Ismail Merchant: Astrological Article and Chart

Horoscope and chart of Ismail Merchant

Astrological portrait of Ismail Merchant (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 Ismail Merchant'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.

N.B.: as this celebrity's birth time is unknown, the chart is arbitrarily calculated for 12:00 PM - the legal time for his/her place of birth; since astrological houses are not taken into account, this astrological profile excerpt is less detailed than those for which the birth time is known.

The dominant planets of Ismail Merchant

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.

Warning: when the birth time is unknown, which is the case for Ismail Merchant, a few paragraphs become irrelevant; distributions in hemispheres and quadrants are meaningless, so are dominant houses and houses' accentuations. Therefore, some chapters are removed from this part.

For all paragraphs, the criteria for valuation are calculated without taking into account angles and rulerships of the Ascendant and of the Midheaven. The methodology retains its validity, but it is less precise without a time of birth.

Elements and Modes for Ismail Merchant

Like the majority of Earth signs, Ismail Merchant, you are efficient, concrete and not too emotional. What matters to you is what you see: you judge the tree by its fruits. Your ideas keep changing, words disappear, but actions and their consequences are visible and remain. Express your sensitivity, even if it means revealing your vulnerability. Emotions, energy and communication must not be neglected; concrete action is meaningless if it is not justified by your heart, your intellect or your enthusiasm.

Cheers for communication and mobility, Ismail Merchant! 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.

Fire's qualities are not very present in your chart, with only 0.00% instead of the average 25%, which means that you may lack warmth, enthusiasm, conquering spirit, or energy. You may look indifferent to others, with almost no desire, no joy of life or no enterprising ability. Actually, it is not true, but you should let go, force yourself to be more daring, and show your amazement as well as your vitality. You certainly have as much energy as others, you just need to release it, and it is up to you to display more of it, since it will be all to your benefit: shout, sing, pull faces, dance! That's the right mean for you... In the end, you'll never be accused of being sad, phlegmatic or a killjoy!

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.

Ismail Merchant, 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.

Dominants: Planets, Signs and Houses for Ismail Merchant

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, Ismail Merchant, the ten main planets are distributed as follows:

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

Saturn is part of your dominant planets: among the facets of your character, you have a grave and serious side, wise and somewhat severe, since your concentration can be powerful, to the detriment of carelessness and friendliness.

You often look austere, but it is only an appearance, a kind of modesty or reserve; however, it is true that the Saturnian, who is fond of time, effort, asceticism, rigour and sobriety, may have popularity issues. Nevertheless, honesty and straightforwardness, reliability, as well as slow, wise and deep mental process, although not very popular and visible qualities, eventually become noticed and appreciated. Saturnians' second part of life is usually easier and more fulfilling.

Like the Jupiterian, your Saturnian facet prompts you to seek the essential, security, and longevity. However, the difference with the former is that you will never give priority to wealth or "the bigger, the better" philosophy for the sake of power. Saturn, like Jupiter, symbolizes social integration, and it is usually considered positive to have a harmonic Jupiter and Saturn in one's chart because of their social adaptation capacities.

Your vulnerability lies in your too serious and austere side, which may lead to unwanted loneliness and affective frustration. This generally does not last because Saturnians often hide deep down a golden heart that ends up revealing itself...

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.

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!

In your natal chart, the three most important signs - according to criteria mentioned above - are in decreasing order of strength Capricorn, Taurus and Aquarius. 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.

Capricorn is one of your dominant signs and endows you with a grave and serious style that seems to stick to you constantly. But if you have that reserved and cold side - as some extrovert people may think - on the other hand, you possess sturdy qualities: you are strong-willed and tough. Your long-term vision, your sense of duty, and your ambition are not affected by the derisory and erratic motions that seem to upset most mortals less steady than you. Besides, you are like a good wine, you age well and your natural solemnity or serious side paradoxically turns into an almost cheerful appearance, as you grow older. You are actually very sensitive when it comes to love. Faithful, caring, sweet, and sensitive, your behaviour is very different in your everyday, sentimental life. A golden heart beats under your tough and austere appearance...

With the Taurus sign so important in your chart, you are constructive, stable, and sensual. Good taste, sense of beauty, manners, and unfailing good sense - all these qualities contribute to your charm and seductive power. Furthermore, if some people criticize your slow pace and your stubbornness, you rightly reply that this is the price for your security, and that you like the way it is - slow and steady....

Aquarius is one of the most important signs in your natal chart: it endows your personality - at least one of its facets - with originality, to the point of eccentricity, in spite of a sometimes distant and humane side. Likeable and impassive at the same time, you are a paradoxical man, very hard to define because the two planets Uranus and Saturn blend their qualities to create the so complicated and endearing sign that inspires your character. Saturn's seriousness and impassivity is added to Uranus' rebellion, talent, individualism, charisma, extravagance, and unpredictability! One of your main characteristics is that you never open up on a personal basis, but you tend to do so easily in public. You are actually quite strange. Sexy and charming in public, despite your nice and sociable character, you could frustrate many of your admirers in private because of your impossibility to show deep and warm affection, emotions, tears... But appearance and reality are two different things anyway - you are a kind of a genius, or you have at least a tremendous charm with this sign. You have many friends and an active social life. If you are detached in your love life - only in this aspect, since the rest of chart will confirm it or not - this is no big deal!

