Who’s in Charge of Your Chart?
This is a rather interesting question to pose. You might say, “Well, I am”. Perhaps this is so as you get to know yourself by living your life. I am, however, posing a rather technical question relating to the strength and influence of the planets that constitute the energies of your birth map. I decided to write this blog article after facilitating a study group on it at the request of another colleague, and in response to one of my wonderful readers, Paul, who keeps questioning and growing by leaps and bounds. 🙂
You might want to pull out your chart as you read along, because this is going to be like a treasure hunt unearthing one of your great hidden powers. Down through the ages astrologers have studied and learned to weight the strength of a planet through various methods. The method I am writing about is based on rulers of the horoscope. Today we might say President, or CEO of your chart. Yet astrologers continue to use these archaic terms, and perhaps the best book on the subject is simply entitled Rulers of the Horoscope by Alan Oken.
Each planet seems to have a stronger affinity for certain signs and today’s accepted modern alignment is this:
Aries is ruled by Mars
Taurus is ruled by Venus
Gemini is ruled by Mercury
Cancer is ruled by the Moon
Leo is ruled by the Sun
Virgo is ruled by Mercury
Libra is ruled by Venus
Scorpio is ruled by Pluto
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn
Aquarius is ruled by Uranus
Pisces is ruled by Neptune
Note that both Mercury and Venus ‘rule’ two signs. Also, to the ancients Scorpio was ruled by Mars, Aquarius was ruled by Saturn, and Pisces was ruled by Jupiter, so we might say that those three planets also have ‘dual rulership’. For the sake of simplicity, however, I will stick with the modern-day rulers as we proceed with our treasure hunt.
The next step is to understand another rather obscure word called ‘dispositor’. No, not suppository! This term comes from the word posit or position actually. The dispositor is said to dispose of the position of a planet in a certain sign. Let’s look at an example: a person has Moon in Cancer as well as Mercury in Cancer. The Moon disposes Mercury in this case because Mercury is in the sign that the Moon rules. Another example: Saturn in Capricorn will dispose the Moon in Capricorn. Another way of looking at this is simply that the Moon in Capricorn must ultimately give some type of allegiance to Saturn in its own sign, Capricorn. In this manner we get a sort of chain of command as we go around our birth chart determining which planet disposes of another.
The Final Dispositor in this chain of command has to be a planet in its own sign. This planet will have tremendous power in your birth map if you have one. It may or may not be connected with other rulerships however. This is why it can often be rather hidden from view. I’ll give you an example from my own files of a real life woman: She has a Leo Ascendant, which means that the Sun is said to be her ‘chart ruler’. (The chart ruler is always the ruler of the Ascendant, but not necessarily a Final Dispositor) She also has Pluto in Leo right on her Ascendant which shows a power to that planet as well because of its strong placement in her birth map. However, it is her Mercury in Virgo in her first house that actually disposes of every single planet in her chart making it the ‘Final Dispositor.’ This woman’s life is decidedly Mercurial with communication one of her fortes. She is also a high gifted weaver, so she also uses her hands in her work. She writes journal articles and books, she teaches, she travels all over the world as a teacher and known author in her field of expertise. As you can see Pluto in Leo might not show this particular quality, though it certainly shows other strengths. Her chart ruler, the Sun in Virgo, may give other clues into her character and life purpose, but not the communicating skills that Mercury lends.
I think of another good friend who has Venus in Libra as her Final Dispositor. This woman has a Capricorn Ascendant which means that Saturn is her chart ruler. Yes, she has had to work very hard in this life and has held positions of great responsibility, but her hidden CEO is definitely that Venus in Libra which is so incredibly relationship-oriented and artistic by nature even though its position is more background in one of her cadent houses, the 9th.
So will you have a Final Dispositor in your own chart? Only if you have a planet in its own sign, and then not necessarily so. You might have two planets in what is called mutual reception or even two planets in their own signs who vie for that command post.
Mutual Reception is when two planets are placed in each other’s signs. This is actually more common than you think. Some examples might be Venus in Pisces with Neptune in Libra, or Sun in Aquarius with Uranus in Leo. When this occurs you have to consider the two planets as a sort of pair. If these planets are in a nice easy aspect with each other, all the better! If they are in a challenging aspect with each other, they may create a conflict within you which needs to be eventually resolved. If they don’t relate at all by aspect they may need to be brought more fully into your consciousness by your intention to get them working as a team.
I will be showing examples of this later in this article by using famous people’s charts.
Multiple Mutual Reception is a term coined by Alan Oken in his book mentioned earlier. It occurs when three or more planets are linked by dispositing one after another in a sort of loop. You’ll see these loops sometimes involving up to six planets. Then things begin to get really complicated because there really aren’t one or even two energies in charge. This type of chain of command is not as clear and perhaps is intended to weave back and forth from one arena of life to another. I have several examples of this type of dispositorship to share with you later.
How to determine your own ‘chain of command’ is quite simple actually. Take a piece of paper out and create columns starting with your Sun. You’ll end up with 10 columns in all, one for each of the planets including Sun and Moon. This will make it very visually clear when you’re all done. When I do this I use arrows to designate the chain of command from one to another of the planets. We’ll look at two women with Sun in Leo as their Final Dispositor. Keep in mind that not all people with Sun in Leo have it as a final dispositor. We’ll look at another Leo woman who shifts away from this signature.
Jacqueline K. Onassis
Let’s first look at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a modern-day ‘Queen’:
Sun in Leo Moon in Aries Mercury in Leo Venus in Gemini
To to to to
Mars in Virgo Sun in Leo Mercury in Leo Mercury in Leo
To to to
Mercury in Leo Sun in Leo Sun in Leo
To
Sun in Leo
Mars in Virgo Jupiter in Gemini Saturn in Sagittarius
To to to
Mercury in Leo Mercury in Leo Jupiter in Gemini
To Sun in Leo Mercury in Leo
Sun in Leo to Sun in Leo
Uranus in Aries to Neptune in Virgo to Pluto in Cancer to
Mars in Virgo to Mercury in Leo to Moon in Aries to
Mercury in Leo to Sun in Leo Mars in Virgo to
Sun in Leo Mercury in Leo to
Sun in Leo (final dispositor!)
