How I Discovered My Major Life Theme

While being an astrologer allows one to see numerous aspects of the personalities and characters of others as well as oneself, it doesn't always mean an astrologer knows everything there is to know about astrology. In fact, there is so much to learn about astrology, that it's fair to say that one could spend the majority of his or her life learning just one aspect of one type of the many different types of astrology.

Consequently, I'm ashamed to say that while it's taken me over 25 years to learn enough astrology to call myself a professional, I've actually just learned (in the last couple of years) how to calculate the Major Life Theme.

Recently, I had several major epiphanies which resulted in the illumination of my MLT. This, after nearly 40 years of being in the dark as far as what I wanted to do with my life.

While I've had the pleasure of performing in numerous capacities - with Motherhood being the most rewarding - not all of my endeavors have been so fulfilling. Consequently, I wandered from one interest to another, searching for that one right job that would bring me happiness.

However, it seemed that time and again I'd reach a dead end. I was not fulfilled by much of anything - either in intimate relationships or in my work - yet I continued to hope that it would all come together for me soon. Because of this, I felt as though I wasn't actually contributing anything. This, in spite of the fact that I've raised two wonderful daughters who, even now are contributing or on the way to contributing something of lasting value in their own right. Too, I've worked in management in various fields/industries the majority of that time, and had been recognized or awarded for my achievements in one form or another.

Still, what I really wanted - that happiness that I sought from constructive labor, so to speak - continued to elude me...until I finally came to realize that what I really wanted to do was help others. As my youngest daughter, Kristen, would say... Duh!

Yet, how I should go about that, what area or discipline I should focus on, continued to remain a mystery, just a hazy silhouette of my Purpose, my LifePath, which stayed buried deep in my sub-conscious, the exact nature of which refused to reveal itself to me.

But hey! That was a start! At least I now knew that I wanted to do something constructive to help others.

I've studied or at least read something on just about every -ology or -ism and subject imaginable, but had come no closer to discovering where my real propensity and talents lay. So, while I've studied astrology for the last 25+ years, and have been a practicing astrologer for the last 24, I still didn't quite make the connection....

Until recently.

As I was compiling statistical data on my own birth chart for one of my astrological lessons, I noticed two overall themes: Unconditional Love, and Service to Others.

For a Triple Leo (Sun, Moon and Ascendant in the same sign), these two themes can be extremely challenging, since Leos can generally be very Self-oriented (though not necessarily selfish), egotistical and arrogant. To complicate matters, however, I actually have six planets in Leo, as well as my Ascendant! A bit lopsided, you might say!

Not only that, but six of the seven of those planets are in the 12th House - the House of Guilt, Sorrow, Selflessness and Service to Others! I emphasize selfLESSness, because it has been painfully obvious that I must focus on being selfLESS rather than selfISH. And this has been a MAJOR challenge for me, a septuple Leo!

You can well imagine that I might have spent most of my life feeling guilty about and trying to live down all the negative aspects and attributes of the Leo nature. And, while not always successful in this endeavor, I have tried diligently to recognize and amend my faults. Certainly, not an easy task for anyone, much less a Leo! And even more so for someone with so many planets in Leo!

Yet, in addition to this, two of my planets are in the 1st House - the House of Self, two are in the 3rd House - the House of Communication and one's environment, and six are in the 12th House, the House of Guilt, Sorrow, Selflessness and Service to Others.

What this means for me is the following:

The MC or Mid-Heaven represents the subject's direction in life and gives a clue about his ambitions and goals. My MC is in Taurus ... the sign of Love and in the 10th House, the House of Career. Does that mean I'm going to make a Career out of Love or something to do with it?

Although the 12th House is, according to some astrologers, the House of Guilt and Sorrow or Restrictions, I choose to see it as the House of Opportunities, since, in my case, I've been afforded quite a few of them! But, again, the 12th House is also the House of Selflessness and Helping Others. And with so many of my planets in that House, I'd venture to say that I was ‘destined' to do just that - help others!

So, what am I going to do with these opportunities?

What would you do if this were your chart?

Well, I won't leave you hanging.

What I (1st House) have chosen to do is communicate (Mercury in the 3rd House) what I (1st House) have learned (3rd House) about Unconditional Love (Taurus in the 10th House) to others (12th House & Chiron in the 6th House) to learn about and apply this same Unconditional Love for themselves. And because Leos generally have such a strong voice (read: have big mouths ), and because I have so many of these same planets in Leo, I'm sure I won't have any problems accomplishing my task!

