May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
IAMinfinity astrological magazine #19 May/June 2018
The Fate Issue by Smiljana Gavrančić
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
About Us
IAM – Inφinity Astrological Magazine is a bimonthly online magazine that was born in 2015, in Kikinda, Serbia and was reborn in 2017, in Athens, Greece. IAM is for professionals astrologers, students of astrology and for all astrology lovers.
Serbian astrologer Smiljana Gavrančić is the founding editor and owner of IAM. She specialises in exploring significant degrees in Mundane Astrology and her writings have appeared in the Astrological Journal, in The Mountain Astrologer blog and in ISAR‘s International Astrologer.
As of November 2016, all issues of IAM have become part of Alexandria iBase Project, a digital astrological database and as of March 2017 articles in IAM are featured regularly on astro.com in the section ’’Understanding Astrology’’ along with The Astrological Journal and The Mountain Astrologer.
IAM is associated with most relevant schools, journals and people in the astrological field.
Victor Olliver (associate from The Astrological Journal, The Astrological Association GB) Tem Tarriktar (associate from The Mountain Astrologer) Frank C. Cllifford (associate from the London School of Astrology) Sharon Knight (associate from APAI) Wendy Stacey (associate from Mayo School of Astrology and The Astrological Association GB) Jadranka Ćoić (associate from The Astrological Lodge of London) Mandi Lockley (associate from Academy of Astrology UK).
Special members are Melanie Reinhart (The Faculty Of Astrological Studies), Roy Gillett (the president of The Astrological Association GB) and Athan J. Zervas (astrologer and Critique Partner/Associate for Art & Design for the magazine).
All of IAM issues are non-thematic and in every issue there is a cryptic phrase on the cover that refers to either the essence of the skies for the two months ahead or to a main article. But there is more to it! All cryptic phrases, when read together in a sequence, reveal a story in progress. It is like a puzzle and every issue adds one more piece to it. From the standard 70 pages of the inception issue (the cryptic phrase was The #782 Issue), today the magazine counts circa 160 pages per issue with the firm intention to grow even more in the future. About 60 astrologers from all over the world write in the magazine and more are always welcome. A future goal for the magazine is to organise conferences about astrology all around the world.
www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue Contents
005. The editor’s letter is total death 015. Petros Eleftheriadis says that everything is written in the stars 019. Alexandra Karacostas about character and destiny 024. All about AJ by Victor Olliver 030. Why is AA so sensitive? Smiljana knows where it hurts 034. The Persian Empire and Uranus by Smiljana Gavrancic 044. A match made in Heaven by Wendy Stacey 049. It’s not only Facebook, Frank Clifford collects your data too 056. The seventh house by Margaret Gray & Armand Diaz 060. Mandy Lockley puts Saturn, help, and heart in the same sentence 063. Chiron, the outsider by Rod Chang 070. Chiron on the degree of humanity gets a treat by Nona Voudouri 073. Alan Oken looks through the looking glass 077. Tania Daniels had some problems in her life but nothing compared to Frida Kahlo’s 084. Will my sister survive? Horary by Tania Daniels 091. Two women under the same roof: Is it always bad news? Smiljana on Kate & Meghan 101. Ethereal Woman vs. Material Girl and Christina Rodenbeck in the middle 107. Jessica Adams reads the papers. Paradise Papers, Panama Papers 111. Mark Zuckerberg’s moment of truth by Jessica Adams 117. The secret space program by Marguerite dar Boggia 121. How about some Indian money? Vedic Astrology by Metin Özenbaş 125. Meskalila Nunzia Coppola is in a meditative mood while doing her sacred geometry exercises 137. Teaching events with Alan Oken 146. Nona Voudouri talks to the Moon. Lunations, lunations! 151. Anne Whitaker puts the Tarot on the couch 156. Lars Panaro takes on a foolish journey 161. Tara Aal spins the tarotic wheel 164. Kim Buckley spins some more wheels
Are you dizzy already?
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
Horoscope of Death – Charles E.O. Carter Death Is Not the End Smiljana Gavrančić
Water is the structure death, birth and conception happen in – the end of one and the beginning of the other…
The thing that the first breath i.e. the start of life and the last breath i.e. the end of life have in common is – the same ruling planet. From the perspective of tropical, modern astrology, Mars is the ruler of Aries and Scorpio, i.e. the first and the eighth sign within Zodiac. In the first sign (Aries) we take the first breath, and in the eighth sign (Scorpio) our last breath happens, the death. From the perspective of traditional astrology, using the so-called Chaldean system of planet motion (from the slowest to the fastest, i.e. from Saturn to Moon) - the first (Ascendant – the first breath, the start of life) and the eighth house (the last breath, the death, the end) of the horoscope are ruled by the same planet – Saturn!
It is interesting that from the perspective of karmic astrology then Mars is today’s Saturn or more precisely – action (Mars) creates the consequence (Saturn). Today’s Saturn in one’s chart depicts the actions from the previous life. In other words, the position of Saturn at the end of life is very important for it shall point out what is it pulling the Soul, where is the gravity pulling it. And what is gravity or Saturn if not falling?
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We start with Mars – we throw something and it goes and falls, and when it has fallen it is the end. It is necessary to assess how the fall went: was it clean, easy fall or was it pulling something else along (if Saturn or its dispositor has challenging aspects with something).
We are primarily interested in the quality of that Saturn in the moment of death – how much damage it made, for that implies the remaining debt, that the person did not fulfill what he should have or could have. Also important is the mundane position of Saturn in the moment of death: how favorable it is, if it is more favorable than the position of natal one.
From the position of Saturn we assess evolution, one’s further road, where one is going and what will happen in the sense of the next incarnation, for the end of something is the beginning of something else. Water is the structure the death, the birth and conception happen in – the end of one and the beginning of the other. So, the end in one life is very much connected to the beginning in the other life, and the horoscope of death describes the general atmosphere in which one leaves this and enters another life.
When Charles Carter died, Mercury just started its retrograde motion on that day from 1º Scorpio 10’ (October 4, 1968, 04:30 pm, London, UK– the source for death chart is www.astro.com). Asc was at 9º Aquarius 15’. My natal Sun is at 9º Aquarius 16’, the ruler of the intercepted Leo in 9th house (foreigners) and it is in my 3rd house (writing). This was the first thing that got my attention, except the fact that he has a birthday one day after mine (his was on January 31, mine is on January 30), and we were not born on the same year, of course. Also, we both have the South Node at the end of Aquarius, his being at 28º Aquarius and mine at 29º Aquarius.
But, at 27º Aquarius there is Asc of Victor Olliver (the editor of The Astrological Journal). Very close to that, or more precisely at 26º Aquarius, there is Carter’s Venus. When somebody puts his South Node on your Ascendant – that person came in this life to change you and give you a great lesson. The South Node has the symbolism of the series 11, the sign of Aquarius, Uranus, 11th house and it always describes the incarnation before the last.
The South Node simply “swallows” and changes the person. Further on, my Moon is at 15º Cancer, and the Moon contains all memories of the Soul, while Carter’s Saturn is at 17º Cancer. Whenever somebody puts the Saturn on one of yours personal planets or lights, you should know that you owe something to Saturn’s owner. At the same time, you have the strong need to give. So, I have a karmic debt to Carter, for sure. What about transit Saturn on the day of his death? As we can see, it was at 22º Aries and it was retrograde, exactly squaring his MC at 22º Cancer, and also his IC at 22º Capricorn. In other words, it was squaring the axis 4/10, indicating that at the time of his death Carter left something unfinished related to his carrier, something that was interrupted half way through…
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Dispositor of that retrograde Saturn at 22º Aries is Mars at 8º Virgo – the position of my Jupiter on my MC! Did this man somehow indebted me from the start? My Jupiter line goes through the city I love very much, through Athens, and recently I used the name of goddess Athens when founding my astrological association. Not to mention that the founding of my magazine (IAM) event happened under the Athens’ skies, in Greece…
It is known that Charles Carter was the President of The Astrological Lodge of London. London Lodge called the magazine named The Quarterly Magazine founded in 1926, its first child. Namely, Carter first started publishing the magazine Uranus in 1923, and later it became The Quarterly Magazine. Carter was also the first director of the Faculty of Astrological Studies, which is actually the second child of London Lodge. Also, Charles Carter will be remembered for correctly predicting in 1955 that his death would have happened during 1968!
I founded Infinity astrological magazine on May 19, 2015. My progressed Moon was then at 22º Libra, just had crossed 21º Libra where my Pluto is, the ruler of my Asc. My Solar Arc Venus was at 22º Aries, while Solar Arc Moon was at 21º Leo, at Carter’s Sun from his 12th Harmonic (horoscope of the future life). Victor Olliver joined my magazine a year later, in May 2016, giving us his great support and respect, and when I progressed his natal chart for the moment of founding of my magazine (May 19, 2015), I saw his secondary IC/MC axis across 9º Leo/9º Aquarius (which is Asc/Desc axis from Carter’s chart of death, but also the axis calling out my natal Sun at 9º Aquarius). Further on, Victor’s Solar Arc Asc/Desc axis on May 19, 2015 was at 22º Aries/22º Libra. This is the axis I have mentioned through my progressions and Solar Arc directions before. At the same time, this axis directly puts Carter’s natal IC/MC axis at 22° Capricorn/22° Cancer and transit Saturn at the time of his death at 22° Aries into the Grand Cardinal Cross.
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When I gave the lecture on Uranus in Taurus 2018 in September 2016 in the Astrological Lodge of London, my tertiary Asc/Desc axis was across 22º Aries/22º Libra! The woman who invited me to give a talk in the Astrological Lodge of London, Jadranka Ćoić, has the Sun (ruler of her MC) at 22º Cancer, Asc at 1º Scorpio (there was retrograde Mercury when Carter died, as I’ve mentioned above), axis IC/MC over 9º Aqurius/9 º Leo, even her South Node and Saturn are at 9ºAquarius. Her Dwadasamsa Moon is at 22º Libra. There is one more woman who loves IAM and give me support and respect since the start, it is Sharon Knight-I found her draconic Moon at 22º Libra!
In one moment when my magazine went through some challenge, Sharon, Jadranka, and Victor, they all told me the same: “Smiljana, do not forget that Infinity is your “baby”!”
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Victor’s draconic chart shows the Saturn at 22º Aries, while the Venus is at 22º Libra. Draconic chart describes the feelings of the Soul and in essence, it is a lunar chart. Even in the chart of past life (so-called Dwadasamsa chart or horoscope of duads) Victor’s Venus is at 22º Libra! The Venus is the ruler of Victor’s 8th house in this life, the house of death, the end, while the Saturn rules his Asc, the field of his first breath, his birth.
Now let us take a look at Carter’s horoscope of past life. In Dwadasamsa chart, Carter has the Asc/Desc axis across 22º Aries/22º Libra, while his IC/MC axis goes across 22º Cancer/22º Capricorn (contrary to the natal axis). In Dwadasamsa chart, all houses are equal and at the same degree, but of different signs of course. Finally, Carter’s 12th Harmonic is also interesting, being the chart of the future life. In that chart, all houses are equal and at the same degree as well. In that chart Carter has Asc/Des axis at 22º Libra/22º Aries (this axis was active when I founded the magazine on May 19, 2015, but this axis is also active in Victor Olliver’s chart as I have just mentioned), while IC/MC axis is identical to the natal one 22º Capricorn/22º Cancer!
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Now, it is the time for my charts of past and future life. In Dwadasamsa chart (the past life), my nodal axis lies across 22º Cancer (the North Node)/22º Capricorn (the South Node). My draconic Neptune (the ruler of my Venus in Pisces in 4th house – water house) is at 22º Cancer! In 12th Harmonic chart the Venus will be at 22º
Libra, and the Sun at 22º Cancer!
Carter, Victor and I share the background in law studies, but we all decided to be – astrologers and magazine editors!
It is well known that since February 8, 2017 my magazine’s name is IAM, standing for Infinity Astrological Magazine, by which we changed the energy of the firs founding chart, in which the Sun was at 28º Taurus, close to Algol (26º Taurus), which brought challenges and some not very easy moments. But, I find it interesting that Astrological Association (AA GB) has in Dwadasamsa chart the Sun at exactly the same spot as my first magazine, at 28º Taurus, in the open star cluster Pleiades (“the weeping sisters”).
If we take a look at Dwadasamsa chart of IAM, we see the Moon at exactly 22º Libra, the position of my progressed Moon when I first founded the magazine in
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue May 2015, and also the position of some very important points in charts of persons mentioned in this article. Finally, MC of Astrological Association GB is at 21º Libra 26’, together with Jupiter at 21º Libra 46’, almost at 22º Libra!
Furthermore, in Dwadasamsa chart my new IAM has Mercury at exactly 9º Aquarius – the position of Asc at the time of Carter’s death, as well as my natal Sun, but also the secondary progressed MC of Victor Olliver at the moment I founded the magazine for the first time, in May 2015. Also, 12th Harmonic of IAM shows that IAM’s Moon in the future life is at 22º Cancer, which is the natal MC of Carter, but also the position of his MC in future life!
Recently, on January 16, 2018 (19:07, Kikinda, Serbia), the astrological association IAM INΦINITY – Αθήνα Center was born. I am the founder, but I have not picked up this moment, which is visible from the chart since the Ascendant is at 29º Leo, which is again exactly the position of my North Node, but also of Desc of Victor Olliver. IC/MC axis is identical to my natal Asc/Desc axis - 21º Scorpioa/21º Taurus. But, the Moon, being possibly the most important celestial body, was at 22º Capricorn 53’! It is interesting that Astrological Lodge of London has Fortuna at 21º Capricorn 48’ (we may say at 22º Capricorn), the most personal point in the chart since it represents the relationship between Asc, the Sun and the Moon.
As it is obvious in all those examples, the Grand Cardinal Cross across 22° is being activated, and the first thing that comes to my mind is January 12, 2020 when Saturn and Pluto make conjunction at 22º Capricorn, which will automatically call out this Grand Cross! Even my tertiary Moon will be crossing 22° Capricorn on those days, which is really a great sign! In the horoscope of Saturn/Pluto conjunction that was made for Greenwich, Asc is at 15º Cancer, the position of my natal Moon! Even the transit Sun will be at 22º Capricorn on IAM INΦINITY | 011
May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue that day, so practically there will be conjunction of the Sun and Saturn/Pluto – very strong energy, since Solar Arc Asc of Carter will be at 27º Aquarius 34’, exactly at the Asc of Victor Olliver, while his progressed Moon will be at 9º Aquarius (the position of his Asc when he died in October 1968, and the position of my natal Sun).
Anyway, in Davison relationship chart Carter and I have the Sun at 8º Leo 45’ (very close to 9º Leo), which calls
In Sabian symbols I tried to sense the possible scenario… Since the book of Sabian symbols treats every Zodiac sign from 1º to 30º, if one wishes to see interpretation for 22º, one should look up the interpretation for 23º, for astrology treats zodiac sign from 0º to 29º. Let us take a look what Sabian symbols convey for 23º of each cardinal sign:
- 23º Aries – A Woman in pastel colors carrying a heavy and valuable but veiled load (this reminds me of my favorite card from Tarot Major Arcana – High Priestess) - 23º Cancer – Meeting of a literary society - 23º Libra – Chanticleer – to announce something with pride - 23º Capricorn – Two awards for Bravery in war
In the end I may add that my first attempt at founding of Infinity Astrological Magazine was “bloody” attempt at giving birth to a “baby” (keep in mind that my progressed Moon was crossing my natal Pluto at 21º -22º Libra), and the baby was born and had been “hypersensitive” from the beginning (Sun in Pleiades – “weeping sisters”). But, then came the birth of the second “baby”, and that is the present IAM, and this “baby” is certainly very healthy.
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The energy has been changed, and my connection through the magazine with the very Charles Carter and at the same time through Victor Olliver is very obvious and it remains to be seen what becomes activated by Saturn and Pluto crossing 22º Capricorn. I also have to add that already during 2019 the Pluto shall cross 22º Capricorn several times (both in direct and retrograde motion), before touching the Saturn in January 2020.
The death is not the end; it is always the new beginning...
When I started with my magazine, three years ago (19th May, 2015), progressed Moon of C.E.O. Carter was at 29 º Capricorn, exactly over my 3/9 axis (29 º Capricorn/29 º Cancer). His Solar Arc Moon and Solar Arc Vertex (the point of wish) was at 13º -14º Virgo, making conjunction with my natal Mars at 14 º Virgo (ruler of my Asc, ruler of my 5th house – which is my 1st house in past life, and the ruler of my 12th house – which is my 8th house (death, the end) in my past life). Tertiary axis Asc/Desc of Carter went over 29º Cancer/29 º Capricorn (e.i.over my natal axis 9/3), and his tertiary Moon was just crossing over my natal Mercury 15º -16º Aqurius (where is my draconic Moon, too). I recommend you to read my article “Sensitive degrees in AA chart” where I am talking about why axis 29º Capiricorn/29 º Cancer is axis of the Astrological Association of Great Britain.
~
This article was written on the night of Full Moon at 10º-11º Libra, on March 31, 2018, which is the position of the Sun at the time of Carter’s death, in the 8th house of his death chart…
At 11º Libra there is the Sun in draconic chart (Soul’s memory of previous incarnations) and natal Pluto (ruler of his Scorpio rising) of the creator of the chart of new IAM. But, it is important to say that this person has in his 12th Harmonic chart angular axes (Asc/Desc, IC/MC) at 23º of cardinal signs, very close to the mentioned 22º. Also, his natal Fortuna at 21º Capricorn 33’ (in allowed orb with 22 º) cannot be neglected. He had his first article for IAM at the moment when his progressed Moon was crossing that same Fortuna in his 3rd house, on March 1, 2017 (#The Retrograde Kiss Issue #IAM12).
The article shall be published in May/June issue of #IAM19 #The Fate Issue, and it will be accompanied by the Full Moon at 9º Scorpio (April 30, 2018) in conjunction with the Venus at the same degree, also in the 8th house of Carter’s death chart…
Love,
Smiljana
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IAM A GUEST Everything, Is Written In The Stars
interview with Petros Eleftheriadis – Head Tutor QHP
IAM: Hello dear Petros! IAM is very happy to have you in our „guest room“ in #TheFate Issue! The Moon is right now at 13° Scorpio, this issue will be out on 1st May, 2018 just around the Full Moon at 9° Scorpio, so even this interview is „very fate“, we can say... What brings you into astrology? I have read that you have background in Law and French? Interesting, I have background in Law, too...
PETROS: Yes, after finishing school, I studied Law, but I never practised it. I think I was too young to appreciate its value at the time. Years later, I enrolled in the French Litterature Department here in Thessaloniki and took my diploma. I was always very fond of studying foreign languages. I can also speak Italian. The sad part is that besides English, I rarely practice French or Italian nowadays and I lost touch with both of these languages.
I came to astrology almost 15 years ago at a very difficult personal time for me when I was looking for some answers. I started by checking some internet sites, but I soon realized that you cannot learn astrology online. I decided to buy some books and very soon I was hooked. After some time, I took some correspondence courses in astrology, the most important of which was the QHP (Qualifying Horary Practitioner) course.
IAM: Recently your first book was published - Horary Astrology, the Practical Way to learn your Fate? I won’t forget our fist talk when you told me this „I am an traditional astrologer, I do believe in Fate!“ So, what about the free will? Personally, I think that even in our so called „free will“-there is always the fate... What would be the definition for the fate? Can we run from our destiny? What sing within the Zodiac is speaking about the fate most of all? Scorpio or Capricorn? Or ...?
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PETROS: There is no free will, I'm afraid. However, I must make clear that this is my personal opinion and I don't represent traditional astrologers, who, in their greater part, believe in free will for some unfathomable reason. For me, astrology is all about prediction. In fact, astrology is nothing BUT prediction. People tend to use it for psychological purposes or as a self-help method but this is NOT astrology and the people who practise it as such are not genuine astrologers but they use astrology as a tool. Astrology is a science of observation and that's why traditionally it is ruled by Mercury. You simply look up in the sky and study the movement of the stars because you noticed that there is a direct correlation between this movement and the events here on earth. There is nothing divine or metaphysical about this, it's pure observation. Now, who is behind all this, who created all this and why, that's a different story and every astrologer has their own beliefs, but these beliefs are not part of astrology, they are entirely personal.
If astrology works, and since we are astrologers we believe that it works, then there is no other option than fate. Fate means that everything, absolutely everything, is written in the stars and that's because there cannot be such a thing as “partial fate”. All events on earth are so interrelated that you simply cannot change a simple thing without changing all those things connected to it. Have you seen the film “The Butterfly effect?” In it, a young man finds out that he can travel back in time and so he decides to change something. When he returns into the present, he is shocked to discover that much more, a lot more than he bargained for, has changed, because the change that he made triggered a lot more events. This is exactly what I'm saying about astrology. You can't say that only the “big” events in one's life can be predicted, because these big events are connected to a lot more minor ones. What you also can't say is that you can make the most of an astrological position or aspect in the sense that you have some control over it.
When one starts to work with horary astrology and sees how it works, then everything is “fated”. That's why I don't really believe in electional astrology and I inform my clients about this. There is no wedding date, for example, that can save a doomed marriage. Naturally, one may cast such a chart because one wants to feel that they have done everything in their power. It's much like when one is diagnosed with a terminal illness and the doctor tells them they have a few months to live. There is nothing you can do to change that, yet you still take medicine and receive treatment even though you know it's futile.
However, I must repeat that what I do and believe in is not common practice. It saddens me to see that 90% of the charts horary astrologers cast nowadays are “Should I?” charts, meaning the client wants to know whether they should or shouldn't do something. I consider these charts completely invalid, as I clearly state in the introduction of my book, because they go against the notion of fate.
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Finally, I wouldn't say that there is a particular sign connected with fate, but there are signs whose energy is more inclined to accept fate as a notion and these, I believe, are the two Jupiter-ruled signs, Saggitarius and Pisces even though the energy of those signs is not suitable for astrology. The signs more suitable for astrology (the energy that is, not people, as there is no such thing as I'm a Leo or I'm a Pisces) are the two Mercury-ruled signs, Gemini and Virgo. In our day and age where astrology is not considered to be “logical” or “scientific” you need jupiterian energy to get you involved with astrology, but it is Mercury that will make you a good astrologer.
IAM: You come from Thessaloniki, so as I am doing mundane astrology and love to link countries, as well as cities, with degrees within Zodiac, I found the link between 27° Virgo (Venus’ fall degree) and Athens, and 26° Taurus (malefic fixed star Algol) and your city, e.i. Thessaloniki. So, what do you think about this?
PETROS:This would mean that we have charts for these countries or cities that we can rely on. It is rare, however, that we have such a chart with a reliable ascending degree. I put aside charts that do not have a reliable ascendant, because the most important planets in a chart are the angular ones and the ruler of the ascendant. If you don't have a time of “birth”, then no safe conclusions can be made about anything.
IAM: What do students in Greece love more – modern or traditional astrology? You are QHP Head Tutor, with extra responsibility for all Greek-speaking students in Greece and in Cyprus? Can you share with Us what is QHP?
PETROS: The QHP stands for Qualifying Horary Practitioner and it is the most prestigious traditional astrology course worldwide. It was founded by the late Olivia Barclay in the 80s and its current Principal is Barbara Dunn. It focuses on horary astrology, but as of this year a new course has been introduced that combines natal and horary astrology Most of the leading horary astrologers of our time have finished this course. I got my Diploma in 2013 and in 2015 Barbara appointed me QHP Head Tutor with extra responsibility for all Greek-speaking students around the world. I would say that modern astrology is still going strong in Greece and everywhere else despite the recent resurgence of traditional astrology, because for the modern person a system that considers, for example, the 8th house as a house of money (only) and not a house of death is more friendly.
IAM: What about your synastry with our magazine? Do you see some strong connections?
PETROS: We share the same rising sign (Scorpio) with the ruler of the ascendant in both charts in a fire sign. Also, the Moon of the magazine chart is conjunct my Venus in the 9th house.
IAM: You are the president of Φίλοι Αστρολογίας Θεσσαλονίκης (Friends of Astrology in Thessaloniki)? Can you tell Us something more about this organisation? Do you organise conferences, workshops, do you provide some your own astrological magazine maybe, are you open for speakers from abroad?
PETROS: It is mainly a facebook page where I publish some articles. It started as a way to connect with the rest of the astrologers in the city, but now it's just a place for publishing articles and information about astrological events in our city. We organised a conference in 2013, but, regrettably, nothing ever since. I would love it if we could organise an international conference!
IAM: Our magazine is part of astrological association IAM INΦINITY – Αθήνα Center. I founded it here, in Serbia, but its spirit (its Soul) is in Athens... Is there some connection between Αθήνα Center and Φίλοι Αστρολογίας Θεσσαλονίκης?
PETROS: The page was created by a friend at a random time back at 2011 and no chart was cast, so I can't tell you if there are any astrological connections with the chart of Athens Center.
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IAM: Does one traditional astrologer use some other divination skills in his private life, or only horary astrology in order to get answers?
PETROS: It never ceases to amaze me how people believe that horary astrology and traditional astrology is the same. Horary astrology is simply a brance of astrology, which is mainly practiced by traditional astrologers, but that doesn't mean that traditional astrologers practice only horary astrology! Far from that, in fact.
I use all forms of astrology both in my practice and private life. If you are referring to something else besides atrology, no, I do not practice anything of the kind, just astrology in all its forms.
IAM: Several years ago I attended horary workshop by John Frawley, here in Serbia, e.i. in its capital Belgrade (during my astrology studies). I will always remember what he said, and he said this: „ Try to charge first before you give the answer to your clients ... Why? Because in 95% your answer on their questions will be – NO“. Ofcourse, he made us to laugh, he laughed too, but what do you tihink about this statement?
PETROS: I would certainly agree with getting paid before the judgement, regardless of whether the answer is positive or negative, particularly if there is a new client involved. For regular clients whom you trust completely, you can do the work beforehand sometimes. I think John Frawley with this statement wanted to say that people usually go to an astrologer when something is wrong in their lives and things that start wrong tend to end wrong. It can be true that we mostly give negative answers, but 95% seems grossly exaggerated and I think he was simply trying to be funny!
I was born in Greece, in Thessaloniki, where I still live and work. I have a background in Law and French, as well as psychological and traditional astrology. Psychological astrology seemed very glamorous in the beginning, particularly with regard to the outer planets, the ego, the collective and archetypes. However, I soon realized that this was not psychological astrology but astrological psychology, with the emphasis, that is, on psychology. Fortunately, I discovered a horary astrology book, which showed that the connection between the stars and life on earth is not only abstract, but entirely concrete. But I realized once more that I was not studying the real traditional astrology, but variations of the traditional theory with personal theories invented by various authors. Thankfully, the QHP came to the rescue! After I received the Diploma, I started my professional practice here in Greece. Sometime later, Barbara Dunn appointed me QHP Head Tutor, with extra responsibility for all Greek-speaking students in Greece and in Cyprus. I have worked for two Greek astrological magazines: Jupiter and Astra & Orama and I occasionally post articles on the QHP Hellas facebook page or my blog: https://astrologyandlife.blogspot.gr/ I currently provide tuition for the new QHP module on Horary & Nativities, including Progressions and Directions. Published work: My first book entitled Horary Astrology, the Practical Way to learn your Fate (Wessex Astrologer, 2017) contains judgements for more than 50 valid horary charts destined for students and professionals of the art.
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IAM A GUEST Our character determines our destiny Interview with Alexandra Karacostas - OPA Vice President
IAM: Hello dear Alexandra. We are happy to host you in our „guest room“ and we have to notice that in this issue (#TheFate Issue) we are hosting two astrologers from Greece! You and Petros Eleftheriadis. I will ask you now the same question, as I was asking Petros: I mapped Athens (the capital of Greece) at 27º Virgo (Venus’ fall degree), and in the other hand – I mapped Thessaloniki (the second most important city in Greece, after Athens) at 26º Taurus (Algol fixed star). What do you think about this? By the way, Petros comes from Theassaloniki, and you were born in Athens, right?
ALEXANDRA: Actually, I was born in New York City and moved to Greece when I was a baby. My parents, both Greek, were working in New York when my sister and I were born. I feel deeply grateful and fortunate to have US and European citinzenship.
In respect to the above mentioned degrees for Athens and Thesaloniki, I am not sure I can make intelligent comments without doing some research. Perhaps, I can say that Greece has had more than it’s fair share of misfortune, even though it is graced by immnese beauty.
IAM: You are the vice president of OPA? Can you tell Us what is OPA and what you can do for astrological comunity serving as the vice president?
ALEXANDRA: The Organization for Professional Astrology, OPA, is an organization dedicated to advancing professional astrology by helping students and practicing astrologers gain insights and the necessary experiences to build successful astrology professions. OPA brings together different branches of astrology, advocates for tolerance, strong ethical practices, high standards, and ways to empower astrologers and our profession as a whole. OPA is a a family of colleagues and friends who live in different countries, love astrology and bring together different schools of thought.
The Peer Group work is OPA’s signature program. It is designed to create a safe environment for professional astrologers/peers to come together in small groups, never more than 5, and share their strengths and challenges. During this three-day carefully guided process, we can greatly evolve both personally and professionally. It is incredibly powerful work and fun!
I have been on OPA’s board of directors almost 12 years. As Vice President during the last 4 years, I am involved in the Peer Group work and most recently, the new Integrative Consulting Skills programs we are offering, I assist with conferences, am a faculty member and support the President. I was OPA President between 2010-2014. Taking the VP role was a welcome change for me at the time.
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IAM: You are the regular columnist in The Mountain Astrologer? Also, you contribute for the Career Astrologer Journal (OPA)? Can you compare them? And what about Isar Journal (I noticed your article in April issue of Isar Journal 2018). After all there is IAM too, the youngest one on the astrological market...?
ALEXANDRA: Each one of these magazines is an excellent resource for both students of astrology and professional astrologers. The Mountain Astrologer has been in circulation for 30+ years providing us with excellent articles from top-notch authors on a variety of topics. It remains one of the premium magazines in our field. OPA’s journal, The Career Astrologer, contains outstanding and insightful articles, many by OPA’s members, who are invited to publish their work and research in the journal. Usually there is a theme for each quarterly publication. It has become a first-rate magazine, especially in the last few years. IAM magazine, though a newcomer to the publication arena, has quickly become an important and significant journal for astrologers. It is loaded with outstanding articles from European, American and international astrologers, and includes wonderful content especially on foreign current events. ISAR’s journal offers valuable research, superb articles and welcomes work written by foreign (not American) astrologers. Every one of these publications is unique, exceptional and serves our astrological community well. There are other terrific journals available as well. We are very fortunate to have these quality sources of astrological information easily accessible.
IAM: You are living in Unites States, but every year you are visiting your Greece too? Where is your Moon in your horoscope? And what does the Moon like more, United States or Greece? What did make you to leave Greece and find your home under the US sky?
ALEXANDRA: My Moon is at 15°Aries and also is a new moon. There are many reasons I enjoy life in Greece aside of its familiarity in having grown up there during my formative years. I love and identify a bit with the Zorba-ish spirit of the Greek culture, and the carpe diem attitude of the people. It suits my Moon well! The primary reason I made the US my home, is thas I marrried American men and had children in the US. In the not too distant future, I hope to live a good chunk of each year in Greece again. Today, I also have grand-children and I want to be close to them, as well. Life is unpredicatble, but most often it turns out better than we can imagine.