You can see in Jacqueline’s chart that her Sun in Leo is clearly her final dispositor. No other sun sign can have this. It underscores this type of Leo’s need to develop a strong sense of self and in her case to contribute universally to the greater whole through her role as a consort to the President of the United States, the highest held office in the land. In her later life she also contributed through her own creativity as a writer and editor. Notice the close tie between Mercury and the Sun, both in Leo. It is actually this Mercurial link that brings everything back to the Sun in her chart. Had Mercury been in Cancer or Virgo, this would not have been so.
Sandra Bullock
Now let’s look at Sandra Bullock’s chart and her chain of command: (I apologize that I can’t make the columns! Mercury is still Retrograde and I’m not getting Word Press to cooperate!)
Sun in Leo
Moon in Aquarius-to Uranus in Virgo-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Venus in Gemini-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Mars in Gemini-t0 Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Jupiter in Taurus-to Venus in Gemini-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Saturn in Pisces-to Neptune in Scorpio-to Pluto in Virgo-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Uranus in Virgo-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Neptune in Scorpio-to Pluto in Virgo-to Mercury in Leo-to Sun in Leo
Pluto in Virgo-to Mercury in Virgo-to Sun in Leo (her Final Dispositor!)
Of a considerably younger generation, Sandra Bullock stills ends up with her Sun in Leo as her Final Dispositor primarily because she, too, has Mercury in Leo. Ms. Bullock has certainly been a ‘Queen of Hollywood’ and even won an Academy Award. She is definitely well loved and has given back countless times some of her great wealth to special organizations such as the Red Cross.
This method of chart analysis can also yield further wealth of information simply by studying where each chain of command goes from planet to planet and from house to house. Note that certain chains are longer than others. In Jacqueline’s chart, for example, we note that starting with Pluto we move to the Moon, then to Mars, and finally to the Mercury/Sun link. Pondering that chain leads us into perhaps the darker side of her life which was full of both sexual betrayal, death, and ensuing sorrows, yet ultimately led back to her indomitable will and queenly role as a Leo.
When studying your own chart through this method I’m sure you’ll glean all sorts of insights along the way as you follow the threads and unravel the mysteries of your own life.
I’d like to now look at a third example which is different from the two Leo women we’ve already looked at, though she is also a ‘Queen’ in her own right. Let’s look at Martha Stewart’s chart. To make it easier on myself, I’m now simply writing the chain of command horizontally rather than vertically:
Sun in Leo
Moon in Sagittarius-to Jupiter in Gemini-to Mercury in Cancer back to Moon in Sagittarius. This is a ‘loop’: Moon-Jupiter-Mercury.
Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini back to Mercury in Cancer.
Venus in Virgo to Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini back to Mercury.
Mars in Aries
Jupiter in Gemini to Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius back to Jupiter.
Saturn in Taurus to Venus in Virgo to Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini back to Mercury
Uranus in Taurus to Venus in Virgo to Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini back to Mercury.
Neptune in Virgo to Mercury in Cancer to Moon in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini back to Mercury
Pluto in Leo to Sun in Leo
Now isn’t this interesting? We have quite a bit of complexity to her ‘chain of command’. She isn’t one simple ‘Queen’ known for a ‘role’. That Mercury in Cancer brought forth her interest and skill in cooking, gardening, and all of the home arts which she then took into the publishing world via Moon in Sagittarius and her first books. She branched into a multiplicity of media outlets through her Jupiter in Gemini including magazines, television, inter-net, etc. and eventually made it to the top as the CEO of her domesticity empire as can be seen by her stellium of planets in her 9th house with Sun in Leo.
There are a couple other curiosities to her line up. Mars in Aries sits by itself. It disposits not a thing though it does trine her Sun in Leo and sextiles her Jupiter in Gemini giving her gusto and even personal acclaim in her enterprises. The other curiosity is Pluto in Leo disposited by the Sun in Leo. The only planet the Sun disposes of. Well, she did go through her plutonian death and rebirth didn’t she? Note that Pluto ‘rules’ her Scorpio Ascendant. Perhaps her own greed got the better of her for a bit, but she paid her dues and rose out of the ashes to continue on as ‘Queen’ did she not? She certainly wasn’t beheaded! My point in all of this is that neither Pluto nor Mars (both co-rulers of Scorpio) are actually the hidden powers in her chart. We better look to Mercury, Moon, and Jupiter to understand more fully her major contribution to the publishing-broadcasting world of today’s media. It explains a lot about why she just didn’t stay home and entertain with her fabulous cooking and gardening skills.
Mark Zuckerberg
Still on the subject of ‘Final Dispositors’ let’s look at one more anomaly in the likes of Mark Zuckerberg the now famous tycoon responsible for the rise and proliferation of social media via Facebook. Keeping with our system we’ll start with his Sun:
Sun in Taurus to Venus in Taurus. Now Venus in Taurus if she was the final dispositor of his chart would indicate his great magnetism, attractiveness, and love of the good life. Ah! Like Facebook? “Let’s see how you look! Show me what you LIKE. Do you LIKE what I LIKE?” Venus enjoys and likes people, places, and things.
But wait! Let’s keep going….
Moon in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio. Oooops!
Mercury in Aries to Mars in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio. Oooops again.
Venus in Taurus
Mars in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio
Jupiter in Capricorn to Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio
Saturn in Capricorn to Pluto in Scorpio
Uranus in Sagittarius to Jupiter in Capricorn to Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio
Neptune in Capricorn to Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Scorpio
Pluto in Scorpio.
