Saturday, June 23, 2012

"Home is where you hang your head"

Sun's in Cancer now. Cancer represents, among other things, home-loving, nurturing, all those warm Mom 'n' apple-pie feelings. Home.

The words of Groucho Marx in the post title could remind us that we do "hang our heads" in our homes, but in a way unintended by Groucho. We do so in the way we set the style of our home, in the mix of ingredients we need to feel comfortably, or stylishly, "at home".

I often visualise living in a house or apartment decorated and furnished in minimalist style....something along these lines, or even more minimalist:


Photograph from here.


Natal Neptune (dreams) in Virgo (perfectionist) in 4th house (home) could well be responsible for my constant craving. The years have proved my yen for minimalism to be one of Neptune's many illusions. An ever growing collection of paintings, prints and the usual decorative tid-bits ensures that our home is far from minimalist. Being married to a clutter-bug of the highest order excludes any hope of ever satisfying a recurring craving for purity of style.

I must attract clutter-bugs. My late partner was the type who'd go through the trash to reclaim just about anything I threw away because "we might need it one day - you'll be grateful then!" My husband is one step further along the road to clutterdom. He can often be seen picking stuff up off the street: shopping lists, buttons, coins (in his natal chart: Neptune in Virgo in 2nd house of possessions - what went wrong?)

I suspect there's a marked difference in natal charts of those who prefer, and achieve, a minimalist environment, who feel comfortably at home with starkness, and of those who need lots of homely comforting clutter, pretty flowery prints, pillows/cushions, ornaments etc. The following doesn't refer to Sun signs, though the zodiac sign in which the Sun was placed at the birth of an individual is important, it's only part of the picture. Moon, rising sign and planetary emphasis on other signs also have impact.

Taurus and Cancer, by nature the homeliest of the signs. A lot of emphasis on either in one's natal chart would tend to incline a body to crave comfort before style.

Virgo, whilst an Earth sign, could still cope with the starkness of minimalism, though the Earthy element of the sign would incline natives to prefer wood tones rather than the black and white usually associated with minmalism.

Capricorn and Aquarius (both traditionally ruled by Saturn) could easily deal with starkness, Saturn has starkness at its heart! Uranus, modern ruler of Aquarius, rules all that is different - minimalism is different.

Leo would embrace minimalism if considered as a status symbol. Usually, though, a person with lots of Leo hankers after luxury, opulence, designer labels.

Anyone with a strong showing of Sagittarius in their chart likes a lot (of everything)- comfort, clutter, whatever. Innate love of travel could mean they're able to feel at home almost anywhere in any environment - as long as the next trip is "on the books".

Prominent Libra enjoys beauty rather than utility or trendiness, so an artistic, well-designed yet comfortable style would be their first choice.

Gemini emphasised in a natal chart = a couldn't care less attitude to surroundings, as long as a bookshelf, a TV, CD player, phone and computer are around. They could live with minimalism, but wouldn't notice.

Pisces and Scorpio two emotional Water signs would, I think, go for imaginative and attractive styles, more likely leaning towards comfort rather than minimalism.

Aries: I'm not sure - someone with lots of Aries in their natal chart wouldn't care deeply about their surroundings, they're too restless and too busy doing stuff.

13 comments:

Kaleymorris said...

Imagine ... No possessions!

MandyM said...

Aquarius and Pisces in the first, lots of Virgo (Pluto/Uranus/Ceres), lots of Scorpio in 9th and Taurus Moon. I love the earth colours but would definitely have a room or two that includes neon shades. I have ALWAYS wanted a round room (and I WILL have it!!!). My doorways would be anything but square. I am an architects nightmare and dream come true at the same time.

Anonymous said...

GP: Sun in natal house placement, following my own experience and what Gouchon (French astrology 'Pope') says, is most important. My Sun is in 4th house (Cancer connotation) and I always lived very comfortably, since childhood till now, in my last domicile, here in the Brazilian rain forest. It's my probable end-station, happily overlooking an evergreen wastness from a hilltop.

Only some higher trees nearby and occasional monkeys visiting them get a better view of 'home', their home that is - me being the intruder!

Twilight said...

Kaleymorris ~ Hmmm - no dusting too!

Twilight said...

MandyM ~ Round room sounds good! I like round windows, or those semi-circle windows you often see in high floors of older buildings, or in lofts. I'd love to try living in a loft.

Twilight said...

Anonymous/Gian Paul `

Yes, astrological houses are interesting, but sadly, only if one knows an exact birth time.
seems to work for me and my 4th house too (Neptune in virgo there) but husband has an empty 4th so.....

Your home sounds to be picturesque and peaceful. Similar to you and your monkeys, we often say that we're intruding on land formerly posession of the moles, ground squirrels, the odd skunk, racoon, possum etc, who lived on our land before the house was built, and we try not to do anything against their best interests when they visit the backyard. Instead of moneys we have clever, cheeky, annoying squirrels.

Twilight said...

Instead of moneys????
Well that too,

Should be monkeys!

Wisewebwoman said...

My off the grid writer's cabin (the Tigeen) is totally minimalist, if you ever come here you will stay there. Just nature. And a luscious view of the bay.:)
I was much worse as a clutterer but so much better now - I had to work on it.

Now it is books and movies only. And with kindle and and digital maybe I will rid my myself of these too!!
XO
WWW

Unknown said...

My home is nowhere near minimalist being far more comfortably lived in. Tidy but no showhome. Moon in Sagittarius may be more my leaning in my home environment. I love travel and do feel 'at home' wherever I am though it's always the best feeling to actually come home after my trips away. Nothing quite like my own bed!

Twilight said...

Wisewebwoman ~~~ I doubt we'll ever reach far-flung Newfoundland, WWW - but if we did I'd love to visit your Tigeen.

DVDs and VHS tapes are piling up here, re-cycling many via Goodwill, along with a few books always helps, but some I can't bear to pass on. :-)

Twilight said...

Rossa ~~~ I feel much the same - always love to get away but usually glad to come home - in order to get ready for the next roadtrip. (Venus in Sagittarius)
:-)

Vanilla Rose said...

I have a lot of things in Aries, and I do care about what my home looks like. It's just that it gets so messy with my art and sewing and getting distracted instead of tidying ....

Twilight said...

Vanilla Rose ~~ I understand!
Some writer once wrote "Life's too short to stuff a mushroom"....I'd paraphrase that and say "Life's too short to worry about clutter"...but I still do it, only sometimes though. (But I never stuff a mushroom). ;-)