Stephen's Personal Blog

A friend at work ran my astrological chart on my birthday. The results are below with my annotations. For the most part it’s correct, but it seems like a significant portion maybe as much as half, is not here.

Sun Sign Aries
Rising Sign Scorpio
Moon Sign Aquarius

Sun in Aries (General character)
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, the sign that symbolizes new beginnings. It connotes quick changes and sudden forks in the road. Your life is marked by arriving at a certain place and then being turned in a new direction. Certainly, one can say your life is adventurous!

There is a dynamic restlessness to the Aries character. With the Sun in this sign, you are an activist and doer. If you have a new plan or idea-if an enterprise strikes your fancy-you can’t wait to plunge right in. The amusing little prayer, “Grant me patience NOW!” is typical of the Arien attitude.

When others first meet you, their instant impression is of someone exciting, vibrant, and talkative. {Actually, this aspect is heavily modified by my Moon sign later on.} Others will be lucky if they can get a word in edgewise. If someone brings up a topic, you will be delighted to tell in great detail exactly what you think about it {awful, really}.

As an Aries person, you gravitate toward the center of action. You are audacious and intent on getting your own way. Since your nature is to express power, you treat opposition as an annoyance to be brushed out of the way. You are a natural leader who exudes self-confidence. From an early age, you feel you are headed for success.

Happily, you are also generous about helping others in a crisis. You are an openhearted friend who shares ideas and advice, and likes to pick up the check. You have a quality of largesse. You are not interested in the small or petty. “Go for the best” is your motto. {Pretty much all this is true. I have to reign it in a bit, because other people don’t contain these qualities to such an extreme.}

There is nothing faint or half-hearted about an Arien. Whereas others may be more cautious, you actually enjoy living on the edge. A touch of recklessness makes you feel alive. The chase is always more thrilling than getting the goal. (As one Aries recently remarked rather insightfully, “Wanting is always better than getting.”) You are willing to take a gamble, follow a dream, set your mind on a goal, and pursue it with irresistible enthusiasm. Your supreme quality of optimism attracts others. Underneath there may lurk insecurity, but no one will ever know about it.

This is not to say you don’t get depressed or moody. But the winter of despair doesn’t last a week with Aries. You have an uncrackable optimism. It is true, however that Aries people are notorious for taking offense at fancied slights and injuries. Hot tempers and childish tantrums abound, and your threshold of boredom is extremely low {really, low}. If success is not immediate, you tend to lose interest and go in search of other excitement. As a result, patient, plodding types often get to the head of the class before you do.

Ariens have a well-deserved reputation for not finishing what they have begun. You are very short of patience, and your lack of stick-to-itiveness is your weak spot. Also, you spend your energy in too many different ways, like the Ring Lardner hero who mounted a horse and rode off in all directions at once.

Independence is a keyword. You can turn sulky and peevish if you have to take orders. You would much rather be the world’s largest lizard than the world’s smallest dragon. You want to run the whole show. If you can’t you pull up stakes and look for a situation in which you can show off your style and brilliance. Should you come up against a superior force, you will bend but never break. Your aggressive and combative spirit cannot be broken by anyone – except yourself. {I tend to end up managing my own little sub-domain at work. This seems to make everyone happier.}

One of the pitfalls of being an Aries is that you’re essentially self-involved. Unless you make an effort to look outward at others and their feelings, you can easily become a spoiled brat.

Though generally sincere and honest, you will tell a white lie if it seems advantageous. You are not a very adept liar, however; others see right through you. Sometimes you lack tact and diplomacy, but no malice is intended. {This isn’t as true as it used to be. I’ve learned much to my disgust how to generally change my wording. Still slips through though.} With you, tactlessness is an impulsive act- a careless expression of your innate force. Too often you speak without thinking and say whatever pops into your mouth, and usually regret your impulsiveness later.

Aries is lucky with money, but can’t hold on to it. You tend to run up big bills, live extravagantly, soar over budget. However, you usually find a way to pay off what you owe. You have too much pride to remain in anyone’s debt. {Debt irks the shit out of me. It’s a sign of weakness and dependence.}

In friendship you give magnanimously if someone is in need, but you want to get credit for your good deeds. In the garden of Aries, there are no shrinking violets.

