Can Planetary Aspects Indicate our Ability to Empathize?

Dear Yael,

Your site was referenced on the Forensic Astrology Facebook page as a place for beginners to ask Astrology questions. I hope you can help me understand an oddity I saw in my great-niece's chart. I’m not fluent in Astrology by any means, but I am familiar with the basics, such as the signs, houses, and aspects.

She was born on May 26, 1996 in Boston,  at 9:12 p.m. Her aunt is raising her as both of her parents abandoned her. Her aunt is completely bewildered by the child's lack of compassion. A quick look at her chart shows that she doesn’t have any planets or houses in water signs, except for Pluto, which explains a lot.  I have never seen a lack of aspects from personal planets to the Sun before. 

From what I see in her chart, the first aspect her Sun makes to any planet is a sextile to Saturn. Nothing to her Moon, Venus, Mars, or Mercury. So I guess I'm asking, what does it mean when the Sun lacks connections to these planets that are so fundamental?  Here is where my lack of training is evident, because I can’t even imagine how something like that would even manifest in one’s chart. Would you be able to give me some insight into what that means?

Thanks for your help,

Clueless

Great-Niece’s Chart:  Ascendant Sagittarius, Sun Gemini, Moon Virgo, Mercury Taurus, Venus Gemini, Mars Taurus, and Jupiter Capricorn. 

Houses: 1st  in  Sagittarius, 2nd in Capricorn, 3rd in Pisces, 4th in Aries, 5th in Taurus, 6th Gemini, 7th in Gemini, 8th in Cancer, 9th in Virgo, 10th in Libra, 11th in Scorpio, and 12th in Sagittarius.

Major Aspects: Sun Sextile Saturn, Sun Trine Uranus, Sun Opposition Pluto, Moon Trine, Mercury, Moon Square Venus, Moon Trine Mars, Moon Trine Jupiter, Moon Trine Neptune, Moon Square Ascendant, Mercury Conjunction Mars, Mercury Trine Jupiter, Mercury Quincunx Ascendant            

Dear Clueless,

Before I delve in to your great-niece’s chart I want you and all of my readers to understand that I believe that individuals should be allowed to develop themselves without limitations.  Keep in mind that your niece is only 15 years old and that she has her whole life ahead of her. Usually, if a child is under the age of 18, I don’t like to tell them anything about themselves. 

So I am asking you to share what I am going to tell you with her aunt, only to reinforce her.  Do not hinder her growth by confining her to her chart’s aspects. Having knowledge of her chart should provide you and her aunt with the opportunity of being more sympathetic and encouraging, knowing what kind of support she will need along the way.

The situation you describe regarding her both of her parents abandoning her is a tragedy to say the least.  Astrology will provide you and her aunt with insight into her character, insecurities, and strengths. Psychologically speaking, one may presume that your great niece is merely struggling with the realities that occurred.  I will limit my analysis purely to the question at hand, regarding her lack of compassion. 

Firstly, I must correct a few inaccuracies.  Her Pluto is in Sagittarius (a fire sign).  Her 3rd House is in Pisces, 8th House is in Cancer, and 11th House is in Scorpio.  All three of these are water signs, thus making her a warmer and more sensitive individual.

Secondly, worry not regarding the lack of Sun-Moon, Sun-Venus, Sun-Mars, or Sun-Mercury aspects, as I have analyzed many charts belonging to wonderful and warm individuals without these aspects in their charts.  Your niece’s chart indicates that she is actually a very sensitive and empathic individual.  It may just be the age, circumstances, and growing pains.  Don’t forget how different all of us were at the age of 15.  Sometimes, we need a bit of time and understanding to cultivate ourselves.  Fortunately, she has both you and her aunt willing to be the support she needs. 

You can be reassured that your great niece has a multitude of fortunate aspects in her chart that will help her in life.  Also, they will indicate that she is a very creative, dynamic, altruistic, and sympathetic young lady.  

The following positive aspects are found in her chart: Sun sextile Saturn, Sun trine Uranus, Moon trine Mercury, Moon trine Mars, Moon trine Jupiter, Moon trine Neptune, Mercury trine Jupiter, and Mercury conjunct Mars. 

Sun sextile Saturn: Individuals with this aspect are patient, self-disciplined, steady in reaching their goals, and trustworthy. 

Sun trine Uranus: Individuals with this aspect are enthusiastic about life, unusual, adventurous, sympathetic, open-minded, courageous, original, creative, and progressive.  They also value honesty and truth.

Moon trine Mercury: Individuals with this aspect are inquisitive, imaginative, altruistic, non-judgmental, curious, and express themselves well. They use their hearts and heads equally.  They are gifted poets and/or orators. 

Moon trine Mars: Individuals with this aspect are passionate, open, accepting, and athletic.  Although they are quite sexual, they require a true emotional connection to fulfill themselves.  They are lovers of life and that this encompasses. 

