Sei sulla pagina 1di 173

An Astrological Guide to

YOUR CHILD

LETICIA FARMER
AN ASTROLOGICAL

GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

HANDBOOK PARENTS

LETICIA FARMER

Each new human being is bom with innate skills and talents, abil-
ities and preferences. Sometimes these are obvious from the very
beginning, but often such gifts lie hidden, making it haid even for
the possessor of the gifts to make the most of them.
An Astrological Guide to Your Child teaches parents
how to understand astrology and use it to their benefit The book
shows how to plot your child's chart and, more important, how to
use the astrological elements to understand the child's character.
It is replete with activities and gift ideas that will suit each child's
nature.
Now parents have the tools with which to peek into the
future. An Astrological Guide to Your Child enables parents to
see what a new infant, youngster, or teenager has the potential
and inclination to be, and then help their child achieve it

Leticia Farmer has been a successful astrologer in England and


the United States for more than twenty years. She appears regu-
larly on television and has accurately predicted the outcome of
several U.S. presidential and British national elections. She lives
in Maiyland with her husband and their three children.

Cover design by Wendy Mount


Cover photos: clockwise from bottom (little boy) © Russ Schleipman; (moon)
© T. Kevin Smyth/The Stock Market; (satum) © NASA/ FPG International;
(teenager) 6 Comstock; (earth)© Mendola/Jeff Lynch/The Stock Maiket
About the Author

Leticia Farmer has been a successful astrologer for twenty


years. She has happy childhood memories of standing in the
garden with her mother in England, deciphering the
constellations of the night sky. From her work with
psychologists and with thousands of individual clients, Leticia
has gained a wealth of knowledge about personal astrological
indicators. Her work has been featured in the London Sunday
Times and the London Daily Telegraph and for some years
she had a weekly special on IJBC Radio. She has appeared on
the television program Kilroy and, since moving to the United
States, on the Joan Rivers Show. Leticia's prediction, when
John Major was Great Britain's Chancellor of the Exchecquer,
that he would be the next prime minister was widely
reported in such papers as the Financial Times and the
London Evening Standard. She has since been successful in
predicting the outcome of US. presidential elections,
including Bill Clinton's 1996 reelection victory. In 1997, she
predicted John Major's margin of victory as he regained the
post of British prime minister.
Leticia lives in Maryland with her husband, a television
producer, and their three children.
Contents

INTRODUCTION 1

A Little About the History of Astrology 10


Practical Instructions on the Use of This Book 22

LAYER ONE THE PERSONALITY 29

Your Child's Sun Sign 38


Your Child's Moon Sign 53
Your Child's Ascendant (or Rising) Sign 64

LAYER TWO THE FULLER PICTURE 79

The Chart Wheel 81


The First House 90
The Second House 96
The Third House 102
The Fourth House 108
The Fifth House 114
The Sixth House 119
The Seventh House 126
The Eighth House 131
The Ninth House 136
The Tenth House 142
The Eleventh House 146
The Twelfth House 150
The Midheaven 160
Calculating the Correct Moon Sign 164
Finding Your Child's Ascendant (or Rising)
Sign 218
Calculating Your Child's Ascendant Degree by
Hand 224
Note

TIME ZONES

Bear in mind that the tables presented in this book reflect


times for those born in Great Britain, in the Greenwich Mean
Time zone. To calculate signs for children born in other loca-
tions, find the difference between the time zone for the place
where the child was born and the Greenwich Mean Time zone.
A time-zone map of the world can be found in almanacs, in
encyclopedias, and in many datebooks, address books, tele-
phone directories, etc.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

In the United States, an extra hour is added to the clock time


each year from 2 am on the first Sunday in April till 2 am on
the last Sunday in October. Thus, if your child was born be-
tween those times, you must deduct an hour from the birth-
time before you can proceed.
Introduction

In this book I am going to help you find out what little boys
and little girls are really made of, then give you the information
that can help them truly blossom.
Each new human being arriving on earth is bom with
innate skills and talents, abilities and preferences. Sometimes
these are obvious from the very beginning, but often such gifts
lie hidden, making it hard even for the possessor of those gifts to
make the most of them. It seems it is all too easy to be misguided
or to become lost in the buffeting zones of life. How many
times have I listened to regrets about missed opportunities or
under-utilized talents?
Wouldn't it be wondeiful to have the tools with which
one could take a peek ahead of time? To look at this new
infant, young child or teenager and first see what they have the
potential and inclination to be, then help them to achieve it?
After all, as parents and teachers, isn't that really our true goal?
Many people ridicule or dismiss astrology. I certainly did
when I first encountered it some thirty years ago. In fact it was
in my quest to prove it 'wrong' that I became convinced of its
extraordinary value; not so much in the most commonly known
sense of predicting what will happen next week, but more in
the true sense of what astrology is best used for - the analysis
and understanding of character. Yes, there is certainly an element
of predictiveness about it, but astrology should not be misjudged
as one more flirtation with fortune-telling.
I believe that astrology is a wondeiful tool which, like a
microscope, can reveal so much more than the naked eye - that
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

which has always been there but has not been immediately
apparent. Thus astrology can lead us to greater depths of under-
standing of both ourselves and others.
As an eleven-year-old schoolgirl I was as quick as the next
child to join in the frenzied debate about which sign of the
zodiac each of us was, and who was most compatible with
whom. Yet somehow this did not seem to gel. First, I did not
fit the popular description of my sign at all, and, second, logic
concluded that a twelfth of the population could not be ident-
ical. My scepticism began.
In order to back up my poor opinion and, in truth, to give
the subject a fair trial before totally dismissing it, I sought out
a book about astrology at my local library. I was not prepared
for the world that opened up before my eyes. Far from proving
it limited and wrong, that first glimpse into real astrology awak-
ened a fascination within me.
To begin with, and to my surprise, I discovered we were
not each one sign, but many, and, furthermore, that those many
interacted in specific ways. I had made the first and most
common assumption about astrology: I had pigeonholed all of
us into one of twelve categories. But now I was learning that it
was simply the Sun sign I was referring to, that is, the sign the
sun occupied at the moment of birth, and that in true astrology
other heavenly bodies were taken into consideration. Beyond
that, the interaction between those planets made a difference
tool
I had taken my first step on the road to discovering that
astrology was a complex yet simple, mathematical yet artistic,
unexplainable yet consistently accurate subject. My scientific
and analytical mind was hooked - how could this work? Yet the
more I read, the more it seemed to make perfect sense, going
into great detail and precision about times of birth and person-
INTRODUCTION

ality types - this was a lot more than fun or superstition. If used
and understood properly, it was a wonderful way to compre-
hend and value people. Astrology could provide the key to
personality traits and characteristics in a way similar to psy-
chology - yet somehow with more specific insight.
Yet the practical part of me still wanted to solve the riddle.
If I just looked a little further, tried to draw up a chart or two,
maybe I could find the flaw and then declare, 'Aha! now I see
how this cannot possibly work.' I tried over and over again, but
I simply was not able to do so. The more I explored astrology,
the more it made sense, and the wiser I became.
My discovery of real astrology was rather like a child dis-
covering a tree for the first time - thinking perhaps that it was
simply a trunk, but then noticing a branch or two, then smaller
branches, and finally becoming aware of the tiniest, most intri-
cate filament of twigs in all their beauty and perfection.
In my initial ignorance I had thought I knew all about
astrology just by knowing I was a Taurus; and in typical Taurus
style I was stubborn, not prepared to be persuaded or swayed.
When I looked further to see that there was more (to the
branches] and much more (to the tiniest twigs], I was awed
by astrology's complexity and brilliance, and by the degree of
information that could be harvested from it. Nonetheless, my
Taurus determination kept me for years on the track of trying
to prove it wrong. Little did I realize that all the while I was
becoming an expert and paving the way to a lifelong relationship
with astrology.
Many people's understanding of astrology is limited to that
first simple view of the trunk of the tree - their Sun sign, this
easiest to establish and most talked-about element, denoted by
dividing the year into the twelve signs of the zodiac. As I started
to view the whole tree, though, I soon discovered that we are
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

each made up of a whole gamut of very specific 'signs' and


influences, and that these are determined by our exact place,
date and time of birth. More than this, these influences interact
as an exquisite symphony to create a complex and stunning
picture - the individual.
My eyes sought out every publication on astrology - in
libraries, in bookstores, even in jumble sales. All the while my
fascination was combined with a perverse determination to find
the flaw, to prove astrology wrong. Ten years after that first
tantalizing revelation, after consuming endless books on the
subject, conducting ever deeper research and drawing up
hundreds of charts, I discovered that I had indeed, and quite
unwittingly, become an expert!
Now friends and family were starting to comment that I
was very good at the interpretations, and suggested that this
should become my profession. I was not convinced. Yes, of
course, I was studiously ignoring all the pointers in my own
chart! Eventually, however, I could not keep all this knowledge
and wisdom to myself. So I put my toe in the water and my
first client arrived. We were both thrilled - she with the reading,
I with the fact that I could help people with all the knowl-
edge I had gained.
Thus I became the professional astrologer I am today. I
never cease to be awed by the precision of astrology, however,
especially when people tell me over and over again how accurate
and valuable are my descriptions of their lives and those of their
loved ones.
I began to notice that many clients who came to me for
insight were finding particular guidance and comfort in my
analyses of their children, especially when the youngsters were
causing trouble, being uncommunicative or were somehow in
INTRODUCTION

other ways difficult to fathom. Once I became a parent it


became clear to me how helpful it was to know their charts.
When my three children were born, I was intrigued to see
if their charts would point the true way ahead for their lives
and characters. They have indeed unfolded as their charts
described, and though I have been careful not to influence their
development unduly nor to use the charts as rigid blueprints, I
have been very grateful on more than one occasion for the
'inside knowledge' that a chart has supplied.
One of the most memorable readings I recall doing was
for a mother who asked me to run an analysis of her three
children. Though I did not meet them, their birth data was
all I needed to unlock the mysteries and intricacies of their
personalities. When I read her the charts, describing these
children in detail, she was stunned and delighted with the
insights provided, which helped her through a difficult time. I
identified one of her children as having deep spiritual and
religious tendencies. The mother confirmed this, telling me how
she had always been struck by this child's almost ethereal nature
and her deep interest in the Bible.
The second child, in the mother's opinion, was just too
boisterous and unruly. But the chart indicated that he had a
distinct aptitude for sport. This encouraged her to channel his
energies into football and athletics, at which he began to excel.
She was really concerned about the third, who gave every
impression of being introverted, ungrateful and at times down-
right rude. The chart, however, told me that he had real diffi-
culty expressing his feelings. I told his mother that behind his
blank, almost insolent gaze he was truly feeling the emotions
she thought he should be openly displaying. She decided to be
more patient and nurturing with him, which led to a much
deeper understanding and friendship between them.
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

I felt so gratified that simply by reading the charts of these


three children I had been able to help their confused parents
not only to understand them and help them develop more
positively, but also to establish a closer bond, especially as they
grew older and developed into young adults. It is for this reason,
that I wanted to write this book - to share with you some of
the tools that have helped me and others to benefit from astrol-
ogy, and to give you the opportunity to unravel the complexities
of your own child for yourself. In the book I shall explain
some of the techniques for drawing up your child's chart and
interpreting its mysteries. My wish is to help you look at this
wonderful young being with fresh insight, and gently help him
or her to blossom and grow to full potential.
By the time you have read the book I hope you will see
that each little ship really is trying to steer itself to its own
harbour. If we can discover through their charts which forces
are pushing our youngsters to and fro, we can guide them
through any rough waters and hazards that they may encounter
during their growing-up years, and ease their way home - to
their true destiny.
I have given as an example of an astrology chart my daugh-
ter Francesca's chart wheel. It probably all seems like gobblede-
gook right now, but as you study this book you will learn to
draw up a chart similar to this (but a lot less complicated] for
your own child, and interpret it.
For now, here is a thumbnail sketch of my interpretation
of Francesca's chart wheel and some clues about how I arrived
at my conclusions.
CHART WHEEL FOR FRANCESCA
bom 3 October 1980

25
05 24
05' 10

is m

58
10

02 23 12

07 17 17

46
27°

15
TIP
58 59 26 29 20
W 57 13 49 12
24 TIL Til, 23
01 09
03 23
24 05
IIP
10
34

INTERPRETATION OF FRANCESCA'S CHART

It is amazing what can be seen just by looking at planetary


placings at the moment of a child's birth - from the kind of
friends they are likely to choose, to their career path.
Francesca's wheel shows her approach to life as regal,
dynamic and loyal. She experiences intense personal pride, so
will not want to let herself or anyone else down. She may have
an appreciation of luxury, but will always be more of a saver
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

than a spender. Her siblings are perceived by her as being both


a joy and a burden, bringing to her world a mixture of responsi-
bility and joy. Beautiful in her eyes, and great to discuss ideas
with. The Sun's placing on her wheel shows that the siblings
have a tremendously strong influence on her personality. The
third house on the chart wheel also tells me that she will enjoy
communicating with both the written and spoken word, and is
able to produce balanced arguments. She sees both her parents
as stubborn (I can't imagine why), determined and intense,
though one she sees as more possessive and protective towards
her than the other.
From her fifth house it is clear that she has a tremendous
imagination for creative projects, especially where education is
concerned (naturally talented at teaching others creative skills),
and also that as a parent she will allow her children a great deal
of freedom, so long as they respect older people, particularly
their elders, and maintain traditions. From her sixth house I
glean that she is extremely conscientious and industrious (does
not wish to let anybody down), yet she can have a quite eccen-
tric or original approach to any work she takes on.
Her seventh house shows that she likes to be teamed with
unusual, creative, humanitarian types. Her tenth house shows
that her career would ideally be in the arts, and that she may
even pioneer a new way of designing perhaps in computer
graphics or fashion design. Friendships will tend to go well
with Gemini/Cancer types, that is, those who are nurturing yet
freewheeling. With them she'll enjoy chatting gossiping and
visiting yet happily tuck them under her wing to take care of
them when they need nurturing. The twelfth house shows her
to be extremely intuitive, sensing things and reading atmos-
pheres. The Moon placing indicates that she is well able to hide
her feelings from public view, but that one of her strongest
INTRODUCTION

emotions is pride. So she definitely is not someone who will


wear her heart on her sleeve.
The placing of the Sun on her chart shows how strongly
her personality comes out in words, either written or spoken.

Some Conclusions Drawn from the Reading

It was clear from Francesca's chart that she would be somewhat


independent (Libra) yet very loyal (Leo); in search of balance
and harmony (Libra), but also a great organizer and boss (Leo).
Certainly; from a very early age she made it quite clear whom
she considered to be the boss! Her mind (Mercury in Scorpio),
incisive and analytical, can lead her to make cutting remarks,
especially if her considerable pride (double Leo) is hurt. Her
strong artistic talent (Leo and Libra combined) has always been
dazzling, as has her warmth and generosity (double Leo).
We used to be amazed at her capacity to argue with
everything (the Libran need to redress the balance plus shrewd
Scorpio), but the crowning moment came when we, as a family,
were all seated around the dinner-table and she was, as usual,
disagreeing with something said. Her father, becoming exasper-
ated, fumed, 'Why do you always have to argue with every-
thing?' To which she innocently replied, 'Oh, no, I don't!' We
all had a good laugh, and the tension was dispelled.
A Little About the History

of Astrology

Historians know that astrology was used in Babylonian times -


though its true origin has not been pinpointed. Since ancient
man's world was dependent upon the elements and seasons, his
awareness of the constellations must have been a vital part of
life.
Astrology evolved gradually, so no one knows the exact
moment when it all started. Man has always been influenced
by the heavenly bodies above. Even the caveman must have
noticed that he felt warmer when the sun was highest in the
sky, or that he could see better by the full moon. It may have
been purely instinct, but in some way his bodily rhythms and
behaviour would have been affected by the planets and stars.
These too would have provided a spectacular show for man
before modern-day light pollution dulled their brilliance to
those on earth.
Perhaps it is better to think of astrology developing in
different ways yet simultaneously all around the world. Over
the centuries these grew, developed and to some extent blended,
to become the modem Western astrology that I now use.
In China and India, in North America and South America,
in Egypt and ancient Britain, religions were developing which
were very much based on what was happening above the hor-
izon. Earliest man, instead of TV-gazing, was star-gazing, trying
to work out some meaning and rhythm between what was going
on up there and what was really important in his world below
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY

- food, shelter, warmth and fertility. Of course he may not have


been aware of the differing characteristics of offspring bom
under certain constellations, but it must have been obvious at
least that those born in the spring would have a better chance
of survival. The full moon provided the best hunting times, the
sun's position indicated the changing of the seasons. Before long
certain star clusters in the night sky would have formed familiar
patterns in the minds of ancient peoples. A correlation was
observed between specific patterns up there and certain events
down here.
To many, the stars and planets took on the importance of
gods. Some tribes worshipped the sun and moon, others gave
groups of stars or constellations the names of familiar birds and
animals. Soon harvesting and navigation were found to work
through learning to read and interpret these star patterns.
From Zolar's book The History of Astrology we learn that
there is evidence from all around the world of ancient peoples
observing and measuring the heavenly bodies, and living and
worshipping through them: from ancient Stonehenge, which
accurately aligns the sun and moon as well as many of the
brightest stars in the heavens, to the Incas and Mayans, who
used moon and planetary placings to plan rituals and sacrifices,
and from ancient India and the Middle East to China, Greece
and Rome. All were busily gathering more and more data and
recording their findings about the heavenly bodies. The Chalde-
ans who lived in Iraq (then Babylonia), had developed a form
of astrology by 3000 BC, and the Chinese were practising astro-
logy by 2000 BC. Artefacts from the sixth century BC show that
in ancient Greece the daily risings of major stars were recorded.
Zolar also points out that the Egyptian Magi had worked out a
calendar that split the year into twelve months - corresponding
to twelve signs of the zodiac, each containing thirty days (the
12 ^AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

thirty degrees of each sign). It took years before I realized


that the three wise men who came from the East, following 'that
star', were in fact probably astrologers who had followed 'the
stars' to work out the location of the birth of the 'king', whose
arrival they had been able to predict.
As a child I was delighted when my mother pointed out
such familiar sights as the Big Dipper, Orion's Belt, the Milky
Way and Great Bear. Little did I know at the time that the
ancient Chinese had named the Great Bear, and that Aztec
rituals were dependent upon the placing of these more obvious
star groupings. In India the Vedas set dates for sacrifices at the
new and full moon, and they too mention the twelve constel-
lations, saying, 'Across the sky runs the twelve-fold path of rita
which never grows old.' To this day Eastern astrology is con-
sidered an important divining tool: some marriages are still
arranged by it, and children's charts are drawn up soon after
their birth, to discover their life path.
Throughout the world and throughout history different
observations have been made about the effects of the planets
on our earth. These were so important to the wellbeing of
humanity, from food and warmth, to fertility and location, even
health and safety, that soon people were setting up special places
to observe and record celestial movements. They discovered
that by working out some of the patterns that occurred, they
were able to forecast what the heavens might bring next. Predic-
tion through astrology had begun, and gained in importance
through history.

HOW IT BECAME THE ASTROLOGY OF TODAY

The observation of heavenly bodies (astronomy) and the inter-


pretation of their effect on the happenings here on earth
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 13

(astrology) were naturally intertwined and, until comparatively


recent years, were one study. In Babylonia terraces were built
lor observation, one for each of the seven main planets. In
Mesopotamia towering observatories were established. Priests
watched and interpreted the movements of the heavens. It was
the Babylonians who first gave the groups of stars their eleven
animal names plus libra, the scales, representing celestial bal-
ance and harmony. The basis of ancient Greek mythology is
linked to the stars - Orion the heavenly twins, and Virgo the
maiden, carrying her sheaf of wheat. All the planets except
earth were named after the ancient Greek and Roman gods.
As always, there was much superstition surrounding astrol-
ogy, but as science progressed the less accurate assumptions
were dropped, while accurately predictable happenings, such as
floods and droughts, were retained. One thing that was retained
because of its consistent accuracy was the definition of character
through the reading of the heavens. Over time it had become
clear that people bom at certain times of the year, i.e. under
certain configurations of planets and constellations, had person-
ality traits in common.
In the Middle Ages astrology was widely practised in
Europe, though it was condemned by Christian leaders such
as Augustine as early as ad 600. Astrologers were frequently
consulted by the royal courts until the era of the witch-hunts
in the thirteenth century, when astrology was banned. Astron-
omy now split off to become simply the scientific study of the
movement of the planets, whilst the correlation between them
and their possible effects on people or events on earth was no
longer deemed moral.
In 1530 the Polish astronomer Copernicus wrote a revol-
utionary hypothesis stating that instead of the earth being the
centre of our universe, it and the other planets were revolving
14 ^AUASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

around the sun. The Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo


stood trial in Rome, accused by the Inquisition of 'grave sus-
picion of heresy', after his book supporting the Copemican
theory was published in 1632. Eventually this book was ordered
to be burned and Galileo's sentence of life imprisonment was
read out in all the universities.
Of course, it was later accepted that these hypotheses were
indeed correct. The viewpoint of the many who had thought the
earth to be the centre of the universe had to be revised. In
the history books we read about the one or two shining lights
who brought us these revolutionary new understandings of our
world. Yet I like to think not of an individual who had a random
and unconventional idea, but rather of mankind as a wave,
moving forward to a certain point of light together.
For example, in Copemicus's time there may have been
many ordinary folks who in their own minds were simul-
taneously wondering about the earth's relationship to other
planets. Perhaps they would ruminate on this question with
others. In Galileo's time, was he the only one to stick his neck
out? I doubt it - probably it was still an interesting topic of
conversation in people's homes, just as today so many ordinary
people are intrigued by astrology. We are riding a new wave of
fascination now, which hopefully will lead to an understanding
not only of astrology, but also of many other hitherto unex-
plained New Age phenomena.
The definition of character through astrology, pioneered
so long ago, has been refined to mingle with the psychology
of today; thus modern astrologers recognize the complex and
wonderfully revealing birth chart as a map of the life path of
the individual.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 15

THE PHENOMENON OF ASTROLOGY

You may wonder, as I did, how the heavenly bodies can possibly
have a bearing on an individual's character. Let me recount for
you the best hypothesis I have yet heard for this apparently
bizarre phenomenon.
We all know how the moon affects our lives in, for
example, the rise and fall of the ocean tides, or perhaps the sap
levels in plants; for centuries sailors have been able to predict
the tides, and farmers have known the best times to reap and
sow, by consulting the phases of the moon. Even surgeons
appreciate that blood flow will be heavier at the time of the
full moon.
In Dr Lyall Watson's book Supemature, experiments are
cited which observe the effects on water of not only the moon,
but also other heavenly bodies including the sun and Mars.
The interesting results showed that the moon is not alone in
influencing water on earth - the other heavenly bodies too have
an effect on water as well as on plant, insect and animal
behaviour, through magnetic pulls, electrical and radio waves
and radiation, and perhaps in other subtle ways that we have
not yet learned to measure.
The human body is made up of approximately 60 per cent
water, and our brain can be as much as 90 per cent. For this
reason, and since water is such an essential component of all
cells, it is understandable that the pulls and pulses of those
planets upon water must have an influence on our psyches
and behaviour patterns here on earth. Think how subtly the
personality and reactions can change in an individual when
they carry a fraction more or less of certain hormones in their
bloodstream. Then consider that the fluid carrying those hor-
mones or the fluid carrying messages in our brains, may be
AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

microscopically changing according to the phases of the planets


and heavenly bodies travelling continually above us.
I was interested to read Dr Percy Seymour's book
the Evidence of Science, in which he points out how the central
nervous system is affected by magnetic fields. French psycho-
logist and statistician Michel Gauquelin, in an effort to disprove
astrology came up with some interesting, statistically proven
findings, specifically that there is a relationship between certain
planetary placings and career choice, and between Moon plac-
ings and certain personality traits. He lists these in his book The
Truth about Astrology.
When future generations look into their history books and
read about the twentieth century, will they read about such
much-quoted scientists as Michel Gauquelin, who proved
something about astrology for the first time? Will those future
generations miss the fact that there was a wave of interest in
astrology at this time, from the great scientists to the man in the
street? I believe we are on the brink of another major step
forward, involving the comprehension of many phenomena, from
astrology to acupuncture, from hands-on healing to psychic
prediction. These will all be explained, and it "will seem
like a revolution before mankind accepts its new enlightenment.
Some people, as always, will fight against new knowledge,
but the world will not stop and wait; we progress, all the while
learning more from nature and about human nature.

