Astrologicalmind

The magic of astrology explored

Tag: astrology

  • A Solar Return Story

    I have been working with Solar return charts and profections for many years now. I take the ruler of the profected ASC as Lord of the Year and look at its position, condition and configuration in the Solar Return chart. When angular the native is more of a driving force behind the events that will take place that year, when cadent things happen through the outside impetus. I have found that the returning of angles in the solar return chart to the same signs as in the natal chart indicate a significant years.

    Here is the story of a Solar Return. My son was visiting over the Christmas holidays and he asked me to look at his chart. His birthday being in April I drew out his next Solar return chart. As he had been living abroad in Cambodia for 4 years I could have relocated his SR chart, however I have found better results by simply using the natal position. So his Solar Return chart was set for Melbourne Australia, his birthplace.

    Natal Chart

    His natal chart has Sun exalted in Aries ruling his MC, however the 10th place from the ASC is Virgo, ruled by Mercury. His Aquarius Moon is in the 3rd house, a placement I have found many writers to have. There’s an abundance of Taurus giving him a staying power and the ability to work hard.

    The Ascendent of the Solar Return was almost at the same degree as his natal ASC, which made this a significant or important year for him. The ruler of the solar return ASC, was Jupiter in Taurus in the 5th, close to cusp of the 6th house and deposited by Venus, ruler of the 6th positioned in the 6th .

    Solar return

    He was turning 29 so he was in a 6th house profected year, with his profected ASC being 21 Taurus. As he has Mercury, Mars and Venus in Taurus in his natal chart my first thought was that he would have a busy year. Since the profected ASC landed on and was ruled by Venus; Venus was a clearly the Lady of the Year. Venus rules the natal 6th and 11th house, and the 1st and 6th house by profection.

    In the SR chart Venus is cadent in the 6th house in Gemini and conjunct the South Node. The theme of being busy, working hard but getting little recognition or honours during that year becomes more pronounced as the 6th house is emphasized by profection, natal and solar return placements. Further testimony supporting the denial of such honours is provided by Venus applying to perfect a partile square to retrograde Mars in Virgo on the MC; and the essential condition of the MC ruler, Mercury in Pisces, where he is in detriment, fall and peregrine.

    The Solar Return Moon in Libra is conjunct Saturn, reinforces the sense of hard work and also hints at his forthcoming Saturn return which will impact his 11th house of friends and colleagues.

    So I made my judgment:
    “This year, you will be working really hard, be very busy and may go back to doing something from your past (Venus conjunct the South Node), but you will get little recognition publicly for all your efforts.  
    The events for the year will be initiated by others rather than by you.
    It will be an important and significant year which will be fortunate as both profected and Solar Return rulers are the benefics (Venus and Jupiter) and both are in good condition in the natal chart and not too bad in the Solar Return Chart.
    You may have difficulties with friends or colleagues .” (Moon/Saturn in the 11th)

    So What Happened

    My son could not make much sense of such a reading as he had been working as a journalist for 3 years and freelancing for the past year with quite a bit of success. He didn’t understand how being very busy and working hard would not bring him recognition, nor did the idea that events would be initiated by others make much sense, as it was through his own travel and ideas that he had come up with the material for all the articles he had been writing and selling. And how, he asked could the year be “good” if he was going to be so busy but get little recognition?

    All I could say was that this is what I saw in the chart.

    A couple month later, about 1 month before his actual birthday, he received a phone call out of the blue from a reputable publishing company asking him if he would be interested in writing a book on modern day Cambodia. He signed the contract in June (a couple months after his birthday) and was busy researching and writing for a good 18 months. He worked really hard and initially got no recognition. He said that doing the research for the book recalled his time at the University. He also experienced resentment and professional jealousy from some of his older journalist friends which he found uncomfortable.

    So my judgment stands; and my son was duly impressed.

    A note of interest:
    In most of the traditional text it is written that when Venus is the Lord of the Year or a time Lord, she will bring about events and circumstances to do with relationships, marriage or women generally. I could see no indication in the chart of this being relevant in that years; as there was no emphasis on the 7th house showing relationship or marriage (and he was currently not in a relationship). Though it is interesting that it was a woman who called him asking him to write the book!

  • “Where are my glasses?” Beware of Saturn in the 7th house.

    Barbara Waters wrote in 1973 “Horary Astrology and the Judgement of Events” (page 14):  “Saturn in the 7th house, the astrologer’s judgement is clouded…the reason for his blindness hardly matters because his judgement is clouded and cannot be objective.”

    This chart has  Saturn in the 7th house and I, the astrologer got it wrong.  I even jokingly told the querent after giving my erroneous judgement that: “since Saturn is in the 7th house I am probably wrong”.  On that point I was right. Looking back at the chart the answer seems obvious, however at the time “my judgement was clouded”.

    “Where are my glasses?” (21 Jan 2012, 12:52 PM, Melbourne Australia)

    The querent had a trade table at an astrological conference. While setting up she had misplaced her glasses which were a new pair of designer prescription glasses. I was speaking with the querent, a friend and fellow astrologer, joking around as one does at a conference surrounded by colleagues and associates. When she told me of her lost glasses I offered to find them with a horary.

    Only having the querent’s computer at hand I set the chart, but when I first saw it, I was shocked to find a chart filled with a million aspect lines and various asteroids and other points. To me the chart looked a confusing mess and I said: “I can’t see anything!”… I asked to change the settings and finally “saw” a chart as I am use to; clean and simple with few lines.

    She, the querent is signified by the ASC and its ruler Mars in Virgo (working at a marketing table at a conference), the glasses are signified by the  2nd house ruler, Venus in Pisces, exalted (being designer glasses), but this placement also indicated that they are not in a totally foreign place, but rather a place where they are being “honoured”. There were a number of indications that the glasses would be found: the Moon in Capricorn is making a trine to Jupiter a planet in the first house, both luminaries are above the horizon.

    But the only thing I saw was that there was no aspect between, Venus and Mars or the Moon and Venus (or Mars). I also saw the peregrine Mercury was on the MC, and I concluded that someone had found them, picked them up and walked off with them.  Not a thief so much as an opportunist.

    I could not get beyond the fact that the Moon would first hit Pluto before he could complete his sextile to Venus; which I interpreted as a prohibition.  (This chart adds to my growing understanding that the outer planets do not function in the same manner as the seven classical planets do).

    The fact that the Moon was in a partile trine with Jupiter in the ASC and had just separated from a sextile with Saturn (after which it ingressed into a new sign) shows that the glasses were probably in the possession of someone in authority, as Jupiter rules the 9th (the conference was being held at a University) and Saturn rules the MC (also both Jupiter and Saturn tend to suggest a person with authority). The glasses were found at the front desk of the conference and the querent was reunited with them a couple days later.

    As for the astrologer, she learnt a valuable lesson; never try to read a chart without giving it due reverence.

  • Should I direct this film clip?

    As a rule, I normally do not think that “should” questions are able to be answered with horary, but every once in a while I get a chart that is just so clear, the answer so obvious that it defies this “rule”.

    The querent had recorded a song and wanted to get it released but was told that without a video clip this would never happen. He has been trying to get someone to “direct” the clip as he felt totally unqualified to do so himself, though he had lots of ideas about how he wanted it to look.

    This chart shows the significators of the querent highly dignified and fortified, while the significator of others (7th ruler, Mercury) or employees (6th ruler, Sun) are both in bad zodiacal condition and in weak positions, giving us the answer.

    The querent is signified by Lord of the ASC, Jupiter in Sagittarius is on the MC. Venus being on the ASC would also signify the querent. Both are dignified benefics and on the major angles clearly providing the answer; yes he should direct the clip. The Moon also in the 10th close to the MC and conjunct Jupiter, is about to sextile the Sun (Lord 6), and Venus sextile Mars ruler of the 2nd (the money) and 9th (the vision), on the 11th cusp. With the help of friends (11th house) and hiring others (Lord 6) the job will be done.

    The sextile of the Moon and Sun can be understood asbringing the vision to light, as the Moon is ruler of the 5th house which could signify the creative project, especially relevant as the Moon’s last aspect was a sextile to Neptune (conjunct the Sun) and universal significator of film.

    Mars being exalted the vision and the friends assisting will be of a good quality.

    It is also interesting that the Nodes are conjunct the ASC/DES axis, showing a fated quality to this question. Having tried to find someone to direct this clip for quite a long time with no success; signified by the Sun (Lord 6) in detriment on the 12th cusp opposite Saturn in detriment retrograde, being let down by others promising one thing and not coming through. These others could also be signified by Lord 7 Mercury in Pisces and with Uranus in the 12th, very unreliable. Neither Sun nor Mercury engenders any sense of reliability and trust.

    The querent did go on to direct the clip with the help of friends and others. The exalted state of both Venus (the querent) and Mars (the vision and friends) show us that the querent was not 100% comfortable doing this but he was capable. It was a successful project whichsaw his vision realised.

    In fact you can check out the final result here.

