• CHAPTER TEN •
So far you’ve learned about the wide variety of predictive techniques used by astrologers. As you gain experience, you’ll develop favorites, the ones that work best for you. Some astrologers use two or three regularly and others when they need confirmation or want to delve more deeply into an anticipated situation or event. Almost every astrologer begins with the progressions and/or solar arcs and the transits. These are the nuts and bolts of predictive astrology. Solar returns are also very popular tools.
In this chapter, we’ll look at how all of the techniques were valid for one person’s chart. You will see how the energy gained momentum over a period of about a year until it culminated with a major career change. Remember that the planets are in constant motion, and people rarely, if ever, make major life changes in an instant. There is always a period of planetary, and real life, influences that build up to the point where a decision is made and the event happens.
Dave had a successful retail career as an executive with a major department store chain. In his position as an area sales manager, he had responsibility for a number of stores and was recognized by management as a master troubleshooter. During the year when he was considering a career change, another major department store chain was courting him, hoping to recruit him with the promise of a higher position and a twenty percent raise. But Dave had other ideas. He wanted to open his own metaphysical store.
With a fixed sign Sun, Moon, and Ascendant, change does not come easily to him. And with Scorpio rising and a Venus-Mars conjunction in Cancer in the eighth house, financial security is high on his life priority list. The thought of giving up a steady paycheck and benefits, including a nice 401K plan, was a major struggle for him.
So it is no surprise that he began slowly, hanging on to his day job while beginning to buy inventory. For about six months, he opened his store on his days off and went to work on the other days. Dave said he knew intuitively that he would eventually take the plunge, quit his job, and go full-time with the new store. But he wasn’t ready to do that before testing the waters and considerably raising his comfort level with the idea.
January 9, 2001, brought a lunar eclipse at 19 Cancer 39 in Dave’s eighth house that was sextile the progressed Sun and semisquare progressed Mercury and the natal Midheaven.
It was not until the end of February, however, when prompted by the New Moon in opposition to his natal Midheaven that Dave began shopping and ordering stock. That New Moon (in addition to the eclipse) was the trigger that set an important progression in action.
Progressed Mercury (Chart 49) was approaching a conjunction with his natal Midheaven. This was not only a once-in-a-lifetime aspect but it was his Midheaven ruler that was forming the aspect and waving a banner with the words “career change” on it.
Also in February, his progressed Sun in the tenth house was square his progressed Ascendant, which was another indicator for a potential change. He (Ascendant and Sun) wanted something new in his career life (Sun in the tenth). Another career influence was the progressed Moon approaching a square to the natal Midheaven and a trine to progressed Venus, as the progressed Sun was semisquare progressed Venus. Venus rules his seventh house of relationships, and his partner Ray was urging him to make the change.
The transits were equally revealing, and also reflect the stress he was under, being pulled in two directions between safety and security and an entrepreneurial venture. Transiting Uranus was approaching a square to his Ascendant (personal change) and would perfect that aspect when it stationed retrograde there at the end of May. Jupiter was approaching a square to the natal Midheaven, close enough with the added energy of the February New Moon to push him to take the chance to begin buying stock for the store (Jupiter rules his second house). Ray’s influence can also be seen in transiting Saturn in the seventh house forming a conjunction with progressed Jupiter, and a sesquisquare with the progressed Midheaven.
Mercury was also active in the solar arc chart, with transiting Pluto sextile solar arc Mercury, and solar arc Moon was in his tenth house, just separating from a conjunction to the Midheaven (he’d been thinking about this idea for quite a while). Solar arc Jupiter, ruler of the second house and in the ninth, was semisquare natal Sun in the ninth (he had to handle the various legal matters associated with establishing a business). Ray’s encouragement was also active in Dave’s solar arc chart, with solar arc Saturn semisquare/sesquisquare to natal Descendant/Jupiter (conjunction)-Ascendant, and transiting Neptune opposition solar arc Venus. He knew Ray was right, but it was difficult to have that much faith in the potential success of such a major new endeavor.
