A friend and former coworker of mine has been having a really rotten string of luck over the past year, and every time I talk to him something worse has happened. Work hours getting cut, bad communication from college financial aid officers, problems with the girlfriend, gas prices going up, roommates not paying their rent, one thing after another after another. When I thought it couldn’t get any worse, he called and told me that his apartment had been broken into, and his laptop and a bunch of his other things were stolen. He moved out of that place into a newer one close to his job, and then his work hours were cut again.
I got a call from him last week, and he finally asked me look at his chart (before he said he’d rather not know). And then I understood what was going on with the poor guy.
Let’s take a look:
Chart used with permission.
Now, there’s a whole lot going on in this chart, but what we’re going to focus on here is the aspect pattern between Pluto, Saturn, and the moon.
When two planets form a sextile (60° aspect) to each other, and a third is opposite the midpoint of the two (creating two 150° inconjunct, or quincunx, aspects) the resulting pattern is known as a Finger of Fate, also commonly called a Finger of God or a yod.
When a finger of fate appears in a chart, the planet at the apex is sensitized, because the energy of all three planets is focused on this point. A yod indicates a special destiny, or a compulsion in the area of focus. Transiting planets activate the yod when they approach the midpoint of the two sextiling planets- in this case, Saturn and Pluto.
The apex planet in this chart is the Moon in Pisces in the second house. There is a strong awareness of it natally, but with a transit the energies of Pluto (deep change) and Saturn (contraction, gravitas) are focused right on the raw, exposed feelings about resources and money and having enough of what you need. And the Pisces moon is shy, so very few will learn of the turmoil without a very good reason.
In this chart (late July 2009) the transiting planets are in green on the outer edge, and what do we find? Ah yes, Saturn is just past the midpoint! Saturn brings contraction, and the focus of this yod is the Moon (emotions) in the second house (resources). He’s certainly felt that his resources have been contracting! The unfortunate nature of this particular arrangement of planets is that whenever he completes a Saturn return, there will only be a short period of calm before transiting Saturn begins to activate the yod as well. He did vigorously confirm that the last year has been unusually complicated for finances, property, and other second-house matters.
The good news in this is that the effect begins to diminish after the transiting planet passes the midpoint. He’s just over the hum, so by the end of 2009 things should improve significantly. Saturn’s approach to Pluto will bring another level of chaos, but at least the nature of the problems will change. There will be some fits and starts in the meantime but the worst is passing now.
A couple days after I read his chart, I got a phone call. “The radiator in my car cracked today. Good thing I’m not living in the old apartment anymore, or I would have been really screwed. But at least I have extra hours at work this week.”
Gotta love progress.
Yods, they really do feel like the Finger of God, lol. I’ve got this Yod in the same signs, Libra, Leo & Pisces. Mars in Leo at 16:10 degrees sextile Mercury in Libra at 16:17dg and Chiron in Pisces at 15:01dg Rx. Pisces in the 10th house gives it this double tone of “destiny/fate.” Lucky me with Mars in the 3rd and Mercury in the 5th, I can laugh at it, sometimes, lol ^_^
Synchronicity, lol, there’s a Yod happening right now between the Moon, Mercury, Saturn & Jupiter! Moon in Cancer at 21:29 degrees sextile Mercury & Saturn at 21dg in Virgo inconjunct Jupiter in Aquarius at 21 Rxc, lol.
Yes, somewhere there are babies being born with that mega-Jupiter!
Any sextile in a chart becomes a temporary yod when a planet transits opposite… so if you have sextiles, at least once a month you have a finger of fate with the moon.
Twitter: clover
I have a yod natally, so not surprisingly I like reading about them. I wish your friend good luck in navigating his many challenges of late!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Book Review: Enlightenment for Idiots =-.
The more I study them the more interesting they are to me. I’ve started to watch my sextile transits more carefully, to see what it’s like to have one!
Twitter: clover
I did an online thingamabob with Rusty Withers, a sports astrologer. She said the coolest thing about yods. She told me strong T-squares show up in the charts of great football players. The kind of formation that gives you the muscle to power through obstacles. Yods, she said, show up in the charts of great basketball players, who have to be quick on their feet and flexible, because the game is constantly shifting around them. I just love that. It really helps me to understand what the yod is about.
I’m glad things are getting better for your buddy.
Twitter: mollysastrology
Wow Molly, that never would have occurred to me but it really makes sense! I saw she wrote a book on sports astrology too. I may have to make an exception to the “no more books this summer” rule…
Twitter: clover