ and afflicted, one individual stated that, in her family, you were only loved because you looked good, because you made a good appearance, and you were socially acceptable in everything that you said or did. Playing that role depleted the energies for the Jupiter R person. Playing a role is performing and not being real.
Jupiter R in Houses 2-6-8 have a natural healing ability but they do not always work directly in areas of physical healing. The Earth signs and Scorpio have the natural healing abilities. This includes animals, nature, and even objects (renovation and repair, especially with antiques, in the 2nd and 4th Houses). The natural ability to restore things to life.
The natural ability to restore things to life— but this is not always physical healing. This position is good for figuring out better ways to do the work, better methodologies.
Jupiter ℞ in the 1st identifies very strongly with anything spiritual, philosophical or expansive on inner levels. This could restrict the individual financially since the material side of the career or life activity is not appealing and not a primary focus. They could actually neglect the physical because they live so strongly in the philosophical realms. They should avoid excessive involvement in theoretical concepts. Rob Hand has Jupiter in Cancer R here! He loves ancient philosophies and systems that actually may not be practical.
Jupiter ℞ in Sagittarius in the 1st House— One friend confided that she sometimes feels manic/depressive because her family life, her life as she is living it, does not connect with her need for spiritual values that she can practice in her daily life.
Jupiter R in the 3rd and 4th Houses have an ability and willingness to go back and make a connection/relationship work. Example: One individual put a lot of energy into getting people in her family to get along with each other.
Jupiter R will always try to go back and try to re-connect. They possess skills in renovations, restoring homes and buildings— they have a natural ability to want to revive/restore that building, to bring it back to life!
Jupiter in the 5th— I have seen them try to work out a relationship with a child, always trying to re-connect. In romance, they will put that extra energy into reviving that relationship in some way…making the re-connection.
Jupiter in the 7th wants a partner who brings philosophically uplifting growth into the married life. When the relationship is failing, they have an ability to revive the relationship. There can be a broken engagement. They possess skills in marriage counseling, helping couples get back together.
GEISLER: For instance, a Jup R in Cancer ruling 7— husbands ‘foreign’ to one’s own experience, in some way and not the good providers one would expect from a dignified Jupiter. There would be a problem with the home, either too large, wrong place or the individual would be forced to move often. Ditto family—too far away, or something
Jupiter in the 9th often does not really know what they believe in so they are always seeking and searching. They can get hooked on a religion or philosophy and then realize that it goes not give them all the answers they desire. Lots of doubts in their faith, especially when the life become difficult.
They often go back and re-educate themselves at a higher level. One individual did not finish high school.
Jupiter in the 10th will often go back to college to improve their professional skills.
You were not taught proper discipline but this does not mean that you were not disciplined but there was a certain vagueness about it so that you did not know when to stop yourself–when is it enough?
They often have no idea of what they can or can not do.
Where you find Saturn R, this is where the individual has difficulty saying NO and defining boundaries. They have no clue where these boundaries are so that they have difficulty defining boundaries and setting limits for others as well as themselves.
Saturn R does not know its limitations. At times, these individuals confine themselves to a small corral when they could be roaming 40 acres; others can be so irresponsible that they think that they can roam 80 acres— and all of a sudden they crash into the societal limits that the legal system imposes. They have no boundaries— there is a real problem when Neptune or Pisces is also strong. One individual confided that he does not always pay his bills, does not pay taxes, does not like to work, does not clean…what does he do?! He looks for women to take care of him.
When Saturn is R natally, these people need to teach themselves to say NO, to set boundaries and to learn exactly what is expected of them, and to learn an accurate sense of responsibility. They need to go out into the world and stake out their own boundaries, fight that invisible barrier they create for themselves.
There can be much anxiety in responsibility situations because they do not know how far they can go before their chain begins to choke them. This can cause problems WITH responsibilities due to the self-doubt engendered about when they can actually be permitted to say NO.
Saturn ℞ in 1st is very typical of the 1st House Saturn. First, this position often was unwanted during the gestation period. Saturn here assumes responsibilities for others in order to feel wanted or connected to others. The Direct Saturn can isolate with a set of barriers to protect them. When ℞, these people take on responsibilities for others in order to feel wanted and because they do not know when to say NO.
FEEDBACK:
Saturn in the 2nd naturally feels that “you only get what you work for and you work hard for everything you get.” They observed their own parents working very hard to provide for them so they adopted this “work hard” pattern or philosophy. When ℞, they can feel financially responsible for everyone— “My mom did everything for the family.” One individual said that her dad could not save money, poor Saturn structuring of boundaries, and he went bankrupt so this individual works very hard not to have this happen to her.
Saturn in the 3rd and 4th often cannot say NO to the family members. In the 3rd, there can be early school problems because of that anxiety about how much do they have to do. Anxious students often have hearing problems and they misunderstand or make mistakes. That is, they are so anxious about being wrong that they do not hear correctly. When anxious, they become disoriented.
One individual with Saturn ℞ in the 3rd said that there was a cultural different so she had trouble communicating.
Saturn in the 5th has trouble saying NO to children, especially the first born! Several had commented that they could say NO to the other children but not that first born!! One woman said that she is overly responsible, feeling that she had to do it all herself, and she never had a babysitter to help her. Another said that having the child really helped them to focus and get organized with other tasks in their life.
Saturn in the 6th and 10th are perfectionists in their work because they do not know their boundaries. They have trouble putting their foot down, defining boundaries and saying NO so that bosses and employees take advantage of them. This is not an effective position for being a boss.
Saturn in the 7th attracts parenting issues in relationships. They can attract an irresponsible partner and the relationship becomes a parent-child relationship that is never satisfying to either partner.
Saturn R in the 8th warns that you really know the partner’s financial circumstances (and how they handle money) before you legally tie yourself to this person because these can be a liability for you. S. Orman says that you need to look at your father’s attitude towards finances in order to see how you deal with financial matters. This is especially true with Saturn R in the 8th House.
Saturn in the 9th, especially ℞, should never be raised in a strict religious environment… but they usually are! One woman went to Catholic school and feels that she had religion shoved down her throat. They can get lost in religious dogma to a point where they do not know who they really are. They need to define a new value structure.
Several students noticed a pattern of being raised by parents from different cultures or different backgrounds. This was often true of the 3rd H Saturn R.
Lots of guilt here and maybe a lot of fear as well.
They may go back for further education. Some interruption in the education is shown. One very brilliant man changed universities a lot due to self-doubts.
There is an attitude of rejection or not being good enough coming through the religious or philosophical attitude of the parents or church. If they accept this without question, they feel guilt and shame; if they reject this, they reject God.
