gold soul
06-10-2011, 03:47 PM
Dana Gerhardt is an internationally respected astrologer and has been an ongoing columnist for The Mountain Astrologer (http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/) since 1991; her articles have also appeared on Astro.com, StarIQ.com, Beliefnet.com. and American Astrology and Aspects magazines. Her ongoing passions are serving the planetary archetypes and living the intuitive life. Dana worked for many years in the corporate sector, where she observed the undeniable influence of natural cycles. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles and did graduate work in literature at Columbia University and CSULA.
She currently lives in Southern Oregon and regularly blogs on her MoonCircles Mooncircles.com - Moon Astrology (http://www.mooncircles.com/index.html) website. She's most fascinated with finding traces of the gods in the details of people's lives, which is why her articles offer a strong dose of real life confessions and anecdotes. Her 12th house moon inspired a deep and enduring exploration of this mysterious luminary, culminating in her computerized Moonprints (use link: MoonCircles.com (http://www.mooncircles.com/reports/moonprints.html) report and monthly workshop-by-mail, Twelve Moons MoonCircles.com (http://www.mooncircles.com/moonworkshop.html) . Her research into Venus, which included studying the charts of over four hundred participants, culminated in her report Venus Unleashed.
Learn how to read the sky.
Endings and beginnings are a regular and rhythmic occurrence. Old worlds keep dying just as new ones are dawning. Connecting with moontime will keep you moving toward a fresh new world.
Keep the moon’s two rhythms.
The first rhythm the moon plays for us is the song of high and low tides, formed by her dance around the planet and the second rhythm is a month-long song of growing and disappearing.
Honor the four turnings.
Our treadmill weeks were initially a sacred gift from the moon. The moon’s cycle is divided into four quarters, with each lasting approximately seven days.
Enjoy the nuances of daily moon signs.
Learn the traditional expectations for moon signs and then be prepared to play with them—or rather, watch the moon play with you.The goal of moon work is to steady yourself enough to discover your own reflection of the moon’s movement.
Know when to be a quitter.
Of course quitting isn’t always a bad thing. There are some things we’re dying to quit—like our crummy old habits. Moon work can be quite an ally in this endeavor. Traditional lunar wisdom says it’s easier to quit bad habits on a dark or "Balsamic" moon.
Don’t be frightened of void-of-course moons.
People often feel sleep and disconnected at this time. If you want to drift and dream, go for it on the lunar void. Stepping out of the game can be wonderful from time to time. It’s all up to you!
Let your moon practice be ordinary.
Simply re-scheduled your everyday routine to the rhythm of the moon. It’s a moon magic that’s undemanding and ordinary, which over time, could become a special habit.
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MyHoroscope: The majority of the populace is initially drawn to astrology because they hope to get an insight to their future or into their souls and personalities. How do you feel about astrology and how did you become involved on a professional level?
Dana Gerhardt How did I become a professional astrologer? It’s not the typical story. I had absolutely no interest in astrology until one day I got an unusual message during a meditation session. I was recently divorced, underemployed as a proofreader, and fully immersed in the mystery of discovering my ideal career. I’d done an exercise that required identifying everything I enjoyed doing or thought I did well. This was a different kind of resume—based on the activities I wanted to do, not the skills I had to suit an employer’s needs. I’d graduated with a Masters degree in literature. Nothing made me happier than interpreting symbols. Heaven was writing pages on the meaning of Anna Karenina’s dropped handkerchief, so I put “decoding symbols” on my list. I also enjoyed deep one-on-one conversations. I hated small talk. I was a writer. And I wanted to work just twenty hours a week. I spent days refining my resume to ten essential ingredients. Then, following the steps of the exercise, I folded up my piece of paper, put it away, and asked the gods (or the universe or the quantum field—whoever it was at the time) to bring the ideal career to me. Frankly it seemed preposterous that I’d ever get paid for doing what was on my list.
Three days later in meditation I heard a voice that said “You could be an astrologer.” What?! I’d never before heard an internal voice like that and I cared nothing for astrology. I was startled when I later checked my list: being an astrologer fit all ten items. I was electrified. I began studying that afternoon. Two years later I was practicing professionally. I’m not sure what most people want from astrology. For the first six months I studied it, I was disappointed. Astrology seemed superficial and trivial. It wasn’t until a Pluto transit (conjoining my Mercury, ruler of my Midheaven) that I fell down the rabbit hole and began discovering its deeper layers of magic.
