Revised Edition, 2005, in Ebook Format Moon Maven Publications

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donna Cunningham, an internationally respected astrologer with o er !" years e#perience, is the author o$ %" &oo's on metaphysical topics( )isted in se eral *ho+s *ho olumes, she has gi en seminars on astrology around the world and won the prestigious Regulus Award at the %,,- UAC( .he also has a /aster+s Degree in .ocial *or' $rom Colum&ia Uni ersity( .he uses this com&ined approach in her 0Dear A&&y1 type column in Dell Horoscope and her ongoing series o$ articles in The /ountain Astrologer( Donna still does personal consultations &y phone to stay in touch with the e er2un$olding patterns o$ the Cosmos( 3or in$ormation on her astrological or we& design ser ices, isit her we& site at: http:44www(DonnaCunningham/.*(com

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The Outer Planets and nner !i"e, #olume $: The Career 5ath o$ The E#ceptional .oul( 5u&lished 647886( The Outer Planets and nner !i"e, #olume 2: E#ceptional .oul .ee's .ame9Outer 5lanet Aspects to :enus and /ars( E#pected early 788"( The Outer Planets and nner !i"e, #olume %: E#ceptional .ouls and Their 5eers9Outer 5lanets in Aspect to One Another( E#pected 788" &otline to &eaven( An astrological4metaphysical mystery no el( -47886 'n(el in Peril( An astrological4metaphysical mystery no el( -47886 Flo)er Remedies*&o) Plants+ Ener(ies ,an &eal -s. -47886 3or more in$ormation on this series and other planned e2&oo's, isit http:44www(moonma enpu&lications(com &ard ,o/0 1ooks 10 2onna ,unnin(ham:
How To Read ;our Astrological Chart: Aspects O$ The Cosmic 5u<<le= Red *heel4.amuel *eiser, >nc(, %,,, The /oon in ;our )i$e= Red *heel4.amuel *eiser, >nc(, %,,? /oon .igns: The @ey to ;our >nner )i$e= Ballantine Boo's, %,-The Consulting AstrologerAs Buide&oo'= Red *heel4.amuel *eiser, >nc(, %,,6 Astrology and :i&rational Healing= Cassandra 5ress, %,-Astrology and .piritual De elopment= Cassandra 5ress, %,-, The 3lower Remedies Hand&oo'= .terling 5u&lishing, %,,7 .piritual Dimensions o$ Healing Addictions, *ith Andrew Ramer( Cassandra, %,-3urther Dimensions o$ Healing Addictions, *ith Andrew Ramer( Cassandra, %,--

An Astrological Guide to Self-Awareness Table of Contents

A&out the Author and her Boo's >CTRODUCT>OC 9 The .tars Are C8T to Blame *hat+s changed since the $irst edition o$ this &oo'9and what hasn+t= understanding the author+s perspecti e on astrology9&oth psychological and metaphysical= the stars are not to &lame= 'arma9another thing we lo e to &lame, and why we shouldn+t( CHA5TER %( Astrology 9 A Tool $or .el$2Awareness %7 How astrology helps us identi$y our strengths as well as the ways we sa&otage oursel es= the chart as a tool $or sel$2acceptance= the signs we lo e to hate9and how they are part o$ us= ta&le o$ correspondences &etween signs, houses, and planets= understanding con$licting parts o$ oursel es= how wea'nesses can &ecome strengths( CHA5TER 7( The .un 9 Center o$ Our Being 78 *hy your .un .ign may not $it you= how the physical $eatures o$ the sun as a celestial &ody re$lect its astrological meanings= the .un as &oth the center o$ the solar system and the center o$ our &eing= what meditating on the sym&ol $or the .un can teach us( CHA5TER !( Understanding the /oon9Re$lections on Diana 7D /oon sym&olism, /oon worship, and women= occult signi$icance o$ the /oon= a lunar e#periment pro es its uni ersal pull= the /oon and mothering9what you gi e is what you got= the /oon and emotions= going $rom .un .ign to /oon .ign= a *ho+s *ho o$ the twel e /oon .igns( CHA5TER 6( /ercury and the /ind !D /ercury9the myth and the metal= medicine and humor= communication and intelligence= de&un'ing /ercury retrograde= the positi e power o$ thin'ing( CHA5TER "( :enus 9 )earning to )o e 6? :enusian images= :enus as a celestial &ody= the sym&ols $or :enus and )i&ra= :enus in e#altation, detriment, and $all= :enus and the outer planets9challenges in personal lo e= sharing and lo e= outer planet transits to the sign )i&ra and how they ha e mar'ed the e olution o$ modern relationship patterns( CHA5TER ?( /ars and Healthy .el$2Asserti eness ""

