November 2001	Astrological Updates
Astrology, Relationships & Projection by Susan Vaughn

Planets located in the 7th house are the hardest to consciously integrate, so we frequently find ourselves projecting those qualities onto others. However, for such a projection to work, the other person needs to be a good “hook”. In other words, the other person needs to fit the qualities described by each planet and/or sign, but our perception may be somewhat distorted, if we have difficult aspects to such planets. Remember the point I’m trying to make here is ‘our perception’ of ‘the other’ people who play out the roles of the planets associated with our 7th house. If we tend to see our relationships in a negative manner, the person or people represented by our 7th house may or may not actually be as we perceive them. The important point here is the 7th house and planets are our planets and signs. We discover ourselves by interrelating with others who personify the qualities and characteristics of our 7th house.

So, in one way, it really doesn’t matter whether our personal evaluation of our relationships is experienced as positive or negative. It is really a matter of what we are trying to integrate into our consciousness. Therefore, our relationships, good choices or otherwise, are more important than our personal desires or wish-fulfillment. There are no bad choices or accidents in the people we end up with from this perspective, as all are means to further our process of self-awareness.

So the people we pick to have our most intense relationships with are usually not chosen consciously and tend to bring into our awareness the issues we need to work on and we have chosen them because of some unconscious impulse. However on the personality level, we to tend make a judgment about the success or failure of our relationships, but, the thing to remember is they are not in our life by accident. In fact they are exactly the ‘right’ person for us at that moment in time in our growth process. If we pick someone to do battle with, it is not because we want to be at war consciously, but perhaps we are at war with ourselves unconsciously. Its been said that relationships which stem from our projections, or unconsciousness, are choices of the soul so the soul can learn and correct previous imbalances (karma) in order to effectively grow on its path.

If our goal is soul growth, then we can begin to look at all our important relations for insight. If we investigate our relationship patterns in order to learn consciously to integrate our 7th house energies and make more of our birth potential consciousness, then we are on our way to actualizing more and more of who and what we are.

A couple of simple examples might help here. With the Sun in the 7th house, we might unconsciously expect our partner to live out our Sun Sign qualities for us instead of developing those qualities on our own. Women frequently project their Sun onto the men in their lives.

If you have the Moon in the 7th house, the usual projection involves seeking a partner who will nurture and protect you emotionally. You may even allow your partner to live out your emotions. You may accuse your partner of being too emotional, or weepy.

With Mercury here, we are always attracted to mentally stimulating people, people who are able to communicate better than us, who seem bright and articulate. You may even allow your partner too start most of the communications between the two of you. If your mate is not younger than you in years, he/she may be younger at heart than you.

Venus in the 7th house indicates you want a mate who is physically attractive, charming and willing to compromise, rather than fight. An agreeable individual who would rather ‘give in’ than run the risk of any unpleasantness.

With Mars in the 7th house, you are likely to attract a mate that is more aggressive than assertive, more combatant then compromising. But, remember it’s your 7th house so you’re looking for someone who can teach you to be more assertive, more direct in going after what you want.

Jupiter in the 7th house is seen as someone who is wiser than you, either someone who can teach you to broaden your horizons or is a gambler willing to take too many risks. Risks that may make you uncomfortable.

Saturn in the 7th house, in projections, is usually someone older, if not in years...then in experience. Someone who may play a parental role for you. If you’re not ‘grown up’ enough, you could be learning through this partner how to be more mature and responsible. Or from a more difficult perspective, you may feel your partner is closed off and unable to be open emotionally, no matter how loyal and hard working he or she might be. If that’s the case you probably need to look inside yourself to understand “why” you have difficulty with being vulnerable.

Say you have Uranus in your 7th house and you tend to pick partners who have a hard time being committed, or for whatever reason, don’t seem to be emotionally available to you when you think you need them most. Instead of blaming our partner, we should begin to search within ourselves for that part of us that doesn’t want to be committed or is unwilling to be emotionally available. Looked at from that perspective, we have chosen exactly the right partner, unless we refuse to look deeper for the reasons we are so unhappy in our relationship.

Another example might be having Neptune in the 7th house. One astrologer coined the phrase of this placement as the “savior/victim” syndrome. The ultimate expression of this placement might be someone who looks to their partner to ‘save’ them in someway which most often never quite seems to work. Or the person with this placement has an impulse to try to ‘save’ their partner from various things such as addictions of one form or another, serious emotional problems, or all forms of escapism and despair. Or one which is often seen, in which the person is looking for God through their relationship.

And finally for those of us with Pluto in the 7th house you are most likely to pick a partner who you seem to be compulsively drawn to, even if you are not sure that this person is good for you. This position is all about empowering yourself, because the likelihood is you have given over all your power to your mate. However, in your mind you may think he/she took it from you. This is one of the most transforming placements if the person has the courage to really go deep within and make conscious that unconscious material. These issues are always about power and control, of others as well as Self.

The important point is relationships provide a wonderful source for growth and self-awareness if we are able to see them consciously.

Reverend Susan Vaughn is a Counseling Astrologer, Metaphysical Minister and Practitioner with 25+ years experience. She is founder of the Center for Spiritual Illumination, Inc. a non-profit religious and educational corporation.

Susan approaches the birth horoscope and astrology as a symbolic universal language in which each individual’s true nature and purpose can be defined. She counsel’s people in all areas of their lives using Astrology, meditation, affirmations, visualization and flower remedies to assist her clients and students in actualizing their “purpose for being.”

She teaches classes in all levels of astrology from beginning to advanced, as well as classes in metaphysics, spiritual growth and personal development.