How I Can Help You Discover YOUR Major Life Theme

Unfortunately, the situation in which I found myself is not that uncommon. Most of us - even many astrologers -- spend a majority of our lives being unhappy in our jobs and with our work, and attempting to determine just what it is that we really want to do.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Would you like to learn more about your Life Purpose, your Major Life Themes (we often have more than one)?

Then by all means, go to the order page and submit your request now, while you're still thinking about it!

Soon, together, we will be well on our way to discovering YOUR Major Life Theme(s) and Life Purpose!

~Kat Starwolf

© 2006 Kat Starwolf - All Rights Reserved

For one of Kat's in-depth Major Life Theme reports, go to http://www.starwolfastrology.com/ and click on the ‘Purchase Astrology Reports' tab in the upper navigation bar.

Kat Starwolf is a practicing astrologer, researcher, metaphysician, musician and avid reader and writer of poetry, short stories, and songs and is in the process of completing various writing projects, including two novels.  She is also currently working on obtaining her degree in counseling psychology.  Presently she lives in Tallahassee, Florida, but will soon be relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She may be contacted at 400 Capital Circle SE, Suite 18-255, Tallahassee, Florida  32301-3839; by phone at 850-980-0250 or at her website http://www.starwolfastrology.com/

I'm new here, but not to dream interpretation.  I am an astrologer and therapist and have been studying various aspects of metaphysics including dream interpretation most of my life.  The first dream I can remember occurred when I was 5.  Since then I've interpreted my and others' dreams.

I've never seen anything pertaining to reading in dreams in dream dictionaries.  Partially, this is because I tend to stay away from them (dream dictionaries) for the most part (although I DO have one and use it occasionally, as a form of comparison), because I believe that the true interpretation of a dream and dream symbology can only be defined by the dreamer.   Different symbols mean different things to different people.

For instance, I am an avid and voracious reader.  I have had numerous dreams in which I not only saw myself reading in the dream, but I was in a library -- MY library -- which was filled with books, scrolls and various types of ancient parchments.

However, as for my interpretation of reading while dreaming:  first of all you need to define what reading means to you.  Are you gathering information when you read?  Or could it be that you're being 'read' by someone else?  or that you're 'read'ing someone else?  If I were interpreting my own dreams, reading would more than likely have pretty much the same meaning from one dream to the next.  I see books or anything from which information can be read as a source of knowledge; therefore, I am learning when I read.  So, to see myself reading in a dream means that I am gathering knowledge and learning to understand.

This may not be the definition you're looking for, however.  Yet, because we are all motivated by different desires and needs, our dreams and the symbology within those dreams will more than likely be tailored to fit our conception and perception of our own realities.  


Blessings,

Kat Starwolf
Starwolfastrology.com

As most of us can attest, relationships are tricky.  Any relationship - whether intimate, friendship, familial, work-related, political or social - can be the best thing that ever happened to us ... or our worst nightmare.  Rarely is it ever something in between.  But the truth is - even where our family is concerned - most of us would just as soon not have anything to do with someone with whom we don't get along than to put in the extra effort to make the relationship work.

Yet, too often what we don't realize is that we are the ones who create both the ecstasy and the agony in our relationships.  This is because how we perceive and respond to the actions of another plays a major role in whether or not any given relationship will be successful...or not.

Of course "success" implies different things to each of us, since generally, we all long to be loved, understood, heard and validated, albeit in different ways.  Ultimately, a successful relationship depends on the ability to listen to and empathize with another.  Empathy is a key factor in the majority of those relationships which are not only functional, but successful as well.

In fact, for any relationship to work well at least seven essential ingredients are necessary:  communication, honesty, trust, empathy, compromise, compassion and love.

Without these, our relationships stand little chance of success.

The 7 Essential Ingredients

From my own personal experience, as well as extensive research into the areas of human psychology, sociology, emotions, interactions and sexuality, I have determined that there are seven fundamental ingredients needed to provide a stable foundation for a successful relationship.  This is not to say, however, that more is not necessary, or that it may not differ from one relationship to another.  Yet, generally, from what I've observed, these seven - at least - are essential if we wish to have a functional and long-lasting relationship.  And this applies to us all - both females and males.

Communication - Communication is listed first for a very important reason:  in order to even make contact with another, we must communicate our intentions.  Eye contact and body language help, but because most people ignore their intuition and hence, are unable to understand and translate what they're seeing, they often miss important clues that might tell them various things about another individual.  So while communication does include eye contact and body language, the communication referred to in this instance is verbal communication.  Without talking and communicating our thoughts, feelings and ideas to another, few relationships succeed. 

Still, although it is necessary to communicate our thoughts and intentions in order to open a dialogue, doing so also requires truthfulness.