  • The Truth that Lies Within the Horary Chart

    It is often said that horary works best when dealing with concrete and verifiable matters and as such is concerned with the trivialities of life. Anyone can learn the rules and techniques of horary, but it is only through consistent practice that the inexplicable correspondence between the will of the soul, the moment of asking and the celestial movements come to be revealed. It is then that a horary chart mirrors the depth and magic inherent in the most basic events of human life.

    The simplest of inquiries can hide a complex web of relationships and meaning that the horary chart will reveal in plain sight to any with the eyes to see. Astrology generally and horary in particular makes the truth known; but few really want to know the truth, they are happier to be told that what they already believe, is the truth. The rigorousness and discipline of horary gives the astrologer an objective framework from which to work and with which the truth and richness of life and human experience is exposed.

    Some charts defy rational explanation and prove the truth that lies at the heart of astrology. Here is such a chart:

    “Will Adrian get the house?” Aug 14, 2008 at 3:50 pm, Melbourne

    Adrian had been planning to renovate and move into a property he owned, but he was not really happy with its location. He had recently seen a property which would suit his needs quite well and situated in a neighbourhood he wanted to live in. The asking price seemed pretty low, but it was going to be sold at auction. He had all his financing is place and planned to bid at the auction on the following Saturday. I asked this question as Adrian had been in a long term relationship with my daughter which looked to be headed for marriage and this property could end up being her home.

    The first thing to note is that the ASC has a very late degree rising which could mean that the matter is already settled and nothing about this matter can be altered by the judgement of this chart.  At the time I did not understand how this could be relevant but have later come to see this simple question in a different light.

    On the surface this is a clear and simple buying and selling question. Adrian is not the querent so is signified by the 7th house and its ruler, the Moon. The seller would be the ASC and its ruler Saturn and the property itself would be signified by the IC and its ruler, Mars and the profit from this property would be signified by the MC and its ruler Venus.

    The next applying aspect of the Moon is a trine to Mars; there are no impediments to this aspect and it is being received, as the Moon is in the sign of Mars’s exaltation. This is about the best scenario you can get. It goes without saying that he got the property. The profit to be had from the property would appear bad as Venus is in her fall and conjunct Saturn, but he did buy the place for a relatively low price.  Again I didn’t understand and thought something was wrong, but a different perspective would later make sense of this.

    On further consideration, the lack of planets in the angles and all the main significators positioned in either cadent or the 8th house, gives reason for concern. Guido Bonatti’s 5th consideration tells us to “consider how many ways the Moon is ill affected…whereby hindrances and damage happen in all questions…”[1] Here the Moon is in the sign of her detriment as well as being peregrine, in the 12th house connected to Jupiter in the sign of its fall. After the Moon makes her aspect with Mars she will be VOC until she comes into orb of opposing the Sun, which is considered to be an affliction to her, especially as this opposition was in fact an eclipse of the Moon at 24 Aquarius, incidently opposite Adrian’s natal Sun at 23 Aquarius.

    Major alarm bells are now ringing. The poor state of this Moon certainly reveals that the matter will be “hindered and damaged” and the stellium of planets in the 8th house of death is a further warning that all may not be so rosy. Further more the Moon also rules Adrian’s turned 12th house of self-undoing and makes a partile sextile to Uranus in the 3rd house opposite Mars.

    As it turned out Adrian purchased the property for a low price in dollar terms, but the price in emotional terms was very high; he did not profit from this move and neither did my daughter. The relationship which had been at its peak, went downhill very soon after moving into this property and ended thereafter.

    In this chart the Sun is conjunct the South Node and Adrian’s turned 2nd house hinting of the money worries this purchase engendered. Even the fact that Mars signified the property suggests strife. Adrian’s natal chart connects with this horary proving this to be a radical chart[2]. The Moon is conjunct his natal ASC and Mars is conjunct his natal North Node indicating the fated nature of this matter. The North Node and Neptune of this chart sit on Adrian’s natal 2nd house cusp, mirroring the money issues highlighted in the horary chart.

    Though I asked this question with no conscious awareness of my concern for my daughter, her natal chart also connects strongly with this horary chart. Her natal Moon sits on this chart’s MC at 16 Libra, her natal Venus is on the degree of this chart’s Mars, and Saturn was on her 11th cusp, just beginning to put his heavy damper on her “hopes and wishes”.

    My daughter, being Adrian’s partner would be signified in this horary by the ruler of the ASC, Saturn peregrine in the 8th house, of “mental anguish” symbolically depressing both her mind (Mercury) and her pleasures (Venus). She has since told me she felt lost, unsupported and suffered from depression during the first year in this property.

    With the benefit of hindsight the 29 degrees on the ASC can be understood as indicating a crisis and a change of circumstance about to happen, but I did not see this at the time. After all, the question was simply about whether Adrian would get the property and the strong testimony that he would proved true. But behind this question was a desire to see Adrian and my daughter happy and secure; yet the testimony in this chart point to strife, depression and unhappiness for both.

    Astrology never ceases to amaze and humble me. Far from being trivial, horary astrology is as deep and multi-layered as the world it reflects and reveals.

    Postscript:

    The antiscion degree of the Jupiter (3rd house ruler) of this chart was on my daughter’s natal Uranus. The antiscion degree of the North node (on the 2nd house of money) was on Adrian’s natal Uranus. The Antiscion degree of this chart’s Uranus falls on Adrian’s natal Mars.

    When they broke up Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct at 27 degrees Pisces opposite Mars.

    [1] (page 3-4) Guido Bonatti 146 Considerations,  from William Lilly The Astrologer’s Guide, first edited in 1778, reprinted by AFA 2005 from the 1953 edition.

    [2] A radical chart is one deemed able to be judged. “Pertaining to the radix, or horoscope of birth, the root from which everything is judged.” Nicholas deVore Encyclopedia of Astrology, Astrology Classics 1947 (page 328)

  • Antiscia: The Story Behind the Chart

     

    When I first began to explore the world of traditional astrology I came across a term that was puzzling; antiscia and contrantiscia. The definition was clear enough, degrees of the Zodiac equal distant from the cardinal points of 0 degrees Cancer/Capricorn for antiscia or Aries/Libra for contrantiscia, in other words degrees mirroring each other from the cardinal axis.

    Planets in antiscia relationship to each other were said to act like a conjunction, while the contrantiscia were like oppositions. In fact the contrantiscia point is in opposition to the antiscia point. For the purpose of this article I will only speak of the antiscia point, its opposition being a given.

    Now the antiscia was defined as: a shadows point, a reflection or a hidden ally.  My intellectual curiosity was pricked. Whilst investigating the antiscia I found that I had two such planetary pairs in my own natal chart. Now the desire to understand antiscia became far more personal.

    It seemed that the ancients put a lot of significance on these points. Some even mentioned mundane antiscia, meaning degrees of the Zodiac equal distant from the angles; a sort of midpoint. Could these points be activated by transits or progressions? This might explain those times when nothing seems to be happening in a chart and yet the life is filled with dramas and activity.

    When Pluto transited my Sun, its antiscia point occupied by Venus was also activated. Because my Sun and Moon are in partile square to each other she was also being activated as was her antiscia point occupied by Jupiter. Rather then 1 or 2 planets being shaken by the newly demoted powerbroker Pluto, four planets were involved. All the houses they ruled or had command of were taken along for the ride. Suddenly the potential for what these points could mean became very interesting.

    Finding the antiscia point for your ASC and MC can reveal so much about who you are and what you do, especially if there happens to be a planet or other significant point on these zodiacal degrees.

    Christina Onassis

    As a child I remember reading about Christina Onassis the super rich heir of a fortune. Her life played out in the tabloids as proof that money can not buy happiness. Her life ended prematurely at the age of 37 years and 11 month when she died alone of a heart attack brought on by years of drug abuse and physical neglect.

    Christina was born into extreme wealth, into a culture and to a father who had little regard for women. Her mother, reputed to be a great beauty was prone to depression. Some accounts claim that she ended her life in suicide; others say she died of natural causes.

    As a child Christina was close to her older brother, Alexandros, the clear favourite of their father. Growing up they had little contact with either of their parents who bitterly divorced in 1960, when Christina was 10 years of age.

    She grew into an awkward and conventionally unattractive woman in a world that exalted the beauty of women. By all accounts she was a good business woman who had like her father a natural flair and instinct for business, but she is remembered more for her unfortunate personal life.

    Within a 24 month period in the early 1970 she lost her entire family when her brother, mother and then father died. She was left alone in the world. Over the years she married four times, but never seemed to find happiness in these relationships. At the age of 35 she gave birth to her only child. She died three years later.

     

    Christina’s ASC at 25 Taurus has its antiscia point at 4 Leo, conjunct her IC. The IC represents foundation, family and father; in this case it is ruled by the Sun, a universal symbol of Father. Her identity (ASC) was therefore one and the same as that of her father/family. The Sun also represents the sum total of who we are and who we are evolving into. In her case this was forever bound to her foundations and father, forging her own way in the world would have been that much more difficult.

    Looking further we see that the Sun is in Sagittarius right on her 8th house cusp. The 8th house is the house of death and also the house of as “other people’s money” or in our modern terms “their resources”. This is the house of inheritance or legacy, particularly through death. The Sun’s placement on this cusp reinforces the antiscian connection between ASC (self) and IC (father/family). It also accounts for the talents and abilities she inherited from her father.

