I hear it from clients all the time "is there a good
time to lose weight?" Here in the United States losing weight is a national
pastime. People want to know if they are born to be overweight or if the stars
can help them get the body they have always desired. Well the short answer to
that is yes, astrology can help. But the longer answer is, you still have to do
the work. There is no planet that will take the place of eating right and
getting to the gym. But there are indications if a weight problem is going to
part of your chart, or aspects coming up that will help you get to the weight
you have always desired. Let's take a look.
First of all remember we
live in a country born under the Sun sign of Cancer and Cancer rules food. We
are known as the breadbasket of the world. Whole television channels are
devoted to food. And let us not forget Top Chef and Kitchen Nightmares and all
the other food, cooking and restaurant shows put on for our entertainment. It
is not an overstatement to say that our nation as a whole is obsessed with
food.
But can problems with losing weight show up in our birth chart?
Is there a better or worse time to start a diet? Yes, potential weight issues
do show up in one's chart. Jupiter is a planet of expansion and usually a great
planet to have on your side. But do we really want a planet of expansion
showing up when we are attempting to reduce instead of expand? One of the worst
times to go on a diet is when Jupiter and Venus come together. I don't care if
they are in a harmonious aspect (sextile, trine) or an aspect of conflict
(square, opposition) when these two come together we tend to want more. It can
be more love or more money, but it can also be more food. No matter the time of
year, I advise clients to put off dieting when Jupiter and Venus are joined
because there is usually a lack of will-power and discipline. Venus likes what
is easy and fun. Venus also rules sweets. Starting a diet may not be doomed to
failure but it will be an uphill battle all the way. Why not make things easy
on yourself and begin to change eating habits when your discipline and focus
are extra strong. Most people are not all that happy when Saturn and the Moon
hook-up and I can understand why. Saturn is kind of cranky, always doing the
right thing and working hard. But the Moon rules food and when Saturn comes in
contact with this planet we become more structured and disciplined about what
we eat. We not only stick to a new eating plan but we can make other changes in
our life. How about giving up smoking or going vegan? Saturn and the Moon
together can refuse to give up and give you the emotional staying power to make
long-term goals reachable. A good friend of mine has Jupiter and the Moon in
the first and seventh house in an opposition. She has had weight issues all her
life. The first house rules our body and what we look like. The Moon rules
food, Jupiter expansion. You do the math.
Likewise having Saturn in the
first house can indicate someone who is committed to a certain kind of diet or
exercise. Since the first house indicates the physical body, when certain
planets visit our first house they can either help or hinder us in our weight
goals. Saturn tends to restrict so of course it can help if we want to lose.
Venus and Jupiter can lead to weight gain when in the first house. The Moon
moves through a sign in about 2 days so its influence is quick. It may be the
day we fall off the wagon so to speak. But as the Moon moves away we get back
up and stay on target. Pluto in the first house …. well I can write a
whole other article about Pluto visiting the first house. Since Pluto moves so
slowly once it crosses over into the first house it will be there many years.
Pluto is intense and determined. We can certainly lose weight but we can also
get into trouble if we go too far. Pluto doesn't really have a stopping point.
So I would want to see some other planets that can help balance this out.
Uranus is unexpected and when it visits the first house huge dietary changes
can happen very quickly. We go vegan for instance or suddenly decide to eat
gluten-free. Neptune spending time in the first house can be both positive and
negative. Neptune has an aura of glamour so we can go for a glamorous body. But
Neptune is not known for sticking to it and we can go for the easy fix. Many
people use food as an emotional soother and certain foods (i.e. sugar,
caffeine) can become our addiction of choice.
There is no combination
of planets that ensures you get thin and stay thin. (I wish there were). Our
chart does not rule us or take away our free will. But by avoiding some of the
pitfalls and utilizing some of the positive planetary aspects we can maximize
our chances of success. |