Honesty - For various reasons, honesty is one of the most difficult aspects of human inter-relatedness to achieve.  One reason for this is because most of us want to be accepted by others.  Consequently, we're often hesitant to say what we think for fear of losing the other person's support or acceptance, or because we don't wish to hurt his or her feelings.  Then too, sometimes, we are less than honest because we wish to protect ourselves from some (often mis-) perceived discomfort, fear or danger.  But what does it mean to be honest?

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary* states that honesty is ‘fairness and straight-forwardness of conduct,' ‘adherence to the facts,' ‘sincerity.'  When we are straightforward and sincere in our speech and actions towards another, the chances are that that person will respond to this in a positive rather than a negative way - even if what we have to say is not necessarily what the other person wishes to hear.

Conversely, when we are not honest, we are not only doing a disservice to others, but we also run the risk of creating more long-term - and in many cases, severe - issues for ourselves.  These issues can be anything from hurt feelings when the truth does come to light (as it often tends to do eventually), to bad marriages and violent behavior in work- and other socially-related situations because we just didn't know how to say what we really meant (see my article, "I Love You": How Three Little Words Can Cause so much Pain and How to Turn that Pain into Ecstasy).

Therefore, being honest is an absolutely essential ingredient in a successful relationship.

Trust - ‘Trust' has many meanings.  In this context it means to ‘believe; hope; depend; to have confidence in; to do something without fear or misgiving; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of,' etc.  This, as many of us are well aware, is not always easy to do.  Further, if there are issues in our past, trust can be a difficult thing to attain; especially where another person with whose character we are not familiar is concerned. 

Yet, if we wish to achieve a successful relationship we must learn to extend others the proverbial ‘benefit-of-the-doubt,' and trust them to do what they say they're going to do, or to entrust them with our feelings, and sometimes, even our lives.  Learning to do so allows us to attain a level of connectedness in our relationships that would not be present without the ability to trust.

Empathy - is "...the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings [, and] thoughts ... of another ... without having the feelings, thoughts and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner..." 

Etymologically, ‘empathy' comes from the Greek empatheia, which literally means to be passionate, to experience the feelings and emotions of another.  Or to put it more directly:  to experience empathy for another, we must place ourselves in that other person's figurative shoes and understand or attempt to perceive how she or he might feel in any given situation and/or circumstance.  In still other words, empathy requires making the effort to understand the thoughts and feelings of another.

What I and many others have found is that, when we make that effort to empathize with another's thoughts and feelings, and reflect that understanding back to the individual, we are far more likely to lay a solid foundation for a successful relationship.  As Stephen R. Covey, empowerment guru and author of the legendary book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People said, "Seek first to understand, before you seek to be understood."

Think about that for a moment:  what does it truly mean to understand another?  It means that we must perceive as others' perceive, or to see an event, situation or person as another perceives that same event, situation or person.  Once we perceive as another perceives and act on that perception, we are far more likely to be successful in our relationship with that individual because they will see that we are making the effort to make the relationship work.

Compromise - Aside from honesty, compromise is probably one of the next most difficult things to attain.  Compromise requires accepting the fact that we all have needs, wants and desires and that we all can't always have what we want, need or desire at any one given moment in time.  Therefore, to make the relationship work, we must be willing to concede our position up to a point in order to allow the other individual to experience some degree of satisfaction in the process. 

One caution here, however:  this does not mean that we should become doormats by totally giving in to another's wants or desires at the expense of our own.  If not handled wisely, co-dependence (which is an issue unto itself and beyond the scope of this article) can result and can create additional issues better suited for a behavioral health specialist. 

The goal here is to aim for a win-win situation so that everyone can have as much of what they want, need and desire without manipulating, controlling or harming others.

Compassion - Compassion is ‘sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.'  As with the other essential ingredients, being compassionate is much easier said than done.  To truly feel compassion for another requires empathizing with that individual and feeling what they feel.  I would go one step further, however, and say that compassion is the act that follows the thought which is begun after we empathize with another.

Applying compassion in relationships requires that we not only understand how the other person feels (empathy), but act on that understanding by following through.  In other words, verbal or sometimes physical action is required to demonstrate compassion.

Love - Love is, among other things: "strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion ..." etc.   If we lack love, we won't care one way or another how the other person feels.  This holds true for all types of relationships. 

Finally, in order to make these 7 essential ingredients work for you in any type of relationship endeavor on which you choose to embark, it is necessary to be balanced.  Balance or moderation is paramount in anything we do; but most especially in our interactions with each other.  The more balanced our relationships are, the more pleasant they will be.  The more pleasant they are, the happier we will be and the longer those relationships will last.

