Many ancient Greeks believed that souls drank from the river Lethe before being reincarnated so they would not remember their past lives. Plato writes of this in Republic in his retelling of the myth of Er. He tells of the dead arriving at a barren wasteland called the “plain of Lethe,” through which the river Ameles (“careless”) runs. From this river they were obliged to drink a certain quantity of water and those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than was necessary; and each one as he drank forgot all things.* Rebels are often everyday heroes divinely made to reject old paradigms for progressive growth. Rebecca is a rebel and her gift is to speak her voice and to create something new. Old values that are not aligned with natural law may be reshaped by Rebecca’s entanglement with them. This gift is also a burden as she focuses on being true to her authentic self in all she does. She’s becoming more comfortable in her rebel shoes. As a child you don’t remember at first that you are a divine creation, but as Rebecca gets comfortable in who she is and who she is becoming she will naturally shake things up and make some noise. It takes time to discover what makes you uniquely special in the world.
Rebecca joined the world on January 22 at 10:50 am in Norwich, Connecticut in 1989. Her parents’ belief systems and traditional values would be the foundation from where Rebecca’s consciousness would leap into her rebel shoes in adolescence and young adulthood. Right away we see Aries rising at 29 degrees 44 minutes in Rebecca’s chart and Mars had just tipped into Taurus right on her Ascendant at 1 degree and 51 minutes. This immediately brings your attention to the mask she projects into the world; a clue to be true to herself. Astrologer Frank C. Clifford writes about the 29th degree:
The need to take risks – to put oneself on the line – defines 29° Aries. This might mean tap-dancing on a window ledge or walking the high-wire with no net. At 29° Aries, the person may reach crisis point and make a decision without much forethought. Having been through Aries, a planet now basks in its devil-may-care spontaneity – before it has to slow down in Taurus. The degree of 29° Aries exalts in continuing to be childlike regardless of the perils, mishaps or accusations of selfishness. It can also employ force and is no longer afraid of (or deterred by) violence. There’s a skill in promoting a cause and getting people enthused with one’s adventures and battles.*
I wondered how often Rebecca spoke up as a child. With Mars in Taurus, it is toned down a bit for the fire reaction; Mars in Taurus behaves more like accelerator and brake applied at the same time. She has the potential to be in one’s face and to be an enduring power of Taurus to outlast her antagonist and go for the win. Her Sun in Aquarius is square her Mars, setting up potentials for an identity crisis, but she’s not going down without a fight. Her Sun, her essence, operates to be outside cultural norms, which results in Rebecca being edgy and thriving as eccentric and different than what others expect of her. Mars in the first house and the ruler of her Ascendant is a key planet in her expression and in the vitality of her physical body.
Rebecca’s North Node is in Pisces at 5 degrees and 5 minutes in her 11th house. The ruler of her North Node is Neptune, which is in Capricorn in her 9th house. Her religion and personal truth are going through a dynamic change, a key to her evolutionary growth, but also her North Node has some considerations for higher education and even how she manages her focus with the instability factor of Uranus in Capricorn. Rebecca is going to blaze a trail in life her own way. Another perspective is her North Node in Pisces in her 11th house of friends and groups is where she really opens the door for influencing collective changes on old paradigms and where her way of living (being authentic to herself) pushes against traditional values. One key for Rebecca’s soul growth with a North Node in Pisces is her connection to the collective unconscious and her willingness to let go or surrender to the divine in her life experience. Balancing her need for control from Virgo’s South Node is her ego’s expression and her left brain finite focus. Surrendering to right brain creativity and a divine connection gives her a pathway to elevate her consciousness. Higher education is one way; another path is a paradigm shift in her beliefs and religious practices. Perhaps a shift in the dynamics of the traditional values she was raised in as a child or how her authentic self comes through when she pushes beyond specific boundaries to connect with her individual and unique self.
