Studying astrology, I have noticed the subtle connection between real-life situations and the natal chart.
The best thing astrology can do for you is reveal that what you are experiencing is not random; it is a consequence of what you did "yesterday" and probably still tend to do "today." This is what we call karmic patterns. And if you understand what you are doing wrong, the next step is to change. The second possibility for what you are experiencing today is that it is preparing you for later. In both scenarios, self-knowledge is the first step. And astrology is a starting point.
The three main types of karma describe the link between misbehavior and real-life consequences: illnesses, losses, conflicts, etc.
Unfortunately, many people fail to make these correlations at all. It is quite sad not to wonder about the deep root causes of your illness, why you have gone through so many situations of loss, or why you experience frequent conflicts.
I recently noticed someone with aggression karma who experiences the aggressiveness of those around them, manifested through frequent arguments and misunderstandings. However, they refuse to admit that they also possess a dose of aggression in how they act or react, even if it is just through inappropriate language and tone. In other words, they fuel the arguments instead of becoming aware that they are getting what they deserve and that they could stop feeding these conflicts by letting go of the need to always have the last word.
Therefore:
- Some people fuel conflicts for years on end without understanding where they come from.
- They suffer from illnesses they treat indefinitely, never wondering if there is a cause within themselves.
- They go through losses, through dissolving relationships—and make absolutely no connection between what happens to them and who they are, how they think, how they behave, and what they emit.
Because they cannot see themselves. They do not make an effort toward sincere self-knowledge. It is more comfortable to blame someone else or ignore the problem.
And that is precisely why I wrote this article.
There is a huge difference between understanding what you are experiencing and why, and not understanding—especially when you are the one suffering.
You go through a divorce and blame your partner. You lose a job and blame the employer, fate, or find various excuses. You get sick and blame bad luck or genetics. You constantly end up in conflict with the people around you and are convinced that you are the normal one while everyone else is the problem.
But if the same situations repeat themselves—conflicts, losses, failing relationships, projects that never take off, recurring illnesses—it is time to ask yourself something else: what is it in me that attracts these experiences?
You Are Responsible for Your Experiences
This is perhaps the hardest thing to accept, but also the most liberating: you are solely responsible for your experiences. Good or bad.
Not destiny, not others, not circumstances. You—through your behavioral patterns, your repetitive attitudes, through what you emit and what you attract. When you turn inward and sincerely ask, "Could there be something in me?"—only then can something begin to change.
But this turning inward requires something few are willing to do: an honest effort toward self-knowledge.
If we were perfect, we wouldn't have incarnated. Every natal chart contains at least one of the three main types of karma. Most contain two, or even all three. The problem is not that these patterns bring you difficulties—the problem is that you go through them without understanding them, or you understand them too late and with much more suffering than was necessary. Furthermore, knowing your karmic chart also provides the clues for sublimating karma—meaning, transforming negative patterns into positive ones.
What the Natal Chart Is, Simply Put
The natal chart is a photograph of the sky at the exact moment of your birth. The positions of the planets in the zodiac signs and houses, and the relationships between them, show not only your personality but also the karmic patterns you brought into this life—what you have to resolve, where you tend to repeat mistakes, and what you need to transform.
Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, the chart shows you these things; you can identify them in your life and then begin to make changes.
Aggression Karma
If there are hard aspects in your chart—squares or oppositions—between planets placed in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), it means you carry this type of karma.
Before you say "I am not aggressive"—consider that aggression does not necessarily mean physical violence. It means the sharp tone you use when you are tired. It means the need to always have the last word. It means an authoritarian attitude masked as "being direct and telling it like it is." It means blaming others when things go wrong, without ever wondering how you contributed. It means biting remarks, passive-aggressiveness, and an underlying angry tone toward family members.
These behaviors, repeated over time, generate concrete consequences: conflicts leading to divorce or broken relationships, workplace issues, chronic family arguments, estrangement from children, accidents—and, on a physical level, illnesses of the head, stomach, kidneys, or skeletal system.
I recently saw someone around me who did not realize that her passive-aggressive attitude—the biting remarks, the underlying angry tone, the tendency to shift the blame onto the other person—leads to open conflict, arguments, resentment, and drama. She felt like the victim of an aggressive world. And life confirmed this belief, constantly bringing her the exact people and situations that brought to the surface what she refused to see in herself. I suggested she consult her chart, hoping it would give her food for thought—but because she also has ignorance karma and is dogmatic, she refused. It is more comfortable not to know.
That is what karma does: it holds up a mirror to your face—until you are willing to look. Mars, the planet associated with this type of karma, shows through its position in the chart how and where this aggression manifests. Examples:
- Mars in Cancer indicates a person who, in past lives, exercised aggression toward their own family. Now, the lesson comes through family conflicts, harsh parents, or a difficult partner.
