Since this is “Abnormal Astrology”, I think it’s okay for me to divulge that I am…in a dark place at the moment. In order to get my friend to understand, I told her the same way she feels when communication breaks down and she feels stifled and can’t express herself is the same way I feel when my work situation isn’t good. A light bulb went off in that moment, and her big eyes sprung open, and she said, “That’s terrible!”

How did I know what to compare it to for her to understand? Why the glorious Sun of course! This is one of those situations where you need to know what time you were born because it is based on which House your natal Sun lives. Mine lives in the 10^th House, which rules career. My friend’s Sun (and a bunch of her other planets) lives in the 3^rd House, which rules communication. Where your Sun makes its home is where you have your sense of purpose. It is essentially your home as well. And when your home falls apart in your life, it feels like everything else breaks down, too, and it actually might be the case.

I have a couple of friends whose Suns are in the 7^th House, and they are serial monogamists. They are both in good places right now because they are in stable, long-term relationships. When they weren’t in relationships, it always felt like something was missing. When they were in shitty relationships, everything crumbled as well. Crumbled like whoa. Oh, but Abby, doesn’t that apply to everyone? Um, no. Yes, it is shitty for anyone to be in a shitty relationship, but my point is for people with a natal Sun in the 7^th House, their whole fucking world feels like it is caving.

One of my best friends is fine without being in a relationship. She doesn’t actively seek it out, and she has been single for as long as I have known her. Does she enjoy being alone? Hell no. Her Sun is in the 11^th House, the House of Friendship. When she finally got a job and moved out on her own, something was keeping her from being happy. She didn’t have as much time to be sociable, and that was what she always commented on. Where your Sun lives, tells us your MO.

This is why Astrology is so great. Look at a person’s chart, and you already know what makes them tick, what pushes them through life. I tell people that letting me see their chart is more exposing than letting me see them naked.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

Someone asked me about Lilith, and quite honestly, I don’t know much about her, so I did some research. I’m so glad this person asked me because it was interesting to read about even though there is not a lot known about Lilith.

The Moon is your subconscious. Lilith is I suppose your subconscious’ subconscious. Or perhaps your Nega-Moon. The Moon is the mother. The Nega-Moon is the evil witch who steals babies and eats them. (Pagan witches aren’t evil, so I felt the need to specify EEEEEVIIIILLLLLL, like the froooooits of the devil. EEEEEEVVVVIIIIILLLLLL.)

From what I gather, she’s like the female version of Saturn and/or Pluto. This lady is super emo.

I took a look at my chart to see what I’m dealing with. I have Lilith in Capricorn in the 8th house. Well, hell. How was I not a goth kid in high school?

The person who asked me about Lilith asked about Lilith in Cancer and how it affects emotions. It would help to know the House position as well (it’s always helpful to know the House), but as far as Lilith in Cancer, yes, bottling up emotion is a trait. Mainly because Cancers are extremely defensive of their emotions. They are non-confrontational yet very protective. It does not provide an answer as to why one may be crying excessively. If that is a recent development, we need to look at the transit chart, not just the natal. Lilith might be forming a difficult aspect with one of her planetary siblings.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

Someone asked me for information about Cancers, and instead of linking a website or suggesting a book offering the traditional take on Cancers (because then why ask me? You can google), I’m going to give you the Abnormal Astrology take on Cancers.

The sign that I have made the most lasting friendships with is Cancer. In fact three of those friends are in my second circle of hell (the first circle of hell being my BFFs and the seventh circle being people I like but don’t really talk to…anyway…). So I have a high opinion of Cancers.

Or do I?

Yes, yes I do. But they do have faults. Let’s start with some positives, as educators and psychologists will tell you it is best to start with something positive, then insert the negative, and end with a positive.

They are all emotional. They are all highly sensitive. Do not let any of them fool you into thinking otherwise. Some Cancers have things in their chart that make them better at hiding it, so much so they fool themselves into believing they can weather any abuse that comes their way. Hah! Be kind. Rewind. Don’t test them. That’s mean. Cancers, like Scorpios but unlike Pisces, have protective shells. They know how to put their shields up, but they can’t stay behind them forever. Once their fleshy parts poke out, they are easily injured and snap back in.

How is this a positive? It should be a positive. When Cancers snap their claws back, they can teach people not to be dicks. Pisces can’t do that because all they can do to protect themselves is swim away. And Scorpio? Well, their defenses will just kill you. Cancer can wound you and make you think twice next time. This is the main difference among the Water signs.

