Family Astrology 101: Parenting with Astrology Part 7

Family astrology is one of the most useful practices in astrology; it can really help navigate parent/child relationships, parent to parent relationships, sibling relationships, and larger family dynamics (grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces). The articles within this series, Family Astrology, will explore the parent/child relationship first, and in detail.

This article is a continuation of the previous article.  If you are coming to this topic with this article first, then you will find it helpful to go back and read the previous articles.  I will be writing under the assumption that you have read the previous articles.  This article will focus on Mars, which represents our drive and aggression, how we fight, and our preferred way to assert ourselves.

• Family Astrology 101 – Part 1
• Family Astrology 101 – Part 2
• Family Astrology 101 – Part 3
• Family Astrology 101 – Part 4
• Family Astrology 101 – Part 5
• Family Astrology 101 – Part 6

Getting to Know the Charts of the Child and Parent – Mars

This article will look more in-depth at the parent/child charts presented in the previous articles and shown here below. We will now look at how Mars energies in the two charts are most likely to interact, and what the parent and child will need to do to make interaction successful and positive.

Parent Influence on the Child

The inner circle is the child’s chart and the outer circle is the parent’s chart.  The parent’s chart “applies” to the child’s chart in certain ways.  In the case of this example, the parent has Mars in Virgo applying to the 6^th House of the child’s chart.  Notably, the child has no points in this part of the chart, making the influence of the parent very acute.  The parent Mars is trine-by-sign to the child’s Mars, which is in Taurus in the 2^nd House of Resources and Security.

Both the parent and the child have Mars in earth signs, which tends to “dampen” or restrict the fiery energy of Mars.  Neither will be quick to anger, but both can “dig in their heels” when they do or do not want to do something.  The child will be very concerned that his/her actions (Mars) help him/her feel stable (Taurus) and secure the resources (2^nd House) he or she needs to feel safe.

The parent’s Mars in Virgo will be concerned with problems and solutions that come up around needs and health.  With this Mars applying to the 6^th House of the child, the parent can be a good resource for the child to learn skills and problem-solving.  Nutrition will be an important issue for this parent, and hopefully, food will be source of joining, though it could be a source of difficulty if the child has a narrow palate.

It is very likely that the parent will be concerned with how the child learns, manages his/her body, and solves problems in daily life.  This would be the parent that says, “eat your vegetables before you have dessert” or “how did the teacher explain the homework?”.  “Hard work is its own reward.” “Take care of your toys and possessions so they will last a long time.”

Parenting the Child

The parent leads the parent/child dynamics; the parent is the one responsible for directing and processing the energy of the child’s chart, especially at the earliest stages of the developing child, but also until the child develops true self-sufficiency (i.e., becomes a full adult in a complete way – meaning a productive member of society).  Hence, the child will need to learn how to develop healthy ways of asserting himself or herself from the parent’s guidance.

In the very specific case of these two charts, the parent’s Mars can help the child figure out how s/he needs to act and “do” when trying to learn a new skill or take care of his/her room and possessions.  The Taurean Mars is going to be naturally prudent and cautious.  Taurus energy may not act quickly or rashly, but once it does start moving, it will see something all the way through.

The Child’s Influence on the Parent

Now, let’s look at the reverse of the two charts; and consider the child’s chart influence on the parent’s chart.  As it turns out the child’s Mars applies to the parent’s 6^th House, just as the parent’s Mars applies to the child’s 6^th House.  And, as it turns out, the parent has no points in Taurus or the 6^th House.  Thus, the child will “motivate” the parent to learn and do more at a day-to-day level with regard to the child’s needs.

It is very likely that the child’s play interests will lead the parent to get fairly involved in the details of developing the child’s interests, either by learning the skills for themselves or by finding the best teachers/tutors for the child.  This parent has a life path devoted to career, so bringing the child, once old enough, to work, or teaching him/her the professional skills of the parent, may prove to be one of the best ways for the two of them to connect.

This parent-child relationship through Mars can be very reflective if they share the same values regarding the physical world (since Taurus and Virgo are involved).  Trouble may arise because Mars in Taurus can be very fixed about how it wants to do things and may not be readily open to guidance, or more specifically, where Virgo is concerned, criticism.

In the next article, we will look at the parent/child Jupiter to Jupiter relationship and see how they are likely to expand with one another while learning lessons associated with authority.