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A Different Approach to Vocational Aptitudes Date Published: by Marion March

Bio: Marion March

Marion March is a noted teacher, lecturer and writer on astrology, as well as a valued astrological counselor in her own right, and the mentor of many younger astrologers. With Joan McEvers, she is the author of a series of comprehensive instructional books: The Only Way to Learn Astrology in five volumes, which has gone through many editions, and has been translated (and published) in several languages besides English including German, Spanish and Portuguese.

Next to "Whom should I marry?" the most often asked question is: "What are my vocational talents or aptitudes?" Sometimes the question is personalized as "I want to be an actor but I also want to be rich, what should I do?" or: "Is there help for me, I love to write but I hate sitting still for such a long time?"

Does Astrology really have the answer to such questions? Yes and no. The astrologer does see vocational aptitudes that can help a person find a direction, and I will explain some of the ways you can find those abilities. But no, we cannot choose if someone prefers to be a poor actor or a rich industrialist - nor can we predict if they will be a rich actor; all we can establish is acting talent, the ability to make money, the will or ambition to succeed. We do not know where the free will may lead that person at a given moment in time, nor what the priorities of that moment may be.

Is there help for somebody who loves to write but hates to sit still? We can see literary talent in a horoscope as well as restlessness or the likelihood of scattering the energies, but we do not know if the questioner really wants to buckle down.

There usually are three areas considered as keys to the vocational potential - namely the 2nd, the 6th and the 10th houses. Of course these 3 houses should be looked at, but with discretion and the realization that other areas of the chart must also be studied. The 10th is a key house, since it not only indicates the possible career, but more importantly, it is the highest you can reach for and shows your ego needs. If you do not fulfill some of your true needs, you cannot feel satisfied. The 10th house also reflects the recognition you may receive from the community or world and if such recognition is important to your needs or well-being.

When I say the 10th house (or any other house) I am referring to the sign on the cusp, in what sign and house the ruler is located, and what aspects it makes in the chart. Also, are there planets in the house and how are they integrated with the rest of the chart? Since it is always easier to follow an actual example, here is the chart of tennis champion Chris Evert Lloyd, born December 21 1954 at 4:30 am EST in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Her 10th house cusp at 29 Leo indicates a need to shine in all career matters. Since the cusp is at 29 degrees, considered a critical degree as it is ready to move into another sign very soon, Chris may feel an urgency to achieve, pressing her into action at an earlier age than other people with a Leo Midheaven. The Sun at 28 Sagittarius 50 is in the 2nd house, indicating a wish to find security through some tangible means, like money! (This need is doubly emphasized since there are no planets in earth signs.) Sagittarius prefers to be outdoors, able to move around or travel, all possibilities in a sport like tennis. The Sun is trine the MC (10th house cusp) and shows a certain ease in achieving her highest goals.

The Sun's conjunction to Mercury indicates that her thinking or mental functions go hand in hand with her inner individuality, which also tends to make her a bit egocentric. The Sun inconjunct (quincunx) its own ruler Jupiter and Uranus, from the second to the 9th house, shows a need to avoid certain excesses, and possibly a tendency toward arrogance. It also indicates that she should be self-disciplined, (you know she can be with Saturn trine Mars) and learn to curb her impatience, restlessness and subtle need to rebel.

With Pluto just behind the MC (a most important position for a planet according to the massive research of Michel and Francoise Gauquelin) and trining the Sun, Chris is extremely ambitious and needs a career where she can prove herself and this ability seems given to her. The Sun's sextile to Neptune suggests a sensitive nature, idealistic with imagination and the opportunity to express it, but it also demonstrates that Chris is very thin-skinned and easily hurt even when no harm is intended. With this brief delineation you already get some insight into the do's and don'ts of this chart.

Dress designer Christian Dior also had a Leo MC and he needed public acclaim; but his Sun was in Aquarius in the 3rd house, opposition the Moon, and both luminaries squared Mars forming a strong T-square. This motivated him in a totally different way than Chris.

