Some people benefit from therapy while others don’t fare as well. Some start therapy and never finish. Others receive poor care and there are other scenarios I can think of.
If you Jupiter tied to the eighth house in any way you are likely to get enormous benefit (Jupiter) from therapy (Scorpio / eighth).
I have Jupiter mashed with the 8th house. The money I spent on therapy, 25 years ago was money well spent!
My friend Ben (Jupiter in the eighth), had just four sessions with a psychiatrist at a low point in his life. Those four sessions saved and changed his life completely.
What are your experiences with psychotherapy? What’s your 8th house look like?
Well, I have an empty 8th House but I do have Jupiter in Scorpio in the 12th and going through a few counseling sessions with a drug & alcohol counselor made a lasting impact (I was living w/an alcoholic at the time). For the most part, just getting pointed towards the right information is enough. Could it be a Plutonian thing?
Neith – good point. And come to think of it, this may also play in reverse. Because there are many people I have one consultation with and BAM. They get empowered and go off and totally kick ass and change their life.
What if this Jupiter transit is opposing an empty 8th house? I have been seeing a psychotherapist in order to work on self esteem/self acceptance, but I dont know if Ill get the breakthrough Im looking for.
My psychiatrist saved my life. Literally – way too many people I used to run with are in jail, or dead. He is a Pisces, and he kicks ass because he actually told me his birthday, which many psychiatrists won’t do. One psychiatrist I saw had a scorpion paperweight on his desk, but refused to give me an answer when I asked if he was a Scorpio. I thought that was wrong on many levels.
I have an empty eighth house, Jupiter in Aries, but Pluto rising from the 12th house.
Well. I’ve gone twice (once to deal with secrets and emotional baggage of an insane family, and once to deal with a barrage of loss), and both times the therapists have said they think I was coping extremely well with the issues at the time, and that I needed to stop being so hard on myself because I was fine and, in fact, doing better than people they had seen in similar circumstances. At my request they offered suggestions for reading on issues related to why I went in, but given at the time that I didn’t “feel” at all fine, I can’t say it was extremely beneficial.
I’ve since come to the conclusion that I deal with things the way I deal with them, and as long as I’m not self-destructing or causing others harm in that, then it is what it is. Others’ mileage may vary. 🙂
I had a fair bit quite of therapy and it runs the gauntlet from counseling, to psychiatric outpatient, to transformational/spiritual counseling, to the advice I’ve gotten from Elsa!
Most were one or three sessions at most, and I learned something from each of them I can remember to this day. I, too, benefit hugely from being pointed in the right direction.
I basically just need to be told I’m not insane, ha!
Saturn in the 8th (Koch; it’s in the 7th with Placidus) trined Mars/Neptune.
I went once last year when I hit a very, very low point and found it unhelpful and really, a waste of time. The therapist kept wanting to talk about things I considered non-issues and all I could think was “Why don’t you get it?!”. Pisces Mercury, I think I just suck at communicating in any kind of real way. Really though, when it comes right down to it, I need to pull my own bootstraps.
My North Node is in the 8th house but that’s all.
I have never gone to a psychiatrist that I really clicked with or has helped me much at all. Astrology, on the other hand, has been enormously illuminating. I don’t know the aspects here but I don’t have Jupiter doing anything with my 8th or 12th house as far as I can tell … I do have a positive Jupiter-Pluto aspect (sextile).
Charlotte, I had a friend with the same therapist. He wanted to talk about what was bothering him and the therapist wanted to talk about how he (my friend) was gay–like, over and over. Ridiculous.
all two of them were useless. their windows on reality to narrow to give me effective aid.
one was also obviously rooting for my mom (who set me up with her in the first place.)
oh, wait, there was te third, when i found out i was pregnant. told me i sounded like i knew what i was doing and affirmed the decisions i already made, which helped, emotionally, but didn’t do my for grounding me. which i needed. guess it would have helped if i’d admitted i was also in a major depression. but i just don’t trust that kind of thing to people. so maybe the problem’s with me.
but i went to school for jungian psychology, too, so, well, i think i went for the fixing myself angle.
got sun, venus, and chiron in the 8th. and my south node.
and, yeah, Elsa, that bit you wrote for me back then, when i found out i was pregnant, really helped me find the courage i needed to do what i had to do. i was so terrified of being a mother and i shouldn’t have been- i grew right up with the needs of my child. and discovered parts of myself i didn’t know i had.
i have venus in my 8th (the house it rules), with venus opposite jupiter… and my experience with counselors and shrinks alike has been negative. i’m better off finding my own ways of dealing with and/or understanding things.