Saturn in the 11th is often raised in a world of adults so that they often do not fit in with their peers. When D, they seek a functional purpose in a group in order to feel that they belong. When ℞, they can become terrified of groups (they were often raised by adults too and they may not relate well to people their own age). D assumes responsibilities in groups but the ℞ people often say that they never do this because of “self imposed limitations.”
Saturn in the 12th has a lot of fears connected with authority and abandonment. They often isolate themselves and appear anti-social.
FEEDBACK
One student commented that she was not allowed to do anything for herself— from the routine things like doing laundry, cooking and cleaning so, as an adult, she does not know how to set limits for herself.
From Pat Geisler: Although the Saturn retrograde phenomena may indeed suggest loss of the father, the retrograde condition more likely suggests the absence of authoritative guidance provided by the father. The father may be present but not involved in the child’s development. Work may usurp all of his time. He may be unable to give such guidance because of his own lack of structure. Or he may be tyrannical or an anachronism. The situation is really one of dysfunction whether the actual father is present or not.
There are conditions that require modification of this guideline. A retrograde Saturn in the 10th in Capricorn is unlikely to signify an absence of authority. Also, when there is an absence of the father in actuality, there are compensating configurations such as lunar node aspects. These configurations suggest the maternal presence that provides that guidance. Single mothers are both mom and dad.
And then there is the time/maturity factor. The feedback given by a teenager may change completely as that teen matures. An idyllic childhood may actually be realized as horrific as age lends perspective. A client that swears the parent was “present” may not have a clear idea of the magnitude of parental absence until much later in life. Or their life situation may not require a high degree of guidance in order to function in a typical way.
For the record, I have Saturn Rx in the 9th. I was definitely not raised in a religious household. If anything, I was not taught any kind of religion or spiritual discipline. From the time I was a teenager, I did a lot of soul searching to find out exactly what would make me happy spiritually, and as it has turned out, none of them satisfied my need. Any form of dogmatic spirituality or religion turns me off completely. I guess I’m a self-proclaimed pagan. The only time in my life I ever questioned whether there was indeed a “god” or “higher source” was when my oldest daughter’s dad was killed in a car accident when I was 17— it took me quite awhile to regain my faith. I just didn’t see how a loving spirit could take away the one person I called my soulmate. I was very young and it took some time to stop grieving and get on with living. It may sound terrible to some, but through his death, I learned a lot about life, living, love and faith.
In early degrees, childhood fears and parents “teaching” the child to be quiet and out of the way, “good boy/good girl” syndrome. Middle degrees indicate difficulty with changing circumstances.
Late degrees indicate leadership qualities through positions of executive-ship.
Saturn in the 9th might indicate or reflect as being rather uninterested in what other people’s opinions have to offer.
Saturn Rx acts a lot like Saturn 12th— it needs external stimuli for self motivation through the house it is associated.
When Direct, the individual finds that their intuition, sense of rebellion and independence flow naturally like in a stream. When ℞, it get dammed (not honored by the individual who sees him or she self as very normal) and then it explodes. Intuition has fits of explosion that seems more creative over all— they have a dry spell (in weather, when you have no rain) when they do not feel creative at all and then BOOM!
Retrograde makes Uranus more potent when it explodes forth! Because it builds up, it has a higher energy level when it expresses itself.
The Reformer Complex is quite strong with Uranus ℞ so they can make mountains out of molehills— something small can get blown up into something very big. It can be more dogmatic yet they may deny what is going on because they see themselves as being very normal.
The difference between D and R is that R sees themselves as being quite normal when they are not. They are less aware and not always in touch with Uranus within themselves. A friend with Uranus R unaspected in the 9th House finds it impossible to incorporate her metaphysical knowledge into her professional life (she is a psycho-therapist).
Students have commented that they feel that they must change first before then can rebel against the situation. They need to learn WHY they need to rebel in order to validate themselves and make changes.
Uranus in the 1st is highly independent anyway but, when R, the individual may not always realize how super-independent he or she really is! This emphasizes the Uranus R’s need to be involved in activities associated with reform and rehabilitation. The “bottle-up-rebel” pattern colors all areas of their lives and this manifests as a “comply-change/rebel” quality in relationships, the career or even the residence.
Uranus in 2nd is not in touch with the need to be unconventional in how they earn a living. If they get into normal jobs, it manifests in a lack of financial stability— they do not realize that the instability is part of their rebelling against the normal.
Stability comes from doing the unconventional. Being in a very secure, high-level government job would not make them happy in the long run. They would probably get sick or get fired! It may take them a long time to realize this need to be unconventional in their work— the longer it takes, the more disruptive the change will be.
Uranus in the 3rd is like Mars, manifesting problems in the early education due to sudden rebellious urges.
Uranus in the 4th can make normal choices for home, family and living environment but these never seem to work. Their early home life appeared normal but it was not.
Uranus in the 5th— They see themselves as normal but others see them as anti-social and they always feel left out of these normal situations. They are unconventional and, therefore, become “wallflowers” until they find their place in an unconventional world.
Uranus R in the 6th House has a very sensitive physical body. They should not over-work or work when tired or upset. This can lead to health problems. They prefer to work alone because, being around other people’s electro-magnetic fields (auras), is disruptive to their own energy field. This can make them abrupt and impatience with co-workers. They do best in making reforms in the work systems. They get bored easily and need to move on, if they cannot work alone.
Uranus in the 7th prefers a sudden, “in-love” feeling in a relationship. When the relationship becomes normal and not very exciting, it suddenly ends. They may not even understand why. Everything seems to be going just fine and then POP… that’s the end of the relationship. They are not good at relationship confrontations. I have observed that they prefer to live in the “in-love” stage and not deal with a relationship when it becomes real.
Uranus in the 8th— one individual said that they were very good at getting people to change their financial habits. They experience strange events that seem beyond their control. These events can be life-changing.
Uranus in 10th, like Direct, does best in some job where another has given up or failed— how much worse can they do if the previous person failed. Uranus does not like comparisons with others. They may not be good at starting at the ground level of a professional activity.
Uranus in the 11th is given to sudden goal changes that seem to come out of nowhere.
Uranus in the 12th fears being crazy. A parent may have criticized their behavior— “You do not want people to think you are crazy?!” And, they become afraid that they might be judged crazy. They need to become involved with New Age or other unconventional people in order to feel comfortable with themselves.
Neptune R tends to be more vague, more unclear and the individual may not know exactly what they are looking for in expressing their personal creativity. If Neptune turns direct by progression, it signifies that time when they suddenly realize what they want to do creatively— it can be something that they have been doing all along and did not realize it!
