Nurturing Natural Gifts

Each natal chart is like a snowflake, divinely individual! I have no doubt that each one of us comes to the planet with a special gift, something only we can bless the world with. The big question for each of us is; do we have the courage to share it? Unfortunately most of us were not brought up to follow our passion, but instead were brought up to conform to the best means of making a living.

Parents are the first and most influential teachers of children. Joan Beck, author of How to Raise a Brighter Child states, “Every youngster comes with different inborn characteristics, and temperaments, and potentialities to which a parent must take into consideration in rearing him.” As an educator, I often hear, “If only kids came with an instruction book!” Well, with an astrological chart as a guide, parents can acquire an insightful look at the interior lives of their children. One important area astrology can help a parent with is to find a child’s emotional pulse. A child’s emotions are a result of the sign, position and aspects to their moon. This is a valuable factor because when children are not yet able to communicate through speech, they express themselves emotionally. Contrary to past belief you cannot spoil a child with love, and by understanding how a child likes to be nurtured a parent can save time in entangled conflicts and prepare their child for future relationships. Many of us tend to react to our children and other family members, but don’t really know them. Our charts can objectively show us how each family member has a unique perspective. There are two other areas that are considered in the understanding of a child’s innate personality and those are the child’s sun sign and the ascendant, or rising sign. The sun represents consciousness, our will and highest expression. The ascendant is the gateway, the sign appearing on the eastern horizon when we take our first earthly breath. Often a child may seem more like their ascendant, because it represents how we react to our immediate environment and how the world views us. If a parent can consider a reading before the age of three they will be in the best position to direct their child, since this period is the most impressionable. As adults our patterns have been reinforced sometimes for many years, even generations, and are more difficult to change. Although this change is possible, the work it takes to reform these unproductive habits will require a tremendous effort once they have been energetically set. Astrologer Robert Hand suggests, “The only reason that most adults do not understand children is that they do not understand themselves.” Working astrologically can provide an environment for evolutionary growth for the whole family. The chart with its ancient universal symbolism can become the framework to help one put the pieces of their puzzled psyche together and recognize the many choices they have in creating a solution. Childhood is the time when our habits are created, and in general when we are most flexible. Working with a child’s chart, a parent given the astrological information can guide the child constructively and direct them to a more positive pattern of development. This of course is only possible if the parents are aware of their own behaviors and are willing to look at those behaviors in relationship to their child. In order for a parent to redirect a child’s behavior they will need to redirect their own responses to the child as an example. The idea is to teach by example and nurture the development of a child’s responsibility for their own well being. Families go through many changes. One of the things that psychology teaches and astrology confirms, is that when one family member is experiencing a crisis of sorts the rest of the family is affected. This I believe is the greatest benefit of astrology when working with families and can help individuals to gain an understanding of the foundational unit they are interacting with. Chart comparisons with other family members can help us to understand the mechanisms that we use to handle crisis. Should you choose to work with an astrologer it is important to understand that when dealing with children there are no concrete answers. We are dealing with potential, possibilities and different personalities. If a parent can come from a space where they see the child as a unique independent individual whom the heavens has temporarily placed in their care, they are doing a great service to the child. Astrology allows us to see in advance where a child’s biggest challenges lie. As planets revolve around a child’s chart astrologers can give parents some clues of what to expect, but parents should not be in a hurry with their children. Often if we try to change things too quickly we may find that our expectations are unrealistic and can wind up sabotaging ourselves and our children. Children have lifetimes to progress and evolve. Additionally, issues that go unaddressed with our first family members will manifest in our other relationships.

Each child is an adventure and opportunity to change the old patterns and create something new. Today’s parents have the opportunity to open up to the exploration of their family’s history and pioneer new paths of behavior for themselves and their children. By understanding that the heavens have handed them a unique individual to guide, parents can then provide the best environment for their child to flourish!

Originally published in Isis Scrolls

© 2006, 2017 Cathi Curen