posted July 22, 2004 05:19 PM              

- dominant but difficultly aspected Pisces (like in my chart my Pisces moon is opp my ASC and Pluto and squared my Sun and Mercury, and in the 6th house - all my moon aspects are difficult, and I've suffered from chronic depression since I was 8 years old); can also happens with other water and earth signs, but Pisces is the notorius "bringer of gloom" of the Zodiac and is by far the most suspectible to depression

- difficult 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th house placements, especially for Moon and Mars; many astrologers really focus on the 4th, 8th and 12th houses in regards to depression, but also drug/alcohol abuse, other mental illness and suicide

- difficult aspects between masculine and feminine signs, especially if it causes identity struggle, self-esteem issues or conflicting desires; this is especially true when you have two exalted signs/planets for opposite polarity, or one exalted and one with its native planet (like an Aries Mars and a Pisces Venus)

- any difficult aspect that inhibits a strong or dominant fire sign from expressing passionate emotion or act an their own initiative (in essence, anything that undermines a fire sign's native self-confidence, like a Cancer Mars against an Aries Sun)

- any difficult aspect that intellectually inhibits a strong or dominant air sign (like a water sign moon that causes difficult, intense emotions to distrupt clear and precise thinking)

- "power" planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto) in the "fall" (the opposite sign of its exaltation)

- Saturn-Mars conjunction when in 4th, 8th, or 12th house (but also sometimes 2nd, 6th, and 10th)

and a few specific planet placements known to cause problems:

Mars in Gemini - prone to nervous exhaustion and anxiety disorders

Mars in Virgo or Pisces - prone to self-esteem issues and repressed sexual energies; also prone to self-destructive tendencies and
addiction

Mars in Cancer (in Mars' fall) - Mars' power is most weakened here, making a person very vulnerable to abuse and ineffective in getting away from harmful and destructive influences; prone to self-esteem issues and dangerously repressed anger

Moon in Aries - produces high-strung emotional energy that can be overwhleming and makes a person emotionally exhausted, depressed or self-destructive if not handled in a healthy way

Moon in Scorpio (in Moon's fall) - prone to extreme mood swings and very vulnerable to emotional injury; prone to repressed anger, withdrawl, isolation and nervous exhaustion; also suspectible to addiction and escapism through over induglence in pleasurable activities

Moon in Pisces - like Moon in Scorpio, but usually less resentful but much more gloomy and self-defeating; lots of self-esteem problems; highly prone to addiction, denial, escapism and withdrawl

Moon in Capricorn - highly sensitive to failures, setbacks, overwhleming obstacles and criticism; one of the most notorious positions for depression, suicidal ideations and drug/alcohol abuse

I know this seems like a lot, but the truth is that nearly no one is invunerable to depression. We all have our weak spots, which vary from individual to individual and when life punches us hard in it, we go down without fail. Some are blessed witht he strength to bounce right back, but most have to experience a few bouts of depression through their lifetime. Most people have the resources from other aspects in their chart to help them weather out and overcome episodes of depression, be it from their own strength or from they ability to form good relationships with others for support.

posted July 22, 2004 08:50 PM              

It would be interesting to see which sun and moon signs respond to anti-depressants and which do not. I knew an Aries who was very depressed and his medication made him unhappy although he needed it. Some signs are happier on medication than others. Scorpios and Aries seem to have more problems with addictions than depression.

Nowdays you can buy lithium online, it's scary

Natasha
Taurus