Neptune rules where you have an ability to manifest, to creative from your imagination, but R may not be aware of this ability. Neptune R is extremely sensitive, more so than direct, because of the connection with unseen realms. This is where their creativity expresses itself— through the psychic, the metaphysical, the intuitive, the spiritual, the humanitarian— not something traditionally seen as creative.
Because of their heightened sensitivity, they need to avoid drugs, alcohol and stimulants. The tendency is stronger to cultivate addictions to dull the astral body, the solar plexus, and this can get them into trouble.
This heightened sensitivity can encourage fears, paranoia and phobic conditions— that connection with the unseen realities, the veil between the seen and the unseen.
These people are naturally very psychic but they may not realize this. This may engender fears of the unseen which they do not understand.
These people pick up a lot from the astral plane— other people’s thoughts and feelings can be perceived as their own. Smoking often cuts off the astral stimulation.
EXAMPLE: When I am giving tarot reading, if there is too much smoke around me, my psychic ability is cut off and my intuition is gone. I have observed psychics and other sensitive people who smoke to cut off this “picking up” of others energies because it is just too draining.
This Neptune is not clear about what it wants because it is not something tangible that they seek. They can more readily pick up qualities in another that the person will never manifest in reality. This can cause them to attract “Losers.” They see the potential…a potential that never becomes a reality.
Neptune in the 1st is so receptive to the environment that they do not know who they are or what they feel. They must learn some type of discipline, setting up boundaries, so that they can tell the difference between their mood and another’s mood.
Neptune in the 3rd is often attracted to using a nickname because it changes their vibration. A study in numerology is helpful here. They have an affinity with numbers. They sometimes get lost easily.
Neptune in the 4th is overly empathetic to conditions in the home but they may not realize this. They must find a calm, serene domestic environment and living space. A place in the woods with nature would be nice. Chaos and disorder are stressful.
Neptune in the 5th and 7th Houses are continually looking for a vague type of perfection in relationships. They do not know how idealistic they really are! Disappointment ensues. Neptune in relating Houses seek relationships in order to escape the pain of the reality in their lives. When they start to feel the pain, they move on.
Neptune in 6th is super-sensitive to the work environment and chaos therein. They need an ideal to fulfill in their job but they can be naive in relating— change jobs and long to find what they really want to do… which they may not find.
Neptune in the 8th can have a lot of denial issues around the partner’s finances and handling of finances. There can be problems with taxes, insurance matters and how money is invested.
A woman with this position told me that her husband was the type to forget about bills, misplace them or ignore them all together so she always took charge of financial matters in the marriage – and this is exactly what this Neptune wants her to do!
Neptune in the 9th is looking for utopian ideas for living on this planet. Since there aren’t any, they get disillusioned a lot. They can even become cynical. Utopia cannot be found in a place. This is another addictive position.
Neptune in the 10th wants to do something creative with their lives but they usually do not know what it is that they want to do.
EXAMPLE: I once taught a Career class using astrology. All of the students in that class had a strong Neptune— they were not use of what they wanted to do professionally, they were studying for a career for which they were ill-suited or they longed for some type of greatness professionally.
Neptune in the 11th express the vagueness is seeking ideals and people who embody such ideals. They do not really know what they are looking for— often to escape the pain and fear in their personal lives— and they are periodically attracted to people whom they feel embody some sought after ideal. It is the vision of the moment because they are not really clear about what they are truly seeking. When it is not what they want (or when the group demands a commitment), they move on to something else.
These people can find themselves working in groups, helping those with addictive personalities— such as the 12-Step groups of Alcoholics Anonymous (all types of addicts— drugs, alcohol, sex, food).
As a House of Groups and Friendships, these people can get caught up with affiliating with disorganized groups (spiritual people are rarely organized), groups that have a wonderful ideal of saving the planet but no one really knows what they are doing.
In choosing friends, there is an attraction to dreams and alcoholics. They should never mix friends and money. They must avoid people who arouse sympathy— people whom they seek to rescue. There is no such thing as a rescuer— only 2 people vying for the victim slot.
Neptune in the 12th is so highly mediumistic that coping with reality may be difficult.
Pluto D is more interested in external power— a great job, lots of money
Pluto R is definitely more psychological— investigation, healing, transformational
They register the unseen very quickly, they see the negative side more easily but they need to cut this off because it will isolate them from life and people.
These people have much greater insights into the subconscious. This makes them more loners and introverted. They may have trouble relaxing around many people due to the psychological process and registering so much information.
Powers of regeneration and rejuvenation are incredible in its House position.
Pluto in the 1st (but not within 6 degrees of the 2nd cusp) can first be interpreted as influencing the mother’s attitude during the gestation period. With Pluto rising, mother felt angry, resentful and very resistant to being out of control while pregnant. There may have been tensions occurring within the family and mother internalized the anger with powerful emotions. Even the unborn child felt feelings of being out of control by what was happening during gestation! With Pluto R, the influence is more psychological rather than expressing an external need to control the environment. As a child, the individual learned to pick up subtle cues from adults – picking up good moods or bad moods, when to assert or when to step back. They make good psychologists or they do well in jobs where profiling others is important. Their powers of physical regeneration are phenomenal!
Pluto in the 2nd wants control over their own resources. D is a power issue. R fears the psychological vulnerability. . NOTE: Pluto or any planet is considered influencing the 2nd House if it is within 6 degrees in the 1st House, near the 2nd cusp
Pluto in the 3rd can control the minds of others through intense focus. This can make them great teachers, people who can positively influence the minds of others.
Pluto in the 6th are so intense in their work. They cannot handle interruptions. This can cause alienation with co-workers. Work best alone. Not a team player generally.
Pluto in the 7th is a bit difficult to establish cooperation because the intensity is so strong that the loner tendencies do not function well sharing the life with another person.
Pluto in the 8th often feels that they have had to take control of the finances in the marriage. This causes cooperation problems. Another woman said that it was her husband who wanted to be in control and pay all of the bills but he never did— and this caused the friction.
Pluto in the 11th is not a group position but the individual has a gift for going into a group situation, revitalizing it, getting things focused and then leaving. They have a talent for setting the group organization up for another to take over.
Pluto in the 12th is extremely intense to the point of being strongly disposed for research, investigations and their greatest asset is the ability to help other people help themselves. They have probing insight that psychologically analyzes. They can quickly pick out another’s strengths and weaknesses so that they are able to help people help themselves. Like Pluto D, this is a highly protective position in life-threatening situations.
The other planets turn retrograde when they are only the opposite side of the chart from the Sun. In a natal horoscope, any planet in opposition to the Sun will always be retrograde. Many times a planet forming a trine to the Sun will be retrograde also. Mars turns retrograde for slightly less than 2 1/2 months every 2 years.
Jupiter through Pluto are retrograde every year.
Jupiter is retrograde for 4 months.
