I am on deadline for my advice column for Dell Horoscope, but will leave this to you to do with as you will.  Leave your thoughts in the comment section below this post.

Regards to you all–I really miss blogging, but besides the book on stelliums I am writing, I’m juggling my columns and preparing two lectures about stelliums for the NORWAC Astrology Conference in Seattle weekend. (Read about this much-loved conference here: NORWAC: Northwest Astrological Conference.)

Hi, Folks, I’m still working hard on my book about stelliums and two lectures for the NORWAC conference in Seattle on Memorial Day weekend. (Read about this much-loved conference here: NORWAC: Northwest Astrological Conference.)

However, a lot of new Skywriter readers have joined us and have missed out on some of our past series, so here are links to posts about those minor aspects that are so puzzling in our charts.

• Understanding  Semisquares—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the Sesquiquadrate—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Septiles–Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Semisquares—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the Sesquiquadrate—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Septiles–Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the BiQuintile—Your Input Needed
• Quincunx  vs. BiQuintile–an Answer from Numerology?
• The Not so  Minor Aspects—Results of Our Research
• Planets in Mutual Reception—Join our Online Research
• Understanding Quintiles—What’s YOUR Talent?
• Cosmic  Piñata #7: Readers’ Observations about Quintiles and other Aspects
• Heinous  Hybrids—Why the Quincunx is No Minor Aspect
• Part 2—the  Transiting Quincunx
• Part 3: Steps in Analyzing a Quincunx plus More New Insights
• Part 4: How to Harmonize the Tensions of a Quincunx

Although I’m supposed to be writing my book about stelliums, I am so enjoying our interchanges here on Skywriter that it’s hard not to blog daily. (The book, incidentally, is going very well and will be out in Mid-May.)

Today I wanted to share briefly about something that’s been troubling me for quite some time, and that is how much more harsh and judgmental many people are since Pluto went into Capricorn. Capricorn does represent perfectionism and high standards, and Pluto wants to dig in and to transform the things it finds wrong.Together, however, they are anything but a kind combination. (I’m not saying that everyone is like this,  understand, but that it’s an increasing tendency in society as a whole.)

I see a pervasive snobbish, elitist tendency in the world at large of judging of anything or anyone that falls short of perfection. Empathy and giving others the benefit of the doubt seem to be qualities on the endangered list. So often, these harsh criticisms of both self and others are paired with a sense of entitlement and a lack of gratitude–nothing is ever good enough.

When I was quite young, I went as a lark to get my palm read by a wise and kindly older woman. She told me that I had great potential but a very low opinion of myself. She observed that I could not accept compliments, that I would cancel them out with self-criticism. She told me to compliment others whenever I saw something good about them, and that this would help me to love myself as well.

I have always followed her advice, and indeed it did help me to love myself, but, most of all, I learned to compliment others genuinely and to take great pleasure in doing so. It’s never flattery, for I seem incapable of feeding an overbearingly hungry ego with undeserved praise.

But I do see a rather harsh world that gives people little recognition of their efforts, and now, more than ever, when I admire something in someone, I will tell them so even if they are a complete stranger. If I can brighten someone’s day, it makes my day also.

Readers, please share in the comment section the ways you deserve to feel good about yourself. How are you working hard to make yourself and your world a better place? We all deserve more credit than this Pluto in Capricorn era is giving us.

In the last several posts, we’ve been exploring some effects that we could attribute to the transit of Uranus through Aries. We have nominated quite a few candidates for this phenomenon, but we’ve focused somewhat strongly on the more difficult and even alarming manifestations.

It’s true that Uranus transits can produce the some startling and even somewhat shocking new developments—it certainly shakes up the status quo!  (Not that the status quo couldn’t use some changes!) And yet Uranus transits also bring positive and much needed changes, particularly in inventions and helpful new technology. Aries is an innovative sign in itself, full of youthful energy and hope.

Today I like to hear Readers speculations about what positive changes we might see during this seven-year transit. 

Below is a table that lists both the possible positive expressions and the not so desirable ones of both Uranus and Aries. See what you get by free association of the two.

I do want to say how very much I have missed this blog and the input and exchange from my readers, a bright and insightful group. In the last two years, I had to recover from a terrible fall that injured my hands and so I was unable to write, but thankfully they are now 100% healed. That was followed by a year of total focus on developing material for a book on stelliums. I still have about three months to go on that project, but will blog as time allows.