After this paragraph about dominant planets, of Ismail Merchant, 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 Taurus: his sensitivity

Amoureux de la nature tout autant que de votre confort, vous êtes Ismail Merchant, un épicurien désireux de profiter des belles et bonnes choses de la vie au sein d'un "clan" familial ou amical qui apprécie votre convivialité et votre amabilité. Fidèle, stable, les pieds sur terre, vous êtes quelqu'un sur qui l'on peut compter en toute circonstance. Attaché à votre sécurité affective et matérielle, la jalousie et la possessivité ne vous sont pas étrangères et vous pouvez, bien que de nature plutôt lente, vous montrer très rapidement colérique et agressif lorsque vous vous sentez menacé dans ces domaines. Vous ferez alors preuve d'un entêtement et d'une fureur rares et l'on aura bien du mal à vous faire changer d'avis. Même si vous êtes conscient que votre attitude n'est pas réellement adaptée, vous camperez sur vos positions et garderez une rancune tenace. Vous êtes cependant si sensible à la tendresse et aux marques concrètes d'affection qu'avec quelques cadeaux ou câlins, vous finirez bien par revoir tout en rose...

Mercury in Capricorn: his intellect and social life

Vous avez besoin Ismail Merchant de vous concentrer sur un sujet, d'approfondir votre recherche et d'aller au bout de votre raisonnement avec persévérance et détermination. Vous êtes le type même du penseur qui a besoin de temps et souvent même d'isolement pour méditer longuement et laisser son esprit sérieux, méthodique et rigoureux donner sa pleine mesure. Mais vous avez également les pieds sur terre et les idées devront être suivies d'applications concrètes pour susciter votre intérêt, comme par exemple les mathématiques appliquées à la physique. Privilégiant l'essentiel, vous portez un regard lucide sur le monde qui vous entoure même si vous parlez peu et préférez agir avec prudence. On pourra peut-être vous trouver froid et ambitieux mais vos propos seront toujours sincères et empreints de bon sens. Prenez garde cependant à ne pas trop vous fermer aux autres en vous montrant comme quelqu'un de parfois hautain et intolérant...

Venus in Aquarius and the Sun in Capricorn: his affectivity and seductiveness

Dans votre thème, le Soleil est en Capricorne, Vénus en Verseau. Configuration choc que celle-ci, opposant deux idéalismes affectifs : pour le Capricorne, l'amour se construit, se protège, se perpétue... Pour la Vénus Verseau, l'amour est en devenir, le désir vient de la promesse d'une future émotion. Traditionnellement, on accorde à cette configuration un caractère cérébral. Les élans du coeur ne sont que l'un des aspects d'une relation épanouie. Comptent aussi les aspirations intellectuelles, les échanges fraternels, le fait de se sentir en étroite communion. Equilibre fragile, certes, mais exaltant... La Vénus Verseau interdit de figer une relation que le Soleil en Capricorne s'évertue à protéger. Ce qui semblait digéré une fois pour toutes est à ré-inventer. Les deux Signes se complètent, ou se heurtent : car il se pourrait que vos désirs contrarient vos desseins et bousculent vos conceptions. Ou bien les valeurs Capricorne l'emportent et interdisent l'inattendu (mais qui vous séduit alors ?). Ou la Vénus Verseau, sensible au charme de perspectives neuves, malmène le monde structuré du Soleil Capricorne. Votre équilibre affectif passe par le défi. Car les deux Signes en présence peuvent trouver leur compte dans une certaine quête de l'absolu affectif (les mauvaises langues ou les ignorants disent l'inaccessible). On vous qualifie sans doute d'idéaliste à juste titre. Mais quoi de plus beau qu'un idéal ?

Beaucoup plus cérébral et amical que vraiment passionné dans le domaine amoureux, vous êtes, Ismail Merchant, plutôt fait pour l'amitié amoureuse, les sentiments fins et légers où chacun garde sa liberté et peut-être presque un détachement et une absence d'implication réelle. Parfois, vous pouvez rester un certain temps distant et absolument indifférent aux affaires de coeur, complètement mobilisé par vos activités intellectuelles originales ou vos projets humanitaires dans une ambiance collective que vous affectionnez tant. Vous substituez ainsi à la relation amoureuse un grand nombre de contacts amicaux et légers et il faut dire que souvent, cela vous suffit. Pour que vous tombiez amoureux, vous avez besoin d'un peu de piment, une dose de surprise et d'admiration pour l'originalité de votre partenaire ; à ces conditions, vous pouvez fort bien exprimer vos sentiments et les vivre pleinement dans une ambiance sans contraintes ou le respect de la liberté est parfaitement partagé dans votre couple.

The Sun in Capricorn: his will and inner motivations

Mars in Libra: his ability to take action

Ismail Merchant, on ne peut pas dire que vous êtes spécialement agressif ! En réalité, il en faut généralement beaucoup pour vous puissiez exprimer votre colère car vous êtes plutôt du genre hésitant et peu enclin à prendre des risques ; en fait vous avez par dessus tout horreur de la violence et vous préférez laisser faire plutôt que d'intervenir. La modération et la juste mesure en toute chose ont nettement votre préférence. Un des rares domaines qui peut déclencher votre départ en guerre est peut-être lorsque vous constatez une grande injustice, qu'elle concerne vous-même ou quelqu'un de faible et désarmé. Dans le domaine de l'action comme celui de la sexualité, vous n'êtes pas spécialement impulsif et préférez nettement que votre partenaire vous montre la voie à suivre, avec sérénité et douceur si possible. A vrai dire, les formes et caractéristiques de votre libido sont beaucoup conditionnées par le reste de votre personnalité.

Conclusion

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

Since the birth time is unknown,, these portrait excerpts do not take into account the parameters derived from the time, which means, the domification (Ascendant, astrological houses, etc.). Nonetheless, these analyses remain accurate in any case.

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.