IAM: What about your synastry with IAM and IAM INΦINITY – Αθήνα Center? Is there some strong sign? Do you have some advice for our magazine?
ALEXANDRA: My own chart has strong contacts with both the IAM and IAM Center charts and too numerous to name right here. But, I will mention that my Sun and Mercury sandwich the descendant from the 6th and 7th and 6th houses of IAM Center chart. This can be key in helping IAM increase its visibilty through work and cooperation. Also, my Mars is on IAM’s Pluto while my Pluto is on IAM’s Center chart. Powerful, transformative and important. We will see how this plays out.
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IAM magazine currently has Jupiter transiting in its first house. A constructive time for opening new doors, exporing and advancing IAM’s purpose. Transiting Saturn in Capricorn currently opposes its Moon in Cancer suggesting it is an appropriate time to reprioritize/reorganize long terms goals. Later this year, transiting Saturn will enter IAM’s third house, and conjoin Pluto. This is all about communication and distribution of information. Eliminate distractions and minutiae which may keep the magazine from attaining its primary goals. Reconsider what those objectives are and determine how you can best realize them. Capricorn, Saturn and Pluto all value simplification. This can help improve financial resources, as well as expand its sphere of influence, which can surely occur whern IAM’s P Moon enters thits 10th house. This is a good chart capable of deep thought, insight and awareness expressed in an Aquarian fashion with a Leo twist! Also, you can’t underestimate the joy of a little risk taking with Venus and Mars in Aries inthe 5th house. Go IAM!!!! I trust IAM will continue to prosper and be a beacon of light in this information-loaded world we live in.
IAM: Does faith take place in your life? This issue we call #TheFate Issue and I wonder do you belive in Fate? I noticed that the western world give much more space to „so-called“ free will, but what about „the fate in free will“? As I am getting older I am accepting that even in our „so-called“ free will-there is always the fate... Two days ago, client of mine told me her life story, how 30 years ago she wanted to move to Norway, she prepared all what she needed, it was just before the civil war here, in ex Yugoslavia, but she stoped in Germany, God stoped her, she said, and she stayed there, she met her ex husband, she had delivery, her son was born there... She lives there now, still, she didn’t never go to Norway... I explaned her, it was the fate, cause your son, Luka, wanted to be born in Germany, not in Norway...
ALEXANDRA: I have a deep and profound faith in life. One of the many expressions we use astrology is that our character determines our destiny. It is irrelevant whether or not one believes in past or future lives. What is important though, is to recognize that there is a continuum of spirit and soul in nature, the universe we are a part of. Our current circumstances are a direct result of our previous actions, near and far, and our tomorrows will largely be the result of todays actions and especially our motivations. So, indeed, our character does determine our destiny. Is that our fate? Knowing ourselves (which takes a long time), is essential in making wise choices, taking the correct steps forward but also refraining from action when appropriate. We often think we know what is best and cling tightly to a course we imagine will lead us to specific outcomes. Yet, having a gentle grip on that vision can provide the space needed to pay attention to our inner knowing, and the many signs the universe offers in pointing us down our path. I like to remember to always leave ample space for grace, because that is where the magic of life reveals itself.
IAM: How does church and astrology go together in your life? Better say, are you religious? I ask you this, because we come from the same, orthodox, culture, and I wonder how you „vibe“...
ALEXANDRA: No, I am not religious at all, but I do have a deeply commited spiritual practice.
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IAM: Recently you brought me in touch with Edward Snow, the founder editor of Astrology News Service. Can you tell Us what kind of „duties“ you have in ANS?
ALEXANDRA: The Astrology News Service, ANS, is an news organization which aims to provide useful, well researched information and articles to the public about astrology in a concerted effort to help astrology reach the mainstream. In the US we have several astrology organization including AFA, AFAN, NCGR, ISAR, and OPA. Each organization has a representative on the ANS advisory boaard. I represent OPA. We all endeavor to contribute our ideas, time and energy so ANS can be most effective in reaching and helping the public better understand what astrology is and what it can and cannot do, in an intelligent and interesting fashion. ANS is a precious resource!
Alexandra Karacostas is a professional astrologer based in northern California. She has been a student of astrology since 1975. Alexandra currently serves on the board of OPA (Organization for Professional Astrology) and is a columnist for The Mountain Astrologer magazine and contributes to the Career Astrologer Journal. Alexandra teaches, lectures locally and abroad, and has an international clientele. She also leads tours in her beloved homeland of Greece. You can visit www.wisdomastrology.com
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IAM VICTOR All about AJ from IAM Archive - #IAM07 Olliver’s Oil Issue; May/June 2016
The Astrological Journal was born in January 1959, and is considered to be still one of the most important publications in astrology, against increasingly tough competition. I say ‘competition’. Yet like the scion of royalty, it has never actually had to compete commercially in the world of the hoi polloi to survive. It was and still is a publication of the Astrological Association (the AA is now a registered charity); a membership-funded bimonthly magazine for serious and specialist astrologers worldwide, with a fixed circulation and (at times) sense of extended family. To my knowledge it has never had to fight for shelf space at W.H. Smith’s or other retail chain outlet. This is an important point. Because it tells us that Journal has not had to compromise too much to earn a crust. It has continued to showcase hardcore astrology without descent to populist whoring.
Not until I turned up as editor, that is. But before we get to doing the dirty on me, let me tell you something about the magazine.
Its first editor (January 1959 to June 1962) was a Mrs Joan Rodgers. I know this because I’m looking at the pdf of the very first 18-page issue she edited which can be read in the Journal archive on the AA website (if you’re a member - astrologicalassociation.co.uk). Text is typed with lots of underscoring, and everyone bears a title as if in a Victorian melodrama (Mr. This and Mrs. That and a Brigadier here and there), and it’s all wonderfully if terrifyingly earnest. Elvis Presley has yet to make an impact here. In those days the magazine looked like a Sally Army pamphlet. It bore no illustrations, and the content was essay-led.
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Many editors were to follow Mrs Rodgers as pictures and charts were added to the mix. Among my starry predecessors are John Addey (his longest stint lasted ten years), Nicholas Campion (three stints), Charles Harvey, Roger Elliott, John Green, Jane Ridder-Patrick, and more. I know all this thanks to astrologer-archivist- bibliophile Philip Graves’ excellent astrological reference resource website (www.astrolearn.com). There you will find a cultural history of astrology - and I highly recommend.
As time wore on, AJ (as I call Journal) smartened up and discovered via booklet format the joys of print. By 1979 it was a stapled A5 thing before Robin Heath waved his wand and produced something that started to look like a modern magazine. In the 50th anniversary issue Heath wrote:
“So... what's it like being the editor, and what were the problems? The post of editor operates within the AA committee yet brings a slightly different set of issues, joys, responsibilities and problems. The biggest joy is probably that the editor stands on the bridge of the AA ship and can, to a limited extent, steer the vessel. Our members are passengers on HMS Journal, and wholly reliant on it for information and news about astrology.”
It’s all different now, of course. Astrologers have only to switch on their pc to delve into the monster-sized online world of astrology, from Astrodienst (astro.com) and the Astrology News Service to countless websites and blogs and vlogs. Google and Amazon have swallowed up the need for book shops and reference libraries - almost. In addition, we now have The Mountain Astrologer, the AFA Journal and many other publications besides, such as Infinity. Nowadays, “HMS Journal” looks more like a grand cruise liner still sailing on amid an expanding flotilla of astro-yachts and -tugs, all of them hooting for our attention. Where this leaves AJ I’ll return to shortly.
Reading through AJ’s 50th anniversary issue, I am reminded of one of the many delights of the world of astrology - the merciless open criticism among practitioners. Nick Campion’s somewhat revisionist piece on the 1959 debut issue of The Astrological Journal is well worth a read. He notes the “historical blunders” in Mrs Rodgers’ essay on zodiac signs. “Like so many other astrologers,” he writes sternly, “she had a more limited notion of astrology's past than the well-informed non-astrologers. This, I hasten to add, is not a criticism of Rodgers but of astrology's parochial (at least in the historical sense) intellectual culture”. I think it is to AJ’s credit that it is ready to be a debating chamber for a few of astrology’s deficiencies, even controversially.
Gerasime Patilas’ long editorship (2001-2008) improved the look of the title. But the arrival of John Green in 2008 marked a production turning point. He very much brought in the glossy mag we know and love today, refined a little more by his successor Carole Taylor before I turned up in late 2014. It’s now sexily all-colour, beautifully designed by Cat Keane, and certainly ready for commercial exploitation.
My first issue (Jan-Feb 2015) proved explosive. The cover, featuring an elephant in a room, bearing astrological glyphs on its hide, addressed head-on the growing snobbery among many astrologers towards Sun sign horoscopes in the media. The myth has grown that these columns misrepresent astrology. The late Dennis Elwell (who wrote the classic book Cosmic Loom: The New Science of Astrology) in particular led the charge against newspaper stars columnists, denouncing them as “trivialising” because of their focus on ordinary life. Learned astrologers wrote to me complaining of the Sun column I brought in - and Elwell was quoted so that I might shake with shame. I was told that Elwell’s grave must be in a spin at what I was doing to the precious AJ.
In fact, Elwell proved to be more of a fan of Sun sign astrology than anyone could recall. In my raids on the AJ archive I came across an essay he had written back in the early 1970s. It was all about the solarscope (the transits chart of Sun sign astrology) and how in some instances he found it more accurate than natal astrology. “Well, well,” I thought. So I republished it as a riposte to critics.
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Not for the first time Elwell proved to be seemingly contradictory. I think his real problem was that he thought astrology should dwell just on high-minded philosophical matters - and of course modern media are not interested in such things. Readers want to know about work, love, sex, money, leisure, holidays and family matters. What may have seemed trivial to Elwell and his fans is what the rest of us call “real life”.
Media stargazing actually helps keep astrology alive in the popular mind, even if it is simplistic. It’s a useful starting point.
My first issue was explosive in another sense. It carried an interview with the Tory MP David Tredinnick who is a supporter of astrology. This appeared just as the UK was readying for the May 2015 General Election. His comments on astrology and healthcare sparked a proper media storm. Every newspaper ran long pieces on the issue - the Daily Mirror even splashed on it. Sadly, Tredinnick was misquoted and misunderstood (he did not call for astrology to be available on the NHS - he specifically rejected that idea), but it was an early lesson in the basic power of AJ. People really did read it. It had clout well beyond the enclave of astrology.
It had always been my wish for astrology to connect to the actual world - I saw it as my role as editor to encourage this. And the David Tredinnick storm helped serve that end, if unwittingly.
This brings me to the point of AJ today - and what our approach is to content. It rightly remains a showcase for informed astrologers seeking news, innovative approaches, deep study and analyses of the world through different astrological techniques. It’s not for beginners. Most of our readers are AA members who are advanced in their understanding of astrology. AJ welcomes all methodologies whether modern, traditional, Vedic, Western, horary, decumbitures, or whichever. Admittedly there is a Western bias because most of the AA members are practitioners of Western astrology, but over the years the magazine has run pieces on Vedic approaches, or on ‘fusion’ techniques which seek to combine different traditions in hybrid systems (such as Gary Christen’s Symmetrical Astrology).
Our writers are in the main practitioners and teachers of astrology. They have research, studies or observations to share. Take any issue since 1959 and you’ll find thoughtful and surprising new ways of looking at our subject. In the spring 1963 edition, for instance, our friend Dennis Elwell wrote a piece titled ‘The Referend of Uranus’. We learn that the ‘referend’ is a word that denotes the “thing or condition” to which a word refers. So, what does Uranus actually mean to the individual who is under a powerful Uranus aspect? Uranus tends to move us in the direction of independence and autonomy - and so Elwell explores that notion, and seeks to raise our game as astrologers so that we’re not happy just to trot out clichés and hackneyed formulae from cook books.
Another random instance: November 2000: Neil Spencer’s essay, ‘Harry Potter and the Astrologer’s Chart’. Here for the first time we gather that JK Rowling must either be a “closet astrologer” or a writer who has done her research. There is much clever exploration of the astrological content of the Potter stories. Here’s a taster:
“Is it mere projection that sees the four “houses” of Hogwarts school - to which all students are allotted on arrival by the ‘sorting hat’ - as reflections of the four cardinal signs? Bold Gryffindor sounds suspiciously like Aries, Fair RavencIaw like Libra, Sweet Hufflepuff like Cancer, and Power hungry Slytherin like Capricorn. lt's good to know that in fiction, as in life, earth, water, fire and air remain the stuff of magic.”
In our latest issue (May-June 2016), the charts of Syria and the house of Assad are examined against the background of international strife and exodus. And the Dwadashamsha (or ‘Dwad’) is explained in the refinement of forecasting. A classicist at Chicago University revives interest in Milinius’ poem Astronomica and explains astrology’s role in Ancient Rome. Elsewhere we examine the astrology of camp.
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Celebrity coverage in AJ is thin at present - an odd omission given that my background is in showbiz journalism. A piece I wrote myself in 2015 on the synastry of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has just been reprinted on Astrodienst: in the first 24 hours it drew over 2000 readers. Astrologers under-estimate how attractive astrology can be made to ‘outsiders’ by focusing on popular themes. There is no virtue in being dull, even if this appears to be the determination of a few academic astrologers happy to snuffle through a trough of footnotes under dusty sunbeams. On the other hand there is much to be found in essays on techniques derived from the author’s own insights and learning.
If you’re interested in writing for AJ, just email me your idea and a synopsis. The AA is surprisingly relaxed in its management of the magazine, once its trust has been earned. Not once have I been told not to run a piece, even if I know there are private reservations. AA board members do scrutinise each issue of the magazine before publication which is to be expected. I have never worked for a title whose ‘management’ does not give an issue a final read-through. Very rarely an error may be noticed or a request made to refine a headline. Aside from this I can honestly say that the AA stays true to its commitment to editorial independence.
Alas, AJ is not housed in some glass and chrome palace with lakeside views. AJ is me, the designer, the sub, a small AA office support and then the printers and distributors. I operate from home, as does everyone else who works on the magazine. Without the internet we couldn’t do what we do. In addition to my work as editor of AJ, I edit other things, write books and articles, am consulted by clients and do media work - I am The Lady’s weekly astrologer, for instance. A great deal of energy is volunteered, not least by writers who are not paid a fee for their work. We can only offer promotional space as quid pro quo.
What makes it all worthwhile is getting the best from people dedicated to the art and craft of astrology. Though I have populist leanings I recognise that AJ is a sanctuary of sorts where people can exchange ideas, talk shop if you like, without fear of ignorant abuse. Because AJ does not have to worry about sales figures in the market sense, it can afford to be complex sometimes, to delve into tricky areas without fear of reproach. There is a basic aim to ‘educate’. Reading of any kind is an education, so I would say AJ is a college for further or advanced studies. There are plenty of other magazines out there for learners - many schools produce their own periodicals. So please don’t send pieces explaining what chart houses denote or what Virgos are like - unless of course you have something new or innovative to add.
I run news items, more interviews and shorter interest pieces between the essays, with plenty of pics and charts. A magazine must be paced if it wants to be read. A slab of essays is a tombstone by another name.
Not every astrologer is sold on my editorial mix of commercial and academic approaches. Stargazers are as prone to bitch-fests as any other tribe. But as I say to anyone with a scowl in my direction (or nothing much good to say about anything, unless it’s dead or in Latin), “Cheer up! Just think, you could be the editor one day. God help you”.
The Astrological Journal author guidelines: http://astrologicalassociation.com/pages/publications/writers_guidelines.php
The Astrological Journal: http://astrologicalassociation.com/pages/publications/journal.php
Email: [email protected]
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Victor Olliver is the editor of The Astrological Journal, published by the Astrological Association. He is also media officer of the Association of Professional Astrologers International. Based in the UK, he trained to be a barrister before becoming a magazine feature writer, and then an editor on a number of publications including magazines, newspapers and electronic media. He has two awards from the Periodical Publishers’ Association for his celebrity and travel journalism. He graduated with a distinction diploma in natal and mundane astrology from the Mayo School in 2012. Victor is also the author of the annual Lifesurfing series of astrological forecasting books. Visit his website at www.victorolliver.com
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Sensitive degrees in the AA chart Smiljana Gavrančić
This article was first published in The Astrological Journal March/April 2018
The primary ‘sensitive’ degrees in the AA’s horoscope (29º Capricorn/29º Cancer axis, in ‘transition’ to Aquarius 0º/Leo 0º) resonate clearly in the charts of its major players and events. These intriguing connections can be tracked not just through secondary and tertiary progressed charts, but also through solar arc directions and draconic astrology (Natal birth details of prominent AA people are given at the end of this short essay where they are not given in chart captions. NB type of astrology system used in relation to chart caption dates)
The Astrological Association of Great Britain (AAGB) was formed at 7:22 pm GMT on 21 June 1958. In 2018, the Astrological Association (it has since dropped “of Great Britain”) celebrates its 60th birthday and 50th annual conference. Among its founding members were John Addey and Brigadier Roy Firebrace, and among its supporters were Charles Carter and others from the Astrological Lodge of London, which is practically the ‘mother’ of the AA.
In the AA chart, the [houses] 2/8 axis lies across 29º Capricorn/29º Cancer – in transition towards 0º Aquarius/0º Leo, square the lunar nodes axis (29º Aries/29º Libra). This axis (29º Capricorn/29º Cancer) proves to be very important in the affairs of the AA. When addressing the 2/8 axis of any organisation, we find insights into its financial health and income from membership, donations, gifts, etc. The square to the lunar nodes (as in the AA chart) is not an easy one and requires much effort to maintain cash flow.
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At the moment of the AAGB’s founding, the progressed Sun of John Addey was at 0º Leo, ideal sign for the start- up (0º) of a ‘creation’ (Leo). Here we have ‘fire’ derived from the heart or a passion (Leo). Addey was the AAGB’s first president, and charting the course of his secondary (and even tertiary) progressions in his horoscope sheds fascinating light on the interplay between organisation and man (this is also true of the horoscopes of other important people connected to the AAGB, as I demonstrate below).
The AA chart has a Moon/Pluto-Leo/Virgo conjunction in its 8th house, close to Regulus (aka one of the Royal Stars of Persia, “the Keeper of the North”) which may foretell the powerful woman who (following Regulus’ ingress of the female sign of Virgo on 28 November 2011, after 2,160 years in Leo) could become very prominent within the AA in the time to come. She may increase income and bring greater benefits to the organisation, in keeping within the meaning of the transformational and financial house of the 8th.
In the draconic chart of the AA (which indicates the ‘soul’’s memory and purpose), there is Pluto (with the Moon applying to it from the 8th house of the AA’s chart) exactly at 0º Aquarius! Pluto is the power, but also the transformation. At 0º Aquarius, we also find the natal Moon of Charles Harvey, second president of the AAGB and its longest serving to date (21 years). Just as the progressed Sun of John Addey came to 0º Leo in the AA’s ‘birth’ year of 1958, so the progressed Sun of Charles Harvey came to 0º Leo in 1972, the year he took over the AAGB presidency. Also in 1972, the AAGB’s secondary progressed Mercury was also at 0º Leo. Mercury ‘carries’ the Sun at 29º Gemini, so this signifies the president who will head the organisation for a long time.
Nicholas Champion: he became AAGB president in 1994 – natal 3/9 axis across 0º Aquarius/0º Leo!
Roy Gillett: AA president since 1999; has Saturn at 29º Cancer 40’ in his draconic chart. In his natal chart, Saturn rules his Sun [Aquarius], and his Mercury and Jupiter are in Aquarius. Jupiter rules his Ascendant in Sagittarius, while Mercury rules his MC. On 8 September 2002, when Wendy Stacey was elected AAGB Chair, Roy’s tertiary Moon (woman) was at 0º Aquarius, while the AAGB’s solar arc directed Ascendant/Descendant axis, for that same day, lay across 0º Aquarius/0º Leo! Isn’t this amazing?
In Wendy’s birth chart, the 5/11 axis lies across 29º Cancer/29º Capricorn, in transition to 0º Leo/0º Aquarius. The 5th house is of course the house of our creativity and creations, but it is also very important from the point of view of karmic astrology – it is regarded as the ‘Ascendant’ of our previous life. I find the fact that Wendy has the Sun at 29º Cancer 30’ in her draconic chart very interesting!
Alan Leo: the founder of the Astrological Lodge of London (13 July 1915) has the cusp of his 12th house at 29º Cancer 23’, which is the 8th house (death, transformation) from the 5th house (Ascendant in the previous life).
The first AAGB annual conference was held on 20 September 1969. At this time, John Addey’s secondary progressed Mercury was retrograde at 29º Cancer 46’. His Mercury was still retrograde in 1972 when Charles Harvey became the president.
Charles Carter, the man who was a great support to and patron of the AAGB, had solar arc Moon at 29º Cancer 38’ at the moment of the very first conference! As we know, the seminal Carter Memorial Lecture is the centrepiece of every AA conference, held in memory of him.
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Marking Charles Harvey’s enormous contribution to the AAGB, and astrology in general, we have the Charles Harvey Award for Exceptional Service to Astrology which is made every year. Among past winners are Frank Clifford, Wendy Stacey, Deborah Houlding, Dennis Elwell, Nick Campion and others. Roy Gillett received his award in 2009: in September of that year (the time of the conference), his progressed Moon was at 29º Capricorn 51’, in transition towards 0º Aquarius (the spot occupied by the Moon in the chart of Charles Harvey).
In September 2014, Victor Olliver became the editor of The Astrological Journal. His secondary progressed Moon will be at 29º Cancer 59’ on 21 June 2018 – when the AA celebrates its 60 years! To be Journal editor in this time represents a very important thing in Victor’s life, and I would say marks a great turning point as well, both for him and the AA! Victor has his Moon/Saturn midpoint at 29º Cancer, clearly indicating his karmic relationship with the AA.
Checking the ephemeris backwards, I find important eclipses at 0º Leo that might have had an influence on the AAGB. For space reasons I can give only one example: on 21 January 2000, a lunar eclipse at 0º Leo preceded the death of Charles Harvey in that year. In 2000 the award was set up in his name, and Liz Greene was the first winner. On 21 January 2019 there will be another lunar eclipse again at 0º Leo – what this may presage is open to analysis.
Before that, Uranus enters Taurus on 15 May 2018, activating 0º Leo. The next lunar eclipse (on 21 January 2019) will occur between two points of Uranus ingressing Taurus: in retrograde Uranus crosses 0º Taurus in mid- October 2018, and again in direct motion in early March 2019 (but in his own ‘shadow’). Finally, we have to mention the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 2020 (20 December) at 0º Aquarius, which will mark a very important and new age for the AA.
Finally I have a few more personal remarks to make. My thanks to those AA members that gave me their chart for research purposes. Other charts I found at www.astro.com and the AA website. I myself have the 3/9 axis across 29º Capricorn/29º Cancer, so quite probably this explains why I got to write this piece! The synastry between me and the AA is highly constructive, as may be seen from the charts. But, there is a memory from a previous life, since my draconic Ascendant is at 22º Gemini, across from the AA’s Saturn at 21º Sagittarius! On the transition from 29º Cancer to 0º Leo – I should explain that this marks the shift from darkness to the light. Cancer is ruled by the Moon (night), while Leo is ruled by the Sun (day). It is the spot on our bodies where the two eyes meet and we call it the Third Eye, the spot between the eyebrows (the Moon – the left eye, the Sun – the right eye). At this spot within the zodiac our intelligence is at its highest and we see into the future.
I wish the AA happy birthday, and hope to meet you all…in the future….
Smiljana Gavrančić & Roy Gillett (48th AA Conference 2016, Cambridge, England, UK)
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Birth data John Addey: 15 June 1920, 8:15 am, Barnsley, UK (RR: A) Charles Harvey: 22 June 1940, 9:16 am, Little Bookham, UK (RR: A) Charles E.O. Carter: 31 January, 1887, 11:01 pm, Parkstone, England, UK (RR:A) Alan Leo: 7 August, 1860, 5:49 am, Westminster, England, UK (RR:A) Victor Olliver: 23 May 1957, approx. 2:00 am, Brighton, UK Wendy Stacey: 3 August 1968, 09:35 pm, Invercargill, New Zeland Roy Gillett: 10 February 1938, 2:30 am, London, UK (RR: A) Astrological Association: 21 June 1958, 8:22 pm, London, UK Nicholas Campion: 4 March 1953, 00:10, Bristol, England, UK (RR: AA) Smiljana Gavrančić: 30 January 1980, 1:40 am, Kikinda, Serbia
Smiljana Gavrančić studied astrology at the Institute for Astrological Research and Education in Belgrade (Serbia), graduating in October 2010, after studying International Law at Belgrade University. In March 2011 she became ISAR CAP. Her speciality is mundane astrology, and she is practices karmic/hermetic astrology, astrology of degrees/archetypes (mythology, fixed stars) and synastry. Her writings have appeared in The Astrological Journal, The Mountain Astrologer blog, ISAR’s International Astrologer, and Geocosmic Journal (NCGR). Astrodienst (astro.com) republished her work, too. Smiljana is the editor, founder and owner of IAM – Infinity Astrological Magazine which is part of Alexandria iBase Project and Astrodienst. She was a speaker at conferences and workshops in Serbia, Brazil, United Kingdom and Greece. In January 2018 she founded her Astro Center IAM INΦINITY - Αθήνα Center. Smiljana blogs in Serbian and English at: www.astrologsmiljanagavrancic.blogspot.com You can find out more about IAM at www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com Contact: [email protected]
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Uranus enters Taurus Persian Empire and Transition 29º Libra/0º Scorpio The Oil Empire Smiljana Gavrančić
Does Uranus’ entering of Taurus repeat the history of Persia?
Uranus has almost touched 0º Taurus and activated the Sun and MC at 0º Scorpio from the horoscope of Persia, i.e. today’s Iran. But, there is also Uranus in the chart of Persia at 3º Scorpio. All that immediately inspired me to go on and dig even deeper. On March 21, 1935 when international community decided to start using the name Iran for Persia, Uranus was at 29º Aries 39’ (just as it is now while I write this text), in its own “shadow”, ready to touch again 0º Taurus. I said again for this was the third transit of Uranus across 0º Taurus, since it first passed 0º Taurus in June 1934, then again in retrograde motion (during September and October 1934) and for the last time on March 28, 1935, only 7 days after the said decision of the international community. Interestingly, during that March 1935 Jupiter was at 22º Scorpio and in retrograde motion (just like now while I write this text – April 2018). Mars was at 21º Libra (and today, on April 26, 2018 Mars and Pluto have met at 21º Capricorn), while the Pluto was at 23º Cancer (today it is across the Zodiac, in Capricorn).
When I progressed the horoscope of the Persian Empire for March 21, 1935, the secondary Venus (the ruler of IC – Iran’s territory) came to 29º Cancer 27’, secondary Asc (general atmosphere in Iran) at 29º Libra 38’, while the tertiary Sun (the ruler, country’s reputation) was at 29º Aries 40’. As it may be seen, the Grand Cardinal Cross was active across 29º, and the Grand Fixed Cross across 0º as well. Now, we must wonder what Uranus’ entering of Taurus may bring to modern Iran, to its government, president, since both the Sun and MC are at 0º Scorpio and Uranus is at 3º Scorpio – certainly bringing some changes, authority change, revolution? Are turbulent times, times of changes coming?
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I believe that the Iran itself (i.e. the Persian Empire) “vibrates” from that transition from 29º Libra to 0º Scorpio, for it is the part of “Via Combusta”, very sensitive terrain, especially at 29º Libra since it is so-called anaretic degree within the Combust Way. There the “death” happens (29º Libra), in order to have the new “birth” (0º Scorpio). Stepping into the terrain of 0º Scorpio we enter the kingdom of the god Hades, where enormous riches exist, and it is a known fact that Iran is rich in oil and energy and it has been the point of interest of great powers during its history. All Persian campaigns had one goal – oil! Across from 0º Scorpio there is 0º Taurus, and Taurus materializes.
Progressed chart of Iran of April 1, 1979 (Iran-Islamic Republic chart) for the moment of Uranus entering Taurus (May 15, 2018) shows the secondary Moon exactly at 0º Scorpio, at the Sun and MC of the Persian Empire. At the same time, progressed Sun and progressed MC of Persia are at 29º Libra, getting ready to touch 0º Scorpio - the natal position in the chart of Persia! Only four days later, on May 19, 2018, transit Uranus shall make its first opposition to the Sun of Persia! Also, I have to add that progressed Mercury of Iran-Islamic Republic (the ruler of Gemini Moon – people in Iran) is at 29º Aries 23’, „moving“ the Grand Cardinal Cross over 29 º, but at the same time the Grand Fixed Cross over 0º!
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Lunar nodes axis is also noticeable in the chart of Persia, since it goes across 26º Scorpio (North Node) / 26º Taurus (South Node) – which is the present position of a malefic star Algol (from the Perseus constellation). Algol shall be activated on the day of Uranus entering of Taurus, on May 15, 2018 (see my article on that from two years ago – “Uranus in Taurus 2018 – Where Is This World Going?”). Whenever Algol is involved, in whichever way, there are conflicts, disputes, murders are inevitable, for all parties are being led by their own justice that is not perceived as justice by the opposing party… and that never ends. Algol is of Saturn/Pluto nature, and those two planets will meet in January 2020 at 22º Capricorn.
United States of America severed its diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980 during the presidency of Jimmy Carter because of the occupation of USA Embassy in Teheran and holding the staff hostages from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 (Iranian hostage crisis). USA also imposed sanctions on Iran. Tertiary Moon of USA was then at 29º Libra 47’, transiting to 0º Scorpio. It is interesting to note that Carter has Chiron in Aries, USA too, and this is the time of Chiron in Aries again (2018-2027). At the same time, Carter has draconic Mercury (decision) at 29º Aries, calling out Persia through the mentioned Grand Cross.
Iraq attacked Iran on September 22, 1980. Progressed IC/MC axis of Iraq was across 29º Libra 48’/29º Aries 48’! Tertiary Moon of Iraq was at 3º Taurus, which means that several days before the attack it crossed 0º Taurus (tertiary Moon crosses 1º in about 2 days and it is important trigger for daily events). But, 3º Taurus is the place of draconic Moon (people) of Persian Empire, so this makes perfect sense. USA and allies helped Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in weapons and technology when he wanted to conquer oil fields in Khuzestan. Tertiary Asc/Desc axis of Sadam Hussein was across 0° Scorpio/0° Taurus on September 22, 1980!
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Pahlavi Dynasty ruled Iran from 1921 to 1979, when modern Islamic Republic of Iran was founded. If we progress the horoscope of this dynasty for April 4, 1979 – the moment modern Iran was created, we see the Sun at 29º Aries 30’, which activates the Grand Cross across 29º of cardinal signs and also the Grand Cross across 0º of fixed signs! Also, there is retrograde secondary progressed Venus (ruler of IC, e.i. angular house – theritory) of Iran – Pahlavi Dynasty, exactly at 3º Taurus, where we can see the draconic Moon of Persian Empire, too!
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Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran’s Prime Minister from 1951 to 1953, together with the Government introduced a series of progressive social and political changes. Still, the most famous policy of his government was the nacionalization of Iranian oil industry which was under British control since 1913 through Anglo- Persian oil company (today British Petroleum). However, Mosaddegh was overthrown in a coup d'état on August 19, 1953 that was organized and performed by American CIA upon request from the British MI6. The coup d'état is often called operation Ajax, after the CIA’s operation, while in Iran it is called the coup of 28th Mordad 1332, after the date of Iranian calendar. Mosaddegh spent three years in prison and after that he was kept under house arrest until his death.
