©9-10-2010 by Donna Cunningham, MSW
We’re engaged in a series of posts where readers ask questions about a particular house in the comment section and I answer them. The three vocational houses are the 2nd, 6th, and 10th. Since we’ve covered the 2ndand 6th, it’s time we discussed the 10th, to complete your career picture.
The sign Capricorn and the planet Saturn are naturally connected with the 10th house, and people with a strong 10th house often share Capricorn’s focus on career and accomplishments. Bring on the questions, Readers!
The combination of the sign on the 10th house cusp (Midheaven), any planets within a 10 range either side of the Midheaven, the condition of any planets in that house, and the ruler of the 10th all combined describe your career. That includes specific types of careers, what you are recognized for, and your lifetime achievements in your field.
It also describes the type of authority figures your parents were, your relationship with bosses and other authority figures, and how you, in turn, act as an authority figure to your children and your employees, if any.
I am happy to entertain questions like these:
- What’s the difference between a particular planet in the 10th vs. the 6th and 2nd houses?
- Which parent does the 10th house represent—Mom or Dad?
- How does the 10th house parent serve as a role model in terms of career?
See a separate Q&A session about the Midheaven itself here: Readers Ask—Q & A about the Midheaven
There’s one earlier post in this series that I may refer to in my responses. It answers basic questions about houses and how they are set up that apply to all houses. If so, here’s the article I’ll be referring to: Readers Ask: Basic Questions about the 12 Houses.
UPDATE: After responding to 30 questions, I’m closing the comment section. Read the exchanges–you may find your own question asked and answered. Scroll down below this article to the comment section.
The Midheaven Series:
Midheaven101—What the 10th House Cusp Shows about You
Readers Ask—Q & A about the Midheaven
The Midheaven/IC Axis: Who Wore the Pants in your Family?
The Midheaven in Synastry—Meaningful Career Connections
Inner Planets Conjunct the Midheaven—Are You Larger than Life?
Neptune Squaring the Midheaven—How It Affects your Career
Research Question—What did You Want to Be when You Grew Up?
Readers Ask Series: (Readers’ questions and my Answers are in the Comment Sections)
- Readers Ask: Basic Questions about the 12 Houses
- Readers Ask: Q&A about the 1st House and Ascendant
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 2nd House
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 3rd House, Mercury, and Gemini
- The Best of Readers’ Q & A about the 3rd House and Mercury
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 4th House
- Readers Ask—Q & A about the 5th House
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 6th House
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 7th House
- Readers Ask: Q&A about the 8th House
- Readers Ask—Q & A about the 9th House
- Readers Ask—Q & A about the 10th House
- Readers Ask: Q&A about the 11th House
- Readers Ask: Q & A about the 12th House
- New Insights into the 12th House from our Q&A Session
- House Positions of the Nodes—Insights from Our Q&A Series
- Q&A: What Professional Astrologers Want to Know
For links to previous vocational astrology articles see:25 Career and Money Articles on Skywriter.
If you enjoy exchanges like these, sign up for a subscription, and get a FREE EBOOKLET for Skywriter Subscribers Only: Mothers, Daughters, and the Moon, a 50-page excerpt from The Moon in your Life. Read more about it here: New: Free Booklet For Skywriter Subscribers!
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Sky Writer 
What if a person has nothing in the 10th house,but has alot of planetary and otherwise aspects to the Midheaven?
Would that be different than having alot of planets in the 10th house?
Thank you=-)
Robin
By: Robin on September 10, 2010
at 2:07 pm
Hi, Robin, each aspect to the Midheaven has an effect on our careers and how we pursue them–something like modifiers to the Midheaven.
They are mainly either assets (character traits that help us in our career pursuit), which are usually the more positive aspects, or characteristics or situations/people in our lives that detract to a certain extent, which could be some of the more difficult aspects. The strongest are the conjunctions, which could be in either the 10th or the 9th.
I’d say that actual planets in the 10th also modify, but they can also serve as indicators of the kinds of careers or as significant events and conditions in the course of your working life. Several planets in the 10th can mean several different careers in a lifetime–or several potential careers (sometimes “the road not taken”). Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 10, 2010
at 4:36 pm
Hi Donna,
I thought that might be the case,but I had to ask to make sure.
