Star Parenting: What Astrology Reveals About Your Child's Personality and Potential

By Sherrynne Dalby

Fun, detailed, and accessible, this guide for parents to their child's birth sign reveals their strengths, vulnerabilities, and potential Parenting can be a tricky business, but help is at hand—this insightful and informative new book will help parents understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of their child, and how to encourage and nurture them and help them thrive—all with a little help from the stars. Packed full of practical tips, this book covers a whole range of parenting issues from toilet training to fun activities aimed at stimulating creativity and intelligence, and from breastfeeding to sleeping routines. It also offers an informative look at the compatibility between parents and their children—where they will support each other, and areas where they are likely to clash—all based on their star signs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspired Living
• Release date: Jul 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781741765861

Book preview

Sherrynne Dalby

What astrology reveals about your child’s personality and potential

The information in this book is intended as a guide only, and should not substitute medical care or advice. Always consult your doctor about supplements, dietary requirements and general medical advice in the first instance.

First published in 2009

Copyright © Sherrynne Dalby 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

Inspired Living, an imprint of

Allen & Unwin

83 Alexander Street

Crows Nest NSW 2065

Australia

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.allenandunwin.com

Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available

from the National Library of Australia

www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au

ISBN 978 1 74175 766 8

Internal design by fisheye design, Sydney

Set in 10.5/14 pt Goudy Oldstyle by Bookhouse, Sydney

Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To parents and children everywhere—and

particularly to my own: Samantha, Nicole,

Cassandra, Jarrad, Caitlin, Liam and Thomas.

Contents

Foreword

Your child’s potential

What kind of parent are you?

How you relate to your child

Parent–child combinations

Your child

Peer group

Children of their generation

Your baby’s first years

School and beyond

Your child’s personality

Aries child

Taurus child

Gemini child

Cancer child

Leo child

Virgo child

Libra child

Scorpio child

Sagittarius child

Capricorn child

Aquarius child

Pisces child

A little more on personality types

Glossary

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Star Parenting offers a uniquely deep understanding of your child and outlines the various stages along the way to unlocking their potential, step by step.

The explanation of each planet’s connection to your child’s personality shows how these planets influence each of the developmental stages of childhood and why children reach their milestones at different stages. For each individual sign of the zodiac I have discussed the three main elements that determine your child’s personality. These are the Sun, Moon and ascendant. ‘Your child’s will’ refers to the Sun in your child’s horoscope, ‘Your child’s emotions’ to the Moon sign and ‘First impressions’ to your child’s ascendant sign. It is best to read all three for a better overall picture of your individual child’s makeup.

Additional factors to take into consideration are how the planets affect our children and how, when any two planets make a connection, they affect and influence each other. This is especially of interest when looking at the primary components of the horoscope, the Sun, Moon and the point directly overhead (midheaven, or MC) and rising (ascendant) at the time of birth.

The MC and ascendant, also known as the angles, are of particular importance. It has been shown that planets rising (on the ascendant) or culminating (on the MC) at the time of birth have the greatest impact on career choice and success in our chosen fields.

We are all unique individuals and as such follow our own drumbeat. Many factors help to shape us: heredity, socioeconomic status, culture, religion and nature each play their part. The natural side of life follows the rhythm of the seasons as we travel around the Sun, along with the other planets. Our combined journey impacts on everything taking part and we are influenced by all of the planets. When we understand and follow these natural rhythms ourselves, life becomes clearer and simpler and we find we are better able to reach our goals.

Note: if you wish to see your child’s full horoscope, you can do so without charge on my website, www.heavenschild.com.au. To help you understand your child’s chart, I have listed at the end of this book all the symbols used.