There it is. His great and—at first—hidden power. This man took a fairly simple idea and transformed it, then grew it into a major social movement, and made his fortune on it. If you look at his chart and notice that he has a Virgo Ascendant with Mercury in Aries ruling his chart from the 8th, you realize that that strength alone wouldn’t explain his world changing power unless you noticed that Pluto is the final dispositor of everything else in his chart but the Sun and Venus.
Mutual Reception as the final partnership dispositors
I really need to research this one further because the charts of famous people I looked up for this article have more than one or a combination of a mutual reception and a planet in it’s own sign which is not the final end commander. However, I’ll use myself for now until I do find a more famous illustration. I have Mercury in Aquarius in Mutual Reception with Uranus in Gemini. To illustrate further, these two happen in be in a square aspect by degree. They do, in fact, dispose of every other planet in my birth chart. It’s been an interesting journey trying to coordinate what they both represent. I think I’m finally doing it thanks to the great inter-net web and this blog!
Let’s now look at more high profile people to illustrate the interesting phenomenon of mutual reception.
Elizabeth with Humanitarian Oscar
Elizabeth Taylor’s chart shows two mutual receptions: Neptune in Virgo in mutual reception with Mercury in Pisces. This chord is expressed eight times when following her chain of command. Notice in her chart how Mercury in Pisces combust her Sun in Pisces is opposite her Neptune in Virgo. Think about her remarkable career as a movie star whose influence colored a generation of Neptune in Virgo women. I can remember seeing carbon copies of Liz in every town and city growing up. How many women tried to duplicate her look? She became a sort of icon, did she not? That is certainly mirrored in the Neptune/Mercury factor of an image taking flight into all corners of the globe. Other aspects of this, of course, were her later compassionate causes in championing the fight against AIDS (Mars is also opposite her Neptune) and speaking out for gay rights.
She has one other mutual aspect which isn’t as strong yet potent in its own right; that is Moon in Scorpio in mutual reception with Pluto in Cancer. This repeats just twice as we follow her chain of command; once with the Moon and once with Pluto. All of her endless struggles with life and death are encapsulated in this reception. That she survived each harrowing journey into the underworld is supported by the fact that they were in trine with each other. She rose herself up from her own ashes multiple times, just as her emotional and intimate life constantly transformed from one relationship to another, or in the case of Richard Burton at least twice! Unraveling the mystery of Diamond Liz (this is undoubtedly a Pluto theme—Pluto rules all wealth that comes from under the ground) becomes a whole lot easier once you track her chains and study these two mutual receptions.
Mia with some of her children
Let’s look at another rather famous woman actress whose life is complex and even intriguing, Mia Farrow.
Mia’s chain of command ends with two mutual receptions equal in strength which means they both appear five times as we follow her threads: Uranus in Gemini in mutual reception with Mercury in Aquarius and Moon in Capricorn in mutual reception with Saturn in Cancer.
Her Sun is in Aquarius taking us immediately to the first mutual reception between Uranus and Mercury. Mia is a very bright woman who has traveled in most unusual company since childhood. One of her great childhood friends and mentors was Salvador Dali, a truly Uranian character! When traveling to India with the Beatles she experienced the ‘other side’ of the Maharaja when he tried to seduce her. She has always had unusual associations with men and her early autobiography, What Falls Away chronicles that journey up to her strange alliance with Woody Allen. I read that book and found it fascinating years ago. She has a Grand Trine in Air with Mercury near the top of her chart. She has covered a broad spectrum of roles and experiences in life both as an actress and a woman looking for answers. This would explain her interest in out-of-the-ordinary men whose intellects or lifestyles were unusual and perhaps fascinating to her initially.
Let’s next examine her mutual reception between her Moon in Capricorn and Saturn in Cancer. This one explains her mothering instincts to take care of a very large and eclectic brood (Moon in the 9th from other countries as well). She has a penchant for taking charge and organizing obviously. Since her Moon is opposite Saturn this has not always been an easy journey starting with her own childhood. You will also note that this reception is part of a greater Cardinal Grand Cross. How many shoes can this woman possibly wear and feel comfortable doing so? Looking at her Moon in Capricorn we suspect it is definitely not about comfort at all. It is about her need to either take charge, or her need to be both mother and father all rolled into one. This inner sense of responsibility moves her unconsciously through life and compels her to reach out to those who might suffer unduly without her intervention. (Moon square Neptune and Chiron) Yet containing security and safety for all must surely have its limits as we have seen in her life thus far with two of her large brood dead, one or more seriously estranged from her, and now one crying foul play when only a wee child. Can Mother Hubbard possibly watch and keep safe every child? It would seem not.
Multiple Receptions and endless loops–‘the Committee’?
I’m not sure what exactly to call this category because it runs the gamut of possibilities as we begin to examine various lives. Let’s just look at two or three Pisceans, since we’ve now entered Pisces, to give you a sampling before striking out on your own to examine your own chart and the charts of others.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is another fascinating study of a titan of a man who helped to revolutionize something we now take for granted via easy-to-use computer and inter-net devices. He has a very large loop involving five planets: Sun in Pisces to Neptune in Libra to Venus in Capricorn to Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Leo and back to the Sun. I can’t possibly analyze this long sequence in such a short article, but we can see the elegant designer in the Sun and Neptune link moving to the organizer and hard taskmaster in Venus and Saturn, and finally to the creative titan he became in the Pluto/Sun link. This five-way sequence shows up exactly five times obviously.
Then we see his Mars in Aries as a force of its own dynamically interacting with a Cardinal T-square or a mixed Grand Cross if you include his Chiron in Aquarius. But this Mars in Aries also disposes his Moon in Aries and ultimately both Jupiter in Cancer, Uranus in Cancer, as well as Mercury in Aquarius. So Mars in Aries is the final dispositor five times within his matrix. He was, after all, a true pioneer. He was original and assertive. He was a visionary with his Mars opposite Neptune, and he was deceived and betrayed as well by others in the industry. This Mars in the 8th also shows his life/death struggles and ultimate untimely death. Would that he had lived longer!
