Continuing on from yesterday with a bit of delving into the astrology of self-love from the lovely Astrosparkles.
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Similarly, RULERSHIP will determine the strength of the luminaries. For example, the Moon rules Cancer. So a person with the Moon natally in Cancer will have a naturally strong Moon – while a person with the Moon in Capricorn, the opposite sign to Cancer, will have a naturally weakened Moon, as she is sitting in the sign opposite the one which she rules. So here we have another potential for strong emotional foundation – and therefore liking who you are – versus a somewhat weakened emotional foundation, perhaps prone to self doubt or self criticism.
Then, taking it a step further, I’d also be looking at how these three pivotal chart characters are interacting with each other. A healthy relationship between Sun and Ascendant is likely to show someone who truly likes who they are … a difficult aspect between Sun and Moon could show someone who is often at odds with themselves, as their two core selves are coming from different sides of the same story.
And then there’s the rest of the chatter that’s going on in the chart – how the other planets are interacting with the core three, and whether it’s a pleasant and easy-going conversation (trines and sextiles) or whether there is a hard focus, disagreement and major themes to be worked on (squares and often conjunctions).
And yes, there are some planets whose life it would seem is to just make us work hard for the money. Or self-image. They are the ones that will try us, push us, prod us, poke us – and funnily enough, they are the ones from whom we are going to get the greatest growth and the greatest development. Usually after the fact – and assuming we take on the challenge.
Two such planets are Saturn and Chiron. There’s a good reason as to why Saturn is known as the Great Teacher, and Chiron, technically an asteroid, the Wounded Healer.
And it is from these two planets that much of our self-love story – how much we are capable of loving ourselves – might unfold.
Let’s take Saturn as an example. A hard aspect from Saturn to a natal Sun can feel restrictive, bound by rules, even a little cold. And given the Sun is such a monumental force on the chart, unless there is plenty of strength elsewhere to counter the heavy Saturn influence, an emerging story may be one of a lot of hard work to get to a place where the Sun is seen for the loving, life-giving influence it is. And that hard work may leave little room for self-love or self-appreciation.
Similarly with Chiron in difficult aspect – square and sometimes conjunction – this asteroid may not be showing its healing qualities, but rather its wounded/wounding qualities. Chiron shows where we are hurt or capable of being hurt – and so an afflicted Sun or Ascendant for example – one which has a hard aspect to Chiron – may be suffering an injury. Physically or otherwise. Which may cause issues around self-image, and how one is perceived. Which in turn could lead to confidence issues – and potential for a lack of self-love.
Sounding familiar? Seen some of these hurdles in your own life or the lives of loved ones? Then you’ll know it’s also possible to overcome these hurdles – once you’ve had a chance to recognize, understand, analyze, work with – and claim them as your own.
Every chart is unique. Each has its own challenges – and each has its blessings. It’s about recognizing the obstacles and opportunities within the chart – and where one needs to grow – and finding a way to make the difficult conversations more palatable, more rewarding. More loveable.
And once you unravel the mysteries of the basic you – your Sun, Moon and Ascendant – you are well on your way to a better relationship with yourself. Take it from me. I may have a difficult Sun/Chiron signature in my chart .. but in recognizing it, have learned from it, and with a very strong Moon in Taurus, and an easy sextile between my Sun and my Ascendant, I often find the time to wink at myself in the mirror, rather than asking if my bum looks big in this.
Remember – before you can love someone else, you must first learn to love and respect yourself. And much of that comes down to understanding who you are, why you are – and learning how to make it all work most positively for YOU.
Wise words indeedy from Astrosparkles. Thank you so much for that great overview of the areas to explore in our birth charts to get a bit more insight into why we may sometimes struggle with self-love and self-acceptance. The more we can understand ourselves, the more we can address our own needs. I know I had a few a-ha moments reading this article. How about you? Have a great self-loving day!