Thank you for giving such a thorough answer=-)
Sincerely,
Robin
By: Robin on September 10, 2010
at 7:25 pm
What about the 10th house being “caught” between two different signs?
Aries/Pisces-Taurus/Gemini-Cancer/Leo etc. etc.
Would that or could that make much of a difference?
I don’t see that type of thing touched upon alot.
By: Robin on September 11, 2010
at 2:56 pm
I’m not certain what you mean. Are you asking about a 10th house that contains two signs–most do–or about intercepted signs in the 10th? All the factors in the 10th go into making up a career picture, showing how complex we are and what qualities and potentials we bring to the table. The sign on the 10th cusp (Midheaven) is the dominant sign, but the other sign can come into play as well as we mature and develop different skills and abilities. The sign that’s not on the cusp is especially likely to develop during a period when one of the slower moving planets (Saturn on out) is transiting through that sign. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:22 pm
I’m sorry, I was wondering if I would come across clearly. I don’t always have a way with words,but you explained it for me anyway and very clearly, and now I understand.=-)
It makes sense that it works out that way… developing as we mature. So, I guess I can safely,more or less, assume the ruling planet of the other sign in the 10th house would become more significant as well…possibly and most likely with a saturn transit.
We definitely are complex.=-)
Thank you =-)
Robin
By: Robin on September 11, 2010
at 7:28 pm
Hi Donna, I was wondering if you could shed some light on how the conditions for the 10th can be fulfilled by the sign and house placement of the 10th house ruler. Would you also look at Saturn as a career indicator (even if Capricorn isn’t on the MC)?
Thank you!
Simon
By: Simon on September 10, 2010
at 3:26 pm
Question 1: The sign and house placement of the 10th ruler. I would have to say that that’s generally not the strongest indicator IF the 10th has planets or if the sign on the Midheaven describes the career better.
The house placement of the ruler might show an area of life that has potential to be developed as a career direction. For instance, if the ruler is in the 7th, it could show people skills that could be a line of work (eg counseling) or it might show working in the mate’s business or in partnership with someone.
Question 2: Saturn is somewhat of a career indicator, but a minor one. For instance, Lois Rodden did research on her collection of astrologers’ charts, and I and numbers of other professional astrologers have Uranus-Saturn aspects.
However, I often note that transiting Saturn’s house often shows a type of job or work that we’re involved in temporarily (perhaps for the couple of years it spends in that house). For instance, when Saturn was transiting my 5th, I worked in a mental health clinic where I worked with lots of children who were having school problems. That was the only occasion when I worked with kids. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 10, 2010
at 4:59 pm
I was wondering about no planets there but North node sits there. I see a south node in 10th question as well. How about a more general: Nodes and the 10th, what meaneth they?
Thanks
🙂
By: kiki on September 10, 2010
at 4:15 pm
In general, I see the North Node as something that you’re meant to develop in this lifetime–something not natural to you, but that as you work on it and develop it, it becomes rewarding and productive. To have the NN in the 10th, means that you’re meant to work on a career over time, not just having a job to make a living, but something that grows into something meaningful (like a “calling.”)
I see the South Node as something that you may have developed in past lifetimes to the point of overdevelopment. It becomes too easy to just slide into it–what they call the path of least resistance–at the expense of neglecting or not developing a solid base in the opposite house, where the NN is. In this case, with SN in the 10th, the NN would be in the 4th, meaning the home and family life. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 10, 2010
at 4:47 pm
Donna, do I understand you correctly, that S Node in the 10th indicates having put too much emphasis on career, at the expense of the 4th house (home/family)?
By: Charles on September 10, 2010
at 5:40 pm
Yes, that’s it exactly. It can also be one of the indications of a workaholic tendencies. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 4:05 am
My question is about the meaning of Mercury in the 10th. It would seem obvious that this would indicate mentally oriented careers, but would that be any different if Mercury was in the 3rd or 6th? Any special 10th house tricks there?
But I also have a broader question. You often talk about the outer planets having the most influence on careers. How much influence does an inner planet like Mercury exert? If someone has Mercury in the 10th, should they watch for Mercury transits through the 10th, or retrogrades as influences on career? Since Mercury moves so fast, that could happen a lot.