*hat we can learn $rom the sym&ol $or /ars= /ars and energy= constructi e $unctions o$ /ars= /ars and aggression= where anger and irrita&ility come in= /ars and sel$2assertion, an antidote to anger= /ars as a guide to our se#uality= ma'ing peace with 0the Bod o$ *ar(1 CHA5TER D( Eupiter 9 The O errated Bene$ic ?6 The &road iew9how the arious meanings o$ Eupiter are related= Eupiter and the li er= Eupiter, gam&ling, and other ris'2ta'ing= Eupiter and .aturn9co2rulers o$ luc' and success= Eupiter and BAD luc'= Eupiter9o errated or notF CHA5TER -( To .aturn, *ith )o e D6 .aturn+s glyph and physical $orm= .aturn and time= 5ositi e and negati e Gualities= .aturn+s cycles and transits= the 5earl in the Oyster( CHA5TER ,( Chiron and *holeness -% Contri&uted &y Eoyce /ason, $ormer pu&lisher o$ Chironicles newsletter and do<ens o$ articles on Chiron( Chiron9$or &etter or worse= Chiron: modern $ind, &ig Guestion mar'= Chiron+s glyph, cosmic characteristics, and cultural connections= Chiron+s myth= Chironic characters show us how to &ecome real heroes= wholeness, inner marriage, and the Chiron sector= Chiron cycles and li$e+s purpose= Bot it now22 Chiron+s purpose in our li es( CHA5TER %8( Uranus and the Di$$erent Drummer ,! *hat we learn $rom the glyphs $or Uranus= Usual astronomical properties o$ the planet Uranus and what they tell us a&out its astrological meanings= The process o$ &ecoming an indi idual= >n2groups9teens, re&els, and radicals= Uranus and the $ield o$ astrology= Benius and eccentricity= Uranus and groups= Accidents and &rea's under Uranus transits= The Uranus transit9lightning &olt or earthGua'e= Uranus and crisis( CHA5TER %%( )i ing with Ceptune 9 The Tide CanAt Always Be >n %86 Ceptune, Bod o$ the Ocean= the material s( the astral plane= alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness= the pro&lem with panaceas and escapism= Ceptune as a higher e#pression o$ :enus9 compassion and ser ice= Ceptune transits9*hy /e, )ordF CHA5TER %7( Dealing *ith 5luto22)et Bo and )et )i e %%! Cegati e e#pressions o$ 5luto= Using 5luto+s energies $or healing= Eust say no9to 5lutonian patterns o$ relating= 5luto+s relationship to se#uality= 5luto transits 9endings and &eginnings= Using 5luto well9a re&irth is possi&le( CHA5TER %!( The Houses o$ the Horoscope: How >nner Attitudes Determine Outer Realities %77 How our attitudes and &elie$s a$$ect our approach to the areas o$ li$e descri&ed &y the houses o$ the chart= meanings o$ each o$ the twel e houses and how outer realities re$lect our thought processes( CHA5TER %6( How to Analy<e Aspects $or ;oursel$ %68

*hat aspects are= the &asic meaning o$ the arious aspects and how to $ind them= conHunctions, se#tiles, sGuares, trines, Guincun#es, and oppositions= a right2&rain approach to understanding aspects= steps in analy<ing aspects= an e#ample o$ aspect analysis= 0a$$lictions1 and 0&ad aspects1= ma'ing a proHect o$ one o$ your tougher aspects( CHA5TER %"( A .piritual and 5sychological 5erspecti e on Transits %", *hy we will $ocus on the outer planets= transits and personal responsi&ility= transits as process= &ac' to the natal chart9'ey to understanding transits= some thoughts on the meaning o$ pain= steps in ma'ing &etter use o$ your tough transits= where to go $rom here in studying transits( CHA5TER %?( 3rom Bed$ord2.tuy esant to the .tars 9 &y .u&way %D7 Donna ta'es her astrology class $rom an alcohol treatment center to isit the planetarium at Colum&ia Uni ersity in Cew ;or' City( A Blossary o$ Astrological Terms %-7 3or the no ice, de$initions o$ arious technical terms used in this &oo', all in one place $or Guic' re$erence( To access it at any time, clic' on the &oo'mar' ta& and reopen it( How to Use an E&oo' %-D Tips and instructions $or mastering this new medium= an e&oo'+s special $eatures= a gi$t to the en ironment(