    The Sun’s own antiscia point is at 10 Capricorn within a degree of Mercury, which rules her 2nd house of money and her 5th house of children & joy. There is little doubt that her money came through her father’s estate and one of the few joyful events in her life was the birth of her only child: Athina. Because of this relationship between Sun and Mercury her health & vitality would be affected by movements to Mercury as well as the Sun.

    Not only was her Sun connected to Mercury by antiscia and in flowing partile aspect (to the degree) to both Pluto and Neptune, but there was also a hidden contra antiscia (opposition) relationship to Uranus. This gives us a hint of the hidden side of her father. Yes he was powerful and mysterious, but there was a volatile and erratic side that was hidden behind closed doors. It could also symbolize the more self destructive tendencies that hovered just below the surface of her life.

    Not surprisingly we find that the antiscian degree of her MC is conjunct the DES, the angle of our relationships, traditionally our marriage partner. So who she was in the world was very much defined by who she was in relationship with. Interestingly her DES is ruled by Mars in Capricorn, exalted conjunct and receiving her Capricorn Moon in detriment. With such an insecure and needy Moon exalting Mars, universal significator of men and ruler of her 7th house, we can surmise that she needed relationships, but as Mars also ruled her 12th house it was potentially the road to her self-undoing. The stage for many a disastrous marriage was set.

    Through the antiscia connection between her ASC/DES and MC/IC we see how the men in Christina’s life came to absolutely dominate her identity and how she conducted her life. The Sun was not just the ruler of her IC, but also in a secretly ruled her ASC. Mars didn’t just rule her 7th house, but also subverted the reign over her MC.

    Antiscia by Transit and Progression

    On Jan 23 1973 Christian’s beloved brother was killed in an airplane crash in Athens. On that day her vulnerable Moon at 23 Capricorn was being transited by Jupiter and her progressed Venus, whilst Neptune was on its antiscia point of 6 Sagittarius. This incident fuelled conspiracy theories and suspicion of covert foul play that were never proved. The antiscian Neptune shows us the hidden side of this very public tragedy, which was none the less a very personal loss to Christina.

    At this time Christina’s progressed Sun had reached the antiscia point of her natal Sun. Her brother’s death projected her further into the world of business as she became the sole inheritor of their father’s business. Another interesting antiscian connection at this time was the progressed MC at 26 Aquarius and progressed Moon at 4 Scorpio in antiscia conjunction. This is particularly interesting as the Moon rules her 3rd house of siblings. Behind the very public news about her brother was a devastated progressed Moon in the natal 6th house of “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. Her grief (Moon) was thrown up to public view (MC).

    This death was the first of many in her family concluding with the death of her father on March 15, 1975. On this day Saturn was at 11 Cancer in opposition to the Sun’s antiscia point of 10 Capricorn and Jupiter was at 29 Pisces transiting the antiscia point of her natal Saturn, ruler of her MC. As well the North Node at 3 Sagittarius right on Mars’s antiscia point. In her progressed chart the Moon had reached the antiscia of her natal Moon whilst the ASC was within one minute of her progressed Uranus’s and 1 degree of her natal Uranus’s antiscia point. This last detail speaks volumes about the final blow her father’s death must have been to Christina, now she was truly alone and abandoned in the world by her family.

    In her final days Neptune was approaching a transit to her Mercury, which as a result of its connection to her Sun (her vitality) would have affected her health. Whilst Jupiter (ruler of her 8th house of death) at 2 Gemini was opposite Mars’s antiscia point, her progressed Sun was conjunct Mars and transiting Mars was opposite natal Saturn (ruler of her 6th house of illness). All in all a very Mars death, though she is said to have died of natural causes she had attempted suicide numerous times during her life and her death was finally brought on by years of drug abuse and physical neglect.

    There is much more to Christina Onassis chart that could be explored, but limited to looking at the story the antiscia can tell, has given us fascinating insight into a troubled life.

  • The Deeper Psychological Levels of Horary Astrology

    Traditional astrology is erroneously assumed by some to be void of any psychological component; this is especially the case with horary astrology. The preconception being that horary astrology simply answers the question asked of the astrologer, predicting the outcome of a client’s fate without any sensitivity to their particular situation or feelings. This idea is easily refuted by even a cursory reading of William Lilly’s “Christian Astrology”.

    William Lilly was a successful astrologer living in 17th century England and is widely acknowledged as being one of the greatest proponents of horary astrology to have lived. In the first book of his classic work: “Christian Astrology” he set down the basic principles and rules for astrological delineation. In his second book he puts these rules into practice, presenting his judgement on over 35 horary charts providing the reader with a gold mine of astrological nuggets. Here we can observe this great astrologer at work and are privy to the extent of depth and detail which he extracts from a horary chart.

    The astrological rules of horary can be likened to the musical scales, arpeggios and technical exercises endlessly practiced by musicians. These technical exercises maybe integral to a musician’s craft, yet they are not what we hear when a musician is performing. At the point of performance it is the musician’s soul that speaks; and so it should be with the astrologer. Reading some of William Lilly’s judgement can be likened to witnessing a virtuoso’s performance, the depth and beauty of his skill leaves one in awe. Bending the rules Lilly illustrates his ability to dig deeper, beyond the fate evidenced of the chart, into the possibilities that are open to the client if they chose to make use of them in order to take an active role in shaping their destiny.

    Horary is not only a means of “finding the cat” or getting a simple yes or no answer to your client’s queries. Horary is the tool that will most clearly guide your client to an understanding of their present situation and what possible path they can take. The issues troubling a client may be evident in their natal chart, but practical guidance is far more difficult to extract. This is when a horary chart can be of immense help.

    Recently I had a client who present with a problem that she wanted answers to. This is a client who has been in therapy for a long period of time, with a soul based psychologist, trying to understand herself and her response to life’s challenges. She and her husband have also been in counselling for many years.  She came to me as an astrologer and asked me point blank “Can you see in my chart if my husband will change so that it is worth my staying in the marriage?”

    Naturally this opened up a dialogue in order to discern exactly what the problem was. Pointing out that wanting another person to change was not a realistic way of dealing with problems in our life; she admitted her awareness of this and confessed that she had come to the end of her tetters and was at a point where she was quite prepared to leave the marriage. She also recognised that doing so would entail more than a break of her relationship with her husband; it would have far reaching effects, potentially destroy other relationships as well as see the shattering of a family.  She wasn’t sure she wanted to see the marriage dissolve, but felt so exhausted by the continually repeating problems that she doubted whether it was worth the effort to keep it together. After much discussion it turned out that she wanted to know whether the situation (her marriage) would change enough for it to be worthwhile for her to stick with it.

    A horary was drawn up for the moment the question was clear to me, as I am the astrologer, the channel through which the stars have the ability to speak as I am conversant in their language. Over the years I have become aware of a strange sensation in my gut the moment when a question becomes clear. A gut feeling so to speak that heralds “the moment of Astrology”[1]. If I adhere to that moment the resulting charts appear to sing louder and clearer than others.

     

    There are three important factors to consider in this chart; my client (the querent), her husband and the marriage. She would be signified by the ASC, the ASC ruler and the Moon, her husband by the 7th house and its ruler and the marriage by the 10th house and its ruler[2].

    My client is signified by the ASC ruler Saturn in Virgo, the sign of Mercury, significator of the marriage in this chart and situated appropriately in the 10th house of the marriage indicating her principle concern. Saturn is currently peregrine, meaning he has no innate power and little control, but is placed in a strong angular house and is with Venus a benefic planet that is applying to conjunct him. Venus being the universal significator of relatonship further emphasises my client’s concern about the state of her marriage.

    Saturn is in a partile sextile to a debilitated Mars conjunct the Moon, which he receives into his detriment; clearly describing to us my client’s anger at her husband and the situation she sees he has placed them in. Saturn is now at the beginning of his cycle (having recently conjunct the Sun) and so is increasing in light, he is also about to move into Libra the sign of his exaltation. Both are indications that my client’s significator will be gaining strength and in ability to act.

    Normally we would also give her the Moon as a secondary significator, but here the Moon is the ruler of the 7th house and so signifies her husband. The Moon is in Cancer and is on the 8th house cusp partile conjunct fallen Mars and the South Node. The Moon currently in his own sign indicates that he is at present principally concerned about himself and his money (Moon rules his turned 2nd house of money). The five degree rule puts the Moon in the radical 8th house of “anguish of mind”[3]. The combinations of these factors describe an essentially honest man who is at present, in a bad place and keeping bad company. Being signified by the Moon would also suggest a man who is easily influenced by others. There is little happiness here and a lot of anger.

    Being in the sign of Saturn’s detriment indicates that much of this anger is likely to be directed towards my client. Soon the Moon will be moving into Leo where he loses all power and control when he becomes peregrine. He is also losing light being in the last waning quarter of his cycle. This shows us that her husband is losing strength and heading towards a position of weakness.