In fact, once more of us practice moderation in our lives and in our relationships with others, the sooner hatred, enmity and war will be a thing of the past.

* Unless otherwise stated, all definitions have been taken from the online version of Merriam-Webster's dictionary, which can be found at http://www.m-w.com/dictionary

© 2007 Kat Starwolf  All Rights Reserved

Kat Starwolf is a practicing astrologer, researcher, metaphysician and avid reader of anything pertaining to human inter-relatedness, emotions, sexuality, sociology and psychology.  She is also currently working on her degree in counseling psychology.  Presently she lives in Tallahassee, Florida, but will soon be relocating to her hometown, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She may be contacted at 400 Capital Circle SE, Suite 18-255, Tallahassee, Florida  32301, by phone at 850-980-0250 or via her website http://www.starwolfastrology.com/

Do you believe in fate or destiny? Do you believe that some mysterious force governs your life and directs you to do everything you do? Do you believe that astrology teaches that we are fated or destined to experience specific events in our lives? For that matter, what exactly is fate?

According to Princeton University'sWordnet¹, fate is:

• destiny: an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
• Destiny: the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events (often personified as a woman); "we are helpless in the face of Destiny"
• destined: decreed or designated beforehand; "She was destined to become a great pianist"

[italics and bolding mine]

For years the scientific community - astronomers and psychologists in particular -- have written numerous pieces on such topics as astrology's so-called ‘inaccuracy' based on generalities pertaining to predictions made in Sun Sign columns as well as the belief that astrology teaches that our fate is our destiny and that there is no way to alter what is destined.

Additionally, laypersons (those who know virtually nothing about astrology) and neophyte astrologers have not helped when they, themselves, continue to believe - and teach - that astrology is a system of fated occurrences.

No wonder scientists have retained this misguided belief of astrology and passed it on to the lay-public! 

Confusing, isn't it? 

However, the fact is, there are many astrologers who have a far more accurate view of what astrology provides than that our fate is written in the stars.  One such astrologer is David Cochrane of Avalon College² who had this to say about astrology:  "...an astrologer can usually detect what energies are influencing a person and give suggestions on how to redirect the energies in a more constructive and fulfilling manner. While a popular image of astrology is that it is fortune‑telling, actually astrology is more often useful as a tool to help us live more effective and satisfying lives in the present rather than forecasting the future with absolute certainty." [italics mine]

Does this sound like the definition of ‘fate'?

Based on my own studies as well as those of other astrologers, I firmly believe that one of the reasons that astrological predictions are so often fulfilled has nothing to do with fate, but is "Because people rarely develop the consciousness necessary to extricate themselves from the ever-repeating circle of inevitability. To creatively respond to stressful aspects is a rare gift which requires great conscious dynamism, and very few people have the ability to objectively recognize themselves." ~ Unknown Astrologer

Note, however, that although this astrologer refers to the ‘circle of inevitability,' she is actually referring to the fact that because we choose not to do anything to change or alleviate our circumstances, we will, ‘inevitably,' continue in the same old rut as before.

Astrology also teaches that we should be proactive, take the bull by the proverbial horns and not believe or expect that an event is ‘fated' or directed by some outward source.  In order to make anything happen, even astrology teaches that we must put forth the effort necessary to manifest our dreams.  This is otherwise known as the theory of cause and effect. 

However, there are no guarantees, no absolutes.  As I tell my clients, make an effort to first understand yourself and those characteristics and tendencies which make up your nature.  Keep in mind that the character traits for any given sign are tendencies rather than absolutes.  That is, there is a very strong probability that you exhibit or will exhibit a propensity for a specific trait, whether beneficial or not.  Or, put another way, you are just as capable of demonstrating the negative side of a trait as the positive; it is up to you.  Regardless, these character traits are not written in stone and can always be improved upon.

Yet, if astrology is not fate, what is it? Is it a science? An art? An aspect of medicine, psychology? Is it real? Is it bogus? Many scientists believe it to be a ‘pseudoscience' with no validity whatsoever³.  Other scientists, such as British astrophysicist and Principal Lecturer in Astronomy, Percy Seymour⁴, author of Astrology, the Evidence of Science,  French psychologist, Michel Gauquelin⁵, and Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung⁶ (coiner of the terms ‘synchronicity' and ‘collective unconscious') believe it to be a valid science. In fact, Jung actually calculated horoscopes in order to augment the diagnoses of some of his most difficult-to-diagnose patients, because he claimed that astrology afforded him insights into his patients that he would not otherwise be able to understand⁷. And then there are some astrologers who believe it to be an art, rather than a science⁸. 

