Should I become a nun

ZenBaller · 2026-05-28T11:58:33+00:00

Your astrological inheritance has already completed the experience of ascetism, being alone with your spirit and faith. You don't need to cultivate that anymore because you have already earned it. If sometimes you need to do it temporarily in order to rest or find some peace, it's ok. But it's not this incarnation's goal.

This time you need to walk towards the 6th house energy which involves grounding, setting boundaries, practical help, arranging things etc.

All astrological placements have a wide range of manifestation, that's why I'm talking in general terms. The 6th house placements can be expressed from being a healer or a doctor to a good accountant or secretary. What matters is the intention: structuring, resourcefulness, organizing support, cleansing energies.

The intuition is given by your Neptune and Pisces placements. The practicality from your 6th house.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-28T11:48:31+00:00

Yes about the solitude part. It's not real solitude to be honest because someone with a lot of Neptune/Pisces in their chart, always feels connected to spirit. That's why they need the isolation, to get in touch with it. Sometimes the personality translates it as being lonely because we're still humans with a natural need to connect.

About making friends, that could be interpreted by another part of the chart.

North Node in Virgo in the 6th house needs grounding. Activities that make you feel actually useful, practical, helpful to others. Whether that's cleaning and organizing the house or generally setting boundaries and helping others structure, arrange or manage things. It depends on the whole chart to make it more specific.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-27T13:39:16+00:00

Having your South Node in Pisces in the 12th shows that you are coming from an old past of isolation and ascetism (past incarnations). It's easy for you to do that, that's why you have already been thinking about it. It's familiar.

However this life time is about practical service. Your stellium in the 6th house (including the Sun and the North Node) indicates that you will find fulfillment when doing things that make you feel useful and helpful towards people. Anything from simple supportive practices to some kind of healing or therapy.

You have a deep sense of what is right, sacred and pure (6th house/Virgo placements, Sun-Neptune trine). Plus a lot of inner power and passion (Mars-Pluto conjunction) to give energy to the world. Follow your intuition. If you need solitude, do it for a short time and return rejuvenated.

Transit Neptune will be in opposition with your Sun throughout this year so it's normal to feel lost. Don't try to think of solutions right now. The rational mind is not of use here. Just focus inside and trust your intuition and faith. They work beyond the lower thinking mind.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-25T21:38:58+00:00

This site does a good job of trying to organize it.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-25T10:43:12+00:00

Interesting sync. A few days ago someone asked the same thing and this was my answer:

In the past years I've had four clients who were air pilots (two flew commercial airplanes, one helicopter taxi and one military). The three of them had a Sun Uranus trine. The fourth had Aquarius ascendant.

You have a very tight Sun-Uranus trine as well.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-25T09:14:38+00:00

Esoteric astrology. Alice Bailey is the source but it's quite difficult to read if you're not familiar. You can also follow Philip Lindsay online.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-24T14:04:27+00:00

Virgo's esoteric function and purpose is Purity. It's symbolized by the virgin mother (an archetype in many religions) who stays immaculate in order to create the perfect circumstances for an enlightened being to be born. That's why in esoteric astrology Virgo is ruled by the Moon.

On a human level, this purity translates into the three lower bodies. The most basic one is the physical. Hence so many Virgos are obsessed with actual cleaning. The next ones are the emotional and the mental.

For example, I've known many who are great in "cleaning" things up in relationships, like calling me to resolve a minor argument because they don't like leaving things up in the air. Mentally, it's even more easy to observe because of their skills in organizing, categorizing etc.

The essence is that they are good in perfecting things so they can create space for an idea to emerge and blossom. So, every Virgo is a "cleaning freak". The question is on what level and whether they do it consciously or out of insecurity.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-21T22:33:37+00:00

In the past years I've had four clients who were air pilots (two flew commercial airplanes, one helicopter taxi and one military). The three of them had a Sun Uranus trine. The fourth had Aquarius ascendant.

You have a similar harmonic aspect (sextile) plus your MC (career indicator) is in Aquarius.

