Cross of Possession

Full breakdown

Gates: 26 the Egoist, 36 Crisis, 45 the Gatherer, 6 Friction. Gate numbers: 45.4/36.1, 26.4/6.1.

You could just as fairly call this the Cross of Repossession — 'I've come to take your car for the debt.' Watch what disappears: Gate 22, Grace, a crucial theme in the earlier configuration. Without it, the Right Angle Cross of Rulership would be pure greed, simply taking what it needs. Grace changes everything — even at its worst, it still gives something valuable back to the people it uses. In the Cross of Possession, the unconscious Sun sits in Gate 36, crisis and desire, the unconscious Earth in Gate 6. None of this has anything to do with rulership anymore — it's entirely about the attempt to possess people. This Cross is quite different from the one before it.

These people are possessive, and also fiercely loyal friends — the ones who'll follow you and never abandon you. To maintain their sense of authority or rulership, to hold their territory, they need to possess you. Picture a desperate king or queen, still loyal to their knights, knowing full well that if they aren't loyal in return, the knights will rise against them — which means there's real fear underneath all of this.

Sexually, this Cross carries some unusual edges, since it deals with bondage and submission — a real source of sadomasochistic fantasy. If your child has this Cross and you notice them tying up their teddy bear's paws, there's no need to run to a doctor — they'll hold onto and tie things their whole life. The best you can do is teach them their Type and Authority, so they possess things the right way. And, incidentally, teach them to tie a proper knot.