I eventually learned to read charts the way I’d always read literature—as a deep, ongoing conversation with life. My initial skepticism continues to serve me—I don’t “believe” in astrology. I believe in life, in the archetypes, and the capacity of people to write better and better stories for themselves. I’ve been fortunate to have spiritually and psychologically sophisticated clients who are willing to consider their lives as great works of art. They understand that astrology is more than information to just passively receive. It’s an invitation to dive into current mysteries, to envision new possibilities, and to work collaboratively with the fascinating forces symbolized by the planets. There may be no better ally and comfort—except perhaps our nightly dreams—to connect us so intelligently with the invisible world.
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MyHoroscope: When asked for your professional advice on relationship issues - either friendships or more intimate, emotional relationships- which astrological techniques do you use in order to guide your clients successfully? Do you find that there are certain aspects or placements in a synastry chart that cannot really be dealt with?
Dana Gerhardt I’ve found that most people make relationship decisions with their hearts and their guts, not their minds, so advice has limited value—even if someone is paying to hear it from an astrologer! Much of the strange dance we all do in relationships has to be lived out, but astrology can certainly help us become better dancers. I don’t like to look at synastry or composite charts until a relationship is at least three or four months old—after the fairy dust evaporates and the shadow patterns begin to appear. Even then, the natal chart on its own is usually the most illuminating. People perceive their relationships through their own filters. This is why they can have the same problems over and over with very different partners. Working on the core issues in your natal chart is one of the best ways to improve any relationship. Often, the chart of a partner helps me to be an advocate for the missing individual. In other words, Joe’s chart helps me to guide Sally into seeing the world through Joe’s eyes. That makes a big difference. When you change the way you look at a situation, you open yourself up to new insights and solutions. Particularly in our love relationships, we’re often trapped within the confines of what our parents showed us.
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MyHoroscope: Your work and research led you to place great significance on the Moon and her celestial tracks. Could you tell us a little bit more about the Moon's importance in defining one's personality and choices?
Dana Gerhardt It wasn’t research that led me to place great significance on the Moon. Rather, I had to research the Moon because I didn’t understand her or her language! My Moon is in the 12th house, the house of hidden things. Planets here are often psychologically sacrificed in childhood. But they’re not lost forever. Wherever the Moon appears, through her, we can gain access to the full potency of our emotions. We can connect with our early nonverbal dependencies and needs. We might discover gifts or unresolved issues from previous lives. We can swim in a broad sea of intuitive knowledge. We will also meet our mother and however we’ve internalized her style of nurture (or non-nurture as the case may be). I was dissociated from this matrix for much of my life. Only after becoming an astrologer did I realize I had a Moon! I had to teach myself how to recognize her influence and rhythms.
First I had to work toward simple recognition of my feelings; then I had to find my way to greater mastery of them. The Moon is a very helpful guide in this process. This information is some of what I offer in my “Moonprints” report—it’s what I’d wanted to read but couldn’t find when I was on my own lunar journey. Ten years later I created my “Twelve Moons” workshop, which represents the information I was looking for when I was exploring intuition and the cycles of the daily Moon. Much of what was written in astrology books just didn’t fit my experience. But I also had to learn a new way of seeing. I had to discover how I was reflecting the Moon through my thoughts and the events of my life. This direct and intuitive relationship with Luna is what I most hope students get from the course.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: You have conducted a lot of research regarding the Moon’s and Venus’ daily influence as if you desire to release and promote the feminine life energy against the masculine side of it! What is the main purpose of the feminine side of our personalities and what is its role in life in general?
Dana Gerhardt Quite the contrary! I’ve spent most of my life leaning on my Masculine assets—my logic, my efficiency, my drive—while remaining unconscious of any Feminine virtues. Venus is in my 3rd house and conjunct my chart ruler Mercury—yet, it felt like she was missing from my chart. I later discovered that many people feel this way, no matter what her sign, aspects, or house. I think the absence of Venus—the lack of joy, happiness, abundance, and loving relationships—is a cultural problem. The global mistreatment of women, children, and sex workers is another symptom of our impoverished relationship with Venus and the Moon. Without the strength and contribution of their vulnerability, receptivity, and sensitivity, our world is seriously out of balance. I consider helping people regain their connection with Venus and the Moon as a kind of political activism.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: Sometimes life gets us far away from our desires, so it might be really difficult for some people to cope with reality and be emotionally sensitive at the same time. Modern man is constantly pursuing professional, financial or social goals and somehow his dreams, wishes and feelings fade away. Do you think that astrology could guide us in order to re- discover or even re-evaluate the lost balance in our lives?
