In many modern astrology books you might have read, you will have noticed that very often, they offer the same interpretations for, say, Mercury in Scorpio, Mercury in the 8th house and Mercury in aspect to Pluto. A natal chart is confusing enough as it is and there's no need for us to add even more confusion to it.
As I see it, the planet's way to behave is determined by the sign it is in. The planet's sign placement will determine the environment it is born into and there's no escape from that. The planet, naturally, has some innate qualities and based on the sign it is in, we can judge whether the qualities of this sign will allow the planet to function according to its nature. Mercury, among other things, stands for objective thinking, the need for proof and logic. So, does Mercury like water? No. Logic and sentiment are incompatible. Mercury in Cancer, therefore, will find it difficult to be objective about things, because the emotional nature of its sign will impose itself on its views and beliefs, leading to an increased subjectivity.
If this Mercury in Cancer is placed in the 6th house, no, it doesn't automatically acquire any Virgo qualities. First of all, this planet/sign association is open to debate, to say the least. Furthermore, houses do not give qualities to planets. The planet in question affects the affairs of that house for better or worse. Finally, the house placement will allow us to determine whether that particular planetary energy will be able to manifest strongly in the native's life or not. If the house is angular, for example, the planet is much more likely to be immediately evident.
As far as aspects go, Mercury in Aries is not the same thing as Mercury in aspect to Mars. Mercury in Aries, although it is temperamentally unsuited to fire because of the passion involved which often leads to hasty decisions and impulsive thinking, will have no option, exactly because it is placed there, to behave in such a manner. A different Mercury in aspect to Mars, even if we disregard Mars' sign, will also have no option but to behave according to the nature of the sign it is in. An aspect from Mars will be an external influence that will interfere with the way the planet is predisposed to behave, but it will not magically transform it. If Mercury is in Virgo, naturally inclined to objective thinking, it may, at instances, succumb to impulsiveness, but will probably regret it soon afterwards because it's not the way it wants to behave. What Mercury in Aries may find natural, for Mercury in Virgo in aspect to Mars, this will probably be a problem.
So, what it does means, for example, something like Aquarius moon in the eight house, and trine to pluto.
ReplyDeleteThe person in case will have an overall aquarian emotional expression to the surrounding environment? Or this aquarian expression will only be most evident in the affairs of the 8th house?
Isn´t this so to speak "squares" energies?
The Moon in Aquarius doesn't have any innate Scorpio qualities, just because it's in the 8th house. If a planet has some innate qualities, these are the ones shown by the signs they rule. The Moon rules the sign of Cancer and that's the way it wants to behave. The next question would be: Does Aquarius allow the Moon to behave the way it wants to behave? Not particularly. Aquarius is a moist sign and the Moon likes moisture, but it is a sign ruled by the Moon's arch-enemy, Saturn. It may not be as bad as Capricorn, because there the Moon would be in its detriment, but Saturn and the Moon are incompatible. Aquarius is a society - oriented sign and doesn't understand the selfish emotional needs of the Moon. I would not pay particular attention to the trine with Pluto, because trines and sextiles involving the outer planets don't seem to work as well as the "hard" aspects.
ReplyDeleteThe Scorpio kind of events that might have happened in this person's life are probably explained by the angular Pluto (I take it Pluto is in Libra in the 4th house) and by the Moon (probably also ruler of the Ascendant) being on the 8th house of loss. But that doesn't mean that this Moon is the same as a Moon in Scorpio. No. The Aquarius Moon would not be suspicious and mistrustful of others by nature. That would be the Scorpio Moon.
Thank you for your answer!
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean about aquarius Moon´s sign position qualities. What i don´t understand in this and others planets house placements is the information that adds to the planets besides the events that might have happened in the past.
I explain to you what i mean. I already knew all the characteristics of the Moon in Aquarius affects the emotion expression. How does the moon in the 8th house affects the same expression in a daily basis in the interaction with others?
The house placement of a planet doesn't add anything to its qualities. The houses, besides indicating the sphere of life the planets manifest their energies, are used to determine whether the planets can act upon their qualities - with angular houses being the strongest - and whether the planet is fortunately or unfortunately placed - with the 6th, 8th and 12th houses being the most unfortunate.
ReplyDeletedear petros,
ReplyDeletei appreciate your approach to astrology. my question is; i have mercury almost in 7th house but some astro chart calculators always give it as though it is in the 6th house. it is only by 0.60 degree it loses its place in the 7th. would you say it is in the 6th or 7th? Also, my Sun is 10 degrees apart from 7th house. My Pluto is just on the descendant, then comes my moon and venus in 7th. I have 5 planets stellium in scorpio on the 6-7 house axis. Would this strengthen the Sun's placement or will my Sun be weak being in the 6th house? My mars is in libra in 6th house as well.
Hi nes,
ReplyDeleteI tend to favour the whole sign house system, so any planet in Scorpio either on the 6th or 7th house side, I would consider them 7th house planets. Especially your Mercury on Scorpio, which is only one degree away from the angle, it is most definitely a 7th house planet.
Some astrologers believe that this system lacks finesse, but to my mind the unequal house systems present a lot of problems that have not been satisfactorily solved.
Mars rejoices in the 6th house, so this could mean that it takes away some of its accidental debility, but it is also essentially debilitated by being in Libra. All your planets in Scorpio look to Mars for guidance, as Mars disposes all of them, but Mars is unable to behave like Mars. This could be a problem.
dear petros,
ReplyDeletethanks for your complete answer, i do appreciate it.
the fact that all my planets in scorpio look to mars for guidance is so true. This explains a lot of things. Also, I was worried about intercepted signs. because when we do not use the equal house system my 6th and 12th houses and libra and aries are intercepted. because my mars is poor in libra, it would also be horrible for me to take into account the interception factor. my jupiter is in 12th house in aries intercepted as well.
i know that in traditional astrology we do not view the houses effects similar to sign effects. so i suppose having a stellium in 7th house do not give any libra qualities to me. but since my mars is the leading planet in my chart and is in libra, i might develop libra qualities. also there is the fact that i was born on the libra-scorpion cusp. do you think it strengths the libra qualities in me?
There is no such thing as a libra-scorpio cusp. Either your Sun is in Libra or in Scorpio.
ReplyDeleteHi Petros!
ReplyDeleteJust one question.
What´s the difference in these two oppositions:
Sun(4ºLibra00)-Uranus(27ºPiscies50)
and
Sun(4ºLibra00)-Uranus(4ºAries00)?
The first one is NOT an opposition because it does not occur in opposing signs. The second one IS an opposition and, what's more, exact and especially strong.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is true for any aspect, i think? That means that has no really effect on horoscope?
ReplyDeleteI ask this because at www.astro.com they consider Mercury(Gemini 26°41'19) square Jupiter(Libra 0°27'14), and a Mercury(Gemini 26°41'19) square Saturn(Libra 3°05'41) is out of consideration.
Yes, this is true for any aspect. I am most strongly against out of sign aspects. This is an abomination of modern astrology, because they give orbs to aspects, not planets. How can a planet in Gemini be in a square aspect to a planet in Libra? This is simply stupid.
ReplyDelete