With Neptune in Capricorn, there is a frame of either being disillusioned through experience or practical imagination. Neptune in Capricorn is often a practical and systematic approach to imagination and creativity – method versus mad chaos. Having an outlet for the imagination that works well is another way to communicate the symbolism. North Node in Pisces is an evolution to trust the flow of life, although it may be a challenge if the individual experienced early trauma that influenced the focus on what can be controlled for survival or for a safe environment. South Node in Virgo will play on the ego to control as much as possible, for that was the mode of survival; the shadow is a fear-based focus on the finite of life experience. Martin Schulman writes in his Karmic Astrology book:
In the realm of consciousness, this is the hardest Nodal position to deal with. Here, as a result of many lifetimes, the individual starts to realize his own rigidity. He is aware of his patterns and how much they hurt him; yet he finds them difficult to let go of. In prior lives, he lived in the consciousness of a finite universe where all was well structured. Now he is confronted with the realization that truth extends beyond what his finite senses can measure or even perceive.”“For many with these Nodes there is a strong residue of sexual problems left over from former incarnations. Either a deprivation of the sexual experience, or a strong determination to avoid emotional hurt through it, leads them to seek a better understanding in the current life.*p60
An Aquarius Sun in the 10th house indicates Rebecca’s essence is energized through ideas of the future, technology, cutting edge reality, and to the eccentric perceptions and points of view outside the traditional. Aquarius Sun is energized in life by befriending others, having an attraction to being the rebel, and taking on the cloak of a liberator to bring new life to fading paradigms that are inflexible in adapting to change. Jupiter in Taurus in Rebecca’s 2nd house of values and material possession is widely square to the nodal axis by about nine degrees. This symbolism marks an individual that needs success from their own efforts. The soul did not complete this in prior incarnations, coming to blocks in the prior life, and is seeking to work through that obstacle. Rebecca desires to realize a new level of success and self-identity from her work is one approach to this obstacle. Another approach is actually coming up against old values, living her own life, and sticking to her authentic self and values as she defines them through her personal experience.
Mars in the 1st house in Taurus is square her Sun in Aquarius, almost exact by degree, is an ongoing challenge to temper how she projects herself into the world and how others see that projection. She may fight against masculine authority or male figures in her life as part of her evolving self. A visible battle manifests between her public persona (Midheaven) and the mask she projects into the world (Ascendant). Also another view between her Mars and Sun square is her passion and identity as a sensual person with a body sometimes at odds with her essence as a unique and intelligent liberator. Interestingly, Rebecca’s natal chart has Mars, Uranus, and South Node in Virgo all in Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) in a tight earth grand trine. The liberator rebel part of herself is in cahoots with her passionate sensual Mars and her past life experience. Rebecca knows something about being down to earth and why that is empowering and healthy as a sexual human being. And yet, is it also true that somehow too much sensuality (Jupiter in Taurus squares the nodal axis) created her block? Mercury, the ruler of her south node, is conjunct the Sun but inconjunct the south node, so there is a disconnect from her mental Aquarian Mercury in the 10th and her detailed, critically focused, perfectionist South Node in the 5th house of ego self expression. Mercury, symbolic of thoughts, perceptions, communications, and organization, is out of touch with her fixed, mental forward thinking Mercury in this life. In being a rebel that does things her own way, she may find it challenging to reconcile her professional persona, reputation, and public life with the mask she’s presenting the world. And yet I learned, “all aspects are seeking integration” — wise words from my favorite master teacher, Steven Forrest. Mercury was also retrograde when Rebecca was born, setting up for a huge shift when she was 14 years old when, by secondary progression, her Mercury stationed direct.
Mars is important in that it is square her sun and widely square her moon. The moon signifies our ability to feel and express our emotions and also the connection to our unconscious mind. Her projected persona has a frame of obstinacy or anger (usually for some deeper issue) that is beneath the surface yet visible to others in her struggle with her passionate and free-will expression. Being square the sun and moon symbolizes a uniquely strong-willed individual at odds with both masculine and feminine qualities within as well from life experience. Sun in Aquarius is also fixed and serious; the mind is set on what it is and knows of itself. It’s incredibly hard to change their mind!