On August 19, 1953, the secondary Asc/Desc axis (situation in the country/all those across from Iran, i.e. diplomatic relations) was at 14° Scorpio/14° Taurus, which is, believe it or not, the position of Asc/Desc axis in draconic horoscope of Persia, but also the position of Moon/Uranus axis of the French President Emmanuel Macron, who paid his first visit to the White House those days.
The goal of Macron’s visit is to persuade Trump not to pull out from the Iran nuclear deal that was signed by seven countries (Russia, USA, China, France, UK, Germany, Iran) in July 2015. Donald Trump declared that USA will pull out from the deal on May 12, 2018, only two days before the Uranus touches 0º Taurus, if the deal is not revised, since he finds the deal (signed by the former president Obama) to be the worst thing that could have happened. Just to remind you, that deal is about reducing the scope of sanctions against Iran, and Iran is to reduce its nuclear weapons. Of course, the other side, Iran, is also threatening. Iranian President Hasan Rohani stated that USA’s pulling out of the deal will have dangerous consequences for the whole world. Isn’t this the sign that the western alliance has the same goal again – the oil? I shall also add this – on August 19, 1953, when Mosaddegh was overthrown in operation Ajax, secondary Asc of the United Kingdom was at 17º Aquarius, the position of Chiron in 8th house (disputes, conflicts, wars) in the horoscope of the present Fifth French Republic, but also the position of draconic Mercury of Persia (ruler of 6th house in the horoscope of Persia – the army), and the draconic Chiron (wound) of the Russian President Putin.
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I think that the eclipse of August 11, 2018 might be very important, since it shall happen across the Zodiac, at 18º Leo, at the cusp of 8th house (disputes, but also underground resources, energy, oil) of the Persian Empire. This means that the cusp of 2nd house (country’s financial system) of the Persian Empire is at 18º Aquarius, which is another confirmation that the mentioned countries keep “wounding” the economy of Iran through history, with the tendency of history repeating itself in the time to come… Two years after the operation Ajax, in 1955, Iran signed the Baghdad pact, choosing the American side in the cold war.
On August 3, 2013, when the present Iranian President Hasan Rohani started his first term in the Office, secondary Moon of the Persian Empire was at 0º Taurus 03’, “calling out” 0º Scorpio!
For a little while I must turn back to the horoscope of Emmanuel Macron, since his natal opposition of the Moon and the Uranus across 14º Taurus/14º Scorpio is very important. Namely, in draconic chart this axis lies across 2º Scorpio 19’/2º Taurus 40’’, which means that soon he will face activation of draconic Moon through the transit Uranus. It will happen on July 14, 2018, then again on September 1, 2018 (in retrograde motion) and again, for the last time, on April 19/20, 2019. Uranus will start its retrograde motion on August 8 this year, only 3 days before the already mentioned solar eclipse at 18º Leo, one which is calling out many things, as I have already mentioned in the text.
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Let us not forget that the Asc/Desc axis of European Union lies across 18º Leo/18º Aquarius. At 17º Leo 38’ there is the Pluto in the horoscope of China, and it is in 8th house, the house of disputes, but also interesting is draconic Venus (the ruler of MC in the horoscope of China – the ruler) at 2º Scorpio, at the draconic Moon of Emmanuel Macron. Also, there is Vladimir Putin as I have already said, and his Asc/Desc axis is across 3º Scorpio/3º Taurus, and it shall be called out during next year, as well as draconic Moon of Persia at 3º Taurus. It will happen on May 4, 2019, and at that moment transit Moon at 2º Taurus 19’ will be in exact opposition (both degree and arc minute) with draconic Moon of Emmanuel Macron at 2º Scorpio 19’. This is a very strong indicator indeed!
Finally, Asc/Desc axis of the chart of Islamic Republic of Iran for April 4, 1979 lies across 17º Leo/17º Aquarius, which is another confirmation of the significance of eclipse on August 11, 2018!
Uranus will start direct movement on January 7, 2019, at 28º Aries 36’, and on April 25, 2019 transit Uranus will move across draconic Uranus of Macron (2º Taurus 40’). The Fifth French Republic has its MC at 0º Aries and Chiron is there as well… On the other hand, draconic Moon of Donald Trump is at 0º Libra, also called out by Chiron. On June 8, 2018, transit Chiron will cross Trump draconic Sun – may both of them be “wounded” as they “wound” others, i.e. will people of both France and USA experience challenging times due to politics of their presidents?
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The horoscope of Israel is interesting as well, especially from the point of view of Iran, since in Iran’s chart there is the Moon at 0º Capricorn, and I associate this degree with Israel, while 0º Libra is the degree of Turkey. Israel has Asc at 29º Libra, MC at 2º Leo, which means that every time Uranus calls out the draconic Moon/Uranus axis of Macron at 2° Scorpio/2° Taurus – Israel is called out as well! I have already listed the dates in the previous text; I shall not repeat them… The Moon of Israel is at 4º Leo, and on July 27, 2018 there will be eclipse at 4º Aquarius. It remains to be said that draconic Sun of Turkish President Erdogan is at 14º Taurus, at the position of Macron’s natal Moon and Persian draconic Asc, which “called out” the secondary Asc/Desc axis (14º Scorpio/14º Taurus) of Persia during operation Ajax on August 19, 1953. We can’t ignore Erdogan’s draconic Pluto at 0 º Scoprio and Solar Arc Mercury/Saturn conjunction of Turkey at 0 º Aquarius in the moment when Uranus enters Taurus on May 15, 2018! Mercury „carries“ the Moon (people) at 29º Gemini in the horoscope of Turkey, and Saturn is ruler of its 7th (diplomacy), 8th (conflicts), and 9th house (abroad).
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Let us be reminded of the famous Tehran Conference and the meeting of the three: Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Frank Roosevelt. The Conference started on November 28, 1943. Secondary Venus of USA (the ruler of USA’s Desc – diplomatic relations) was at 0º Aquarius and it called out 0º Scorpio through the square! Solar Arc IC/MC axis of USA was across 0º Leo/0º Aquarius. It is interesting that Trump’s secondary MC/IC axis presently lies across 0º Leo/0º Aquarius! Secondary Asc of Bolshevik Russia was at 29º Libra (28º Libra 37’ which is allowed orb of ±30’). Finally, in the chart of the present British Queen Elisabeth II, there is the Sun (father, King George VI) at 0º Taurus (since he was the monarch in 1943), which also clearly implies the great focus of the United Kingdom on the territory of Iran. It will really be interesting to watch Uranus in the following period making opposition with Persian Sun and MC three times – May 2018, October 2018 and finally March 2019. Also, the opposition of transit Uranus and Uranus of Persia on May 18, 2019 is a great turning point for this country! Change of government and revolutions are possible, but Uranus in Scorpio is also depiction of the great nuclear potential that lives deep below Iranian soil.
Last time when Uranus was in opposition with Persian Uranus was on June 8, 1935. If you remember the beginning of this text, in that same year the international community stopped using the name Persia and started using the name Iran. During that same year, 1935, the ban on veils was introduced, as well as the ban on many types of traditional male clothing.
On June 8, 2018, Chiron will have an exact conjunction with Trump’s draconic Sun (him as a ruler). It may be read in the media that behind the recent attack on Syria there is Trump’s wish to attack Iran soon…
The last time Uranus was in opposition with Persian Sun and MC was on June 11, 1934, 84 years ago. This time that opposition is going to happen on May 19, 2018, only 4 days after Uranus enters Taurus. We may expect the change ion oil price in the world’s market since Uranus at 0º Taurus will activate the Grand Fixed Cross. Also, I believe that Iranian people will discover new oil deposits during Uranus transit of the sign of Taurus.
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Eclipses significant for Iran:
- October 24, 1995, solar eclipse at 0º Scorpio - January 21, 2000, lunar eclipse at 0º Leo - October 23, 2014, solar eclipse at 0º Scorpio
Between two eclipses 1995-2000, in July 1999 there were mass protests on the streets of Tehran against the reforms of the President Mohammad Khatami. Khatami visited Italy in 1999, which was the first visit of Iranian President to a western country since Islamic revolution in 1979 and founding of the modern Iran. Khatami then visited the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, John Paul II, i.e. the Vatican, as the highest Iranian leader ever visiting Vatican. In June 2005 conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power and his rule was marked by the conservative nuclear program and hard foreign politics. Finally, in August 2013 the present president Hasan Rohani won the elections. He was the leader of former nuclear negotiation group of Iran, negotiating with three countries of the European Union - Germany, France and now the former EU member – the United Kingdom.
Chart sources:
„The Book of World Horoscopes“ ; Nicholas Campion
„Horoscopes of Asia, Australia and the Pacif“; Marc Penfiled
„Horoscopes of Europe“; Marc Penfield
„Horoscopes of the USA and CANADA“; Marc Penfiled www.astro.com
Smiljana Gavrančić studied astrology at the Institute for Astrological Research and Education in Belgrade (Serbia), graduating in October 2010, after studying International Law at Belgrade University. In March 2011 she became ISAR CAP. Her speciality is mundane astrology, and she is practices karmic/hermetic astrology, astrology of degrees/archetypes (mythology, fixed stars) and synastry. Her writings have appeared in The Astrological Journal, The Mountain Astrologer blog, ISAR’s International Astrologer, and Geocosmic Journal (NCGR). Astrodienst (astro.com) republished her work, too. Smiljana is the editor, founder and owner of IAM – Infinity Astrological Magazine which is part of Alexandria iBase Project and Astrodienst. She was a speaker at conferences and workshops in Serbia, Brazil, United Kingdom and Greece. In January 2018 she founded her Astro Center IAM INΦINITY - Αθήνα Center. Smiljana blogs in Serbian and English at: www.astrologsmiljanagavrancic.blogspot.com You can find out more about IAM at www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com Contact: [email protected]
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A Match Made in Heaven Wendy Stacey
First published in the Astrological Association Journal July 2012
One summer afternoon in 1987, Christopher was walking the streets of Krems, Austria. He was there on holiday, enjoying an annual vacation with his group of friends from England and to visit the Eurovespa event which was to be held during his time there. He had made the journey to the country on his Vespa motorcycle. As he was standing on the main street surrounded by stalls where the Eurovespa event was being held a young Finnish girl approached him and gave him a leaflet on the Vespa club in Finland. He thanked her and without giving it much thought put the leaflet in his pocket. After their holiday, when the group arrived back to the UK, there was some discussion about where they might want to venture for their next trip abroad the following year. Remembering the leaflet that he had stuffed in his pocket, Christopher took it out, looked at it and said to his friends, ‘what about Finland, who goes to Finland?’ Four of them decided to make plans in motion for their next trip - Finland.
Sari lived in Turku in Finland. In 1987 she travelled to Austria on her Vespa with her friends from the Vespa club and during her time in Krems she gave out leaflets to tourists on the Vespa club in Finland.
Christopher set out on his Vespa once again the following year, making a journey through Sweden, Denmark and Norway and arrived in Finland in mid–August of 1988. Riding through the streets of Turku he stopped at the traffic lights to find himself side by side with another Vespa. The riders looked at each other and, as proud riders of Vespas, they leaned over and shook each other’s hands. As their eyes locked they knew that this was the beginning of a match made in heaven. Christopher and Sari spent the next four days together in Turku and fell hopelessly in love with each other.
Christopher’s journey back to the UK took much longer than expected. Again, he travelled through Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and arrived back only to find a letter from Sari saying she was making her way to England to be with him and had actually already left. Sari arrived in England and here they continued to learn how much they had in common. They both had the same tastes, similar hobbies and interests, and kept ordering the same food and drinks from menus.
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They both loved art, which was both their favourite subject at school. Neither of them were particularly close to their parents and felt they were different from their own siblings, and both of them had made a decision early in life to move away from the family nest and settle in different towns. They were both healthy but both Christopher and Sari had their tonsils removed as children and had varicose veins removed as adults. They also later discovered that, despite being brought up in different countries, they had read the same books as children and both kept a series of books, including Alfred Hitchcock’s detective series for children, stored away. They also discovered on Sari’s visit in England that they were both born on the very same day.
Christopher and Sari spent the following Christmas in Finland and, after four months of dating each other, Christopher proposed to Sari and she accepted. Christopher left his job, packed up his belongings and moved to Finland to start his new life with Sari. Here he found a new job, learnt a new language and the couple married that summer (1988), two days after their birthday and only having spent six weeks together. They describe themselves as having ‘been completely inseparable since’. They believe that their meeting and their relationship, ‘in one way or another was certainly fated’. Christopher and Sari have now been married for almost twenty–three years, have two teenage children and continue to live their lives in Turku in Finland and are very happy.
Christopher approached me in April of this year and asked if astrologers would be interested to know of his and Sari’s story. Of course I was certainly interested and even more delighted that they were happy for me to share their story in an article for the Astrological Journal. From Sari’s birth certificate we know that she was born on 20 June 1964 at 08:55am in Helsinki, Finland. Christopher was born in England on the same day, although he does not know his birth time.
Although the angles and house placements will be different between Sari and Christopher, they will share the exact same planetary alignments as each other. Irrespective of Christopher’s birth time, they both have a Scorpio Moon (although Christopher’s may be at another degree).
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Although they are not able to be sure that it was Sari who handed Christopher the leaflet in the summer of 1987, with the ways their lives had been so interweaved they believe it was probably her who did hand it to him. Listening to the couple tell their story, I am inclined to believe it; but even if it wasn’t Sari, it was a significant moment which played a part in ensuring that the two of them would meet the following year. They had both travelled on their Vespas independently of each other to Austria, and although they are unsure of the exact dates, they know it was between 10 and 14 July 1987 and in the early afternoon.
The progressions and transits below are set for 10 July 1987 at midday. The Pluto, co-ruler of Scorpio made an exact conjunction to Sari’s Moon at 7° of Scorpio. Echoing this is Sari’s progressed Moon, which is exactly conjoined her progressed Pluto and one degree from her progressed Ascendant. When Pluto transits the Moon, it stirs things up and often it operates so unconsciously we don’t recognise it until it has passed. Transiting Pluto conjunct a Scorpio Moon is deeply intuitive and marks a deeply transformative and a life–changing period.
Transiting Pluto made a sextile to transiting Neptune in Sari’s fifth house and sextiles Sari’s and Christopher’s Uranus–Pluto conjunction at 6° and 11° of Virgo. Transiting Pluto also trines their natal Saturn in Pisces, which resides in Sari’s seventh house. Sari’s Moon or progressed Moon triggers all of the outer planets and Saturn natally or by transit, and this describes a feeling of the situation being out of one’s own control – being pulled into something more collective or bigger than oneself. There was no conscious choice for either party to engage with each other at this point, but the short-lived and seemingly insignificant event where these two lives crossed paths paved a way for their future together to begin. Sari and Christopher’s progressed Venus on the date of their meeting sits on their natal Mercury at 20° of Gemini, perhaps indicating a brief meeting while on a journey (both travelling by the same means – Vespas), also perhaps echoed by transiting Jupiter sextile to both of their Sun- Venus exact natal conjunctions in Gemini. Mercury is strong in both of their natal charts as it is dignified in the sign of Gemini and is also the dispositor of their Sun and the personal planets Venus and Mars, also in Gemini. Of course, Gemini also represents the twins.
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Sari’s progressed MC makes an exact conjunction to their natal Mars in Gemini, once more indicating a fleeting meeting but one that would decide the next destination the following year. A full Moon at 18° Cancer–Capricorn also occurred on 11 July, which is close to both Christopher’s and Sari’s progressed Sun at 20° of Cancer.
This particular week, transiting Chiron was exactly on Sari’s Midheaven, approaching her and Christopher’s exact Sun-Venus conjunction. They were not yet to be together but the seed was certainly planted.
Although Christopher and Sari do not know the exact date of their second meeting, which is when they met each other at the traffic lights in Turku, they do know it was between the dates of 10 and 14 August 1988 and between the hours of 12-2pm in the afternoon. The chart below has been set for 10 August 1988 at 12pm.
Thirteen months after Christopher put the leaflet in his pocket, he and Sari met at the traffic lights in Turku. During this week, we see that Jupiter has come to exactly conjoin their natal Mars and Sari’s Midheaven in Gemini, again emphasising the travel and the Vestas.
Gemini is emphasised here once more by the mere fact that they met on the road again! Transiting Mercury is also very close to conjoining Sari’s natal Ascendant, and progressed Venus is still close to both of their Mercuries in Gemini (interestingly, their daughter’s Moon is at 22° of Gemini). I suspect that Christopher may have some Sagittarius or ninth house emphasis given that both these occurrences happened when he was abroad. To meet at a red traffic light when the first spark was ignited, we would expect Mars to be triggered, and besides Jupiter being conjunct both their natal Marses, we are not disappointed to see transiting Mars in Aries (in Sari’s ninth house – also reflecting that they are foreigners to each other), which is exactly trine to their progressed Mercury in Leo.
Mars also forms a Yod to Sari’s natal Uranus–Pluto in the first house and her Moon in Scorpio in the third house, the third and ninth houses again indicating journeys and the road. When Sari and Christopher first met each other’s gaze at the traffic lights, Sari said that she looked into Christopher’s eyes and ‘knew he was the one’. Saturn and Uranus were conjunct that week at 26° and 27° Sagittarius, opposing both Christopher’s and Sari’s Sun–Venus conjunction in Gemini, which denotes ‘the other’, an unexpected feeling of fate within the relationship and the brevity in breaking down the barriers to shake hands with one another. The transiting conjunction was in Sari’s fifth house, opposing her eleventh, when she met her future husband, father of her children and her closest friend–to–be.
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It is not surprising that when Christopher and Sari married (22 June 1989) transiting Jupiter had travelled to arrive at 21° of Gemini, conjunct their natal Mercury (at 20°) and their progressed Venus and Mars (at 20° and 19°) of Gemini. Transiting Venus was conjoined their progressed Sun at 21° and 22° of Cancer and Neptune and Saturn at 11° of Capricorn made a trine to their Uranus–Pluto conjunction – for Sari, from her fifth house to her first house. With the fifth and first houses are triggered, this is about identifying with the self, and here we saw a merging of two people, a recognition of and attraction to a mirror image of oneself. Saturn-Neptune in Sari’s fifth house possibly refers to the magical glue that made these two lives find each other and connect in such a way that they feel that they could not live without each other – a true match made in heaven.
Wendy Stacey, B.A, M.A, Dip LSA is the principal of the international Mayo School of Astrology and tutor for the London School of Astrology. She is the Chairperson for the Astrological Association (since 2002), has written over 50 articles for students in the Astrological Journal and lectures globally on psychological, mundane, research and financial astrology. She is the author of books Consulting with Astrology (2012), Uranus Square Pluto (2012, The Houses by Element (2016), Astrology and Relationships (2016) and contributed to The New Generation (2012) and The Professional Astrologer (2016). In 2014 Wendy was the recipient of the UK’s Charles Harvey award for ‘Exception Service to Astrology’. Her website is www.wendystacey.com and you can contact her at [email protected]
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Data Collecting History, Importance and Unsung Heroes Frank C. Clifford
This is an edited and expanded version of an article that appeared in a recent NCGR Research Journal.
In order to develop our interpretive and forecasting skills and test our hypotheses, we astrologers must have accurate horoscopes with which to work – it is our primary consideration before we begin research. We learn much of our astrology from historical examples, celebrity case studies and the charts of family and friends.
Data collections (in books, online and in software programs) have expanded the scope of astrological research and practice. Without access to charts from data collections, which provide examples of how planetary configurations have worked in the lives of others, our study is purely theoretical. A wealth of biographical information and the vast collections of accurately timed horoscopes now available to our community afford us the privilege of learning to observe how a series of symbols in similar horoscopes has a spectrum of possible interpretation, and how these symbols might play out in the life and character of each owner.
We expand our astrological vocabulary and build an arsenal of keywords and associations when we investigate the person behind the birth chart. Our understanding is enriched with a biography in one hand and an accurately sourced horoscope in the other. But when we base opinion on – or develop astrological interpretation from – speculative or rectified charts, we risk perpetuating presumptions as to what ‘should’ be present astrologically from such a life.
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Unsung Heroes
The databases of the Gauquelins, Lois Rodden, Edwin Steinbrecher, Sy Scholfield and Grazia Bordoni provide instant access to tens of thousands of accurate data. The data now available to astrologers online and in books were collected by a worldwide community of researchers who have, for many years, found ingenious ways of tracking down and double-checking correct birth information. These astrologers have sniffed out rare data finds by writing to celebrities and Vital Records offices, wading through excerpts from obscure interviews, sidestepping ‘résumé’ ages, and examining numerous badly handwritten birth records.
David Fisher spent twelve years compiling and updating the British Astrological Association’s data collection card index (some 5742 data), while Tom and Thelma Wilson and Stephen Pryzybylowski contacted Vital Records offices where access is generally closed. Much-loved, ardent collector Frances McEvoy of Boston accessed data in person from the state bureau in Massachusetts. Fastidious researchers Grazia Bordoni (Italy), the late Edwin Steinbrecher (Los Angeles) and Sy Scholfield (Australia) have tapped remarkable veins of hard-to-get data for astrologers worldwide: Bordoni culled an eclectic series of verified natal and mundane data, published over 20 volumes; Steinbrecher wrote meticulously to birth registries in the US and Europe to collect thousands of additional newsworthy data (from celebrities to war criminals) and published his collection on the Pathfinder program; while today’s most proactive collector, Sy Scholfield, has accumulated data on various websites (see www.syscholfield.com) and created a new collection for Solar Fire. Dana Holliday (Hollywood) amassed hundreds of serial killer and crime data by corresponding incognito with inmates, while media/celebrity astrologers Lynne Palmer, Fredrick Davies (Signs of the Stars, Prentice Hall, 1987) and Shelley Ackerman opened their files to share rare data. In Edinburgh, Caroline Gerard and Paul Wright provided direct access to timed birth records in Scotland and created monumental works. We ‘data freaks’,1 as Rodden labelled us, have enjoyed this unpaid astrological labour of love for many years.
History: Data Recording and the Emergence of Collections
During the twentieth century, two changes occurred that would shape the field of data collecting: (i) an increase in recording birth data on official documents, and (ii) the publication of collections based on accurate and sourced information. The legal requirement to record birth information (including birth times) would give astrologers the opportunity to obtain data from official sources and cast natal charts with greater accuracy, while the availability of data collections ensured that astrologers could develop their techniques from a wide range of example charts and be more aware of where the birth information originated.
Both of these developments would ensure that using accurate (or, at the very least, sourced) astrological data would become a fundamental part of professional practice among astrologers.
(i) Birth Time Recordings Some European countries began listing birth times on certificates as far back as the late 18th century (France and much of Germany in 1792, Belgium and the Netherlands from 1793, Naples and Sicily from 1820 and Italy from 1866, Scotland from 1855).2 But there is little evidence, however, of astrological authors using these official sources to build collections or test findings until the middle of the twentieth century. At this time, there was an increase in the number of countries and states recording birth times on official documents, and those that had already begun this practice were now doing so with greater (sometimes to-the-minute) precision. And only after statisticians Michel and Françoise Gauquelin began a huge undertaking to find correlations between eminence in profession and planetary placements did astrologers begin to take advantage of the vast amount of verified data available and carry out their own research projects to ‘prove’ astrology or to analyse individual charts.
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But not all countries had birth times recorded officially. Even now, only birth times of twins are required on certificates in England, and this is to comply with Succession Law. As in many other countries, obtaining a birth time is dependent on contact with the person in question who might have access to a hospital tag, family note or anecdote. If astrology was once a luxury in England for the privileged few – those born to the purple – then the availability of birth times of historical figures reflects this: only births (such as new additions to the royal family) considered important or newsworthy were recorded and published, most notably in The Times.
The fifty states of America vary as to when birth times (if at all) began to be recorded with consistency, but most states blocked public access to these records. (For the launch of Astrodatabank, I called every state’s principal Vital Records office in the US to determine the years that birth times appeared on birth certificates – see http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Astro-Databank:Handbook_chapter_07.) From the early 1980s to late 1990s, when data collecting was at its peak with a network of dedicated collectors, access to registries in California, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas proved invaluable and such states were mined constantly. But at the present time, increased security measures as well as issues of personal privacy and data protection have seen these few remaining states implement stringent regulations that restrict access.
(ii) The Publication of Data Collections There is some evidence of early data collecting with books that included small collections of birth data. From the 1970s, there was a move by the Gauquelins and astrologers (most notably Lois Rodden) to publish large collections of birth data for the astrological community. More importantly, these collections began to list the sources of their information (for example, ‘data from birth certificate’). Prior to this, most astrologers did not question the reliability of published data, and so few verified birth data were available of public figures that collections (few and far between) were often indiscriminate compilations of speculative, rectified and unsourced data. Much of the data presented in Alan Leo’s 1001 Notable Nativities (1917), Maurice Wemyss’ Famous Nativities (1938), Evangeline Adams’ Astrology: Your Place Among the Stars (1930), and Marion Meyer Drew’s 101 Headline Horoscopes (1941) and 101 Hard to Find Horoscopes (1962) were later invalidated by contradictory reports or were considered unverifiable because of the absence of sources. Stephen Erlewine’s The Circle Book of Charts offered 1302 hand-drawn, mostly Solar charts, and much of Marc Penfield’s volumes An Astrological Who’s Who (1972) and 2001: The Penfield Collection (1979) were later corrected and updated in Lois Rodden’s Astro-Data series.
The Gauquelin Effect
Astrology enthusiast Michel Gauquelin (1928–1991) began to collect accurate birth data in 1949 to look for correlations between personality/behaviour and horoscopes. A few years later, he was joined by statistician Françoise Schneider (1929–2007), who became his wife. By using very large samples of birth data, they uncovered correlations between eminent sportsmen, scientists, politicians and writers and the diurnal positions of up to five planets in their horoscopes (the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). The areas in the horoscope that were statistically significant (essentially the cadent houses using a rough-and-ready version of the Placidus house system) were named ‘Gauquelin Sectors’ (or Zones). The couple would later study planetary heredity as well as character traits. The Gauquelins’ trip to the US in 1980 resulted in The Gauquelin Book of American Charts (ACS, 1982), a collection exclusively from birth records comprising charts and character trait keywords of high-profile Americans. After their divorce, Françoise took over the task of correcting data from their collection and addressed on-going data and statistical issues in Astro-Psychological Problems, her journal from 1982. Sadly, Michel Gauquelin ordered his collection of birth records and character traits to be destroyed upon his death, which came in 1991.
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Their six-volume data collection (published in 1970) was unique in its enormity (14,247 data) and that all the data had originated from birth certificates. Although it seems the tenacious Gauquelins were thorns in the sides of both the astrological and scientific communities as a whole, their enormous collection of research is not only an example of working within a scientific framework and protocol but also a rich source of the data of eminent professionals for further research.
The Philosophy of Accurate Data: the Impact of Rodden
Astrologers seek truth in the evidence of the lives of those whose charts we study. For over a decade we have turned a critical eye on those charts, finding that much of our data have been hearsay, and worse, unstated speculation. Through exposing data to the harsh clarity of public scrutiny, we have multiplied not only our databank, but also our sophistication. We are more skeptical today, and more demanding of an accounting of accuracy of source. Lois M. Rodden, Astro-Data IV (AFA, 1990)
The 20th century’s fascination with celebrity and personality captured the interest of astrology authors and lecturers, who used examples of lives that would be familiar to their audience. Indeed, it was a profile of the infant Princess Margaret in 1930 that prompted the growth of Sun Sign astrology in British newspapers. Yet rectified charts and speculative birth data – arguably reflecting the astrologer’s own set of astrological considerations, education and sensibility – persisted in books and presentations, usually without reference to the fact that the data had been manufactured.
In no area of science are professionals or academics able to present findings without verifying their sources and data. Why, in 1979, were astrologers so far behind? It was clear that a stringent system of data classification and use was required urgently. Canadian astrologer Lois Rodden was about to make it her life mission to raise our standards. Her complaint was not with the use of rectified or speculative charts, if they were presented as such (although basing theories on inaccurate charts was cause for concern).3 The issue was (and remains) the lack of referencing of source data in astrological literature and presentations.
In her first data volume, Profiles of Women (AFA, 1979), she wrote, ‘I implore astrologers everywhere to record the data source on every chart… Accuracy of data is essential to sound research, as well as to skillful delineation… Speculation and rectification are valid techniques in our business and, used skillfully, may constitute brilliant displays of astrological expertise. However, presentation of rectified data that are not designated as such is careless or presumptive and is an insult to the intelligence of our community.’ Women, she later said, was ‘the book that turned the corner between the naiveté of the early 20th century about our data and the awareness of the 21st century astrologer, approaching our data as educated professionals.’4
A recently divorced mother of five, Lois Rodden walked into the Church of Light in 1962 and started astrology classes that afternoon. She was always a collector, beginning with index cards and files that read ‘family’, ‘politicians’, ‘movie stars’, and so on.5 Following the publication of her first data book, Profiles of Women, Rodden became the central source for collectors to send in their contributions and exchange data, and for astrologers to retrieve data. Recognizing that data are volatile and subject to correction (even birth certificates can be error-prone), her newsletter, DataNews, became a means to present new finds, bring information up to date and for her to connect with astrologers in twenty-four countries. With tenacity and diplomacy, Rodden was able to set standards of excellence in data collecting, and encourage writers and publications to adopt professional levels of reporting and data etiquette.
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Techniques: The Rodden Rating System
Rodden’s campaign to cite sources led to many magazines (such as The Mountain Astrologer) accepting articles that were based only on accurate, sourced data. In addition to culling the work of many collectors into her files, by 1980 Rodden had also created and developed a simple system to rate the integrity of data. Her classification system would become data collecting’s most significant and enduring contribution to astrological practice today. The letters below are now instantly recognized and widely used to indicate a ‘shorthand’ of data accuracy, as well as a writer’s awareness of data etiquette and willingness to meet the professional standards set out by Rodden.
AA – Data from birth certificate, hospital, church or governmental birth record, notes from the Vital Statistic Registry Offices, notations in a family Bible, baby book or family written record. Although birth times may be rounded off or, on occasion, information may be in error, this is the best evidence of data accuracy. A – Data from the person, family member, friend or associate. Also included are newspaper birth announcements, as well as birth times given within a ‘window of time’ of thirty minutes (e.g. ‘between 3.30 p.m. and 4.00 p.m.’) from any of these sources. B – Data from biographies, autobiographies and personal websites, where no other source is given. C – Caution, data not validated. No source; vague, rectified/speculative data, ‘personal’ ambiguous sources, approximate birth times (e.g. ‘early morning’, ‘around lunchtime’). DD – Dirty Data. Two or more unsubstantiated quotes of time, place or date. Any unverified data that are contradicted by another source. Text from The Astrologer’s Book of Charts, Frank C. Clifford (2009)
Hans-Hinrich Taeger and Thomas Siegfried of Germany would later create an alternative 10-tier rating system and a four-volume collection of 7600 data and charts. They were part of the first meeting of the short-lived Association of Professional Data Collectors, which took place in Brussels on May 30, 1997.
Mundane Collections
Prolific researcher and writer Doris Chase Doane followed her Time Changes series of worldwide time zone lists with Accurate World Horoscopes (AFA, 1984, 1990), 173 horoscopes of countries and territories. But a mundane reference book with full sources came in 1988 in the form of Nicholas Campion’s meticulously researched and sourced volume, The Book of World Horoscopes, with 471 charts of national, world and political horoscopes. Well researched volumes from Marc Penfield (Stars Over England, etc.) have followed in quick succession in recent years.
