Q. I have been an
Intensive Care RN for the past 10 years, after
making a career change due to a divorce that
compelled me to earn more money. I'm a faithful
and dedicated nurse; I love my job. I value
the pursuit of knowledge, beauty, and virtue,
am never ill, look 10 years younger than my
age, and have wonderful relationships with
my children and the man I love.
Now for the proverbial fly in the chardonnay
- my financial situation dogs me relentlessly.
Money worries plague and paralyze me. I filed
for bankruptcy in 1997. I live incredibly frugally,
and still the credit rating plummets yearly due
to procrastination, juggling, and inability to
deal with money. This one area of my life causes
me ten times more stress than anything else that
I do. How and when do I begin to free myself
from this decades-long burden? I have given up
and started over so many times; is this a life-long
burden?
—Relentlessly Burdened
A. You're an incredibly
confident and competent person, shown by your
gregarious Sagittarius Ascendant and the concordant
trine from your 1st-house Mercury, Venus, and
Sun to your 9th-house Moon-Pluto.
You are charismatic, caring, smart, insightful,
and totally capable of getting a grip on your
money problems.
The divorce, which catapulted you into
your financial doldrums, occurred just before
your progressed New Moon, at 15? Aquarius,
a particularly powerful zodiacal degree,
in your 2nd house of finances and material
resources.1 Also
in the 2nd house, the natal North Node in
Capricorn promises psychological integration,
releasing the relentless oppression around
money by mastering the very issues you struggle
with.
First, acknowledge that it's not "money
worries" that plague and paralyze you: You
do it to yourself! Practice self-management
by keeping your worrisome Virgo Moon under
control; quiet those inner voices that immobilize
you.2 Call
on your higher self with meditation, or whatever
soothes your soul and connects you to your
power.
Your 8th-house South Node and Uranus in
Cancer square Neptune on the cusp of the
11th advise caution when pooling resources
with others, whether investing in a friend's
brilliant business scheme or getting caught
short financially through divorce. Don't
allow your spontaneously generous nature
to get the better of you.
Instead, rely on your no-nonsense 2nd-house
North Node to focus on grounding and developing
your personal resources (finances are only
one level of them); you will grow profoundly
and benefit greatly.3 And since
the rest of your life seems to be working
so well, take some tips from yourself and
your mate about what would make you successful
here, too. Try revamping your financial plan
based on what works for you in other areas.
Clearly, procrastination will not do. Call
on your 11th-house Mars-Saturn conjunction,
in harmonious sextile to both your 9th-house
Moon-Pluto and your 1st-house planets, by
enrolling the active support of friendly
collaborators to help you create a spending
plan and stick to it. With true cooperation,
this will not mean giving away your power,
but rather reclaiming your initiative by
enlisting the wisdom and hands-on support
of friends, family, and financial professionals
- whatever and whoever works best for you.
Fix your sights on your upcoming progressed
Full Moon (March 2008), potentially a time
of fulfillment and reorientation, as a target
date to get yourself caught up, no matter
what it takes. Use transiting Pluto's current
conjunction to your natal Mercury4 to be brutally honest as you ask yourself "What
will it take to get what I want?" and then
manifest it!