Ralph Waldo Emerson: Astrological Article and Chart

Horoscope and chart of Ralph Waldo Emerson

^* A planet less than 1° from the next House cusp is considered to be posited in the said House. 2° when the AS and the MC are involved

Astrological portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson (excerpt)

Disclaimer: these short excerpts of astrological charts are computer processed. They are, by no means, of a personal nature. This principle is valid for the celebrities included in our database. These texts provide the meanings of planets, or combination of planets, in signs and in houses, as well as the interpretations of planetary dominants in line with modern Western astrology rules. Moreover, since Astrotheme is not a polemic website, no negative aspect which may damage the good reputation of a celebrity is posted here, unlike in the comprehensive astrological portrait.

Introduction

Here are some character traits from Ralph Waldo Emerson's birth chart. This description is far from being comprehensive but it can shed light on his/her personality, which is still interesting for professional astrologers or astrology lovers.

The dominant planets of Ralph Waldo Emerson

When interpreting a natal chart, the best method is to start gradually from general features to specific ones. Thus, there is usually a plan to be followed, from the overall analysis of the chart and its structure, to the description of its different character traits.

In the first part, an overall analysis of the chart enables us to figure out the personality's main features and to emphasize several points that are confirmed or not in the detailed analysis: in any case, those general traits are taken into account. Human personality is an infinitely intricate entity and describing it is a complex task. Claiming to rapidly summarize it is illusory, although it does not mean that it is an impossible challenge. It is essential to read a natal chart several times in order to absorb all its different meanings and to grasp all this complexity. But the exercise is worthwhile.

In brief, a natal chart is composed of ten planets: two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, three fast-moving or individual planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars, two slow-moving planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and three very slow-moving planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Additional secondary elements are: the Lunar Nodes, the Dark Moon or Lilith, Chiron and other minor objects. They are all posited on the Zodiac wheel consisting of twelve signs, from Aries to Pisces, and divided into twelve astrological houses.

The first step is to evaluate the importance of each planet. This is what we call identifying the dominant planets. This process obeys rules that depend on the astrologer's sensitivity and experience but it also has precise and steady bases: thus, we can take into account the parameters of a planet's activity (the number of active aspects a planet forms, the importance of each aspect according to its nature and its exactness), angularity parameters; (proximity to the four angles, Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Imum Coeli or Nadir, all of them being evaluated numerically, according to the kind of angle and the planet-angle distance) and quality parameters (rulership, exaltation, exile and fall). Finally, other criteria such as the rulership of the Ascendant and the Midheaven etc. are important.

These different criteria allow a planet to be highlighted and lead to useful conclusions when interpreting the chart.

The overall chart analysis begins with the observation of three sorts of planetary distributions in the chart: Eastern or Western hemisphere, Northern or Southern hemisphere, and quadrants (North-eastern, North-western, South-eastern and South-western). These three distributions give a general tone in terms of introversion and extraversion, willpower, sociability, and behavioural predispositions.

Then, there are three additional distributions: elements (called triplicity since there are three groups of signs for each one) - Fire, Air, Earth and Water - corresponding to a character typology, modality (or quadruplicity with four groups of signs for each one) - Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable - and polarity (Yin and Yang).

There are three types of dominants: dominant planets, dominant signs and dominant houses. The novice thinks astrology means only "to be Aries" or sometimes, for example, "to be Aries Ascendant Virgo". It is actually far more complex. Although the Sun and the Ascendant alone may reveal a large part of the character - approximately a third or a half of your psychological signature, a person is neither "just the Sun" (called the sign) nor just "the first house" (the Ascendant). Thus, a particular planet's influence may be significantly increased; a particular sign or house may contain a group of planets that will bring nuances and sometimes weaken the role of the Ascendant, of the Sun sign etc.

Lastly, there are two other criteria: accentuations (angular, succedent and cadent) which are a classification of astrological houses and types of decanates that are occupied (each sign is divided into three decanates of ten degrees each). They provide some additional informations.

