A natal chart shows the placements of the planets in the sky at the time of someone’s birth. To the average person, it may just look like a lot of dots in a circle, but to an astrologer, it reveals the patterns and tendencies in that person’s behavior and needs. The planets, while very far apart in our sky, look closer together when placed in the natal wheel, and connections between them can be seen by tracing certain mathematical angles between the planets, such as the 90 degree* angle, called a square. The connections between planets are called aspects.Most aspects can be categorized as positive or negative in their effect. A trine helps two planets work well together, while an opposition gets planets in a tug of war. But a conjunction can be a devil or an angel, depending on the planets involved. Two or more planets conjunct each other (very close to one another as in Ryder's chart) can intensify each other, creating a sort of 'superplanet'. One planet, or part of that person, doesn't function without the other part--they are fused in their expression. This can lend a certain focus and intensity, but it also doesn't allow the planets to have any perspective. In an opposition, the planets duke it out, which can feel tense, but ultimately it helps us reign each planet in. Not so with the conjunction.
In Ryder's chart (son of Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson), we see Mercury in a conjunction with Pluto. Mercury is the planet of communication, learning, and point of view--how we think and how we communicate those thoughts. With Mercury in Sagittarius, Ryder has a tendency to think big, and to express what he's thinking with directness, in an unfiltered fashion. Mercury in Sagittarius likes to express itself rather naively and optimistically.Add Pluto to the soup, and you'll get a deeper flavor. While Mercury in Sagittarius might be rather naive, Pluto, the planet of power and psychological depth, gives Ryder a certain penetrating insight that Mercury in Sagittarius might not have alone. It's hard to pull the wool over Ryder's eyes, as he is more likely to be looking for the story behind what he sees, not just accepting things at face value which is more in the style of Mercury in Sagittarius. He's also likely to have a sharper tongue, both in his ability to sting with his words if he chooses, knowing just what to say to really dig into someone, but also to probably stun all the adults around him with the level of maturity and awareness in his observations.
Other celebri-tots with Mercury conjunct Pluto: Benjamin (Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen), Axel (Will Ferrell & Viveca Paulin), Zahara (Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt), and Margaret Grace (Mark Wahlberg & Rhea Durham).
*A degree is a unit of measurement. They are marked by the degree symbol following the numbers by each planet in a natal chart. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, so counting restarts at 0 when entering a new sign. To find an opposition, locate any planet in a natal chart and note its degree number. Then count 6 signs from there in either direction and see if another planet lands in the same degree (give or take a few degrees) in the new sign. That’s an opposition! If you’re not sure, or you don’t have a copy of your natal chart, you can calculate one for free instantly online at Kiddiegram.com!
^Ryder's birth time is not publicly known, so a noon chart has been cast. This does not affect the planets placement in the signs, except possibly the fast-moving moon, so the planets in signs discussed are correct even without a birth time.
Image used with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