You are creative, openhearted, high-spirited, pioneering, also vain, feisty, and impatient. Those who deal with you on an intimate basis will have one chief problem: How are they going to keep up the pace?

Inner You
You like to be in charge-you want to control your own projects and plans and not be under anyone else’s thumb. You have an intense drive to succeed and put a lot of pressure on yourself. Inside, you’re filled with nervous energy and worry about how you’re going to handle everything. You hate to be bored; you’re always looking for something different- new people and places that promise excitement and adventure. You have very little patience; you need to practice sticking things out. You’re also impatient with people who can’t resolve a problem. You believe in taking action. What you do have are great generosity and enthusiasm. And although you suffer from occasional self-doubt, you know that if you really want to do something, you can! {The question is not “can I”, it’s “do I want to” or “how much do I want it” or “will I stick with it”.}

How others see you
Your upbeat, magnetic personality pulls people toward you- you bring excitement into their lives. They envy your aggressiveness in meeting a challenge. Whatever the problem, you give the impression that you have an answer ready. You’re also admired for your honesty; you don’t gloss over difficulties. What people don’t like is your tendency toward bossiness and your deserved reputation for being sharp-tongued. They’re afraid to cross you in an argument because they know you can cut them to the quick.

Second Decanate:
Part of the body rules by Aries
Aries rules the head and face. You can often spot an Aries person by his or her fine facial bone structure and a shining, healthy head of hair. Sometimes there is a birthmark or mole on the face. {yes, very light} The head is associated with thinking and perception, and natives of Aries tend to be sharp, shrewd thinkers who use common sense.

Aries people are subject to headaches, including migraines, head congestion, and sinus conditions. God, yes. Yoga helps} They are also prone toward minor injuries around the head and face, and should use protective headgear if taking part in strenuous sports. They have a tendency to overwork themselves and overtax their energy. They are prey to eyestrain and to having problems with their teeth. {Does having someone else know them out count?}

When excited or frustrated, an Aries person will often get red in the face. If he or she has fever, it tends to reach a high degree in a short period of time. However Ariens have strong recuperative powers and can fight off illness very rapidly.

The glands that Aries rules, are the adrenals. These are the glands that pump adrenaline into the bloodstream during times of stress and emergency. The Aries personality is known for its excitability and impetuosity, and one reason may be that Mars, the planet associated with Aries, rules the muscular system and the sex glands. Aries people are active, have excellent muscle coordination, and are noted for their energetic sexuality.

Aries Erogenous Zone
The nerve endings in the face and head are especially sensitive for Aries people, and gentle stroking of the hair and scalp is something they respond to favorably.

Aries woman loves to have her hair combed and played with. If you nibble Aries man’s ear, you will send him a definite sexual message. {Discovered that last year. Rather shocking} Other stimulations that people of this sign respond to are feather-light strokes of the lips with your fingertips, and gentle kisses on their closed eyelids.

One technique that will relax Aries and put her or him in the mood for love is to travel a path with your fingertips from the base of the hairline at the back of the neck all the way to the top of the skull. Your fingers should move in small circles that vibrate the scalp. Use a light but firm pressure. Repeat this pathway from neck to top of the crown until the entire head has been massaged. This technique is also extremely useful for relieving the headaches due to nervous tension that Aries is subject to.

Sun in 5th house
Ascendant (Rising sign) in Scorpio (How the outside world looks at you, your image. Outward personality=sun & rising sign)

If you were born with Scorpio ascending, you put the whole force of your personality behind everything you do. You are not a halfway person. Rising-Scorpios have an intensity, a dynamism that seethes and roils under the surface. Your willpower and determination are formidable.

