Horoscope Interpretation

[Danny]

Hi,

I joined in Nov last year so thought it was about time I introduced myself. I'm Danny and I've been studying astrology for about a year now but I'm fairly new to Sidereal so in order to understand better the methods you use, I thought I'd post my birth details to get an idea of how you go about delineating a chart and perhaps discover some things I've missed.

5 April 1990 7.06 AM Redhill, England, UK
Source: Birth Certificate

Thanks!

[Danica]

Danny, hi, welcome to solunars!

I'll add the chart later.
Here's info from the interpretation file with Jim's interps that we generate from Solar Fire:

SOLAR FIRE INTERPRETATIONS REPORT

Sidereal Natal Horoscope Interpretation

(c) 2018 James A. Eshelman


These notes on your SIDEREAL NATAL HOROSCOPE are provided for your reference and study. They are not a full interpretation of your birth chart; rather, they are the building blocks from which such a full interpretation can be built.

Each factor listed below contributes to your character. These paragraphs commonly repeat or contradict each other. (We all have contradictions.) Though it does not take an astrologer to fuse these factors into a balanced picture of you and your life, it DOES require knowledge of human behavior and the ways that people support and sabotage themselves. Your astrologer, having these skills and knowing this symbolic language, can help you in this process. However, KNOWING YOURSELF is a life-long undertaking. I encourage you to read through these notes, feeling your way through the interweaving ideas and reflecting on what you know of yourself.

The paragraphs are brief. I have sought to pack in everything essential, to use a few words to imply a great deal more. Not every phrase will apply, of course. Some will be more important than others; but the gist of each section should clearly reflect truth about you. When you have spent time with this and have new questions, consult your astrologer to discuss them.

Character is destiny. Who you are determines the life that is yours to unfold. "Know thyself" is the key. -- Jim Eshelman



THE SUN IN PISCES
Drawn to the foreign, exotic, wondrous, theatrical, mysterious, glamorous. Wanderlust. Eros vs. moralism. Socially charming. Seeks idealistic relationships. Visionary, romantic, dreamer. Hardened personal reality, stuck patterns. Slavery-bondage. Fickle allegiance, betrayal. Drama, acting, music.

THE SUN IN THE 12TH HOUSE
Privacy needs, secretive, prefers seclusion (loner, hermit). Moody, circumspect. Inhibitions; self-expression retarded.

ASPECTS OF THE SUN
SEMISQUARE VENUS Orb 1°21' Applying
Charming, gentle, fine companions. Strong sense of friendship and natural affection. Graceful. Marked aesthetic appreciation (if not artistic talents). Most comfortable in marriage or similar relationship. (A little vain?)

SEXTILE MARS Orb 3°05' Applying
Drive, courage, energy. Restless, moody, impatient, temperamental, stubbornly if silently prideful. Strong sexual needs. Industrious, instinctive leader.

SQUARE NEPTUNE Orb 0°39' Separating
Self-view is unrealistic or disproportionate (excessively poor or grand). Nurtures an air of secrecy or mystery. Love of drama, music, fantasy, mysticism, general surrealism. Active imaginations. Potential to move and inspire others if they acquire focus & perseverance. Sensitive to ambient physical & emotional impressions; exaggerates the “feeling tone” of a time & place.

SQUARE THE MIDHEAVEN Orb 2°41' Applying
Warm, friendly, generous, shining their light on the world (often in a paternal, possibly controlling, sense). Vital, assertive, confident (or acts it). Aware they have purpose (goal, destiny) they must seek, find, and actualize. At best: is in charge of self & does well leading others (can be bossy, demanding, entitled). Needs centricity (attracts satellites; may expects others' world to revolve around them). Drawn to proud, useful institutions. Instinct for immortality.




THE MOON IN CANCER
Strongly driven by feelings (close to surface, comfortably expressed; sometimes overwhelm). When feeling safe: tender, gentle, humane, openly sensitive; otherwise moody, cocky arrogance. Expressive actor, yet treasures privacy. Magnetic, draws affection, warm, generous, hospitable. Sympathetic listening; trusted. Exudes optimism, confidence. Better serving than leading. Thrives within imagination & fantasy.

THE MOON IN THE 6TH HOUSE
Focus on service as mode of self-completion (many "helpers"). Emotional martyrdom in partnering. Hesitancy to freely respond to a situation (emotional repression?). Moody, frequent job changes, considerate of coworkers.

ASPECTS OF THE MOON
TRINE THE SUN Orb 4°23' Separating
Energetic, vital, involved. Naturally rises toward leadership, comfortable with power (possible self-exaltation). Intense desire in whatever they undertake. Sexual desires particularly strong, often narcissistic. Inclined to service.