By: Charles on September 10, 2010
at 5:52 pm
How is Mercury in the 10th different from having it in the 3rd or 6th, career-wise? Excellent question. In all 3 cases, if Mercury is well-aspected, it would show that communication skills like writing and speaking are good and COULD be a marketable skill.
In the 3rd, though, it’s just a potential and could as well be mainly used in the personal life–great conversationalist at dinner parties, for instance. In the 6th, it’s an asset brought to the workplace but there’s that behind the scenes quality that doesn’t bring personal recogition. It’s in the 10th that makes communication part of what brings the person success, because it’s a tool that brings the person recognition.
“You often talk about the outer planets having the most influence on careers.” Hmm. I don’t know that that’s so. A 10th house Sun, Venus, or Jupiter can be powerful in terms of success–and probably more of a sure thing than a tough outer planet placement.
It’s just that I focus more on the outer planets because I have much to say about the complexities and difficulties they present in careers. Someone with the Sun and Jupiter or Sun and Venus in the 10th can be a big success without a word of advice from me!
“If someone has Mercury in the 10th, should they watch for Mercury transits through the 10th, or retrogrades as influences on career?” For a person with Mercury in any one of the career houses, watching transiting Mercury’s positions can be useful in terms of scheduling communication efforts and projects, but it wouldn’t show major developments. More major indications of developments would be transits to natal Mercury from Jupiter on out.
The same is true of any planet in the 10th natally, that transits by that planet can be the pulse of the person’s career trends. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 4:27 am
Oops, sorry Donna, I meant 2nd house instead of 3rd house, that was a typo. Of course we were talking about vocational houses, the 2nd, 6th, and 10th. I guess I sent you off on a tangent (interesting though it is).
By: Charles on September 11, 2010
at 11:29 am
Mercury in the 2nd indicates a diverse set of skills that you can use to pick up a buck here and there. With the 2nd house, there’s no emotional commitment to a mercury-related calling, just a marketable set of skills. Mercury represents either hands or words, sometimes both. A person who is handy. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 1:52 pm
Hi Donna!
One of my questions has to do with the 10th and SN, I just read you answers about it, but still wonder: If the 10th house planet or planets are very aspected and connected to the rest of the chart, especially the 2nd and 6th houses…would it make the efforts towards accomplishing the 4th, harder? (or viceversa)
p.s I’m glad I made it to this Q&A! I’ve missed some good ones
By: sabrina on September 10, 2010
at 8:20 pm
“With SN in the 10th, where the 10th house planet or planets are very aspected and connected to the rest of the chart, especially the 2nd and 6th houses…would it make the efforts towards accomplishing the 4th, harder?”
Yes, because those aspects make focusing on the career all the easier and more rewarding. This isn’t ncessarily a bad thing–the person has doubtlessly been given the good aspects for a reason and can make good contributions to the world. The NN in the 4th is just a cosmic stickie note that reminds the person not to forget to balance it by tending the home fires as well. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 4:36 am
Do you think a person is luckier with MC trining Asc or Dsc, compared with those who have MC squaring them?
By: Justin_L on September 10, 2010
at 9:28 pm
Hmmm. I’ve never really thought about this–but that’s part of the fun of the Q&A sessions for me. Depends on how you define luck. The trines would of course show an easier time achieving success, but not necessarily the degree of success or how hard the person is willing to work to keep it.
The trine from the Ascendant might show that the person’s appearance or outer personality is a career asset. The square could indicate that the appearance or personality quirks detract from the person’s chosen career or goals.
The trine from the Descendant might show that marital or business relationships support the person’s career; the square might indicate that partners have qualities that detract from the career or even that the partner actively objects to the person working (e.g. a woman in a traditional marriage).
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:22 am
Hi Donna,
I’m confused. How can the Asc or Desc trine the MC? I always thought they naturally squared it.
By: Eme Kah on September 11, 2010
at 2:26 pm
No, Eme, most charts are drawn in such a way as to LOOK like all the houses are equal and thus the Asc and MH appear square. In actual fact, they can be anything from just past a sextile to square to trine, depending mostly on your latitude of birth and the season of the year.
High latitudes like Alaska or Norway can have very strange charts with lots of interceptions paired with very skinny houses. People born at the equator may have charts where all the angles are perfectly square.
