Dear
Ralfee:
My
name is J.K. and I would like to know what my chart is like. I come from
the Netherlands and was born October 5, 1968, at 8:55 am in Heemskerk.
I ask because I know I am a Libra, but someone told me that my Moon was
in Aries and my rising in Scorpio, which made me a mess. Is this true?
Is this why I have ADHAD (attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder)?
Also, I have heard that a Scorpio rising would mean an early death to
my spouse. I love her very much and that would be quite ugly. I would
greatly appreciate you answering my question. Thank you very much.
J.
K.
Dear
J.K.:
Thank you
so much for writing in, asking this very important question and giving
me an opportunity to get on my soap box and rant about an astrological
issue, that, unfortunately, is commonplace. Blanket negative statements
about birth charts cause harm. If an astrologer, amateur or professional,
can't find a positive, helpful way to interpret a chart, they shouldn't
say anything at all. I'm not suggesting denial. I'm simply saying anyone
looking at a chart needs to understand the impact of their words.
There's no
such thing as a chart that is a "mess." Yes, there are very,
very difficult birth charts. And people with those configurations face
lots of challenges. But hidden in every difficult astrological relationship
is the possibility of healing and transformation. All the signs, planets,
aspects and placements in a birth chart represent a spectrum of possibility.
A birth chart is an energetic map, symbolically illustrating an individual's
potential in this lifetime. Each of us accesses and utilizes the potential
expressed in our chart according to our soul's purpose—not according to
a rigid system of characterization, aimed at pigeonholing behavior or
limiting choices.
Reading a
chart is a delicate art. The person having their chart read listens with
enormous ears. During a reading, an astrologer is deciphering the soul's
code, and their every word is packed with power. At best, a reading opens
a portal into deeper self-knowledge and awareness, providing tools for
understanding and growth.
Early in
my exploration of astrology, I vigorously studied my own chart, looking
for clues about who I was. One book described a particular
natal aspect as turning my life into sheer catastrophe. As I read those words, my heart
stopped beating and my future collapsed before my eyes. I was nineteen
years old. It took a long time to recover from that damning statement.
And while my chart does indicate extreme patterns, my life has been a
wondrous, wild ride, filled with blessings and opportunities for growth.
Your birth
chart isn't a mess. It's intense. And that intensity translates into a
life filled with challenges and possibilities. Your Moon is in Pisces,
not Aries. Your Moon in Pisces makes you highly sensitive, permeable to
your surroundings and open to suggestion. What's more, that Pisces Moon
is opposed by Pluto and Uranus. Along the spectrum of possibilities, a
Moon-Pluto opposition gives you an unrelenting need for emotional authenticity.
Sometimes that energy can turn into a compulsive need for safety and security.
At other times, it opens the portal to an enormous capacity to feel. Your
Uranus-Moon opposition seeks emotional independence as it simultaneously
searches for a partner who can be your best friend. Learning to handle
these powerful emotional currents takes time, but it can be done. Especially
if you're willing to do the personal work it takes to know your own
heart.
But that's
not all. Your natal Moon in Pisces is in the Fifth House of creativity,
indicating artistic talent. Finding and trusting your gifts isn't always
easy. Other influences, too numerous to go into in detail, color your
self-expression, and part of your work in this lifetime is coming into
an awareness of how to handle your creative power.
Finally,
Scorpio rising does not mean your wife will meet an early death. If everyone
with a Scorpio Ascendant lost a life mate early, astrology would rule.
The skeptics would stop smirking. And mothers worldwide would want c-sections
in order to control their child's destiny and happiness. So get that bit
of misinformation out of your head. And when you sign up for your next
reading, make sure your astrologer has a whole lot of common sense and
an equal supply of discerning intelligence.
Some astrology
books make definite, harsh statements, and while certain portions of that
information may contain a grain of truth, nothing—I repeat, nothing—is
written in stone. Particularly when it comes to life and death. Life and
death are in the hands of a force far greater than we can possibly comprehend.
What's more, as life unfolds, so does our understanding of our chart.
Attitude
is everything, J.K. As you explore the meaning of your birth chart and
the chart of your beloved, keep that in mind. A little bit of knowledge
can truly be a dangerous thing, especially if it starts our knees trembling
and our heart quaking. Insight into a chart requires the gift of synthesis
and the ability to organize a lot of information through the lens of experience
and expanded awareness. Build your knowledge of astrology as you build
your awareness of life and you'll have an easier time interpreting the
messages of your chart through a positive perspective.
Notes
For additional
information on how to find a good astrologer and what to expect from a
session, see Eric Francis' "Getting
It Right: What to Do When Astrology Goes Wrong" and Terry
Lamb's "What
to Expect from Your Astrologer."
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