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YOUR CHILD
LETICIA FARMER
AN ASTROLOGICAL
HANDBOOK PARENTS
LETICIA FARMER
Each new human being is bom with innate skills and talents, abil-
ities and preferences. Sometimes these are obvious from the very
beginning, but often such gifts lie hidden, making it haid even for
the possessor of the gifts to make the most of them.
An Astrological Guide to Your Child teaches parents
how to understand astrology and use it to their benefit The book
shows how to plot your child's chart and, more important, how to
use the astrological elements to understand the child's character.
It is replete with activities and gift ideas that will suit each child's
nature.
Now parents have the tools with which to peek into the
future. An Astrological Guide to Your Child enables parents to
see what a new infant, youngster, or teenager has the potential
and inclination to be, and then help their child achieve it
INTRODUCTION 1
TIME ZONES
In this book I am going to help you find out what little boys
and little girls are really made of, then give you the information
that can help them truly blossom.
Each new human being arriving on earth is bom with
innate skills and talents, abilities and preferences. Sometimes
these are obvious from the very beginning, but often such gifts
lie hidden, making it hard even for the possessor of those gifts to
make the most of them. It seems it is all too easy to be misguided
or to become lost in the buffeting zones of life. How many
times have I listened to regrets about missed opportunities or
under-utilized talents?
Wouldn't it be wondeiful to have the tools with which
one could take a peek ahead of time? To look at this new
infant, young child or teenager and first see what they have the
potential and inclination to be, then help them to achieve it?
After all, as parents and teachers, isn't that really our true goal?
Many people ridicule or dismiss astrology. I certainly did
when I first encountered it some thirty years ago. In fact it was
in my quest to prove it 'wrong' that I became convinced of its
extraordinary value; not so much in the most commonly known
sense of predicting what will happen next week, but more in
the true sense of what astrology is best used for - the analysis
and understanding of character. Yes, there is certainly an element
of predictiveness about it, but astrology should not be misjudged
as one more flirtation with fortune-telling.
I believe that astrology is a wondeiful tool which, like a
microscope, can reveal so much more than the naked eye - that
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
which has always been there but has not been immediately
apparent. Thus astrology can lead us to greater depths of under-
standing of both ourselves and others.
As an eleven-year-old schoolgirl I was as quick as the next
child to join in the frenzied debate about which sign of the
zodiac each of us was, and who was most compatible with
whom. Yet somehow this did not seem to gel. First, I did not
fit the popular description of my sign at all, and, second, logic
concluded that a twelfth of the population could not be ident-
ical. My scepticism began.
In order to back up my poor opinion and, in truth, to give
the subject a fair trial before totally dismissing it, I sought out
a book about astrology at my local library. I was not prepared
for the world that opened up before my eyes. Far from proving
it limited and wrong, that first glimpse into real astrology awak-
ened a fascination within me.
To begin with, and to my surprise, I discovered we were
not each one sign, but many, and, furthermore, that those many
interacted in specific ways. I had made the first and most
common assumption about astrology: I had pigeonholed all of
us into one of twelve categories. But now I was learning that it
was simply the Sun sign I was referring to, that is, the sign the
sun occupied at the moment of birth, and that in true astrology
other heavenly bodies were taken into consideration. Beyond
that, the interaction between those planets made a difference
tool
I had taken my first step on the road to discovering that
astrology was a complex yet simple, mathematical yet artistic,
unexplainable yet consistently accurate subject. My scientific
and analytical mind was hooked - how could this work? Yet the
more I read, the more it seemed to make perfect sense, going
into great detail and precision about times of birth and person-
INTRODUCTION
ality types - this was a lot more than fun or superstition. If used
and understood properly, it was a wonderful way to compre-
hend and value people. Astrology could provide the key to
personality traits and characteristics in a way similar to psy-
chology - yet somehow with more specific insight.
Yet the practical part of me still wanted to solve the riddle.
If I just looked a little further, tried to draw up a chart or two,
maybe I could find the flaw and then declare, 'Aha! now I see
how this cannot possibly work.' I tried over and over again, but
I simply was not able to do so. The more I explored astrology,
the more it made sense, and the wiser I became.
My discovery of real astrology was rather like a child dis-
covering a tree for the first time - thinking perhaps that it was
simply a trunk, but then noticing a branch or two, then smaller
branches, and finally becoming aware of the tiniest, most intri-
cate filament of twigs in all their beauty and perfection.
In my initial ignorance I had thought I knew all about
astrology just by knowing I was a Taurus; and in typical Taurus
style I was stubborn, not prepared to be persuaded or swayed.
When I looked further to see that there was more (to the
branches] and much more (to the tiniest twigs], I was awed
by astrology's complexity and brilliance, and by the degree of
information that could be harvested from it. Nonetheless, my
Taurus determination kept me for years on the track of trying
to prove it wrong. Little did I realize that all the while I was
becoming an expert and paving the way to a lifelong relationship
with astrology.
Many people's understanding of astrology is limited to that
first simple view of the trunk of the tree - their Sun sign, this
easiest to establish and most talked-about element, denoted by
dividing the year into the twelve signs of the zodiac. As I started
to view the whole tree, though, I soon discovered that we are
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
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34
of Astrology
You may wonder, as I did, how the heavenly bodies can possibly
have a bearing on an individual's character. Let me recount for
you the best hypothesis I have yet heard for this apparently
bizarre phenomenon.