>CTRODUCT>OC: AB.A

THE STARS ARE NOT TO BLAME

> &egan writing the $irst edition o$ this &oo' nearly thirty years ago, and now, wor'ing on a re ised edition, > $ind mysel$ alternately amused and em&arrassed &y the younger ersion o$ mysel$ who once ponti$icated on nearly e ery page( .he clearly had a lot o$ growing up to do= yet she seemed to 'now all the answers( ;ou would ha e thought that she single2handedly in ented metaphysics, depth psychology, and $eminism( Entering a new millenium, and ha ing passed ?8, > don+t ha e nearly as many answers $or mysel$, and surely not $or you9and yet my clients and readers seem to $ind me more use$ul, not to mention less arrogant( 5erhaps > ha e simply encountered many more o$ li$e+s irresol a&le dilemmas, or perhaps li$e itsel$ is a great deal more complicated $or all o$ us now than in the %,D8s( All the same, astrology has an in$inite amount to teach us, and so this re ised edition is intended as a &eginner2$riendly guide $or those who wish to go &eyond .un signs into the comple#ities o$ the &irth chart( One new $actor that has &ecome $ully integrated into the $ield o$ astrology since the early ersion o$ this &oo' is asteroids( > as'ed my respected colleague, Eoyce /ason, to contri&ute a new chapter on Chiron, the most commonly used asteroid( Another change is the technology, since astrological so$tware was hardly dreamed o$ in three decades ago( Today+s student will delight in AstroDataBan'+s CD2RO/ o$ &irth data co ering o er 7?,888 nota&les and other interesting $ol's9a so$tware treasure that incorporates the li$etime wor' o$ )ois Rodden, long the standard2setter in data collection%( >n this edition, > ha e drawn e#tensi ely on ADB+s collection $or cele&rity e#amples o$ arious $eatures o$ the astrological chart( One o$ my roles in our $ield o er the years has &een that o$ a trail&la<er4trou&lema'er, and in that, at least, > ha e remained stead$ast( Ha ing li ed $or the past twel e years in the 5aci$ic Corthwest and iewing the conseGuences o$ slowly losing our $orests, > can no longer countenance pu&lishing my &oo's on paper( >n addition to &eing a $riend to the en ironment we li e in, you who read this in e&oo' $ormat will $ind that there are many wonder$ul $eatures that ma'e e&oo's an e#cellent learning tool9li'e searcha&ility and hotlin's that ta'e you directly to internet sites( Another o$ the ad antages o$ e&oo's is that > was a&le to illustrate this new edition la ishly with photographs and other images that show the concepts > am trying to portray in graphic $orm( IThe cost o$ the same images in a hard copy ersion would &e prohi&iti eJK *hile this isual a&undance &egan as a way to relie e the monotony o$ reading screen$ul a$ter screen$ul o$ words on the computer monitor, it Guic'ly e ol ed into a new teaching tool(
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3or more in$ormation a&out AstroDataBan' and to get on their mailing list $or &irth data o$ newsma'ers, isit http:44www(astrodata&an'(com(