Mitt Romney
Another man with the loop-de-loop ‘committee’ is Mitt Romney. Of course he has now faded into relative obscurity, but for a time he was highly prominent and perhaps he will emerge once again into the public limelight as transiting Neptune goes over his Mercury/Sun in Pisces.
If we systematically start with his Sun and move on through to Pluto we find that every sequence leads to four planets in an endless loop: Neptune in Libra to Venus in Aquarius to Uranus in Gemini to Mercury in Pisces and back to Neptune. Let’s look more closely at these planets in his chart. Venus in Aquarius sits at the very top of his chart expressing his good looks and charm publicly. Venus in Aquarius is also quite egalitarian in style for he appeared to be a fairly progressive Governor before switching gears as the Republican candidate for President. Venus does trine Neptune showing ease and harmony but also the ability to be a shape-shifter as Neptune is wont to do when it is convenient. Venus and Mercury are like two fingers on a hand being less than thirty degrees apart and Mercury in Pisces can also be quite chameleon like, however there is that square from Mercury to Uranus in Gemini and the switching of gears may have certainly tripped him up during the last campaign. The only fixed planet in this mix is Venus and looking at her ease to Neptune and her opposition to Saturn/Pluto it would appear that his loyalties and affinities could change given the expedience that politicians are wont to do when playing the game of trying to win, or even make more money at the game. Finally, Uranus is also trine his Neptune so three out of the four are in inner harmony for this man. The weakness of a Grand Trine however is that it can get stuck in a groove for too long or go unconscious. Nonetheless, Mitt is a man who has worn many hats and lived many lives within the one. This shows up in more than one way in his Gemini rising chart with Pisces/Aquarius and Neptune/Uranus themes underscoring the duality of his nature.
Kurt Cobain by Simone Fiani
My final Pisces male example is musician Kurt Cobain. His three-planet loop appears eight times. If we start with his Sun in Pisces we hit it immediately: Neptune in Scorpio to Pluto in Virgo to Mercury in Pisces. This is the loop of a modern-day minstrel and piped piper who ultimately succumbed to a Neptunian/Plutonian realm. We might say that his ego (Sun) was not strong enough to handle Dionysius (Neptune) or Hades (Pluto). Nonetheless his mystique and music live on which is also a Neptune/Pluto theme through the messenger of a generation that he became via Mercury in Pisces.
One other strong chord gives added cadence and pathos to his astrological nature: The Moon in Cancer in its own sign. This motif is repeated through Jupiter in Cancer disposed by the Moon. Kurt had a great Grand Trine in Water with Jupiter strongly placed as part of it in his 11th house of groups. The Moon in Cancer symbolizes just how deeply he felt everything as reiterated in a chart almost drowning in pure raw emotions. Every planet was in a water sign with the exception of his generational Pluto/Uranus in Virgo rising under the banner of a Virgo Ascendant. There is much to examine here that time does not allow for. He was undoubtedly a spokesman and martyr all-in-one for the anguish and ecstasy of a generation caught in a time of great turbulence and change (1967).
Do I dare leave on that note? Well, we have just entered Pisces and it is within the nature of this sign not to skirt suffering.
On a brighter note, have fun with your treasure hunt! Take the time to discover something special about yourself with this exercise. Mine the gold in yourself. Also pay attention to the hidden CEOs, and rulers of people’s charts you are interested in. This is but a taste. Keep in mind that Mr. Oken wrote nearly 300 pages on the subject.
In summary: A Final Dispositor shows a decided commander/CEO in your chart; Mutual Reception shows more of a Partnership/LLP; and the loops of three or more chains show a hidden Committee at work. So, who exactly IS in charge of your chart? 🙂
February 19, 2014 60 Comments
Categories: Astrology |
Tags: Elizabeth Taylor, Famous Leos, Famous Pisces, Final Dispositor, Jackie O, Jacqueline K. Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, Kurt Cobain, Mark Zuckerberg, Martha Stewart, Mia Farrow, Mitt Romney, Multiple Loops, Mutual Reception, Rulers of the chart, Rulerships, Sandra Bullock, Steve Jobs
60 comments
My big boss is Mercury. Everything goes back to the Trickster god.
Forgot to add: interesting article!
Thanks Vanessa. Mercury can be a pretty good boss! Since I have a ‘Partnership’ going on between Uranus and Mercury, I can relate. Figured with this Mercury Retrograde I might as well write something different.
In my chart everything ends up to Venus in Capricorn (11th house, ruler of 2nd) and Saturn in Libra (7th house, ruler of 11th house). That mutual reception is sometimes killing me, especially when it come to friendships and partnerships 🙂 Great article, really something to think about! Thank you!
Hey Genevieve,
Excellent article.It’s really very interesting to read about who is ruled by whom.Thanks for sharing these great examples here.Keep updating!!
I have an endless loop with venus-mars-moon-jupiter-neptune-saturn.
My sun, mercury, and pluto all lead back to the loop, and the only thing “in sign” is uranus, but I have nothing leading to it! So…the uranian loop maybe?
Dear Pinstru,
You may want to look to the house Uranus is in to see how to better integrate that energy with the rest of your loops. In other words, you’ll have to consciously incorporate it more if you want it to be a part of your life’s experience more fully. Most ‘loops’ will endlessly continue on at an unconscious level, so it takes real work to bring unaspected planets or less dominant ones into the the whole. Look, also, to the aspects your Uranus actually makes. They help!
Thanks Genevieve! I really appreciate that bit of information…Uranus is in my 3rd house, and the only major aspects is a tight trine to Mercury and a tight sextile to Pluto. Other than that I have Sun biquintile Uranus with an orb under 2 degrees, but I’m not really sure if that has such an impact on me. Uranus also rules my 4th house…I’ll definitely think about this 🙂
Wow Pinstru! You ARE a communicator with a quick and astute mind I dare say. Uranus in the 3rd is often an indicator of brilliance. Perhaps send me your birth data privately, if you like, and I’ll take a look at the entire configuration. Fascinating. It sounds like you already have a good grasp of astrology and that Uranian note is perhaps stronger than first meets the eye with ‘chains of command’ or loop-de-loops not-withstanding.
