Babies, parents and family relationships

From time to time I write about a newborn baby and show the chart, erected of course for the time date and place of birth, not forgetting to correct the time to GMT where necessary.

With one new baby in my own family, and another expected any time now, it's interesting to look at the chart alongside the ongoing Uranus/Pluto square which  currently all new babies have in their charts.

Born 29.10.2014, London, 10.38

This is an uncluttered chart with two complete aspect patterns - a Small Talent triangle (all blue) and an Efficiency/Performance triangle (all red). The Efficiency/Performance triangle includes the Uranus/Pluto square, and in this baby's chart, the Moon in conjunct Pluto. With no green aspects in this chart, the parents will be able to help  by providing the stimulus for the child to ask questions, search, think and generally not get caught into an either/or way of thinking or approaching life.

For more posts on various babies whose charts I've featured in the past, click on Astrology for Babies in the labels cloud on the left, and also click on Family Model. The Family Model describes the significance of  the parents and the environment to the child, and how this relates to certain planets in the chart. Several charts of well-known people are included here, with speculation on how they were influenced by childhood conditioning.

And for more on aspect patterns, click on the Aspect Patterns label which will lead you to a wealth of posts featuring these.

Recommended reading for more information on astrological psychology in the context of family, chidren and relationships is Family, Relationships and Health, available from the APA Book shop

Royal Babies - Prince George and the new Princess of Cambridge

Prince George, born on 22nd July 2013 at 16.24 in London

Congratulations to Wills and Kate on the birth of their first baby born on 22nd July 2013, and their second baby - the new Princess of Cambridge, now named as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana - born on 2nd May 2015. Click on the link above to read my thoughts on her chart.

Initial thoughts on George's chart - there's inherent talent, the capacity to learn but may he take more than one go at getting the lesson "right", together with an ability to be focussed and express mental/physical energy plus a whole lot of sensitivity. 

Prince George's chart's aspect structure shows a flexible, mutable inner motivation suggesting he will be able to adapt to changes and not become too fixed and rigid - probably a good thing as he has the capacity to express an abundance of energy. This is shown by the 7 red: 4 green: 4 blue aspects in the chart, giving it an overall red/green flavour which indicates sensitivity and possible touchiness. He may need to be handled with kid gloves when he's older - there's a sensitivity which could be expressed explosively when he reaches the "terrible twos", the age of temper tantrums.

George has several aspect patterns in his chart, and I'm not going to discuss them all, but instead will focus on one in particular, which is interesting as it appears in his mum Kate's chart and also in his great grandmother's - the Queen's - chart. It's the all-red Efficiency/Performance triangle, pinned by Mercury, Uranus and Pluto. Mercury and Pluto are in opposition across the 2/8 house axis which is all about possessions - mine and yours, personal and public. Across this axis there is conflict and a build up of energy which can be discharged and expressed via the planet at the apex of the triangle - Uranus. That's interesting for a start, as Uranus is on the cusp of the 5th house, slap bang in the area of the collective, and specifically strong in that part of the chart concerned with relationships. Might this hint at radical changes and a different approach to the haves and have nots in what will become his kingdom? Might he be a bit of a rebel, or a creative innovator?

His strongly placed cuspal Uranus is echoed by Saturn on the cusp of the 11th house. George has a strong 8th house and Cancerian influence in his chart, with Mercury, Mars and Jupiter there. The Sun, hovering on the cusp between Cancer and Leo only just hangs on by a pip squeak in the sign of Cancer, and being right at the end of the sign is weakly placed by sign, but is strongly placed in the cardinal zone of the 9th house. Bearing in mind that he - and we all - are much, much more than just our Sun sign, it's reassuring to see that George's Sun aspects his strongly placed Saturn, which will offer psychological support and back up for what could be a very sensitive nature. Like many Sun in Cancer people, he could have a soft and vulnerable inner core. Mars is conjunct Jupiter in Cancer  which makes for an interesting combination of energies and drives. These carry the potential for a keen and active perception to develop, along with a sense of justice and fairness, which may be directed out into the environment in a caring, sensitive way.