One set of degrees that are almost a perfect square goes from Mid-Virgo to about 10 Libra on the Ascendant, which puts Mid-Gemini to about 10 Cancer on the Midheaven. Many of those with the early degrees of Libra on the Ascendant are having a once in a lifetime set of transits from the tsquare in early Cardinal signs to all 4 angles of the birth chart (Asc, MH, IC, and Dsc).
At any rate, have a look at your collection of charts and work with the degrees on the angles rather than the misleading way they are drawn, and you’ll see what I mean. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 2:38 pm
Please explain the difference between a strong 10th house Saturn (in Capricorn, for example) and a weak or challenged 10th house Saturn (in Cancer, for example).
By: Jen on September 10, 2010
at 11:22 pm
Well, in both cases, I’d say the person has chosen a challenging career path rather than an easy one, usually something that builds slowly over time and doesn’t really reach a pinnacle until middle age. Something of substance that requires self discipline, maturity, responsibility, widsom gained of experience, grounding, and all those good Saturn qualities.
I’m not sure I’d call Saturn in Cancer, or Pisces, for instance WEAK here. Saturn in Cancer in the 10th would show that taking responsibility for nurturing others is part of how the person chooses to make a contribution to the world.
(It could indicate that family responsibilities are an important part of the person’s karma, and those responsibilities, naturally, can pull energy away from going full force toward career growth.) Likewise Saturn in Pisces or aspecting Neptune could show giving service to the very unfortunate.
Difficult aspects to the 10th house Saturn would again show a career choice–quite possibly a deliberate one–that is not easy to accomplish but still very valuable. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 4:47 am
Hi Donna:
I usually miss these. I’m not sure if this has been brought up already, but what if the ruler of the MC is also the ruler of another house, eg. a Gemini or Virgo MC? Does that somehow integrate 10th house issues with that of the other house?
Thank you for these Q/A sessions. I’ve learned a lot from them.
best,
Yuri
By: Iconoclaste on September 11, 2010
at 12:55 am
Welcome, Yuri. That could also happen when the same sign is on the 10th as the 9th or 11th. Then the ruler of that sign has a double influence, wherever it is placed, so it’s important to note the house it winds up in.
And yes, it would bring together the matters of the two houses it rules. For instance, if Jupiter ruled both the 10th and the 11th, then the career might involve working with groups and also would indicate that networking would bring growth to the person’s business. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 4:57 am
The horoscope with strong links between 10th and 4th house (mutual reception, planets in these houses connected by aspects etc.) – what does it tell us about its owner apart from the obvious “working from home” or “working in real estate”?
By: tatiana.larina on September 11, 2010
at 2:11 am
Where there are strong links from the 10th to the 4th, you are right that this might be a person who has a home-based business or real estate. Other possibilities might be home decorating, home repair or construction, having a day care center at home, working with the elderly, or working in a family business. (see the Q&A about the 4th house for more insights into the 4th house part of the picture.) Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:00 am
Any planet near the MC would be in the Gauquelin sector – does that make that person very fixed on one particular careerpath? Or more likely to succeed?
By: Natalie on September 11, 2010
at 2:58 am
Not necessarily fixed on one career path–according to the Gauquelin’s research, any one planet within 10 degrees of the Midheaven (in either the 9th or 10th) could indicate a variety of ways to make a living. (I generated lists of 40 careers related to Pluto and another 40 for Uranus and 40 for Neptune for my ebook, The Outer Planets as Career Indicators, AKA the Outer Planets and Inner life, v.1.)
But it does show that the person will be very noticable because of the career–whether it is a flaming success or an extremely exbarassing public debacle. It all depends on how well the person masters the challenges of that planet and avoids any pitfalls of overdoing it with that planet’s less evolved qualities.
A recent example would be Tiger Woods. He has Mars within 10 degrees of his Midheaven, a signature for sports champions in the Gauquelin findings, and so he’s been well known for that. Recently, his big career meltdown has been because of his compulsive sexual conquests–a less evolved expression of Mars. (See his chart in the AstroDatabank collection here: http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Woods%2C_Tiger Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:06 am
The whole Tiger meltdown has been fascinating to me. I actually had a dream about him in October that was of a sexual nature; that had never happened before so I started paying attention to what he was up to. I had wondered if Elin and the kids would be joining him at the Australian Open, etc. When it was just his mom, I thought, yeah, long way to take the kids. I never in a million years thought my dream was a premonition about something else about him. I was as shocked as anyone, initially defending him, and then followed the story with a morbid fascination. There is no better example of such a high high and an extreme fall from grace.