Technical Advances
Perhaps more than any other branch of astrology, data collecting has been affected by the development of astrological programs for personal computers. These programs have eliminated the need to hand-draw horoscopes and created an opportunity to store, retrieve and analyze data. In 1985, Rodden committed to putting the astrological community’s collection onto disk. The RID (Rodden/ISAR Databank) arrived in 1988 and morphed into IDEA (International Data Exchange for Astrology), sponsored by NCGR and ISAR, programmed by Lee Lehman, with 305 categories on over 15,000 people and events. The project had come to a grinding halt by 1993, but the entrance of computer whiz Mark McDonough into Rodden’s life on July 3, 1996 led to the development of the Astrodatabank program. McDonough built the program to test various astrological theories and Rodden, with a team of writers, created biographies and categories for over 25,000 public individuals and many anonymous data for research. The program was pioneering in that it enabled astrologers to search the database to filter and weigh a variety of astrological placements, aspects, rulerships and phenomena, and to test-run hypotheses with control groups. Later, the project was passed to Pat Taglilatelo, an apprentice of, and named successor to, Rodden.
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With the development of sophisticated astrological calculation programs came the need to provide data collections for buyers. Astrolabe offered Contemporary American Horoscopes and The Blackwell Collection, and later, in 1997, came my own project for Solar Fire, The Clifford Data Compendium, which was followed by Sy Scholfield’s extensive collection. The emergence of Astrodatabank proved a blessing for astrologers but there were political difficulties to resolve, as numerous collectors (who for so long engaged in the unpaid labour of love) objected to the sudden issue of data ownership and the right to sell and profit from a community’s donations. This, coupled with the death of data’s doyenne Rodden in 2003, led to an apathetic response and far fewer contributions of new data in the new millennium. The sale and conversion of Astrodatabank to a free service at the commercial site www.astro.com have raised similar ownership issues but the sourced data and categories have established a central access for astrologers worldwide to find accurate and sourced charts of public figures.
Yet despite the efforts of collectors, many books and articles still published do not give sources or references (such as the online site Astrotheme, which poaches data without source or credit, Io Edition software and numerous magazines). The reader has no idea whether the information is correct, may naively trust and regurgitate charts based on unverified data or, worse still, latch on to a chart because it ‘fits’ assumptions of what such a person should ‘look like’ in horoscope form (often a rectification courtesy of the astrology writer). And, interestingly, the move to raise standards and ensure published charts are based on accurate, sourced data has, on occasion, led to a backlash: some astrologers, keen to give weight to their assertions, have falsified source notes and presented speculative or rectified data as accurate. Speculative or contradictory data (e.g. the birth times of Kate Middleton and Michael Jackson) regularly do the rounds of astrology schools, find their way into magazines, and are often accepted as fact.
Most importantly, the last sixty years of data collecting, storage and sharing have enabled student and working astrologers to have access to accurate, verified information. With this, we can build our astrological vocabulary, test our own theories, and avoid falling into a derivative pattern of regurgitating the work of other astrologers or reinforcing stereotypes from past generations without question or update. Such data collections have also given lecturers and writers the opportunity to present observations and findings from accountable, verified sources – the lifetime wish and goal of many data collectors worldwide. But how many of us are using this resource to inform our practice? At UAC before Rodden’s death in 2003, Astrodatabank partner Mark McDonough said, ‘We as a community are blessed that Lois Rodden’s life’s passion has given us a cornerstone for rebuilding the respect that astrology so richly deserves.’ It is now up to us, as a community, to take advantage of this gift and build upon it.
1. Due credit must go to the generous contributions over the years of US collectors T. Pat Davis, Victoria Shaw, Eugene Moore, Tashi Grady, Robert Paige and Linda Clark, and international colleagues André Barbault (France), Jany Bessiere (Belgium), Marcello Borges (Brazil), Luc De Marre (Belgium), Didier Geslain (France), Michael Mandl (Belgium), Peter Niehenke (Germany), Ivan Nilsson (Sweden), Patrice Petitalot (France), Hans-Hinrich Taeger (Germany), Geirtje Versavel (Belgium), and many more. 2. AstroDataBank, Reference Manual, 1999, page 164. 3. In many countries, it is now standard practice for astrologers to fine-tune data – to rectify charts from an existing record – as it is accepted that birth times are sometimes rounded off or still may be listed incorrectly. There is also astrological debate as to what constitutes the precise moment of birth; an enquiry not aided by a past lack of interest in documenting the birth time. 4. Rodden, Lois M., Astro-Data I: Profiles of Women (Data News Press, 1996), p.1 5. ‘A Conversation with Lois Rodden’ by Tom Bridges, The Mountain Astrologer (November 1995). Other information comes from personal correspondence with Rodden, 1992–2003.
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Dates of Key Publications (primarily English-language) • 1662 Collectio Genituarum, or A Collection of Nativities, John Gadbury • 1917 1001 Notable Nativities, Alan Leo • 1930 Astrology: Your Place Among the Stars, Evangeline Adams • 1938 Famous Nativities, Maurice Wemyss • 1941 101 Headline Horoscopes, Marion Meyer Drew • 1951 L’influence des Astres, Michel Gauquelin • 1962 101 Hard to Find Horoscopes, Marion Meyer Drew • 1970 Birth and Planetary Data Gathered Since 1949 (six volumes), Michel and Françoise Gauquelin • 1972 The Circle Book of Charts (AFA), Stephen Erlewine • 1972 An Astrological Who’s Who, Marc Penfield • 1979 2001: The Penfield Collection, Marc Penfield • 1979 Profiles of Women (AFA), Lois Rodden Four volumes of data follow: Astro–Data II (General, 1980, 1200 data), III (Occult, 1986, 700 data), IV (Culture, 1990, 750 data), V (Crime, 1991, 735 data). Astro-Data I: Profiles of Women is later rewritten and expanded, becoming Rodden’s flagship book (1996, 1400 data). • 1980 Fowler’s Compendium of Nativities (Fowler), Jadwiga M. Harrison • 1982 The Gauquelin Book of American Charts (AFA), Michel and Françoise Gauquelin • 1984 Accurate World Horoscopes (AFA), Doris Chase Doane • 1986 Data News, ed. Lois Rodden, first of 100 issues published • 1988 The Book of World Horoscopes (Aquarian), Nicholas Campion (revised 1995, 2004) • 1989 Scottish Birth Data (on Astrocalc), Paul Wright – later incorporated into a larger volume of 2800 data, A Multitude of Lives (Parlando, 2009) • 1990 Contemporary American Horoscopes (on Astrolabe), Janice MacKay and Jessica Saunders • 1991 Internationales Horoskope Lexikon (Bauer Verlag), Hans-Hinrich Taeger – the first of four volumes (7600 data) • 1992 Nativitas: Astrological Studies (Triom), James Martin Harvey – the first of three volumes The House of Commons, Caroline Gerard (revised 1997) • 1995 Datanotizie, ed. Grazia Bordoni, first issue published • 1997 The Clifford Data Compendium (on Solar Fire), Frank C. Clifford British Entertainers: the Astrological Profiles (Flare), Frank C. Clifford • 1998 The Canadian Astrology Collection (Canadian Astrology Press), John McKay-Clements A Chronology of American Charts (Poz), Ronald Howland • 1999 Astrodatabank launched • 2009 The Astrologer’s Book of Charts (Flare), Frank C. Clifford Astrodatabank freely available on www.astro.com
Frank Clifford is a consultant astrologer and palmist who runs The London School of Astrology and has lectured in a dozen countries. He has published over 30 books and written 12 volumes, including Getting to the Heart of Your Chart, The Midheaven: Spotlight on Success and The Solar Arc Handbook. One of his favourite jobs is writing for, and guest editing, The Mountain Astrologer. Frank won a writing award from ISAR in 2016 and a lifetime achievement award from the Astrological Association in 2012. In 2018, he is launching a series of online courses for students of all levels, along with a student textbook to accompany them. www.frankclifford.co.uk
http://www.londonschoolofastrology.co.uk
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Relationship Astrology The Seventh House Margaret Gray & Armand Diaz
Margaret: In relationship astrology, there’s often a lot of focus on the seventh house, which in psychological astrology we look at as the house of relationships. It also has another meaning, though, the house of open enemies.
Armand: It is – it’s people with whom you have a direct one-to-one relationship, and that would be your personal partners, business partners, your competitors, and it would be clients, too. But it is the house we look to mostly when we look at a person’s relationships – established relationships.
Margaret: We look to the house and its ruler, the ruler of the sign that’s on the descendant. If there are planets in the seventh, we look to their positions and the aspects they make, because they really represent things that we tend to experience through relationships. You mentioned that the seventh house also includes clients, for astrologers and also for other professions – for example the Sun in the seventh is often seen in people who practice psychotherapy. Experiencing the planets through other areas of life such as work can be quite helpful, because if you are trying to work out the planet only in the context of romantic relationships, it can get quite stressful and intense.
Armand: A favorite misconception that I hear from clients and students is something along the lines of, “I have no planets in the seventh house, does that mean I won’t have any relationships?” Of course that’s not the case, and even if there are planets in the seventh house, I think the ruler of the house is more important in terms of saying something about partners and partnerships. For planets that are in the seventh, I tend to view them as recurring characters, representing themes that show up in partners.
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Margaret: Even if people aren’t having intimate relationships, the recurring themes represented by planets in the house tend to come up in very close friendships, or even sometimes in very close work relationships. If we see personal planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, or Mercury, in the seventh, I think they’re a little easier to get a handle on. When we talk with clients who have these and ask if they often see themselves reflected in their personal relationships and learning about themselves through others, they typically say that they do. With the Sun and Moon, parental issues often come up, as well, and the question may be, is the person looking for a parent figure in a partner? Clients often relate to that question very easily, as the Sun and Moon are so key to our identities.
Armand: I think that the transpersonal planets, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, in the seventh sometimes create a sense of fear. There are two sides to these planets in the house of relationship. On the one hand, there will be some heavy, personal work that needs to be done. But on the other hand, the transpersonal planets often signal where we are selected to help bring about change and transformation. In that sense, they show where we have a mission that isn’t all that personal to us, even though we will of course experience it personally. Frequently, the transpersonals in the seventh show relationships that don’t meet our expectations, or society’s expectations. Uranus can indicate a revolutionary way of breaking down expectations and norms, Pluto shows deep transformation. I think that with the transpersonal planets in the seventh we often experience a degree of stress and intensity because they are trying to move us away from our image of what a relationship is towards a new model.
Margaret: I often describe it as lessons our souls need to learn through other people. With a busy seventh house, those lessons are often learned through a variety of relationships, or through a very dynamic, changing relationship. That’s another thing that people often ask, when there are a lot of planets in the seventh, “does that mean I’m going to have a lot of relationships and I can’t just be with one person?” But really it can mean that you have a variety of experiences with one person, rather than needing to have different partners. We have to remember, too, that the seventh house describes our image of relationships when we were growing up, and that has an impact on the role models we saw.
Armand: When there are several planets in the seventh, we may have a variety of role models that we base our relationships upon. Obviously, there may be some conflicts among these models – they may be suggesting different things that don’t necessarily go together all that harmoniously. Once again, we also need to keep in mind that not all planets in the seventh are going to be played out in the context of romantic relationships, so that one planet may have more to do with an intimate partner, while another is reflected in a business or creative partner, and another may be one’s nemesis, or open enemy, or opponent.
Margaret: Saturn in the seventh house is another thing that often brings up concerns from people who know something about astrology. They often fear that they won’t have relationships, or they won’t have good partnerships. How do you respond to that?
Armand: When I see Saturn in the seventh house or Capricorn ruling the descendant, I do put a degree of caution into relationship. Now remember, relationship is not love, it is more to do with the structure of partnerships. I think that when there is a Saturnian cast to relationships, there can be a little difficulty dealing with the formal aspects of things, at least until the Saturn return. Nowadays in much of Western culture, thirty is not that old for that sort of thing, so it really isn’t quite the impediment it used to be, when there were fewer options for the form of relationship and people were expected to be married well before thirty.
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Saturn shows where we can build up something great and enduring and that can apply to relationships as much as anything else. Yet there is often a lot of fear where Saturn is, and it’s that fear that really holds the potential to make things difficult. It’s the sense of hesitation and the sense of inferiority that can come up that can really make for problems. Generally, it’s not an external block, but an internal block. I feel that with maturity it gets easier to handle all this, and I also feel that with Saturn in the seventh or ruling the seventh, relationships tend to get better as you get older.
Margaret: I think there can be defensiveness or armoring around relationships, and sometimes people aren’t aware that they’re doing it. I think with Saturn prominent in relationships, it’s really important to put in the foundations – it may not work for them to just jump into a relationship very quickly, it may be best to take it step by step with a kind of old-fashioned dating. It gives Saturn a chance to check things out, and I’ve seen when people have done that, they have often built strong long-lasting relationships. Saturn really adds tenacity, but things have to be done in keeping with Saturn.
Armand: Saturn is kind of a trickster in his own way, because he demands that we go through the process, as you say, yet where Saturn is we often feel an all-or-none, yes-or-no, on-or-off kind of dynamic. That dynamic can push us to jump into the relationship very quickly, in part for fear of losing it if we don’t act quickly. Rushing into a relationship without really developing the foundations, or even having much of a romance, is a possibility. Psychologically, there can be a tendency to view everyone person of potential interest as a partner – “is this going to be the one?” – and that can surely tie some Saturnian lead to the buoyant balloon of romance!
Margaret: Saturn can often invoke the parental archetype, particularly the father. Looking for a parent in a partner, or looking for a partner that one can be the parent to. Age gaps can also be a part of the picture when Saturn is in the seventh, and that often works really well for people.
Even with Saturn, though, I think it is easier to get a handle on things. With the transpersonal planets, I find that it often helps to tell stories – like the Promethean need for freedom with Uranus. The myths can really help us to explain where rational discourse struggles. So many people have a fear that Uranus will mean a breakup or instability, but there are many ways to work with that Uranian need for freedom. Maybe living apart, or having spaces to which each person can retreat, or just building in some clear alone time.
Armand: Uranus often indicates a need for freedom within relationships, and with Uranus in the seventh, it is often the partner that is expressing that most directly. Yet we should also keep in mind that it is something that’s found within the person’s chart, so really it is most constructive if they can learn to own that need rather than projecting it onto partners. I also see that when Uranus is strong in the seventh, if there isn’t enough space and freedom given, if a relationship gets too close, they often wind up having a swift and sudden breakup. Too much attraction leads to repulsion. I also want to mention that there is a subgeneration born in the early 1990s with Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn, and some of them are going to have those planets in the seventh house, while the descendant is ruled by Capricorn. That’s going to be a challenging configuration as Capricornian tradition is tested by the transpersonals. For many, that’s going to happen as Pluto and Saturn come through the end of Capricorn.
Margaret: I think there’s a potential for that subgeneration to create whole new relationship structures. They’re a generation that is breaking down the structures of things that aren’t working, in relationships and otherwise.
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Margaret Gray, MSW, is a consulting and teaching astrologer, based in Dublin, Ireland with a foot in Hawaii! Her work is grounded in a Jungian based psychological approach, integrated with a soul-based perspective. Her focus and interest is in the astrology of Relationships. Margaret is also a certified Mediator and works primarily with couples and families. She is the author of a chapter on Relationships in the book Transpersonal Astrology: Explorations at the Frontier, which was produced and edited by Armand Diaz and two other colleagues. More information at www.astrologypsychological.com
Armand Diaz, Ph.D., is a consulting and teaching astrologer based in New York. His astrology spans a range of schools and techniques, as he applies an integral approach to his work with an emphasis on the evolution of consciousness. Relationship work forms the core of his astrology practice, and he specializes in helping individuals and couples through transitional points in their partnerships. This is the basis for his most recent book, Separating Aspects: The Astrology of Breakups, Divorce, and Other Partings. Armand is also the author of Integral Astrology: Understanding the Ancient Discipline in the Contemporary World, and he is co-producer and co-editor of Transpersonal Astrology: Explorations at the Frontier. More information at www.IntegralAstrology.net
www.relationshipsandastrology.com
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How can Saturn help us live from the Heart? Mandy Lockley
If you’ve ever taken an interest in self-help books or films, especially of the more spiritual variety, you’ll have heard about the importance of following your heart, being true to your heart and living your truth. There’s no doubt that having a sense of purpose unique and authentic is crucial, but what does following/living from your heart really mean? Fortunately, astrology offers some clues. The Sun in our birth chart represents our heart – the organ in our chest, but also in the emotional and psychological sense. Think about how we describe unsympathetic people as heartless or cold-hearted and supportive, generous people as warm-hearted or all-heart. An understanding of the sign our Sun falls in, the House it tenants and its aspects with other planets and points, helps take us to the centre of ourselves, where our true heart lies. Our Sun complex describes our life direction and purpose and the hero we are meant to be.
When transiting Saturn contacts your Sun, it can feel heavy, restrictive, depressing even. Saturn’s challenging transits – the Conjunction, Square and Opposition in particular – ask you to question whether the structure of your life supports your heart purpose, questions whether you are living in a heart-centred way. The process can feel painful. Saturn reminds us of our responsibilities, of the ‘oughts’ and ‘shoulds’ of life, but in contact with your Sun, Saturn’s also asking you to consider your responsibilities to yourself and where these clash with the outside world, guilt can come in. Ask yourself, is that guilty voice really yours or is it the echo of what you were told by parents/teachers/bosses. And ask, am I being true to myself if I listen to this voice? Is it selfish to ignore those voices? It’s true that Saturn does not tolerate the shirking of responsibilities to others and perhaps this is why Saturn transits to our Sun can feel harsh. And it also involves taking responsibility for your actions, thoughts and words and not blaming others if you feel your life falls short.
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Explore ways to discriminate between real responsibilities and those which are born of guilt or ask you to be or do something that isn’t true to yourself. Continue to honour true responsibilities to others and serve them with grace. But be honest, with yourself and others, about what you can and can’t do, re-set your boundaries and compassionately enforce them. Putting yourself first – but only if done truly from the heart – will also help align you with the needs of others, the opposite of selfishness. Put another way, it’s that true cliché that the carer can only properly care for others if she cares for herself first.
It might not seem like it, but difficult Saturn transits to your Sun present an opportunity to get your life on track, even as it makes the obstacles and delays on the path painfully obvious. However, Saturn to Sun transits can bring rewards should you already, really, truly, be following an authentic, true-to-self track. But really, does that track we’re looking for even exist? Do we not have to forge our own track if we wish to live from the heart? The birth chart, including the Sun complex, is our personal map of the potential tracks just waiting to be dug.
It’s helpful to consider which stage in the cycle transiting Saturn is in, in relation to your Sun
If Transiting Saturn is Conjunct your Sun (affecting Capricorn Suns whilst Saturn is in Capricorn), this is the start of a new cycle – a seeding and planning time. The restrictions and feelings of being stuck, the low moods, the relentless hard work and the seemingly unclimbable walls, are there to help you see where you are at and take first steps in finding pragmatic solutions. If you’re old enough, look back over the 29 year cycle you’ve just completed to see how you’ve come to be where you are now and why. Consider the decisions made, ambitions fulfilled and ambitions abandoned, responsibilities taken up and responsibilities shirked. Has it all served your heart’s purpose? If not, how can you ensure the next cycle reflects the true, unique, heart-centred you. Pay particular attention to those periods, approximately seven years apart, when Saturn made its last Conjunction, Opening Square, Opposition and Closing Square. What did you start? What were the obstacles and how did you overcome them? When were the milestones and turning points? This transit, as with other major Conjunction transits, is about accepting that we can’t always control everything. But it’s about getting to the heart, to the centre of who you truly are, about finding a fresh sense of purpose and rising to fresh challenges. And if you were too young 29 years ago to take responsibility for yourself and make your own decisions, look back at what was happening in your family and consider whether that reflected your own true heart path and if it didn’t, have you found and followed your own path since?
Transiting Saturn making an opening Square to your Sun (affecting Libra Suns whilst Saturn is in Capricorn) represents a productive stage, where you are actively building new structures in your life, based on what you discovered and planned during the Conjunction of Saturn to your Sun, roughly seven years previously. It’s a time for re-centring, for bringing you back to yourself. Obstacles, delays, doubts, fears and struggles which appear now are testing your resolve and asking you to adjust plans according to present realities. As with all Squares, it demands action rather than thought and planning (too much thought and not enough action can bring worry and anxiety). It also takes patience – as always with Saturn – considered action, with an eye on the long game.
Transiting Saturn Opposing your Sun (this one is current if you have Sun in Cancer) is a time of full awareness of what you’ve created, manifested, built, in the 14 or so years since Saturn was Conjunct your Sun. Does your heart sing with what you’ve achieved or do you feel heart-heavy? Have you acted out of fear these past few years or stagnated, letting a need for security, comfort and familiarity stall your progress? Clarity is what is on offer now. Your relationships generally and with authority figures in particular, as well as your relationship with yourself, can feel tested or testy during this transit.
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Transiting Saturn in Capricorn will make its closing Square to Aries Suns. This is a wrapping up phase. Like the opening Square, it could herald frustrating obstacles, delays, doubts, fears and struggles. It might feel as if structures in your life are falling away, or not working, but this is clearing the ground for the forging of new structures. Looking back at the Opposition circa seven years previously, in retrospect you’ll be able to see that period as some kind of peak. Grieving properly for what has passed out of your life since, is an important part of the process during this time. Grief isn’t just about loved ones who have passed on, it also applies to lost relationships or jobs, material losses, loss of youth. We can even grieve for things we didn’t have or didn’t achieve, the hopes and dreams that never came to fruition. This is the time to begin to prepare the foundations for the start of the next cycle when Saturn Conjuncts your Sun, in just over seven years’ time.
Like all transits of Saturn to your Sun, it’s a time when you may feel as if you’ve lost heart, discouraged in some areas of your life, fearful that you might never achieve your goals. If Saturn’s transits to your Sun make you feel this way, it’s a sign that you need to shine a light inwards, reconnect with who you are at your core and in your heart and act accordingly.
Mandi is a London based astrologer and author and former student of the London School of Astrology. She has written for the Journal of the Astrological Association of Great Britain as well as for numerous websites, including her own Astroair blog. She published the e-book Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark in 2012 and has also recently been published as a fiction author. She is committed to self development – emotionally, spiritually and intellectually – and believes in doing her best to live life purposefully, in service to others and in harmony with the cycles of the universe. These values are also the focus of her client work. You can find her at www.mandilockley.blogspot.co.uk
www.academyofastrology.co.uk
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Chiron the Outsider Chiron through minority groups and social movements Rod Chang
Chiron will move into Aries on 17th April 2018 and stay there for almost 9 years, how this strange asteroid influent us in the nearly future, there are something about Chiron you must to know.
When I first exposed myself to astrology, I was fascinated by a centaur - Chiron. Melanie Reinhart called Chiron “an outsider”. In its myth, Kronus, Chiron’s father, changed himself into a horse and raped the nymph Philyra. Philyra gave birth to Chiron, who was half human and half horse. When she saw this monster, Philyra prayed to God that she was willing to be changed into anything if she could no longer see this son. God thus changed her into a tree and Chiron, therefore, was abandoned. Later, Chiron was adopted by Apollo and became a warrior, a healer and a mentor of the heroes. However, he refused to live with other gods, centaurs, who looked exactly like him, nor did he wish to live with human beings. Sometime later, Hercules accidentally shot him with an arrow, and because it was poisoned with the blood of Hydra, Chiron could not heal himself – this incident became a symbol of wounds and healing in astrology.
When I was still a sociology student in university, my professor used to ask us a question – what made us start our journey of social study? I too, asked myself this, and my reasons were those obvious differences that I found in many everyday situations. When I was in university, the city I was living in at the time waived the legal working rights of sex workers in pursuit of creating a better living environment, eventually leading to a protest; at the same time, the poor were evicted out of their neighbourhood for the building of a beautiful park. These made me ask myself another question –how could these politicians and the “general public” treat others like this if all human beings are born to be equal? Being inspired, I always targeted my research at the social status of the minority group in my sociology study.
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If we look back on the symbols of Chiron’s abandonment and his refusal to identify or live with: Gods, humans or centaurs, and his refusal to confront his outsider identity, aren’t minority groups and the underprivileged, neglected and overlooked in our society, in a similar situation? This triggers my curiosity towards the relationship among the signs that Chiron transits take place in, with what happens to these socially vulnerable people and the evolution of social movements. During the study, once again, I was aware of the eccentric orbit of Chiron and the themes of axis involved repeatedly; so I suggest that we should observe how Chiron transits are manifested in social events based on axis of signs.
Aries-Libra
The axis of Aries and Libra symbolises the theme of self-manifestation, cooperation and competition. Aries implies not only the characterisation of one’s identity but also the existence of self. When Chiron transits into these two signs, trauma within the issues of identity and existence can always be observed. In the definition of “minority groups” in sociology, the size of the populations involved is not necessarily small. For example, women are always seen as the largest one of social minority groups. In 1918 when Chiron went into Aries, that was the time when the first wave of the feminist movement made major progress. In the UK the first female MP, Countess Constance de Markievicz, was elected in 1918 and in 1919 Nancy Astor became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons. Representation of the People Act granted women who were 30 years old or older, with her own property, the rights of suffrage. Despite the fact that it was not a universal right of suffrage, it symbolises their very first victory. The climax of second-wave of the feminist movement took place in the transition of 60’s and 70’s, which included more rights for women in the workplace and civil law. In these movements, we see what people desired in law and equality. Is not this the lesson of Libra? In these movements which gender differences are involved, it is difficult for us not to associate the incidents with the ruler of Aries and Libra, which is Mars, the symbol of male, and Venus, the symbol of female.
Another gender issue that suffers unequal encounter is the LGBT social movements (some understand as the homosexual civil rights movement). The Stonewall Riots, which happened in New York in 1969, is the origin of homosexuality civil rights movement. Discrimination and inappropriate enforcement by the police triggered confrontations between the homosexuals and the police. It was when Chiron was in 6 degree Aries and had a sextile with its ruler Mars. This “riot” even became an annual gay pride parade from the second year onward, aiming to remind people that we should not have bias against people of different sexual orientation. Here, we see that it is not only women who suffer discrimination because of gender differences; when Chiron entered Aries, the homosexuals were also discriminated because of sexual orientation.
What makes it special is that Chiron stays in Aries for 9 years each time but only 2 years in Libra due to its eccentric orbit. Therefore, it is not easy to observe the property of social movements that take place when Chiron is in Libra. However, we can notice that the United Nation was founded in 1945 when Chiron was in Libra, and Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations states that the aim of UN is:
“to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”
This explains how people cooperate to achieve our respect to human rights when Chiron is in Libra, and cooperation is the word that astrologers always associate to Libra, isn’t it?
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Taurus-Scorpio
On 5th April, 1977, a crowd of handicapped protestors barged into the social welfare office in ten cities including Washington, New York and Los Angeles, asking the government to sign section 504 of Rehabilitation Act to secure employment benefits of the handicapped. This protest eventually turned into a 25-day nationwide sit-in protest. Chiron transited into Taurus a month before this event. If we inspect carefully, we can easily discover that this movement was actually full of properties of Taurus and Scorpio. Body is closely related to Taurus, and with Chiron in Taurus, it implies that wounds of one’s body would be seen. Besides, this protest was actually rather rare in a sense that few protests in early social movement developments would last so many days, almost becoming the longest one of all. Sit-ins and occupations possess characteristics of fixed signs. Finally, their protest made the government of California signed the Act on 28th April.
A conversation between the protestors and the officials can further reflect the properties of Taurus and Scorpio. An official who was surrounded by the protestors asked if they could let him go to toilet. A protestor answered, ‘No, we have been learning how to control our bladder all through our lives.” Bladder - Isn’t it an organ ruled by Scorpio?
When I was researching the social movements that took place when Chiron was in Taurus in 1977 to 1983, I was aware of another theme related to this axis – debates on whether death penalty should be abolished. Spain, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg and Norway partially or completely abolished death penalty in this era. Astrologically, death and imprisonment are related to Scorpio. What makes me believe that the abolition is related to the Taurus-Scorpio axis is that Chiron stays for a rather short while in Virgo to Scorpio, and it always reflects properties of its opposite sign. When I kept on researching the time when other countries abolished death penalty, a rather surprising discovery came up. Countries including Poland, UK, Lithuania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia and Azerbaijan did so in 1997 to 1998, Denmark and Iceland in 1925 to 1930 when Chiron was in Taurus, and Italy in 1947 when Chiron was in Scorpio – fifteen European countries abolished death penalty partially or completely when Chiron was on the Taurus-Scorpio axis. Scorpio symbolises crimes, penalties and associations to death. During these different eras in which debates on whether the death penalty should be abolished were keen, people once again confronted the pain brought by crime and death penalty. Both prisoners and victims are like outsiders or exiles in our society, and Chiron, through being on this axis, brings forth wounds, healing and our concerns to the society.
Gemini-Sagittarius
By the end of 1980s, changes taking place in the cultural circles were sufficient enough to reflect the characteristics of Chiron. “Political correctness” was becoming widespread in political and cultural circles. A lot of people started to be aware that words could actually hurt someone. Terms were used more carefully when it came to minority groups, such as using “Africans” instead of “Negros” and “sex workers” instead of “prostitutes”. Words and speeches are represented by Gemini in astrology. When Chiron is in Gemini, people can further understand how words and speeches can hurt or heal people in our everyday life. The most classic and extensive example of political correctness happened in the religious circle. In order to avoid offending non- Christians, people tended to use phrases like “season’s greetings” in a politically correct attitude, and religions are governed by Sagittarius, the sign opposite to Gemini.
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When Chiron is in Gemini, we see how the wounds of Sagittarius are stressed. In order to give help to the starving in Ethiopia, pop singers in U.K held the first Live Aid concert in Wembley Stadium in 1985 to raise funds for Africa, shortly followed by the publication of the song “We’re the World” performed by numerous American singers. The word “World” itself and the extensive aid in an international level possess the healing characteristics of Sagittarius. The time when Chiron is in Gemini is really worth astrologers’ notice. On the other hand, incidents happened in 1999 to 2001 reflects the wounds and never-changing of Chiron in Sagittarius. We all know that the 911 incident is related to the trauma of flights and religions, both of which are related to Sagittarius; Saint John Paul II, the Pope at that time, is the first Pope to publicly apologise: to the Jews for being discriminated against by the Catholics; for the Crusades, and to the women and children that were harassed by the Church. These also made us re-assess the wounds brought forth by religions.
Education is broadly seen as a way to improve one’s living. In 1592, the German Duchy Pfalz-Zweibrücken became the first territory in the world which implemented compulsory education for both girls and boys. It was the time when Chiron was in Gemini.
Cancer-Capricorn
Mundane astrologers point out that obvious economic and political change would be brought forth whenever an outer planet enters the Cancer-Capricorn axis. Capricorn emphasises systems, norms and authorities, while land, home, families and bloodlines are what Cancer emphasises. The end of 1930s to 1940s, which was when World War II broke out, was the time that Chiron stayed in Cancer. When Chiron was in the last degrees of Cancer, Russia occupied three Baltic countries. Chiron, in this location, narrated the trauma of the loss of homeland and nation. Interestingly, when the famous Baltic Way protest, a peaceful political demonstration in which people of these three Baltic states formed human chains along the boundaries of their nations to show their determination not to be further ruled nor controlled by the USSR, took place in 1989, Chiron was also in Cancer.