WHY THE BIRTH MOMENT?

From time to time parents ask me why we should go by the


moment of birth and not the moment oiconception for determin-
ing a chart. They also raise the question of premature or late
delivery of the baby. My answer is always that the exact moment
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 17

of birth is what we must look at. The reason again relates to


water. Compare the influence of the moon on the sea, where it
creates huge powerful tides, with its influence on a little pond
where it apparently creates not even a ripple. The baby, while
still a part of the mother, is included, surrounded and protected
by a much larger body of water. But once delivered, and
independent of the mother, the baby becomes its own, unique
individual - a precious little pond, vulnerable to and influenced
by the planetary forces in its own way.

MYSTICISM OR RELIGION?

I am quite frequently asked if astrology is some kind of mystical


phenomenon. My answer is that it certainly draws on ancient
reckonings, skills and patterns but that in my experience it is
completely down-to-earth, and as everyday as consulting a road
map to discover the best route to where you want to be.
The next question I encounter is often whether I 'believe'
in astrology, as if it were some kind of religion. To me astrology
is no more and no less than a tool to help us know ourselves
and get along with others better. I see it as a mix between
psychology and weather-forecasting, a wonderful 'scientific' way
of knowing much more about what makes people tick, and
what is likely to happen in their world.

FREE WILL?

Another misconception is that astrology denies free will. As


with psychology, the character analysis side of astrology gives
wonderful insight into the potential of an individual. It reveals
their innate characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, but it is
entirely up to the individual how they use those. For example,
18 ▼ A ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

a person may have the gift to be artistic yet not mathematical.


They may make a great deal out of their artistic gift, or do very
little with it, but they will never be a great mathematician.
However, they may use computers or mathematics experts to
overcome that shortcoming in their overall make-up once they
are aware of it.
The predictive side of astrology I see as similar to weather-
forecasting. Likely trends coming up in general, or in the
individual's geographical area, can be established by looking at
the right maps and data. Yet if the astrologer gleans that it
might soon 'rain', they may only pass this information on. It is
up to the individual to choose what to do about it - whether
to hide indoors, take an umbrella and continue with their plans,
or perhaps stand receptacles outside and take advantage of the
rain for future use.

WHAT THE ASTROLOGER DOES

When drawing up a natal chart the astrologer will establish the


position of each of the heavenly bodies at the precise moment
of birth. Into consideration are taken the placings of the Sun,
Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto. These give the astrologer many clues about the per-
sonality of the individual.
The planets are then put into context by looking at the
sign of the zodiac rising over the eastern horizon at the moment
of birth - the Ascendant. The astrologer draws up a chart wheel,
using as its starting point the exact degree of the Ascendant at
the individual's moment of birth. This gives the astrologer
insight into the life path or destiny of the individual.
Now the planets can be placed on the wheel for further
definition. Together these create a profile of the influences that
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 19

first came into play on this person's water-dominated brain and


body. All the data can now be interpreted by the astrologer to
give a full description of this person and, in addition, the astrol-
oger can look at today's planetary placings to see how they are
likely to affect that individual now. Finally the astrologer can
look at planetary placings and dynamics coming up, to give the
individual some pointers about what they might expect to be
dealing with in the future.
The astrologer's jobs are manifold. Basic character and
potential analysis is done through the calculation of the placings
of the planets at the moment of birth, and their interpretation.
Compatibility analysis can be achieved by comparing two charts
(or series of innate characteristics). The reading of the life path
is done through drawing the wheel and analysing the different
segments of the life, to give guidance and understanding in areas
such as career path, parental influence and work aptitude (these
are just examples and, much more is visible by reading the chart
wheel).
So you can see that an astrologer does not predict the
future as much as establish the characteristics of the present,
and how to deal with them.
Put very simply, the reading of the placings of the planets
at the moment of birth gives the psychological profile of the
person, the reading of the chart wheel gives an understanding
of where they stand in this lifetime, or their life path, and the
reading of the current influences gives day-to-day guidance and
prediction. For the purposes of this book it may help you to
know just how much of that expertise I shall be helping you
to master for yourself.
20 ^ANASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

WHAT YOU CAN DO

There are layers and layers of understanding available through


astrology, with increasingly complex and involved ways of divin-
ing them. Though it still requires an astrologer or a computer
program to establish some of the planetary placings at birth,
the steps you will be able to master through the use of this
book are:

1 Establish the three strongest ingredients in your child's


chart - the Ascendant, Sun and Moon signs, and
interpret them.

2 Draw up the chart wheel and, from that, read your child's
tailor-made life path, section by section.

3 Establish and read the Midheaven placing, which shows


career path and potential.

4 Place the Sun and Moon on the wheel and establish their
influence on the life path.

By the time you have studied the Sun, Moon and Ascendant
and looked at their placing on your child's chart wheel, you
may feel a little overwhelmed. Armed with more facts than
you probably know what to do with, it would be best to sit
down quietly and study the results of your calculations. As you
ponder on all the data, some of it conflicting, some reinforcing,
a clear picture will start to form in your mind. You will have
gained the insights with which to help your child become all
that they can be and hopefully in the process you may become
their best friend by knowing them so well, without pushing or
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ASTROLOGY 21

preconceived notions about what you wa/it them to be, but with
a pure and loving acceptance of the beauty of their individuality,
appreciating their deepest strengths and weaknesses.
In knowing your wonderful child so well, you will be
equipped to respect them for the individual they are struggling
to be, instead of wasting years on confusion and heartache or
aggravation and antagonism for both of you. Of course there
will be times when your patience and understanding are pushed
to the limit, especially during the 'terrible twos' and the teenage
years, but your youngster will appreciate your insights all the
more at these times - and more than that, so will you.
I hope you will find this a really valuable book to refer to
throughout the different stages of your child's life. When your
sweet, newborn bundle of joy makes you realize that you are
the responsible party for the rest of his or her life, when your
toddler cannot express his or her frustrations, when your young-
ster is having difficulty with peers at school, or your teenager
seems too involved with his music, I am sure you will find some
answers in this book.
Now you are ready to embark on the journey of your
child's lifetime. I know you will enjoy reading the map of their
life and understanding with greater clarity the essence of their
individuality.
Shall we begin?
Practical Instructions on the

Use of This Book

Rather than stick to one gender, I have on the whole alter-


nated with descriptions for 'he' and 'she' by sign, throughout
the book. The sections headed INTERPRETATIONS are
based on the traditional interpretations modified by my own
extensive experience in reading thousands of charts over the
years.
I have divided the book into three stages or layers, in order
to make the process easier for you.

LAYER ONE - THE PERSONALITY

In which we take a look at three of the strongest influences on your


child's character. All the information you need to find and interpret
your child's Sun, Moon and Ascendant signs is contained within
this chapter.

If you lined up a loaf of bread, some thick gravy and a chocolate


gateau, then declared they were all the same, people would
think you were crazy. Equally if you said they were all flour,
they might wonder why you were over-simplifying things so
much. Obviously this ingredient is common to all the foods
mentioned, but it is by no means the full picture. By ignoring
the many other ingredients present, you ignore the considerable
differences between these foods. Your description is more than
just an over-simplification, it is truly misleading.
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THIS BOOK 23

Yet every day people talk about their 'sign' when referring
to astrology, as if it were the whole story - 'I'm a Pisces, what
are you?' In truth it is only one ingredient among many, and
your 'Sun sign' barely begins to touch on the full beauty
and individuality of your true character.
It is hardly surprising to know that there are sceptics who
rightly point out that astrology cannot work if it puts every
member of the human race into one of twelve categories. It is
ludicrous to contemplate that we are each so limited in our
characters, or so similar.
So we cannot be categorized by Sun sign alone, though it
is certainly a good place to start - as flour might be a good place
to start when describing that exotic chocolate gateau.

The Ingredients

At the moment of birth, each of the heavenly bodies (which


from now on we shall call planets) was in a certain position on
the map of the heavens, set against the backcloth of the signs
of the zodiac. The planetary angles Ascendant and Midheaven
were also being formed.
It is possible, through astronomical records and calcu-
lations, to work out what the planets above were doing at any
given moment in time and at any location here on earth. Astro-
logy is the study of the placings of those planets at a person's
birth moment and the reading of those planetary influences as
a map or blueprint for the life of that person.
When I see my clients I find it easiest to explain their
reading in stages, starting with the one part they usually know
- their sign. I explain that this is in fact their Sun sign, and
only a part of the big picture. Then I take a look at two
equally important influences - the Ascendant and the Moon -
24 • AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

establishing what sign these were in at the moment of birth and


discussing the interpretations for these with the client.
Together we shall do the same: start with the Sun sign,
then go on to the Moon and the Ascendant. To help you under-
stand a little more of these three important influences, I give
below some explanation.

0 The Sun

The vitality of the personality, or how the child may


promote himself.

1 like to think of the Sun as a light that shines out from the
individual, perhaps the energy or life force of the personality
that may be projected on to others.

]) The Moon

Denotes the emotions, the moods and habits of the child,


the way they feel about things.

Through myth and tradition we know that this has a link to


feelings. Even if not shown on the surface, this is your young-
ster's typical emotional reaction to the world, and his likely
resulting mood.

The Ascendant

Shows the flavour or core of the personality, and often


has influence over the physical appearance.

Though your youngster will of course resemble members of


his own family, there are certain physical characteristics
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THIS BOOK 25

shared by individuals with the same Ascendant or rising


sign.

When doing my readings I next establish the placings of the


more distant planets - Mercury through to Pluto. For the pur-
poses of this book we shall skip this part and move on to the
chart wheel itself, which gives more insight into the life of
the child.
If at the end of your journey through this book, and after
having drawn up and interpreted the chart wheel for your child,
you feel keen to know more about those remaining planets and their
influences, please feel free to send away for more information using
the form provided at the back of the book. This will also give you
a chance to double-check your own calculations and interpretations.

The next stage of my reading is to take a look at the chart wheel


and decipher, from that, not only each of the houses but also
the Midheaven, which gives pointers to career and vocation.
We shall cover those stages in Layer Two of this book.
What we shall work on together in the first layer are the
three main influences on personality, the Sun, the Moon and
the Ascendant. First we shall look at your child's Sun sign,
which reveals the vitality and some projected personality traits
- the ones that 'shine' out. Then, with the aid of the charts at
the back of the book, you can establish the Moon's position
at birth to gain insight into your youngster's emotional world,
his moods and habits. Next to explore will be your child's
Ascendant. Again consult the relevant tables at the back of the
book. The Ascendant gives a strong indication of a child's out-
look on life, and denotes some of his physical characteristics.
26 ▼ AMSTROLOGfCAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

LAYER TWO - THE FULLER PICTURE

In which I give directions for you to draw up your own child's


chart wheel. Interpretations for each of the houses and their
spheres of influence on the life path of your child can be found
in that section of the book.

This is where you can leam about the major outside influences
in your youngster's life, such as parents, siblings and school, and
to some extent how the child views these. This is also where
you can discover which career leanings the child is likely to
have.

The Birth Chart

The birth chart is a map of the placings of the heavenly bodies


at the moment of one's birth. As you saw from the example of
Francesca's chart on page 7, it is drawn up in the shape of a
wheel with twelve divisions, known in astrology as houses. These
make up the twenty-four-hour period during which the earth
rotates once on its axis.
Each house has its own number, from one to twelve, and
each represents a different area of the child's life It is here that
we can discern the way your child is likely to handle money,
the kind of friends they will most enjoy, even how they feel
about school, their siblings and you By knowing which sign or
signs each house is governed by, it is possible to leam more
about that area of your child's current and potential life.
The chart wheel can only be drawn once the Ascendant
is known, which is why that is covered in Layer One.
As you leam more about your child through his chart,
there will be plenty of reinforcement about the youngster you
already know so well. Equally you may discover what is behind
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THIS BOOK 27

the parts of your child's character, leanings or behaviour that


may puzzle or worry you.

LAYER THREE - A FURTHER LOOK

In which we shall place the Sun and Moon on to the wheel. We


shall put them in their righlfid houses then interpret the additional
information this provides us with.

We shall also take a look at the Midheaven. This is the cusp of


the tenth house in the chart wheel, which gives us information
about your child's possible career path, or vocation in life. My
interpretations for each possible Midheaven placing can be found
on pp. 160-163.
Though of course children will make their own way in
life, and choose their own career, it always helps to see ahead
of time where their natural talents lie, where their vocational
gifts might lie, and how they may feel the most fulfilled in their
chosen field. Of course, this is especially useful as your own
child grows older.
All the tables and chart forms are at the end of the book.
Layer One The Personality
When you take the Sun sign of a child, add the Moon sign, and
then add the Ascendant into the mix, a real picture of the
child's individuality starts to emerge. You gain insight, and can
as a result better read what the child needs and sense how he
feels about things and why, even when he is unwilling to talk
to you about problems.
Here are some examples. One person born under the fiery,
daring Sun sign Aries when the Moon was in the constellation
of bold and energetic Leo will express their personality in a
very dynamic, bold way, while their feelings (in another fire
sign) would be equally warm, spontaneous and dynamic. How
different, though, from another Sun sign Aries, who might have
been bom when the Moon was in intuitive, easily wounded
Cancer. This person could display a dynamic personality, but
their feelings would be much more sensitive. Thus they would
be less likely to rush into things, especially if they sensed they
could be hurt.
Now add their Ascendant to the equation. The picture is
further modified. Let's go back to our friend the Aries with
Moon in Leo - bold, dynamic and a bundle of fiery energy.
Perhaps their rising sign is Libra. So they also possess grace and
charm, and are probably rather good-looking. They'll be clever
at getting their own way through the use of diplomacy (rather
than relying on the dynamic energy of Aries and Leo alone).
The libra influence also introduces a strong need to keep the
peace, to maintain balance and to discuss issues. Yet the same
32 ^ ANiSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Aries with an Ascendant in Taurus may be more stockily built


and approach life from a more practical and cautious standpoint.
Now let's go back to our second friend, the Aries with
Moon in Cancer (sensitive emotions). What if their Ascendant
were in Scorpio? Then they would appear quieter, less open
than our usual Aries type, less excitable, more quietly magnetic
in fact.
From just these few examples we can begin to see how
putting the individual ingredients together starts to build a pic-
ture, and helps us to gain an insight into the true person. Also,
we begin to see how exciting the journey becomes as we uncover
the differences, even between youngsters bom with the same
Sun sign. You can work out some conclusions for yourself, just
from the clues I have already given about the characteristics of
the signs. Then you can go on to my own, more comprehensive
interpretations for each possible Sun, Moon and Ascendant
placing.
Once you have happily completed this first level of the
multi-layered astrological profile you will be ready to move on
to Layer Two and see what the chart wheel looks like, then place
the Sun and Moon on this backcloth. With this information you
can now really begin to gather some insights into your child's
view of his world, his life, even his parents.
Does this young one need to feel secure, or does he need
a lot of space? Will he be ambitious or laid-back? Does sport
appeal, or is this a budding artist? Can you count on this child
always to clean his plate or will he be a fussy eater? What will
be his attitude to his parents, his friends; and what career
will suit this youngster best? All these things and much more
can be revealed by your child's chart wheel.
By the end of this journey you will have gained insight
into your child as never before, and through this deeper under-
THE PERSONALITY 33

standing of his character and direction in life you can help


befriend and guide him.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

What you need first of all is your child's date, place and time
of birth - the exact time if possible (check the hospital records
if you cannot remember). Sometimes I may have a client who
has no record of their child's birth time, and I ask them to cast
their mind back and think of an event that might pinpoint it.
Was it dark or light outside, near a meal time, did the nurses in
the hospital change shift just before or after the birth, were you
able to phone anybody? And so on. This often helps to establish
the approximate time, and in some cases can actually jog the
memory to the exact time of birth. Or you can ask a relative,
who may surprise you by saying 'Oh yes, I remember, it was
dinner time when we got the phone call.'
If there is no way of finding out the exact time of birth,
the astrologer usually calculates the chart on the basis of a noon
birth time. However, you may have a rough idea of the birth
time, within a few hours perhaps. Since the Ascendant changes
every hour, you may be able to work out which is the right one
for your child by studying the characteristics of the different
Ascendant signs - which I have written up for you in great detail
in the following chapters. This helps you to work backwards and
actually establish the birth time from astrology instead of vice
versa. The typical physical characteristics shared by Ascendant
signs may be very easy for you to spot. Does this child have a
Scorpio look (intense, penetrating almost magnetic eyes) or
a Cancer look (round face, with amazing facility to change
expression)? Or perhaps the typical cowlick curls on the fore-
head and that steady gaze of the Taurus Ascendant.
SOME HOMEWORK

You are about to uncover so many wonderful things about your


precious offspring. To make you more efficient and to make the
reading as accurate as possible, you may like to arm yourself
with a few facts which will help you to understand and interpret
the data.
Gather together something to jot down notes on. You will
have a lot of information soon, and since the recipe builds
ingredient by ingredient, you will probably need to refer back
to your notes so that you can see how the picture is forming.
For you to piece together the clues and gather the insights
as I did for Francesca, the first thing you will need to do is
familiarize yourself with the signs of the zodiac. Here are some
key phrases that briefly express the essence of each of the twelve
signs of the zodiac. (Traditionally in astrology Aries is first on
the list, Pisces last.)

The SIGNS of the ZODIAC

ARIES the Ram


is self-motivated, honest, can't resist challenge.

I^TAURUS the Bull


is practical, cautious and can be stubborn.

GEMINI the Twins


is mischievous and keen on communications.

HE CANCER the
is nurturing, reflective and sensitive.

LEO the Lion


is proud, loyal and dynamic.
VIRGO the Virgin
is meticulous, careful and orderly.

Wlibra the Scales


seeks balance, harmony and beauty.

SCORPIO the Scorpion


is intense, private and deep.

^ SAGITTARIUS the Centaur


is cheerful, free and philosophical.

CAPRICORN the Goat


is ambitious, traditional and persistent.

^AQUARIUS the WaUrrbearer


is humanitarian, scientific, original.

35PISCES the Fishes


is imaginative, empathetic and gentle.
36 T4iV ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

THE ELEMENTS: EARTH, AIR, FIRE, WATER

Each sign of the zodiac is traditionally associated with one of


the above elements. If you think about the characteristics of each
of these elements, you can start to understand the essence of
these signs. For example:

WATER SIGNS ~ Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces


These are the flexible, flowing signs, where emotion is strongly
involved.

EARTH SIGNS ~ Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn


These are the practical, immovable signs, with determination
evident.

EIRE SIGNS ~ Aries, Leo, Sagittarius


These are the warm, spontaneous and dynamic signs.

AIR SIGNS ~ Gemini, Libra, Aquarius


These are the freewheeling, uncontainable generators of ideas.
THE PERSONALITY 37

The Symbols

To save time and space, astrologers often use a symbol instead


of a word, and you may find it fun to learn these symbols. This
will be useful when you consult the various tables I have
included in this book, and when you start entering data into
the chart wheel you draw up for your child.

Symbols for the SIGNS of the ZODIAC

ARIES LIBRA j~\.


Y
TAURUS « SCORPIO TO,
GEMINI K SAGITTARIUS /
CANCER © CAPRICORN K
LEO R AQUARIUS
VIRGO np PISCES X

Symbols for the HEAVENLY BODIES

SUN 0 MOON D

ASCENDANT AsC. MIDHEWEN Mid.

So to write Sun in Libra you can put ©in

LETS GET STARTED

At last it is time to have fun, as you start down the wonderful


road of discovery - the journey through your youngster's chart.
Have your child's birth data plus a pen and paper at the ready.
Be aware that reading the chart is rather like peeling an onion:
just when you think you've reached the most interesting layer,
another more interesting one lies beneath - though I do not
anticipate this bringing tears to your eyes!
Your Child's Sun Sign

The Sun moves into a new constellation on approximately* the


21st of every month.
To establish the Sun sign you simply have to look at the
following table.

If your child was born between Their Sun sign wiU be

21 March and 19 April ARIES


20 April and 20 May TAURUS
21 May and 20 June GEMINI
21 June and 22 July CANCER
23 July and 22 August LEO
23 August and 22 September VIRGO
23 September and 22 October LIBRA
23 October and 21 November SCORPIO
22 November and 21 December SAGITTARIUS
22 December and 19 January CAPRICORN
20 January and 18 February AQUARIUS
19 February and 20 March PISCES

On the following pages I give the description and definition of


each Sun sign. Remember, the Sun indicates your child's vitality
and projected traits. At the end of each description I have added
a gift idea, which always seems to work well for Christmas or

* This can vary by a day or so depending on the year. If your child was bom on
the cusp date (the date the sign changed) and you know their time of birth,
you can write to me for their exact Sun sign. (See address at end of book.)
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 39

birthday gifts. It is also useful when selecting a gift to take to a


child's birthday party - as now you will know the Sun sign of
the birthday child.

SUN SIGN INTERPRETATIONS

Sun in Aries

This is a daring and dynamic child, who responds well to a


challenge and is keen to explore new ground. In some ways,
even as he grows older, he will always retain something of the
infant in his approach to life - with a sense of wonder, honesty
and a keenness to break new ground; also believing the world
revolves around him. As a toddler he will seem fearless and will
often get into scrapes, possibly bumping his head. The Aries
youngster is a warm, somewhat self-centred and definitely self-
motivated individual. He will exude a dynamic, exciting direct
and open personality, and will be keen on sports. He'll not be
good at standing in queues but will most likely find a way to
get to the front, and in general seems to find himself in the
lead. Your Aries teenager is attracted to fast driving and risk
taking. So buy him a crash helmet and don't be surprised if he
yearns to try bungee-jumping or hang-glidingl It is natural for
him to want to hone the speed of his reactions through a sport
such as go-karting or skate-boarding. He will appreciate not just
the thrill of speed, but also the performance and the engineering
of vehicles. Even an Aries daughter will appreciate being taught
the rudiments of mechanics. Encourage your Aries teenager to
take an advanced driving course and don't be surprised if he (or
she) feels bold enough then to go on to take flying lessons! Aries
children seek and appreciate honesty. It is for this reason that
they may come right out with the most difficult questions at
40 ^AlASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

times. If you hedge or try to play for time they will know. To
maintain the respect and love between you it would be best to
answer your little Aries's questions honestly and directly.

GREAT GIFf IDEAS: Plane, train, anything metal, anything fast,


challenging and fast games or sports, Rollerblades (yes, little
girls too).

Sun in Taurus

Your Taurus child needs security. If you stay close to her and
offer her plenty of cuddles and reassurance while she is very
young she will reward you with a placid temperament and a
sweet disposition. She needs touch and tenderness, harmony
and beauty. She'll enjoy exploring her senses from a very young
age, so hang something pretty over her cradle, do artistic projects
with her and play her sweet music. All her senses are very alive,
including taste and smell. Thus she loves the experience of
eating and will enjoy feeling the texture of fabric and food. Or
she may enjoy making mud pies in the garden. Just consider
her a budding sculptor. The only thing likely to put little Taurus
off her food is unpleasantness - of taste, smell or surroundings.
Being an earth child little Taurus enjoys being close to nature,
and may display artistic talent from an early age. Don't forget
her musical side, which will be strong from the outset. She'll
be soothed by your lullabies and will soon join in rhymes and
songs. She'll happily play around on toy or real instruments,
with an instinct for harmony. A certain amount of stubbornness
is natural to the little bull, so it will be important for you to
remember that the carrot (in the form of an appeal to the
emotions) works better than the stick (trying to tell her what
to do). Remember too that her natural determination is one of
her strengths. Up till the teenage years most Taurus children
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN ' 41

endear themselves to you with their sweet, placid natures. How-


ever, Taureans feel very uncomfortable with change, and their
deep need for security makes it hard for them to adapt. Thus
perhaps you can understand why your Taurus teenager may
appear grumpy, irritable or stubborn. Underneath that she is
fearful of being on shifting sand. Plenty of reassurance and faith
is required, because she will revert to that sweet and gende
personality once the turmoil is over.

GREAT GUT IDEAS: Gardening kit, instrument or singing les-


sons, sewing kit, all art supplies.