We all know how the moon affects our lives in, for
example, the rise and fall of the ocean tides, or perhaps the sap
levels in plants; for centuries sailors have been able to predict
the tides, and farmers have known the best times to reap and
sow, by consulting the phases of the moon. Even surgeons
appreciate that blood flow will be heavier at the time of the
full moon.
In Dr Lyall Watson's book Supemature, experiments are
cited which observe the effects on water of not only the moon,
but also other heavenly bodies including the sun and Mars.
The interesting results showed that the moon is not alone in
influencing water on earth - the other heavenly bodies too have
an effect on water as well as on plant, insect and animal
behaviour, through magnetic pulls, electrical and radio waves
and radiation, and perhaps in other subtle ways that we have
not yet learned to measure.
The human body is made up of approximately 60 per cent
water, and our brain can be as much as 90 per cent. For this
reason, and since water is such an essential component of all
cells, it is understandable that the pulls and pulses of those
planets upon water must have an influence on our psyches
and behaviour patterns here on earth. Think how subtly the
personality and reactions can change in an individual when
they carry a fraction more or less of certain hormones in their
bloodstream. Then consider that the fluid carrying those hor-
mones or the fluid carrying messages in our brains, may be
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
MYSTICISM OR RELIGION?
FREE WILL?
2 Draw up the chart wheel and, from that, read your child's
tailor-made life path, section by section.
4 Place the Sun and Moon on the wheel and establish their
influence on the life path.
By the time you have studied the Sun, Moon and Ascendant
and looked at their placing on your child's chart wheel, you
may feel a little overwhelmed. Armed with more facts than
you probably know what to do with, it would be best to sit
down quietly and study the results of your calculations. As you
ponder on all the data, some of it conflicting, some reinforcing,
a clear picture will start to form in your mind. You will have
gained the insights with which to help your child become all
that they can be and hopefully in the process you may become
their best friend by knowing them so well, without pushing or
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 21
preconceived notions about what you wa/it them to be, but with
a pure and loving acceptance of the beauty of their individuality,
appreciating their deepest strengths and weaknesses.
In knowing your wonderful child so well, you will be
equipped to respect them for the individual they are struggling
to be, instead of wasting years on confusion and heartache or
aggravation and antagonism for both of you. Of course there
will be times when your patience and understanding are pushed
to the limit, especially during the 'terrible twos' and the teenage
years, but your youngster will appreciate your insights all the
more at these times - and more than that, so will you.
I hope you will find this a really valuable book to refer to
throughout the different stages of your child's life. When your
sweet, newborn bundle of joy makes you realize that you are
the responsible party for the rest of his or her life, when your
toddler cannot express his or her frustrations, when your young-
ster is having difficulty with peers at school, or your teenager
seems too involved with his music, I am sure you will find some
answers in this book.
Now you are ready to embark on the journey of your
child's lifetime. I know you will enjoy reading the map of their
life and understanding with greater clarity the essence of their
individuality.
Shall we begin?
Practical Instructions on the
Yet every day people talk about their 'sign' when referring
to astrology, as if it were the whole story - 'I'm a Pisces, what
are you?' In truth it is only one ingredient among many, and
your 'Sun sign' barely begins to touch on the full beauty
and individuality of your true character.
It is hardly surprising to know that there are sceptics who
rightly point out that astrology cannot work if it puts every
member of the human race into one of twelve categories. It is
ludicrous to contemplate that we are each so limited in our
characters, or so similar.
So we cannot be categorized by Sun sign alone, though it
is certainly a good place to start - as flour might be a good place
to start when describing that exotic chocolate gateau.
The Ingredients
0 The Sun
1 like to think of the Sun as a light that shines out from the
individual, perhaps the energy or life force of the personality
that may be projected on to others.
]) The Moon
The Ascendant
This is where you can leam about the major outside influences
in your youngster's life, such as parents, siblings and school, and
to some extent how the child views these. This is also where
you can discover which career leanings the child is likely to
have.
What you need first of all is your child's date, place and time
of birth - the exact time if possible (check the hospital records
if you cannot remember). Sometimes I may have a client who
has no record of their child's birth time, and I ask them to cast
their mind back and think of an event that might pinpoint it.
Was it dark or light outside, near a meal time, did the nurses in
the hospital change shift just before or after the birth, were you
able to phone anybody? And so on. This often helps to establish
the approximate time, and in some cases can actually jog the
memory to the exact time of birth. Or you can ask a relative,
who may surprise you by saying 'Oh yes, I remember, it was
dinner time when we got the phone call.'
If there is no way of finding out the exact time of birth,
the astrologer usually calculates the chart on the basis of a noon
birth time. However, you may have a rough idea of the birth
time, within a few hours perhaps. Since the Ascendant changes
every hour, you may be able to work out which is the right one
for your child by studying the characteristics of the different
Ascendant signs - which I have written up for you in great detail
in the following chapters. This helps you to work backwards and
actually establish the birth time from astrology instead of vice
versa. The typical physical characteristics shared by Ascendant
signs may be very easy for you to spot. Does this child have a
Scorpio look (intense, penetrating almost magnetic eyes) or
a Cancer look (round face, with amazing facility to change
expression)? Or perhaps the typical cowlick curls on the fore-
head and that steady gaze of the Taurus Ascendant.
SOME HOMEWORK
HE CANCER the
is nurturing, reflective and sensitive.