    Moon is applying to perfect a sextile aspect with Saturn, but first will conjunct Mars and carrying his light towards Saturn who is receiving the Moon into the sign of his detriment. So though there is an aspect formed and perfecting between the two there is not much agreement. The presence of Mars in this configuration shows the anger that is shared by both parties. Seeing as all of these aspects are already to the degree, but not quite perfected shows that this is the situation between the two as it stands now and things will very soon be changing as all are at the end of the sign.

    Ultimately this question is about the marriage and whether the circumstances within it have the ability to change. Marriage as opposed to relationship is about a contract or agreement between two people. The ruler of the 10th house signifying the marriage[4] is Mercury in Libra. The marriage has recently under gone a shift described by Mercury’s recent ingress into Libra. Mercury is just under the Sun’s beams and will be following and getting closer to the Sun until it makes its superior conjunction at 12 Scorpio. We could interpret this as describing the marriage as becoming less visible or as having the truth of the marriage exposed. Mercury has recently had its inferior conjunction with the Sun (retrograde conjunction), and so is into the second half of its cycle.

    It is interesting to note that the beginning of the sydonic cycle of Mercury (the superior conjunction) was at 21 Cancer[5]; very close to the Moon’s position. The inferior conjunction, being like the “full Mercury” point, the opposition point of greatest awareness occurred at 27 Virgo. My client’s significator is currently sitting exactly on that degree. We could say that she has a far greater objective perception of the state of their marriage than does her husband who maybe trying to hang on to the past, the old status quo which existed at the beginning of the marriage. This symbolic picture is given further weight by the Moon’s conjunction to the South Node.

    When Mercury makes his superior conjunction with the Sun at 12 Scorpio heralding the beginning of a new cycle, Saturn will have moved into Libra, sign of his exaltation where he will stay till Oct 2012, (though he comes very close to his ingress into Scorpio in February 2012). Taking the symbolic time of the progressed Moon as equal to that of transiting Saturn, then the Moon will remain powerless in Leo till February 2012.

    It was at this point that my client revealed to me some further information about the issues affecting the marriage. The issues principally revolved around money and her husband’s business dealings which were constantly getting them into problems that threatened the family’s financial security, though he has a very strong capacity of generating income. It turned out that the authorities were investigating him and that there was a very strong possibility that he would be barred from running a company or having financial control of a business for a period of two years. One of the proposed solutions would be for her to take financial control of the business. She would have the power and for the first time in their married life she would be at the forefront of their financial affairs.

    The Part of Fortune is in Libra, ruled by Venus who is applying to conjunct Saturn in just over 1 and half degrees. Venus also rules the 11th house which could be seen as the 2nd from the 10th in other words the house of the marriage’s money. This makes sense as money which is so much part of the problem and therefore this question. Venus is intimately connected to both Saturn and the Moon, significators of my client and her husband as well as being in mutual reception with Mercury significator of the marriage.

    The 11th house can also reveal to us the hopes and wishes of the querent. Ruled by Venus the planet of conciliation and with the presence of the Sun in Libra on its cusp shines a light on the truth that she is dearly hoping that the situation will change enough for her to reconcile the marriage and save her family as well as her sanity. Despite the presence of Mars, the aspect between the Moon and Saturn is a sextile indicating that there is possibility for cooperation despite the conflict.

    This horary chart was able to show my client the increase in power that she had already been feeling but was loathed to fully trust. Seeing her husband’s coming worsening state confirmed that he was reaching the bottom of a cycle and powers beyond him would have to take control. The timing indicated in this chart fit in with the circumstances revealed to me only halfway through the session. My client left with a renewed sense of focus and confidence, satisfied that the possible outcome to their current predicament would allow changes in the marriage which could benefit all.

    References:

    William Lilly “Christian Astrology (Book 1 and 2): An Introduction to Astrology. The Resolution of All Manner of Question” written in 1647

    Deborah Houlding “The Houses: Temples of the Sky” The Wessex Astrologer 2006

    Geoffrey Cornelius “The Moment of Astrology” The Wessex Astrologer 2003

     

    [1]See “The Moment of Astrology; Origins in Divination” by Geoffrey Cornelius published in 2003 by Wessex Astrologers Ltd

    [2] Traditionally the ancients saw the 10th house as the house of marriage as this was associated with ones status in the world and the 7th house being the house of the marriage partner. In some circumstances we could use the 7th house as signifying the marriage, but in light of this question we needed to distinguish between her husband and the marriage, so the 10th house was a logical choice, especially as my client’s attitude to the situation was far more rational and concerned with the practical ramifications of a break up rather than being emotional driven.

    [3] William Lilly “Christian Astrology” Volume I, Chapter VII, page 54

    [4] See Deborah Houlding “The Houses, Temples of the Sky” page 85, published in 2006 by Wessex Astrologer Ltd.

    [5] There is some debate as to when the inner planets Mercury and Venus’s cycles begin. The superior conjunction occurs when the planets are on the other side of the Sun and in direct motion, while the inferior conjunction occurs when the planets are between the Sun and Earth and in retrograde motion. Dane Rudyard set the inferior conjunction as the beginning of the cycle and this has been widely accepted since. The evidence from traditional sources refutes this and from my perspective it seems illogical to have a cycle begin when the planet is going backwards. Deborah Houlding has an article appearing in the Jan/Feb 2010 Mountain Astrologer about this very issue.

  • Reception, the Tony Soprano Clause

    This is a rather long, but (I believe) entertaining and interesting article on this complicated subject. I would welcome any feedback.

    Anyone who has studied astrology for a reasonable length of time will have examples of charts that defy our most stanch inner sceptic. These charts stand as evidence that the connection between the stars and our world is far more mysterious then we imagine. The most fascinating thing about these charts is that their origin can be so ordinary. Coming across one of these charts is like having the magic of life exposed; everything takes on a special glow and it reaffirms the reason we astrologers continue our study long after the realisation that the path to riches, this is not.

    When such a chart is encountered the desire is to share it, exposing it to the world and challenging those who would degrade astrology to explain how such beauty and perfection can be dismissed. Recently I came across such a chart; revealing itself to me during my search for a better understanding of receptions, it stands as testimony of the powerful wisdom inherent in astrology. But let me begin at the beginning of this quest.

    Encountering Classical Astrology in Modern Times

    As the many techniques from our astrological past are being rediscovered and reintegrated into contemporary astrology, terms and labels are often bandied about without a thorough understanding of their meaning. Astrology students are at the mercy of their teachers who have been informed by conflicting texts, some of which were translated by academics with no knowledge or respect for astrology. Consequently our understanding of the terminology of old is pretty confused.

    Contemporary astrologers have given new meaning to old terms and have initiated various ways of applying the old techniques. This causes confusion, as certain words come to mean different things to different people. Making matters worse even amongst the old masters there were different opinions, so our modern confusion is understandable. However we should endeavour to understand and agree on the basic meaning of our astrological vocabulary, if only to insure that we do not repeat mistakes like that of assigning rulership to “new” planets, in contravention of the essential system on which astrology was founded.

    Recently the words “receive” and “receptions” were discussed in one of my astrology groups. It became evident that there were differing ways of understanding the meaning of this term. As reception is a crucial part of delineation, it important that we are in agreement as to the definition of this word and its application in astrological reading. Researching the meaning of reception has brought home to me the subtle complexity of the whole subject. The problem appears to be that if a planet is in another planet ruling (or exalted) sign there is a reception, but which planet receives and which is received and what does this mean in practical terms?

    Receiving and receptions

    Nicholas de Vore gives two definitions for “reception” in his “Encyclopedia of Astrology”: (1) A planet posited in a sign not its own, is said to be received by the ruler of that sign, as if one were visitor and the other host. (2) The condition in which a planet is receiving an aspect from a faster moving planet.” According to these definitions a planet can “receive” an aspect from another faster moving planet, it can also be “received” by the ruler(s) of the sign it is in.

    The term reception is now commonly used to refer only to relationship between a planet and the ruler of the sign it is in. {There is also reception with the minor dignities of triplicity, term and face, but for the sake of this article I will focus only on rulership and exaltation}. Contemporary astrologers may think that the need for an aspect is superfluous, yet most of the old texts imply the need for planets in reception to be in aspect, or applying to aspect each other before their ingress into a new sign. When there is an aspect, the two planets in reception are interacting or communicating to a far greater degree. Reception allows the potential of an aspect to be fulfilled.

    There is some room for interpretation here as an “aspect” in classical times was thought to exist between signs not planets and points. It is fair to say that as long as there is aspect by sign, receptions are active. This still precludes all but the Ptolemaic aspects (sextile, square, trine, opposition and conjunction). Both the semi-sextile (30 degrees) and inconjunct (150 degrees) connect sign with no commonality, which therefore can not see each other.

    In the context of a reception through sign or exaltation, the planet “receiving” is the ruler of the sign in which the other “received” planet finds itself. The receiving planet is the host and as such is under obligation to welcome and allow his guest access to his domain, resources and virtue. He also has a responsibility towards his guest; he can do them no harm, even if this would be his natural inclination. The received planet or guest is also bound to support his host or ruler and to help do his bidding.

