ASTROLOGY ARTICLES BY JON

READING THE ANGLES IN THE HOROSCOPE

Statements such as I'm a Capricorn (Sun sign) give us a hint of insight into a person, but approximately 1/12th of the population have Capricorn Suns, so it really doesn't tell us very much about the individual. Now, if I tell you I'm a Capricorn Sun with an Aries Moon and Sagittarius Rising, we start to get a better picture in our minds; yet, it is still incomplete, and we are still making generalizations. When we view the horoscope as a whole, with all its parts, that's when the person's horoscope truly comes to life and becomes distinct from everybody else's, a captured moment in time.

We have to enter the horoscope somewhere when we start our reading, and a good place to start is through the four angles: the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven and Nadir. The Ascendant (AC) and the 1st house, describes our self presentation, appearance and our approach to the world. The Descendant (DC) and the seventh house, describes our equal partnerships, our significant others, and our public presentation. The Midheaven (MC) and the 10th house, describes our world presentation, vocation, and the shaping parent who is most influential on what we become in the world. The Nadir (IC) and the fourth house, describes our domestic scene: our family and roots, and the most nurturing parent. This method of interpretation works for all the intermediate house cusps as well. For example, if we want to get some insights into a person's financial or self-worth profile, we would look to the 2nd house cusp and activity within the 2nd house. For the purposes of this article, though, we will only be referring to the angles.

There are several factors that we have to consider when reading an angle of the chart. The first is the sign on the angle, then the location of the ruling planet of that sign and its interpretation by sign, house and aspect. For example, if Gemini is rising on the Ascendant, you would look to the condition of Mercury (the ruling planet of Gemini) in the chart.

Then we have to consider any planets conjunct the angle from either side, using an orb of say six degrees (just a suggestion, not a rule). For example, if Neptune is in the 6th house, but only five degrees from the Descendant, we would read it as conjunct the Descendant, which makes it a prominent feature in the horoscope. Any planet conjunct an angle is extremely important.

Next we would consider any planets located in the angular houses that are not conjunct the angle, and also the other sign that completes that house. For example, if Gemini is rising, part of the sign Cancer will probably be in the first house. If all 30 degrees of the second sign are located in the house, then we say that sign is intercepted within the house, and as a result, it becomes more significant. The ruling planet of that sign would also become a co-ruler of the house. For example if Gemini is rising and Cancer is intercepted in the first house, then Mercury and the Moon (Cancer's ruler) would co-rule the first house. Mercury would still be the ruler of the Ascendant making it an extremely powerful factor in the horoscope, but the Moon and its condition would also be an important factor in the person's self presentation (1st house stuff).

Astrology in Action: The Ascendant

Let's look at my horoscope first, since I know it so well. I'll be objective, I promise. If we enter my horoscope through the Ascendant, the first thing we see is 16 degrees of Sagittarius is rising. Immediately the traits of Sagittarius should come to the fore when I present myself to the world: curious, philosophical, buoyantly enthusiastic and optimistic, kind of clown like. The more negative traits are: gullibility, excess, overly opinionated, and the tendency in one's enthusiasm to step on other people's toes.

Next we look to my Ascendant's ruling planet, which is Jupiter, and it's located in Pisces in the 3rd house, square the Ascendant itself, trine Saturn, and square Neptune. The sign position of the ruling planet is very important in modifying the traits of the rising sign. So Pisces and its ruler Neptune will be very prominent in my approach and appearance. Pisces (Neptune) is very sensitive, empathetic, imaginative, musical, the most other worldly (mystical) of the signs. Negatively, it can be deceptive, and prone to confusion, escapism, addiction, and depression. I can definitely relate to both the good and the bad. Where Pisces and Neptune in the horoscope lie, is where we surrender our ego, it's hard for us to get ahead in a material sense in those areas of life.

The sign position of the ruling planet is an extremely important factor and has to be considered in tandem with sign on the Ascendant. In my horoscope it's Sagittarius (Jupiter) and Pisces (Neptune) the two most idealistic planets and signs. You would see me as a big (Jupiter) dreamer (Neptune). It would be up to other factors in the chart to make some of these dreams come true.

