Relationships: Part 4 - Mutual Affinity

About 10 years ago, I realised something about my relationships with other people which I'd never noticed before: Most of my best friends have been born under the sign of Aries. This set me thinking: Why? My Sun and Moon are both in Aquarius and I have a Capricorn Ascendant. Obviously, I have had relationships - platonic and otherwise - with friends and partners who are connected to my Sun, Moon and Ascendant signs, but what's going on with the Aries people in my life? Why is that sign so prevalent for me socially? As a researcher, I decided to do some digging.....

I began to discover a phenomenon which I now call Mutual Affinity. It comes from the principle that astrological influences are flexible and to a certain extent, interchangeable. For example, having the Sun in Sagittarius has much the same effect as having the Sun in the ninth house, or having the Sun in aspect to Jupiter. Similarly, it also corresponds to having Jupiter in Leo or in the fifth house. So, how did this work in my own chart?

I have my Sun in the first house of my chart. The first house is the equivalent of Aries, therefore it has a natural affinity with the Sun in Aries. I also have my Mars in Leo which is another variation of the Sun in Aries, so double the effect. A Sun sign Aries whom I've had a close personal relationship with for the last 14 years has his Moon conjunct my Moon and his Sun is actually square my Ascendant, so fantastic synastry. He is a very good and trusted friend, and we have lots of fun together. In fact, I trust this guy more than anyone else in my life. 

There's a person I met recently who is a perfect example of another component in the Mutual Affinity technique. This involves having similar astrological traits in both charts. For example, we both have our Suns in Air signs and both our Suns are conjunct Saturn. We both have Aquarius Moons and his Sun is in aspect to Uranus - a direct correlation to my Sun in Aquarius. He also has Mercury in aspect to Saturn, I have Mercury in Capricorn and his Saturn is in Gemini. 

Of course, on its own, Mutual Affinity isn't enough to trigger or sustain an important relationship, but it is fantastic in a platonic friendship as it brings a sense of being on the same mental wavelength which allows two people to enjoy each other's company in a completely uncomplicated way. Try out Mutual Affinity on your own chart and see how you interact with your friends. Let me know what you find, and remember, I'm always here to answer any questions.

It's The Blog's Birthday....

Ephemeral Arc began 8 years ago today. 
Thank you once again for your
continued support.

Equality In Astrology

When I started out as an astrologer many, many years ago, I was amazed by the diversity of the astrological community. There were people from all walks of life, every nationality, every race, every religion - or no religion at all. Men and women were involved in astrology on equal terms. We were united in our quest for enlightenment and because there were far fewer professional astrologers back then, we supported and encouraged each other. 

As I mentioned in a recent article, astrologers with years of experience are no longer respected by those beginning their journey. They see the internet as a fast track to professionalism which it most certainly isn't. Reading a few websites, especially without knowing if the author is a genuine astrologer, does not provide the full spectrum of knowledge and experience required to make astrology your life's work. However, a new disturbing chapter in astrological disrespect has emerged on social media. Racism. 

Any sort of biased, bigoted or prejudiced attitude goes totally against the principles of astrology as it was designed to help us understand and celebrate the individuality of everyone. Just as every person is unique, then each person's chart is also unique. Astrology doesn't compare one sign to another by way of assessing which is superior - they are all relevant and all equal. Each one compliments the other 11 signs, and they exist in complete harmony. Just like instruments in an orchestra, none is more important than the others and they all work together. Exactly like all astrologers should be doing. There is no place for any form of discrimination in astrology.

Diana's 60th

Remembering Diana, Princess Of Wales

on what would have been her

60th Birthday

💝💝💝

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor

Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet Diana was born on Friday 4th June 2021, at 11:40am, in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

As a Sun sign Gemini, Lili will be talkative, mentally agile, inquisitive and restless. The Sun is in a sextile aspect to the Moon and this shows that she will be good natured and close to her family. However, she may have a tendency to be highly-strung. With the Sun which is the ruling planet of her chart in sector 10, she will definitely have a career that places her in the public spotlight.

Lili's natal Moon is in the sign of Aries bringing fiery emotions, hasty reactions and a short-fused temper. No-one will dare mess with this girl! She will object in no uncertain terms to anyone who tries to interfere in her life and will be extremely independent. With the Moon in a sextile aspect to Saturn she will be hardworking, loyal and reliable, and the Moon in conjunction with Chiron indicates that women will feature highly in her life - femininity, feminism, women's rights, etc. This combination also suggests that Lili will have many changes of residency.

Leo was on the Ascendant at the moment of Lili's birth. Interestingly, this is the sign which rules, amongst other things, royalty. She will be happy with a radiant personality, well-adjusted and likeable. With a desire to shine, she will seek fame and recognition. This rising sign always brings a powerful impact into the lives of those who have it and attracts admiration from others. People will look up  to her and she will ooze infectious enthusiasm. With natural leadership qualities, Lili will definitely leave her mark on the world.