An aptly chosen image can capture my !" years o$ e#perience in o&ser ing people and cycles through the lens o$ astrology $ar more i idly than words alone can do7( .howing you what a person loo's li'e who is acting out the Gualities o$ the planet 5luto or the planet Uranus is much more direct and i id than trying to con ey these Gualities in words( @now, then, that e ery image, e ery type$ace color, and e ery sym&ol in this &oo' has a meaning( E en i$ you don+t consciously understand the images $or 5luto or the /oon or .aturn, the ne#t time you see that planet in action through the people around you, the photo will ha e more meaning $or you( *hat has COT changed in all these years is the &elie$ system underlying the writing( )et me e#plain my approach to astrology so you can ta'e that $ramewor' into account when deciding whether or not you agree with my conclusions!( > see' a psychological understanding o$ the &eha ior and traits descri&ed &y the chart( >n short, > do not &elie e in using the &irth chart as the &est o$ all possi&le e#cuses( IL> canAt help drin'ing, Eudge, >Am a 5isces(LK >t is a great tool $or understanding people and $inding their strengths as well as their wea'nesses( 3or instance, astrologically sophisticated therapists $ind that they get much $aster results using their patients+
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/any o$ the images and photos in this &oo' are the copyrighted property o$ ArtToday, >nc( through their su&sidiary corporation, 5hotos(com, an online source $or high Guality, royalty2$ree stoc' photos at http:44www(photos(com( These graphics are used with permission under license( The images and photos in this &oo' may not &e copied or downloaded without permission $rom ArtToday(com( Astrological glyphs and sym&ols came $rom a ariety o$ sources, including Art Today, Ancitita, and clip art dis's &y /icrograph#, E#pert .o$tware, Cosmi, and 5er$ect .o$tware(
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This section is reprinted $rom my editorial in the .eptem&er, %,DD issue o$ Astrology Today, M%,DD &y CB. 5u&lications, the Consumer 5u&lishing Di ision o$ CB.(

astrological charts as an adHunct to their wor'( > also &elie e that we can impro e, that through insight and conscious e$$ort, we can stop &eha ing in neurotic and sel$2 destructi e ways( The chart can help &y pointing out more constructi e uses o$ our &asic traits( /y second &ias, implicit in the one a&o e, is that the stars are not to &lame( > &elie e that our li es are not controlled &y $orces out there, &ut are shaped &y our own thought patterns( The planets only re$lect what is going on( Eust as the mirror does not cause us to go gray, the planets do not cause &ad things to happen to us( We ma'e &ad things happen through our sel$2de$eating, neurotic, re&ellious, or neglect$ul &eha ior( >$ you get $ired, itAs easy to &lame that darned Uranus $or crossing your /idhea en( But why not &lame yoursel$ $or all those times you came in lateF )i'ewise, the planets do not cause good things to happen either( We &ring them a&out &y our attitudes o$ openness, determination, and $aith in li$e+s possi&ilities( ;ou may &e as'ing, L>$ that+s true, then what is the point o$ astrologyFL ThatAs li'e as'ing a surgeon the point o$ a diagnostic #2ray, an architect what all those &lueprints are $or, or a tourist why a road map is needed( The chart is a sort o$ map to show you the way(((itAs not the chartAs $ault i$ you ma'e a wrong turn or elect not to ta'e the &est route( >n other types o$ di ination, we recogni<e more readily that the tool doesnAt create the pro&lem &ut only maps the terrain and points the way( >n palmistry, $or instance, we reali<e that a line on the palm does not cause you to li e your li$e in a certain way= it only shows that you do li e that way( Cor do we $eel that the act o$ dealing a Tarot spread causes a situation to come out the way the cards say( *e recogni<e that the cards only re$lect and descri&e what the situation may &e i$ you $ollow a certain course o$ action( >$ you choose to alter your &eha ior, the situation can change( To go to an e en greater e#treme, letAs consider tea lea es( 5redictions can &e made $rom them, &ut surely the tea lea es are not to &lame i$ you donAt heed their warnings( 5eople donAt go around saying things li'e, L/y li$e was Hust wonder$ul until > dran' that cup o$ teaL9 unless, o$ course, there was arsenic in itJ .o why do we accept it when people say things li'e, LCeptune has totally ruined my li$e,L or, L.aturn has destroyed my marriageF1 >tAs &etter to say that all charts are descriptive. The chart does descri&e you, &ut it doesn+t cause you to &e that way, nor does it limit you to a negati e e#pression o$ your potential, i$ that is where you are now( At the time > wrote the $irst edition o$ this &oo', > would ha e &een classi$ied as a militant metaphysician, steeped in the a&solute certainty typical o$ the %,D8s that i$ you changed your thoughts you could change your reality( >n this system o$ &elie$, it is not e#ternal conditions that determine your e#periences= instead, your inner attitudes, &elie$s, emotions, and needs act as magnets to attract the outer, tangi&le circumstances o$ your li$e to you( )i'e too many metaphysical sophomores, > would pro&a&ly ha e concluded that i$ you $aith$ully did your a$$irmations and isuali<ations and then your reality didn+t change, you were doing something wrong9that you were among the metaphysically challengedJ Cow > am more moderate in my