So how about it, readers? What new insights do you have from the table above and from your own observations about the positive potentials of Uranus in Aries? Leave them in the comments section. 

Related Posts on Skywriter:

• Understanding Uranus Transits—Bits from my Books
• Uranus in Aries and the Cosmic Soup
• Grabbing Some Insight into Uranus in Aries
• More Observations about Uranus in Aries
• Uranus in Aries—a Heads Up for the Accident Prone
• Uranus in Aries & Flower Essences–8 Years of Significant Change Ahead
• Relocating under Fire? Help from Astrology and Essences
• How Strong is your Uranus? Here’s the Score!
• 10 Things You May not Know about Uranus

When one of the outer planets—Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto—changes signs, astrologers’ first task is to observe closely what changes the new sign placement of that planet is ushering in. These slow-moving planets have such a long orbit around the Sun that they tend to remain in one sign for up to a decade or longer.

In the case of Uranus, the orbit takes 84 years, and its stay in a single sign is about seven years. Very few people are still alive who have Uranus in Aries natally, and I doubt whether a single practicing astrologer has lived through the transit of Uranus through that sign. Therefore, we’re all still groping to understand what Uranus in Aries means, and we may have some theories, but observing what is going on around us is the more valuable tool.

In the last post, I shared my observations about new phrases in our language that could be attributed to Uranus in Aries, and I invited readers to add their own observations in the comment section. As always, there was a lively discussion. It made me continue to think about Uranus in Aries, and to see more correlations between that sign and planet.

The first new insight was about the sudden rise in high-energy drinks like Red Bull. When you take them, your energy is hyped up, almost like an overdose of Mars/Aries unstoppable nature. (An aside: the term unstoppable is rapidly becoming a buzzword that in itself represents an extreme Aries quality.)

Those high-energy drinks used to be sold under the counter at truck stops and gas stations to long-distance drivers. Now they are advertised openly and available in the grocery store. There are even pink label versions aimed at busy women.

In my long observations, when it comes to drugs, only downers are represented by Neptune in the charts of users. Abuse of stimulants (uppers) like amphetamines, cocaine, and crack are represented in the chart by transiting Uranus. Thus, with the transit of Uranus in Aries, a legal stimulant like Red Bull is gaining in popularity. Who knows what other brand-new stimulants will come into popularity during this seven-year stint?

(Another aside:  Viagra and related drugs for ED must also  be related to Mars difficulties.  However, many men without that diagnosis are now using that as a recreational drug in order to have more sex and excitement, and they get it through illicit internet sites rather than a doctor’s prescription. Uranus in Aries, anyone? And, yes, it began during Uranus in Pisces, but we would expect it to become  more widespread during Uranus in Aries, a far more sexually driven sign.)

Another interesting observation was brought to my attention by a respected colleague, Diana Stone. She tells me that all of a sudden she is hearing from long-term clients who have experienced a sharp spike in blood pressure, and yet who say that hypertension medication is making them ill. She feels that 180/90 is the new normal blood pressure.

As Diana and I  tried to make sense of this phenomenon through astrology, our #1 tool for examining change, we again came to Uranus in Aries. You may recall the old classification of personalities by type, and recall that Type A personalities were driven and needed to be hyped up in order to handle the pressures of working compulsively.

My impression is that many Type A personalities have a strong fire component such as Aries or Leo. I also feel that Uranus represents a high-pressure type of individual who is accustomed to the excitement of a challenge. Therefore it would make sense that many of us would feel great deal more pressure under hard-driving Uranus in Aries. This high pressure placement might just create an adrenalin rush and higher blood pressure.

Just something to observe, and both Diana and I would appreciate your feedback. Please leave your observations on this and any other expression of Uranus in Aries in the comment section. 

Additional Relevant Articles on Skywriter:

• Grabbing Some Insight into Uranus in Aries
• Uranus in Aries and the Cosmic Soup
• Uranus in Aries—a Heads Up for the Accident Prone
• Uranus in Aries & Flower Essences–8 Years of Significant Change Ahead
• Crossover Coming—Uranus moves from Pisces to Aries
• How  Strong is your Uranus? Here’s the Score!

Uranus is the trendsetter planet, and when it shifts signs, we see new developments in style, language, and innovation. Most of all, it shows what the public is excited about. I’m noticing a couple of ways that Uranus’s shift into Aries has already affected our language.

