If you have ever been through a bed bug infestation in your home, you know how traumatic it can be. These critters are experts at getting to you and biting you every night, and if you react to the bites, like I do, it can be a real ordeal. The rash can appear as welts, which can mimic many other conditions, like allergic reactions, and you may not realize what they are for days or weeks or even longer, until it’s too late.
They are experts in covert assault; they have evolved all the tools they need to find you at your most vulnerable state and get their blood meal while you are sleeping.
In many ways they are a marvel! They employ a collective strategy for locating resources, using pheromones to communicate and map the route from your bed to their concealed nest or “horde” where they retreat after they attack and have had their blood meal. Scientists have also recently discovered that bedbugs can not only hear your heartbeat but know when it is at its rest or sleeping rate and are unconscious and vulnerable.
I haven’t had many clients inquire about bed bugs, likely due to the stigma associated with being perceived as dirty or unclean. As a Libra who is highly sensitive to others’ opinions, this experience has been a significant growth opportunity for me. Learning to be more vulnerable, and sharing that I recently endured a bed bug infestation nightmare is a big growth opportunity for me.
I find it a bit ironic that I’m writing this as part of my resolutions for 2025 to be more transparent and vulnerable in my work and my life. There are several mentions of this in my blog posts, and an entire post explaining this challenge is in the works, but to summarize, I’ve spent almost 40 years writing on astrology, including three incomplete manuscripts, and 100s of unfinished notes, all unpublished as I’ve felt that they were not finished, or perfect.
I see the critical factors in my chart, like my Libra Sun Quincunx Retrograde Saturn, Chiron in the 12th house on my ascendant, its pattern with my Nodes, intercepted signs, and locked planets. Yet, I haven’t found the strength to push the “publish” button on my blog.
So if this post, should it make it to my blog, is represents a huge step forward on my own journey. If you are reading this on my blog, it’s another battle in the ongoing quest that I’ve won!
This is is an astrology blog, so let’s dig into the astrology of bed bug infestations. The first point I want to make is that in my experience, astrology is better in hindsight, and this is a perfect example. It’s only now after the fact that it the question occurred “how is this indicated in my natal chart, and transits?’ Here’s what I found!
Following classical astrological analysis, the first step is to determine the “rulers” and “significators” in the natal chart, and judge their overall “condition”.
The 4th house represents your home and living environment. Transits or challenging aspects involving the 4th house or its ruler could indicate issues within the home, such as a bed bug infestation.
The 6th House is associated with daily routines, an infestation disrupts your daily life, so transits or aspects involving the 6th house would definitely be key factors.
As Mars is in sixth house in my natal chart, it is the lead candidate as the significator. Mars is associated with aggression and pests. Challenging aspects (squares, oppositions) involving Mars could indicate problems with pests like bed bugs.
Transiting Mars was in the 4th house, which indicates a possible assault of some sort on or in my home, in this case, a bed bug infestation. The beginning of the infestation started when Mars entered my 4th house.
We host international students, and at had just accepted one from Turkey. As I looked at his chart, I can confirm that his Sun was in Cancer, which also in my 4th house, this synastry (placement and aspects between two charts) astrological could be “someone who lives with you”. As I’ve never had bed bugs in my home, and the infestation started in his room, we can conclude that his room was “ground zero”. Below I’ve included the key periods.
Key Dates for Mars’ Retrograde Cycle:
- Mars enters its shadow: October 3, 2024
- Mars goes retrograde: December 6, 2024
- Mars goes direct: February 23, 2025
- Mars leaves its shadow: May 16, 2025
First in my introduction, I gave a bit of background information on the nature of bedbug and how they can go undetected for weeks and depending on the conditions, months. During the time when Mars entered my fourth house (when the international student arrived) until Mars entered its shadow, the infestation was hidden and I was not aware or been informed of any issues.
The real battle began when Mars Stationary went Retrograde. During the retrograde period, we faced the challenge of packing all our clothing into plastic bags for sterilization, moving all the furniture to make way for the exterminator, and meticulously following every instruction from pest control. In addition, furniture that was infested, and we unable to be treated needed to be safely discarded, this included the adjustable bed frame, and my favorite meditation chair, as both had metal tubing which was filed with nests.
In addition, we had to leave our home each day that pest control applied treatments. This was not just once, but four times, every two weeks, finding a place to go which would accommodate a pet as well, and needing to “eat out” was not only costly, but expensive! Total costs about $2,100.00.
The astrological timing of the resolution was uncanny, exactly when Mars turned Stationery and Mars reached the end of my 4th house. Pest control did its final expectation, including a pest sniffing dog and found the infestation had been resolved. Also, and our guest left for the airport to return to Turkey.
Conclusion:
There are several “takeaways” from these events! First of all It hopefully is a good example of “astrology in action”. As many of the great astrologer have said, everything can be seen from an astrological perspective. I am constantly amazed as I watch the cosmic intelligence and use my craft passed on to me to help others gain greater insight on their quest for self-realization and self understanding. It also a good example of why I often recommend that students of astrology examine all that arises in their life, and in their world.
Recommended Reading and Resources
The Books below are all in my private library, and are great books for learning about the use of rulerships and significators in astrological analysis. I highly recommend them,
- The Rulership Book by Rex E. Bills
- The Book of Rulerships by Dr. J. Lee, Lehman, Ph.D
- Rulers of Horoscope by Alan Oken
