Chart Reading: Step #3, Martha Stewart -- Moon by sign, house, aspects to ASC & MC.

Chart Reading: Step #3, Martha Stewart -- Moon by sign, house, aspects to ASC & MC.

OK so now we move on a step to the assessment of the Moon in Martha's chart. So far we have recognised it as the handle to a bucket shaped chart. We have noted the lack of any planet that is in opposition to it - the 'classic bucket shape should have a planet in opposition to the 'handle' planet and centred at the 'bottom' of the bucket.

Dave has suggested that this might lead to difficulties in the Moon expressing itself easily through the chart, especially with the dominant Sun conjunct the MC.

Now is your chance to say what you think Martha's Moon indicates about herself and her life.

I would be grateful if you could try to keep to Moon, Sun, Ascendant and MC in your observations. If you feel that there is a particular aspect or other feature worthy of note then flag it up for later discussion. That way we can keep a relatively tight focus on any dynamic relationships between the major factors in her chart. Otherwise feel free to say or ask whatever you want.

Moon by Sign and House

oK...
I'll start with things i know-that I know, because the rest, I really don't know!!!

Moon in Sagg:
That would make Martha restless, with a need from freedom, and a desire not to be "tied down". (I can see here the fact that maybe the family demands were too big for her-she needed to be free to serve "other things"...
Moon in Sag is also one that seeks adventure. Sag is ruled by Jupiter, which makes it a lucky sign, and very optimistic too.
So, the moon in this placement, shows a person that too much of bad stuff, won't do too much bad to them! Somehow, the coins always flips on the bright side. So, Martha would not be one to be discouraged easily...
Sports would be good for her, to let out some of this restless, fire energy. i always have the feeling that Moon in Sagg natives, manage to relax, only when asleep... Otherwise, they just "move" around...

her Moon is in the 2nd house! A-ha!
Possessions, Money worries...
No matter how much she'll have, she'll always worry about it, and money in the bank will make her feel secure.
After reading her bio, we can see that what she did was "for the money'. She didn't have any personal drive to be famous for her own glamourous sake-and maybe this is why she didn't continue with modeling for long. A Leo, yes, but what really motivated her was not her own need to achive fame...only material security.

Now, the 2nd house is also the house of possesions, and this links me to her attachment to "things", those she shows us so gracefully, how to decorate.
Yes, she wants to have everything spik-and span (is that the way you say this?), and in general, if you follow Martha's housekeeping advice, you'll end up having "a lot of stuff"...as she saves everything -to use later-kind of thing...

Hm... is this Ok as a beginning?
am I allowed to "copy paste" info from other sites on these?
When it comes to aspects, I'm really no authority...

oh, Martha.....

Thanks M-Press,

If you want to cite a web site it's better to post the link. However its better still if you can just try your hand and put something in your own words. Do't worry about being a beginner - we all started at the beginning!

Just try your own thoughts on what you see - even if it's only a sentence or so. Gradually as you begin to learn more you can expand the comments.

My own view of MS' Moon is as follows:

Firstly the Moon signifies a variety of things in Astrology, intuition, feelings, the emotional as opposed to the rational side of our nature, the need to nurture, our relationship to the public at large and the Mother.

The Moon is in the second House - associated with our material resources, money, finance, movable property (possessions). So an initial stab would be on the lines of M-Press' post:

Martha is a woman who gets emotional security from her possessions and her money - material possessions are necessary for emotional security. This attitude may well have come from seeing her Mother as nurturing the family through the provision of the necessary material things to sustain it.

How well the Moon's energy can be channelled is determined by a variety of factors, the first being its Zodiacal placement. The Moon is in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, which also rules the second House. Martha is going to be someone who wishes to accumlate and expand her possessions. Indeed she may make something of a religion of it - seeing material possessions as almost a way to spiritual well being. Given this approach it is unlikely that she will fail to expand her possessions, unless Jupiter is weak and impedited - we'll be looking at Jupiter later on.

However, Sagittarius is not a strong placement for the Moon - she does rule the second decanate (Face) but she is actually positioned in the third. She has no essential dignity at all, in her placement in Martha's chart - using traditional language, she is Peregrine, a wanderer with no home. There is some accidental dignity from being in the second.

Are there any aspects of note? The only major Aspects are squares - to Neptune, to the North Node and to the Part of Fortune. The latter two being quite strong.

A modern Astrologer might see the Neptune square as suggesting identity problems, unrealistic dreams and hopes, a tendency to be over-emotional and to idealise the mother or see the mother as victim. Of course not all of these would apply but from what we have learned about her biography the issues relating to her mother in real life may well be forshadowed here.

The Part of Fortune and the North Node are both in the fifth House in Pisces, ruled by Jupiter. They are conjunct to 6 minutes and I think we will need to look at them in more detail later on.

The Moon makes two quincunxes, one virtually exact to Mercury in the ninth (ruled by Cancer) and the other to Saturn in the Seventh. As we have Saturn conjunct Uranus in the Seventh we will be having a very interesting discussion about her ups and downs in marriage.

The Moon makes a semi-square aspect to the Ascendant, which again suggests something of an identity issue between the strong assertive projection to the world and some stress at an emotional and intuitve level. Is the need to assert herself in the world due to the lunar problems in the second? The Moon makes no aspect to the Ascendant ruler, Mars - so again the Moon may struggle to make itself felt in this chart.

Finally (for now) there is a sesquiquarate (135 degrees) between Moon and Sun. Again this is taken as a stressful aspect, In this case I'm going with some prior knowledge, to identify this as Martha seeing her father as responsible for the stress and misery caused to her mother and hence herself. For psychological Astrologers this opens up all sorts of dynamics. However, as I'm not a psychoanalyst, I'll leave others to ponder on that one.

