Sun Soft Uranus

The Sun is making contact with the planet Uranus in your birth chart meaning that you're a highly-talented and unique individual, determined to carve your own destiny rather than follow traditional paths. You're brimming with original and innovative ideas, which you're eager to put into action. Your goals may change during the course of your life, but this doesn't concern you, as long as you've a range of options. Doggedly independent, you like to be given the freedom to explore your talents and to learn by your own mistakes. You respect other people's individual rights, and expect them to respect yours. It's not that you're selfish. Quite the contrary. Your goal is to use your talents and ideas for the benefit of other people, perhaps even the whole of humanity. You've strong will power and are a leader rather than a follower, refusing to bow to another person's will. Others may see you as arrogant, wilful and disruptive at times, but they are attracted to your electric personality. Like moths to a flame they are fascinated by your tremendous energy and the unique manner in which you view life. You often have flashes of intuition and are capable of sudden, decisive action, which can take other people by surprise. It's possible that you've inherited your talents from a male member of your family, in particular your father. It's likely that your father, or an important father figure, has had a marked effect on your life. Perhaps you were encouraged to break free of tradition in order to develop your interests, or perhaps the absence of a dominant male meant that you experienced a lot of freedom as a child. In some cases this influence can indicate a strong father figure against whom you rebel. Either way, it's your need to be treated as an individual that's paramount. Life is full of surprises and that's the way that you like it.

Moon Hard Neptune

The Moon is making a difficult aspect to the planet Neptune in your birth chart indicating that you've a sensitive nature, and are prone to spending long periods of time in solitude in the safety of your home. Sometimes you thoroughly enjoy your own company, but at other times you can feel somewhat despondent and confused, tired and caught in a web of inexplicable emotions. The problem may be that you're unrealistic in your expectations of yourself and your loved ones, idealising them only to be disillusioned when they fail to live up to your expectations. A more realistic approach can be helpful. You're often confused about your direction in life, wondering if you'll ever fulfil your dreams. Your home needs to be your haven from the world because you feel overwhelmed by the harsh realities of the world, and you need to shut away. If this isn't possible then it's likely that you'll be distressed. Depending on other influences in your chart it's possible that you spend long periods living in a fantasy world. Family members may have stories about your daydreaming ways as a child, which continue well into adulthood. It's also possible that your loved ones feel the need to bring you back down to earth, believing that this will help you cope with the world. Nevertheless you have learned to trust your own instincts, telling you of a need to escape somewhere to dream, even if it's only one room. In this case a room with a beautiful view would definitely appeal to your aesthetic nature. It's likely that your relationship with your mother, grandmother, or an important woman, has played a key role in your life, positively or negatively. On the negative side it's possible that this mother figure demanded that you ignore your sensitive nature, turning your back on your artistic and spiritual gifts. On the other hand perhaps she cosseted you as a child and adolescent, fanning your unrealistic view of the world. Another scenario could have been that your mother was unwell, or regularly adopted a victim-like approach to life, which forced you into the role of caretaker at a young age. Whatever the scenario in your childhood, the outcome is likely to be your own struggle to face your responsibilities while still finding time for your spiritual, artistic, or contemplative needs. It's possible that this same woman, or another woman, could have encouraged you to develop the imaginative side of your nature. Perhaps this woman had artistic or spiritual gifts, or encouraged your own talents. Whatever the scenario, it's likely that you've an idealised or distorted picture in your mind of this woman, which affects your adult relationships with your loved ones. Your lesson is to learn to balance your needs for artistry, spiritual pursuits or moments of quiet contemplation with the practical, and very-real, demands of the mundane. This is when you are most likely to appreciate the soothing nature of your home. Your house may also be a restful haven for your loved ones, because you've a flair for creating a peaceful environment. You've the ability to listen with sensitivity to other people's problems and plans, or to create a beautiful environment with artistic ornaments, soothing music and indoor plants and flowers. Perhaps you also have artistic talents, which can be displayed in your home. You may find a great sense of satisfaction in living close to water, or surrounded by nature.