Mercury located in its own sign of Gemini will make communication the dominant theme in Lili's life - speaking, writing, making speeches, etc will all figure highly. With Mercury in sector 10 of her chart, she could have a career in the media. On the other hand, with her Midheaven in Taurus and her Ascendant in Leo, the performing arts are also a possibility and combined with that powerful Mercury, writing, speaking or singing will definitely come into it. 

Venus in the sign of Cancer on a World Point shows great compassion as Lili will have the ability to connect and bond with others in the public arena. Easy expression of feelings, emotions and talents is indicated by Venus in Cancer and she is someone who will create beauty and harmony. Venus in a sextile aspect to the Ascendant and in a trine aspect to the Ascendant means that Lili will be diplomatic, kind-hearted, sociable and charming. This planetary position also shows a fascination with her family's history and ancestry. 

Lili's Natal Chart - click to enlarge

With her natal Mars in Cancer, Lili's actions will be motivated by deeply-felt emotions. This may lead to more than a few head-on confrontations bur also repressed anger. Mars in a trine aspect to Neptune will ensure that her goals in life are likely to be achieved as her creative inspiration will know no bounds. With Mars in a positive sextile aspect to her Midheaven, she'll be determined, fiercely ambitious and love a challenge. Natal Mars in an opposition to Pluto will give her great courage. she'll be a tireless worker and attain remarkable feats against all the odds.

Jupiter in Pisces and conjunct the Descendant reveals that Lil will have powerful spiritual leanings and will want to serve humanity in some way, perhaps in connection to health and wellbeing. She'll have a wide range of personal contacts and will be able to influence others through her popularity and social prestige. On the whole, she will be lucky in her choice of partners throughout her life whether they be personal or professional but there will be controversy. 

Born under the semi-generational planetary influence of Saturn in a square aspect to Uranus, Lili will be rebellious and resent authority. Her generation will have a desire for change and an urge to break free from rigid routines. Saturn square Uranus will give her a strong sense of responsibility and appreciation of structure and tradition.  She may become an activist or campaigner for human rights or the environment and this will gain her many supporters as well as detractors.  Throughout her life, she will strive to find a balance between duty and freedom. 

Lilibet will be a very dynamic young woman - feisty, stubborn, clever and confident.

Sister Signs

During my daily excursions through social media I tend to pop in and read astrology discussions. Invariably, it's a mixed bag of comments with professional astrologers and amateurs swapping information. However, a few weeks ago, I saw a comment in an astrology thread which said, 

"In astrology, the sign opposite another sign is called the Sister Sign". 

Knowing this to be untrue, I posted a comment saying that the information was incorrect. Cue the trolls! I was bombarded with hateful replies telling me I was wrong and knew nothing. Assuming they perhaps didn't realise that I was an actual astrologer, I told them I've been a professional for 25 years. More abuse! One even said that my 25 years were wasted and that I should seek out a new profession. When I asked how long he'd been an astrologer there was no reply. I asked again. Still no reply. So I checked out his profile. He wasn't an astrologer at all. I tore him to pieces - verbally, of course - and he blocked me, as did most of the others.

My main concern about this incident is that a lot of the people in the discussion were there to learn. However, they were being totally blown off course by misinformation from others who either didn't know enough or didn't know anything. There's too much of this on social media - people pretending to be experts and sabotaging those who genuinely are. Is it deliberate? Or does the internet encourage people to change information and pass it off as fact?

I'm not being arrogant when I say this, but if I had met someone like me when I was starting out, I would have felt very lucky to be in the presence of a potential teacher, a person who knew things I didn't and who could give me the information I needed. But obviously these days experience counts for nothing and all they want to do is search the internet for others like themselves. Result: No-one progresses and they all end up believing facts which in reality are not remotely accurate. The Age of Disinformation is upon us and people only believe those who agree with them. A quick Google search revealed that this misconception about Sister Signs has spread throughout the internet. Although I did find a few professional astrologers who, like me, know real astrology. 

Oh, and in case you're wondering, 'Sister Signs' are signs from the same element:- Fire, Earth, Air, Water - which is the reason they're referred to by that name, as each element is like a family of signs all from the same background. It's got nothing to do with actual sisters. So, if you're Aries, your sister signs will be Leo and Sagittarius. If you're Taurus, they'll be Virgo and Capricorn. If you're  Gemini, your sister signs will be Libra and Aquarius, and if you're born under Cancer, you're sister signs are Scorpio and Pisces. 

Incidentally, signs which lie opposite each other across the zodiac circle are called Polarity Signs, sometimes referred to as Complementary Signs. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Astrology Anniversary - 25 Years!

Today marks 25 years since I officially became an astrologer!

It's been an honour and a privilege to gain insight into this wonderful subject and to use it to help other people. I can honestly say that, out of everything I've ever done in my life, learning and working with astrology has been the most rewarding experience of all and has changed my outlook in so many positive ways. 

I'm taking a break for a few weeks - back soon....