Chart Reading: Step #5, Martha Stewart -- The personal planets

In this new thread we can look at the "personal" planets; Mercury, Venus and Mars. These are particularly important as they have to funnel the perceptions, values and actions that are in support of the Sun and Moon, that can utilize the framework of the ASC and MC, and accomodate the Fire/Fixed tone of the overall planetary balance.

MERCURY is our perspective facility. We see, understand and catagorize the perceived world around us. We may use the values and desires of VENUS as a guide in this endeavor. MARS is the tool for expression and action. Note that VENUS is retrograde.

Have fun. As always, Minderwiz and I will be participating in this presentation of thoughts. Dave.

Martha's Mars

I'll kick things off and do three separate posts on each of Martha's personal planets:

Mars, as we have seen is the Ascendant ruler, placed in its own sign and it is also trine the Sun and the MC – so it is one of the key planets in Martha’s chart. As well as the Ascendant it is the sign ruler of the sixth house cusp. Now modern Astrologers relate this house to health but strictly speaking it is ill health that is included in this house and I have made some comments on that elsewhere. Now ill health is not the only area covered by the sixth – it also covers small animals and slaves, maids, servants and labourers. The sixth House is the ‘Joy of Mars’ – it likes being in the sixth and can function well (too well if it is debilitated).

Now Martha may not have any slaves but she certainly has a large number of employees and these would be covered by the sixth, they are in the main likely to be very loyal (trine to the Sun and Mars in dignity). Mars is also sextile Jupiter in the eighth. Now the eighth, like the sixth is not a strong house and Jupiter is in Detriment in Gemini – so Jupiter might find it quite difficult to focus his energy onto Mars, or to receive Mars loud and clear. This may well mean that whilst Martha is into expanding the business in a big way (eighth House is other people’s money) there may be several changes of product or focus (Gemini) - a plurality of business ideas. The employees may be keen to work hard (Mars) but they may not be able to keep the focus going. Success may come but control might not be what it should be. There’s a lot of energy going in and growth coming out but no clear corporate strategy or possibly no clear financial control.

Mars makes two minor aspects – a semi-square to Uranus in the Seventh, which suggests some form of quirkiness in the Mars expression, employees may behave in an unpredictable way, employees may have some connection to the partner in an odd or unconventional sense. She might also keep unusual pets which have an adverse affect on her relationships.

Mars is also biquintile Venus in the tenth. The fifth harmonic is believed to show the special art or activity to which a person is drawn to – the woman as artist. John Addey called the fifth harmonic the urge to power which is the prelude of creation. We have identified the sort of Venusian activities that Martha is good at – her art is bringing the drive (Mars) to express this through a business or career situation.

One last point on Mars. Whilst it rules the sign on the cusp of the sixth (Aries) it is not the most dignified planet at that location, what Arab Astrologers called the Almuten. The Sun is the most dignified planet again stressing the loyalty required of employees and Martha seeing herself as, in a sense, the light of their lives. If the Sun is taken as the ruler of the sixth, then Martha might also be prone to heart problems.

Since Minderwiz has covered Mars, I'll take a shot at Venus.

- wide square to Jupiter spells for lush tastes, but b/c Venus is in Virgo, this will hold things in check to a certain amount. There are some (uh more like many ppl) who find her perfectionism totally overboard though. However, since Jupiter is in 8th making sextiles to a strong natal Sun/Mars, I would imagine this aspect also has a generally positive financial impact despite the fact it is hard.

- Venus is weak b/c she is fall in Virgo and I would say nondemonstrative in 10th. This might even indicate emotions being tied to climbing the social ladder. I'm not saying MS is a gold digger, but certainly social status takes precidence over romantic love, esp in discerning, critical Virgo.

- Venus rules the 7th house, which holds Uranus and Saturn. These are both I would think, very difficult placements in terms of marriage or partnerships in general. Esp w/the emphasis on Leo, MS would rather do things alone, she's not the type to need someone else to bounce ideas of off to get things off the ground.