    Reception between planets reflects society’s rules about how we relate to one another. If you are my guest I will not harm you, on the contrary I will welcome you and give you access to my home. It would be very bad form if anything unfortunate were to happen to you whilst you were under my roof.

    Rules also apply as to how guests are expected to behave. Generally speaking they will respect their host, heed expectations, offer them help if needed and they will not overstay their welcome. All of this is dependent on the essential character of both host and guest, the more honesty and integrity they have the more they will uphold the terms of their association. The more afflicted they are, the more they will struggle to do the right thing.

    Aspects give two planets the means of “seeing” each other and communicating. The type of aspect indicates how harmonious or stressful that communication will be. The closer the aspect the clearer they can hear each other, the better the aspect the more they will agree with each other. When there is reception the planets share common motivations and are inclined to assist each other; the stronger the reception the better they can co-operate to achieve their goals. Planets inconjunct, with no aspect between them can not communicate at all, even if they happen to be in one another’s sign.

    Broadly speaking the receiving planet has power over the planet that is received, for it rules the territory in which the received planet finds itself in. The received planet is recognisant of his host and could be said to love him. This exchange of power and affection becomes far more complicated when there is “mutual reception”, the situation that arises when both planets are in each other’s signs.

    A Study in Reception

    Whether a reception is helpful or a hindrance is dependent on the circumstances present in the chart. It also must be remembered that receptions, aspects and dignity have different implications in different types of chart investigations. Horary and some event charts are of a finite moment in time, where as a natal chart is for the life, so that even the most afflicted planet will by direction, progression and transit shift in time. We need to understand reception in context of the specific chart and not as a cook book panacea.

    The best way of illustrating how reception may work is through the use of a chart. As providence would have it while trying to make sense of this subject I was also immersing myself in the fictional world of the “The Sopranos” via the iconic television series created by David Chase. The interaction between some of the characters was very reminiscent of the interaction between planets in reception. I began to imagine the characters as planets in particular sign led by the main character, Tony Soprano as a hypothetical Saturn in Aries.

    Before continuing my imaginary casting I decided to have a look at the chart for January 10, 1999 at 9:00 pm the date and time the series’ first aired in America. I set the chart for Newark, New Jersey, the geographical setting for the show. The resulting chart is an interesting study of receptions and a great example of how obliging astrology can be in providing us with the perfect chart for every occasion. As the cast of characters naturally found their assigned planet, led by Tony Soprano, the previously hypothesised Saturn in Aries, I was left in awe at the synchronistic revelation that is astrology.

    Cast of Characters

    I have to apologise for those of you who are not familiar with this fine television program and will provide you with a brief synopsise and outline of the main characters who so easily find their significators in the above chart.

    The story line of “The Sopranos” orbits around the character of Tony Soprano a New Jersey mafia boss in full throws of midlife crisis. Tony suffers anxiety attacks and depression from the weight of his family responsibilities, the expectations of his criminal underlings and a profoundly dysfunctional relationship with his mother. Between the normal mid-life worries about teenage children, money, security, mistresses, ageing family members, as well as manoeuvring the political minefield of the criminal world and dealing with the constant suspicion about everyone’s motivations, we discover that Tony is not much different then the rest of us. The series follows the ups and downs of the individuals living in this world, who other then their predilection of solving problems through violence and murder, share the same aspirations of love, happiness and a better life for their children as more law abiding citizens.

    So, let us now move on to our casting. As previously stated Tony Soprano would have to be Saturn in Aries, and obligingly he find him here positioned in the unfortunate house of death and legacies. Saturn is in its fall, but does have a bit of dignity by term, so though driven by excess he is able to conduct business. In this nocturnal chart he is the most elevated planet, as would befit the “boss” of the family. Saturn being a diurnal planet in a nocturnal chart is out of sect, reflecting the difficulties he has in performing his duty as the head of the family.

    Tony is married to his teenage sweetheart, Carmela Soprano, who supports and encourages him. She keeps a nice home and tries to be a good mother to his children, and though enjoying the fruits of his ill got gains she appears to be in denial about exactly how and where Tony gets his money. Her sphere of influence is the immediate environment and she is of course Moon, cadent in the third house and fallen in Scorpio giving her an excessive need for security and a kind of powerlessness.

    The third house maybe cadent, but this is the house where the Moon finds her joy and is referred to as the “House of the Goddess”. The Moon/Carmela’s position here supports the traditional view of the sanctity of the family and the role of the mother in the Italian culture that is the world of the Sopranos. The Moon/Carmela with no aspect to Saturn/Tony can not see him, but her close square to Venus who is in Saturn’s domain and rules the material assets, shows her attraction and uneasy relationship with all things provided by Saturn/Tony.

    Tony has many business associates who have to answer to him. They are loyal out of friendship, family ties, insecurity and fear. In Tony’s world friends and allies can quickly turn into liabilities as everyone jostles to align themselves with power. Mercury, peregrin in Capricorn, applying to square Saturn and under his power, collectively signifies these various characters.

    Tony’s nephew Christopher holds a special position in the family, the golden boy and Tony’s heir apparent. Sun in Capricorn, ruler of the twelfth house, applying his square to both Mars and Saturn makes a perfect significator for this most interesting and flawed character enmeshed in a complex relationship with his boss and uncle. Christopher is an aspiring writer and film maker with a substance abuse problem, whose loyalty to Tony and the oath he took is such that he would allow his fiancée to be killed rather then betray him.

    Mars in Libra, applying his opposition to Saturn signifies all of Tony’s various enemies. In true “Godfather” style there is an understanding between enemies, the rules oblige those in power to take certain action: it’s not personal, it’s only business.

    Venus in Aquarius sensually positioned in the fifth house of pleasure and applying to sextile Saturn/Tony, signifying all the spoils of the Soprano’s business interests: money, luxury and the women. Symbolically Venus represents the material gain, but personified she embodies all of Tony’s various mistresses.

    Finally we have Dr Melfi, the psychiatrist Tony Soprano has been in therapy with for years. She appears as the voice of moderation and the only one able to reflect back to Tony the dysfunction of his familial relationships and the moral dilemmas his chosen profession create. Jupiter in Pisces, in the seventh house of the physician and in the sign most closely associated with the unconscious could not be a more perfect significator.

    Receptions at Play and “the Tony Soprano Clause”

    Let us first examine our main protaginist, Tony Soprano ie: Saturn in Aries. As Mercury, Sun and Venus are in Saturn’s ruling signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, Saturn welcomes or receives them into his rulership. As these are applying to aspect him, Saturn/Tony is receiving a sextile aspect from Venus and square aspects from Mercury and the Sun.

    Looking at Mercury, Tony Sopranos criminal colleagues, we see that he will perfect his square aspect to Saturn at 27 degrees, but his movement into the next sign will keep him in Saturn’s domain. This means that Mercury is the guest of Saturn and as such he has his attention and can take advantage of what Saturn has to offer. Squaring an angry malefic in his fall situated in the house of death would clearly be a problem for Mercury, but here Saturn’s reception of Mercury alleviates much of the danger.

    Saturn holds the power and has the responsibility to offer Mercury protection just as a sovereign would to his subjects (or a mafia boss would to his family). In the old texts Saturn would be said to be bestowing his virtue unto Mercury. I call this the “Tony Soprano Clause”; Tony is duty bound to make sure his guest come to no harm whilst they are in his home. Mercury as the submissive planet being received has to offer support to the needs of his ruler, Saturn. As a guest he must obey the rules of the house and not overstep his welcome. But here we are dealing with a reception by square aspect so there is tension in the relationship. The interplay between Tony Soprano and his criminal colleagues certainly reflect the stressful power play of this reception.

    Mercury is in a just separating sextile with the Moon/Carmela. Mercury is in the Moon’s detriment, therefore is received by her. Being in the Moon’s detriment means that Mercury receives the worst of her, he doesn’t like her at all. Saturn/Tony’s criminal colleagues resent Moon/Carmela and she doesn’t want to give them anything. Being in a sextile aspect they will be cordial with each other, but neither gets much support from the other.

    Saturn receives Venus, welcoming her into his ruling house of Aquarius, with Venus perfecting her sextile to him at 27 degrees. This reception works both ways as Venus is also receiving Saturn but into her detriment. This means that while Venus has access to the power and goodness of Saturn/Tony, he is welcomed into the world of Venus’s detriment, accessing all the trouble that Venus can bestow.

    Venus in detriment indicates an exaggerated desire for luxury, pleasure and all things sensual. In this chart with Venus placed in the fifth house as well as ruling the money house, not to mention her besiegement at the hands of Neptune and Uranus, we get a clear indication of how Venus could come to spell trouble for Saturn/Tony. Venus as Tony’s various mistresses has access to the best of him and though she provides him with pleasure she is also the source of major headaches. No matter how much pain his mistresses may cause Tony and how much he may want to make them pay for it, he is obliged to do them no harm. This is the “Tony Soprano Clause” in action.

