Personal power is an individual expression, and has different meanings for each person. As a woman in the world today, your opportunity to experience and express your personal power is largely dependent upon the manner in which you develop it. Particularly in the Western World, as times have changed and the power base has gradually evolved beyond the patriarchal control of the last centuries, women are seeking to define their place in the world: collectively and individually. Gaining influence in the world through career and financial development, you begin to understand the different levels of power. Within the family, your roles are also evolving. You are also more free to express your sexual needs and desires, and demand that you are respected as a person and not sexually abused. But everything stems from your ability to identify, embrace and assimilate the true nature of your power as an individual woman.

On a personal level, you can begin to identify much about your own power by looking deeply into the meaning of your 1st House: Your Personality Self. Early in your report you read about what you project about yourself as identified by your Ascendant. Your first House further defines that projection of the Self, and is an area where you carve out much about the way you show yourself to the world on your own terms.

Through your Gemini Ascendant you show the face of the eternal questioner, always eager to discover something new in the world around you. Your power emerges through your ability to communicate effectively with others. By developing your mind and increasing your understanding, you may become an important link in the evolution of human thought. But you are distractible, and it is that tendency to get off track which can undermine your power. Instead of developing your understanding, you can wade in the shallows of simplicity, glancing across the surface and never penetrating the depths of wisdom. The power of the present moment holds many opportunities for you, especially when your mind is focused and connected to the here and now. From this point, you can create endless possibilities for your personal growth, which will be further enhanced through mental clarity and awareness of the world around you.

Since you do not have planets in your 1st House your personality expression may not be overpowered by the drive of a particular energy. The qualities associated with the sign on this house cusp, explained above, since through as the primary manner in which you want to be seen by the world.

Another power space on your chart is your Midheaven. This point, which is usually at the top of your chart and marks the cusp of the 10th House, is like the crown and torch of the Statue of Liberty. Here too, are the indicators of the types of people you most admire, and the clues to what you need to develop within yourself to attain unshakable self-respect.

Through your Aquarius Midheaven you are well aware of the importance of a group-oriented power base. However, this power in numbers works only if you are affiliated with those whose views and ideals reflect and strengthen your own. You admire those whose efforts are dedicated to the principles of liberty and universality. Work for the collective or humanitarian service can encourage your rise to prominence and influence.

Your sense of security with yourself plays a valuable role in achieving your ambitions with your Moon in sextile aspect to your Midheaven. In addition you will be most successful in the world when you feel good about what you're doing. Finding a life work which fills your soul not only supports your personal growth but also touches the lives of others in a positive manner.

Mercury's opposition to your Midheaven can underscore a sense of mistrust of your own intellectual abilities, or you may be caught in life experiences which have made it difficult to complete your education or accomplish the learning you need. Maintaining your focus on your long range goals is important, and choosing opportunities which allow you to continue to develop your mind or enhance your skills will stimulate greater success and strengthen your sense of personal power.

You may attract fortunate opportunities to rise to positions of prominence with Venus in trine aspect to your Midheaven. But you may not always cultivate those opportunities. The choice is yours. Whether you're developing your artistry as a means of making your place in the world or in business, you can be quite successful but feel most powerful when you put effort behind your opportunities. You can also be quite influential in aiding others along their paths and may feel better about opening doors for someone else than running headlong into the spotlight yourself.

Someone once said that money makes the world go around, and from all evidence, it certainly seems to be a powerful force. Money, in fact, symbolizes power. With money, you can have what you want. With more money, you can have more of what you want. Without money, you may want what you cannot have. Your relationship with money is an extremely intimate and seductive force. The way you use your resources - money, time, energy - says a lot about how you perceive your own power and personal worth. This facet of yourself is expressed through the 2nd House of your chart. Here, you express your value systems. The important special link between finances and self-esteem cannot be understated, and is especially important for you as a woman. In order to extract the real value of your talents and services from others in the world (such as what you are paid from your job), you must first value yourself.

