Education

As High Priestess, Vesta was a teacher, instructing her devotees in how to perform their sacred duties. This education was necessary in order for the women to achieve the group's higher purpose of protecting the sacred city documents.

Today, education is perhaps the most important factor in a woman's ability to succeed in the world. Without a college education it's almost impossible to enter a career; without a high school diploma it's difficult to get a job.

Education in general is ruled by the Third House, which represents your capacity for learning. Higher education and deeper exploration falls under the Ninth House.

Your birth chart offers some insight into the fields of study that might interest you and those in which you are likely to succeed.

Knowledge Is Power

Sometimes getting educated requires making sacrifices. It may mean taking out loans to finance your tuition, or working full-time and going to school part-time. You may need to dedicate almost 10 years of your adult life to school in order to qualify for an entry-level position in some fields, such as medicine or psychology.

Women with a strong Vesta influence may cope better with such sacrifices than those with less Vestal influence. Focus on the long-term benefits can keep you motivated during the years of struggle.

If you need a more immediate return on your investment, you can always choose a field of study that allows you to enter a rewarding career soon after --or even before -- graduation. Trade schools can teach you the practical skills you need as a paralegal, dental assistant, computer technician and other professions.

The Age of Aquarius is also the Information Age, where knowledge really is power. Without knowledge it gets increasingly d ifficult to make the wise choices that Vesta would have us make. The Vesta woman takes adult education courses to explore other career fields, to remain competitive in a current career, or simply for the joy of learning.

Girls' Learning

Studies show that many girls lose interest in math and science about the time they hit puberty. While we should not force our daughters down paths they don't want to take, it's important to help them keep all of their options open.

That means offering girls and boys the same opportunities for learning. It means showing girls by example that they can do whatever they want to do, whether that be starting a catering business, becoming a marine biologist, managing an office, or entering the political arena.

It also means not belittling their choices, or valuing one field above another. Humanities are no less important than hard sciences. Home economics is a subject we could all benefit from studying, regardless of our gender.

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