Dana Gerhardt Of course astrology gives us an exquisite picture of the potentials for both—balance and imbalance. But it’s a symbol system, an elastic one that bends to the perspective of the person using it. You can get good or bad guidance out of a chart, depending on the reader. If you want to use astrology to keep your balance in a stressful world, it would help to have some kind of spiritual guidance and practice too.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: Is it possible for astrology to help modern man to channel his actions and choices in order to find his true calling? What would be your advice to someone interested in such matters and what would you encourage him to look for in his natal chart?
Dana Gerhardt Of course the chart is a rich toolbox for exploring one’s true calling: from the broad strokes of its element balance or whether more planets are on the left or right side of the wheel—to the finer lens of the ruler of the 10th house, its sign, house, and aspects, not to mention the condition of all the earth houses. The chart offers so many doors. You could say there’s not a single planet or placement that doesn’t comment on calling—as when someone finds their calling, it’s easy to see how every planet in the chart, along with every twist and turn in that person’s life has contributed in some way. The “true calling” for each of us is individual and specific.
In my twenties, when I was confused about my path, I saw an astrologer. He was quite pleased to announce that my chart indicated I should become a translator for the United Nations. I was devastated. I can now see how he assessed my Sagittarius Sun and Jupiter in Gemini in my 10th house and came up with this jewel—blending Gemini’s verbal skill with the globe-trotting indicators of Jupiter and Sag. But he missed me completely. A chart’s indicators for one’s “true calling” are helpful, even profound, but they’re not meant to be applied with such a limiting precision. During that early reading, I was hoping the astrologer would affirm my destiny as a writer. Indeed, I later learned when I began studying astrology that the same signatures indicating “UN translator” could also indicate teaching and writing, both of which I’ve actually done and enjoyed. But would a better astrologer have been able to predict this calling for me: becoming someone who would write about astrology? And how would that prediction have helped me then, when I was still ten years away from discovering this profession?
The very nature of the word “calling” (in English, at least) implies some kind of summoning. Who or what calls us is a fine mystery. It could be our soul, our guides, invisible forces, the planets, karma, or random chance, depending on your point of view. But whatever the source, the best way to meet your calling is by listening. The chart can direct you where to look. It can help you gather evidence. But ultimately your true calling is something only you can hear.
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MyHoroscope: From time to time, we happen to experience some emotional ups and downs and we tend to ascribe them to the fickle Moon. How do you think we could tame the Moon in order to avoid her driving crazy effect on us? Is there any way to adjust ourselves with her journey in the zodiac?
Dana Gerhardt Of course! But if you demonize the Moon as a force that drives you crazy and must be tamed, you’re not getting off to a good start. We are not victims of the heavens and certainly not of the Moon. With the exception of broad historical forces, most of our problems are of our own making. But the Moon can light the way towards solving and healing them. For years I never noticed how angry and annoyed I became on the days of the Taurus Moon. With astrology I could identify that pattern; still, the investigation and healing was up to me. I contemplated my resistance to fixed earth energy. I heard myself saying “I don’t get along with Taurus people.” I heard myself accusing my Taurus friends of being stubborn and willful. Then eventually I noticed, on Taurus Moons, how stubborn and willful I was being! The Moon has no light of her own; she teaches by way of reflection. If we’re going crazy, she’s showing us our own image in her mirror.
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MyHoroscope: Most of us experience some quite hard natal aspects. Is there any hard aspect in your chart that seems to get you in trouble from time to time and how do you deal with it when it gets activated?
Dana Gerhardt Early in my studies, I read an astrology book by Tracy Marks called Turning Your Squares into Trines. I don’t remember much about the essays in that book, though she’s a brilliant astrologer. I only remember the title, and I think of it every time I see a hard aspect in somebody’s chart. There’s plenty of energy bound up in an opposition or square, which is why you’ll find hard aspects in the charts of very successful people. Tapping into this energy and directing it toward positive ends can really fuel someone’s life purpose. Hard aspects can be tremendous gifts.