The negative is that Cancer can wound you. That bitch has claws! Like all other Cardinal signs, Cancer is about action. They may be emotional and sensitive, but they are the fourth sign of the zodiac, which makes them still young among the stars and center-focused. Cancer may be highly sensitive to how others treat them, but they are not as sensitive to how they treat others. Because of the former, it does help with the latter because they do try to treat others as they want to be treated, but they don’t perceive the effects as immediately as Scorpio or Pisces would.

Cancer is not known as a very passionate sign, but let me assure you they are. They are some pretty intense people when it comes to family, friends, and career. They don’t seem as passionate because when we think passion, we think sex and romance. Cancer loves both but doesn’t parade that around like others would. They do not relish in heart-wrenching behaviour. They can relish in fantasy and tangible things, but they don’t really mix the two. In other words, they are too practical to live in a fairy tale. They dream of creating one and making one a reality, but they are not the type to hype up some drama or fixate on something that isn’t there.

Cancers do best with a partner who can see their passion and either match it or adore the fuck out of them for it. Cancer is right next to Gemini, and therefore, is often witty and great with words. Cancer’s partner better laugh at Cancer’s jokes. That wit is a fleshy part. A lack of appreciation for this exposed fleshy part will result in either a sideways exit or a retreat back into the shell.

Also, if you know a Cancer who likes to cook or bake, let them fatten you up. You will be their new favourite person. Make lots of yummy noises.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

I have talked a bit about Mercury retrogrades, but I received an anonymous request to discuss Venus retrogrades. A most excellent request!

For those who are unaware or do not check their ephemeris almost religiously like I do, we are currently in a Venus retrograde. Do you feel it? You probably do but don’t realize it. Retrogrades overall create a sort of cosmic limbo in our lives. I’m always trying to find new ways of explaining it, and that is what you are getting at this moment. The limbo affects what the planet rules for the most part. Venus of course is all about emotions, friendships, relationships, intimacy, romance, etc. Do not think of a Venus retrograde as though she is having her period. Retrogrades are not volatile or comparable to roller coaster rides. They are more like…you are trying to ride the damn roller coaster, but for some reason you just can’t get on no matter how hard you try. Well, sometimes you can. Anyway.

During the Venus retrograde, anything regarding those things she rules will be out of sorts in your own life. It is a good time to figure things out, but nothing will actually be figured out until she is fully direct again. If you are brave enough to try things out, go ahead. They will probably go wrong, but everything is a learning experience. Emotions are also muddy, which makes thoughts about feelings all muddy as well. The things you try, these emotions you are trying to figure out, they will remain tangled, but Venus does not let you ignore them. Retrogrades do not just let you hope things untangle themselves. It takes a lot of effort to let go and just go with the flow during retrogrades.

If you’ve been feeling like obstacles just keep you from going and from stopping to rest, blame the fickle bitch that is Venus, and keep in mind that like all things this, too, shall pass.

She goes direct at the end of the month, so this will pass soonish. Hang in there!

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

One of the first things you should look at is anything that stands out. Like is there an unusual grouping of planets? The second thing I look at in more detail is how many planets are in each element (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and quality (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable). Many times, this is the unusual thing that stands out like in the chart below.

The person above has absolutely no Fire whatsoever. Sometimes you’ll see a minor object floating around in there, in which case those don’t really count for this part, but hers is not complicated by that. This person also has nothing Mutable either. Only her Rising sign is a mutable sign. This time it sort of matters, and I will explain.

When someone is seriously lacking in an element, especially when they are void of it, it is always significant. This person is extremely negative and low energy. No one would describe this person as the life of any party or an optimist of any sort. Her only fire-y redemption is that her Neptune and Saturn are in the fifth house. A very deep inner part of her likes being admired and the center of attention, and she has trouble coming to terms with the fact that she is not the type of person to be that.

Her lack of Mutable planets shows an inability to adapt to her environment. She has an extreme imbalance favouring the Cardinal quality, so she is not very grounded or humble either, but she can get things done. She’ll probably complain the entire time, but she’ll get shit done. Life for her is in constant motion. Stopping or floating cannot be options because it just feels unnatural.

Because her Rising sign is Virgo, this gives people a false sense about her ability to go with the flow and be humble. This false sense might even fool herself.

Having most of your planets in one quality but in more than two elements produces all those little squares. That is a huge warning sign. This person is extremely conflicted and gets in her own way. Balanced and well-rounded are not words to describe her.

