posted August 15, 2016 11:42 AM            

Now that I'm of a Certain Age™, it appears a good portion of my peers have been on their career track for the past 5 years, while I'm still here meandering around life, lost, wondering where I fit into all of this.

What I've come to learn about myself is that I don't flourish in a traditional work environment. I don't like to work underneath others, I don't like being micromanaged, and I don't like having a set-in-stone schedule each week.

I have a lot of interests and a quite a few hobbies I consider myself "good at". Everyone always says "do what you love!!!" but I'd rather do something lucrative. Or perhaps what's lucrative comes from being a master of your craft that you happen excel at? Things I still don't quite understand..

Honestly, I envy my mother's life. Since she was 24 with a divorce and a child under her belt, she's been gainfully self-employed. So much so that she has a paid off house in Los Angeles, drives a luxury car, just got an iPhone 6+ with Beats headphones, and has zero debt!!!! She is a genius at her job and a master of finances. Both are important qualities to have together, I think. She's gotten to the point in her career where she only has to work four 8hr days. I have no skill in her particular industry, but her day to day life is what I admire and seek for myself.

She has Sun in H10 conjunct the MC 2°04

Not only that, but in a different sign, she has a Mars/Saturn conjunction (0°13!!!) in H10 as well. That indicates she makes this look way easier then it actually is.

She has Moon in the 11th - she works great with other people, and her very personality is her career track.

She has natal Neptune in H6... her work is what she makes of it. Her schedule is always in flux, her money flow is always in flux.. but being a Pisces Sun/MC, this is exactly the environment she desires.

Jupiter in H3... she has the casual gift of gab with others. Makes for good networking.

posted August 15, 2016 12:41 PM            

Need Jupiter aspects for general good luck, I think. Venus would help too. It depends on what kind of work one does, but yeah I think being pleasant, a people-person, having a kind of personality that can impress and draw in others...etc... are great assets. My father was quite jupiter-influenced (1st house sag venus conj asc), and he was great at interacting with others and making deals.

Oh. And uranus influence, heh. My mother was a uranus influenced pisces (sun conj venus conj ascendant in the 1st house), and for her it all started with wanting to bring a bit of fresh air to an industry that was a bit stale. She works in publishing/media, I suppose she's living up to her pisces/aquarius energy.

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In the past I worked for other people, but eventually I moved onto self-employment. I enjoy being self-employed more, but even now I still keep jobs here and there even though I don't have to. I like having s.t different to do I suppose.

For me, I believe that it's my 1st house NN and saturn conj ascendant. It's nice to watch s.t I build grow. And with sun conj uranus, being self-employed allows me more freedom to try things I wanna try.

With 7th house jupiter trine 3rd house moon, often other people (well the important ones anyway hah) perceive me as honest and trustworthy. Which is true for the most part. It's good for business. I have venus-conj ascendant, I can do pleasant.

7th house jupiter also means that I have better luck when I have a business partner. My two best friends are in it with me. It feels nice.

posted August 15, 2016 12:59 PM            

It's not been an easy road, I left college twice and I have no degree (it's not a big deal where I'm from), so I'm totally self-taught, learning by myself is something I'm passionate about. In the last 3 years, I created a solid business, and I know that I'll be always capable providing for myself.
I came from a low working class family and monetary stability is something I need to feel safe.

The main aspects of my chart I consider important are:

- Sun in Cancer in the 2nd house.
- Mercury in Leo conj. Sun, 2nd house.
- Jupiter conj. MC in Pisces, 9th house.
- Saturn in Sagi, 6th house.
- NN in Aries, 10th house.
- Sun trine Jupiter/MC.
- Mercury trine MC.
- Moon sextile Jupiter/MC.
- Sun/Mercury trine Saturn.
- Saturn trine MC.
- Uranus conj. Fortune in the 7th.
- Jupiter square Uranus.

posted August 15, 2016 06:59 PM            

There is also a Uranian factor here in what you describe. When it comes to not wanting to be under some type of hierarchy in which a series of bosses determine what you do, even how you do it. Mars factors also

I work at home as an astrologer. My birth chart has Mars [21N55] parallel my MC [22N49], and Mars 5GEM32 is exactly trine Uranus 5LIB32 (in 1st house); Moon is in cardinal sign Capricorn in the 4th house (home).

Many persons with similar aspects and chart factors are doing similar things working at home through cyber communication, taking their work where they go. But they are not necessarily self-employed. The indicators for self-employment are generally when the person's drive to self-direction is stronger than their need for the security of a consistent paycheck.

posted August 15, 2016 09:38 PM            

I have this placement and will ultimately be working for myself. It's trine my Sun, making the urge more pronounced.