    Tony’s mistresses, Venus is in a precarious relationship with his wife, Carmela, the Moon. We see the Moon fallen in Scorpio, the sign of Venus’s detriment closely applying to square her. Venus welcomes (receives) the Moon into her detriment and bestows on to her the worst aspect of herself. This is one very stressful square, which through Venus’s relationship with Saturn ties Saturn to the Moon. So while Venus gets to have the virtue of and protection from Saturn but she gets nothing but a square from the Moon who is like a thorn in her side reminding her of what she can never aspire to: wife and motherhood.

    The worst of Venus is accessible to both Saturn and Moon. The Moon as Carmela is as corrupted by the money and luxuries also represented by Venus as her husband Saturn/Tony is and her knowledge of Tony’s sexual infidelities almost destroy her. Venus as the symbol for the spoils of Tony Sopranos business, also receives Mars into her domain. The square aspect between them does not perfect, but it does come into orb, indicating a weaker reception. So Mars/Tony’s enemies has access to the goods, including the money represented by Venus. Seeing as this is what everyone wants in the world of the Sopranos this comes as no surprise.

    The Sun, signifying Tony’s nephew Christopher Moltisanti is applying to square Saturn and Mars, and both receive him into their rulership and exaltation respectively. The Sun/Christopher has a more complicated relationship with Saturn. Saturn is in the exaltation of the Sun, creating a mutual reception between Saturn/Tony and Sun/Christopher. While Sun is being received by Saturn and has access to his power and virtue, he is protected from being harmed by him in the same way that Tony is protected from being harmed by Christopher through the Sun’s reception of Saturn into his exaltation.

    It is clear that Saturn/Tony and Sun/Christopher are very fond of each other, but this relationship is not free of danger. For one, it is a square relationship between a nasty malefic and a luminary with little dignity, and for another, the Sun squaring Mars first, will carry the light of Mars another nasty malefic and Tony’s enemies, to Saturn. This is a case of the “Tony Soprano Clause” cancelling itself out as both planets being received are protected from the harm the other might inflict on them, they are also vulnerable through their reception and welcoming of the other into their domain.

    Saturn is in the exaltation of the Sun and has access to the disillusionment that is the danger of exaltation. Over the course of time Tony Soprano becomes more and more disappointed with Christopher’s actions which true to a twelfth house ruler include a fair bit of substance abuse and secrecy. The mutual reception of Sun and Saturn insured that the two stayed bonded, but in the end Saturn/Tony’s essentially debilitated state allowed him to take advantage of circumstances in order to do away with Christopher. It could never end well, as the Sun’s next move was to be into the house of its detriment.

    The “Tony Soprano Clause” ensures that Saturn can not kill anyone in his own home, but reverse the situation and invite Tony into your home and things may not end so amicably, for once he crosses over your threshold you give him permission to inflict whatever damage he chooses. This is what happened to the Sun/Christopher and to Mars, Tony’s enemies.

    Mars is in Libra, receiving Saturn in Aries into his rulership, whilst accepting Saturn’s reception by exaltation. Mars represents Tony’s enemies, one of who was Ralphie, the captain of one of Tony’s crews, he generally angered all who had dealings with him including Tony, exactly what one would expect from Mars in detriment. Being one of Tony’s business associates may help explain why he felt safe enough to receive Tony into his home. Once inside Saturn/Tony’s anger at Mars/Ralphie boiled over and Tony used the Aries energy at his disposal, bestowed to him by Mars, to do away with him.

    Mars/Ralphie himself tried his best to inflict onto Saturn/Tony what ultimately got him, but being in detriment he was essentially weaker then Saturn/Tony’s state of fall. And so Mars/Ralphie lost his head, this is the danger of receiving nasty malefics into your domain. This mutual reception of Saturn and Mars is in an applying opposition. Every opposition with reception will have the receiving planet(s) in their detriment or fall. This may account for the negative reputation of opposition, reputed to be the worst of all aspects.

    Moving on we find the Moon/Carmela in Mars/enemies domain of Scorpio, but because there is no possible aspect between the two planets they can not communicate. Tony’s enemies are aware of Carmela (the Moon) but as per the rules they have nothing to do with her. She along with all other family members are safe from Tony’s enemies, the reception insure it, but the lack of aspect means they can not help or give support to each other, they have no connection. Receptions without aspects can not really function. If you are in my home but I have no way of communicating my welcome to you, then this is like the reception with no aspect.

    The final member of our hypothetical cast is Jupiter in Pisces as Dr Melfi. This is the only one of the classical seven who is not in a reception (or aspect) with any of the others. She is essentially well dignified in her own sign and though in Venus’s exaltation, there is no possible aspect between them as they are in adjacent signs. We could hypothesise that Dr Melfi/Jupiter may have an insight into the desires represented by Venus, but she has no real connection. Venus does not hold any sway over Jupiter here. In the end Jupiter strong in his own sign and angular is powerless to affect the other planets as he has neither aspect nor reception with them, he stands alone. This is very like the fictional Dr Melfi who concludes that there is no point in continuing the therapy with Tony/Saturn as it only serves to reinforce his destructive attitudes.

    Epilogue, the Chart and Beyond

    There are some final points of interest in this chart, like Pluto, Lord of the underworld sitting on the IC underpinning the chart. The twelfth house associated with criminals and secret enemies is ruled by the Sun that is on the antiscia point of Pluto. The two malefics, Mars and Saturn are in the signs of their detriment or fall, accentuating their malevolence and allowing them to act in an extreme manner. Both unfortunately placed, they oppose each other from the house of death and the house known as “the gates of hell”.

    Venus the ruler of the second house of money, a primary motivation for all who inhabit the “Soprano” world, is in a closely applying square with the fallen Moon, symbol of an unrequited need for security. Adding to the Moon dilemma is the fact that she is on the antiscia point of the South Node. This being like a hidden conjunction it symbolically implies that a strong tie or pull to the past hinders the ability for change and growth. Obviously the Moon also finds itself in a contra-antiscia, or hidden opposition with the North Node, symbol for the road that lies ahead.

    So what does lie ahead for Tony Soprano and his follow cast? The final episode “Made in America” aired on June 10, 2007 at 9:00 pm. The chart for this event again set in Newark NJ compares interestingly with the chart of the show’s premier. Mars, Venus and Mercury have all moved to oppose their premier chart’s position, the South node is conjunct the premier chart’s ASC almost to the minute and the Moon is conjunct Saturn’s premier position.

    The Sopranos final episode

    Saturn/Tony has now moved into the sign of Leo. This is appropriate for at the shows end he has survived a deadly coup by his criminal rivals and can claim the position of “king” over his criminal organisation, albeit his power is much diminished by the loss of so many of his crew. Saturn/Tony is in detriment and is conjunct the twelfth house North Node of the premiere’s chart.

    Mercury, significator of the criminal colleagues is unfortunately receiving the Sun, eighth house ruler, lord of death into his own sign. Though the two are in adjacent signs and appear to make no aspect they are in an exact antiscia to each other. So Mercury covertly invited Sun/death into his home, and death did his thing. True to the symbols in this chart, by the end Tony had few surviving colleagues. Their demise being perpetrated at the instigation of Tony’s enemies, Mars now stronger in Aries, who is being received by the Sun into his exaltation.

    So Mars/Tony’s enemies is able to access and use the virtue of the Sun, lord of death to seek his revenge on Tony “family”. This is a strong reception as Mars is in a partile sextile with the Sun enabling him to carry the light from the lord of death to Tony. But Mars himself is in a precarious position being conjunct by antiscia the South Node. Symbolically Mars can be thought of as the final winner in the game, he sits on the IC the end point or it could be the grave.

    The Moon/Carmela is trining Saturn/Tony from Saturn’s original position, indicating that Carmela has come to understand and accept Tony. Her position on the IC represents the conclusion of the show that family is the true foundation of life. The Moon in Aries, is received by Mars from whom she is separating, indicating that she has access to his virtues, including self-assertion and courage. By the end of the show Carmela has gone from an obedient and subservient wife totally dependent on her husband, to one who accepts the life and man she has chosen, takes financial responsibility and sits more as an equal partner with Tony. {Interestingly the Moon is on the antiscia point of the premier charts Mercury/Tony’s criminal colleagues}.

    Venus makes no aspect to any planet and though the Sun receives her into his rulership, the reception is poor as they will not perfect or come within orb of an aspect to each other. As a significator of money, her placement on the eighth house cusp mirrors the financial difficulties our characters find themselves by the end of the show, a situation that will probably not change in the near future. Moral of the story is that crime doesn’t pay after all.

    Obligingly, Pluto has moved for his angular position on the IC to one on the ASC, the underworld has come out from hiding. Meanwhile, Jupiter/Dr Melfi is still essentially dignified, but is afflicted by her accidental state of retrogression and position in the twelfth. She is moving away from all aspects and is not involved in any reception. Jupiter like Dr Melfi is isolated from all the other planets/characters and is powerless to take any effective action.

    So what happened when the screen went black? Did Tony Soprano live or die? The evidence gained from the receptions in this chart point to Tony’s survival. Lord of death, Sun receives Saturn/Tony into his domain. The “Tony Soprano clause” works in Tony’s favour here death can do him no harm. Yet he is under the Sun’s power in the sign of his detriment and in the house indicating anguish of the mind. We can conclude that Saturn/Tony will not be free of the fear of death, but for the moment death, the Sun can not harm him.

