| An old rule says that for an astrological interpretation | | | | people are, on the contrary, extremely emotional. |
| to be true, you must be able to see it expressed | | | | Their challenge, instead, is to manage those emotions. |
| three ways in the chart. If you see it once, it is only | | | | Other people worry excessively about some feature |
| a possibility; if you see it twice, it becomes more | | | | of their chart that is shared by most of the people |
| likely; but if you can see the same theme a third | | | | born around the same time. For instance, almost |
| time, that interpretation then becomes a probability. | | | | everyone born in the winter months of the early |
| These repeated and related chart features often | | | | 1940s had Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all |
| point to major themes in a person's life. | | | | retrograde. This astrological event deeply meaningful |
| What constitutes a theme? When analyzing a chart, | | | | in the psychology and sociology of the entire |
| you would look for sign and house placements and | | | | generation born on Earth in that era. However, when |
| aspects that are similar in nature to one another. One | | | | individuals assume that a single retrograde planet in |
| starting point is the astrological alphabet popularized | | | | that collection (say, a retrograde Saturn) pertains to |
| by Dr. Zipporah Dobyns, which held Aries, Mars, and | | | | their life alone, rather than to the challenges held in |
| the 1st house as equivalents, Taurus, Venus and the | | | | common by their entire generation, they are |
| 2nd house as equivalents, and so on. | | | | personalizing a generational influence. |
| Then look for repetitions in the chart. A | | | | Others congratulate themselves prematurely on |
| concentration of Pisces planets, plus the Sun or Moon | | | | some facet of their chart without balancing it by |
| in the 12th house and several aspects to Neptune | | | | considering aspects or house placements. For |
| would make a person highly Neptunian. The themes | | | | instance, people with Jupiter on the Midheaven might |
| of Neptune, Pisces, and the 12th would, therefore, be | | | | conclude that they would enjoy good luck and |
| a strong dynamic in this individual's life, whether | | | | fabulous success in their career. Before lying back and |
| expressed primarily in a positive way (such as spiritual | | | | waiting for fortune to find them, however, they'd |
| study, creativity, and service) or in more problematic | | | | best take a look at the aspects to Jupiter, Saturn, |
| ones like addiction, rescuing, self-deception, or even | | | | and any 10th-house planets. Early in my career, I |
| delusion. With any such concentration, the life path of | | | | taught astrology as a volunteer at an alcohol |
| the individual may be strongly colored by attempts to | | | | treatment center in a slum, and I was chastened to |
| master the issues and drives connected with that | | | | find that some of these patients who had lived on |
| sign, house, and planet. | | | | the streets for years had Jupiter on the Midheaven. |
| Another person might have Cancer rising, the Moon | | | | To give an example of how the Rule of Three |
| as the focus of a grand trine, and the Sun, Mercury, | | | | works, suppose that a client had Neptune and Saturn |
| and Venus in the 4th house. Lunar issues - home, | | | | conjunct in the 4th house, which shows conditions in |
| security, family, the mother, nurturing, and food - | | | | the home life and often in the family of origin. I might |
| would strongly motivate this individual and be a major | | | | speculate that there was some mystery, hardship, |
| focus of effort. However, such a person will not | | | | and maybe a loss in the family of origin, but I would |
| necessarily deal with these issues in a typically | | | | look further to see what it might be. Suppose I then |
| Cancerian way, for the sign and aspects of the Moon | | | | noticed that the Moon was in Pisces in the 8th house. |
| become important modifiers of the pattern. Also, | | | | The suspicion of a painful loss involving the mother |
| when the Sun and other planets are located in the | | | | and the family of origin would grow stronger. If the |
| 4th, the individual places great emphasis on home life | | | | Moon also formed a difficult t-square, that would |
| and family but may not be as moody and emotional | | | | pretty much clinch it. I would inquire about the early |
| as the typical Cancerian, depending on the Sun's sign | | | | loss of a female authority figure - maybe even go |
| and element. A person with a stellium in air in the 4th | | | | out on a limb and ask if the client was adopted, since |
| may not be particularly emotional but would still tend | | | | natal or transiting Neptune aspects in the 4th or 10th |
| to be deeply invested in the home. | | | | have shown up numerous times in my practice in |
| One conceivable interpretation of someone with | | | | cases of adoption. |
| Mercury on the Midheaven could be that a brother or | | | | Seeing a difficult placement in the chart - like that |
| sister functioned in a parental role, since Mercury, like | | | | 8th-house Pisces Moon, for instance - would you |
| the 3rd house or Gemini, often indicates the role of | | | | automatically conclude that the mother will die? All |
| siblings. Suppose you also note that Saturn, one | | | | mothers die ultimately, but when and how they die |
| indicator of parental authority, falls in the 3rd house - | | | | are not written in stone. You would never make a |
| a repetition of the sibling/authority connection. Then, | | | | fixed prediction, especially one so negative in tone, |
| you find that the Moon, which describes the Mother, | | | | based on a single aspect in a chart, whether natal or |
| is in the Mercury-ruled sign of Gemini. This is another | | | | transiting. Look for repetitious chart patterns and for |
| clue that a sibling may have taken on a substantial | | | | mitigating forces, such as supportive natal or |
| share of the parenting functions. You are then fairly | | | | transiting aspects. You also need to ask questions |
| safe in venturing that interpretation - and smiling | | | | about how that placement has worked in the |
| modestly when the client gasps, "How on earth did | | | | person's life, especially during important past transits |
| you know that?" (A second level of interpretation of | | | | to that point, and what the native has learned in the |
| these same placements, given Mercury on the | | | | course of living about how to express the higher |
| Midheaven, would focus on the career. We might | | | | potential of that placement. In the case of a |
| infer that this individual is very much a communicator | | | | transiting aspect, you must have a clear grasp of the |
| and will pursue a career in a related field.) | | | | natal condition of the planet in question and also look |
| Astrology students often worry about a particular | | | | at all the other transits currently going on in the |
| facet of a chart, but they need not become alarmed | | | | chart, for balancing factors. If you are still concerned |
| unless this factor is confirmed in other ways. For | | | | about a natal or transiting pattern in your chart, |
| instance, many people born without planets in the | | | | consult a seasoned professional astrologer with a |
| water signs have sworn that they are not especially | | | | well-balanced approach. Find one who can admit the |
| emotional. Yet, some of them have Neptune on the | | | | realistic drawbacks of a given placement but can also |
| Ascendant and Pluto conjunct the Moon; these | | | | help you to work toward its positive expressions. |