Moon Soft Pluto

The Moon and the planet Pluto are connected in your birth chart indicating that you're an intense and emotional person, prone to extreme highs and lows. You love drama and intensity, because these give you a sense of being deeply connected to your loved ones, and to the world. It's likely that your family and home life are periodically emotionally volcanic. This can be problematic if other members of your family don't desire the same level of intensity, particularly if they're seeking peace and quiet at home. If this is the case your needs are directly opposed to your loved ones', which may not concern you, but could result in dramatic changes in your personal life. This is also a problem because you've a deep sense of commitment to your personal relationships, and feel betrayed if others don't share this commitment. It's likely that your need for emotional intensity originates from an early childhood experience, probably linked with your mother or another strong woman figure. Your relationship with your mother is likely to be immersed with intense feelings, perhaps even stemming from a life-or-death situation. You may feel positively or negatively about your mother. Either way your feelings are likely to be strong. You're a resourceful person, and can rely on your own resources to solve most problems. You need to find a creative outlet for your intense nature, some thing that will totally absorb your attention. Perhaps you would enjoy property development, or renovating your house. You're a powerful person with leadership skills, and a need for a challenge.

Moon Conjunct Midheaven

The Moon is at the uppermost point of your horoscope bringing a strong lunar influence into your vocation. This suggests that you are drawn to care, protect and nurture. While this caring will mainly be for other humans, especially children or the aged, it could also imply your concern for animals, plants, antiques and artefacts. You feel called to help and provide for others in some caring capacity. You are a born historian and collector, probably happiest when surround by souvenirs and mementoes that connect you to your past. Your vocational path challenges you to express your sensitivity, empathy, intuition and imagination in the world.

Moon Square Neptune

During this period you are more sensitive to other people and your surroundings. For this reason you may feel confused. Your former goals may have lost some of their meaning. Try not to be too concerned. You simply need to slow down, rest and reflect on some important aspects of your life. As part of this process you may feel the urge to take part in creative, spiritual or artistic pursuits. These can be a valuable means of exploring your feelings. Your dream life may also be more active, as you tune in to your intuitive nature. Dreams may be more vivid, carrying messages for your waking life. Your perceptions and goals are changing in subtle ways. You need to avoid making decisions that require logic. Preferably you should learn to listen to your intuition. If in doubt then take your time before making life-changing decisions. This is a time to gently explore the more subtle realms of life, rather than forge ahead with definitive goals. You are rather like the butterfly that is emerging from the cocoon. Try not to force the process, but rather take your time and enjoy the new emerging you. As a result you will discover new depths and meanings that colour your life in significant ways.

Mercury Hard Neptune

The planets Mercury and Neptune are forming a difficult pattern in your chart suggesting that your mind is sometimes confused causing you to suffer setbacks and delays in your education and communication with other people. At times you're vague, lacking concentration and resolution. It's possible that you've spent many hours day-dreaming, lost in a world of thoughts and ideas which seem to have amounted to very little. This is partly because you lack the ability to make decisions, doubting your own abilities and relying too heavily on the influence of other people. It could also be a result of your lack of self-control. On a positive note other influences in your chart, or the development of self-discipline, can help you achieve your dreams. If this is the case then you're likely to express your thoughts in an artistic or creative manner. This could be through art, poetry, literature, story-telling, or music. It's possible that you possess genius in one of these fields. You're also likely to excel in medical or spiritual circles, where your heightened sensitivity to other people can be truly appreciated. You're more likely to follow an unconventional, rather than orthodox, path if you become involved in medicine. This is because you're attracted in psychic and spiritual phenomena. In fact you may possess psychic gifts. You may also enjoy reflective periods near the water, or with nature.

Mercury SesquiSquare Neptune

You may find it difficult to concentrate right now. Your mind is muddled. It is time to slow down, particularly if you are a mentally focused person. If you are able to, you need to avoid any task that requires mental agility and concentration. Instead allow your mind to wander to more creative pastures. This can be the perfect time to consider an artistic, philanthropic or spiritual interest. A holiday or a spiritual retreat may be beneficial.