  • Classical Astrology

    As Soul descends through the planetary spheres on its way to incarnation it is bathed in the sleep of forgetfulness. As it awakens, fully inhabiting its new vehicle for experience, the body, it has forgotten from where it came. Time in now its new reality: nothing existed before and nothing will be after.

    So where did we come from? And what are we made of? These are the questions that great minds have grappled with for eons. To seek understanding of classical astrology is to engage in these quests in order to gain wisdom.

    Beginning my astrological study all those years ago I was motivated by the desire to know my fate. But what I found in contemporary astrology was not so much an understanding of my place in the scheme of things as a very concise view into my psyche. As interesting as this was for a short while, I sensed that there was mote. Then I discovered classical astrology (astrology as practiced up until 1700).

    I learnt that the astrology that had been around for thousands of years bears little resemblances to its modern namesake. The foundation of classical astrology is the Hermetic wisdom inherent in the saying “As above, so below” and the acceptance that all emanates from a Divine genesis. The cosmos do not effect or cause events on earth but rather the cosmos and earthlyl realms reflect each other, for ultimately we are all part of the same Divine expression. In classical astrology it is our relationship with the Divine that is of utmost importance rather then the relationship with our parents and peers.

    The biggest criticism hurled at classical astrology is that it is events based, overly focused on prediction and that it lacks the multi-coloured shades of our modern understanding into the process of growth and evolution. But contrary to this popular belief, to be immersed into the astrology of old is to discover the rich essence of Spirit in our life.

    Story of the three realms

    As understood by our forefathers reality is divided into three realms. The highest realm is the realm of the Divine, the realm of first principles. In this world everything is constant; there are no cycles, no decay, no corruption and no form. This is the world of essence, purity and unchanging nature. In this world nothing dies, nothing is born, nothing is created and yet all of creation emanates from there.

    The lower realm is the one we are most familiar with, it is the world we live in. It is the realm of matter, corruption, decay and cycles. It is the world of constant change, creativity, beauty and infinite variety, as well as the realm of certain death. Nothing is constant and everything will change, end and begin again. This is the realm of Earth.

    The middle realm is that of the twilight, the in-between world we may enter into during our dreaming, spiritual disciplines and meditations. This is the realm that shaman travel in their healing quests. In classical astrology this was understood as the planetary realm, or the realm of the planetary spheres, through which the souls descended on their way to incarnation. The final sphere and the one closes to the earth plane was that of the Moon, known to be both entirely of the material and of the spiritual.

    The Descend of the Soul

    From the classical period it was understood that souls choose their life and then fall into matter in order to live out the chosen life. Plato (450 BCE) tells a story in the Myth of Err about souls waiting to be born. An angel, messenger of the Divine comes along with a number of lives from which the souls impetuously grab one, with little regards for the consequence of their choice.

    Taking their chosen life to the three Fates, they would wait while the Fates checked the spindle of life around which the stars, sun, moon and planets spun and make sure that everything lined up to allow the life chosen to unfold and end as it should. Only when everything lined up properly was the soul thrown down into incarnation to live out their chosen life. Falling into incarnation the soul had to pass through the seven planetary gates or spheres. At each gate they would take on qualities and gifts both good and bad that would help shape their temperamental nature.

    The soul’s descent through the planetary spheres begins with Saturn the most distant of the visible planets where they take on structure and authority. Here the soul also takes on grief, the grief of being restricted by the matter and time, the physical reality they so readily jumped into.

    At the gates of Jupiter the soul gains the desire to rule, to give and receive honour as well as the impulse for wealth and the power to act. Envy is the down side of Jupiter’s gifts. Mars gives the soul bold spirit as well as impulsive and reckless daring. Here the soul also acquires discernment and is given the ability to cut through the dross, but with these new found gifts also comes the propensity for aggression and cruelty.

    In the sphere of the Sun the soul acquires vision and the sense of perception. With these gifts comes pride and in the extreme, arrogance. Venus the next planetary sphere through which the soul passes, offers the gift of love and the impulse for passion. Beauty, luxury and the arts are also gifts of Venus, as is her negative expression, lust.

    Mercury gives the soul the analytical faculty of the mind and language with which to communicate. But he also gives them the ability for evil plotting, a yearning for money and greed. The final sphere is that of the Moon, which imparts to the soul its body and the ability to change and grow. This is where the soul acquires hunger and its pains. Gluttony is one of the Moons not so pleasant offerings.

    This journey down through the planetary spheres is most profound for it begins with Saturn ruler of Capricorn which is the point of the winter/summer solstice and ends with the Moon ruler of the summer/winter solstices. Astrologically the Moon is a symbol of the infant and so it should that the soul is born into this plane of existence as an infant.

    On the way out of this life the soul again passes through the planetary spheres in the reverse order, but this time it releases the qualities and gifts back to each planet, finally giving up structure, authority and grief at the gates of Saturn. Astrologically Saturn is the symbol of the old man and death, a fitting end to the incarnated life.

    The beauty of classical astrology goes far beyond the psychological analysis of the individual into the understanding of the soul and its relationship with the earth plane. Through the placement of the planets in our chart we can come to understand the gifts we took from the planetary sphere and the lessons they provide us with. Classical astrology is an art that connects us with our philosophical and spiritual roots and allows us a glimpse at our place within the Divine plan.

  • How the Traditional View of the Planets Differs from the Modern

    The way in which the planets were viewed and understood by the ancients differs fundamentally to the way in which modern astrologers approach them. The actual meaning of the planets has retained some of the traditional essence though much has been distorted through mistranslation and interrupted transmission. As the modern planets; Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, have adopted attributes once worn by the visible planets our understanding of the meanings and association of the classical seven has been watered down.

    Modern astrology understands and works with the planets almost exclusively from the perspective of their “universal” or common significance. Any Astrology book will provide extensive lists of words associated with and describing each planet. Such as Venus being the planet of love and representing our values, Mercury the planet of communication and representing our rational thinking, Saturn the planet of responsibility and restriction, Jupiter being associated with wealth and expansion et cetera. In traditional astrology the common description of a planet is far briefer.

    In modern times whole books have been written about individual planets, exploring every aspects of their meanings and providing thorough analysis of their expression through the signs, houses, aspect and cycles. From the psychological perspective our understanding of the planets as urges of our psyche has given us a model in which planets are seen as equal, though some may challenge us more. Saturn represents authority, father figures or restriction in everyone’s chart. How well we deal with these things will depend on Saturn’s aspects, sign and house position in our individual chart.

    The standard way of presenting the planets is in order from the Sun outwards, except for the Moon that is commonly placed after the Sun, indicating her equal status as one of the luminaries. Following the Sun and Moon we have the inner or personal planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars followed by the social planets, Jupiter and Saturn finally arriving at the trans-personals, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. This order seems logical and clear yet bears no relation to that used by our astrological forefathers.

    Before considering how the ancients understood the planets we must exclude the so called transpersonal: Pluto, Neptune and Uranus. Planets were referred to as “wandering star” and had to be, by this definition visible like all other stars in our sky. Focusing on the traditional seven planets without competition from their younger more glamorous siblings, allows some of the qualities attributed to these younger members our solar system to be reclaimed by the seven senior planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon.

    The planets were presented in this order, referred to as the Chaldean order. This order is very important and forms the backbone to our astrology whether we know it or not. It reveals the genesis of how planets relate to each other through aspects, reception and house position. The planets were ordered according to their speed, from slowest to quickest. The “outer” planets consisted of Saturn, Jupiter and included Mars for they were beyond the orbit of the earth. The Sun was, as should be in the center followed by the inner planets; Venus, Mercury and the Moon.

    One of the most beautiful images using this order is that of the descent of the Soul from the realm of the fixed stars through the planetary spheres or gates, beginning with Saturn and finally arriving on earth through the Moon: the Moon being the only planet existing wholly both in this lower world of material generation and the upper world of divine spirit, a beautiful symbol of the Soul. You will notice that Saturn rules Capricorn and the Moon rules Cancer, this is in line with the Solstices. In the earlier times the natural wheel of the Zodiac began with Cancer, the point of earthly birth.

    The ancients understood planets through their essential nature: hot, cold, moist and dry. Though they talked of benefic and malefic planets, it was understood that any planet close to its essential nature would behave well and any planet far from its nature could behave in an exaggerated manner causing trouble for the native.

    The qualities that best promote life are hot and moist, but too much heat with no moisture is not conducive to fertility. Cold and dry are the most destructive to life of all the qualities, but cold with moisture can still create growth. The so called malefic planets: Saturn and Mars, are both overly dry or hot, Saturn is extremely dry and cold, Mars is burning hot and dry. Both inhibit growth.

    The benefic and malefic status of the planets is reflected in the signs they ruled, their relationship to the luminairies, the givers of life and the doctrine of aspects. Traditionally Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius, both these signs oppose Leo and Cancer, the signs of the luminaries. Mars traditionally ruled Scorpio and Aries these signs square Leo and Cancer. While Venus and Jupiter rule signs that are in sextile or trine to the domain of the Luminaries. The only planet to defy this scheme is naturally Mercury, the trickster of the gang who is always out to fool us. He rules the signs on either side of Leo and Cancer so therefore has no connection with either.

