Answers to Quiz
Maritha Pottenger
Readers will note that this quiz, like life, often has MORE than one “right” answer.
1. Self-other interactions or relationships or balancing personal needs with interpersonal or some variant.
2. Projecting the power into other people, being too accommodating, demanding “MY relationships on MY terms only,” excessive competition, restlessness and lack of stability in relationships, freedom versus closeness ambivalences in partnerships or other variants.
3. Hitler had Mars conjunct Venus which ruled his Libra Ascendant with both in the 7th house, as well as Aries in the 7th. Jim Jones had Mars in the 8th house, as much a part of partnership as the 7th.
4. The negative options of the 1-7 or 1-8 combinations include:
(1) Overaccommodation or playing doormat—sacrificing too much for the relationship, feeling other people must like and approve of you or you are nothing, attracting other people who use power against you, feeling unable to act without another person.
(2) Attacking other people because you fear they may hurt, attack, put down, abuse or use you. An “I’ll get you first” mentality in relationships. Fear and vulnerability to other people’s perceived power leading to aggression.
(3) Withdrawal from relationships because of fear of being hurt, criticized, etc. “If I don’t let them get close enough, they will not be able to attack me or put me down.” Projecting power into other people and avoiding the issue as an attempt at self-protection.
5. The three basic positive options of the 1-7 and 1-8 blends include:
(1) Cooperation, compromise, or meeting in the middle. People SHARE the power, neither one having it all, both having some. A middle ground is sought for issues and decisions. Both are willing to give a little & solutions are sought which generate a win/win feeling.
(2) Healthy competition (e.g., sports, games, business). Competition within a structure of rules and regulations allows people to put their full power out, to try to win, but no one is destroyed in the process. Part of the game-playing attitude is to be able to win and lose without feeling horribly distraught or excessively invested in either option. Competition can build on the strengths of both parties and involves equals or near-equals.
(3) Helping people. By choosing to play a healing or succoring role, we elect to relate to people that are defined, in some way, as less than equal. We can own our own power, but put it out to assist others, not to put them down. “Weaker” people are less likely to be seen as threats, requiring us to defend ourselves. With more security, self-expression is easier.
6. b does not belong. (All four other choices are a 1-9 combination in the astrological alphabet. b is a 5-9 blend.)
7. The four transpersonal letters of the astrological alphabet are 9, 10, 11 and 12. PLUTO is the planet some astrologers call transpersonal. Many astrologers feel the outer planets ought to be the transpersonal planets (with the physical distance reflecting the impersonal quality). Some would say Jupiter on out. Others say Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (those past Saturn). Also, many people associate Pluto with “the masses.”
Where opinions are mixed, there may not be one “right” answer. There can be some truth in many viewpoints. We prefer to consider Pluto INTERPERSONAL because so much of the focus is on giving, receiving and sharing the physical sense world with another human being (a mate). Shared sensuality, sexuality, money and resources are basic issues with Letter 8. If you like physical correlates, it is interesting to note that Pluto has a Moon which is almost as big as Pluto itself—and that the two form a “binary system” (partnership) in their orbits. Also, Pluto is much closer in size to the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) than the gas giants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
I suspect that part of the reason Pluto is associated with “the masses” is that it spent many years (when astrologers first knew of it and were observing to learn its meaning) in Cancer—associated with the public (among other things). That could have colored the conclusions drawn by astrologers.
However, in the sense that Pluto does relate to the concept of shared resources, it is clearly an important key to issues of ecology, toxic wastes, conservation & preservation of wildlife and diverse species in our world and pollution. Also, Pluto is definitely associated with Plutonium and the atomic bomb. All of the latter issues are certainly transpersonal as well as personal (and interpersonal). The above reminds us that pure, theoretical categories are just that—abstractions or maps we draw of a complicated, intermixed, non-pure reality!
My personal opinion is that (as they say in the women’s movement) “The personal is political.” I find it not at all surprising that we do not as a planet share very well, when few people share well in one-to-one relationships (Sex and money rate in the top three reasons for marital fights) or within ourselves (as we strive to balance conflicting sides). I do believe the more we integrate our inner struggles, the less we need any outer struggles to mirror the issues for us. (I also believe in working on all levels. I strive constantly to improve my own self and relationships, but I also write letters, vote and send money to causes I believe in.) Life is all three—personal, interpersonal and transpersonal.