The Family Model: David Cameron's new baby

In astrological psychology, the Family Model is a very useful tool for understanding how an individual might have experienced their family set-up when they were children. All too often, some of the conditioning received during formative childhood years sticks around far longer than is necessary for adults and can cause problems and hang ups throughout life. Working with the Family Model can help people recognise and accept this, enabling them to move forward making their own life choices rather than be quite so heavily influenced by the expectations laid upon them in childhood.

In the Family Model, the Sun represents the father or the person who took on this role, and is ideally placed somewhere in the upper part of the chart. Saturn represents the prime person who looks after the safety, caring, nourishment, stability, structure and well-being of the child. Although both parents do this, it is the mother (or someone who takes on this role) who provides the primary mothering principles. Saturn is ideally placed in the lower half of the chart. The child is represented by the Moon, ideally placed somewhere on the horizontal axis of the chart where contact can most easily be made. For more on the Family Model see my book The Cosmic Egg Timer, available at the APA on-line Book Shop.


British PM David Cameron recently became a new dad unexpectedly early whilst on holiday in Cornwall. Florence Rose Endellion Cameron was born on 24.8.2010 in Truro at 12 noon - time quoted by Cameron in BBC News interview. With a noon birth the Sun is at the top of the chart where it can shine and be seen, a fitting place for a father who is Prime Minister...but will he be able to live up to her Virgoan high standards when she's older?! Her Sun has all 3 aspect colours lighting it up, so potential exists for her to develop her own sense of self with considerable awareness.

Saturn is not best placed as it's not in the lower half of the chart where it can offer optimum stability and grounding. It's interesting to see that Saturn is placed just before the 12th house cusp, indicating that mum Samantha (dubbed SamCam by the media) might prefer, as wife of the PM and mother to Florence and her other two children, to stay in the background and away from the glare of publicity. Saturn receives just red/green asepcts, indicating a touchy sensitivity. The overall shaping of the chart shows a Fixed motivation, so stability is going to be important for Florence.

Moon is in the lower half of the chart and is conjunct Neptune in 4th house. Florence may well enjoy and need the security of home and family, to the extent of not wishing to move far away, even when she's old enough to do so. Neptune conjunct Moon could indicate some special creative talent, but with an Aquarian Moon she could well want to do her own thing. This could prove interesting, as Moon is opposite Sun (she was born on the Full Moon); there could be clashes between her and dad.
Florence's chart has a relatively unusual aspect pattern - the Irritation Rectangle - which is pinned on 3 of its 4 corners by Sun, Moon and Saturn - the planets representing the Family Model. This suggests a close and binding relationship could exist between her and her parents, one she might not easily break away from because of its binding nature and its sensitive red/green combination of aspects.

Astrology for Babies: What makes your baby tick?

I've always been interested in the charts of babies, but having recently become a grandmother for the first time, I now have a personal interest in not only looking at my new grandchild's chart, but in looking at the charts of other babies and toddlers that I know.

One of the first things that people notice and comment on when looking at Huber style charts is the colours that are used for the aspects, and these colours offer information about the inner, unconscious motivation of the person:

• Red aspects have initiatory, "doing" energy
• Green aspects have sensitive, searching, questing, "thinking"qualities
• Blue aspects bring the need to maintain the status quo, preserve and simply "be"

It's comfortable and desirable to have these coloured aspects in a ratio of 4 red: 2 green: 6 blue, but it doesn't always work out this way! Some individuals will have an excess (by ratio) of one colour and a lack (by ratio) of another, creating an imbalance of the energies of that particular colour. When this happens, the person will draw on the surrounding environment - in the case of babies and young children, the family and significant others - to provide the qualities/energies of the "missing" colour. How might this be helpful for new parents?

5 red:4 green: 2 blue

This young baby born in 2009 has a high ratio of red/green in the chart, and a lack of blue. This baby could be energetic, busy, always wanting to do something, but this will be laced with a strong degree of sensitivity, perhaps leading to touchiness as the child grows older. There is a lack of blue aspects indicating less interest in sitting back and enjoying life. Parents here could help by ensuring enough emphasis is placed upon resting, "being" and enjoying the moment to offset the high activity.

2 red: 6 green: 4 blue

This baby, also born in 2009, has a high ratio of green and a lack of red. This baby could grow up asking many, many questions! There is potential for much searching, questioning, and a strong motivation to discover and explore ideas. With this comes a heightened sensitivity and the possibility of not always being able to be decisive as, by ratio, the lack of red could make it more challenging to find ways of expressing and acting on the ideas generated within. Parents here can help by encouraging the child to express the ideas, perhaps (drawing on the blue energy) in some tangible form.