The moon is conflicted a bit being a Leo Moon square to Mars in Taurus. By sign there’s tension in the emotional being. A Leo Moon in the 4th house needs adoration from family and to have a place in the spotlight. Leo in the 4th is square Rebecca’s Mars in the first, but both her moon and Ascendant are in a fire element as the Ascendant is at 29 degrees 44 minutes in Aries. The moon is heavily challenged by Pluto in Scorpio in the 7th house of others (spouse or open enemies). The emotional and self-security with being at home has potentially been through a nightmare in some way with another person (7th house Pluto). Venus rules her Libra Descendant and 7th house. Rebecca’s descendant angle is at 29 degrees, 44 minutes Libra. Venus, Libra’s ruler, is located in the 9th house conjunct the Midheaven within a degree and a couple minutes. From the theme of traditional values, Venus is suppressed or controlled here. I would not look at it as solely a negative; Venus in Capricorn will provide gifts that she brings to society. Rebecca’s relationships will undoubtedly have a strong connection to her religion, her beliefs, and her value systems (Taurus rules 2nd house). With Neptune so close to her Venus, there can be an influence of idealism or romanticism that complicates these areas of her life. Venus in Capricorn can have a more controlled and measured approach to romantic love. Neptune only 4 degrees from her Venus does bring in some practical imagination, or, on the flip side, it can be utterly disillusioned. Though she may know by now that a cool-headed woman is very alluring to a traditional man, we will explore more of how Rebecca’s experience, both past and present, reflects her Venus Capricorn, but only after we look at the fixed elements of her Moon, Pluto, Mars, and Sun.
Rebecca’s fixed signs are intensified with moon in Leo square Pluto in Scorpio. Mars in Taurus square the Sun in Aquarius creates a very dynamic push and pull for her directly in her parental axis and with her self-identity connected with others in close relationships. Specifically, the intensity and long enduring nature of fixed signs make the change more challenging to create breakthroughs in behavior. However, the divine seed of Rebecca has a gold coin for massive change written within her as the symbolism of Uranus. Truly, Uranus the liberator within Capricorn (cardinal) is poised to liberate old paradigms, although it will be like a long enduring tug of war for the ultimate break-though to liberate past perceptions and beliefs that have been held in her consciousness. As Rebecca shares more of herself in her creative endeavors and pushes against beliefs systems that are considered harmful or that limit patterns of behavior, her ability to express freely will continue to push her to outwardly speak her mind and push against unhealthy and unnatural ways of living. This tension will exist in her extended family and through her relationships in the work world. If she works for herself, as an Aquarian type (10th house Aquarius sun) and as a liberated person, she will navigate to a place that allows her to be who she is at heart and where she can be authentic. With Rebecca’s enthusiasm for astrology, tarot, art, and technology, she has a convenient channel for her expression. Her cardinal angles for self, others, home, and public life, Rebecca merely has to envision her place, and there’s incredible juice to her power of manifestation.
