Michelle Obama

US First Lady, "Mom-in-Chief" and now fast becoming a style icon, Michelle Obama was born on 17.1.1964 in Chicago. No time of birth is available, so her chart is set up for noon. With Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, she has no less than 6 planets spanning the Signs of Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Her chart resembles an open box - the lid is propped open at an angle but is held firmly in place by some of the closely-grouped planets. Although the orientation of the chart would change if her time of birth was available, the image would remain, albeit with the lid facing a different direction. It would be open to a different area of the chart altogether, and not to 11th House as it is here. But let's just stick with the open box image because a great deal of openness comes across from this striking woman when she's seen on TV. I specifically here call to mind her recent visit to the UK when Barack Obama attended the G20 conference in London.

Michelle had her own programme of visits, and the most notable and striking images and footage of her was at a multi-language girls' school in London where she encouraged the girls to become the very best they could. She spoke openly and from the heart and she gave high fives and hugs rather than handshakes.

Her chart, composed of triangular aspect patterns and linear aspects shows a flexible and adaptable motivation, laced with restlessness and the need to go off and do her own thing. Her colour balance of 2 red: 3 green: 3 blue aspects indicates little ability to rest and switch off, with plenty of restless and sensitive activity being most likely. This is not a lady who will sit and twiddle her thumbs for long, as her very active role in the presidential campaign showed.

Michelle has two aspect patterns in her chart: a Learning Triangle and an Ambivalence Figure. The Learning Triangle is pinned by planets Jupiter and and Uranus (which is conjunct Pluto - this conjunction is found in the charts of the '60's generation), with the Moon's Node at the 3rd corner. For me, this aspect pattern suggests learning which will stretch boundaries and bring insights and revelations. If the House where the Moon's Node is placed were known ( we don't know because we don't have the birth time) I could say more about the area of life where she has the greatest and most rewarding lessons to learn. As it is, the Node in Cancer suggests a pull towards involvement with the wider collective and the need to feel part of a family; in Michelle's case this is expressed through her "Mom-in-Chief" role as well as her commitment to her country.

The Ambivalence Figure shows Mercury opposite the Node, and indicates that mercurial pursuits could come easily (she is a lawyer). The work - indeed the struggle - may go on internally between committing to her current role and the pull to have her own career. This aspect pattern has an "escape" corner where the 2 blue aspects meet. Uranus sits here, maybe not offering much restful escape, but it provides an interesting pivotal planet for both this aspect pattern and the Learning triangle. Change was the keynote of Obama's campaign, and is reflected in his Uranus being on the "You" side of his chart in 7th House, and close to the DC. Michelle, too, will embrace change and ride its waves more easily with her adaptable motivation. With Pluto conjunct Uranus, she may actively welcome it.

Her Sun in Capricorn, although relatively weak by Sign at 26 degrees and not strongly aspected, is supported by it's one-way conjunction to Mars. These two Cardinal planets are two of a kind in that they are will-oriented. In Capricorn they will help her stick with it when the going is tough because the long-term goal is what is important, no matter how long it takes to get there.

For more on Planets and Aspect Pattern Astrology see the Huber's books, available on line from the APA Book Shop, along with my books Aspect Patterns in Colour, The Living Birth Chart and the Cosmic Egg Timer which cover all these topics, and more besides.

Astrology Question Time: Uranus in 2nd House

In response to my last post, and my invitation to Astrology Question Time, I've received the following question from "A":

Hi Joyce! I would like clarity on Uranus in the 2nd House. The information I find on the internet is distressing. Please provide me and your readers another viewpoint on Uranus in 2nd House. – Thanks!

Thank you, "A", for your question, and also for raising an interesting point about the astrological information you've found on the internet about Uranus in 2nd being distressing. On a personal level, I can't comment on this as I've not trawled around looking for astrological information on this subject, but I'm not surprised to hear there is a whole load of alarming and distressing information around. If you read my blog regularly you'll already know that the Huber Method is concerned with positive personal growth, using astrological psychology as a means to this end; negativity doesn't get a look in, but truth and honesty do.