8. Love can be defined in many ways, but most of the dictionary definitions would fit my visions of Venus (as Letter 7) and the Sun (Letter 5). My Random House dictionary tells me that love is:
(1) tender or passionate affection for someone of the opposite sex. This would imply Venus (Pallas, Juno, Libra & the 7th house) in terms of close, one-to-one interactions, but could also involve the Sun (and Leo and the 5th house)—our capacity to pour out into the world, into loving, passion, entertainment, speculation, etc. Letter 8 might be brought in as well when passion is a focus, but most people define letter 8 more in terms of the issue of either sex, resources or sharing. The sense is more of intensity than tender affection.
(2) a feeling of warm, personal attachment or affection, as for a parent, child or friend. While Letters 7 and 5 still are there, we might want to also include Letter 4 here (our nurturing capacity) and Letter 2 (our desire for pleasure and enjoyment). In a pure sense, Letter 4 is the caretaking focus, being dependent or nurturing (which does NOT necessarily have to include love). Also in a pure sense, Letter 2 deals with physical appetites and possessions. We may “love” pizza. But if we “love” our children too much in a Letter 2 sense, we are apt to treat them as possessions and feel we have a right to do as we please with them—not particularly healthy for kids or other living things.
(3) sexual passion or desire. Sounds like Letters 5 and 8 to me—with maybe a little Letter 1 (drive, energy, including sexual desire) and Letter 2 (pleasure, sensuality) thrown in.
(4) person toward whom love is felt. This could bring in the whole chart—depending on who we love!
(5) a love affair, amour. Most astrologers see this as Letter 5.
(6) Strong predilection or liking for anything. This sounds like the “I love pizza” sentiment of Letter 2 (pleasure).
(7) the benevolent affection of God for His/Her creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God. The Infinite evokes Letters 9 and 12, but I would only subscribe to Letter 12 here. I see Letter 9 as our search for meaning, our desire for answers, our quest for a sense of understanding the purposes of the universe and our lives. It is basically intellectual. Letter 12, by contrast, is emotional. It indicates the quest for infinite love and beauty—to be ONE with the WHOLE. Agape seems to me to be a Neptunian concept.
In summary, depending on the context, I would see “love” as often Venus or the Sun and occasionally Pluto and Neptune, although all the letters of the alphabet could be brought in, if you are willing to view them from a certain perspective.
9. The planet MOST associated with money is Venus—ruler of the 2nd house and key to “money earned.” Pluto (Letter 8) is also a key to resources we share with others, including money gained FROM others (inheritance, government grants, partner’s resources, etc.). Letter 8 also points to returns on investments, or money we reap for earlier efforts (e.g., royalties). People who have bought the “great benefic” myth of Jupiter will call it a planet of money. In our opinion, Jupiter is PRIMARILY a key to values. The astrologers who see Jupiter as mainly money obviously value money (and may have turned money into “god” in their lives). If we overvalue something that is NOT infinite, one way we sometimes learn to find a “bigger god” is to lose what we have put too much of a premium on.
10. Please note that in this answer, I will be listing every little detail that we would consider to reach a conclusion. With an actual horoscope, in a consultation, I would NOT sit, working all this out with pencil and paper OR in my head. Then, like most of us, I scan the horoscope, and mentally note the repeated themes.
It is NOT necessary to do this kind of drudgery listing of every single factor, adding things up and finding averages. That is one of the advantages of the human brain over computers! We can quickly process vast amount of information, by seeking commonalities and similarities. The computer has to take everything point by point. However, for the purposes of teaching, all the factors will be discussed and included.
We associate all three earth letters with one’s work in the world: Letter 2 for money earned, Letter 6 for day-to-day details of the work and Letter 10 for our career needs, desire for power in the world, quest for a calling. Thus, in Candice Bergen’s chart, we must include the earth planets and asteroids, the earth houses and the earth signs. Breaking this down (bite-size), we get (letter in parentheses refers to the alphabet; first factor given, which is underlined, is one of the factors we would examine in ANY chart when considering the work arena):
Venus is in the 6th (6) in Gemini (3), conjunct Uranus (11).