Though you are sometimes viewed as a lone wolf, you do have an ability to work with people – actually, to lead people. You are strongly persuasive and zealously pursue your goals, and in addition have the power to make others pursue the same goals. {I want other people to follow, but “have the ability to pursue the same goals”. I don’t think so.}

Clever, creative, and resourceful, your fertile mind seems to be an inexhaustible source of ideas and suggestions. Your brain behind your cool façade is always ticking away. One of the things you must do is find out how something works, to dissect it, study it, and put it back together so that it works better. This is also true in artistic terms; you can do great visionary work if you have Scorpio rising in your chart. {This is so true.}

As a Scorpio Ascendant you are happiest when you can control from behind the scenes. You tend to be secretive and reserved, and shun the spotlight because you can’t work there unnoticed. {Which generally pulls against Aries flashiness} If you are domineering, it is a subtle dominance, a kind of mind control. {Have to stop myself from doing this. It’s really hard} Some people claim that they are hypnotized by Scorpio Ascendants; it’s true that you have a way of knowing what others are thinking. Much of this comes from your acute powers of observation. You are a charming, witty conversationalist, but the acute observer will soon notice that it is the other person who is doing most of the talking. {Except, I’m Aries and never shut up.} You are usually quietly watching, waiting, observing {This is what I’m doing in new situations before I get comfortable.} – filing away information that will be useful later on.

Rising-Scorpios have a reputation for a sharp temper; the reputation is deserved. When crossed, you can be cruel and biting. You tend to use any weapon at your disposal- from ridicule to playing on a person’s fears. In the heat of that moment, Rising-Scorpio must be the victor. Later, you are remorseful for having dealt wounds, though it is extremely hard for you to say so. {Seen evidence of this. It’s like getting burned with acid.}

Scorpio is the astrological sign of hidden passion; Scorpio Ascendants tend to have a secret love affair at least one time in their lives, and usually marry more than once.{Hope not} Astrologers have observed a strange pattern in which Rising-Scorpios often lose their first spouse to death. They seem to suffer more financial setbacks and disappointments than other rising signs; but no other sign is more victorious in the end.

As a Scorpio Ascendant you tend to have sharp features, a prominent nose, and large, hypnotic eyes. Sometimes your brows are thick and dark. Your body is agile and moves decisively.

The planet Pluto, which rules Scorpio, is very prominent in your horoscope. The influence of Pluto bestows powerful feelings and emotions, a sense of purpose, persistence, determination, plus the imagination and ability to make a successful start in a new direction. This planet’s influence also favors secrecy, suspicion, jealousy, and cruelty. {The last bit is awful}

Moon in Aquarius (Hidden part, part only you see)

Aquarius is a most favorable sign for the Moon to be in, for here the Moon’s influence confers admirable qualities of sensitivity and perception. Aquarius is the astrological sign of rational thinking and humanitarianism; in this sign the Moon’s effect is to bestow clear logic with altruistic concerns. If you have the Moon in Aquarius you are rational, intuitive, and imaginative. Your senses are well balanced and accurate. Your immediate reaction to impressions you receive from the outside world is to deal with them in a scientific, open-minded way and at the same time try to understand them from the human point of view. There are no extremes of temperament in this lunar position. You are neither too emotional nor too cerebral; you are visionary but not eccentric.

A Moon-Aquarian has a wonderful gift for expression. You crackle with vitality, are a witty conversationalist {That’s 2 for witty conversationalist and 1 for outgoing and talkative}, and make a delightful companion. Your friendliness charms all types of people – indeed, you’re people-oriented, sociable, and outgoing, interested in other people’s problems. However, unlike Moon water signs (Moon-Cancer, Moon-Scorpio, Moon-Pisces), you never become so emotionally involved that it changes your own life. There is a balance that runs through your relationships.

The passions of Aquarius-Moon people are passions of the mind. You are interested in ideas, philosophy, and higher learning. You enjoy science and mathematics, as well as art, music literature. Again, I repeat, you are not a person of extremes. You are well-rounded intellectually, for you have a wide range of interests in many different fields and associate with a large number of varied people. {This is spot on.}

Aquarius is the sign of future knowledge, and as a Moon-native you are interested in the unknown and what lies ahead. Many lunar Aquarians seem to be clairvoyant, to see things before they happen. On the other hand, you are not especially practical or down to earth. {This pulls against the Aries common sense} It can be said that you have a wide outlook but short sight. You tend to see things in terms of large concepts, but when it comes to the hard work and sweaty toil of turning a concept into a reality, you are likely to drift off in search of a new idea. Moon-Aquarians are often known as giants in promise and pygmies in performance. The unusual- in people, in places, and in projects- is what interests you most. {Not a good match for Arien failure to finish projects}