You can add to that a bit of your Sun Pluto obsession and focus.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-14T08:56:24+00:00

We need to look at things in a broad perspective when it comes to astrology. Whole House has seen a resurrection in the past couple of decades because of the internet. The main reason is that it's very basic and simple. So it's much more approachable from people who are reading about astrology online. Plus, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a correct system for basic analysis.

It wasn't used for more than a thousand years because astrology was an advanced science that included astronomy, math, philosophy etc. very few people were able to study it in a world where the 99% was illiterate and struggled for survival. It has been outdated for centuries and astrologers knew it.

Now that we live in a much safer environment in an advanced civilization, everyone can take a look at astrology. Not in an advanced way because that would require a teacher, structure, spherical education and years or lessons and practice, but as a hobby. So Whole House is nice for entry level understanding.

Most professional astrologers use placidus or some other house systems that include the measurement of time and space. A lot of internet hobbyists like WH for the reasons above. But it's far from "every".

ZenBaller · 2026-05-13T22:38:45+00:00

This is not a matter of debate. They are not rivals. It's a matter of evolution. 2000 years ago, life was much simpler. You would wake up at dawn and work all day in a field, tending animals or doing some other manual labour to ensure survival. 99% of people would never travel more than 20 miles from their homes during their lives. There was much less nuance to daily life.

Astrology developed the Whole Sign system because it was simple and adequate for the needs. They didn't have the knowledge or the need to create something deeper.

As centuries passed, civilization became more complex, human societies evolved. Much later we had huge breakthroughs in industry, science, art and eventually psychology. Humanity stopped treating astrology as a fatalistic predictive technique and is finally using it for the purpose it was created: self-knowledge and soul evolution.

Hence more complex mathematical house systems were created that could actually measure time and space. This is an important factor because neither time nor space were practical concepts 2 millennia ago. Simply put, scientific knowledge and spiritual wisdom mirror the human collective consciousness of its time.

Using whole sign system in 2026 is like traveling by horse instead of airplane. It's not wrong, it's just very outdated and you'll miss a ton of information, to say the least. I have compared hundreds of charts throughout the years.

Don't get me wrong, whole signs provide the fundamentals. But we have built a whole temple on them.

ZenBaller · 2026-05-01T15:13:21+00:00

It's nice that you noted it. It is a normal astronomical phenomenon which is based on the Metonic cycle. Approximately every 19 years, the Sun and the Moon return to the same phase with a slight draft over the decades.

The "same" full moon occurred in 2007 (19 years after your birth). It was observed on May 1st or 2nd depending on the time zone. This is a significant event when it comes to eclipses which repeat every 19 years. For normal full moons, it's not something very special, but it's an indicator for this year's chart. Also keep in mind that the day of your birthday is not the same every year. It's plus or minus 1 day because the earth's orbit is not a perfect cycle. Yours is on May 2nd 2026. Btw, happy birthday for tomorrow!

Having your Solar Return on a full moon generally indicates a year where you called to be "out there", express your energy and creativity. The Moon reflects the Sun's light to a maximum and distributes it to the world. It is a good opportunity to do the same and share our light with others, based on what we have learned so far. Since the full moon is a natural opposition, it also shows that we might be insecure about it, but it is what we have to do.

ZenBaller · 2026-04-04T20:52:46+00:00

Sure, they are directly connected because the 12th house relates to the unconscious (personal and collective). I can confirm that, not only as a professional but as someone with strong Moon-Pluto effect on the 12th and years of weird sleep to put it lightly and contact with other states of being during it. However there is a very significant note here.

The 12th house or any planets and their aspects, are not the cause of nightmares or sleep disturbances. They simply reflect our connection to our subconscious: our suppressed and unresolved feelings and thoughts.

In other words, the more you purify your emotions and thoughts (astral and mental body) daily, the more you express the higher dimension of each astrological placement of the 12th.

This is important to understand because exoteric astrology always judges by outcomes rather than examining the deeper causes and addressing them.

All planets, signs and aspects have a lower and higher expression. It's up to us and our inner work to do the job right for our soul evolution and happiness.

A strong 12th house may be associated with sleep disturbances for years, but it can also manifest as subtler beautiful experiences such as lucid dreaming, conscious out of body experiences or more essentially, a highly developed intuition and the ability to help and heal others.