The qualities of Cancer radiate through your 2nd House, indicating that you take a protective approach to handling your finances and personal resources. Your emotional attitudes about material things plays an important role in your values, and you may find that you hang onto some things simply out of sentimentality - including your deeply ingrained attitudes about money. If you've been taught that money is the root of all evil, you may find it quite difficult to abandon that attitude and allow yourself to feel good about financial success. When you stop to evaluate your own need for material security, you'll find that establishing a solid financial base is an important step toward strengthening your worth on many levels. The energy of your Moon plays a major role in your approach to finances, and you need to recognize the cyclical nature of the economy if you are to deal with it effectively. You may even work well in a profession which is cyclical in its production and demand or can be successful in areas which rely on time-honored resources, like real estate, antiques, or the food industry. Since you may feel drawn to use your resources, including time money and energy, to assist others, it would make sense that you'll be more effective when you know how to attract, develop and positively maintain your own.

With Jupiter in your 2nd House you have a great deal of confidence in your ability to attract and use your money, time and energy. Your optimism can be contagious, and when you've found something that makes you feel good, you may want to share what you've learned with others. For this reason, you're a natural in sales, teaching, advertising or investing. Since you probably like to travel, you may either use your resources toward traveling, or may find that work which involves travel is rewarding. The downfall of this placement is your tendency toward extravagance, since setting limits is quite difficult.

Resources which you share with others are reflected in the 8th House of your chart. Whether you're considering joint property and finances, inheritance, insurance settlements or tax obligations, this area is not as free and easy as the 2nd House, which seems more like what you want for yourself alone. Another layer of this part of your life deals with your sexuality, and the manner in which you open intimately to others. This is a very personal space, and it is probably one of the most guarded aspects of any woman's psyche. It is here that much wounding has taken place over many centuries, and it is here that the mask of propriety has to be removed in order to openly accept and integrate that fact that you are a person who needs wholeness and healing, and who yearns to bond at the most alchemical level with life itself.

Here you also find your compulsions. It's no wonder that you don't display this part of yourself to just anybody. You have to feel safe to open this facet of yourself, and you realize that this vulnerability can be used against you in power plays. But what you may not always remember is that this is also where you have the power! In true tantric traditions, it is through the vessel of a woman's sexual energy that a couple can ride the wave of sexual ecstasy. This also extends to the other power aspects of any relationship. If your transformational and magical qualities are blocked, the whole of the relationship will suffer.

Your approach to sexual intimacy may be quite cautious due to the influence of Capricorn on your 8th House. Although you may enjoy the games of love, when it gets to intimacy, you're not entirely footloose and fancy free. Before you achieve real intimacy, you need to establish trust and mutual respect. Otherwise you may never fully open your heart and soul to the relationship. You can be quite sensual, and will find it easier to experience the levels of sexuality which transport you into ecstasy when you indulge your sensual side. Once you've made an emotional commitment in a relationship, you may not relinquish it easily, so it's very important that you make choices for reasons which fit your deeper needs. You need to be careful of your tendency to be attracted to someone for the things or financial security he can provide. If this is your basis for getting together, you may ultimately feel trapped by the relationship.

Since you have no planets in the 8th House you may not be obsessed with too many problems or hassles with the issues of this area in your life. But you may not get off free on this one, either. Study the sign on the cusp of this house and read everything noted about the planet associated with that sign, because this is the energy tied up with your emotional attachments!

Mars energy is about getting what you want by going after it. Mars is drive. Mars is courage. Mars is desire. Mars is unabashed sexuality. Mars is the fuel for personal power. Men do Mars quite effectively, right down to fighting and war. But you also have a warrior spirit, an Amazon Self. This is your Mars. If you fail to own and utilize your own Martian force, you lose power.

Your confidence and enthusiasm are your power sources with Mars in Sagittarius. When you have your aim set on something, your self-assurance helps you achieve it. Staying physically active helps you maintain your power, and you'll appreciate a man whose love of adventure and travel are equal to your own. You lose power when you feel too hemmed in, whether by the expectations of others or by situations which limit your options. But you can also undermine your own strength by running away before you've had a chance to explore the fullest possibilities of your current situation! You can be quite sensual, and may enjoy a sexual relationship which leaves ample room for playful exploration of the many frontiers you and your partner possess. Your downfall in sexual relationships arises when you jump in before you've had a chance to think about what you're doing. Learning to consider the effects of your actions will be highly empowering!