4 red: 3 green: 8 blue

This is the chart of a young child who is well past the baby stage and was born in 2006. In terms of Age Point, this child is still in the 1st House of the chart and is gradually separating from the intense closeness of being a baby and is asserting more individuality. This is a very blue chart; by ratio the balance between red and blue aspects is reasonably balanced, but "blueness" may dominate this child's motivation. There is a natural motivation to enjoy and be able to rest and relax, not worry too much about things - the potential is there at an early age to be laid back. Parents could help here by being aware of this and could gently guide the child towards using this energy constructively rather than allow habits if laziness to become ingrained. This chart shows the capacity for developing a specialised talent (there is a Small Talent triangle) so encouraging this as the child grows up would be beneficial.

For more on colour in charts see The Cosmic Egg Timer and The Living Birth Chart, both available from the APA on-line Book Shop.

Astrology for Babies: The Family Model

The Family Model is a technique exclusive to the Huber Method of Astrological Psychology, and it can be very helpful for parents to understand something of what this indicates in the charts of their own babies. This could be especially so for new parents, but the Family Model is relevant at all stages of development, from childhood and way into teenage years. The Family Model of parents and child is represented in the chart by the Sun (Father), Saturn (Mother) and Moon (child).

The Sun represents the outgoing, independent and leadership qualities which the child will look for and seek to emulate as it becomes less dependent on the care and protection of the mother. This normally starts to happen when the child reaches the age of 3 or 4, when he or she seeks independence and tests out how far it's possible to travel away from the security and symbiotic relationship with the mother. Ideally, the Sun is positioned in the upper half of the chart, the higher the better.

Saturn represents the mother figure who provides security and safety for the child as it grows and develops. She is the person who instills in the child the guidelines to help it fit into the world and environment into which it has been born; she sets the limits and boundaries and reminds the child to clean its teeth, wash its hands etc. She makes the child's physical well-being and survival her priority. The love which is vital to the development of every child comes from other aspects of the mother's personality, but it is the mothering and caring, mentoring principle which is associated with Saturn. Because Saturn is concerned with stability and security, it is best placed in the bottom half of the chart.

The Moon is representative of the baby or child itself. It responds to and in the moment, often picking up and mirroring what it senses from the environment. Babies and children have many needs, and the Moon represents the emotional needs which, in young babies and children, are indicated through gurgles, tears, laughter and happy mimicking of the sounds they hear as they develop language and an understanding of the world around them. The child needs to develop and grow through contact with others, so contact and love are vital. The Moon is best placed along the horizontal I/You axis of the chart, in the area of the Ascendant/Descendant, where it will be able to relate to others most effectively and reflect on how this applies to itself.

The "ideal" placement of Sun, Moon and Saturn doesn't happen too often as the child learns and grows through experiencing an environment which will spur it on to move forward and develop in life rather then be presented with something "perfect" to begin with. The Sun might be at the bottom of the chart, Saturn at the top, and the Moon anywhere else in between! The different positions of these planets can offer an understanding for parents, and for the child itself when it's older, of what the environment is presenting, and what there is to learn.

This 3 year old has the Moon right on the Descendant, on the You side of the chart, making it easy to make contact with the world as well as pick up on, sense and mirror what it is learning from the world about feelings and emotions, and its own emotional sense of self.

Both Sun and Saturn are high up in the chart; good for the Sun to be there but maybe not so "perfect" for Saturn, as mother figure to be there too. Saturn is, in fact, the highest of the 3 Family Model planets and is placed strongly on the MC - the highest point of the chart. This suggests, in the context of the Family Model, that the child could view both parents as role models, but with mother coming out strongest! She could appear, to the child, to be the one who "rules" the household. In fact, this is a mum who now works and has her own career (as many working mums do) but who is very mindful of and responsive to the needs of her child and who cared for her child full time before returning to work.

The forthcoming new book on Astrological Psychology and the Huber Method, "Family, Relationships and Health", covers the Family Model in detail. The book is due to be published in July/August, and will be available from the APA on-line Book Shop.