Rebecca shared her family story with me in our one-on-one conversation. As she opened up, sharing her childhood and adolescence experiences in more detail, the astrology symbolism of her life jumped off her chart. First, she was born into a very strict religious home. While growing up there was a strong control over female sexuality and morality that was upheld in the family. Venus in Capricorn comes into greater clarity in learning of this influence of her life. Rebecca clearly loves her father and appreciates all she learned from him. Her father was supportive of her art and musical interests and she cherishes memories of philosophical and religious conversations with him. While much of her understanding of traditional values came from her father, she attributes this also to her society, her school, and people she interacted with in life in puritanical New England where she has lived all her life. Her father communicated, in so many words, that there was no place for sexuality as an adolescent in their home. This tense belief structure translated to an uncomfortable place in her mind about her body, and she picked up clues from society that any female sexuality was an altogether immoral act. Rebecca says, “he would definitely call me a rebel without a cause when it came to some of my actions, and I can’t say he was 100% wrong!” Rebecca in her adulthood will sift through her beliefs she learned in her childhood and discern what she wants to share and teach her own child. As we become adults we evaluate life on our own terms. Some beliefs and structures of our childhood we keep and some we decide are too limiting for where we are in the present moment. As an astrologer I would also note that when the cycle of the Uranus opposition and Neptune square happens around age 38-41 is when many adults have life breakthroughs or breakdowns. It is known as the midlife crisis to many when we evaluate life experience and make adjustments to where we are. During the Saturn return in Capricorn she is maturing with the Saturn in Capricorn part of her chart. This may include stronger boundaries, increased work or personal authority and duties related to wherever Saturn is. In Rebecca’s case, this is within her 9th house of religion and higher education.
In her youth Rebecca was expressive, but she closed down some after 8th grade when she shifted from a very small school of about 50 to a high school with more than 600 students. She felt a huge shift at that time (two factors in astrology are transiting Saturn opposite natal Saturn [from Cancer to Capricorn] and her natal Mercury by progression shifted from retrograde to direct). This would also be the time when her secondary progressed moon is square to the natal moon, but we’ll explore that more in Part Two of her story. Saturn moving into opposing its natal position for the first time in a person’s life is the hump of adolescence and learning about one’s self through the dynamic that Saturn brings (i.e., the development cycle of mastering something through intense work or perhaps feeling out of sorts or not meeting expectations of authority due to the limits of one’s expression). It can feel like a huge boulder on your shoulders or like Saturn’s rings are snuggly around you, metaphorically, limiting your joy and expression. Sometimes the authority we are battling is a parent, teacher, or other adult in our sphere who can empower us to work hard to build our character and skills or who disempowers us with abusive authority; both are potentials. There are positive and negative potential in everything in our universe we experience.
Rebecca’s natal Mars has tenacity in its square to her sun in Aquarius and speaks to her relationship with her father, who held Rebecca to a high moral standard. She had no guidance from her father or her religion lacked a path for becoming a woman or how to frame relationships. This lack of guidance stressed her relationship with her father at times, and it challenged Rebecca immensely as she grew into a young woman becoming aware of her own sexual nature. She wasn’t allowed to be alone with young men under her father’s roof, and this set up a fiery battle of wills. There wasn’t a path they could travel to mark the natural cycle of her developing into a young woman. Many religious households have this same strict constraint for their teenagers blossoming into young adults, and it often ends with a battle that doesn’t go well for either parent or young adult.
We mustn’t forget that Capricorn is also about status and reputation in its symbolism, which holds here within the 9th house context. However, life finds ways to create breakthroughs, and life won. Rebecca was living with her now husband when she became pregnant while traveling with him, which was a shock to her parents. She shares that her father was more concerned about the reputation of his household than her pregnancy, though they came to an uneasy truce about the situation. She now feels that her father supports her even with their differences of opinion on some life experiences. Symbolic of her Aquarius sun, he has shown support of her in all her unique interests, including her brief attempt to be a rock star. Despite her bumpy ride into her adulthood related to her sexuality, she can see how she is similar to her father in many interests.