Mercury Soft Mars

The planets Mercury and Mars are making contact in your chart indicating that you've a razor-sharp mind and tongue, which you're not afraid of using. You're quick to grasp new ideas, and enjoy studying any subject that challenges your mind. You may have a keen interest in sports and military pursuits. You've good intellectual powers, and are witty, enthusiastic and ingenious. You're a forthright and powerful speaker, perhaps not realising the extent of the effect that your words have on other people. Others may react adversely to your feisty way of communicating, particularly if you fail to curb your tendency to speak first and think later. In some way your communications with other people tend to involve conflict, a battle of words requiring strategic manoeuvres. On a positive note it's also possible that others appreciate your ability to speak your mind, particularly if you're fighting for a cause. You may become an advocate for individuals or groups of people, who are unable to stand up for themselves or who need a strong spokesperson. You're the right choice because you're perceptive, enjoy a thought-provoking discussion or argument, and are agile in most negotiations.

Mercury Soft Uranus

The planets Mercury and Uranus are connected in your birth chart indicating that you've an incisive and ingenious mind. You enjoy progressive topics in your studies and your communications with other people. In fact you may be ahead of your time in your thoughts, ideas and opinions. You're generally successful in your studies because you're able to communicate your original ideas with ease. Creativity and intuition are second nature. You're an independent thinker, who likes to be given the freedom to express your ideas. In fact woe betide anyone who tries to keep you quiet or change your mind. You make impulsive decisions, some would say rash, but generally speaking you tend to land on your feet. Your projects tend to reflect your individual flair, and stand out from the rest of the class or society. Writing, publishing, advertising, science, astrology and electrical affairs may all be of interest, although any unusual subject will catch your attention.

Mercury Hard Moon

You need to take care in your communications and education because of the unfavourable combination of the Moon and the Planet Mercury. You've a sharp mind and a quick wit, but unfortunately you've a tendency to gossip and be sarcastic rather than put your skills to good use. In some cases this combination can also highlight a tendency to dishonesty and worry. Of course you're worried, because you can only judge other people by your own standards and these may not be very high! Of course much of this depends on other influences in your birth chart. On a positive note you can turn your mind to your studies and to improving your communication skills.

Mercury Hard Saturn

The planet Mercury is making unfavourable contact with the planet Saturn in your birth chart meaning that you experience delays and obstacles in your education and communication at some stage of your life. This could be problems with teachers in early childhood education, or a change of school which proves unsatisfactory, or possibly early-learning difficulties. This is likely to have been a problem when you were a child. Perhaps a teacher or a parent was critical of your ideas, or you were shy. Perhaps circumstances, such as financial loss or death, troubled your mind or prevented you from completing your education. Whatever the scenario, it's likely that you continue to be exposed to disappointments as you grow older. You seem to be subject to criticism and opposition, hindering your plans and communications with other people. These delays are most likely to occur in connection to your studies, contracts, books, and negotiations with other people. You also need to be wary of unnecessary gloomy thoughts. At times you may sympathise with the misery of the donkey Eeyore in A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. You would do well to remember that it's possible that you've become overly sensitive to criticism as a result of your childhood experiences. You may be reacting to perceived sleights, which were not intended. It's also possible that you've become set in your ideas and find it difficult to change your mind. Your rigidity may be preventing you from understanding the true meaning of other's words and actions. Although you've difficulty in communicating your thoughts to others and overcoming the obstacles in your education, you do have strong will power. Your strength of mind and persistence can be put to good use. You may be particularly interested in science, medicine, or politics, although you're more likely to adhere to traditional approaches. You've the ability to become a voice of authority in your field of expertise, particularly a field which requires. In other words you're capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to despite the obstacles.

Venus Soft Saturn

The planets Venus and Saturn have combined in your chart indicating that you're seeking commitment and security in your primary relationship. Positively speaking this can be a rewarding, long-term relationship with someone trustworthy and reliable. You're faithful and loyal, a dependable, stable and dutiful partner. You value a long-lasting relationship, and are willing to take your time in establishing a permanent partnership. As a young adult you may favour a traditional marital relationship, complete with a formal ceremony and traditional wedding vows. This could change later in adulthood, when you're more likely to consider commitment in other forms. You're likely to achieve your objective of a worthwhile, long-term relationship after careful consideration and planning. On the other hand if you're not careful you may become involved with someone who tries to control your movements and behaviour. Depending on other influences in your chart you may be shy and inhibited in your personal relationships, and be fearful of standing up for your rights. One of your parents may have been too strict, eroding your confidence and ability to make your own way in the world. Consequently you fear expressing yourself, particularly in intimate relationships, and harbour feelings of being unattractive. While your personal relationships may prove difficult you've the ability to form good business partnerships. This is probably because business partners don't require intimacy or emotional vulnerability, which you find frightening. It's also possible that you're attracted to someone much older or perhaps your primary partner is also your business partner. The good news is that once you overcome your feelings of inadequacy you've the ability to form secure and long-lasting relationships based on firm foundations. As your confidence grows you may also enjoy organising social occasions.