Jupiter in Pisces square to Neptune/Ascendant brings out the more negative qualities of both Jupiter and Neptune: the tendency towards excessive escapism is something I have to be really conscious of. The supportive trine with Saturn (reality) helps keep me somewhat grounded and balanced, it is a blessing.

The house position of my Ascendant ruler tells us the area of life where I should be most active and it is located in the 3rd house of communication, information, and mindset, I best meet the world through intellectual activities such as writing and teaching and since Pisces is emphasized, music and the arts, and other creative writing outlets are some of the ways I can best utilize this energy.

We see that Neptune in Sagittarius, conjunct the Ascendant, is in mutual reception with Jupiter in Pisces. (Mutual reception is when two planets are in the sign the other planet rules.) This Jupiter-Neptune, Sagittarius-Pisces combination is a major recurring theme in my chart. The same thing is being said over and over again in different ways. Neptune conjunct my Sagittarius Ascendant is saying the same thing as Jupiter in Pisces, because Neptune in Sagittarius (is ruled by Jupiter) and Jupiter in Pisces (is ruled by Neptune). The fact that the two planets are also connected by a square aspect strengthens the prominence of the combination.

The thing that is keeping me from just floating completely away into my own dream world is Saturn. Saturn is in a supportive trine to Jupiter and that gives some structure. We also see Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) completing my first house and my Sun is in Capricorn. This gives me the structure needed, to ground my idealism and imagination and turn my dreams into something tangible (not easily though, and not without a whole lot of wake up calls as anybody who knows me can attest to).

We also see Mars at the end of Sagittarius in the first house. The Mars principle of action is right up front in my chart and this also helps me to stay active (Mars) rather than passive (Neptune). Neptune does get the upper hand a lot with me, but my Mars is strong in the first house. This is another factor that helps me turn the big ideas and dreaminess into something real.

The Neptune factor in my Ascendant sometimes camouflages my Mars which might be a good thing in a way, because otherwise, I might be overly opinionated and blunt and intimidating. Mars is the planet of war and having it in the house of self means that there is going be some battles to fight, but used positively, Mars is dignified, loyal, and courageous. Neptune hates direct confrontation; and if it's expressing in a dysfunctional way, it might resort to trickery and deception. If it's working properly, Neptune should be highly spiritual and operate above confrontation.

The Neptune (egoless) in my chart deflates my Jupiter (pride) and the Jupiter (excess) exaggerates the Neptune (escapist tendencies) so I have to really work hard to balance that. Positively Neptune and Jupiter working together gives the capacity for limitless creative vision and grace. There is enormous potential for good here once I get all the factors working together. Every factor in every horoscope has potential, and each has a high end and a low end. That's how astrology helps by showing us the possibilities.

The Midheaven

Let's look at somebody else's horoscope for the Midheaven, take myself off the hook. Let's look at Stevie Nicks' horoscope again. The Midheaven (MC) describes our public persona, how people who don't know us personally see us, and gives us some good clues on what vocation suits us best. Entering it through the Midheaven, the first thing we notice is the sign Capricorn. So immediately we start assigning the traits of Capricorn to her profession, to how the world sees her, and also this describes the parent that was most responsible for her life path (destiny). Capricorn is naturally associated with the 10th house and Saturn so this is very natural fit.

When we think of Capricorn we think of hard work, this means that whatever her destiny may be it won't come easy, there will be a lot of obstacles and delays, but it also suggests that she has ability to overcome all obstacles and make that climb to the top. Capricorn is the most ambitious of the signs and also means that once she gets there she'll probably stay there for a long time. Capricorn (Saturn) is associated with longevity. When we look at Stevie from a far we see the Capricorn in her, we see her wearing black, hardened by life, very serious, perhaps even a little cold, but accomplished and authoritative.

Saturn is the ruler of her Midheaven and it's located in Leo in the fifth house, of course both are associated with performance and dramatic self expression. She has a very disciplined and serious approach to her creativity. The conjunction of Pluto (intensity and ruthless honesty) and Saturn (focus and discipline) in the house and sign of creative self expression is an extremely powerful statement. Pluto speaks of the potential to transform not only herself through her creativity and performance, but also gives her the ability to transform others.

