Aspect Patterns and Astrological Psychology

Chart with Small Talent triangle, Streamer figure, Large Learning triangle

 

Aspect Patterns, as used in Astrological Psychology and the Huber Method, are pretty much the most revealing thing to consider in a chart when it comes to wanting to understand how people tick. There are 40+ recognisable aspect patterns, all of which relate to observable behaviour in others, and behaviour traits we can recognise in ourselves.

I've written about all of them in my book, Aspect Patterns in Colour, and each aspect pattern is discussed in the context of an example chart, mostly of a well-known person. You will find the charts of Bill Gates, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Charles Darwin, Elton John and Nelson Mandela all featured, to mention just a few.

 

Here's a small selection of aspect patterns, all of which I've written about in this resource website, once again using the charts of well-known people to illustrate them and the various motivations they suggest.

 

The shaping - triangular or quadrilateral - of the aspect pattern is significant as well as the colours of the aspects: red/blue/green.

 

Click on Aspect Patterns in the labels cloud on the sidebar on the left, and that will take you to a choice of no less 80 different blog posts where aspect patterns are featured in the charts or events I've written about.

For a detailed analysis of aspect patterns, the classic reference book is the one by Bruno and Louise Huber, to whom I dedicate my own book on this subject.  

 

Aspect Pattern Astrology was researched and developed by them at the Astrological Psychology Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, and it was here that I learned, first hand from them, so much about aspect patterns and the motivations they represent in the charts of individuals. 

 

Both books are available from Amazon. Full descriptions of both are on the  Astrological  Psychology website:

 

Click here for Aspect Pattern Astrology

 

Click here for Aspect Patterns in Colour 

 

The Moon's Nodes: what is your next step?

 

Where have you come from, where are now and where are you going?

Sometimes clients or non-astrologers will point to the glyph of the Moon’s North Node in the natal chart and ask “What does that thing like a headset with earphones mean?” This question offers an ideal opportunity for the astrologer to explain the significance of the nodal axis in the context of needing to “tune in and listen” to its message and bring greater awareness of what it indicates into everyday life.

The Moon's nodes are not planets and have no energy of their own. They are significant points in the chart and can be used as signposts pointing in two opposite directions. One points to an area of life experience and expression which is well-known and familiar. The other indicates where we could be heading on our own path of personal and spiritual growth - the "next step" point in the chart.

The message of the south node is “stay put, you’re safe here.” The message of the north node is “move forward and grow, even though it may feel scary.”

The nodes are best thought of as a nodal line, or axis - a path along which we can travel. Both ends of the line have to be included because the nodes can show us where we have come from. 

The nodes offer the potential for gaining balance within ourselves and our lives, and they can act as a correcting mechanism when we work cooperatively with them. Through a greater understanding of the nodes we can identify what we already know and have experienced and acquired in the past. 

We can do this from our stance in the present, where we are now, accepting our current situation together with all the challenges and opportunities it offers. At the same time, we can look towards the future and the direction we can take in order to grow, develop and unfold more fully. 

 

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The south node's position by sign and house indicates what we come into life already knowing well, what we are comfortable and familiar with, such our habitual responses, well-known and well-used habit patterns, ways of behaving, relating, responding and being. 

The south node has a Saturnian quality because it is about safety and familiarity. We may harbour doubts and fears about getting involved in new and challenging activities, and of stepping beyond the boundaries of our well-organised security system. The south node is like a cosy fur-lined rut or an old and comfortable pair of slippers that we’re loath to let go of – understandably so.

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The north node leads the way into new and often uncharted territory. Its position by sign and house gives a clear message of what we can aim for as it shows the direction we can grow towards, if we so choose. 

It has a Jupiterian quality because it offers the opportunity to expand, open up and experience new things. It encourages us to move forward into areas which are less familiar and face the excitement and adventure of rising to new challenges in life. 

The north node in the chart is like a beacon indicating where and how we can develop ourselves through personal and spiritual growth. Following the direction of the north node may mean turning away from all that is safe, cosy and familiar as we move forward and break new ground. 

In astrological psychology, only the north node is included in the chart and the aspect structure. That's because the north node is considered to be an important feature for personal and spiritual growth, pointing the way forward to our next step along the path. 

The house/area of life experience will indicate where our next step might lie; the zodiac sign the north node is in will indicate how we behave and interact in that area of life. It will also give a nudge (if we take all of this on board) of what we might need to work on too!

As an example, actor Tom Hanks has the north node is in the 3rd house (comunication, learning, connected to community) and in the ruled-by-Jupiter sign of Sagittarius (being open to new things, expansion, taking risks etc).

 

 

 

 

There's much more about the  Moon's Nodes, 

and how to interpret and work with them, 

in my book The Living Birth Chart.