The Symbols
SUN 0 MOON D
* This can vary by a day or so depending on the year. If your child was bom on
the cusp date (the date the sign changed) and you know their time of birth,
you can write to me for their exact Sun sign. (See address at end of book.)
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 39
Sun in Aries
times. If you hedge or try to play for time they will know. To
maintain the respect and love between you it would be best to
answer your little Aries's questions honestly and directly.
Sun in Taurus
Your Taurus child needs security. If you stay close to her and
offer her plenty of cuddles and reassurance while she is very
young she will reward you with a placid temperament and a
sweet disposition. She needs touch and tenderness, harmony
and beauty. She'll enjoy exploring her senses from a very young
age, so hang something pretty over her cradle, do artistic projects
with her and play her sweet music. All her senses are very alive,
including taste and smell. Thus she loves the experience of
eating and will enjoy feeling the texture of fabric and food. Or
she may enjoy making mud pies in the garden. Just consider
her a budding sculptor. The only thing likely to put little Taurus
off her food is unpleasantness - of taste, smell or surroundings.
Being an earth child little Taurus enjoys being close to nature,
and may display artistic talent from an early age. Don't forget
her musical side, which will be strong from the outset. She'll
be soothed by your lullabies and will soon join in rhymes and
songs. She'll happily play around on toy or real instruments,
with an instinct for harmony. A certain amount of stubbornness
is natural to the little bull, so it will be important for you to
remember that the carrot (in the form of an appeal to the
emotions) works better than the stick (trying to tell her what
to do). Remember too that her natural determination is one of
her strengths. Up till the teenage years most Taurus children
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN ' 41
Sun in Gemini
Freedom and intellect are the keys to your Gemini child. The
clever trick is to keep him safe while not letting him feel
hemmed in. Provide plenty of variety and change in his day-to-
day life. He particularly likes ideas and mental stimulation. He'll
love it when you talk to him - even before birth. In general
your little Gemini will be active, he won't want to be confined.
He'd like to be constandy on the move. He'll relish moments
in the great outdoors - as a baby, take him out for walks often.
Then when he's older help him leam to ride a bike early on.
He'll grow to enjoy any sports which allow the wind to blow
through his hair, such as biking, sailing or windsurfing. He needs
to be mobile. He may have vivacious and bubbly moments and
equally quiet ones, but don't be fooled into believing the old
tale of Gemini having two personalities. This is just one which
needs plenty of mental stimulation. Your little Gemini loves
ideas, and is constandy mulling them over in his mind. When
the external stimuli of conversation and socialization are miss-
ing, your little Gemini may turn in on himself to think things
through quiedy. The worid of books is a natural home for little
w
42 A ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Sun in Cancer
Home and family are the world to your Cancer child. She will
be very attached to her parents, especially her mother, and
should, if possible, be breast-fed as a baby. She likes hanging
out with mum or dad in the kitchen or the garden. Don't always
believe what you see with little Cancer, though. She identifies
so strongly with her surroundings that she can be quite a cha-
meleon. Rather like a reflecting pool, she absorbs and reflects
the emotional environment surrounding her. This can make her
feel insecure, and thus behave in a clingy manner. She may be
quite overwhelmed by her own extreme sensitivity, and has to
learn early on to hide these powerful feelings from view. Like
the crab that is her symbol, your Cancer child has such a soft
and vulnerable underneath (emotions) that she has to develop
a hard outer shell to protect herself from hurt. Bearing this in
mind always treat your Cancer child gently and sensitively and
she will reward you with tenfold the nurturing and tenderness
that you expend. She is impressionable, so she is not a child to
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 43
Sun in Leo
Warm and loyal, your litde lion cub loves to romp and play,
and especially enjoys showing the others that he is the king of
the jungle. He may even cuff or bite an opponent if his temper
is baited, and though he may be a little too proud to say sorry,
he will do so in his own way, with a generous gift and obvious
affection. And your Leo child needs lots of that - hugs, cuddles
and warmth. Leo children are extremely sociable, craving a great
deal of attention. The best way to make your Leo child cranky
44 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Sun in Virgo
Sun in Libra
age that just a smile, just a gentle gesture, and he has you
melting. Since harmony is so important to litde Librans, art,
music and nature will appeal. Sing to your Libra child and take
him out in the fresh air often. He may surprise you with his
love for the birdsong he hears, the wild flowers he sees. Most
Libran children enjoy literature and poetry too. Diplomatic and
fair in his approach, he will find a way of making sure justice is
done, so he will become the little arbitrator in the playground.
He will go out of his way to avoid harsh or ugly environments,
and even as an infant will become deeply upset if there is an
angiy or discordant atmosphere around him. As he grows older
he will display the strong need to balance everything (as in the
symbol for Libra, the scales). This can lead to a confusing
situation if you do not read him right. He cannot abide discord
and will go a long way to avoid a fight, yet he is totally
compelled to point out the opposite in every situation (redressing
the balance again). It may seem he is picking a fight, but he
really wants debate when he brings up the opposing viewpoint.
Beauty will be very important to him, so don't be surprised if he
is very concerned with his hair, his clothes, his appearance.
Young Libra likes to analyse and understand things in a scientific
way, and since he needs to exchange ideas, he will be most
conversational. Don't fence your little Libra in, though, he needs
a lot of freedom to explore his world. You may wonder if he is too
vain as a teenager, but others will find him so charming and
attractive that you'll soon trust he is on the right track. He'll
want a lot of freedom to explore his world, but will always
entertain you with stories and anecdotes.