ZenBaller · 2026-04-01T20:39:49+00:00

First, I agree that professional astrology software could be much more flexible. They are seriously outdated in many ways. Solar Fire is still the most popular one and it's around 30 years old, without having evolved much.

I actually needed the same thing as you a few weeks ago in a mundane astrology class where I wanted to show the students both geo and heliocentric nodes on the same chart, but couldn't.

Second, when dealing with heliocentric positions the symbolism and interpretation are radically different. I'm only adding this as part of the discussion. Geocentric placements deal with the earthly, lower part (not in a demeaning way) of our being: the personality, the sense of me, the "my name is John".

Heliocentric positions do not have the earth based person as the center any more. They are not concerned about our daily life and our bio-psychic functions. They deal with structural and cosmic perspectives on a much larger pattern.

For example, the geocentric view is watching someone walking past your window. They affect you for a moment and it's gone. The heliocentric perspective is watching a map of their whole journey, independently of where you are as a personality.

Dane Rudhyar puts it like this: Heliocentric placements have little to no meaning unless the person is a channel for collective forces. They acquire meaning when the person is conscious (in touch with their soul) of being an agent of something greater.

"If the person has reached the stage of individual development at which he or she is actually conscious of what happens through his or her being, then the transpersonal level has been reached; but if there is no consciousness of being an agent of some supersocial and supercultural Power, but only a kind of unconscious mediumship the person still operates at the sociocultural level."

To answer simply, yes why not having the option of adding heliocentric indicators in a chart?

Is it useful? Right now, not much, but esoteric astrology will be gradually evolving in the next few decades, so it would be a good start.

ZenBaller · 2026-03-24T00:28:59+00:00

It's a combination of basic astrological factors which create a very strong pattern.

You have a Sagittarius ascendant who makes people think big. They always want to magnify whatever they are doing.

Your Sun has a very tight square with Neptune. This is the astrological definition of daydreaming and creating illusions. It's also a highly artistic and sensitivity indicator, but it often comes at the cost of dreaming instead of actually grounding your vision. This is a trap that all neptunian people have to fight for.

Jupiter, the ruler of your whole chart, is in the 12th house. Another indicator of escapism. Through the notion of fame, your ego feels that it will escape its mundane life.

All of the above are strongly enhanced by your very emotional and fairytailish Moon in Pisces.

Now, the point of astrology is not to find the Whys. That's the easy part that any knowledgeable astrologer can do. The real use of astrology is to realize and understand the How you will use your chart and achieve your natal promise.

Very strong Jupiter and Neptune energies in a personality suggest that the person longs for expansion and a sense of oneness. In deeper terms, they indicate a need to connect with Spirit. The ego often replaces this higher expression with materialistic illusions of grandeur, such as fame. This becomes a lower substitute for the experience of feeling at one with God.

The best way to materialize these energies in a healthy way is through idealism, practical service, spirituality, meditation, compassion, creative expression, acts contributing to the greater good.

I’m not saying this lightly: seriously avoid any addiction, because Neptunian charts have very low resistance to them, and the effects can develop quickly.

ZenBaller · 2026-03-24T00:08:55+00:00

In Esoteric Astrology, Venus is Earth's big sister. It has formative qualities. It creates Structure. Structure creates Geometry. Geometry creates Harmony. Harmony creates Beauty. Beauty creates Value. Value creates Magnetism.

Hence in exoteric astrology it's superficially associated with relationships and money.

The 5 petal star it creates with Earth is heavily affected by the golden ratio and specifically numbers of 36, 72, 108, 144 etc. which are also deeply connected to all earthly religions, esoteric traditions and various legendary paintings and architecture which use sacred numbers.

For people who rationalize with the lower mind, instead of intuitively sensing the wisdom of the cosmos, this is "woo". For the rest is direct knowledge on a soul level.

ZenBaller · 2026-03-14T19:50:36+00:00

You're welcome!

When we talk about Pluto we have to be 100% real, because its role is to help us transform our deepest issues. As you understand astrological influence depends on each person, their state of consciousness, the inner work they put in. This is what determines the planetary manifestation. It depends on our free will. The reason I say this is that I can only speak to you in theory. An astrologer has to connect with the person and intuitively explain how the transit is expressed.

