This is an issue that often arises in natal chart analysis.  People with a strong Water Element emphasis (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) as a group probably represent more sensitivity than those with strong Fire, Earth, or Air emphasis.  For example, if a person has Sun in Pisces, we would immediately suspect the presence of a tremendous amount of sensitivity potential.

This leads us to one of my favorite words when discussing astrology.  The word is polarity.  

On the positive side, sensitivity in the sense of enhanced or extreme awareness can let us see, sense, hear, feel, or just know things that others don't even notice.  Certain things seems amplified.  Applied properly, this can allow us an advantage -- being able to observe, anticipate, and process conditions and circumstances around us and use that information.  Psychics would often fit into this ultra-sensitive class of people.

On the less positive side, sensitivity can become an unbearable burden, in that we may tend to take on the problems and troubles of others.  Their problems, in effect, become ours.  The cumulative effect can be an overwhelming, perhaps paralyzing feeling of futility.

In our initial example, folks with Sun in Pisces can frequently feel that they are being taken advantage of.  Somehow, others know that this person will have difficulty refusing to help since the sensitivity often shows itself as compassion.  Ideally, the sensitive person will eventually recognize this potential and learn to set personal boundaries in order to avoid future abuses.  But with this heightened sensitivity, sometimes the setting of these boundaries leads to feelings of guilt, making it easy to give in and revert to old behaviors that allow these abuses.

People in counseling roles or other helping professions can be especially vulnerable if their charts exhibit suggestions of extreme sensitivity.  Since they routinely are meeting with people, hearing their problems, and attempting to help them reach resolution, there must have a way of letting go after the session ends.  I've found it helpful to feel that I've given the client my "best shot" both in the preparation and in the actual meeting.  Then when the client walks out my door I release their situation.  I've done what I can and now they are in charge. 

Some notable examples of people with a strong suggestion of these sensitivities:

Helen Keller - Sun in Cancer, Moon in Pisces

Edgar Cayce - Sun, Venus, Saturn, Mercury, & N. Node in Pisces

Carl Jung - Mercury and Venus in Cancer

Florence Nightingale - Venus in Cancer; Jupiter, Pluto, & N. Node in Pisces

Della Reese - Moon in Pisces; Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, & Pluto in Cancer

There often also seems to be a relationship to this sensitivity and the need to escape -- often through potentially self-destructive behaviors as demonstrated in the lives of:

Vincent Van Gogh - Mars, Venus, & Neptune in Pisces

Drew Barrymore - Sun, Venus, & Jupiter in Pisces; Moon & Saturn Rx in Cancer

Gary Busey - Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, & N. Node in Cancer

Next month's article will address Escapism:  How to recognize it in the natal chart and various ways that people choose to escape.