These general character traits must not be taken literally; they are, somehow, preparing for the chart reading. They allow to understand the second part of the analysis, which is more detailed and precise. It focuses on every area of the personality and provides a synthesis of all the above-mentioned parameters according to sound hierarchical rules.

Astrological Quadrants for Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each quadrant is a combination of the four hemispheres of your birth chart and relates to a character typology. The Southern hemisphere – the top of your chart, around the Midheaven – is associated with extraversion, action, and public life, whereas the Northern hemisphere prompts to introversion, reflexion, and private life. The Eastern hemisphere – the left part, around the Ascendant – is linked to your ego and your willpower, whereas the Western hemisphere indicates how other people influence you, and how flexible you are when you make a decision.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the diurnal South-eastern quadrant, consisting of the 10th, 11th and 12th houses, prevails in your chart: assertion and goals achievement are at the centre of your concerns. You are very keen to implement your dreams and your plans. You achieve your ambitions as soon as possible, whether through an active social life, highly charged friendly relations, or an urge to take actions in order to reap - in the eyes of the world, of course - the rewards of your dynamism. It is likely that spirituality or humanitarian actions are part of your motivations, sometimes at the price of some degree of isolation.

Elements, Modes and House Accentuations for Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson, here are the graphs of your Elements and Modes, based on planets' position and angles in the twelve signs:

Cheers for communication and mobility, Ralph Waldo Emerson! The predominance of Air signs in your chart favours and amplifies your taste for relations and for all kinds of short trips, whether real (travels) or symbolic (new ideas, mind speculations). You gain in flexibility and adaptability what you lose in self-assertion or in pragmatism.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fire is dominant in your natal chart and endows you with intuition, energy, courage, self-confidence, and enthusiasm! You are inclined to be passionate, you assert your willpower, you move forward, and come hell or high water, you achieve your dreams and your goals. The relative weakness of this element is the difficulty to step back or a kind of boldness that may prompt you to do foolish things.

Earth qualities are under-represented in your chart, with only 9.21% instead of the average 25%. Deficiency in Earth may indicate that you have no interest in material and concrete values. It is likely that you live too much in your heart or in your mind, or even in your enthusiasm! The fact remains that you may end up in tricky situations, due to your lack of good sense or forethought: material life is unavoidable even if you are rather idealistic, dreamy, or easily content. You must tackle concrete life necessities, for fear of... being forced to cope with them, later, in much more unpleasant ways!

The twelve zodiacal signs are split up into three groups or modes, called quadruplicities, a learned word meaning only that these three groups include four signs. The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes are more or less represented in your natal chart, depending on planets' positions and importance, and on angles in the twelve signs.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Cardinal mode is dominant here and indicates a predisposition to action, and more exactly, to impulsion and to undertake: you are very keen to implement the plans you have in mind, to get things going and to create them. This is the most important aspect that inspires enthusiasm and adrenalin in you, without which you can grow weary rapidly. You are individualistic (maybe too much?) and assertive. You let others strengthen and improve the constructions which you built with fervour.

Houses are split up into three groups: angular, succedent and cadent.

The first ones are the most important ones, the most "noticeable" and energetic houses. They are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses. Their cuspides correspond to four famous angles: Ascendant for the 1st house, Imum Coeli for the 4th house, Descendant, opposite the Ascendant, for the 7th house and Midheaven for the 10th house, opposite the Imum Coeli.

Planets are evaluated according to a whole set of criteria that includes comprehensive Western astrology rules. At their turn, planets emphasize specific types of houses, signs, repartitions etc., as previously explained.

Your angular houses, namely, the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses, are very emphasized in your chart, Ralph Waldo Emerson: according to the Tradition, they are the strongest and most dynamic houses. Should the rest of your chart concur, angular houses suggest that you are an enterprising, energetic and assertive man. Indeed, angular houses are said to generate impulsions and to give a powerful and domineering personality.