Saturn square the Moon is one of the more difficult aspects in my chart—though it’s also been an asset. Saturn/Moon inclines me to work hard, take responsibility, be cautious, and strive for success. I owe most of my achievements to this square. But it’s also been the seat of my self-torment, the insecurity, fear and doubt, the expectation that no one is there for me, that I’m never good enough or never working hard enough. I don’t know that I’ll ever fully eliminate these thoughts, but I’ve definitely altered their intensity and changed my relationship to them. That’s the benefit of working hard on refining my internal matrix of memory and feelings: I’ve achieved greater emotional maturity… and yes, “emotional” and “maturity” are key words for the Moon/Saturn square! So you see, you can’t escape the aspect, but with awareness, you can definitely direct it to function more as a blessing.
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MyHoroscope: Many astrology students get very discouraged when they identify similar hard aspects in their natal charts. How do you approach hard natal aspects and how can someone make the most of them?
Dana Gerhardt Look at the aspect from an ever-widening perspective. First, consider how it describes certain difficult events or conditions you may have suffered in childhood. Moon/Mars aspects, for example, might indicate an early environment that was tense with suppressed anger or eruptions of violence. Next, float higher and see the unconscious self-sabotage that may have germinated in those past conditions. With Moon/Mars, you might have decided the world is dangerous and you need to protect yourself and others. You might have become a fighter—ever ready to right wrongs and defend yourself—which unwittingly keeps your world in conflict. Just being aware of those seeds—which comes from understanding the archetypes—will start you on a process of healing. And finally, after you gain a little more experience, relaxation, and confidence with the aspect, you can enter into a more dynamic relationship with its archetypes, petitioning them to become your allies for whatever you need to face. Planet archetypes aren’t malicious! They simply indicate a journey. It’s the resistance to this journey that tends to cause our greatest trouble. Imagine if you’d been taught about your chart when you were a child, when your imagination was supple and your sense of magic still vivid. You might have been able to meet the archetypes and ask for blessings right away, as Cinderella did when she met her fairy godmother. In fact, there’s no reason why you can’t start doing that even now.
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MyHoroscope: What do you think about astrologers claiming to practice psychological astrology - to use Jung's terms- though they have never studied psychology academically speaking? Do you find that there might be a chance that such behaviors could harm and give that field of astrology a bad name?
Dana Gerhardt On some level we’re all unlicensed therapists. When we advise a loved one, friend, or coworker, or the clerk at the shop, we are engaging in a practice as old as humanity. Looking into someone’s heart, helping someone to ease their stress, make better life decisions, or develop new behaviors—this is what elders, shamans, healers and even astrologers have done for millennia, long before psychology was invented. Jung of course was very fond of astrology and likely some of its wisdom seeped into his developing system. Astrology’s longevity derives in part at least from the ease with which it can absorb and accommodate the popular ideas of the time. In fact most metaphysical systems have used the gods or science of their day to explain themselves. So no, I don’t see any danger in using psychology terms as part of one’s practice. The simple truth is that there are good astrologers and bad ones, just as there are good and bad therapists. I doubt that academic credentials will prevent that.
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MyHoroscope: You seem to prefer the intuitive meaning of life, though we all live in a quite cynical world. How can anyone (more or less) get rid of the meaningless aspects of reality and read between the lines in his life?
Dana Gerhardt I’m not sure I understand the question. Intuition is not the opposite of cynicism; it’s just a brilliant—and nonlogical—way to get information. If you want to read between the lines in this life, study the archetypes and bring intuition into your interpretations. There’s a wealth of ease and information there.
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MyHoroscope: What can we expect from you in the future? Is there any research to be released or any plans on seminars, books and multiple projects?
Dana Gerhardt I’m currently starting a new series in The Mountain Astrologer, called “Lessons in Astrology as Magic.” Again I seem to be writing about things that I wished had been available to me earlier. Twenty years ago, when I became an astrologer, everybody was quite passionate about proving that astrology was a science. People were doing statistical research and the great collective focus was on identifying the right techniques—solar arcs, midpoints, the antiscia, harmonics, or the sidereal zodiac. I studied them all, diligently, for the first ten years of my practice. But no technique was reliable a hundred per cent of the time, as would be true if astrology were actually a science. And, unfortunately, most of the statistical studies of astrology were dismal failures. How awkward! Sometimes charts speak volumes, other times they say very little. My desire for greater accuracy eventually led me in another direction. I started to explore intuition and magic. I now believe that both play a strong role in the right practice of this art, but few astrologers discuss this openly. With Neptune entering its home sign of magical Pisces, I’m hoping we get more comfortable admitting that we’re more like mystics than scientists. I hope we start teaching young astrologers how to draw more consciously from this larger well of resources. There’s a lot more to our practice than a bunch of mathematically derived techniques.
