Astrology for healing? Does "therapeutic astrology" exist?

After going through my natal chart with a fine tooth comb for some time, my self-awareness feels like it's through the roof. I feel like I know exactly why I have certain traits.

What I feel is missing and am hoping to find is... some route for taking the 'negative'/frustrating/'malefic' aspects of a chart, and healing the issues they represent.

Any ideas? I'm talking about... 'using' your chart for therapy, basically. It's one thing to intimately dissect issues, and another to solve them, is how I'm feeling. Though discovering the root for an issue sometimes goes a long way itself in solving it, sometimes it's just the first step.

is there a "category" of astrology that's all about this?

Without having any credentials in psychology, psychiatry, counseling, &c I hesitate to use the word "therapy."

But I am a great believer in choice-centered astrology. You can look at unhappy chart placements and substitute empowering for disempowering expressions.

Each planet sign and house has a range of interpretations that are consistent with the basic astrological meanings. But we can focus on ones that are fulfilling vs. negative. For example, Mars may just make us irritable and angry. But Mars also rules courage and athletics. Taking up a sport or athletic activity like climbing a mountain or just working out in the gym is probably a more empowering use of one's Mars than stewing about our situation.

Do you want to post your chart with an example or two of what you'd like to work on?

do you want a bunch of answers from people? i get the vibe you should go out enjoy your life and concentrate more on the joie de vivre rather than the why's. go be silly.

Bluebell87 said:

do you want a bunch of answers from people? i get the vibe you should go out enjoy your life and concentrate more on the joie de vivre rather than the why's. go be silly.

Click to expand...

or exert yourself physically within the confines of another humans body.

The idea of a range of ways to think of certain aspects of a chart is something I like to keep in the air. I like to remind myself that the chart as a whole will always be harmonious and that it's only going to seem like anything is 'malefic' when it's picked apart and harped on. Tarot master Alejandro Jodorowsky urges new initiates of Tarot to only take rightside up card meanings to heart, so that everything has as close to a positive vibe as possible. I tried to take that to heart with astrology too, when I first started getting serious about studying my chart.

I've used that to think of things that used to seem like a drag seem like great assets. For example, I have Mars in Pisces and understand completely how that made life suck living in a culture like America. But now, I'm grateful for the deep spiritual drive it's given me. To answer to your suggestion Bluebell, I've come to see this as the "natural martial artist" sign, as KRS put it. That's totally true. Another short example is having my moon in its "fall" position of Scorpio. It can be the worst b!tch in the world when I'm depressed, but it also makes me an intuitive powerhouse. I've made plenty of sour things into lemonade this way.

But some things just stick and I can't see them for the 'blessings in disguise' I try to hold out for. Doesn't everyone feel this way about something or another in their chart? My most frustrating aspect right now I think is having Saturn conj Moon in my 7th House. The effect it has on me is that I feel terrible around almost anyone else almost all of the time unless I'm in a complete "flow state". I can literally get the flu from being in a crowd for too long under the wrong circumstances. Can't really spin that one, at the moment. So, things like that in my chart are the impetus for seeking a method of using astrological knowledge, rather than just sort of staring my character as is; armed with knowledge, check....now how to wield it??? Am I making sense? I can't be alone in looking for this.

TaoAgent22 said:

The idea of a range of ways to think of certain aspects of a chart is something I like to keep in the air. I like to remind myself that the chart as a whole will always be harmonious and that it's only going to seem like anything is 'malefic' when it's picked apart and harped on. Tarot master Alejandro Jodorowsky urges new initiates of Tarot to only take rightside up card meanings to heart, so that everything has as close to a positive vibe as possible. I tried to take that to heart with astrology too, when I first started getting serious about studying my chart.

I've used that to think of things that used to seem like a drag seem like great assets. For example, I have Mars in Pisces and understand completely how that made life suck living in a culture like America. But now, I'm grateful for the deep spiritual drive it's given me. To answer to your suggestion Bluebell, I've come to see this as the "natural martial artist" sign, as KRS put it. That's totally true. Another short example is having my moon in its "fall" position of Scorpio. It can be the worst b!tch in the world when I'm depressed, but it also makes me an intuitive powerhouse. I've made plenty of sour things into lemonade this way.