- There's a square to Uranus which is out of sign, but b/c Uran is in the house Venus rules (Taurus), I think it shows again, another indication of volatility in terms of relationships, and difficulties in 7th house issues.

- VEnus also rules the 12th house. I'm really not sure what to make of this....

Some thoughts . . .

MERCURY SEMI-SQUARE VENUS
These two, in aspect, bring a drive for creativity. In Martha's chart, Mercury is in Cancer/9th, rising ahead of the Sun. Venus is in Virgo/10th, rising behind the Sun. Mercury takes the lead in perceptive activities, looking for comfort and security issues that other's enjoy or covet. Venus has critical values as to what is important to one's own interests, bringing a self-serving quality to what possessions and environmental enhancements are indulged in.

MARS ASPECTS (traditionally) NEITHER MERCURY OR VENUS
In order to see how Mars carries out the personal values and creativity of Martha, we have to look at indirect connections.

Mercury sextiles Saturn and Neptune, hence it is at a mid-point: ME = SA/NE. Ebertin gives a rather dour interpretation for this mid-point structure -- "Inhibitions in thinking, a slow or difficult grasp of things, the inclination to always think the worst." Given the powerful Sun and its integration faculty, we can see a cautious thinker, a critical reviewer, a seeker of quality. Critical assessments and discriminating tastes are in order.

Venus squares Jupiter. There is an excessive struggle to expand one's values within a social acceptance context. One's dress and appearance is immaculate, her sensitivity to others is overdone, the influence of the mother's values and functions are strong.

Venus sextiles the ASC. Communicativeness, the need for other's approval and to give one's blessing to others is part of the touchy - feely approach that is somehow incorporated in this aspect of her personality. Given that Venus-Virgo's are a little aloof in terms of touch, there has to be a mechanism or context for this factor.

Venus at 2/5 aspect to Mars has some significance. The fifth harmonic has a "life style" quality to it, the 2/5 aspect has to find a lifestyle that serves the ego's need for quality, luxury and poise.

Mars trine Sun and MC. This is in a phase-angle where "honesty" of effort and application is important. Mars will carry out its marching orders with energy and enthusiasm -- a workaholic signature.

So, this is a complex set of factors to synthesize. Creativeness, a sharp appreciation of quality and harmony, critical assessments relative to her values and image, a need to have a beautifuly lifestyle as part of her drive for achievement, the capacity for great effort and persistance in chasing her goals -- I can only say that Martha is fully living out her chart's potential in these areas.

When we look at the Fixed-Fire fundamentals, the Scorpio control persona, the Leo achievement thrust, it all hangs together in terms of personal values and activity. So, she is pleasing herself. In later threads we will look at the social role she is playing and its value to the world. Dave.

Venus is in Fall in Virgo so we have some debility. However Venus happens to be the Day ruler of the Earth Triplicity and it's also in its own Terms - so that cancels out the essential debility.

Moreover Venus has Accidental dignity in Martha's chart - it's in the tenth House (angular) its Occidental from the Sun, and free from Combustion - The Accidental dignities give it real strength in this chart.

It is square Jupiter but Jupiter / Venus squares are not bad - indeed they may provide more focus than trines or sextiles which can be too much of a good thing and lead to excess.

Thus Venus as significator of career is strong and has Jupiter linking it with the eighth house of other people's money. Here we have a clear indicator of business success - though as I've said elsewhere perhaps too successful because Jupiter in Gemini is not going to keep a close watch on the detail - too busy generating the ideas.

Venus also sextiles the Ascendant, giving another clear link between 'I' and 'my standing in society' - Relationships, harmony, balance will be used by Martha in order to further her career.

Venus rules two houses directly, the seventh and the twelfth (though Saturn is the Almuten of the twelfth). The rulership of the Seventh through Taurus suggests relationships built on love of beauty and the good things in life. The marriage may well over indulge on hedonism but for the presence of Saturn and to a lesser extent Uranus both in conjunction in the Seventh. Saturn is definitely not hedonistic and is peregrine though there is accidental dignity in its Seventh House location. But this is weakened by it being occidental from the Sun. Saturn and Uranus together threaten to fracture the luxury in which a marriage relationship will be invested - marriage requires more than luxourious surroundings.

