A. Both
your wildly creative imagination and the
intense desire to live out your dreams are
highlighted by the Mars–Neptune–Sun
grouping traversing your Ascendant and trining
your inventive Pisces Moon.
Your exit from a secure teaching position
in late 2002 was well timed, as progressed
Venus conjoined natal IC (emphasizing the
capacity to realign your life with your
values) and as transiting Jupiter traversed
your 10th house (offering the potential for
worldly opportunities). Creativity overflowed,
as transiting Uranus trined natal Mars and
sextiled natal Venus all year long, while
the waning sextile of the progressed lunation
cycle (in November 2002) strongly supported
innovative life redesign, both to express
your talents and to set the stage for a significant
new beginning in August 2007 at your next
progressed New Moon.1
But as you’ve
discovered, it’s one thing to write a
book and quite another to sell it to a publisher.
Your 12th-house Mars in Libra and Neptune–Sun
conjunction rising in Scorpio indicate how
very uncomfortable touting your wares can be;
the 10th-house Uranus in Leo at the Midheaven
(square 1st-house planets) may both long for
and fear recognition, making success elusive.
The solution is to get support from others
who are strong in what you’re lacking.
For instance, hire someone else to sell
your book. Call upon your well-placed 1st-house
Mercury to network with everyone you know
to locate an agent; read books about marketing
yourself,2 or
hire a coach who specializes in working
with authors; or perhaps find a published
author with good understanding of the field.
Allow the powerful creative visualization
capabilities of your Moon trine Neptune
to attract the right support team. Write
affirmations to avoid immobilizing self-doubt
(transiting Neptune square natal Mercury),3 and journal regularly, exploring the question: “What
does it take to live my dreams?”
Above all, be realistic; even those who
manage to get a first novel published can’t necessarily sustain
themselves on the proceeds of the sale. What can you
do now to generate income, so you won’t end up
in a major financial bind next year? Natal Uranus at
the Midheaven is the mark of a potential entrepreneur.
Why not tutor students, edit the work of other writers,
lead writing workshops — whatever buys you
time by making money and is aligned with your values.
Who knows? You may even learn to enjoy selling yourself
without selling your soul.