Hong Kong 2012 (Part 2)

Hong Kong's birth chart features a very prominent t-square, formed by Venus in Leo in the 5th house opposite Neptune in Capricorn in the 11th, both squaring Chiron in Libra in the 7th. Transitting Saturn will be triggering off this t-square in Hong Kong’s chart from November this year to November next year.

If Hong Kong were a person, this means his/her value system (Venus) runs contrary to his/her need for transcendence and self-denial (Neptune). This inherent conflict, however, could often trigger innate feelings of rejection and isolation (Chiron) in the person. Nevertheless, this t-square, however negative it may sound on the surface, also gives the person the capacity to be compassionate, to sacrifice his/her personal interests, leading to much healing for both self and others.

The disastrous fire that broke out in Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok in late November coincided with the exact conjunction of transitting Saturn to Hong Kong’s Chiron. One thing of note was, not only were many residents killed, wounded or left homeless by the fire, hawkers in the area also soon felt isolated, unfairly criticized and vilified by the media, the Government and the community at large. All these are feelings typically associated with Chiron.

Transitting Saturn gives us the chance to look at this conflict embedded in Hong Kong’s chart, i.e. the conflict between personal values/interests and the compassionate ideal held by the larger community. This could result in lots of hurt and feelings of alienation, but hopefully this could also lead to much healing and genuine compassion.

Important periods are as follows:

Transitting Saturn conjunct Chiron: November-December 2011, April-May 2012 and August-September 2012

Transitting Saturn square Neptune: December 2011-March 2012, September-October 2012

Transitting Saturn square Venus: October-November 2012

As Venus rules Hong Kong’s second house (in Taurus) and seventh house (in Libra), Hong Kong’s current approaches to the city’s resources and money matters as well as to one-to-one relations (including those seen as our competitors and allies) will undergo a reality check and even “tightening” too, as represented by Saturn.

Another important theme in Hong Kong’s 2012 is that transitting Neptune will square Hong Kong’s Pluto in these periods: April-August 2012, February-April 2013 and August 2013-February 2014. This could mean "free-floating fear" or that total changes will begin even before we realize what is happening. Since Hong Kong's Pluto is in the 8th house and rules this house too, such changes or fears could especially affect the banking and financial sector.

2012 is going to be a dramatic year for Hong Kong and the world. Embracing change is the best way to handle it. May joy, peace and wisdom be with us all always!

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Hong Kong 2012 (Part 1)

With transitting Uranus and Pluto affecting Hong Kong's Sun next year, 2012 is going to be an extremely important year. You could even say the city will undergo an "identity crisis".

Transitting Pluto is going to oppose Hong Kong’s Sun during January-July 2012, November 2012-January 2013 and July-November 2013

Meanwhile, transitting Uranus will square the city's Sun during June-August 2012, March-April 2013 and October 2013-February 2014.

So in the summer of next year, Hong Kong's Sun will be impacted by this explosive, transformative force as represented by Uranus and Pluto at the same time! Phew!!

The Sun represents "selfhood" or "the essential self" and "creative potential". With such heavy planets affecting Hong Kong's Sun at the same time, questions like "Who are we?", "What we are supposed to do?" and "What our goals are?" will inevitably arise and answers will be demanded. The city might not be able to carry on in the same old way like before and changes are unavoidable.

Hong Kong will have a new Chief Executive on July 1 next year, coinciding exactly with these transformative Uranus-Pluto transits. Perhaps we will herald a new era?

Since the Sun rules Hong Kong's sixth house which stands for "labour" and "public health", these two areas could face some challenges too.

Interestingly, Hong Kong is not the only place whose Sun will be affected by Uranus and Pluto next year - so will be Germany.

Located at 9°29' in Libra, Germany's Sun will be squared by transitting Pluto during February-June 2012, December 2012-February 2013 and June-December 2013, and it will be opposed by transitting Uranus in July 2012, March-May 2013 and October 2013-February 2014.

Since the Sun is Germany's chart ruler (i.e. rules the first house), these transits are highly likely to challenge and transform the country’s outlook on the outer world...

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A heated debate

They have finally made it! This week the two hot contenders for the Chief Executive post finally declared their candidacy.

I wrote in this blog in mid-September that Hong Kong, in addition to being affected by transitting Pluto which means "total transformation", is also having transitting Uranus which stands for the urge for greater freedom and social progress.