Of the other two houses usually considered in vocational analysis, the 2nd house does not really point to aptitudes or talents. At best it indicates your ability to earn money and the satisfaction you may get from your efforts, therefore this house, in my opinion, suggests secondary rather than primary needs and rates far down the line in importance.

The 6th house is even less necessary in an occupational search, since it outlines the kind of work you do and how well you do it, rather than pinpointing your talents or abilities. You may be a very creative person and wish to become an artist, but while learning your trade, in order to buy groceries or pay the rent, you may do some office work; this would show in the 6th house. Your ability to paint need not.

What ties the 2nd, 6th and 10th houses together is the fact that the three are the houses of substance (earth) and indicate your tangible endeavors. Therefore the element on the cusp of these houses can give you an idea as to the field of interest. The fire signs like action, enthusiasm and leadership, whereas earth signs prefer productive and practical goals. Air needs to communicate and utilize the intellectual resources while water likes to use its intuitive and sensitive nature in a nurturing and caring way.

On the other hand, the Ascendant is a very important indicator. Just as the 10th house, it is an angle and as such denotes where the action is. It also describes your outer personality, the face you like to show the world. If your Ascendant demands that you appear glamorous, ditch digging may not be your calling. If you have an aggressive Ascendant you may have trouble coping in public positions that expose you to media criticism or opinions. All such facts must be considered.

Chris Evert Lloyd has Scorpio rising and her chart ruler, Pluto, is conjunct the MC, (another confirmation that she will rarely take a back seat and needs to succeed). The Scorpio nature is intense and emotional; she will fight for what she wants and stubbornly see it through (4 planets in fixed signs and fixed angles). Scorpios like to experience life in its totality, and with the chart ruler in Leo, her energies will be expressed with exuberance, vim and vigor. Sitting behind a desk would not fulfill her needs.

Dior also has Scorpio rising, but his Pluto is in Gemini in the 8th house, square to Venus, trine Saturn and sextile Jupiter and the MC. He was also a very intense and emotional personality, but preferred to play a partly sexual, partly intellectual role. With the chart ruler in the 8th house, he was looking for public support.

You should also examine the 5th house to see if a creative effort is important to the individual. Evert Lloyd has Pisces on the cusp and Neptune is in Libra in the 12th house. Her creativity gives her inner pleasure (or she has secret love affairs). We will discuss the importance of Neptune in her chart a bit later on.

Leontyne Price has Gemini on her 5th house and Mercury is in Pisces in her 1st house. To express her creativity and to personalize it is most important to her, particularly with Mercury at 0, a critical degree. Pisces' ruler, Neptune, is in opposition in the public 7th house. By the way, Pisces (as well as Taurus) is considered the sign of a beautiful voice.

Christian Dior, like Chris Evert Lloyd, has Pisces on the 5th house cusp. His Neptune is in Cancer (the sign of women and the public) in the 9th house, exactly opposite Mercury. He just wanted to publicize (9th/3rd/Mercury) his creativity on a large scale in some original imaginative fashion.

In vocational interpretation it becomes important to understand what Jupiter, Sagittarius and the 9th house really stand for. Of course, religion, philosophy and long trips - the classic delineation. But don't forget salesmanship, missionary zeal, publishing, publicity, the law, higher education or adult education. Remember that Sagittarius as well as Jupiter has ideas and ideals and that Jupiter always wants to grow and expand; but most of all, realize that the 9th house stands for vision. Dior with Neptune and the Moon in his 9th house had large visions as to how he would use his creative talents.

Chris, with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto in the 9th house will not be satisfied with Junior League tennis, or for that matter, anything on a small scale. It is this 9th house vision that can make the difference between a pedestrian or exalted occupation, between the butcher and the surgeon, a billing clerk and a mathematician, a dressmaker or haute couture designer.

Configurations can be the key to understanding the individuals needs and motivations. The T-square and grand cross force action. A stellium always concentrates the efforts, therefore the sign and houses involved must be carefully considered and blended in.