Sun in Gemini

Freedom and intellect are the keys to your Gemini child. The
clever trick is to keep him safe while not letting him feel
hemmed in. Provide plenty of variety and change in his day-to-
day life. He particularly likes ideas and mental stimulation. He'll
love it when you talk to him - even before birth. In general
your little Gemini will be active, he won't want to be confined.
He'd like to be constandy on the move. He'll relish moments
in the great outdoors - as a baby, take him out for walks often.
Then when he's older help him leam to ride a bike early on.
He'll grow to enjoy any sports which allow the wind to blow
through his hair, such as biking, sailing or windsurfing. He needs
to be mobile. He may have vivacious and bubbly moments and
equally quiet ones, but don't be fooled into believing the old
tale of Gemini having two personalities. This is just one which
needs plenty of mental stimulation. Your little Gemini loves
ideas, and is constandy mulling them over in his mind. When
the external stimuli of conversation and socialization are miss-
ing, your little Gemini may turn in on himself to think things
through quiedy. The worid of books is a natural home for little
w
42 A ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Gemini, so read to him a lot when he is little, and help him


learn to read for himself as early as possible. He will be good
with his hands, and may well be adept at doing many things at
once (reading a magazine, watching television, drawing a
picture). As a teenager your Gemini will demand more freedom
than some of the other signs. He wants to be out there in the
world of ideas. You may worry that he is not keeping up with
his homework, or that he doesn't seem to be concentrating too
well, but somehow his bright mind makes it easy for him to
catch up and catch on.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Bike, learning books, computer, musical


instrument, fishing equipment.

Sun in Cancer

Home and family are the world to your Cancer child. She will
be very attached to her parents, especially her mother, and
should, if possible, be breast-fed as a baby. She likes hanging
out with mum or dad in the kitchen or the garden. Don't always
believe what you see with little Cancer, though. She identifies
so strongly with her surroundings that she can be quite a cha-
meleon. Rather like a reflecting pool, she absorbs and reflects
the emotional environment surrounding her. This can make her
feel insecure, and thus behave in a clingy manner. She may be
quite overwhelmed by her own extreme sensitivity, and has to
learn early on to hide these powerful feelings from view. Like
the crab that is her symbol, your Cancer child has such a soft
and vulnerable underneath (emotions) that she has to develop
a hard outer shell to protect herself from hurt. Bearing this in
mind always treat your Cancer child gently and sensitively and
she will reward you with tenfold the nurturing and tenderness
that you expend. She is impressionable, so she is not a child to
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 43

allow uncensored TV viewing or film watching, and even if she


does not appear to be reacting keep away from those spooky
fairy tales if you want a good night's sleep. She is more moved
by emotional stories and more frightened by horrifying scenes
than other children. Even if she does not show this externally,
your little Cancerian is apt to worry, and this can manifest itself
as stomach, digestive or appetite problems. As teenagers both
sons and daughters may display their 'crabby' side. The Cancer-
ian girl is particularly influenced by the Moon and her inner
bodily cycles. She may weep one day and grumble the next,
yet despite any protestations she needs plenty of cuddles and
nurturing at these times. The boy may become restless to
explore more of his world once he feels that all at home is
secure. The girl will be less keen to leave home than the boy,
unless she is deeply unhappy there. On the contrary, emotional
attachment makes both the Cancerian son and daughter keen
to hang on to what they have - which can lead to a very
cluttered room.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Cookery book, doll's house, dressing-up


clothes, seeds or plants, storage boxes, photo album (yes, for
boys too).

Sun in Leo

Warm and loyal, your litde lion cub loves to romp and play,
and especially enjoys showing the others that he is the king of
the jungle. He may even cuff or bite an opponent if his temper
is baited, and though he may be a little too proud to say sorry,
he will do so in his own way, with a generous gift and obvious
affection. And your Leo child needs lots of that - hugs, cuddles
and warmth. Leo children are extremely sociable, craving a great
deal of attention. The best way to make your Leo child cranky
44 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

is to ignore him. He is at home in the spodight, though he will


avoid anything that might show him up in a bad light or hurt
his considerable pride. Your Leo child will be good at organizing
himself and others, and will appreciate art, both as a participant
and as an observer, so don't be afraid to introduce him to the
great artists through books and visits to galleries. The theatre
particularly draws little Leo, who can be a great little actor. So
take him to pantomimes, to school plays and, when he is older,
to the theatre. He'll be fascinated with all aspects of the pro-
duction and in school should be encouraged to participate, even
if it is simply to paint the scenery. Gregarious by nature, your
young Leo comes alive at parties. Don't be surprised if he
becomes quite a trendsetter, especially as he grows older.
Fashion sense is natural to him, and an interest in fashion is
inbuilt. As a teenager your litde Lion needs a firm hand. He
may start to feel the urge to become king of your jungle, and
on more than one occasion you'll probably need to point out
who is boss. He may roar, he may act, but so long as you don't
dent his dignity and pride in front of his friends, he'll be proud
of his family, displaying loyalty and warmth towards you.

GREAT GIFf IDEAS: Theatre tickets, acting props, art supplies,


the latest fashions.

Sun in Virgo

Your Virgo child takes life very seriously. It is in her nature to


be helpful in a practical way. She does not like to cause a fuss.
Nonetheless at times she may seem tense and fretful or have
digestive problems, but all this can be put down to tension. She
is a bom perfectionist and soon leams the habit of worrying
even when there is nothing to worry about! She is wonderful
with detail and won't miss a thing. Practical in the extreme,
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 45

whatever your Virgo child takes on she will see through to


completion. Methodical and analytical, she will be a whiz at
jigsaw puzzles and mathematical games. She likes routine, neat-
ness and order, and though she may not demand lots of cuddles,
she needs plenty of reassurance that she is on the right track.
Your litde Virgo will not need reminding about chores or home-
work Her keen perception makes her critical. She will say
when things are not quite right. Don't feel threatened by this
- remember, she turns the criticism inward more. This can at
times lead her to lose interest in food or have difficulty sleeping.
Reassure her often and teach her the phrase, 'Do your best then
leave the rest.' Diet and health are likely to be real interests of
hers. She'll analyse her food and be wary of unusual combin-
ations or sauces. Don't let this create a battlefield between you,
just serve her food plain. If you lose something and need a
sharp eye, ask your litde Virgo. She loves to be useful and does
not miss a thing. She may not be bothered with fashion but she
is fastidious, refusing to wear anything with a tiny wrinkle or
mark. As a teenager your quiet, reserved Virgo spends much
time thinking things through, conscious of her future responsi-
bilities. Use humour to help her relax and take life more as it
comes. Have long talks with her in which you can analyse people
and things, and remember to reassure her that both you and
she are truly all right.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Sorting games, jigsaw puzzles, chess, com-


puter, assembly kits, clock or watch.

Sun in Libra

The Libra child can be charm personified; somehow he always


manages to get his own way. As soon as he arrives in your life
you will be bowled over by this. And he will learn from an early
46 ^ A ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

age that just a smile, just a gentle gesture, and he has you
melting. Since harmony is so important to litde Librans, art,
music and nature will appeal. Sing to your Libra child and take
him out in the fresh air often. He may surprise you with his
love for the birdsong he hears, the wild flowers he sees. Most
Libran children enjoy literature and poetry too. Diplomatic and
fair in his approach, he will find a way of making sure justice is
done, so he will become the little arbitrator in the playground.
He will go out of his way to avoid harsh or ugly environments,
and even as an infant will become deeply upset if there is an
angiy or discordant atmosphere around him. As he grows older
he will display the strong need to balance everything (as in the
symbol for Libra, the scales). This can lead to a confusing
situation if you do not read him right. He cannot abide discord
and will go a long way to avoid a fight, yet he is totally
compelled to point out the opposite in every situation (redressing
the balance again). It may seem he is picking a fight, but he
really wants debate when he brings up the opposing viewpoint.
Beauty will be very important to him, so don't be surprised if he
is very concerned with his hair, his clothes, his appearance.
Young Libra likes to analyse and understand things in a scientific
way, and since he needs to exchange ideas, he will be most
conversational. Don't fence your little Libra in, though, he needs
a lot of freedom to explore his world. You may wonder if he is too
vain as a teenager, but others will find him so charming and
attractive that you'll soon trust he is on the right track. He'll
want a lot of freedom to explore his world, but will always
entertain you with stories and anecdotes.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Poetry book, calligraphy pens, science lab,


embroidery kit, blank books to write in, beauty products.
47

Sun in Scorpio

There are no half-measures for your litde Scorpian; she does


everything with a passion. She is deep and intense, and can
possess an unnerving ability to penetrate with her insights. Per-
haps even as an infant she will fix you with a quizzical gaze.
She seems to question with her eyes and her attitude; she wants
you to tell her everything. She is also possessive, so don't be
surprised if she cries for you to keep holding her when you
want to put her down. As a toddler she will be determined and
wilful yet may at times show enormous consideration. Her own
deepest feelings are often kept under lock and key, and you'll
only manage a glimpse of their intensity now and again. Because
she feels everything so overwhelmingly, she will develop self-
control very early on. Underneath her facade she may feel deep
inner fears or insecurities, so reassure her often. Don't try to
pry, but do reassure her often to help her feel safe. You may
want to reassure her that she is loved, but there is no need,
since she has a tremendous sixth sense and she can simply feel
this to be true. If you treat your Scorpio child with love and
kindness she will be yours for life. But hurt your Scorpio or
abuse her trust and it will take her a long time to forgive you.
She needs her privacy - a special place where she can go to be
with her thoughts and perhaps keep the mementoes that mean
much more to her than she would ever say. She will probably
enjoy mystery novels and some of the more scary movies as she
gets older. She will have an impressively strong will, great inner
power and depth. She will be possessive of those people and
things she considers to be hers, including her siblings, though at
times you may not realize this, since her jealousy can make this
a batdeground.
48 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Scissors, microscope, mystery novels, safe


or diary with lock and key.

Sun in Sagittarius

Your sunny Sagittarian usually has enough optimism to keep


the whole family looking on the bright side. He will be active
and energetic, and as an infant will probably beam you wonder-
ful smiles, though he will also go red in the face with temper
if he is kept waiting for anything - he has inborn impatience. If
his litde temper does flare, it will subside just as quickly, and
he will return to his warm, loving self. He cannot help but be
honest, so his true feelings and ideas are there displayed for the
world to see. He needs a tremendous amount of freedom, since
he is quite the philosopher and feels driven to experience every-
thing in life. Thus he enjoys meeting folks and sharing sports,
both as spectator and player. Don't try to restrict your litde
Sagittarian, he simply has to explore his world, so he'll love to
travel with you. His native value of freedom helps him have
quite an affinity with animals. Small Sagittarius is economical
with time and words - he wants to get to the point in the most
honest and direct way. You will have no doubt as to your little
Sagittarian's opinion, and you will always know just where you
stand in his eyes. He is generous to a fault and not at all
possessive or materialistic. As a teenager your Sagittarius needs
a lot of sport to keep him from getting into mischief. In his
quest to learn and philosophize he might otherwise lead himself
down inappropriate paths. His inbuilt need for freedom means
you must leave the reins loose enough throughout his life, for
him to move freely, but not so loose that he can hang himself.
A fine line to walk. If you restrict him too much he will simply
rebel, if you let him have total freedom he will not know when
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 49

to say 'no'. Listen to his wonderful wisdoms, he is a natural


teacher.

GREAT GIFr IDEAS: Globe, adas or geography game, pet or


horseriding lessons, any sports equipment, trip to another
country.

Sun in Capricorn

Very earthy and full of determination, your practical little Capri-


corn may dig her heels in with such stubbornness that you reach
total stalemate. Appreciate this trait, though, she does not give
up, and this is her strength. She is not in a hurry, quite happy
to have a slow start, create a solid foundation, then build her
success brick by brick. She is a cautious child, somewhat serious
at times, and in her quiet, dignified way can seem old for her
years. She seeks to be treated with respect, but then she is apt
to surprise you with a belly laugh at a rude joke. She has a
wonderful sense of humour. At times when you wish to step in
and do things for your small Capricorn, especially if she seems
slow or unable to do them for herself, stand back and wait.
With a determined series of tries, this little practical one will
probably amaze you as she painstakingly masters new skills.
When reading her the story of the tortoise and the hare, she
will smile ruefully; she recognizes herself in that tortoise. You
will gradually realize how quietly ambitious this little one is.
She possesses natural shrewdness in dealing with people and
handling money. Security for the future is essential for her peace
of mind, so she is bound to be a good saver. School work will
go better the more time you spend and the more praise you
give her. She needs a good deal of encouragement because
secretly she does not always believe in herself. At home with
nature, she will be clever with plants, animals and the soil.
SO ^ ANiSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Purposeful and single-minded, little Capricorn is not easily


deflected from her chosen path. She has a deeply ingrained
sense of responsibility, especially where family and tradition are
concerned. Being particularly close to mother and father, it is
the Capricorn child who will be there to take care of them
when they grow old.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS: Building blocks, wheelbarrow, treehouse,


bank account, vegetable garden.

Sun in Apuarius

Original and sociable, your Aquarian youngster will do things


his way, even if the rest of the world has never done them that
way before. He is simply being himself, and not fitting into a
pre-cast mould. Always seeking a new and better way of doing
things, he may simply refuse to wear shoes, or he may invent a
new way to crawl across the floor. Eternally sociable, little Aqua-
rius loves company, and always feels completely at home in a
crowd. See him in the group setting; it was made for him. Not
that he is especially gregarious, but as he grows older you'll
see that he possesses quiet leadership skills. He is at home when
combining art and technology, will probably develop an interest
in astrology and may even become quite an inventor. Since he
is secure in his own individualism, he never feels threatened,
nor can he be deflected, by the crowd. Instead he maintains
his individualism, sticking to his own eccentricities quietly but
stubbornly. In the end he may be the one to change the masses.
His friendships are important to him, as are people in general.
He cares a great deal about his fellow man and his planet, and
will enjoy school projects that involve social work or ecology.
Dealing with his determination to be different can prove diffi-
cult, but if you remember simply to back down when the issue
YOUR CHILD'S SUN SIGN 51

doesn't really matter, yet be absolutely firm when it does, he


will respect you. He may unnerve you at times, when he seems
to possess wisdom beyond the current century or when he is
quite at home with concepts the rest of us are not ready to
grasp, but his 'way out' or far-fetched ideas may, in a generation,
become accepted as the norm. He will enjoy the institution of
school and will be great if something sparks an interest in a
local charity.

GREAT GIFf IDEAS: Stargazing kit, ecology kit, camera, com-


puter art/graphics, astrology or New Age books.

Sun in Pisces

Gentle and tender-hearted, your little Pisces may cry for the
sheer sorrow she senses in the world. She is immensely empa-
thetic, reading people from the heart, feeling other people's or
animal's pain as if it were her own. So as a baby, she may be
more upset by the atmosphere around her than anything tan-
gible. Soothe away her fears with gentle lullabies and warm
baths. Being bombarded always by the emotions of the planet,
she seeks refuge from the assault on her senses. Thus her
capacity to retreat into daydreams and the world of fantasy. Her
sympathetic nature means others know they can turn to her for
solace. If this happens too much she will find her world of
dreams essential and restorative. Sensitive in the extreme, her
little face will crumple to tears when she is hurt, yet she would
not wittingly retaliate to hurt someone's feelings. She has a
natural rapport with the sick and suffering and may enjoy taking
care of an injured bird or animal, having an instinctive healing
touch when nursing it back to health. Since the world of dreams
is so very important to your Pisces child's equilibrium, don't
think she is being lazy or unresponsive when she takes time to
52 ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

simply switch off. Music and poetry are food to her soul, and
she wisely knows the importance of paying attention to the
space between thoughts. Encourage her to get into books, or
her need to enter the realm of imagination could make her into
quite a TV addict. Your small Piscean is a wonderful weaver of
dreams, quite visionary at times. She'll be gifted with art, music
and dancing. A romantic at heart, your teenaged Pisces is ideal-
istic, wanting to think the best of every person and situation.
Teach her gently to temper her idealism with some realism.

GREAT GIFf IDEAS: Dance classes, music lessons, tapes or CDs,


swimming lessons, poetry books.
Your Child's Moon Sign

Next you can gain a better understanding of your little one's


emotional side by analysing their Moon sign characteristics. In
order to determine the sign the Moon was in at your child's
moment of birth, you need to know their birth time. (Remem-
ber, if you really cannot establish the birth time, use noon.)
Now, using the tables on pp. 166—217, run your finger along
the column for the child's date and time of birth, and you will
see their Moon sign.
As parents we tread a tricky path, always trying to keep
the correct balance between being too lenient and being overly
strict. As a barometer we may use other parents' views and
approaches to make sure we are not treading a path that is
too extreme. We may try out different approaches, different
disciplines, different stimuli, to see how our youngster will react.
Knowing the Moon sign of your child can help you tailor your
handling of them better.
We wish our children to be happy, valuable members of
society, yet even within the same family, two or three siblings
may have completely different reactions to life and circum-
stances. The Moon sign shows how they are likely to respond
to day-to-day family events - crises, arguments, changes and
responsibilities.
On the following pages I give my definitions for each of
the possible Moon signs. Recognizing as a parent, how much
external stimuli our little ones are bombarded with on a daily
basis, and knowing how important reading will be during their
growing-up years, I have added a few key notes entitled
54 ^AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Multi-media at the end of each description. These give you an


indication as to their likely preferences and reactions to books,
videos, computer games and so forth.

MOON SIGN INTERPRETATIONS

Moon in Aries

Emotional reactions: Warm, spontaneous, dynamic.


Emotional triggers: Needs to be in front, will fight to be leader.

Your Moon in Aries child will be cuddly and warm, giving and
forgiving, yet attached to personal freedom. This litde one has
the ram's emotions - proud, confident of the leadership position,
ready to stand head and shoulders above anyone trying to chal-
lenge this. His emotional reactions will be quick, especially any
that have heat such as a flash of temper or a burst of passion.
Just like flames, though, litde Aries Moon's feelings can cool
down with equal speed. Thus he lets bygones be bygones, and
doesn't bear emotional gmdges. Impetuous, keen, dynamic, bold
and sometimes jumpy but always brave and ready for action,
this litde one is an emotional dynamo whose feelings of warmth,
power and energy are right there on the surface. So you will
not have to guess what his reactions might be to any issue;
however, be ready to jump out of the way if he puts his head
down and appears about to butt anyone who comes near! Dis-
traction will be a wonderful tactic if you want to change his
mood, since he is drawn to novelty, change and challenge.

Multi-media: Likes plenty of action; avoid the mushy, romantic


stuff.
Moon in Taurus

Emotional reactions: Solid, dependable, constant.


Emotional triggers: Distressed by lack of permanence or discord.

Emotionally steady, you are not in for any surprises from your
Moon in Taurus child. She can be relied upon to react slowly
and behave predictably. She is a creature of habit, and that habit
is to be generally pleasant - certainly not moody. In fact she
feels a strong need to keep things just as they are. Her feelings
are solid and deep-rooted, so she appears calm and placid most
of the time. She does possess a temper but, just like the bull,
can take a tremendous amount of taunting until those nostrils
begin to flare and she's on the rampage! Don't try to reason
with her then, just get out of the way and wait until she has
calmed down. Then she will need plenty of reassurance as she
may feel insecure. Little Moon in Taurus is strongly influenced
by her senses - smell, touch, taste, sight, sound. She will be
turned off by an unpleasant smell, but will be moved by beauty
and harmony. Most of the time you can count on gentle sweet-
ness from your Moon in Taurus child.

Multi-media: Will like nature, gentle music and happy family


stories. She is happy with the predictable, the favourite nursery
rhyme or piece of music. Avoid anything harsh or ugly.

Moon in Gemini

Emotional reactions: Vivacious, sparkling, bouncy.


Emotional triggers: Claustrophobic, hates to feel trapped.

The emotions of your Moon in Gemini child will be flexible


and lively. Like a babbling brook, this little one is able to sense
the fun in life. His eyes will crinkle as he sees the funny side of
56 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

things. His emotions are linked by invisible strings to his hands,


his tongue and his feet. Since he is quite unfazed by doing many
things at once (in fact this puts him in a good mood), he will
happily clap, chatter and skip all at the same time. Little Gemini
Moon is quick to laugh and come alive to the stimulation of
books and conversation. He also delights in the fun and chal-
lenge of games and puzzles. Excited by languages, he'll be swift
at mastering pronunciation, though not too interested in getting
bogged down by the grammar. He'll be in his element when
chasing around doing a litde bit of a lot of things - variety may
be the spice of this youngster's life. Emotionally a butterfly, this
little one may hop on your lap and give you a spontaneous hug
one minute, but be gone again like a will-o'-the-wisp the next.

Multi-media: Can't get enough books, likes clever humour


(puns, etc.) and intelligent or foreign films.

Moon in Cancer

Emotional reactions: Sentimental, easily moved, moody.


Emotional triggers: Highly sensitive, emotions easily over-
stimulated.

Don't make light of this little one's feelings. Of all the Moon
signs of the zodiac, little Moon in Cancer is the most emotionally
sensitive. She is not over-dramatizing she really feels things.
Like a pool she absorbs and reflects all that is going on around
her - feelings, moods, atmospheres. Then she cannot help but
empathize, to be an emotional part of whatever is going on.
Expect to see her move rapidly through the gamut of emotions,
she is so swiftly swayed to laughter or tears. Moodiness can be
a problem, but given time (and not enough sympathy) this
litmus-paper child may learn to hide her emotional reactions
YOUR CHILD'S MOON SIGN 57

behind a cool mask. Don't be fooled by her outer shell, this is


simply to protect that extraordinarily vulnerable inside. She
tends to become very emotionally attached to people and things
- reluctant to let go. Treat her gendy and remember she likes
to cling on to you, so reassure her with plenty of enveloping
hugs.

Multi-media: Enjoys history, family sagas, good acting, but


nothing too sorrowful. Never horror. Cookery and gardening
books appeal.

Moon in Leo

Emotional reactions: Warm, magnanimous, loyal.


Emotional triggers: Pride easily wounded. Hurt by being
ignored.

This is a child with a big heart, naturally warm and generous of


spirit. Your litde lion Moon may roar at times, but he'll also
welcome you with the hugest, most charismatic grins and will
love to be hugged. Even when he's a teenager he'll proudly hug
his mum and dad. His feelings of pride are intense, so never
squash them. He feels loyal too, especially to his own family.
His powerful feelings may make him fight with you at times,
but he will never betray you. If he's cross he'll stomp around, but
if he's happy he'll flash that golden smile. He can be very
gregarious, revelling in parties and being in the limelight. His
reactions will be grand and expansive, extremely warm and
affectionate, at times possibly fierce, but never mean-spirited.
His feelings are most easily hurt by being let down or by others
making a fool out of him. Don't you be fooled though, he may
be too proud to show how much he is hurting inside. Like the
big pussy cat that he is, he will purr if you stroke his ego!
Multi-media: Enjoys art books, develops loyalty to actors/direc-
tors, enjoys dramatic action.

Moon in Virgo

Emotional reactions: Cool, anxious, fussy.


Emotional triggers: Needs encouragement, lacks belief in being
good enough.

Who said that emotions always had to be demonstrated with


cuddles and kisses? Your little Moon in Virgo has her own
special way of showing her feelings, so don't be fooled by any
apparent coolness. At times she may not seem especially demon-
strative, but in truth your Moon in Virgo child cares less about
herself than other people, and that includes you. She tends to
spend so much time analysing her feelings that she forgets to let
them flow spontaneously. Also, her true feelings often involve
worry or fretfulness, as she inwardly remonstrates with herself
for not having been or done something else. As a result she
often carries around inner tension. Little Moon in Virgo's
practical, no-nonsense approach makes her irritated by more
frivolous types. Since she does not wear her heart on her
sleeve, she may sense that too much emotion gets in the way
of what must usefully be done. Shyness is likely, so remind
her often that she is wonderful, precious and valued. Then you
can teach her to talk about her feelings and maybe express them
more.

Multi-media: Enjoys the detail, appreciates analytical works.

Moon in Libra

Emotional reactions: Balanced, harmonious, smooth.