Your child’s potential

Your child’s horoscope can reveal many things that will give you a head start from the moment of your child’s birth. Why do some babies need lots of physical contact, while others don’t enjoy being held tightly? Why do some children go to bed and straight to sleep every night, while others are still wide awake long after you are ready for bed? Why are some kids easygoing and have no problem making friends, while others prefer their own company? Your child’s horoscope answers these questions and more. As well as showing possible areas of conflict or difficulty for your child, their horoscope also provides solutions, so you can put in place strategies to help overcome problems before or as they arise.

It’s much easier to be a better and more informed parent and to know how to protect and nurture your child when you understand what’s best for them. Through your child’s horoscope a trained astrologer can see at a glance if your child is more likely to have allergies or susceptibility to other health issues. They can also see if your child is likely to have fears or phobias, and how and when these are likely to manifest. Just as your child’s genes will determine the colour of their eyes, skin or hair, so their birth chart shows personality characteristics, what type of activities they prefer, even their food preferences.

As you will see, astrology gives us wonderful insights into the various stages of childhood development and why these stages occur when they do. Most people have heard of the ‘terrible twos’, for example, but Star Parenting explains why this occurs at the age of two and not three or four. Why do babies become ‘clingy’ at around six months and why do some children find socialising so easy while others have so much difficulty in this area? These quesions are all answered in commonsense and easy-to-understand language that puts you in the position of knowing rather than wondering.

You will also gain insights about yourself as a parent. Why does one child always seem to know which buttons to push? Why does it seem easier or harder to relate to particular children? With Star Parenting you will understand more about psychological motivators and how to work with them. These insights will help you improve your parenting skills, create a better relationship with your child and put your son or daughter on the path that will unlock their hidden potential. Wouldn’t it be great to know from the time your child was very young the career path they will be most suited to, and to be able to put the right tools at their fingertips from a young age? With Star Parenting you will be in a much more informed position to do just that. Whether your child is a potential artist, scientist, teacher, lawyer, musician or plumber, you will be able to provide them with activities that will suit their needs.

I have been at the births of all of my grandchildren. As I was aware of where the planets were during each labour, I was able to predict the major characteristics of my grandchildren even before they were born. I was able to tell my daughter, Caitlin, that her baby girl would be a fussy feeder, so she didn’t feel a failure when breastfeeding proved difficult. As a result, Caitlin was able to utilise feeding practices that suited her daughter’s individual needs. Olivia is now a happy four-year-old with a healthy appetite. Too often, parents experience feelings of guilt and failure when there is a problem. But rather than failing to be a ‘good’ parent, it is usually simply a case of not understanding their child’s needs.

Astrology is brilliant at helping parents fill in the gaps. It’s not surprising that astrology is so helpful; it is the oldest science known to man. Most of our ‘modern’ sciences developed from the study of the heavens. The ancients living in Mesopotamia created the longest continuous record of scientific observation in human history, spanning several thousand years. Their observations not only plotted the movement of heavenly bodies but also recorded daily the events that coincided with these movements: as above, so below. The modern astrologer draws on over four thousand years of accumulated learning when interpreting the position of the Earth and other planets at any given moment in time, for example, in the birth horoscope.

Coming from a large family and myself the mother of seven children, I have had plenty of experience with family dynamics and how different individual children can be. But it wasn’t until I began a study of astrology that I gained the insights I had been missing. Knowing the nuances of your child’s personality traits, their individual potential, and the timing of their stages of development is something all parents struggle with, and astrology provides the key to understanding.

For example, you probably wouldn’t be aware that your child’s ability to communicate—when they will utter their first word, and so on—is connected with the movement of the planet Mercury in their chart. The development of motor skills—when your child takes their first steps—is related to the planet Mars, while specific likes and dislikes can be traced to the placement of Venus and the Moon at the time of their birth.

Star Parenting goes into much greater depth than the popular Sun sign—more commonly called star sign—astrology. In fact, it will plainly show you why your child may not be, say, a typical Aries or Taurus. It will instead show you who they really are.