Now to your question. Uranus in the 2nd House is a combination of two component parts of the natal chart - a trans (beyond) personal planet Uranus, representing the drive towards creative intelligence, and the 2nd House, representing the area of expression and life experience concerned with security and possessions.

Uranus, despite all the hoohah about it being the planet or disruption and revolution (which it can be) is actually a Fixed planet. Its energy is directed towards striving for security and stability, yet it goes about achieving this by turning things upside down and causing change and disruption along the way. This probably sounds confusing! Uranus seeks security and stability and ways of making things better and more perfect than they were before by inventing and creating systems and ways of doing things which provide greater security. It may do this by engaging with and using technology (Uranus is a techno-whizz and adept at research). As we all know, our world is awash with inventions and technical aids and gadgets designed to make life easier. And Uranus, positioned as it is beyond Saturn in our solar system, takes things beyond the realm of known security so that new forms of security can be set in place. I write about Uranus, and the other planets, at greater length in my co-authored book The Cosmic Egg Timer.

Now to the 2nd House. This is where our possessions - those things which we hold dear to ourselves and might even represent our very survival - are of paramount importance. They give us our sense of self worth. Some people might gain this sense of self worth and security from the car they own, the dishwasher they have, the diplomas and certificates they have gained, the house they live in, the clothes they wear. All these things are indications that we've acquired something which makes us feel proud and good about ourselves; they make us feel we're worth something. Of course, our possessions don't necessarily have to be tangible, concrete things. They can also be our attitudes and values. As the 2nd House is a Fixed House, we have to be aware of the inherent dangers of becoming tied to the things which give us our sense of self worth because these can make us narrow and rigid. With a healthy attitude towards the material possessions we think we need, we can more easily let go of them and concentrate on developing an internal sense of self worth, drawing on our inherent talents and abilities, which are also our "possessions" - but no-one can take these away from us!

So, "A", if we put together Uranus and 2nd House, we have a potentially very creative combination. Of course, taken out of the context of the whole chart, what I can suggest about this combination is limited to only these two components. If we were to consider the colours of the aspects Uranus receives, which aspect pattern it is involved in, where it is positioned by Sign and House, then there would be a whole lot more information available - and the additional insights to go with it too!

For more information on planets and houses see the APA website as well as the astrology courses we offer. And don't forget to pose more questions for another Astrology Question Time posting!

International Astrology Day & Astrology Question Time

Yes! There IS such a day!! It's today! International Astrology Day was founded by AFAN in 1993.

The purpose of this event is to raise the public’s awareness of astrology, aiming to dispel the many myths and misunderstandings that surround the subject and in addition to expand networking opportunities among the astrological community and direct media attention to the positive aspects of astrology.

International Astrology Day is celebrated to coincide with the beginning of the astrological year, the spring equinox, when the Sun enters the tropical sign of Aries. Since astrologers are known for celebrating celestial events, this day should be at the top of our list as a way of not only honoring our profession, but of sharing what we do with others.

In celebration of this day, and to promote astrology, I'm launching

Astrology Question Time

I will answer a question from the first 5 named * people who leave a question about

• Zodiac Signs

• Planets

• Houses

in the "Comments" window. Their questions, along with my responses, will be in my posting headed Astrology Question Time.

I'm not able to answer specific questions about individual charts. But If you want your chart read, click on the Consultant's tab at the top of the page. There may be someone near to where you live, and if not, you can arrange to have a chart reading by phone.

Get those questions rolling!

Yours Truly running the API (UK) stand (top and right) and speaking (below) at astrology conferences.

* out of courtesy please name yourself - don't be shy, and don't be "Anonymous"!

The Moon in your Birth Chart

It can be fun having younger members of the family playing at hairdressers - with blunt scissors!