OPPOSITION MARS Orb 1°18' Separating
Active & reactive, temperamental, thinks & acts rapidly. Detests idleness, rarely still. Driven, competent, ambitious. Impatient, acerbic, irritable. Too frank & sharp-tongued (hence friction in close relationships). Needs physical, emotional, & mental “room to breathe” (little domestic instinct). Substance abuse not uncommon. Sexual needs strong, almost irrepressible (the women are often real sexual firecrackers, notable for the speed and intensity of their climaxes).

SEMISQUARE JUPITER Orb 1°21' Separating
Ambitious, desires success. Social elitism (feigned superiority, aristocratic conceit). Drawn to quality: desires the best. Good-humored, entertaining, kind, generous (natural host). Strong beliefs (religious or patriotic intensity, morality, judgment).

SESQUISQUARE URANUS Orb 4°57' Applying
Intellectually rebellious, roving, curious, inquiring. Not wholly comfortable with outside guidance. Original, futuristic, needing variety. Free-spirited: psychologically lives outside convention. Subject to tensions, emotional stress.

SQUARE PLUTO Orb 2°21' Separating
Bold & forthright, questioning & challenging, maverick & alien; independent, “marching to a different drummer,” resisting authority. Avoids habitual conformity (rebellious?); resists conventional conditioning and being made to concur with others’ values and codes. Restless, unwilling to be still for long, can uproot or take to the road on little notice. Deeply inquiring into existential mysteries, often igniting remarkable intuitive insights.



MERCURY IN ARIES
Forthright, verbally & intellectually bold, independent thought, opinionated, with strong force of conviction. Enjoys frankness over diplomacy. Slow to retreat. Boldly states views to persuade (orators). Analytical, utilitarian, practical, common sense. Impatient, excessive nervous irritation, restless.


ASPECTS OF MERCURY
SEXTILE VENUS Orb 2°45' Separating
Gracious expression, charmer, persuasive, maybe even a “sweet talker.” Lighthearted, pleasant. Delights in learning (learns easily). Probably a happy childhood; retains a playful, childlike sense, a charm of immaturity.

SEXTILE JUPITER Orb 1°38' Applying
Intelligent; seems well-read, educated. Loves ideas & learning, comfortable with words. Good-tempered, kind. Optimistic. Business potential (from luck more than skill?). Always awaiting the next opportunity or break.

CONJUNCTION THE ASCENDANT Orb 0°55' Applying
Alert, attentive, observant, strategic, analytic. Mentally sharp, hard to fool (knows more about you than you think). Little emotional affect, hard to read. Nervous (anxiety? worry? touchy?). Easily bored without regular mental stimulation. Good at precise, detailed work; naturals at handling business. Curiosity drives sexual choices as much as any other factor.


VENUS IN AQUARIUS
Realists in relationships: take others as they find them. Cool, aloof; often disinterested, dismissive. Won't surrender autonomy or "get lost in someone." Pragmatic in relationships; okay with (desires?) many variations. Many identify with purposeful community (often idealistic). Private about their personal lives. Not prone to marry. (Moody, depressed.)


ASPECTS OF VENUS
SEMISQUARE NEPTUNE Orb 0°41' Applying
Idealistic, longs to be enchanted. Wants things perfect. Becomes disillusioned & jaded from repeated disappointments. Emotions run strong. Blind spots with people (especially in romance), but reads people astutely when not personally involved. Good-hearted, devoted, humanitarian.


ASPECTS OF MARS
SESQUISQUARE JUPITER Orb 0°03' Separating
Exalts strength, competition, & conquest. Zest, vitality, enthusiasm, courage, confidence. Enterprising, resourceful. Sexually lusty, eager, popular, on the hunt. “Money to burn” (generous or extravagant). Aggressive with beliefs, evangelical (enthusiasts, missionaries, barnstormers).

SQUARE PLUTO Orb 1°02' Separating
Normally well-mannered, congenial, even docile behavior sits atop a stockpile of explosive force. It may be (1) suppressed, blocked personal power, (2) owned, disciplined, available personal power, or (3) pathologized, brutal, destructive power. (Health in this is reflected in how freely appropriate anger is expressed.) This enormous force (especially physical force) must be expressed somehow, e.g., (1) directly, (2) attracting violence, or (3) eruptive health crises. Sexual energies explosive, or poured into driven work. Vulnerable to burnout. Sensitive to pressure or coercion; pot-stirrers, resistant to outside control, defiant of arbitrary restrictions; willing to live “outside the norm” on social patterning. In a productive, on-track life: a mark of genius and distinctive creativity, acutely alive with a quiet energy; the others are trouble, can’t seem to avoid breaking or upsetting something.