Unusual fates are often linked to a predominance of angular houses, but this is only a partial indication...

N.B.: this dominant is a minor one.

Dominants: Planets, Signs and Houses for Ralph Waldo Emerson

The issue of dominant planets has existed since the mists of time in astrology: how nice it would be if a person could be described with a few words and one or several planets that would represent their character, without having to analyse such elements as rulerships, angularities, houses, etc!

The ten planets - the Sun throughout Pluto - are a bit like ten characters in a role-play, each one has its own personality, its own way of acting, its own strengths and weaknesses. They actually represent a classification into ten distinct personalities, and astrologers have always tried to associate one or several dominant planets to a natal chart as well as dominant signs and houses.

Indeed, it is quite the same situation with signs and houses. If planets symbolize characters, signs represent hues - the mental, emotional and physical structures of an individual. The sign in which a planet is posited is like a character whose features are modified according to the place where he lives. In a chart, there are usually one, two or three highlighted signs that allow to rapidly describe its owner.

Regarding astrological houses, the principle is even simpler: the twelve houses correspond to twelve fields of life, and planets tenanting any given house increase that house's importance and highlight all relevant life departments: it may be marriage, work, friendship etc.

In your natal chart, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the ten main planets are distributed as follows:

The three most important planets in your chart are Uranus, the Moon and Mercury.

Uranus is among your dominant planets: just like Neptune and Pluto, Uranian typology is less clearly defined than the so-called classical seven planets that are visible to the naked eye, from the Sun to Saturn. However, it is possible to associate your Uranian nature with a few clear characteristics: Uranus rhymes with independence, freedom, originality, or even rebelliousness and marginality, when things go wrong...

Uranus is Mercury's higher octave and as such, he borrows some of its traits of character; namely, a tendency to intellectualize situations and emotions with affective detachment, or at least jagged affectivity.

Therefore, you are certainly a passionate man who is on the lookout for any kind of action or revolutionary idea, and you are keen on new things. Uranians are never predictable, and it is especially when they are believed to be stable and well settled that... they change everything - their life, partner, and job! In fact, you are allergic to any kind of routine, although avoiding it must give way to many risks.

The Moon is one of the most important planets in your chart and endows you with a receptive, emotive, and imaginative nature. You have an innate ability to instinctively absorb atmospheres and impressions that nurture you, and as a result, you are often dreaming your life away rather than actually living it.

One of the consequences of your spontaneity may turn into popularity, or even fame: the crowd is a living and complex entity, and it always appreciates truth and sincerity rather than calculation and total self-control.

As a Lunar character, you find it difficult to control yourself, you have to deal with your moods, and you must be careful not to stay passive in front of events: nothing is handed on a plate, and although your sensitivity is rich, even richer than most people's, you must make a move and spare some of your energy for... action!

With Mercury among your dominant planets, you are certainly cerebral, nervous, swift, curious, quick-witted, and you love to communicate. Your psychological pattern is intellectual, all the more so since Mercury is important, with its whole set of assets but also of weaknesses, obviously.

Your sensitivity, emotions, and heart's impulses give precedence to thinking, which can lead people to believe that you are a playful and witty but heartless person, intellectualizing situations and juggling with words and numbers whilst ignoring human aspects of things. Of course, it is said that cats always land on their feet - this is your Mercurian strength and your trump card!

Your weakness lies in your nervousness, and you may miss your goal because of your "over-intellectualization" that may be detrimental to other kind of energies such as instinct, spontaneity, heart, sensitivity, etc.

In your natal chart, the three most important signs - according to criteria mentioned above - are in decreasing order of strength Libra, Gemini and Leo. In general, these signs are important because your Ascendant or your Sun is located there. But this is not always the case: there may be a cluster of planets, or a planet may be near an angle other than the Midheaven or Ascendant. It may also be because two or three planets are considered to be very active because they form numerous aspects from these signs.

Thus, you display some of the three signs' characteristics, a bit like a superposition of features on the rest of your chart, and it is all the more so if the sign is emphasized.

