Creative Connections & Client Communications

Too Much of a Good Thing

Long ago, when I was teaching myself astrology, I had a conversation with New York astrologer Zoltan Mason in his bookstore. I had read about 9,000 astrology books(!) in the preceding 6 months, and I was already assembling a private notebook of my earliest efforts to transfer psychological need theory to astrology. But tr Saturn was approaching my Ascendant, and I had the normal fears from inexperience: “What was going to happen?”

The question issuing from the fear was really, “What horror is going to descend upon me when this transit happens?” –Now, so many years of experience and study later, I smile every time I hear that question from students. I smile not only from personal identification way back then, but also when I recall Mr. Mason’s cryptic answer (made all the more wise by his heavy Hungarian accent): “Prohblems come not from hahving too leettle of some-ting, but frrrrom hahving too muchhh!”

OK. Right. Sounds good! But, what did he mean by that?

I can barely do without ice cream or chocolate, but too much of either can do damage. Rain is essential for plant growth, but too much rain ruins crops. What about the phrase, “Success has gone to his head!” That tells us that too much is too much, it causes problems: conceit, arrogance getting in the way of relationships. Extreme individuation is self-isolating.

Mr. Mason was probably really saying, “Be sure to plan now; this is an important time.” Was I ready for the peak accomplishments that Grant Lewi suggested can come with tr Saturn across the Ascendant (and also at the Midheaven; relating the two periods developmentally in life; see the invaluable book, Astrology for the Millions, Llewellyn Publications)? Was all of this going to buoy me up to the high and mighty level and then presage downfall (for the next 7 years or so), i.e., falling off the peak? Would I be planning how to maintain the status achieved at the Ascendant transit?

I have thought about this often over the years, especially when Ascendant transits are the focus of client development in my day-to-day practice. I’ve got some simple ideas about this, relating to the outer planets. Let me share these ideas with you:

With the transit of Saturn crossing the Ascendant, we have an extended period in which to plan within achievement, to plan for security, to plan with honesty about the personal position (being realistic). The key concept would be strategy for the future. “Too much” would blind this perspective. —This thought can be very helpful within the swirl of value judgements connected with the analysis of such a strong transit.

With the transit of Uranus crossing the Ascendant -in addition to all the reliable manifestations of relocation, developmental tension, and individuation, etc.-I think we have to consider self-confidence and self-projection. Is the “too much” here being deleterious to someone else (the Ascendant opposes the Descendant) within personal clarification, definition, and conviction?

With the transit of Neptune crossing the Ascendant -in addition to the reliable, protracted undermining of presence, the ego wipe-out potential-we are being asked to understand feelings maturely. The “too much” here is our being absorbed and taken away by the feelings, hiding within them, giving over our persona to them.

With the transit of Pluto crossing the Ascendant, we usually have the signal for a big-time life adjustment. We must consider taking stock of life. A major change in perspective is probably in the offing, developing during the 2 – 2 ½ year transit period; time to take a real look at things.

Throughout all these transit periods, I think we have the subjective keyword of honesty; the objective keyword of realism.

So, my reply to Mr. Mason some 35 years later would be: “You mean, how much do I really need and what am I going to do about it?”

I can hear him so clearly: “Prrrreeeciselee.”