In love, lunar Aquarians have a butterfly quality- alighting for a while to sample an experience, flitting off to find something new. You are inclined to be somewhat ambivalent about love affairs. While you have a strong romantic streak, you also have a horror of being suffocated by another person’s demands. {Backed up by the Aries independent streak} You cannot bear possessive, jealous lovers, and you’re often drawn to emotionally unavailable types. Unconsciously, you choose people who shun you; the less interested someone is in you, the more interested you become. In your early years you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you want as opposed to what you think you want, swinging back and forth between romantic longing and feeling totally detached. {No comment}

You seek a fine balance between commitment and independence, and many Aquarius-Moon people go through a number of unsatisfactory amours. When you do marry (often in later years), the relationship quickly becomes as much friend-and-companion as husband-and-wife. To you, the most important glue in a relationship is communication. In general, male lunar-Aquarians have a somewhat easier time emotionally than female Moon-Aquarians, apparently because it is still more socially acceptable for males to be intellectual and emotionally detached.

No matter what your Sun sign may be the Aquarius-Moon qualities of intelligence and individualism run through your personality. If your Sun is in an air sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), an Aquarius Moon emphasizes your superior mental gifts and ability to deal successfully with different kinds of personalities; this is a successful combination for people in the field of communication. If your Sun is in a fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), an Aquarius Moon lends imagination and the common touch to your dynamic, exuberant forcefulness; this is a wonderful combination for people in public life. If your Sun is in an earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), an Aquarius Moon adds to your practicality, a gift for innovation and original work; this placement is excellent for performing artists. If your Sun is in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces), an Aquarius Moon accentuates your imaginative, clairvoyant qualities; you have a unique talent for self expression.

Whatever your Sun sign, an Aquarius Moon gives you an independent, stimulating mind, a persuasive charm with people, and a side to your personality that is always titillated by the unconventional.

Moon in 3rd House
You tend to think emotionally and have a strong imagination. You dislike routine and your life is marked by many short trips. You have a good memory, often change your opinion, and make a good impression when working with or appearing among the public. Good points: inquisitive mind, good common sense, successful writing about self or family {Helloo, my blog}. Bad points: moody, unstable, tendency to interfere in the lives of others.

Mercury in Aries (Planet of the mind-mental activities, communication, intellectual energy, intelligence, perception, reason, memory, speaking, and writing)

This is a strong position for Mercury because Aries imparts aggressiveness and brilliance to the intelligence. If you have Mercury in Aries, you tend to be witty, outspoken, and original. There is a sharp edge to your conversation, an ironic or sarcastic tone that can sometimes be biting and sometimes very funny. You use highly expressive language and throw in a lot of slang to your speech. You exaggerate.{Have to be careful of this quality. It can bite.} An Aries-Mercury makes you impatient, eager to get things done and wanting your way in the proceedings. You can be argumentative and tactless. Fond of both speaking and writing, you may become active in the literary world. Even if not a professional writer yourself, you like to talk to writers and attend literary cocktail parties. A problem is that you are too impulsive; not enough planning goes into your actions. However, you are blessed with luck in this respect: Your first decisions tend to be the right ones. Mercury-in-Aries people suffer from headaches, especially in a raucous and noisy atmosphere.{I avoid these environments and get out quickly. Not for headaches. Just because.}

Mercury in the 5th House
You like change and new people, and probably have a number of love affairs {So, not true. I’m heavily constrained by a fear of failure and rejection.}. A lover must keep you intellectually interested or you become bored. You have a dramatic way of expressing yourself, and may possess artistic talent. Good point: flair for communicating with the public. Bad point: overcritical with loved ones {Sometimes cruely from the Scorpio rising sign.}.