Rebecca laughed a bit when she said that all that her father fiercely demanded and reprimanded her for in the past was thrown out the window when he learned she was pregnant. The struggle disappeared and she could see the paradox of the struggle. She did get married and now has a lovely young toddler, a daughter that will learn from Rebecca and Rebecca’s husband about her own feminine nature. I think it is interesting; the family Rebecca has married into is also quite strict in their religious beliefs, so that issue continues to be her frame of reference in her push against beliefs or traditional values that suppress natural law. Rebecca shared that her mother has two sides she came to know growing up. Early in her life, Rebecca’s mother shared her interest in astrology and tarot with her and that is where Rebecca got her books to read and learn about it. Her mother hesitates to fully express her own interests in astrology and tarot for the fear of being shunned or being labeled a “new age thinker,” from what Rebecca has observed. When I learned this, her father and mother symbolism in her Sun and Moon were clear to me and the symbolism was rich for both of them. Further, I learned that Rebecca’s father had quit his electrical engineering job to become an actor as an extra and he was doing it enough to make a living! I was stunned, as that was quite symbolic of the moon in Leo and the Sun in Aquarius together. Also, her mother exploring astrology and tarot but her inability to express that is another symbolism of Rebecca’s sun and moon from a different angle!
Rebecca’s grandfather was an electrical engineer, which is why her father had chosen that profession, although he ultimately needed to break out and do it his way. Rebecca told her father that this was why she didn’t want to go through a traditional school or university, but desired to take her own way. She fully understood that the resistance she felt to the traditional values of higher education (as well as a religious context) was a reflection of her Capricorn stellium in the 9th house offering her detail and insight. With Uranus in Capricorn trine her Mars in Taurus, Rebecca has stubbornness with a measure of fearlessness to bring a breakthrough of new ways of looking at these themes in life. Gen-Xers and baby-boomers will wonder, in frustration, what they’re doing, unless they’ve had an experience of their own, like that of Rebecca’s father. Her fearlessness will come toe-to-toe with powerful opposition on occasion, but that will only breathe oxygen into a fire Rebecca holds within her consciousness, which was lit long ago. Rebecca’s maturing task is learning tact. She’s learning how to say something to her opposition that shifts old paradigms into new perspectives and comes from the higher mind of Aquarius where her Mercury moves her as the divine messenger. She is a change agent of great significance with Jupiter in Taurus in earth, trine all the 9th house Capricorn in her nativity and her Midheaven ruled by Saturn too, simply by being true to her inner compass and going with her gut instinct. Having faith is part of her evolution that guides her; she’ll have to separate the wheat from the chaff to get to her personal truth as she evolves her North Node in Pisces.
Rebecca’s childhood shaped the tension for breakdown and breakthrough in her adult life and it will continue to do so as she sheds some ideas and perceptions that may shift as she grows. She acknowledges this in how she answered my question about what she learned from her parents, positive or negative. She laughingly stated, “I learned to follow my own path and my own truth and it backfired on them.” Rebecca’s willpower will be strengthened through powerful interactions and relationships that challenge her identity. The Saturn return cycle will bring her into something she commits to deeply with her unique identity (Saturn and Uranus in Capricorn trine her Mars in Taurus). Her family is where she gets to expand her warmth and creative talents and is beginning to put more of herself out in the world through technology. Rebecca’s Saturn return will likely see more work taking shape on Rebecca’s own terms as she grows, and this is only the beginning of her individuality and self-expression where she will inspire others to see new possibilities about life. The recent total lunar eclipse in the month of July on the 27th (2018) was at 11 degrees of Leo exactly on her natal moon. Her parental axis, her essence, and her perceptions and communications in public are all illuminated at this time. We will explore more on her experience in Part Two and what dynamics Rebecca is navigating this summer when her emotional self is symbolically eclipsed while transiting Mars and South Node are moving over her Aquarian Sun and Mercury. We know the themes and areas of life how these archetypes play in her life. All of it is based on response to the influences and what has remained fixed. Now it is about navigating to change within the power of an eclipse. Now I wonder how might Rebecca’s North Node in Pisces (practical imagination or dissolving dogmas) support her in these moments of intense change. A more expansive truth is making itself known as she unfolds it in her awareness. Astrology shapes the scenes of Rebecca’s life and her choices reveal her truth in the moment navigating consciously on the path of her individuation.
*art credit – Rebecca
*Greek myth details sourced from wiki July 25, 2018.
#UPtheMountain_Rebecca
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