Creative Connections & Client Communications

Avoiding Extremes for Common Sense

In the “Notebook” essay posted this month, I refer to “Joan” with her update call about job dissatisfaction. Under the powerful Solar Arc measurement MC=Saturn, she exhibited great unrest, wanted to leave her marvelous job, relocate a considerable distance, and start afresh. Her horoscope did not follow up this major background arc with angular punctuation that normally pushes the decision over the line: “Yes, go!”

Instead, I saw that a promotion or lateral move of great significance was probably due where she was working, and this would exclude further consideration of “getting out of Dodge,” so to speak. -It did happen this way, and all’s well.

Important for us here is that with Joan I did not go for the extreme that is possible within the potential of MC=Saturn: “Focus upon ambition; professional change; significant family development; a major move.” I acknowledged the ambition, even professional change, but not uprooting the family and moving to new territory, starting over. NOTE: Joan’s complaints about her job were not strong enough, her projections were not vivid enough, the planning was not thorough, and there was the possibility of lateral movement within her corporation. “Yes, there is an opportunity, but I would probably never get it.”

She got it.

Prince Charles [November 14, 1948 at 9:14 PM, GMD in London] in 1984, three years after his wedding to Diana, had SA Venus conjunct his Sun. At the same time,he had SA Uranus conjunct his Ascendant (Uranus ruling the 7th), with tr Pluto square his Ascendant and tr Saturn on and off his Sun, ruler of his Ascendant. -This is an absolutely clear suggestion of romance and separation at the same time; separation because of romance; enormous upset about both considerations. But Charles did not bolt. -Instead, Charles kept his affair with Camilla going, and Diana gave birth to Henry, their second son.

In June 1986, Charles had SA Saturn=MC. This was at the depths of the family’s marriage problems: “Major change in the family or in the profession; possible death concerns within the extended family circle; the father figure; an extremely important time of life development.” –But again, in consultation, one would have to guard against the extreme pronouncement; over and over again, it must be emphasized that projections into the future must fit the potentials of reality. Charles was not ableto divorce Diana; the Church of England, protocol, his mother’s insistence, etc.

At the same time that we would assess this arc, we would see that SA Venus was close to four degrees from a sesquiquadrate arc to the Midheaven, with transits at that time being most compelling, especially tr Pluto conjunct his Sun. THIS could well be the time when his unhappiness and his affair would come out into the open, 1990. This is what happened, and Charles continued to live this way for seven more years until Diana’s death.

This is the kind of consideration that explains why some clients manifest absolutely nothing of the potentials suggested by the most powerful astrological measurements! The potentials of the measurements simply do not fit the reality being lived by the client.

Common Sense must be in the arsenal of analytical techniques for every astrologer.

A female client has a peregrine Sun (difficulty connecting with the world, not fitting in easily) and an Aquarian Ascendant. She’s a rebel who abandoned courses of life many times in her development.

At last she’s settled with her third husband in a house they own. It is “theirs”, and it signifies security, permanence (finally). BUT, the town in which they live is so small, the husband can’t find enough work for his specialty services, and the wife has no real opportunity developing herself as well.

The measurements for the wife are extreme: tr Uranus conjunct Ascendant (relocation), SP Moon opposed Pluto, ruler of her 9th (relocation), tr Saturn conjunct the IC (new start)!! –These measurements carry with them enormous potential for relocation.

But the woman and her husband want to stay in their symbolically precious house.

But, at the same time, there is total agreement that selling the property and going to a new location would triple or quadruple their income and improve their life in many ways. -Is that what the astrology is announcing? –I appreciate that the decision would be extreme in their terms, but routine common sense in anyone else’s.

The gain from this consultation would have to be that the common sensible thought was introduced and studied. It will now simmer and go through much analysis before the final “hits” of the transits bring “perfection” next February.

~~~We must see what’s possible, what’s reasonable, what the best and worst case scenarios are. In the consultation discussion, the key consideration almost always emerges. Astrologer and client see the “writing on the wall.”

Sometimes, to get to more of the thought or what’s behind the opinion, the astrologer can simply repeat what the client has said, as if to make sure it was heard correctly. The client will then add more and more. [This is a technique formulated by celebrated psychologist Carl Rogers in his Person-Centered Psychology, whereby the client (patient), instead of the therapist, leads the analysis to where it should go.]

For example: “Let me check this: I’m hearing that you have long been afraid of marriage, of intimacy, and you know everyone is probably wondering why you haven’t ever been married.” [Unaspected Moon in Cancer in the 12th, ruling the Acendant; Neptune square Saturn, ruling the 7th]

–“Right. I feel abnormal about that.”

But you have this wonderful, wonderful, super-special man now… finally!

–“Yes, but I don’t need to marry him!”

“You don’t need to marry him.” [Not a question; just a repeat statement.]

–“Well, he’s been married for a long, long time…”

He’s been married a long time.

–“And, he’s been married a long time … and … and I guess I’m still afraid…”

You’re still afraid.

–“I’m afraid … yes, because I won’t get the love and security my father gave me all those years.………..”

But, perhaps, just perhaps, your father sent this man to you. You are so blissfully happy with him.

Another example:

It seems we his bottom September-November ’95 and March-July ’96.

–“Yes, this was terrible. My sister died of cancer, and … and I had a serious depression.”

Your sister died.

–“Yes. You see, my sister was my child.“

Your child.

–“Yes. I was her mother throughout her whole life. I was my mother’s mother too! And mother to all my sisters … I was angry with God for having taken away this vital woman (the sister).”