Recently, a client contacted me with the news that, out of the blue, he had received news that his mother had died. “Paul” and I are in regular contact, and we had done a comprehensive update of his horoscope recently. He is on the verge of a new business operation, and we had mapped out everything clearly for what we agreed would be the best business and promotion strategy possible.

There was no concern about the mother in our discussion; the mother was not debilitated in any way that Paul knew of; his mother did not enter the conversation whatsoever. -Yet, she was dead. In retrospect, how could we see this? Could we see it at all, i.e., his mother’s condition through his horoscope? Should we have seen it? What do we learn about analytical technique from this occurrence?

In my experience, there is nothing to gain from enumerating every conceivable manifestation possibility for every major measurement presenting itself in the horoscope. This cataloguing would blur out of existence the true value of horoscope analysis: the illumination of reality in progress, the grounding of strategy and objective reasoning for growth.

Derivative Houses In astrology, we may extend House analysis from any House, signifying that particular House as a new Ascendant, the grounding of a new horoscope derived from the particular natal horoscope. We can study involvement with grandchildren by seeing the 9th House as the fifth House of our 5th, the children of our children. Communication with our grandchildren would be our 11th, the third House of the 9th, and this communication with grandchildren may be the new, important focus of “love received, needed, hoped for, etc.” for someone, signified in the basic 11th House dynamic.

In analysis of one’s early years, when one is still under the aegis of the family, we know that the horizon axis does indeed represent the Meridian axis of the parents, beginning the count from the 10th or the 4th [ Synthesis & Counseling in Astrology, beginning on page 268].

Paul’s natal Neptune was in his 4th House, and at the time of the recent consultation, we saw tr. Neptune nearing and conjoining his 7th cusp in the near future. We took this into careful consideration with regard to his planned new business venture, translating any kind of bewilderment or illogical expectations into creativity and sound projections, etc.

BUT -and I repeat: there was no mention or thought of the mother- we must appreciate that the 7th cusp in the horoscope is the fourth cusp of the natal 4th, i.e., it is the classical “end of the matter” zone for the parent signified by the 4th. Tr. Neptune (now in early Aquarius) came to this position out of its natal position in the 4th. Paul’s horoscope reflected an unusual, bewildering occurrence: his mother’s death, out of the blue!

In Paul’s adult chart, there seems to be no exception; these angle-antennae spoke again through the transit of Neptune. We encountered the end of his mother’s life.

As soon as this recognition is established, another measurement in Paul’s horoscope seemed to leap forward with great meaning: exact at this time as well, was Solar Arc Uranus semisquare his Ascendant. -Now, while this measurement showed so clearly a portion of the new business start Paul was undertaking, we see in retrospect that the Ascendant is the tenth House for his mother, and Uranus ruled Paul’s 7th, his mother’s fourth, derived throughhis horoscope.

There is no doubt in my mind that this would have been covered in our consultation had Paul brought forward any awareness of his mother being ill, debilitated, or in some kind of illness danger at the time of consultation. These angular contacts would have registered in my mind and been passed on as an alert to Paul. -But there was no mention of any concern; and yet it happened.

What we learn is ever to ask questions about reality, the question, when angular contact is heavily charged: “Is there concern or business with the parents at this time?” Simple as that; but so easily overlooked -out of sight, out of mind-in the throes of busy professional developmental planning.

And there’s a final consideration the analyst must keep in mind: many, many, many of you reading this column, with an early Leo Ascendant in your horoscope, have transiting Neptune on your seventh cusp at this time. Has your mother or father died just now? If a parent did die, was it expected? If one parent didn’t die, do you understand that that manifestation of parental death is certainly far down the list of probability when discussing the signal of this angular Neptunian transit ahead of time?

We must always, always remember that we bring the horoscope TO the reality of the client, to the circumstances and probability in that reality. In that way, we literally and figuratively bring the planets to life. We can not expect to be all-inclusive, but we must work always to be circumspect.