12 Jul Intercepted Signs in Astrology – Understand Your Life Differently
guest post by D. Rachael Bishop
We learn many things layer by layer. That seems especially true when it comes to complex systems, like astrology. In the beginning, it’s cool to figure out your Sun, Moon, and rising sign. The astrological signs and planets harken back to ancient myths, and if we were lucky, time spent as a kid stargazing with our parents or older brothers and sisters. The fact that these signs move through the sky makes sense as we’re taught the Earth turns and follows an annual orbit around the sun.
Then things start getting more complicated. The architecture of twelve houses seems like a pie chart on steroids, and when you ponder the impact of Chiron, the wounded healer you’re forced to do some soul searching. But even this has a relatable basis. We all know people who have had a tough time in life, yet they share their gifts of insight, patience, and shadow-work to become wise counselors, coaches, or shamans. This basic understanding of astrology was interesting and served me well for many years, but there were large aspects of my lived experience that this level of knowledge couldn’t begin to explain.
It wasn’t until 2023, when I began to engage with intercepted signs (a lesser known aspect of astrology), that I finally was able to explain aspects of my life that had otherwise remained elusive and confusing. Intercepted signs don’t affect everyone, but for the people who do have this tricky configuration digging into what it means can lead to some serious “aha moments”! Following in Tiff’s trailblazer footsteps, I’ll share my chart so you have a visual aid.
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What is an interception?
The word “intercepted” means something has been prevented from reaching its destination. In the case of a football interception, a pass is deflected from being received successfully. In astrology, we speak of intercepted astrological signs. Since we know signs flow continuously across the sky and the year, what could possibly be intercepting them? Why, the houses, of course!
A natal chart is drawn as a circle of 360 degrees. Each chart has twelve houses, each house is a pie slice of about thirty degrees. The houses can vary in size, particularly if you were born close to either the north or south poles. When a house is large enough that it completely engulfs a sign, that astrological sign is said to be intercepted. It’s not starting in one house and flowing to the next. But even if you’ve been interested in astrology for years, unless someone tells you that you have intercepted signs, it’s easy to miss this fact, and the depth of the significance. It just seems like two houses are bigger. You don’t realize that those larger houses are constraining the astrological sign, its energy, and everything in the house.
Intercepted signs come in pairs, so if you find one in your chart, look to the opposite house for the second interception. For example, in my chart the 3rd and 9th houses intercept the signs Capricorn and Cancer. If you have intercepted houses, you also have two duplicated houses right before them. Duplicated signs appear in two houses and occupy the cusp of the house that the intercepted sign is unable to fulfill. My duplicated signs are Sagittarius and Gemini.
Astrologers Note: interceptions can only be found when using the Placidus system. You will not find interceptions in the whole house system.
Personal Application – an Example
Some sources will tell you to use the energy of the duplicated sign to gain access to the intercepted sign. But I’ve found this causes as much difficulty as benefit. My duplicated Sagittarius in the 2nd house is really good at learning new things, traveling, taking risks, and adapting, and my duplicated Gemini in 8th house is great at reviewing large volumes of information, analyzing mysteries, and understanding psychological motives. Those are useful skills for sure, but if you really want to build something lasting and time-honored, you can’t always move on; at some point, you have to stabilize your dreams, which is what Capricorn excels in doing. Likewise, if you want love and acceptance, you can’t spend all your emotional energy analyzing people; at some point you simply need to accept and comfort them, which is what Cancer energy seeks to do.
Putting down roots was always hard for me because Capricorn, the cardinal earth sign of assertiveness, certainty, progressive effort, and building toward goals did not have support. Where should that support have come from? The opposite sign: Cancer, where love, nurturance, and security are cultivated. Intercepted signs tend to compromise the house and everything in it. I have Saturn in Capricorn, which should have meant a strong sense of taking charge of my life and standing up for what I believed in. But because Capricorn was intercepted in my 3rd house of voice and communications I had a hard time speaking up for myself and didn’t handle power struggles well.
Healing Interceptions
In our quest for growth and healing, learning about intercepted signs and how they affect us is a way of unblocking potential energy. But intercepted signs are tricky. Not only is each house and its contents affected, but the signs themselves become disconnected energetically from each other. Think of each pair of signs as an axis or a baton, if that’s more concrete. The ends are the signs – they are distinct and opposite – but they are connected by the rod. For example, Sagittarius is able to deeply ponder and explore because Gemini, it’s opposite, is great at gathering information and circulating among people and ideas. Let’s take another one. Aquarius is great at being unique, authentic, and fostering abstract, humanitarian activities because Leo is able to draw together a wide range of people and bring out warm, larger-than-life personalities.