Moon trine Jupiter: Individuals with this aspect are inwardly harmonious, realistically optimistic, objective, tolerant, broad-minded, altruistic, warm and fun to be around.  They truly believe in people’s goodness, which leads them to attract positive circumstances and good connections throughout their lives. 

Moon trine Neptune: Individuals with this aspect are compassionate, understanding, perceptive, and highly intuitive.  Due to their sensitivity, these individuals absorb their surroundings and other peoples’ feelings.  They require time alone to re-center themselves.  They are attracted to music and use it as means to heal and relax themselves.  Pursuing music or something equally creative will benefit these individuals. 

Mercury trine Jupiter: Individuals with this aspect are tolerant, strategic, generous, optimistic, good problem solvers, great conversationalists, and talented linguists.  They use language as a means to inspire others.  Those with this aspect love to learn and make excellent teachers. They are also attracted to foreign cultures and new experiences. 

Mercury conjunct Mars: Individuals with this aspect are curious, quick-minded, compulsive, enthusiastic, energetic, intellectually competitive, and productive in all they do.  They can be aggressive, blunt, forthright, and too honest in their communication style at times.  They are natural-born advocates and they readily commit themselves to helping the underdog.  Due to their agile and quick minds, they often unintentionally express themselves with anger.  They are also known for taking things too personally at times, resulting in challenges in communicating with others.  

The following negative aspects are found in her chart: Sun opposition Pluto, Moon square Venus, Moon square the Ascendant, and Mercury quincunx Ascendant.  Please keep in mind that these aspects merely indicate what your niece will have to overcome in life. You and her aunt can help her in doing so.

The Sun opposition Pluto aspect is the most challenging one found in her chart.  Individuals with this aspect have tremendous power and strength, but they have to accept this strength and not fear it.  Some of the most effective, inspirational, insightful, helpful, and healing people in the world have this aspect in their chart, but it requires a great deal of work in harnessing its potential.

Individuals with this aspect put a lot of pressure on themselves and are very sensitive to criticism. They go through life feeling they are never good enough.  Although they are very strong and resilient, they suffer from a low self-image.  They are prone to worrying, inner tension, and negative, self-destructive behavior patterns.  If they do not keep their internal mechanisms in check, this can lead to unhappiness. 

They require great amounts of privacy, since they are afraid that their vulnerabilities may surface and be used against them.  This deep-seated fear of losing control stems from a traumatic event in their childhood, leading to an intense fear of change.  They cope with their fears by adapting manipulative tendencies in their interactions with others.  They rely on subversive tactics to ensure their control over situations.  They are attached to habits, things, places, people, and their past.  To grow and lead happy and productive lives, these individuals will have to learn how to accept change as well as themselves. 

Moon square Venus: Individuals with this aspect have a strong need for approval, affection, peace and harmony in their inter-personal relationships.  Since finding love and being loved is their priority, they compromise in their areas of life where they should not.  They give into others too easily and are also take advantage of.  Resentment in their later years may surface if they do not address this early on.  They are victim to large amounts of insecurities.  Working in the arts may relieve this tension. 

Moon square the Ascendant: Individuals with this aspect are highly emotional and in tune with their environment and the moods of people around them.  Their external expressions (such as their body language and mannerisms) do not usually reflect how they feel inside.  Secretly, they are afraid of how others perceive them and will react to them if they were to freely express how they feel.  As they mature, they should learn how to express their true desires and feelings and not hide them. 

Mercury quincunx Ascendant: Individuals with this aspect have difficulty in communicating with others, because their external persona is not inline with who they perceive themselves to be. Inwardly, they are sensible, but others do not take notice of this.  They get disappointed when others do not see their true nature.  They talk endlessly with others and must learn to harness their nervous and restless energy.  In thinking their thoughts through before releasing them out into the open, their external and internal identities will become one in the same, rather than conflicting.

As I am simply addressing your concern about her lack of compassion, I took a look at her planets, which may provide some indication.  Regarding her basic planets, her Gemini Sun – Virgo Moon combination makes her a highly intellectual and very critical individual.  She is critical not only of herself but also of others, but she does not do so maliciously.  She finds it hard to follow her own inner voice, and needs affirmation in doing so.  Her criticisms are merely a defense mechanism.  Her Sagittarius rising makes her come off as frank, bold, honest, and courageous.

Finally, I want to stress that your great niece has an intrinsically beautiful chart.  She has a lot of earth, making her more grounded, sensible, and compassionate than most.  I highly urge you to speak to her aunt and encourage her to put your great niece in art classes such as music, dance, painting, and the like. I feel that if she were to harness her incredible strengths and creativity, her external self will transform into an overall confidant, radiant, and beautiful individual. Some of the most successful, spiritual, compassionate, and altruistic people I know were born into very difficult circumstances.  Your niece is in the developmental stages of her life.  With you and her aunt by her side, she will surely blossom into an amazing and outwardly compassionate woman.

Thank you for writing in,

Yael