AstroDispatch.com

“‎Wholeness and longing are as common as breath, so much a part of the fabric of our being they often remain unseen. They meet us everywhere, setting direction, not detail. All we do is answer their call. The shapes we build about them become a life lived, unique in time.”
– Michael Bratnick

In a recent conversation regarding relationship compatibility throughout the zodiac, I made the comment that true astrological chemistry cannot be determined solely on the basis of sun signs. An in depth analysis of both individual’s birth charts is required. In response to my comment, the question I received was: “What entire chart?” I am now here to supplement my original response by providing an answer which is more comprehensive.

Depending on your level of interest and or expertise in astrology, you may or may not know that an entire birth chart exists for every human being.  YES, we are becoming a Gemini, or a Pisces as our “signs” (also known as sun signs) indicate. However, in our chart we also have placements for: the moon, mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune and pluto. In addition, we have an Ascendant, or rising sign.

All of these planets serve their function toward our ultimate aim of wholeness.
In fact, one could view the planets as subpersonalities operating within our psyche. So, when we speak of : “a part of us wanting to go out to the “Rock The Bells” concert, but another part of us wanting to stay home.” what we are essentially experiencing is the polarity of the various drives which exist in our mental framework.

Our whole birth chart is a symbolic tool box filled with planetary expressions to suit all occasions. These subpersonalities assist us in transitioning through the myriad of roles that we’re asked to play. Most likely, we may need to exhibit behavior that is professional and more formal when we venture into our work settings. We also may tend to be more relaxed and casual when at home. When in the company of good friends, or intimately involved with a partner, we display yet another dimension of our personalities.

The essential purpose of our birth charts as a whole is to integrate all of these energies in order that they may function more effectively as a process of synthesis. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Once we become aware that these subpersonalities are at work within our psyches, we activate the possibility of organizing them into our own celestial government,  As a result of this fusion, our entire birth chart actually becomes a new, more powerful entity with its blended expression manifesting through the vessel, which is our sun signs.

Part II

*There are a lot of astrology blogs out there. This blog is unapologetically written for those at all levels. I wish to write to you in a manner which will encourage you to use astrology practically. To apply it and incorporate it within your life at a level where you will able to see tangible results manifesting. I speak to you all as a professional astrologer, who is also a lifetime student of this fascinating art. I would like nothing more than to bring the message of these symbols to life as something you can use for your own self-improvement.

The Players
So, who are these subpersonalities that I speak of? As stated earlier, we not only have a “sign” or sun sign, but we have several other planetary energies operating within our birth charts: we have a moon sign, mercury sign, venus sign, mars sign, jupiter sign, saturn sign, uranus sign, neptune sign and pluto sign. Below, I have listed some brief notes on the planets and key themes that are associated with them:

Sun: Who we are, our core, the ingredients that comprise our ego, what we consider to be important, our life force, vitality, where we “shine”, our pride, life purpose and destination.

Moon: Our emotional life, instinctive reactions, intuition, childhood, what we need to sustain us, our biological and ideological home, family and roots, where we retreat to, general habits, how we feel nurtured and how we nurture others.

Mercury: Our communication, what we think and talk about, information processing, speech, writing, the rational mind, opinions, making connections, siblings, school, how we learn.

Venus: The pleasure principle, giving, relating to others, sharing, co-operation, attraction, taste, art, money, means of exchange, love, beauty, mediation, comparison, diplomacy, how we seek to make ourselves and others happy.

Mars: Action, drive, self-assertion, anger, passion sex drive, will, courage, survival, fight, endurance, competition.

Jupiter: Expansion of consciousness, meaning, wisdom, understanding, mental and physical travel, higher thought, synthesis, inflation, exaggeration, beliefs, confidence, greed, optimism, growth, improvement, abundance, ethics, dignity, truth.

Saturn: Authority, discipline, experience, limits, structure, organization, reality, control, fear, time, duties, learning hard lessons, evaluations, assessments.

Uranus: Change, revolution, freedom, breaking patterns, independence, individuality, the urge to rebel and shock, deviation from the norm, non-conformism, sudden awakening.

Neptune: The unseen realms, the urge to merge and dissolve boundaries, imagination, the ideal, purification, extra sensory perception, refinement, purification and cleansing, infiltration, deception, sacrifice, escape, transcendence, dreams, fantasies.

Pluto: Regeneration, transformation, rebirth, death (literal and figurative), taboos, obsession, compulsion, paranoia, crisis, catharsis. hidden forces, enigmas.

The planets show you what energies are prevalent. The signs show you how these energies tend to express themselves, and the houses illustrate where in your life you will most likely experience the manefistation of these energies.

Note: The outer planets, which are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move very slowly. Therefore, their sign positions are generational. Everyone born within roughly a 7 year period will have the same Uranus sign. Everyone born within roughly a 14 year period will have the same Neptune sign and everyone born within roughly a 21 year period will have the same Pluto sign. In most cases, the house placement and the aspects of these planets to our personal planets will be of more significance than the sign placement.

The next time someone asks you “what’s your sign?” hopefully, you will be armed with the information to tell them that your sun sign is Virgo, but….. that’s not ALL that you are. That is not enough to encompass the complexity and multifaceted character of your being.

Ultimately, the ideal personality as expressed by our birth charts, is a balanced set of subpersonalities in which each subpersonality is strong and it’s particular talents fully developed.

I wish everyone well on their infinite quest for understanding.

References:
Aspects in Astrology: A comprehensive Guide To Interpretation by Sue Tompkins

Multiple Mind: Healing The Split In Psyche And World by Gretchen Sliker

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