So, at this stage and still very tentatively, I see Martha's feelings and need for emotional security focused on material possessions. Given the weakness of the Moon by sign and aspect it is difficult for its energies to be easily expressed. Either they will be buried or they will be exaggerated but not properly integrated. Given Jupiter as the Moon's ruler I would expect the Moon's energies to play an over-exagerated role - the quest for money takes over, or is seen as the holy grail of her life.

As a fellow Sag moon, I may be projecting some of myself onto MS, but anyways, here are my thoughts:

There is a subtle Piscean/Virgo element b/c of the aspect to Neptune, N's placement and Jupiter acting as the depositor. So while the basic nature of MS's moon is Sag, it has contact w/the Virgo-Pisces axis (signs which both square Sag). So the optimism may be underlaid w/some unease. Adaptability though, would be heightened. Together w/4 planets in mutable signs, and a Sun-Pluto conj, such adaptability may have been important to the way MS has lived her life. (Perhaps even necessary? MS has a wide out of sign Mars-Pluto square... as I have this aspect too, I think it carries w/it, a strong desire to basically do whatever it takes not just to survive, but to be who you are. w/Pluto conj Leo sun, again, I see this theme, but again, this could possibly be a projection from myself!)

MS's moon also has a touch of the Aquarian w/an emphasis on communication, w/the 11th house activated, and acting as the apex of a yod b/w Mercury, and Saturn-Uranus. All three planets are associated w/Aquarius. Plus you have Jupiter (depositor) in Gemini, and that square to a Virgo Neptune (virgo ruled by Mercury). I don't know much about yods though...

In terms of 2nd house, I agree b/c of the Piscean connection and Jupiter's placement in 8th that money and possessions are of great importance to MS. The contact w/Saturn-Uran in 7th (Taurus cusping) may represent instability in traditional marriage structures which may have precipitated a strong desire towards independence (Sag) in terms of 2nd house issues.

Moon in Sag in 2nd house would show a strong need for financial security, and that of being a shrewd businesswoman, although every possibility that her financial conditions could fluctuate. Being in a Succedent house shows she is very much goal orientated.

The Moon very much describes the kind of business she is in too, food and home comforts.

The Moon in Sag. shows her to be highly intuitive, a great boon to her in the different avenues of the business she has pursued, a good idea of what will sell. A restless nature, always having to be on the go. Someone who likes to do things in her own way, and in her own style.

TheMoon is semi-square to Scorpio Asc. and at same time semi-square Ic. I know this aspect is weaker than square, and that it shows friction.

Also sesquare to Sun which I think could show her irritibility towards others and possible health problems?

Saturn ruling Ic. Could mean a rigid and overly strict childhood. Perhaps there were many responsibilities put onto Martha’s shoulders. I would imagine the discipline she learned then is something she has been able to draw from now.

Gloria

Reading your post Minderwiz I realised I'd missed out Moon square Neptune.

I have just read that this could show, amongst other things, that associates, (business associates?) could prove to be unreliable.

Also a possibility for her to be deceived by women.

I haven't read up on her bio. is there a link on here?

G.

Have just read the link - "Happy Martha's Day" by Frances Atkinson.

What I found interesting was the seven homes she has, whether or not she has lived in all of them.
I read that many changes of residence are pretty common with Moon in Saggitarius people.
G.

Gloria,

Neptune's in her eleventh so it would be a female friend rather than a business associate. I tend to take Neptune as self deception rather than deception by others - but unrealistic expectations, hopes and aspirations could well be involved with Neptune in the eleventh and these could relate to friends.

So whilst a friend might not purposefully decieve her she might have unrealistic expectations, which when not fulfilled lead her to believe that she was deceived - she shifts the responsibility.

The placement of the Moon in one’s chart is a major indicator of relationship with Mother for any of us according to Liz Greene. Martha’s Moon is in Sagittarius, which is, in turn, ruled by Jupiter, and Martha’s Moon has quite a few significant aspects/transits to Jupiter. Greene speaks a lot about the influence of Jupiter aspects to the shape of the Mother/child relationship but we are not going into those now right? Suffice to say that Martha’s relationship with her Mother would have been really important. Jupiter is inspiring, adventurous and philosophical. Martha could well have brought these subconscious qualities to her successful business life. We can’t speak about the other Jupiter aspects? Jupiter in Gemini in the 9thHouse seems to have a strong oppositional aspect to Moon in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter. Aagh…….I’m getting confused now. No wonder you said keep it simple!

Besides that, given the second house association with material possessions. Martha clearly acted out that deep drive to achieve economic security. The Mother/home association gives deep poignancy to the fact that she was successful in the home-making area of life. I wonder how all of this personal experience of Moon in Sagittarius impacted on Martha’s mothering of her own daughter? I imagine she herself would have been a very powerful figure in her daughter’s psyche. I guess she would have had to have others involved in the care of her daughter but what is really important is what happens in the early months of life. Whatever, Martha’s Sagittarian Moon may have provided enthusiasm and idealism to her expression of life in business. This may partially explain the attachment US women obviously felt for her. You know folks, I find this woman more and more fascinating.

Martha’s Ascendant is Scorpio (here is Pluto again!) and this indicates a deep inner life. You should read what Arroyo says about Scorpio Ascendants! But anyway, Marta’s Moon is semi-square her Ascendant, Scorpio. Martha would have been deeply emotional and very much attuned to people on an emotional level. This may have shown itself in a really intuitive relationship with the American woman, and been a key element in her commercial success. I imagine she could be really stubborn too. Most Scorpios have that capacity I’ve noticed!