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Serpentarius - 13th Sign of the Zodiac?

How is it possible to tell one's fortune by looking at the stars?

How do you know when the Moon is in Taurus?

Premature Births - what effect on the natal chart?

Choosing the date/time for an elective caesarean birth?

Best baby sun sign for Libra/Gemini parents?

Saturn in Cancer in 5th House - Unlucky in love?

"I have heard about a 13th sign of the zodiac, called Serpentarius. I think it falls on a leap year, and they say it represents the snake. Is this true?"

No, not quite. On the 21st January 1995, astronomers announced the 'discovery' of a new constellation named Ophiuchus or Serpentarius, the serpent bearer. The Royal Astronomical Society promptly issued statements claiming that this was the final proof that astrology was rubbish, since astrologers were, they said, not taking account of this 'new sign'. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the astronomical greats and goods have failed to understand the very basis of astrology.

Astrologers have known about Ophiuchus for centuries, just as we know about other constellations like Pegasus and Hercules. A constellation is not the same as a 'sign'. The two are quite separate things. Astrologers use the zodiac signs as a kind of shorthand to describe the degrees of the ecliptic, that's all. This is why the other favourite astronomical 'debunk' theory, the precession of the equinoxes, also has no effect on astrology.

The sun travels through the *constellation* of Ophiuchus between approximately November 30th and December 17th each year, thus it falls between the *astronomical constellations* of Scorpio and Sagittarius. It has no effect on modern astrology whatsoever, and most certainly is not a 13th sign of the zodiac.

"My question is: how is it possible to tell one's fortune by looking at the stars?"

Well, there's a whole bunch of philosophical questions about astrology tied up in that one little innocuous looking question!

The answer of course, depends upon one's attitude towards free will, and, to a certain extent also, upon one's religion, if any. I don't claim to speak for astrology in general, or for any astrologer other than myself, but here's my take on this question:

I believe in free will, not fate. Astrology cannot tell you when such and such will happen to you. Astrology can only tell you when the planetary energies are most conducive for a particular type of event, or when you are most likely to experience delays or issues in another type of event. Contrary to popular belief, astrology cannot tell you when you will die, who or when you will marry, or what the lottery numbers will be. (If I could really do that last one, do you think I wouldn't have already done it for myself and retired by now?!)

If one believes in free will, then, by definition, one cannot 'foretell the future'. If one believes in fate, then of course it's a different matter. Some astrologers do believe in fate, and offer their predictive services accordingly. Most, in my experience, counsel against taking 'forecasts' as firm predictions of anything other than trends in your life. 

Life *does* run in cycles, that much we know. We are all affected by various planetary cycles - the cycle of Saturn is a classic example. Everyone experiences a Saturn return (when transiting Saturn returns to the position in the chart it held when you were born) at around early - mid forty. And we know that most people tend to experience some kind of mid-life 'crisis' or reassessment at that time. That much we can 'predict'. We can't predict *what* will actually happen to you in terms of life events, although we can tell you that (for instance) your worries at that time might centre on your job, your house, your children, or whatever. 

We can tell you in quite some detail how you are likely to be feeling and thinking at such a time, and we can offer you constructive advice on how best to handle it according to your own personality and the options open to you. But we can't say for definite what you *will* do. Frankly, it would be rather frightening if we could.

We try to learn as much as we can by looking at charts for major events *after* they have happened, and the significators of that event often then become crystal clear. The problem is, however, that any given 'event' could be signified in a number of different ways in any chart. A good astrologer might find something in a chart that *could* mean a certain event is likely to happen - but on the other hand, it could mean something quite different. A shock may be foreseen. Shocks, however, can be pleasant or catastrophic, and it's not always clear beforehand which it is likely to be.

So, in terms of techniques, there are many astrological methods of assessing future trends in someone's life - progressions and transits are the most commonly used, but there are various others methods too. In terms of hard and fast predictions, however - this is not what astrology is about, to me at least. I prefer to look on astrology as a life tool rather than as a fatalistic prophecy.

