Third installment of answers to the questions. As always, feel free to leave your comments… 😉
How do you calculate dominant signs, planets, elements… ?
This is a question that is too complex, too broad, to address in a few lines, or even in a few articles.
It will surely become the subject of a specific module offered on the site as an astrology course for those who wish to deepen their knowledge, because here we are truly touching the heart of what makes an astrologer… 😉
See also the final question in Answers #2, Assessing the Birth Chart, where I provide a few elements of response regarding the “strength” of a chart.
Will an isolated Ascendant (I mean without any planet within 50°, for example) have strong importance for a native’s personality ?
The Ascendant remains the Ascendant, quite simply ! 😉 The fact that a planet is conjunct it merely colors it with that planetary function…
If, for example, you have Pluto conjunct your Ascendant, then the personality will be strongly colored by Scorpio.
However, if you have a completely isolated Ascendant (even one that is entirely unaspected) then this implies that the archetype of the Ascendant’s sign is “pure”, unimpeded; it can express itself freely and in the most exacerbated manner within its domain…
But afterward, many factors can nuance these points.
First and foremost, look at the ruler of the Ascendant !
If that ruler is bombarded with aspects from all the planets in the chart, then everything I’ve just said becomes moot !
It is also essential to practice a prior analysis of the chart’s quadrants to gauge the overall influence.
It’s simple, but it already teaches a great deal, more than a solitary analysis of the Ascendant point alone…
Does Saturn’s opposition to any planet signify a risk of making the wrong choice ?
Not specifically, not necessarily… Saturn has a bad reputation, both in the Birth Chart and in Transits, because the planet is associated with fears, limitations, frustrations, and constraints of all kinds.
But it also has a structuring, constructive facet that enables things to be anchored in duration and endurance.
A wrong choice would stem more from a deviation of these energies, for example, if Saturn is influenced by other planets.
It would more likely be Neptune, for instance, that could imprint confusion and favor errors, or Pluto or even Uranus at other levels, or even Mars (confusion in action), or Venus (emotional confusion). Many possibilities exist, but not specifically with Saturn, in any case…
On the other hand, the Opposition aspect often carries a value of heightened awareness and greater objectivity.
In broad terms, the energies involved are “forced” to be viewed and analyzed separately before any attempt at reconciliation.
Here, Saturn can bring patience and perseverance to this analysis; it will demand time, in any event, to set aside various prejudices and achieve greater openness toward the energies involved.
Does an astrologer need another astrologer ?
Well, yes and no ! 😉 No, in the sense that, presumably, as an astrologer one already possesses all the knowledge and skills necessary to perform all Interpretations.
But yes, because we lack the distance and objectivity to analyze our own chart, or that of our loved ones, for that matter…
We tend to see only what we want to see, and we stumble over simple things we would normally spot when studying someone else’s chart !
So it is often beneficial to have an outside perspective, someone we don’t even know. They will bring approaches that are always interesting and idea-generating…
Is it true that an eclipse is only negative; that is, that we shouldn’t undertake anything, and if so, how long should we refrain from undertaking anything ?
When it comes to interpreting eclipses, every possible interpretation exists !
For some, they are tremendously beneficial; for others, the opposite…
For this type of Interpretation, I tend to return to essential points to draw conclusions.
An eclipse represents a powerful “energy node” and karmic point, with the Sun, Moon, and Lunar Nodes involved. This carries a charge that is both personal and emotional, which can have major repercussions on the destinies of individuals or nations.
That said, the eclipse itself merely holds a “potential for effect”; it does not predetermine the outcome…
To perceive, in my view, whether an eclipse is harmonious or dissonant, one must relate it to what is happening in the rest of the sky at the moment it occurs, and also relate it to the chart being analyzed ! It is these elements of cross-referencing that will dictate action or inaction.
For example, if the sky is particularly tense at the time of the eclipse, the eclipse period risks amplifying tensions, carrying a very strong charge of rupture that precisely forces a break with the status quo and propels movement forward (for better or worse, it is evolutionary, but it will certainly occur amid tensions).
If, moreover, the eclipse occurs in conjunction with one of your planets, the potential effect it contains will operate in relation to your Birth Chart pattern ! Here too, this is a karmic appointment; it is important to see where your karmic cycles of the Lunar Nodes and the Black moon stand at that moment.
This can provide important indications regarding the knots of destiny you must navigate…
One final note: the eclipse, like any other aspect, must be placed back within its original cycle, both in relation to the Lunation and to the Lunar Nodes, as I mentioned.
Thus, the root of the eclipse itself predates the effective date of its occurrence; the eclipse is merely the culmination, and its effects do not stop there…
Some astrologers consider an orb of one lunation before and after; others also situate the eclipse within longer lunar cycles, such as the Saros cycle, or others, why not… But for a “classical” interpretation, it’s best to keep it simple ! 😉
To be continued… 😉