In this era, there was actually another social movement that caught less attention, but it pointed out the trauma represented by Chiron in Cancer in a more direct way – the anti-globalisation movement. The annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that took place in Berlin in 1988 marked the beginning of this movement. People started to be aware of the harm brought from large global chains and consortia (symbolised by Capricorn) to local culture and agriculture, accompanied by the hurt caused by the close association of social and political situations and entrepreneurs to the labourers and public. When these affected farmers and labourers protested against the global corporations, they suffered critical judgments from the public power represented by the governments.
In the 1950s when U.S and U.S.S.R, the two superpowers, entered into the Cold War, Chiron entered Capricorn. It was followed by a series of political confrontations and purges. Through the practice of McCarthyism, we can see how such political persecution reflects properties of Chiron in Capricorn. At the same time, the Beat Generation came to prominence in the American cultural circle. This group of writers publicly criticised and contrasted the social norms of that era, symbolised by Capricorn, through their works. The element of this movement influenced the later hippie movement.
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Leo-Aquarius
Honestly, I did not put the focus of Leo-Aquarius axis on children and entertainment in the beginning, and this was the enlightening moment of my research on how Chiron affects mundane events. It was not until one day, when I heard the apology of Kevin Michael Rudd, Prime- minister of Australia at that time, to “the Forgotten Australians” and the “Stolen Children” that I realized the influence that Chiron on Leo- Aquarius axis would brought upon children.
From 1909, the U.K. started to send lots of children from poverty-stricken families to different colonies, around five hundred thousands were sent to Australia. The organisation supporting the emigration claimed that they would offer a better education and future to the kids. However, many of these children suffered maltreatment and were sent to work in farms and factories. They were not given a proper care. At the same time, the Australian government sent Aboriginal children to the families of the Whites, depriving them of their association to their original families and culture. Astrologically, children have a close relationship to Leo, and such trauma of losing one’s childhood is reflected when Chiron is on the Leo-Aquarius axis. These children were finally given an apology when Chiron was in Aquarius. Besides, in 1958, the Chinese government at that time suggested a collective lifestyle – taking farms or factories as a unit, people lived and had meals together there. In this time, people could not possess personal belongings like tables, chairs or cooking pans. Such kind of lifestyle possesses a strong sense of Aquarius properties.
Leo is also related to entertainment and sport. To the underprivileged, entertainment and sport can often heal their pain. In 1955 when Chiron entered Aquarius, the first Disneyland opened; the first Paralympic Games, the first major international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, was held in the summer of 1960, and that was when Chiron was in 28 degree Aquarius.
The duration that Chiron stays in Leo is rather short, which lasts for around 2 years only. In 1993 when Chiron was about to leave Leo, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, spoke of his unhappy childhood experience on TV; in that summer, he was accused of child sexual abuse. It became a compelling story on the news at the time. The king of pop and the kid, the people involved in this story, both possessed a strong sense of Leo property.
Virgo-Pisces
The pairing of Virgo and Pisces symbolises the difference of a boundary. On the side of Virgo which emphasises order, everything has its difference; while on the side of Pisces, there is no stagnant order or fixed differences. Perhaps we may not know clearly what harms that order might bright forth, but we clearly know the harms that the sense of differences brings. A lot of wounds and trauma out of “differences” are related to Chiron being on Virgo-Pisces axis. Chiron was in Virgo by the end of World War II, and most of us can easily associate this with the Jews in the concentration camps and the human experiments and gas chambers by the notorious Josef Mengele.
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In the summer of 2014 when Chiron was in Pisces, the world focused on the undifferentiated bombardments from Israel to the Palestinian civilians. South Africa, a country famous for its practice of apartheid, was established in 1961. In its national chart, Chiron is at 3 degree Pisces and forms a conjunction to its Ascendants. In 1994 when Mandela was elected as the President, Chiron was at 2 degree Virgo, in opposition to the Chiron of the national chart. The wounds and healing of the practice of apartheid in Africa were highlighted by Chiron’s being on the axis of Virgo-Pisces. Chiron on the axis of Virgo-Pisces reminds us about concerning those being persecuted because of discrimination and quarantine.
Medicines, drugs and toxic gas are another issue that I would relate to Chiron being on the axis of Virgo-Pisces. Since 1957, Thalidomide had been used against nausea and to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women, but this medicine was eventually prohibited as a lot of newborn infants whose mothers had taken it were found suffering phocomelia. Moreover, besides the gas chamber of the Nazi, in the spring of 1955 when Chiron was in 22 degree Virgo, a religious group carried out the Tokyo subway sarin attack, causing a great number of casualties. Religion, toxic gas and undifferentiated attacks all point to the properties that the Virgo-Pisces axis emphasise.
The Hippie subculture could be said as another outcome under the influence of Chiron in Pisces. People expected that art, music, and the spirit of love and peace, all governed by Pisces, can heal their wounds. At the same time, people held different perspectives towards hallucinogens. Experiments of psychedelic drugs were advocated and practiced, and many artists and writers made use of marijuana and other drugs to help explore their own consciousness. In recent years, there also has been news about countries re-examining the use of marijuana and psychedelic drugs.
Pisces is also related to the ocean. On 20th April, 2010, the oil spil caused by the explosion of drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico became the most severe marine pollution in history, causing severe impact on the tourist industry, fishery industry and to the locals. This reminds us of the importance of handling marine pollution. It was also the day when Chiron moved into Pisces from Aquarius. In the next year, the earthquakes happened in Japan reminding people of the influence of water polluted by radioactive substances to humans. Marine pollution is not our only concern when Chiron is in Pisces – Boyan Slat started a foundation to recycle plastic waste from the oceans. This also symbolises the healing to the oceans when Chiron is in Pisces.
Conclusion
Not many people would put Chiron into consideration in their research on mundane events. To me, through this initial exploration, the relationship between Chiron and the wounds of the underprivileged or social minority groups can briefly be seen. Chiron not only implies how we are wounded by also shows how we are healed. It strongly emphasises the properties of signs on an axis – this is the property of Chiron that astounds me most as this axial property is rarely seen in the research of other planets.
Due to word limits, I have not covered aspects of Chiron to other planets in this writing; however, if we further investigate the charts of some important mundane events, we would find that the aspects of Chiron are clearly shown in the wounds of social movements of the underprivileged. For instance, in the Mexico oil spill incident, Chiron not only just moved into Pisces, but it also formed a conjunction to Neptune.
Astrologer Barbara Hand Clow pointed out that the orbit of Chiron is just like a bridge of rainbow crossing over Saturn, symbolising conservations and traditions, and Uranus, symbolising rebels and revolutions. Thus, Chiron also asks us to confront the new and the old of the world using the wisdom of Chiron. The relationship of Saturn and Uranus symbolises the tugs of war between the conservation and the revolution, and Chiron, bridging between these two parties, helps the new and the old to merge, somehow alleviating their differences. It boosts social advancement and integration so as to allow us to see and embrace one another.
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Rod Chang has studied astrology for over twenty years, both through self-study and through the LSA and the Faculty of Astrological Studies. His favourite aspects are mundane astrology and a humanistic approach to astrology. He has written a number of books on astrology in Chinese and has taught it in Mandarin for around ten years. He is co-founder of the Academy of Astrology with Jupiter Lai, which aims to promote Western Astrology to Chinese speakers. Rod is also working closely with other Asian astrologers in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong in order to establish an Asian astrology network. Please visit www.rodmagic.pixnet.net/blog and www.academyofastrology.co.uk
www.academyofastrology.co.uk
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Chiron in Aries and the degree of humanity Nona Voudouri
"Even though the world is full of pain, it is also full of its overcome." Helen Keller
Chiron was discovered relatively recently, in 1977, and each passage in a sign gives us the opportunity to study and better understand his "behavior". It is characterized as asteroid and moves between Saturn and Uranus, linking in some way the energies of the two planets: Uranus among everything else is also associated to the future vision, he is a collective planet, represents changes and is unconventional in nature. Saturn, on the other hand, has practical and earthly demands as well as karmic imperatives, requires limits and constraints.
Chiron among them, seems to try to reconcile their actions. In order to move forward, we must take lessons from the past. To look at the big picture, we must focus on each of its pieces thoroughly. But what really looks remarkable is that, as far as Chiron is concerned, he looks like a bridge that is trying to be built between two opposing energies. Besides, he was half a horse, half a man. The absurd with the rational (the greek name for the horse is the same to the meaning of non-logical, the one without speech, in a human sense). One side of him was the brutal, the martial, the one that functions with instinct and likes freedom. The animal's side is also associated to the libido and this explains why the position of this asteroid in a horoscope gives evidence of the individual’s sexuality.
On the contrary, the other side is highly spiritual and metaphysical. Chiron was a teacher and a healer. He had the ability to prophesy and was initiated into the arts. He was connoisseur of astrology and had the ability to use plants for medical purposes. His harsh experiences became the means to help and heal other people along the way. Thus, the position of Chiron in our horoscope not only describes the feeling of inadequacy we have in certain areas and leaves an open wound to the world within us, but also the ability, the talent of the therapist.
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What hurts me, it evolves me as well
The zodiac, the house and Chiron’s relationship with other planets of the horoscope have a lot to describe. These are the areas that cause us some kind of insecurity, due to the sense of inadequacy mentioned earlier. This feeling can come from traumatic childhood experiences and follows us in our adult life in hot pursuit. It looks like an open wound, with which we also have permanently open accounts. Is there a cure?
There is. But in order to achieve that, we must first recognize it and face it. The wounds we imagine we do not see, by causality, end up being infected and magnified, like "mental" gangrene. George Seferis, a Nobel Prize- winning Greek poet, said, "Wherever you touch memory, it hurts." And he was right. Let us accept, however, that what it hurts can be cured.
Very often, these "inadequacies" are not even visible in our environment. We feel like that and others are unable to understand why. A simple example: Someone with Chiron in Gemini may feel like falling short in speech and writing, and that he is not understood. Or that he never expresses what he really wants. Such a person may at a young age be mocked about the way of speaking or his or her way of writing has been rejected by a parent or teacher. All this creates a gap, although the person can be wonderful and congratulated on his expression. However, he is rarely pleased. There is permanently a feeling that something is wrong or that it is not expressed.
Often, all this is expressed by some kind of over-replenishment. His defensive mechanism works by trying to overcome the fear of the "wound", proving that he is truly capable, in ways that have a strong element of exaggeration. If he fails, disappointment is multiple of the normal, allowing the wound to open up and expand.
Chiron in Aries
Chiron will remain in the sign of Aries (excluding a few months retrogade in 2018 that will end up in the Pisces sign for a while and of course he will transit again the critical degree of 00 Aries which is very important) until April 14, 2027. Due to its strange orbit, its time of staying varies considerably from sign to sign. Two of the signs in which his visit is long, are Pisces and Aries. It is also interesting to observe that it repeats the tendency to insist on the sign that symbolizes the end of the cycle and represents the metaphysical, the above-ground, the divine, the universal, the end of things as a transition to another reality and the next one that symbolizes the absolute beginning of life: action, momentum, sowing, creation of life. We are not just talking about two different kind of energies because the whole zodiac is full of those. We are talking about the end and the beginning, two different dimensions, so completely connected, both natural and obviously indissoluble. Life needs a reunion with the spirit in order to heal its wounds.
When referring to the sign of Aries, the meaning of I am, of the Self, is initially the first to be "affected" by the Chironian influences. Questions concerning the identity of the individual are raised and even lead to doubts as to whether there is value in his very existence. He can be tormented by his own body or his appearance (it is also true for those who have Chiron near the Ascendant) and by fears of any action. In other cases, the difficulties relate to libido. The children who will be born now will face even one of the issues of the particular position, while those who will experience the return of Chiron (ages of 50) will have the appropriate stimuli to deal with these matters and produce a result by overcoming their fears.
The question about Chiron is to avoid the feeling of fear or inadequacy that often leads to victimization. Besides, behind of that there is often a powerful Ego, one of the most inconspicuous. When the way has been found and this is given as information to others, the treatment comes. Many times we do not even understand it: We cure ourselves by helping others overcome similar problems. In the case of Chiron in Aries, it can be done by trying to mobilize others. This gives a personal impetus because now one perceives knowing what he can do with his own power. Target? Love for the Self, not selfishly but essentially.
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Chiron on a mundane level
The Aries - Libra axis is an axis of war and diplomacy. The 00 ° 00’ degree is a crucial one and it is called the “fate of mankind”. The time of Chiron's entry into the zodiac of Aries coincides with a difficult mundane period, with the battlefield fully imprinted on the universal maps.
Chiron is a teacher and teachers of this world know that repetition is the mother of learning. Since humanity has not learned anything until now, it will be forced to face its wounds again, older and recent ones. Aries’ action is an impulsive and aggressive one, and Chiron was not only a teacher and a prophet but also a warrior. The presence of Chiron here will exaggerate the war element, and we will have to redefine our action as citizens of a planet that also needs treatment.
In the Arian environment of Aries as well, Chiron will "support" accident situations along the way.
I wish and hope the lessons that will come during his course, will be as valuable and liberating as on a personal and a global level.
* The influence of Chiron's passing through the Aries sign is directly related to Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
Nona Voudouri was born and raised in Thebes. Her initial studies were on Music and Vocal Art. Her love for Astrology appeared at an early age. She completed her studies at the “Alternative Education” astrology school. Also attended specialized seminars by distinguished astrologers from Greece and other countries. In 2017, she began a new cycle of courses that encompass Draconic , Mundane Astrology as well as the ancient art of Horary Astrology. She firmly believes that apprenticeship never ends. She collaborates with www.Oroskopos.g r as a columnist.
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
Through the looking glass Seeing yourself in the natal chart Part I: Your past Alan Oken
We are having to invent new vocabularies for our experiences in consciousness, words and phrases that convey our particular perceptions into the heretofore hidden world of spiritual presence. There is a growing awareness now that we are one humanity, one global community, one evolving human organism. As our inner eye awakens, it sees with ever-increasing clarity the relationship between the visible and the invisible and that the two are ever drawing closer together.
The horoscope is a lens through which past, present, and future maybe seen and appreciated. The ability to see through this lens is conditioned by several factors:
The accuracy of the birth information. The natural abilities and the years of training undergone by the astrologer. The techniques of delineation used by the astrologer for different lenses will yield different results and perspectives.
When attempting to see into any previous events in a given individual´s life, the astrologer has examine the transits, secondary progressions, and eclipse patterns of the planets for any given moment in the past. The results will yield a great deal of information concerning the native´s previous situations and activities. This matter is so complex that to address it fully would require a huge book, perhaps even two or three such books! Obviously this article cannot cover such material adequately. But what I can do in these writings is to give the reader some idea as to how to approach certain general conditioning factors concerning an individual´s past, especial psychological and behavioral factors. These insights will give definite guidelines to the astrological student so that your lens may be correctly focused in this area. I will limit myself to two facets of a person´s past: the collective and the personal.
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The Collective Past
Each one of us is not only a descendant of our direct biological ancestors we are also descendants of the collective body of humanity. We not only carry a portion of our individual gene pool, we also carry a portion of the collective genetic karma of everyone who has ever been on this planet. What is so interesting and truly esoteric is the interplay between our personal past karma and the collective past karma. I have noticed over the years that this question may be taken up through a close examination of the 12th house in our natal chart.
I do want to point out before going any further that the ideas I am expressing in this section of this month´s article come from my personal experience over the years. I am presenting these ideas to you and if you are so inclined, please experiment with them and see what your own intuitive lens reveals. There are indeed some very highly structured rules of delineation within the astrological system of interpretation. Without these rules, astrology would not be “astro-logical.” The astrological student must master these established techniques, for only then will there be a firm grounding for the astrologer´s intuition to be applied to a chart.1
Let us look at a few examples of this interplay between the personal and collective past in terms of the 12th house. I recently read for a client who has Scorpio on the 12th house cusp with Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter in Sagittarius in that house. These three planets are also trine to Uranus in Leo in the 8th. This lady worked for many years as an international airline booking agent. As soon as she began speaking with a client, the client´s itinerary would appear in her mind. She was then able to get that itinerary on her computer screen before the client had a chance to finish his or her conversation! This was noticed by her superiors who monitor the phone calls of ticket booking agents, and she was rewarded for being the quickest booking agent for the entire world-wide airline network.
This same lady went to a Catholic primary school. She was able to quote biblical passages and answer (and raise!) theological questions so quickly that one day the teaching nun asked her how she did this. She replied (she was 10 years old at the time), “The passages and answers just appear in my head.” She was called “a naughty girl and a liar” and punished. Shortly after that incident, she left parochial school and entered public school (she had a nice understanding mother I would say!).
So here we have a case not of someone with a photographic memory (for she does not), but of a woman with an “inner screen” that is open to anything to do with travel and religious doctrines. I do not know of anything that could be more specifically Sagittarian! She does not have this kind of talent in terms of other subjects and disciplines. Here we have a good example of the collectivity of the Sagittarian 12th house (her immediate access to world travel, world religions, and instant awareness of philosophical doctrines) and her personal life (she is a world traveler and a life-long student of all religions and metaphysical philosophy).
But what of the 8th house placement of Uranus trine those planets and Scorpio on the cusp of the 12th? Uranus individualizes all that it touches and in a practical sense leads people to express the areas it affects in very unusual ways. Both the 8th house and Scorpio have to do with death. This lady is now a hospice worker for people in the process of dying. She counsels people of all faiths, drawing upon her knowledge of their particular religion and adding her own universal and unified understanding of life. She has move from a airline booking agent to an agent who brings people to their final long journey. The connection between the personal and the collective brings this karmic past into the present.
Now can I say that in a “previous life” this lady was an ancient Greek philosopher, an Egyptian high priest or priestess, or a great theological scholar in Byzantium? I cannot. Making such a call would be really speculative, misleading and exceptionally illusionary on my part. After all who and what reincarnates? It is not like casting off 21st century blue jeans and then putting on 18th century French court gowns and keeping the same brain and body. It doesn´t work like this at all.
1 Please refer to my book, Rulers of the Horoscope, for a discussion of many of the rules of this interpretive system. IAM INΦINITY | 074
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What I can say in truth is that there are certain energetic connections that we embody and which, for lack of a better term, “move through us.” These energetic patterns are parts of the human collective body, part of that complex multi-celled but singular entity that is called the “Human Kingdom.” It is in a constant state of its collective evolution and our personal evolution adds (or detracts) from its eventual perfection. Each time one of us becomes “karma free” and thus is enlightened in consciousness, one more cell of that collective human organism incarnates a greater Light. Our destiny is for the whole human body to become enlightened. The 12th house in our horoscope reveals a great deal to do with our personal karma as it relates to bringing more (or less) light-love-consciousness into manifestation. In essence through the 12th we see what in our past needs to be redeemed by the possibilities of rebirth (connections between the 8th and 12th houses) and the present incarnation (the Ascendant and the position of the Sun in the natal map).2
The Personal Past
We now enter a discussion about factors that will most likely be more familiar to the reader. When we examine the natal horoscope for significators that speak about an individual´s past we must look at the following seven factors. Let me elaborate briefly on each of these so that these comments may aid you in your own studies and observations.
The position of the Moon by sign, house, and aspect.
The Moon is the primary indicator of our mother. It´s sign will describe the mother´s personality and the aspects from other planets to the Moon will definitely yield much about her character. Should the Moon be in Libra conjoined Venus and trine Jupiter for example, the mother is beautiful, graceful, full of fun, and a source of upliftment and bounty. If the Moon were in Scorpio square to Pluto, the mother was psychologically too powerful, her love was difficult to come by and she was obsessive, secretive, and possessive. If the Moon were in the native´s 1st house, the mother (home, family) absolutely dominated the individual´s life; in the 11th house, the mother was like a friend (good or bad friend would depend on the aspects); in the 2nd house, the mother had a lot to do with the native´s values and finances, etc.
The sign on the cusp of the IC/Fourth House cusp.
This sign describes the conditioning factors of our early environment. It can also be another indicator of the mother and her effects on our life. Pisces on the 4th with Neptune square the Moon for example, can indicate that the mother was alcoholic or had problems with other drugs and addictions. Such significators would made it very difficult for the native to feel psychologically whole and would reveal a past with a very unstable home life. Sagittarius on the IC with Jupiter in the 9th house trine the Moon for example, could show that the individual lived abroad as a child and/or that the psychological conditioning factors were open, broad, and philosophically inclusive.
The nature of the ruler of the IC by sign, house, and aspect.
The planetary ruler of any given house cusp should be closely examined as such a study will say much about the nature of the circumstances connected to that house. In terms of the IC, we are speaking about the factors that condition our subjective, psychological structures. These conditions the way we respond to life and how we create the present and future out of our past. Thus Aries on the cusp of the IC marks the need to be very clear about our personal territory. Should Mars square or oppose Neptune, then we will tend to be quite defensive as our subconscious voice is telling us that we can easily be “invaded.” This would be especially the case should Mars be in Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, Taurus, or Pisces. Mars afflicted in Aries in the 4th with Aries on the IC for example would give a very bellicose mother and possibly violent circumstances in the early home life.
2 The advanced astrology student should look at the relationship between the rulers of the 12th and the 1st, their house and sign positions. If the signs are the same, there is a specific lesson that is being passed on directly from the previous incarnation into the present one. The lesson will be revealed by the position of the ruler of those houses. IAM INΦINITY | 075
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The relationship between that ruler and the Moon.
Let´s use the example last give in paragraph 3 (Mars in Aries in the 4th as ruler of the 4th) and say that Mars in this position were square the Moon in Cancer. This would immediately tell the astrologer that our client had a miserable childhood, one in which contact with the mother was not psychologically safe. If the client were male, then his relationships with women would greatly suffer until he cleared up these intense “mother issues.” If the client were a woman, she would find it very difficult to bring cohesion and psychological safety to her children or family life.
The relationship between the Sun and the Moon and the determination of which of the luminaries is the stronger.
In general, if the luminaries are in harmonious relationship with one another (trine or sextile), then there is a good chance that the individual´s parents had a harmonious relationship; square or opposed, the parental relationship would have suffered and the individual accordingly. Should the dominate the Moon, i.e. Sun in Leo above the horizon, Moon in Pisces below, then the father was the more influential parent. Likewise should the Moon dominate, i.e. Moon in Cancer conjunct a Cancer Ascendant sextile Sun in Virgo in the 2nd, then the mother was the more powerful of the two parents.
The relationship between Saturn and the Moon.
This is a very vital factor in judging an individual´s past and is one of the most important dynamics that condition how a person builds their present upon such a foundation. Basically, a difficult aspect between the Saturn and the Moon (conjunction, square, opposition, and inconjunction) does make for a sense of personal security. Should the Moon be in Virgo and conjoined Saturn for example, then the client was never “good enough” for his or her mother. One grows up feeling very inadequate or that one is bound to make a mistake and be severely criticized for it by the people close to us (or even society in general). If a sextile or trine exists between the two, there is a clear sense of personal responsibility or duty that tends to be easily fulfilled. Saturn in Capricorn trine the Moon in Taurus often indicates a person from a family whose traditions and values lend strength and stability to the native´s life (and sometimes a lot of money too!).
Please keep in mind that one of the most important meanings for the Moon is that it describes our instinctual response mechanism. We can only be free of instinct and thus increase our ability to make conscious choices when we have released our subconscious attachment to the Moon and thus to our biological karma. This requires making a close relationship to Uranus and the Sun and thus to our own process of individuation.) But I can only hint on these factors now and will write about them further in next edition of IAM-Infinity Astrological Magazine.
Alan Oken is available for personal consultations. You may also contact him for individual mentoring in astrology (both esoteric and exoteric) as well as for studies in The Ancient Wisdom Teachings. You can reach him at [email protected] Please visit his website: www.alanoken.com
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue
Frida Kahlo The day of her fatal accident Tania Daniels
Fig. 1 Frida Kahlo, El Autobus
Frida Kahlo was one of the most famous Mexican painters of the 20th Century and among the first women ever to have a single exposition. Her life and her paintings were signed by illness, bedriddenness and constant pain, due to a polio infection at age 63 and a nearly deadly accident when she was 18.
An iron handrail impaled her through her pelvis, fracturing the bone. She also fractured several ribs, her legs, and her collarbone. She spent a month in the hospital and two months recovering at home, before being able to return to work to cover her medical expenses. As she continued to experience fatigue and back pain in 1926, her doctors ordered x-rays, which revealed that the accident had also displaced three vertebrae. Her treatment included wearing a plaster corset, which confined her to bed rest for several months.4
The year before she died, her right leg was amputated, due to gangrene, a late consequence of the early polio contraction. Nearly all of her paintings show herself and her struggle with her physical situation. Nevertheless, she had an extraordinary career as a painter and was, together with her husband Diego Riviera, deeply engaged in politics, being a member of the Mexican Communist Party. She died on July 6, 1954 around 6 a.m. at the age of 48, officially from pulmonary embolism, although no autopsy was performed. Suicide by morphine was the inofficial version.5
Figura 2 Frida Kahlo, The Broken Spine 3 Other sources relate her problems to a spina bifida. 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo 5 The nurse, who counted Kahlo's painkillers to monitor her drug use, stated that Kahlo had taken an overdose the night she died. She had been prescribed a maximum dose of seven pills, but the morning she was found dead, it seemed that she had taken eleven. (quote from wikipedia) IAM INΦINITY | 077
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In the following analysis, I will look at the astrological signatures of September 17th, 1925 the day of the fatal accident when Frida Kahlo nearly lost her life, but which also happened to be the turning point in her artistic career. Confined for many months to bed and fighting against her pain and disability to move, she discovered a unique style which made her famous.
I will be focusing on her annual profection and zodiacal releasing. Here is her birth chart:
She was born during the day, and thus Mars is the most malefic planet in this chart. The planet is opposite Frida’s Sun. The AC ruler Sun describes her life purpose, the overall goal to achieve, her life project. 6 The luminary is in the 12th house, associated with hospitals, sufferings, hidden enemies and isolation. These issues are thus linked in some way to her life purpose, shown by the Sun.
Mars is the natural ruler of accidents. He makes a partile7 aspect to the Sun in the 6th house of illness. Mars is incredibly strong in his exaltation, under the horizon during the day and in the house in which he rejoices. His being retrograde makes him even more dangerous, somewhat devious. Mars’ planetary position links Frida’s life to accidents, hospitals and surgery (she had actually more than 30 surgeries over the years). 8
The Sun is bonified by Jupiter. He rules the 8th house of death, but since Jupiter receives the Sun (life light) by exaltation, he grants Frida life. While Jupiter is the benefic in sect, this bonification is not an easy one She does not die, but she is confined to bed for a long time, and to frequent hospitalizations (both planets in the 12th) and surgery (Mars in opposition). The pain would never leave her.
6 The AC in Leo is associated with putting one’s personality somewhat on a stage, theatrality ecc. In her chart, the Sun is hidden in the 12th house (isolation) and in Cancer, somewhat protecting itself. But the dispositor of the Sun, which is the Moon, is elevated in the 10th house, so she cannot stay hidden. Her isolation becomes public.While she stays hidden for most of her time, the immage of her does not. 7 http://www.skyscript.co.uk/gl/partile.html 8 Surgeries are also described by Mars, as they requiere sharp and metallic instruments. IAM INΦINITY | 078
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When the AC ruler is in the 12th house, as in Frida’s chart, self destruction, depression or suicide is likely to show up. We know for sure that Frida suffered from deep depression, due to her constant pain and the frequent infidelities of her husband Diego Riveira. From an astrological standpoint, it is quite possible that she indeed committed suicide. 9
Saturn rules her 6th house of illness, describing her sickness as chronic or long lasting. Saturn is received by the 8th house ruler Jupiter, who aspects him by trine: this makes her illness hard, incurable but not mortal. Mars in the 6th house describes illness coming through accidents or from fevers/infections/inflammations.
The Moon, ruler of the 12th house is in the 10th house: her career is associated with isolation and sufferings (12th house) and her illness (Moon sextile Saturn ruler of the 6th). Also, the ruler of the 10th house squares Saturn (illness), which represents her lifelong handicap.
Annual profections
Frida is 18 years old on the day of the accident. She is thus in 7th house profection year (profecting from her 1st house, which describes her physical well being and life purpose). Aquarius is activated and its ruler Saturn, becomes the lord of the year. While he is not the malefic out of sect, he is still a malefic and in the 8th house, making life-endangering situations likely.Saturn sextiles the Moon (ruler of the 12th house, hospitals) and is configured by trine with Sun/Jupiter (both in the 12th house) and by sextile with Mars (accidents), so we can assume, that these planets will cause trouble.
As a sidenote, I would like to remember, this was not the first time Saturn was activated in Frida’s chart. The planet has a 12 year cycle in order to make a round in the zodiac, and exactly 12 years earlier, in 1913, Frida had contracted polio, a period, during which she was bedridden for 9 months.
As we will see below, the day of the accident, Saturn was transiting Frida’s angular 4th house, her very foundations were shaken. If we profect from the 6th house, in order to focus specifically on sickness, we find that her 12th house is activated and thus the Moon. This connects her illness with hospitals, isolation (12th house in Cancer) and career (Moon in the 10th house). As Mars is the most malefic planet in this chart, it is possible to profect from him, in order to get more details. Since he is in the 6th house of her birth chart, he gives us thus the same result as the profection from the 6th house: In 1925, the profected Mars activates the 12th house, where her life light (Sun is.
Zodiacal releasing
Let’s now see the Zodiacal releasing, first from Fortune, which describes the events of fate, life’s circumstances, things which just happen and her physical condition. Since the accident was a major event of her life, it is supposed to show up.
I will then direct from Spirit, which is related to Frida’s choices, her career, vocation and life direction. Since she painted much of her art from her bed, often depicting herself and her physical struggle, we can suppose to see career issues as well.
9 See William Lilly, Christian Astrology, p. 460 ff) IAM INΦINITY | 079
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ZR from Fortune
Starting from Fortune we see, that Frida is in a major Cancer period, which will end in 1932. This means, that the first 25 years of her life are happening in a major peak period. In these years, she is defining her hold life and career through the events happening to her on a physical level. Since Cancer rules the 12th house, these years are associated with sufferings, isolation and hospitals, but, and this is so extraordinary in her chart, with her career.10
During that major level 1 period, at the end of 1924, she enters a Level 2 Capricorn period, which highlights her 6th house of illness. Capricorn is also the sign, the malefic out of sect is in, who is thus co- activated.11 This is a mean peak period for her, since Capricorn is the 7th house from Fortune. Cardinal signs are the most sensible points in Frida’s chart, as these are not only angular from Fortune, but also host both the main benefic (Jupiter) and the worst malefic (Mars). From this, we can assume, that terrible and good things will happen in a short sequence of time or depending one from the other. We also have to keep in mind, that Capricorn is already activated by annual profection. This makes this year to be a very difficult one: Mars and Saturn are activated contemporaneously. In Capricorn we find Mars, natural ruler of accidents in his exaltation, he is opposed to the Sun (life). Saturn rules the 6th house of illness and is received in the 8th house of death. The illness will be life- endangering but not fatal and last for a lifetime.
Shortly before the accident, Cancer is also activated on level 3, the 1st from Fortune (physical health).
On the day of her accident begins a Taurus level 4 period. Taurus rules the 10th house in Frida’s chart and thus her career.
Reassuming shortly:
the Moon is activated on level 1+3 Saturn is activated on level2 and Venus is activated on level 4
On the day of the accident, Venus and Saturn are angular in Frida’s 4th house, while the Moon joins her Sun.