Emotional triggers: Frozen by violent or aggressive behaviour.
YOUR CHILD'S MOON SIGN 59

Effervescent and bubbly, your Moon in Libra child enjoys get-


ting along with others. His mood is particularly lifted by conver-
sation and humour. He will not want to rock the boat - quite
the contrary, he feels happiest in peaceable surroundings. This
produces polite and gracious behaviour. Since harmony and
beauty are essential to maintain his good outlook, he might feel
sad or depressed in an ugly or discordant environment. When
all runs smoothly in his world, and provided he does not feel
restricted, he will be gentle, kind, positive and upbeat. Since the
Moon in Libra youngster feels such a need to keep everything on
an even keel, his emotions are generally balanced. He may find
it easier to express these with words - either written or spoken
- rather than demonstrative gestures. If you feel tense or tired,
you may see he balances this with charming and soothing
behaviour.

Multi-media: Words, words, words, particularly poetry. Also


dance, visual beauty, sport and justice.

Moon in Scorpio

Emotional reactions: Intense, passionate, private.


Emotional triggers: Betrayal can destroy confidence.

Do not believe that what you see is what you get, when it
comes to the child with Moon in Scorpio. This litde one has
feelings that run deeper than any other sign of the zodiac.
Her emotional reactions can be so intense they threaten to
overwhelm the Moon in Scorpio child, so she learns to keep
them hidden from view. She does such a good job of suppressing
her feelings that she may lose touch with them until someone
understanding points them out to her. In a crisis she may appear
totally unfazed, only to react later, in private. She may learn
this detachment from a very early age - after she has experi-
enced them overwhelming her once or twice. Your only clue to
a major reaction then will be an electrically charged quietness
about her. This is not a child whose mood changes swiftly. Once
hurt or elated, she may stay in this phase for days. Deep-rooted
feelings of insecurity are her birthright, and you'll know when
she feels this way as she'll become overly possessive or jealous.
Assured of your devotion, however, your Scorpio Moon child
quiedy adores you.

Multi-media: Mysteries, thrillers, secrets and scary stories


appeal.

Moon in Sasittarius

Emotional reactions: Open, enthusiastic, cheerful.


Emotional triggers: Impatience and anger emerge if too
restricted.

In the Moon in Sagittarius child emotional reactions are swift,


and honest. He is not afraid of letting his feelings show. In this
little one everything emotional is warm and spontaneous, from
his displays of affection to his flashes of temper - and this may
flare up very quickly but will just as swiftly subside. Most of
the time, though, your little Moon in Sagittarius will be in a
sunny and cheerful mood Generally feeling that things can only
get better, this youngster rushes full tilt at life. At times his
supreme optimism can lead him to ignore possible pitfalls, but
his enthusiasm is infectious - he brings hope. He often feels
resdess, sensing that the grass may be greener just beyond
the horizon. He is excited by travel, adventure and energetic
sports. He has a natural empathy with wild animals. If he feels
restricted or restrained his face will redden and you'll see a flash
YOUR CHILD'S MOON SIGN 61

of hot temper as he fiercely breaks his bonds. Most of the time,


though, you can count on him being a jovial litde fellow.

Multi-media: Straightforward plots. Sports, action, humour,


travel.

Moon in Capricorn

Emotional reactions: Serious, concerned, dignified.


Emotional triggers: Easily crushed, respect this little one's
dignity.

Your Moon in Capricorn youngster has her feelings very much


under control, and is economical in their expression. She
appears very strong, seldom giving in to tears, though a stubborn
mood and eventually tantrums may ensue if she is thwarted.
Her determination is powerful, she will not be easily deflected
from her chosen path. Her overwhelming need for respect
makes this youngster serious, quiet and dignified. Underneath
this seemingly confident, perhaps stem exterior, she may well
have secret fears of unworthiness. This manifests itself in
over-attachment to possessions. Once she is taught empathy,
however, she can go to the ends of the earth for someone else.
Little Capricorn Moon is truly emotionally influenced by family
and tradition. Her mother and father are the world to her and
she is bound to form very strong attachments to grandparents.
The greatest thing that gives her faith in her own worth and
the ability to love others is the love and support of her family.
She will never show it, but she needs huge helpings of praise
and appreciation.

Multi-media: Practical books on making things. Films about the


earth or history and tradition - sagas.
62 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Moon in Aciuarius

Emotional reactions: Logical, free, unusual.


Emotional triggers: Will rebel even to own detriment, if too
rule-bound.

The child bom with the Moon in Aquarius is an individualist -


there is no one quite like him, and that is the way he wants it.
Friendship is very important to him, so he'll enjoy his social life
from day one. Though his emotions will be mostly steady, even
cool, once in a while you may be quite taken aback by a seem-
ingly unprovoked outburst of wailing. Before you react, take
one step back, because he could simply be perfonning an experi-
ment to see what your reaction will be. He feels the need to
understand his world and improve it somehow, thus he analyses
feelings, even his own. In his heart he is a scientist and an
inventor. His real protests are likely to come only when his
individualism is challenged. When he is truly upset about some-
thing then he'll react in an eccentric or way-out manner. He
feels strong attachments to this planet and all the creatures that
live on it, and is often moved to help them in some way. So
don't be surprised if he brings home stray animals.

Multi-media: Photography, science, invention, ecology, the uni-


verse, social causes, New Age.

Moon in Pisces

Emotional reactions: Tender, sweet, empathetic.


Emotional triggers: Will retreat into fantasy world if treated
unkindly.

This is an ethereal child. She is often in a dreamy mood, and


may retreat into her own world of illusion when things get too
YOUR CHILD'S MOON SIGN 63

tough for her to handle. At times your Moon in Pisces child is


so impressionable that she may be hurt before you know it.
Sensitive in the extreme, she will just look up at you with big,
sad, tear-filled eyes and you will know something has moved
her. Since she is so impressionable, it would be wise not to
expose her to violent or disturbing television. She empathizes
so much with her friends that before long they will be telling
her all their troubles. She has a natural rapport with animals,
somehow just sensing what they are trying to convey. She cannot
help her emotional reactions, nor can she hide them. Your Moon
in Pisces child may be impressionable to the point of being
psychic. She lives by her feelings, so needs times in which to
rest them with music or daydreams. She should be discouraged
from feelings of self-pity or martyrdom, but encouraged to
switch off and relax in her own world of dreams when the need
takes her.

Multi-media: Poetry, flowers, animals, music and dance. Senti-


mental and romantic stories and films, never shocking or violent.
Your Child's Ascendant

(or Rising) Sign

The Ascendant or rising sign is the sign of the zodiac rising over
the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It takes about an
hour for each sign to change or move through that point on the
horizon. Thus, about every hour, there is a new Ascendant sign.

Signs currently
E. HORIZON 2 on the horizon
m

This is why it is important for you to know your child's birth


time. If you know it to the nearest hour, you can still establish
the Ascendant sign by consulting the tables on pp. 220—223.

If you really cannot discover the time of birth of the child


whose chart you wish to draw up, then you may be able to
find the rising sign by working in reverse. Since the Ascendant
describes some of the physical features, you might be able to
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 65

recognize the child's rising sign by noticing that they resemble


my description for that particular Ascendant. Of course this
may not work for very young children, as they have not yet
assumed their body types.
Apart from the physical features, the Ascendant also
describes the child's inner or core personality. This is that ident-
ity they feel comfortable with, the 'me' that they will recognize
within themselves even after the layers of adulthood have been
added and have created a protective smokescreen. The third
thing you gain from knowing the Ascendant is the start point
for the chart wheel you will draw up.

ASCENDANT (OR RISING SIGN) INTERPRETATIONS

Ascendant in Aries

Appearance: A prominent brow (which may display evidence


of past bumps and scrapes). A confident, sometimes fiery look.
Possibly red hair.

The child with Aries rising knows deep down inside that he is
a bom leader. He seeks constandy to break new ground, perhaps
even break the rules, if it means he can pioneer. He dashes in
where angels fear to tread, so don't be surprised if he also breaks
the skin with cuts and bruises, especially on the forehead! It is
hard for him to say 'no' when goaded by a dare or issued with
a challenge - in fact these keep him motivated. If life becomes
too mundane, safe or predictable he'll get into mischief trying
to create some more excitement or attract challenges. You will
be made aware from an early age of this youngster's inner
courage and daring Seeing himself as the leader and motivator,
he can also assume himself to be the centre of everyone else's
world, so it goes with the territory for this child to be somewhat
66 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

self-centred at times. However, he is extremely big-hearted,


generous and warm - so long as you don't fence him in. Even
as an infant this little bundle of joy assumes he is running the
show, so don't ignore him or he'll wail loudly for attention.
He'll also reward you with the biggest grin when he finds that
the ploy worked. The need for attention is real, though, since
this youngster feels loneliness more acutely than most. As he
grows older he'll enjoy becoming self-sufficient but may never
be truly comfortable with spending time alone. His naturally
warm temperament means he can display a quick-flashing
temper and a degree of impatience, but he swiftly moves on,
and will always be the first to forgive and forget. You can count
on plenty of spontaneous hugs from your warm, demonstrative
little Aries rising child, especially if he initiates the affection.
You need to teach him to consider others.

Ascendant in Taurus

Appearance: Solid build, hair often forms natural cowlicks


around the forehead, a good-looking child with honest brown
eyes.

The child with Taurus rising is a rock. She is driven to contain


and secure people and things. Thus she may strive to maintain
the status quo - not wanting things to change and thus finding
it hard to adapt to new situations. This is because she has a
deep need for security which leads her to seek permanence.
This youngster is a talented builder - as a baby with her blocks,
on the beach with her sand-casdes and later with creative pro-
jects. She takes pride in thoroughness, so don't try to hurry her
up, or she'll become flustered and upset. As a reward you'll be
able to rely on her to never leave anything half-finished. Encour-
age this litde one's innate artistic talent and musical ability.
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 67

Then she will reward you with beautiful works of art and a
sweet singing voice. Harmony, both literal and figurative, is
natural and essential to your little Taurus rising. Her effort to
maintain it leads her to pour oil on troubled waters, and
to approach life gendy and cautiously. She may be wary of new
friends and acquaintances, but will be very loyal to those she
knows. She is practical, a little bit stubborn, but very down-to-
earth. This youngster will never leap into anything, but prefers
to test and probe her world first With you close at hand she'll
soon learn that it is a safe place to be. Sudden noises or discor-
dant environments, however, can upset her deeply. When the
little one with Taurus rising feels her feet are on solid ground,
that she is secure in your love for her and that she will not be
pushed into doing anything she is not ready for, she will
be dependable, practical and sweedy affectionate. You need to
teach her to share and let go.

Ascendant in Gemini

Appearance: An elfin look, bright intelligent twinkling eyes,


with a sense of mirth playing around the mouth. Usually slender
and not especially tall.

This child wants to explore everything, but most of all the realm
of ideas. He'll keep you constantly on your toes - just when
you think he's in one place he'll suddenly be in another. Both
physically and intellectually, he's always on the move and look-
ing to start something new. As an infant he'll quickly mimic
your sounds, and will enjoy using his hands As he grows older,
the little Gemini rising may ceaselessly ask questions or have
spells of complete silence while he tries to figure something out
for himself. Then he'll switch to being a chatterbox again, often
surprising you with his mastery of language. A good trick with
68 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

this child is to teach him to read early, so that he can access


the data he needs from books rather than constantly bombarding
you with questions. He is born to communicate and initiate. He
is restless and active, probably starting many things at once,
dipping from one to the other and back again before any of
these things are finished. Don't try to change this way; it works
well for him. As you will see, eventually, in stages, everything
gets completed. Easily bored by one toy, he'll abandon it to
move on to the next A week later, however, he'll ask for that
first toy back, as he's ready to explore it further. Bright and
intelligent, the youngster with Gemini rising is excellent with
his hands. His dexterity also extends to words, so don't be
surprised if he speaks earlier than other children. If he is in too
much of a rush to get the words out, though, he may experience
speech difficulties simply because he has so many words burst-
ing to be released. He'll also find other languages fascinating.
You need to teach him to focus and concentrate.

Ascendant in Cancer

Appearance: This Moon-child has a round, expressive face


which may be very elastic - one minute crumpled in sorrow,
the next crinkled in delight.

This child seeks to nurture. She will want to take care of you
or someone else in her childhood. If she has no younger siblings,
it may be a doll or a pet that she showers with maternal instincts.
Her sensitivity to atmosphere and mood can make her
impressionable, sometimes psychic. She will seek to establish
security, so she will want to have a permanent home and a
strong attachment to mother or father. She is so able to fit into
the mould of others that she may be able to capture their true
essence as an actor or actress. It is hard for this litde one to let
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 69

go, of people or things, so she may display possessiveness from


an early age. In fact, the infant with Cancer rising is so attached
to her parents, especially her mother, that she is likely to cry
every time you leave the room. Don't let this clingy tearfulness
irritate you; just strap this litde one to you and carry her around
wherever you go, then she'll feel all is right with the world. As
she grows a litde older, let her attach to a special blanket or
cuddly toy, so that she can carry it around with her wherever
she goes. Your litde Cancer rising may behave 'crabbily' at times,
especially if you try to pry open her claws and make her let go
of something. She is tremendously easily hurt. If you are oblivi-
ous to her extreme sensitivity she will learn to hide it behind
her 'crab' shell, but the hurt will still be there. However, your
awareness of her feelings creates its own rewards, as this child
will then become the most sweet and caring little soul, who will
love to hang around and do things with you in the home, kitchen
or garden. You need to teach her (or him) that it is all right to
have strong feelings about things, and to release them rather
than keep them hidden inside.

Ascendant in Leo

Appearance: A mane of thick hair. Little Leo will puff out his
chest with pride and will flash a sunny, charismatic smile.

Bold and dynamic, this child will take the world by storm, given
half a chance. If the spodight is not falling on him, he'll soon
find a way to make it do so. He is never a wallflower, but is
always right there where the action is, usually in the centre.
Glamorous and charismatic, the child with Leo rising may end
up in the entertainment business, either on the stage or directing
a performance. He feels at home directing others, and he cer-
tainly has a natural ability to organize. However, it will be
70 ^AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

important to make sure he does not become overly bossy or


dictatorial with his friends or he may lose them, and this would
hurt his innate pride and loyalty. Do not make the mistake of
ignoring your Leo rising infant, he will become quite red in the
face and bawl loudly - then you'll have to notice him. With a
flair for the dramatic, and automatically positioning himself
in the role of organizer, he likes others to look up to him.
Instinctively the child with Leo rising knows that he possesses
tremendous charisma, and he can always somehow draw an
audience. He'll never be shy in front of the camera and will
happily recite or act for you given enough warning. However,
he will never live down a moment that makes him look a fool.
The dignity and pride of the lion cannot be underestimated.
This child would rather back out of something than risk falling
on his face. He can be quite dictatorial and needs to leam to
take turns being boss. He will work extremely hard, but will
balance this with moments of complete relaxation (preferably in
the sun). He knows how to play hard too, particularly enjoying
gregarious gatherings and birthday parties. His loyalty is
unbounded, and so long as you respect his pride and pay him
plenty of attention (did I say homage?) you'll be rewarded with
warmth, entertainment and lifelong devotion. You need to teach
him to allow others to share the spotlight sometimes.

Ascendant in Virgo

Appearance: Though lean and strong, little Virgo's body may


lack flexibility. Facial expression calm and quiet, with the eyes
showing a tense intelligence.

The child with Virgo rising is born to serve and help. She
approaches life from an analytical standpoint - seeking to make
some sense and order of her world. Even from infancy she
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 71

feels a tremendous sense of responsibility towards others and is


mesmerized by the dream of making things perfect. The inner
tension this creates may give her a jumpy disposition or even
a tummy-ache - especially as an infant. She needs plenty of
reassurance that all is well in her world. This child cares more
about others' needs than her own - she enjoys being useful. By
nature extremely industrious, she does not like to leave anything
half-done. You may need to teach her that play is as important
a part of life as work is. Practical in the extreme and ever aware
of the minutest detail, she'll point out when you miss or lose
something. She prefers to take a back seat wherever possible,
not wanting the responsibility of leadership. She'll cheerfully
take orders, yet she is sensible enough not to be led astray by
friends. This child is remarkably happy being directed by people
she respects, such as teachers or parents. She will probably keep
her room neat and tidy, do her homework without bidding and
be anxious to get to school on time. However, she may be
more anxious than most about her school work and will not be
satisfied even when she has done splendidly. Your encourage-
ment will help here. Part of her value of herself is due to a
perceived usefulness to others, so give her the chance to help
you. However, don't let siblings take advantage of this by dump-
ing their chores on her. This child will be a wonderfully attentive
listener and a great reasoner. She will, however, need you to
explain why time spent worrying is time wasted. Boost her
confidence with plenty of praise.

Ascendant in Libra

Appearance: Though possibly pudgy in the first few years, this


child will develop a willowy physique with long limbs. The face
may be long too.
72 "T\N ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

This is a beautiful child, even if he has a tendency to put on


weight He will be graceful and charming because he is driven
by an inner need to create beauty and harmony. He is most
companionable, preferring always to share his work and play-
time with someone. He is not possessive at all, though, having
a live-and-let-live attitude. This youngster will probably give off
an air of calm intelligence, and he is pretty easy-going most of
the time. However, his dislike of injustice would be enough to
provoke him to defend himself or others if he feels treatment
has been unfair. So expect to hear the phrase 'It isn't fair' many
times from his indignant lips as he grows older. Feeling a deep
inner drive to make things right with the world and its people,
he may rush in to pour oil on troubled waters if he senses
tension or discord and he'll always shy away from aggression.
As an infant this litde one appreciates a pretty room with soft
covers and sweet music. As a very small child he'll charm you
with his smile and gendeness. As a youngster he'll disarm
you with his wit and wisdom. If you have to tell him df,
you'll be greeted with a well-thought-out logical argument, and
tensions will be dispelled by his swift, ironic humour. This
litde one enjoys observing and discussing everything, but most
especially people, animals and nature. His affinity to the written
word makes this child a wonderful audience to your reading
and, later, a wonderful writer, so encourage this if you can. The
natural sense of harmony that runs deep within this litde one
fits him well to music, dance and poetry. Since Libra is the sign
of the scales, he may want to weigh everything too much with-
out coming down on one side or the other. Thus you must
encourage him from an early age to make his own decisions, or
this may become a problem for him in life.
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 73

Ascendant in Scorpio

Appearance: Deep, magnetic eyes that mesmerize or positively


gleam. Fear of exposure can lead to protective layers of fat being
carried on the body.

The child with Scorpio rising is private, passionate and possess-


ive. She will defend you to the ends of the earth, and as an infant
she may have feelings of insecurity that make it hard for her to
be left for long periods. As she grows older she may be able
to tell you a little about her bad dreams - be patient and under-
standing, as these are very frightening to little Scorpio rising.
Capable of extraordinary acts of selflessness and sacrifice, this
little one will go to the ends of the earth for those whom she
considers worthwhile - her own loved ones, or those in genuine
need. This youngster possesses extremely strong willpower and
prefers to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself most of the
time, so respect her need for privacy. Extraordinarily deep and
sensitive, she fears becoming vulnerable, so she learns to present
a cleverly planned mask to the world. Then she may hand out
neat little parcels of information, to keep potential pryers at bay.
She becomes so adept at building this wall around herself that at
times she may become lonely inside. She may not show it, but
this youngster adores her time alone with you, her hugs and
cuddles and all the affectionate comments you make. But don't
ever think you can fool this little one. She can read you, and
everybody else for that matter, like a book. She possesses incred-
ible intuition and may bowl you over at times with on-the-
mark perceptive comments about people she has only just met.
Curious about what lies below the surface of everyone and
everything she will want to analyse and explore her world con-
stantly. Encourage her scientific skills. It will be important, too,
from an early age to develop her altruistic side, helping her to do
good works for those less fortunate than she is.
74 A NASTROLOGICA L GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Ascendant in Sagittarius

Appearance: The colours of sunshine - gold and red. An open,


sunny face. Red hair or a ruddy complexion. An athletic body
with muscular thighs.

You have probably heard of the old-fashioned custom of swad-


dling or tighdy wrapping infants. Don't ever try this with a
child bom with the Ascendant in Sagittarius. His natural motto
is 'Don't fence me in.' Once you have recognized this, every-
thing else should be golden, because this is the youngster with
the sunniest disposition and the cheeriest approach to life. His
optimism can be quite infectious, though at times he'll be a
litde over-enthusiastic. Energetic and keen to explore everything
in his world, he's impatient to go places. This little one does
not see the value in beating about the bush. He is direct, some-
times blunt, but at least you know where you stand. If he does
not like your new hairdo he'll say so. The child born with
Sagittarius rising was born to seek wisdom. It is for this reason
that he is so intent on breaking any bonds that hold him back.
He certainly does have a temper, and this will surely manifest
itself if he feels frustrated or restricted So watch out for the
terrible twos and again in the teenage years when he is in a rush
to spread his wings. Your best strategy is to create the illusion
of freedom at every possible opportunity. In other words, don't
present him with a fait accompli - give him choices, so long as
they are within your acceptable range. He will relish opportuni-
ties to see other lands and get to know the people from them.
He'll probably latch on to foreign friends from whom he can
glean more about life, culture and belief. Knowledge is so
appreciated by this youngster that you can happily set him the
task of teaching skills to younger siblings. So long as he remains
patient and doesn't feel hampered by this, he'll do a wonderful
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 75

job. He'll love sports and the camaraderie that goes along with
them.

Ascendant in Capricorn

Appearance: Dignified and serious. Sometimes short in stature,


but always commanding in presence. Bony, high forehead. Wiry,
solid body.

The youngster with Ascendant in Capricorn usually comes


across as quietly dignified, perhaps shy. She will take life and
her responsibilities very seriously. She somehow fears loss, so
will work her whole life to achieve material wealth. Practical in
the extreme, she is a doer rather than a thinker. Her determi-
nation takes her most of the way along life's path, though this
is difficult to deal with, especially in a toddler who simply won't
let you distract her from the thing she is focused on. She is
traditional and prefers the tried and tested, the proven way of
doing things rather than trying anything new. So each new thing
you introduce may become quite a hurdle, even new foods.
Don't rush young Capricorn rising her approach is slow but
sure. If you do push her you'll suffer the consequences of a
totally stubborn digging-in of the heels. The family is very
important to this child, and she may become particularly
attached to an older relative, such as a grandparent, because she
instinctively senses that this old soul possesses great and valuable
wisdom. With a tremendous regard for tradition, she will enjoy
hearing endless stories about her forebears, the family tree and
mulling over photos or documents of ancestors. This youngster
will enjoy repeating the ways things were done before, particu-
larly celebrations such as Christmas and birthdays. She has a
tendency to take on the role of responsible parent towards
siblings, friends, her toys and even her own parents, admonishing
76 ^ANiSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

about how they should behave. Dignity is of supreme import-


ance to this child, she has a deep need to be treated with
respect. Everything she does will be done slowly and deliberately
so that a thorough job can be achieved. She may need you to
help her to recognize when to let go, so that she does not
become stuck in a rut.

Ascendant in Aquarius

Appearance: May have odd dress code, lightness of hair and


eyes possible, plus a lightness of step. Usually very laid-back.

This child feels such a strong connection to people, he is a bom


humanitarian. Even as an infant he feels an acute connection
with the world and every creature in it, so try to take him with
you wherever you go. He'll take great delight in watching people
and the world going by, and then when he is older will
thoroughly enjoy joining in on the social scene. His approach
to life is not run-of-the-mill, in fact he may seem quite eccentric
at times. Once he has adopted a particular odd approach, he
will stick to it with iron-willed stubbornness. In living to his
own agenda and not conforming to others' stereotypes he can
become quite the young scientist, maybe even a clever inventor,
as he is always seeking new and better ways. He is bom ahead
of his time. His concepts may seem way out now, but they
could become the norm in the next generation. For example,
the Ascendant in Aquarius child of the last generation might
have wondered at not having calculators to use in maths classes -
maybe even before calculators were invented! So always remain
open-minded and appreciate the merit of your Ascendant in
Aquarius child's new idea or invention. Very tuned into the
universe, this youngster sees things on a broader scale than most
of us. Instead of personal materialism, he feels connected to
YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 77

all of mankind and nature. He is very likely blithely to bring


home stray animals and birds, perhaps even people, but he'll be
great at helping out in group situations - the church, the school,
the neighbourhood. He may be adept at capturing scenes from
his world in paint, crayon or on film.

Ascendant in Pisces

Appearance: Dreamy eyes, sensitive, understanding expression.