The first is the sudden emergence of the word VIBRANT as a criteria for attractiveness. No longer is it enough to simply be beautiful or handsome, you need to be vibrant as well.

I see vibrant as a word related to the Cardinal fire energy of Aries, as well as the excitement that a strong Uranus conveys. Vibrant suggests a vivacious, energetic, and fascinating individual who is, essentially, unstoppable and impossible to ignore.

The other verbal reflection of the shift into Aries is the way everyone is now GRABBING everything:

“I need to grab a Starbucks.”

“When I can grab a few minutes, I’ll give you a call.”

“I’m going to grab myself some of those shoes that are on sale.”

“Let’s grab that table over there.”

Try to place yourself in the mindset of someone who is in the process of grabbing something. See how it feels.

Can you see what I mean? It’s a desperate yet aggressive feeling that if you don’t grab it, you won’t get it. It’s a very Uranus in Aries sensation, willful, selfish, and not caring what others need or want.

And, yet, perfectly nice people have taken to using that word.  Incessantly. No longer do they get something, receive something, or have something, they just have to grab it. It seems to mark some shift in how we deal with the world and with the needs of other people.

What about you, Readers? Have you noticed any other trends since Uranus shifted into Aries? Leave your observations in the comment section.

Related Posts:

• Understanding Uranus Transits—Bits from my Books
• Crossover Coming—Uranus moves from Pisces to Aries
• Uranus in Aries and the Cosmic Soup
• Uranus in Aries—a Heads Up for the Accident Prone
• Uranus in Aries & Flower Essences–8 Years of Significant Change Ahead

The 12^th house is such a private and even secret part of us, and this is a public forum, so not a good place to share those close to the chest questions. Much of what goes on in the 12^th is less than conscious, so I am uneasy about bringing out what is hidden and not being able to gauge people’s reactions to what I say to them, as would be possible in an in-person counseling session.

(And, no, I’m not available for private sessions, as I retired from them 5 years ago for good reason. So please don’t write to me privately for an interpretation. I wonder if Tracy Marks is still taking clients—I’m still wowed by the depth of her book. Read about it here: A Book about the 12th House that will Help You Love Yourself)

I ‘ve missed the Q&A sessions in the year and a half I have away from blogging, and am open to suggestions of other topics. Let’s try again!

I also often observe a deep sense of shame in people whose 12th house is prominent. We’ve already spoken about ways our extremely extroverted society tells us there’s something wrong with us. However, the shame can have a deeper cause. Often that sense of being unworthy comes from holding in family secrets that make them believe they don’t deserve love.

Note: If your 4^th house or 10^th house ruler falls in the 12^th or if planets in the 12^th aspect the 4^th or 10^th house cusp, it’s possible that you get into codependent relationships because one or both of your parents was addicted/alcoholic or otherwise seriously dysfunctional. If so, educating yourself about codependency can be the start of changing that pattern.

FREE DOWNLOAD: One of the chapters of my ebook, Counseling Principles for Astrologers explores relationship patterns of adult children of alcoholics, plus codependency and its implications for practicing astrologers in depth. Download it here: ch7 – codependency.

At the same time that some of us suffer with those feeling of isolation, we’re pulled in two directions—part of us wants a deep love connection, but another part of us craves solitude and needs alone time on a regular basis. One painful outcome of juggling this set of conflicting needs is an unconscious decision to get involved with people who aren’t available or who are commitment phobic. Intense periods of merging are followed by crises in the relationship—anguishing break ups and heavenly making up. (Been there, done that to death, but am free of the pattern now.)

Another quality of many 12^th house people is a sincere desire to serve, to do something to alleviate the suffering we see around us. But when our own unfulfilled needs enter the picture, we can become addicted to being needed, as it provides a relief from the sense of isolation and boosts our often-low self-esteem. Codependent relationships that spring from an urgent need to feel needed can readily turn toxic.

12^th House-Based Relationships you’d be better off Kicking to the Curb: Secret connections, such as extramarital affairs. Drinking buddies, people who enable you and people you enable. Users and abusers. Secret enemies and those who undermine us—the part of ourselves that makes us our own worst enemy.

12^th House-Based Relationships to Cherish: Spiritual teachers, inspirational speakers, and companions on the spiritual path. People who support your recovery from addictions and other self-defeating patterns. People you give to who give back by nurturing and supporting you when you go through tough times of your own.