10 When the accident happend, she had already spent many months in a hospital as a 6- years old due to a Polio contraction.
11 There is some confusion about which planet is more important, the ruler of the house or the planet within the activated house, but I suppose they are both. IAM INΦINITY | 080
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ZR from Spirit
Starting from Daimon (Spirit), Frida is in a Level 1 Scorpio period. Scorpio rules Frida’s 4th house of foundations. Scorpio is ruled by Mars (accidents), in the 6th house (illness). To some extend, the very base of her work was her illness. But Mars also rules Aries, the 10th from Fortune, linking this period to Frida’s career.
On level two, Gemini (11th house, friends, political groups ecc.) is activated and thus Mercury, in the 1st house (health).
On Level 3 Virgo and thus once again Mercury are activated (ruler 2nd and 11th in her natal 1st house). I wonder if that might describe a process of self defining through friendships and (political) group memberships. Shortly before her accident she had been involved with the Comunistic Zapata movement. This is interesting, as political parties are described by the 11th house, while its focus on the correct distribution of goods can be associated with the 2nd house.
On September 17th, the Moon is activated on level 4, and thus Frida’s career (12th house ruler Mon in the10th).
Resuming shortly
Mars is activated level 1 Mercury is activated on level 2 and 3 The Moon is activated on level 4
On the day of the accident, all these three level rulers Mars, Mercury and the Moon are conjunct in the Gates of Hades of Frida’s natal chart.12
12 The Gates of Hades is the old name of the 2nd house. IAM INΦINITY | 081
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Let’s now have a look at the chart of the accident.
We find Saturn and Venus angular in the 7th house, so we can suspect the major injuries to come from these two planets, especially Saturn as he is the malefic out of sect in this event chart. Her spine was broken in at least three points, which was the main reason for her years-log bedriddenness, followed by long time on the wheel chair. It is reported that she had life long problems while walking.
An iron handrail impaled her through her pelvis (and supposingly uterus), which was the reason she could not have children.
This is perfectly described by the two angular planets:
Saturn rules the bones and especially the spine, Venus rules the Uterus, Pelvis
Frida Kahlo’s life was incredibly full of physical tragedies, which appear to have created a kind of dead end road for her with the only choice either succeed or surrender. The reason why I choose Frida for an in depth analysis, is her incredible refuse to be a victim and her struggle to handle her lifelong pain and multiple handicaps in order to succeed. And she did. 60 years after her death, she is still one of the most famous female painters in the world and Mexico’s icon.
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Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo http://www.arte.rai.it/articoli/frida-kahlo/16665/default.aspx http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496 https://lisawallerrogers.com/2009/11/10/frida-kahlo-an-accidental-artist/ http://www.arte.rai.it/articoli/frida-kahlo/16665/default.aspx http://biografieonline.it/biografia.htm?BioID=1826 http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496 http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/biography.html
Tania Daniels, born in 1972 became interested in Astrology in 1998 and finished training in psychological astrology in 2002 at the Berlin school of the German Astrology Association (DAV). In 2009 Tania started studying a master’s course in Horary at the School of Traditional Astrology (STA) with Deborah Houlding. In 2015 she became involved in Hellenistic Astrology and is currently completing her studies with Chris Brennan. She has also enrolled in Robert Zoeller’s Medieval Astrology Course. Tania’s articles are published in German, English and Italian in the main astrological journals. She gives readings in Italian, German, English and Spanish. Her other interests are Ayurveda, naturopathy and Past Life Regression Therapy. Tania has three children and lives in Italy near Perugia. You can visit her site at www.taniadaniels.com and her FB page www.facebook.com/Klassische.Stundenastrologie
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IAM HORARY Will my sister survive and be independent? Tania Daniels
The sister of my client had suffered from a cerebral embolism. She had been put into an artificial coma in order to keep the embolism under control. The situation was very serious and my client wanted to know whether his sister would have been able to live an independent life. While he was totally aware that she might die, he was also very worried that she might possibly depend on others for a long time. Thus the question is referring to a conscious life, without life support systems and based on free will.
The hour ruler is Mars, the malefic out of sect. I take this information as a negative warning.
The client is described by the AC in Sagittarius and its ruler Jupiter, while his sister is described by the third house in Pisces and its ruler Jupiter. Both client and his sister are thus signified by Jupiter, but since the question concerns only his sister, I take Jupiter to signify her. The Moon is always the co-ruler of the querent and describes the unfolding events.13
Jupiter is in Virgo, his detriment and in a cadent house, describing her precarious state of health. The sister had been taken to the hospital on October 27th, 2015, eight days prior to this question. We find Mars (general significator of accidents) separated by 8° from Jupiter (sister). Jupiter describes the lungs, the liver and the blood. Both planets are in an earth sign, fittingly describing the agglomeration (embolus).
Jupiter has just left the 8th house of transformation/manifestation/death and is now in the 9th, which is associated with God and faith. Jupiter is in his detriment, but in his own bounds, indicating that the sister still disposes on certain power reserves.
13 William Lilly, Christian Astrology, p. 124 IAM INΦINITY | 084
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Jupiter will next be aspected from the Sun, ruler of the 8th house. Since there is no reception by the 8th house ruler involved, this is a very worrying aspect.14
From the client’s sister’s point of view, Jupiter is in the 7th house and thus “in the hands” of the doctors. In order to keep her in the artifical coma, the doctors needed the life support system. This is not what she would have wished them to do because Jupiter is in his detriment and also in opposition to the sister’s 1st house. [Indeed the client had told me her sister would never have accepted any life-support system]
The Moon is in the 8th house and mirrors the client’s fears about his sister’s life. She is peregrine and slow. Her last aspect was a square to the Sun, which represents here the 8th house. This aspect describes the danger in which the sister has recently been. But the Moon is received by the Sun, which has saved her from death. The Moon will stay a while in the 8th house and is VOC, meaning that not much will change regarding the client’s sister. Jupiter is also in a fixed sign and a slow planet. All these factors do describe a waiting process, which is also confirmed by the Moon in a fixed sign.
The Moon’s next aspect is in a new sign, when she will cast a square to Saturn, indicating problems and difficulties. Since Saturn rules the 12th house of the sister’s birth chart and also the 12th house of the horary, it seems as if there will be problems in the wake up phase.
The Moon will next sextile Mercury, ruler of the radical 6th (illness), who is in the turned 8th house. Mercury itself is already under the beams of the Sun.
The horary was very clear, that the woman would not wake up from the coma.
I would not feel sure enough to make this kind of statment without considering at least the sister’s natal chart.
In the natal chart, Jupiter rules the 6th house of illness. In the horary Jupiter is exactly on the cusp of the sister‘s 12th house, associated with closed places such as hospitals or absent state of minds, such as meditation or coma. He is approaching his own natal position at 19° Virgo and is thus describing the end of a Jupiterian cycle of growth. Also the sister’s 1st house ruler Venus which describes her health is in the 12th house.
14 William Lilly, Christian Astrology, p. 257 IAM INΦINITY | 085
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Let us now see the chart of the embolism:
Venus has just left a conjunction with Jupiter and is is now exactly on the cusp of the 12th house of the sister’s birth chart.
If we compare the horary with the chart of her embolism, we see that Venus was exactly on the cusp of the 9th house of the horary chart and conjunct her natal Jupiter (see chart below).
Conclusion:
I told my client that his sister would not awake from the artificial coma. The significator’s position right on the 9th cusp clearly describes that his sister was already “on her journey”. I also explained to him that she would need some more time to complete her going home to spirit, maybe in order to give her family the possibility to say goodbye.
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Outcome:
The sister died on November 23rd, 2015. She had not awakened from the coma.
The transiting Moon was just on the cups of the 4th house (end of things, grave) and exactly trine the Moon in the 8th house of the horary.
In the sister’s natal chart, transiting Venus is close to the AC in Libra. Venus rules the AC but also the 8th house in the her chart. In her own sign, she describes death linked to problems in the head.15 Transiting Jupiter is exactly conjunct AC by Antiscium.
15 William Lilly, Christian Astrology, p. 119, 244 IAM INΦINITY | 087
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Tania Daniels, born in 1972 became interested in Astrology in 1998 and finished training in psychological astrology in 2002 at the Berlin school of the German Astrology Association (DAV). In 2009 Tania started studying a master’s course in Horary at the School of Traditional Astrology (STA) with Deborah Houlding. In 2015 she became involved in Hellenistic Astrology and is currently completing her studies with Chris Brennan. She has also enrolled in Robert Zoeller’s Medieval Astrology Course. Tania’s articles are published in German, English and Italian in the main astrological journals. She gives readings in Italian, German, English and Spanish. Her other interests are Ayurveda, naturopathy and Past Life Regression Therapy. Tania has three children and lives in Italy near Perugia. You can visit her site at www.taniadaniels.com and her FB page www.facebook.com/Klassische.Stundenastrologie
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Kate & Meghan – the Tradition and the New: Is it “turmoil” for the British Crown? Smiljana Gavrančić
Wedding day with Algol in the air....
All eyes are on the royal wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. Problems brought to the British Crown by former Hollywood star entering the royal family may be seen from the chart of the wedding. The wedding ceremony is scheduled at noon, and the Ascendant is at 26º Leo, calling out the malefic star Algol (from Perseus constellation) at 26º Taurus through the square. Whenever Algol is involved, some “furious” woman is at the center of attention. But, that is not all – the Sun (ruler of the Asc) will be at 28º Taurus, very close to Algol, but in the part of Zodiac where Pleiades, known as “weeping sisters” live. The Sun is in the 10th house, house of reputation. It is interesting that Prince William (most probably the future king) has the Venus and Chiron right at Algol, and Venus is the ruler of his 4th house (family, roots). Algol also represents the fight for the position, rule, some dispute, where parties have completely opposite views of the situation – my justice is not the same as your justice… Algol always brings disputes, and it seems that Meghan entering the royal family clearly brings disputes into it.
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Wedding day with Venus at 29º Gemini....
The ruler of the Sun at 28º Taurus is the Venus (marriage, love) in very bad position, at 29º Gemini, implying the very possible divorce of Harry and Meghan, but also the parallel secret relationships… This Venus at 29º Gemini brings the Sun (ruler of Asc in the wedding chart) to the very bad position within Zodiac, to 29º (anaretic degree). The original position of the Sun at 28º Taurus is also not very promising, for it includes the star cluster Pleiades (”the weeping sisters”). The Moon is in Cancer, which is very good, for it is Moon’s domicile, but it is also in 11th house, the house of Aquarius, and here the woman cannot fit into tradition, here protocols, rules, tradition are broken… Meghan has already broken rules, being the fiancée of Prince Harry…
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The Moon in Cancer and out-of-bounds in the chart of United Kingdom; Pluton in Capricorn brings transformation?
In her draconic chart (soul’s memory of previous lives), Meghan has Uranus at 24º Cancer (the position of her natal Ascendant, but also very close to the position of the Moon at the wedding day - 22º Cancer) in close conjunction with the Moon in the chart of the United Kingdom. The Moon in UK chart is very important, for it is in the 10th house as the ruler of 10th (state’s reputation, the ruler – the Queen Elisabeth II). On the other hand, the Moon is the only celestial body in UK chart that is out-of-bounds and so it represents the very sensitive spot in UK chart. The Moon in Cancer in 10th is depiction of traditional England where rules must be obeyed. But, recently, on January 20, 2018 transit Pluto opposed the Moon in UK chart for the first time (19º Cancer 26’). Tradition and protocols subject to changes? Pluto will make opposition to the Moon in UK chart several more times – during August 2018 and November 2018. In July 2018 there will be an eclipse at 20º Cancer that shall call out the Moon in the UK chart, prior to one more transit of Pluto (through opposition), this time in retrograde motion. I find it also interesting that at the beginning of December 2018, before the Christmas, progressed Moon from the wedding chart of May 19, 2018 will come to 0º Leo and square Uranus at 0º Taurus from the same chart – shall Meghan Markle shock the public and the Kingdom? Progressed Sun from the wedding chart comes to anaretic degree of 29º Taurus, not a good sign, while progressed Venus enters the sign of Cancer, i.e. touches 0º Cancer, which might be a small positive sign (compared to other bad signs...). At Christmas time, the same progressed Moon at 1° Leo shall oppose Mars from the wedding chart at 1º Aquarius – this might be very challenging moment for the British Crown...
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Also, draconic Venus of Meghan Markle is at 11º Taurus, exactly at Mars of UK in 8th house of UK chart. Mars is the ruler of 2nd house of UK (finances) and is in 8th house (money that comes from others). In case you did not know, the royal family lives off UK citizens, i.e. tax payers. They do not work, i.e. they are not employed. Although Meghan Markle shall bring her income from film industry into the marriage, Prince Charles will pay Meghan Markle an annual allowance (several hundred thousand American dollars, as reported by some media), but Meghan shall pay taxes to United States for at last next five years – does her draconic Venus (ruler of natal 4th – homeland) at the same position as Mars of UK in 8th house (as the ruler of 2nd house of UK chart) indicates that the British Crown shall practically be losing money by Meghan paying taxes to America? The very degree of that conjunction is very interesting for me – it is 11º Taurus and the degree of Uranus’ fall, meaning the great risk. But, Meghan might turn out to be risky for the royal family’s property as well, aside from the allowance she will receive from Prince Carles. She might simply be a kind of financial risk for royal family (since the divorce is possible, this might be clear).
Finally, draconic Neptune of Meghan is at the Saturn in 11th house (Parliament) of UK chart, so this former actress shall for sure disturb (Neptune) the tradition (Saturn) of the UK.
Meghan is Leo with Cancer Ascendant, her Moon is in Libra in applicative square with very weak Mars in Cancer (Mars’ fall) in 12th house (to have Mars in 12th is not a good sign for the person usually has vices that he/she successfully keeps secret, and the very sign of Cancer additionally complicates the situation). Media now report that Meghan closed all her accounts on social networks and her blog where she used to write about sex. She certainly cannot control some of her actions having the Moon/Mars square across cardinal axis (Libra/Cancer), and monarchy surely requires the discipline. But, there is also the conjunction of the Moon and exalted Saturn in Libra, so there is the code for respecting tradition.
Karmic Love - Meghan owes to Harry?
The ruler of her Moon (the ruler of her Ascendant – herself) is the Venus at 13º Virgo, practically having her Moon in Libra going to Virgo through disposition. But, at exactly 13º Virgo there is draconic Saturn of Prince Harry (the ruler of his natal Asc in Capricorn) – this conjunction clearly shows strong karmic love story where Meghan has some debt towards the royal family and where most probably (as time goes by, Saturn always shows things more clearly and more truly) she will not be able to stand all the pressures (Saturn) coming from Prince Harry’s family. Announcement of the engagement at the moment when transit Neptune at 13º Pisces opposes that spot (13º Virgo) is certainly the sign that all may fail, for Meghan has in her chart the Venus in Virgo squaring the Neptune in Sagittarius, so Neptune transiting Pisces is not good for living this apparently magical relationship in time. There is a fog, and it shall remain until Saturn appears (rules, protocols, tradition, i.e. the British Crown).
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Kate Respects Tradition
On the other hand, there is Kate (the Duchess of Cambridge) with the Moon in Cancer and the Sun in Capricorn, just like the chart of the UK. While Meghan threatens to disturb the Crown, Kate contributes to obeying the rules and respecting the tradition. Namely, draconic Jupiter of Kate is at 14º Cancer 50’ (almost at 15, the degree of Jupiter’s exaltation) and in very close conjunction with the Moon (the Queen Elisabeth II, state’s reputation) in UK chart. Just to remind you, Meghan has here draconic Uranus (she is the one who breaks all apart, introducing restlessness and chaos). Furthermore, draconic MC (reputation) of Kate is at 12º Capricorn 30’, putting the Sun of UK into the focus of the public, so with Kate the British Crown improves its reputation even more… Finally, the South Node (ancestors) in the chart of UK is at 13º Libra, the spot occupied by the draconic conjunction of Mercury (13º Libra) and retrograde Venus (14º Libra) of Kate. The Venus is the ruler of her natal 10th house, i.e. her MC, representing her reputation in public, while the Mercury itself represents Kate in communications.
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Although now everybody agrees there are mutual sympathies between Meghan and Kate, I believe it is still early for such conclusion, for they both put each other’s Mars on the Moon – Meghan’s Mars is in conjunction with Kate’s Moon and the Moon of the UK, while Kate’s Mars in Libra is in conjunction with Meghan’s Moon. They can hurt each other very much, for there is some sort of memory here. More sensitive one is Kate with the Moon in Cancer, for naturally this Moon does not like the Mars (Mars in Cancer is in fall).
Camilla has stronger Cancer in her chart than Diana
Although supportive now, Camilla Parker may be very much surprised later by Meghan Markel’s actions. Why? Camila has the Moon in Cancer (with the Venus, Mercury and the Sun – at 23º Cancer – the spot occupied by draconic Sun of Prince Harry, but before all the draconic Uranus of Meghan). One of the reasons why Camila got her place in the royal family is the strong sign of Cancer, while the late Princess Diana with the Moon in Aquarius certainly stuck out (although she had the Sun and Mercury in Cancer, but also the Venus on the challenging Algol). Uranus entering Taurus shall be interesting for the British Crown, since Prince Charles has the Moon (mother) at 0º Taurus, while the Queen Elisabeth II has the Sun (husband) at 0º Taurus. Shall the Queen Elisabeth II abdicate after some sudden events that might happen to her husband? It remains to be seen… Uranus will cross 0º Taurus three times and it is certain that some changes in the royal family will happen – in May 2018, October 2018 and early March 2019.
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Will Meghan heal Harry or hurt him?
The Moon is the ruler of Desc (marriage) of Prince Harry and it is at 21º Taurus (with Meghan’s Chiron) – will she heal him or hurt him? They marry with Jupiter across the way, in Scorpio, the sign of high expectations and possible disappointments. Also, he fell in love with Meghan when his Pluto squared the Venus at 17º Libra (Venus being the dispositor of that Moon) in the 8th house (passion), so there is physical attraction here – in the end her Mars in Cancer squares his Venus, and his Mars in Sagittarius squares her Venus in Virgo. In other words, initial passion easily turns into quarrels and disputes. In the years to come Uranus shall come to his Moon at 21º Taurus (ruler of 7th), so changes are almost certain… On the other hand, draconic Uranus of Meghan is at 24º Cancer 24' and on March 6, 2020 there will be the first opposition of transit Pluto (the need for transformation) to her draconic Uranus (the need for freedom, change). At the same time, her natal Asc/Desc axis (24º Cancer 17'/24º Capricorn 17') shall be “called out” by the Pluto, so her marriage shall certainly go through deep transformation.
Kate Brings Harmony to British Crown
But, is the British Monarchy ready for changes, ready to give up tradition? It is a strong Moon in Cancer (loves to live in the past) and in 10th house (so it is like being in Capricorn, for Capricorn is the natural 10th sign in Zodiac)... Let us return to the Moon in the chart of UK. Why? Because on the wedding day, there will be a lunar return for UK, several hours prior to the wedding (07hrs 32’ 59”) which is not very promising, for it carries the Sun on Algol, the Venus at the end of Gemini… But, that same Moon at 19º Cancer is the top of the Yod (every Yod has the nature of Chiron) with Neptune in Scorpio and Venus in Aquarius (the ruler of Uranus in Libra). Every change (Uranus) is potential "severe injury" for British Monarchy – to repeat here it is draconic Uranus (change) of Meghan on the Moon of the UK. The solution is in person who has some personal planet across from 19º Cancer. It is Kate and her Sun (the ruler of Asc, which is very important here) at 19º Capricorn, so Kate is really the one guarding the stability of the crown and contributing to the balance which may be seriously put into question by Megan entering the family.
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Kate's and William's Wedding Day - 29. April, 2011
If we take a look at the wedding chart of Kate and William, April 29, 2011 (12:00), we see much better picture. Asc was also Leo, but the Sun at 8º Taurus, while the Venus (the ruler of the Sun) was in Aries, which brings the Sun to exaltation – depiction of the future king, for disposition describes the outcome in time. The Venus (being the dispositor of the Sun) is in strong opposition with exalted Saturn in Libra, so the tradition, form and protocol (Saturn in Libra where the Venus is in domicile) will be supported by this couple. The Moon is at the degree of Venus’ exaltation, at 26º Pisces 46’ (Venus is exalted at 27º Pisces). Draconic Moon of Kate is at 26º Pisces 15’, so her soul certainly remembers the wedding day… After all, at 27 º Pisces 21’ Queen Elizabeth II has her natal Uranus (ruler of her intercepted Aquarius in her 1st house) – it seams that she is bringing to Kate big changes in life.... Will Kate be the next queen, would be the right question?!
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We must not neglect the fact that this year Solar Arc and axis IC/MC of UK go across 12º Leo/12º Aquarius, and Meghan has the Sun at 12º Leo, and there is also the Moon of the Queen Elisabeth II, so the Queen Elisabeth opened the door for her. Nevertheless, this year also Solar Arc Saturn (tradition) of UK came to 26º Pisces, to Kate’s draconic Moon and the spot where transit Moon was on the day of Kate’s and William’s wedding – this year Kate and William shall have their third child and by that respect the tradition of the crown. And what the Queen Elizabeth II may do and surprise this world? Remember, her natal Uranus (ruler of her intercepted Aquarius in her 1st house) is at 27 Pisces.
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All charts were taken from www.astro.com. The horoscope of UK was taken from "The Book of World Horoscopes"; Nicholas Campion
Smiljana Gavrančić studied astrology at the Institute for Astrological Research and Education in Belgrade (Serbia), graduating in October 2010, after studying International Law at Belgrade University. In March 2011 she became ISAR CAP. Her speciality is mundane astrology, and she is practices karmic/hermetic astrology, astrology of degrees/archetypes (mythology, fixed stars) and synastry. Her writings have appeared in The Astrological Journal, The Mountain Astrologer blog, ISAR’s International Astrologer, and Geocosmic Journal (NCGR). Astrodienst (astro.com) republished her work, too. Smiljana is the editor, founder and owner of IAM – Infinity Astrological Magazine which is the part of Alexandria iBase Project and Astrodienst. She was a speaker at conferences and workshops in Serbia, Brazil, United Kingdom (48th AA Conference Cambridge 2016 and The Astrological Lodge of London), Greece. In January 2018 she founded her Astro Center IAM INΦINITY - Αθήνα Center. Smiljana blogs in Serbian and English at: www.astrologsmiljanagavrancic.blogspot.com .You can find out more about IAM at www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com Contact: [email protected]
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Ethereal Woman vs Material Girl Christina Rodenbeck
Did you know that popmamas Madonna and Kate Bush were born within a few weeks of each other? Oh astrological joy! The English mystic and the queen of consumerism…. let’s check it out.
Kate Bush shimmered on to the music scene with an astonishingly original sound when she was just a teenager back in 1978. Unbelievably, here, she was the first woman to get to number one with a self-penned song, Wuthering Heights — a catchy tune about a Victorian novel.
About six years later, along came Madonna with her bangles, her bleached hair, her brilliant producer Nile Rogers, and a song called Like A Virgin.
Bush and Madonna’s natal charts are very similar, with just the Moon and Venus in different signs. Now both aged 56, they are a contrast in style, content, worldview — but if you think about it, they have more in common than at first seems possible. For a start they are both mothers who can fill stadia with worshipping fans – that must fill their Leo hearts with joy. Leo is the sign of the performer; even the quiet ones have it in there somewhere.
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Both women have been chameleons through their careers, changing character, costume and style. Madonna has gone from post-punk bovver girl to boy toy to whatever the current thing is; Bush experiments with point-of-view all the time in her songs from imagining being a dying soldier to being a little boy to seeing the world from inside a snowflake. This is part of the Leo dressing up thing: Leo’s search for identity by inhabiting different characters.
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And maybe more important than anything else about them, both women wrested artistic control of their own work as soon as they could, and have been completely self-directed in their careers. Again this is Leo at it’s finest, but maybe also that Pluto at the very start of Virgo (see below). But also look at the North Node, destiny and life direction, conjuncting Neptune (music and film) and Jupiter (expansion). These women are both, in their contrasting ways, fulfilling the promise of that Node.
I would be curious to know exactly what that Lilith on the South Node represents for Kate Bush. Madonna, we can guess at least that the early death of her mother (Lilith to Moon to Chiron in a Yod).
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Both women have the Sun and Uranus, the planet of shock, in Leo, of course. And you can see that their contrasting use of that Uranian energy is a fascinating divergence. Madonna has regularly sought to épater the bourgeoisie, her recent collaboration with Miley Cyrus was just another example of Madonna-shock. Uranus (along with hard- working Saturn) is also her chart ruler. She really can’t help it.
Notice that Bush’s Uranus is applying to the Sun and Madonna’s is separating, and closing in on sexual Pluto. Madonna’s route to shock has consistently been sex, and there’s often a Plutonian element: S&M, power games (remember the pointy bra).
In the tradition of prog rock
Bush has chosen a different Uranian expression, English eccentric. Bush has never, ever compromised her artistic integrity, even though she was only 19 when she had her first big hit. She has always gone her own way, no matter how odd, or even downright weird. Her work is, though, in the tradition of English prog rock. Dave Gilmour – of the Floyd – was an important mentor.
Both Madonna and Bush made dance an important part of their acts. Mars in Taurus is often graceful and athletic. Saturn in Sagittarius gives horsey stamina. You need it to do a full-on stage show at 56.
Now, Madonna and Kate Bush are (or were, depending on your POV) damn sexy, but I think if you ever fancied Kate Bush, you’d be unlikely to fancy Madonna, and vice versa. Both women have Mercury conjunct Pluto in Virgo: talking dirty, listen to the lyrics. Before you say that Kate Bush never did nothin’ so naughty, remember that her first album had a song about masturbation on it, cast your mind back to various videos (Babooshka) and the way your brother used to lock himself away with Lionheart or The Red Shoes. Mars in Taurus is also earthy, sensual and connects to the springtime of sex.
The photograph is by Steven Meisel — and it helped make Madonna famous overnight
The Moon and Venus are the only two planets in different signs, and we could guess this could be the key to everything. It’s a shame that there’s no birth time for Kate Bush, so we cannot compare houses, angles and ascendant which are, of course, key. I’ve given her Pisces Rising in this chart because of her record label, which is called Fish People and sports this logo. Without Pisces Rising she would have no fish in her chart, so I couldn’t help but wonder…
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But let’s look at the Moons.
Madonna has Moon in Virgo, and she is, of course, the Material Girl. She acts out the whore side of the virgin/whore dichotomy so often observed in Virgo. (Think of Amy Winehouse with her Virgo Sun.) The thrust of her persona, no matter which mask she wears, is sexual. This is earthy stuff. Madonna is by all accounts excellent at detail, too, a Virgoan quality. I listened some time ago to Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer’s monthly talk and they discussed the meaning of virgin in ancient times, pointing out that it really meant more literally, a woman not owned by a man. Ummm – that would be Madonna to her very soul, I guess.
Contrast Madonna’s earth-bound, practical Moon with Bush’s Moon in Aquarius — airy, ethereal, interested in ideas, people, technology, the future. The range of stuff Bush writes about is vast — from computers to incest to the nature of snow. She sometimes writes from a male point of view. Aquarians are never bound by gender. And here is a huge difference, Bush writes her own songs. Like Madonna, she collaborates a lot, of course, but the creative vision is her own. Madonna is an expert at hiring brilliant people and using their ideas and talent. This is Leo as impresario. Creativity through making choices: Venus in Leo. Bush’s Venus in Cancer is introverted. Hers is an inner vision. True, she takes inspiration from everything, but then it goes into her mind, ferments and brews and is remade. Madonna’s Venus is looking outward. Look also at her 7th house of partnership; she has consistently chosen outstanding producers, designers, film-makers to work with. Her technique is collage, imitation, borrowing.
Kate Bush’s 1982 album
Venus in Cancer: emotions, visions, love of country (Oh England, my Lionheart), nostalgia, softness, sweetness, eccentricity. Bush’s lyrics often hark back to earlier times, reference children’s fiction, but she also re-imagines the present, putting in a much wider context. With this concert tour, she has asked the audience to put away their iPads and their mobile phones and to please encounter her show for real, in person. Venus in Leo: showmanship, glamour, bling, fashion, putting on the ritz, razzmatazz. Madonna’s been a huge influence on fashion. There are legions of women currently who look just like her with those muscly arms and that hair thing. And come to think of it, there have been Madonna clones as long as she’s been around. It’s a bit like Aesop’s fable about the bee and the spider. The bee flies around dipping its nose in nectar and creates honey with what it finds. The spider pulls the gossamer right out from its midriff and weaves a web. Two kinds of creativity.
Venus and the Moon — these are the “female” planets. Our only ones forsooth. And when these are different you get two very different ideas of what it means to be a woman. Madonna projects the earthy practicality (Virgo Moon) combined with bling (Venus in Leo); Bush projects eccentric, zany braininess (Moon in Aquarius) combined with extreme sensitivity (Venus in Cancer).
Creative, productive, experimental, self-determining, independent and powerful: not a bad set of characteristics to share.
Christina Rodenbeck runs a busy astrological practice from her parlour, writes one of the web’s most widely read astrology sites The Oxford Astrologer, keeps two cats, two daughters and a long-cherished partner amused — and when it all becomes too much, she retires to paint in her garden shed. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her site at www.oxfordastrologer.com
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Paradise Papers & Panama Papers Predictions Jessica Adams
What’s coming on Tuesday 15th May, 2018 is going to make the Paradise Papers and Panama Papers scandals look like a Teddy Bears’ Picnic.
Legal tax avoidance (even by Her Majesty the Queen) offshore has been reported around the world by The Guardian in ongoing investigations. Bono of U2 has also been accused. Both are Taurus.
Facebook is under investigation. That is also run by a Taurus.
What’s new, though, is the arrival of Uranus – the shock, the revolution – in the actual sign of Taurus, which rules multi-millionaires and billionaires- at 3.16pm in London, on Tuesday 15th May. Aftershocks will follow for years.
As the world’s sharemarkets obviously move across different time zones, we could nail this down to Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th May. But it’s coming. Not so much, Rattle and Hum. Shake, rattle and roll.
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The great thing about astrology is that it lets you into the secret before the hackers and whistleblowers even get started.
I am writing this on Tuesday 3rd April, so looking about six weeks into the future, but you can bet your bottom dollars. The hackers and whistleblowers are working on this right now.
The fact is, on Wednesday 16th May at 7.03am in London, Mars at 0 Aquarius squares Uranus at 0 Taurus. A shock to the share markets doesn’t cover it. This is some seriously organised whistleblowers and hackers launching an attack on multi-millionaires and billionaires. Royalty, rock stars, corporations and banks will be swept up in it.
The shock comes partly from the fact that everyone is asleep in April and the first two weeks of May. In fact, there may be stealth operations across this period which lull the super-rich into a false sense of security so that the come-down near May 15th, 16th is even greater. That’s what this astrology is telling us.
The New Moon That Fools Everyone – Tuesday 15th May 2018
The New Moon that fools everyone (as history will no doubt show – astrology and history work hand-in-hand) takes place at 11.47am on Tuesday 15th May. Uranus does not arrive until 3.16pm, so there is quite a remarkable gap between the share markets, treasurers, politicians and accountants going about their business as usual – and then realising – this is not business as usual and it will never be business as usual again.
Aquarius Versus Taurus – The Future
That Mars in Aquarius square to Uranus in Taurus is the future. It begins with one firework in the middle of May 2018 and from 2023 it’s a fire storm.
