{"id":70122,"date":"2015-02-11T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2015-02-11T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sasstrology.com\/?p=60413"},"modified":"2015-02-11T09:00:42","modified_gmt":"2015-02-11T09:00:42","slug":"intercepted-signs-dormant-relationship-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/astrologyblogger.com\/?p=70122","title":{"rendered":"Intercepted Signs: Dormant Relationship Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Credit: GlobalP<\/a> via iStockphoto<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Intercepted signs occur when one sign sits between two other signs within a house. To put it another way, there are no house cusps in the intercepted signs. Is the energy of these signs “missing” or underdeveloped? Can it be accessed? Read on to see how intercepted signs might impact your love life, if they or their rulers are present in your relationship houses.<\/p>\n

If your 7th House cusp is in Aquarius, and your 8th House cusp is in Aries, Pisces is intercepted in your 7th House House, and Virgo is intercepted in your 1st House. The existence of intercepted signs depends on the house system in use. The Equal House system will never have intercepted signs, and if you shift between other house systems (for example, Placidus to Koch) you may lose or gain intercepted signs. So the first thing you need to do is establish which house system works best for you. The issue of which \u00a0is “correct” is a thorny discussion, best left for another time. Personally, I think if a particular system resonates with you, then that’s the one you should use.<\/p>\n

So let’s assume your chosen house system gives you two intercepted signs. There will always be at least two, because signs work in pairs.<\/strong> If those signs, or their planetary rulers, occupy relationship houses (1st\/7th, 5th\/11th, 2nd\/8th) or if you have Venus, Mars or the ruler of a relationship house in the intercepted signs, they will impact your love life.<\/p>\n

Been There, Done That<\/h2>\n

This brings us to the question of what that impact actually is. There are two schools of thought regarding intercepted signs. The more widely accepted theory is that their energy is dormant. A lesser known theory is put forth by Evolutionary astrology: the archetypes of the intercepted signs may have already been developed in previous lives, which is why they’re not strongly emphasized in this life. You’ll know if this is the case or not by the condition of the sign ruler(s). Using our example of 7th House intercepted Pisces, if natal Neptune (ruler of Pisces) is heavily aspected, you’ve worked that Pisces archetype to the max in a past life. Let’s say Neptune is conjunct your Sun, trine your Moon and forming a couple of sextiles to other planets. In a previous life, you learned all your Pisces\/Neptune lessons (maybe you were a priestess). In this life, you have faith in your partnerships, and the idea of committed relationships in general. You’re living that energy in a healthy way, as a compassionate partner who hopes for the best without sacrificing yourself. The Pisces archetypes are throughly integrated into your life. Don’t forget to examine your natal Mercury as well, because Virgo is intercepted in your 1st House. A strongly emphasized Mercury (for example, conjunct your AC) means you’ve got a handle on discriminating between what’s real and what’s fantasy.\u00a0But if Neptune and\/or Mercury are lightly aspected (maybe they just make one sextile to another planet) the energy of the intercepted sign(s) still needs to be developed in this life.<\/p>\n

Evolutionary astrology also suggests that you look at the condition of the natural house(s) ruled by the intercepted signs. In the case of Pisces,\u00a0if your Neptune is lightly aspected, but you have an emphasized 12th House (naturally ruled by Neptune) it may still not be an issue for you in this life. If your South Node is in your 6th House, you’ve already lived the Virgo archetypes of\u00a0practical application and problem-solving. You can read more about this theory in Jeffrey Wolf Green’s book Pluto, The Soul’s Evolution Through Relationships, Vol II.<\/a><\/p>\n

In summary, how or if the above theories apply to you depends on your personal experience. Are you comfortable with the energy of the intercepted signs? If you are, and the sign rulers and\/or houses are strong in your chart, your work regarding those signs may already be done.<\/p>\n

Activating The Dormant Sign<\/h2>\n

But let’s assume that your intercepted signs still need work. Remember that they are always interpreted as a pair, because each sign has an opposite.\u00a0You have intercepted Aries (in the 2nd House) and Libra (in the 8th House). The 8th House is about merging with another, and your 8th House cusp is in Virgo. The sign on the cusp is your gateway to the intercepted sign.<\/strong> Since we’re dealing with analytical Virgo, you may grasp the theory<\/em> of intimacy, but when it comes to balancing (Libra) your needs with another, you run into trouble. That energy of intimate compromise is absent in your life. You need to progress from Virgo (alone in your head) to Libra (putting your ideas into practice with another). The house and sign position of Venus (ruler of Libra) will tell you more.<\/p>\n

At the same time, intercepted Aries in your 2nd House (where you get your needs met) means that you\u00a0have difficulty figuring out what works for you<\/em>. You need to start with the 2nd House before you can progress to the 8th House, and intercepted Aries makes it difficult to develop a strong sense of personal values that you can take into a relationship. Pisces is on the 2nd House cusp, so you can certainly dream about what might make you feel good, but when it comes to actualizing your primary needs, your initiative fizzles out. Again, look to the condition of your natal Mars for more information. In a nutshell, you’re good with the outer trappings of partnership (meeting partners and forming relationships). But when it’s just you and your lover, you have difficulty navigating the deeper waters of core needs, self-esteem and intimacy.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are many, many ways intercepted signs can be activated. Transits are the most obvious, and longer transits (from outer planets) will give you more time to work with the intercepted energy. You may run into tension at the start of the transit, because your attention is being drawn to a part of your chart that you’re not familiar with.<\/p>\n

For example, transiting Pluto moving through your intercepted 7th House Capricorn will dig up issues around partnership authority and status. If you’ve been unsure about how to concretely manifest (Capricorn) what you want in a relationship, or what it means to take responsibility for your part in a relationship, this will be the transit that confronts you with those issues. It may happen with an initial challenge to your security (Cancer, Capricorn’s opposite sign) via the end of an existing relationship, or the introduction of a new relationship that pushes you to examine how emotional security (Cancer) and structure (Capricorn) are underdeveloped in your life. As the transit progresses, hopefully you’ll work with Pluto’s agenda of transformation. This could mean making changes to an existing partnership, embracing a new partnership, or developing your own needs and authority in a relationship (becoming your own parent).<\/p>\n

Progressed planets in intercepted signs will have an even longer influence. When your Progressed Moon moves through an intercepted sign, you have a good 2 1\/2 years to work with that energy. If it’s your Sun<\/a> (which changes signs roughly 2 to 3 times in your life) or Mercury, Venus<\/a>, or Mars, that sign may be activated for the rest of your life.<\/p>\n

If you meet someone whose planets fall in your intercepted sign(s), pay attention, because they’re in your life to activate what’s dormant. And they’ll probably make you feel uncomfortable. It’s interesting to note how many (if any) of your significant relationships have involved partners with planets in your intercepted signs.<\/p>\n

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