posted March 09, 2015 08:39 PM            

I'll use myself as an any example:
If you took a glance at my chart my personal planets would paint a picture of someone very methodical and who plans things out: Sun in Scorpio, Mercury/Pluto in Scorpio, Cancer Ascendant, Aquarius Moon, Capricorn Venus, 8th house stellium and Saturn dominant. There's just one thing that gets me into trouble: my Mars just on the edge of Sagittarius. Inclined to jump into things headfirst where the rest of my planets have to work their butt off to make up for my Mars' mistakes. I've sort of reconciled these two energies (very fixed vs. very spontaneous) by always, always planning ahead, but then by following my impulses to entertain/perform for other people.

posted March 10, 2015 05:28 AM            

With me this has all manifested this way: I've always identified as a Capricorn (I have a lot of Cap traits, and have never struggled to achieve success in school, and then in work). However, I've always lacked discipline and have always 'winged' things - exams, work situations, anything. I've always preferred to be spontaneous rather than plan ahead. Always in a responsive state, waiting for things to happen.
This used to be fun in my earlier years, until I stopped finding fulfilment in my work (crisis management, of all things ) and life direction overall, and entered a major depression. Only then, without knowing it (I was only into sun sign astrology at the time), I started slowly integrating my heavy Aquarius energy (My Cap Sun and Merc are part of a larger 11H stellium along with Uranus). In a typical Uranian fashion, I used to enjoy spontaneity, and I was good at it - but this was only the surface, and when I started directing my energy towards more 11H-y goals (doing volunteer work, which was all catalysed via my Venus in Aquarius but this is another story), I started realising how my lack of discipline is hurting me, and preventing me from following my life's purpose. Now I'm trying to integrate both my Cap energy (Sun in Cap and Saturn part of my 11H stellium conjunct Uranus, 11H itself is split between Cap and Sag), and my Aquarius energy (AC, Venus, chart ruler Uranus in its own house, and part of the 11H stellium).

I have experienced it as imbalance throughout my life, but in truth it's all very balanced - I just need to integrate it in my conscious life.

No idea how Scorpio Mars conjunct MC ties in to all of it yet. But what I can say about Scorpio energy is that I LOVE it. My ideal for a partner has always been a Scorpio I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I have this placement and some of this energy in myself - definitely something I should look to integrate as well.

posted March 10, 2015 06:06 AM            

Sun, Venus, Mercury, Ceres, Saturn opposite Moon. Pluto square all above. Uranus square Saturn and Venus. I have NO balance because for me, all these planets act independently of eachother which creates serious issues.

The aspect I struggle most with is Saturn sq Uranus. Since I have a Cappy Moon I don't have a problem with Saturn, at all (!) but Uranus is in my heart and he has no intentions of being buddy-buddy with Saturn. Ever! The magnetic pull between these two planets is STRONG and when it becomes overbearing Pluto in 2H takes over and takes me shopping..He is my shadow and teacher at the same time. He lures me into trouble and then he punishes me because I caved.

posted March 11, 2015 04:15 PM            

And I hope I didn't step on your toes with my sarcasm in the other thread. What gets thrown around here at home between me, my wife and friends isn't necessarily appreciated by others.

I do wish people would give more specific information when asking questions -- either birth chart image or planet positions. But I understand some don't want to.

I like this thread because you're talking about astrology as energy, something that I think is important so we don't fall into any notion of objects in space acting upon us in some mysterious way. Astrological energies become part of us at birth and represent background defaults to work with.

socialgraffiti, I think I understand what you are saying. You've found balance, integration of the basic seemingly conflicting default energies present in your natal chart. That is essentially what we are all looking for.

charlie, everyone has a balancing point within themselves. An astrological chart does not prevent that, no matter what factors are present. With a chart heavy in oppositions the balance may start out as the ebb-and-flow kind in which the here-there, or "I-thou" dynamic helps develop a feel for that.

We don't actually gain much balance by study of our birth charts, but that can serve as an awakener to reveal things to ourselves. You could say by eliminating blind spots.

I see a person's birth chart as definitely involving challenges most of the time. Some have tougher or more challenges than others and may have to work harder to find balance within themselves. Balance for one person may be more passive than for another. A chart full of oppositions and squares may require more 'acting out' of their energies in a way that can also be balanced.

I can be in a state of balance sitting in a chair, or while dancing with a partner.

My own birth chart, heavy in earth and fixity, predisposes me to be most comfortable and balanced through a steady, peaceful life. Passive mostly. But about a decade ago during some Pluto transits that was transformed and I discovered the need to become more proactive, use more initiative. The activator factor that brings more fire in to balance out the earth/water dominance of my chart is Mars parallel MC.

On a more mundane level the MC shows parental expectations and their limits. Planets aligned with it can show what energies push us past those. In the case of Mars it is just to stay active more than anything and not back away from the unavoidable frictions or conflicts from what others may attempt to impose upon us.

I also see the birth chart as describing a particular balance of its own. If each of the energies are allowed their place there will be a balance that allows us to have a fulfilling life. So when a client comes to me with a strong emphasis in their chart, say lots of planets in one sign, I don't see that as an imbalance, but as a chosen emphasis important to their soul growth that gives meaning, anchor and direction as they journey this world.

My concerns come in when Saturn/Pluto influences are heavy or involve certain type of angular aspects. I do my best to clarify the inner aspects of those energies that if not given their proper place can become suppressive, depressive, and/or steer a person off into the ditch of resentments and control issues.

Also concerned if there shows to be fire planet emphasis of the same type. Not because these are imbalances themselves, but so that the person can understand from an outside view something of what it takes to express these energies in a balanced way.

Conjunctions and parallels show where the anchors are and what we tend to over-emphasize by default. Fire tends to overconfidence, pushing too far, over-expending bodily energies, pushing 'my way' on others. open spaces of unscheduled, undefined time can be a balancing remedy to that.

Earth/Saturn often tends to stagnation, becoming too planned, safe, security, etc. Being with others who are more spontaneous and letting them induce you to try new things is a way to find a better balance.

It is possible for a person to find certain astrological factors after a long time period to get way over-emphasized or no longer of use. That is what I discovered around ten years ago about Moon in Capricorn for me. By age 35 or so it simply no longer served me. I had learned its lessons, experienced all its innate tendencies so fully that I could go nowhere else with it. But I first learned its benefits and learned to appreciate it. Never 'hated' it.

Because these factors are energy defaults I believe when one or more of them no longer serves you they can be negated. This is something I have never seen discussed by astrologers. To do this is a process, but you are in control of your internal programs at all levels. You can change anything about your personality that you don't like. I have done this using astrology as the language for communicating those changes to both my spiritual and biological self. I believe it takes years, even decades to change things to do with our personalities, but it can be done.

This requires graduating from the mindset that 'my birth chart is me' or 'my birth chart makes me what I am.' If you are willing to learn those energies, lessons, etc, but then reach a point at which you can see certain tendencies in thos modes of expression are hindering rather than helping, then you can choose to start changing them.

Vibration is fluctuation and no fluctuation is permanently fixed.