ASPECTS OF URANUS
CONJUNCTION THE MIDHEAVEN Orb 2°57' Separating
Strongly individualistic, independent, going their own way. Needs freedom & breathing room (physical, intellectual) and frequent renewal (through new interests & experiences, shedding inhibitions, shaking loose stale conditions). Responds strongly to the new, unexpected, thrilling, colorful, exciting. Pragmatic realist anchored by naked truth (seeker who forges an ideal from experience of the actual). Clownish, fun. Prefers disclosure over mystery.



ASPECTS OF NEPTUNE
CONJUNCTION THE MIDHEAVEN Orb 2°01' Applying
Sensitive, vulnerabile, feels strongly (tunes into others deeply, not always accurately; feels exposed, over-response). Naturally absorbs & mirrors traits of others. Sympathy, compassion, empathy (or emotional drama, insecurity, easily hooked, betrayed). Lives in own reality, tenacious with their viewpoint, impervious to logic, passionate about what uniquely frames their view (forges perception of the actual from their concept of the ideal). Favors complexity over simplicity. Dwells within the unknown, choosing mystery over revelation.

[Jim Eshelman]

I joined in Nov last year so thought it was about time I introduced myself. I'm Danny and I've been studying astrology for about a year now but I'm fairly new to Sidereal so in order to understand better the methods you use, I thought I'd post my birth details to get an idea of how you go about delineating a chart and perhaps discover some things I've missed.

5 April 1990 7.06 AM Redhill, England, UK
Source: Birth Certificate

Danny, welcome to Solunars. (Danica, thanks for posting the summary.) Where Danica gave you basic interpretive elements, I'm going to address the other half of your question concerning how we go about digging into a chart.

First, though, if you like, please go to this thread and add your data so that we can find it easily as you hang out and ask other questions over time:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=25

Here's a copy of your chart.


My strategy for interpreting a natal horoscope is outlined here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19
The main point is to try to get a core description of a person by finding those few things that are so strong they wont be contradicted or overwritten even by strong contrary factors. In the beginning, we go for a minimalist approach - trying to find the fewest things that can tell us the most. We can fill in details later, but these few strong things help us get the central nugget of a person. Even if they contradict each other, they have to still somehow coexist - we all have contradictions in us - and often the most fascinating things about someone lies in how they have lived their life with coexisting contradictions.

My tactic for getting this is to look for the few strongest things in each astrological category. For example, among signs the strongest voice is in the Sun-sign and Moon-sign. The Mars-sign is often the next most visible. Any sign with four or more planets will be particularly pronounced in the character. But the main thrust is in the Sun and Moon signs.

For angularity, we want to identify the most outwardly expressive (aka "strongest") planets by those that are closest to angles. You have several of these that I'll itemize in a moment.

Among aspects, we want the closest. They are more thematic of the character if Sun or Moon is involved. Dynamic aspects (conjunctions, oppositions, squares) are often more visible, seem stronger, etc. than static aspects (trines, sextiles), though orb (closeness) is more important.

Even these few factors may give quite a list of items. We can look through it for reinforcements and contradictions, and generally try to get (when possible) no more than half a dozen factors that, together, say the most distinctive things about a person.


In your case, Sun is in Pisces and Moon in Cancer. That's a start. Read those two interpretations and you'll find they have a lot in common. (Hint: Sun in Pisces and Moon in Cancer are the most common Sun-sign and Moon-sign for Academy Award winning actors. This doesn't mean you'll be an actor or, if you are, that you'll win an Oscar; it just means that your character has much in common with people who do both.) If we want to round out later, we'd notice your Capricorn Mars, also.

For angular planets, you have the following. (I've calculated these mundanely, i.e. by the planet's actual spatial relation to the angle, not just be zodiac aspect; but the orbs are similar either way.)
Sun on Eastpoint 0°46'
Mercury on Ascendant 1°53'
Neptune on Midheaven 3°27'

These three are all very strong. They will all have their voice: You should learn as much about the character of Sun, Mercury, and Neptune on an angle as possible. But also (as we start to synthesize and look for reinforcements or contradictions), two things are obvious from these planets: (1) Your Sun is in Pisces, which is a constellation mostly of the same character as Neptune, which is what we mean by "Neptune rules Pisces," so this is a doubling up: That Neptune energy is a really big deal in you. (2) Mercury and Neptune are both very strong for you, and they are substantially of opposite natures, e.g., reason vs. unreason, data vs. impression, granular vs. global. With a little reflection, you can probably see that the strength of these two factors and their polarity explains large blocks of your character.