Innermost wheel: Birth Chart / August 6, 1964 / 1:56 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Middle inner wheel: Secondary Progressed Naibod in Long / February 26, 2001 / 12:11:40 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Middle outer wheel: Directed Solar Arc / February 26, 2001 / 12:11:40 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Outermost wheel: New Endeavor / February 26, 2001 / 12:00 pm MST / Phoenix, Arizona
Placidus House
Solar Return / August 6, 2000 / 6:42:19 am MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Lunar Return / February 6, 2001 / 8:00:34 pm MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Mars Return / June 23, 2000 / 7:39:57 am MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Jupiter Return / June 1, 2000 / 6:18:38 pm MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Solar Return / August 6, 2001 / 12:31:24 pm MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
The solar return chart (Chart 50) in effect from August 6, 2000 to August 5, 2001, is blatant in its message of a job/career change. Venus, ruler of the solar return Midheaven, was at 29 Leo 48 square Saturn (sixth house ruler) in the tenth house at 29 Taurus 47. The twenty-ninth is a degree of completion. Uranus in the sixth house was square the Midheaven, and Neptune, also in the sixth was trine Jupiter in the tenth (faith and optimism). The potential for change is also seen in Uranus in the sixth opposition the Sun in the twelfth (set me free from this day job!).
February’s lunar return (Chart 51) has the same message regarding job/career with three planets in the sixth house, including Sun conjunct Uranus (change, and ruler of the sixth house) and Mercury, ruler of the Midheaven. Interestingly, Mercury in this chart is at 29 Aquarius 50 (completion) and retrograde, so he wasn’t quite ready to make that job change. However, Pluto opposition the Midheaven was urging him to do just that, and in a big way, as was Mars square the sixth house planets.
Ray’s influence is also apparent in the lunar return with the Moon sextile Jupiter (co-ruler of the seventh house) and trine Venus in the seventh house and opposition Neptune (ruler of the seventh house), which was sextile Venus. Even if Dave was unsure about the new endeavor, his partner wasn’t, as can be interpreted from this multi-planet configuration.
Dave’s desire to move on can even be seen in the Mars return (Chart 52), which occurred about six months prior to February. In this chart, the Sun (Ascendant ruler) is conjunct Mars (Midheaven ruler), and Venus. The twelfth house position can be interpreted as the germination of the idea, especially because Mercury was also in the twelfth. Note that Mercury is also retrograde in this chart, just as it was in the lunar return chart (Chart 51). The Ascendant, ruled by the Sun, is in the first degree, representing the new direction he was considering. Saturn, ruler of the sixth house, is in the tenth conjunct Jupiter in the eleventh of goals. He was optimistic that there was a better career avenue for him.
The Jupiter return (Chart 53) emphasizes completion with its 27 Scorpio 09 Ascendant. Here, too, the sixth and seventh house are highlighted, with a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in the sixth, and four planets in the seventh, three of which are square the Midheaven. Ray was a supporter even at this point (the previous June), encouraging Dave to follow his dream, as indicated by the trines from the seventh house planets to Uranus and Neptune in the third. But Ray also had his work cut out for him, because Pluto (ruler of the first house, and in that house, Dave) was opposition three of the seventh house planets and, of course, square the Midheaven.
Months passed, and Dave’s stress level continued to rise, both because he wanted out of his job and because he was trying to manage his job and the new endeavor. Two eclipses in 2001, one in June and one in July, helped move him closer to quitting his job. The June 21 solar eclipse at 00 Cancer 10 was conjunct his natal Venus-Mars conjunction in the eighth house and trine natal and progressed Saturn, which are opposition the natal Midheaven. This was followed by a lunar eclipse on July 5 at 13 Capricorn 39 in the second house trine natal Uranus conjunct Mercury and Pluto in the tenth house and sextile natal and progressed Neptune in the twelfth (lingering doubts about the career change). And of course progressed Mercury continued to move closer to his natal Midheaven.
August 2001 brought three return charts—solar, Mercury, and Venus—plus the lunar return. As would be expected, all of them delivered the same message.
The August 6 solar return chart (Chart 54) has the Sun and Mercury conjunct the Midheaven and trine a Mars-Pluto conjunction in the second house of money (Sun rules the solar return Midheaven, Mercury rules the natal Midheaven, Mars rules the solar return sixth house, and Pluto rules the solar return Ascendant). Saturn in the eighth house is sextile the Midheaven, and there is also a fortunate Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the eighth house. This chart is very promising for a successful and lucrative new business, but with the Moon square Saturn, he was still worrying about money.