She currently lives in Southern Oregon and regularly blogs on her MoonCircles Mooncircles.com - Moon Astrology (http://www.mooncircles.com/index.html) website. She's most fascinated with finding traces of the gods in the details of people's lives, which is why her articles offer a strong dose of real life confessions and anecdotes. Her 12th house moon inspired a deep and enduring exploration of this mysterious luminary, culminating in her computerized Moonprints (use link: MoonCircles.com (http://www.mooncircles.com/reports/moonprints.html) report and monthly workshop-by-mail, Twelve Moons MoonCircles.com (http://www.mooncircles.com/moonworkshop.html) . Her research into Venus, which included studying the charts of over four hundred participants, culminated in her report Venus Unleashed.
Learn how to read the sky.
Endings and beginnings are a regular and rhythmic occurrence. Old worlds keep dying just as new ones are dawning. Connecting with moontime will keep you moving toward a fresh new world.
Keep the moon’s two rhythms.
The first rhythm the moon plays for us is the song of high and low tides, formed by her dance around the planet and the second rhythm is a month-long song of growing and disappearing.
Honor the four turnings.
Our treadmill weeks were initially a sacred gift from the moon. The moon’s cycle is divided into four quarters, with each lasting approximately seven days.
Enjoy the nuances of daily moon signs.
Learn the traditional expectations for moon signs and then be prepared to play with them—or rather, watch the moon play with you.The goal of moon work is to steady yourself enough to discover your own reflection of the moon’s movement.
Know when to be a quitter.
Of course quitting isn’t always a bad thing. There are some things we’re dying to quit—like our crummy old habits. Moon work can be quite an ally in this endeavor. Traditional lunar wisdom says it’s easier to quit bad habits on a dark or "Balsamic" moon.
Don’t be frightened of void-of-course moons.
People often feel sleep and disconnected at this time. If you want to drift and dream, go for it on the lunar void. Stepping out of the game can be wonderful from time to time. It’s all up to you!
Let your moon practice be ordinary.
Simply re-scheduled your everyday routine to the rhythm of the moon. It’s a moon magic that’s undemanding and ordinary, which over time, could become a special habit.
http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac244/hryssa-p/selebrities/DANA600copy.jpg
MyHoroscope: The majority of the populace is initially drawn to astrology because they hope to get an insight to their future or into their souls and personalities. How do you feel about astrology and how did you become involved on a professional level?
Dana Gerhardt How did I become a professional astrologer? It’s not the typical story. I had absolutely no interest in astrology until one day I got an unusual message during a meditation session. I was recently divorced, underemployed as a proofreader, and fully immersed in the mystery of discovering my ideal career. I’d done an exercise that required identifying everything I enjoyed doing or thought I did well. This was a different kind of resume—based on the activities I wanted to do, not the skills I had to suit an employer’s needs. I’d graduated with a Masters degree in literature. Nothing made me happier than interpreting symbols. Heaven was writing pages on the meaning of Anna Karenina’s dropped handkerchief, so I put “decoding symbols” on my list. I also enjoyed deep one-on-one conversations. I hated small talk. I was a writer. And I wanted to work just twenty hours a week. I spent days refining my resume to ten essential ingredients. Then, following the steps of the exercise, I folded up my piece of paper, put it away, and asked the gods (or the universe or the quantum field—whoever it was at the time) to bring the ideal career to me. Frankly it seemed preposterous that I’d ever get paid for doing what was on my list.
Three days later in meditation I heard a voice that said “You could be an astrologer.” What?! I’d never before heard an internal voice like that and I cared nothing for astrology. I was startled when I later checked my list: being an astrologer fit all ten items. I was electrified. I began studying that afternoon. Two years later I was practicing professionally. I’m not sure what most people want from astrology. For the first six months I studied it, I was disappointed. Astrology seemed superficial and trivial. It wasn’t until a Pluto transit (conjoining my Mercury, ruler of my Midheaven) that I fell down the rabbit hole and began discovering its deeper layers of magic.
