Precis: Whereas the use of logic and deductive reasoning are suggested in analyzing the natal horoscope and various and sundry other matters discussed with a peculiar emphasis on a singular Sun, Moon, and Mercury combination.
Key definition: inference- a deduction of fact that may logically and reasonably be drawn from another fact or group of facts.
Astrology is really “symbology;” glyphs are given a wide array of meanings. For example, the Jupiter square Saturn aspect can mean “disappointments in life, the source of trouble often being an inability to recognize limitations.” (Parker, The Compleat Astrologer, 145) However, it can also indicate an individual who is given a position without adequate training or where the training programs themselves were deficient. Or perhaps he did not put enough effort into his training. It could also show one who has few, if any, opportunities. It might also imply that one “is not in the right place at the right time.” (Sakoian & Acker, The Astrologer’s Handbook, p. 375)
I think it therefore of import for the astrologer when analyzing a natal chart to look at a wide range of possibilities. Deductive reasoning can aid in this process. A wealth of knowledge to draw from is also beneficial. Sherlock Holmes had an encyclopedic knowledge of crime and a great long-term memory. Also, view the chart as a whole.
Pretend you are a detective. You are chasing a criminal. You notice the miscreant left scratches around a keyhole in the door to his apartment. What could this mean? Here are some possibilities: The person was inebriated. The villain had delirium tremens. He had Parkinson’s Disease, and this caused his hands to shake. The lighting was poor. The man was very tired. He did not have depth perception. His eyesight was poor.
Arthur Conan Doyle, the Gemini physician who created Sherlock Holmes, had a 12th House Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, and Pluto. (The Circle Book of Charts, Stephen Erlewine (compiler), p. 53, 1972). His character brought hidden things to light. I’ve expanded on his view of logical reasoning in this article. I highly recommend reading “A Study in Scarlet” (1887), the very first story about Holmes.
Aries Racehorse Haynes*, the famous trial lawyer, gave this example of deductive reasoning when he asked this rhetorical question to others: How do you defend a dog bite case? You might say it wasn’t my dog. My dog doesn’t bite. I don’t have a dog. You weren’t bitten. My dog was tied up. Again, look at all the possibilities.
Every cause and effect cannot be attributed to the transits or progressions. We are a product of our decisions and choices. This is what free will is all about. Those in turn stem from family values and atmosphere and what we received praise for as children.
Suppose you came from a family that was suspicious and did not trust others. You might misread people and attribute to them motives that were not theirs. You might be judgmental. You might think that you had to show the world you are feisty to avoid being taken advantage of. If you were innately sensitive, you might tend to avoid people. You might develop high control needs and want to make all decisions. You might become critical and caustic. Decisions are filtered through those beliefs, traits, and personality styles.
Every astrologer most probably has his or her favorite book or books. I noticed within the confines of the Metro Atlanta Astrological Society some of the astrologers seemed to favor works written by an author with their same sun sign.
Books are personal. What one reader thinks is useful or of import, another may think meaningless or pedestrian. I remember a fellow teacher highly touted a book on writing. I thought it was terrible.
I think if astrological combinations are changed a bit they can lead to widely disparate career choices. Let’s look at the Sun in Cancer, Moon in Libra, and Mercury in Leo combination. With it we have George W. Bush, a president, Sylvester Stallone, an actor, Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks, Donald Rumsfeld, twice Secretary of Defense, Moman Pruiett**, a very famous criminal lawyer, and Jim Santos***, a former boss.
Bush had Mercury conjoined with Pluto giving him a desire for power. Moman Pruiett was known to swagger like the president. He had his Mercury conjoined with Jupiter. This gave him a fertile imagination. Jim Santos***, an insurance company vice president, blew smoke rings in the air at meetings. Howard Shultz had his Sun together with Mars, an excellent aspect for an entrepreneur. Rumsfeld had his Moon trine both Mars and Saturn. While he had organizational ability [Moon/Saturn], he got himself into trouble with the statement that troops must take the service as they find it. He wanted his will [Moon/Mars] to prevail rather than thinking about what was best for the troops. They had wanted body armor which was lacking at the time.
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*Racehorse Haynes had been a former paratrooper. His Mercury had four aspects, and his Mars was in Gemini. He acquired the nickname when he played high school football. Haynes always raced to the sidelines and tried to score a touchdown. His coach said, “He must think he is a racehorse.”
**Moman Pruiett was twice convicted of crimes, the second of which he said he did not commit. Infuriated, he told the judge, “I’ll empty your jails.” Moman was counsel in 343 murder trials. Of these, his clients were acquitted in 303. His Sun was opposition Saturn [restrictions, confinement] and conjoined with Venus [charm but a persecution complex] and square Neptune [disappointment] His Moon was square Mars [quarrelsome] Like George Bush he had a problem with alcohol. [3 negative Neptune aspects]
* **His real name has not been used. Santos learned the insurance business from his father. He began helping his dad in his firm at age fourteen. Santos was a National Merit Scholar in high school. Today Jim owns the firm and handles twenty-five percent of the workers compensation cases in a certain state. His Mercury had 5 aspects including a trine to Mars and a conjunction with Pluto.