Ceres is in the 2nd (2) in Aquarius (11).
Vesta is in the 3rd (3) in Pisces (12).
Mercury (ruler of Virgo) is in the 4th (4) in Aries (1).
Saturn is in the 7th (7) in Cancer (4).
MC conjuncts Juno (7) in Libra (7).
MC conjuncts Jupiter (9) in Libra (7).
2nd house is occupied by Ceres (6) in Aquarius (11).
6th house is occupied by Venus (2) in Gemini (3), conjunct Uranus (11).
6th house is occupied by Uranus (11) in Gemini (3), conjunct Venus (2).
6th house is occupied by North Node (associated with Letter 4) in Gemini (3).
10th house is occupied by Jupiter (9) in Libra (7), conjunct MC (10).
Planet in the 6th, Uranus, rules the Aquarius in the 1st (1) and 2nd (2) houses.
Planet in the 6th, Venus, rules the Taurus in the 4th (4) and 5th (5) plus the Libra in the 9th (9) and 10th (10).
Planet in the 10th, Jupiter, rules the Sagittarius in the 11th (11) and 12th (12).
2nd cusp ruler is in the 6th (6) in Gemini (3), conjunct Venus (2).
2nd house ruler (of other sign in 2nd) is in the 9th (9) in Libra (7).
6th cusp ruler is in the 4th (4) in Aries (1).
MC ruler is in the 6th (6) in Gemini (3), conjunct Uranus (11).
10th house ruler (of other sign in 10th) is in the 8th (8) in Leo (5), conjunct Mars (1).
MC sign is Libra (7).
Taurus is occupied by the Sun (5) in the 5th house (5).
Virgo is occupied by the Moon (4) in the 8th house (8).
Capricorn is occupied by Pallas (7) in the 1st house (1).
(The above listing is roughly rank-ordered, with planets and angles most important, followed by houses and then signs.)
In addition, there is a wide grand trine involving the earth houses and MC (Ceres to Venus to MC/Juno, with Uranus and Node in the 6th and Jupiter in the 10th pulling those corners more closely together). There is a T-Square involving work factors between Saturn (key to career), Jupiter (in 10th) and MC, and Pallas (in Capricorn).
Also, Jupiter is within the Gauquelin “zone of power” associated with actors, politicians and journalists.
If we simply sum all the above factors with no difference in weighting, we obtain the following totals:
Letter 1: 5
Letter 2: 5* = 6
Letter 3: 7
Letter 4: 6
Letter 5: 4
Letter 6: 4 (2)* = 3
Letter 7: 8 (4)+ = 5
Letter 8: 2
Letter 9: 4*+ = 6
Letter 10: 2
Letter 11: 7*+ = 9
Letter 12: 2
Please note that the first numbers given involve a STRAIGHT SUM—with no differential weighting of the factors (e.g., planets are the most important) as we would do in an actual interpretation. In actuality, we would have to HALVE the totals for Letters 6 and 7 as we have TWO asteroids contributing to each of those letters (and only one planet per other letter of the alphabet). (Those totals are given in parentheses.) Our emphasis in terms of weight is on planets first, then houses, then signs. (Conjunctions to earth factors are indicated in the above list with a + for extra emphasis. Planets or asteroids occupying the earth houses have an * for extra emphasis.)
In the above listing, we have a total of 57 counts (counting one point extra emphasis per conjunction to an earth planet or planet in an earth house). With 12 letters of the alphabet, that is an average of about 4-3/4. The letters having 5 or more are (rank-ordered): 11, 3, 4, 9, 2, 7, 1.
In terms of repeated themes, we have a strong focus on all three of the AIR letters: 3, 7 and 11. This suggests a career involving ideas and people. Communication is especially suggested with the strong Letter 3 focus. Beauty may be involved with Letter 7 prominent (the close conjunction of Juno to the MC puts the extra emphasis on 7), especially the visual arts such as fashion, design, photography, decorating, graphics, etc. The prominence of Letter 2 backs up the beauty theme suggested by Letter 7.