Venus Hard Mars

The planets Venus and Mars are combining unfavourably in your chart indicating that you struggle to balance your own needs and the needs of your partners in relationships. You see-saw between wanting closeness and freedom. On the one hand you seek adventure on your own, on the other you want to be close to your partner. The ideal is a balance between the two. You're charming and assertive, passionate and alive, and admire these qualities in a potential intimate partner. You love to share your adventures with your partner, and it's likely that your relationship will inspire both your and your partner to explore new territory. However, you may become impatient with your partner, or aggressive and irritable when he or she fails to keep up with your activities. You can be equally impatient with yourself, but this isn't necessarily any comfort to your partner.

Venus Soft Jupiter

"Lucky in love and money". This could be your personal motto because the favourable planets Jupiter and Venus are combining to shine good fortune on your relationships and finances. You're fun loving, generous and popular. With your sympathetic and kind nature, you've a talent for putting other people at their ease. You're optimistic and talented, full of joie de vivre. Therefore you're likely to be surrounded by supportive friends, and many potential life partners. You're seeking a relationship with someone who will expand your horizons, perhaps even joining your travels around the world. You love to share adventures, philosophies and goals. Other influences in your chart may indicate that you prefer to keep the home fires burning, but it's more likely that you seek adventure and romance with your partner.

Venus Conjunct Midheaven

Luminous Venus is at the pinnacle of your horoscope suggesting that her values of beauty, pleasure, form, balance and proportion are woven into the fabric of your vocation. Vocationally this suggests you are well suited to careers where design, décor, style, hospitality, diplomacy, mediation, pleasure, partnership and counselling may play a major role. You are interested in beautifying and harmonising the environment and whether you take an artistic, economical or social pathway to satisfy this yearning, you feel called to enhance and improve your surrounds. As the archetype of sexuality and relationship, this also suggests that partnership and career may be entwined at some point on your vocational journey.

Mars Hard Jupiter

The planets Mars and Jupiter are combining in your chart indicating that your hasty judgement can sometimes land you in hot water. You've plenty of motivation to achieve your goals, but lack proper judgement and discernment so that you miscalculate the amount of time and energy needed. You're careless and impulsive, and need to be careful of accidents which are a result of you rushing around and trying to achieve too much. The motto "you're your own worst enemy" could be one for you to reflect upon. Depending on other aspects in your chart you're also excessive in your generosity. You need to develop self discipline as your impulsiveness may be an impediment to reaching your goals. On a more positive note you're a lively and resourceful person, who delights in good health and keeping busy. Any course of action is entered into with confidence and determination to succeed, which you're likely to do despite the obstacles. You certainly know how to get yourself and other people motivated, and can make a good leader or manager. You may be particularly keen to travel, enjoying the stimulation of visiting other venues. You could direct your energy to achievement in sports, politics or travel. Once you have learnt to manage your resources you can achieve many of your goals.

Mars Soft Saturn

You're confident and diligent, capable of driving yourself and others to achieve your objectives. This is because the planets Mars and Saturn are connected in your chart. You're motivated by the thought of achievement, and are likely to succeed through hard work. In fact you're determined to succeed in certain areas of your life. Your will power can be indomitable, particularly when you've determined on a course of action. A good organiser, you need to be careful to work in co-operation with other people rather than try to force them to follow your methods. You may not realise that your own high standards are not achievable by everyone. Self discipline and hard work come easily to you, but not necessarily to other people. You're self-reliant and it's possible that you enjoy working on your own rather than with other people. On the whole your physique is strong, enabling you to endure long hours of work and concentrated effort. Therefore you're likely to feel frustrated on the occasions when your physical resources have run out. There's no need to worry because slowly and surely your energy and drive returns enabling you to continue on the road to success. You may also be closely involved with a legacy from your father or your father's family. Whether or not you benefit from this legacy depends on other influences in your chart.