Saturn through Pluto are retrograde for 5 months.
When a planet is retrograde, it does not work in its normal manner. It frequently needs to make changes or work on an inner, psychological level before it can express itself outwardly.
MERCURY RETROGRADE
When Mercury is retrograde, the thought processes are introspective, deliberate and internalized. Before any personal matter can be discussed, it must be processed internally. This means that, if you want to discuss a personal matter with a Mercury Retrograde friend, you must tell them what you want to discuss and set up an appointment to discuss it. If you want an immediate answer, you will not get an honest or well though out answer. They need time to brood and ponder.Because these people need to digest and process first, they are slow to defend themselves and slow to respond to queries of a personal nature unless they are prepared ahead of time. They appreciate a slow reaction in another.
They can easily discuss non-personal subjects, their own interests and expertise, without introspection. This has already been done in the past.
On personal subjects, they may not know immediately how they feel about something— they need that brood and ponder time.
Perception is quite good because they are sensitive to how they feel about things; the perceptions are highly individualized.
They prefer a Reflective Analysis. In intellectual matters, they are rarely superficial but they tend to analyze, re-analyze, reflect and then apply internally.
There is a perfectionistic side so they can talk in absolutes— using terms such as “always” and “never.”
Many Mercury retrograde people feel that they had no one to talk to as a child. The thoughts and mental activity became internalized and highly subjective. They may be prone to day dream. Some may be so absorbed in their own internalized thoughts that they seem absent-minded and unaware of external activities. This is especially true if Mercury is retrograde in the cadent (3, 6, 9, 12) Houses. And, especially if aspecting Neptune, a planet that can go off into its own world and lose track of time.
Afflictions in Houses 3-6-12 can cause learning disabilities— Dyslexia, ADLD(Attention Deficit Learning Disorder). One child was later discovered to be deaf in one ear and tried to compensate by listening a lot.
This can be the signature of the scientific thinker. Many of the astronauts in the late 1960-early 1970s had Mercury Retrograde.
SPEED OF MERCURY: The speed that Mercury is moving can indicate the speed at which an individual can process information. One friend whose Mercury moved 2 degrees on the day she was born was a very fast and sharp thinker. She had a rare ability to think quickly with little time for reflection.
Those born with Mercury Retrograde take longer to process information but their solutions to problems often have more insight and wisdom.
FEEDBACK: “I have learned that, when something is presented quickly, I need to ask to think about it.”
Mercury in the 2nd can be the bargain hunter
Mercury in Houses 3-4 often needs quiet in order to think. This is often true of Venus R in these Houses as well. They have a problem concentrating when there are distractions and arguments in the home.
Mercury in the 3rd is very prone to study and research but they need quiet. They may appear slow only because they need to have all of the facts first.
Mercury in the 5th can think more than create but this develops in time. This is a signature of a good teacher. They a good with games that require detailed concentration.
Mercury in the 6th— here you will see more of the perfectionist qualities coming out in their work; they appear slow because they require all of the facts.
Mercury in the 7th has difficulty making up their minds about marriage, then they may marriage hastily and rethink it later. They often have difficulty discussing the problems in the marriage.
Mercury in the 8th is best suited for 8th House research and study.
Mercury in the 9th can be the fact collector and they may not be able to get all of the answers that they want. Any planet in the 9th House can indicate an interruption in education. They often return to school later to complete their education.
Mercury in the 10th may see a job as a learning experience where they will acquire the knowledge and experience that they need to know. They are thorough and reliable.
Mercury in the 12th works very well at deep psychological and investigative level. A friend works as a therapist in the prison system. She said that she has thoughts buried so deep inside of herself that she does not even know what they are— and she does not even know how to get them out. They do not show others that they are depressed. They can experience problems with their sleep patterns.
VENUS RETROGRADE
There is an innate sense of unloveableness that seems to have been experienced all throughout the life. Sometimes there was no real event but a general feeling of not being loved as a child. This could actually be some real karmic pattern— truly brought over from a past life. In feeling unloveable, not attractive, not being worthy, they learn to value what is often overlooked by others. This can make them very humanitarian in their life activities or they can just be attracted to people who take advantage of them.With the humanitarian goals, they have a great capacity to dedicate themselves to a higher purpose.
A few years ago I looked at the horoscopes of Great Rescuers duringWWII. Many of these people, because they feel that others were worth more than themselves, dedicated their lives and risked their lives to help the Jews escape the Nazis.
A neighbor with Venus R in Gemini in the 9th has never been interested in making a lot of money. He has often dedicated his life to a guru or inspirational teacher. Currently, he is in China teaching English. I have observed a pattern of people with Venus Retrograde moving to under-developed countries to teach English. They do not make a lot of money in these jobs for they always feel that they are going great good for others.
They have blocks connected with expressing affection due to a fear of rejection. Often a late bloomer, they do not bloom until they figure out what is the correct situation (career and relationships) for them— how to use this Venus and how to find love and fulfillment through the Venus Retrograde.
Example: One woman was a large but very attractive woman whose mother realized that she was never going to be a beauty queen. She always had a feeling of being unloveable because her appearance was not what her mother valued. If anyone saw her, they could not deny that this was a very attractive woman (big beautiful woman). When Venus turned direct by progression, all of a sudden she started to accept herself, appreciate herself as a beauty on her own terms.
Sometimes, there can be a self-centeredness as a defense against their unlovableness feelings. They need a lot of reassurance but this attitude does not really work for them.
Venus R is not just being unloveable but feeling unacceptable. These individuals often seek out those people who are a little eccentric, different, not of the ordinary mode— they seek new levels of relating where they feel that they truly belong and fit in. They have a capacity to help others who themselves feel that they do not belong in the world of traditional values. They learn to appreciate others for less superficial reasons, other than show and appearance.
They often feel that they are not in tune with people that they consider shallow.
Being a bit anti-social, they feel more comfortable in 1-to-1 relationships rather than social functions and parties where there is a lot of phony, showy behavior. They do not like superficial relating. They are definitely not the “cocktail party” types.
FEEDBACK: “I have always had trouble with peers, people my own age. I had to grow up early in life after the death of my mother.” She says that she has learned to be compassionate and understanding of others. However, I have observed that this woman had allowed men to take advantage of her. She tolerates too much from people who are abusive. Currently, she prefers to be alone. She now dedicates herself to animals.
There is a deep scar and wound in these people. It is how they learn to heal this in themselves that determines the course of their lives.
PROGRESSED CHANGE OF DIRECTION: Sandra Leigh-Serio gave a lecture on this subject. She has observed that, whenever Venus changes direction by progression (a rare event), it has a dramatic impact on our attitude towards relationships and closeness in general.
