Career: cross reference to Vocational Astrology by Stephanie Clement

The two most frequently asked questions in astrology relate to relationship and career. Of these, career exploration combines the best of traditional astrological methods with the best of modern psychological astrology. In addition, Vedic astrology includes very specific data about the type of career one may pursue.

Exploration of the career includes several factors in the chart:
· Individual creative capacity. Everyone is creative; vocational astrology looks at creativity as it impacts career choices.
· The careers that suit the individual chart. These reflect the planets, sign, and aspects related to the 10th House and its rulers.
· The actual workplace and the people found there, reflected by the 6th House and its rulers. This includes the geographic location, the type of building, and the location within the building where one works.
· The source of one's personal income, reflected by the 2nd House and its rulers. This house also includes money management, material goods, and also self-esteem.
· The personal style of the individual. This includes myriad factors, with a focus on the Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven signs.
· The place to begin one's career path (indicated by Saturn)
· The personal activities concerning career (indicated by Mars)
· Character traits that may affect job performance (sign and element of the Sun and Moon, speed of the Moon in the birth chart, position of Mercury relative to the Sun, and numerous other factors)

When career considerations are expanded to include the concept of vocation or mission, the astrological delineation of career takes on a philosophical, or even spiritual overtone. If one's vocation is a calling, who calls? The ideal career satisfies this calling in a direct way. The astrologer can help the client listen to the inner voice, or daimon, to understand the unique personal life path he or she is intended to pursue. The astrologer then uses the above considerations to identify careers that suit the individual mission.

Twenty-first Century vocational astrology has unique demands, considering the rapid changes in the work arena. Significant careers from the past no longer exist, or have metamorphosed into something unrecognizable by a 19th Century person. For example, candle-making was once an essential occupation. The contemporary candle maker is either working in a highly mechanized atmosphere, or is making candles for the love of the task. Very few people make their living in this career. However, like the butcher and the baker, the candle-making profession may be seeing a small revival, as people indicate their desire for "the real thing."
The distinctions between work roles have blurred. For example, where a business person once had a secretary to prepare all letters, email now is an essential component of an executive's work skill package. Yet skilled letter-writing retains a place in the career mix, and is a creative art to be developed by those who aim to get ahead. The executive has acquired the increased need for written communication skills.

A second example involves libraries. The internet and computers have resulted in major revisions in the way libraries operate. Once the province of a professional librarian, book cataloging can be done quickly and inexpensively by staff with far less technical training, and a library collection in Pueblo, Colorado can be viewed by a patron in Italy. In this case the clerical workload of collection management has been shifted to another staff member, and the professional librarian has moved into the role of collection development and reference services to a large extent.

What do these changes mean for the vocational astrologer? The astrologer has to keep current with career changes. Vocational and professional training information forms an important part of the astrologer's resources. Similar to the career counselor in a school, the astrologer must be able to relate the client's astrological vocational picture to the career market of the day.

The astrologer can act as career coach as well. Help with choosing the career field remains the main focus. In addition, the astrologer can coach the client in how to present his or her skills effectively. A third part of the astrologer's role is to help the client present his deeper character traits effectively. Missing from resumes of the 20th Century, effective communication of one's character may be the deciding factor in gaining employment in very tough job markets. The astrologer is well positioned to provide essential information in this regard.
Vocational astrology is a growing segment within the broader astrological career field. The use of traditional charting methods and contemporary computer-aided astrology make this a dynamic branch of a profession that dates back at least to the Greeks and their Arabian contemporaries.

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