But some things just stick and I can't see them for the 'blessings in disguise' I try to hold out for. Doesn't everyone feel this way about something or another in their chart? My most frustrating aspect right now I think is having Saturn conj Moon in my 7th House. The effect it has on me is that I feel terrible around almost anyone else almost all of the time unless I'm in a complete "flow state". I can literally get the flu from being in a crowd for too long under the wrong circumstances. Can't really spin that one, at the moment. So, things like that in my chart are the impetus for seeking a method of using astrological knowledge, rather than just sort of staring my character as is; armed with knowledge, check....now how to wield it??? Am I making sense? I can't be alone in looking for this.

Click to expand...

I literally GOT the flu several times for "being in a crowd for too long under the WRONG circumstances"! I have Mars in Pisces, but Saturn is in H6 and my Moon is Inconjuct in H12. Maybe that Moon Conj Saturn in H7 isn't the problem.

Holy cow!!! Maybe it's the Mars in Pisces?? I'll think about what else may be the culprit, but I wonder if that's it. It would make sense, having our lust, competition, drive, etc, in the place of dreams (I see 'dreams' as probably interdimensional; real in that way), that it would make us empathic to the hilt. Having your moon there too, even more, right?

I just refreshed my memory, and I see 6th House as being about, in part, physical sickness. So that's no surprise to me.

I can describe a couple 'empath sickness' burnout bouts as having come specifically from my 7th house Scorpio in a sort of.... ah... psychic blue balls(??) kind of deal. I don't want to be weird but, sometimes just seeing a bunch of ultra beautiful women while my inner Milhouse dweeb is controlling my mind can reallllly mess with me. I'd be curious how you describe the 'type' of empath sickness you get.

We should compare charts sometime if you're up for it; we have some overlap on traits that I make a big deal of in my own chart-study.

As for using this higher than normal self-awareness I think anyone into studying charts must have for themselves.... what to do with examples like these? Just avoid the potholes, call it a day? I should admit... that something that's always driven my efforts along the lines of any self-healing work... is a pipe dream that one can literally 'program' their identity with the right development. So I may be asking the impossible while most people know better and think.... no, your chart is what you got, own it and make the most of it, avoid the detriment, etc. But I am fixed (sign, ha) on the idea I expressed.

Debra Silverman Astrology
https://debrasilvermanastrology.com/

Nan Hall Linke: Astrologer, Psychotherapist, Marriage and Family ...
www.nanhalllinke.com/
In addition to her expertise in astrology, Nan was educated as a marriage and family therapist at the University of Houston Clear Lake and taught at the C.G. ...

Glenn A. Perry - Astropsychology
aaperry.com/
Glenn Perry, Ph.D., astrological therapist, consultations, and School of AstroPsychology, offers a correspondence course in psychological astrology as well as ...

Claudia Bader- A smpathetic, quick witted, and astute Astrologer
www.claudiabader.com/astrology.htm
Claudia Bader is a consulting astrologer who specializes in the integration of psychology and astrology. She melds spiritual, psychological, mythological, ...

Psychological astrology - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_astrology
Psychological astrology, or astropsychology, is the result of the cross-fertilisation of the fields of astrology with depth psychology, humanistic psychology and ...

Psychological Astrology - John Green - Professional astrologer
www.psychologicalastrology.com/
Psychological Astrology. psychological - adj. of or relating to psychology. astrology - n. the study of the motions and relative positions of the planets, sun and ...

Top 9 Astrologer Psychologist profiles | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/title/astrologer-psychologist
Here are the top 9 Astrologer Psychologist profiles on LinkedIn. Get all the articles, experts, jobs, and insights you need.
A Psychologist Astrologer on Using Your Sun Sign to Navigate Conflict ...
goop.com/a-psychologist-astrologer-on-using-your-sun-sign-to-navigate-conflict/

For more than 25 years, Dr. Jennifer Freed has been practicing psychological astrology out of her sun-bathed office in Santa Barbara, California, which ...

TaoAgent22 said:

The idea of a range of ways to think of certain aspects of a chart is something I like to keep in the air. I like to remind myself that the chart as a whole will always be harmonious and that it's only going to seem like anything is 'malefic' when it's picked apart and harped on. Tarot master Alejandro Jodorowsky urges new initiates of Tarot to only take rightside up card meanings to heart, so that everything has as close to a positive vibe as possible. I tried to take that to heart with astrology too, when I first started getting serious about studying my chart.