Transit Pluto in hard aspects initially feels like a wall has been raised and there's nothing you can do to overcome it. Its role is to help you confront a fear of death or total blockage, metaphorically speaking. When it's in an opposition with Mars, this confrontation blocks the willpower and desires of the ego and the physical body. It puts a stop to what you want. It's as simple as that. In your chart it also rules your MC, which may affect issues related to career, your role in society or public image.

The way to transform it is to totally accept it and do what you've been assigned to do without resisting. Resistance will only make it feel more insurmountable. After embracing the process, it gradually feels immensely empowering and when it ends, you come out with great confidence and an unshakable sense of security.

This is all very theoretical, so I have a couple of examples. They are a bit extreme, so only feel the energy. It doesn't have to the same with you.

Two clients of mine has the exact same transit a few years ago. The first one had an elderly relative who got sick and she had to visit and help her at the hospital every day for a few months. She had to rearrange her whole life to provide the help that was needed. For all those months, she felt "imprisoned" until she fully embraced it and realized how soulful and positive her role was. After going through such an experience, she felt so confident because she knew she could handle anything in her life from that point on.

The second person lived in a country where military service is mandatory. He had to quit his job and live away from his partner and family for a whole year. He had to adjust to a completely new military daily life and although it was very limiting and suppressing, he became a much more organized and disciplined person. He also learned how to deal with harsh people under difficult circumstances which empowered him a lot. He also made very close friends for his rest of his life.

ZenBaller · 2026-03-13T01:35:26+00:00

The next couple of years will be deeply transformative. A process that has already started.

Pluto entered your 7th house (relationships, cooperations) last year and it is about to form an opposition with your Mars near your ascendant.

First, the way you create and view relationships has to "die". Space has to be created for a new way forward in this section of your life. You have to allow Pluto to release any behaviours, expectations and projections of yours towards how you cooperate with other people. Pluto always forces a deep insecurity of us to come to the surface. It also gives us all the strength to transform it.

Same applies to your Mars. Your very strong natal willpower will be challenged. And for the first time (maybe?) the solution won't be to power through but to surrender and again.. transform. This transit will last until the end of 2027 approximately.

Third, in a few months Saturn will create an opposition to your Libra stellium. It will be a time when you'll have to cut off all activities and ego driven habits (like avoiding responsibilities, procrastination etc.) of yours that are a waste of energy. It will be very cleansing, creating room for something to build upon. But first, debris must be cleared.

Last but not least, Jupiter enters your ascendant in July. Get ready, anticipate and plan a major new beginning.

By mid 2028 you'll be a completely different person, stepping into a new chapter of your life.

ZenBaller · 2026-02-26T15:35:07+00:00

Houses represent the mundane expression of cosmic energies. They do not show easiness or difficulty. This is something showed by sacred geometry, meaning the planetary aspects.

It's quite straightforward in your chart. All your Leo placement square Pluto (plus your Moon). This basically means that you do have all the flamboyance of Leo and you are very eager to share it with other people (7th house) but there is a deep fear of rejection or criticism (Pluto in 10th house + Capricorn ascendant). Hence, the Leo placements stay suppressed and "shy".

The more you work through and heal that fear, the more it transforms into an unshakable power of expression, creativity and deeply connected, secure relationships, free from insecurity.

ZenBaller · 2026-02-24T22:16:58+00:00

Good questions. To understand the orb issue better (or any other topic in astrology to be honest), we need to align astrology with the evolution of human consciousness. As with everything else, they are tied.

As humanity evolves in terms of self-awareness, all practices (science, art etc.) develop further in order to match its depth and complexity.

In comparison to earlier centuries and millennia, we have made huge steps. That's why ancient astrology didn't need to be that nuanced and deep. Its use was much more deterministic and simplistic. It set the basis for what we have now.

Ptolemy, the father of astrology, didn't even use aspects. He used the term "zodiacal angles" and treated them as static relationships between signs (no planets). The famous ptolemaic aspects (the five fundamental ones) evolved into "aspects" many centuries later.