I think of another good friend who has Venus in Libra as her Final Dispositor. This woman has a Capricorn Ascendant which means that Saturn is her chart ruler. Yes, she has had to work very hard in this life and has held positions of great responsibility, but her hidden CEO is definitely that Venus in Libra which is so incredibly relationship-oriented and artistic by nature even though its position is more background in one of her cadent houses, the 9th.”
Oh my gosh, that’s crazy! Your friend and I have the same placements. I have a Capricorn rising. I have Moon in Taurus in the 4th. And my Venus is in Libra in the 9th. They say your DC and all the sign/aspects/dispositor explains your partner or the people you attract to your life. And I think this is true. All my great loves are heavily influenced by Cancer, Taurus, Libra and Sagittarius in their charts. One was a foreigner. And the other was a lawyer. Both of them were good-looking, sensual and love being at home.
My moon is also aspecting Pluto in Scorpio through opposition. This opposition forms as kite with a Sun Virgo-Moon Taurus-Neptune Capricorn trine. My partners were all powerful men in their own right. The lawyer one was ruthless in court. The foreigner is with the US Army. My Pluto in Scorpio is in the 10th. So my partners manifest their power thru their careers.
As with my Cap rising…My Saturn in Sagittarius is in the 11th house. My Jupiter in Pisces is in the 2nd/3rd house cusp. I find that even though I have struggles from time to time, that I seem to have abundance on my side that makes my internal struggles easier to stomach. That’s one placement which I am thankful for. Also, even if I struggle, people don’t seem to see me as struggling (Jupiter in 3rd?) I also have a way to heal myself and others thru my words.
It’s funny that 2 of my final dispositors originate from the rulers of my AC/DC axis. And the other one is in the 10th. Independence and co-dependency are major themes in my life, it seems. It’s like my Venus wants me to be partnership-oriented. But my Jupiter tells me that I am perfectly fine without a partner and that I should just focus my energy on helping other people heal. And because angular houses are involved, it’s always been a power struggle as to which aspect of my life I should prioritize.
Have I mentioned that my Venus and Jupiter are inconjunct? And that Jupiter is actually the apex to a yod formed by a Venus in Libra-Mercury in Leo sextile? My Mercury in Leo is in mutual reception with my Sun in Virgo, by the way.
My natal chart makes me dizzy sometimes.
This is a beautiful write-up Des! Thanks so much for sharing in great detail so others can track. You have an excellent grasp of your chart which also gives you an edge. “Know Thyself” is a worthy dictum to follow! You pretty much sound like an astrologer yourself. Certainly the axis of Capricorn Asc. and Cancer Desc. is archetypal of the independence and co-dependence themes, but you’ve fleshed out more of the details as to why this is a theme in your own life.
Thanks Genevieve! There’s a lot more to learn. I find that I learn things better when I do it in retrospect. Hopefully, when I get a better grasp of it all, I can make my future more in tune with my highest vibration. I’m fairly new to astrology. Been reading for 2 years. There’s still so much to learn. It’s fascinating how it uncovers a lot about your life. I got into it when things went crazy in my life which coincidentally was during my progressed lunar return. I am two months away from my Saturn Return. And I am scared a little bit from all the things I’ve read about it. But I’m also looking forward to it since I’m very Saturnian. It might be a good time. Who knows.
I love your blog! I’m glad I stumbled upon it.
Des—I appreciate your comments. Sometimes the progressed Lunar Return and the Saturn Return do coincide. This is a powerful year for you and it certainly can be an important turning point in getting on your own path and climbing your own mountain with all the right equipment that you choose for yourself. It is the time in one’s life where you have an opportunity to leave behind prior Saturn conditioning if you so choose and become your own best authority. Sadly, most people don’t choose that path and continue on with their old ‘programming’. But you’re not one of those! You learn quickly and will go far in this life I dare say.
Hi Genevieve,
I missed this and remembered it when I re-read Capricorn recently. I am flattered to be aforementioned in the article; I am apologetic for getting back so late
I have a loop of Neptune in Sag/up in II/Merc in Pisces back to Neptune. Most of the planets repeat in Neptune in Sag; only Jup and Merc repeat themselves. It got complicated since I have no signs in their respective planets.
Aspect wise, Neptune is in the 8th house squaring my mercury in the 11th house; Neptune is also in opposition to Jupter in the 2nd which squares my mercury. All orbs are less than 6. Seems like a hot mess at first glance with lessons to be learned…
Dear Paul, Thanks for sharing so candidly. Yes, this is called a Mutable T-sqaure dilemma which can be riddled with confusion and chaos at times but it also shows your strength which is a tremendous capacity to use your intuitive mind and connect with all sorts of situations and people as you move through situations ‘where angels fear to tred’. By that I mean your 8th house. Part of your strength lies in your nimbleness and quickness coupled with a 6th sense about you when facing even intense and life-altering situations. This configuraation reminds me a the high seas and your ability to climb up there to the crows nest (Mercury Pisces in the 11th) to see where to navigate towards next. Vision and far-sightedness are strengths to cultivate!
*Jup. in II*
Got it!
on top of that aspect is what I believe to be a Grand Trine in Water with Mars/Cancer in the 3rd trines Merc/Pisces in the 11th to Uranus in Scorpio in the 6. I actually think I have two since a lot of my aspects are trines.
Concerning what you said, I’ll have to meditate on it. Right now I am in the chaos and confusion time lol. Not a danger seeker, but I have a subtle yearning for it(guess I shoulda opted for more dangerous duties while in the service lol ). Interestingly enough, I have been developing a mindset to find opportunity in any given situation. my MBTI is INTJ by the way.
Anonymous—Thanks for sharing. You do need risks all right, and with Uranus in the 6th I would think you’d hate too much routine. That’s a good mindset to develop with Mercury where it is.