I studied psychological astrology. I’ve never been to therapy for myself, but I went in on a session for my brother many years ago, and it was unproductive and useless. It didn’t help him with his problem, either.
So, I prefer to fix my problems myself.
No planets in the 8th, but the 8th house cusp is 0 Sagittarius.
i’ve seen a number of counselors throughout my life and never really clicked with any of them. i tried, but the experiences were pretty much fruitless. until four years ago when i happened upon a wonderful psychotherapist. jupiter had just begun the transit through my 8th house at the time. i’ve been seeing her ever since– with results that blow my mind. i don’t consider myself a depressive anymore which was a label i held onto dearly for years. i sometimes wonder, is it the therapist or is it that i was finally ready for the therapy or both? natally i have pluto and uranus in the 8th house.
I have Uranus in the 8th, in Sagittarius (although the house starts in Scorpio) – I’ve had experience with a few therapists but none of them had a great impact on me. I never felt motivated to stay there for long, I could never trust them completely, always felt that they were judging me from the start.
Nothing in the 8th, but Scorpio Neptune conjunct ASC squaring Jupiter MC.
I’m constantly in and out of therapy. At the end of the day, little changes. I compulsively analyze myself, so I discover little in therapy. In fact, I fool therapists into thinking they’re helping me b/c I speak so candidly about all my problems. They’re dazzled by my seeming self-awareness. I’m always looking to therapists to help me instigate behavioral changes I already know I need to do, but I always relapse into old patterns. So in the beginning, therapy feels like a productive course, but ultimately does nothing.
Astrology helps. At least it teaches me why I keep repeating this pattern. Blame it on my natal Mars-Neptune opposition.
Enormously helpful support was given to me during one year of therapy as a teenager. Athough I have an empty 8th house, Its ruler, the moon, is in my Saggittarian first house and I have a very active 9th house Pluto.
I have Uranus in Sadge in the 8th trine Jupiter. Therapy has been one of the best things that I’ve ever done.
On a side note, my fiance and I have an enormous stellium in Scorpio in the 6th involving Pluto, and we absolutely can’t get enough of couple’s therapy. We just love it.
*Talking about our composite. Heh, should have specified.
I had a few sesions when my daughter disappeared eight years ago and a few when I got divorced. both times it was my boss at work who suggested it. I guess I got affirmation that I have good coping skills and advice on handling some difficult situations. It wasn’t life changing, but it’s always nice to be able to say I’m certified “sane”.
I have Jupiter retrograde in Sag the eighth house.
12th house jupiter trine my eighth house chiron-saturn conjunction: a series of therapeutic relationships that ranged from middle of the road to somewhat helpful, then the last one wildly successful. the last one was not only an accredited mental health pro but also an experienced shamanistic practitioner. I think it was that 12th house connection that made the diff for me.
I’ve never been in therapy in my life although some would say I need it. 🙂 I’ve got my moon in 8th and, personally, I just don’t want a stranger messing in my problems. I can deal on my own, thank you very much! I was sent to a counselor once because my dad was worried about me. The counselor told me that, for what I’ve been through, I’m remarkably healthy and to not worry about it. (Not that I was in the first place. 😉 )
I do have a big interest in psychology, though. I worked for a busy psychiatric practice for years which finally gave me some sense of what I want to do for my career. And I also learned that it’s not the therapist as much as the patient being in the right head-space to do the work. We had a LCSW who was a messed-up as they came (recovering alcoholic, liked to talk about her own problems instead of her patient’s during a session) and if someone was ready to “get better,” they got better! Even though all she did was point them in the right direction, like Neith and kashmiri said.
I am of one of those “Physician, heal thyself” people. I understand that Therapists offer a different perspective, thereby instigating a possible epiphany but it has not happened in my case.