Jupiter Soft Saturn

The planets Jupiter and Saturn are making a beneficial aspect in your birth chart indicating success in achieving your life goals. You're wise and perceptive, with a talent for creative ideas and the ability to put those ideas into action. You're blessed with a wonderful sense of timing, knowing exactly when to make the right moves to achieve a desired result, whether it be for yourself or for a group project. You've just the right blend of optimism and realism. For these reasons you can enjoy success in self-employment or be a valued member of a team. Whether you're self-employed or not, you work well within a structured system and therefore can do well in business. It's likely that both conventional and unorthodox approaches to life appeal, as you understand the advantages in learning from tradition, as well as the benefits of trying new ideas. You've a chance to be very successful as you're neither profligate nor mean, but have a balance. This is a very fortunate aspect. If you don't take your abilities for granted but use them wisely you can gain great success in life.

Jupiter Hard Pluto

The planets Jupiter and Pluto are making a difficult aspect in your birth chart indicating that you've some difficulty achieving your life goals, but you will get to where you want in the end. The problem is that you reject the usual paths to success, believing that you've a better way of doing things. Your attempts to change the rules, or to try to make others agree with your insights, are sincere, but intrusive. As a result you often land yourself in troublesome situations, which can lead to disillusionment and distract you from your purpose. This can dent your confidence. You range from over confidence to completely lacking in confidence. The truth lies somewhere in between. Society has rules to run itself efficiently, and these can be to your benefit rather than detriment. Once you accept your own and society's limitations then you can achieve your objectives.

Saturn soft Mars

A favourable combination of the planets Saturn and Mars indicates that you're likely to rise to power in your profession, but the road to success requires hard work and self-discipline. Depending on other influences in your chart you could excel in business, military occupations, construction work, industry, manufacturing, or official government work. A career in business could also be rewarding, particularly self-employment.

Saturn Soft Uranus

You're recognised in your career for your ability to plan and organise, making the most of available resources while adopting new and innovative approaches to tasks. This is because of the combination of the planets of Saturn and Uranus, which indicate a mix of initiative and good old-fashioned common sense - a formidable blend. You're independent, resourceful and self-motivated, all of which enable you to achieve success in whatever you turn your mind to. You may discover that you've natural abilities in the fields of science, mathematics, research, business organisation, industry and metaphysics. It's likely that you'll succeed in any career that utilises your gift for blending the old with the new.

Saturn soft Venus

The planets Venus and Saturn are combining favourably in your chart indicating that you've an appreciation of the artistic side of life, perhaps even an ability to work in an artistic field. You've a good eye for beauty and structure, which may be reflected in your ability to create a beautiful home environment, or which could be reflected in your career choice. The arts, interior decorating, hairdressing, beauty therapy, architecture or creative design may appeal. Whatever your choice of career, it's likely to reflect your ability to successfully combine work and creativity.

Neptune square Midheaven

With Neptune forming a square to your Midheaven, psychic energies in your environment create challenges to your peace of mind and cause distress until you learn to read the messages in terms of yourself. By looking within yourself and opening your mind to angelic support, your Angels can help you to see the value of psychic awareness in terms of your own spiritual progress.

When the world showers you with glamour and other people try to convince you of realities that don't mesh with your own perceptions, your Angels can help you to express compassion for others, while also understanding your own motivations.

On the plus side, Tamiel supports your receptivity, empathy and sensitivity. Awareness of Mind is enhanced through Angelic associations, and your contemplative nature expands as you explore your own ego. This may sound odd, as many spiritual belief systems indicate that ego is to be avoided or quelled. However, if you go through ego issues instead of around them, you are better able to resolve them.

Tamiel also supports you by revealing your greatest mental and emotional weaknesses, so that you may resolve them. For example, you may be susceptible to deception, either from others or through yourself. Your Angels help you to perceive deception and to dispel it.

You have a powerful imagination that can be utilized in the search for self-awareness and spiritual consciousness, and your Angels are there to help you.

NorthNode Soft Jupiter

The North Node and the planet Jupiter are combining to suggest that your current life challenge is to embrace adventure. This can be travelling to foreign places, or taking more risks in your daily life. Either way you may find yourself in some challenging situations! Inspiring others, possibly through preaching or teaching, may be part of your life's destiny. Benevolent groups may also play a key role.