    The planets were seen as players in the drama of the native’s life, and these players were versatile; they could take many parts and often share roles. How well they fulfilled their role was dependent upon their celestial and mundane condition, in other words how they related to the unchanging realm of the divine; the zodiac and the ever moving mundane world; the houses which hinge on the horizon and the MC/IC. The planets were understood to have both specific meaning in an individual chart as well as universal or common meaning.

    In natal astrology it was the specific significance or meaning that was most important to the judgment of a native’s life. Jupiter may signify riches and wealth but this means nothing if Jupiter is not the significator of these things in particular chart. Jupiter’s role as universal significator of wealth could assist by being well aspected to the specific significator of wealth; the planet best placed to act as “the bringer of riches”.

    The traditional understanding of astrological judgment and chart delineation meant that you couldn’t deduce anything by just taking one planet in isolation. As I have said the planets played varied roles and interacted with each other in a fashion unique in every chart. A weak planet could make way for a stronger one (through reception, aspect and rulership) to fulfill or at least assist in its role. The strength of a planet would be judged by their essential dignity (rulership, exaltation, triplicity, term or bounds and face) or lack thereof. The ability of a planet to deliver its promise depended on its accidental dignity and debilities: house position, position relative to the Sun, retrograde, speed. The strength and ability to act of a particular planet would indicate how well that aspect of life would unfold.

  • Horary: “Will Harry Potter die?”

    This horary analysis was published in the June 2007 FAA journal

    Who says that astrology has to be serious? If astrology is real, if it truly reflects life and the world we live in, then surely it would reflect our humour, fiction and the make believe stories we tell.

    Unless you have been in a coma for the last six or so years, you would be aware of the Harry Potter phenomenon. If you live with any children or young adults you would surely have the date July 21 2007 marked in your calendar, as this is the day that the last installment of the Harry Potter series will be out.

    In my household it has cause great excitement as have all the previous Harry Potter launches. There is much discussion about what this last installment will contain and the previous six Harry Potter books are being reread in search for clues as to what will happen. I do not believe we are unusual in our madness. Global warming, wars, elections make way for the really important stuff: Harry Potter and his fight against the Dark Lord.

    There has been a lot of speculation about the final showdown between young Harry Potter and the dark Lord Voldemort. That Harry will defeat him seems almost a given, after all, good always triumph over evil, but will he survive the encounter? Should he survive? What would he do with himself afterwards? Fade into the sunset? Worse of all, get a job at the ministry of magic?

    Rereading the first six books was not an option for me so I decided to ask a horary question to put my mind at rest and my predictions out there for all to ponder. We only have till July 21, 2007 to wait for confirmation as to the accuracy my judgment of this horary.

    will Harry Potter die?

    They say that horary questions can only be asked if we seriously need to know the answer. Frivolous questions are not allowed, but this I would argue, is far from a frivolous question. I’m sure that there are millions of Harry Potter fans spending sleepless night wondering and worrying about Harry’s fate.

    The question was asked on Feb 5, 2007 in Melbourne Australia at 3:17 pm, giving us a 29 Taurus 50 ASC. The planetary hour is Moon making it compatible with the Taurus rising chart. The late degree of the ASC could be a problem; it indicates that it is too late to ask. Harry Potter’s fate it has already been set in stone (or at least on paper) by JK Rowlings. There’s nothing we can do to change the outcome, from that perspective it is too late, but this doesn’t prohibit us finding the answer to our question in this chart.

    As he is a stranger to me the querent, Harry is 7th house. Scorpio on the cusp makes his significator Mars, exalted in Capricorn, a very apt description of our young hero especially as he is placed in the 8th house of death showing us that death is on his mind. He is disposited by Saturn in detriment and retrograde in his turned 9th. His growing sense of the responsibility he has been fated to carry would weigh heavily on him.

    As well Saturn is co-ruler of his turned 2nd house of his resource and could represent those who support Harry including; fellow students and member of the DA (Dumbledore’s Army) and the Order of the Phoenix, who have all been devastated by the loss of their exalted leader, Albus Dumbledore at the end of book six. That Capricorn is intercepted may show us that there will be some unexpected allies who will appear.

    The last aspect Mars (Harry) made was a trine to the Moon at 14 degree 30 just after his sextile with Uranus at 13 degrees. He did encounter an explosive battle just before the funeral of his mentor Dumbledore and the bittersweet break up with Ginny in order to spare her the danger of being associated with him. Harry is becoming far more serious about his responsibilities (Mars in Capricorn).

    Death would be signified by either the radical or turned 8th house, so Jupiter or Mercury. There is no applying aspect from either to Mars (Harry). There is however an antiscia conjunction between mars & Jupiter. The turned Part of Death is at 0 Gemini and the turned Part of Danger & Violence is at 11 Gemini, so both are ruled by Mercury and again no aspect with Mars is forming. Mercury is in Pisces in detriment much weaker then Harry Potter Mars in Capricorn. The antiscia between Harry and the radical lord of death, Jupiter is not enough to indicate his death, though it may show us that he will come close to it and may even appear dead.

    So Harry will survive, but what about Lord Voldemort?

    Lord Voldemort is signified by the house of open enemies, the turned 7th house. He is Venus in Pisces exalted on the MC. Venus is applying to square Jupiter (Lord of 8th ruler) just after she encounters by conjunction explosive & erratic Uranus. She will then conjunct the North Node before the sextile with Mars (Harry) perfects at 22 Pisces. Jupiter in Sag (death) is stronger then Venus in Pisces (Lord Voldemort), which is also being received by Jupiter. Death receives the Dark Lord.

    The Parts of Death and Danger & Violence, tell us the same story. At 0 and 11 degrees of Sagittarius respectively, they are also ruled by Jupiter (ruler of death) which will square Venus in 5 degree 21 minutes. Could this be the 5 month and 11 days before his public demise, very close to the July 21 2007 date for the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”?

    Wanting to be thorough I looked for any relevant fixed stars. On Harry’s side I found that Mars was with Ascella (13 Cap 41) which according to Vivian Robson is “of the nature of Jupiter and Mercury and gives good fortune and happiness”. Conjunct the 7th house cusp I found Bungula (29 Scorpio 38) which has “the influence of Jupiter and Venus and gives beneficence, friends, refinement and place of honour.” Not bad for our hero!

    Looking at Lord Voldemort I found Skat (8 Pisces 55) with his significator Venus which “is of the nature of Saturn & Jupiter and with Venus gives psychic, occult interests, friends among opposite sex, favorable for gain.” The real gem came when I looked at the fixed star on his ASC; Alcyone (29 Taurus 59), this star is one of the Pleiades and “causes love, eminence, blindness and accidents to the face”. The influence of the Pleiades are “distinctly evil and when rising are said to cause blindness, injuries to the eyes & face, disgrace, wounds, stabs, exile, imprisonment, sickness, violent lust and military preferment.”

    My judgment is clear; Harry will struggle and may have a few setbacks (Mars in the 8th disposited by Saturn in detriment and retrograde), he may even appear to die, but will survive in the end with the help of friends known and unknown. As for Lord Voldemort, he will seem to triumph at first (Venus on the MC) but in the end he will be either blinded or disfigured before meeting his violent death possibly at the hands of one of Harry’s supporters.

    I judge that support for Harry will come at the eleventh hour from an unlikely or unexpected quarter and that there may be some ambiguity in the demise of the Evil Dark Lord. Being a powerful wizard well versed in the dark arts he may cheat or make a deal with death (Venus squares Jupiter with reception), but be slain in his final encounter with Harry (Venus sextiles Mars).

    As a postscript, it is likely to that Harry & Ginny will get back together after the final battle. After all Mars makes its sextile aspect with Venus at 22 Pisces, after Venus encounters Uranus & Jupiter. After Lord Voldemort is finally vanquished, Venus can go back to being Ginny to Harry’s Mars.

    Now for anyone out there still skeptical about the validity of this chart let me tell you a little story about the Pleiades. They were the seven daughters of Atlas & Pleione. Six are visible: Alcyone, Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno and Sterope but their seventh missing or lost sister is said to be Merope who married a mortal and hid her face in shame at being the only one not married to a god. Any keen Harry Potter fan would recognize that Merope is the name of Lord Voldemort’s mother, who like her mythical counterpart shamed her family by marrying a mere muggle (a non-magical person); Tom Riddle.

    Herein lays the true mystery of astrology.

    Postscript

    Not one to usually toot my horn, I will now do so.

    For any of you that haven’t read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows here is a round down of the important points: in the final battle between Lord Voldemort and Harry, Harry does appear to die, but doesn’t, His friend Nevil becomes an unlikely hero and bad guy Snape ends up being the good guy after all. Oh! and Harry does end up with Ginny.

    So the blinding of Voldemort doesn’t happen, unless you count the more symbolic blindness of not seeing Harry’s true strengths… Don’t you just love astrology!