I eventually learned to read charts the way I’d always read literature—as a deep, ongoing conversation with life. My initial skepticism continues to serve me—I don’t “believe” in astrology. I believe in life, in the archetypes, and the capacity of people to write better and better stories for themselves. I’ve been fortunate to have spiritually and psychologically sophisticated clients who are willing to consider their lives as great works of art. They understand that astrology is more than information to just passively receive. It’s an invitation to dive into current mysteries, to envision new possibilities, and to work collaboratively with the fascinating forces symbolized by the planets. There may be no better ally and comfort—except perhaps our nightly dreams—to connect us so intelligently with the invisible world.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: When asked for your professional advice on relationship issues - either friendships or more intimate, emotional relationships- which astrological techniques do you use in order to guide your clients successfully? Do you find that there are certain aspects or placements in a synastry chart that cannot really be dealt with?
Dana Gerhardt I’ve found that most people make relationship decisions with their hearts and their guts, not their minds, so advice has limited value—even if someone is paying to hear it from an astrologer! Much of the strange dance we all do in relationships has to be lived out, but astrology can certainly help us become better dancers. I don’t like to look at synastry or composite charts until a relationship is at least three or four months old—after the fairy dust evaporates and the shadow patterns begin to appear. Even then, the natal chart on its own is usually the most illuminating. People perceive their relationships through their own filters. This is why they can have the same problems over and over with very different partners. Working on the core issues in your natal chart is one of the best ways to improve any relationship. Often, the chart of a partner helps me to be an advocate for the missing individual. In other words, Joe’s chart helps me to guide Sally into seeing the world through Joe’s eyes. That makes a big difference. When you change the way you look at a situation, you open yourself up to new insights and solutions. Particularly in our love relationships, we’re often trapped within the confines of what our parents showed us.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: Your work and research led you to place great significance on the Moon and her celestial tracks. Could you tell us a little bit more about the Moon's importance in defining one's personality and choices?
Dana Gerhardt It wasn’t research that led me to place great significance on the Moon. Rather, I had to research the Moon because I didn’t understand her or her language! My Moon is in the 12th house, the house of hidden things. Planets here are often psychologically sacrificed in childhood. But they’re not lost forever. Wherever the Moon appears, through her, we can gain access to the full potency of our emotions. We can connect with our early nonverbal dependencies and needs. We might discover gifts or unresolved issues from previous lives. We can swim in a broad sea of intuitive knowledge. We will also meet our mother and however we’ve internalized her style of nurture (or non-nurture as the case may be). I was dissociated from this matrix for much of my life. Only after becoming an astrologer did I realize I had a Moon! I had to teach myself how to recognize her influence and rhythms.
First I had to work toward simple recognition of my feelings; then I had to find my way to greater mastery of them. The Moon is a very helpful guide in this process. This information is some of what I offer in my “Moonprints” report—it’s what I’d wanted to read but couldn’t find when I was on my own lunar journey. Ten years later I created my “Twelve Moons” workshop, which represents the information I was looking for when I was exploring intuition and the cycles of the daily Moon. Much of what was written in astrology books just didn’t fit my experience. But I also had to learn a new way of seeing. I had to discover how I was reflecting the Moon through my thoughts and the events of my life. This direct and intuitive relationship with Luna is what I most hope students get from the course.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: You have conducted a lot of research regarding the Moon’s and Venus’ daily influence as if you desire to release and promote the feminine life energy against the masculine side of it! What is the main purpose of the feminine side of our personalities and what is its role in life in general?
Dana Gerhardt Quite the contrary! I’ve spent most of my life leaning on my Masculine assets—my logic, my efficiency, my drive—while remaining unconscious of any Feminine virtues. Venus is in my 3rd house and conjunct my chart ruler Mercury—yet, it felt like she was missing from my chart. I later discovered that many people feel this way, no matter what her sign, aspects, or house. I think the absence of Venus—the lack of joy, happiness, abundance, and loving relationships—is a cultural problem. The global mistreatment of women, children, and sex workers is another symptom of our impoverished relationship with Venus and the Moon. Without the strength and contribution of their vulnerability, receptivity, and sensitivity, our world is seriously out of balance. I consider helping people regain their connection with Venus and the Moon as a kind of political activism.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: Sometimes life gets us far away from our desires, so it might be really difficult for some people to cope with reality and be emotionally sensitive at the same time. Modern man is constantly pursuing professional, financial or social goals and somehow his dreams, wishes and feelings fade away. Do you think that astrology could guide us in order to re- discover or even re-evaluate the lost balance in our lives?