Chris Evert Lloyd has a stellium in Scorpio just behind the Ascendant, emphasizing many of the Scorpio qualities mentioned in connection with the Ascendant, but also stressing some Neptunian/Piscean (12th house) qualities. Neptune and Pisces are very misleading and their elusive qualities are hard to define. They are always prominent in the arts for talent, imagination and creativity, they are important in psychology and related fields for intuition and perception, and in religion for illumination and spirituality. But they are also very significant in sports and dancing where they denote agility and coordination of the feet, which would be the case in Chris's chart.

Opera singer Leontyne Price has strong Neptune/Pisces qualities in her chart. Neptune is angular in the 7th house and involved in a very important grand cross (opposition Sun and Mercury, square Mars and MC). She has a stellium in Pisces, part of which (Jupiter and Venus) are involved in squares to Saturn and the Moon, forming a T-square.

Angular planets need to be considered, since they too force you to act. Chris' Mars in Pisces in the 4th house shows her need to be active and the ease (trines to the Moon, Venus and Mars) with which she can act. The trine to Saturn is considered the classic aspect for good timing which is very necessary in her field.

Dior's angular Venus forced him into action involving women or Venusian products, but he encountered many challenges along the way (Venus Square Pluto).

Aspects to the luminaries are also indicative of a person's needs, especially those to the Moon, which show your emotional reactions. The Moon's conjunction to Saturn confirms the need Chris has to prove herself, not only to the world, but also to her parents. She probably felt that her mother did not give her all the affection and tenderness she craved and that it was hard to live up to her mother's expectations, which made her try doubly hard from childhood on.

Since aspects integrate the chart by linking one planet with another, they are always important in any delineation, including one for vocational aptitudes. In fact, according to some astrologers, the closest square can denote occupational talents. In the Evert Lloyd chart, it is Neptune which squares Jupiter and Uranus in a very tight orb, indicating a lack of caution and innate optimism, but the three planets involved are too impersonal to give vocational guidance. At best they suggest a rich imagination and confirm some factors noticed earlier, like her need to do everything on a grand scale.

At this point you should have a pretty good idea of Chris Evert Lloyd's needs. We know that Chris has a strong ego, the need and will to succeed, good timing and physical stamina (Sun trine Pluto). Action oriented, she needs money to feel secure and she likes to travel or move around. She would prefer to be her own boss. But which specific vocations do these traits involve? The next step then is to analyze what some professions entail:

Artists
Artists need a strong Venus and Neptune, an involved Uranus for unique ideas and a creative 5th house. But remember that the Venus/Taurus type prefers the tactile and sensual approach (ceramics, sculpture and of course the voice) while the Venus/Libra type prefers beauty and is aesthetically motivated.

Music
In music for instrumentalists and composers, we look for strong Virgo tendencies (precision) and a prominent Saturn (discipline). Conductors, who are leaders in the true sense of the word, need lots of Aries and active angles. Singers not only requires some of the Taurus or Pisces emphasis previously discussed, but also a powerful Sun; Leontyne Price's Sun is angular and involved in a grand cross. Some aspects linking Venus with Saturn give the necessary discipline (Price has the square). Some Sun/Neptune aspects also help.

Writers
Writers should have Mercury, Gemini, 3rd house and Virgo importantly placed in the chart. But they also need some 12th or 4th house involvement, since they write alone or in their home. Here again you need to differentiate between the journalist who may be out on the road to get his story and writes it in a noisy pressroom (Mercury/Gemini/3rd), the factual writer (strong Virgo and Saturn), the fiction writer (more Neptune) or the mystery writer (more Scorpio/Pluto/8th), to cite a few.

Athletes
All athletes need strong Aries or Mars, but they also need Saturn for discipline and Mars to Saturn aspects for timing. As previously mentioned, the Neptune/Pisces element is often involved for agility and of course in such sports as ice skating it assumes great importance. Jupiter and Sagittarius often represent certain sports that involve nature of the great big outdoors (hiking, hunting, archery), but as with Neptune, Jupiter is tricky and can stand for many matters. Very important for most athletic feats is an angular Pluto (endurance) and a strong Sun for recognition and the wish to win (Chris Evert Lloyd has all these traits).