Sun in Scorpio
Sun in Sagittarius
Sun in Capricorn
Sun in Apuarius
Sun in Pisces
Gentle and tender-hearted, your little Pisces may cry for the
sheer sorrow she senses in the world. She is immensely empa-
thetic, reading people from the heart, feeling other people's or
animal's pain as if it were her own. So as a baby, she may be
more upset by the atmosphere around her than anything tan-
gible. Soothe away her fears with gentle lullabies and warm
baths. Being bombarded always by the emotions of the planet,
she seeks refuge from the assault on her senses. Thus her
capacity to retreat into daydreams and the world of fantasy. Her
sympathetic nature means others know they can turn to her for
solace. If this happens too much she will find her world of
dreams essential and restorative. Sensitive in the extreme, her
little face will crumple to tears when she is hurt, yet she would
not wittingly retaliate to hurt someone's feelings. She has a
natural rapport with the sick and suffering and may enjoy taking
care of an injured bird or animal, having an instinctive healing
touch when nursing it back to health. Since the world of dreams
is so very important to your Pisces child's equilibrium, don't
think she is being lazy or unresponsive when she takes time to
52 ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
simply switch off. Music and poetry are food to her soul, and
she wisely knows the importance of paying attention to the
space between thoughts. Encourage her to get into books, or
her need to enter the realm of imagination could make her into
quite a TV addict. Your small Piscean is a wonderful weaver of
dreams, quite visionary at times. She'll be gifted with art, music
and dancing. A romantic at heart, your teenaged Pisces is ideal-
istic, wanting to think the best of every person and situation.
Teach her gently to temper her idealism with some realism.
Moon in Aries
Your Moon in Aries child will be cuddly and warm, giving and
forgiving, yet attached to personal freedom. This litde one has
the ram's emotions - proud, confident of the leadership position,
ready to stand head and shoulders above anyone trying to chal-
lenge this. His emotional reactions will be quick, especially any
that have heat such as a flash of temper or a burst of passion.
Just like flames, though, litde Aries Moon's feelings can cool
down with equal speed. Thus he lets bygones be bygones, and
doesn't bear emotional gmdges. Impetuous, keen, dynamic, bold
and sometimes jumpy but always brave and ready for action,
this litde one is an emotional dynamo whose feelings of warmth,
power and energy are right there on the surface. So you will
not have to guess what his reactions might be to any issue;
however, be ready to jump out of the way if he puts his head
down and appears about to butt anyone who comes near! Dis-
traction will be a wonderful tactic if you want to change his
mood, since he is drawn to novelty, change and challenge.
Emotionally steady, you are not in for any surprises from your
Moon in Taurus child. She can be relied upon to react slowly
and behave predictably. She is a creature of habit, and that habit
is to be generally pleasant - certainly not moody. In fact she
feels a strong need to keep things just as they are. Her feelings
are solid and deep-rooted, so she appears calm and placid most
of the time. She does possess a temper but, just like the bull,
can take a tremendous amount of taunting until those nostrils
begin to flare and she's on the rampage! Don't try to reason
with her then, just get out of the way and wait until she has
calmed down. Then she will need plenty of reassurance as she
may feel insecure. Little Moon in Taurus is strongly influenced
by her senses - smell, touch, taste, sight, sound. She will be
turned off by an unpleasant smell, but will be moved by beauty
and harmony. Most of the time you can count on gentle sweet-
ness from your Moon in Taurus child.
Moon in Gemini
Moon in Cancer
Don't make light of this little one's feelings. Of all the Moon
signs of the zodiac, little Moon in Cancer is the most emotionally
sensitive. She is not over-dramatizing she really feels things.
Like a pool she absorbs and reflects all that is going on around
her - feelings, moods, atmospheres. Then she cannot help but
empathize, to be an emotional part of whatever is going on.
Expect to see her move rapidly through the gamut of emotions,
she is so swiftly swayed to laughter or tears. Moodiness can be
a problem, but given time (and not enough sympathy) this
litmus-paper child may learn to hide her emotional reactions
YOUR CHILD'S MOON SIGN 57
Moon in Leo
Moon in Virgo
Moon in Libra
Moon in Scorpio
Do not believe that what you see is what you get, when it
comes to the child with Moon in Scorpio. This litde one has
feelings that run deeper than any other sign of the zodiac.
Her emotional reactions can be so intense they threaten to
overwhelm the Moon in Scorpio child, so she learns to keep
them hidden from view. She does such a good job of suppressing
her feelings that she may lose touch with them until someone
understanding points them out to her. In a crisis she may appear
totally unfazed, only to react later, in private. She may learn
this detachment from a very early age - after she has experi-
enced them overwhelming her once or twice. Your only clue to
a major reaction then will be an electrically charged quietness
about her. This is not a child whose mood changes swiftly. Once
hurt or elated, she may stay in this phase for days. Deep-rooted
feelings of insecurity are her birthright, and you'll know when
she feels this way as she'll become overly possessive or jealous.
Assured of your devotion, however, your Scorpio Moon child
quiedy adores you.
Moon in Sasittarius
Moon in Capricorn
Moon in Aciuarius
Moon in Pisces
The Ascendant or rising sign is the sign of the zodiac rising over
the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It takes about an
hour for each sign to change or move through that point on the
horizon. Thus, about every hour, there is a new Ascendant sign.