I’m a little confused about all of this, but i did work it out according to how you demonstrated it.
so sun > mercury
moon>loops infinitely
venus>loops infinitely
Jupiter>loops infinitely
Saturn>loops infinitely
Uranus>loops infinitely
Neptune>loops infinitely
Pluto in sign of rulership
My asc in also in scoprio with pluto in scoprio
Saturn is the only planet on the asc
possibly to note is that while i don’t think i have any mutual receptions by planet/sign, i do have one by house ruler, if that counts, ruler of 8th house (gem) is in 7th house, and ruler of 7th (taur) is in 8th house.
Interpretations???
ADude—I don’t see Mars in your run-down. Yours seems a bit complex, so if you like, please just e-mail (there’s a place for that on my blog) me personally your birth data. I will run it and respond personally. For the general readership, it looks like you need to include Pluto in Scorpio as your over-all chart ruler as well as Saturn. Saturn in Scorpio I surmise? Whenever a planet sits right on the Ascendant, it takes on added power and meaning for a lifetime. Discipline and strength are themes here for you. Responsibility is another theme. Identifying with those qualities and using them as a force is a great gift. With Pluto there you decidedly have a ‘force’ of great inner strength if you own it.
So Mercury is in your 7th and Venus is in your 8th it looks like. With the will and strength of a Scorpio Ascendant it is important for you to reach out and connect with others to find the lighter, more pleasurable aspects of yourself. You get in touch with that Mercury and Venus through partnerships and intimacy. It seems you are a Gemini? You say Sun is deposited by Mercury. You have a most interesting and complex chart! The placement of your Sun shows the way towards integration here.
Thanks for the response to my comment! Yea for some reason i totally forgot mars, mars however, like most of the other planets ends up in an infinite loop. As for Saturn, it is placed in my 1st house but falls into the sign of Sag. I sent you my birth info and am lookign forward to reading ur insight on it. Thanks a lot!
ADude—-Thanks for giving more of the pieces of the puzzle. For some reason, I have not received your message. Please go to where it says ‘Contact’ on the lefthand column and send me a message with your question/data again. Then I can respond privately without revealing your birth data if you don’t want it broadcast to the world! So you are probably going through, or in the very near future, your Saturn Return. Big year or years for you! Time to refocus your aim and climb your own mountain for sure.
Hey there, I’m not sure what happened last time but I sent my info again. Hopefully it makes it to you. I’m eager to hear what you think! The topic of saturn returns always kind of scares me, but it is about that time for me.
ADude, This is totally weird! I still haven’t gotten it. I better have my techie look into this as all e-mails usually come into my regular e-mail box. I’m just going to give you my regular e-mail now: gvierling@sbcglobal.net. I’m not going to worry about ‘invasion of privacy’ here. 🙂 Just send me your info again to that e-mail. I know I”ll get it! Saturn Returns can give one apprehension, but they are also extremely important times in one’s life when you truly do get on the right trail of your ascent up the mountain you wish to climb. So this is a good time in you life to get focused on that true path.
It is strange. That retrograde Mercury perhaps. Well I just emailed you to the address you gave, thanks for that. I appreciate how willing to help me undestand my chart you’ve been! Hopefully this time the email goes thru!
I also have Moon in Capricorn opposite Saturn in Cancer, and they are also a part of the Grand Cardinal Cross, like Mia’s (with different planets and houses involved). I am the least maternal woman I know, and honestly, i’ve found her multiple adoptions a little off-putting, like a more benign case of hoarding disorder.
What a great comment Tatiana! I love your honesty and humor. I just watched again ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ and it almost appears to be a reality show of sorts. I’ve also wondered how anyone can possibly keep track of that many children under one roof and have a quality relationship with each.
How would one go about interpreting a chart with three planets governing their own signs?
In my chart, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars are in a “committee” relationship, Saturn and Neptune are in mutual reception, and Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto are ruling their own signs.
Would I be correct in placing Pluto atop this (confusing!) hierarchy, given that my ascendant is Scorpio and Pluto is in Scorpio’s first decan, making it my ascendant and my decanate ruler, with added power from being in its own sign?
I’m a bit unsure with Jupiter reigning in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aquarius; also, the three planets ruling their own signs each have at least one aspect that links them to the Sun/Moon/Mercury/Venus/Mars committee, so it’s like the three dominant signs are each vying for control of the committee while Saturn and Neptune do their own thing!
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Thank you for posting this article, I found it informative and well written – and I very much enjoyed the treasure hunt, even if I’m not 100% sure what I’ve unearthed yet!
Dear Proserpine, Without actually seeing your chart I’ll give you my take on it: All of your personal planets need to work together as a team it sounds like. So you have Saturn in Pisces/Neptune in Capricorn? Their dynamic would be important to understand. Do they aspect each other? How do they link up with the big committee? That might determine which is more dominant. Yes, Pluto in Scorpio gets major clout as chart ruler in its own sign. First house or 12th house? That, too, makes a difference.
With such a confusing, but rich and dynamic combination of energies you probably need to look at house placements and aspects to determine strength. Michael Mukasey developed his own system of determining strength which you might also want to research by Googling his name. Some people have to cover a lot of bases in one life. You sound like one of those people!
Thanks for the interesting read.
While the dispositor could very well play the important part in one’s natal chart (and life), I realize from my own experience the planet that is (i) angular, (ii) the aspects it makes and, (iii) the nature of aspects it tends to form can make it a very powerful influence.
In my case, though Pluto (in Scorpio in my natal third house) is the sole planet in its own house that aspects (squares) my ascendant ruler/ mercury, it is Saturn (conjunct the IC) that manages to piss of all (except mercury again) my personal planets incl. the luminaries and the four angles obviously. My natal moon on the ascendant does make aspects but mostly trines/ sextiles and I think/ feel plays only a second fiddle to Saturn, if at all.
Just something I wanted to share with you. Thanks again!