One of the criticisms levelled at astrology is that it only uses one of twelve Sun signs to describe an individual’s personality. In fact, each person’s horoscope is a unique combination of Sun, Moon and the other eight planets in our solar system. Simply by adding the Moon sign to the Sun sign we go from twelve to 144 possible ‘personality types’. When we add the other planets, such complex combinations are created that it makes each moment in time unique; the horoscope for a birth can never be repeated.

The advantage of astrology over any of the ‘personality’ tests is that it offers a clear map for our life course, from the moment we draw our first breath. You, the parent, will have this advantage: knowing and understanding your child’s predisposition, you can create a world that will nurture and encourage them in safety and comfort.

You will be able to clearly discern their different developmental stages and why these occur at different times, understanding that each child operates on their own schedule. In a fast-moving, constantly changing world, Star Parenting offers you the tools to work with your child in a relaxed and easy manner, helping them achieve their full potential in life.

What kind of parent are you?

Before we get to know your child’s horoscope, it’s useful to know where your own strengths and weaknesses lie in the area of parenting. So take a look at the following section to see where you are at. How you react as a parent will also depend on what sign your child is. Knowing the possibilities and potential flashpoints will help you be the best mum or dad possible.

Being under the rulership of the planet Mars, Aries embodies the fiery characteristics of the red planet. It is also a fire sign and of the cardinal or initiating quality. Arians are active by nature, and this includes their parenting style. As initiators, this is what they do best, leaving the finishing to someone else. The Aries parent takes to parenting in the same way as they approach anything in life: head-on. As Aries can themselves be very childlike, they generally relate quite well to children. As parents, they actively encourage their children to be involved in physical pastimes. Like the Aries child, they can be quick to flare up, but just as quickly let anger go.

The Aries father can be a little overbearing, leading by example rather than words. More sensitive children can feel intimidated and this dad needs to learn to read the signals coming from his children. However, he will be warm and affectionate to his children, and enjoy being an active participant in their lives. He can be a little like a supplanted older sibling when a new baby first arrives, and still needs to feel he is important to his partner. There can be a tendency with the Aries father to not know when too much of a good thing is harmful, such as a tickle match just before bedtime. Try to keep the more exuberant play for before bath- or dinnertime and try more gentle play or a bedtime story just before bed.

The Aries mother doesn’t mollycoddle her children. Taking care of the practicalities, she expects a certain level of independence and self-sufficiency in her children and is not overly fussy. She will be a firm disciplinarian, expecting obedience. She will teach her children to believe in magic and fairytales, and she will enjoy walking in her child’s fantasy. Like the Aries father, this mother needs to be aware that her sometimes brash manner can be upsetting to her more sensitive children, in particular those born under the water signs.

The challenge for Aries parents is to remember that they are the parent, as sometimes they can behave more like the child. Aries parents should endeavour to curb some of the Aries impulsiveness, which can be unnerving to the more sensitive child or the child who likes predictability and routine. Join your children in their fantasy and creative play but remember to set the boundaries and keep them. Your children will look to you for guidance and reassurance as they grow. Encourage their independence but don’t push them too soon. Try to have some sort of routine, even if it is only a loose one.

Taurus is under the rulership of Venus, the planet associated with love and sensuality. It is also of the element earth and a fixed sign. This gives Taurus a reputation for stability, or, in the eyes of some, stubbornness. Calm and solid: this is the Taurean, until something or someone gets them riled. Taurus enjoys the simple comforts of life, good food, the peace of the countryside, a warm bed and lots of hugs. Generally a homebody, they fall into the role of parenthood without too much fuss, as long as they are able to preserve a semblance of their normal routine.

The Taurus father will be openly loving and patient and willing to spend time teaching their child anything he feels is important, and a lot of these lessons will revolve around the need for security. He administers discipline firmly but fairly. It takes a lot to rile this parent and others may be amazed at the restraint he shows when trying to instil respect and tolerance into his offspring. There can be a tendency to rule with an iron fist and be inflexible. He will be warm and sympathetic when needed but also able to give sound practical advice.