The twelfth traditionally is the worst House in the chart - one of the rulerships of the twelfth is over hidden enemies. So Venus ruler of the House of marriage is also the ruler of hidden enemies - the husband? Saturn is the planet with greatest essential dignity on the cusp of the twelfth and is located in the seventh - is this another clue to the identity of the hidden enemy?

Psycholgically we might also see Saturn as the father - so is it her father who was her hidden enemy by giving her a distorted code of values or is it her husband who will betray her (Uranus is the planet of divorce and in the seventh) or is it both of them?

- or is the betrayal coming from one-on-one relationships w/women b/c of the Neptune/moon square?....

- sextile to ASC also may indicate beauty. MS always looks great.

- question... Why is Venus dignified in Capricorn (therefore accidently in 10th)? Or does the strength just come from being in an angular house?

The dignity is both Accidental and Essential. Using Lilly's scoring


Essential dignities:

In Fall -4
Triplicity Ruler by Day +3
In its Own Terms +2

Accidental dignities:

In tenth +5
Free from Combustion +5
Occidental from Sun +2

As its moving faster than its average speed I would also think it would pick up additional points for being Swift in Motion - though I've not counted that in as I'm not sure where Lilly draws the line.

As you can see most of the dignities come from Chart placement rather than sign.

On the secret enemy - a good idea Isthmus and also as Venus is also in the tenth so the secret enemy might be related to her career.

I've not really incorporated accidental dignities into the other readings - the Sun would clearly score if we classified it as a tenth house planet, but would still pick up a couple of points in the ninth. The Moon would pick up a couple for house placement, more still for growing in light and being free from combustion. Mars would pick up some points for being free from combustion and being in the fifth. It would also pick up points for being oriental of the Sun. However none of them up to now are 'rescued' to the extend to Venus.

Thanks for the explanation, Minderwiz. I wonder why modern astrologers don't place such emphasis on dignities?.......

Another answer ?

Counting up and down and following a lot of rules is probably too much effort for modern astrology buffs who have been spoiled by computers and on-line chart services.

The older astrologers had inaccurate time pieces, no/poor ephemerides based on crude calculations in many cases, and had only seven "planets" to work with. They also had less access to charts and chart data -- probably the few texts that were available were their primary source of training. It had to be helpful to rely on rules and time-honored observations, and to use the several methods that Minderwiz has shared.

As for me, I lost interest in the many systems of rectification, of progressions, of transits, of houses and 99% of the stuff that I read in some 400 books. I found that some stuff works quite well in 95% of the cases, and that using two or three methods in parallel covers everything 110% of the time. Simplicity is the direction I took. Intuition is what I use. The problem is you can't get there from here unless you first try your own 100 paths to the truth. The funny thing is, whatever answer you finally find, it is the right answer and gives the right results. What a way to run the universe. Dave.

Too True!!!!!!!!!

Exploration of different methods is essential because you learn what works and what doesn't - for you! I know their are people out there who insist that Astrology is scientific in the modern sense and that all you have to do is to follow the rules.

However my experience of modern science tells me that the big scientific discoveries have mainly been made by people who broke the rules and changed the methods.

There are many top notch Astrologers who have changed their views and directions. Quite often by looking at the traditional methods. Not because these methods are 'right' but because looking at a different approach begins to spark questions and investigation.

Isthmus raised the question about the modern use of dignities. In part the answer lies in the loss of understanding of these - we don't know for example where 'Terms' came from. In part we no longer look at the heavens to do our Astrology - as Dave says we rely on the computer. Even in Lilly's time it's very likely he worked from ephemerides and took little notice of what was actually up there. Thus a debility like Combusiton is now looked on as a quaint relic. However it literally means that the Sun is so bright it burns the planet out of the sky - we can't see it (not that that matters for Uranus and co). If we can't see it then its force is disrupted in some way - it cannot get through in the normal way - through reflection of light.