 

 

Decisions and choices

My book The Living Birth Chart is a practical workbook which includes theory, chart examples and practical exercises for the reader/seeker to dabble in and enjoy the revelations they provide. It's a book to dive into and use if you want to bring your natal chart to life and apply what you discover to your everyday life. It's also about becoming more self aware and being responsible for yourself and the actions and decisions you make.

Now, I happen to think that achieving and maintaining autonomy and taking responsibility for ourselves is not easy. It’s something which we can always improve upon, wherever we are along this particular path, and sometimes we need to have a refresher and brush up on our skills in this department of everyday life.

Some time ago I heard a radio interview with one of the authors of a book called “Mistakes were made (but not by me)” * about why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions and hurtful acts - declining, wherever possible, to take responsibility for something which we’ve chosen to  do. 

Whether or not our choice was wise, foolish or misguided is not the point; the issue is our reluctance to take responsibility for the choice we made and the part we played.

As far as The Living Birth Chart is concerned, it’s always been my experience that the very best way to learn and understand astrology from a deep level is to make it come alive in ways that we can relate to on an everyday basis. It’s possible to learn astrology in an intellectual way, using our Mercury function of gathering and accumulating facts and information. But when we engage with Jupiter and use our eyes and our senses, and relate what we’re seeing, hearing, touching, perceiving to real life experiences, that’s when astrology truly comes alive and is for real.

When astrology becomes an integral part of your life on a day to day basis it begins to live - and you do too -  with a sharpened focus as you become more consciously aware, which means in turn that you begin to live in a more responsible way.

The point I’m moving towards here relates to the importance and significance of being autonomous and taking responsibility for ourselves and our actions, together with the capacity to recognise and honestly acknowledge when we’ve got something wrong. The converse is equally true, because if we’re really autonomous and self-aware we can quietly acknowledge when we’ve got something right without needing to crow or gloat about it.

One of the key features of astrological psychology as a tool for personal growth is that it places taking responsibility for ourselves, our lives and what goes on within them into our hands, and our hands alone, so it becomes more difficult to blame anyone else if things go wrong.

Using the birth chart as a tool in this way, we find it offers us choices. Once we’re aware that we can exercise choice in our everyday lives, things are unlikely to be the same again because we’ll be responsible for the direction our life takes, and no-one else!

An important way of working towards this greater wholeness can be achieved by developing and using the Sun, which can be likened to the conductor of our orchestra of planets and psychologival drives -  or as I sometimes like to think of it -  the leader of our jazz band!

However you wish to see the role of the Sun, it’s a very significant planet which is involved in the development of our sense of self, our autonomy, our ability to take responsibility - and as well to accept that yes, we do sometimes make mistakes!

The Sun is a Cardinal planet expressing Cardinal energy. It embodies the drive to assert and create, and it is important that this part of us is developed and strengthened so that it can be expressed clearly and without fear. It shouldn’t be hidden away like a bright torch under a damp blanket, but allowed to shine and be seen.

Sun and the Mind

We gain a sense of self of the mind through the Sun, which, in the chart, represents our autonomous self - awareness. With its Cardinal quality, the Sun is our drive to be assertive, go-ahead and initiatory.

The Sun is the sense of self we gain through our ability to make decisions and use the mind. It’s our capacity to choose, our capacity to make conscious choices and ultimately take responsibility for ourselves.

Whichever role you cast it in, it represents how we direct and use our will based on the decisions we make. It leads the way, and the rest of the planets, our psychological drives, follow. The Sun signifies our strength and power and this is involved when we discriminate and judge, when we think, form ideas and tap into our innate creativity. 

 

 

The Sun, the sense of self and the will   

Closely linked with the Sun is the use of the will. We can draw on

 · our strong will which gives us determination and the capacity to keep going

 · our skilful will which endows us with sound common sense and the ability to be flexible and adaptive as we work towards our goals, and

 · and our good will which enables us to include others and to work selflessly for their benefit as well as our own.

The use of the will helps us to be goal-oriented and better able to go after what we want to achieve.

When we’re seeking to achieve the goals we set ourselves, it’s useful to remember that energy follows thought. Using the Sun/mind, we form our ideas and go on to make these real, to make them manifest. Doing so, we can be truly creative.

Our capacity to use our will, to be aware that energy follows thought and to find practical grounding in our everyday lives for our ideas and creativity can be developed and should be encouraged. It can help us strengthen the Sun and gain a greater, more centred self-confidence. We can aim to be devoid of ego needs or the urge to prove that we are “the greatest”. 

And let’s face it - if we’re on a spiritual path, this attitude is pretty much redundant!

 

The Living Birth Chart is published in full colour. Click on the link for more info, and read a review of the book here.

 

* "Mistakes were Made (but not by me)" by Carol Tarvis and Elliot Aronson. pub. Harcourt Books