Transitting Uranus was or will conjunct Hong Kong’s Ascendant during May-September 2011, February-March 2012 and November 2012-January 2013. The planet has squared or will square the city's Midheaven in roughly similar periods: April-May 2011, August-October 2011 and January-March 2012.

Transitting Uranus could be experienced in two different ways: either it is felt to be a most disruptive time, with lots of sudden and unexpected turns of events, or it can be felt as a most liberating time, a time in which lots of changes are made, even though they were once thought to be impossible.

As to which effect will actually be felt depends entirely on how open people are to change and to trying out new things. The more closed-minded we are, the more disruptive we will feel process to be.

In the Chief Executive election, the two candidates will inevitably debate about housing. For those who have been following the news closely, it is not hard to notice that housing has been the central issue ever since Hong Kong’s handover 14 years ago. This is also reflected in the SAR's birth chart.

Hong Kong’s Sun is in Cancer in the fourth house which exactly stands for "home". The Sun represents the ego and the urge for recognition and achievement and being in Cancer means that Hong Kong's "ego" is expressed emotionally, relying on guts feelings rather than rational analysis. Once a threat is sensed, the old and familiar will become the shelter and no more risk will be taken. No wonder when property prices keep rising, there has almost been a unanimous call to re-build flats under the Home Ownership Scheme - the old and familiar track! You really don't see anybody putting forward any innovative solution which has also received popular support.

Another implication for the Sun being in the fourth house means, if the housing problem can be properly solved, there will also be a much greater sense of achievement in the community. Hope the person who is going to the next Chief Executive will get this point.

One interesting thing is, Hong Kong's Mercury is also in Cancer in the fourth house. This not only means most of Hong Kong’s intellect is applied to the housing issue, it also means that the way that the community thinks and analyses is highly emotion-driven and subjective. Some commentators have described this as the rise of "populism" in Hong Kong - astrologically speaking, this is not far off the mark…

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Back to basics

In considering a natal chart, most modern day Western astrologers will look at the signs and houses of 11 heavenly bodies and their aspects (i.e. their own interactions). Each heavenly body represents a psychological urge, need or capability:

Sun: Expression of the ego, the need for recognition

Moon: Emotional attachment, instinctive responses, the need to nurture or be nurtured

Mercury: The need to communicate, learn and exchange information

Venus: The need to love and be loved, to seek pleasure, to socialize

Mars: Self-assertion need, to compete, the sex drive

Jupiter: To expand, explore, seek new opportunities and growth, find faith and meaning

Saturn: To restrict, control, manage, set goals, defend

Uranus: To rebel, to be unconventional, to seek originality and total freedom

Neptune: To dream, redeem, dissolve boundaries, seek perfection

Pluto: To destroy and re-generate, expression of will power, to face the depths, to uncover

Chiron: To feel rejected or isolated, to get wounded early in life, to heal

A natal chart is also divided into 12 houses, with each standing for a different facet of that person's life.

In addition, astrologers pay particular attention to the starting points of the first, fourth, seventh and tenth houses. These four points are called the Ascendant, the Immu Coeli (IC), the Descendant and the Medium Coeli (the MC or "the Midheaven").

Since the number of variations from birth chart to birth chart is infinite, I think this exactly explains why modern, scientific psychology which often tends to conceptualize human behaviour or personality as falling under just a few categories cannot match astrology in its sophistication and insights. The more birth charts we study, the more we will be able to appreciate individual differences and understand why the saying "no two people are identical" is so true.

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Hong Kong's mid-term results

Now that November is just beginning, it is time to look back on what happened in September and October - the time when transitting Saturn was opposing Hong Kong's natal Saturn, showing us the results of our choices and performance in the last 14 years.

September and October were very eventful months. Major news included a former TV station news chief giving a fuller account of why a wrong report had been released. There were two judicial reviews of environmental impact assessment and foreign domestic helpers' right of abode, the resignations of two high-ranking public figures and their alleged or confirmed extra-marital affairs.

Last but not least, this two-month period ended with the conclusion of a drawn-out legal battle for a multi-billion dollar estate and the announcement of a university head that he would not extend his contract.

When transitting Saturn made an exact "hard" aspect (i.e. either a square or an opposition) to Hong Kong’s own Saturn last time, in July 2004 and March 2005, it was precisely the time that former Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food EK Yeoh and former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa stepped down. Exact to the month and year!

Saturn means responsibility and therefore, when transitting Saturn hits our Saturn, it is a time of "accountability". We are presented with the consequences of our choices and actions (including non-actions) since the last time Saturn in the sky made a hard aspect to our own Saturn.