Tiger’s transits on November 27, 2009 are as follows:
Saturn conjunct Ascendant ~ hardship related to how others perceive him; his identity
Sun & Venus conjunct Venus ~ highlighting the truth about his love nature
Chiron transiting 5th (late in 5th) ~ wounded love affairs
Uranus conjunct descendant ~ big change coming to marital relationship, along with business partnerships
Moon in 7th
Since having my big Chiron discovery lately regarding the role it plays in one’s chart, I just noted that his natal Chiron is in the 8th house. Wounded sexuality.
The whole thing is just amazing to me. He will recover over time. I truly hope he gets over his sexual addiction, but I’m pretty convinced his God like status is gone forever regardless of whether or not his golf game returns.
By: Karen on September 11, 2010
at 6:36 am
Well, I’ve got Mercury in this position, so perhaps my biggest pitfall is talking too much, or thinking too much rather than doing. Good to know there’s no sexual embarassments lurking around in the shadow of Mercury…
Thanks for the good answer, Donna. There’s interesting questions about Mercury here, so I’m picking up lots of goodies.
By: Natalie on September 11, 2010
at 6:45 am
Donna, can you explain the difference of a planet conjunct the MC in the 10th vs. the 9th?
By: Katie on September 11, 2010
at 5:40 am
Well, according to the Gauqelin’s findings, they are both very strong–perhaps the strongest position in the whole chart. Oddly, they found the conjunction in the 9th stronger than in the 10th. But they weren’t working with the traditional meanings of the houses. Can I draw on the traditional meanings–and perhaps explain why they found the 9th stronger? Let’s see.
The 9th is the house of education and one’s conclusions about the great questions of life, one’s philosophy or religious beliefs. We might conclude that the planet conjunct the Midheaven in the 9th shows the wish to teach and uplift others through the career.
It may be an Oprah-like calling if you will, in that there is great conviction behind that choice and a desire to make the world a better place. And perhaps it’s more successful because the public may perceive and react more favorably to motivation like that.
The 10th might not have any such altruistic motivation (depending, of course, on the planet and sign), but be more focused on personal success and material gain. That’s a stab at it, anyway. Again not anything I’d ever thought through, but one of the rewards for doing this. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:50 am
Hi Donna,
I’m intrigued by what you wrote about the 10th during the 6th house blog about it being related to parenthood. If someone has an empty 10th house, does that mean potentially the sign on the MC would represent their children? I know someone with a packed 6th and empty 10th and that thought occurred to me.
Also, would the children be their ‘reputation or claim to fame’ represented by the 10th rather than their own work per se? I don’t mean to offend any mothers out there, because I know raising a child is a ton of work and a work of art, all at the same time:)
I’ve got a good handle on 10th as calling / public recognition and on dominant parent, but I’m trying to understand the parenthood piece. Does it represent the type of parent that they would be or their actual children?
Thanks, and as always, I’ve learned a lot reading through the comments on this blog:)
By: Karen on September 11, 2010
at 6:11 am
What the 10th/4th axis describes is the parents and their parenting style. The 10th is how they operate as authority figures; the 4th as how they nurture. Their actual children would be the 5th house.
For instance, My Mom had an Aquarian Moon in the 5th, and all three of us were well described by that position–all of us eccentric and unconventional as all get out: me an astrologer, my Aquarius brother a would-be biker, and my sister with Aquarius rising. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 7:53 am
My question is similar to Yuri’s: for instance, if a person has Venus in 10th in the Gauquelin sector and the same planet as chart ruler, what effects of the current Venus transits through Scorpio should the person be alert for?
And for Mars too: if in 10th in Gauquelin sector and as chart ruler, what effects would the current Scorpio transits cause?
You know I love these.
By: Parin Stormlaughter on September 11, 2010
at 7:58 am
Thanks, Parin. The transits of the inner planets from Mercury to Mars are minor career indicators for people who have them in the career houses. They can indicate houses where there is some benefit as to business projects.