Thus, each sign is linked to, and normally balanced by, its opposite, but with intercepted signs that link is weakened. In my case, Cancer — the sign associated with receiving love and nurturance and experiencing a sense of security and home — was also intercepted. So it was hard for me to have faith in creating a place for myself in the outside world and connecting with others, when my home life felt unsupported, unloved, and without sanctuary.
Interceptions have a way of illuminating our inadequacies in the areas that are affected. We often turn to psychologists, doctors, or gurus to “fix what is broken,” or we dull the pain with distractions or worse. These approaches don’t work well because they miss the core truth of who we are as living beings. We are not born with a static or fixed temperament — indeed the whole concept goes against the very laws of Nature. Rather, we are constantly evolving, learning, experimenting, and loving our experiences into a life that holds meaning for us. So, then the obvious question is: Okay, but if two out of twelve signs are inaccessible, how do I bloody well evolve?
This is where the movement of the planets and key asteroids comes into play. I believe a shift in our awareness as astrology students is what is needed. We often talk about a Saturn return as something that happens to us with a cycle of about 29 years. Or, we talk about Moon cycles, or god forbid, another Mercury retrograde. We talk about planetary motions and are relieved once the planet moves on so ‘we can get back to real life,’ or to our ‘real self.’
What if instead, we looked at these ‘transits’ more as transformative energies, waves of perfect timing that permeate us, directing our focus on the affected sign, and allow us to feel and incorporate fresh energy into our beings? In retrospect, this is exactly how I reframed my intercepted sign in Capricorn and then subsequently my understanding of the sign of Cancer – but I lived it first before I understood it.
Interceptions Reinterpreted
In 2008, when Pluto entered Capricorn and the financial crisis rocked the world, I was a single Mom with two kids ages 5 and 9, and just finished graduate school at 48. I had a house with a mortgage I couldn’t sell, and we were living in a small, but lovely university town, where the job market had dried up overnight. For a year, I tried to find work until I realized I had to do something totally outside of my comfort zone. I landed a job in Washington, D.C., a decision that deeply tore at me as I really did not like cities. My kids and I moved into a community in a nearby suburb with good schools (read, 3rd house of neighborhoods, community, early childhood education, and siblings).
As you can imagine, this move was like a hot poker prodding my intercepted 3rd house, where Pluto was currently transiting Capricorn. The third house not only refers to siblings and community, but also to our voice and communications. Growing up, I had never happily been part of any neighborhood, preferring one-on-one relationships where I felt I would be heard and university towns, where I could immerse myself in learning, rather than trust others for love and support. I was not at all sure how well I would manage as a single mom in a big city. Bearing in mind, in my chart Cancer (which rules mothering) is also intercepted in the 9th house. With Pluto, the planet of transformation, tearing through my intercepted Capricorn, I was fated to experience a major life change.
In February 2010, on an icy evening between major snowstorms, I pulled into my new driveway in McLean, Virginia. The next day, the movers arrived and we spent all day unloading the truck. When dusk began to creep across the sky the sidewalk refroze, but we had to keep working. A few minutes later, I noticed my neighbor setting up a floodlight so we could safely continue. This small, but profound act, still warms my heart every time I recall that evening and it began a process of change for me as to how I felt about communities. Over the next few years, the dear women and men of our townhouse complex cared about us, and we for them. This grounded my sons and me, giving me the affection and acceptance I needed to reframe my feelings about neighborhoods and succeed as both a single mom and in my career. Many difficulties lay ahead, but now I had new strength – I had a whole community in my corner! For the first time, I could distinguish which battles were worth fighting and which weren’t and I had the assertiveness to stand my ground!
Did I realize Pluto was transiting Capricorn in my 3rd house of neighborhoods at the time? Yes, but back then I hadn’t yet heard of interceptions so I had no idea of the magnitude of what I was facing. I just persevered. I raised my kids, went to work, and made my green bean vinaigrette salad for our neighborhood potlucks. That was fourteen years ago.
Fast forward to October 2022, when I was fortunate enough to land a job in France and realize a life-long dream of relocating overseas (9th house heaven!). But strangely, from the moment I landed, rather than feeling satisfaction and fulfillment, everything was a struggle. This continued until fall of 2023 when Tiffany explained the importance of intercepted signs to me. There was the “aha!” Of course setting up my home in a foreign country would trigger the intercepted Cancer energy in my 9th house! Here was another opportunity to open new potential! But this time at least I was coming at it with a degree of consciousness, or so I thought.
First thing I did was to look and see what planets or asteroids were impacting Cancer. Nothing was. Saturn, the planet of structure, stability, and discipline, won’t enter Cancer until 2032. Pluto, the planet of major transformation is busy plowing up Aquarius until 2043. I don’t have any natal planets in Cancer that the transiting planets might influence. Furthermore, Cancer’s ruler, the Moon, is in my 8th house of Gemini, which is a duplicated sign for me, but no amount of gathering and analyzing data helped me feel any more at home. I could not access Cancer energy via Gemini.
