Often while exploring the charts of significant people in our lives, we overlook one generality that has more of an impact than many suspect. Few authors and teachers, as far as I can see, take time to consider the gender of the person in the chart.

As we study the charts of significant people in our lives, we endeavor to take into account every relevant astrological datum. Often while exploring this forest of details, we overlook one generality that has more of an impact than many suspect. Few authors and teachers, as far as I can see, take time to consider the gender of the person in the chart. I hear "lay people" make such statements as "I get along better with female Sagittarians better than I do with male ones". In the gender-based system of astrology that I call Equilibrium Training, the balance of gender energy in the chart directly affects the way the chart is read. It was while on this road that I encountered the phenomenon about which this article is written; males with a preponderance of feminine energy in their birth charts.

These men have charts where the feminine signs, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces, are heavily represented, and most especially when the Sun is placed there. Secondly, the Sun or several planets in the feminine houses, the Second, the Fourth, the Sixth, the Eighth, the Tenth or the Twelfth can also be considered feminine charts. This is not to be confused with the opposite scenario of masculine males, with Mars or the Ascendant in feminine signs, who like to be thought of as feminine males. That is a different situation altogether. These feminine male wannabees (sorry, Tem) often come across as feminine, yet when it is necessary or when their guard is down, have no problem reverting to their naturally masculine selves.

(While I am defining terms here, let me also say that for the purposes of this article, when I speak of masculine energy I speak of individuation. When I speak of feminine energy, I speak of universalization.)

In our world, males are expected to be masculine, acting to distinguish themselves. If that process means vanquishing others, so be it. Females are expected to be feminine, acting to establish cooperation and bonding through awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of others. If that process means ignoring her own needs, so be it. Notwithstanding our New Age sensibilities where males are supposed to get in touch with their feminine sides and females are trying to be more masculine, evidence shows that something buried in the collective psyche forces males and females to come to deal with their traditional roles either consciously or not.

This phenomenon is most traumatic for males born with the Sun in one of the six feminine signs. Since life in this dimension is characterized as The One individualized into the many, simply being an individual is a masculine process. For males and females, masculine energy is an expression of concern with self. The Sun represents our natural and spontaneous expression of masculine energy. Since masculinity is a prerequisite for life on earth, masculine females are not in the same boat, although they have their own set of peculiar circumstances. For males, the Sun in the chart takes on a special meaning, since males, by definition, are masculine energy personified.

Any masculine planet in a feminine sign is, in effect, in its detriment. If that planet is the Sun and the chart in question belongs to a male, serious contradictions arise. These males and all feminine males must face the fact that they care a lot about the feelings of others. I hesitate to say they care too much because some males are at peace with this sensitivity. However, some of them, especially those with Mars or the Ascendant in one of the six masculine signs struggle with their masculine/feminine mixture. In those cases, the man admires masculine energy and aspires to be (Mars) or at least appears to be (Ascendant) more masculine than he naturally is. These reluctantly feminine males (this writer included) are, at least in theory, potentially dangerous because of their need to prove that they are not hamstrung by their fear of what others may think of what they do. My observation is that there is a period, usually starting in the mid to late teens where reluctantly feminine males go "wild", tending toward excesses that "out-masculine" the most masculine of males. Although my resources preclude such research, I would not be surprised if these reluctantly feminine males aren't disproportionately represented in cases of excessive violence, especially toward females. (O.J. Simpson is a Cancer with Mars in Gemini).

I specify violence against females because feminine males have a peculiar relationship with females and feminine energy in general. Unlike their more masculine counterparts, feminine males are intimately and subjectively familiar with feminine energy. Feminine children know instinctively, that learning what others in their environment are thinking or feeling, gives them some control over what happens in their environment. (Masculine children, especially boys, are more inclined to see life from their own perspective as the center of the universe.) Resignedly feminine children become resignedly feminine adults, often living their lives by finding out what people want and strategically giving or withholding it. Reluctantly feminine children watch masculine children moving through life with what appears to them to be grace and freedom from the tyranny of public opinion. Sooner (i.e., when the masculine planets Jupiter or Uranus aspect Mars) or later (i.e., when the feminine planets Saturn and Neptune aspect Mars), the reluctant feminine child rebels. (Venus comes into play as well with the reluctant feminine female.) But the reluctantly feminine female is still female: feminine energy personified. Even in her rebellion, she is likely to retain some of the caution associated with an awareness of the responsibility that stems from the control that is inherent in feminine energy. Reluctant feminine males have no such social, biological, spiritual restraints. Instead, society, their bodies, and their spiritual role as a member of the group that incarnate as males is to be masculine and restraint be damned. This rebellion against feminine energy may take the shape of violence against other feminine people, specifically feminine energy manifest: females.

Conversely, an argument could be made that the resignedly feminine male could be more violent. He could be jealous of the fact that females as a rule use their feminine energy with ease and social acceptability. They may hate the fact that they are often the controllee when they would rather be the controller, sensitive as they are to the whims of others. Even though these males may have more respect for feminine energy, the line between respect and fear is often paper thin. One could also postulate that the reluctantly feminine male in his flight from feeling would never let a female "get to him" and, therefore, eschew violence to females and the feminine people, as proof to himself that he is indeed masculine. At any rate, I believe that feminine males have to settle their relationship to femininity. With the exception of those who are reluctant, masculine men aren't as interested in settling their relationship to femininity. With the exception of those who are reluctant, masculine men aren't as interested in settling their relationship to femininity. Their role is to concentrate on the relationship with themselves; charged as they are with discovering what makes them unique and expressing that. People, male or female, who are perceived as a threat to that may feel their wrath physically or otherwise, but this is different from the violence of the feminine male.

Maturity for the feminine male comes when he makes peace with the fact that he cares and is therefore affected by what other people think. If he does have a masculine Mars or Ascendant, he may have to learn to accommodate his periodic desire to experience masculinity in more conventional ways. His advantage is that he knows that he has to. The male who is resigned to his femininity may not know that he has to honor his masculinity and may be confused when called upon by society or those close to him to exhibit it. It may be difficult for him to understand that it is possible to care too much how people feel. He must eventually learn that sometimes he may have to damn the torpedoes and assert himself. Not only does this benefit his own realization as a masculine human, but it may be necessary for him to fulfill his feminine goal of eliciting the desired results from others. However, even a man with all ten planets in feminine signs and houses is still a man and could be called on at anytime to be masculine.

Of course, there are women born with the Sun in feminine signs. For the purposes of this article, I want to address the Sun as a symbol of how we need to experience masculinity as personified by males. Women with feminine Suns are most comfortable with feminine men (although they may not know this if Mars or the Ascendant is in a masculine sign). Knowing this may be important to these women, since these men may not be acceptable to a society encouraging men to be masculine. If a woman does have a masculine Mars to accompany her feminine Sun, this article may explain why masculine men may leave her feeling a bit cold after a time. Conversely, this theory may help women involved with men who have Sun/Mars gender conflicts understand the schizophrenia these men may exemplify with their sometimes-I-give-a-damn/sometimes-I-don't behavior.

Our feminine brothers, fathers, sons, clients and the other significant men in our lives can benefit from knowing that they can be special emissaries; not quite masculine, not quite feminine, but a special combination of the two. Making peace is as simple or as complicated as facing the reality of who they are.