A birth chart is a map of the sky that shows the position of the planets around the zodiac at the exact moment of one’s birth. Everyone has a birth chart that we grow and evolve with throughout our lives.
At different moments in life, we might experience what I call a “planetary deficiency” that requires us getting in touch with a specific planet or placement in the chart (which are another term for “inner quality” or “personality trait”), in order to restore balance, learn valuable lessons and grow. This can happen consciously or unconsciously. The better we know our birth chart, the easier we can recognise a pattern.
The Moon is the most important planet in the birth chart, as it is one’s deepest layer of being and true nature. Some astrologers call it the soul. The Moon is our emotional well-being and intelligence: what do you need to feel good, safe, recharged and nourished? What are you instinctively drawn to? Thus, when the Moon is underfed, all the other placements in the birth chart suffer.
Women, who are emotional creatures, usually tend to identify more with their Moon (yin) than men, who identify more easily with their Sun (yang). This means that women prioritise and nourish the Moon's needs more regularly (consciously or not), and are quick to feel a Moon deficiency.
That being said, the Moon’s needs should not become an obsession, for there are other actors present in the birth chart. The Moon is our comfort zone, yet we need to brave the tide in order to reach new horizons from time to time. The Sun is our light, our ego: how can we fuel it in order to embody who we truly came to be in this lifetime?
At different moments in life, other planets may call for our attention. This very much depends on natal placements, such as harsh aspects or planets in fall, detriment or retrograde, but the call can also be an isolated case, depending on what the person is currently going through.
For instance, if one is experiencing too much disharmony or conflict in their daily life (Mars qualities), Venus or Venusian qualities (people, herbs, animals, a meaningful song,...) may appear in the person's life to restore balance and harmony. If one is experiencing extremes (maybe due to many oppositions or a prominent Jupiter or Uranus in the chart), Saturnian circumstances may appear to strike a balance (discipline, inner mastery, learning lessons and breaking the cycle).
If you feel that you are experiencing an inner “planetary deficiency”, you can choose to work with a specific planet, instead of waiting for the planet to call you. Need more courage or motivation to achieve your goals and move forward in life? Get in touch with your inner Mars. Need more structure or discipline? Work with your Saturn. Do you wish for new opportunities? Call Jupiter. Are you inviting change into your life? Look no further than Uranus. And so on.
There are a myriad ways to work with a planet, from studying its symbolism and history to observing it in the sky, invoking the deity through mantra or affirmation, embodying its qualities in daily life, and so much more!
To give you a personal example, I have my Moon in Aquarius opposing Mars in Leo. I am a woman, so I strongly identify with my Moon, while Mars is the ruler of both my chart and my Sun (I have an Aries Ascendant and Sun, the latter in mutual reception with Mars by trine), therefore he is also a very important planet in my chart, embodied as a strong personality trait. Oppositions lead to extremes, therefore I need to find a balance between the two. In other words, when I have fed my Moon enough through Aquarian means, I swing over to Leo to tend to my Mars’s needs, and vice versa.
Working with the birth chart as part of your personal development journey and spiritual evolution is a conscious and rewarding decision. You were born at a specific time, on a specific day, so that you can experience this lifetime with a set of tools, talents and knowledge that are unique to you. You have the inner tools, gifted by the Universe, to achieve anything you want in life. When you don't know how to begin or which way to go, the Universe sends you hints and redirects you. The inner map (birth chart) helps you decipher universal symbolism and identify patterns. This is the beauty of astrology.
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