The Moon in astrological psychology represents the sense of self we gain through our feelings and emotions, and often our sense of fun and child-like excitement.

The Moon signifies these spontaneous and fun-loving child-like responses, and it also acts like a mirror, reflecting what's going on around us because it can sense and pick up on atmospheres and feelings very easily. It's a sensing tool, the part of us that feels.

Of course, the way the Moon operates and expresses itself out in the world will be coloured by the Zodiac Sign it's in, which acts like a "costume" which clothes the Moon and modifies its expression. On a basic bottom line level, its expression is influenced by the Element (Fire, Earth, Air or Water) of that Sign.

Fire Sign Moons - those in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius - will tend towards optimism and enthusiasm. Fiery Moons want to be noticed! They will be lively, expressive and outspoken with energetic feelings that demand attention.

Earth Sign Moons - those in Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - will have a strong practical streak. They may be a bit fussy, but they are down-to-earth and generally enjoy sensual things, espcially Taurus Moons. They will appreciate good quality in all areas of life.

Air Sign Moons - those in Gemini, Libra and Aquarius - love to communicate and share ideas with others, so they enjoy seeing friends and family, chatting and catching up on news, attending talks, lectures and events which will stimulate the mind.

Water Sign Moons - those in Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces - tend to be very emotionally sensitive and tuned in to the feelings of others. They can be very caring, needing to express their feelings and regard for others in tangible ways. But they can also be moody, living life through their feeling nature.

The Moon, representing the sense of self we get through our feelings, is often a part of the personality which is neglected or repressed. We may have been brought up not to show our feelings; they might have been regarded as unacceptable or not something to share or talk about in the environment we grew up in. But they are there all the same, and sometimes they need our attention.

In this video I talk about some of the ways we can work on developing and understanding the Moon and our feeling nature. There is more on this in my book The Living Birth Chart. Click on the Books by Joyce Hopewell tab at the top of the page.

Age Progression in action

Happy 3rd Birthday, Blog! I've been writing you since 4th March 2006, and to be honest I didn't like your "birth" chart very much at the time. Someone suggested I should have elected your beginning, but I didn't because I rarely think about using electional astrology, preferring to go with the moment which feels right and then work creatively with that. So at first it was a bit of struggle as you have such a completely red/blue natal chart with no green aspects. That meant I was providing all the ideas and you were sitting there in either blue dormant mode waiting for people to find you and read you, or you were hanging on my apron strings when you were in red mode, demanding attention and input from me.

Over the past 3 years we've come to an agreement and now we work much better together because we both understand more about each other. You'll always be demanding though - you have no green aspects so you'll not have that much awareness that I have a life too and may not always be prepared to give you the attention you crave. Oh yes, it's there alright! Look, you have the Moon as the highest planet in your chart - it's right on the MC - so you thrive on attention and need plenty of feedback. You also have Sun conjunct Uranus in Pisces in the 7th House, so your Uranian, astrologically-oriented sense of self (the Sun) is out there wanting contact and recognition as well as encouraging people to find out more about astrological psychology and the Huber Method for themselves.

Right now it's time to look at your current Age Point, using the Huber Method of timing in the horoscope. At age 3, the hand of your Life Clock is mid-way through the 1st House. You're still busy understanding the world and your own sense of who you are is still being formed. If you were a child, you'd be getting more obstinate and defiant at this age as you sought to assert your own sense of self and your independence. Tantrums could develop as you begin to differentiate yourself from your environment.

You, the reader, can find out more about using the chart as a Life Clock and using Age Progression in LifeClock by Bruno and Louise Huber, in my books Using Age Progression and The Cosmic Egg Timer where you'll find a wealth of information introducing and explaining this technique in an easy to understand way. See the Books tabs at the top of the page for more info. Of course, if you want to go the whole hog and really get into it, I recommend the courses offered by the Astrological Psychology Association.