Judging from the range of events that happened in September and October, the people called to account for their past actions were definitely far more varied than in 2004-2005. This was a warning for Hongkongers. We should not just sit there and complain, escape from problems or take shortcuts, otherwise we will be "punished" with negative outcomes when transitting Saturn makes a hard aspect again to our Saturn next time.

Since Saturn takes nearly 30 years to rotate back to a certain point, events happened in September and October were like showing us the results of our "mid-term exam", counting from the time when the Hong Kong SAR first started off 14 years ago. We will be able to see the results of the "final exam" of this 30-year cycle in April 2027 - the time when transitting Saturn returns to the same location when the SAR was born.  

Among the many events that happened in the last two months, the judgement of the judicial review of foreign domestic helpers' right of abode was the most controversial. Here we will not discuss the legal arguments or whether foreign domestic helpers should or should not have the right of abode. This policy has been in place for nearly 30 years, meaning that the Saturn of this policy, most likely than not, has also completed its 30-year cycle, and this right of abode case has highlighted a result of this policy.

What are the other results of this policy? Foreign domestic helpers have indirectly contributed to Hong Kong’s economic growth by helping a large number of women to stay in the labour force even after they have given birth. Many Hong Kong mothers no longer have to give up their jobs to bring up children, unlike their mothers or grandmothers in previous times.

The downside is more subtle, though. The availability of foreign domestic helpers has also indirectly given rise to one or two generations of Hong Kong children who are seen as less responsible, less self-motivating and less mature than the previous generations.

Moreover, because foreign domestic helpers can help taking children to different places after school, many middle-class parents enrol their children in all kinds of tuition or interests classes. Is it really necessary and beneficial for young children to learn all these after school, on top of all the pressure from homework, dictations, tests and exams?

I think these are issues that transitting Saturn has revealed about the policy - but sadly, these are seldom talked about.

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Born to be - the Moon sign

Try this out: if you think somebody is not very much like his/her Sun sign, ask what his/her Moon sign is (provided that the person knows). More often than not, you may find that his/her personality is far closer to the Moon sign.

Although the Sun sign is by far the most well-known and popular concept in astrology, the characteristics of one's Sun sign are not readily apparent unless s/he has put in efforts into developing them, especially for women, as the Sun represents a "masculine" energy (the "yang" principle as in the Chinese concept).

The Moon refers to a person's emotional style, the need for peace and quiet, nourishment and inner security. Its expression is inborn and instinctive for us. Since emotions are something subconscious, their origins, whys and wherefores cannot be easily analyzed. The Moon is therefore heavily influenced by the past and this explains why a person's emotional style is hard to alter.

Many astrologers would agree that together with the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon are the most important components in a birth chart. The ideal situation is, the hero (i.e. you) is able to head towards his destination (as represented by the Sun sign) along a specially carved-out path (as indicated by the Ascendant sign), supported by a sense of inner security (as shown by the Moon sign).

What if the Sun and the Moon conflict with each other? If you have a friend who is often enthusiastic about a new attempt (like going to a new restaurant for dinner, a new city for holiday, a new career possibility, etc) one minute, but suddenly becomes discouraged, anxious and hesitant the next, your friend could have a Sun-Moon hard aspect (like square and opposition).

The need to develop the self (the Sun) goes against the need for security (the Moon) for these people. They often experience an inner see-saw struggle and life seems to be like "one step forward, two steps backward" for them. Understandably this is not very pleasant, especially when they experience this on a daily basis.

However, if they become aware of this push-pull in themselves, they could consciously look for ways to honour both needs, rather than swinging from one end to the other without feeling any control. The important lesson for these individuals is, this inner struggle is only a process on the hero's journey and does not necessarily mean the hero will fail in his quest.

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Your radiant self - the Sun sign

People commonly assume that if someone was born on, say, January 1, then s/he must possess a number of characteristics typical of a Capricorn, like hard-working, pragmatic, conservative, etc.

However, our assumptions very often turn out to be wrong. When we get to know the person better, we may find that s/he couldn't have been more unlike a Capricorn. Why? Is astrology “useless” or “inaccurate”?

The truth is, the Sun sign describes our “latent” characteristics that can only be developed through conscious efforts, like a pine seed can only grow into a pine tree unless given sufficient sunlight, water and nutrients – but no matter how favourable the conditions are, there is no way a pine seed could become a willow tree, for instance.

