An old rule says that for an astrological interpretation to be true, you must be able to see it expressed in three ways in the table. If you see it once, it’s just a possibility; if you see it twice, it is more likely; but if you can see the same topic a third time, that interpretation becomes a probability. These repeating and related graphic characteristics often point to important issues in a person’s life.

What constitutes a theme? When analyzing a graph, you would look for locations and aspects of signs and houses that are similar in nature to each other. One starting point is the astrological alphabet popularized by Dr. Zipporah Dobyns, which had Aries, Mars, and the first house as equivalents, Taurus, Venus, and the second house as equivalents, and so on.

Then look for repetitions in the table. A concentration of Pisces planets, plus the Sun or Moon in the 12th house and various aspects of Neptune would make a person highly Neptunian. The themes of Neptune, Pisces and the 12 would therefore be a strong dynamic in the life of this individual, whether expressed mainly in a positive way (such as spiritual study, creativity and service) or in other more problematic ones such as addiction, rescue. , self-deception or even deception. With such concentration, the individual’s life path can be strongly influenced by attempts to master the problems and impulses related to that sign, house, and planet.

Another person might have Cancer rising, the Moon as the focus of a great trine, and the Sun, Mercury, and Venus in the 4th house. Lunar problems (home, security, family, mother, parenting, and food) would strongly motivate this individual and be a major focus of effort. However, such a person will not necessarily deal with these issues in a typically Cancerian way, as the sign and aspects of the Moon become important pattern modifiers. In addition, when the Sun and other planets are located in the room, the individual places great emphasis on family and family life, but may not be as temperamental and emotional as the typical Cancer, depending on the sign and element of the Sun. A person with an airborne stellium in the 4th may not be particularly emotional, but it will still tend to be deeply involved in the home.

A conceivable interpretation of someone with Mercury in the Midheaven could be that a brother or sister functioned in a parental role, since Mercury, like the third house or Gemini, often indicates the role of siblings. Suppose you also observe that Saturn, an indicator of parental authority, falls in the third house, a repeat of the connection between siblings and authority. Then, find that the Moon, which describes the Mother, is in the sign of Gemini ruled by Mercury. This is another clue that a sibling may have taken over a substantial part of the parenting duties. So you’re pretty sure venturing that interpretation – and smiling modestly when the customer gasps, “How the hell did you know?” (A second level of interpretation of these same locations, given Mercury in Midheaven, would focus on career. We could infer that this individual is largely a communicator and will pursue a career in a related field).

Astrology students are often concerned about a particular facet of a chart, but need not be alarmed unless this factor is confirmed in other ways. For example, many people born without planets in the water signs have sworn that they are not especially emotional. However, some of them have Neptune in the Ascendant and Pluto conjunct the Moon; these people are, on the contrary, extremely emotional. Your challenge, instead, is managing those emotions.

Other people worry excessively about some feature on their chart that is shared by most people born around the same time. For example, almost everyone born in the winter months of the early 1940s had Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all retrograde. This astrological event profoundly significant in the psychology and sociology of the entire generation born on Earth in that era. However, when people assume that a single retrograde planet in that collection (say, a retrograde Saturn) belongs only to their life, rather than the challenges their entire generation has in common, they are personalizing a generational influence.

Others prematurely congratulate themselves on some facet of their graph without balancing it considering aspects or house locations. For example, people with Jupiter in the Midheaven might conclude that they would enjoy good luck and fabulous career success. However, before you sit back and wait for fortune to find you, you had better take a look at the aspects of Jupiter, Saturn, and any planet in the 10th house. Early in my career, I taught astrology as a volunteer at an alcohol treatment center in a poor neighborhood, and I was chided to discover that some of these patients who had lived on the streets for years had Jupiter in the Midheaven.

To give an example of how the Rule of Three works, suppose a client had Neptune and Saturn conjunct in the 4th house, showing conditions in home life and often in the family of origin. I could speculate that there was some mystery, difficulties, and perhaps a loss in the family of origin, but I would look further to see what it could be. Suppose I later noticed that the Moon was in Pisces in the 8th house. Suspicion of a painful loss involving the mother and family of origin would intensify. If the Moon were to also form a difficult T-square, that would pretty much make it sure. I would ask about the early loss of a female authority figure, maybe even take a chance and ask if the client was adopted, as the natal or transit aspects of Neptune in the fourth or tenth have appeared numerous times in my practice in cases of adoption.

Looking at a difficult location on the chart, like the Pisces Moon in the eighth house, for example, would you automatically conclude that the mother will die? All mothers ultimately die, but when and how they die is not set in stone. I would never make a fixed prediction, especially one of such a negative tone, based on only one aspect in a chart, be it natal or in transit. Look for repeating chart patterns and mitigating forces, such as supportive or in-transit natal aspects. You should also ask questions about how that location has functioned in the person’s life, especially during significant past transits up to that point, and what the native has learned over the course of his or her life about how to express the greatest potential of that location. . In the case of an aspect in transit, you should have a clear understanding of the natal condition of the planet in question and also look at all the other transits that are currently occurring on the chart, to balance the factors. If you are still concerned about a natal or transit pattern in your chart, consult an experienced professional astrologer with a well-balanced approach. Find one who can admit the realistic drawbacks of a certain location, but can also help you work towards your positive expressions.

© 2005 by Donna Cunningham