CyberDating is a tempting way for 12^th house types who don’t feel comfortable leaving their homes and going out to bars or parties to meet potential partners. We’ve all heard success stories as well as horror stories, so here are two good sites for learning how to ensure your safety: Psych Central – Tips for Safe Online Dating And Online Dating Safety Tips | Experience Online Dating – The Safe Way.

Articles on the 12^th House and Relationships by other Astrologers

Here are some articles about Venus in the 12^th by other astrologers who have a variety of insights and perspectives. If what they say about your own relationships fits, use it. If not, keep looking for some light on how to use the 12^th well when it comes to love.

• Venus in 12th House | The Astrology Place
• Venus in the 12th house – Astrology in Depth (“It seems the most attractive people to 12th house Venuses are those that are unavailable.”)
• Jo Tracey Astrology » Venus in 12th house
• Love in Hiding — Venus in the 12th House « Healing Universe
• Relationship Astrology (2) Connecting from the 12th House
• The Composite Chart and the 12th House: The Ghost at the Door …
• Horoscopes of celebrities with Venus in 12th House – Astrotheme

Related Skywriter Posts about Releasing Toxic Relationships:

• Saturn in Scorpio—Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?
• Stuck in Toxic Relationships? Check your Soul Contract!
• More on Clearing Toxic Relationships
• Feeling Drained by a Relationship? Cut those Psychic Cords!
• What your Astrology Chart Says about your Boundary Issues

Related Skywriter Posts about Releasing Toxic Relationships:

• Saturn in Scorpio—Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?
• Stuck in Toxic Relationships? Check your Soul Contract!
• More on Clearing Toxic Relationships
• Feeling Drained by a Relationship? Cut those Psychic Cords!
• What your Astrology Chart Says about your Boundary Issues

In preparing this series on the 12^th house, I was, frankly, awed to encounter her remarkably insightful and profoundly healing book on the 12^th house: Tracy Marks, Your Secret Self: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Twelfth House, Ibis Press, Lake Worth, FL, 2010.

There’s a limit to how much I can quote without permission from the publisher, but here’s a taste of the jewels in her brilliant analysis of the 12^th house Sun:

“Your 12^th house Sun suggests that you are sensitive person, highly vulnerable to the impact of your environment. Hesitant to share your inner experiences, you maintain a private sanctuary within yourself, to which you retreat from the demands of the outer world. As King or Queen of your inner castle, you reign supreme.

“…You need time alone for reflection, for attuning yourself to your thoughts, feelings, and fantasies, and for freeing yourself from the influences of others, which you to easily absorb. Because you feel connected to larger spiritual forces, you may be practiced in a meditative discipline that helps you to gain the clarity you seek. Your inner resources are vast. By refueling yourself through turning inward, you revitalize yourself and open yourself to warm, radiant feelings which you may not otherwise experience.” p.55.

The 6-page section on the Sun continues to amaze in the way it explains the many mysteries and contradictions in this 12^th house placement. The book contains equally illuminative sections on all the 12^th house planets and signs.

This book helps you experience the beauty and the rightness of your 12^th house placements without neglecting to explore how the more difficult expressions are connected with them.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with significant placements in the 12^th, particularly those I’ve been hearing from with 12^th house stelliums.

Order here: The 12th House: Tracy Marks: Amazon.com: Books and learn about other self-help books in her series here: http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Marks/e/B001JS7VBS. (Also in Kindle.)

The Complete Miniseries on the 12^th house:

• 12th House People as Introverts: the Power of Solitude
• A  Sensitive Guide to Planets in the 12th House—Guest Blog
• Readers Ask: Q & A about the 12th House
• A Tool for Analyzing Your 12th House Sign
• New Insights into the 12th House from our Q&A Session
• Interceptions, Progressions and Other Buried 12th House Treasure from the Comment Section
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the 12th House—but Were Afraid to Ask
• The 12th House—Comparing Ancient and Modern Views
• 7 Secrets You May not Know about the 12th House
• Daybreak and the 12th  House Sun
• 12 Famous People with 12th House Suns
• 80 Qualities of Venus in the 12th or other Venus-Neptune Combinations
• Jupiter in the 12th—When Does Good Luck Turn Bad?
• Transits from the 12th House to the  1st–Like Night and Day