My observation is that people’s beliefs mirror accurately their personalities. Even those sharing the same belief system will have slight or major interpretative differences based on their personality or cultural differences. I believe angry beliefs come from angry people and loving beliefs come from loving people.
By asserting our beliefs, then, we are merely asserting ourselves. But what else can we do, really?
Astrology, to me, accurately reflects one’s personality and by extension beliefs. Often people ask if I “believe” astrology, as though astrology were a religion. Astrology, to my observation, is a symbolic representation of an individual’s personality. It is not something to “believe.” It’s simply a description. It doesn’t answer “Why?”
Astrology, for me, aids in life in two ways. It creates an acceptance that others view the world differently and it reinforces that we all share the same energies, just in different focus and portion. We all have a chart that contains 12 signs of the zodiac. We are all the same in a unique way.
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand, the Objectivist philosopher and author, mirrors the strong Saturnian influence in her chart. I’m sure she’d despise the idea that her philosophy springs from her personality (and that astrology would describe it) and not from “objective reality.” Yet having a personality in which we view the world doesn’t mean that there is no reality.
In astrology, earth signs are concerned with the material world. Air signs are concerned with the intellectual world, water with the emotional world and fire with the spiritual world.
Rand’s philosophy makes homage to all these worlds. Where she lacks, I believe, is the emotional world. She believed that emotions spring directly and consistently from conscious beliefs. If our emotions so closely followed our conscious beliefs, it would be easy to quit smoking, but it’s not. Even when the mental and physical aspects of addiction (or habit) are conquered, the emotional aspects still remain.
Saturnian Influence
Rand’s Saturnian influence comes from Saturn in Aquarius conjunct her sun in Aquarius and three planets in Capricorn – Uranus, moon and Mercury. Saturn rules Capricorn.
I call Aquarius the sign of the “perfect universe” as it’s the fixed air sign that rules groups, friendships and ideals. Aquarius has been referred to as the genius of the zodiac in that it views life in unique ways and is willing to stand on its own for its ideals. Being a fixed sign, it can be stubborn in belief and therefore can be rebellious, which is necessary to challenge existing beliefs.
Capricorn is the sign of authority, of control and responsibility. Capricorn is serious and represents father figures. Moon in Capricorn is seen as being cold and uncaring. This is because moon in Capricorn represses its feelings because feelings make one vulnerable. Moon in Capricorn wants to be strong and self-reliant, not vulnerable. Capricorn ultimately wants respect.
Why do I feel Rand’s beliefs accurately reflect her chart?
To me, Rand’s philosophy is a clear-headed, consistent view of the way things actually are, realities that people don’t care to admit. She’s the one yelling to the king that he has no clothes. She’s both an Aquarian rebel for confronting the king and also Saturnian in that she’s promoting the things we do anyway, but deny through social conditioning.
Rational Selfishness
As an example, Rand called rational selfishness a virtue. We are taught from toddler-hood to share our toys, to think of others. But do we really?
The Capricorn moon realism here is that we do expect a return for our actions. Capricorn rarely does something for no reason.
Have you ever held the door for someone? Were you angry that they didn’t say thank you?
Rand acknowledged that all interactions must be, by today’s term, a “win-win.” Whether physical, intellectual, spiritual or emotional, we expect a return for what we give. Ultimately I think Rand just called a spade a spade. We seek return for our output but it’s convoluted through our emotional need to see ourselves as “good.”
Why not just admit and accept that life is about trade?
Rand exposed that much called altruism is simply a way to undermine and gain from others. She did not hide her Capricorn moon, she reveled in it.
By promoting selfishness, she was a rebel. We may all be selfish, but who has the guts to not only promote it, but call it a virtue?
Structures
Saturn and Capricorn are ultimately about structure. I like Wikipedia’s definition of structure:
“Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities.”
Rand liked both intellectual structures (philosophy) and physical structures (skyscapers). Capricorn wants the unruly world to have order, which is why it loves rules. Rand wanted you to think, but if you did not agree with her conclusions you were wrong. Wanting everyone in the entire world to share your beliefs is a way to have order which is the comfort zone of a Capricorn moon.
Emotional Life
Rand’s rational sun and cold moon are also seen in her relationships. She believed that that sharing the same philosophy meant you should enjoy sharing the same bed. What a unique pick up line! The married Rand convinced one of her neophytes, the married Nathanial Branden, to have an openly intimate and sexual relationship with both spouses’ consent.
When, many years later, Branden fell in love and left both Rand and his wife, Rand was furious. Wanting to hug, kiss and mix & merge sex organs with another is not often the result of rational thinking. If it were, how many marriages would exist?
Branden said, in his biography of Rand, that she more of a father figure than a mother figure. The original title of his book was “Judgment Day: My Years with Ayn Rand.” A judgmental father figure fits very perfectly with a Capricorn moon and Saturn conjunct the sun.
Rand’s Appeal
I believe Rand’s appeal stems from three things: 1) few truly live in three-dimensional reality and 2) political motivations present us with dualities (rather than polarities) and force us to pick a side creating internal discord and 3) we want to feel good about ourselves.
Have you ever been driving and realized that you were daydreaming? You got from here to there, but don’t really remember it exactly?