NorthNode Soft Mars

The North Node and the planet Mars are combining to suggest that you're being challenged to become assertive and focussed on your personal goals. Independence and self-confidence are keys to your growth in this life, and you may find yourself thrust into leadership roles.

SouthNode Soft Mars

The South Node and the planet Mars are combining to suggest that you may experience difficulty being assertive and finding the drive to succeed, or alternatively you may have a tendency to misdirect your energies. Your current life lesson is to express your energy positively and assertively. Your talent for independent action needs to be developed so that you can achieve your purpose.

Chiron conjunct Mercury

Mercury represents the logical mind and the ability to communicate. But when close to Chiron it adds another level to its nature as it gives you a great concern for others,.their needs are often a major part of your thought processes. (It would take a drastically negative chart to really suppress this concern.) Because of your concern, you grow to understand quite well how the average person thinks, and are able to reach such people with your words and ideas.

You have the ability to think on many different levels, and thus reach many different types of people.

Because of this ability, you are not restricted to simple verbal communication or written words. Chiron takes Mercury out beyond its normal realm, enabling you to communicate on many non-verbal levels. Perhaps it is because your mind goes places Mercury ordinarily doesn’t go, but you are a truly original thinker, coming up with ideas that seem far-fetched, yet work wonderfully.

But this ability is also tied to the root of a problem. While you were young, your were perhaps criticized for how you communicated; perhaps you were criticized for not speaking clearly, or perhaps people paid attention to your words only and misunderstood what you were trying to say with more than words (emotions, feelings, facial expressions). Or alternatively, you may have picked up the subtext from others, hearing more than they thought they were trying to communicate. In any event there is a deep wounding that impacted how you communicate, so that you were never sure just how much or how little to say, nor were you sure you were being understood. So one of the major lessons you have had to learn in life is how to communicate, and also how to listen.

You seldom overlook some piece of the puzzle because it is too small, or apparently insignificant. It is often such a piece that changes everything. Because your mind is not limited by convention, you can be quite controversial, but often others discover it is well worth paying attention to what you say or write. (In truth, it is difficult to ignore you, even if one does not agree with you, or even like what you are saying.)

You are the person to consult when someone feels blocked and needs to find some way out of their dilemma, you can find the loophole, or think of a way to open the door for others.

Chiron Conjunct NorthNode

Chiron, in close proximity to your North Node, invites you to understand the complex nature of healing. One way this is possible is through the journey into understanding our own wounds whether those are mental or physical. In antiquity, wounding and healing were considered to be the domain of the gods; neither could be separated from the other. To the pre-rational mind wounding and healing belonged to the sphere of the mysterious, the department of the divine. While we are more sophisticated today, the wisdom is the same; healing is possible when we engage in the mystery of the self and participate in understanding the contents of the unconscious. Chiron's placement is an indication you have the ability to know this truth, able to read symptoms and diagnose the heart of the discontent.

A serious disease or difficult prognosis is often the voice that calls us away from the course of an unreflective life into a more meaningful and soulful pathway. In your case there may be other triggers that lead you to your own unique path of self exploration. What is important to recognize that you are summonsed onto a healing pathway, because of your own depth of understanding. Therefore vocationally it is important to consider how you might integrate education, well being and self understanding into your chosen field. It is important to know that the amalgam of both traditional and complementary methods is necessary for you to be successful. Chiron is the archetypal force that initiates us into understanding and accepting aspects of self that are misshapen and marginal. And it is this disenfranchised characteristics that are essential to accept to insure a fulfilling vocation.

Chiron trine Mars

As you were growing up, the unexpected seemed to happen to you in areas of life that you thought you knew, had taken for granted. These unexpected events test your Mars. There may be tests of your assertiveness, or tests of your stamina, or tests of your ability to attack a problem, or even tests of your ability to take the first step in some new situation. With Chiron in trine to any astrological concept, unexpected lessons arise because humans usually feel comfortable with areas 120° away from a planet, we feel we can express ourselves freely there, and that we can take the area for granted that it is never going to pose a challenge. But Chiron reacts differently here than any other type of trine. There can be a deep wound because you were too resistant to change, or too closed off on trying something new, or did not know how to deal with changes in areas you took for granted and you were criticized or judged for this by others.