Venus in Taurus (Planet of love and pleasure-how you relate to the opposite sex, popularity, ability to make friends, artistic leanings, ability to love and share)

You are affectionate and romantic, but you don’t give your love away too quickly. A bad love affair is hard on you emotionally, so you take your time deciding on the right person to love. This process, however, is done by feeling rather than thinking logically. {Feelings take a lot of time to process before an answer can be expressed. The delay is painful.} Yours is a very physical and earthy love nature. To you, love does not exist without sex {I never understood why though.}. You are very demonstrative and generous toward a lover, sometimes too much so. Your passion can be smothering; you have an all-consuming need to make a lover belong to you {I try to resist this and provide the independence I want.}. With friends, you are willing and ready to help, but you are as cautious about forming instant friendships as about love. This position of Venus brings luck, sometimes through inheritance or marriage. You have a keen artistic eye and are interested in music. You also love to eat and have to fight overweight. {This aspect contradicts and conflicts with the Arien and Aquarien attitudes. The conflict isn’t pleasant.}

Venus in 7th house
You look for harmony and fulfillment in both marriage and partnerships. You are affectionate, romantic, and popular with the opposite sex. At some point in your life you are likely to gain prestige or financial benefit through a mate or partner. You tend to marry early {Opposing the moon sign and not very true. But I was in a seven year relationship from 23 or so.} and possibly more than once. Good point: you are a natural peacemaker. Bad point: resentful if others do not make the first move toward you.

Mars in Aquarius (Planet of Physical Energy-energy, boldness, will to win, ability to turn ideas into action, passion and sexuality and force, ambition and desire, courage and strength, sex impulses, whether you can get your own way, accident proneness)

You are quick in your actions, but before you act you must be committed intellectually. You tend to be very people-oriented and involved in a variety of projects. There is an element of reform or fighting for freedom in your outlook. High-strung and unpredictable, you struggle between wanting to do things alone and getting involved in group activities. There is also ambivalence in your sexual nature. You have strong desires that are not always reachable. You try to deal with sex relationships rationally, and swing back and forth between passionate involvement and detachment. You acknowledge sexual desire but don’t want to be fettered by it. This sometimes leads to your having a number of affairs (often simultaneously); that way, each affair can’t be a total commitment. You have acute insights into human nature. {This aspect is strong enough that I have learned to distrust in general what other people say as they get it wrong (from my point of view) so often. Not just on people, but a wide variety of subjects. Actual insight is rare and bullshit as insight is common.}

Mars in the 4th house
You have a great desire to own your own home so that you can live independently. In your childhood you may have been in conflict with your parents, especially your father. Your latter years promise to be active, and you are unlikely to be dependent on others for a place to live. Good point: enterprising about making money at home. Bad point: quarrelsome in domestic relations.

Jupiter in Aries (Planet of good luck, optimism, success and generosity, brings joy to life-knowledge, higher learning, breadth of vision, and honesty, willingness to partake of life and gather new experiences)

Luck follows you in professions where you can be your own boss. You are discontent when you have to follow other people’s orders and, being independent and brash, you immediately try to change that situation. Confident and enthusiastic, you are a natural leader capable of running organizations, groups, social clubs, and businesses. You have original ideas and make swifter progress by relying on your own opinions and abilities. You can be a bit bullying and are sometimes quite extravagant in your spending. This position of Jupiter fosters an ability to win over influential people and obtain their help in your career. Jupiter-Ariens often achieve high rank in politics, literature, science, and the military. Your luckiest times of the year are when the Sun is in the signs of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Also, people who have those Sun signs are likely to bring you financial benefit.

Jupiter in the 12th house
You lean toward the spiritual or have an uplifting religious or philosophical faith. Your success in work helps or benefits others and you are most attracted to medicine or social work. {You can get this in programming too, because each user is a beneficiary.} You also have a gift for producing inspired thoughts in seclusion. Good point: a compassionate and charitable nature. Bad point: impractical; you rely on others too much.