Venus in the 2nd— Internal insecurity can make these people desirous of financial security. They can marry for money but it is because of an inner fear of rejection and insecurity.
EXAMPLE: One woman with Venus R in Aquarius in the 2nd was a prostitute who would fall in love with her customers and then give her services away for free. She would complain when she was not making money. Yet, she was very desirous of having money and fine possessions as proof of her worth.
Another man with Venus R in 2nd in Aquarius always gave presents to other people so they would love him…but he was a very loveable man anyway.
Venus in the 3rd and 4th House need peace and quiet in their personal environment. They do not like quarreling, arguing and contention in their environment.
Venus in the 6th House can undervalue themselves and their work. Some can be so insecure that they do not do their work, feeling that anything that they do is unworthy.
Venus in the 7th often prefers the unconventional in relationships. They can attract an undemonstrative partner. If you feel that you do not deserve more, you will not demand and get more.
Venus in the 9th often marries someone from a different social or cultural background. This can give them an edge of superiority. Because they feel that they do not fit in, the difference in the relationship is less threatening. Delays in education— they can put others through college before themselves or it gets postponed because of the needs of others.
Venus in the 10th has a shyness that is very obvious. They can allow bosses to take advantage of their work and recognition comes much later.
Venus in the 11th is a position that actually does better in group situations. 1-to-1s can be scarey. They can easily make sacrifices for the benefit of the group.
Venus in the 12th gives a larger overview of Venus Retrograde generally.
In the 12th, there can be much internal scarring so that the individual may set themselves up as a victim in all relationships because they do not feel lovable.
Ideally, they work best with “unlovable people” as therapists, in the helping professions, championing the underdog.
They have problems when they judge themselves by traditional values, by other people’s standards. Happiness comes when they develop their own unique values about what is worthy, lovable and of value!
Feedback by student : Timing is a problem in relationships— meeting the right person at the wrong time. They feel that they do not deserve to reach out to another person. They lack relating confidence. Many feel that there is a “protective” quality to this Venus which comes at a critical moment in their lives.
MARS RETROGRADE:
Mars rules how we initiate, how we take the initiative and how we deal with and express anger. Whenever I see this aspect, I have observed that the individual came from a family in which no one knew how to express or deal with anger. It signifies a family pattern and it will show up with the other family members in some way, with their Mars’ either by aspect or Interception.With Mars R, reactions, aggressive urges and hostilities are internalized in some way. On the surface, they can appear calm but, inside, they can be a raging volcano. In other cases, anger is expressed inappropriately. And, it can be passive-aggressive in its indirectness. These people do not know how to express their anger.
The House position of Mars Retrograde is where you bottle up, bottle up, bottle up and then BOOM— they explode and cut off the situation. They feel anger inside but they do not know how to direct it and get it out.
They are rarely comfortable with direct, competitive activities, preferring to work alone or indirectly. This can manifest through encouraging the energies and supporting the enterprises of others… such as a coach.
EXAMPLE: A client with Mars Retrograde in Libra finds it too difficult to fire an employee. As the owner of a successful business, she hired an aggressive woman who LOVES to fire people… so this is her job.
When anger is internalized, it leads to various psycho-physical distresses, including depression. They can be accident prone but, statistically, accident-prone people live longer than other “angry” types because they will release their anger through jamming their toe on a chair rather than internalizing it for 20 years and suddenly dying of a heart attack!
FEEDBACK from Students:
- In aggressive situations, I keep my mouth shut and “go mild.”
- Alcoholic who drank rather than show anger. When this person stopped drinking, it released the anger.
- Self-destructive and abusive relationships, also alcohol.
- Gripes and complains a lot rather than do anything about problems.
- Represses her anger until it does away. Her family immediately explodes with their anger and this anger is a distortion, over-reacting to what happened, she is afraid that she will be this herself so she keeps angry feelings inside.
- Father was alcoholic and abusive— she learned not to say or do anything or the father would only get worse.
- These individuals have a rather strong habit of suppressing anger, as well as their ambitions. This woman says that “this is something we have to deal with all our lives.”
Mars in 2nd— There is a sabotaging pattern with anger— they can work hard, save their money and then one day they get angry at the wife, take out all of the money from their savings account in the bank and buy a Porsche…then they have to start all over again saving their money.
Mars in the 3rd and 4th tends to get along with family members for years and then all of a sudden they have a big fight and never speak to them again. In the 3rd, there can be a change in the behavior during the school years— the quiet child who all of a sudden starts getting into fights with other children.
Mars in the 5th does better motivating the creativity or recreativity of others. Dancing or playing the drums helps them release energy.
Mars in the 12th often causes subconscious resentments, passive-aggressive behavior that they do not recognize in themselves but others clearly see it. It is best applied in helping the disadvantaged.
The House position of Mars Retrograde is where you bottle up, bottle up, bottle up and then BOOM— they explode and cut off the situation. They feel anger inside but they do not know how to direct it and get it out.
In your chart, this would apply to your one-to-one relationships. Anger issues are projected into the relationship but not in an obvious manner.
JUPITER RETROGRADE
Some retrogrades are not bad at all and this is one of them. When Jupiter is Direct, there is a greater attunement to external appearances. The energy and appearance is more popular and acceptable.When Jupiter is Retrograde, if you strive for material accomplishment and this is your main goal, you will find that these material things come up short; the more material/external your accomplishments, the more you will come to feel dissatisfied with your life.
There may be a great questing and seeking but, until they look inside, they will never find what they feel they are looking for. Their inner faith has some doubts or holes on it. This is why they are always searching for something that would give meaning to their lives— what they seek is anything that is philosophically uplifting.
I have a Direct Jupiter so I am always acquiring knowledge and information. If my Jupiter were Retrograde, I would need something that is more enriching internally.
Jupiter R often has an eye for quality because they are able to look beyond the externals. I tell my students that, where you find Jupiter R, this is where the individual has the ability to restore to life things that are considered dead or dying.
Jupiter rules playing a role in order to gain approval. Jupiter R does not want to play this role with anyone. When Jupiter is ℞ and afflicted, one individual stated that, in her family, you were only loved because you looked good, because you made a good appearance, and you were socially acceptable in everything that you said or did. Playing that role depleted the energies for the Jupiter R person. Playing a role is performing and not being real.
Jupiter R in Houses 2-6-8 have a natural healing ability but they do not always work directly in areas of physical healing. The Earth signs and Scorpio have the natural healing abilities. This includes animals, nature, and even objects (renovation and repair, especially with antiques, in the 2nd and 4th Houses). The natural ability to restore things to life.
The natural ability to restore things to life— but this is not always physical healing. This position is good for figuring out better ways to do the work, better methodologies.