I've used that to think of things that used to seem like a drag seem like great assets. For example, I have Mars in Pisces and understand completely how that made life suck living in a culture like America. But now, I'm grateful for the deep spiritual drive it's given me. To answer to your suggestion Bluebell, I've come to see this as the "natural martial artist" sign, as KRS put it. That's totally true. Another short example is having my moon in its "fall" position of Scorpio. It can be the worst b!tch in the world when I'm depressed, but it also makes me an intuitive powerhouse. I've made plenty of sour things into lemonade this way.

But some things just stick and I can't see them for the 'blessings in disguise' I try to hold out for. Doesn't everyone feel this way about something or another in their chart? My most frustrating aspect right now I think is having Saturn conj Moon in my 7th House. The effect it has on me is that I feel terrible around almost anyone else almost all of the time unless I'm in a complete "flow state". I can literally get the flu from being in a crowd for too long under the wrong circumstances. Can't really spin that one, at the moment. So, things like that in my chart are the impetus for seeking a method of using astrological knowledge, rather than just sort of staring my character as is; armed with knowledge, check....now how to wield it??? Am I making sense? I can't be alone in looking for this.

Click to expand...

As for your Saturn/Moon, I feel ya. I have Moon conjunct Mars in Capricorn.
Many of the same side effects occur.

Perhaps, with Saturn and Moon in the 7th, you tend to struggle emotionally with commitment and romance, especially when younger. You might not feel successful with these things until after your first Saturn return. Until then, you may end up focussed on other things like business prospects, clients, and productive relationships. You do have the ability to work with others in a committed, responsible way and provide them with needed security, assets, products. So the Moon/Saturn in the 7th can be a good thing in some ways. But it can be awkward socially. Kind of ‘Aspergery ‘in that it can be self conscious and anxious over little social cues.



Relationships may feel burdensome and you might feel the huge responsibility is not worth the effort it takes? Perhaps you avoid them by rejecting people who show interest?
You may take relationships too seriously at times, but you are quite loyal to those you do commit to, and make your relationships last. You need a partner who is responsible, serious, and dependable. You may be attracted to people who are older than yourself or who possess Capricorn traits.

I have Mars in Pisces, as well.

In terms of choice-centered astrology:

It is opposite Saturn in Virgo. This used to cause me a lot of problems in terms of getting really angry (Mars) at someone, often over his insensitivity; and then feeling subsequent shame or remorse (Saturn.)

Each planet has multiple interpretations that are consistent with its core meanings. The key is to choose and work on the empowering meanings.

It occured to me that Mars rules athletes. With Pisces in the mix, I took up swimming laps. I'm not very fast, but Saturn rules endurance and self-discipline. For me, swimming is something I do in the winter (summer has its own activities,) but I try to swim 1 km when I go to the pool. Mars in Pisces is also good with our canoe.

Lo and behold, it's been an awfully long time since I blew up at anyone; and then a long time before the last episode.

So for some people, Mars wants to jump out of airplanes and go skydiving. Saturn says, "Fine: but make sure you take some classes, double-check your safety procedures, and don't take needless risks."

You wrote:

My most frustrating aspect right now I think is having Saturn conj Moon in my 7th House. The effect it has on me is that I feel terrible around almost anyone else almost all of the time unless I'm in a complete "flow state". I can literally get the flu from being in a crowd for too long under the wrong circumstances. Can't really spin that one, at the moment. So, things like that in my chart are the impetus for seeking a method of using astrological knowledge, rather than just sort of staring my character as is; armed with knowledge, check....now how to wield it??? Am I making sense? I can't be alone in looking for this.

Click to expand...

If you post your chart, it will be easier to interact. I recommend the format on the free charts pages at Astrodienst at www.astro.com. If you save it to your computer you can upload it as a clickable thumbnail.

For example, what planet rules the cusp of your 7th house, what else does your Saturn-moon aspect? Does the house change with a change in house system?

Without knowing what else is going on with Saturn-moon in your chart, I think you could start working on "disciplined feelings" or something like a construction or remodeling project, as Saturn renders things concrete and material, and the moon also rules one's home.

Your moon situation doesn't sound like getting the flu in a crowd, but that could be something else in your chart.

