Becoming friends with astrology can be difficult. Lots of content creators online talk about certain placements being “bad” or different aspects and transits as negative. What does this even mean? What is a “good” or “bad” placement in astrology? Learning about our natal chart and ways to work with each piece allows us to access the amazing joy of astrology. There are challenges to every aspect in astrology. Even traditionally good aspects like trines and sextiles can present their own unique challenges depending on the planets, signs, or combinations of such.
I’m going to be writing a series of posts discussing ways to become friends with different planets and signs. This site is called Befriending Fate after all, right? Join me and learn about each of the planets and signs. Combine this knowledge and apply it to your natal chart to see how you can befriend your personal astrology. If you are interested in learning about your natal chart, hit me up about a birth chart analysis and we can sit down together over a cup of coffee and jump in.
Befriending the Planets
The planets are an easy way to find friends among the stars. Each of us has a unique relationship to every planet because of our individual astrology. As we examine our natal charts, there are some big points we should be looking at when building relationships to the planets.
- The Big Three
- Chart Ruler Placement
- Location of the Midheaven or MC
Looking at each of these can provide insight about what planets may need more work, how we navigate life, and where we can benefit from our personal magic.
The Big Three
Learning more about your personal planets and placements can provide helpful context for how to befriend our astrology. The relationship between the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant (or rising sign) are deeply impactful on each of us. With the Sun bringing us energy and life, how does it impact our emotional side? Perhaps you were born under a full moon and have the strong opposition between the Sun and Moon, bringing conflict between those two energies. Planetary rulers are important factors to consider here as well especially in the context of the Sun and Moon.
A Cancer Sun and Pisces Moon individual means their Moon is given further energy by the Sun. This relationship is further exemplified by the Pisces Moon ruling over the Sun sign. This dynamic can provide great insight into the creativity of a person, how they process their emotions, or even how they may avoid their emotional side. The mutability of Pisces would greatly influence this individual’s relationship to the Sun and vice versa with how the Moon is influenced by the cardinality of Cancer. How does this apply to the Ascendant?
Now is where we talk about chart rulers.
Chart Ruler Placement
The chart ruler is the planet ruling over the Ascendant. It is arguably one of the most important placements in someone’s natal chart because of how it influences the rest of their astrology. I discussed how the rulership dynamic of the Moon and Sun works in the previous example, and that same concept applies even further with the chart ruler. Let’s take the same individual with a Cancer Sun and Pisces Moon, but lets say they are also a Pisces rising.
Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, which makes Jupiter an important placement in this chart. Wherever Jupiter lives directly impacts this person’s life. Say this person has Jupiter in Gemini. There is an added layer of mutability due the chart ruler being in a mutable sign. This individual will have Gemini’s energy influencing not only their Ascendant, but now this also impacts the Moon. Now there is a dynamic between Jupiter and the Moon, which is then influenced by the Cancer Sun.
Our natal astrology is like a big puzzle. We build out the edges and corners by learning about our Big Three and Big Six placements. As we dive deeper into the relationships between them, we find the connections between it all and we are then able to fill out the middle of the puzzle.
Location of the Midheaven or MC
The Midheaven in astrology is often tied to our professional lives and career. It is usually located around the 10th House of the chart which is the main house focused on career and public image. The MC can impact the trajectory of our professions, social standing, how coworkers view us in the workplace, as well as the impression we give to strangers when they first interact with us.
When analyzing your natal chart, it can be helpful to identify where your MC is located. Knowing what sign the MC resides in can prove useful when considering public image and careers. Every sign has different strengths, and this applies significantly with the MC. Someone with a Virgo Midheaven may find success in jobs that require lots of communication and attention to detail. Aquarius Midheaven individuals may be great innovators who think outside the box to make change within their jobs or public image. A Midheaven in Capricorn might find themselves quickly moving up the ladder into leadership. Learning about the Midheaven can offer us a unique perspective into the ways we navigate our working lives and careers.
Benefits of Befriending the Planets
There are many benefits that come from befriending the planets and our natal astrology. Each of us have unique challenges in our chart. We can gain benefits from facing them and making friends with the planets involved. Strong aspects like oppositions or squares to the personal planets (Mars, Venus, and Mercury) may create barriers for us to overcome, but we can grow through this challenge by embracing it within ourselves and our astrology. By pushing through this, we can find even greater benefits from these planets.
Essential dignities of different planets also provide insight in how to befriend the planet and where we can benefit from their magic. Having a planet in domicile means there is a comfort and strength in the planet. The challenge here comes from learning how to use this strength in beneficial ways. Planets in fall inherently have obstacles we must overcome, but the benefit of pushing through it is found in the unbridled power from the planet in fall.
Building relationships with your personal astrology can lead to amazing things. As we learn more about the planets and start to understand them, we improve our lives and gain access to their power. Every planet has strengths which can be tapped into through this concept. Every planet has weaknesses which become benefits as we work with them.
Keep an eye out as I write more about how to befriend each individual planet. Use the contact me form or DM me on socials if you’re interested in a natal chart reading and learning how you can befriend your unique astrological signature.