Thanks for your sharing VaiDN, Determining planetary strength isn’t always easy with some charts such as yours. We are complex beings. Certainly I would recommend you use that Moon on the Ascendant to feel your way as an antidote to the heavies, Saturn and Pluto. My best to you!
My Leo is rising with sun in Gemini with mercury in cancer moon in Taurus & Venus in Taurus I’m wondering if I did this right cause my mars is also in Leo & I have a mutual reception with my Pisces in Saturn & Capricorn in Neptune
Dear Qzell, Yes, you did it correctly. Venus in Taurus disposits many of your planets including Mars, which is disposed by Sun in Gemini, etc. You were born with millions of others with that Saturn in Pisces/Neptune in Capricorn Mutual Reception. Where they are located and the planets they aspect would then be important for you personally. Good job!
iam saggitarius sun, piesces moon, saggitarius in mercury, capricorn in venus, scorpio in mars, jupiter in cancer, saturn in capricorn, neptune in capricorn, uranus in capricorn, pluto in scorpio.
in reality, i love working than anything, achieve goals based reality, work disicpline, and more introvert. In office i always focus coz so many target and works to do , except in break time. is it dominant planets (capricorn) can cover sun (saggitarius)
sagg more extroverted, no detail oriented, easy distracted… confuse with my sign, more like cappy than sagg..
Yes, your Saturn in Capricorn desposits most of your other planets it looks like. Sun in Sagittarius must ultimately respect the structure of Saturn!
Ok, my chart is very complex.
Late Leo rising,
Gemini sun and Taurus Venus in 10th house
Moon in Scorpio and Mars in Cancer in Mutual Reception
Plus the Pluto in Scorpio. What is my depositor? :p
Sounds like you have a blend like a lot of people born with Pluto in Scorpio. You do need to take that Mutual Reception seriously between Mars and the Moon I would think. It also sounds like your Venus in the 10th is very strong. Being a Gemini, you are here to be VERSATILE. So your complexity is a real asset I’d say. Enjoy yourself and use your emotional strength to have an impact on others.
Very interesting. What IF I have mars/Pluto in scorpio (4). Moon/Jupiter in Aqua(8/7. All planets in sagittarius (5) except Neptune (5). Then Mutual reception between Jupiter-Uranus. But Pluto is in scorpio? Which one is the dispositor?
Dear Nathalie, Looking at ‘the chain of command’ based on the signs your planets are in, the mutual reception of Jupiter and Uranus disposits your Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, and each other. Mars is disposed by Pluto, and Pluto is left in it’s own sign. I would factor in strongly that Jupiter/Uranus connection, but also realize that your Mars/Pluto conjunction in the 4th is a powerful pull towards home/family issues and later on to your final years in life; the 4th is always ‘the end of the matter’. Let you creativity fly in the meantime!!
Hey Genevieve, I discovered that Pluto is the sole and final depositor in my chart, in which each planet checks in with. Do you have any information on what this means for me? Also, Pluto is found in the 2nd house of my chart.
Thank you.
Dear Loren, So Pluto in Scorpio in your second means this is a lifetime of transforming your Value system, your resources, and how your develop and market your resources. This is a very general meaning. You would need to look at all the aspects Pluto makes to your other planet/energies as well as which house it rules. If it actually rules your second house then it is doubly important to focus on what you own, both in a material sense but on a deeper level, a spiritual sense. The second house is where our identity takes form and we gain substance. So, in a sense, this is also talking about your physical body. The cliche is ‘possessions’ but it’s important to expand that into what you truly value I feel. Pluto will periodically demand that you transform this field/arena of life. It may intensify the issues surrounding it. What you need to watch is becoming overly obsessed with any of it however. Obsessiveness breeds a lack of balance usually. If Scorpio is on the cusp of your 3rd house, then Pluto rules that arena which is more about your mental attitudes and how you communicate. Hope some of this helps!
Hello, I am a little confused about something… okay so Leo ascendant having Sun the chart ruler.. fine.. Pluto ON the ascendant.. okay… but mercury in Virgo in her first house…. huh? Leo ascendant means Leo is the first house… okay so what am I missing??
Dear Derek,
Houses often contain more than one sign. For example this chart may start out Leo Ascendant, but Virgo also is part of the house. You’d have to look and see what degree of Virgo is on the second house cusp, or perhaps this Virgo is intercepted in the first house. So—yes—Sun is chart ruler with a strong Plutonian influence to the personality. Mercury in Virgo is in its own sign and therefore strong. If Sun is in Leo, both planets may dispose of other planets. You’d have to go around the wheel and see which disposes of the most.
Hello, any thoughts about my”Committee” loop , here it is; Sun&Jupiter Aries 11TH, Mars Scorpio 6TH, Pluto Sagittar 7TH back to JupiterAries11TH house . It’s the same loop even if I started w my mars domicile Scorpio 🙂
Ranier—It’s so interesting to see these loops and how so much of our lives revolve within their spheres! I’ve seen many who have the notes of Aries/Scorpio strong in their charts/lives. Mars in Scorpio has an indomitable will!
Hello follow up question, will it still be the same thing even when my Mars Scorpio and Pluto Sag are both Retrograde? I forgot to mention they’re Rx. Is it more of a psychological fight within myself ? Thanks a lot:)
Rainier—Yes, those two planets still are important indicators of your life energies and path, retrograde or not. You should try to find out when, possibly, your Mars turns Direct by progression. It is true that a Mars Retrograde drives the energy more inward until you find the appropriate outlet for it. Mars in Scorpio is quite potent whatever form/direction it wants to take! A retrograde Pluto is less personally important as you share it with millions of others within your generation, but if it is angular or aspect personal planets then it takes on more importance of course. The psychological fight within yourself sounds accurate. I wish you the best of resolve!
So I tried to do this dipositor thing and got super confused. Here’s what I got.