Katydid, thank you for the links! That was so nice of you.

You are hitting many synchronicities of mine over the past month on the head. I feel a strong reverence for Mars in Capricorn; I think I understand it because my S. Node is Capricorn and my current chart is ruled by Mars. I feel like I know those two energies very well, and get this: I divined through synchronicity, Tarot, and my inner world that it was Mars in Capricorn when it was a month or so ago. You say I may have struggled with romance when I was younger; my romantic life was shaped by an intense unrequited love I had overseas when I was very very young which I obsessed about and pined for as I matured. Venus in Pisces no doubt in effect there as well. As for the Saturn return, I had a relationship with a Leo out of a dream (at first) right at the time of my Saturn return, in fall of 2012, which I've wondered likely had something to do with a crazy Kundalini awakening I had a couple years later. Strange to hear you mention that, too. And you said Aspergy, well, I have it.

Waybread, nice to meet another Mars in Pisces. Maybe a lot of Mars in Pisces ppl gravitate to astrology. I didn't know Saturn has to do with regret and shame. That makes a ton of sense to me. Funny too that you mention Mars risk-taking; I have Mars square Uranus the so-called "race car driver" aspect. Badass, right?? I feel like I use that to take massive risks in the 'subtle' or 'astral' realms. Yet here in 3D land, that bravery may not be obvious. And having S. Node Capricorn MC, it's even more of a feeling that I have to let go of my desire for any kind of comfortable social status. I act IRL like I don't want it, but on a forum I can be more honest; I do, and it hurts being a nobody with talent.

Here is my chart. A near-bucket shape between Pisces and the Libra/Scorpio cusp (7th house; funny how that answers your question btw, waybread), surrounded by the planets that rule Scorpio. I feel more attuned to my Scorpio energies than Aquarian these days.

I haven't messed with changing the house system. I use the most mainstream one, I forget which one that is; whatever is most plain and vanilla that everyone urges beginners to use, I'm sure that's the one in the chart pictured. Since the Moon is 1st degree (emotional beginner, maybe?) and Saturn is the 4th, perhaps it would easily change houses. I'm curious about your recommendation about a 'concrete project' for emotional release; something involving 7th house action? Hmmm...

Here are aspects to my moon and saturn:

[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Moon Conjunct Pluto (Lib, 7th)[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Moon Conjunct Saturn (Sco, 7th) [/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Conjunct Pluto (R, Lib, 7th)[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Moon Trine Venus (Pis, 12th) (lucky me!)[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Saturn[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif] Trine Venus
[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Moon Sextile Neptune (Sag, 9th)[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]Saturn Sextile Neptune[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif](Sag, 8[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif]th[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms, serif])[/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, serif]My feeling on the bulk of that is that... I'm GD psychic but emotionally-empathically thinskinned. It's awesome but way too much for a Fool like me to handle on my own. Thank you for being interested in my chart and helping me!

And the more I talk and talk and talk on forums, trying to heal myself in a blind guessing kind of way, the more I realize... my Mercury Squ Ascendant is the absolute pits.
[/FONT]

I asked about the house system, because sometimes if planets are cuspy or the person has a late degree rising, a switch to whole signs houses or even another quadrant house system will shift planets into an adjacent house. Many astrologers count a planet in the last degrees of a house as though it were in the next house, anyway. Then with progressions, a planet on a house cusp will progress into the next house when the native is at a young, impressionable age, and stay there for a while.

Also, as a modern astrologer, I accept out-of-sign aspects, although they behave a bit differently.

Just reading your posts, I wasn't quite seeing the 7th house for your moon-Saturn. It may be a big factor, but your moon-Saturn are right on the cusp of your 8th house as it is, with Pluto not far behind, although he's retrograde. This house deals with "occult" matters among other things. (In whole signs, your Saturn-moon move into your 9th house.)

So I think you're got moon-Saturn-Pluto. But this trio is pretty well aspected, on the whole.

You live a much more metaphysical sort of life than I do, so I may be speaking in more material terms than you would-- or would like. But when we feel stuck in our heads about something, bringing the thoughts down to earth in a more grounded form can be helpful.

Metaphorically speaking (only) the 8th is the traditional house of death, and I think that people with an 8th house emphasis think about death more than the average person. They are also apt to be relatively private people.

Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, and there is a great quote by astrologer Karen-Hamaker-Zondag that "the house over which a planet rules serves the purposes of the house in which that planet stands."

The 12th deals with people who are shut-in in some way, such as in hospitals and nursing homes, prisons, or voluntarily in monastaries. It is the traditional house of "self-undoing," where the ego doesn't operate very well.

If we put these together and think about combining key words, we might get something like your volunteering to do hospice work (8th house +12th house.) Or volunteering at a religious retreat, where people go to focus on the meaning of life in light of death (occult plus shut-in.) If you do something for other people less fortunate than yourself, you may find that your own inner peace cranks up a notch. You will certainly make a difference to them. With your moon-Saturn-Pluto, you might even consider volunteering in a prison, but if you are a psychic sponge, the negativity there may be a bit much. But your moon combo suggests a need to plumb the depths.

In a very material sort of way, moon-Saturn-Pluto suggests something like a home (moon) renovation (Pluto.)

If these options don't sing for you, play around with the planets and houses core meanings until you find ones that do. (A sign says how or in what manner a planet operates.)

I am not a fan of past lives karmic astrology. In my universe, souls incarnate for a reason, generally indicated by the pre-natal solar and lunar eclipses, north node, sun, and MC. With their purpose, they bring along some assets but also some challenges. The real soul athletes choose a difficult set of circumstances as indicated by their charts.

I also believe we incarnate on the material earth plane for a reason. We have bodies and stuff for a reason. So it is probably better to look for inter-personal or practical options when a head trip gets us nowhere. (Freudian slip: I just misspelled nowhere as know/where. Or should it be, know/here??)

Incidentally, apparently people with psychic abilities have a planet conjunct or in a septile (360/7) relationship with the vertex. The vertex works kind of like another chart angle, and can indicate views into another dimension. Worth checking out.

I'll play with the house systems. I did have an obsession with death since young. Got in trouble throughout school for drawing comic-like violence. It kind of went away, but as I've matured I see 'death' a bit more broadly, almost like... another dimension, or even in more mundane ways, like... disease, negative thinking, lack of will to grow and love. B/c why else would the realm of 'death' be so associated with 'psychic' and 'empathic' traits? My view on Scorpio is very lush. I love the dark and consider myself a 'dark worker' more than a light worker. We need to transmute dark, that is harder to do and takes more guts.

I've been interested in pre-natal new and full moons. I should look up the way to do that.

That the 8th house must be serving the 12th house is new to me. Interesting! I think I'm happy that way. I hear what you say about the 12th house "undoing" and "prison" aspects and have taken that partly to heart, but I have been thinking almost exclusively of it as the "dream world" lately. Having the Animus (and Anima, in my case) there really made it hard to use my "martian energy" in the 'real' world throughout youth. I'm glad for it now, but ppl with significant Piscean energies realalllllllly need spiritually evolved parents to learn about it. Otherwise, you just wander around a labyrinth for a decade or two; not very cool.

Now here's where I want to really make clear to you that you are a f#cking amazing astrologer. I've had this image and strange desire to volunteer to teach Yoga at jails. I have a Yoga teacher's certificate that I put a lot of effort and heart into, and have used it to teach, like, one student professionally. I just never wanted to pull the trigger on it. So I'd scheme ways in the back of my mind to make up for that and use it for higher reasons than money/career, and thought.... I could try to help ppl in the total gutter realize they are the seat of godhead itself; that they can attain ecstatic bliss for free using their own bodies whenever they want, the way I've learned. That you said that specifically!!!! WOW, my friend. I've been hearing constant synchronicities talking with people on this forum all week, but at that, I'm really floored.

That was something else in and of itself. Well here's another mindfork: I am just about to find out, any day now, whether or not I get to live/work at a religious retreat for the next year. I mean, truly, WTF??? I hope you are proud of your skill. I admire skill almost more than anything else, in this idiotic age of quantity over quality, I'm floored by what you said. It really confirms/affirms some ideas I'd been kicking around for some time. I'm a bit buzzed now, but all the same I hope I remember every detail of this moment. This is just ridiculous.

A bit further still, I've used the phrase "depth work" to sum up my life in and out of various therapist's offices; I've built up an identity as a "depth worker", thinking it's necessary to use these traits to go where others fear to. Volunteering as a "victim's advocate" floated around my mind during a time.

