There has been a lot of talk recently about the rise of narcissism in our society. According to studies that were conducted among American university students, young people today are apparently more likely to exhibit narcissistic traits than college students thirty years ago.
Inevitably, the finger is pointed at social media tools like facebook and twitter for making us all increasingly self-focused and uninterested in anyone but ourselves.
For the most part, I doubt the validity of this. But there does seem to be a trend among many westernised countries at the moment for scapegoating minorities for problems that aren’t their fault.
Let’s take Donald Trump, for example. Since beginning his campaign, he has insulted Muslims, Mexicans, women and people with disabilities, just to name a few. While this kind of behaviour would have been abhorrent in a political candidate ten or twenty years ago, now it appears the more people Trump offends, the more popular he becomes with a certain kind of voter.
And to say that his behaviour towards certain sections of society could be called heartless is an understatement.
So what astrological indicators would point to someone being a narcissist?
Well considering that nearly all narcissists lack empathy for others, the first place to look would be in the Elements.
In studying people’s charts over the years, I have found that there is really one major signifier- a lack of Water planets in the chart.
Those with an abundance of planets in the Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) have the complete opposite problem to a narcissist in that they feel other people’s pain a little too much. Their emotional availability often means they become ‘Agony Aunts’ to family and friends- and even complete strangers- regardless of whether they want to be or not. In being empaths, the Water signs find it difficult to know how to step back emotionally, so in tune are they with the psychic undercurrents that are going on around them. They find it easy to put themselves in another’s shoes and may even take on other people’s emotional pain, meaning that they are susceptible to being guilted or shamed by more ruthless people, even when they have done nothing wrong.
Narcissists, however, have great difficulty in relating to others emotionally, and the less Water signs they have in their chart, the more of a problem this becomes.