Jupiter ℞ in the 1st identifies very strongly with anything spiritual, philosophical or expansive on inner levels. This could restrict the individual financially since the material side of the career or life activity is not appealing and not a primary focus. They could actually neglect the physical because they live so strongly in the philosophical realms. They should avoid excessive involvement in theoretical concepts. Rob Hand has Jupiter in Cancer R here! He loves ancient philosophies and systems that actually may not be practical.
Jupiter ℞ in Sagittarius in the 1st House— One friend confided that she sometimes feels manic/depressive because her family life, her life as she is living it, does not connect with her need for spiritual values that she can practice in her daily life.
Jupiter R in the 3rd and 4th Houses have an ability and willingness to go back and make a connection/relationship work. Example: One individual put a lot of energy into getting people in her family to get along with each other.
Jupiter R will always try to go back and try to re-connect. They possess skills in renovations, restoring homes and buildings— they have a natural ability to want to revive/restore that building, to bring it back to life!
Jupiter in the 5th— I have seen them try to work out a relationship with a child, always trying to re-connect. In romance, they will put that extra energy into reviving that relationship in some way…making the re-connection.
Jupiter in the 7th wants a partner who brings philosophically uplifting growth into the married life. When the relationship is failing, they have an ability to revive the relationship. There can be a broken engagement. They possess skills in marriage counseling, helping couples get back together.
GEISLER: For instance, a Jup R in Cancer ruling 7— husbands ‘foreign’ to one’s own experience, in some way and not the good providers one would expect from a dignified Jupiter. There would be a problem with the home, either too large, wrong place or the individual would be forced to move often. Ditto family—too far away, or something
Jupiter in the 9th often does not really know what they believe in so they are always seeking and searching. They can get hooked on a religion or philosophy and then realize that it goes not give them all the answers they desire. Lots of doubts in their faith, especially when the life become difficult.
They often go back and re-educate themselves at a higher level. One individual did not finish high school.
Jupiter in the 10th will often go back to college to improve their professional skills.
SATURN RETROGRADE
Saturn symbolizes the rules and regulations in the early environment. The sign shows the cultural influences. When Retrograde, you were never really taught an accurate sense of what the rules are and how much to you have to do in order to be responsible.You were not taught proper discipline but this does not mean that you were not disciplined but there was a certain vagueness about it so that you did not know when to stop yourself–when is it enough?
They often have no idea of what they can or can not do.
Where you find Saturn R, this is where the individual has difficulty saying NO and defining boundaries. They have no clue where these boundaries are so that they have difficulty defining boundaries and setting limits for others as well as themselves.
Saturn R does not know its limitations. At times, these individuals confine themselves to a small corral when they could be roaming 40 acres; others can be so irresponsible that they think that they can roam 80 acres— and all of a sudden they crash into the societal limits that the legal system imposes. They have no boundaries— there is a real problem when Neptune or Pisces is also strong. One individual confided that he does not always pay his bills, does not pay taxes, does not like to work, does not clean…what does he do?! He looks for women to take care of him.
When Saturn is R natally, these people need to teach themselves to say NO, to set boundaries and to learn exactly what is expected of them, and to learn an accurate sense of responsibility. They need to go out into the world and stake out their own boundaries, fight that invisible barrier they create for themselves.
There can be much anxiety in responsibility situations because they do not know how far they can go before their chain begins to choke them. This can cause problems WITH responsibilities due to the self-doubt engendered about when they can actually be permitted to say NO.
Saturn ℞ in 1st is very typical of the 1st House Saturn. First, this position often was unwanted during the gestation period. Saturn here assumes responsibilities for others in order to feel wanted or connected to others. The Direct Saturn can isolate with a set of barriers to protect them. When ℞, these people take on responsibilities for others in order to feel wanted and because they do not know when to say NO.
FEEDBACK:
- One woman said that she always felt like a guest in her own home while growing up. She feels guilty for so much in her life that she will not even take personal calls in the office or take a longer lunch break.
- “ I take care of everyone!”
- Another woman fears being isolated or trapped.
Saturn in the 2nd naturally feels that “you only get what you work for and you work hard for everything you get.” They observed their own parents working very hard to provide for them so they adopted this “work hard” pattern or philosophy. When ℞, they can feel financially responsible for everyone— “My mom did everything for the family.” One individual said that her dad could not save money, poor Saturn structuring of boundaries, and he went bankrupt so this individual works very hard not to have this happen to her.
Saturn in the 3rd and 4th often cannot say NO to the family members. In the 3rd, there can be early school problems because of that anxiety about how much do they have to do. Anxious students often have hearing problems and they misunderstand or make mistakes. That is, they are so anxious about being wrong that they do not hear correctly. When anxious, they become disoriented.
One individual with Saturn ℞ in the 3rd said that there was a cultural different so she had trouble communicating.
Saturn in the 5th has trouble saying NO to children, especially the first born! Several had commented that they could say NO to the other children but not that first born!! One woman said that she is overly responsible, feeling that she had to do it all herself, and she never had a babysitter to help her. Another said that having the child really helped them to focus and get organized with other tasks in their life.
Saturn in the 6th and 10th are perfectionists in their work because they do not know their boundaries. They have trouble putting their foot down, defining boundaries and saying NO so that bosses and employees take advantage of them. This is not an effective position for being a boss.
Saturn in the 7th attracts parenting issues in relationships. They can attract an irresponsible partner and the relationship becomes a parent-child relationship that is never satisfying to either partner.
Saturn R in the 8th warns that you really know the partner’s financial circumstances (and how they handle money) before you legally tie yourself to this person because these can be a liability for you. S. Orman says that you need to look at your father’s attitude towards finances in order to see how you deal with financial matters. This is especially true with Saturn R in the 8th House.
Saturn in the 9th, especially ℞, should never be raised in a strict religious environment… but they usually are! One woman went to Catholic school and feels that she had religion shoved down her throat. They can get lost in religious dogma to a point where they do not know who they really are. They need to define a new value structure.
Several students noticed a pattern of being raised by parents from different cultures or different backgrounds. This was often true of the 3rd H Saturn R.
Lots of guilt here and maybe a lot of fear as well.
They may go back for further education. Some interruption in the education is shown. One very brilliant man changed universities a lot due to self-doubts.
There is an attitude of rejection or not being good enough coming through the religious or philosophical attitude of the parents or church. If they accept this without question, they feel guilt and shame; if they reject this, they reject God.
Saturn in the 11th is often raised in a world of adults so that they often do not fit in with their peers. When D, they seek a functional purpose in a group in order to feel that they belong. When ℞, they can become terrified of groups (they were often raised by adults too and they may not relate well to people their own age). D assumes responsibilities in groups but the ℞ people often say that they never do this because of “self imposed limitations.”