Do we really live in the three-dimensional world or in our thoughts, hopes and fears?
I’ve blogged my ideas on duality versus polarity. Rand’s razor sharp intellect encourages control of your own thoughts instead of accepting prevailing thought by default.
Ironically Rand’s rigid structures provide a stable framework for freedom of thought. Rand believed in man and admired man’s creations. Life, to her, was its own meaning and unearned guilt should not be placed on humans handicapping them from achievement. Rand lived in the present. Rand believed in life.
How many people do you know who love life so much?
And, of course, followers of Rand see themselves as Atlas, not the masses he’s holding on his shoulders. Rand makes you feel good about yourself and believe in yourself.
Ohio Astrology 
Thanks for writing the article! I have been studying astrology as a hobby for the last year and a half, as recently as friday(12/6/2013) I met for the first time with a professional astrologer. We reviewed my natal chart I am a virgo sun, capricorn moon, ascendant aquarius. With uranus, neptune, and my north node in capricorn. My saturn placement is in aquarius as well. So saturn influence from the aquarius and capricorn placements is very strong with me. I am 22 and roughly 5 years ago I was drawn towards reading The Fountainhead. It brings me much comfort and inspiration. I am a project manager for a construction company, and use Howard Roark as a role model at times at work. I agree with your assertion that characters in a book are a reflection of the author themselves. Ayn Rand also has placements with Aries in her venus, jupiter, and midheaven. I am still new to learning astrology, but I can’t help but notice that Ayn Rand puts emphasis on the physical description of Roark throughout the novel. She describes him as having sharp angular features like aquarius people sometimes have, with orange/reddish hair like people strong with aries might have. The orange hair is unusual and stands out from most people. The sharp angular features are of structure just like Roark’s buildings. The characters physical description is almost a microcosm of the themes of the novel, and Ayn Rands philosophy as a whole. Do you have any thoughts on my observations?
Your outer planets represent, to me, the generation that will restructure the global economy. I was just thinking the other day about Pluto’s transit in Aquarius, which will occur around 2025m and how your generation may create a more egalitarian economy (which Ayn Rand might not like 🙂 ).
I can see why you’re drawn to Rand. I think I was drawn to her because she cuts through the crap and tells it like it is. People’s reactions to her amuse me because for me she describes what people do and promotes accepting that as they way things are. But because people rationalize their actions to themselves, they don’t view themselves in the way Rand describes. That’s how I experience her.
Back in the day she was often called an anarchist, which is ridiculously funny since she is so firm and organized in her thinking.
I don’t have Rand’s time of birth so had her Venus in Pisces (29 degrees). Jupiter in Aries probably also speaks to her tremendous self-confidence.
Have you read, yet, about her life? She was passionate physically, as earth signs often are. People forget that with Capricorn moon because it’s not emotionally expressive.
Rand, while married, had an affair with an acolyte (also married) because she believed if you meet in the mind, you would naturally want to meet in the body as well.
It’s fascinating to me how she seduced through her philosophy which was also simply the force of her strong personality.
Rand also had Mars in Scorpio, a highly sexual and charismatic placement.Mars squares her natal sun in Aquarius.
Scorpio and Aquarius are both fixed, intense signs. That intensity seems to mark Rand. I’d recommend studying the aspects.
While trines and sextiles are viewed as positive aspects, leaders and other driven people often have squares (or oppositions) which seems to create the friction that promotes response.
Sometimes trine and sextile people are super talented, but never act on that talent because with trines and sextiles, life can be easier or more comfortable than for the people with squares.
Enjoy reading Rand. My favorite book of hers (and the one I read first) is “Philosophy: who needs it?” It’s a more pithy explanation of her beliefs.
Reblogged this on MAXIMUM SEX-AND-ROCK-AND-ROLL.
MARRY ME!
I got here after…YEARS of searching for some antidote to the implicit, unquestioned, and unreasoned quasi-socialist self-sacrifice droned by an unfortunately apparent majority of astrologers. It is so refreshing to see some principles of reason and structure applied to astrological analysis.
I like that idea (of mine) that: Astrology is a structure.
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Reblogged this on thelivingsky.
While I was reading all the work she’s done to develop a philosophical system, I found almost 80% – 90% of her views to match exactly with mine, I mean it made a lot of sense to me. I was a bit surprised. So I checked her moon sign and sun sign, and we were a match, I have Capricorn moon and Aquarius sun. I have Ascendant/Rising Scorpio and because of it, sometimes, I have turbulent emotions running through me and my Cap moon – Aqua sun feels even more responsible, fanatically trying to find ways to calm down my Scorpio Rising on the inside, and I think Rand is right about the fact that we need emotional control in order to attain mental focus with military precision to achieve goals. Although I wouldn’t complain so much about Scorpio Rising because during some crises, the Scorpio Rising in me gives some strange fuel to keep calm and carry on 😀
I think Rand is so influential because she cuts through the rationalizations we make to take advantage of others.
I agree we need to control our emotions to get along. But I’ve learned that having & acting out on emotions are two different things. Controlling the “acting” is different from controlling the “having.” Sometimes Cap moon tries to control the “having” which sometimes makes others have them for you.