Dealing with negative planetary positions and aspects

While reading the posts on this message board, it seems a lot of people worry about certain planetary positions and aspects. Like their life seems somehow "fated" because their Neptune is doing this and their Pluto is behaving like that. Although I don't believe in fate myself, I still believe that an astrological chart can give a good impression of someone's personality, traits, flaws and talents.

I'm newer to astrology than I am to life. So I already knew I had a problem with aggression and attracting aggressive people, before I saw the same thing happening in my natal chart. And that I could get stuck and frustrated while communicating before I knew what my Saturn was doing in Gemini. Since I'm into astrology I understand myself a lot better. Understanding is one thing, but what about dealing with it? How to deal with all the (negative) martian and plutonian energy in my chart? How to deal with a stern Saturn and the weird uranian stuff in my life?

Because knowing ourselves -and astrology can help with that- is only a start. The next step is: dealing with it, healing it, accepting it. I wonder how you guys (and girls ) are doing that. I bet there aren't any instant solutions that work for everyone. Do you for instance blame your drinking habits on Neputune or do you do something about it? And can we also find a solution within our own charts to deal with certain problems?

My astrology teacher said about my amount of negative martian energy: be active, get physical, get into sports, find a healthy way to release all the negative energy. And although I'm pretty active, in my way, I'm still explosive as a fire cracker I'm still finding a way to find good outlets and to get more balanced, but it ain't easy. That's why I'm curious about the experiences of others who know where they are stuck in their charts and their lives, and how they try to handle that.

Thanks in advance for sharing

Hi FlyAway,
In studying astrology have you gone into the psychological aspect yet?
The WHY of everything? E.g. WHY a person attracts agression, WHY (s)he becomes addictive, WHY there's no self-confidence, WHY frustration takes such a hold, etc. ? There's too often a cause outside one's self that produces the effect in or upon one's self ( called projection) that simply has to be turned around to produce the positive effect of any planetary combination. A person can be as active, physical and sporty as anything to get Mars working 'positively', but without finding and dealing with WHY the 'lack of will' is so strong, Mars' self-assertion won't ever be found as it should be.

F.

psychology, to FlyAway

FlyAway,

If you want to study psychological astrology, the Sasportas-Greene series is a good place to begin:
http://www.geocities.com/wilsontctc/Author_list.htm

Recommending,

Tim

The reason why I am interested in astrology, is because I'm interested in psychology. I know the psychological WHY of some issues in my life, but I haven't been to the core yet of the astrological WHY I started wondering about this when my astrology teacher came with instant solutions for conflicting aspects. He says things like: a saturnal conflict needs a saturnal approach, a martian conflict needs a martian approach. I've been experimenting with this idea, but it doesn't work for me. Although it made me realize that more physical exercise is healthy for me, but it doesn't transform all the negative energy.

I think one needs a lot of psychological and astrological insight to understand what is going on in a chart and in someone's personal life. And how to handle conflicts in a way that might work. I'm too much a beginner yet to see the overall picture and to see solutions, but it's at least something I want to take a closer look at.

And thanks for the link, Wilson

In short, I've learned to work WITH my energies, not fight against them.

astrological approach, to Fly

Fly,

You said:

...astrology teacher came with instant solutions...a saturnal conflict needs a saturnal approach, a martian conflict needs a martian approach

Click to expand...

Let's follow this idea out. A Saturn conflict is a restrictive conflict. So if a Saturnal person approaches the solution in a "Saturnal" way, they tend to restrict their options more and more and more.

A Martial conflict is an anger issue. So if a Martial person approaches everything in a "Martial" way, they tend to yell at and get angry with everyone around them.

Instead, I suggest that the conflict is caused by focusing too much on ONE way to approach issues. A Saturnal person needs to open up. A Martial person needs to develop a more peaceful approach. Astrology can help us understand this, once we realize the solution to planetary issues is to "balance out the conflict" by using the focus of the house OPPOSITE the issue in conflict.

For example, Saturn rules the 10th house. So the solution to Saturn conflicts is in the 4th house (opposite the 10th house). The 4th house is about nurturing. So Saturn problems are solved by developing nurturing abilities. Another example, Mars rules the 1rst house. So the soulution to a Mars problem is the 7th house (opposite the 1rst house). The 7th house is about relationships. So Martial problems are solved by developing relationships with other people.

Keeping it simple,

Tim

How many astrological articles have we read that simply describe potential imbalances within a natal chart without suggesting any means to correct them? Or, if so, how many of us have skipped over a few paragraphs of well-meaning advice not wanting to be lectured at? I know I have!

