Three Things About Planets in Detriment

So you might have heard an astrological planet described as "in detriment". That sounds...bad, right? But what does that really mean? How would you know if you have one? And how might it manifest in your life?

A planet in detriment is in the sign that is opposite of the planet's rulership. The Sun, for example, rules the astrological sign Leo. If you have the Sun in the opposite sign of Leo, which is Aquarius, you have the Sun in detriment. 

Here's a quick list of the planets and the signs in rulership and in detriment:

Image from Canary Quill Astrology (http://www.canaryquillastrology.com)

A planet in detriment is the weakest manifestation of a particular planet's energy. That doesn't mean that the planet isn't present; think of it like starting a race two lengths behind everyone else. You'll have to do lots of work on the areas of your life that planet rules to get the most out of it.

Another way to consider it: A planet in detriment does things their own way. In other words, it doesn't care how it is supposed to work; it's sort of a wild card. I often think of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" or Limp Bizkit's "My Way" to understand it. 

In my case, I actually have two planets in detriment: The Moon, which rules Cancer, in Capricorn; and Venus, which rules Taurus and Libra, in Scorpio. 

The Moon in Capricorn is one I think of as "Hoover Dam" because it really holds back emotion. It lets selected emotions out but tries hard to keep them at bay. In other words, it does what Capricorn's ruler, Saturn, does best: Suppress them. My alter ego Silent John is likely a Capricorn Moon manifestation. 

Venus in Scorpio is a very intense placement. Relationships can take on an "all or nothing" vibe that can cause problems with others. There's always a quest to find "the one person" with Venus in Scorpio. Luckily, I found my person...but Venus in Scorpio is relentless in pursuit of "the one." Jealousy, possessiveness, and control issues in relationships are also common.

In both cases, the planet's influence manifests in an unorthodox, unexpected, or overly intense way. The effects will really depend on a number of factors, including:

• The planet
• Where it is in your natal chart
• What relationships it makes in the chart or via transit

Don't be concerned if you have a planet in detriment. Just know that it's an area you have to work on. The more work you put in, the more progress you'll be able to make. 

Bottom line: It's important to be aware if you have planets in detriment, and this is an important question to ask during an astrology consult. Your astrologer can give you possible manifestations of the planet's energy and provide ways to work on using that planet's energy to your benefit.

Tarot Blog Hop: Exploring the Shadow Side at Samhain

Blessed Samhain to all of you! Make sure to check out Elinor Predota's before mine in the blog hop!

There is always a shadow.

No matter how amazing, talented, or kind others say you are, the shadow never goes away. And that’s a good thing, because it keeps us honest.

Samhain is a time when we look at many things around us that scare us. But this time we look inside ourselves.

As part of my spiritual studies, I’ve created two shadow masks. The idea of the mask is to take the part of you that makes your angry or fearful, one that keeps you from succeeding to the greatest extent possible in your life, and give it shape and form. That way, you bring the “shadow” out into the light so you can deal with it.

If you’re sitting there asking yourself why anyone would choose to do such a thing, I’ll be honest and say that if you’re doing it correctly, you say that to yourself at some point. It’s supposed to make you uncomfortable at first, but later, it makes you more at ease with the “shadow” that you might prefer not to acknowledge. It forces you to really deal with it.

Unless you are absolutely nuts, you only deal with one Shadow Mask at a time. And you’ve got to be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. You start smaller and work your way up toward the larger issues that plague you.

I’ve shouted at my mask. I’ve kicked it and stomped on it. I’ve thrown it around. I’ve had somewhat pleasant conversations with it and have spewed my venom at it. But you can’t obliterate it until you have finally conquered it.

My first one took me a few years to finally destroy, but I did so knowing that it would not be my last. Actually, my mask was only a part of a larger mask that I’m working on now. I’m almost done with the second, but I’m far from finished. I plan to really attack my shadow with the 3^rd mask, but I’m not done with this one yet.

Since I started doing this work, I’ve definitely seen a difference in my life. I feel like I can now go further and be the person I’ve wanted to be.

My Witchcraft students go through the same exercise, and as their teacher, I can’t see asking them to do it unless I am as well. So I share my mask with them and talk about it. Let me tell you honestly…having to explain to others what your mask is all about is a real test of your courage. But kind of like jumping into cold water or riding roller coasters, the more you do it, the less painful it gets…in some ways. Will it ever be easy? HELL NO. And I’ve accepted that.

This Samhain, embrace your shadow as part of you. Then bring that ugly thing--that thing that pains you or keeps you from blossoming in your life--into the light and deal with it.

There is always a shadow, ladies and gentlemen. But you decide if it controls you, or if you’re its master.

Thanks for tuning in! Please proceed to Jordan’s blog, the next stop on the blog hop!

ROW80: Playing Catch-Up with Silent John

Hi everyone,

I'm late for my scheduled check-in--of course it was yesterday--but I wanted to keep you abreast of my progress.

31 of 78 cards have been written thus far. I definitely have had a few challenges thrown my way, but my biggest stumbling block has been my bad attitude. "Silent John" is his name, and when I start not talking, then I'm usually stressed out or have taken on way too much. It's hard for me to pinpoint when he will run onto the stage of my life.

He made an appearance this past weekend, much to my chagrin, but I managed to stuff him back into the closet with some serious workouts and a desire to just see him gone. Luckily he doesn't come around much, but when he does people notice. My usually ebullient personality goes from 60 to 0 in about two minutes, and when people notice it usually makes the problem worse. He's been a virtual stranger and coming back less and less in the past few years--I used to be able to count on him for 2-3 extended stays a month--but I had to wrestle with him again.

You'll be thrilled to know that I won this round, thanks to an understanding, tolerant spouse and a fantastic anniversary gift of Xbox headphones. I've already become a more efficient killing machine on Call of Duty: Black Ops, and no one around me has to hear the carnage. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

With Silent John now beaten into submission, I was able to get back into the writing again and completed three cards earlier tonight. ROW80 people know that Friday marks the halfway point in the contest, and I really need to get cracking. Another 8 cards in four days? ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.