With Libra as a dominant sign in your natal chart, you love to please, to charm, and to be likeable. Moreover, you are naturally inclined towards tolerance and moderation, as well as elegance and tact, as if you were meant to please! Of course, you always find malcontents who criticize your lack of authenticity or of courage and your half-heartedness, but your aim is to be liked, and in this field, you are an unrivalled champion!

With Gemini as a dominant sign, your qualities include being lively, curious, mobile, clever, and flexible: you often make others dizzy, and you may come across as a dilettante - a bit inquisitive, shallow, and insensitive because you may be too intellectualizing. However, your natural curiosity, a nice quality, and your quick humour, allow you to demonstrate to everyone how much they may gain from your company, and that your apparent flightiness hides an appetite (particularly mental) for life, which itself conceals a terrific charm!

With Leo as a dominant sign, you naturally shine brightly. Your dignity, your sense of honour, and your generosity can almost turn you into a solar mythological hero, a knight or a lord from the ancient times. People may blame you for your selfishness, your pride or your somewhat loud authority, but if you are self-confident, kind-hearted and strong-willed, it surely makes up for your little flaws, as long as they remain moderate...

The 10th, 12th and 8th houses are the most prominent ones in your birth chart. From the analysis of the most tenanted houses, the astrologer identifies your most significant fields or spheres of activity. They deal with what you are experiencing - or what you will be brought to experience one day - or they deal with your inner motivations.

With a prominent 10th house, your destiny's achievement may be very notable: the 10th house represents your career, your public life, and your ambitions. A good deal of your energy may thus be used to successfully implement what you have in mind. Instinctively, you are very keen to make your dreams come true. Sooner or later, you will deal with the public, and your personal achievement will go through trials and ordeals: other people and visible actions.

The 12th house is emphasized in your chart: like the 8th house, it has a rich and complex meaning. Although its bad reputation is likely to scare most readers in the first place - it is indeed the house of hidden or isolated places, of solitude, of ordeals or enemies - it can also mean that a part of your life is very deep and intense. If your achievements are not visible in the public eye, you may fulfil yourself in a different but equally important way: you may be involved in secret activities, humanitarian causes, and projects in favour of disadvantaged people. You are likely to work in quiet and remote places. In many cases, you will gain from these hidden activities as many treasures as people who have a more public destiny. It may be because you sublimate your work, or only because you successfully carry out your task within your environment. There is no such things as a good or a bad house, because each area of life is necessary in its own way, and we need all of them, if we are to improve spiritually.

Your 8th house is very highlighted: it is the most complex house of the Zodiac. It symbolizes above all passion and transformation, which often go hand in hand. Indeed, you have a tendency to experience everything to the bitter end, and you overstep propriety borders because you want to understand everything, even what is... forbidden. This house relates to complex spheres such as sexuality, possessions and dispossessions that don't depend on you (inheritances, donations, sudden financial losses), death too - not yours in particular, so, don't worry! - and understanding of hidden or occult things: here are the fields that affect you generally, because you are naturally interested in them or because life gets you involved in spite of yourself.

After this paragraph about dominant planets, of Ralph Waldo Emerson, here are the character traits that you must read more carefully than the previous texts since they are very specific: the texts about dominant planets only give background information about the personality and remain quite general: they emphasize or, on the contrary, mitigate different particularities or facets of a personality. A human being is a complex whole and only bodies of texts can attempt to successfully figure out all the finer points.