This is such a wonderful, practical idea for a topic that I am almost jealous for not introducing it myself, but there we go--my first house Aries stellium desires to be the pioneer and the harbinger of ideas, and my tenth house Capricorn stellium insists on doing all of the work in group projects and assignments. I have committed all of the negative aspects of my natal chart to memory, including the various traits and idiosyncrasies that can be associated with each, but I remain very much the same independent, forceful, and extremely hard-working young woman who is prone to anxiety and burnout. I struggle with my own self-worth and perceived sense of purpose, I grapple with exaggerated emotions, and I never seem to able to project any other aspect of who I am to the world. I appear to delight reading about and describing these character faults, subconsciously always looking for proof in my natal chart that I am a truly a maverick, unable to associate well with others my age. Sometimes I believe this is simply the effect of our society on astrology, which attempts to convince us that there is something wrong with us so we can buy the appropriate self-help book or even medication to fix it. Yet as each natal chart is unique, and many of us have spent an inordinate amount of time familiarizing ourselves with our energetic blueprint, it is easy to forget that we are so much more than planetary positions and aspects. We are the energy, the life force that propels the chart; we are the individual, not the chart. Yet with this said, astrology can be a very insightful tool for us to learn about ourselves and others.

Many articles I have come by suggest that if an individual has a particular sign or planetary bias, they should attempt adopt the energies of the opposite planetary or sign archetype into their character and behavior to strike balance. Although I have heard and read this astrological advice again and again, and I am sure the reasoning is sound, this method has never worked for me because I feel like I am not being true to myself or my own energies somehow aren't good enough for me to display to the world; I must modify them in some way. However, I believe it is inherent in all signs and planets both good qualities and bad, and for each weakness suggested by an astrological chart, therein lies the strength as well. In other words, we are never given a problem without simultaneously being provided with the solution that will set us free; this is simply the nature of duality.

I must leave again for school, but there is likely more rambling to come...

Arian Maverick

wow it's been some time..

just to add an idea.. i've no time now to write so you should elaborate without me..

at the moment i'm trying this:

what if it's better to let all planets be what they are.. frastration might go away, at least for a while, then the other 'good' energies begin to flow and balance, or cancel each other out... sometimes i think that yes, maybe there is harmony in our lives. maybe the other bad aspects can act as a certain self defence for what you have in life or in your chart.

Sagmoon...

Re: astrological approach, to Fly

Thanks for the input everyone

I find astrology a very handy tool, it helps a lot to see the overall picture and to get to the core of certain issues. But what's the use of seeing the problem if you don't know how to handle it? Astrology helps us to know and to understand ourselves. Understanding can lead to insight, to solutions and to acceptance and hopefully to healing or transforming the problem. That's how I would like to use astrology one day.

I think that acceptance is a good start. I know for instance that I have a problem with aggression and violence because of some experiences in my childhood. And because I never found a healthy outlet for the frustrations within myself. I was (and I still am) working on that. Being aware of a problem reduces at least some of the stress. But I won't recommend fighting it or ignoring it, especially not if Mars is involved, because that turns you into a time bomb that can explode every minute

wilsontc said:

Fly,

You said:
Let's follow this idea out. A Saturn conflict is a restrictive conflict. So if a Saturnal person approaches the solution in a "Saturnal" way, they tend to restrict their options more and more and more.

A Martial conflict is an anger issue. So if a Martial person approaches everything in a "Martial" way, they tend to yell at and get angry with everyone around them.

Instead, I suggest that the conflict is caused by focusing too much on ONE way to approach issues. A Saturnal person needs to open up. A Martial person needs to develop a more peaceful approach. Astrology can help us understand this, once we realize the solution to planetary issues is to "balance out the conflict" by using the focus of the house OPPOSITE the issue in conflict.

For example, Saturn rules the 10th house. So the solution to Saturn conflicts is in the 4th house (opposite the 10th house). The 4th house is about nurturing. So Saturn problems are solved by developing nurturing abilities. Another example, Mars rules the 1rst house. So the soulution to a Mars problem is the 7th house (opposite the 1rst house). The 7th house is about relationships. So Martial problems are solved by developing relationships with other people.

Keeping it simple,

Tim

Click to expand...

Hello Tim, I wish I'd better illustrated what my astro teacher actually means. Let's say Saturn in my 7th house restricts my relationships, in that case I should use the positive qualities of Saturn to understand the problem better and to find a way to handle it. In this case I could try to take relationships more seriously or I could try a more thoroughly approach to understand my problems within relationships.

The same thing with Mars, of course I could act out all my aggression as the dark side of Mars would love to, but that wouldn't be very beneficial. Since Mars also has positive qualities, like taking the initiative, getting things done or any physical excercise, especially sports or any hard labor. This are excellent ways to let off steam, that's at least what my teacher says. But that doesn't soften my martial energy enough.

I like to take a look at your approach as well, although I wonder what happens if an angry martial person gets into a relationship with someone else, without being able to handle his anger. It is a great idea to try to get in touch with the energies of Venus within ourselves, but not without facing the difficulties of Mars as well.

And another interesting question is of course which approach really works, perhaps the astrological approach can point us the at right direction, but I rather use my common sense and my own psychological insights when I put things into practice. The most important thing for me is that it works and that I get more balanced.

balance, to Fly

Fly,

You said:

The most important thing for me is that it works and that I get more balanced.

Click to expand...

We're saying the same thing. It's just you use ONE sentence to say it...and I use...a few MORE than one sentences!

Agreeing,

Tim