The Locomotive Horoscope

This type of horoscope occurs when about one third of the circle is empty. Naturally, this means that the other two thirds of the wheel are filled with planets. It is important to remember that this is measured by SIGNS (which are always 30 degrees, the same size) and not by houses (houses vary in size).

People with this type of horoscope tend to leave their own personal stamp on everything they do, like Henry Ford did with his cars (yes, his horoscope had this shape). They also always seem to be looking for new worlds to conquer. The name 搇ocomotive?was given to this particular chart type by the late Mark Edmund Jones who likened it to the wheel of an old fashioned steam locomotive. These were built deliberately imbalanced to make it easier for the engine to get moving.

The way to find the most important planet in the horoscope is to just point to the empty space, that empty one third of the circle. Then, move your finger COUNTERCLOCKWISE until you reach a planet. That planet, known as the cutting planet, is the most important one in the horoscope. And just like the case of the funnel chart, if you look up the interpretation of that planet by house, sign, and aspect, you will have the essence of the horoscope and the person.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Question:

What is the cutting planet and where is it placed?

The cutting planet is Jupiter, planet of optimism, expansiveness, and 搇uck? It is in the sign of Gemini (communications) in the 6th House (work). Jupiter rules the sign of Sagittarius, which is the Rising Sign, the sign at the beginning of the first house (the self). When the ruler of the rising sign is placed in the 6th House, the person tends to become a workaholic. In this case, the work would have to do with communications. Jupiter also makes a trine aspect (120 degrees, considered an aspect of 搇uck? to the Mid-Heaven (career). Jupiter aspecting the Mid-Heaven is very common in the charts of people in show business.

So far, we have an openly cheerful workaholic who can succeed in any field requiring lots of personal communications, especially anything doing with show business.

Oh, but there are lots of people in show business who can be described that way. Yes, and it would be shown in their horoscopes too. The point is, if you were giving career advise to someone with a chart like this, you wouldn't tell them to be a plumber, a police officer, or a nuclear physicist. Remember also that we got this description by looking at just One Small Part of Oprah's horoscope. The full interpretation would be much more specific.

Let's take a look at another locomotive horoscope.

In this horoscope, the empty space is at the bottom. Put your finger there and go counter-clockwise. The first thing you come to is the Sun. Now this will be an interesting test case because the Sun is in Capricorn, which tends to be hard working, but quiet and reserved. But the fact that the Sun is the most important placement and that the Sun rules the ego (the Sun rules the sign of Leo, which also happens to be the Rising Sign in this horoscope) should make this person more outgoing and theatrical.

This is the chart of Muhammed Ali, who modestly billed himself as 揟he Greatest?and whose antics out of the ring got almost as much attention as his fights.

The cutting planet is Jupiter (good luck, cheerfulness) in the sign of Gemini (communications) in the sixth house (daily work), focusing much of the chart energy to the work area and heavily involving communications. The 6th House placement can make a person a workaholic. Jupiter (planet of luck) makes a trine aspect (more luck) to the Mid-Heaven (career and public image).

Does this sound like this person would have good luck in a career that had her talking before the public? This is the horoscope of Oprah Winfrey (Top Chart).

The next horoscope is a little different.

The cutting planet is again in the 6th House (work) and can once more indicate a workaholic. This time, though, it's Neptune, planet of dreams and ideals, and illusions. We have here either someone who wants to bring their ideals into the work place, or a con-artist. Neptune is in Aries (action and energy) so they won't be sitting still. The aspects Neptune forms include a trine (luck) to Saturn (organizing ability) on one side, and to the Moon in the 10th House (Career, the public) on the other, showing someone whose work would probably bring them before the public in some dramatic fashion (The Moon is in Leo which gives showmanship). Even when he was a lawyer, they say that Gandhi was always trying to bring people together. And he certainly attracted attention.