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An Excerpt from Sun Signs, Houses and Healing by Carmen Turner Schott

Everyone can benefit from healing and transforming themselves. Each of the twelve signs of the zodiac can utilize their personality traits to accomplish three things: transformation, healing, and resiliency. Let’s begin by talking about self-care and why healing is so important.

What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is making a conscious effort to take care of the body, mind, and spirit. It is not something that is done only once; it’s a routine that needs to be developed in everyday life. Self-care helps prevent burnout, reduces the effects of stress, and helps us reflect on what is important in our lives. Examples of self-care are taking breaks, healthy eating, exercising, asking for help, spending time alone, putting yourself first, setting boundaries, forgiving yourself, and enjoying hobbies.

The reason self-care techniques do not work the same way for everyone is because of the unique way the elements in our birth chart affect our ability to react to stress, heal, relax, and recharge. Self-care tips work differently for each sun sign. Those with similar elements will benefit from similar activities. Gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and thinking about what activities help you recharge are important parts of self-care.

The Benefits of Healing
We all heal in different ways, and it takes some of us longer to fully heal from past experiences. Learning to balance the body, mind, and spirit is a key factor in the healing process. Everyone has different abilities and strengths that help them bounce back after a crisis.

There are many benefits to focusing on healing. Healing helps us grow stronger by letting go of negative emotions and experiences. Healing allows us to redefine ourselves and reclaim our power. Addressing past wounds helps us transform and find greater happiness. Many of us carry unhealed trauma and emotions within our bodies that can manifest as physical illness, stress, or anxiety if unaddressed for too long.

The greatest thing about healing is that when we address our own pain, we can become role models for others on their healing journey. Greater insight occurs when we are able to identify our emotional issues, problem-solve, and discuss our experiences with those we care about. Sometimes it can take longer than expected to truly move forward from past experiences. Everyone heals at their own pace. Be patient with yourself.

Sun Signs and Healing
Each sun sign experiences change and stress, so implementing self-care techniques will benefit you regardless of your sign. With that being said, understanding your basic sun sign traits is a powerful tool for healing many areas of life. Sun Signs, Houses and Healing will shed light on your overall personality and discuss ways to overcome challenges.

In my book, I explain the basic personality traits of each sun sign. I discuss each sun sign’s challenging attributes, positive attributes, and how they approach relationships. These chapters are great tools for learning more about yourself and your loved ones. If you want to learn more about your family, friends, or coworkers, read their sun sign’s chapter.

In each chapter, I include reflection questions, affirmations, and self-care ideas tailored to that specific sign. You can use these on your healing journey. I then discuss which house that sun sign rules and how placements in that house impact us.

What Are the Twelve Zodiac Signs?
There are twelve signs in the zodiac. They are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. One of these signs will be your sun sign, calculated by the month and day of your birth. This is the only planetary placement that shifts with our traditional calendar, making it easy to determine. This is why so many people are familiar with their sun sign. An important note: If your birth took place on a date when the sun is in between zodiac signs or was very close to switching signs, astrologers call this being born on the cusp. If you were born on a cusp, you might resonate with traits of both signs. For instance, if you were born on January 19, then you might have personality traits of both Capricorns and Aquarians. Typically, the sign the sun is moving into shows dominance and strength. If you’re unsure of your sun sign, your birth chart can confirm that for you.

Each astrological sign has many components that make it unique: the sign’s element, modality, ruler, and symbol.

Each sign is ruled by a certain natural element. The four elements that exist in nature are fire, air, earth, and water. Fire signs are full of energy and passion; they are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Air signs—Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius—are intellectual and emotionally detached. Earth signs are practical and cautious; they are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Water signs are emotional and imaginative; Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are water signs.

Carmen Turner-Schott, MSW, LISW, is a practicing clinical social worker, writer and astrologer with national and international clientele. She currently works as a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program Manager and has worked with victims of trauma for over 25 years.
 Carmen began her astrological work at the age of sixteen, after an experience with a glowing ball of light in her doorway. She began studying religion, astrology and metaphysics at that time. She has lectured, presented astrology workshops and eGroups for the Association of Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E) and she enjoys teaching a variety of spiritual development classes.

She has been researching astrology, transformation and healing for the past 25 years. She founded the Astrological Self Awareness Center in 2005 and later changed the name to Deep Soul Divers Astrology. She has a passion for researching astrology, specializing in the eighth and twelfth astrological houses and their effect on trauma, healing and resiliency. She has self-published five astrology books, “The Mysteries of the Eighth Astrological House: Phoenix Rising,” “A Deeper Look at the Sun Signs,” “A Practical Look at the Planets in the Houses,” “Astrology from a Christian Perspective,” and “Astrology Awareness: A Compilation of Articles.” Visit her online at www.8and12houses.com.