The Moon in Leo and in House 10: his sensitivity

Recherchant l'attention et l'approbation des autres, vous avez besoin Ralph Waldo Emerson d'extérioriser vos émotions, de les interpréter et même de les jouer de façon théâtrale parfois car il est essentiel pour vous d'occuper le devant de la scène et de briller. Vous souhaitez faire toujours plus sinon mieux que les autres et vous vous efforcez donc, quelle que soit la situation, de vous montrer chaleureux, généreux, loyal, honnête, droit et courageux. Vous êtes toujours disponible quand on a besoin de votre aide ou de vos conseils et vous êtes fier et heureux de pouvoir rendre service. Attention toutefois à ne pas trop imposer votre présence légèrement dominatrice ! Vous n'êtes pas toujours indispensable et l'on pourrait vous reprocher de vous comporter de manière quelque peu égocentrique et autoritaire quand vous tentez de prendre les choses en main sans tenir compte de l'avis des personnes qui vous entourent. Il serait dommage de donner de vous cette image alors que, manquant peut-être de confiance en vous, vous cherchez tout simplement à vous rassurer...

Votre carrière ou votre accomplissement professionnel, Ralph Waldo Emerson, sont les domaines où vos émotions vont pouvoir être abondamment canalisées. Souvent populaire, notamment auprès des femmes, vous avez en vous l'instinct de plaire au public et à la foule. Cette popularité est souvent due à votre côté changeant, léger,... (excerpt)

Mercury in Gemini and in House 9: his intellect and social life

Une intelligence curieuse, une compréhension immédiate ainsi que des intérêts variés vous poussent Ralph Waldo Emerson tout naturellement vers les autres en toutes circonstances afin d'échanger des idées et d'exercer votre sens de la répartie. Avec vous, les pensées comme les actions doivent être rapides et vous risquez de vous montrer impatient, voire critique et ironique avec les personnes qui ne peuvent soutenir votre rythme effréné. Très adaptable, vous pouvez facilement faire plusieurs choses à la fois tout en réfléchissant à une action future car vous avez sans cesse besoin d'être en mouvement. Et même si l'on vous reproche parfois une tendance à la superficialité, à la dispersion ainsi que votre goût à dissimuler quelque peu la vérité, vous vous sortirez toujours des situations délicates avec une facilité incroyable tant vous pouvez être astucieux, rusé et charmeur.

Votre esprit est vagabond, Ralph Waldo Emerson, dans le sens le plus noble du terme : vous vous intéressez au domaine des hautes connaissances, que ce soit dans le domaine moral, spirituel, politique ou religieux. Très tôt, ce qui est loin vous attire, ce qui vous donne une... (excerpt)

Venus in Aries and in House 7, and the Sun in Gemini: his affectivity and seductiveness

Dans votre thème, le Soleil est en Gémeaux, Vénus en Bélier. Deux Signes aussi naturellement prédisposés à la spontanéité que les Gémeaux et le Bélier ne sauraient marquer les destins affectifs ternes et sans aventure ni conquête. Aventure avec un Soleil Gémeaux dont la curiosité est légendaire, la soif de découvrir intarissable. Plus que d'autres, il vous faut vous laisser surprendre, étonner. Parce que chaque relation est à priori enrichissante, chaque dialogue significatif. Conquête avec la Vénus Bélier, laquelle incite au naturel des comportements affectifs, à la fougue, aux attitudes dictées par l'instinct ou l'urgence du moment. Aimer intensément, au jour le jour, et toujours renouveler les raisons d'aimer : votre affectivité est ouverte à de multiples possibles, à des expériences fortes et variées. Ce qui ne signifie pas évidemment une instabilité irrémédiable. Mais sans doute vous faudra-t-il apprendre à nourrir une relation durable, à ne jamais la laisser s'enliser, s'ancrer dans une sécurité stérile. Faute de quoi vous risquez fort de vous lasser, les comportements routiniers ou casaniers devenant au fil du temps de plus en plus indigestes ! Un partenaire stable ne peut que vous aider à trouver un équilibre parfois compromis par votre soif d'évolution et d'expériences. Mais un partenaire pantouflard - physiquement, psychologiquement ou intellectuellement - ne saurait vous combler pleinement. A moins bien sûr que vous preniez vous-même l'initiative d'une vie affective exaltante. En variant les plaisirs et les humeurs.

