So, what do you think makes up an "easy" chart?

Last night I was going on about how my cousin totally has a charmed life. I can count on one hand the number of "bad" things that have ever happened to her, and everything comes to her with great ease. She met her future husband at age 18 on the first day of college, no less. I'd kill to have her life :P Yeah, I know that maybe some secret bad things might have happened to her, but I've just never seen it. 

Looking at her chart, all of her planets are located on one side, and she has a lot of trines, and mostly friendly conjunctions. She has Mars and Saturn conjunct, but she is probably the only person I know with that aspect who doesn't have an angry side. (Don't ask me how she does that when they're in Scorpio.) 

What do you think makes for an easy/charmed life in a chart?

I used to think that people with trine had the world at their feet.  (Who wouldn't think that when their is widely square ?)  What I found is it's a good asepct to to have IF, and only if, the person realizes there's more to life than a self-serving existence.  The creeps I knew who had this aspect were very unpleasant people to be around, once you got to know them.  They were able to fool people initially because of their "pleasantness", but once it wore off, their arrogance came careening through.

My life might not have gone as smoothly as other people's, but I wouldn't change a thing.  I've learned a lot about being spiritually aware from the hard knocks I got.  If I didn't get them, well, maybe I would have been one of the countless dolts who get hung up on stupidity that means nothing in the long run.

Here's the chart of the "blessed" person in my life:

Sad thing is, even with the shit he's pulled on me, I still can't seem to knock him off the pedestal in my head.  Working on that.  *sigh*  What can I say, I'm envious.  It always seems like, no matter what, he floats around it.  Plus, with all this shit going on with our nodal axis (the Saturn-Uranus opp. is sitting on it), it's like he's learning the lessons and applying them and I'm stuck in either reverse or neutral, given the day.  Makes me want to rip my hair out.  Ugh.  *kicks something inanimate*

I knew a person who had an "easy" chart. He was not a good person. He was lazy, mean, dishonest. We had a talk about his easy chart (all kinds of trines, lovely really) and he said something to the effect that none of the good things were true about him; he knew what he was. We were in our 20's I wonder whatever happened to old what's his name.

Hahaha, "old what's his name", !!  I love it!

Yeah, "floats" about sounds about right, SaDiablo for someone with Neptune in the first square Moon-Saturn.

My dad is about the luckiest person I know and his greatest gift is the ability to avoid stress of all kinds. He has Sun-Pluto-Venus conjunct in Cancer trine Uranus in Pisces and uses his considerable will power to look straight ahead . . .

I don't have that option. It's instant karma every time for me. 

Bah I was posting and I closed the wrong window .... I will come back to this one though.  I don't have an "easy" chart but I have a bouyant chart  

I don't know that I believe in "easy" or "charmed" verses not. Yes, there are definitely people that get a more bumpy road than others. Astrologically,  sure - there are aspects that may be softer than others and those that may be harder than others -but I think how that energy is used and how you handle it is what makes the difference.

I mean, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors. No one knows about the things they don't see or aren't privvy to. And even if they are:  I used to think a girl I went to high school with was lucky to have the life she has, much like you've explained with your cousin. But then her son was born with a genetic heart defect and has been in and out of the hospital since his birth - I wouldn't trade the life I've lived (more bumps than the average road) for once minute of that kind of worry and pain. My heart goes out to her and her family.

We all have our hardships to endure. We all handle those hardships differently. We play the hand we're given as best we know how and that's the important part, to me.

EDIT: In retrospect of my own life, I'm not even sure I'd WANT 'easy'. Hardship builds character. I am the person I am today, capable and able, because I'm a Shit Creek survivor. :D

i agree with luci...i guess i have a different perspective though because my sun/uranus recoils in horror at the thought of meeting and marrying a husband on my first day of classes (no offense)

as for what makes an easy chart, the old saying "use it or lose it" comes to mind. easy route doesn't always equal fulfilling in my case (i've got a lot of trines and sextiles and a jupiter-ruled chart).

 I know just one person who leads a charmed life, a close, lovely Capricorn sun friend, and I've known him for over 30 years, but lately he has got incredibly anxious about what amounts to being "out of control",( this is a common phase for guys around the transit of Neptune opposing Pluto I find, but his is quite extreme anxiety) so I guess the thing is we can step back from the challenges manifest in our charts sometimes, maybe steer such an even path that actually we're not doing ourselves many favours.  His chart is not "easy" to look at it, involves a Sun Uranus opposition, and yes, he's been divorced, although even then, he gradually detached, moving his stuff out like the escapees of the war movie "The Great Escape" till one day his ex realised he'd left. But no acrimony. He follows a careful path that keeps him dancing on the edge of sitting on the fence.

Easy charts?  No such thing in my experience, but some are less tortured for sure, just focussed on their route forward, a bit like like Neith says of her Dad ( My dad is a bit like that too, Neith.. he is 83 and currently touring art galleries in the south of France!).  And Jenfullmoon...I know  people who've had allegedly charmed lives and then met with disaster, tragedy all sorts, for which they were totally unprepared, not toughened up..like you, I do feel pangs of envy sometimes for those who seriously seem so mellow and at one with themselves, though, who don't seem to struggle as much. But sometimes I think we gladiators need the grit in our oysters to make some pearls.

I have met a lot of people with charmed lives... which they then sabotage, LOL.

That's actually where I was going Luci - good point!  I don't know if anyone would look at my chart and think "easy" but it's definitely balanced and bouyant.  And by dealing with the harder stuff, I've learned ... well, deal with harder stuff.  I can pretty much handle most of the curve balls life throws at me.  I like that a lot.

SaDiablo my ex boyfriend had the same chart! Well, he has the same planets except his jupiter was in pisces and he's 9/30/1986. He definitley seemed perfect in my eyes..and it annoyed me ceasesless...he was great looking, smooth talking, intelligent, funloving, a great cook, traveled the world, picture perfect family, appearing very loving...

 But what I realize is his darkness is bottled up...his life is nowhere near the perfection he sold to me and anyone else willing to buy his cr*p. I'm so glad I see clearly now..

As cruel as he was in the end...I still appreciate his lust for life because I'm taking that lesson and applying it to my life. To live more fully, to laugh louder, and play practical jokes as much as often...haha maybe that's the key

All told, I think I have an easy chart. I have a few tough things in there, over which I've focused too much of my attention, but I know how lucky I am, both literally and figuratively. I have many gifts in my chart. They've given me a lot. 

It's my responsibility to share it with others.  

That's is a great attitude, Lady.

neva, I can vouch for your generous spirit and I love how you take responsibility for... your life. :-)

Being a fire trine, I abused it during my Pluto transit.

But now that I'm older, I've learned how to 'cool the fire' in my chart.

I'm with luci.

Crap transits and crap aspects have triggered the most growth and/or insight for me.

I think I have what some might consider a "tough" chart.  A lot of squares....personal planets in their detriment...and such.  I strive everyday to reverse (for lack of a better word) the afflictions in my chart/personality, and I am grateful for that.  No complaints here.....except when I'm complaining. 

Really though, complacency is not an option for me, once I figured that out.

saturn square neptune and a lot of planets in water signs and houses = tough chart. Mine :P Luckily I'm an Aries - I am strong enough to swim upstream.

"No complaints here.....except when I'm complaining."

LOL