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What we are going to see is:
- Cryptocurrency replacing paper notes and coins. - Banks being replaced by Blockchain. - Boycotts destroying corporations. - Hackers ending the financial assets of multi-millionaires.
The fact is, we are about to see Jupiter, Saturn and then Pluto (from 2023) go into Aquarius and that’s going to change the world. That little Mars transit in Aquarius in May 2018 is a small but fierce beginning. Aquarius rules groups, friends, the community and people power.
Taurus rules the top 1% of the world economy who (until May 2018 anyway) seem to have been there forever – and seem set to remain there, too. Not so.
Skyscrapers and Towers – Living Symbols of Corporate and Corruption Takedown
Beyond reading the Aquarius-Taurus weather of May 2018, which changes the world forever in stages – with the real revolution from 2023 – we also need to look at something else here. Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn.
Capricorn rules the mountain goat who climbs to the top of a rocky peak. In modern life, we associate Capricorn with the corporate and social climber, who ascends to the very crest of New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, London or Sydney. That is where the offices are, at the top of the skyscrapers.
Skyscrapers are symbols of banks and corporations and skyscrapers are going to come down or be left empty. Why? Astrology works on symbolism and synchronicity.
Just watch. The logical outcome of Uranus in Taurus, which is the end of banks and the top 1%, is the end of at least one Trump Tower and maybe all of them.
They may physically collapse or disintegrate, which would fit the astrology. They may stand empty, or be emptied. They may be repurposed.
We’ve seen nothing like it in our lives and it’s starting in May. Hold onto your hats.
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Jessica Adams is the author of Essential Astrology for Women (HarperCollins) and her weekly horoscopes appear in Cosmopolitan. The Smith-Waite Centennial Deck by Pamela Colman Smith is available from The Book Depository online. Visit www.jessicaadams.com
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The Facebook Astrology Chart Mark Zuckerberg’s Moment of Truth Jessica Adams
Facebook has two birth charts. One for its humble beginnings on Mark Zuckerberg’s computer – and the other for the first trade it ever made. This last chart shows the true Facebook, perhaps, with its uncanny ties to Mark’s chart, and also to the money signs, Taurus and Scorpio. It’s a very rich corporation and he is a very rich man.
He’s also a very private man, despite his interest in your own privacy – and has provided no birth time for astrologers. Yet, the birth date of 14th May 1984 in White Plains, New York, rings true. You don’t need a time to see the connections between the corporation and the CEO. Or to see why both are in serious trouble, as Uranus (shock, revolution, upheaval) makes its historic moves across 28, 29 Aries and into 0, 1, 2 Taurus.
As I write this on 20th April 2018, it’s in motion. An enquiry has been and gone, but questions remain. One look at the transits for May 2018 and again, October – and you realise Facebook and Zuckerberg will never be the same again. In fact, Facebook will be very lucky to survive the next seven years.
Facebook – What Happens When Uranus Hits That Taurus Moon?
The Astro.com confirmed data for 18th May 2012 at 11.30am in New York, New York (when Facebook first traded and became the corporation we know now) shows this:
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Mercury 17 Taurus
Jupiter 24 Taurus
Sun 28 Taurus
And here is some key data for Mark, the 1984 baby that George Orwell clairvoyantly saw coming (Big Brother is Watching You), born on 14th May in White Plains. The Facebook astrology chart and that of its founder, match.
Venus 15 Taurus
Sun 24 Taurus
That’s an exact line-up (above) from the corporation’s Jupiter at 24 Taurus, to Mark’s Sun – to the point where you might speculate that an astrologer had advised Facebook to organise its first trade on that date. Jupiter is obviously the symbol of abundance, growth, expansion and reward in the chart of a person or his company.
Mark also has the other finance sign, Scorpio, over-represented in his horoscope. The Moon is in Scorpio (at which degree we don’t know, because of the missing birth time). In any case, this famously rich man is about to deal with the confrontation and challenge of Uranus opposing four factors in his chart in the space of a few years.
Pluto 0 Scorpio
Moon Scorpio
Saturn 12 Scorpio
Mars 19 Scorpio
Let’s talk about another factor that matters here – the public face of a private man who makes other people’s faces public! This isn’t about the money, so much, but it’s certainly about Mark’s face, name, brand, reputation and public standing. It’s his Mercury at 29 Aries in the First House of image. Uranus is approaching 29 Aries right now. Boom.
The 10th April 2018 Enquiry – This Is Not Over
On 10th April 2018 Facebook’s pale and polite Chief Executive began the first of two marathon hearings in Washington answering tough questions on the company’s mishandling of data, prompted by the revelation that Cambridge Analytica had used information from Facebook’s members during key elections in the US and UK. The Zuckerberg enquiry took place on the long Mercury Retrograde cycle. So, it’s not over.
What we’re really looking for here, is Uranus, the planet of shock, moving across Mark’s Mercury at 29 Aries, then hitting 0 Taurus, where it opposes his Pluto at 0 Scorpio. Uranus then moves swiftly to 1, 2, 3 Taurus where it will conjunct (or hit) Facebook’s Moon. That’s a crisis.
Will Facebook still be free afterwards? It will have a fight on its hands all the way to 2020.
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Facebook. Not private. Photo Dayne Topkin Dates! Specific Astrology Predictions About Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg
Monday 23rd April: Chiron 0 Aries conjunct Vulcano 0 Aries
Sunday 29th April: Chiron 0 Aries conjunct Juno 0 Aries
This is the push-back against Facebook’s use of the names and faces (both Aries concerns) of millions of people. It’s quite a week. This aspects Mark’s Pluto at 0 Scorpio. It’s one of many class-action lawsuits. You might call it ‘I want my face back’ or ‘I own my face.’ We’ve seen hints of this as I write this on 20th April 2018, but nothing big. Yet.
We have a Full Moon in Scorpio on Monday 30th April, which will trigger the Facebook chart, as it does Mark’s. Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg hit a fresh crisis April 23rd to 30th.
On Thursday 3rd May, Mercury in Aries (faces) is finally out of Retrograde Shadow, so the Senate enquiry will be back. Unanswered questions will be answered. There will be revelations about Mark and Facebook, yet unknown.
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Sunday 13th May – Mark Zuckerberg’s Moment of Truth
On Sunday 13th May at 10.50am (London) Mercury is at 29 Aries conjunct Uranus at 29 Aries, and both are conjunct Mark’s natal Mercury at 29 Aries. All eyes on the Sunday newspapers in Britain that morning.
This is front-page, big headline, shocking news about Mr. Zuckerberg. In astrology, Mercury is the media. Aries is reputation and public face. Uranus is the jaw-dropping lightning-strike of a genuine shock. It is also about a revolution. You are not going to see this man the same way again, any more than he will see himself!
Sunday 13th May is a crucial day for Facebook and Mark as we then see Mercury and the Moon enter Taurus. From now through to Monday 14th May, it’s game on. And it’s all about Facebook’s finances.
I’ve written elsewhere, how everyone is going to be fooled by that New Moon at 24 Taurus on Tuesday 15th May at 11.47am in London. It falls right on Mark’s Sun and Facebook’s Jupiter. So it looks like a relaunch. A rebirth. A renaissance for the corporation!
Then – wham – at 3.16pm the same day, Tuesday 15th May, Uranus lands at 0 Taurus and is immediately right opposite Mark’s controlling Pluto in Scorpio, the finance sign. Sunday 13th, Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th May are shock after shock. When Facebook’s business model and share price hits shocks, the whole world takes a cold bath.
On Wednesday 16th May, angry Mars at 0 Aquarius squares Uranus at 0 Taurus for the first time in Mark’s life. And Facebook’s. Aquarius is the group. It’s people power. It’s political parties, but it’s also all those organisations, teams, societies, clubs and other networks – within The Social Network, as it’s been called by Hollywood. Aquarius is also about friendship. All these issues are going to swirl around on May 15th, 16th, 17th in a miniature cyclone.
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Outcomes for Facebook in 2018, 2019
What happens when Uranus – the planet of upheaval, rejection, revolution, freedom, liberty, independence, shock, invention, innovation, enlightenment and rebellion starts to hit not only a corporation but its master?
Uranus in Taurus will do this by conjuncting (or lining up with) the Taurus placements, and opposing (or clashing with) the Scorpio placements, in the finance, business and share price zones of both Mark and his brainchild.
This is going to be long and drawn-out. Why? Uranus ducks out of Taurus for a while, but he’s back in that sign in early 2019. And what will we see? No more Facebook. Not as you knew it, anyway. And – no more Mark Zuckerberg, as you knew him, back in the bright blue-branding days.
Wednesday 10th October, 2018
Wednesday 10th October 2018 is another crisis point for Mark’s estate – his property portfolio, stocks, shares and investments – and also his corporation’s. At 5.35pm in London that day, Uranus is at 1 Taurus opposite Mercury at 1 Scorpio. Allow 24 hours either side for world time changes and October 9th, 10th, 11th will once again force the issue of Facebook’s business model, its shares, and the price it extracts from its users.
Mercury Retrograde Shadow begins at 27 Scorpio on Monday 29th October 2018, so the planet associated with Wall Street begins his usual chaos (through November 2018) right on Facebook’s Sun at 28 Taurus.
On Tuesday 30th October, the following day, we find Mercury at 29 Scorpio opposite Juno at 29 Taurus and then the Nodes move to 0 Leo and 0 Aquarius, creating a T-Square with Mark’s Pluto at 0 Scorpio.
This is not a happy Halloween. Anyone with Pluto in Scorpio wants total control over his business, and the Facebook model has always been ‘Free Lunch’ – although as the victims of Cambridge Analytica now know, there never is any such thing as a free lunch. There is a great Morrissey song called ‘November Spawned a Monster.’ Well, in November 2018 we get to inspect the monster.
The Future of Facebook. It’s Not Free. And It May Not Even Be Facebook.
If Facebook can survive the next seven years, it can survive anything, but it takes a miracle for any corporation to survive a battering from Uranus in Taurus, like this. The old business model of data mining, data scraping, targetted advertising and the rest is unlikely to last with the assault of Uranus (the revolution, the rebellion, the shock) from May 2018. On a more personal note, here we have a picture of a man whose entire value system is on the line. May and June 2018 are also about Mark’s charity pledges as Taurus rules philanthropy too. So beyond his personal worth and net value, there are questions here about what things are worth to him on a soul level. A Taurus question.
What do you think? Are you on Facebook? Did you leave Facebook, like me? Have you never been there? This is an historic Scorpio-Taurus pattern we will never see again in our lives. And it’s going to change social media forever.
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Jessica Adams is the author of Essential Astrology for Women (Harper Collins) and her weekly horoscopes appear in Cosmopolitan. The Smith- Waite Centennial Deck by Pamela Colman Smith is available from The Book Depository online. Visit www.jessicaadams.com
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The Secret Space Program Marguerite dar Boggia
The Ageless Wisdom Teachings as was known by Pythagoras and Plato posit that there will always be two forces at work in the Universe: Spirit and Matter. Actually they are ONE energy. The only difference is in the rate of vibration and in its manifestation in the physical world. There will always be two forces at war with each other.
Spirit works through the spiritual Hierarchy of our planet. They are the Masters and Guides of the Race. They are known as the Forces of Light. They work for the evolution of all lives; for unity and for the freedom of humanity.
The Forces of Materialization work for separateness, for disunity, for domination and control of all countries and for the enslavement of humanity. Mankind is given free will to choose which path he wishes to follow.
Without courageous whistle-blowers, we would be uninformed of the secret space program of the U.S. military industrial complex. We have UFO's and underground bases all around the world. The bases even connect cities under the ocean. Each base holds a maximum of 65,000 people.1 One steps into an elevator that descends 14 levels and in 30 seconds one is on a base on another continent.2 We have cloaking technology preventing spacecrafts, naval vessels or aircraft from being visible.3 We have official military relationships with the off- planet intelligences.4
David Wilcock is the courageous white knight in the shining armor of truth, whose destiny is to expose the plans of the few who wish to control the many. In his book, "The Ascension Mysteries", he refers to them as "The Cabal". They, with the military industrial complex are engaged in commerce with 900 different civilizations in selling extremely advanced technology. Trade and not money is not used in these deals.4a
Space-based "Star Wars" weapons were deactivated in the 1980's almost as soon as they went up. Divine intervention is consistently preventing the Cabal from killing large numbers of people.5 The Cabal is doomed to fail.
Whistleblower Daniel said a very ancient and highly advanced extraterrestrial (E.T.) race which he called "the Elders" had apparently built the stargate network.6 The extensive analysis of the ancient stargate system led to the development of the IP address system that is used on the internet.7 Our main stargate was apparently dug out of the desert in Egypt in 1927, The government people who found it were so concerned about invaders coming through the gate, that they buried it in the ice in Antartica, where it apparently still resides to this day.8
Daniel said project Looking Glass allowed the user to peer through time.9
Whistleblower Jacob said there are approximately five to six thousand intelligent civilizations within a thousand- light-year radius from our solar system. He claimed to have personally seen more than 400 different types of extraterrestrials at a total of about 200 different off-planet sites.10
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When Wilcock asked whistleblower Bruce how many people have any idea of what is going on in the space program, apart from individual compartments, Bruce said there are about 3,000. The number that actually manage the group at its core is 300. This group is known as "the Olympians," indicating that they see themselves as gods. They know one another. They direct the economic destiny of the continent and choose their successors from their area. They were the hyper wealthy power structure controlling the real space program and the bases. They had UFO type crafts. They were continually coming and going from earth.11
The benevolent extraterrestrials (E.T;s) want the Cabal to release information on the UFO's and their contact with E.T's. The Cabal does not want to see human beings develop spiritually and especially to be able to levitate, disappear and appear.
To demonstrate their power, the E.T's destroyed two underground bases on the East Coast causing a 5.5 earthquake on September16, 2011. After that the Cabal came to an agreement with the E.T's. More information would be released.
The most important thing that whistleblower Pete shared with Wilcock is the existence of an alliance that formed to end the UFO cover-up. The two most prominent movies that reveal the Alliance's agenda and prepare us for disclosure are "Iron Man 3" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Wilcock says: "A surprising majority of the people in the Pentagon want the secrecy to end, particularly after 9/11 which is widely known to have been an inside job. The Cabal is still using lethal force to prevent the truth from being revealed."12
Vladimir Putin has been a key figure in the alliance working directly with positive elements in the Pentagon.13
The military defense contractors are manufacturing products that will transform life on earth. We will transition into a star-trek age with spaceships, teleportation, time travel, anti-gravity, free energy, materializers and advanced healing technology. The Cabal did not want to reveal this, until they had brought the planet to its knees.14
Wilcock received death threats urging him to back off or else. There are rules in the universe that prevent you from being tortured or killed, as long as you maintain a positive perspective in your thoughts, emotions and actions.15
Whistleblower Henry's data included information about the "high energy cloud" our solar system was moving into. He confirmed that it was expected to trigger a dramatic evolutionary event on Earth, including an epic solar energy release of some kind.16 The Hindu and the Zoroastrian scriptures forecast a solar event which is helped along by a MESSIANIC figure, who arrives with a variety of angelic beings that defeat the negative forces on earth. This information coincides with the Ageless Wisdom Teachings which posit that there will be an externalization of the spiritual Hierarchy after "the Day of Declaration". It will be the dawn of the GOLDEN AGE which will last for a time. The forces of negativity will be defeated.
An order has been given by our Planetary Deity, that evolution must be speeded up. The three Force Centers known as chakras in the body of our Planetary Deity are called: Shamballa, the spiritual Hierarchy and humanity. Shamballa signifies the head chakra, the Hierarchy signifies the heart chakra and humanity signifies the throat chakra.
Some of the members of Shamballa work with the Lord of the solar System. So you can imagine the level of their divine consciousness. Shamballa meets every 100 years to make decisions for the world and to implement the divine plan of our planetary Deity. At the next meeting in 2025, millions of people will take the first major initiation. It will result in an expansion of their consciousness, and a desire to aid humanity.
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Whenever the Forces of Materialism are overpowering creating a crisis, the spiritual Hierarchy of our planet, and the Masters, come to our rescue.
To counteract the Forces of Evil, the Head of the spiritual Hierarchy himself has come to aid mankind in this crisis. He is a Planetary Avatar. He holds the Office of the World Teacher. The Buddha held that office, until his illumination, when his place was taken by the present World Teacher, whose personal name is the Lord Maitreya..17 He came 2,000 years ago by overshadowing the Master Jesus. Every religion is awaiting his reappearance as their Messiah. Today he created his own body called a mayavirupa. Bullets can do him no harm.
Here is what will happen:
At the right time when there is people power, there will be a 'Day of Declaration' when Maitreya will appear on the radio and television networks of the world linked by satellite. On that day Maitreya will MENTALLY OVERSHADOW the whole of humanity simultaneously. All, over the age of 14, will hear his words inwardly in their own language. This telepathic communication will reach everyone, not only those watching or listening and hundreds of thousands of miraculous healings will take place throughout the World. On that day, there will be no doubt that Maitreya is the Christ of the Christians, the Messiah of the Jews, the Imam Mahdi of the Moslems, Maitreya Buddha, of the Buddhists, Kalki Avatar of the Hindus, Saoshyant of the Zoroastrians, and the Head of the Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet holding the position of the World Teacher. Then, His open worldwide mission will have begun.18 He will bring with Him not only some of the Great Ones and the Masters, but some of the Devas (Angels) who stand to the deva evolution as the Masters to the human. They have much to impart about color and sound, and their effect upon the etheric bodies of men and animals. Physical ills will be nullified. They will also teach men how rightly to nourish the body and to draw from the surrounding ethers the requisite food.19
The Masters and their 49 Ashrams of Initiates and disciples will live with us on earth once again as they did over 100,000 years ago. It will be the Kingdom of God on earth.20 The blindingly brilliant Light radiating from their Soul will beneficently affect other planets. It may act as a magnet to attract greater divine solar energy. The evolution of humanity and all lives will be speeded up. Injustice, starvation and homelessness will be no more. They will install a new economic system based on sharing the resources of the earth. Free education and healthcare for all humanity will be everyone's right. Brotherhood will be the goal of the new Age. This is the dramatic evolutionary event on Earth, coinciding with the high energy cloud into which our solar system is moving.
Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, said that the Christ would return in 1998.21 In June, 1988, the Lord Maitreya suddenly appeared before 6000 people22 at a healing gathering in Nairobi, Kenya. He spoke in Swahili for 18 minutes and then disappeared. The editor of the newspaper was present and took pictures of Him. This is one of the pictures: He can change His appearance to a child, a woman, or whatever.
When can we expect the Golden Age? When the wars cease and the people demand the end to global domination and the rigged economic system hoisted on us by the international bankers in 1913, under the Federal Reserve Act. According to the Hindu scriptures, it could be when the Sun, Moon and Jupiter are in the same mansion in the sign of Cancer. That would be July 12, 2037 at 9 PM 23
The Forces of Light will always be victorious.
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∆ ∆ ∆
Marguerite dar Boggia formerly served as Secretary and Membership Chairperson of ISAR (the International Society for Astrological Research). She formerly served as publisher of Kosmos, the ISAR Journal and as Secretary and Director of ISAR and UAC, (the United Astrology Congress). She was a co-founder of UAC. Her articles are published in the ISAR journal and in other publications. At this time she offers FREE of charge three pages weekly online of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings as was known by Pythagoras. She can be contacted through her website which she created at the age of 90: www.FreePythagorasTeachings.com
References
1Wilcock, David, Ascension Mysteries ,Penguin Random House LLC, 2016, pg. 328
2Ibid p. 314
3Ibid p. 326
4Ibid p. 329
4aIbid p. 352-353
55Ibid p. 331
6Ibid p. 308
7Ibid p. 310
8Ibid p. 309
9Ibid p. 311
10Ibid p. 344
11Ibid p. 339
12Ibid p. 330
13Ibid p. 335
14Ibid p. 354
15bid p. 354
16Ibid p. 317
17Bailey, Alice A. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Lucis Publishing Co. 1925 under footnote, the World Teacher p. 211
18Creme, Benjamin, The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, 1980, 2007, Share International Foundation, pg. 25
19Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Psychology I, Lucis Publishing Co. 1936, pgs. 123, 124.
20Creme, Benjamin, The Great Approach, Share International Foundation, 2001 p. 198
21www.swordtongue.com/2ndtime.htmlEdgar Cayce on the "Second Coming"
22www.Share-International.org
23Dar Boggia, Marguerite The Forthcoming Golden Age under Articles on the website: www.FreePythagorasTeachings.com
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IAM VEDIC Money in your Horoscope according to Vedic Astrology Metin Özenbaş
Vedic astrology is an ancient system, appeared approximately 4000 BC, from the Vedic civilization in India. The rishies, who were able to see the relationships between the planets in our solar system, as well as the relationships between the fixed stars and earth, has determined the rules of the Vedic astrology.
The readers who are familiar with horoscopes already know that the houses in any horoscope represent certain areas of life. If we want to acquire information about a person and make a proper interpretation of his/her chart, we should look at the houses and the planets in his/her horoscope and analyze the relations between them very attentively.
In Vedic astrology, houses can be classified in different ways. There are some auspicious and inauspicious houses. The 1st, 5th and 9th houses, which are known as trines or trikona houses and the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses, which are known as angles or kendra houses, are auspicious houses. When a benefic planet is placed in one of these auspicious houses, its benefits increase; on the contrary, a malefic planet, when placed in one of these houses can give damage. The situation of the 10th house is an exception to this rule, since it is a benefic house and a good place for malefic planets.
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The 6th, 8th and the 12th houses are known as dustana or evil houses. These houses are expected to be the most evil houses of a horoscope. If benefic planets are placed in these houses, they are damaged. There are some other exceptions, which I will not mention thoroughly in this article.
As it is mentioned above, there are several indicators of wealth in a horoscope.
While I am interpreting a horoscope, I always begin with the first house, which we call Ascendent or Lagna in Vedic astrology. Lagna and its lord represent a highly significant role for each aspect of life.
Wealth issues can especially be analyzed from the 2nd house. The planets placed in this house are highly important. While Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Chandra and mostly Rahu increase wealth, Saturn, Mars (good for properties) and Ketu are not beneficial when placed in the second house.
The 4th house in a horoscope should be looked at for properties, immoveable assets and vehicles. Benefic planets in this house can give houses or lands to some people. Mars especially is very comfortable in the 4th house, since it is Karaka for properties. Karaka is the symbol of a subject in astrology.
In some cases, we see some people who have exorbitant fortune although they do not have a permanent job and income. Such situations are mostly seen when an individual has a good 2nd house but a weak 11th house. The 11th house in a horoscope indicates income, gains and salaries. The character of the planets placed in this house or the presence of the lord of the 11th house here, are significant aspects for making an accurate horoscope analysis.
Although the 8th house is known to be a weak position for planets, it is the house of the money, which we acquire without any effort, such as legacies. On the other hand, if you want to find out the possibilities of a certain person to gain money from stock exchange or speculative trades, you should look at the 5th house.
If you want to know whether a person acquires his wealth with less effort or by struggling, you should look for the planets or houses, which have relations with the above-mentioned houses. Among the planets, Rahu, Saturn, Sun, Mars and mostly Ketu, brings hard work to an individual’s life while the connections of Jupiter, Venus or Moon make the individual a person who gains money with less effort.
At the same time, the lords of the 3rd and 6th houses and the planets in these houses make a person hard worker.
As I was planning to write an article about the financial indicators in Vedic Astrology, the name Jeff Bezos, who is the richest man of the world and the chief executer officer of the world's largest online shopping retailer Amazon, besides being a technology entrepreneur and an investor, came to my mind.
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He was born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Since his birth time was not known, I rectified his birth time according to his life details and found his exact birth time as 11:32:51 a.m.
While analyzing the birth chart of Bezof, we see a very strong wealth yoga. The term Yoga in Vedic Astrology does not stand for the stretching exercises people do for relaxation. Yoga here means some planet placements with aspects or conjunctions to each other. For example, some of the strongest wealth yogas occur when the lord of 2nd house is in conjunction with the lord of 11th house in the 2nd or 11th house. In the horoscope of Bezof, we can see this strong wealth yoga in the 11th house in which the lords of 2nd and 11th houses, Saturn and Mars are in conjunction. At the same time, Mars, as the lord of 9th house gives us good fortune. This demonstrates that Jeff Bezos also receives the support of the nature.
Jupiter has special importance in Vedic astrology. It makes aspects with the 5th and 9th houses from its own placement and is the karaka (symbol) of important life issues. One should have a strong Jupiter in order to have the strength to overcome problems. Although Jupiter is exalted when placed in Cancer, it has the similar power if it is placed in our Ascendant. Jupiter is the planet for prosperity. In the horoscope of Bezos, we see Jupiter both in the ascendant and Pieces, which is its natural house. This placement can also be interpreted as a good placement for good wealth.
Raja Yoga in Vedic Astrology, is known as the King Yoga. This is the strongest placement for some planets in a horoscope, where they make conjunctions or aspects to each other. We see Raja Yogas in the horoscopes of some political leaders who rule the world. A Raja Yoga occurs in a horoscope, if the lords of the trine and angle houses are in conjunction with the lords of other trine and angle houses, or they make aspects to each other.
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In the horoscope of Bezos, there is a strong Raja Yoga. There are 4 planets placed in the 10th house of his chart. The 10th house is the house of karma, which shows our activities. Bezos has business activities and investments in a variety of fields. He is the founder of a human spaceflight startup company and the world's largest online shopping retailer Amazon. Moreover, he is the new owner of The Washington Post. Rahu in the 4th house can be interpreted that he is a person who perceives the world different than the other people.
In Bezos’ horoscope, we see that the lord of the 4th house is in conjunction with the lord of the 5th house in the 10th house. This is a very strong Raja Yoga. This conjunction carries Jeff Bezos to the top of his profession. He is one of the most powerful people in the world, and will remain in this position for many years.
While analyzing the horoscope of an individual, we should also look at the “Dasas” of that person in order to understand in which period he will experience the effects of the planets of his horoscope or when exactly he will become rich. Dasas are the life periods of a person, which begin with our birth and continue for 120 years. Every planet rules a fixed period. We call these periods “Mahadasa” (Main Period). A person’s prosperity can increase during the period when the planets are a part of wealth yoga
Through this article, I wanted to present an overview about some wealth placements in Vedic Astrology. There are many techniques in astrology, which are not mentioned in this article, to make better analyses of a horoscope. I hope that my articles guide you through Vedic Astrology, which is a very comprehensive and interesting subject.
Metin Özenbaş was born in İstanbul, Turkey in 1965. He studied Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering at University. Özenbaş has always had a deep interest in astrology and spiritual subjects, throughout his life. He was greatly attracted to Vedic Astrology, which he became acquainted with in 1989, and has made profound researches on Vedic system until today. He analyzed horoscopes of thousands of people for whom he also provided consultancy in Turkey and Germany, besides writing articles about Vedic astrology. He has played a prominent role in introducing and popularizing Vedic astrology in Turkey through his articles and consultancy services. Metin Özenbaş is one of the leading Vedic astrologers in Turkey, who still continues research in the subject, and provides consultancy via skype and telephone. Contact: [email protected]
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Sri Yantra Karmic Astrology and Counseling (Om Phat Svaha) Meskalila Nunzia Coppola
Competence and professionalism are crucial, but not enough to make an excellent consultancy. The keys to helping the client to recognize his own needs through his horoscope are empathy and listening. This level is possible for the astrologer who is used to facing up to his shadows, by a spiritual training. Karmic Astro- Counselling, including meditation on Lunations and Sri Yantra, is a valuable awakening tool which makes use of Sacred Geometry to harmonize practicality and sacredness, ancient and modern paths.
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Sacred Geometry
The geometry of the Sri Yantra encloses the entire cosmos. I will briefly outline the forms which create it
Square. It symbolises the Earth, stability, knowledge of one's strengths and limits, solidity, peripheral thresholds, continuity, the finite and the infinite. In the yantras, the triple square16 with the doors in the form of a T mark the boundaries between the earthly world and the cosmos, between the external and the internal, between the I and the you, the single and the collective, the human and the Divine. The doors are guarded by the guardians of the directions (Dikpãla) who obstruct and free the entrance, so that the practitioner can only reach where he is ready to arrive. A prolonged attachment to the square indicates manipulative tendencies, voracity in relationships, professional greed and a tendency to include only subordinates in one's own spaces to prevail. Circle. It symbolizes cyclic nature, completeness, sky and planetary motion. The equidistant points from the center suggest the principle of equality in the protective area of the sacred space. Nevertheless, a protection which is too tight generates imprisonment, as happens with factors which restrict or amplify the boundaries of arbitrary free will. Lotus flower. It symbolizes integration and adjustment to an inappropriate territory. Its structure is impenetrable and so it is not damaged by the mud in which it sprouts and grows. In the yantras, the lotus flower indicates the eco-friendly expression of the divine Essence. The changing number of petals is associated with the quality of the Divinity to which it is dedicated. The petals will open when the meanings of the other lines have been completed. Triangle. It indicates Will, Knowledge and Action. With the point facing downwards, it is Energy (Shakti). Facing upwards, it is Knowledge (Shiva). The two triangles form a star symbolizing the union between opposites: Shakti and Shiva, Moon and Sun, feminine and masculine, etc. With the triangles united like an hour glass, time and space lose their boundaries. The triangle requires courage to overcome the problems which came to light in the square; the prejudices of the practitioner emerge from its lines. Dot (Bindu). It is the cosmic dot, the conjunction, the zero of immensity and paucity, the dimension from which forms arise. We reach the dot, after having crossed through all the dimensions and after having started the transformation.
The construction of the Sri Yantra
The Sri Yantra can be constructed using many methods. Here is a summary of the procedure17.
1. Close your eyes and visualize the boundaries which separate terrestrial space from celestial space. Visualize the entrance to the cosmic dimension. Open your eyes and draw a circumference crossed by a vertical diameter.
2. Divide the diameter into forty-eight equidistant units (12 Signs + 27 Lunar Mansions (Nakshatra) + 7 Planets + 2 Nodes), marking them with small dots.
16According to the Astrāvidyā system, the trilinear square also represents the boundary between ancient traditional planets and the three modern transpersonal ones: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
17 Whoever wishes to study the passages in more depth will find them on pages 31 to 40 in the book “La Luna e le sue Dee” (“The Moon and her Goddesses”)
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3. Highlight the following points on the diameter, starting from the bottom: sixth, twelfth, seventeenth, twentieth, twenty-third, twenty-seventh, thirtieth, thirty-sixth and forty-second. For each of these dots, sketch a string. Number the strings from 1 to 9, starting from the bottom.
4. Keeping 48 as a reference number, mark the following spaces on the strings: 1/16 = 3 spaces from both ends of string 1. 1/12 = 5 spaces from both ends of string 2. 1/3 = 16 spaces from both ends of string 4. 3/8 = 18 spaces from both ends of string 5. 1/3 = 16 spaces from both ends of string 6. 5/48 = 5 spaces from both ends of string 8. 1/16 = 3 spaces from both ends of string 9.
3. Delete the spaces marked with the dots on both sides of each string, and then sign the name of the corresponding planets according to the weekday sequence. The last two on the top are North Node (Rahu) and South Node (Ketu).
4. Now the change begins. Breathe, be aware of your body, stand up and take nine steps forward, then sit down and prepare for your journey.