Fire is also rather strongly present, with both Letters 1 (desire to have her career on her own terms, restlessness, need for variety, pioneering spirit) and Letter 9 (idealism, concern with truth, morals, ultimate answers, intellectual stimulation) above average, with Letter 5 average. The fire/air combination tends to be quick-witted, seeking variety, on the move, changeable, humorous, lively and entertaining. This combination includes three of our four risk-taking factors (1, 9, 11), and the fourth factor (Letter 5) is certainly average. Thus, potential creativity, openness to change and willingness to take risks, to break new ground is suggested.
All three of our freedom letters (1, 9 and 11) are present, suggesting a lady who needs space, independence and the ability to do her own thing in her career, someone unlikely to be confined by conventional standards or expectations.
The theme which is at odds with most of the above is a strong Letter 4. However, this theme is less prominent than a simple counting of factors would imply. Note that in our original listing of ALL the work factors, the Letter 4 themes occur mostly in the bottom half of the list—factors with LESS importance in weighting then those earlier in the list. (We have a 6th house planet, Venus, ruling the Taurus in the 4th and 5th houses. We have the ruler of the 6th cusp in the 4th house. The sign Virgo is occupied by the Moon as another count for Letter 4.) One of the factors that occurs in the top half of our list is Saturn in Cancer (Letter 4)—and a sign is the least emphatic form of registering a theme. The fifth count for Letter 4 comes from Mercury (as a natural ruler of Virgo) in the 4th house. We might give partial weight to the North Node in the 6th house of work, as the Nodes relate back to the Moon, giving them a Letter 4 flavor. All these repetitions do indicate a Letter 4 focus, but are less emphatic than the actual presence of the Moon conjuncting a work planet or asteroid, the Moon in a work house or many rulers of the work area occupying the 4th house.
However, the Letter 4 theme is STILL a much-repeated theme, and I would include it—the desire for close emotional attachments through the work, potential working out of the home or with the home, public, women. The security needs of Letters 4 and 2 (also strong) are definitely at odds with the free-and-easy attitude of strong fire and air. The presence of both shows the need to integrate, providing room in her life for both themes.
One of the interesting potential contrasts is the prominent Juno versus the freedom theme. Juno, as well as being a key to beauty, balance and harmony denotes one-to-one relationships, especially marriage. In the career area, it can show potentials such as counseling or consulting, but can also indicate someone who chooses marriage as a career, and looks to a partner to support him/her. This possibility is strongly contradicted by the freedom theme which is so prevalent. Thus, I would expect the beauty, justice and aesthetic potentials of Juno to be manifested, but the interpersonal side might not show, since it is in conflict with a very strong theme of independence and personal liberty. Indeed, in terms of career, the personal theme is above average, the interpersonal is below average and the transpersonal is average. (With 56 factors, 19 would be about average for each major third of the horoscope: personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal. In this case, the personal score is 24, the interpersonal is 14, and the transpersonal is 18.
The grand trine in air signs, but earth houses, implies ability to handle the material world successfully, especially through use of the mind and communication. Jupiter’s placement in a Gauquelin power zone suggesting journalism, politics or acting, would certainly fit the air focus. We also suspect that beauty could be part of the picture and peace needs to be made between the (mostly) extraverted, lively, expressive and ready-to-take-a-chance themes of the fire/air versus the more sedate, cautious, playing-it-safe water and earth of Letters 4 and 2.
SUMMARY: A horoscope does not suggest ONE ideal career for any individual, but a range of themes which the individual is likely to need in his/her work. In this case, we would expect that journalism, acting, politics, the law, design, decorating, modeling, photography, architecture, teaching, public speaking, consulting, fashion, cosmetics, or a number of fields involving communication, beauty, interaction with the public and the ability to be on the move and not tied down to one, set situation would be appropriate. We would expect her to be individualistic and independent in her work, but needing to find enough security to satisfy the inner child of Letter 4 who seeks reassurance and safety and the pleasure/comfort focus of letter 2.
IN REAL LIFE, of course, Candice Bergen is a highly talented actress, who has also done modeling and commercials and is considered an extremely beautiful woman. She is a photojournalist and was the first female photojournalist at the White House. She was active in the anti-war movement and has not hesitated to be involved with unpopular causes, if she felt they were right. She also writes fiction. She married relatively late in life (mid or late thirties) and has been successful at many different pursuits.