Finally, for aspects, you have several extremely close, important ones. Probably the most important is Sun square Neptune (0°40'). This is tremendously strong for several reasons, including the act that both planets are close to angles, a luminary is involved, the square is a dynamic, intense aspect, and the orb is very small (0°40'). It's the closest aspect in your chart, and is the THIRD way that Neptune is stated as important in your chart - important to the point of defining you.

Also, Moon is opposite Mars (1°21'), Mars square Pluto (2°03'), and there is a wider Moon-Pluto square. This is important because of its closeness, and greatly interesting because it paints a very different character than we've seen from the Neptune and Neptune vs. Mercury themes. It is also interesting because it is a very strong, demanding, energetic aspect but in the least expressive parts of the chart (near the cadent cusps). This creates a kind of struggle, because the psychological energy and of the aspect and the needs it fosters are very insistent, yet something in you is resistant to their outward expression. (Therefore, aspects this strong and this cadent often indicate health issues, physical or psychological.)

You have other aspects - in particular, Mercury has close sextiles with Venus and Jupiter, emphasizing a smooth, gracious, kindly style of expression that is also compatible with Pisces and Cancer luminaries (and different than we'd expect from the snarky Moon-Mars).

That's a lot or data already. Digging through it like this has left me with three or four pieces to juggle in my mind to feel through the kind of character you would have and the kind of life that would spin our of that character. The interpretive elements are summarized in Danica's post above (and expanded in specialty sections of this forum), but the structure of your character seems to me is mapped by these themes:

1. Neptune theme - everything about Neptune you can learn - from Neptune on MC, Sun in Pisces, and their exact square (the closest, strongest aspect in the chart).

2. Mercury-Neptune coexistence and polarity: Mercury rising and Neptune on MC bring out strong opposites in your nature (see the individual interpretations above).

3. Moon opposite Mars , acutely close yet in the inexpressive background of the chart. (Mars-Pluto adds more to this.)

I suggest framing a general understanding of yourself just from these three things and then add the other strong factors mentioned above: (1) An angular Sun, which adds elements different from Pisces, Cancer, Neptune, etc. (2) the well-aspected Mercury, (3) Mars in Capricorn, (4) anything else.

Maybe you are an actor after all. There is a great molding of reality to fit your inner ideal, malleability and adaptability and yet great passion, wariness, the capacity to let the people in your universe find you as their collective center.

Or something like that.

[Danny]

Thank you both for the warm welcome and thanks for posting the summary Danica.

Jim, I really appreciate your informative reply, you've given me a great deal to think about!

That's really interesting about the Sun-Moon combo, I wasn't exposed to much acting when I was younger so never cultivated an interest in it but funnily enough, my best friend is an actor so I've an idea of the lifestyle/work involved and it does appeal to me somewhat. In fact I've noticed that when in social situations, I tend to be rather theatrical and will often add a dramatic flair to a story.

I had never considered the Sun to be a very strong force what with it being in the 12th house and afflicted (I've been using wider orbs until now) but after reading up on it, it explains an awful lot. I was suicidal in my early twenties due to severe health problems but I couldn't go through with it, mainly due to the fact that I had a strong sense of purpose and eventually began to see the troubles I was facing as obstacles to overcome which would eventually lead me to said purpose. I wonder if these health problems have anything to do with the Mars-Moon-Pluto configurations you mentioned.

With regards to the main themes, I've really noticed the Mercury-Neptune conflict and would say Mercury has acted, to a certain extent as a mitigating factor to the more nebulous affects of Neptune. For example, I'm not easily fooled, providing I remain objective, clear-headed and don't allow my emotions to get in the way as I've been fooled in the past by some people who were close to me. Most of the time though, I tend to see straight through people which is rather amusing. Moon-Mars and Mars-Pluto is on point, especially Mars-Pluto as I attracted a lot of violence when I was younger and in turn was quite violent myself, often justifying my actions as self-defence but I've long suspected that I've been attracting it somehow. Hopefully, by understanding these energies and finding a positive outlet for them I'll be able to steer clear of these situations in the future or at least handle them in a different way.

I look forward to reading through the many articles on this site and will hopefully contribute to some discussions as my knowledge improves.

Thanks again,

Danny

[SteveS]

Welcome Danny.

[Danny]

Hi Steve, thanks for the welcome.