Signs of drug/alcohol addiction in chart

Can somebody tell me some of the indicators of drug/alcohol addiction in a chart?

GuyWithWeirdChart said:

Can somebody tell me some of the indicators of drug/alcohol addiction in a chart?

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I can only tell you of some of the indicators of addiction in the chart - not drug or alcohol specifically. People can be addicted to many different things - what they choose may be influenced by other things in the chart.

Mars in strong square or opposition to Neptune is one, particularly if the 6th or 12th houses are involved. Another is a very tight Uranus/Chiron opposition. Moon or Chiron in very strong square to Neptune with a badly aspected Mars is another. Mars unaspected in an intercepted 12th house is another. I'm sure others can add more.

Mercury in hard aspect to Neptune particularly if the former was in the 12th house/Pisces.

One point can be the oldtime Part of Poison (POP), which today can refer to toxins of all kinds, environmental and also "slow self-poisoning" via (excessive or habitual) alcohol or drug consumption.
The POP is calculated as ascendant + Saturn - North Node: if POP falls in the ascending sign or in the 8th house or in the 12th house or within 3 degrees conjunct the South Node, it can be a warning flag that poison/toxic exposure (including excesses of alcohol or drugs) MIGHT play an important role in the subject's life; also if the Ruler of the Nativity or the planetary lord of the ascending sign or the Part of Fortune, is closely conjunct the POP, this also could indicate susceptibility to poisons (toxins, including alcholo or drug excesses) in the subject's life...

A 5th or 12th house influence, gives that potential. Or a debilitated Neptune.

Also heavily emotional ppl or adreneline junkie types are more susceptible so water and fire ppl are more prone. Among those signs the Neptune ruled Sag and Pisces are the most vulnerable.

I don't think any of the outer planets have any sort of sign rulership or have a "home" sort of placement and without any of that, no debilities. The outer planets are generational and not specific to any person.

To say that Sagittarius Neptune is particularly prone to substances is really too reaching. Neptune lasts like what? 13-15 years in the same sign? Outer planets aren't debilitated nor exalted because that's like saying all or the majority of people during a 15 year span (give or take) are going to be categorical druggies, murders, saints (what have you)- that just doesn't doesn't make any sense. All the outer planets work the way they're supposed to work regardless of what sign its in.


Prominent 5th and 12th house planetary placements are strong indicators of some substance usage/dependence. I've seen a lot of charts with loaded 5th house planets who have issues with substance usage... they have extreme difficulties kicking the habit (esp. if they have personal Pisces planets). I have also seen those with Saturn in 12th or 5th house who are long term users.

Well to say Mars Neptune square and Neptune in Sagittarius are at high risk of any type of addiction is yes and no general answer. I have 1st Mars in Virgo square Neptune in Sagittarius, Neptune parallel my IC, south node, Antivertex and Jupiter very prominent planet but so I have addiction problem. No.

The fact Neptune also contra parallel MC, north node, vertex and MC also being in the mutual reception ruler to my mercury 1st and 10th house ruler, it puts me into the career path of dealing with all kinds of drugs and giving drugs to patients as treatment as well as pain management and for palliative care. Mars is the traditional ruler of 3rd and ruler of 8th.

Guess what I can drink but never a drinker but I had looked after enough dying and died alcoholic and food/drug addictions to know not to. The manifestation of this significant energy of Mars, Neptune combination truly is personal energy with the outer, but that is released through MC. To look after and observe the way of people dying due to long term addiction is something I can confident say no one in this forum has any little idea. And as a student of astrology I see the truly manifestation of what my chart is telling me how I experience all these tragedy through my MC. I experience death daily, 3rd and 8th house connections.

The Ram said:

I find the outers do operate better in some signs than others.

Using Neptune as an example: I find the Neptune in Sag and Scorps generations (if all other things are pretty much equal) are more likely to be psychic or mediumistic than in the other signs.

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Well certainly, as these positions define the different generations, especially with the Pluto sign. This is why different things go into and out of fashion and fad - like the big fad of spiritualism and mediums in the late 19th and early 20th century. I think we'll see the same again soon as these current generations get a little older.

may28gemini said:

I don't think any of the outer planets have any sort of sign rulership or have a "home" sort of placement and without any of that, no debilities. The outer planets are generational and not specific to any person.