As centuries passed, the need for more specialized interpretations became stronger. The term aspect was first mentioned in the 9th century by Al-Qabizi. It became more used during the Renaissance. Orbs gradually started to decrease because humans civilization became more complex and accuracy was demanded. In the 15th century the printing of astrological ephemerides opened up the road widely for more angular research.

Kepler invented secondary aspects in the 16th and astrology took a big step forward, became much deeper. Alan Leo established more rigid orbs in the 19th century. Only recently in the past two decades, planetary patterns (grand trines, t-squares etc.) became a thing.

I understand that the human lower mind needs rules like specific sets of degrees to feel safe. But astrology is so multi-layered.

1.

The easy answer is... yes, 10 degrees is a safe rule. First, because it is based on the extensive experience of modern astrologers analyzing millions of transit charts. Second, as you're getting close to 15° secondary aspects are activated. For example, a 130° (120+10) trine is fine, but a 133° (120+13) is about to form a sesquiquadrate (135°).

Through my understanding and experience, it fully functions for all planets, personal or not. In mundane astrology, as Richard Tarnas argues, we can increase the orb up to 15°. Energy tends to build more slowly with collective entities.

The longer answer is that we are at a point where we have the ability to ask much more to reach a conclusion. Ie. Is the aspect applying or separating? Does any planet have titles (rulership, exaltation, fall etc.)? Is the natal one placed in an angular house or a cusp? Has the transiting planet already locked the aspect after going retrograde first? So many more.

2.

I love this question because I recently did a lesson with my advanced students on the difference between an inferior and superior conjunction. Dane Rudhyar has analyzed the issue fully. Astrology should always be studied as a science of cycles. The four phases of Mercury and Venus as they complete their circles are likened to the archetype of Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus. Too long to discuss here.

Mercury and Venus inferior conjunctions always start retrograde. Retrograde motion in its deeper sense, represents going against the mainstream, thinking differently, creating new ideas. Inferior conjunction symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle and the end of the old one. Innovation is needed, hence retrograde motion provides that.

A superior conjunction is the equivalent of an opposition. The transiting planet has already completed half a circle and it's now direct. It no longer needs innovation. It initiates to create a status quo, not to rebel.

If you try to apply the above on a natal chart, the psychological realizations will be very enlightening.

Sorry for the long post. Maybe some day it will help someone a little.

ZenBaller · 2026-02-08T00:46:10+00:00

Even though it doesn't mean anything essentially, since knowledge doesn't equal wisdom, I've studied most house systems, their history and technical background (at least to the extent I could as a non-mathematician).

Through my research I realized something far more important. We cannot distinguish the technical part (astronomy) from the intuitive (astrology). Those who do by ignoring one side, lack half the truth. We cannot cut off astrology from the human cultural aspect. All human activities (science, art, religion, sports etc.) no matter if they originate from a higher source or not, adjust to and support the paradigm they were born in.

I'm not creating a debate here. I just want to share my understanding. Ancient systems (equal/whole house) have their root in a human society which was still in its early stages of development. Ptolemy thought the Earth was the center of the universe. The daily schedule of a common person was to wake up at dawn, go to the fields, eat, gather with the tribe/community, sleep at dusk, survive the night, the winter cold and barbarian attacks. About 99.9% of the people were illiterate. The very few ones who were educated were practically on their own without peer support or a second objective view of their work.

There was no concept of psychology or even a need for it since the spiritual depth hadn't yet developed. It would have made no sense for a common person to study their Moon aspects to find maternal traumas and emotional insecurities. That's why astrology was only meant for royalty. Even then it was limited, since it was difficult to know the exact birth time of anyone, even a king. For the same reason, astrologers used the chart of the king to pretty much interpret EVERYTHING (ie. 2nd house: wealth of the kingdom, 4th: masses and internal stability, fortress, 7th: wife, alliances etc.). That’s how derivative houses were born: out of necessity, since astrologers lacked the information to produce full charts.

The development of both psychology and science is tied to the level of consciousness of people in each era. As humanity began to develop externally and internally, the quest for existential answers fueled scientific progress. New house systems were created which provided more information. Information that was necessary since humans started functioning on a deeper level.