Saturn in the 12th has a lot of fears connected with authority and abandonment. They often isolate themselves and appear anti-social.
FEEDBACK
One student commented that she was not allowed to do anything for herself— from the routine things like doing laundry, cooking and cleaning so, as an adult, she does not know how to set limits for herself.
From Pat Geisler: Although the Saturn retrograde phenomena may indeed suggest loss of the father, the retrograde condition more likely suggests the absence of authoritative guidance provided by the father. The father may be present but not involved in the child’s development. Work may usurp all of his time. He may be unable to give such guidance because of his own lack of structure. Or he may be tyrannical or an anachronism. The situation is really one of dysfunction whether the actual father is present or not.
There are conditions that require modification of this guideline. A retrograde Saturn in the 10th in Capricorn is unlikely to signify an absence of authority. Also, when there is an absence of the father in actuality, there are compensating configurations such as lunar node aspects. These configurations suggest the maternal presence that provides that guidance. Single mothers are both mom and dad.
And then there is the time/maturity factor. The feedback given by a teenager may change completely as that teen matures. An idyllic childhood may actually be realized as horrific as age lends perspective. A client that swears the parent was “present” may not have a clear idea of the magnitude of parental absence until much later in life. Or their life situation may not require a high degree of guidance in order to function in a typical way.
For the record, I have Saturn Rx in the 9th. I was definitely not raised in a religious household. If anything, I was not taught any kind of religion or spiritual discipline. From the time I was a teenager, I did a lot of soul searching to find out exactly what would make me happy spiritually, and as it has turned out, none of them satisfied my need. Any form of dogmatic spirituality or religion turns me off completely. I guess I’m a self-proclaimed pagan. The only time in my life I ever questioned whether there was indeed a “god” or “higher source” was when my oldest daughter’s dad was killed in a car accident when I was 17— it took me quite awhile to regain my faith. I just didn’t see how a loving spirit could take away the one person I called my soulmate. I was very young and it took some time to stop grieving and get on with living. It may sound terrible to some, but through his death, I learned a lot about life, living, love and faith.
In early degrees, childhood fears and parents “teaching” the child to be quiet and out of the way, “good boy/good girl” syndrome. Middle degrees indicate difficulty with changing circumstances.
Late degrees indicate leadership qualities through positions of executive-ship.
Saturn in the 9th might indicate or reflect as being rather uninterested in what other people’s opinions have to offer.
Saturn Rx acts a lot like Saturn 12th— it needs external stimuli for self motivation through the house it is associated.
URANUS RETROGRADE
This is not a bad position to have. It is more rebellious but the person may not always see themselves as rebellious. Like Mars, it is where you bottle up, bottle up, bottle up and then rebel!When Direct, the individual finds that their intuition, sense of rebellion and independence flow naturally like in a stream. When ℞, it get dammed (not honored by the individual who sees him or she self as very normal) and then it explodes. Intuition has fits of explosion that seems more creative over all— they have a dry spell (in weather, when you have no rain) when they do not feel creative at all and then BOOM!
Retrograde makes Uranus more potent when it explodes forth! Because it builds up, it has a higher energy level when it expresses itself.
The Reformer Complex is quite strong with Uranus ℞ so they can make mountains out of molehills— something small can get blown up into something very big. It can be more dogmatic yet they may deny what is going on because they see themselves as being very normal.
The difference between D and R is that R sees themselves as being quite normal when they are not. They are less aware and not always in touch with Uranus within themselves. A friend with Uranus R unaspected in the 9th House finds it impossible to incorporate her metaphysical knowledge into her professional life (she is a psycho-therapist).
Students have commented that they feel that they must change first before then can rebel against the situation. They need to learn WHY they need to rebel in order to validate themselves and make changes.
Uranus in the 1st is highly independent anyway but, when R, the individual may not always realize how super-independent he or she really is! This emphasizes the Uranus R’s need to be involved in activities associated with reform and rehabilitation. The “bottle-up-rebel” pattern colors all areas of their lives and this manifests as a “comply-change/rebel” quality in relationships, the career or even the residence.
Uranus in 2nd is not in touch with the need to be unconventional in how they earn a living. If they get into normal jobs, it manifests in a lack of financial stability— they do not realize that the instability is part of their rebelling against the normal.
Stability comes from doing the unconventional. Being in a very secure, high-level government job would not make them happy in the long run. They would probably get sick or get fired! It may take them a long time to realize this need to be unconventional in their work— the longer it takes, the more disruptive the change will be.
Uranus in the 3rd is like Mars, manifesting problems in the early education due to sudden rebellious urges.
Uranus in the 4th can make normal choices for home, family and living environment but these never seem to work. Their early home life appeared normal but it was not.
Uranus in the 5th— They see themselves as normal but others see them as anti-social and they always feel left out of these normal situations. They are unconventional and, therefore, become “wallflowers” until they find their place in an unconventional world.
Uranus R in the 6th House has a very sensitive physical body. They should not over-work or work when tired or upset. This can lead to health problems. They prefer to work alone because, being around other people’s electro-magnetic fields (auras), is disruptive to their own energy field. This can make them abrupt and impatience with co-workers. They do best in making reforms in the work systems. They get bored easily and need to move on, if they cannot work alone.
Uranus in the 7th prefers a sudden, “in-love” feeling in a relationship. When the relationship becomes normal and not very exciting, it suddenly ends. They may not even understand why. Everything seems to be going just fine and then POP… that’s the end of the relationship. They are not good at relationship confrontations. I have observed that they prefer to live in the “in-love” stage and not deal with a relationship when it becomes real.
Uranus in the 8th— one individual said that they were very good at getting people to change their financial habits. They experience strange events that seem beyond their control. These events can be life-changing.
Uranus in 10th, like Direct, does best in some job where another has given up or failed— how much worse can they do if the previous person failed. Uranus does not like comparisons with others. They may not be good at starting at the ground level of a professional activity.
Uranus in the 11th is given to sudden goal changes that seem to come out of nowhere.
Uranus in the 12th fears being crazy. A parent may have criticized their behavior— “You do not want people to think you are crazy?!” And, they become afraid that they might be judged crazy. They need to become involved with New Age or other unconventional people in order to feel comfortable with themselves.
NEPTUNE RETROGRADE
When Neptune is Direct, its House position is where you seek to fulfill your dreams, where you can manifest things, and where you seek to escape reality and, when it is Direct, it is much easier to get a handle on what that dream or vision really is. Direct rules more traditional forms of creativity.Neptune R tends to be more vague, more unclear and the individual may not know exactly what they are looking for in expressing their personal creativity. If Neptune turns direct by progression, it signifies that time when they suddenly realize what they want to do creatively— it can be something that they have been doing all along and did not realize it!
