Yes it’s me, 20 years ago. I know astrology better now.

If astrology was yoga, I could say: Reading about postures is not the same as practising them!

Astrology is mental gymnastics. We don’t need more and more information. We need to stretch our muscles.

When you start learning, you read about placements… and you get confused.

Some authors give you various possible interpretations for a single placement. They use the conditional: “People with this placement may…..” We are drowning in uncertainty!
Various authors don’t tell you exactly the same things about the same placements. Sometimes they even contradict one another.
Try to Google “How will a Venus conjunct Sun in Leo squared by Mars in Taurus be expressed if the Ascendant is Scorpio and the Moon in Aries?” and you’ll realise that you’re all alone with the task of putting all the pieces together.

I propose two methods. One is powerful, easy, efficient but not as subtle as Pisces Mercuries could wish.

The other is subtle, results can’t be granted but it opens the door to intuition and can be, at times, downright magical. In this post, I’ll introduce the first method, based on keywords.

Keywords are simplifications. Symbols are pictures for a reason. Now keywords are powerful. Just don’t turn them into dogmas.

You pick keywords associated with the various symbols and you make sentences that make sense. It’s a good game. It can be played with other students and you don’t even realise you're doing homework. Introverts can play on their own.

For instance:

Venus in Leo square Mars in Taurus.

This person loves (Venus) being seen (Leo) but (square) acts (Mars) like a bull in a China shop (Taurus).

Bull in the China shop is not a standard keyword for Taurus, but in this context, it wants to be there! Mars is in exile in Taurus, add a square to the exile, especially from Venus, and the outcome is likely to be somewhat awkward.

This person loves (Venus) being seen (Leo) but acts (Mars) with conspicuous (Leo) greed (Taurus when squared)

Notice that the key words may slide along the aspect lines.

This person values (Venus) art, fun, and glory (Leo) but (square) goes for (Mars) material security (Taurus)

Or

This person loves (Venus) art and creativity (Leo) and can’t (square to Mars) get security (Taurus)

Or

This man desires (Mars-Venus) a high maintenance (Leo) woman (Venus) and can’t get no (square) satisfaction (Taurus)

I wanted to say YES (Venus) but (square) I said NO (Mars)

(Sometimes, forgetting about the signs helps)

Singing (Taurus) is an energetic (Mars) performing (Leo) art (Venus) - Don’t be too loud though (square)

Desires (Mars-Venus) conflict (square).

Sometimes, people in our life become actors of energies in our own chart. Sometimes we swap roles according to circumstances…

To assert (Mars) good taste, hard work and common sense (Taurus) doesn’t work (square) when you bond with (Venus) a bling bling party animal (squared Leo)

Go get (Mars) the goods (Taurus) for Venus (she rules Taurus) but (square) luxury (Leo) items (Taurus) cost too much (square) money (Taurus)

We could go on and on… but if we play this game with friends, we better limit the time.

Nothing will prevent the players from sharing the fantastic lines that may come up after the time is up during the next meal. (Imagine an astrology retreat, a swimming pool, palm trees and good laughs…)

Next level: add the houses. We could have started with the planets in houses and added the signs next. Changing the order can help bring up new ideas.

Venus conjunct Sun in Leo and the tenth house square Mars in Taurus and the seventh house. The Ascendant is Scorpio.

This person is a socialite.

Socialite: definition: a person who is well known (10th house, Leo) in fashionable (Venus, Leo) society (Venus, 10th house) and is fond of (Venus) social activities (Venus) and entertainment (Leo).

But (square)

This person is a drama queen! (Venus afflicted in Leo)

She always argues (square, Mars) with her partner (seventh House) who has a reputation (10th house is connected with Mars through the square) of being violent (Mars afflicted), possessive (Taurus) and wasteful (Mars afflicted in Taurus)

However, nobody knows what’s really going on behind closed doors (Scorpio Ascendant). They must get on very well in bed (Mars, ruler of the Scorpio Ascendant, in Taurus and the seventh house) to be obsessively (Scorpio) addicted to each other (Scorpio, seventh house). Drag me to hell!

It’s better to play with imaginary charts for a start: not being anxious about being right or wrong, we can relax and be creative.

In spite of the various possible interpretations, the underlying archetypal pattern remains the same. Playing will develop our intuition of the archetypal realm.

In a future post, I’ll talk about the other method I suggest, which consists of combining pictures instead of keywords.

Have fun!

Jean-Marc Pierson

If you feel like learning with me, I offer one to one or very small group online classes. You may have guessed that there are plans (eleventh house) of organizing retreats. Watch this space!

In the meantime, you’ll find plenty of keywords and key ideas in Magical Doors.