For the rest, I’ve never wanted to write daily horoscopes based on the inner planets, so I never have. Ellen Longo, who often participates in our sessions here has a good site for business astrology and regularly features the prospects for the faster-moving planets. She’s at http://www.astro4business.com. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 8:37 am
Dear Donna, Could you talk about the importance of asteroids in the 10th as opposed to planets? Are those as significant in describing career situation/possibilities as planets, or would you give them lesser emphasis? I guess this question refers to major asteroids that seem more widely in use by contemporary astrologers. Would their influence be more like the seasoning or the protein in a 10th house dish? Thanks!
By: Amelia on September 11, 2010
at 8:18 am
Sorry, Amelia, I’ve never been interested in the dozens and dozens of asteroids. No doubt someone on the net has written about their career applications. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 8:32 am
I work with Chiron, Vesta, Ceres, Juno, and Pallas. I find that all five bring a certain soulfulness to wherever they are located and to whatever they aspect.
I would consider placement in the 10th house and aspects to the Midheaven to
be among other helpful guides to finding one’s calling (which may or may not involve earning a living).
Here is a link to an article to deals specifically with the vocational implications of the asteroid goddesses.
http://intraspec.ca/asteroid-goddesses.php
By: Mari on September 11, 2010
at 10:46 am
Hi Donna,
You said that in the relocation charts angles do matter, so I wonder now, if a person moves and has a new MC, do they also have a new MC ruling planet? And will the transits/aspects to the new MC ruler will affect their career now?
(I read that the new relocational chart might take some time to be fully activated, but suppose the move is a long-term one.)
Thanks a lot!
By: ladealt on September 11, 2010
at 10:15 am
You never quite lose the natal Midheaven, no matter how far or how long you move away from your birth place, and the transits or progressions to the natal Midheaven will always have an effect.
I live far from my birth place, and yet I’ve seen the natal MH very strongly in transits and progressions over the past few years. (EG progressed MH crossing natal Mercury when I retired from doing astrology consults in order to dedicate myself full time to writing.)
What is really strong in a relocated chart is any planets that are now on the angles of the relocated chart (the “lines” you see in an Astro*Carto*Graphy map.) But, yes, the relocated Midheaven and natal aspects to it will have some effect, as so do transits to that Midheaven.
But the ruler of the relocated Midheaven, that’s reaching a bit far. Not the first, second, or third thing I’d be looking at in predictions. (Have you seen the recent series of articles on relocation and ACG here?) Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 2:00 pm
Hello Donna
“Uranian (through and through)” wants to ask,
1) What MC Square Saturn is all about ?
2) How does a fire sign like leo reflect in 10 house (empty)?
3) What MC (leo) and Ascendant (Scorpio) like?
I read where u mentioned of such people feeling a tug-of-war between being extro & introvert. Is it just that and anything else? Any remedy?
Regards
By: FxGuy on September 11, 2010
at 12:50 pm
Lots and lots of questions, there, Fxguy. Let me answer one of them in some depth–MH square Saturn.
It would depend on which house it was square from–could be 1st (if a big house), 2nd or 12th on one side of the chart. 6th (maybe 5th) or 7th on the other. I covered the possibilities of Midheaven squares fairly thoroughly in a post on this blog so I won’t go through all that again. Read it here: https://skywriter.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/planets-squaring-the-midheaven%e2%80%94how-they-affect-your-career/
of course the types of issues you’d see with a Saturn square to the Midheaven are different from Neptune squares to the Midheaven (or Uranus or Pluto or Mars). In this case the difficulty would rest in balancing career demands with more personal Saturnian responsibilities so that both are taken into account and met.
In the 7th, the partner’s needs might detract from full-on attention to career; in the 2nd, the financial limitations might keep the person from investing in the equipment or other expenses of setting up full time in the chosen career or business. And so on. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 2:10 pm
Donna, what do you think about the relationship between the 10th house and fame? I see a fair number of charts of people ‘famous’ in their field or in general with little 10th house involvement and people with seemingly strong 10th house involvement but seemingly dim prospects for fame or renown. Any thoughts on this?