I have a problem taking orders from people. I like to get things done my own way. I can't stand the lack of respect/dignity people have to endure when working for a company or someone else. Not saying every job is like that, but that's been my experience so far. Just hearing about the things my parents went through at work makes my blood boil.

My life path and birth number are both 1. North node in Aries. Moon conjunct Mars exact. Vertex in Scorpio.

posted August 15, 2016 10:54 PM            

However--I am now the single mother of a toddler, so now I don't get to sleep in and set my own schedule that much anyway, so I'm looking for a steady, stable, full time job with great benefits. if I did not have a child to support, I would never consider this.

I never made much money as a self-employed person, but I always had very magical knack for living like a rich person without having money, going into debt or breaking the law. It's my beautiful Pisces Jupiter in my (Placidus) h2...I have a pitcher chart and that Jupiter is the spout.

(My idea of "living like a rich person" is all about freedom of time and motion, peak experiences, creativity, travel, glamour, enjoying all the good things life has to offer, and being able to do lots of volunteer work I care about---not about material possessions.)

I have Uranus in my h9/h10 (depending on the house system), sextile my Sun, loosely sextile my Mercury and loosely conjunct my Midheaven.

Cap rising and Virgo Mars sextile my Saturn give me a lot of discipline in certain areas. I have a Moon-Saturn conjunction, opposite my AC.

posted August 15, 2016 11:51 PM            

I wouldn't describe what I do as lucrative, but it does give me plenty of free time, which I'd rather have.

posted August 16, 2016 12:25 AM            

I have a chart which I THINK lends to being self employed but I'm not, becausr I can't figure out what it is I could sell or provide...besides art. And we all know artists aren't exactly making the big bucks unless they're famous.

posted August 16, 2016 02:21 AM            

For self~employment, ruler of the 10th in the 1st would do it (I'm an example of this). My MC is Leo, so my need for prominence as a self identified being is high. I need to be in the spotlight, if not in control.

Well, it depends on other things as well. I have Uranus conjunct Saturn, Uranus ruler of my 4th. I'm mostly a stay at home mom (a very unconventional one.. invested in self determination for young people, freeschooling, and wilderness skills, etc). Saturn rules my third house of communications and writing is part of my work.. oh anyway, I could go on but...

I'm a newbie (as a professional), but am building an astrological practise with several devoted clients. You have to start somewhere I really genuinely like helping people. I'm a healer, a writer, and an empath. I'm also passionate about astrology and counseling. It all works well together... numerous chart factors support me in this.

I also rent out my cabin for money, and have a large tract of land which is slowly being developed into a healing retreat place. My 2nd house speaks to this, ruler is Jupiter (I facilitate travel for others), which is in my 8th (the purchase of the land was facilitated by my inheritance from my father , and I intend to use, all my resources to help others)... Saturn and Uranus are in my 2nd. My North node is in the 4th.

posted August 16, 2016 02:59 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Kannon McAfee:
Good aspects for self-employment are the same chart indicators for those who are good managers, motivators, because they will be self-managing/motivating. There are a number of ways in the chart this can happen. Often they relate to cardinal signs and/or fire with the Asc, sometimes Scorpio.

There is also a Uranian factor here in what you describe. When it comes to not wanting to be under some type of hierarchy in which a series of bosses determine what you do, even how you do it. Mars factors also

I work at home as an astrologer. My birth chart has Mars [21N55] parallel my MC [22N49], and Mars 5GEM32 is [b]exactly trine Uranus 5LIB32 (in 1st house); Moon is in cardinal sign Capricorn in the 4th house (home).

Many persons with similar aspects and chart factors are doing similar things working at home through cyber communication, taking their work where they go. But they are not necessarily self-employed. The indicators for self-employment are generally when the person's drive to self-direction is stronger than their need for the security of a consistent paycheck.

[/B]

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Yes, all on point. My ascendant is Scorpio. I have planets in all of the fire houses (1, 5, 9; Sun/Merc/Pluto, Mars, Chiron, respectively).

My Mars is conjunct the Aries point (in Aries), square my Saturn in Capricorn, also on an Aries point at 0 Cap... this obviously shows lessons for me, a long story.

Uranus, often a factor, yes, but not always prominent I'm thinking...

posted August 16, 2016 03:23 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by frankie2912:
For those of you who have said you are self employed..what exactly do you do??? Very curious and I love hearing about entrepreneurs and their ideas. Athenaia, what does your mom do?

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I've done lots of stuff, some for just a short while (even a just a few minutes) and other stuff lasting for many years.