The August 20 Mercury return chart (Chart 55) has late degrees on the Ascendant and Midheaven, with the Sun also in a late degree sextile the Midheaven, indicating completion (remember that Mercury rules his natal Midheaven and his natal Sun is in Leo). Uranus is trine the Midheaven (positive career change), and benefics Venus and Jupiter are in the tenth house, adding their blessing to a career change. Mercury is sextile Jupiter, and the Moon is sextile Venus. But this chart also shows worry with the Moon and Mercury square Saturn.
The financial concern is clearly seen in the August 2 Venus return chart (Chart 56), which is especially fitting because Venus is a natural money planet. The Sun-Mercury conjunction in the second house is opposition Neptune in the eighth (fear that he would lose it all). But this chart also has a balancing and encouraging factor: a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the twelfth house, which is a protective influence (Jupiter rules the sixth and co-rules the tenth). The Moon in the seventh sextile the Midheaven represents Ray’s encouragement. The Mars-Pluto conjunction in the sixth with Mars square the Midheaven says it all about his job: enough is enough, I’m out of here!
The August 17 lunar return chart (Chart 57) for this period has Neptune square the Midheaven, so Dave was still questioning whether quitting the job was the right move. This Neptune aspect also represents his career vision, which he certainly could achieve as indicated by the positive aspects in this chart: Jupiter in the eleventh house of goals sextile the Midheaven, Mercury in the first house trine the Midheaven, and Saturn (sixth house ruler) in the eleventh sextile the Ascendant. This is an important lunar return chart for another reason: the lunar return Ascendant is the same as his natal Ascendant.
By September 2001, Dave had had enough, and despite his financial security fears, decided it was time to make the break. The Full Moon of September 2 at 10 Pisces 28 opposition his natal tenth house stellium was the turning point.
He resigned on September 11 (Chart 58), with a transiting Saturn-Pluto opposition square the tenth house planets and trine/sextile his progressed Midheaven. This is not the sort of aspect one would consider favorable for a career/job change, which is why it’s important to look at the entire chart and all the influences in effect. Consider this: he has lived his entire life with the ambitious Saturn-Midheaven-Uranus alignment, and Pluto is part of the tenth house stellium, so this was familiar energy to him. Only because he was finally pushed to his limits, and with adequate time to get somewhat comfortable with the idea, did he put his fixed sign planets in the background as a trade-off for further career achievement. This is reinforced by the progressed Moon (feelings) trine progressed Uranus and natal Mercury in the tenth, and progressed/solar arc Sun in the tenth square his progressed Ascendant.
Of particular interest on the resignation date is that transiting Uranus was at the same degree as it had been in February. In between, it was square his Ascendant-Descendant, so Ray certainly promoted the idea of change. Transiting Jupiter was semisquare natal Jupiter in the seventh house, indicating both Ray’s support and the good terms under which he left his job (he was told he could return to the company at any time).
In the September 11 solar arc chart (Chart 58), transiting Jupiter is square the Midheaven, and the transiting Saturn-Pluto opposition is trine/sextile the same angle. The Jupiter aspect indicates that he was still somewhat relying on faith, as does transiting Neptune opposition solar arc Venus.
The September 11 diurnal chart (Chart 59) is stunning, even to an astrologer, with a Mercury-Midheaven conjunction that is trine to Saturn in the sixth. Definitely a favorable day to announce a resignation. This chart also has the Sun square the diurnal Ascendant, which is conjunct his progressed Ascendant. Venus is trine Pluto, with both sextile the Midheaven, ruled by Venus.
These charts have a unified message: career/ job change, partner’s support, and stress and concern about financial security. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and this was proven true. Dave’s store is tremendously successful and profitable. After a few years the store was doing so well that Ray was able to resign his day job and the store was moved to a larger and more upscale location.
Mercury Return / August 20, 2001 / 8:18:18 am MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Venus Return / August 2, 2001 / 3:13:19 am MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Lunar Return / August 17, 2001 / 5:07:14 am MST / Phoenix, Arizona / Placidus House
Innermost wheel: Birth Chart / August 6, 1964 / 1:56 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Middle inner wheel: Secondary Progressed Naibod in Long / September 11, 2001 / 1:21:44 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Middle outer wheel: Directed Solar Arc / September 11, 2001 / 1:21:44 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah
Outermost wheel: Resigned Job / September 11, 2001 / 12:00 pm MST / Phoenix, Arizona
Placidus House
Diurnal Chart / September 11, 2001 / 1:56 pm MST / Salt Lake City, Utah / Placidus House