position and not such a pie2in2the2s'y optimist9to a limited e#tent, > ha e come to &elie e, Guite reluctantly, in $ate( Co dou&t the truth lies somewhere &etween these two e#tremes( > &elie e, as many astrologers do, that &e$ore we are &orn we participate in creating a plan $or this li$etime so that our li$e e#periences can pro ide the greatest possi&le growth( Our &irth charts carry the code $or this plan, and so astrology is a use$ul study $or understanding and wor'ing with the challenges we ha e set $or oursel es( *e must also consider the e#tent our options are in$luenced and at times e en limited &y the current trac' that humanity as a collecti e is pursuing( The un$olding o$ that collecti e destiny, many o$ us in this $ield &elie e, is re ealed &y the natal sign placements and transiting signs o$ the outer planets9Uranus, Ceptune, and 5luto6( Another pre$erence > ha e is not relying on 'arma to e#plain away the things that happen to us( *hile > certainly &elie e in reincarnation, in practice it is an i$$y concept to speculate a&out( *e donAt generally ha e the wisdom to 'now why certain e#periences or speci$ic people are sent into our li es( >$ we dimly discern the reason, it is o$ten only in retrospect( /any times LpunishmentL isnAt the point at all9certain pain$ul e#periences are sent to help us &ecome stronger and to push us out o$ the ruts weA e gotten into( /uch o$ the pain is o$ our own doing in this li$e9no&ody told us to 'eep &eating our heads against the wall( .uch e#periences are not 'arma &ut neurosis9sel$2de$eating patterns that we 'eep on repeating long a$ter we could ha e mo ed on elsewhere( L@armaL is o$ten Hust a la&el we use to a oid e#amining our own part in creating a pain$ul e#per2 ience(((another wonder$ul e#cuse( Un$ortunately, many people do use astrology as an e#cuse, Hust li'e those who study a little psychology9or listen to too much Oprah9then spend the rest o$ their li es &laming their parents $or whatAs wrong with them( Astrological cop2outs shi$t the &lame on a grander le el9Lthe stars(L And what a superlati e e#cuse 9 whoAd e#pect you to straighten out your li$e when the mess is due to something as distant, ast and out o$ your control as Ceptune or UranusF >ndi iduals who are in the process o$ e ol ing will learn the same thing $rom &oth astrology and psychology9that as adults, we &ear the ultimate responsi&ility $or our &eha ior and oursel es( *e attract e#ternal e ents and conditions through our inner con$licts, needs, and attitudes, &e they conscious or unconscious( *rong thin'ing and wrong actions are the roots o$ the greater part o$ our trou&les( E#amine your thoughts, actions, and emotions in a pro&lem situation to see how you may &e contri&uting to or pro o'ing the mistreatment you get( *hat you will disco er is that e ery di$$icult $eature o$ the natal chart and e ery transit or progression can lead us to positi e, constructi e insight and action that will help us mo e along the spiritual path( *e ha e the opportunity to grow &y mastering ad erse circumstances, inner con$licts and di$$icult times that we go through( *ith that in mind, we can regard di$$icult aspects, transits, and sign placements as opportunities to grow( Astrology, in its higher uses, is a map $or li ing our li es( The true use$ulness o$ the astrological chart is that it gi es us a &etter
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Detailed e#ploration o$ these ideas is &eyond the scope o$ this olume, &ut you may wish to read my e&oo' series a&out the outer planets, The Outer Planets and Inner life( :isit my pu&lications we&site, http://www.moonmavenpublications.com $or more in$ormation(

perspecti e on oursel es, so that we can appreciate our own indi iduality and potential, and then wor' toward their most positi e e#pressions( 5ut another way, your chart is only an instrument panel where you ta'e readings on the course o$ your li$e( ;OU ARE .T>)) THE 5>)OTJ