Henri Matisse
challenges and difficulties

Henri Matisse has a critical, cynical attitude towards many religions and philosophies. Without realizing it, he prevents himself from appreciating new viewpoints and attitudes. Matisse is more rigid and dogmatic than he realizes. His approach may also be too intellectual or moralistic. Henri Matisse takes his own political beliefs and spiritual philosophy very seriously, worrying and fretting if he is not 100% clear about some ideology or theory.

It may be difficult for Henri Matisse to play spontaneously or just let his hair down, for he tends to inhibit that side of his by being too self-conscious and concerned with the impression he is making.

Henri may work very hard at some sport or creative medium in order to excel, for he wants very, very much to be noticed, acknowledged, and recognized as special in some way. Though he may indeed be outstanding, Henri Matisse also needs to learn to relax and enjoy himself more.

The side of Henri Matisse that wants and needs structure, order, stability, and a disciplined way of life is at odds with his urges for unfettered freedom, change, excitement, and discovery. There is apt to be much discontent, inner stress, and tension due to this, and at times Henri finds it hard to relax. Henri Matisse may act out in a rebellious way now and then, or clamp down hard on himself, in an attempt to strictly control his "wild" impulses. Matisse's task is to try to find a reasonable balance between order and creative chaos in his life.

He is susceptible to deception by others and may encounter people who dissuade him from his objectives and try to use his vulnerability to their advantage. Henri Matisse should watch his relationships very carefully so he will not get seriously hurt or disappointed.

Not very adaptable, Henri Matisse tends to be rebellious and fight hard against oppression. This could even lead to violent incidents, so Henri should try to keep his temper under control. He may have to work extremely hard and may have a lot of responsibilities that he cannot let go.

Henri wants to go his own way and tends to withdraw into himself. He prefers to be alone and tends to cut himself off from other people. Henri Matisse could be a bit too serious and conservative.

Now we will discuss patterns of behavior which Henri Matisse instinctively and habitually reverts to when under stress - a mostly subconscious process that he is apt to over indulge in because it is so familiar and hence easy for him. The direction Henri Matisse needs to follow in order to develop balance, greater awareness, and wholeness is also described.

When under stress, Henri Matisse is apt to shut off the flow of his emotions and ignore his needs and feelings in order to do what he perceives as his duty or simply what the practical realities of the situation dictate. This can lead to a certain rigidity and inflexibility. If overdone, self-control, self-discipline, or an exaggerated concern over what society, family or others expect of him, makes life more of a burden than an adventure.

Fostering his tender, caring, feminine, and nurturing aspects is an important step in Henri Matisse's growth. Henri Matisse needs to learn how to nourish and lovingly tend to both himself and others. Letting himself be taken care of sometimes is okay!

It is deep within himself, as Henri Matisse faces his own demons, fears, and struggles - those aspects of life that are not easily or readily shared, those parts of his life that Henri Matisse keeps hidden from public view where he is most likely to wrestle with these issues.

The qualities described above can also be beneficially channeled into some sort of charitable work, altruistic service or ministering to people in need.

The specific habits which are likely to hold Henri Matisse back, or which he is prone to overdo, especially during stressful periods, include:

The need to be first all of the time and demonstrate an aggressive or bossy attitude, impatience or irritability; an over-eagerness to use force or violence to gain advantage and the tendency to resort to fighting or using confrontation too quickly.

Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:

Saturn in Sagittarius

Saturn in 5th house

Saturn Quincunx Uranus

Saturn Opposition Neptune/Asc.

Saturn Opposition Pluto/N. Node

Saturn Opposition N. Node/MC

N. Node in Cancer

N. Node in 12th house

N. Node Opposition Mars