To say that Sagittarius Neptune is particularly prone to substances is really too reaching. Neptune lasts like what? 13-15 years in the same sign? Outer planets aren't debilitated nor exalted because that's like saying all or the majority of people during a 15 year span (give or take) are going to be categorical druggies, murders, saints (what have you)- that just doesn't doesn't make any sense. All the outer planets work the way they're supposed to work regardless of what sign its in.


Prominent 5th and 12th house planetary placements are strong indicators of some substance usage/dependence. I've seen a lot of charts with loaded 5th house planets who have issues with substance usage... they have extreme difficulties kicking the habit (esp. if they have personal Pisces planets). I have also seen those with Saturn in 12th or 5th house who are long term users.

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My father has his Venus, Mars and Jupiter in 5th house Pisces and I would tend to agree with you there. My dad is not an alcoholic in the sense that he stumbles around like a belligerent a-hole (in fact, he's a rather nice when drinking) but he does like to get a buzz on quite frequently. He sort of has a Peter Pan syndrome, which aggravates my mother.

My boyfriend has a few planets in his 12th house and I would say similar to my father, my boyfriend likes his wine, but he doesn't hit it very hard. I am not sure either of these really indicate substance ABUSE, but perhaps more likely to enjoy use.

I have friends that do not have these aspects that I feel should not drink because when they do, they become black out fall down hot messes. It is actually so bad that I will only go to dinner with either of them and not meet them for happy hour or drinkson a weekend because I do not feel like babysitting and neither have come to the revelation that they probably should put down the bottle. Both are female with very different charts and have a similar sort of self destructive attitude. I think people that are abusers would be more likely to have those sort of placements than the above mentioned (and also mentioned by others). One has a Pisces ascendant with her Sun in the 5th and the other has her Sun in the 12th house and Moon in the 5th - those are really the only connections and both make no aspects.

I like to drink - was never really into anything else, but did experiment in high school and college. My 5th house ruler (Mercury) trines my 12th house ruler (Saturn). I can go weeks without drinking if I want to (which is usually only for health and/or vanity reasons), but I do not like to be in social settings where other people are drinking and I have to remain sober. Drunk people annoy me if I am not one of them! Interestingly enough, the four people I mentioned about do not have any aspects between the rulers of their 5th and 12th house. So perhaps it's the lack of aspect that can cause an affinity towards something???

anjelik said:

My boyfriend has a few planets in his 12th house and I would say similar to my father, my boyfriend likes his wine, but he doesn't hit it very hard. I am not sure either of these really indicate substance ABUSE, but perhaps more likely to enjoy use.

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Depends on the aspect and how close they are. Someone with a Mars trine Neptune may over do it, while someone with Mars square Neptune may abuse it. Someone with Mars square Neptune at 6 degrees may abuse it but can handle it, while someone with the same aspect at less than one degree may become addicted to it (and the reasons for the addiction will be reflected by the other planets - physical, mental, etc) or be a total sloppy pass-out drunk. With Mars also square Pluto or something, they could be a violent drunk. The sign and house position will also have an effect - 6th and 12th being worse than say 3rd-9th. I have Mars sextile Neptune 5th-6th house - when younger I did drink a lot but it was mostly out of boredom and stopping cold turkey was easy. Now I drink maybe a beer or two at most, a couple times a week, because I enjoy it.

With Mars square Neptune I can really drink in occasional dinner party with friends but never get addicted to it. The interesting manifestation though is we used Alcohol based hand rub at work that is 60% pure alcohol and we have to use it many many many many times at work each day! Alcohol does get adsorbed through the skin and we use alcohol based cleaning wipes on intervenous sites and tables etc all the time even the cleaning lady at hospital used a lot of alcohol things. Neptune rules both alcohol and hospital!

poyi said:

With Mars square Neptune I can really drink in occasional dinner party with friends but never get addicted to it. The interesting manifestation though is we used Alcohol based hand rub at work that is 60% pure alcohol and we have to use it many many many many times at work each day! Alcohol does get adsorbed through the skin and we use alcohol based cleaning wipes on intervenous sites and tables etc all the time even the cleaning lady at hospital used a lot of alcohol things. Neptune rules both alcohol and hospital!