By: Victoria on September 11, 2010
at 1:37 pm
Hi, Victoria, that’s a question that puzzles many of us. I’d have to agree–charts of famous people rarely seem to portray the kind of wild success they are enjoying; and people who look like a brilliant success with 10th house planets galore may engage in such self-defeating behavior that they blow their potential or else they don’t have the work ethic it takes to try and fail, try and fail, until they try and then suceed.
On a related note, I’ve often met people who were close to being astrotwins to famous people, yet had no notable talents whatsoever. For any given celebrity, there are thousands born around the globe that day with virtually the same chart, yet only one is famous.
My conclusion is that the chart may be an approximation of the person and their potential, yet the soul that comes into the body at that time has not necessarily developed the same genius as the person with the same chart that does become famous. It’s the soul and what they do with their gifts through grit and determination that counts in the end. I discussed this in more depth here: https://skywriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/the-astrology-chart-as-a-portrait-of-the-soul/
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:13 pm
I’ve got a long-standing question about the angles of a chart. In your experience, have you seen charts with no planets anywhere near the MC/IC, AC/DC? Is this very rare, fairly common, or…? I mean at least with in a 10 degrees of either side of these angles. If you just want to focus on the 10 th house here, then the question is whether you’ve seen this a lot or not, with respect to having nothing near the MC/IC axis.
By: Sea on September 11, 2010
at 1:37 pm
Given that in the course of a day, all the planets rotate through all the houses, then there are bound to be several intervals every single day when there are no planets near the angles. The length of time this is true depends on how closely clustered together the planets are on any given day. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:15 pm
Hello Donna
Could you please tell me what sort of meanings can be implied in a situation of a MC ruler Venus for ex.) squared by Pluto? Is that particularly detrimental for career issues?
Thanks,
A
By: Alicia Rex on September 11, 2010
at 1:45 pm
With a Venus-Pluto square involved with the Midheaven, the detriment might be if the person has a penchant for love affairs that come out and hurt their professional reputation–e.g. getting involved with the boss, or, if they are the boss, getting involved with employees. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 12, 2010
at 2:51 am
My own MC is in Pisces at 14 degrees, so the 10th house ends in Aries, and the MC angle itself is aspected with two trines , a square (to Saturn Rx) and five other minor aspects. A Quincunx to my Chiron is one.
Familywise (ruling parent) for me bears out this empty Pisces 10th house – My mother was mostly distant (phsyically) and often no one ruled the home when she was there. Two of the minor aspects are semisextile to personal planets, no hard rules, moved often, very dreamy and disconnected.
The trines to my MC is with my Cancer sun in first house. And Neptune in fifth. I take this to mean (as it involves a Grand Trine) that my way career wise is ‘easier’.
To me it reads: I am driven (ego, & drive, Sun 1st) by creativity (Neptune Libra fifth).
And that will act out careerwise in me working in publishing, higher learning and teaching others at a distance (Ninth house to the left of the MC, and Pisces on the 10th cusp).
The fifth house Scorpio North Node, (working toward profound creativeness this life around), is the other trine to the MC
Donna, am I off on any of this?
By: ej runyon on September 11, 2010
at 2:05 pm
Nope, you pretty well nailed it on all levels from parents to career. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 2:47 pm
My question is regarding planets aspecting the MC. Are oppositions and squares to the MCs always detrimental to the native’s career?
By: Eme Kah on September 11, 2010
at 2:29 pm
Hmmmm. There IS more to our curriculum vita than just our careers. The squares and oppositions to the MH show places our energies are challenged to meet other concerns and needs.
A 4th house opposition, again, shows that home and family claim some of our energy–AND provide a necessary balance. A square from the 7th means that learning lessons about committed relationships and how to love are just as important as going for success in the world. And so on. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 2:43 pm
Hey Donna,
My question is what does it mean when all your outter planets are all above the horrizon in your chart and some in the 10th and they are all retrograde?
All the outter planets retrograde in the top half of your chart and all personal planets below and direct?….what does that mean?
Thank you Donna for this forum! I learn so much from the Q & A’s on here! Blessings!
By: Jules on September 11, 2010
at 3:33 pm
Jules, those are several very complex questions related to your own chart–you really need a chart interpretation to answer them sufficiently, and I’m retired from doing that. However, for the question of multiple retrograde outer planets, here’s a quote from one of my cosmic pinata series:
An Aquarian born in the 1940s asks to understand more about the 7 retrograde planets in his chart:
7 retrogrades? Here’s the thing about retrogrades—other than, say, Mercury, they last a long time and happen during certain intervals of the year, if you watch them in the ephemeris.