Sun in Taurus > Venus in Aries > Mars in Leo > back to Sun (Loop)
Moon in Leo > Sun in Taurus > (Loop again)
Mercury in Aries > Mars in Leo > (Loop AGAIN)
Venus in Aries > (Loop)
Mars in Leo > (Loop)
Jupiter in Libra > Venus in Aries > (Loop)
Saturn in Aquarius > Uranus in Capricorn (Mutual Reception)
Uranus in Capricorn (see above)
Neptune in Capricorn > Saturn in Aquarius > Uranus in Capricorn (Mutual Reception)
Pluto in Scorpio
So, from what I can tell, I have one committee that all my personal planets (and Sagittarius ascendant) are a part of, and then I got this weird Mutual Reception that Neptune is kinda a part of, and then Pluto is all by himself in his own world. Idk how to interpret this.
Dear Casiayume It looks like all of your personal planets are linked and need to work together. You have a lot of fire which your Sun in Taurus must harness and use—-the steamroller effect. Your Sun energy must direct the Moon/Mars without putting a damper on their enthusiasm; in other words ‘ground’ the energy into practical application. Yes, those of you born with Pluto in Scorpio are a SPECIAL generation, just as you people with Neptune/Uranus in Capricorn. Consider your generation extraordinary in your ability to be inventive, creative, and powerfully transformative. So no one planetary energy or even mutual reception in your chart controls the rest of your energies. Be unique!!
Hi Genevieve – I did this exercise and came up with an interesting configuration that I’m too tired to interpret right now. Everything came down to Mercury in Virgo (retrograde in 4th H conjunct south node), except for a mutual reception that looped between just the two planets: Moon in Aquarius (8th H) to Uranus in Cancer (1st H) and back again. However, the Moon is trine my Mercury. So they’re linked closely together, but how to interpret?
Dear Shinetiger, I’d have to see your actual birth chart to make any type of intelligent interpretation. That said, you are a true humanitarian who needs to use your analytical mind to be of helpful service to the greater whole. There are so many interesting fields of endeavor where that could unfold such as environmentalist as a worthy example. Solving problems, teaching others, working within a system which promotes the greater good of the whole; these are possible arenas to put your talents.
Hi,
I love your posts.
My birth date is 17/12/1987
And my birth time is 09:55:00 am
Location is Kolhapur city in Maharashtra state in India
In Tropical chart my sole chart ruler is Pluto
And in Vedic chart my sole chart ruler is Jupiter
So I am confused and don’t know which one to look at…
Love,
starry
I’m not a Vedic astrologer, so all I can steer you towards is Pluto. Trust your intense and powerful feelings and find constructive outlets for them. You are here to be on a quest according to your Tropical astrological chart. Align yourself with the right colleagues, friends, and groups that support your own ideals and move forward with your joint goals as a strong leader and teacher. Stay away from compulsive/obsessiveness in both yourself and others. Combativeness and destructiveness is not where you want to go. You have great strength Starry!! Use it wisely and you’ll accomplish much in this life.
Hi there. Hope you still read the comments. 🙂 I found that all roads lead back to my Venus in Libra being my CEO. 🙂 You had wrote earlier in the article about your friend who also had Venus in Libra as her final dispositor. So for me I have Cancer Ascendant. So the Moon
which is in Aries 11th is my chart ruler. Yet Venus Libra is where all roads lead back to. Venus is in Libra is my 5th house. Could you just touch on that, as you mentioned your friend with Venus Libra being CEO had Capricorn rising, hence Saturn being chart ruler, and that she had to work hard, but her hidden ceo was Venus. So curious with Cancer Asc, Moon chart ruler, yet Venus in 5th, what that could signify. Also if it adds any flavor, I do have Venus at 25 degress conjunct Pluto 23 deg both in libra 5th house. Curious how that impacts Venus being the CEO. I have read about it in general meanings, but curious what that could mean if Venus is ceo? thanks if you ever see this 🙂
Dear Davy, I would need to actually see your birth map to make a valid assessment based on all aspects of your Venus and her relationship to your entire birth map. Venus in Libra has a tremendous sense of ‘style’ and in the 5th house this could mean an ability to shine and express everything she represents. You could, for example, be skilled as an artist or able to develop deep and meaningful relationships where your heart is concerned. Flair is another word that comes into my mind thinking about your Venus/Pluto combination; having a powerful impact on others when you really put your heart and soul into what you want to creatively express. I hope this little bit helps! The friend I had in mind when I wrote that article has Venus in the 9th. She has traveled the world and spends a lot of time philosophically searching for meaning. She has the mind of an architect as well and creates the most amazing re-models you’ve ever laid eyes on! Her Venus in Libra is quite complex and intricately woven into the framework of her chart all right.
August 3 1960, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
TIME OF BIRTH 6:30- 7:30PM
Astro charts stated Neptune in Pisces Sole Depositor.
Can you give me a brief review Please?
Dear Donis, Neptune in Pisces???? You’d have to have been born after 2011 or 164+ years ago. You were born in 1960 when Neptune was in Scorpio. So I did a quick check of your depositors, and you have three: Sun in Leo 3Xs; Jupiter in Sagittarius 6Xs, Saturn in Capricorn 1X. A bit more complicated. Look at it this way; you have an abundance of FIRE energy with the Saturn ambition of becoming more grounded, structured, and accomplished through your creativity and intuition.
Do all charts have a sole despositer? I am a Sun in Leo, Ascendant Leo however mars mercury venus are in Virgo.
5:21 AM, August 7 1991, Omaha Nebraska
Is the sun still my sole depositer?
Hi Jennifer, NO, each chart is different and only some have a ‘sole depositor’. Your chart is quite unusual/unique in that your have Sun in Leo, Moon in Cancer, and Mercury in Virgo; all rulers of those signs. Then you have Saturn/Uranus in ‘mutual reception’ meaning that each ‘rules’ the other’s sign. And finally, you were born with Pluto in Scorpio; also in it’s own sign. So own fully your creative power and selfhood. Trust the gifts you’ve been given to be of ‘higher service’ to the whole. I wish you blessings ahead!
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