"How do you know when the moon is in the astrological sign of Taurus?"

Tracking the moon's movements and its effects on your daily life is one of the easiest (and most fun) introductions to astrology for anyone. 

You can purchase moon phase calendars from many places (try an internet search on 'moon phase calendar') - these will have the daily moon position marked on them. Alternatively, you can use an ephemeris to look up the daily positions, but these are usually more expensive (and less pretty!) and not really worth buying unless you are going to be tracking other astrological things too. There is no easy way to 'guess' which the sign the moon is in at any one time, since many of the influences are subtle and shared with other signs too.

The lunar cycle is 28 days long - every 28 days, the Moon will complete one tour of the zodiac, spending approximately 2.3 days in each sign. 

The effects of the Moon are felt in two ways. The first is dependent on your own natal chart and the position of the Moon in it. If you Sun or Ascendant are in Taurus, you will feel the effects of a Taurus Moon quite differently from someone with, say, Saturn in Taurus. To gauge these effects, you need to know your own natal chart.

There are some effects of the moon in each sign, however, which are felt by all of us, and which set a kind of 'flavour' to those 2.3 days. Generally speaking, when the moon is in Taurus it is a comfortable, steady time. Most people find they are more patient than usual, and have enhanced willpower. It's also a materialistic time, and anyone with a stubborn personality will become practically immovable under this influence.

"If a person is born prematurely, does it affect the sun sign they should use in drawing up their horoscope?"

Well, for a start, the sun sign is not the be all and end all of astrology; as explained elsewhere it is but a small part of anyone's total astrological make-up. Therefore being one sun sign instead of another is really neither here nor there. Most astrologers, myself included, believe that a soul itself decides when the moment is right for its birth, be that 'when due' or early, or late. Therefore premature or late births are entirely correct in the astrological scheme of things, and that baby's astrological inheritance  is entirely right for him or for her - 'due dates' are for adult convenience only, and really have no bearing on astrology.

The issue of spontaneous (as in not induced or surgical) birth versus caesarean or induction is an interesting one. If we take the belief stated above that the child's soul chooses its time of birth, then where does that leave the souls of little ones who are denied that choice? Well, the difference in my experience seems to stem from the reasons behind the surgical birth. If it is an emergency caesarean, as in the birth of my own daughter, where the child may well not have survived without that intervention, then we take that as being the 'right time' for that child's birth, and treat it exactly the same as a spontaneous birth, even if it is very premature, as my daughter's birth was. 

On the other hand, if the surgical birth is chosen for the convenience of the mother and/or hospital staff then clearly the issue of the soul's own choice no longer applies. In this case, it is true that there may be a very slight anomaly in the child's personality, perhaps best described as wearing a shoe that it slightly too big. As most 'elected' surgical births take place quite close to the 'due date' in any case, however, the anomaly is so small as to be insignificant - the differences in the astrological chart the child is born with and that which it might have chosen for itself will be outweighed by the child's life experiences, and he or she will grow up to be entirely comfortable with his or her astrological inheritance after all.

"I am pregnant, and will be having a planned c-section. Is there a program or chart of some kind that will show me what the rising signs and moon signs will be at any given time so I can plan the surgery around it?"

There are lots of astrology freeware and shareware programs available (see the selection at the Open Directory Project's Astrology Software Category) which would enable you to calculate the charts for various dates and times.

It really doesn't matter that much, though. I would suggest that you be guided by your instinct rather than by any combination you feel your baby "should" have. I would counsel against trying to find some rising sign or moon sign which you feel would be 'compatible' with your or the baby's fathers' 'signs' because astrology just isn't that simple. There is no such thing as signs which don't get on, and no such thing as the perfect match between any two charts. The love you will give your baby is far more important that its astrological chart. Also (not that I'm suggesting this was this lady's aim), trying to choose a baby's chart in order to try to impose a particular personality on the child is contrary to natural law, and certainly not something I would endorse.