May have a tendency to put on weight as a form of protection
from hurt.

The child bom with Ascendant in Pisces is sweet and gende,


never wanting to disturb anybody or rock the boat in any way.
Like a sponge this little one absorbs the moods and circum-
stances that surround her. As an infant she is so impressionable
that she may be truly scared by a strange shadow on her bed-
room wall. Her imagination is vivid, and she will cry real tears
if she is frightened. If she is not reassured or understood, or if
she has to endure a harsh or painful environment, she will
retreat into her own dream world. Litde Pisces rising is a delight-
fully romantic child, always ready to bring you a freshly picked
wild flower. She will enjoy the gendeness of poetry, music and
dance. Even with no words spoken, this child can exude an
understanding. She is soothing and comforting to be with. At
times during her childhood you'll wonder who is doing the
upbringing, you feel so nurtured by this old soul. Her intuition
is astounding, her wisdom quite psychic. She will empathize so
strongly with animals that she may well seem able to communi-
cate with them in some mystical way. Encourage her natural
ability to heal, but don't let her identify so much with the pain
of others that she wants to become a martyr. Allowing this
youngster time for simply daydreaming is very important to her
equilibrium, encourage books but discourage television, which
makes her creative imagination lazy. Extremely idealistic, your
little one with Ascendant in Pisces may put people on a pedestal,
then become disappointed when they turn out to be merely
human. Help this youngster find her own inner strength to keep
her from adopting the false belief that she always needs to lean
on someone else for support. She can truly blossom when on
her own two feet.

In completing Layer One you have been on a journey to find


three of the most important influences on your unique and
wonderful child. Now you are ready to start Layer Two, which
puts them into a frame of reference and shows you where your
litde one is headed.
Layer Two The Fuller Picture
The Chart Wheel

The main planetary placings that you have just been studying
have given you insight into your child's basic character and
personality traits. Fine, you may say, so much for the ingredients
of the cake, but how about the quantities, and how it is baked?
This is where the chart wheel comes in.
On the chart wheel the major areas of your child's life are
laid out, including career path, parents and friends. This is the
life that was mapped out for the child at birth, with the lessons
and difficulties, the gifts and advantages they were born to
experience.
From Francesca's chart on page 7, and from the example
of Sophie's which follows, you will see that the chart wheel is
like a pie divided into twelve slices. These slices are called
'houses'.
I shall now take you step-by-step through the drawing up
of a chart wheel for your own child.

DRAWING THE CHART WHEEL

You can draw up your own child's chart wheel, using either the
blank in the back of the book or a compass or saucer to get
your circle. I would suggest you work with a pencil to allow for
errors.
It is best to start off with three circles within each other,
one large, one a litde smaller, and one about 1 inch (2 cm) in
diameter at the centre.
Then take a ruler and draw a cross which meets in the centre,
extending the lines a little beyond the circle. Write ASC at the
end of the left line.
Divide the remaining quarters each into two equal parts by
drawing lines through the centre of the circle, as shown. Note
that this time the lines do not extend outside the circle.

ASC

In the little centre circle write the numbers of the houses,


starting with the one just below the horizon on the left, and
working anti-clockwise, for example.

ASC
You should now have a figure resembling the blank I provide at
the back of the book.

Starting with the left point of the cross, where you wrote ASC,
and working anti-clockwise, write the sign of your child's
Ascendant around the circle. For example, Sophie's Ascendant
was in the sign of Libra at her birth. So I write Libra round the
wheel below ASC*

ASC

Now you can fill in the rest of the signs, writing them in their
correct order around the outside of the wheel. See how much
neater it is when you write the symbol instead of the word (see
diagram opposite].

* If you have not used my tables to establish the Ascendant sign, but have found
out the exact degree of the sign of the Ascendant, write the degree next to the /ISC
sign, then, going anti-clockwise, write the same degree on each line (which divides
the houses) on the wheel. From this you will see that the house contains more than
one sign, so when interpreting you will need to lake into consideration both signs in
that house, and mix the interpretations together for greater accuracy.
ASC

-WJUS

JNSJGHrS FROM THE HOUSES

Now you know which sign or signs each house straddles on


your child's chart wheel. Each of these houses traditionally
represents an area of the person's life. Here is a general descrip-
tion of the areas represented by each house.

The first house Core individual, self-esteem, physical


appearance.
The second house Security, money, possessions.
The third house Siblings, communications.
The fourth house Mother, home.
The fifth house Creativity, children.
The sixth house Eating habits, industriousness.
The seventh house Partnerships, teamwork.
The eighth house Deep spirituality, clearing the decks.
The ninth house Education, long-distance travel.
The tenth house Father or dominant parent.
The eleventh house Friends, groups, social life.
The twelfth house Dreams, intuition.

Here is a reminder of the order of the signs, with some more


key words that attach to them, to help you interpret.

ARIES Confident, open, independent,


dynamic, pioneering.

TAURUS Careful, steady, constant, patient,


reliable, stubborn.

GEMINI Lighthearted, verbal, changeable, quick-


witted, adaptable.

CANCER Motherly, sensitive, clinging, emotional,


nurturing.

LEO Bold, gregarious, dramatic, extravagant,


loyal.

VIRGO Practical, helpful, neat, orderly,


meticulous, critical.

LIBRA Diplomatic, charming, fair, balancing,


harmony-seeking.

SCORPIO Possessive, strong-willed, hidden,


mysterious, intense.

SAGITTARIUS Optimistic, wise, direct, adventurous,


philosophical.

CAPRICORN Fatherly, fixed, shrewd, conscientious,


traditional.
THE CHART WHEEL 87

AQUARIUS Personable, humanitarian, inventive,


unconventional.

PISCES Flexible, creative, understanding,


sympathetic, poetic.

If you put the house and the sign together, you will be able to
interpret the wheel. For example if the first house is in the sign
of Libra, as in Sophie's wheel, this tells you that the core
individual is fair and diplomatic. If the first house happens to
be in the sign of Pisces, the core individual will be understanding
and flexible. Or if the sixth house happens to be in the sign of
Aquarius, this child most likely has unconventional eating
habits. Now read on to see how I interpret Sophie's wheel in
this key way.

MY INTERPRETATION OF SOPHIE'S WHEEL

My interpretation of Sophie's wheel was on the basis that her


first house spans the sign of Libra. Since the first house repre-
sents self-esteem, that tells me she feels a strong need to be fair
and diplomatic; she perhaps sees herself in the role of peace-
maker. She certainly does have a good deal of charm and, for her
age, is extraordinarily diplomatic.
The second house (money, security, possessions) in the
sign of Scorpio tells me that this child will have a secretive
approach to money, and indeed she does stash coins away in little
boxes in her room. She will also find it hard to let go of things,
being possessive (Scorpio). Again this is true - she does not like
to part with her possessions and at night will hang on to as many
of her cuddly toys as she possibly can.
The third house (communications, siblings) in Sagittarius
shows that she experiences her siblings as adventurous and
optimistic, yet a litde impatient at times. Similarly she may be
in too much of a hurry to say something to take enough trouble
over her handwriting. Both of these interpretations are true of
Sophie.
The Fourth House (mother, home) in Capricorn shows
she sees me as practical, responsible and dependable, a keeper
of traditions and rules. She perceives her home as solid and
secure.
The Fifth House (creativity, children) in Aquarius indi-
cates that she will have a rather unconventional approach to
children and childrearing - when she is a parent she will do it
her way rather than follow the rules. Also a most original
creativity which is not bound by tradition but may be quite
visionary.
The Sixth House (eating and industry) in emotional Pisces
shows that she will have a tendency to comfort eat, and will
have a hearty appetite when in joyful surroundings, but can lose
her appetite if in an unpleasant environment.
The Seventh House (partnership and teamwork) in Aries
shows she fits best with a warm, spontaneous and dynamic
partner who is exciting to be with. She may not mind this
person taking the lead and making decisions for the two of
them.
The Eighth House (deep spirituality, clearing the decks)
in Taurus shows Sophie to be quite fixed, no-nonsense and
practical when it comes to religion. When it comes to cutting
ties with people and places, she may have great difficulty clear-
ing the decks and letting go - already I notice she likes to keep a
lot of clutter that she simply will not part with.
The Ninth House (education, long-distance travel) in
Gemini. Sophie is a quick learner, but not good at staying on
THE CHART WHEEL 89

task - easily distracted, especially by conversation. She is already


quite a chatterbox and joker in class. She'll work well with words
and hands. When travelling she'll enjoy exploring or chatting to
the folks she meets rather than lying on a beach.
The Tenth House (father) in Cancer. She perceives her
father as gende, nurturing, sensitive and emotional, if a little
over-protective at times.
The Eleventh House (friends) in Leo. Not only will she
enjoy the company of Leo children, but she will also be a loyal
and gregarious friend herself. Once she has made a commitment
to a friendship she will be proud of this pal and will not hear a
bad word said against them.
The Twelfth House (subconscious, intuition) in Virgo.
Underneath it all she frets, especially about being able to help
or be useful enough. Her dreams are likely to be in detail or
about helping others.
Now it is your turn to do the analysis and interpretation
for each of the houses of your child's own chart wheel. Putting
the data together, you should be fascinated with what you come
up with. The fourth house (mother and home) and tenth house
(father and career) are of particular interest, of course.
If you do not want to work it out for yourself, and you
want my tailor-made interpretations instead, on the following
pages you will find my definitions for all possible options - each
of the signs in each of the houses. As with the Sun, Moon
and Ascendant interpretations, these are based on traditional
astrology plus my own definitions accumulated through years
of experience with many thousands of chart readings.
The First House

The first house rules the ego, the child's most personal self and
inner goals. In learning about your child's first house placing,
you can gain a glimpse into whom they believe themselves to
be, their raison d'etre and why they came in the first place. Here
lies the key to what they may feel driven to do to make a
difference in their world.

FIRST HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

First House - Aries

Don't hold him back, this child has come to explore. He will
be self-motivated and bold, pushing himself beyond boundaries
to break new ground. He will be active and energetic, enjoying
competitive sport, though he will not be one of the pack; rather
he feels comfortable as an individual and as leader. On a walk
or in a queue, somehow he will worm his way to the front of
the group every time. He has a strong sense of self, so he'll look
after his own interests. He needs 'alone' time, but in the com-
pany of others he can certainly hold his own. He is at home
with honesty and truth, and does not appreciate those who try
to cover up or hide things.

First House - Taurus

This child has come to build - her affinity is with the earth. So
allow her to be in harmony with nature and she will create
beauty, stability and peace. She is very persevering and deter-
THE FIRST HOUSE 91

mined. Remember the carrot and stick syndrome? This young-


ster can be immovable as a rock if you try to force an issue, yet
an appeal to her emotions makes her putty in your hands. She
seeks to make life more comfortable for everyone, including
herself. She will make every effort to restore harmony. Her core
need for security makes her uncomfortable with change. Give
her a garden, a paintbrush, a piano and in her own practical
way she will create something beautiful for you.

First House - Gemini

A free spirit, this little person has come to communicate. He


needs to exchange ideas, and if you don't pin him down, he'll
brighten your day with intelligence and humour. He needs to
travel on the breeze; he is happiest when in the fresh air. A
will-o'-the-wisp, here one minute, then gone, then back again.
He will move swiftly on to new activities, new locations, new
subjects, probably using his hands all the while. He'll enjoy
books, phones and computers, and may easily master foreign
languages. Seldom able to do just one thing at a time, he may
seem restless. Adaptable and a fast learner, he can become a
jack of all trades.

First House - Cancer

She has come to nurture. This young one is extremely sensitive


to the needs of others and yearns to take care of and protect
them. She has a tremendous ability to empathize and identify
with those in need of tender loving care, in fact she feels it is
her job to look after everyone - even when they don't think
they need it. She tunes in to her surroundings to the point of
being quite psychic. Treat her gendy, encourage her sweeter
side, and never dismiss her sensitivity or belitde her very real
92 ▼ AUASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

ability to read the atmospheres and moods of her environment,


or she'll hide within an impenetrable protective shell. Both little
boys and little girls with first house in Cancer possess these
attributes.

First House - Leo

This youngster has come to organize and show. A natural teacher


and actor, he possesses that indefinable dignity and flair for the
dramatic that is the stuff of stardom and royalty. He has pres-
ence, and his pride ensures that he'll do nothing in his life that
makes him look stupid. He can be fierce in establishing power,
yet extraordinarily warm, big-hearted and generous once he has
it. In the playgroup or school playground he may have difficulty
understanding why other kids don't recognize him as the natural
boss or director of the group. He believes wholeheartedly in
loyalty and will display this with his friends, his parents, his
siblings and his teachers.

First House - Virgo

Taking life and her responsibilities extremely seriously, this little


one has come to serve. Being of value and of use to others is
her prime concern. This she will do with a bright mind and
practical hands. Meticulous, she demands perfection of every-
one, so that everything can be done in the most sensible and
efficient way. This youngster likes to organize herself and others,
but will do so unobtrusively, as her deepest wish is only to be
helpful. She has such high standards that she often experiences
frustration and inner tension, then quiet but profound regret.
She must be taught how to relax and be kinder to herself.
Remind her of her worth.
93

First House - Libra

Here to create harmony and balance. He is uncomfortable with


ugliness and discord. Thus he can be extremely diplomatic and
charming, using his intelligence to find out just how to achieve
the best from people and circumstances. Then he will be an
adept manipulator of circumstance, but in such a charming and
unobtrusive way that most people will not realize how the way
is being paved. One of the tools he uses to dispel tension is a
wry, intelligent wit He is forever weighing things up in life, and
this can lead to indecisiveness. His need to keep the peace can
lead him to become a bit of a 'yes' man, or to be too malleable.

First House - Scorpio

She has come to uncover. She is intense and passionate about


life, though she may reveal only a fraction of this since she is
so good at giving out parcels of information as smokescreens.
These are to keep others from getting too close and finding out
her deepest secret - namely that she senses she is afraid of
her own depths. She guards her privacy yet analyses others
relentlessly. She is extremely shrewd and strong-willed, with
underlying feelings of insecurity which can make her possessive.
When safe, however, she has the power to be an altruistic bene-
factor, manifesting tremendous willpower and determination to
do things for others.

First House - Sagittarius

This litde philosopher is here to gather wisdom. Thus he guards


his freedom ferociously. His interest in travel is bome of a
need to experience the maximum number of different cultures,
countries and peoples Without this information he cannot form
94 TANASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

his philosophy. When left unrestricted he is flexible, happy-go-


lucky and optimistic Though he is non-judgemental of creed,
colour or belief, don't be surprised if he questions the opinions
of those in authority - he is simply trying to work out his own
truth. He may not be keen to setde down too early in his life,
but once he is satisfied that all his travelling is done, he can be
devoted. He has plenty of energy for sports and games.

First House - Capricorn

This child is here to consolidate. She is so responsible and


conscientious that at times she may not seem much like a child
at all. Even as a baby she will have the bearing of an old soul.
Her approach is serious, determined, practical and solid Old
ways, old wisdoms and traditions are valued by her. You may
not appreciate at first just how ambitious she is, but she knows
her true place is the top of the mountain, and she is prepared
to climb with slow determination till she gets there. She has no
time for the frivolous, impractical or intangible in life. Her
down-to-earth approach makes others feel safe, if a litde silly
at times. Applaud her efforts and never put into question her
dignity.

First House - Aquarius

Here to make a difference to mankind, this youngster is a


humanitarian. He could be somewhat odd or different in his
approach, but pay attention and you may see that he is simply
more scientific and advanced and the rest of the world has to
catch up. In a way he has come to inspire. He may do this
through invention or through art, particularly photography.
Though he is truly an individualist, he sees himself as part of
the whole picture, which involves all of humanity, the earth
THE FIRST HOUSE 95

and the cosmos. Don't be surprised if he manifests a very


comfortable interest in astrology or 'New Age' subjects. Nature
is very important to him, as is science - he likes to figure out
how things work, then invent a better way.

First House - Pisces

Gentle and sweet, the little Piscean is here to sympathize and


bring spiritual wisdom. She wants to help and heal, and does
this best by absorbing and identifying with others' needs. She
is soulful, feeling her way through life with senses the rest of
us don't possess. Without needing to resort to logic or practical
application, she reaches the right conclusions. She may not be
assertive enough to point this out, though. In fact she may
spend a lot of time believing she is too weak to manage on her
own, so it will be important for you to encourage her to develop
independence and tune in to her own strength as an individual.
She has a tremendous imagination and this brings gifts of art,
music and dance.
The Second House

The second house in your child's chart wheel gives an indication


of his attitude to money and possessions. This shows how he is
likely to handle money, and what he is most likely to want to
spend it on. You will also be able to learn from the second
house placing on your child's chart wheel what makes him feel
secure and what is likely to provoke feelings of insecurity.

SECOND HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Second House - Aries

This youngster may be rather cavalier about security and will


tend to be overly generous - with his own resources and yours.
He will happily share toys and games, and any offers to give
away a favourite toy are meant, so try to prevent him taking
them to friends' houses, or at least be sure they are returned.
What he (or she) will treasure, however, will be fast cars, bikes
and metal items. As a teenager this one will enjoy the challenge
of earning his own spare cash, but then may blow it all in one
impulsive but generous gesture. In general he is impetuous with
funds, not likely to be much of a saver. What he might feel
worthwhile saving for would be a bike, skateboard or a trip to
the funfair.

Second House - Taurus

Possessions are very important to this litde one, and very much
tied up with her sense of security, so don't even think of trying
THE SECOND HOUSE 97

to part her from a favourite treasure. She really values her


possessions and in general will take great care of them. Certainly
once she becomes emotionally attached to something it will be
impossible to part her from it. Her appreciation of money is
inbuilt. Saving comes naturally, and this youngster will content-
edly squirrel her pocket money away to save for a useful or
practical purchase, such as a gardening kit. On top of that, she
is canny enough to ask you for the cash when she wants to
make a purchase, leaving her own pile of gold untouched.

Second House - Gemini

With a lighthearted approach to belongings, this child may talk


about the concept of money but owning it doesn't mean a great
deal to him. It could actually seem more like a game. He'll
really enjoy playing Monopoly, but you'll have to point out
that real money is different! Certainly he will not want the
responsibility for money or possessions to cramp his style, so
he'd rather let someone else take care of it for him. Since he
appreciates his freedom so much, he won't gather clutter around
him. He might enjoy spending to prove his freedom though, or
buying things that inspire it, such as books, magazines, a bike
or a kite.

Second House - Cancer

Like the crab, once this litde one gets her pincers on something
valuable she will not relinquish it. She may develop strong
sentimental attachments to things, so it will be very comforting
if you let her carry her favourite cuddly toy or piece of blanket
around. It would be a mistake to let her be present when you
do a major spring clean, since she might well dig her head into
the rubbish bin and start pulling out old toys and things that
98 ^AMSTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

she considers simply cannot be parted with. She has a tremen-


dous facility for seeing usefulness in other people's cast-offs.
She'd like to spend her pocket money on dolls and on her
mummy, and she'd love to rummage at ajumble sale. This child
is a saver, and hates to gamble.

Second House - Leo

When it comes to possessions, this litde one feels most comfort-


able with luxury. He simply prefers the very best and will not
be happy with a cheaper imitation of the thing he has set his
heart on. In fact, he'd rather do without than lower his stan-
dards. So he will plan and save for the top of the line, unless
his natural generosity leads him to spend too much on others
first. His attraction to luxury may lead him to believe his parents
will host the most extravagant parties for him. He is quite
fashion-conscious and something of a trendsetter, so he will feel
it is important to possess just the right attire.

Second House - Virgo

This child is very security-conscious. In fact, even from quite a


young age she may fret about having enough for her old age. In
truth she does not want to be a burden on anyone. Thus she
becomes meticulous with her cash; every coin is accounted for.
Though she may be shy about asking for her pocket money, she
worries about it, and she'll remember exacdy how much is
owed. Since she is only too aware of the value of money she
may spend time analysing and investigating the market, surpris-
ing you with observations that help you to save money, such as
where the best discounts are. She may spend on health or
puzzles. Otherwise, she won't spend.
THE SECOND HOUSE 99

Second House - Libra

Fairness is essential, so woe betide you if you give this sibling


any less or for that matter any more than the others. He is not
essentially materialistic, but finances have to be fair. As a litde
one he might like the shininess and beauty of coins and notes,
but it probably won't be till he is older that he truly values
money as a tool. Then he'll most enjoy using it to buy things
that beautify either his room or himself. He'll like mirrors,
brushes, combs and fragrances. Balance and money go hand in
hand, so he'll want to replenish his piggy-bank with anything
that goes out of it, and he'll want to give to the needy - if he
sees he has plenty for himself.

Second House - Scorpio

This little one needs to keep a secret stash of cash somewhere,


so give her a litde safe or a cashbox with a key, or you may find
the mattress cut open and used as a bank! In general she will
not want to part with anything, including money. Jealousy about
what others have can lead to squabbles over possessions, maybe
even a tendency to pocket coveted trinkets. Teach her early on
the rules of ownership and the meaning of giving and taking.
Teach her too that security comes from within, not from things.
She can save, and has the willpower to do without if she has
to. She enjoys buying secret presents but if she gives away
something treasured that is a true sign of deep affection.

Second House - Saeittarius

Optimism means that even if he leaves his brand-new bike out


in the rain, there will always be another one - or so this young-
ster believes. Or if he takes the new video to a friend's house
100 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

then returns without it, it's no big deal. He simply is not materi-
alistic; quite the contrary, he is happy to give away anything to
anyone. Somehow, things do work out for him. He is so confi-
dent that there will always be enough, and he is so giving, that
the flow just keeps going and eventually comes back to him.
However, if you don't have such blind faith, do open a savings
account for half his pocket money, because if you give it all to
him in cash it will be gone within a day.

Second House - Capricorn

This little one feels a need to have possessions that keep her
anchored to the earth. At quite a young age she will surprise
you with her awareness of the value of money. She is bound to
be an excellent saver and may even become shrewd enough
to figure out a clever way to double her money. Teach her about
banking and interest, she'll appreciate it. Very few things will
provoke the removal of cash from this litde one's safe place.
The exceptions will be Christmas and birthdays, since she will
enjoy spending on her family and on traditions. Of course she'll
choose carefully to get the best value for money. It's not that
she is tight, more that she fears being left without enough to
get by on. She seems aware of this even from infancy.

Second House - Aquarius

Charitable and concerned with the financial needs of others,


this child will be the first to want to drop a penny in the old
man's hat. He is aware of the value of money, but more as a
tool to make a difference for mankind than as something simply
to buy trinkets with. He is so charitable in fact that he may
raise a few eyebrows when, still very young, he gives away his
pocket money or a favourite toy to help the needy. He feels
THE SECOND HOUSE 101

secure in his own individuality, so he does not need the latest


clothes or toys to make him feel he belongs. He will be generous
with friends, neighbours, buskers and beggars. If there is any
extra left for himself he might buy a camera, binoculars or a
microscope.

Second House - Pisces

Dreamy and idealistic about money, this little one may believe
it grows on trees! No matter how often she ends up empty-
handed as a result of carelessness, she is idealistic about there
being an endless supply. She may be absent-minded about where
she has put it and gullible about where she spends it Empathiz-
ing with a friend's wishes, she may give away her favourite toy
or game, then cry because she mourns its loss. She needs to be
taught the merits of saving and, better still, should have a more
practical and shrewd person put money by in a savings account
for her. She'd happily spend her pocket-money on most things,
but especially those which dreams are made of - films, tapes,
music, dance. Also animals.
The Third House

The third house rules siblings and communications. It is from


reading this house that you can gain insight into the role of
brothers and sisters, and to some extent neighbours, in your
child's life; how your child may be affected by them, and how
they'll react. This house shows how your youngster perceives
his siblings, the essence of them from your child's perspective.
You may also gain a little more insight into what communi-
cations mean to your child. Does he like to talk, or listen? Will
he enjoy learning to read and write? Will she be a conscientious
letter-writer or will she prefer chatting on the phone? Find out
as you take a peek into your child's third house.

