Have you ever wondered about how to unlock your potential using astrology?
The birth chart is a mixture of positive (as in things that come naturally, where you are at ease) and negative things (as in difficult experiences, things you struggle with). It’s common when people who are not very experienced in astrology take a look at their chart and get discouraged by all the red lines and not textbook-perfect placements. However, many of these are, in fact, the biggest blessings.
Although it’s nice to see all the good aspects and strong planets, even the challenging placements can help you—or perhaps those are the ones that help you grow the most. They teach you valuable lessons. It’s something easy placements can’t do. When things are going well, for most people, there’s little motivation to step out of your comfort zone and grow-this is the issue with Jupiter, the planet that is generally regarded as the most positive.
Sometimes you are put in a position where you have no choice but to fight for your goals, even when it is scary and difficult. But once you make it to the other side, you realize that you learned so much from the process and it catapulted you to the next level of success.
In this post, you can read about the factors in the natal chart that entice you to face your shadow self and grow into your best version. These astrological planets and aspects are not fun—but they help you build a stable foundation and serve your best interest in the long run.
If you are into astrology, chances are you are also interested in self-development and want to get to know yourself better. The birth chart and astrology are excellent tools for this. In the birth chart, there are several things that tell in which life area you can grow a lot as a person. This post focuses on some challenges presented in the chart through which you can gain self-knowledge. They indicate that something is more difficult, but dealing with the challenges comes with the reward of self-awareness and a deeper understanding of the topic. It’s important to keep in mind that the chart doesn’t dictate your destiny.
This list is not comprehensive and it’s not organized in any particular order. The main purpose of it is to help you look at your difficult placements from a fresh perspective.
Planets in Detriment or Fall
Planetary dignities are really important in astrology. A planet is more powerful in some signs and it struggles more in others.
When it comes to planets in your birth chart, the zodiac sign where they were located at the time of your birth matters to a great extent. And there’s a good reason for this—the zodiac sign is the environment in which the planet operates on a day-to-day basis. It shows if it feels at home (in a good dignity) or it is restrained and can’t express itself freely but has to adapt to the qualities of the zodiac sign (if the planet is in fall or in detriment).
Planets in fall or in detriment can be intimidating at first. However, such positions don’t mean that the symbolism of the planet cannot manifest in a positive way at all. These planets require more self-awareness to bing out their best side. In the process, you integrate the energy of the planet and learn to work with it in the best way.
E.g. someone with Venus in Virgo usually has to work on their self-esteem and self-worth, but in the end, they become more self-aware and get to know themselves better than someone who never had to set out on this journey.
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Saturn and Difficulties in the Birth Chart
A classic—Saturn is the planet of difficulties and restrictions. It’s the archetype of the strict teacher in astrology. Saturn requires you to step up and work hard and consistently to achieve your goal. Needless to say, this can be unpleasant and frustrating from time to time. But in the process, you build an extremely solid foundation and you gain mastery. Saturn doesn’t want to make you struggle for the sake of struggling, it helps you evolve through self-discipline and persistence. Saturn teaches you skills and maturity, even if sometimes it gets difficult during the journey.
In addition, Saturn is a karmic planet. It is associated with challenges stemming from the past in astrology. Pay attention to everything about Saturn in the birth chart: its zodiac sign, house placement and aspects are all important. Overcoming Saturn challenges also means healing your past.
North Node
The north node is another karmic element in the horoscope. It is associated with your life purpose and the general direction of your progress in life. The north node represents something that doesn’t come naturally to you as you haven’t practiced it much before, both things associated with its house and its zodiac sign. It takes decades to grow into it and become comfortable with it.
The opposite of the north node is the south node, which is associated with your past. The qualities of your south node are very familiar to you and it’s your comfort zone.
To understand what it wants you to work on, you have to look at the zodiac sign and the house placement of your north node. Its aspects are also important. The zodiac sign tells which qualities your soul wants to focus on in this lifetime.
The good thing about north node challenges is that you usually get a lot of support from the universe to develop it.
Quincunxes
Challenging aspects represent discord between two energies. The quincunx is classified as a minor aspect, but its influence is not to be ignored. However, most astrologers only allow an orb of 3 degrees for it to be valid, to be significant, it should be less than that.
The quincunx suggests that the energy of the two planets is at odds with each other. The zodiac signs they are placed in are incompatible both by element and by modality. This aspect indicates discomfort and frustration. It requires you to bring the two energies together which usually takes quite some effort. However, in the process of doing that, you also grow and develop new skills that serve you.
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