Nature or Nurture? How important is talent?

 

I'm asked a lot about talent.

Who has it, who doesn’t, how to get it, how to use it, how to identify it in the birth chart.

The position of the Sun will always show us where our talents lie, but it’s not that simple. The possession of “talent” isn’t necessarily a guarantee of “success”.

So, when it comes to talent in the birth chart, is it a case of you either have it or you don’t?

“Natural talent” has always been the go to theory explaining high achievers, yet when we look at the birth charts of many of these, we find it isn’t necessarily the case.

The Grand Trine is one of those chart patterns that is associated with high potential. The issue with the trine, however, is that the potential available in the chart is often not manifested. Why? Because it all comes too easily. The native takes their gifts for granted.

More often achievement is seen in charts where harder aspects are at play- where the native has to really work at the squares, oppositions of inconjuncts in their chart.

Easy aspects are a little like lying on a hammock on a sunny day- can you really be faffed getting out of it to do anything productive? You might wait until the opportunities fall into your lap, rather than actively seek to exploit your natural gifts.

The challenging aspects are tough. Yet, as we know, if it’s worth it, it’s worth working for and most things worth working for exist outside of our comfort zone...and therefore outside of the hammock.

These people- the ones who are prepared to work the difficult aspects in their chart-  these are the people who achieve great things despite the lack of “obvious” talent, as measured by more conventional, easy aspect patterns.

Recently I completed an article for an Australian print magazine where I looked at the chart patterns of Meryl Streep, Sting and Kylie Minogue. I was expecting to see trines involving Venus or Neptune, the Sun and or Jupiter. Instead, the charts were focused and differentiated by the lack of easy aspects.

Looking at the charts of other artists and sports people since, it’s become obvious- the key to lasting success isn’t necessarily a chart full of obvious talent. Instead it’s the person who takes the talent they have, mixes it with the latent power of a square, opposition or inconjunct, and stepped way outside of their comfort zone, who makes it big.

The message? Talent requires work. At the end of the day, it’s your choice as to whether you nurture and exploit what you have, or whether you sit back and waste it. That’s your call.

Likewise the tough stuff- you can work to overcome, or play the blame game. That’s your call too.

For those of you with difficult aspects, be grateful for the potential they offer rather than resentful for the trials. You’re in very illustrious company.

If you have a natural talent, or a chart full of trines and sextiles, nurture it. Don’t take it for granted, but instead take it to the next level. Look for squares and oppositions and take every opportunity to work them.

It’s not nature or nurture, but rather a little of both.