The astrological glyph for Taurus by Sherill Anne Gross at Sagworks.
I felt a little guilty as I started to work on this reading for Jen. After all, anyone who reads her blog can see that she is an outgoing, fun loving, life loving, young woman. It's obvious that she is close to her family and has a wide circle of good friends, that she is open and sharing about her life and feelings, and observant and appreciative of the world around her. Much of her astrological chart would only confirm this.
But the beauty of astrology is that it sometimes reveals a deeper and broader perspective of who we are, and what may be the eases and the challenges ahead for us. The challenges especially are not so much about what may happen, but what we need to do to successfully maneuver ourselves through and out.
Jennifer Elizabeth Keen was born on April 30, 1975, which happened to be a Wednesday, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was born in the morning at 10:59 a.m. in the sun sign of Taurus, with the moon in Capricorn, and as Cancer was rising. Those are the three most important things to look at, the sun, the moon, and the ascendant or rising sign.
Sun in Taurus
The sun represents your basic personality and who you are at the very core. The most important thing for a Taurean is reliability. They need a secure and stable background, whether it be in their work, their family, or their relationships, in order for them to function properly. They have a lot of common sense, but can sometimes be inflexible. One measure of stability and security is often through possessions, and Taureans often rely upon possessions as a sign of achievement and position in society.
In fact, possessiveness and jealousy are often considered the worst traits of Taurus. On the plus side is a person who is very methodical, no short cuts, who steadily builds upon her work and career. This is also a person full of natural charm, who also finds time to listen, lend a shoulder to cry on, and offer practical advice. Taurus people very often have soft, gentle voices.
Both the Sun and Jupiter are in Jen's 10th House, which is the House of social and professional activities. I'd say that Jen's work and career will always be a very important part of her life, and it is these activities that make her feel expansive and fulfilled.
Moon in Capricorn
The moon represents your emotional nature. Traditionally, the moon represents the feminine, the mother, the ebb and flow of life, the cycles of life, and your feelings. The cycles of the moon physically impact the rise and fall of ocean tides, the planting seasons, menstrual cycles, etc. Capricorn is an ambitious sign, often centered on climbing up the ladder, building things, whether it be actual buildings or building a community or a project, and being very organized and productive. So, my interpretation for someone with the moon in Capricorn is that planning and building are very important to them; if we all come from a particular tradition, theirs would be the tradition of being the planners and the builders of society.
Now, I have to say I wouldn't expect this in Jen, but moon in Capricorn is often someone who reacts or responds very calmly and coolly to situations, almost to the point of aloofness. Moon in Capricorn does have a somewhat offbeat sense of humor, though, which serves to soften any sense of keeping people at a distance.
Ascendant in Cancer (Rising Sign)
The ascendant, or rising sign, is the sign that was on the eastern horizon in the sky at the moment of your birth. It symbolizes the personality that is revealed to the world; your public persona or how others may see you. Cancer is very maternal, and like it's symbol - the crab - it can be a softy on the inside protected by a hard shell. Cancer rising is often someone who serves as everyone's "surrogate mom". They love history and old things. They also have incredible memories, and they never forget a good or bad deed done to them or someone they love. Like a crab's pincers, they often have a difficult time letting go of things.
The next three planets are important because they are the so-called personal planets - Mercury (how we think), Venus (how we love), and Mars (how we fight.) They are the planets closest to the sun, and support, color, and impact our core personality.
Mercury in Taurus
Jen's Mercury is 22 degrees in Taurus. Mercury is the planet of communication; how we think, how we talk, how we send and receive information. As children, Mercury in Taurus may represent someone who is not necessarily the swiftest learner, but one who learns steadily and builds a solid foundation. This placement could signify someone who is quite stubborn, and once they make up their mind, that's it! Again, the ability to plan constructively, methodically, and with discipline, is a strength. Inflexibility is the weakness. When both Sun and Mercury are in Taurus, as in Jen's case, this is a person who will often be described as "salt of the earth".
Venus in Gemini
Hmmm. How do we say this delicately? Oh heck, I'll just quote one of my favorite astrologers, Caroline Casey, who says Venus in Gemini is "goddess with a mouth". Everyone knows Venus as the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, but her beauty is more powerful than just physical. In fact, Venus is often described as a fierce beauty, who represents all that we value in life, and will do what is necessary to protect and obtain such values. In the talkative sign of Gemini, this is a person who is not afraid to speak up for beauty, art, gardens and culture.