Neptune rules where you have an ability to manifest, to creative from your imagination, but R may not be aware of this ability. Neptune R is extremely sensitive, more so than direct, because of the connection with unseen realms. This is where their creativity expresses itself— through the psychic, the metaphysical, the intuitive, the spiritual, the humanitarian— not something traditionally seen as creative.
Because of their heightened sensitivity, they need to avoid drugs, alcohol and stimulants. The tendency is stronger to cultivate addictions to dull the astral body, the solar plexus, and this can get them into trouble.
This heightened sensitivity can encourage fears, paranoia and phobic conditions— that connection with the unseen realities, the veil between the seen and the unseen.
These people are naturally very psychic but they may not realize this. This may engender fears of the unseen which they do not understand.
These people pick up a lot from the astral plane— other people’s thoughts and feelings can be perceived as their own. Smoking often cuts off the astral stimulation.
EXAMPLE: When I am giving tarot reading, if there is too much smoke around me, my psychic ability is cut off and my intuition is gone. I have observed psychics and other sensitive people who smoke to cut off this “picking up” of others energies because it is just too draining.
This Neptune is not clear about what it wants because it is not something tangible that they seek. They can more readily pick up qualities in another that the person will never manifest in reality. This can cause them to attract “Losers.” They see the potential…a potential that never becomes a reality.
Neptune in the 1st is so receptive to the environment that they do not know who they are or what they feel. They must learn some type of discipline, setting up boundaries, so that they can tell the difference between their mood and another’s mood.
Neptune in the 3rd is often attracted to using a nickname because it changes their vibration. A study in numerology is helpful here. They have an affinity with numbers. They sometimes get lost easily.
Neptune in the 4th is overly empathetic to conditions in the home but they may not realize this. They must find a calm, serene domestic environment and living space. A place in the woods with nature would be nice. Chaos and disorder are stressful.
Neptune in the 5th and 7th Houses are continually looking for a vague type of perfection in relationships. They do not know how idealistic they really are! Disappointment ensues. Neptune in relating Houses seek relationships in order to escape the pain of the reality in their lives. When they start to feel the pain, they move on.
Neptune in 6th is super-sensitive to the work environment and chaos therein. They need an ideal to fulfill in their job but they can be naive in relating— change jobs and long to find what they really want to do… which they may not find.
Neptune in the 8th can have a lot of denial issues around the partner’s finances and handling of finances. There can be problems with taxes, insurance matters and how money is invested.
A woman with this position told me that her husband was the type to forget about bills, misplace them or ignore them all together so she always took charge of financial matters in the marriage – and this is exactly what this Neptune wants her to do!
Neptune in the 9th is looking for utopian ideas for living on this planet. Since there aren’t any, they get disillusioned a lot. They can even become cynical. Utopia cannot be found in a place. This is another addictive position.
Neptune in the 10th wants to do something creative with their lives but they usually do not know what it is that they want to do.
EXAMPLE: I once taught a Career class using astrology. All of the students in that class had a strong Neptune— they were not use of what they wanted to do professionally, they were studying for a career for which they were ill-suited or they longed for some type of greatness professionally.
Neptune in the 11th express the vagueness is seeking ideals and people who embody such ideals. They do not really know what they are looking for— often to escape the pain and fear in their personal lives— and they are periodically attracted to people whom they feel embody some sought after ideal. It is the vision of the moment because they are not really clear about what they are truly seeking. When it is not what they want (or when the group demands a commitment), they move on to something else.
These people can find themselves working in groups, helping those with addictive personalities— such as the 12-Step groups of Alcoholics Anonymous (all types of addicts— drugs, alcohol, sex, food).
As a House of Groups and Friendships, these people can get caught up with affiliating with disorganized groups (spiritual people are rarely organized), groups that have a wonderful ideal of saving the planet but no one really knows what they are doing.
In choosing friends, there is an attraction to dreams and alcoholics. They should never mix friends and money. They must avoid people who arouse sympathy— people whom they seek to rescue. There is no such thing as a rescuer— only 2 people vying for the victim slot.
Neptune in the 12th is so highly mediumistic that coping with reality may be difficult.
PLUTO RETROGRADE
Pluto is more intense when Retrograde and this intensity is highly psychological which can make them more suspicious of others because they pick up more at that psychological level.Pluto D is more interested in external power— a great job, lots of money
Pluto R is definitely more psychological— investigation, healing, transformational
They register the unseen very quickly, they see the negative side more easily but they need to cut this off because it will isolate them from life and people.
These people have much greater insights into the subconscious. This makes them more loners and introverted. They may have trouble relaxing around many people due to the psychological process and registering so much information.
Powers of regeneration and rejuvenation are incredible in its House position.
Pluto in the 1st (but not within 6 degrees of the 2nd cusp) can first be interpreted as influencing the mother’s attitude during the gestation period. With Pluto rising, mother felt angry, resentful and very resistant to being out of control while pregnant. There may have been tensions occurring within the family and mother internalized the anger with powerful emotions. Even the unborn child felt feelings of being out of control by what was happening during gestation! With Pluto R, the influence is more psychological rather than expressing an external need to control the environment. As a child, the individual learned to pick up subtle cues from adults – picking up good moods or bad moods, when to assert or when to step back. They make good psychologists or they do well in jobs where profiling others is important. Their powers of physical regeneration are phenomenal!
Pluto in the 2nd wants control over their own resources. D is a power issue. R fears the psychological vulnerability. . NOTE: Pluto or any planet is considered influencing the 2nd House if it is within 6 degrees in the 1st House, near the 2nd cusp
Pluto in the 3rd can control the minds of others through intense focus. This can make them great teachers, people who can positively influence the minds of others.
Pluto in the 6th are so intense in their work. They cannot handle interruptions. This can cause alienation with co-workers. Work best alone. Not a team player generally.
Pluto in the 7th is a bit difficult to establish cooperation because the intensity is so strong that the loner tendencies do not function well sharing the life with another person.
Pluto in the 8th often feels that they have had to take control of the finances in the marriage. This causes cooperation problems. Another woman said that it was her husband who wanted to be in control and pay all of the bills but he never did— and this caused the friction.
Pluto in the 11th is not a group position but the individual has a gift for going into a group situation, revitalizing it, getting things focused and then leaving. They have a talent for setting the group organization up for another to take over.
Pluto in the 12th is extremely intense to the point of being strongly disposed for research, investigations and their greatest asset is the ability to help other people help themselves. They have probing insight that psychologically analyzes. They can quickly pick out another’s strengths and weaknesses so that they are able to help people help themselves. Like Pluto D, this is a highly protective position in life-threatening situations.