I have found that when I outwardly go in search of answers to my problems I neglect going within….which is where the problem originated to begin with. So I do a LOT of reading on many different subjects which helps immensely to bring perspective to my life.
I have no planets in the 8th BUT I have this tight square from Pluto in the 11th and Jupiter in the 5th to my Sadge Merc in the 2nd…..so you can imagine where all this mental energy gets focused. Yep, the 8th.
Everyone I meet is my therapist because they teach me something about myself. I find it odd that there are people who feel comfortable charging a price for another’s inner peace and self-awareness. And the prices they charge!? Ridiculous.
If I want to pay for someone’s kid to go to college it’ll be mine.
i have nothing in the eighth house, but lots of pluto aspecting my personal planets. no jupiter connections.
i’ve been to therapy few times times when i was younger, usually to deal with specific issues and some related to custody stuff we were going through. i found it helpful, but how much varied a lot on the counselor. often, it mostly reinforced what i already knew or maybe helped me develop a little extra insight or additional coping skills, but for the most part, i probably would have done fine on my own after a while.
I have my moon in the 8th house, Pluto on my mc square my mars, and jupiter (cnj saturn) in libra in the ninth.
I found therapy tremendously helpful in coming to terms with my mother and a bunch of my issues with my childhood home. It taught me how to fight non violently which I’d been looking for, and it helped me escape the codependancy that was rife and felt so wrong in my environment.
In contrast my sister, Taurus, has Pluto opposite her mercury, venus, and mars, Uranus opp her sun from scorpio, had no benefit from therapy, she felt constantly attacked and ended up actually attacking her therapist physically when forced to go.
I have Jupiter in 8th and I would totally agree with this. I love going to therapy!
After reflecting on my previous post I have to add that nothing has come close to illuminating my issues more than Astrology and those that practice it as a career and service to mankind.
While I do not believe every Astrologer to be ethical or enlightened in their position I have no doubt that Elsa is one of THE very few who actually works from a higher realm, and, her advice is worth it’s “weight in gold”!.
I did not mean to imply that counselors are not worth paying or that their services are not valuable…..just that most of them are not worth the asking price.
BUT, when I found the counselor who helped she was worth not only what I paid her but also the cost of everyone who had not helped much added on top!
seriously, if you don’t find one that helps, keep looking. I haven’t seen a therapist for four years but I’d feel totally good about paying her monthly for the rest of my life for the value that I already got. mental health care is the best thing I ever did for myself.
I’m a psychotherapist (among other things). I have Jupiter in Scorpio trine my chart ruler, Mercury, which is conjunct my Descendant (talking to clients). Also, Pluto opp Venus (transformation in relationship) in my 1st/7th axis.
From all the comments I just read, it seems like Elsa’s theory works out! Empty 8th house here, ruler (Saturn) not in Scorpio and not in aspect to Pluto.
I think therapy is a great idea, but like another poster, I tend to “dazzle them with my self-awareness” and get less out of a session than I’m expecting. I’m always expecting therapists (and friends, and astrologers) to tell me something I don’t know, but I feel like I knew it already.
I think this is Mercury conjunct Pluto, trine Moon.
Tried therapy but not for me. I’m not always the best communicator and an hour isnt long enough to warm me up enough to open up (neptune in 8th opp merc). Having always self-analysed i feel i’m the best judge of whats going on in my little world and trying to relate that in the time alloted doesnt work for me. I find sometimes that life provides answers i need often through synchronicity so i just keep my eyes open and look for the clues.
Chiron in the 8th house, conjunct south node in the 8th house, all in Pisces. My progressed moon has been there the last two years by the way. Barbara Hand Clows work on Chiron was a god send, and I keep rereading that book. Therapy got me out of a bad marriage, helped some, but then needed to move on. Several sessions with Erin Sullivan who has her degree from the Jung Institute in Switzerland as well as is an astrologer helped enormously. The voices of the ancestors do live one, and it was nice to talk to someone who understood my struggles.
I went to therapy once. It made me aware of a few things, but mostly I felt like I was just babbling on and got next to nothing from it, so I stopped going. I have Neptune in the 8th house.
I forgot to mention earlier, I have had several close friends who were therapists, that is what they did for a living.
I have Jupiter in the 8th & am in therapy as a requirement for chronic pain treatment. It’s good – I think the therapist gets more out of it sometimes than I do haha.