Signs currently
E. HORIZON 2 on the horizon
m
Ascendant in Aries
The child with Aries rising knows deep down inside that he is
a bom leader. He seeks constandy to break new ground, perhaps
even break the rules, if it means he can pioneer. He dashes in
where angels fear to tread, so don't be surprised if he also breaks
the skin with cuts and bruises, especially on the forehead! It is
hard for him to say 'no' when goaded by a dare or issued with
a challenge - in fact these keep him motivated. If life becomes
too mundane, safe or predictable he'll get into mischief trying
to create some more excitement or attract challenges. You will
be made aware from an early age of this youngster's inner
courage and daring Seeing himself as the leader and motivator,
he can also assume himself to be the centre of everyone else's
world, so it goes with the territory for this child to be somewhat
66 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Ascendant in Taurus
Then she will reward you with beautiful works of art and a
sweet singing voice. Harmony, both literal and figurative, is
natural and essential to your little Taurus rising. Her effort to
maintain it leads her to pour oil on troubled waters, and
to approach life gendy and cautiously. She may be wary of new
friends and acquaintances, but will be very loyal to those she
knows. She is practical, a little bit stubborn, but very down-to-
earth. This youngster will never leap into anything, but prefers
to test and probe her world first With you close at hand she'll
soon learn that it is a safe place to be. Sudden noises or discor-
dant environments, however, can upset her deeply. When the
little one with Taurus rising feels her feet are on solid ground,
that she is secure in your love for her and that she will not be
pushed into doing anything she is not ready for, she will
be dependable, practical and sweedy affectionate. You need to
teach her to share and let go.
Ascendant in Gemini
This child wants to explore everything, but most of all the realm
of ideas. He'll keep you constantly on your toes - just when
you think he's in one place he'll suddenly be in another. Both
physically and intellectually, he's always on the move and look-
ing to start something new. As an infant he'll quickly mimic
your sounds, and will enjoy using his hands As he grows older,
the little Gemini rising may ceaselessly ask questions or have
spells of complete silence while he tries to figure something out
for himself. Then he'll switch to being a chatterbox again, often
surprising you with his mastery of language. A good trick with
68 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Ascendant in Cancer
This child seeks to nurture. She will want to take care of you
or someone else in her childhood. If she has no younger siblings,
it may be a doll or a pet that she showers with maternal instincts.
Her sensitivity to atmosphere and mood can make her
impressionable, sometimes psychic. She will seek to establish
security, so she will want to have a permanent home and a
strong attachment to mother or father. She is so able to fit into
the mould of others that she may be able to capture their true
essence as an actor or actress. It is hard for this litde one to let
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 69
Ascendant in Leo
Appearance: A mane of thick hair. Little Leo will puff out his
chest with pride and will flash a sunny, charismatic smile.
Bold and dynamic, this child will take the world by storm, given
half a chance. If the spodight is not falling on him, he'll soon
find a way to make it do so. He is never a wallflower, but is
always right there where the action is, usually in the centre.
Glamorous and charismatic, the child with Leo rising may end
up in the entertainment business, either on the stage or directing
a performance. He feels at home directing others, and he cer-
tainly has a natural ability to organize. However, it will be
70 ^AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Ascendant in Virgo
The child with Virgo rising is born to serve and help. She
approaches life from an analytical standpoint - seeking to make
some sense and order of her world. Even from infancy she
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 71
Ascendant in Libra
Ascendant in Scorpio
Ascendant in Sagittarius
job. He'll love sports and the camaraderie that goes along with
them.
Ascendant in Capricorn
Ascendant in Aquarius
Ascendant in Pisces
The main planetary placings that you have just been studying
have given you insight into your child's basic character and
personality traits. Fine, you may say, so much for the ingredients
of the cake, but how about the quantities, and how it is baked?
This is where the chart wheel comes in.
On the chart wheel the major areas of your child's life are
laid out, including career path, parents and friends. This is the
life that was mapped out for the child at birth, with the lessons
and difficulties, the gifts and advantages they were born to
experience.
From Francesca's chart on page 7, and from the example
of Sophie's which follows, you will see that the chart wheel is
like a pie divided into twelve slices. These slices are called
'houses'.
I shall now take you step-by-step through the drawing up
of a chart wheel for your own child.
You can draw up your own child's chart wheel, using either the
blank in the back of the book or a compass or saucer to get
your circle. I would suggest you work with a pencil to allow for
errors.
It is best to start off with three circles within each other,
one large, one a litde smaller, and one about 1 inch (2 cm) in
diameter at the centre.
Then take a ruler and draw a cross which meets in the centre,
extending the lines a little beyond the circle. Write ASC at the
end of the left line.
Divide the remaining quarters each into two equal parts by
drawing lines through the centre of the circle, as shown. Note
that this time the lines do not extend outside the circle.
ASC
ASC
You should now have a figure resembling the blank I provide at
the back of the book.
Starting with the left point of the cross, where you wrote ASC,
and working anti-clockwise, write the sign of your child's
Ascendant around the circle. For example, Sophie's Ascendant
was in the sign of Libra at her birth. So I write Libra round the
wheel below ASC*
ASC
Now you can fill in the rest of the signs, writing them in their
correct order around the outside of the wheel. See how much
neater it is when you write the symbol instead of the word (see
diagram opposite].