Doors may have opened up in areas in where you had no idea there were any doors. Since Chiron in trine teaches one not to take anything for granted, the lesson, once learned, gives you the ability to look into places others ignore, to try methods others would not expect to be valid (too commonplace, or too ordinary, or simply not ‘worthy’ of consideration). (When you come up with a new procedure, others might find themselves saying, “Now why didn’t I think of that, it was right in front of me all the time?”).

But until you learn to be open to change, willing to keep an open mind to the unexpected, you may find yourself feeling very insecure, and when these unexpected doors are open you may react with fear, or even by becoming defensive. If you have not learned to be open, there can be a tendency to try to erect barriers in the areas influenced by Chiron, to try to shield Mars from the unexpected. These barriers are major hindrances to your drives, your self-expression, because Mars needs new perspectives to grow. What can happen is that your ability to take appropriate action may deteriorate, or you may find your choice of action and/or method erratic or even anti-social. The unexpected events none-the-less occur (in a context made less favourable by your defensive reactions) but the tendency, because of the walls you have built up, is to become even more defensive. This vicious circle will continue until you see that you .must tear the walls down. This often happens with the help of someone in the role of guru or healer, or it may happen (spontaneously) when Chiron makes a hard aspect by transit to its natal position.

As you heal, this aspect gives you the ability to always see glimpses of innovations you can make, improvements you can add, even when you are not looking for them. It is almost as though there is some sentinel in your unconscious always on the lookout for new breakthrough opportunities, even while your conscious mind is content with working with what you have at hand. In other words, once you learn the lesson that nothing is absolute, no area is free from change, you become a seeker of the very types of changes you once feared. On a positive level, therefore, you are an innovator, seemingly able to open new doors with little effort. When you make a deliberate effort to research problems, you seem to be able to make obstacles almost melt away. When hard work is required, you are usually willing to devote much energy to the tasks at hand.

Chiron square Saturn

It is a rare person with this aspect who did not as a child have a great deal of difficulty with parents. Since this aspect seems to stay within orb for many years, it seems to represent more people, whole generations, rather than single individuals. Thus, a great many people came from homes where there was difficulty dealing with authority. This aspect expresses itself as a tendency to get set into some routine, or some effort to build a structure that is impervious to change. You have a clear-cut idea of reality, and while you might not like it, it is secure. But then Chiron comes along and throws you totally off your feet. You may easily feel that you have been zapped! The world picture is suddenly different from what you had thought it was, and reality must be drastically redefined. At this point, you have two options:

1. Allow fear to take over, withdraw, not knowing who or what to trust. You know that what you had counted on no longer works, but you fear looking for something that will work. The best thing you could do at this point would be to seek guidance, but it is a scary thing to do, and some people allow themselves to be almost crushed before seeking help.

2. This is the more positive expression. You recognize that it is up to you to put the pieces together to form a more coherent personal definition of reality. You pull yourself together, sometimes seeking assistance from a counsellor, psychologist or guru, and attempt to construct a more workable life system with a structure that will withstand whatever comes. At this point crucial decisions are made. You may go so far as to establish a new, tight, secure foundation for yourself, and then hide behind it. If this path is chosen, you will find that you must eventually go through the catastrophe all over again as you discover that the new reality is faulty, too. or, you may go to the extreme of disregarding conventions, structures, and any definition of reality altogether. You may become totally anti-authority. If you choose this route, you will also, one day, reach a critical point where everything collapses around you, only for you, it may eventually be the coming of a very heavy Saturn event (imprisonment, poverty, ostracism) causing a great loss of personal freedom. What this aspect is trying to teach you is a major lesson, but if you do not learn from such experience, the cycle can repeat.

The most positive path, however, is the acceptance of any definition of reality as temporary, and any structure as useful, but only as a means to an end. By learning to accept change, accepting authority as necessary to a particular situation (but not as all-powerful), accept that those in power are also human, you reach a great equilibrium. You can use Saturn when needed, and go beyond it when necessary. In fact, you can create your own structures to fit the occasion, and discard them when they’re no longer needed. One of the people with this aspect, Robin Williams, said it best as the title of his album, ‘Reality is a Crutch’.