Saturn in Cancer (Planet of responsibility and hard work-diligence, self-control, limitation, indicates how well you accept responsibility, what delays and opposition you can expect to encounter)

Saturn encourages too much dependence on others in this emotional and clinging sign. As a Saturn-Cancerian, you love to overindulge in eating, drinking, and other sensual pleasures. In this position, though Saturn also gives a shrewdness and tenacity to your personality. You are superb at seeing a task through to completion. You are also ambitious and strive to find material wealth to make your life secure {Five years of semi-mindless college for a technical degree.}. The obstacles that Saturn places in your path are insecurity and lack of confidence. Sometimes your early life is marked by problems with parents, especially a mother. Many of you Saturn-Cancerians had to take on family responsibility at a very young age. Natives of this position tend to marry someone older in an effort to find an anchor and stability. Saturn endows you with good business sense, although you must be cautious in dealings with relatives. The negative side of Saturn in Cancer is a tendency to melancholy and self-pity. You are prone to digestive and stomach problems; if you are not careful, you can become quite overweight.

Saturn in the 8th House
You take responsibility for others and may become involved in their financial affairs. You are inclined to be somewhat inhibited sexually or to have difficulty expressing yourself emotionally in sex. Saturn in the Eighth House usually indicates that you will live until ripe old age. Good point: you are careful about putting aside money to protect loved ones. Bad point: difficulties over property matters or inheritance.

Uranus in Scorpio (Planet of change and originality, element of surprise in life-inner will and secret power, deep-seated energy, unconscious purpose revealed over a lifetime, whether you have an inventive or unconventional turn of mind)

Uranus is strong in the intense sign of Scorpio. You have a dominating quality that wells up from deep within you. You possess a magnetic sexuality that is sometimes known as star quality. You are blessed with a penetrating mind. You are able to bring concentration and willpower to bear, and thus can move mountains through sheer effort. Uranus brings you luck through intuitive flashes of knowledge about people or situations in which you are involved. Unusual financial turns and reverses can be expected during your lifetime. Often you benefit through a partner’s money or by an inheritance. At times you may be thought of as stubborn, secretive and shrewd.

Uranus in the 12th house
You are very intuitive, perhaps psychic, and are attracted to unusual beliefs in religion or metaphysics. Your need to be independent in thought fights against limitations placed on you by others {Just more independent streak}. During one period in your life you may spend time alone in foreign countries or strange places. Good point: you are humanitarian and compassionate. Bad point: you are subject to sudden and unexpected adversities.

Neptune in Sagittarius (Planet of mystery and illusion, power over imagination-what kind of ideals and goals you have, how psychic and visionary you are, whether you possess a magnetic allure)

In the altruistic sign of Sagittarius, Neptune has an uplifting influence. Astrologers put great store in the generation born when Neptune was in this sign, for Sagittarius is the sign of higher learning, philosophy, and freedom. Neptune-Sagittarians have fine intellects, high purpose, and humane natures, and as these young people reach their adult power years we look forward to new philosophers, sages, and humanistic leaders. Neptune in this position brings a desire for liberty and truth, and a visionary outlook. Neptune-Sagittarians will play an important role in improving living conditions in the Third World countries and in discovering new advances in medicine and science. While Neptune transited this sign of travel and expansion, more people had access to foreign cultures through travel, research, and the World Wide Web.

Neptune in the 2nd House
You are intuitive and imaginative about making money. A more logical person would say your financial affairs are not run in a businesslike way. In acquiring objects, you tend to be more interested in their esthetic value (their meaning to you), rather than their material value. Good points: generous to others in need, gain through creative work, un-materialistic. Bad points: a careless or indifferent attitude toward money, too easily imposed on or swindled, lazy.

Pluto in Libra (Change, transformation-beginnings and ends of the phases in life)

When Pluto is in Libra, the planet’s personal influence promotes a deep need to seek harmony and cooperation. Its negative side brings unforeseen problems and disruption in close relationships

Pluto in the 11th House
You have an intense and magnetic personality, and you seek adventure. You learned to be self-sufficient when you were young and are inclined to be a loner. Good points: great strength, relentless in pursuing a goal, potential for self-transformation. Bad points: inscrutable, vindictive, and ruthless.

Mid-heaven in Leo

Your career exudes power and glamour. Even if you are personally shy, you have a dynamic public persona. You are at the center – performing for an audience, drawing public attention, seen as bigger than life. Your career is infused with unique verve and style, a grandness of taste, and leadership ability. Because your work is extremely creative and you put your whole heart into your efforts, the world rewards you.