Why all the fuss over its exact classification?  Well, that's a topic for another article, but obviously, we each have our own interpretation and ideas about just what it is. One thing we do know for sure is that, along with astronomy, astrology has been around longer than any of the other sciences, and that whatever it is purported to be, it has been, at times, extremely controversial.  

But what can it do for us?  How can it help us?  And what in the world are those astrologers referring to when they claim that events are fated?

Predictions are Not Fate  

As David Cochrane pointed out, astrology is a tool.  And just like any tool, it does not do the work; it merely facilitates us in its accomplishment.  The sculptor - not the chisel - determines the ultimate form of her masterpiece; the same applies to astrology.  You determine what you will do with your life, how you will mold it; not astrology and certainly not the astrologer. 

Therefore, ‘predictions' in this sense are referring to probability, not certainty.  I, as an astrologer, can show you in your birth chart as compared to a current transit, where some event has a greater probability of occurring.  If the event is a stressful one, however, you have the option of taking measures to ensure that the event does not occur.  If it is a positive event, then you have the option of arranging your life so that the likelihood of that event occurring is much greater.

Is astrology magic?  No, of course not.  While some astrologers might prefer that I not divulge this little tidbit of information, the fact is, there's nothing mystical about astrology or how it works.  It is merely the utilization of math, physics, psychology and intuition - or a balanced left/right brained approach - which require calculations and interpretation of the data.  What the astrologer does, by way of astrology, is to take your birth information:  your birth date, birth time and birth , and based on that data she or he calculates the positions of the planets at the point in time in which you were born, the planetary tables for which can be found in a book or a piece of software called an ephemeris.  From this information she or he extrapolates interpretations based on the various longitudes and latitudes on earth. 

Once this information is put together, whether manually or through computer generated techniques, the information  -- which consists of zodiac signs, planets and ‘houses' in a pie-shaped wheel - can be handed over to you with no further interpretation.  But would you know how to read it?  Probably not.  And that's where the astrologer comes in.  She's taken many courses in and may even have a degree in astrology so that she can better understand the significance of the astrological information.  She looks at the data in the wheel and interprets its meaning.  Yet, what she tells you is not meant to be ‘fated.'  This information is merely a guideline for you to go by, a blueprint.  She may tell you that based on the information she sees, you have the propensity to be a great athlete or musician.  But she certainly shouldn't tell you that you're fated to be such, because you are the one who will ultimately determine whether that possibility will come to pass. 

Again, this information can only be interpreted by someone who has studied astrology for a good length of time and can interpret the interaction of aspects, signs, midpoints, houses, declinations, etc. 

Events in Your Life Are Not Inevitable; You Do Have Free Will

Let's return to the definition of the word ‘fate.'  Some of the words which were used to describe it are ‘inevitable,' ‘predetermine[d],' ‘designated,' and ‘decree[d].'  But are these definitions really accurate?  Based on our recently learned understanding of what astrology actually is and what it does, we would have to say ‘no.'

If it were true that our fate were written in the stars, it would not be possible to improve ourselves in any way.  But as we know, this is not the case.  If we're ill, medicines help us get well.  Psychology can help to alleviate mental and/or psychological pain.  Astrology can help us to see our strengths and weaknesses, and in combination with a transit or progressed reading an astrologer can help you to see what might possibly lay ahead in love, money, education, spirituality or just about any other area you choose and to improve characteristics of your personality.

The bottom line is: we all have free will; the stars do not determine your fate; YOU do.

© 2006 Kat Starwolf - All Rights Reserved

For one of Kat's in-depth Probability Forecasts (which is NOT based on fate), go to http://www.starwolfastrology.com/ and click on the ‘Astrology Reports' tab in the upper navigation bar.

Kat Starwolf is a practicing astrologer, researcher, metaphysician and avid reader and writer of poetry, short stories, and songs and is in the process of completing various writing projects, including two novels.  She is also currently working on obtaining her degree in counseling psychology.  Presently she lives in Tallahassee, Florida, but will soon be relocating to her hometown,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She may be contacted at 400 Capital Circle SE, Suite 18-255, Tallahassee, Florida  32301-3839; by phone at 850-980-0250 or at her website http://www.starwolfastrology.com/

References

¹wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

²http://www.avalonastrology.com/Staff.htm

³http://www.astrology-and-science.com/

⁴http://www.tmgnow.com/repository/solar/percyseymour1.html

⁵http://www.solsticepoint.com/astrologersmemorial/gauquelin.html

⁶http://www.mountainastrologer.com/scofield.html

⁷http://www.thezodiac.com/astrojung2.htm

  http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Jung.htm

⁸http://www.astrosoftware.com/class01.htm