The Taurus mother is in her element with the baby and toddler in her life but may have difficulty when that cute cuddly little being turns into the hormone-fuelled teenager. Partly due to her love of beauty and peace, the Taurus mother can be too strict and demanding. She expects her children to be obedient, and can become the angry bull if she feels her discipline is being thwarted. She will not tolerate laziness in her children and gives them a strong sense of responsibility.

The challenge for the Taurean parent is to rise above the natural inclination to be overcautious and overprotective of their children. It is also important to learn flexibility and that there can be other perspectives outside yours. Allow your children some freedom; otherwise they can feel they are being suffocated.

Being a mutable air sign, under the governorship of Mercury, Gemini is a social and an intellectual sign. This creates a tendency to spend a lot of time ‘in the head’. Gemini parents are great at coming up with answers but the tendency to avoid emotional situations can leave their children feeling emotionally abandoned. Geminis tend to express their ever-present ‘inner child’ when interacting with children, and the Gemini parent ensures their child has access to any number of extracurricular activities but can feel totally at a loss when faced with their child’s emotional demands. Socially conscious, they will entertain the neighbourhood, but may fall down in providing one-on-one time with their own child.

The Gemini father does not generally make a good disciplinarian and although he is unlikely to lose his temper physically, his natural cutting wit can do serious damage to the developing young ego of his child. Consistency is something Geminis can have a problem with, yet children need consistency in order to feel secure. Dad will be in his element being a big kid with his children and will be quite happy to get on the floor and play and help his children to be relaxed with themselves. At the same time, though, he needs to be able to provide them with stability and security.

The Gemini mother also relishes the fun side of parenthood. She will instil a sense of independence into her brood but they may feel a lack of stability. This mother will be concerned with her child’s academic achievements but needs to guard against this being the only way her child can gain her approval. She can spend hours lost in imagination and play with her children, encouraging their minds to expand, which can also be helpful for bonding. But it is equally important to give them a routine and security.

The challenge for the Gemini parent is to be consistent with discipline and responsibility. The natural tendency is to be fluid and changeable, but children need firm boundaries and security. Consistency offers children security.

Cancer is a cardinal water sign and under the rulership of the Moon. The Cancerian is the natural sign of mother and home and, as such, generally makes a caring, if somewhat unpredictable, parent. Good humour and a wonderful ability to mimic make them fun parents. Sensitive both to their own and others’ needs, Cancerians are generally concerned for the wellbeing of those they care about. As a parent they can be controlling, born from their own fears. ‘Don’t climb that tree; you might fall’, is a likely response to the sight of their child attempting independence and expanding their horizons.

The Cancer father is caring, gentle and sympathetic, has a great sense of humour and enjoys the opportunity to play. Even the local kids will beat a path to his door. He is proud and fiercely protective of his children, ultimately patient and is genuinely concerned for their wellbeing. The problems manifest with this father when the children get older and begin to show their independence. Cancer needs to be needed. His love and concern, while admirable, can be seen as controlling by his children. The art is to find that fine line and not step over it too often.

The Cancer mother creates a warm and comfortable environment for her children. She may not be the neatest housekeeper, but the home will always be welcoming, with wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen as she tempts her brood with her latest culinary efforts. The Cancer mother tends to resort to comfort-feeding to solve all ills and this can result in an overfed child physically and a mother who is overly manipulative or clingy when it comes to her children. Emotional manipulation can be the price for comfort.

The challenge for Cancer parents is to move beyond their own fear base and allow their child some freedom. It is important to allow the child to develop into his or her own person and eventually to leave the safety and comfort of the nest.

Leo is a fixed fire sign, ruled by the Sun. As the Sun is the centre of the solar system, many Leos also consider themselves to be the centre, around which everything else revolves. Like their animal namesake, the Leo parent will defend his or her young to the death. Leos