I should state clearly that I haven't done any of that lofty talk above. Just to make sure I don't go trying to take credit for mere ideas rather than action. I'm just saying what overlaps with your assessments.

I'm curious, based on your emphasis on in part the N. Node and MC.... my S Node is in my MC. Am I right to think of it as "kiss the lofty career goodbye, be motherly instead"? It's like my N. Node conflicts with my MC, and I choose the N Node instead. I assume I am missing something to bridge this contradiction/duality but have not had even a single idea about it for a long time.

That you said soul athletes choose challenging charts... I have this image that I, knowing myself as I now do, would totally have planned my chart this way. I wish I could find out for sure if I did or not, but I absolutely can see myself as having said something like ..." give me the highest growth potential, I don't care what the consequences are." The consequences have been bad. I've actually already largely harmed my N Node mission of nurturing. I let down my closest ally, let him die, specifically out of neglect. I haven't gotten over it. There's the death realm btw, but straight in my IC where it shouldn't be. Rambling....

OMG I didn't even see this until now, but.... that you wrote "360/7", well... I have this written on my "synchronicity notebook" from yesterday morning: 51.428571=360/7. I was telling my dad about ancient neolithic cultures who encoded advanced math into their stone monuments, and specifically that they used 360/7 b/c 7 is the only single digit whole number that does not divide into a circle evenly. You're talking about it and other dimensions. I'd better check this out. What is a 'vertex'?? Regardless of the septile, you say conjunction is another gateway into this; I make a big deal of my Mars Venus conjunction in Pisces; I consider it the source of my higher poewr connection. Perhaps that's it??

Again thank you for your time.

Okay I have a pre-natal full moon Leo a week before birth. That is another fixed sign.

My vertex is Libra 7th degree. I don't see any septile action there, and I clearly don't have any conjunction with it. Oh well. EDIT: Wait, that would make the other side of the vertex conjunct my Venus and Mars conjunction.... huh.

This is awesome:

http://aaperry.com/planetary-emotions/

TaoAgent22, thanks for your kind words. I probably PO as many people as I help, but my goal is to read charts to be helpful to people. If this works, I'm happy. It's a 6th house thing.

The 12th house deals with people who are shut-in: involuntarily, perhaps, like nursing home patients or prisoners; but also voluntarily like a spiritual person going on a retreat. So rather than be the inmate or the patient, the idea in a choice-centered astrology is to pick something empowering, like teaching yoga to prisoners or voluntarily living at a religious retreat.

Where you are so into the metaphysics, sometimes grounding is a good way to balance your energies. I think the Buddhists are very good at this: the mindfulness of performing ordinary tasks.

And yeah. With Saturn-Moon-Pluto in Scorpio, a big part of you is not into some kind of pretentious sweetness-and-light. Nor does it have to be. I am mindful that in the book of Genesis, "in the beginning" prior to the creation of light or the luminaries, we see a God who works and creates in the darkness and chaos.

A quick and easy way to find septiles in your chart is to pull up your data at Astrodienst, then scroll way down the menu for the kind of chart you want. If you do the single harmonic chart, you just need to substitute the number of harmonic you want (7) for the day's date. Junctions reveal that you have the harmonic (aspect) of interest. But you have to back out any tight natal conjunctions, as these show up in harmonic charts as conjunctions as well. The septile (360/7) and novile (360/9) are supposedly spiritual aspects.

The 4th house symbolizes a lot of things. Traditionally the house of one's father and male ancestors in the sense of one's patrimony. From that, one's house, land, homeland. If there is a place in the horoscope for nature or the environment, I think it belongs there, as well. What is the way home for you?

With all good wishes for your journey, W.

Just like to add this: That which you define as a "fine tooth comb" will change after you have studied astrology for another year. In other words, the more you study, the more you know. The more you know, the more you can apply to your own life.

You cannot learn astrology from your own chart alone, no matter how thoroughly you study it. So...begin researching other charts.
And follow people you know so that you can see transits working in real time.

Just suggestions,
LIN

Lin, I have always dabbled in other ppl's charts very superficially, temporarily. But I recently had a bad fight with family that is making me now want to explore other ppl's charts as much as I was exploring my own. It helps to stop 100% blaming ppl for their failings (maybe just .... 80%? lol).

You are definitely right, I think.