* If you have not used my tables to establish the Ascendant sign, but have found
out the exact degree of the sign of the Ascendant, write the degree next to the /ISC
sign, then, going anti-clockwise, write the same degree on each line (which divides
the houses) on the wheel. From this you will see that the house contains more than
one sign, so when interpreting you will need to lake into consideration both signs in
that house, and mix the interpretations together for greater accuracy.
ASC
-WJUS
If you put the house and the sign together, you will be able to
interpret the wheel. For example if the first house is in the sign
of Libra, as in Sophie's wheel, this tells you that the core
individual is fair and diplomatic. If the first house happens to
be in the sign of Pisces, the core individual will be understanding
and flexible. Or if the sixth house happens to be in the sign of
Aquarius, this child most likely has unconventional eating
habits. Now read on to see how I interpret Sophie's wheel in
this key way.
The first house rules the ego, the child's most personal self and
inner goals. In learning about your child's first house placing,
you can gain a glimpse into whom they believe themselves to
be, their raison d'etre and why they came in the first place. Here
lies the key to what they may feel driven to do to make a
difference in their world.
Don't hold him back, this child has come to explore. He will
be self-motivated and bold, pushing himself beyond boundaries
to break new ground. He will be active and energetic, enjoying
competitive sport, though he will not be one of the pack; rather
he feels comfortable as an individual and as leader. On a walk
or in a queue, somehow he will worm his way to the front of
the group every time. He has a strong sense of self, so he'll look
after his own interests. He needs 'alone' time, but in the com-
pany of others he can certainly hold his own. He is at home
with honesty and truth, and does not appreciate those who try
to cover up or hide things.
This child has come to build - her affinity is with the earth. So
allow her to be in harmony with nature and she will create
beauty, stability and peace. She is very persevering and deter-
THE FIRST HOUSE 91
Possessions are very important to this litde one, and very much
tied up with her sense of security, so don't even think of trying
THE SECOND HOUSE 97
Like the crab, once this litde one gets her pincers on something
valuable she will not relinquish it. She may develop strong
sentimental attachments to things, so it will be very comforting
if you let her carry her favourite cuddly toy or piece of blanket
around. It would be a mistake to let her be present when you
do a major spring clean, since she might well dig her head into
the rubbish bin and start pulling out old toys and things that
98 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
then returns without it, it's no big deal. He simply is not materi-
alistic; quite the contrary, he is happy to give away anything to
anyone. Somehow, things do work out for him. He is so confi-
dent that there will always be enough, and he is so giving, that
the flow just keeps going and eventually comes back to him.
However, if you don't have such blind faith, do open a savings
account for half his pocket money, because if you give it all to
him in cash it will be gone within a day.
This little one feels a need to have possessions that keep her
anchored to the earth. At quite a young age she will surprise
you with her awareness of the value of money. She is bound to
be an excellent saver and may even become shrewd enough
to figure out a clever way to double her money. Teach her about
banking and interest, she'll appreciate it. Very few things will
provoke the removal of cash from this litde one's safe place.
The exceptions will be Christmas and birthdays, since she will
enjoy spending on her family and on traditions. Of course she'll
choose carefully to get the best value for money. It's not that
she is tight, more that she fears being left without enough to
get by on. She seems aware of this even from infancy.
Dreamy and idealistic about money, this little one may believe
it grows on trees! No matter how often she ends up empty-
handed as a result of carelessness, she is idealistic about there
being an endless supply. She may be absent-minded about where
she has put it and gullible about where she spends it Empathiz-
ing with a friend's wishes, she may give away her favourite toy
or game, then cry because she mourns its loss. She needs to be
taught the merits of saving and, better still, should have a more
practical and shrewd person put money by in a savings account
for her. She'd happily spend her pocket-money on most things,
but especially those which dreams are made of - films, tapes,
music, dance. Also animals.
The Third House
His siblings teach him a lot too. Their relationship will be warm
and loyal, though at times he may see them as show-offs or too
bossy. Their frolicking may become a litde fierce when it turns
into a power clash, but he would always fight to defend them.
The voice of this youngster is warm. He communicates in
a bold and commanding way. You will not be able to ignore
what he is trying to convey. If you do he'll just turn the volume
up! He is able to put drama into his words, both written and
spoken. He'll enjoy teaching others about reading and writing
as much as learning about them himself.
This child reveres the family unit and may have a serious,
traditional brother or sister who probably behaves like a parent
towards her. She certainly sees her sibling as responsible and
cautious, and perhaps a litde too rigid or disciplinarian at times.
Here is a child who is very responsible about the use of
words. She will never make a fuss unnecessarily. A cautious yet
dignified communicator, she will enjoy talking with those older
and wiser. It may be hard helping her with her reading and
writing lessons, because she wants so badly to be respected for
her abilities, yet she stubbornly refuses to accept advice. A
grandparent would be useful here.
The fourth house gives us insight into how the child perceives
his or her mother or the less dominant parent. The effect of this
parent creates deeply ingrained emotional and habit patterns. It
is important to remember that this may not be how the mother
truly is, but only how the mother is experienced by this child in
their life, and the influence this has.
This house also rules the home, not only how the child
would like their own home to be, but also how they are likely
to treat their bedroom or own special space as a child. In
the interpretations I have written a litde poem to describe the
essence of this.
This child will be very aware of the pride his mother has in
him, he may even feel a bit like a showpiece at times, being
paraded in front of her friends and colleagues like a prized
possession - probably being asked to perform at times too. She
may well be a performer. Her loyalty to her children is absolute;
nobody may say anything against them. The child will have no
doubt that she is the boss. She makes a great teacher.
