Dear Modern Pioneer,
Thank you for asking me to have a look at your chart to suggest some areas of work for you. I call you a Modern Pioneer because your chart very much suggests that you are someone who needs to forge a path of his own! As such, it is probably silly of me to try to suggest traditional career areas for you. So until you have your Life’s Work advancing with full momentum — and providing income to sustain you — sometimes it is indeed necessary to simply get a job. And by the sound of your email, you do have a clear vision on your Life’s Work — it’s getting a job that seems to be the issue at present.
I will approach this with the awareness that any employment we take on — if it is to be lasting — must satisfy the energies imprinted in our natal chart. I like to think of the planetary energies as various gods and goddesses living inside us that need to be pleased according to their own individual requirements and preferences. Taking on a job that satisfies some gods but not others is simply not going to last.
One reason I like to work in the Equal House system is that the 10th house of the chart, the house associated with career, may have a different sign on its cusp than the sign of the Midheaven. This can give a subtle difference in interpretation. Often I have found that the 10th house sign suggests more of the circumstances or environment of the job, and the Midheaven (or MC for medium coeli) gives information as to what you do within it, or to how you make your mark while you are there.
Your 10th house has Virgo on the cusp, while the MC is in Libra. Typical Virgo environments are places that need to be managed for detail, that need precision and to be working like a “well-oiled machine”. Thorough understanding of processes and procedures will appease Virgo. As an Earth sign, Virgo has an interest in the physical realm — wanting things to work correctly there; as a result, the health care industry may be something to consider. Virgo wants organization and order. It’s ruler, Mercury, brings in the analytical component of the mind. Things must be sorted and classified. Things need to be on time. Things need to be done right.
The MC in Libra tells us more. You need to be working with people. You need to involve the human component in your work. Libra makes for excellent mediation — for seeing both sides of the story and for helping others come to a sense of agreement and understanding. With Venus as the ruler of Libra, it could be that your career needs something that instills pleasure in yourself and others. From these two facets of your chart, we can already sum up two requirements for you in your job search: first, that you are able to contribute to the management of the organization; and second, that you are directly involved with the people there.
Let’s go further. It’s very interesting that both Mercury (the ruler of the 10th house) and Venus (the MC ruler) are situated in the 9th house of your chart. The 9th house is typically a place of higher education, of exposure to many cultures, of long-distance travel, of ethics and morals. With your Sun in the 9th as well, it seems important that you have freedom to explore. Yes, here is the pioneer! You cannot be seated at a desk; you need to be out there making connections, seeing beyond life’s usual horizons. Environments that can easily tap into 9th house expression include colleges and universities, libraries, and any places that open the mind to life in other countries. Look for places with high ceilings; they represent places where lofty thoughts take place. Better yet, look for a place with an open view of the sky.
I often find that the planet making the closest major aspect to the Midheaven has a significant contribution to the career, or to the jobs that we take on from time to time. In your chart, that’s Venus in Leo. In the sign of Leo, Venus enjoys luxury, glamour, and any kind of pampering. There is creative expression here. It is likely that you may deal with women on a regular basis, or that you help portray the most exquisite feminine beauty.
Venus rules both the 6th house and the 11th house of your chart. As the 6th house ruler, here is another indication of the importance of doing something where you are involved in the management aspect of the organization, or that you work in a service industry, do some kind of craft, or do something in health care. As the 11th house ruler, being involved with groups of people can be important. You may be a representative for a particular group, or you may work to promote the rights of a certain group. The latter is supported by the tight square of Uranus in the 10th to the Ascendant.
Another aspect to the Midheaven that deserves attention is the square to Jupiter in the 8th. There may be something transformative about your career. Jupiter is in Cancer and co-rules the 4th house, so there may be something connected to home and family in your career, or that you do something that includes history and tradition.
There are a few midpoint pictures that may be noted as career themes. First, your Midheaven is at the midpoint of the Uranus/Neptune; this suggests that you could be the agent of change for some matter that deals with spiritualism or faith, or that you could be someone who revolutionizes art forms such as dance, music, photography, or even the fashion industry.
The Venus/Pluto midpoint is also picked up by the Midheaven; here is another indicator of significant power or change in something to do with beauty or the arts. Venus/Pluto can also signify big business.
The MC is at the midpoint of Sun/Mercury; perhaps you are a significant spokesperson or writer. It seems you do have something to say to the world and/or that you have skill in public speaking. This aptitude may surface in your career somehow — as if you are put in the spotlight to get a message across.
Neptune is positioned at the significant midpoint of Ascendant/Midheaven. This suggests that in both your personal and professional life there could be themes of spiritualism, music, dance, photography, film, or fashion (or a combination of the above) and/or that your life involves dedicated service to others.
I know that the reality of life simply makes it important to get a job at times, even if it is not in direct line with our chosen career ideals. In your job search, keep the above-mentioned themes in mind and you may find an easier fit, even if it is a temporary one. Remember that the Universe will open doors for you if you are standing in front of the right ones.
Best wishes,
Toby