Business
Of course we look for the wish to make money (2nd/Taurus/Scorpio), plus executive ability, leadership and ambition (mostly Saturn/Capricorn and 10th). Certain businesses will need prominent Mercury to communicate with the people at work and a good Venus to radiate ease and warmth. If they are in such professions as banking, brokerage, investments, etc., they also need 8th house involvement (other peoples' monies and support). If they are bookkeepers or CPAs, more Mercury/Virgo and 6th house is necessary (routine, details and figures). Salesmen on the other hand must have strong Sagittarius and Jupiter in their charts, Jupiter and Mercury involvements for selling, Mercury and Gemini to communicate and for the top salesmen, Jupiter/Neptune or Mercury/Neptune in aspect to each other.

Legal
There are many types of law and each has different requirements. The criminal lawyer needs a combative 7th house (one to one struggles), strong Sun/Leo and Moon, since he stands in front of the jury and emotes in passionate terms. He also needs some Venus/Libra and/or Jupiter/Sagittarius involvement to even become interested in the field of law. Judges or justices also start out with Venus/Libra but for them the Jupiter/Sagittarius polarity is very important and to become interested in their specialty, they seem to need less fire than the criminal lawyer but more earth in order to make practical decisions and more water (intuition and sensitivity). In many of the charts I have worked with, Pluto and Saturn are integrated through configurations and are often angular. The corporate lawyer will resemble the businessman in many respects, except that he too needs a strong Libra or Jupiter/Sagittarius involvement to even enter law school.

Religion
Religious people have a strong Sagittarius/9th house emphasis, mostly with some Saturn involvements (discipline again). Only true spirituality has strong Neptune/Pisces orientation. Traditional religion is found in Saturn/Capricorn as well as Jupiter/Sagittarius, whereas unorthodox religions have prominent Uranus/Aquarius features. Metaphysical tendencies are shown by an 8th house, Scorpio or Pluto emphasis. The real saints and seers, by the way, have heavy earth in the chart - they seem to see reality (earth) in its most evolved or realistic terms.

Medicine
Here again we must decide what kind of medicine is practiced. Hospital workers need some 12th house/Pisces/Neptune emphasis. But if they are nurses and as such, are giving service, Virgo and the 6th house need to be brought into the picture. Medical technicians usually evince strong Aquarian and 11th house involvements, while medical research shows prominence for Pluto, Scorpio or the 8th house. Doctors fall into many of the above categories - more Pluto/Scorpio/8th house for the surgeon, more 5th house/Leo for the pediatrician as well as the heart specialist, etc. all medical personnel need strong Mercury in the horoscope.

Politicians
Politicians must have a strong 8th house to get support from others, an important Sun for a big ego and the need to shine plus a prominent Pluto for power and a wish to manipulate.

Actors
Actors may have their Sun or Leo in high focus, but what they really need is emphasis on Neptune, Pisces and the 12th house, since most of them hide behind the role they play, rather than reveal their true nature. Neptune gives them glamour, magnetism and charisma. It also plays big roles in the movies and television, since it rules film and of course it adds to their creativity, especially when in aspect to Venus.

Astronauts
Astronauts all seem to share a strong Saturn (they most certainly must be disciplined) a prominent Uranus (for daring, inventiveness and imagination rather than rebellion, since Saturn is so evident). Of the 20 charts examined, all show much fire and have a predominant Mars in the chart (for energy and action). Air and the 11th house are also stressed, probably because they work as part of a large group with air and space.

Astrologers
Astrologers share a prominent Neptune/12th house for perception and intuition, strong Uranus in aspect to the luminaries (they are unique and individualists), most of them have very challenged Mercuries, mental Moons, and both luminaries are somehow emphasized. This was from a sample of approximately 50 astrologers.

I could go on forever, but you probably get the idea...

Look at the above 3 charts and see how they relate to the above information, as well as any other charts you have. My students really learned when I presented them with 5 or 6 charts of criminal lawyers or dress designers or opera singers and asked them to find what these people seemed to have in common. Try it, and good luck.

[Originally published in the Fall 1983 issue of Aspects Magazine]

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