Sarah McLachlan on Motherhood

In a recent interview at Spinner.ca, Sarah McLachlan shared her journey through motherhood, divorce, and baring her soul on another album. She also let readers get a glimpse into the personalities of her growing daughters, India and Taja:

"My oldest, India, is 8 and she is an amazing teacher and the great leveler. She's very truthful and loves an opportunity to take the piss out of me and put me in my place. She's fierce! I tend to bulldoze through things and she's always there making me more present and thoughtful in everything I do. She has made me a much better person."

India has a Sun and Mercury conjunction in the sign of Aries, which is a strong signature for being outspoken and direct. India knows how to say what she means without holding back, a trait that has probably been quite unsettling for mom Sarah, at times, because India's Sun and Mercury fall on Sarah's north node in Aries. Sarah's north node in Aries means her south node is in Libra, a sign's energy she knows a little too well. A Libra south node can indicate a tendency toward too much niceness or carefulness, so Sarah is learning how to just let it rip, and not check in with everyone to make sure what she does or says or is is ok with them.

It sounds like India's the perfect teacher for that! However, India can certainly learn from mom, Sarah, a little finesse and compassion in her delivery.

Sarah continues:

"My second, Taja [3], is just joyful. She takes fistfuls of her sister's hair every chance she gets but they're girls so that's what happens. She wakes up singing and skipping and dancing and she's always happy."

While Taja may reveal more of her complexity in time, it sounds like she's embracing life with Jupiter in the sign of Sagittarius--optimistic and expansive to balance the sweetness and depth of her Cancer Sun. She also has Venus in Leo, so she may have a creative flair for the dramatic and a natural desire to express herself. The 'fistfuls of her sister's hair' may illustrate her Mars in Aries--acting on impulse when she's passionate is instinctual (not to mention toddler-like!)

*Birth times are unknown, so noon charts have been created.
**Photo of Sarah courtesy of Anthony Quintano, under the Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

Sarah McLachlan: Music and Motherhood

Songstress Sarah McLachlan is heading back to the Lilith Fair stage after 7 years, with her new album, Laws of Illusion. She has 2 children, India and Taja. Will they be accompanying her on tour? Sarah has previously said that India has not shown much interest in Sarah's music, and would be complaining of boredom but Taja loves to sit by her mom and play the piano (this was at only 8 months old). In a more recent interview, Sarah has described India as "challenging."

India's south node is in Sagittarius and since it's coupled with Pluto, she probably entered this life with a bit of an intense personality. Sagittarius represents a broad spectrum of traits, which are typically listed as adventurous, friendly, and happy-go lucky, but often overlooked is the Sagittarian's desire for truth, knowledge, and meaning. She came into this life with her eyes open, and in intention to open them even further.

In this light, much of her chart reveals this quest for truth as central throughout her life. Her strong Mercury Sun conjunction in Aries shows just how central it is to her personality to learn, strengthen her mind, and speak her opinions. Her Moon in Aquarius reveals a central emotional need to pull away from the expectations of others to be able to know her own path to individuation. Her north node in Gemini, coupled with Saturn in Gemini, reveals that ultimately, her challenge will be to let what she thinks she already knows be challenged by her commitment to an open-minded discovery process.

Sarah's chart reveals a strong Aquarian component as well, with at least her Sun (and possibly her Moon since Mlle. Kiddie does not know her exact birth time) in Aquarius. Sarah has been quoted in People magazine as having a desire for her daughters to become strong women, and for Sarah, her Aquarian Sun reveals that it's of central importance for her to have the courage to be true to herself as well.

Sarah's Mars is in Pisces and her South Node in Libra, which reveal two important pieces in her chart that are oriented toward more gentle, compassionate, and supportive energies, so it may be challenging to have a little girl with such an intense personality from the get go. Even more than that, India's Mars squares her own Uranus, so she's often waging an internal war of stubbornness on herself. Couple that with the fact that her Venus in Taurus is square Sarah's Sun, and it can be a stand off between mom and daughter.

We all learn things from our children, and with India's strong Sun and Mercury on Sarah's north node in Aries, India is teaching Sarah to be stronger, more direct, and more healthily selfish, which can be a challenge for Sarah, but ultimately a healing one, even if she's learning it in self-defense!