Instead, I sought the counsel of new colleagues and my cousins and the good sense of my now grown kids – which was effectively using the refreshed Capricorn energy in 3rd house. On their suggestions, I started doing something totally new. Now, I am taking up space and time and asking for what I want. I am prioritizing my need to feel at home.
Cancer is the sign of the crab, and it creates sanctuary for itself by growing a shell, which it may outgrow and replace as needed. Here’s how that is working for me: from Friday after work to Sunday night, I unplug completely. I take care of myself, sleep, cook what I like, and do things to nurture myself whole-heartedly. During the week days, I take time each day to reconnect with something that feeds my soul.
One of the ways I like to relax is by working on my family’s genealogy. In 2009, out of the blue one Saturday morning as I was making pancakes, I got a phone call from a man in Australia saying he thought we were cousins by our grandfathers. At first I was skeptical, but he knew important details about my father’s immigrant family that I listened closely. It turned out he was absolutely right and so began a fantastic journey together learning about the past, how we lost track of each other, and what we have in common today. This was a huge blessing for me as we knew very little about my father’s family, other than they came from Russia and valued learning and books. (Notice the international theme, higher education, and family – yup, 9th house healing of intercepted Cancer energy.)
From our very positive connection, I expanded my search and met many other cousins and something profound began to happen. I recreated a whole world of family relationships and connectivity, which now sustains me as we talk on a near daily basis. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the emotional impact of meeting my eldest living cousin on FaceTime this winter. He is 92 years old, lived through horrendous trauma in eastern Europe, and we don’t even speak the same languages. But his grandson – bless him! – translated.
The moment we saw each other, we both drew in a fast breath and our faces broke into smiles. It was instant recognition! “The feeling of family is strong with you!” he said. “May I ask how old you are?” A little shy, I said, “64.” His eyes filled with tears, “Oh, you are like my baby!”
His words hit me like the most heartfelt, loving wave I could have ever hoped to feel from an older relative. Suddenly, I was a little kid and I was cherished and beloved! Ever since, I have kept the memory of our conversation close, basking in the warmth of his voice, a moment that has kindled relationships for both our families, as my kids are now in touch with his descendants – serious 9th house and Cancer energy.
As I look back on everything that has happened since 2008 when Pluto began transforming Capricorn, I realize that I have not only healed so much blocked energy, but I have rebuilt the link between the Cancer and Capricorn energies in my life. I no longer permit people to talk over me – which often happens to people with a weakened 3rd house, and I try not to take it personally when they do. Growing a tough shell like a crab truly helps! But so does claiming space and surrounding myself with good energy – and that is the powerful combination of Cancer and Capricorn working in harmony together again.
My journey has progressed by using transiting planets to engaging directly with the energy of the intercepted signs and their opposites. I now understand that the discomfort I used to feel was just the intercepted signs talking. It wasn’t a permanent flaw in my character that needed to be ‘fixed.’ But the sadness and fear did signal opportunities for healing and acceptance. Here we are, today, full moon in Capricorn, on the summer solstice of 21 June 2024!
Wishing everyone much strength and courage as you sort through the wild ride that healing intercepted signs can become! If I can be of help, just ask.
The Six Axes
Aries – Libra – the ability to be self-motivated, heroic, and pioneering; the ability see another’s person’s point of view, incorporate duality, and redress imbalances. Cardinal energy.
Taurus – Scorpio – the power to be present in the material and financial world; the power to exert influence in the psychological, emotional, and political realms. Fixed energy.
Gemini – Sagittarius – the acuity to process data, ideas, interact socially, and sort through a wide array of impressions; the courage to explore distant lands, philosophies, cultures, and languages. Mutable energy.
Cancer – Capricorn – the sensitivity to feel emotions, care for others, create a home, nurture and protect; the determination to exercise personal authority and vision, grow and build something of value, navigate your surroundings and achieve goals. Cardinale energy.
Leo – Aquarius – the power to project warmth, draw people to you, and inspire others; the power to project unique, authentic individuality, and abstract humanitarian perspectives. Fixed energy.
Virgo – Pisces – the ability to organize daily life in a thoughtful, constructive manner that serves and heals; the ability to flow, bringing imaginative arts, music, spirituality, and illusionary perceptions into focus for humanity’s growth. Mutable energy.
Photo credit: Liam Benjamin Kelly, 2021, Wissembourg, France
Rachael Bishop is a writer, journalist, and science communications pro. She earned her MFA in writing from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her articles on environmental themes and food/wine have been published in more than 50 newspapers, magazines, and online media, including The New York Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic Monthly. A history and genealogy buff, she enjoys Nature, hiking, gardening, and cooking. She loves her two sons and two cats. A native of California, she’s putting down roots in Colmar, France.