Child's room:
When it comes to the furnishings, only the best,
This child's tastes are classy, from bedpost to vest.
Child's room:
All order and neatness - not one speck of dust -
And a good place for homework is really a must.
gende example she makes her child aware of mankind and the
earth. This mother never judges people by race, colour or creed,
but welcomes everyone to her home, especially her children's
friends. She is an original thinker, and may bring her child up
in a truly unconventional way.
Child's room:
Make sure that this room has at least one spare chair,
Your child will be gathering many friends there.
From the fifth house you can understand more about how your
litde one's creative juices flow, how they enjoy expressing them-
selves and which mediums would be best for their particular
brand of creativity.
This house also indicates the kind of parent they may be
themselves when they grow up, so I have written a litde about
this in the second paragraph of each section, hopefully capturing
the essence of what kind of mum or dad they might make one
day. It will be interesting for you to bear in mind that this could
also throw a light on the way they may treat a much younger
sibling.
Remember, no matter how gender-biased some of these
descriptions may seem, they can be applied to both sexes.
This child has a good eye for beauty and balance; any artwork
of his will reflect this. He will enjoy colouring in patterns,
perhaps designing his own. His ability to originate harmony
THE FIFTH HOUSE 117
The sixth house rules work ethic and industry - that is how
your child is likely to apply himself to a chore or task. Also
ruled by the sixth house is diet, which is always an interesting
one to discuss, since so many parents are concerned about their
child's eating habits. Maybe the following description of how
they like to eat will put your mind at rest - I hope so.
DIET: All her senses come into play, not just taste. She so
enjoys the look, the texture, the smell and the flavour of food
that she finds it hard to resist the pleasurable experience of
enjoying it. Don't fret if this also involves the sense of touch!
This child needs to have many things on the go, and then do a
little work on each in turn. He starts lots of projects, then goes
back and forth between them adding layer by layer to each.
Sometimes he loses track of a project and never returns to finish
it. He does have an amazing capacity to watch TV, read a
magazine and tackle his homework at the same time. Most of
the time, though, it all works out fine. He enjoys working with
words. Help him make lists to keep track of all that is current.
Here is a child who brings her feelings into play when she works.
Comfort is very important in her workspace, and she would
rather work from home than with people she does not get along
with. As a child she'll enjoy working alongside her mother on
chores, projects or homework She works well with children
and animals or in any sphere where empathy is needed. She
may worry about unfinished or difficult work, and this can result
in irritable behaviour, stomach upsets or back pain.
This youngster prefers to work in private and may not want you
to watch what she is doing. She possesses tremendous willpower
and intuition, and can be very cool about cutting out that which
is superfluous. Sharp at spotting what needs to be done, she
works well in research or investigation, or where analysis and
dissection are required. She'll enjoy doing homework projects
that require ferreting out information or even simply cutting
and sticking. She'll also enjoy slicing the vegetables.
Happy and cheerful about chores, this child can be truly philo-
sophical about what he takes on - for example, gazing in deep
reverie out of the window while doing the washing up. So long
as he does not feel constrained and so long as he feels free to
get on with things in his own way, he'll be quite a trooper. He
likes being around other people when he works, and does a
wonderful job of whipping up enthusiasm for assistance. He'll
work enthusiastically but impatiendy, itching to get started.
DIET: Not at all fussy about what or where he eats, he'll eat
well when travelling, and especially enjoys foreign foods. He
will be a fast eater, and may be impatient to get started and
to get down from table. Nonetheless he makes a jolly eating
companion.
124 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
DIET: Different is the keyword. This child may not eat foods
in traditional combinations, nor treat mealtimes in a traditional
way. However, he will enjoy social interaction when eating and
will happily share food with friends - or strangers.
THE SIXTH HOUSE 125
DIET: Emotional eating means that this child may eat to com-
fort hurt feelings or a sense of loss. If the atmosphere is too
emotionally charged or if she feels vulnerable, she may 'binge'
eat or find herself completely without appetite.
The Seventh House
The best friend of this child may well be born in May and will be
utterly dependable, practical and down-to-earth. They will have
THE SEVENTH HOUSE 127
This solid, practical child looks for a partner who is flexible and
understanding. She teams up best with a sensitive, nurturing
child who likes to play close to home and probably enjoys home
and family as the theme for play - dolls, doll's houses, cookery
and gardening being some of the favourites The stubbornness
of this child means she will team up best with a fluid and
adaptable playmate, probably born in late June or early July.
The child whose chart wheel has the seventh house in Scorpio
is quiedy conservative, and enjoys the air of mystery and depth
provided by a Scorpio partner. The possessiveness and jealousy
THE SEVENTH HOUSE 129
Looking for fun, this child enjoys a best friend who is good at
sport and keen on being active. He loses interest quickly and
cannot bear to feel hemmed in by a friendship, so a freewheeling
partner who makes no demands on him will suit this child best.
They will have lots to talk about and plenty of adventures, but
will never be bored in each other's company. They'll particularly
enjoy fast, active sports together.
Sensitive and easily hurt, your litde one needs a pal who will
always be there for her, no question - perhaps one who acts
like a father-figure at times! In a Capricorn-style partner she
finds a buddy who is solid, constant and self-disciplined. This
suits her wavering, easily swayed nature. She seeks a responsible,
reliable and steady partner who takes life, tradition and family
very seriously. Her best friend will probably be bom in
December or January.