Venus in Gemini is a lively partner who communicates well in all relationships. Sometimes, such liveliness could be construed as flirtatiousness. It's very important for someone with Venus in Gemini to have interesting and fun things to talk about with a partner or friends. Also, this is someone who has a knack for fundraising (money is another kind of value), moneymaking, and finding great bargains. In other words, Jen is a great person to go shopping with.
Mars in Pisces
Mars is the planet of energy, sex, and war. Pisces is a watery sign that raises the emotional level, yet somewhat dampens the fire of Mars. Therefore, you may have someone who gets all fired up and ready to fight, but will ultimately let it pass. Mars in Pisces needs to find the right channel for this emotional energy to be released. With Mars in Pisces, it is best to use up that energy in a creative way rather than a physical or assertive way. Pisces is a very artistic sign, and not particularly self-confident, so any creative expression should be encouraged and nurtured.
Saturn in Cancer
A lot of people fear Saturn, shudder even, at the thought of its effects. In old astrology, Saturn was considered a malevolent planet, bringing hard times and bad news in its transits. Indeed, as the planet Saturn crosses the skies, it signifies the passing and structure of time, and the rites of passage faced by all of us.
Saturn rules all that is rigid, rhythmic, structural, institutional, scheduled, organized, you get the picture. The military is Saturn. Government is Saturn. Marriage and divorce, interestingly, are also influenced by Saturn.
There is an interesting placement of Saturn in Cancer being close to (conjunct) to the rising sign, and directly opposite the Moon in Capricorn. One interpretation may be that structure and organization is a major part of Jen's life, and other's see her as super organized and, for better or worse, almost militant about it. But the opposition to the Moon adds another element, like maybe there is also depression or emotional letdown if things don't always go according to plan. Or instead of depression, perhaps there's a bit of push and pull with Mom over organization and planning? Not sure, here, but opposition to the moon usually means struggle with emotion or mother.
As Saturn makes its way around the chart, it changes or reorganizes the structure of whatever that planet means. For example, I'm curious whether something really big or significant happened in Jen's life in April of 1997? That's when Saturn crossed the MidHeaven and Jupiter together. The MidHeaven signals a crowning achievement, for good or for bad, that is out there for everyone to see. Jupiter expands whatever it touches. So, when Saturn crossed both Jupiter and the MidHeaven in April 1997, there should have been something big, perhaps public, that occurred in her life.
Then, in May 1999, Saturn crosses Jen's Sun. That should also have been a time of challenge.
I'm wondering if something significant happened in Jen''s life during the period between October 2003 and June 2004? That is when Saturn went full circle around the chart and returned to the same position as when she was born (natal position). It's called the first Saturn return, it usually happens around age 28 or 29, and it's a critical time for everyone. It usually involves a big move or a change of some sort, whether it be a job, or a relationship, or a physical move or change.
The Four Elements
There are four energetic elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air. Jen has a fairly evenly distributed number of planets in Earth, Water and Fire, and only a couple of planets in Air. Her strongest element is Earth (Sun, Moon and Mercury are in Earth), and next would be Water (Saturn, Ascendant, Uranus and Mars in Water).
Upstairs, Downstairs
Most of Jen's planets are placed in the top parts of the chart, signifying that her journey is outward, interacting with people. If her planets had been predominantly on the bottom part of the chart, the journey would be more internal. Most people have a sprinkling in both top and bottom, right and left. I've just taken another look at Jud's chart, and most of his planets are on the bottom of the chart - therefore, Jud's journey in life will be more internal.
In closing, I want to thank Jen for the opportunity to do a reading for her. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do it in time for the birthday, which I hope was a happy one! And thanks again to Jud for making the suggestion.
For Jen and others, any feedback is very welcome. Was I close? Completely off base? Constructive comments are helpful. Feel free to ask any follow up questions.
Jen's planets:
Sun - 9 degrees Taurus
Moon - 10 degrees Capricorn
Mercury - 22 degrees Taurus
Venus - 19 degrees Gemini
Mars - 14 degrees Pisces
Jupiter - 10 degrees Aries
Saturn - 13 degrees Cancer
Uranus - 0 degrees Scorpio
Neptune - 11 degrees Sagittarius
Pluto - 7 degrees Libra
Ascendant - 18 degrees Cancer
MidHeaven - 7 degrees Aries
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