THIRD HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Third House - Aries

This child will perceive his brother or sister as a somewhat self-


centred individual who likes to take risks. He will find them
daring and independent, and probably sees them in the role of
leader - perhaps leading others to take risks too. The relationship
between them is likely to be honest and dynamic. Never dull,
perhaps sometimes rather fiery.
This child is likely to make bold, dramatic statements. He
does not believe in beating about the bush, and he does appreci-
ate honest opinions - he'll certainly dish them out. He may be
a fast talker, quick to learn to read and write, but not especially
neat with his pen.
THE THIRD HOUSE 103

Third House - Taurus

Brothers or sisters will be experienced by her as beautiful and


determined, and she is bound to appreciate their artistic talents.
Together they'll enjoy doing creative crafts, and, apart from
occasional stubborn moments, their relationship will be support-
ive and harmonious.
This youngster most likely possesses a sweet singing voice,
or at least her speaking voice may be melodic. She communi-
cates slowly and methodically. Learning to read and write she
may experience a little difficulty with concepts, but with deter-
mination and practice will gain a thorough grasp of these skills
and have beautiful handwriting.

Third House - Gemini

He will enjoy a lively relationship with his siblings. He conceives


them as always up to mischief. They will respect each other's
freedom and in general enjoy an intelligent relationship, sharing
words, ideas, jokes and, of course, books. They may write to
each other and will certainly enjoy phoning each other (even
on toy phones).
This is a chatty little monkey with a quick wit and an
answer for everything. He will be fast learning to talk, and adept
at writing from an early age, if you can get him to sit still for
long enough. His natural fascination with other languages makes
him good at pronouncing them too.

Third House - Cancer

This youngster is nurturing towards or nurtured by her brothers


and sisters. Thus the relationship between them is likely to be
as parent to child rather than sibling to sibling - a tender, clingy
104 ~ANASTROLOGfCAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

relationship, possibly crabby at times. They'll share domestic


chores and will enjoy playing 'house' together.
There will be much expression in this child's voice, which
will be full of emotion. She will put a lot of feeling into her
words, which she will enjoy putting down on paper once she
has learned to write. How she is taught reading and writing is
very important, as she will stick with this method.

Third House - Leo

His siblings teach him a lot too. Their relationship will be warm
and loyal, though at times he may see them as show-offs or too
bossy. Their frolicking may become a litde fierce when it turns
into a power clash, but he would always fight to defend them.
The voice of this youngster is warm. He communicates in
a bold and commanding way. You will not be able to ignore
what he is trying to convey. If you do he'll just turn the volume
up! He is able to put drama into his words, both written and
spoken. He'll enjoy teaching others about reading and writing
as much as learning about them himself.

Third House - Virgo

This child experiences her brothers and sisters as tense


perfectionists. In her eye they are extremely practical and
self-sacrificing, maybe puritanical. It may seem that the relation-
ship between her and her siblings or even neighbours is rather
critical, but it is intended as practical help rather than
condemnation.
Quiet of voice and not one to waste words, this litde one
chooses them carefully. She would rather be quiet than squander
air-time. She is a great listener though. Once she has learned to
write she may remonstrate with herself about her handwriting
THE THIRD HOUSE 105

even though it is the neatest in the class. She worries about


how to communicate things properly.

Third House - Libra

His brother or sister will seem to him beautiful, either physically


or in spirit, or both. Fairness and justice will prevail between
these siblings, as will harmony and a respect for each other's
freedom. They will enjoy discussing their opinions and writing
or designing together.
Here is a smooth talker. Even the coos he emits as a baby
will be gorgeous, and once he learns to read and write he'll
soothe you with his stories and develop exquisite handwriting.
Actually he can be quite a creative writer too. Remember,
though, that Libra is the sign of the scales, so he seems argumen-
tative at times when he's really only pointing out an opposite.

Third House - Scorpio

She knows her brother or sister to be a jealous type, though she


may not recognize the same trait in herself. Their relationship
is intense, private and powerful. Be careful not to let feelings
of resentment breed between them, or there may be spiteful
arguments about toys and parental attention. They will be good
at keeping each other's secrets.
There may be silence, or there may be measured words,
but communications are never treated lightly by this youngster.
She can be quite intense in conversation, and probing with her
questions. Equally her comments will be most perceptive - if a
little cutting at times.
106 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Third House - Saeittarius

The relationship he has with his brothers and sisters will be


open and warm. To him they are wise and funny, able to teach
him much about life, flexibility and philosophy. Sometimes they
are impatient with him and vice versa, but in general they are
cheerful in each other's company.
Even from an early age, this youngster believes in freedom
of speech. He would prefer to be outspoken rather than waste
time trying to clothe comments in diplomatic phrases. He is
simply honest in his comments. He will have a warm tone to
his voice and may be a little impatient to express himself, the
result being garbled words and untidy handwriting but this will
all sort itself out once he masters the art of communication
well.

Third House - Capricorn

This child reveres the family unit and may have a serious,
traditional brother or sister who probably behaves like a parent
towards her. She certainly sees her sibling as responsible and
cautious, and perhaps a litde too rigid or disciplinarian at times.
Here is a child who is very responsible about the use of
words. She will never make a fuss unnecessarily. A cautious yet
dignified communicator, she will enjoy talking with those older
and wiser. It may be hard helping her with her reading and
writing lessons, because she wants so badly to be respected for
her abilities, yet she stubbornly refuses to accept advice. A
grandparent would be useful here.

Third House - Aquarius

To him, his brothers and sisters are rather unconventional - a


bit odd or non-conformist in some way. Yet at the same time
THE THIRD HOUSE 107

he perceives them as truly non-materialistic and humanitarian.


He and his siblings will always be the best of friends. They'll
also enjoy sharing friends and socializing together.
This child will be most creative, perhaps inventive, in the
way he speaks and writes. He is apt to strike up conversations
with people wherever he goes - in the shops, at the bus stop,
and always comes across as very friendly.

Third House - Pisces

This litde one experiences her brother or sister as dreamy and


idealistic, yet very tender and understanding. They can play
great imagination games and enjoy music together, though she
may worry that her sibling lacks realism in some way or is a bit
too much of an escapist.
A most expressive yet soothing communicator, she comes
across as very understanding and sympathetic when she talks to
you. Her imaginative use of words is wonderful, so even before
she can write for herself, do record her creative stories. She can
also communicate through music and dance.
The Fourth House

The fourth house gives us insight into how the child perceives
his or her mother or the less dominant parent. The effect of this
parent creates deeply ingrained emotional and habit patterns. It
is important to remember that this may not be how the mother
truly is, but only how the mother is experienced by this child in
their life, and the influence this has.
This house also rules the home, not only how the child
would like their own home to be, but also how they are likely
to treat their bedroom or own special space as a child. In
the interpretations I have written a litde poem to describe the
essence of this.

FOURTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Fourth House - Aries

This child perceives his mother as independent, free-willed and


someone who steps out into the world boldly; probably a
working mother. Also an exciting parent who enjoys the out-
doors, and always has an adventurous idea for the family to do
when they spend time together. This mother is seen as a leader,
and may indeed lead him to gain confidence through her own
obvious and apparent willingness to meet challenges and take
risks.
Child's room:
This room spells adventure, no frills and no fuss,
Just a space rocket up to the moon, or a bus.
THE FOURTH HOUSE 109

Fourth House - Taurus

Mother is perceived by this litde one as constant and depend-


able, with a sweet voice. Mother's singing, even if only lull-
abies, will make a marked and lifelong impression on this
youngster. Solid as a rock, this mother is always there for her
child, though she may be perceived as stubborn at times. That
goes along with a truly caring approach, as this is a mother who
provides security through firmness, boundaries, an expectation
of obedience.
Child's room:
Peace and soft music suit this child best.
They need comfort, an art desk or nature for rest.

Fourth House - Gemini

This child sees his mother as a chatterbox, always on the go,


scattering energy and words, but never in the same place twice.
He also has his intellect constantly stimulated by her intelligent
ideas and quizzical approach. Her love of books and literature
is infectious. She is open and chatty, discussing ideas liberally.
Though she demands freedom, and may seem too busy at times,
she is never boring and will awaken many interests in this child,
including languages.
Child's room:
Here is a room breathing freedom and fun.
Filled with books, conversation, and projects half-done.

Fourth House - Cancer

The mother of this child is seen as emotional. She is also per-


ceived as very motherly, nurturing, tender, empathetic and
selfless. She is probably a good cook and happy to stop whatever
110 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

she is doing to find a lost toy, mend a pocket or wipe away a


tear. Certainly this mum is always there for her child, and ready
to sympathize with any woes. However, she could come across
as somewhat clingy or overprotective, especially when it comes
time for the little one to leave the nest.
Child's room:
This is so comfy you'll just want to stay,
There's plenty of clutter - nothing's thrown away.

Fourth House - Leo

This child will be very aware of the pride his mother has in
him, he may even feel a bit like a showpiece at times, being
paraded in front of her friends and colleagues like a prized
possession - probably being asked to perform at times too. She
may well be a performer. Her loyalty to her children is absolute;
nobody may say anything against them. The child will have no
doubt that she is the boss. She makes a great teacher.
Child's room:
When it comes to the furnishings, only the best,
This child's tastes are classy, from bedpost to vest.

Fourth House - Vireo

This youngster sees her mother as dutiful, moral and anxious


to do the right thing. She knows that her mother would make
endless sacrifices for her if these were required. She is perceived
by the child as tense, maybe a perfectionist, and at times rather
critical. By the example of her mother, this youngster learns to
be conscientious and hard-working. Her mother will also teach
her to be considerate of others, clean, tidy and polite.
THE FOURTH HOUSE 111

Child's room:
All order and neatness - not one speck of dust -
And a good place for homework is really a must.

Fourth House - Libra

Plenty of freedom will be allowed this child, who knows he will


be treated fairly by his mother. This child perceives her as
beautiful, both physically and in spirit - a mother who is gende
and kind and a bit of a pacifist. He may come to realize that
she'll give in too easily rather than create a bad atmosphere.
She is also a good conversationalist and will probably awaken
an interest in literature, beauty and wildlife in this youngster.
Child's room:
A beautiful room would be best for this child.
With some posters of nature, some scenes of the w ild.

Fourth House - Scorpio

This mother will be experienced as intense, passionate and


private. If well evolved, she can be admirably strong and
self-sacrificing, if not, she may be too nosy and interfering, also
over-protective towards her offspring In either case, the child
knows that this parent is always interested in every aspect of
the child's life, and may intuitively know more than the child
has told her. This is a mum who is cool - unfazed by any crisis.
She shares with her children her analyses of things medical and
dental.
Child's room:
A place of escape, but make sure there's a lock.
And if not then remember, you always must knock.
112 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Fourth House - Sasittarius

This child has a warm, fun-loving mother who may be very


keen on travel and freedom. Two things she takes seriously are
education and sport. There will be no shortage of cuddles and
honest opinions from this mother, since she is warm, forthright
and spontaneous. Never nit-picking, this is a mum who thinks
life is too short to waste on details. She may be impatient
at times. This mother is quite philosophical, and constandy
optimistic.
Child's room:
It doesn't much matter if this room's big or small,
Just remember sports posters, a bat and a ball.

Fourth House - Capricorn

Solid as a rock, and at times as immovable, the mother of


this child is seen as utterly reliable, firm and unbending. To this
mother the dignity of the family and a quiet pride in it are
supremely important A litde too serious and stubborn at
times, this parent nonetheless instils manners and a sense of
responsibility. This youngster will gain pride in her heritage
and appreciation for her elders. She leams both ambition and
determination from this mum.
Child's room:
The photos, the trophies, the family tree
Traditional things make your child's room happy.

Fourth House - Aquarius

The mother of this child is seen as a 'people' person, someone


with social conscience and a keenness to make a difference in
the world. She is neither materialistic nor possessive, and by
THE FO URTH HO USE 113

gende example she makes her child aware of mankind and the
earth. This mother never judges people by race, colour or creed,
but welcomes everyone to her home, especially her children's
friends. She is an original thinker, and may bring her child up
in a truly unconventional way.
Child's room:
Make sure that this room has at least one spare chair,
Your child will be gathering many friends there.

Fourth House - Pisces

Gentle and understanding mum may be experienced by this


child as a nurse. This mother always seems approachable and
guarantees a sympathetic ear. Her mother's flexible and accom-
modating nature makes her happier to do chores herself rather
than insisting the child fulfils these obligations. So sweedy
sensitive is this mum that her offspring may feel that they need
to take care of her. She comes across to them as idealistic and
romantic, and thus vulnerable in this harsh world. This child
can enjoy sharing music and dreams with her mother, who has
a wonderful imagination.
Child's room:
A sweet place to hide, for the weaving of dreams,
Where there's poetry, music and cool flowing streams.
The Fifth House

From the fifth house you can understand more about how your
litde one's creative juices flow, how they enjoy expressing them-
selves and which mediums would be best for their particular
brand of creativity.
This house also indicates the kind of parent they may be
themselves when they grow up, so I have written a litde about
this in the second paragraph of each section, hopefully capturing
the essence of what kind of mum or dad they might make one
day. It will be interesting for you to bear in mind that this could
also throw a light on the way they may treat a much younger
sibling.
Remember, no matter how gender-biased some of these
descriptions may seem, they can be applied to both sexes.

FIFTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Fifth House - Aries

This child's creativity will be expressed confidently, if a litde


swiftly. He will be good at designing with metal or engines, for
example with Meccano. He might come up with a bright idea
for an original car or plane, and may be creative with mechanical
toys.
This child will grow up to be an exciting parent who
prefers a career to staying home. When with his children, he'll
enjoy doing daring, adventurous things - pioneering uncharted
THE FIFTH HOUSE 115

territory. So as a child he'll probably parachute teddy off the


roof!

Fifth House - Taurus

Practical with her creativity, this child is bound to enjoy making


things out of plasticine or clay. She appreciates art in general,
and will want to leam about different artists. She can use her
voice creatively, either in recital or songs. Give her a tape
recorder.
When she grows up she'll accept her parental responsi-
bilities readily, but will expect obedience from the children. She
is fond of little ones and will love to cuddle them, so as a child she
will enjoy playing mummies and daddies, and singing to her toys.

Fifth House - Gemini

Extremely dextrous, this youngster can devise with nimble fin-


gers - maybe on a keyboard. Great at generating ideas, he's not
so good at finishing creative projects. Be sure to encourage his
clever story-telling talents and originality with words.
He may secretly fear the restrictions parenthood brings,
but will probably enjoy a brotherly or sisterly and very verbal
relationship with his offspring. As a child he'll romp, play and
chatter out in the fresh air with his pet puppy.

Fifth House - Cancer

Emotions will be a strong part of anything this child produces;


she can move you with a dramatic or musical performance.
She'll like drawing her parents and home, and devising ways
to entertain children. She'll constandy rearrange doll's house
furniture.
This child is a bom parent. Taking care of youngsters
116 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

comes naturally to her. She will instinctively know how to make


her children feel cherished and nurtured. Now she shows tender
loving care to pets and dolls - which she'll never part with.

Fifth House - Leo

Extremely creative, this child has style. He will be talented at


art generally and particularly in the performing arts. Take him
to art shows and the theatre. His clever design skills manifest
themselves in his choice of clothes and decor. He has dramatic
flair.
This child will grow up to be a warm and loyal parent,
wonderfully organized with his child's itinerary. He expects
obedience, and will happily take on the role of teacher to his
child. See him line up his toys and dictate to them as he plays
school.

Fifth House - Virgo

This child's creativity shows in tangible ways, such as work with


numbers. Art may seem like a waste of time to her. She is such
a perfectionist with anything she produces that she won't rest
till it's exact - then she's not pleased with the result.
In the same vein, she may put off parenthood for fear of
not being good enough. Once she has a child, though, she will
be most dutiful, thorough and practical. Her children will learn
self-discipline, neatness and order from her good example

Fifth House - Libra

This child has a good eye for beauty and balance; any artwork
of his will reflect this. He will enjoy colouring in patterns,
perhaps designing his own. His ability to originate harmony
THE FIFTH HOUSE 117

gives him an aptitude for music, but his greatest creative


medium is words.
He will be a gende parent, and take pains to dress his
children attractively. It will be important to him to treat them
all equally. He'll instil in them an interest in literature and
wildlife. Now you'll find him reading Shakespeare to his toys.

Fifth House - Scorpio

With creative works this child relies a lot on intuition. She


senses the right colour or line to invoke atmosphere. She will
have great ideas for mysteries - encourage her to write some.
She can always think up tremendous hiding places too.
She may make an intense and somewhat possessive parent,
but one who is capable of extreme self-sacrifice for the sake of
the children. She'll be adept at reading their moods and needs.
Now she is possessive over every one of her dolls.

Fifth House - Sagittarius

Artwork from this child will generally invoke cheerful feelings.


This little one may have talent as a cartoonist. He enjoys invent-
ing maps or designing sports teams. He'll be a creative, philo-
sophical instructor of others. He conjures up travel ideas.
Always optimistic about his children and keen to allow
them maximum liberty, he will also be interested enough in
their education to take it on himself. He will encourage his
youngsters to learn through travel and games. See his creative
goal scoring.

Fifth House - Capricorn

This youngster is most practical in her creative application.


Building and shaping from the soil, she can create wonderful
118 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

gardens or sculptures. She particularly likes putting together


photo albums and family trees. She'll be creative at economizing
too.
This child becomes a most responsible and conscientious
parent. She will never let her children down. She will teach
them to respect family traditions. You may hear her teaching
her toys manners and the correct way of doing things.

Fifth House - Aquarius

Original and different in his ideas, this child is most inventive.


Give him a camera or a computer. He will amaze you with his
technical creativity. Given the right tools, he has the capacity
to combine art and technology in all his productions.
A rather unconventional parent, he may believe the
children will learn from their own mistakes. He will encourage
them to socialize and share. Maybe his ideal would be a kibbute
or commune upbringing. He'll introduce his toys to all his
friends.

Fifth House - Pisces

Here is a child who is imaginative to the point of being visionary,


in music, poetry or art. Provide her with a musical instrument
plus all the art tools her heart desires. Watercolour paints would
be especially good for her. She'll have an imaginary friend.
Gentle and considerate, this child makes the most under-
standing parent. She will always be ready to lend a sympathetic
ear. Now see her play nurse to her dolls or animals, and attend
to their needs with soft kindness. She will share their dreams,
and weave more for them.
The Sixth House

The sixth house rules work ethic and industry - that is how
your child is likely to apply himself to a chore or task. Also
ruled by the sixth house is diet, which is always an interesting
one to discuss, since so many parents are concerned about their
child's eating habits. Maybe the following description of how
they like to eat will put your mind at rest - I hope so.

SIXTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Sixth House - Aries

When it comes to work, this child wants to rush at things, and


thoroughly enjoys a challenge. However, he may not have the
staying power to see the job through to completion, as he would
much prefer to dash off and start something new, so he had
better learn to delegate to someone who can finish what he has
started. That way his initial efforts and enthusiasm will not be
wasted. He has the capacity to work hard, especially if he is
allowed a lot of autonomy, and can lead the way for others.

DIET: This youngster is in a hurry, he just does not want to


stop and sit down to a meal, but would much prefer to eat on
the run. He might well bolt his food. He is unlikely to have any
natural caution about trying new tastes, especially hot ones.
120 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Sixth House - Taurus

Essentially practical, conscientious and industrious, this child


tackles a project slowly, working methodically, from start to
finish. She likes others to feel they can rely on her to get the
job done, and done thoroughly. She makes a great effort to
establish this reliability. Stubborn about the methods she
employs, it will be important that she learns job skills the correct
way from the outset, as she'll stick firmly to this way.

DIET: All her senses come into play, not just taste. She so
enjoys the look, the texture, the smell and the flavour of food
that she finds it hard to resist the pleasurable experience of
enjoying it. Don't fret if this also involves the sense of touch!

Sixth House - Gemini

This child needs to have many things on the go, and then do a
little work on each in turn. He starts lots of projects, then goes
back and forth between them adding layer by layer to each.
Sometimes he loses track of a project and never returns to finish
it. He does have an amazing capacity to watch TV, read a
magazine and tackle his homework at the same time. Most of
the time, though, it all works out fine. He enjoys working with
words. Help him make lists to keep track of all that is current.

DIET: This child is a grazer, preferring to nibble all day rather


than fill his stomach with food at three main meals. So keep
plenty of raw vegetables to hand. He finds sitting at the table
irksome and restrictive - he is likely to fidget and cannot wait
to get down.
THE SIXTH HOUSE 121

Sixth House - Cancer

Here is a child who brings her feelings into play when she works.
Comfort is very important in her workspace, and she would
rather work from home than with people she does not get along
with. As a child she'll enjoy working alongside her mother on
chores, projects or homework She works well with children
and animals or in any sphere where empathy is needed. She
may worry about unfinished or difficult work, and this can result
in irritable behaviour, stomach upsets or back pain.

DIET: Emotions can literally set the gastric juices flowing. If


all is convivial and 'safe' this child has a hearty appetite, but if
not, indigestion or stomach-aches may result. Do not try to
cheer her up with food or she may start a lifelong habit of
comfort eating.

Sixth House - Leo

Never afraid of hard work, this child sets an excellent example


to others. He does not mind putting in long hours, and is big-
hearted and industrious enough to take on more than is good
for him. He will enjoy being given a chance to shine. In fact he
quite likes to do a job that brings him acclaim and applause -
even in front of an audience. He enjoys working in creative
ways. He is good at organizing his own and others' schedules,
in fact he would really like to be the boss.

DIET: A hearty eater, this child's appetite grows with the


number of people invited to the table. He enjoys gregarious
gatherings and parties and will take great interest in preparing
and partaking of the most sumptuous food for such occasions.
122 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Sixth House - Virgo

Anxious to be useful in practical ways and a perfectionist when


it comes to work, this child hates to let anyone down. She will
take a lot of care when given a homework project, paying close
attention to detail and punctuality. She enjoys being useful and
will offer to help with chores. She may take other people's share
of the work on her own shoulders simply to get things done,
and will never leave a job half-done - in fact she might be
tense and nervy about unfinished work. She works analytically.

DIET: A fussy eater, this child wants to analyse her food.


Though she is too polite to pull apart her sandwich, she'll make
detailed inquiries about its contents. Diet and healthy eating
interest her, but inner tension and anxiety can affect her
appetite.

Sixth House - Libra

Charming and disarming, this little one can sweet-talk anyone


into taking on his chores. He enjoys using logic and balance in his
work. The presentation of his homework may take more time
than the actual content. This child needs beautiful surround-
ings and serenity to do his best, and will very much enjoy working
on a project when teamed up with someone he is in harmony
with. A discordant or overly restrictive atmosphere will not
encourage him to do his best work. He does, however, like to
work in any sphere where words, diplomacy or logic are required.

DIET: The appearance of food is more important than you


think. This litde one can be truly turned off eating by an over-
piled plate, or an ugly atmosphere. Given freedom to choose
his own diet, he will naturally choose balanced nutrition.
THE SIXTH HOUSE 123

Sixth House - Scorpio

This youngster prefers to work in private and may not want you
to watch what she is doing. She possesses tremendous willpower
and intuition, and can be very cool about cutting out that which
is superfluous. Sharp at spotting what needs to be done, she
works well in research or investigation, or where analysis and
dissection are required. She'll enjoy doing homework projects
that require ferreting out information or even simply cutting
and sticking. She'll also enjoy slicing the vegetables.

DIET: She may be more interested in the anatomy and


workings of an animal than in actually consuming it. She'll enjoy
cutting up her food even if she doesn't eat it. Being secretive,
she may be prone to keeping a hidden stash of forbidden sweets.

Sixth House - Sasittarius

Happy and cheerful about chores, this child can be truly philo-
sophical about what he takes on - for example, gazing in deep
reverie out of the window while doing the washing up. So long
as he does not feel constrained and so long as he feels free to
get on with things in his own way, he'll be quite a trooper. He
likes being around other people when he works, and does a
wonderful job of whipping up enthusiasm for assistance. He'll
work enthusiastically but impatiendy, itching to get started.

DIET: Not at all fussy about what or where he eats, he'll eat
well when travelling, and especially enjoys foreign foods. He
will be a fast eater, and may be impatient to get started and
to get down from table. Nonetheless he makes a jolly eating
companion.
124 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Sixth House - Capricorn

Extremely industrious, this little one works hard to gain the


respect and trust of those in authority - the parents, the teacher,
the boss, even older siblings. She prefers the tried and tested
traditional methods. Though she seems so capable and hard-
working, she does need a lot of encouragement and praise for
her efforts. She prefers to work slowly and thoroughly in order
to get the best results. She wants to build a reputation for being
dependable and conscientious in her work.

