During the initial meeting with each client I always ask them to describe their earliest recalled memory and their age at the time of the event.  

The age that the recollection took place varies dramatically from one client to the next.  One of my close friends in college swore that he remembered being born, "I remember the doctor slapping me on the butt."  Others say something like, "I really don't have any childhood memories.  It was all a blur until I was 13."

The general circumstances of the event also vary greatly.  The spectrum goes from a relatively happy occasion to horrific accounts of accidents or abuse.

We must remember that the description and time frame of the events may not be precisely accurate.  Memories may fade with time.  Sometimes the memory may not have even originated with your client.  Let me explain a bit.  Was it really the client's memory or something that he was told at a later age that then became real for him?  Or perhaps they saw a photograph of the event that manufactured a pseudo-memory of the event.  Regardless of the accuracy of the event, this is what the client remembers, therefore it is real for him or her.

As astrologers, we can gain substantial insight by posing this apparently simple question.

If you, as I do, look at significant astrological measurements throughout the life prior to the client's arrival, you can easily check your notes or the dates on the computer printout to see if there are confirmations around the age of the first memory.  Even if there are not, you will have established a beginning point as you start to discuss other times where Transits, Solar Arcs, or Progressions suggest significant events.  If the first recollection is at age 12, for example, there is usually little to be gained by asking about specific events prior to that age.

Probably more important than the precise timing of the event is the general feeling that the client has associated with the event.  In my experience, if the first memory is relatively light-hearted or happy, the client may have a more optimistic outlook.  If, on the other hand, the earliest recollection is upsetting or disturbing it may signify a less hopeful view of the future and this feeling may persist well into adulthood.  This, of course, is a broad generalization -- but still very important in the overall synthesis of the chart.

A few examples of what the client may relate and possible areas to explore further follows:

"I was at my sister's 9th birthday party.  She got lots of presents and the other children were playing games and having fun, but I had to go take a nap."   At first relatively innocuous, the center of focus is on another person.  A feeling of being an outsider, being excluded from social events, possible sibling rivalry.

"My little brother was chronically ill.  I had a lot of responsibility taking care of him even when I was seven.  He fell and hurt himself when my parents were at the neighbors."  Feelings of lost childhood, unrealistic feelings of responsibility, and guilt.

"I overheard my parents arguing about money when I broke my arm and my father said, I knew we shouldn't have had {my name}. We already had two kids and that was enough."  Feelings of guilt about being born, being unwanted, assumption that the older siblings were wanted, tension with parents.

"My teacher ridiculed me in front of the class for not being able to read as well as the other children and said that I was just dumb and was never going to amount to anything."  Insecurities about intelligence, low self-esteem, intimidation from authority figures, difficulty getting past limitations set by others, fear of (or expectation of) failure.

By using this line of questioning we can gain insight into other areas of the chart and the personality that merit further consideration.  

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