SHOULD I COMMIT TO LIVING FULL TIME IN THE ASHRAM?

Background to the question: The lady had recently spent 6 months learning yoga in an ashram in India with a renowned guru and felt that her path in life was to go and life there full time in search of enlightenment and give up normal daily life. She wanted to check if this was indeed the right thing to do.

The querent (person asking the question) is always symbolised by the ruler of the 1st house – and so she is Saturn (traditional ruler of Aquarius) in Sagittarius in the 11th house.

Aquarius rising indicates that she is looking for freedom and liberation. And being in Sag shows she is looking for this through spiritual wisdom.

Next we have to find which is the relevant house for the question. Being a question about spirituality would suggest it is a 9th house question, or possibly 12th house, as this relates to places hidden from the world, such as a monastery or ashram. However, it was clear to me that this was a 7th house question – relating specifically to another person i.e. the guru.. The reason for this is that 1) the ruler of the 7th, the Sun, is very strongly placed in its own sign of Leo right on the Descendant (planets on angles almost always assume great significance); and 2) the Moon’s next aspect is to Mars, also right on the Descendant, highlighting strongly the 7th house. The Moon, as the fastest moving body, is always key in any horary chart.

So actually the question was clearly centred around the lady’s connection with the guru.

Horary charts are dynamic. An essential ingredient are the aspects made by the planets. Separating aspects (ones made in the past) show something that has happened previously, while applying aspects (those coming up) show where the energies are moving towards.

It is essential in horary to establish radicality. Meaning that the symbolism of the significators (the key planets in the chart) should fit the nature of the question. If the chart is not radical, then it’s not possible to give an answer to the question. Radicality is shown here by the querent being in the spiritual sign of Sagittarius and also the guru being so accurately described by Sun in Leo. He is a charismatic figure, a superstar guru who shines radiantly.

So now we look at where the significators are moving, in order to judge the situation and give an answer. Saturn (the querent, retrograde at 17 Sag) appears to be moving towards a trine sextile with Jupiter (14 Libra). Jupiter in the 9th is an indication of spiritual wisdom, and so at first glance this seems to be a positive sign for living in the ashram.

However, as we move forward in time, the Sun (the guru) actually moves past Jupiter and is the next aspect Saturn makes. Again this shows that what is really on the lady’s mind is the guru. Saturn is retrograde, which indicates that the lady is going against her own spiritual wisdom. She has given her heart (Leo) to the guru. She is star struck with his charisma and personality (Leo). In believing he has the answers, she is turning away from her own inner wisdom.

At this stage, the above seems correct, but we need to assess what is happening with the Moon to get the full picture. The Moon usually captures the essence of the question. So it is in Aquarius – also indicating the desire for freedom and liberation. And it is in 12th house – known traditionally as the house of self undoing. The 12th house indicates a blind spot, something we are not seeing clearly about ourselves. In this instance it indicates the lady does not see what is happening with her.

The factor which ties all the pieces together is that the Moon’s next aspect (often the crucial factor in a horary) is an opposition to Mars. Mars is a malefic (‘causing harm or destruction’) and its nature is to separate. In this instance it is cutting the lady off from her own inner spiritual wisdom (Sag) and heart (Leo) by moving towards the guru (Mars is right on the Descendant, and so also is closely connected with the guru).

And so this was my judgment to her. That it would not be in her best interests to go and live in the ashram, and that she needs to find her own inner spiritual connection and direction rather than looking for it from outside sources. She needs to turn within (Saturn retrograde).

While coming as a massive disappointment to her, and leaving her in a place of not knowing what to do next, the guidance from the spirits of astrology could not have been clearer. She trusted in astrology and she trusted in my judgment and hence followed my advice. While initially it will have made things more unsettling, confusing and difficult for her, in the longer term I have no doubt that it will be very much in her best interests.

As an aside, it is very often the case that as an astrologer people come to me with questions that reflect what is going on in my own life. While I was not considering living in an ashram, I was in a place of thinking that somebody else held the answer for my journey and I was looking for somebody to tell me what to do. Being asked this question helped to remind me that I was essentially doing the same thing as my client and helped me to turn back to my own inner guidance.