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2509;}\viewkind4\psz1 {\*\jarte object RichPersist Version = 2 LMarg = 1440 RMarg = 1440 TMarg = 1440 BMarg = 1440 Equal = True Orient = 1 Size = 1 Width = 2159 Height = 2794 LHdr = '3B' MHdr = '3B' RHdr = '3B' LFtr = '3B' MFtr = '3B' RFtr = '3B' PrtHdr = True PrtFtr = True HdrMarg = 720 FtrMarg = 720 HdrFont.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET HdrFont.Color = clWindowText HdrFont.Height = -11 HdrFont.Name = 'MS Sans Serif' HdrFont.Style = [] WMark = 'None' WColor = 13822463 end }\uc1\pard\cf0\f0\fs22\par Depression is a little like "art": everyone knows what it is, but the more you z oom in on the details, the harder it can be to actually define. We all know it's real, and we've all suffered a bit of it at times. And as we all know... some o f us are more prone to it than others. Depression is a huge money-maker for mod ern medicine... and yet despite all the research and science put into treating i t, overall, we seem to be as depressed as ever. \par \par (Next time someone tells you that "astrology can't be real because science has n ever proved it," ask that person how depression can be real, given the billions of dollars poured into making depression go away every year... yet often as not, it doesn't go away. I sometimes wonder if the biggest difference between a psyc hiatrist and an astrologer is the size of the research grants involved.)\par \par Psychiatrists and astrologers will both generally agree that a major factor in d epression is the feeling of powerlessness that comes with it. For the psychologi cal approach, getting that sense of empowerment can involve getting the prescrip tion chemical mix right, or successfully addressing various personal issues, or some combination of the above.\par \par With astrology, the job is somewhat simpler: know the birth chart, and thus know yourself, and go from there. \par \par Depressing circumstances can happen to anyone (especially during a difficult Sat urn or Mars transit), but when it comes to an inherent tendency to depression, t here are certain factors to look for in the birth chart. Find which factors appl y to a depressed person, and you're half way to finding a way to cope with it... without a prescription, dry mouth, or medical bills. Although the signs of pote ntial depression in a birth chart can be complex, I find that the most sure-fire

indicator of it is an afflicted Moon. In this case, when we say a Moon is "affl icted," that usually means a difficult aspect from one or more other planets, es pecially Mars, Saturn, or the Sun. \par \par The Moon is your gut-level emotional response to the world. Long before babies l earn to speak or learn their role in the world, they feel and act their Moon. Fl attery won't soothe a crying baby, but a good feeding and a warm blanket might d o the trick. \par \par Another thing to watch for is if a person was born during a Void Of Course Moon. Many of you have heard that an action started during a Void Moon have a hard ti me coming to completion as planned. A person born during a Void Of Course Moon o ften has a vague feeling of "incompleteness," or that on some vague level things "aren't quite right with them." When combined with other factors, this can fuel any other depressive tendencies in the chart.\par \par Once one has isolated the specific factors leading to depressive tendencies, act ions can be taken to help relieve it. For example, a difficult Moon-Mars aspect can be helped by something as simple as exercise, or finding ways to (literally) work through the bad times. This appears to be especially true with people who have Fire Sign Moons. Sun in Sagittarius has a reputation for being an optimist, but Moon in Sagittarius can often take a bad mood and literally "walk it off."\ par \par A problematic Moon-Saturn aspect often manifests as an injury to the self-esteem . Again, flattery won't do much for that... but finding a structured, well-order ed way to achieve practical goals can demonstrate to skeptical Saturn that maybe things aren't so bad after all. Likewise, a tough Sun -Moon aspect (which, alon g with Moon-Saturn aspects, can specifically point to parental issues) can be ad dressed through activities that promote self-esteem. \par \par \pard Depression is a complex part of the already complex business of being a hu man. We are fortunate we have astrology to help us cut to the chase when it come s to finding a practical solution. But please, be careful how you use it... side effects can include increased enjoyment of life, and an enlarged sense of conne ction to the Universe. \par }