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Lol - I'm guessing a recovering alcoholic should never work at a hospital. The Mars square Neptune only facilitates an alcohol or drug problem - there would have to be other aspects in the chart to actually enable an addiction - say a strong Uranus/Chiron opposition, a strong Sun/Chiron square, a Moon/Neptune square, and so on. Just the Mars sq Neptune by itself isn't enough. Addiction requires a number of components to be in place - motivation, opportunity, and means. I had the opportunity (Mars sextile Neptune) and the motivation (Sun conjunct Jupiter), but not the means (no Uranus/chiron opposition, no Moon-Neptune aspects, etc).

mdinaz said:

Depends on the aspect and how close they are. Someone with a Mars trine Neptune may over do it, while someone with Mars square Neptune may abuse it. Someone with Mars square Neptune at 6 degrees may abuse it but can handle it, while someone with the same aspect at less than one degree may become addicted to it (and the reasons for the addiction will be reflected by the other planets - physical, mental, etc) or be a total sloppy pass-out drunk. With Mars also square Pluto or something, they could be a violent drunk. The sign and house position will also have an effect - 6th and 12th being worse than say 3rd-9th. I have Mars sextile Neptune 5th-6th house - when younger I did drink a lot but it was mostly out of boredom and stopping cold turkey was easy. Now I drink maybe a beer or two at most, a couple times a week, because I enjoy it.

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Funny, he has Mars square Pluto But not violent at all - and his Mars is in 5th house Cancer, which has a reputation for being violent from what I've read. I see it more as an emotional over reaction to anything and almost like a cry baby temper tantrum, but nothing terrifying (and he is a big man). His Pluto is in 7th house Libra. I would say that my boyfriend drinks more out of boredom. He goes out and socializes less since he has been with me and when we are together he doesn't drink as much. He has actually said that he does it because he is bored. I do the same.

mdinaz said:

Lol - I'm guessing a recovering alcoholic should never work at a hospital. The Mars square Neptune only facilitates an alcohol or drug problem - there would have to be other aspects in the chart to actually enable an addiction - say a strong Uranus/Chiron opposition, a strong Sun/Chiron square, a Moon/Neptune square, and so on. Just the Mars sq Neptune by itself isn't enough. Addiction requires a number of components to be in place - motivation, opportunity, and means. I had the opportunity (Mars sextile Neptune) and the motivation (Sun conjunct Jupiter), but not the means (no Uranus/chiron opposition, no Moon-Neptune aspects, etc).

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What about a Uranus / Chiron opposition? One of the women I mentioned above has that and a Chiron / Moon square.

The other has the same - Uranus / Chiron opposition along with Sun / Chiron opposition. She also has Pluto / Moon opposition.

Of the two I mentioned, the second is worse than the first. The second woman is someone that I really think should seek counseling. The first I think just over does it and becomes a drunk mess.. She does drink to deal with emotional issues such as a break up and then she ends up making stupid decisions.. but she isn't to the level that the other woman is (like finding her passed out on the street once). I had to call her family once because she was calling me telling me she wanted to die and she drank a bottle of wine at 11am and hadn't slept for days. I was ready to admit her to the hospital against her own will and they didn't do that. I felt that I wasn't in a position to make medical decisions on her behalf so I contacted them.

anjelik said:

Funny, he has Mars square Pluto But not violent at all - and his Mars is in 5th house Cancer, which has a reputation for being violent from what I've read. I see it more as an emotional over reaction to anything and almost like a cry baby temper tantrum, but nothing terrifying (and he is a big man). His Pluto is in 7th house Libra. I would say that my boyfriend drinks more out of boredom. He goes out and socializes less since he has been with me and when we are together he doesn't drink as much. He has actually said that he does it because he is bored. I do the same.

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It would depend on the signs Mars and Pluto are in. A Cancer Mars would probably react as you said - emotionally, or be withdrawn or sappy sentimental while drunk. If Mars and Pluto were close conjunct in Virgo or Scorpio, that could be a problem, or if Pluto were in Scorpio and Mars was square Uranus at the same time in close aspect and also aspecting Pluto. There are many permutations.

anjelik said:

What about a Uranus / Chiron opposition? One of the women I mentioned above has that and a Chiron / Moon square.

The other has the same - Uranus / Chiron opposition along with Sun / Chiron opposition. She also has Pluto / Moon opposition.

Of the two I mentioned, the second is worse than the first. The second woman is someone that I really think should seek counseling. The first I think just over does it and becomes a drunk mess.. She does drink to deal with emotional issues such as a break up and then she ends up making stupid decisions.. but she isn't to the level that the other woman is (like finding her passed out on the street once). I had to call her family once because she was calling me telling me she wanted to die and she drank a bottle of wine at 11am and hadn't slept for days. I was ready to admit her to the hospital against her own will and they didn't do that. I felt that I wasn't in a position to make medical decisions on her behalf so I contacted them.

