"My Daughter is Acting Up"

http://businessvoodoo.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:54:07 GMT

I was speaking with a friend who mentioned this to me this week. Her daughter is 4 years old and has a very congenial nature, and a high level of communication skills. For her to be 'acting up' for over a month is unusual. My friend needed a different perspective.

When I looked at the chart, I noticed three things:

1. The girl had Pluto retrograde in her natal chart.

2. The North Node/Chiron conjunction was transiting her first house and Neptune.

3. Her natal Neptune is quincunx (inconjunct) to Saturn.

I asked her mom, 'did this started at the beginning of September.' Yes, it had. That was when Pluto went direct.

Having a Pluto retrograde child, they will be most comfortable with the way they process life while Pluto is retrograde. These are long retrogrades and the transitions into and out of them are sometimes very dramatic. While the transition into retrograde likely won't be a challenge for a natal retrograde child, the transitioning back to direct motion can pose an energy challenge because its not their natural way of working with the energies of the world.

First, there was a new school environment and her daughter wanted her school her way. At first it was ok, but then "all hell started breaking loose. She even kicked the teacher." Pluto direct does not allow for 'facilitating' or 'transitioning' transformation (as you will find in retrograde motion), it just brings change and transformation on NOW, in the immediate. Also with Pluto, the power struggles are no longer open for negotiation as they are when in retrograde. After explaining how things are now, there's no renegotiating, it is just simply this way now.

So, how can she help her daughter make the transition to this new flow?

Besides talking to her about the fears of the new school situation, the missing her old friends, teachers and expected experiences, which her mom has been sensitive to and discussing those issues all along with her daughter, there is more she can do to help alleviate the frustration of this transition.

Looking at nos. 2 and 3, the questioning transition is the place I looked to as one that can give her daughter the expansion space she needs to deal with the world the way it is operating now, with Pluto direct. Giving her a bit of that feeling of Pluto retrograde type of transition, even though Pluto is no longer retrograde.

Neptune opens up all the possibilities that do not exist to Saturn (the structure that is), and the quincunx shows she has no 'natural' relationship between the two. It is only through conscious deliberation and/or external assistance, will those two energies begin to work with one another.

With her North Node and Chiron working with Neptune, asking her daughter to seek her own answers, through "why" questions -- and not "why did you do that?" but "why can't you do this?" ... that opens up the discussion for how she perceives she cannot change and/or reveals her desires or wants that she sees in confict with what others (specifically authority and structure) want to impose on her.

Following up with questions such as, "what else could work for you?", "what else could you have done?" "can you ask for what you want?" can give her tools and tricks when her daughter feels the build-up of frustration and blocked energy (which often is all it is when you are in the process of transitioning).

The tool of asking her questions so she finds her own answer rather than explaining that "this is how it is done and this is how you need to do it," can help her in the immediate shift her gears rather than entrench the frustration even deeper.

Just as a child needs tricks and tools to learn how to easily transition from mom to a different caregiver, or leave the Chuckie Cheese or their best friends house, energetic transitions for all of us can manifest in frustrated, blocked or low-level behaviour.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

The Astrology of the Child

http://businessvoodoo.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:18:13 GMT

My brother and his wife just had their first daughter this week. She was born during this time when we adults would say "all hell is breaking loose" (that is, if you watch the news). I, of course, ran her chart right away, knowing basically what it would be like given the current transits of the planets. He, of course, could have cared less about it.

And, that got me thinking about how there were times when the most important thing, after making sure the baby latched onto the breast, royalty and the power brokers of the past did, was check the astrological chart of a new baby.

There are innumerable books for adults and how to view the horoscope, but so few for children ... books to teach how to help create potential ... and not so much to "create potential" as to "receive potential". So, I thought, if we want to, we can do that here, together.

As an astrologer and a parent, I do not believe in giving an answer to a parent based on astrology, e.g., like those defined personality profiles you can order through many astrological houses. I believe its a matter of learning to see the potentials, through the context of their environment, that gives the real picture for a parent and child to use (as I believe if you want to use astrology, it is a tool a child can learn for themselves too).

If you want to participate in this, send a private email (to keep all information confidential), and we will discuss the "generalities" of configureations (e.g., Sun in Taurus, Moon in Gemini, planetary aspects, etc.) on this board, so that others who have similar astrological signatures can use the information within their own context.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

Gaia: Electric Moms: Holistic Parenting - Holistic Parenting - The Astrology of the Child

"My Daughter is Acting Up"

The Astrology of the Child