The cooperative sextile aspect between Saturn and Mars indicates that you can be effective in controlling your own life. Your ability to respect the limitations of others and to honor your own is part of this self-direction, but so is your ability to take charge when necessary. You probably like being in positions of power, and can be a very effective leader or executive. Dealing with authorities is reasonably easy for you, too, although you still may have your qualms about whether or not some people in power really deserve to be there!

With Mars and Pluto in a trine aspect you may have an excellent ability to bring about transformational change through directing your personal dominion in positive ways. This is an aspect of magical strength and power, but only works if you consciously work to develop it. Your sexuality can be one of your gifts and the way you use your personal magnetism can dictate the difference between success and failure in every arena of your life. You need a place to exercise your magnetism in creative ways. The cooperative sextile aspect between Saturn and Mars indicates that you can be effective in controlling your own life. Your ability to respect the limitations of others and to honor your own is part of this self-direction, but so is your ability to take charge when necessary. You probably like being in positions of power, and can be a very effective leader or executive. Dealing with authorities is reasonably easy for you, too, although you still may have your qualms about whether or not some people in power really deserve to be there!

Saturn plays the role of the big controller in your life. Sometimes that control seems to come from outside. You know - all the rules and regulations, the authority figures, the intimidating people who tell you what to do - this is the Saturn of the outside world. But you have the same traffic cop in the back of your own mind, telling you what is right and wrong, chiding you when you make a mistake, holding you back when you're about to do something stupid. Saturn control can be a good thing. This is your energy for self-discipline, clarity and focus. You need Saturn. But you need Saturn in its most productive sense. You do not need the guilt, intimidation and self-limitation that keep you from having what you require from life.

You are learning about the power of ultimate life experiences with Saturn in Scorpio. Although you can be very controlling, you may also attract people who test your self-control and whose emotional impact in your life tests the line between love and hate. You can be an extremist, and if you allow your energy to swing too far in one direction, the drain of energy required to bring everything back into balance can drain your power. You need to experience what it's like to exercise power over your own life, and may fight bitterly with anyone who tries to get in the way of decisions which involve your personal sanctity - decisions over such things as reproduction, medical care, choices about death. Before you can deal with these things effectively, you have to know how you feel and what drives you in these matters. Just giving in to your fears, guilt or shame in these areas will quickly drain your vital force, and leave you open to the control of others. You are faced with learning the difference between destructive uses of power and healing transformation.

The cooperative sextile aspect between Saturn and Mars indicates that you can be effective in controlling your own life. Your ability to respect the limitations of others and to honor your own is part of this self-direction, but so is your ability to take charge when necessary. You probably like being in positions of power, and can be a very effective leader or executive. Dealing with authorities is reasonably easy for you, too, although you still may have your qualms about whether or not some people in power really deserve to be there!

Plutonian control is sometimes difficult to grasp, but it's definitely there. When you feel this control from outside yourself, it is undermining and extremely intimidating. The force of Pluto is buried deep within your psyche. It is unleashed and grows in a manner like the process of mitosis in a fertilized cell, which is altered, splits off, combines with other cells and ultimately becomes an organism. Through Pluto, you experience the power of life, birth, healing, and the ultimate change of death. If you are trapped in a mire of shame, guilt and self-destructiveness, you may have undergone a Plutonian transformation as a result of trauma earlier in your life. But it is this same force which plants the seeds of change that eventually can lead to the creation of a new self.

You learned about power from your parents and may have felt that one parent had a very strong hold on your life. They still may. But all the while, you may have found yourself resisting their control, or trying to undermine it. You tested limits. You knew just how far to push without getting the rug pulled from beneath your feet. Or did you? Now that you have grown to be a woman, you may have difficulty feeling that your foundation is ever stable enough. You know deep within yourself that you needed to destroy the unfitting or unfair images you had of your family, their traditions or their false identities. You may also feel some guilt that you cannot fully identify. This is the guilt your soul recalls. It may not be entirely your own. It may be something you felt as early as the time you spend in your mother's womb. It might be something from another lifetime that you remember at a cellular level, a feeling that haunts you when you are alone. Let it go. Find yourself. Step into your power and allow yourself to be healed. Then, and only then, will you finally feel that you've found home.