DIET: If certain foods are not liked or deemed suitable by this


child, she will dig her heels in and refuse to eat them. Don't
get into these batdes. Her appetite can always be counted on
to be hearty for traditional foods or when the family is gathered.

Sixth House - Apuarius

Capable of some amazing innovations, this litde one does not


do things by the book, yet when allowed to try out new ways,
he can come up with some wonderful inventions. Scientific and
sociable in his approach to chores, he goes about them in his
own original, sometimes very efficient way. However, you may
feel it is less trouble doing the washing yourself than mopping
up all those strange coloured bubbles afterwards. He happily
works in large groups or alongside friends.

DIET: Different is the keyword. This child may not eat foods
in traditional combinations, nor treat mealtimes in a traditional
way. However, he will enjoy social interaction when eating and
will happily share food with friends - or strangers.
THE SIXTH HOUSE 125

Sixth House — Pisces

Working very much from intuition and empathy, this child


cannot function in an upsetting atmosphere or if given too many
demands. Better for her would be to work through her senses,
say in music or nursing, where her feelings can come into play
- she can work from the heart. Music may help her concentrate.
She could need a lot of direction, frequendy feeling lost or out
of her depth. Your encouragement and support will be needed
with homework to prevent her from becoming overwhelmed.

DIET: Emotional eating means that this child may eat to com-
fort hurt feelings or a sense of loss. If the atmosphere is too
emotionally charged or if she feels vulnerable, she may 'binge'
eat or find herself completely without appetite.
The Seventh House

This rules your child's cooperation in close relationships. Thus


it indicates the type of person your child will most effectively
team up with - their best friend, or team mate, and later in life
perhaps their partner. The sign your child's seventh house falls
in may indicate the actual Sun sign of their best partner, or may
simply describe the essence of the person who most comple-
ments them - their alter ego, so to speak. This describes the
person they will benefit from being teamed up with. Ability to
cooperate in close relationships. Potential for popular appeal
and public support.

SEVENTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Seventh House - Aries

Looking for a dynamic team-mate who may be quite a leader,


this child will not mind a pioneering friend showing him the
way, yet he will not be a doormat, and will gently stand his
ground if he feels the leader pause or lose direction. This child
will enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of a daring, dynamic,
somewhat self-centred partner, whose ego they don't mind
stroking. This child's charm and flexibility makes a perfect foil
for the impatient, direct and bold Aries partner.

Seventh House - Taurus

The best friend of this child may well be born in May and will be
utterly dependable, practical and down-to-earth. They will have
THE SEVENTH HOUSE 127

an anchoring effect on this little one and will always be there


for her. She needs a partner who has an innate understanding
of her insecurities and secret fears. The perfect best friend for
this litde one will provide the calm common sense and perma-
nence that can soothe and reassure her.

Seventh House - Gemini

This impatient child needs a lively, persuasive best friend, some-


one who always has something to say, but doesn't dwell too
long on any one topic; also a team-mate who values freedom
and variety in life. They will have a quick wit too, and may be
a fast talker. Partnered happily this youngster finds stimulation
and constant change and activity in his best buddy. While he
likes to travel far, he seeks in his team-mate someone who is
prepared to run the quick errands or enjoys constantly gadding
about.

Seventh House - Cancer

This solid, practical child looks for a partner who is flexible and
understanding. She teams up best with a sensitive, nurturing
child who likes to play close to home and probably enjoys home
and family as the theme for play - dolls, doll's houses, cookery
and gardening being some of the favourites The stubbornness
of this child means she will team up best with a fluid and
adaptable playmate, probably born in late June or early July.

Seventh House - Leo

Approaching life from a cool, scientific yet creative standpoint,


this child will truly appreciate the partner who enthuses warmly
over his new ideas and appreciates their merit. His ideal best
friend, therefore, is loyal, warm and dynamic, perhaps even able
128 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

to set these ideas in motion. This team-mate will be excellent at


organizing and directing other people, including your youngster,
who likes being an audience to the Leo friend's natural predis-
position to show off.

Seventh House - Virgo

Dreamy and sentimental in her approach to life, this youngster


seeks a best buddy who will give her more direction and contain-
ment. She enjoys being around the meticulous and conscien-
tious Virgo type of pal, and can help relax her. She will not be
offended by her partner's rather critical approach to life, but
rather admires their ability to be so much more organized, tidy
and punctual than she is. Your child is happiest teamed with a
neat, practical and considerate person.

Seventh House - Libra

Always seeking a challenge in life, your child is attracted to a


partner who questions his judgement - not fiercely argumenta-
tive, just quietly logical and able to examine an opposing view-
point. Since your little one likes to be leader, he teams well
with someone who prefers having decisions made for them, or
to be told just what exciting things they are going to get up to
together next. Here the best friend provides diplomacy and ego-
stroking - telling your child he is wonderful (even when he is
not).

Seventh House - Scorpio

The child whose chart wheel has the seventh house in Scorpio
is quiedy conservative, and enjoys the air of mystery and depth
provided by a Scorpio partner. The possessiveness and jealousy
THE SEVENTH HOUSE 129

of the Scorpio is welcomed by your child, who has her own


insecurities. There is an empathy, an unwritten understanding
between these two. Her appreciation for this friend's hidden
sensitivity and intuition is unwritten and unsaid, but very much
in evidence. They will enjoy sharing secrets.

Seventh House - Sasittarius

Looking for fun, this child enjoys a best friend who is good at
sport and keen on being active. He loses interest quickly and
cannot bear to feel hemmed in by a friendship, so a freewheeling
partner who makes no demands on him will suit this child best.
They will have lots to talk about and plenty of adventures, but
will never be bored in each other's company. They'll particularly
enjoy fast, active sports together.

Seventh House - Capricorn

Sensitive and easily hurt, your litde one needs a pal who will
always be there for her, no question - perhaps one who acts
like a father-figure at times! In a Capricorn-style partner she
finds a buddy who is solid, constant and self-disciplined. This
suits her wavering, easily swayed nature. She seeks a responsible,
reliable and steady partner who takes life, tradition and family
very seriously. Her best friend will probably be bom in
December or January.

Seventh House - Aciuarius

A bold, dynamic star, this charismatic child needs a friend who


will be his willing admirer and at the same time appreciate his
creative ideas. The best friend here will be original and techni-
cally very capable, perhaps able to turn your child's design into
130 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

a workable creation. Since your youngster loves people, his ideal


best friend must too. The Aquarius-type friend makes
a wonderful and appreciative audience for his more showy,
dramatic and flamboyant nature.

Seventh House - Pisces

Since your little one sometimes suffers from anxiety or a deep


inner need to be perfect, she will be soothed by a laid-back and
empathetic partner who tells her not to worry so much about
things. She may not be musical but her best friend is likely to
be very aware of the soothing effects of music, poetry or just
sitting back and watching a movie. She admires this friend's
ability to switch off to life's pressures and lose herself in the
stuff of dreams. With any luck she may even try to emulate this
talent, thus relaxing her own jagged nerves.
The Eighth House

This is a hard house to describe since it rules deep spirituality,


your child's most passionate beliefs, and to some extent how
the child worships. It also concerns the child's ability to cut
out the old and make way for the new; how she copes with
endings and beginnings - for example, turning out her room
and throwing out that which is no longer useful.

EIGHTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

EishthHouse - Aries

This is a child who likes to lead the way on religious matters


and not be told by others. He may be quite a pioneer of new
beliefs or ways of worshipping perhaps even showing some
leadership qualities in this area. If allowed to take communion
he may manoeuvre himself to the front of the queue. In
church he is likely to prefer the front pew, and he'll be great at
leading processions. Bold about starting afresh in life, he never
minds saying goodbye to the old.

Eishth House - Taurus

Here is a youngster who is very down-to-earth about spiritual


matters. Once she has a certain set of beliefs in place, however,
she will be dogmatic about them and will not have her mind
swayed. In general she does not react well to final changes of
any kind. Endings and new beginnings leave her feeling insecure
132 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

and afraid, dwelling on what is lost rather than what is newly


possible.

Eighth House - Gemini

A mischievous choirboy or a little angel with a secret stash of


gobstoppers. This child likes to dispel the tension of solemn
rituals with a bit of fun. He may find it so hard to keep quiet
and sit still in the pew that you had better bring paper and
pencil with you to keep him from fidgeting. Or let him get
involved in reading the lesson from time to time. This child
likes to talk and read about religious matters, but probably
prefers to keep an open mind. He readily and easily adapts to
change.

Eighth House - Cancer

For this child faith is not simply a matter of mouthing words;


she really feels emotionally attached to her beliefs and may have
mystical or religious experiences. Whether she will ever share
these with you depends on how open-minded you are. Her
devotion is complete, she hangs on to her faith like a life-raft,
but she is not easily fooled by false prophets. This child does
not like letting go of the old to make way for the new. Things
with strong sentimental value are never thrown away.

Eighth House - Leo

Extremely faithful in his devotion, this child may be quite vocal


in trying to convince others that his religion is the only one to
worship. A pulpit speaker by nature, this youngster will enjoy
all the drama and rich trimmings of religious ritual. He'll really
take his part seriously in the nativity play. He is happy express-
THE EIGHTH HOUSE 133

ing his religious feelings creatively, in words or pictures. Though


this youngster is good at organizing clear-outs, there will be one
or two valuable possessions which he stays loyal to throughout
his life.

Eighth House - Vireo

Ever the analyst when it comes to religion, and extremely practi-


cal to boot, this youngster may pooh-pooh the idea of intuition
or mysticism. She will certainly question any miracles and unex-
plained phenomena in the religion she is taught, and if no one
comes up with the right answers, she may dismiss the stories as
fable. Endings are a practical part of life to this youngster, and
she will enjoy the lack of clutter and the feeling of cleanliness
that a good clear-out of her room brings.

Eighth House - Libra

Weighing things in the balance, when it comes to religion this


child wants to be fair-minded. However, he will not accept any
credos that are not based on logic. He champions whole-
heartedly the individual's right to freedom in beliefs and will
not like anyone trying to force dogma down another's throat.
He might enjoy writing about religious matters, probably con-
founding you with logical questions and arguments. He likes
breathing space; however, he will be diplomatic about throwing
out something you've given him.

Eighth House - Scorpio

Possessed by passionate beliefs, this youngster does not take


religion lightly. She may develop a deep interest in mysticism.
Whatever her religion, she will delve and analyse to uncover
134 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

and understand all that she can, all the while revealing little to
you about what she believes. She may be quiet and intense in
church, then come out with the most insightful and profound
religious statements. She understands the need for necessary
pruning in life, but hates letting go of anyone or anything that
has touched her spirit in some way.

Eighth House - Sa2ittanus

Intrigued by the religions of the world, this child may be fasci-


nated by tales of missionaries. He will spend his life gleaning
as much knowledge as he can about every different way of
worshipping, eventually developing his own religious philo-
sophy and maybe teaching it to others. He does not appreciate
being told how to worship - to him it is up to the individual.
He may gather wisdom, but not things, since he is happiest
when the clutter is cleared out of his life; so he can be quite
ruthless and impatient when it is time for a dear-out.

Eighth House - Capricorn

Religious beliefs are traditional, handed down from generation


to generation; this child would never let her ancestors down by
turning away from the way it has always been done She may
not wholeheartedly believe in some of the miracles and myths,
since in truth she is too down-to-earth about faith, but she
nonetheless defends them for the sake of loyalty and continuity.
When it comes to getting rid of the old, she has difficulty, since
it is the old that she most respects and admires.

Eighth House - Aquarius

This child may enjoy sitting among the congregation and meet-
ing them afterwards, but he does not conform to traditional
THE EIGHTH HOUSE 135

ways of worshipping. Quietly but firmly he ignores the estab-


lished rules of religion and goes his own way - probably becom-
ing interested in New Age faiths such as hands-on healing. He
feels spiritually tuned in to mankind and will happily raise funds
for the needy. Eccentric in his approach to clearing out his room
- maybe chucking stuff out of the window - he'll nonetheless
find a good cause that can use his cast-offs.

Eighth House - Pisces

Deeply intuitive, this child may be quite visionary. It is also


possible that she is naturally psychic, so don't disregard her
claims to have been visited by angels. Her deepest beliefs involve
compassion and self-sacrificing. She may follow her religion's
teachings to the letter, and can be so deeply moved by its
meaning that she is brought to tears, or to compose beautiful
songs conveying its message. Sentimentality may get in the way
of her clearing out the old to make room for the new. Somehow,
though, she will sense when it is time to do so.
The Ninth House

This will help you understand what school means to your child.
The ninth house gives pointers to your children's attitude
towards education and how they are likely to work and respond
to teachers. The ninth house also shows how your offspring will
deal with long-haul travel and major expeditions.

NINTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Ninth House - Aries

School is seen by this child as a dynamic, exciting place. He


may be a bit of a 'whiz-kid' when it comes to learning, ahead
of others his age. This is because he loves being presented with
new challenges. He would switch off if put in a class that was
too easy for him. He really enjoys being out in front, so encour-
age him to strive for the number-one slot and he'll always work
hard. Sometimes his speed may lead him to miss some of the
details or make careless errors.
Travel is perceived as an adventure by this youngster. He
wants to go places and once he gets there he'd like to explore
or do thrilling sports. He will absolutely love the plane journey
and the plane.

Ninth House - Taurus

Secure and permanent, this youngster's school is like a rock.


She knows that it, and her teacher, will always be there for
her. She is steady and reliable as a student, and may not be too
THE NINTH HOUSE 137

good with concepts, but can understand practical explanations.


She learns slowly but thoroughly, and she learns best through
hands-on experience.
This litde one may feel a litde insecure about the thought
of travelling to unfamiliar territory. It will be important, there-
fore, for you to let her bring something that makes her feel
secure. She can be very practical and down-to-earth about her
packing.

Ninth House - Gemini

A chatterbox and a joker in school, this child may well be the


class clown. He nonetheless gains a great deal from school,
particularly the ability to express himself and to consider fresh
ideas and concepts Even though he spends so much time talk-
ing he still manages to know exactly what the teacher has just
said - though he may distract other students.
If you are planning a long trip with this youngster, take
plenty of books and games or he will become bored and resdess.
He prefers short trips to the long haul, but once he arrives at
your destination he'll love exploring the new neighbourhood.

Ninth House - Cancer

School is a womb to this child. She feels a strong emotional


attachment to it, as if it were a second home, and the teacher
may even be seen as a second mother. This child learns best
when she feels safe and comfortable and the emotional environ-
ment is happy. She learns intuitively, somehow just picking
things up.
When you go on a long journey you may find that this
youngster wants to take 'everything but the kitchen sink'. She
may also become nervous and resdess just before the trip,
138 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

anxious about leaving home. Once she gets there, though, she'll
make the hotel a home from home.

Ninth House - Leo

Dynamic at learning and then dynamic at teaching other kids


what he has learned, this child feels very happy in the school
environment. He will be gregarious with his schoolmates and
so long as he feels loyalty to his teacher he will work hard
and learn well. He will be proud of his uniform.
Travel must be more than comfortable for this youngster
- it must be luxurious. No slumming it in a tent - he wants the
best hotels, to be waited on hand and foot and all travel to be
first class! Once at his destination he'll happily soak up the sun.

Ninth House - Virso

This little one's school experience is a very conscientious one.


He may fear criticism from his peers and teachers, yet at the
same time feel it is his duty not to bother his parents with these
worries. He has a phenomenal memory, so learning comes easy,
but exam results may let him down due to nerves and perfec-
tionism.
This child has a genuine fear of flying. The rationale behind
this is that he has such a mind for detail and analysis that he is
only too aware of everything that could go wrong In truth he
does not like handing over so much responsibility to the pilot.

Ninth House - Libra

School for this child will be beautiful - perhaps a gorgeous


building or exquisite grounds. Or his experience of school will
simply be one of harmony, balance and justice. This child enjoys
having his intellect stimulated and learns best when given the
THE NINTH HOUSE 139

freedom to discuss ideas and weigh things in the balance. He


leams well from the written word.
When it comes to travel your youngster really wants it to
be a beautiful experience. He likes comfort, though he does not
need luxury. He would be happy to travel to a location of great
natural beauty, where wildlife might be in evidence.

Ninth House - Scorpio

An intuitive learner, this youngster has mixed feelings about her


school. On the one hand she may experience some spite or
jealousy from other students, but on the other hand she never
wants to let go of her teacher. Knowledge gained may not always
be shared with others, but it will be deeper than most.
Though she may not show it on the surface, leaving her
familiar turf may make this little one feel very insecure. How-
ever, once there she'll happily nose around. She's also capable of
camping in the wilderness, showing willpower and forbearance.

Ninth House - Sasittarius

This child leams best when given freedom to draw his own
conclusions. He perceives school as a place where, beyond
formal education, philosophies are developed. If his education
is too rigid, he'll shut down. Given freedom of choice, though,
he feels comfortable enough to take courses for pleasure. He is
a natural tutor himself also.
Try holding him back! This child is impatient to get travel-
ling. He sees the world as an exciting adventure, full of wisdoms
for him to leam. Ready to take off at a moment's notice, and
happiest when travelling light, he's fascinated by other cultures.
140 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Ninth House - Capricorn

A slow and thorough hands-on learner, this youngster takes her


education very seriously. Her school may be old, with well-
established traditions. She will be proud of the school motto.
Though she may be stubborn at times about school work, she
is extremely conscientious. Once she has absorbed a fact it
remains with her for ever.
This child is so practical about travel that, unless she sees
a good reason to go, she will not bother. She may see travel
as a waste of time and money unless it is done for business or
to bring family together. She is a most economical traveller.

Ninth House - Aquarius

Thoroughly enjoying the whole institution of school, this child


mixes well with his friends. He does like independence from
his family, so he might do well at boarding school. Though
neither you nor his teacher may understand his odd way of
learning, it seems to work for him. He learns best on group
projects and scientific experiments.
He may say 'no toothbrush', he may sleep on the floor of
the plane, but he will not be like other travellers. Nonetheless
he likes them all and is apt to start conversations and make
friends with everyone he meets when travelling and when he
arrives.

Ninth House - Pisces

Here is a child who is sensitive at school and feels it is rather


an emotional experience. She needs understanding and sym-
pathy in order to be able to learn. Provide a small, comforting
environment, and let music be a large part of it. In general this
THE NINTH HOUSE 141

is a youngster who leams intuitively - somehow picking up facts


from the ether around her.
Very flexible about travel, this child flows freely here and
there. You can lead her by the nose with romantic tales of days
gone by, or pretty pictures of your destination. She is idealistic
about the journey and the location. Don't let her down.
The Tenth House

The tenth house rules the father, or the dominant parent. As


with the readings for the fourth house (mother or less dominant
parent) earlier, this house shows us the essence of the parent,
as experienced by this child. That is, what they get from this
particular parent.
The tenth house also rules the career or the ambition of
the child - where they want to go in life. I shall deal with this
and give definitions under the heading Midheaven, in Layer
Three of this book.

TENTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Tenth House - Aries

The father is seen by this child as exciting dynamic and daring


a larger-than-life character, who may be idolized by them -
pardy because he is not always around. This child feels his
father's own confidence and independence rubs off on him,
encouraging him to be bold and self-motivated too. The father
may be somewhat selfish, but will also be generous and
extremely warm-hearted.

Tenth House - Taurus

The father is seen as practical and gentle; this child feels sure
of her dad and sees him as a solid rock because he is so predict-
able and reliable. This father probably has routines, and may at
times come across as stubborn. He is devoted to his children,
THE TENTH HOUSE 143

but expects them to do his bidding. This child could develop


an interest in singing or music and art generally, as a result of
her father's influence.

Tenth House - Gemini

This father is perceived as lively and talkative, probably clever


and witty in conversation, maybe a bit of a gambler. He likes
to be busy, doing many things at once. He so cherishes
his freedom that he may be hard to pin down - here one
minute, gone the next. His offspring will learn versatility and
a sense of humour. When around, this dad would enjoy do-
ing outdoor sports with his children, such as sailing or biking.

Tenth House - Cancer

Gende and nurturing, this dad seems more like a mum in some
ways. He may be a good cook and takes a great interest in
having a comfortable home. Even though his work may involve
travelling, he will seem comforting and sensitive to his offspring.
Sometimes very emotional and easily hurt, this is a dad
who will find it hard to let go when his child feels ready to
leave the nest.

Tenth House - Leo

Bold and dynamic, this father is perceived as powerful. Though


he is very warm and generous, he will make it clear that he is
the boss and may roar loudly if disobeyed. From her father this
child feels pride and leams to hold her head up high. This father
will impart leadership skills and the ability to push oneself into
the limelight. He also teaches appreciation of a gregarious social
life.
144 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Tenth House - Virgc

Here is a father who is perceived as anxious to get things right.


He may lack belief in himself because he falls short of his own
high standards of perfection. Then he becomes the critical parent.
He will be thorough and hard-working, practical and detail-
conscious in his child's eyes, and while this is respected, it may
at times feel hard for the child to live up to his exacting standards.

Tenth House - Libra

Sensitive and gentle, this father has the ability to see both sides
of every argument. So although he is a pacifist, he will have a
tendency to disagree with opinions, simply because he feels
compelled to point out the opposite. He could come across as
indecisive or lazy at times, but will open up his child's mind to
the joys of literature and debate and the possibilities of other
points of view.

Tenth House - Scorpio

Though this father is obviously intense and possessive about his


child, he also gives off an air of mystery. His children may feel
that they never truly know their father, as he is afraid to reveal
too much about himself. As they get to know him better, they
understand that he feels with such intensity that he is insecure
about showing his feelings. From him the children will learn
willpower and control, and an investigative approach.

Tenth House - Sagittarius

This child perceives his father as a philosopher. The father may


be noticeable for his absence at times, since he has a great need
for freedom, but this is understood later in life as a need to
THE TENTH HOUSE 145

gather wisdom. The father will impart a thirst for knowledge,


a tolerance of others' beliefs, and a lack of materialism. Also a
lively interest in sport can be learned from this parent, who
may be a keen player or supporter himself.

Tenth House - Capricorn

This is the true father-figure, responsible, strong, committed to


family, and keen to provide for them - not just now but also in
the future. This child will learn dedication, patience and self-
discipline from his paternal influence. Moral strength, tradition
and commitment to family are typical of this father. He is
solid, practical and reliable, like an immovable rock. He sets an
excellent, if inflexible, example to his child.

Tenth House - Apuarius

This father is seen as original and different, perhaps an inventor,


perhaps a rebel. He can get away with doing things his own
inimitable way, and may be quite stubborn in his eccentricity.
He may seem disinterested in disciplining or containing his
child, but this is simply because he values freedom and individu-
ality so much. This child will learn to appreciate innovation,
nature and humanity from their father.

Tenth House - Pisces

The father of this child emits gendeness and sensitivity. He may


appear poetic, wistful or dreamy. He will be imaginative and
creative, but may find the world around him too harsh, and then
wish to escape from it into a dream-world such as books or
films. This child will leam spirituality and softness from him.
By tuning into this dad's more mystical side the child may learn
to develop imagination and vision from him.
The Eleventh House

Reading the eleventh house in your child's chart wheel, you


will see which kinds of friends they are likely to choose to spend
their time with, what these friendships mean to them and how
they are likely to treat their pals. This section also shows you a
litde of their views of humanity as a whole.

ELEVENTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Eleventh House - Aries

This child is quick to make friends, then wants a bit of a chal-


lenge when it comes to keeping them. He makes a good leader
of the group and can think up exciting things they can do
together. He'll enjoy fast, energetic fun with them.
A bit of a dynamo on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Taurus

Constant in friendship, and seeking friends who will stand by


her, this child is never flighty when it comes to buddies. She
needs to feel the friendship is secure, and in return she will
stand by her pal through thick and thin.
Very reliable on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Gemini

Not wanting to be fenced in, this child enjoys lighthearted


friends who will not make any demands on him. He'll chatter
THE ELEVENTH HOUSE 147

with them endlessly, though, batting around ideas and cracking


jokes. Watch your phone bill!
Flighty and flippant on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Cancer

This child will cautiously creep out of her shell to see if she is
safe making friends with someone. Once she has tucked them
under her wing, however, she wants to nurture and take care of
them - and never let them go.
Caring and sensitive on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Leo

Bold, dynamic and very friendly, this child makes friends easily,
and is very loyal to the ones he has. He likes buddies who want
to have fun in a gregarious way - parties, extravagant gatherings,
showing off together.
You cannot ignore this one on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Vireo

This youngster takes her friendships very seriously and feels


rather responsible towards her pals. She is a true friend because
she so much likes to be of help and value. She shows friendship
by paying attention to the details others may overlook
Practical and helpful on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Libra

Bubbly and vivacious, this child likes a variety of friends to share


ideas with. He is so charming and enthusiastic that people
instantly like him. He likes making his friends' lives smoother,
148 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

but he'd never hang on to their coat-tails, always respecting


their freedom.
A butterfly on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Scorpio

This child may not initially come across as friendly. She is


cautious, even suspicious, about new friendships. But once trust
is established, she is your friend for life. She becomes deeply
attracted to her friends and wants to keep them all to herself.
Intense on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Sagittarius

Everybody's friend, and open to the full range of possibilities


on the social scene, this child always sees the best in everybody.
He is warm, full of fun and keen to enjoy sports with his pals.
He'll be loud and enthusiastic in cheering them on.
Open to the social scene.

Eleventh House - Capricorn

A thorough friend, this child does not take friendships lightly


but feels enormous responsibility towards those she calls her
pals - she would never let them down. They would be a small
group of carefully selected people she feels comfortable with.
Responsible on the social scene.

Eleventh House - Apuarius

Extremely friendly, this child really enjoys people and it shows.


He is non-judgemental, his friends will come from every walk
of life, and they will always be welcome at his door. He is apt
to pick up waifs and strays, including animals.
Humanitarian on the social scene.
THE ELEVENTH HOUSE 149

Eleventh House - Pisces

This child makes a wonderful shoulder to cry on, she is so


sympathetic. So her friends know they can turn to her with
all their troubles. She empathizes with them and enjoys their
dependence on her. Plus sharing poetry and music with them.
Sympathetic on the social scene.
The Twelfth House

This house rules dreams, intuition and the subconscious. Know-


ing more about this house in your child's chart will give you a
chance to understand their secret fears and insight into the
nightmares that are so real to them. By being armed with this
inside information you will know how best to comfort them
and help them solve these riddles of the subconscious.
If your child is naturally intuitive or psychic it will show
up in this house, and you will be able to respect your child's
special gift and perhaps help them to become more comfortable
with it.

TWELFTH HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS

Twelfth House - Aries

Your child dreams of being bold. In his dreams he can have


anything he wants - and he does. He is likely to explore areas
where others have never been before, maybe even leading the
way for them. He might also dream of travelling fast, of flying
or driving a racing car. In his dream he dares to do that which
he is too cautious to try in his waking life.
Quick, psychic messages flash in, but he may ignore them.

Twelfth House - Taurus

Your child dreams of being in control, and of things never


changing. She may also dream of wealth and could spend her
sleeping hours subconsciously planning a way to be better off
THE TWELFTH HOUSE 151

in her waking life. It is in this dream world, and her subcon-


scious, that this child creates the stability and permanence she
may lack in her waking life.
Intuitive about money.

Twelfth House - Gemini

In your child's dreams there is a lot of communication. Words


and letters, phones and computers, and of course plenty of
lighthearted banter - most likely this youngster talks or laughs
in his sleep. He may go to sleep with a problem, and wake up
having seen the irony of the problem, or the answer written
clearly on paper. Always free and uncontained in his dreams, he
may even dream he is flying.
Communications are helped psychically.

Twelfth House - Cancer

Your child's dreams are very moving for her. You may go to
tuck her in and see a tear trickling down her face, even though
she is sound asleep. This is like a release valve for her, an
emotional oudet where daytime hurts can be expressed. Her
dreams generally involve security and nurturing. Her parents
and her home will be recurrent features in her nightscapes, in
which she hangs on to things with sentimental value.
Extraordinarily sensitive to atmosphere - psychic. In tune
with friends and family.

Twelfth House - Leo

Your child dreams or daydreams about fame and glory - his


own and others'. He probably conjures up scenarios in which
it is quite natural for him to be good friends with royalty or
famous stars. In general it is in his dreams that he gives his ego
152 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

a chance to inflate for a while. If he has a nightmare, say,


about a fierce and hungry lion chasing him, it may in truth be
anger with someone who hurt his pride that day.
Much more intuitive than this practical, analytical child
wants to accept.

Twelfth House - Virso

This child dreams of precision and order, and may fret in her
dreams because she cannot get things exactly right. She may be
able to recall her dreams in great detail, relating to you every
litde thing. If she wakes up in the night worrying about some
specifics that seemed so unimportant during the day, reassure
her that she did her best, and that is good enough.
May intuitively sense how to be of most help to people.

Twelfth House - Libra

This child dreams of balance and harmony. He creates beauty


in his dreams. If life has been unjust to him that day, he redresses
the balance through his subconscious. In his dream-world every-
thing is fair and beautiful, and everyone gets along with
everyone else. He may even dream about courts, judges or
prison. He would benefit from writing his dreams down.
This child has a sixth sense about how to smooth things,
and people, over.

Twelfth House - Scorpio

This child probably has the scariest dreams of the lot. So deeply
disturbing are they that she might not dare mention them
to you. They hint at things hidden that are too frightening to
reveal. Give this child every sympathy and all your support,
and teach her that she has nothing to fear from these demons,
THE TWELFTH HOUSE 153

which come from her own imagination. Only in dreams can she
acknowledge a possessive, jealous side.
This is an extremely intuitive child, especially about people.

Twelfth House - Sasittarim

Dreams of travelling, happy dreams. Everything is made possible


in this little one's nightscape. Riding horses or achieving great
sporting success - in his dreams he never has to wait for any-
thing. Through his dreams, therefore, he can live the impatience
and lack of self-discipline which is not his normal nature during
the day. He can also tell people a few home truths!
Psychically linked to animals.

Twelfth House - Capricorn

In this child's dreams everything is solid and reliable. Since his


day-to-day approach is so eccentric, this subconscious balance
provides a traditional, maintaining and more materialistic side.
He may dream of laying foundation stones, of taking things one
step at a time. His dreams may often be about his forebears or
monumental practical or financial achievements. Ancestors may
visit him in dreams.
His intuitions are usually about the family

Twelfth House - Aquarius

Dreams of helping people less fortunate than himself - he may


dream he visited a homeless shelter or dished out soup to the
hungry. He could also dream of being with crowds or in insti-
tutions such as school, hospital or even a large department store.
His dreams often involve friends - and he surrounds himself
with people in them. Sometimes he dreams of the future.
Sixth sense about people's needs, predictive dreaming.
154 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Twelfth House - Pisces

Visionary, this child's dreams are probably truly prophetic.


Empathy and nursing are two common themes, as is easy com-
munication with animals, as if there had never been a language
barrier. Since in his waking life this child is quite the self-
motivated go-getter, this subconscious appreciation for the feel-
ings of others maintains balance. He may sleep better if he can
listen to music as he goes to sleep.
Mystical in the extreme, probably psychic and having
visionary daydreams.
Layer Three A Further Look
PLACING THE SUN AND MOON ON THE WHEEL

Do you remember my example of Sophie's chart? Here it is


again, only this time I have added the Sun and Moon in their
correct house. You can do this with your child's chart too,
referring back to your notes about the sign they were in at the
moment of birth, then drawing them in on the wheel, where
that sign appears.
For example, I know Sophie's Sun was in Capricorn at her
birth moment. So I place the Sun symbol in the third house,
which straddles Capricorn. Her Moon at birth was in Cancer,
so I place the Moon symbol in her ninth house, which straddles
that sign.

1112;
ASC 1 SOPHIE
4 JANUARY 1988
\\l

4^3 4,^;

SUN
©

,0^
158 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Having placed the Sun and Moon in the houses, now


you can increase your knowledge by interpreting their placings;
referring back to my key notes and remembering all the infor-
mation you now have about the houses.
For example. The Sun (vitality) in Gemini (com-
municative) in the first (self, ego) house shows this child to be
able to express his/herself personally through communications
of all kinds. This child would be adept at projecting their true
self with the written or spoken word. Also through their hands
(Gemini) in creative works such as sculpture.
The Moon (emotions) in Leo (dynamic, bold, fiery) in the
fifth (children, creativity) house, indicates the child will have
warm, spontaneous, feelings which he/she expresses creatively.
This child would enjoy the limelight and the gregariousness of
parties, and they would feel great loyalty to their friends/family.
So now you can enjoy interpreting the placings of your
own child's Sun and Moon in the houses in the same way.

IF THE SIGNS STRADDLE TWO HOUSES

Here is an example of a wheel where the rising sign straddles


two houses (and thus so do all the subsequent signs on the
wheel). Let us work it out for a child bom on 24 May 1996 at
2.30 am. Hrsdy, looking at the tables we see that the Ascendant
or rising sign was halfway through Aries. So we write ARIES
across the line dividing houses 12 and 1. Then TAURUS across
the following house division and so on around the wheel, always
remembering to work anti-clockwise.
The Sun sign on that date would have been Gemini. But
on the wheel Gemini spans part of the first house and part of
the second. In order to decide where to place the Sun, look
at the date of birth. The 24th is early on in Gemini (i.e. soon
after the sun moved into that sign). Thus you place it early on
in the wheel [i.e. the first house). Had the birthdate been
towards the end of the Sun's stay in Gemini, for example 19
June, then you would place the Sun in the second house on the
wheel.
Similarly for the Moon. Consulting the Moon sign tables,
you will see for that date and time the Moon would have been
towards the end of its stay in Leo. Thus you write Moon in Leo
in the fifth rather than the fourth house.
Example wheel for birthdate 24 May 1996:
The Midheaven

THE READING OF THE MIDHEAVEN

Looking again now at your child's chart wheel, write MC on


the top centre of the wheel. This is the point where the tenth
House starts, and is also known as the Midheaven.
This planetary angle gives useful hints towards your child's
possible choice of career. Much else in the chart must be
weighed up and considered for a truly accurate vocational guid-
ance reading. However, a look at my definitions for your child's
Midheaven placing may provide food for thought and some
ideas during the growing-up years.
Bear in mind, though, that the Midheaven only points to
the initial interest or first career leaning. Subsequendy changes
and choices and the career's evolution over time can only be
defined by more comprehensive analysis of the wheel, the
planets and the houses.

DEFINITIONS FOR MIDHEAVEN PLACINGS

Midheaven in Aries

CAREER: This child needs a challenge. A career as pilot or


outdoor adventure leader may be good. Excellent with engines
and mechanics. Could also work well with heads, as a hair-
dresser. Prefers to work independently or having own business.

VOCATION: This child may feel called upon to lead others


and pioneer new ways of doing things.
THE MIDHEAVEN 161

Midheaven in Taurus

CAREER: This child could be drawn to a creative career, per-


haps art and music. Possibly using the voice in some way. Money
will be important, so he could work in banking/finance. Equally
good would be architecture and landscaping.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to build something


beautiful.

Midheaven in Gemini

CAREER: This child can be a jack of all trades, and may tire
easily of one job, moving on to try something else. Possessing a
natural ability to talk, persuade and convince, he could be good
in sales or successful in all communications fields.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to communicate or


inform.

Midheaven in Cancer

CAREER: This child should have a career where sensitivity


and intuition are required, such as parenting nursing or per-
forming music. She would make a good chef or caterer, and
possesses natural talent at dealing with homes.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to nurture.

Midheaven in Leo

CAREER: Holding centre stage will come naturally, so a teach-


ing or acting career might be good. Being the boss and telling
others what to do are also good career placings for this child.
They could be clever in artistic directions.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to perform.


162 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

Midheaven in Vireo

CAREER: Anything where detail and duly are involved. The


communications or computer industries, also health. This child
likes to be of value and use to others, so prefers to play back-
up rather than taking on the role of boss.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to serve.

Midheaven in Libra

CAREER: This child can create beauty and balance, so a career


in beauty or law might suit. She handles people in such a
charming logical way that she may succeed in public relations
or as a diplomat. An excellent writer loo.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to harmonize.

Midheaven in Scorpio

CAREER: Medicine, particularly surgery, suits this child. Cool


in a crisis and drawn to delving and searching beneath layers,
he can keep a secret and can readily cut out what is not needed,
so works well as a researcher, spy or journalist.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to uncover and reveal.

Midheaven in Sagittarius^
CAREER: This child is a natural teacher, though the leaching
will be as much philosophical as factual. The career may not
have as much to do with gathering money as gathering wisdom.
A career in travel or sport would also be good.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to find and leach


truth.
THE MIDHEAVEN 163

Midheaven in Capricorn

CAREER: This child is ambitious, slow to start, but eventually


reaching the top. He builds success brick by brick, with determina-
tion and foresight. Shrewd at handling finances, he should do
well in banking investments and administration.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to consolidate.

Midheaven in Aquarius

CAREER: This child's career should involve art and tech-


nology or science, but may be rather unusual, possibly involving
inventing. Dealing with humanity is also important May
become a photographer or cameraman, a social worker, artist,
astrologer or New Age practitioner.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to be ingenious.

Midheaven in Pisces

CAREER: Any career where empathy and feeling are required,


such as nursing or dancing. A career in music, or one where the
imagination can be used, such as writing, film-making, the visual
arts. A career where sensitivity is employed.

VOCATION: This child may feel called to imagine.

If your child's chart is one in which the sign on the Midheaven


lies half in the ninth and half in the tenth house, then they are
likely to spend some years in the career described by the sign
on the Midheaven, then move on to develop a career in the
other sign in their tenth house, later in life.
Calculating the Correct

Moon Sign

Since the Moon is so close to the earth, it moves to a new sign


approximately every 2.5 days so you will need to consult ta-
bles in order to establish which sign it was when your child
was born. It is possible to buy a specialized calendar called an
ephemeris which lists the position of the Moon by degrees and
sign on any given day at noon or midnight, GMT.
In this book I have chosen not to work with degrees, so
I have simplified matters with a table that shows you when
the Moon moved on to a new sign on any given day. Thus you
will be able to decipher your child's Moon sign from the time
of birth. (See pp. 34—35 for a list of the symbols used.)
Take a look at the table for 1975. You will see that the
numbers listed on the left represent the day of the month. Let
us suppose your child was bom on 4 February 1975 at 22.00
hrs. (10.00 pm). Run your finger down the first column of
numbers till you reach 4, then run it along till it is in the
column under February. You will see 12:10 fcA, the symbol for
Sagittarius. This means that the moon moved into Sagittarius
at 12:10 pm, so you can be certain your child's Moon was in
Sagittarius at their birth. If however they were born on 6 Feb-
ruary 1975 at 22.00 (10.00 pm) you will see 21:42 ^ dis-
played for that day. This shows that the Moon moved out of
Sagittarius and on into Capricorn at 21.42 (9.42 pm). Since
your child was born after 9.42 pm, the Moon would be in
Capricorn.
CALCULATING THE CORRECT MOON SIGN 165

Now look up your child's actual birthday and time to


establish their correct Moon sign. You will need to make a note
of this for interpretation and to enter it in the right house on
the birth chart wheel.

the following pages have been erased; they are ephemeris


tables that we do not really need to cast a horoscope
nowadays, as sofwares are calculating precisely the position
of planets at any given time.

1
166 AN ASTROLOGICAL GUIDE TO YOUR CHILD

1975 January February March April May June

01 17:33 AL 14:34 Cff 01:32


02 05:53 Cff 11:09 W 05:34 kk
03 19:22 S'Z 19:06 *5 14:01
OA 12:10 Mi 21:46 & 17:34
05 23:39 Cff
06 21:42 W 03:40 W 01:19
07 10:17 S 06:02 ^
08 06:39 *5 15:10 fc* 09:50 ft*
09 09:17 ^ 22:44 Ji 17:03
10 15:58 U 15:22 «
11 21:46 S 03:50 S
09:53 01:45 ft* 18:46 2(f
13 03:03 16:19
1A 10:23 19:14 ft* 08:08 »XE 21:11 H
15 15:23 S
16 22:10 03:53 12:39 2(f 23:41 S1!
17 02:27 »i5
78 04:04 ^ 13:43 ft* 15:46 41
79 07:35 ft* 07:14 2(f 02:59 <*
1
20 15:22 20:48 »i5 18:06 S !
27 13:19 »XE 09:43 41 07:34 4^
22 23:24 ft* 20:26 <*
23 15:13 Zrf 00:31 2(f 10:42 13:56 W
24 23:52 4?)
25 03:21 14:37 41 01:21 41 11:40 <=C 22:33 (4
26
27 04:01 Zrf 13:38 00:51 WL 14:20 4^ 05:31 W
28 09:33 S
29 03:14 41 01:08 Cff 20:09 W 14:09 ^4
20 22:03
1
37 03:14 S ! 04:10 4?)
Finding Your Child's Ascendant

(or Rising) Sign

Looking at the rising sign tables, find the ten-day span that
includes your child's birthdate. Then follow the line across till
you find their time of birth. The first line 21 Aries to 31
March is for those born between and including the dates
21-31 March, any year. If they were born at 6.30 that day,
move your finger along till it finds 6.30 am and you'll see
that is in the Taurus column. So your child's rising sign is
Taurus. You'll see this actually says 6.30 am to 7.44 am. Thus
born at 6.30 am they'd be born just as the Ascendant started
to move through the sign of Taurus. If born at 7.44 am, this
was just before the Ascendant left Taurus and moved on to
Gemini. If born somewhere between those two times — 7.05
am for example, then they were born right in the middle of
the Ascendant's journey through Taurus.

TIME ZONES

Bear in mind that the tables presented in this book reflect


times for those born in Great Britain, in the Greenwich Mean
Time zone. To calculate signs for children born in other loca-
tions, find the difference between the time zone for the place
where the child was born and the Greenwich Mean Time zone.
A time-zone map of the world can be found in almanacs, in
encyclopedias, and in many datebooks, address books, tele-
phone directories, etc.
FINDING YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT (OR RISING) SIGN 219

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

In the United States, an extra hour is added to the clock time


each year from 2 am on the first Sunday in April till 2 am on
the last Sunday in October. Thus, if your child was born be-
tween those times, you must deduct an hour from the birth-
time before you can proceed.

the following pages have been erased; they are ephemeris


tables that we do not really need to cast a horoscope nowadays,
as sofwares are calculating precisely the position of planets at
any given time.
A»c»o4ftnt table Rising Sun
Birthdale Aries < Taurus I Gemini
II to II Mm. SJOam to ft JObm to 7.«Aam 7 .45^71 ta 9-29*m
ARIES 1 to 10 Apr. Sam to S.S9*m to 7.14am 7.tSam to t_S5am
11 to 20 Apr. 4.lS«mta S.IAmti S.lS*n to l.79bm to B.I Aim

21 to 30 Apr. 3.30em to 4.2*em 4 JQam to V44am 5.45am to 7 23am


TAURUS 1 to lOMvy l9tn to 3.S9*m 4am to 5.14am 5.1 Sam to 4.53am
11 to 21 Atey 2.30am to 3 23am 3.30am to 4 44am 4.45am to 6.29am

22 to 31 May 2am to 2.59am 3am to 4.14jm 4.15am to 5.53im


GEMINI W 1 to 10 Am. 1.30am to 2.23am 2.30am to 3.44am 3.4Sam to 5.29am
11 to 21 Am. 12.45am to 1.44am 145am to 2.59am 3am to 4.44am

22 to 30 Am 12am to 12.59am 1am to 2.14am 2.15am to 3.53am


CANCER *flE 1 to 11 Ail 11.30pm to 12.29am 12.30am to 1 44am 1.45am to 3.23am
12 to 22 AA 11pm to 1159(rfn 12am to 1.14am 1.15am to 2.53am

23 to 31 Ad. 9 45pm io to 44pm 10.4 Spm to 1159pm 12am to 144am


LEO 2if 1 toll Aug. 915pm to 10.14pm 10.15pm to ll.Wpm llJflpm to 114am
12 to 23 Aug. 8 30pm to 929pm 9.30pm to 10 44pm 10.45pm to 12.29am

24 to 31 Aug. 7 30pmta 8-2J|»r* A30pmta 9.44pm 9.45pm to 11.29tvn


VIRGO 1 toll Sap 7pm to 7.53pm 8pm to 314pm 3.15pm 1o 10153pm
12 to 22 Sap. 6.15pm to 7.14pm 7.15pm to BJ9|yn 8.30pm to 1 a 14pm

23 to 30 Sap. 5.*Vn to 6J3^n SjDpm to 7.44pm 7 45pm to 3.29pm


UBRA n 1 to 11 Ocl 5pm to 5.53pm 6pm to 7.14pm 7.15pm to 8.53pm
12 to 23 Oct AlSpm to 5.14pm 5.15pm to 6.23pm 6-30pmtO 314pm
24 to 31 Ocl J. AAwn to 4^|vn 4.30pmlo5-64pm 5 45pm to 7 .29pm
SCORPIO CC T toll Nov. 2.45pm to 3.44pm 3.45pm to 4.93pm 5pm to 6.44p7i
12 to 22 Nov. 2.15pm to 3.14pm 3.15pm to 4J9pm 4 jopmto 6.14pm

23 to 30 Nov. I.SOiFn to 2.29^r) 2.3(^mto 344pm 1.45pm to 5.29**"


SAGITTARIUS t to 11 Oat. 12 45pm to 144pm 1.45pm to 2.59pm 3pmto 444pm
12 to 21 Oat. 12.15pm to 1.14pm 1.15pm to 2.29pm 2 J(*im to 4.14pm

22 to 31 Dae 11.154m to 12.14pm 12.15pm to 123|pn 1 JOpm to 3.14pm


CAPRICORN I to 11 Jan. 10.4Sam to 11.44am 1145am to 12.59pm 1pm to 2.44pm
12 to 20 Ian. 1 CM Sam to 11.14am 11.15am id 12.29|*n l2J0pm to 2.14pm
21 to 31 Jan. 9.30am to 10.234m 10L30amtol1 44am 11.45am to 1.29pm
AQUARIUS (A 1 CO 10 Fat. Sam to 3.59am 10am to 11.14am 11.15am to }2.S3pm
11 to IV fab. ■.15am to 9.14am 31 Sam to 10 29am 10 JOamto 12.14pm
19 to and Ma 7.30am to 8 29am •Jbm to 944am 9.45am to 11.23am
PISCES 1 to 10 Mar. 7.15am to 8.14am USam to) 29am 9 3^m to 11.14am
11 to 20 Mar. 630am to 779«d 7 30am tof 44vn 8 45am to lO^Wo
Calculating Your Child's

Ascendant Degree by Hand

Though I certainly learned my craft calculating charts this way,


over recent years I have let the computer do the niatheniatics
part, since I am far more interested in the interpretation. Should
you wish to try it, however, here is the way to work out the
Ascendant from scratch. You will need a book called an ephem-
eris (for midnight), which lists Ascendants and planetary
positions.
We shall work with the example of my son Alexander,
bom in London, England, at 1.15 pin (or 13.15 hrs] on 21 April
1982.

1 This is where you would adjust for the place of birth,


taking hours off or adding them on, to bring the time
back to Greenwich Mean Time. 13.15.00

2 Now I take an hour off, because he was bom during


British Summer Time. 01.00.00 -

3 This gives us a new time of 12.15. 12.15.00

4 Now, using an ephemeris (a book which gives you this


data), look up the Sidereal (or star) time for midnight
on 21 April. The answer is 1 hour 56 minutes and 56
seconds. 01.56.56
CALCULATING YOUR CHILD'S ASCENDANT DEGREE BY HAND 225

5 Add this to the time of birth you now have [ait the
while remembering that there are 60 minutes in each
hour, 60 seconds in each minute) 12.15.00 -

14.11.56

For complete accuracy you must now calculate the


'interval time'. Do this by adding 10 seconds for each
hour. 5 for each half hour and 3 for each 20 minutes. 00.00.14

14.12.10

7 Now taking your ephemeris again, lock up the


resulting figures - 14.12.10. These coordinate in
the ephemeris with approximately 20 degrees of Lea +20 Leo

If you calculate your child's Ascendant this way, or if you have


access to a computer program that can calculate the exact
degrees of the Ascendant, be sure to look at my footnote when
you start to draw up the chart wheel.

Potrebbero piacerti anche