On a positive note, her go-go-go character can help her achieve success despite her pessimistic attitude. She does not have the negative qualities that come along with Fire. I have an abundance of Fire, and I am no picnic either. Speaking of myself, I have no Earth signs, so I am not the most grounded person in the world. I do exhibit a lot of Earth-like behavior because I have many major planets in Earth houses. I have a few friends who are lacking in Air, which indicates a lack of intellectual interests, but that is not true of some of them, the ones who have planets in Air houses. Still, the houses only supplement. Without any Air planets, these people probably would not be placed in Ravenclaw. No-Fire girl would be hard pressed in Gryffindor. I would be out of sorts in Slytherin, even though I just got placed there on Pottermore.

I do not apologize whatsoever for going off on a Harry Potter tangent.

One last thing, this girl has her Sun, Venus, and Mars in falls and detriments. If having a stable love life is her goal, she is sort of screwed. Yeah, she has a pretty doomed chart, but I assure you she is doing alright.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I ask someone when their birthday is, and they answer, “Oh, I’m on the cusp.” I didn’t realize “on the cusp” was a day of the year. Ass.

First of all, that tells me nothing except that you think you know more about Astrology than you actually do, and also you have an Astrological superiority complex of complexity. Oooh, you must be so interesting being on the edge of your sign…just like a third of the world’s population.

Your Sun sign is what it is. You will obviously have attributes of other signs especially those that are right before or right after. This can be attributed to other planets in your chart and the Houses your planets are. Just like with the Myers-Briggs personality test, you are one thing no matter where on the spectrum you fall. I am almost 50/50 on introvert/extravert as well as thinker/feeler, but I am most definitely an introvert and a feeler. I am often confused for the other and act like them much of the time, but people can easily play a part. It’s what we do. We are multidimensional, but at the end of the day, you are you. When I ask for a birthday, I want the date, not some vague response that tells me you’re difficult.

Also, there are many schools of thought when it comes to cusps. Some do not believe in them at all. Once a planet has moved on, it is in its new home. That’s that. Some believe a cusp is X amount of days before and after the beginning/end of a sign. Some believe there is only a forward trajectory, so cusps are only during the first week of a sign. Under that last type of thinking, I was born on the Aquarius/Pisces cusp. Yes, I do have many Aquarius traits, but my Mercury is in Aquarius and also that planet has a strong influence in my chart since my Rising Sign is Gemini. Also, my Venus is in the 11th House, which is ruled by Aquarius. See? The influence does not lie with my Sun. My Sun is in Pisces in the 10th House. Just like I am most definitely an introvert and a feeler, I am definitely a Pisces.

My opinion on cusps are they are for people who are extremely new to the study of Astrology and are only focused on Sun signs. Once you move beyond the Sun signs, there really is no need to even consider what cusps mean because you look at the chart as a whole and read it intuitively.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)

When I learned about Grand Trines, I was so excited. I searched through every birth chart I had on file for one. I found a few, which was pretty awesome. There’s one in my chart.

What is a Grand Trine, you ask?? When one planet aspects another planet at around 120 degrees, they form a trine. When you have three planets forming trines with each other, you will have a fabulous Grand Trine. More often than not, the three planets will all be in each sign of an element (so there can be a Grand Fire Trine, Grand Earth Trine, etc.), but it is possible for one plant to be in a different element. That’s when interpretation gets a little tricky.

What does a Grand Trine mean??????? In a nutshell it means you’re really good at it, but you keep it to yourself. A Grand Fire Trine can really put on a show, but they have a tendency to do everything by themselves (guiltyyyyyyyyyyy). A Grand Earth Trine indicates a really hard worker who may plow over others. A Grand Air Trine is someone who thinks a lot but doesn’t really share those thoughts, and for a Grand Water Trine just replace thinking with feeling. Having that complete triangle in your chart makes that element a big part of you, but it is closed off.

Are Grand Trine people doomed? Nobody is doomed. If you see you have a Grand Trine, you will know you just have to learn to play with others or share more. Let others into your world.

Funny enough, I learned I had a Grand Fire Trine a few days after I got this brilliant idea to showcase my plethora of talents (and by “talents” I mean things I can do not necessarily well but good enough). I was thinking of making a video, which I would edit, of me dancing to a song I wrote and performed, which of course would include some signing, and you know I’d add in some interesting graphics and special effects. I was going to do the whole thing by myself. Learning about my Grand Trine was like having reality slap me in the face.

(Source: abnormalastrology.com)