During the 1940s, the slower moving planets were concentrated in the section of the zodiac from Gemini-Virgo, so people born on your side of the zodiac had tons of them.
Probably every single Aquarius (and maybe all Pisces too) born on the planet the same year as you had pretty much the same number of retrogrades as you.
It’s then a social phenomenon about your particular generation—having to do with world conditions that impacted many of you strongly, with life-long results–rather than confined to you and you alone. What’s the worst thing you can say to an Aquarian? “You Aquarians are all alike.”
Jules, the same was true during parts of the 1980s-90s when there were many planets in Capricorn or Aquarius, notably Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. When the outer planets are involved, they stay retrograde for months at a time, and so everyone born during those months has the same thing. When they’re in the 10th, it shows a lot about your relationship with your parents (possibly so career-oriented they were seldom home) and that your career may be one that addresses issues the global collective is struggling with. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 11, 2010
at 5:01 pm
Hello Donna:
I have seen people with some 10th house planets conjucting MC but some other planets in the 10th house but 30 degrees from MC.
What does this mean when some transit planet trines the natal MC planet(s) while sqaures the other 10 house planet(s)?
Does it mean this individual has complexed focus in his career attitude so that when his career is in progress, some of his other career issues are under some tension??
This question could be related with the more general question: what is the difference between the planet conjuncting MC (in 10th house) and the planet in 10th house but a little far away from MC?
Thanks. Hope you are still not tired of today’s questions.
By: Justin_L on September 11, 2010
at 6:26 pm
“What is the difference between the planet conjuncting MC (in 10th house) and the planet in 10th house but a little far away from MC?”
The really powerful influences on career (or for that matter, describing the person’s authority figures) are those within 10 degrees of the Midheaven. They represent qualities and situations that are more prominent and noticable than planets many degrees from the Midheaven, though all are ultimately blended together as career potentials.
The ones conjunct the Midheaven are especially active with transits, tending to coincide with major life changes or initiating career changing events. Transits to other planets in the 10th can also create stresses and career shifts, but at a later date, so that the shift is already well in process. I guess I’d say it’s a matter of timing–what event or new situation starts the process vs. what just continues or modifies and complicates it.
“What does it mean when some transit planet trines the natal MC planet(s) while squares the other 10 house planet(s)? “
You are correct–with multiple factors in play, there will be some good news and some bad news in the career picture. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 12, 2010
at 2:20 am
Hi, Donna. My question is about the ruler of the MC, when retrograde. How does this influence career path and choices?
By: Trei on September 11, 2010
at 9:49 pm
Again, the ruler of the Midheaven is probably the least potent in determining the career path, as planets conjunct the Midheaven are first, the the actual Midheaven, and then any planets in the 10th, and then any planets aspecting the Midheaven. I’d guess the retrograde planet meant the kind of zig zag vocational history where you tend to go back over the same career ground from time to time–types of jobs or situations you left behind that you pick up again, or the need to go back and pick up dropped stitches. Donna.
By: Donna Cunningham on September 12, 2010
at 2:28 am
Just wanted to say thank you for this great Q&A session. I’m an eager student and find that going through people’s questions really helps me.
Katie asked about the difference of a planet conjunct the MC in the 10th vs. the 9th and I have to say your answer, Donna, fitted perfectly for me.
My planet conjuncting MC is in the 9th and I absolutely have the desire to uplift, inspire and teach others in order to make the world a better place. I do this because I believe in my passion and what I stand for.
The downside is that I have not yet found a way to make this my career – THAT is my dream, my vision, my yearning, but I do everything altruistically (and I get frustrated that other people have managed to ‘monetise’ this part of their life) so maybe that part of it is my ‘learning’ if you like…
Thanks so much Donna (and Katie for asking the question I was pondering myself!)
By: India on September 11, 2010
at 10:25 pm
Thank you, India, and thanks everyone for an enjoyable session. We’ve covered a lot of ground, and now I’m closing the comment section. I hope that other people’s questions clarified some of your own. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on September 12, 2010
at 3:01 am