"I am Libra and my husband is Gemini. What would be the best birth sign for our baby?"

Very much related to the answer to the previous question - I wouldn't suggest that any particular sun sign would make a 'better' baby for you than any other. This is really not what astrology is about, and I feel ethically bound to try to discourage you from thinking that way. The natal chart as a whole is a complicated and wonderful thing, and there are no such things as 'good' or 'bad' charts, and certainly no such thing as signs which a Libra/Gemini sun parents could not love, adore and make splendid parents for. Plan your baby for the time that is right in your own lives, emotionally, practically and financially - but please don't try to plan your baby's sun sign.

"I have always seemed to be unlucky in love, and suffer unrequited love. Mutual attractions are immediately acted on but then fizzle out. My Saturn is in Cancer, in the 5th House - what does this indicate for my romantic future? My other details are Aries sun, Pisces Ascendant, Moon and Venus in Gemini, Mercury and Jupiter in Aries and Mars in Pisces."

Since you also provided your birth data in your Natal Chart Details request form, I've been able to look at your whole chart.

Specifically with regard to love, it seems that you're not really sure what you want. Virgo on your 7th house cusp indicates that you do want a long-term, stable partnership, with someone you can trust and remain faithful to. With your Sun in impulsive Aries, though, and your Venus and the Moon both in quick-acting Gemini, you seem to be falling for the wrong type of person. You're placing too much emphasis on first impressions, or looks, and falling head over heals before taking the time to find out what that person is really like.

Pluto placed in the 7th house implies that this is a serious cause of concern for you. Pluto's sign here is Libra, the sign above all others which 
does not feel complete without a loving partner. Although this is a 'generational' position, because of Pluto's extremely slow movement, it does add poignancy to your love situation, and does further up the psychological stakes, increasing your own worry and sense of failure or disillusionment when you fail to create the loving partnership you're looking for.

Your Pisces ascendant shows that you come across as quite dreamy and romantic, although underneath the mask you're not quite as 'ethereal' as you would have others believe. The Aries in you is impatient to settle down, and the position of the moon in your 4th house indicates that you will only feel emotionally secure when you have a solid family base of your own. Perhaps you come on too strong with partners, sometimes -- classic Pisces would be talking of engagements and looking at furniture catalogues before you've had a chance to get to know one another very well. This could be frightening some people away - they're afraid (rightly) that they don't know the real you.

Mars is conjunct your Pisces Ascendant, adding a whole lot of drive to your quest for a partner - again, off-putting to some, and clouding your 
judgement at the same time.

The Saturn in the 5th house you mention is indeed adding further to this situation. It has only minor aspect contacts - unusual in your chart, where the other planets are sharing quite a lot of strong aspects. So that serious Saturn energy is working pretty much in isolation in your 5th house, the house of short term love affairs. It has no rationalising contact from Mercury, or a light-hearted contact from Jupiter, say, so there is no other outlet for that energy. This again indicates that you are taking these short term affairs far too seriously, far too quickly.

I'd suggest that you try to relax, and forget about trying to find a partner. As is always the way with these things, the person you really love will show up sooner or later, probably when you least expect it. In the meantime, you can concentrate on having fun. Venus in the 3rd house, and in intellectual Gemini to boot indicates that to really love, you need someone who is clever, sparky and intelligent, like yourself. The trine from Pluto, stuck over there in the 7th house, to Venus, is confirming to you 
that this is where real love is going to come from, and that looks and first impressions may very well not enter into it at all. The square from Mars in your 12th house to your Venus indicates that your rush-rush energy will not make it that easy for you to step back and just enjoy people for who they are, so don't expect this to come especially naturally. However, Mars receives a lovely helpful trine from Uranus in the 8th house, indicating that if you do try to relax, the unexpected may be just around the corner.

This is a simplistic overview, since of course there is much more to be considered; however, I hope it provides you with a little insight into how I would see your current situation.

© elysian.co.uk 2002
nikki@elysian.co.uk

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