Astrologers often compare the Sun sign to "a hero's journey". The sign represents our ultimate destination or ideal and this journey takes a lifetime to complete. If we put in efforts, we are forever "becoming" more and more like our Sun sign which shows what we were "programmed" to be, but nobody can ever claim, for example, that they are 100% Scorpio or 100% Gemini.

So what is the "ultimate destination" for each sign?

Aries: "Life is a fight", "To be first"

Taurus: "Simple is best", "Maintaining the status quo"

Gemini: "To be well-informed about everything, without delving into the depths"

Cancer: "Home sweet home", "To be nurturing"

Leo: "The world is a stage"

Virgo: "Pure service", "Perfecting the details"

Libra: "Balancing the scales", "To be fair and just"

Scorpio: "Giving up total control to make way for re-birth"

Sagittarius: "Life is an adventure", "Leap of faith"

Capricorn: "Respect authority and become an authority step by step"

Aquarius: "Promoting social progress"

Pisces: "The dreamer", "All is one"

While the Sun sign represents our destination, the Ascendant sign indicates the route we take to reach our destination. Take Steve Jobs as an example. His Sun is in Pisces and his Ascendant is in Virgo. To follow his dreams, he had to seek perfection and pay attention to details.

Developing both the Sun and Ascendant signs require efforts. So what is the inborn and instinctive part in our chart? The answer is - the Moon sign! We will talk about that later.

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More on the Ascendant - Steve Jobs

The founder and chairman of Apple, Steve Jobs, was famous for his perfectionism and was a super demanding boss. Does his birth chart indicate anything along this line?

Jobs' Ascendant is in Virgo - a "no surprise" for anyone acquainted with a basic knowledge of the 12 zodiac signs, as Virgo is best known exactly for its pickiness and attention to details. His chart ruler, Mercury, which is the ruling planet of Virgo, tells us more about how he sought perfection.

Jobs' Mercury is in Aquarius in the fifth house. This shows he mostly sought perfection in his creative expression, either in his own children or his "brain children" like his creative products.

Aquarius, known for its avant-garde tendency and innovative streak, is very idealistic and insistent on its principles. It often measures the current situation against some pre-conceived ideal about how something "should be". No wonder it usually finds the current situation totally inadequate and needs constant improvement!

Meanwhile, Jobs' Mercury squares Saturn in the third house. This further indicates that he was rather unwilling to follow or accept other people's views. However, anyone having a Mercury-Saturn aspect also has the potential to study hard on his/her own and to eventually develop some unique insights into a certain subject, becoming an authority in his/her chosen field. This is no doubt true in Jobs' case.

Another thing is, his Mercury is trine his Mid-heaven in Gemini which is also ruled by Mercury. This means his intellectual ability and ideas, rather than, say, social network or family support, had facilitated him a great deal in his public image and getting him "a place in the sun" - and certainly he had earned himself a place in history too.

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The Descendant – Your other half

The Ascendant, which marks the beginning of the first house, describes the way we approach the world. Opposing the Ascendant direct is the Descendant which marks the start-off point of the seventh house. It indicates how we approach one-to-one relationships.

“One-to-one relationships” include our spouse, boy/girlfriend, business partner, contractual relations and any advisory scenario (e.g. when consulting or acting as a lawyer, doctor, psychotherapist) in which there are only one other person and ourselves. Competitors and even enemies, imagined or otherwise, are also included.

The Ascendant and the Descendant forms an axis in our birth chart. The signs they are in show the two faces of the same coin, and the 12 zodiac signs can be divided into six pairs: Aries-Libra, Taurus-Scorpio, Gemini-Sagittarius, Cancer-Capricorn, Leo-Aquarius and Virgo-Pisces. If your Ascendant is in a sign in a certain pair, then your Descendant will be in the other sign in the same pair.

However, the problem is, we often identify more strongly with one sign than the other, and that is usually our Ascendant sign. That is how problems often arise with our partner, as represented by our Descendant sign. That explains why our partner so often feels like “the complete opposite” to us.

For example, if your Ascendant is in Cancer, you tend to approach the world according to feelings and are keen on building emotional connections with others, but you may feel hurt by your “other half” who just seems to be somewhat cold and unsympathetic (Capricorn).

If your Ascendant sign is in Sagittarius, you tend to approach life according to the “big picture” and you often feel annoyed with your partner who seems to focus on the “nitty-gritty” details only.

