Personality and natal chart

I don't get it. OP seems to think "personality" and "effects of trauma" are like cats and dogs, distinct and separate. They are not.

Personality includes the effects of whatever we experience. The effects of the trauma have been incorporated into the personality.

Horoscopes show these traumatic events. They are part and parcel of the thread of personal destiny, not attacks by aliens from another dimension.

I fall from a cliff,shatter my leg, and become a one-legged man. I think my best course is to accept the reality of my present situation and proceed from there...not curse the cliff.

clip11 said:

In my chart a lot of the placements predict my personality. Or so i thought.

I suffered what would be called developmental trauma likely due to having suffered a premature induced birth which i took 12 hours to be born and then suffering a dangerously high fever which left me hospitalized in NICU for a week. This was the first 2 weeks of my life.

Now as i learn more about developmental trauma i found that what i thought was my personality a lot of it are just the psychological symptoms of trauma. For example certain placements in my chart like saturn in the 3rd would indicate introversion and excessive introversion especially when one wants to be otherwise can be a symptom of developmental trauma. Or i have saturn square my ascendant a placement that can indicate low self esteem. But low self esteem is another mental symptom of developmental trauma. I have my mars in pisces and a lot of the negatives of that placement would be considered mental symptoms of developmental trauma.

I know that had i not suffered developmental trauma and got to have normal psychological development i likely would be more outgoing and have high self esteem. So i dont consider trauma symptoms to be my true personality.

So when i look at my chart how can i decipher what its telling me about my true personality and the parts that have been infected by trauma?

I cant post my chart from this phone but any insight would be helpful.

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Hi clip11,

I've experienced what my former therapist described as developmental or complex trauma. It wasn't really due to birthing difficulties, but more so a violent home life, etc. I won't bore you with the details.

Anyway, you seem to be asking who you would be without the traumatic experiences, right? I don't think that's a helpful way to look at yourself and from what I believe about astrology, the natal chart couldn't tell you that. I'm more of the opinion that natal charts encompass you, inclusive of life experiences. I think that's why people look at transits and stuff for predictions and events.

That being said, looking to the natal chart won't tell you who you'd be without any experiences at all. It won't tell you who you'd be with different life experiences. That would totally undermine astrology as a whole, right?

As a person who's experienced trauma and was labelled informally with c-ptsd, I tend to think of myself now more holistically, though there's still a long ways to go. The more I attempted to fragment myself from my very real and very painful experiences and reactions, the more intense and overwhelming life became. It's not that 'trauma symptoms' define you. Not at all imo. Your experiences are part of you, but you can always evolve and live your life and find closure with yourself.

I think as I recognize my need for self-acceptance more and attempt to internalize that need more deeply, the what-ifs become less haunting and I can move on with my life and feel positive. I wonder if it's similar for you?

-Kat

I have had the opportunity just one time to have an eyewitness at a birth.

In theory the birth chart, specifically the Ascendant, should depict the actual conditions at birth. But we are rarely in a position to know what those conditions were.

In the case here the baby was nearly strangled by the umbilical, but was born without damage. Pluto rising, lord of the Asc, opposed Mercury in Gemini (Air) in the 8th very closely. Death in old age will be by "suffocation". History will repeat itself, and the principal aspect is appropriate to such a prediction.

I mention this to point out that traumatic events at birth are shown in the chart.

I don't think we will find any examples of "astrology doesn't work in the event of birth trauma".

Clip: Balance the view of your chart from a traumatic perspective to its strengths. I actually believe using that Sun/Mercury/Neptune conj. to imagine what you could be might be helpful. For example you have desire to be a musician. Sit quietly and imagine picking up a guitar (or whatever) and discover your talent, then notice people around you enjoying your music and spreading the news. Next an agent has you recording a record and it shoots to the top of the charts. Money and fame are yours. Keep going to the extreme of your imaging what you could do with that desire. Also imagine what might happen if no one liked your music and step by step take that to the extreme of what the worst that could happen if no one like the music. I can be quite liberating.

Another suggestion is to see a specialist for post traumatic stress. I almost died in my first year and that experience was hard wired in me and little things would trigger anxiety in me. It's been 5 years since I saw the doc and haven't had anymore anxiety attacks.

Moon Dance

greybeard said:

I didn't mean any criticism.

If you are not "blaming" anything, why do you separate your "real" personality from your "trauma-induced" personality?
They are not distinct; they
are one.

And with the trauma occurring at and around birth the effects are far too deep to allow for change.

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Tbh I understand where he is coming from. My chart isn't easy either and led me to develop numerous mental issues.

At some point this is not something you want to be identified with or seen like that. Your problems are not you , we are so much more than that.

Plus 2019 is where mental health issues are brought forward and deeply focused on. These days everyone has a trauma or anxiety or depression. People get sick being labeled as "broken".

In my experience, it's much better to not blame your personality on a trauma. Yes, it did happen, but you are not it.

I was diagnosed with bupolar but I never believed it because I just think this is who I am. Just because it doesn't fit some criteria, doesn't mean I'm sick. Yes, I change my moods fast, but I see this as a plus. I believe this is what I chose to evolve faster.

We all have challenges in our charts and they make is who we are as individuals. Only you, the chart owner can say who you really are , and no one else. You build your own personality with all it's flaws and strengths .

I know people with the same qualities as your and positions and yet they didn't experience trauma. It's just who they are and who they grew up to be. The world is colorful and people are different. Just detach your own self image from trauma and you will be good.

Brilliant, Ardentika!

ardentika said:

Tbh I understand where he is coming from. My chart isn't easy either and led me to develop numerous mental issues.

At some point this is not something you want to be identified with or seen like that. Your problems are not you , we are so much more than that.

Plus 2019 is where mental health issues are brought forward and deeply focused on. These days everyone has a trauma or anxiety or depression. People get sick being labeled as "broken".

In my experience, it's much better to not blame your personality on a trauma. Yes, it did happen, but you are not it.

I was diagnosed with bupolar but I never believed it because I just think this is who I am. Just because it doesn't fit some criteria, doesn't mean I'm sick. Yes, I change my moods fast, but I see this as a plus. I believe this is what I chose to evolve faster.

We all have challenges in our charts and they make is who we are as individuals. Only you, the chart owner can say who you really are , and no one else. You build your own personality with all it's flaws and strengths .

I know people with the same qualities as your and positions and yet they didn't experience trauma. It's just who they are and who they grew up to be. The world is colorful and people are different. Just detach your own self image from trauma and you will be good.

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Please don't think "Banana". Yellow. Banana. Peel.

There, there, It's all better now. No bananas. In your mind, Peel the banana...No, No, No! Please don't think Banana.

Now that you have mastered the slippery banana, we can move on to trauma. Just detach your self from trauma.

See how easy that was. Now you're not thinking about trauma. Or bananas.

greybeard said:

Please don't think "Banana". Yellow. Banana. Peel.

There, there, It's all better now. No bananas. In your mind, Peel the banana...No, No, No! Please don't think Banana.

Now that you have mastered the slippery banana, we can move on to trauma. Just detach your self from trauma.

See how easy that was. Now you're not thinking about trauma. Or bananas.

Click to expand...

I wish I knew what you were trying to say