Jupiter. 1st House. Pisces.
Therapy has never been helpful to me. I’ve tried it on four or five occasions, but it doesn’t really do anything for me.
I suffer from severe therapy envy, though. When other people have good experiences, it makes me want to have a good therapy experience so badly!
jupiter’s not in contact with anything. traditional psychotherapy has been next to useless for me. the ones i’ve run into have been horrible at listening. too much of their own projections.
taking courses on jungian psychology, however, was remarkably helpful. but my jupiter’s in the ninth.
capricorn’s often been good at getting through mercury in taurus thickheadedness.
oh, and, well, my eighth has chiron venus sun south node.
(comment went *poof!*)
Elsa:
In my 8th: Venus/Scorpio
[Scorpio: Sun, Merc, Venus, Neptune
Aquarius: Moon, Saturn
Aries Rising]
I think I’m the exception to the rule outlined in your query. I have been in therapy two or three times, and – at 46 years of age – I doubt I will ever try it again. Only the first experience, at age 27, was positive. From the other experiences I gained a keen insight that I was my own best healer. I simply can not (I don’t mean will not, I mean CAN NOT) benefit from the advice of others. I have to fall down get up fall down get up fall down get up. That’s how I learn.
Just sayin.
Lisa – where is Jupiter?? That shows the benefit.
Sorry Elsa:
I just re-read your post. (I read it too quickly the first time and jumped ahead). Jupiter/Picses/12th.
Pluto in the 12th trine Venus in 7th/8th depending on system. I’ve worked with several therapists…a couple of years here and there in each decade of adulthood. I thought all three were remarkable women…all three happened to be foreign, as is my mother. Not sure of the astrology on that…but I have Jupiter in Aquarius in the 4th…perhaps this points to that or Moon in Pisces in the 6th….women healers?
Just caught Elsa’s comment on the benefit of Jupiter – 4th house – childhood (issues) – makes sense.
My shrink is also a Pisces and I know her full birth info down to birth time! (She has Sun and Mercury in 8th.) Yes, she knows I do astrology, though she hasn’t read much about it herself.
I have Jupiter in 8th and love therapy. Though if you ask my shrink, she doesn’t think she’s helping me all that much. I am always reluctant to take action (the downside of Taurus), so that’s hard to deal with. On the other hand, doing group therapy with her and my mom has worked miracles, so on that level it’s really working to decrease the crazy.
Oh wow. Interesting.
Cap Jupiter in 8th and 9th (cusp?)
The year that I was in therapy was great. Not in terms of not crying and feeling naked and exposed, but her teaching me how to help myself out of a horrible pattern.
At first I didn’t want to grow, but then I had to for sheer mental-emotional-academic survival.
It was like having someone coaching me through life, and my perceptions surrounding it, because the way I was dealing with it on my own… obviously wasn’t working.
I definitely appreciate being given that year.
Sadge Neptune in 8th house as well.
Jupiter in Scorpio/9th; Uranus in Libra/8th (ruled by Virgo). I have a great therapist and love the exercise of discussion and analysis and the revelations that come from this exploration. It’s a process of learning and discovery in an intimate conversation. Sometimes I’ll think I understand everything intellectually and then he’ll say ‘your body language here is interesting’…and I’ll realize there is more than I logically understood. I like to stay loose and see what happens.
Therapy has helped me immensely, and I feel like I should be in it all the time. My favorite part about it is that it teaches you how to deal, but not that problems disappear.
oh moon in the 8th…
I wrote such a long entry I have to boil it down. Such great topic! I’ve had 3 experiences, one so traumatizing & messed up I wish no one else ever goes through that, and one so life changing I don’t know where I would have been without it today. The 3rd time was short & relatively easy, after 911 when I thought I was going insane with extra sensory overload.
Chiron/Jupiter sextile Sun/Mercury (6th to 8th) with Pluto aspecting each end of the sextile from the 12th (or on the cusp depending on the House System).
Am guessing Pluto involved is what makes the experiences so extreme and explains the screwy-dness of the first experience (not the Pluto/Sun trine but it’s opposition to Jupiter & Chiron). In fact t Pluto was making hard aspects at the time.