EishthHouse - Aries
and understand all that she can, all the while revealing little to
you about what she believes. She may be quiet and intense in
church, then come out with the most insightful and profound
religious statements. She understands the need for necessary
pruning in life, but hates letting go of anyone or anything that
has touched her spirit in some way.
This child may enjoy sitting among the congregation and meet-
ing them afterwards, but he does not conform to traditional
THE EIGHTH HOUSE 135
This will help you understand what school means to your child.
The ninth house gives pointers to your children's attitude
towards education and how they are likely to work and respond
to teachers. The ninth house also shows how your offspring will
deal with long-haul travel and major expeditions.
anxious about leaving home. Once she gets there, though, she'll
make the hotel a home from home.
This child leams best when given freedom to draw his own
conclusions. He perceives school as a place where, beyond
formal education, philosophies are developed. If his education
is too rigid, he'll shut down. Given freedom of choice, though,
he feels comfortable enough to take courses for pleasure. He is
a natural tutor himself also.
Try holding him back! This child is impatient to get travel-
ling. He sees the world as an exciting adventure, full of wisdoms
for him to leam. Ready to take off at a moment's notice, and
happiest when travelling light, he's fascinated by other cultures.
140 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
The father is seen as practical and gentle; this child feels sure
of her dad and sees him as a solid rock because he is so predict-
able and reliable. This father probably has routines, and may at
times come across as stubborn. He is devoted to his children,
THE TENTH HOUSE 143
Gende and nurturing, this dad seems more like a mum in some
ways. He may be a good cook and takes a great interest in
having a comfortable home. Even though his work may involve
travelling, he will seem comforting and sensitive to his offspring.
Sometimes very emotional and easily hurt, this is a dad
who will find it hard to let go when his child feels ready to
leave the nest.
Sensitive and gentle, this father has the ability to see both sides
of every argument. So although he is a pacifist, he will have a
tendency to disagree with opinions, simply because he feels
compelled to point out the opposite. He could come across as
indecisive or lazy at times, but will open up his child's mind to
the joys of literature and debate and the possibilities of other
points of view.
This child will cautiously creep out of her shell to see if she is
safe making friends with someone. Once she has tucked them
under her wing, however, she wants to nurture and take care of
them - and never let them go.
Caring and sensitive on the social scene.
Bold, dynamic and very friendly, this child makes friends easily,
and is very loyal to the ones he has. He likes buddies who want
to have fun in a gregarious way - parties, extravagant gatherings,
showing off together.
You cannot ignore this one on the social scene.
Your child's dreams are very moving for her. You may go to
tuck her in and see a tear trickling down her face, even though
she is sound asleep. This is like a release valve for her, an
emotional oudet where daytime hurts can be expressed. Her
dreams generally involve security and nurturing. Her parents
and her home will be recurrent features in her nightscapes, in
which she hangs on to things with sentimental value.
Extraordinarily sensitive to atmosphere - psychic. In tune
with friends and family.
This child dreams of precision and order, and may fret in her
dreams because she cannot get things exactly right. She may be
able to recall her dreams in great detail, relating to you every
litde thing. If she wakes up in the night worrying about some
specifics that seemed so unimportant during the day, reassure
her that she did her best, and that is good enough.
May intuitively sense how to be of most help to people.
This child probably has the scariest dreams of the lot. So deeply
disturbing are they that she might not dare mention them
to you. They hint at things hidden that are too frightening to
reveal. Give this child every sympathy and all your support,
and teach her that she has nothing to fear from these demons,
THE TWELFTH HOUSE 153
which come from her own imagination. Only in dreams can she
acknowledge a possessive, jealous side.
This is an extremely intuitive child, especially about people.
1112;
ASC 1 SOPHIE
4 JANUARY 1988
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158 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Midheaven in Aries
Midheaven in Taurus
Midheaven in Gemini
CAREER: This child can be a jack of all trades, and may tire
easily of one job, moving on to try something else. Possessing a
natural ability to talk, persuade and convince, he could be good
in sales or successful in all communications fields.
Midheaven in Cancer
Midheaven in Leo
Midheaven in Vireo
Midheaven in Libra
Midheaven in Scorpio
Midheaven in Sagittarius^
CAREER: This child is a natural teacher, though the leaching
will be as much philosophical as factual. The career may not
have as much to do with gathering money as gathering wisdom.
A career in travel or sport would also be good.
Midheaven in Capricorn
Midheaven in Aquarius
Midheaven in Pisces
Moon Sign
1
166 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD
Looking at the rising sign tables, find the ten-day span that
includes your child's birthdate. Then follow the line across till
you find their time of birth. The first line 21 Aries to 31
March is for those born between and including the dates
21-31 March, any year. If they were born at 6.30 that day,
move your finger along till it finds 6.30 am and you'll see
that is in the Taurus column. So your child's rising sign is
Taurus. You'll see this actually says 6.30 am to 7.44 am. Thus
born at 6.30 am they'd be born just as the Ascendant started
to move through the sign of Taurus. If born at 7.44 am, this
was just before the Ascendant left Taurus and moved on to
Gemini. If born somewhere between those two times — 7.05
am for example, then they were born right in the middle of
the Ascendant's journey through Taurus.
TIME ZONES
5 Add this to the time of birth you now have [ait the
while remembering that there are 60 minutes in each
hour, 60 seconds in each minute) 12.15.00 -
14.11.56
14.12.10