Dana Gerhardt Of course astrology gives us an exquisite picture of the potentials for both—balance and imbalance. But it’s a symbol system, an elastic one that bends to the perspective of the person using it. You can get good or bad guidance out of a chart, depending on the reader. If you want to use astrology to keep your balance in a stressful world, it would help to have some kind of spiritual guidance and practice too.
http://myhoroscope.gr/articles/borders/3tr.gif
MyHoroscope: Is it possible for astrology to help modern man to channel his actions and choices in order to find his true calling? What would be your advice to someone interested in such matters and what would you encourage him to look for in his natal chart?
Dana Gerhardt Of course the chart is a rich toolbox for exploring one’s true calling: from the broad strokes of its element balance or whether more planets are on the left or right side of the wheel—to the finer lens of the ruler of the 10th house, its sign, house, and aspects, not to mention the condition of all the earth houses. The chart offers so many doors. You could say there’s not a single planet or placement that doesn’t comment on calling—as when someone finds their calling, it’s easy to see how every planet in the chart, along with every twist and turn in that person’s life has contributed in some way. The “true calling” for each of us is individual and specific.
In my twenties, when I was confused about my path, I saw an astrologer. He was quite pleased to announce that my chart indicated I should become a translator for the United Nations. I was devastated. I can now see how he assessed my Sagittarius Sun and Jupiter in Gemini in my 10th house and came up with this jewel—blending Gemini’s verbal skill with the globe-trotting indicators of Jupiter and Sag. But he missed me completely. A chart’s indicators for one’s “true calling” are helpful, even profound, but they’re not meant to be applied with such a limiting precision. During that early reading, I was hoping the astrologer would affirm my destiny as a writer. Indeed, I later learned when I began studying astrology that the same signatures indicating “UN translator” could also indicate teaching and writing, both of which I’ve actually done and enjoyed. But would a better astrologer have been able to predict this calling for me: becoming someone who would write about astrology? And how would that prediction have helped me then, when I was still ten years away from discovering this profession?
The very nature of the word “calling” (in English, at least) implies some kind of summoning. Who or what calls us is a fine mystery. It could be our soul, our guides, invisible forces, the planets, karma, or random chance, depending on your point of view. But whatever the source, the best way to meet your calling is by listening. The chart can direct you where to look. It can help you gather evidence. But ultimately your true calling is something only you can hear.
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MyHoroscope: From time to time, we happen to experience some emotional ups and downs and we tend to ascribe them to the fickle Moon. How do you think we could tame the Moon in order to avoid her driving crazy effect on us? Is there any way to adjust ourselves with her journey in the zodiac?
Dana Gerhardt Of course! But if you demonize the Moon as a force that drives you crazy and must be tamed, you’re not getting off to a good start. We are not victims of the heavens and certainly not of the Moon. With the exception of broad historical forces, most of our problems are of our own making. But the Moon can light the way towards solving and healing them. For years I never noticed how angry and annoyed I became on the days of the Taurus Moon. With astrology I could identify that pattern; still, the investigation and healing was up to me. I contemplated my resistance to fixed earth energy. I heard myself saying “I don’t get along with Taurus people.” I heard myself accusing my Taurus friends of being stubborn and willful. Then eventually I noticed, on Taurus Moons, how stubborn and willful I was being! The Moon has no light of her own; she teaches by way of reflection. If we’re going crazy, she’s showing us our own image in her mirror.
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MyHoroscope: Most of us experience some quite hard natal aspects. Is there any hard aspect in your chart that seems to get you in trouble from time to time and how do you deal with it when it gets activated?
Dana Gerhardt Early in my studies, I read an astrology book by Tracy Marks called Turning Your Squares into Trines. I don’t remember much about the essays in that book, though she’s a brilliant astrologer. I only remember the title, and I think of it every time I see a hard aspect in somebody’s chart. There’s plenty of energy bound up in an opposition or square, which is why you’ll find hard aspects in the charts of very successful people. Tapping into this energy and directing it toward positive ends can really fuel someone’s life purpose. Hard aspects can be tremendous gifts.
Saturn square the Moon is one of the more difficult aspects in my chart—though it’s also been an asset. Saturn/Moon inclines me to work hard, take responsibility, be cautious, and strive for success. I owe most of my achievements to this square. But it’s also been the seat of my self-torment, the insecurity, fear and doubt, the expectation that no one is there for me, that I’m never good enough or never working hard enough. I don’t know that I’ll ever fully eliminate these thoughts, but I’ve definitely altered their intensity and changed my relationship to them. That’s the benefit of working hard on refining my internal matrix of memory and feelings: I’ve achieved greater emotional maturity… and yes, “emotional” and “maturity” are key words for the Moon/Saturn square! So you see, you can’t escape the aspect, but with awareness, you can definitely direct it to function more as a blessing.