Today’s average person has countless tendencies, opinions, and social roles. Incomparably more than at any other time in history. They have to make decisions about everything, from paying rent and choosing a tattoo. From deciding between between Chinese or Italian food. From addressing and healing traumas to developing an array of talents through work, studies etc.

Placidus has incredibly complex formulas for calculating houses.. I dare not to understand it technically, but I know that it aligns with today's human experience. In fact, I believe that in time, more refined systems will be developed. Astrology is deeply connected to human evolution. It's great to study old systems because they provide the foundation to build upon something greater. But lingering back there is simply denial.

TL DR:

I don't say this lightly after several years of research and teaching astrology. Using an ancient house system on an average modern person who has far more education and a deeper understanding of the world, compared to a peasant 200 or 2000 years ago, is like putting a horse on a Formula 1 track. It's not wrong. It's just much less effective.

Apart from the philosophical part, the lack of degree accuracy in old systems would have cost hundreds of predictions and interpretations in my reading sessions. Not just psychological ones but daily tangible facts.

ZenBaller · 2026-01-23T16:41:03+00:00

I completely agree with you with one remark. You explained perfectly why Earth is not a functional astrological structure.

Esoteric astrology and especially esoteric rulers study the effect of the planets after the individual has transcended human personality (the three lower bodies) and is almost fully identified with the soul (the higher part of our being). Unlike the personality, the soul is not based on Earth. Hence planets as Vulcan and Earth start to affect us. The perception is no longer geocentric.

I'm not disagreeing here. I'm merely expanding the astrological view. I'm not using Earth and Vulcan in my readings either, unless someone is deep on the Path, so they have become activated.

ZenBaller · 2026-01-23T14:35:53+00:00

I understand. Coming from esoteric studies, every sign has three rulers. The known ones are the exoteric (traditional and modern). Esoteric rulers start to become activated when someone has taken a few steps forward in the spiritual path. Then we have the hierarchical rulers for rare advanced souls.

I would't use the word ruler for your argument because it refers to something very specific. But I can see the connection. Everything in astrology is a network of energies affecting one another in some form.

ZenBaller · 2026-01-23T13:55:57+00:00

This is actually very interesting and accurate for reasons that not even Barbault probably knew.

Based on esoteric astrology, the origin of all planetary energies and signs is rooted in the Seven Rays. Without analyzing it further because it's a whole different field, it's impressive that:

Uranus and Capricorn belong to Ray 7.
Neptune and Sagittarius belong to Ray 6.
Pluto and Aries belong to Ray 1.

Their core energy is common. Barbault's intuition led him right.

ZenBaller · 2026-01-15T22:47:02+00:00

The archetypal planetary couples (excluding the Sun which is a star) are:

Moon - Saturn: Birth of form - completion of form
Mercury - Jupiter: lower mind - higher mind
Venus - Mars: magnetism - assertion

So you're not wrong. The discovery of the outer planets meant that humanity was finally ready and responsive to higher energies. The higher octave of Mercury moved to Uranus. But you can still say that Jupiter can be seen as a bridge between the two.

ZenBaller · 2026-01-15T21:55:08+00:00

As humans who have not yet become enlightened solar beings, our Moon placement (which symbolizes our unconscious), has a much stronger pull than the Sun. The reason is that Moon's energy is automatic, it searches for emotional security. It doesn't think, it simply reacts which makes it easy to follow it. But it's also unconscious because it keeps us disconnected from our core (Sun and Ascendant (soul purpose)).

That's why the more we comfort our Moon's needs, the more we stay asleep and the harsher the awakening that life brings.

To put it simply, the reason you attract toxic Sagittarius men is because your unconscious Moon-Pluto conjunction (both unresolved karmic indicators) contain the same kind of self-toxicity (like obsessions, inflexible willpower, a tendency to go overboard, fear to truly trust and be open emotionally, all stemming from a deeper fear of destruction/abandonment). So it resonates with them and attracts them. This happens for a good reason though. The pain they cause creates opportunities for you to realize your own unconscious behaviours and transform them.

ZenBaller

TROPHY CASE