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I've noticed a strong correlation of Uranus/Chiron oppositions to addictions - addictions to anything. Drugs, alcohol, p*rn, video games, whatever. I discovered that this aspect is pretty rare, but very common during the late 20th century. It rarely happened in previous centuries and often just for a very short period in one or two instances, but in the 20th century dozens of times. I went back as far as the 9th century and could not find any time period anywhere close to what happened in the 20th. We've also seen the massive disconnect of people during this time due to technology, etc. I don't find it a coincidence. Chiron is where we are deeply hurt - soul wounds - and often to cover that up people resort to outside influences. Uranus is just an overreaction to that hurt, compounding the hurt by creating new ones to cover up the old ones. Uranus is also where we want to escape, and here they are escaping hurt. A Pluto-Moon opposition would make this more likely as they feel everything intensely, to the core, and cannot stop dwelling on their feelings, usually in negative ways.

mdinaz said:

Lol - I'm guessing a recovering alcoholic should never work at a hospital. The Mars square Neptune only facilitates an alcohol or drug problem - there would have to be other aspects in the chart to actually enable an addiction - say a strong Uranus/Chiron opposition, a strong Sun/Chiron square, a Moon/Neptune square, and so on. Just the Mars sq Neptune by itself isn't enough. Addiction requires a number of components to be in place - motivation, opportunity, and means. I had the opportunity (Mars sextile Neptune) and the motivation (Sun conjunct Jupiter), but not the means (no Uranus/chiron opposition, no Moon-Neptune aspects, etc).

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We do have a few alcoholic opened up the hand rub bottle and drank it in front of us a few times.

None the less, my natal configurations indicate highly active Mars square Neptune connected to hospital, drugs, alcohol, addiction but from a different perspective, I nurse them instead and of course we deal with all kind of drugs/alcohol. Mars is in the mutual reception with the MC/AC ruler, while Neptune parallel Jupiter, SN, IC, antivertex, and ruled by Jupiter, contra parallel MC, north node and vertex. Before I was a nurse, I had a lot of supernatural experiences since early childhood, instead of the the other aspects of Neptune in reality such as hospital, drugs/alcohol/addiction.

I know someone with neptune conjunct moon in sag in the first house. this person has had a life long experience with drugs of a heavy kind. during one point in their childhood they grew up in a household that manufactured and distributed drugs. the individuals mother was a user and a dealer.
this person now uses and deals themselves.
from personal experience I know that this person has an emotional attachment to the substance. Mad, sad, happy, or whatever, they reach first for the substance.

Another example, in my own chart, neptune conjunct jupiter in capricorn in the 1st house, conjunct ascendant. Grew up with an alcoholic father, and since 11 years of age, have been drawn to the drug world. Lived with a household that distributed when I was 14. All of my closest friends in life have been dealers. Always been more drawn to addicts as friends.
On and off user since 13. "Call it what you wanna call it, I'm a f***ing alcoholic."
I'm also a very spiritual person. Read and study the subject regularly, go to church often even if Im not one to support the church. I just like the feel of it, and what it was originally intended to represent.

I think there are many other indicators in each of these charts mentioned.
Neptune in the first house, in all my experience, is a strong indicator. Especially when conjunct another planet or angle.

Every energy has a "good" and "bad" expression. So which way the energy manifests is entirely up to the individual, as well as other chart factors, social conditions and upbringing.

Metaphysica said:

I think there are many other indicators in each of these charts mentioned.
Neptune in the first house, in all my experience, is a strong indicator. Especially when conjunct another planet or angle.

Every energy has a "good" and "bad" expression. So which way the energy manifests is entirely up to the individual, as well as other chart factors, social conditions and upbringing.

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There are certainly many ways it can manifest, since there are many reasons for it to exist. You can grow up with it as you did, or you can start up on your own for various reasons as others do. Each will show differently in the chart.

The chart only shows the hand you were dealt. Whether you bet, raise or fold is entirely free will - you can be a victim to your natal chart or do what was intended - adapt, learn, grow and overcome. Not everyone who has the indicators will actually take up the habit, but the potentiality is still there, just like any other potential in your chart.

I would say Mars in the 12th house would be a definite factor, and I speak from experience, unfortunately. A stellium in the 12th could be a problem, overall.