Coup de foudre, feu de paille, impulsivité amoureuse ? Tout cela représente votre façon d'aimer Ralph Waldo Emerson, ou plutôt de tomber amoureux et de garder tout au long de votre relation cette sorte de ressenti saccadé et vif qui peut paraître parfois un peu infantile ou en tout cas naïf  mais si généreux et gai ! Vous êtes indéniablement possessif et peu soucieux de ce que pense votre partenaire, mais heureusement, votre spontanéité et votre authenticité permettent facilement de vous faire pardonner. Quand l'intensité est là, tout va bien. Pas de romantisme ni de prise de tête avec vous, vous aimez avec ardeur et le seul risque pour votre couple, en dehors de quelques emballements - ou plutôt d'occasions et d'herbe tendre prises ici ou là - est que l'ennui s'installe et si c'est le cas, vous partirez sans le moindre regret et oublierez aussi vite ce qui vous consumait il y a peu de temps.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, votre chaleur et votre séduction sont au service de votre futur ou actuel mariage ! Vénus en maison 7 vous apporte un aspect d'engagement, de demande de réciprocité et de concret dans l'expression de vos sentiments, et fait naturellement place belle à votre désir d'être... (excerpt)

The Ascendant is in Libra and the ruler of the Ascendant is Venus, in Aries: his behaviour

The ruler of the Ascendant, also referred to as the chart ruler, brings a few interesting nuances to the meanings provided by the Sun and the Ascendant. The sign in which the ruler of the Ascendant is posited fine-tunes the style of personality described by the Sun and the Ascendant. It may strengthen it if the sign is identical to either of them.

The ruler of the Ascendant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, is Venus. It is located in Aries and adds a note of rapidity and impulsiveness into your chart. You have a spontaneous and enterprising side which prompts you to take action quickly and to be a pioneer. However, as a consequence of this refreshing impetuosity, you may get bored quite quickly and move on to something else if you lose your enthusiasm.

The Sun in Gemini and in House 8: his will and inner motivations

Une chose est certaine, Ralph Waldo Emerson, vos motivations ne peuvent être facilement cernées tant cette configuration est un petit peu à part et plutôt compliquée. Tout ce qui est du domaine des émotions est amplifié pour vous, vous avez tendance à mettre de la passion dans presque... (excerpt)

Mars in Leo and in House 10: his ability to take action

Quelle énergie Ralph Waldo Emerson ! Que d'initiatives et de force pour agir, construire ou combattre ! Vous faites partie des conquérants, loyaux et soucieux du panache et votre vitalité est telle que vous pourrez l'utiliser sans peine pour arriver à vos objectifs et exercer toute votre créativité. Vous êtes cependant si fier et si entier qu'il n'est pas question pour vous de distinguer chez autrui une once de contrariété sur votre route : vous risqueriez alors, si vexé, de courir dans la direction opposée par réaction. Sexuellement, votre magnétisme et votre énergie font des merveilles et en plus vous n'êtes pas compliqué, il suffit pour que tout se passe au mieux que l'on  respecte votre nature un peu dominatrice et que l'on vous porte un minimum d'admiration. Vous avez en général confiance en vous et en votre réussite et c'est ce trait de caractère particulier qui parfois peut faire de vous un vrai héros à la force herculéenne et au charisme solaire.

Votre énergie et votre capacité d'action sont au service de votre carrière et de votre destin tout court, Ralph Waldo Emerson : pas de doute, c'est là une des configurations planétaires les plus simples et les plus claires. Pas d'hésitation, pour vous, agir, c'est lutter pour grimper dans... (excerpt)

Conclusion

This text is only an excerpt from the portrait of of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which we hope will inspire you to deepen your knowledge of astrology.

Regarding the sources of the birth data in our possession, kindly note that the pages we publish constitute a starting point for more detailed research, even though they seem useful to us. When the sources are contradictory, which occurs rarely, after having analysed them, we choose the most reliable one. Sometimes, we publish a birth date just because it is made available, but we do not claim that is it the best one, by no means.