The Moon, conjunct the Midheaven, is very powerful and this suggests a reigning need to be authoritative and in charge. This by itself speaks of the necessity for a career in the public eye. The Moon in Capricorn in the 10th suggests the mother was the disciplinarian and had great influence on her career. The Moon is ruling the 4th from the 10th so we can see a strong connection between her family and roots with her career.

Neptune is squaring the MC/IC axis, and this introduces a possibility of a career in music. Neptune in Libra is the apex of a very soft T-Square (two planets opposing each other with a third planet squaring both). This T-square involves the MC/IC axis, Venus in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn. More than anything, this suggests an idealization (Neptune) of her parents and home (IC), her career (MC), and relationships (Venus).

Neptune often lets us down when we see the day-to-day reality of the situation, so there is a tendency to see what we want to see with Neptune and glamorize the unglamorous. Of course this was perfect for the creative and glamorous aspect of her career, but the daily grind (Neptune in the Sixth house) that all jobs, no matter how glamorous they appear, were surely disappointing to her. Capricorn on the MC is quite a blessing here, as it is in my chart, because it's willing to work hard and turn Neptunian fantasy into reality.

Using Noel Tyl's Midheaven extension process we can take it further. Saturn is the ruler of the Midheaven but it's in Leo deposited of course by the Sun in Gemini (writing and communication) in the 2nd house (voice) ruling the creative and performance oriented 5th house. The Sun is deposited by Mercury in Gemini in third house making it the final depositor because it's in the sign it rules of course this emphasizes a career involving writing and communication.

Stated simply, Stevie is best suited for a career where she is in charge (Moon in Capricorn on the MC) in a profession where she can communicate her ideas (Gemini and the third house) through self-expressive performance and be loved and applauded for it (Leo and the fifth house). It's as simple as that and you can do this similar interpretation with all house cusps, it wasn't necessary with my Ascendant since Neptune and Jupiter are in mutual reception making Neptune the final depositor.

The Descendant

The Descendant and the seventh house is where we first meet the public and our relationships with other people become paramount to our further growth. Where as the Ascendant describes the "self" and the ascendant describes the "other" — our relationship house. The seventh house also describes our open enemies and grandparents (the 4th and 10th of the MC/IC axis), among other things; but for the purposes of this article, we will focus on relationships.

Turning our attention to Britney Spears' horoscope, we see the sign Aries on her Descendant so that means she has Libra rising and Libra is ruled by Venus, the relationship sign, so relationships will be very important to her. Wherever we find Aries and its ruler Mars, this is the area of life where we are most active, assertive, and also, the most selfish. Despite the fair, balanced, and peace-loving appearance of people with Libra rising, their relationships are the battlefield (Mars) and like all battlefields there is the potential for great loyalty and passion, but also for all-out warfare, or a mixture of both, depending on other factors.

Because of this Aries Descendant, Britney is going to be attracted to assertive, take charge kind of people, but it also means she will take more initiative in her relationships than in other areas of her life. She can't be bored in the relationship, there has to be constant activity. The Descendant ruler Mars is in Virgo so now we mix the traits of Virgo in with the Aries. Virgo wants perfection and to be of service so in her relationships there is a potential for both partners to be overly critical of each other, in short, there can be a lot of nagging going on. In the positive, the relationship can be very dignified and the couple can help each other strive for perfection if the Aries energy is channeled in productive ways; if not, there can be a whole lot of resentment.

Mars is in the 12th house (associated with Pisces and Neptune) this is traditionally called the House of Troubles and the reason is it's not easily accessible to the conscious mind so there is a potential for a lot of misunderstandings, and even downright deception in her relationships. On the positive side, there is a potential for a strong psychic connection with the partner. Her partners probably feel like soulmates to her. This also means the partner can help her tap into her 12th house, which needs to be done with great care because the issues there are so unconscious.

Further, Britney's Mars is Square to Neptune and this is similar to Mars in the 12th house (ruled by Pisces/Neptune). With this is a tendency to idealize a relationship and then be disappointed when it's not perfect. This will take a conscious effort on her part, to start seeing the whole person, flaws and all, before jumping into commitment. I think we can see that pattern quite clearly in her relationships. But her Mars (partner) has a supportive trine to Venus, so that's good for the sex and the partner is going to be attractive, affluent and probably artistic; but with Neptune, the partner will always be something other than he seems. Neptune also brings in the victim/savior complex so she might be looking for a hero to come and save her or vice versa. As she matures hopefully she will become more conscious of these patterns, I believe any configuration in the horoscope, no matter how challenging, can be worked out with effort.