The challenge is to acknowledge both and to strike a balance, rather than to identify so strongly with one sign (the Ascendant) that the other side is completely ignored and projected (attributed) to our partner.

For instance, if your Ascendant is in Virgo (and so your Descendant is in Pisces), your challenge is to honour the need to “go with the flow” rather than analyzing everything according to some pre-conceived notion or examining every single detail meticulously.

If you could handle the challenge, you may begin to appreciate more of your partner who used to seem so disorganized to you, or better still, you may realize s/he is not as impractical as you thought! This is because, congratulations, you have at last stopped projecting the Pisces characteristics which you used to ignore in yourself to your partner! And you will begin to appreciate him/her as a person more.

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The Ascendant - The dominant view

The Ascendant is the intersection point between the eastern horizon and the ecliptic when a person is born at a certain time and at a certain place. It is a very important point in the birth chart because the zodiac sign the Ascendant is in shows how a person approaches the external world.

It is the filtering lenses through which he or she sees the world and so it also defines how the world looks to him or her. If the lenses are “blue”, then the entire world will seem “blue” too.

The 12 zodiac signs can be divided into four types - earth, air, water and fire - each indicating a different approach.

The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. These are the solid, conservative and pragmatic kind. The air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, characterized by an objective, analytical, “thinking” approach.

The water signs, the “feeling” type, are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. These are subjective and instinctual. The fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. These are the “intuitive” type, characterized by high spirits, warmth and self-expressiveness.

It is exactly because of how we look at the world that creates what options SEEM to be available to us, for another set of options could seem very feasible to another person who adopts an entirely different outlook on life.

If your Ascendant is in an earth sign, this shows you tend to be very pragmatic. Practical considerations will also seem to be more pressing and therefore often take precedence. For example, in choosing your major in university, you may pick something, say, that will help you get a good job after graduation, even if you are not terribly interested in the subject. However, this would be rather inconceivable for the fiery type who takes interests and self-actualization more to heart.

In close relationships there are often arguments like “why are you always like this?” or “why can’t you be more (an adjective)?”. The source of the conflicts often lies in a fundamental difference in the outlook on life, but the worst part is, often we do not even know (at least, not to the extent that it can be articulated) what our outlook is like! We just feel bothered by the other person’s views or behaviour.

But if we understand more about our and the other person’s Ascendant signs, we could find it easier to develop a greater acceptance, rather than trying to change him or her. After all, everyone can only live his or her own chart and cannot swap certain parts of it with somebody else!

Note: The above is just a simplification for illustration’s purpose because people’s birth charts are always complex. Their whole personality and behavioural patterns cannot be determined from the Ascendant sign alone.

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A relentless force for change

Although differences in opinion have always been a facet of Hong Kong’s society, most people would agree that the ferocity of the debates has been escalating. The use of increasingly confrontational means has also become more common.

This isn’t much of a surprise if we take a closer look at the transits that Hong Kong is undergoing. Transitting Pluto has been squaring Hong Kong’s natal Mars since January 2010 and will not end until November this year. The most intense periods were/are: January-June 2010, November 2010-January 2011 and June-November 2011.

This reflects a highly tense situation. For those who follow Hong Kong’s news closely, I’m sure they could easily recall what controversies were triggered off in the community at those times.

Pluto means “total transformation” and cutting out what no longer serves growth. It is a most relentless force and will stop at nothing. What needs to be changed, must be changed. If you refuse, it will only make the process more painful.

Meanwhile, Mars represents anger, fighting instincts and aggression. When that is touched off by a planet as uncompromising as Pluto, the situation could be pretty “explosive” indeed.

Mars - Hong Kong's chart ruler

Whenever a transitting planet is influencing your natal planets, the best way to handle it is to learn the lesson that the transitting planet is “teaching”.

As mentioned elsewhere in this blog, the fact that Mars is placed in the seventh house in Hong Kong’s chart indicates that we often project our own competitive advantage to our rival cities. During Pluto’s transit to Hong Kong’s natal Mars which also happens to be the city’s chart ruler, we are called on a collective level to transform our fighting instincts, reclaim our own power and competitiveness. If we can do it, we will be able to face the world more confidently and courageously.

The series of controversies that Hong Kong has been going through is not indicated by transitting Pluto only. It is also represented by transitting Uranus which urges for greater freedom and social progress. More about that later.

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How we have made choices

Transiting Saturn is also affecting Hong Kong this year, since it is opposing Hong Kong’s natal Saturn and the most exact time will be around September and October this year.