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MyHoroscope: Many astrology students get very discouraged when they identify similar hard aspects in their natal charts. How do you approach hard natal aspects and how can someone make the most of them?
Dana Gerhardt Look at the aspect from an ever-widening perspective. First, consider how it describes certain difficult events or conditions you may have suffered in childhood. Moon/Mars aspects, for example, might indicate an early environment that was tense with suppressed anger or eruptions of violence. Next, float higher and see the unconscious self-sabotage that may have germinated in those past conditions. With Moon/Mars, you might have decided the world is dangerous and you need to protect yourself and others. You might have become a fighter—ever ready to right wrongs and defend yourself—which unwittingly keeps your world in conflict. Just being aware of those seeds—which comes from understanding the archetypes—will start you on a process of healing. And finally, after you gain a little more experience, relaxation, and confidence with the aspect, you can enter into a more dynamic relationship with its archetypes, petitioning them to become your allies for whatever you need to face. Planet archetypes aren’t malicious! They simply indicate a journey. It’s the resistance to this journey that tends to cause our greatest trouble. Imagine if you’d been taught about your chart when you were a child, when your imagination was supple and your sense of magic still vivid. You might have been able to meet the archetypes and ask for blessings right away, as Cinderella did when she met her fairy godmother. In fact, there’s no reason why you can’t start doing that even now.
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MyHoroscope: What do you think about astrologers claiming to practice psychological astrology - to use Jung's terms- though they have never studied psychology academically speaking? Do you find that there might be a chance that such behaviors could harm and give that field of astrology a bad name?
Dana Gerhardt On some level we’re all unlicensed therapists. When we advise a loved one, friend, or coworker, or the clerk at the shop, we are engaging in a practice as old as humanity. Looking into someone’s heart, helping someone to ease their stress, make better life decisions, or develop new behaviors—this is what elders, shamans, healers and even astrologers have done for millennia, long before psychology was invented. Jung of course was very fond of astrology and likely some of its wisdom seeped into his developing system. Astrology’s longevity derives in part at least from the ease with which it can absorb and accommodate the popular ideas of the time. In fact most metaphysical systems have used the gods or science of their day to explain themselves. So no, I don’t see any danger in using psychology terms as part of one’s practice. The simple truth is that there are good astrologers and bad ones, just as there are good and bad therapists. I doubt that academic credentials will prevent that.
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MyHoroscope: You seem to prefer the intuitive meaning of life, though we all live in a quite cynical world. How can anyone (more or less) get rid of the meaningless aspects of reality and read between the lines in his life?
Dana Gerhardt I’m not sure I understand the question. Intuition is not the opposite of cynicism; it’s just a brilliant—and nonlogical—way to get information. If you want to read between the lines in this life, study the archetypes and bring intuition into your interpretations. There’s a wealth of ease and information there.
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MyHoroscope: What can we expect from you in the future? Is there any research to be released or any plans on seminars, books and multiple projects?
Dana Gerhardt I’m currently starting a new series in The Mountain Astrologer, called “Lessons in Astrology as Magic.” Again I seem to be writing about things that I wished had been available to me earlier. Twenty years ago, when I became an astrologer, everybody was quite passionate about proving that astrology was a science. People were doing statistical research and the great collective focus was on identifying the right techniques—solar arcs, midpoints, the antiscia, harmonics, or the sidereal zodiac. I studied them all, diligently, for the first ten years of my practice. But no technique was reliable a hundred per cent of the time, as would be true if astrology were actually a science. And, unfortunately, most of the statistical studies of astrology were dismal failures. How awkward! Sometimes charts speak volumes, other times they say very little. My desire for greater accuracy eventually led me in another direction. I started to explore intuition and magic. I now believe that both play a strong role in the right practice of this art, but few astrologers discuss this openly. With Neptune entering its home sign of magical Pisces, I’m hoping we get more comfortable admitting that we’re more like mystics than scientists. I hope we start teaching young astrologers how to draw more consciously from this larger well of resources. There’s a lot more to our practice than a bunch of mathematically derived techniques.