My fourteen-year-old niece is terrified to be home alone even for a few minutes. She hears noises and is afraid someone is going to break in. The other night, she called her mother hyperventilating because her father left her, her younger sister and their small dog at home for a short time. Except for this anxiety, she is a bright, well-adjusted young girl. I told my sister that she must get to the root of the problem to understand it, and that perhaps she is haunted by a past life experience that creates intense fear of not having adult protection. What do you recommend my sister do to help her daughter overcome her intense fears?

Patricia

Susyn:

It's possible that your niece is suffering from past-life trauma. When seemingly unfounded fears paralyze people, it is often due to an unknown event that occurred in a previous incarnation. There is another reason I suspect this to be the root of her troubles: Aquarius children tend to be relatively fearless, so her anxiety is unusual.

As a psychic, I frequently examine unexplainable fears and illnesses from a past-life perspective, for the therapy involved can often alleviate the trouble in a few short sessions. Natalee's fears are similar to that of a child who is afraid of the dark. Intellectually, she can't put her finger on where the fears originated, but they are very real to her - even paralyzing.

I recommend that you start with a past-life reading to find the source of her fears. If she isn't open to that, you or her mother can investigate it. Once she understands what happened, her panic will start to subside. It would also be helpful to sit down with Natalee and make a list of affirmative actions she can take when she finds herself alone in the house.

For example, I have a client who always gets lost. In the past, it would cause her great panic and confusion, which would naturally just make the situation worse as she tried to find her way. We discovered that in a past life, she had gotten lost in the woods as a young child and perished. After a few sessions, she reported back to me that although she still gets lost on a regular basis, she doesn't panic any longer. Together, we developed a plan of orderly action for when this happens to calm her fears and help her get back on track.

Let's say that Natalee found herself in a similar situation in a past life. Because she was home alone and unable to defend herself, an intruder may have broken in and caused her harm or even killed her. Discovering that this fear comes from something that happened in a past life is the first step. Developing a plan of action to quiet those fears will be next.

You and her mom may want to sit down with her and figure out a safety plan that reads something like this: 1. Lock all the doors and windows in the house. 2. Let a neighbor know that she will be alone in the house and put the neighbor's phone number on speed dial, along with 911. 3. One or both parents will call to check in on an hourly basis, etc.

Help her to develop a list of actions she can take to ensure she is safe. This will unlock the fears she carries and teach her how to protect herself at the same time. Once you do this, her fears should gradually subside.

*****

Oceania:

Family therapy is the most helpful approach when a child is involved, as children tend to carry symptoms for the family. There is anxiety in this family, and Natalee is the carrier. Using therapy terms, she is the IP or identified patient; however, it is likely the marriage or entire system that needs intervention. Knowing his daughter suffers in this way, Dad leaves her in charge. She reaches for Mom, who confides in sister, who seeks the help.

Natalee's fear of being alone may be fear of abandonment and worry about her family breaking up. She may feel tension between her parents or hear them fighting, which threatens her sense of security. Fear of an intruder could represent her mother's real or irrational fear of Dad having an affair. She called Mom quickly enough when Dad left.

Temporary measures may prove comforting until the real issue is uncovered. Carrying a special talisman or object may help calm her. You might gift her with a big stuffed animal that will absorb her nervousness if she hugs it tightly. You might present her with a special ring or necklace with protective powers or a beautiful worry stone that she can rub when she feels anxious.

Systematic Desensitization is effective with anxiety. Using this method, she would be left alone for 10 seconds, then an adult would give her a big hug for successfully enduring that amount of time without panicking. The time would be gradually increased, and at various milestones (5, 10, 15 minutes), she would earn rewards.

It's worth noting that we have two sets of sisters in this story. Just as your niece may feel a burden of responsibility towards her younger sister, you may feel the need to protect your sister or help solve her problems. If she chronically leans on you or you have a pattern of jumping in to rescue her and her children, you may be codependent by enabling and maintaining the status quo. Genuine help may take the form of loving detachment from this family.

Focusing on your sister's life may help ease your own anxiety as you worry about her, but it may also cause you to sacrifice the time and energy you need to create what you want in your own life.

There may be other sibling issues at play: Do you need to feel needed by your sister? Do you feel left out of her life? Are you a big sister know-it-all who wants to solve this mystery? Just food for thought! Of course, the other possibility is you're simply a thoughtful sister and a caring aunt, and they are blessed to have you in their corner.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.