If we do the extension process for Britney's Descendant starting with Mars (action) which is deposited by Mercury (communication) in the 12th (behind the scenes), and ruling the 9th (expanding horizons), Mercury is deposited by Jupiter (expanding horizons) in the 3rd (communications). Stop! We don't need to go any further; the Mercury-Jupiter-Neptune theme is so dominant.

To sum it up, Britney is looking for a relationship with someone who will take the lead and make the relationship exciting and active (Mars), someone who is on the same wavelength (Mercury) mentally, but someone who is more experienced who will teach her and expand her horizons (Jupiter), and connect with her on a soul level (Neptune).

The IC

The IC, the Nadir or roots of the chart, is the most hidden point in the horoscope. It's your most private place and no one else can see it, as opposed to the MC, which is the most public. Some astrologers say the IC is the point where the soul enters the body. So in essence the IC is your soul, what you are deep down inside, untouched by the outside world. It's where you feel most secure and at home. It describes the person you are, when at home. It describes your home environment, early family life, the nurturing parent, in particular, and also your later years. The IC describes our beginnings and endings.

Taking a look at Gene Simmons' horoscope, I was just watching his show Family Jewels, and it seemed like a fitting horoscope for the IC which is all about home and family. (In case you were wondering how I was choosing the horoscopes.)

Gene has Cancer on the IC which means he is most comfortable at home. Cancer's ruler, the Moon, is the natural ruler of the 4th house; and all three, Cancer, the Moon and the IC, are about hearth and home. This tells us in his private life he is much more sensitive, protective, and nurturing then the authoritative Capricorn MC he shows the world. So he is family oriented.

The IC ruler, the Moon, is in perfection-seeking Virgo, and in the service-oriented 6th house, conjunct communicative Mercury. We can imagine Gene to be critical of, but needing to be of service, to his family. With his dominating Virgo and 6th house orientation, being useful is extremely important to him. This also accounts for his strong business sense, his need to be in control, and his reluctance to part with his money. He is conservative, but reliable in his family life, despite being a rock star and his, allegedly, sleeping with 5,000 (or whatever it was) women, and his staunch refusal to marry his girlfriend, Shannon Tweed, of over 20 years. Gene says he doesn't believe in marriage, and that's smart because we see that Venus, ruler of his descendant (marriage partner), is square Uranus and the IC, which means he needs his freedom and is attracted to unconventional (Uranus) relationships (Venus). We also see Neptune in his seventh house, which means he is seeking the ideal partner, which of course does not exist; and so maybe by making a commitment to someone (without making it legally binding so he is free to keep searching), he is able to keep one foot out the door just in case this ideal woman materializes.

Jupiter in the 10th house of Career trines his Moon, suggests that his career supports his emotional and family life. Mars, the all-important ascendant ruler is in family-oriented Cancer the fourth (house of home) and is sextile the Moon. This suggests that his private life and family are the most important thing to him.

Uranus conjunct IC in Cancer suggests an unconventional home life subject to sudden uprooting. In his case, this Uranus effect began when he immigrated to the United States, from Israel, at an early age. This will be a theme throughout his life. Wherever Uranus is located in the chart is where our uniqueness and individuality shines; but it's also where we are most likely to be subject to shocking and unexpected change.

In Gene Simmons' horoscope, like in his TV show, we can see the unconventionality (Uranus), but also the closeness and warmth (Cancer) in his private family life (IC).

In a previous article, Timing Big Changes with Astrology, I mentioned how transiting Pluto was activating key points in Stevie Nick's horoscope when she broke through with Fleetwood Mac in 1975. The same was true for Gene Simmons when his band Kiss became popular, circa 1974-75. Transiting Pluto was conjunct his natal Venus and square his Midheaven and then conjunct his Descendant.

When Britney Spears released her first single and became an instant teen sensation in 1999, transiting Pluto was conjunct her natal Sun. These are good examples of Pluto and it's correlation with prominence.