I mentioned the repairman guy...I got him on that path because I found a keyboard in a Goodwill bin for a dollar as it didn't work (many people just use Goodwill as a place to dump their trash), but I thought he might be able to fix it and then he could pay me a finder's fee. As it was, he fixed it fast, it was too easy, and he ended up selling it for $300 (though he placed an ad in the paper, last I talked to him he used sites like craigslist), and gave me $75. But after that he haunted Goodwill stores and other places by himself (he was glad I made him aware of this golden opportunity for him, but he'd do better looking for stuff by himself, as well as not having to pay me a cut, and I suspect he was so generous with my cut because he felt a little bad about that, though I don't hold it against him) and was selling instruments, furniture, even a refrigerator.

I got a "proxy mail order" business for packages and even subscriptions. People used my service for various reasons, and it does take an open mind. Ordering all sorts of wacky and vulgar stuff (among other things) got me all sorts of spam sent to that PO Box (and I later found out an unethical gun range also sold that PO Box so that I got even more whackjob spam), but I even used that by having bought a huge amount of lacquer thinner at a really good price and using that to bleed the colors out of some of the spam onto freezer paper which I then sold as wrapping paper (though I finally ran out of it and the prices were so ridiculous for more that I gave that up). As for what I get, clients pay for whatever, but it's in my name, and then I get a "finder's fee" for delivering it to them discretely. It's rather complicated to explain, but interesting enough when I lost a hard drive that compromised my ability to keep their info private (though only if I were say raided and hard drive taken--and they didn't really have anything to worry about in that case, but many of them thought they did), but no one dropped me, and one even panicked and doubled my pay on the spot.

One example of my adapting is that I learned to give henna tats in a small town and made some decent money that way. But not only did it cost more when I moved to Venice, California, but I was simply no match for any of the henna artists already present. I was stunned by how talented they were and instantly gave up in trying to make money that way.

So I thought about what my actual skills were, and one is that I've been sewing since I was a little girl. And while I couldn't compete with big biz, I COULD go after the niche market ignored by them and ended up finding those of odd sizes (very tall or short or unusual proportions, basically those not worth mass marketing to) willing to pay A LOT to have clothes made, refitted, and mended for them, and that's still a good moneymaker today...and that's despite how competitive my prices are.

Speaking of sewing, in some desperate times I even made dolls and stuffed toys for less than $10 and sold them for many times the prices as "originals." That's an interesting story, I didn't make much at first, but after seeing them sold for a lot as "originals" I changed how I marketed them. Basically 1 hour and $10 could net me $60, and the store that bought those from me would put them in a glass case with more marketing, and many would sell in 3 months or less, often at double what they paid me! (I also sell other items and services to those stores, though over time I've focused on those I did the best business with which makes me more dependent on them than I like.)

Meanwhile, back when I was 17 I went to aid librarians when every single person who volunteered (20!) flaked out for a Children's Summer Reading Program. That was a HARD volunteer job, but I earned a smoking hot reference that I later leveraged into childcare and eventually joining a small birthday party entertainment troupe due to my ability to manage large numbers of children (probably my 5H Sag giving me an edge again), something that still pays well.

I also leveraged that (and the reputation I'd built for myself) into other things, like when the Hannah Montana movie came out I offered to take the neighborhood kids for $20 (a good price given that I was also essentially babysitting them and that's like a bare minimum for a babysitter who isn't a kid herself), though of course the parents were expected to give the kids money for tickets, snacks, etc. (There were a few who cheated me, but they only got away with it once, still worth noting that I made far more money than I expected to.) Word of mouth got me more and more clients, and I soon had to organize help and even hire my BFF (and her car) as it was too much for me to handle. I always made at least a hundred a day, and on the best days we could make more than a thousand! (Natch, this is because we took a large number of kids to different showings.) Of course Hannah was bigger than the Beatles to tween girls back then (while parents and grandparents would NOT want to see it even once, let alone repeatedly, and some would just appreciate a couple hours of silence and/or using my service as a way to bribe their kids), so it's not like I could do that with just any movie.

Onto other short term jobs...one I like to share is how I made about $10 a minute (though it was only a couple of minutes). A guy (who taught computers no less) couldn't fix the vox on a pair of phones so I offered to do it for $20. He agreed and I just called up the manual online, went straight to the "don't be an idiot" section and was quickly inspired to check to make sure all screens matched. One didn't, and when I changed that then the vox on them worked. To preserve his ego (and make sure I still got paid) I waited over an hour before taking it back to him and said I'd spent the entire time figuring it out.

Even if a person had a poor rep for paying, I found ways to profit from them. Like this one rich guy who was loathe to pay any bill he didn't have to still got my interest because he had old computers he didn't use anymore (he also didn't throw anything away). He wanted me to do real estate research for him (plus watching his house) while he was in Mexico and I only agreed to it if he let me have one of his old computers (worth hundreds, though to him it was out of date trash) and I got it.