- Mars in Libra indicates relational karma—the person rejected or abandoned someone in another life, and now they attract partners who reject them; it points to loneliness or relationships that break apart before taking root. If Mars is in the 4th house (the house of family), the aggression manifests within the household.
The path of sublimation comes through Pluto: inner transformation, replacing the need for control with authentic authority, and aggression with courage and creative power.
Possessive Attachment Karma
Hard aspects between planets in fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius—indicate possessive attachment karma.
This type of karma corresponds to any form of possessivity toward loved ones (parents, children, spouse, friends, etc.), pets, or material goods (money, house, land, objects, etc.). It represents emotional imbalances, exaggerated desires, and passions: stubbornness, pride, egocentrism, and all sentimental problems or those related to sexuality, power, and money.
What this pattern looks like in practice: you cannot let a relationship end, even if it is toxic. You define yourself by what you own—house, car, status—and any material loss completely destabilizes you. You control the people you love out of fear of losing them, and by doing so, you push them away. You cannot forgive an old injustice because forgiving means letting go, and letting go feels like a loss to you.
The real-life consequences are clear: painful breakups and divorces, financial losses, sudden reversals of fortune. On a physical level: illnesses of the throat, heart, kidneys, or sexual organs.
An illness that stops you in your tracks, an unexpected loss, a breakup—these are not strokes of fate. They are invitations to sincerely ask yourself: what is it in me that created this situation? What do I need to change about myself?
Complaining about being sick or losing something, without reflecting on the reasons behind the situation, is a missed opportunity for evolution. If you do not understand the meaning of what you are experiencing, you become resentful of destiny or God—and you will attract even more of the same.
Neptune shows the path of evolution and sublimation of this karma: from the person who hoards and controls, the person who gives and feels deeply can be born—with creativity, compassion, and intuition. Specifically, this depends on the sign and house it occupies in your natal chart.
Ignorance Karma
This is the hardest type of karma to recognize, precisely because it hides behind intelligence.
Hard aspects between planets in mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces—indicate a misuse of knowledge or communication in previous existences.
Ignorance karma corresponds to any inappropriate use of knowledge for egocentric purposes or deficient communication (including lies and breach of trust). It is the karma of "the one who knows, but chooses to manipulate" or "the one who refuses to see the truth because it disturbs their peace."
Examples:
- Manipulation through "Half-Truths" (Mercury/3rd House) – Manifests as selective communication to gain an advantage.
- "Willful Blindness" (Jupiter/9th House) – The refusal to see the "big picture" or to accept spiritual/philosophical truths that would require you to change your lifestyle.
- Breach of trust through expertise (Saturn/Mercury) – When you use your title, authority, or expertise to convince someone to do something that, deep down, you know will harm them but benefits you.
Concrete consequences: failures in exams and projects, especially at the beginning; difficulties in making oneself understood or having one's ideas recognized; deception and betrayals; accidents during travel. On a physical level: illnesses of the nervous system, lungs, liver, intestines, or lymphatic system. And the person with this type of karma usually makes no connection whatsoever between their behavior and the consequences they experience.
Examples:
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Mercury in Taurus: In the past life: The person categorically refused to change their opinions out of pure convenience or pride. They rejected any new or spiritual ideas, guided solely by a strictly material logic: "I only believe what I can touch and what brings me profit." In the present: They face mental sluggishness in moments of crisis and a strong blockage when confronting change. They may suffer losses because they refuse to listen to others' advice. Their lesson is to learn flexibility and accept that value does not lie only in material things.
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Mercury in Virgo: In the past life: The person was a relentless critic. They used their intellect to split hairs and find flaws in everything and everyone, ignoring the bigger picture and the feelings of others. They believed that a person's worth lay only in their utility or technical perfection. In the present: They may struggle with severe mental anxiety, hypochondria, or a paralyzing inner critical voice. The karma dissolves when they learn to accept imperfection and use their mind to heal, not to dissect.
The path of sublimation comes through Uranus: opening up to unconventional knowledge—psychology, astrology, philosophy, spirituality. Using knowledge to serve, not to feel superior. This depends on the sign and house it occupies in your natal chart.
What You Do with This Information
Becoming aware of your own behavioral and attitudinal patterns—specific to the type of karma you came with—is the first step on the evolutionary path. Without understanding, we go through all kinds of experiences in vain.
But awareness without accountability is not enough. You must reach the point where you accept that you are solely responsible for your experiences. As long as you refuse this responsibility and make no effort to transform, you remain a prisoner of the same patterns.
The next step is sublimation: channeling the energy that generated the karma into something higher. Mars—from aggression to courage and creative power. Venus—from possessiveness to compassion, generosity, and selfless love. Mercury—from manipulation to wisdom placed at the service of others.
Life is not just about going to work and relaxing on weekends. Simply keeping the Ten Commandments and visiting the church occasionally is not enough. Life demands evolution on all levels. Karma is not resolved through a single evening's revelation—it is resolved through consistency, by choosing something other than the old pattern, every single time the opportunity arises.