Whenever transiting Saturn is making a “hard” aspect (conjunction, square or opposition) to our natal Saturn, how we have handled our responsibility is being checked. If we have indeed made the required efforts and taken up our own responsibility, we will be awarded; otherwise, what we have built up in the area indicated by our natal Saturn may collapse completely.

As every Hongkonger knows, the SAR was “born” at midnight, July 1, 1997. Saturn is in Aries in the first house.

Saturn in the first house usually means that the individual feels inadequate in dealing with the outside world, often comparing himself/herself unfavourably with others. This is indicated by the fact that Hong Kong, since the handover, has constantly compared itself to many other cities and feared it is lagging behind – Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau – you name it.

The key to resolve this is to realize choices are always available. Our identity is our own responsibility. We are victims of circumstances only if we allow ourselves to be. As discussed last time, if you feel dissatisfied about something, do something positive and concrete about it, rather than sit there and complain – because THAT in itself is already a choice! If you have chosen not to do anything, you are not even entitled to complain.

The Hong Kong SAR celebrates its 14^th anniversary this year. It is like a 14-year-old learning to take up responsibility. As indicated by transiting Saturn opposing Hong Kong’s natal Saturn, the city will see for itself the consequences of the choices made in the last 14 years in September-October this year. Let’s see...

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Saturn – From doubts to ambitions

Quite a number of people that I know are undergoing the transiting Saturn squaring their natal Saturn. Depending on the house and aspects of their natal Saturn, they may experience different degrees of difficulty in different areas of life. Some may run into obstacles in their work, some may have difficulties with their colleagues, some may feel not up to the hard task of raising their children…

Saturn in a birth chart refers to where we need to work hard if any concrete result is to be achieved. It is certainly not where we can relax or take short cuts. If we have disciplined ourselves and taken responsibility for our choices, the results we obtain will also give deep satisfaction and security.

However, during the first half our lives at least, we tend to lack confidence in the area indicated by Saturn. We either deny we want to achieve anything at all in that area, or we rely on some external source to give the “vindication” that we feel lacking inside.

As time goes by, by being willing to take up responsibility and work hard, we will gradually develop confidence in the area indicated by Saturn and become our own source of authority, rather than hanging on some external “vindication”.

Saturn means “a feeling of inadequacy”. It is only a feeling, not an objective fact. To overcome this requires a realization that we all have choices and we need to be responsible for our choice. Even sitting there and doing nothing is already a choice.

For example, if you are always complaining about your job, your boss, your colleagues, why don’t you quit and find another job? And of course, if you quit, you will need to be prepared to face any possible consequence – but if you aren’t, then you will realize you do not even have the right to complain. Eventually you may either accept your situation or improve your qualifications to find a better option elsewhere.

That is why Saturn is always a hard taskmaster and reality check. It tests our strength and makes us face our doubts. If anything needs to be done to improve the situation, it will also be the chief driving force. No wonder it is often called "the planet of ambitions" too.

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What's astrology?

Many people think astrology is about superstitions or forecasts - it is wrong. Modern western astrology is very much about helping people to understand themselves and is therefore an extremely valuable counselling tool.

One thing I have learned from my astrology studies is - our mind plays a determining role in what we encounter in the outer world.

However, unless for the truly enlightened ones which are few in number, most of us are only fully conscious of a tiny part of ourselves, and these unconscious parts often come back to us via the situations we find ourselves in or the people we meet. It is as if destiny, God, karma or the unconscious (the name depends on your religious/scientific views) were forcing us to face these unknown parts of ourselves.

For example, if a very competitive individual who, because of various reasons like the need for security or a feeling of inadequacy, has settled for a rather boring and routine job, he may often run into aggressive colleagues, causing some real stress for him. This is where astrology really helps. By looking at the birth chart, a professional astrologer can help the individual understand the root of the problem and better still, to see his relationship with his colleagues in an entirely different light: the aggressive colleagues that he meets are a reflection of his inner competitiveness which is crying out to be acknowledged. The person may then consciously find an outlet through which he can use his competitive energies more constructively. For instance, he could change field and become a salesman instead - a job that calls for tremendous drive and energy.

This explains why if we understand ourselves better, we will feel more empowered and in greater control of our lives - because, as mentioned, our mind creates our outer reality. Once this is understood, forecasts or fortune-telling will not appear as meaningful as believed to be.

To learn more, please go to: -

Astro Pastures website - http://www.astropastures.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/astropastures