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Now you can mark the Bindu (Fig. 4)
Figure 4
Perform nine breathing cycles; each one is dedicated to a planet, starting with the Sun. Mark the first outer circle with eight petals (Fig. 5)
Figure 5
Add the next crown with sixteen petals (Fig.6).
Figure 6
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Finally, the three outer circles and the doors (Fig 7).
Figure 7
The nine larger triangles, by crisscrossing, give rise to the forty-three peripheral triangles (14+10+10+8+1) which clearly can be seen in Figure 8. The first forty-two triangles represent the abodes of the Guardian Divinities and lead to the forty-third small triangle of the Lunations Goddesses (Nityā). At the center there is the dot (Bindu) with Mahā Tripurā Sundari.
Figure 8
After having drawn it, guard it with joy, while you are waiting to meditate and explore the island of the jewels!
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Meditation on the Sri Yantra
The Sri Yantra is in a phase of growth. The astrologer who crosses every Āvaraṇa (circuit) and reaches the triangle of the Lunations will get to know secret parts of himself and then will know how to interpret the horoscope in a way which matches the nature of the client. Above all, the rite of passage must be accomplished by carrying out a symbolic or real circumambulation around the diagram. After this, the door to entry3 is chosen and the Āvaraṇa (circuits) are crossed. In modern language, we could say that each Āvaraṇa displays a selfie reflecting the qualities and faults of the practitioner. To begin, it is advisable to do the procedure in nine consecutive days, as follows. This meditation cycle does respect the planetary Dasha structure.
I. KETU. Āvaraṇa which enchants the three worlds. Trilinear square and three circles of the cosmic belt (Mekhala).
The mazes enclose esoteric knowledge, charisma and intelligence. Depending on the kind of rapport you will establish with your guardians, you will get to know the presence or absence and the intensity of the following characteristics: generosity, radiance, fame, charisma, assertiveness, vanity, conceit and arrogance. Write down the sensations you have during the journey.
II. VENUS. Āvaraṇa which satisfies all hopes, sixteen petals. Long-term unfulfilled desires create blocks. You can fulfill them if they don't harm others. Careful: this can create imprisonment and hinder the next step. Write down the sensations you have during the journey.
III. SUN. Āvaraṇa which stirs up everything. Eight petals.
It emanates the qualities of shape, taste, smell, contact, rhythm, sound, nature and conscience. In this dimension, you can understand your potential for moving forward. Here you can understand if you possess the necessary balance to act and to react to events. Write down all the sensations you have during the journey.
IV. MOON. Āvaraṇa provider of prosperity and mental awareness. Fourteen triangles.
It represents the first letters of the alphabet and the following kinds of Energy: mental, intellect, conscience, ego, the ten organs of awareness and action. Here you will understand your mental attachment to your material well-being. Write down the sensations you have during the journey.
V. MARS. Āvaraṇa bearer of goals. Ten triangles with ten vital breaths
The Energy of the prāna is found here. Here you begin to become aware that spiritual fulfillment is your goal, and you may figure out its difficulties. You can understand where you want to get to and how to find the right Energy. Write down the sensations you have during the journey.
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VI. RAHU. Āvaraṇ, protection of all kind. Ten minor triangles
Your protective intelligence could activate these energies: elimination, digestion, absorption, combustion, secretion, acidification, excretion, frustration, assimilation and lubrication. You can also get the awareness of the necessary equilibrium to cherish you desire for liberation. Write down the sensations you have during the journey.
VII. JUPITER. Āvaraṇa which heals everything. Eight inner triangles with holy letters. The paraphernalia of the healing Divinities appears. The male and female energy is in harmony. The nature of the pernicious bonds and the success to get rid of them comes as a blissing light from your Guru. Write down the sensations you have during the
journey.
VIII. SATURN. Āvaraṇa of the powers and achievements. The inner Triangle form where Nityās emanate Energy in the two fortnights of the synodic month18.
Here your natal Nityā discloses your practical persevering dutifulness. You may consciously feel the responsibility of your karmic limitations and take the chance to detach from them. Here the astrologer finds the key of the Karmic Triad. Draw a triangle in your notebook and meditate on your Nityā.
IX. MERCURY. Āvaraṇa which offers well-being and happiness. Bindu
It's the secret part, where the Goddess resides. Creation and disintegration emanate from here. A playful and curious energy may help you making the right decisions. Sit in silence and listen to the Divine voice which pulsates from the Bindu. Do not write in your notebook. Your words here are offered as an oblation in the form of silence.
Let the notebook rest for eight days. On the ninth, read what you have written again. You will find the keys. Whoever meditates on the Sri Yantra feels great pleasure and gets to know secret parts of himself, he evolves and learns how to help the client, immersing himself in the Karmic Triad.
Karmic Triad and Counseling
The knowledge of the Nityās helps to interpret the Karmic Triad: the Nityā of the astrologer, of the native and of counselling.
Nityā of the native: it reveals the kind of nourishment and care which he feels he has received or not from his mother. The lunar whole magnifies the karmic meanings. Nityā of the astrologer: it indicates the type of emotional nourishment and care that he can offer the client. Nityā of counselling: it characterizes the interaction between consultant and the person being counselled; it clarifies the forecasts which emerge during the consultancy.
18 (29g, 12h, 44m, 2,9s)
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Name of the Nityas
The 16 Tithis are under the rule of 16 Nitya Devis or Sodasa Nityas (So + dasa = 6 plus 10): 1. Maha Tripura Sundari, 2. Kamesvari, 3. Bhagamalini, 4. Nityaklinna, 5. Bherunda, 6. Vanhivasini, 7. Maha Vajresvari, 8. Shivadooti, 9. Twarita, 10.Kulasundari, 11.Nitya, 12.Neelapataka, 13.Vijaya, 14.Sarvamangala, 15.Jwalamalini and 16.Chitra
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An example with important information follows. I am not interpreting the full Natal Chart. I am only focusing on the Triad to choose the type of counselling suitable for the karmic needs (conscious or unconscious) of the consultant. The Zodiac is circular-sidereal with Whole Signs Houses.
The patterns are marked by the Moon and by Saturn: karmic needs connected to the dynamics of Sade Sati. Shivaduti animates the chart of both the client and the astrologer: both have experienced the influence of the Sade Sati, through a probable lack of communication from the mother. What to communicate and how to communicate are the problems to take care of during the consultancy. The Dyad with Shivaduti (light and dark) indicates contrasts, mutual forecasts and communication difficulties, mirroring situations which are familiar to both: power conflicts about what the Astrologer believes that the client can obtain and what the latter claims to deserve. To avoid frustrations, the astrologer must be very empathetic in communicating the information.
Kulāsundari, the Nityā of collectivity which unites the client and the astrologer, can add empathy to the sense of familiarity to overcome the communication conflict. Shivaduti, acting on the reality of the birth Lunation of the two, helps to find the tools of the path towards well-being. The mutual lunar totality will offer more detailed information.
Is it worthwhile embarking on the long path of the Sri Yantra to obtain scant news about the management of the consultancy? Well yes, it is. The methods and the rules are not enough to help a person: it is necessary to pinpoint the emerging strengths and difficulties during the consultancy to reach his soul more easily. Meditating on the Sri is like hugging the cosmos. Integrating the micro-realities with the macro-structures adds a unique and unforgettable touch to the consultancy. I have been asked if this approach can be practiced by atheists. The reply is simple: the archetypical root exists in all human beings; everyone feels it according to his own nature. I like to conclude by invoking upon us the Energy of today's Nityā.
28th MARCH 2016 – PANCHAMI-VAHNIVASINI
A WISH FOR EVERYONE Light, joy and well-being! May the knowledge of the lunations indicate the best for you in your many possible futures!
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Meskalila (Nunzia Coppola) is D.F.Astrol.S, counselor in psychosocial Gestalt, CIDA delegate, ISAR VP and MAPAI. In India, where she lived for fifteen years, she has followed the paths of initiation with Aghori Langta Baba and Jay Kali Brahma Mahi Tara Mahakāla Vināsini. She has trained children with severe multiple disabilities with Nada yoga. She conducts seminars on meditation and Chakras, according to the Shakti path. Expert in cultures, myths and oriental disciplines, she lectured for the Department of Research and sociological methodology at University “La Sapienza", Rome. She is the founder of Astravidya School of Karmic Astrology. An expert in supervision, she conducts workshops by the means of astrological and ancient worldwide myths. She translated into Italian Deborah Houlding’s "The Houses. The temples of the sky", Edizioni Capone. She wrote with Michele Colafato and others "Masters, spiritual leadership: paths, models and methods", edited by Edition Angeli, 2006. She wrote for the series Psicoguide, edited by Cittadella "M come meraviglia" and "D come desiderio". She wrote "The Moon and her Goddesses. A way to karmic astrology" edited by By Edizioni Capone (Chiaraceleste). She is the founder and president of the Cultural Jayavidya Association. Her site is www.jayavidya.org . She has been awarded as Global Outstanding Astrologer by The Indian Institute of Oriental Heritage. She also won the title of Woman Astrologer 2016 by the same Institute.
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TWO TEACHING EVENTS IN 2018 WITH ALAN OKEN July 11-25 in Bali and November 1-16 in Lisbon
July 11-25: Bali Indonesia The ancient wisdom is alive and well in Bali! A two-week series of Teachings devoted to the Development of Consciousness and its practical Expression in daily Living
All sessions will be held in my home. I have a spacious air-conditioned room set aside for us with views out to the swimming pool and tropical garden. A home cooked Balinese buffet lunch will be served each day featuring both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Tea, water, coffee, fresh fruit and Indonesian snacks will be available throughout the day. You are responsible for choosing and making your own accommodations but there are a number of very lovely and reasonably priced hotels (US$25-$40 a night) within a 7 to 12 minute walk from my door. Their names and contacts are listed at the end of this announcement.
The Contents and Subject Matter of these Teachings is two-fold:
1. ME: An offering of subjects that I believe are of particular interest and will aid each of us to unfold along our particular Path. Each day we will meditate together and open ourselves to being “impressed” by the Higher Self which is definitely invoked through Group Effort and Contact. In addition, some afternoons, we will have “Conscious Tea-Breaks.” Please see below for my list.
2. YOU: Each of you as participants is asked to submit to me via email subjects for discussion: matters that you see as needing to be resolved along the Spiritual Journey that we are all taking. The benefit of a small and dedicated group is the fact that we will have the time to be Present for one another, and I look forward to facilitating this interchange among us. Please have your topics handed into me as soon as you wish, but no later than May 31.
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My list: 1. Living life energetically—the relationship between intelligence and consciousness, the relationship between intelligence and intuition. Techniques for fusion. 2. Self-expression and Self-realization: the process of Individualization—walking the talk. 3. Objectifying the shadow and techniques to transform it into Light. 4. Nurturing necessary destruction, loss, and release as dynamic helpers to higher consciousness. 5. Living the dual life as a single purpose. Examples. 6. The Principles of one-pointedness, effective magnetism, and the conscious use of Will. Examples and exercises. 7. Techniques and practices for moving through the energetic, karmic blockages that diffuse and distort Light. 8. The techniques of intention, effort, and persistence in maintaining the conscious link between the Soul, the personality, and by extension our Group of fellow Light Workers. 9. Principles and techniques for the right use of mind and the objective creation of thought forms. 10. Programming oneself as an instrument for solution and healing. 11. Tearing down our own defense mechanisms and rebuilding them with Structures of Light. 12. Techniques for fusing the Third Eye with the two physical eyes and the outworking of consciousness through the resulting true vision. OK, You get the idea…..
Your list:……………………………………………………………………………………….
Schedule: Classes begin each day at 09.30am with a morning meditation with a lunch break from 1-2.30pm. Classes resume in the afternoons from 2.30-5.30pm, followed by a closing meditation. Two brief refreshment breaks will also be offered as well as group discussion periods each day. Teaching days are: July 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25 (12 days) and “vacation days” are: July 14, 18, 22. Excursions: We will organize two optional excursion days to temples, natural beauty spots on the island, and other sacred spaces. Announcements and information will be given out as we move closer to our starting date.
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Recommended hotels for Bali 2018
All of the following hotels may be found on-line and are quite nice and very worth the price. They all include breakfast. One of them, the Savvoya is literally 7 minutes away from my door, and the others, perhaps 10-12 minutes away (by foot, or a few minutes by taxi). All the prices are for Single or Double, so if you wish to share, that makes things very inexpensive. Let Wira know ([email protected]) that you wish to share and he will put you in contact with others who also wanting to do the same (or let you know otherwise). Our address is: Jalan Mertanadi, Gang Mawar 21 in the Kerobokan area. All these hotels are either on Jalan Mertanadi or on Sunset Road (around the corner). Hotels: Signature Hotel ($35-40) Zen Rooms ($25-30) Apple Villa ($35-40) Fave Hotel Sunset ($25-30) Savvoya ($25-30) Splurge 5-star around the corner: Trans Hotel ($140).
Fees: $2100 (entire two-week program, including lunches and refreshments)
Deposits and refunds: You are welcome to pay in full at the time of registration or place a $1100 deposit with the balance ($1000) due on or before April 30, 2018. There will be a 100% refund (less a $250 administration fee) only if you need to withdraw and we can find you a replacement from my waiting list.
Please note: There is no special registration indicator for this seminar on my website, so please make all payments via the Consultations tab at www.alanoken.com (indicate Bali2018 when asked “What is this payment for?”
Registration: Please scroll down as the registration page for both of these Teaching Events is located at the end of this notice.
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November 1-16: Lisbon, Portugal The Wisdom of Astrology – Master Class Seminar Two one-week seminars dedicated to the practical application of astrological delineation techniques.
You are welcome to take either or both of these week-long seminars. All classes are being held at the Macrobiotic Institute of Portugal in the beautiful Chiado district, the very heart of Lisbon. There are many near- by Portuguese and international cafés and restaurants. For those of you seeking a delicious vegetarian meal, the Institute offers a lovely lunch (and healthy snacks) at reasonable prices. Complementary tea and water is available in the classroom throughout the day. You are responsible for choosing and making your own accommodations but there are a number of very lovely and reasonably priced hotels within walking distance. As this is “low season,” you might do very well to shop on-line for an Airbnb or similar apartment accommodation. Should you wish to share, let Wira know ([email protected]) and he will share your request with others wanting a roommate.
Week I - November 1-7 The Cycles of the Planets and the Events of Life: The Art of Prediction
Most of you are quite aware of planetary transits, secondary progressions, eclipses, and the progressed lunation cycle. This seminar is therefore not devoted to defining these systems of prognostication, but of synthesizing them into real and exact meaning. We will therefore be discussing the methodologies surrounding such questions as:
What are the techniques to define the differences in prioritization of planetary influences? Example: Why a Saturn transit dominate in importance over a Pluto transit in a given chart and in another natal map, just the reverse would be true? How do we integrate eclipses and transits? What are planetary triggers? What are the effects of planetary stations and how long do they last? What is the relative strength between secondary progressions to transits and secondary progressions to natal placements? How do we blend and synthesize both of these influences? What happens (both on individual and collective social levels) when for example, transiting Uranus in Taurus trines the Neptune/Uranus in Capricorn generation, trines the Pluto/Uranus in Virgo generation, or makes a T-square to the Neptune in Scorpio and Uranus in Leo generation?
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In addressing such questions, I will be bringing both primary and more subtle approaches to predictive techniques to our daily classes. You are asked to bring your interests, questions, discoveries, and your charts. Wherever and whenever possible, I will be using the natal charts voluntarily offered by the seminar participants as our examples.
Please note: If you would like your chart to be chosen for this purpose, please submit your birth data to me via email ([email protected]) and your specific areas of interest. Submissions are requested to arrive no later than September 1st for consideration.
Schedule: Classes begin each morning at 10am. There is a lunch-break between 1 and 2.30pm when classes resume until 5.30pm. Two brief refreshment breaks will also be offered during the day. Class days are: November 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 (November 4th is a free day.)
Hotels and accommodations: Once you have decided on where you would like to stay (keeping in mind that our classes are being held in the Chiado district), Google Maps will show you the most direct route from your location to the Macrobiotic Institute (address: Instituto Macrobiótico de Portugal, Rua Anchieta, 5). If you still have any doubts or questions, please feel free to contact Wira or Alan.
Fee for Seminar I: US$1100. Deposits and refunds: You are welcome to pay in full at the time of registration or place a $600 deposit with the balance ($500) due on or before August 15, 2018. There will be a 100% refund (less a $150 administration fee) only if you need to withdraw and we can find you a replacement from my waiting list. Please note: There is no special registration indicator for this seminar on my website, so please make all payments via the Consultations tab at www.alanoken.com (indicate Lisbon1 when asked “What is this payment for?”)
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Week II – November 10-16. Soul centered Astrology and esoteric Psychology Finding the purpose of the Soul and the Personality in the Natal Chart: polarization and synthesis; duality and unity.
I rarely teach this subject as there are so many terms to define and I want to be able to probe into the chart with this vocabulary already established in our minds. I will therefore assume that you have some knowledge of the Seven Rays and their relationship to the planets and/or are will to do some additional studying before you come to Lisbon. In this respect, to everyone who registers, I will be sending out a booklet of writings and diagrams to serve you as a preparation guide for this seminar. In addition there will be certain passages from my book, Soul- Centered Astrology, as well as some excerpts from Esoteric Psychology, Vols. I and II (the latter are available free on line or available for purchase via amazon.com or lucistrust.com). All of these reading references will be sent out to you upon registration.
As for the content of the classes, the primary focus of these Teachings is interpretation. Methods of counseling and guidance is another major intent of this work. Other themes include:
Finding the major themes in the chart through both esoteric rulerships (Soul dynamics) and exoteric rulerships (personality dynamics). Assessing the links between the two dynamics in terms of their alignment or misalignment. The nature of polarization and the psychological manifestations in the life of the individual. The discussion of complex psychological issues as noted in the horoscope and their potential resolution. The Path of Synthesis and its consequences relative to consciousness. Please note: Whenever possible, the example horoscopes chosen to illustration all of the above will be chosen from the voluntary participation by members of the seminar. Group discussion will be very welcome throughout our time together. If you would like your chart to be chosen for this purpose, please submit your birth data to me via email ([email protected]) and your specific areas of interest. Submissions are requested to arrive no later than September 1st for consideration.
Schedule: Classes begin each morning with a brief meditation at 9.45am. There is a lunch-break between 1 and 2.30pm when classes resume until 5.30pm. Two brief refreshment breaks will also be offered during the day. Class days are: November 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 (November 13 is a free day).
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Hotels and accommodations: Once you have decided on where you would like to stay (keeping in mind that our classes are being held in the Chiado district), Google Maps will show you the most direct route from your location to the Macrobiotic Institute (address: Instituto Macrobiótico de Portugal, Rua Anchieta, 5). If you still have any doubts or questions, please feel free to contact Wira or Alan.
Fee for Seminar II: US$1100.
Deposits and refunds: You are welcome to pay in full at the time of registration or place a $600 deposit with the balance ($500) due on or before August 15, 2018. There will be a 100% refund (less a $150 administration fee) only if you need to withdraw and we can find you a replacement from my waiting list.
Please note:There is no special registration indicator for this seminar on my website, so please make all payments via the Consultations tab at www.alanoken.com (indicate Lisbon2 when asked “What is this payment for?”)
Please Note Fee for entire program (Seminars I and II) is US$2100. You may pay in full or place a deposit of $1100 at the time of registration. The balance of $1000 is kindly requested before August 15, 2018. There will be a 100% refund (less a $250 administration fee) only if you need to withdraw and we can find you a replacement from my waiting list. Please note: There is no special registration indicator for this seminar on my website, so please make all payments via the Consultations tab at www.alanoken.com (indicate Lisbon12 when asked “What is this payment for?”).
Please see next page for the Registration Form for all 2018 Teaching Events.
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Registration form for 2018 teaching events with Alan Oken
Name:______Physical Address:______Email:______Website:______Tel. number:______Skype:______Birth data (optional):______
I wish to register for:
Seminar I: The Ancient Wisdom/Bali Yes:______Amount Enclosed:______
Seminar II: The Wisdom of Astrology/Lisbon Week I: The Art of Prediction______Yes:______Amount Enclosed:______Week II: Soul-Centered Astrology______Yes:_____ Amount Enclosed:______Both Weeks I and II______Yes:______Amount Enclosed:______
Total Amount Enclosed:______
Payments: Please make all payments via the Consultations Page at www.alanoken.com Depending on your choices, please enter one or more of the following in the box that asks, “What is this payment for?” Bali2018, Lisbon1, Lisbon2, or Lisbon12
Please fill out, copy, and paste this Registration Form and then submit it on to me via email: [email protected]
Thank you.
Questions or comments: [email protected] or [email protected]
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IAM LUNATION Let’s travel two moonths ahead Nona Voudouri
May’s 2018 New Moon; Building the New
The spring’s last New Moon is on May 15th, in the sign of Taurus, specifically at 24° 36', affecting the third decan of Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). It is known that Taurus relates to our achievements and the way we acquire them. Beyond the material level though, it is also linked to our values system. What makes us feel safe, complete, is described by our second house associated to this particular sign and, of course, this can not only describe our possessions but also our emotional security. "Security" is a magic word for Taurus and is directly linked to self-confidence and the sense of self-worth: Without the first one, there can’t be the other.
The New Moon symbolizes a new cycle of action in the field that corresponds to our personal horoscope. Such a New Moon, in the earthly environment of Taurus, narrates the beginnings of practical, and not only, character. It's a good time to look at what is that can add points to our self-confidence. To "build" things, relationships, situations, plans that will stimulate our sense of security. To create protection "grids", not to get self-trapped but to set the foundation of our future structures.
On the New Moon chart, such actions are supported by the trine of the Lights (Sun and Moon) with Mars on Capricorn. Creative initiatives are sought here and favored perfectly. The earthly element pointed out on the chart, clearly shows that it is time to use practicality as a tool to see ideas being accomplished. And practicality, in its turn, requires structure and system in order to produce results.
The New Moon’s trine with Mars is a powerful support and for another reason: Mars at 29° 43 'of Capricorn and while preparing to leave the sign, makes a square with Uranus, literally a breath away of the Taurus sign, at 29 ° 59 'of Aries! In short, the planet of action meets that of ... reaction with an incomprehensible appearance and at the end of the signs, "carrying" all the momentum of their up to now course in them.
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Mars-Uranus squares are not easy. It is an aspect that produces anger (that is why accidents are most common in such periods), which "breaks" limits and rules. And while we are in a period of general demand for patience and practicality, impatience and impulse that accompany the aspect, lead to acts of resistance and outbursts that have consequences. There is an accumulated, oppressed anger and there is no tolerance.
What's the secret here?
Yes to creative action, yes to the new, the innovative. What we have to dare is that which will give us confidence. Yes to the eradication of distorted perceptions that hinder our evolution, even if we feel safe with them. No, to the fears that keep us prisoners. Yes to the change that brings about creation rather than destruction. Even those aspects which have to finish situations in order to give the baton to new circles can become the basis for awareness and evolution. The signs of the Fixed Cross have the opportunity to experience it in the future, just like the signs of the Cardinal Cross, with which the planet Uranus has not yet said its last conversation.
May’s 2018 Full Moon; Finding the Meaning
With the Full Moon on 29 May, we bid farewell to spring for this year and we are preparing to welcome in the summer. It’s taking place at 08° 10' of Sagittarius, influencing mainly the signs of the Mutable Cross (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces), of the first decan.
A Full Moon, always confronts two opposing energies in order to balance them. In this case, the Moon from Sagittarius completes its opposition to the Sun in Gemini, and the desiderandum is the idea. Its configuration. Its usefulness. What we have recruited, to translate into what we can convey but also to use in our life.
"It's not enough to have targets, you must also know how to shoot’’. I don’t know who the phrase belongs to, but it describes the sign of Sagittarius very well. In his plethoric world, where the limits are not welcome, there is often a lack of focus. The little dot that is our concern, can easily be lost in the vastness of the sign, which likes the big, the plenty. Here, we have to use the various information of these days to lead ourselves to one truth, in the area that concerns our horoscope, and that is, where the Full Moon affects us individually, to a greater or lesser extent.
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On the chart of this Full Moon, Venus has moved away from Saturn, whom he met from an opposition. That means that the days before the Full Moon were difficult emotionally and financially. Relationships and emotions have reached limits and some have led to alienation. With this Full Moon, we have an opportunity to see with optimism (but without frivolity) the future, to philosophize and to make new plans. Venus now is preparing to make a trine with Jupiter (Ruler of Sagittarius) and Neptune. In short, the chart of this full moon adorns a Grand Trine at water signs.
It is an ideal period to see love with different eyes. Love, may be the key to everything. This Full Moon has the ability to draw polite feelings and provide them with great power, just like a Sagittarius can. It is a positive Full Moon, a phase where dreams can become reality and nice things to happen. Fantasy, art, vision and support for people next to us, are favoured. Mercury, is preparing to leave Taurus, a sign that he behaves more intransigently and with greater stubbornness, and to enter his home, in Gemini, where the communication capabilities will be greater. The trine and sextile aspects of the Moon and the Sun with the North and South Node, support even more positive events.
The negative version of the chart, concerns superficiality, exaggeration at all levels and inactivity. It is very easy to fall into this trap when the actions flow easily (as it happens with Great Trines) and when Jupiter is a protagonist. The 150 ° aspect of the Sun with Saturn causes dilemmas, blocks decision-making and leads to stagnation. Another view has to do with fanaticism and the imposition of opinions, which also concerns the sign of Sagittarius.
It is not difficult for someone to get away from these things by using the positive messages of this Full Moon. And Sagittarius' messages are always connected to the great idea, morality, faith. It is an opportunity to reflect what position they have in our lives and let our emotional intelligence grow these days.
June’s 2018 New Moon: The Noise of Words and Thought
The New Moon of June’s 13th is taking place at 22° Gemini 44’ and will mainly affect the signs of the Mutable Cross (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) of the third decan. Geminis are born to seek knowledge and communication. For them, the goal is not depth but variety and they are endowed with all the right skills in order to achieve it. Their Ruler, Mercury, needs a vital space to move around, collect and transmit.
On the New Moon’s chart, this is not easy. We meet Mercury in the sign of Cancer, a place where his intelligence is expressed more emotionally. This Mercury position is sensitive to the vibrations of the environment and is hardly detached from past memories. From this position, communication is colored by emotion and loses the objectivity that the planet needs to express itself.
Things become more difficult for Mercury, because of the opposition created between him and Saturn in Capricorn. While the obective is communication and mental energy, Saturn puts a "brake" on them and Mercury can’t find the necessary flexibility to behave comfortably. The thoughts become “heavier” as well as the capability of understanding. Transportations and travels are problematic and issues with younger people are more often. Also, problems related to animals come to the surface.
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At the same time, a T – Square is created by Chiron in Aries and the opposition betwen Mercury and Saturn. Our wounds start from our minds and come to the surface asking for care, even if we pretend that they do not exist. We are responsible for their healing. Waiting for others to help or understand us, only adds more wounds to the existing ones. These are not the days to feel that our words and feelings can become understood. We have to manage these wounds, with consistency and maturity (as much as possible), which is not really easy at this stage. However this effort, with calmness and objectivity, is the most secure manifestation of the aspects. We must be cautious about our transportations as well, since this astrological condition is liable to accidents.
On the New Moon’s chart, Venus is on the expiration of her journey to Cancer and prepares for her entry to the Leo sign. The emotional fermentations that are now being made will upset in the next few days the signs of the Fixed Cross (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), which have already begun to see (to a small or large extent) many of their life's conditions changing.
Knowing that the summer of 2018 is subversive and can not be characterized as easy, we see that this New Moon is in the same spirit. It could be more "light" in a sign like Gemini, but if we really want to manifest these energies the best way possible, we need to be aligned with the flow, accept our truths and act consistently.
June’s 2018 Full Moon; The "musts" in the foreground
A full moon in the sign of Capricorn is always difficult, as the tight and frozen Saturnian environment is never pleasant for her. The Moon’s conjunction with Saturn, makes things even more serious. How else could it be when the Lord of Karma is involved?
The Full Moon is taking place on June 28, at 06 ° 28 'of Capricorn, primarily affecting the signs of the Cardinal Cross (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) of the first ten days. As mentioned, it is in a close conjunction with Saturn, which continues its retrograde course in the sign of Capricorn. Cancer is related to our memories, emotional intelligence and our roots. It needs safety, not that of Taurus which is expressed through possessions, but the one which derives from the feeling of being in the womb, the first "home" of our physical body. Capricorn on the other side, feels complete through creation that results in power.
It is about the axis of power of every kind. These two are in opposition this time, with the main theme being the balance between them. If we look at it as a competition, it is unequal: Saturn wins by far, the "musts" and the consistency over them.
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With Saturn retrograde in the sign of Capricorn, there is a forced review of the field affected in each horoscope. Demands have been created and now is the time to check how well we have responded to them. It requires time and energy management, so when the "bill" comes in the end, we can prove that we can pay...
On the Full Moon’s chart, we can observe that Saturn is not the only planet in retrogation. Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto are also in the same condition. This further strengthens the "karmicity" of this Full Moon, which in any case takes place in a period of intense Karma. We see retrograde Mars in Aquarius (this means that it accumulates energy that will be manifested later) in a square with Jupiter and on the way to meet Uranus. The energy that will be released in the coming period will be enormous. That also means that we won’t have a lack of geological, natural phenomena and serious accidents at a cosmic level. At this time, the durability of fine threads that maintain cosmic balance will be tested daily. We already knew that the summer of 2018 would be "hot" in many ways. Also, the T-Square created with Venus in Leo and Jupiter is still in effect.
The issue in this Full Moon is consistency and proper management. It tells us that we need to work on things that will make us feel safe, even if we need to overcome superficiality and laziness. Even in the midst of upsets and perplexity, having a goal is the point. The Moon and Saturn in a trine with Uranus and the Sun in sextile, indicates that we have the ability, to build new pioneering structures, as long as we insist and keep functioning in a structure and a system.
Saturn is the big or small stones we meet in our path. We have the choice of picking them up even though they are the ones that made us stumble. We can build our castle with them or let them accumulate and become a hard to climb mountain.
Nona Voudouri was born and raised in Thebes, Greece. Her initial studies were on Music and Vocal Art. Her love for Astrology appeared at an early age. She completed her studies at the “Alternative Education” astrology school. Also attended specialized seminars by distinguished astrologers from Greece and other countries. In 2017, she began a new cycle of courses that encompass Draconic, Mundane Astrology as well as the ancient art of Horary Astrology. She firmly believes that apprenticeship never ends. She collaborates with www.oroskopos.gr as a columnist.
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IAM ARCANUM Thoughts on the Tarot: a psychological perspective
Anne Whitaker
Tarot cards, in the richness and variety of their images and symbols, have exerted a fascination over the human mind and imagination for hundreds of years. Just as the origins of the tarot itself are shadowy and mysterious, so participating in a tarot reading can transport both the reader and client to a level of experience which defies the linear world of the rational mind, yet holds it own validity and wisdom.
People regard tarot cards with feelings ranging from the wary and fearful, to the gullible and accepting, to the angry and dismissive – they are rarely indifferent. A reading, done well, can let us see how our personal journey brings together aspects of the ever-repeating pattern of life, as represented by the seventy-eight cards. This awareness of connection to the timeless human struggle can bring dignity and meaning to our individual experience, especially in times of difficulty and turmoil.
Approach
How, then, should one use the tarot as a reader, or approach it as a client? My overall experience has led me to a holistic perspective. From this standpoint everything in existence – material and spiritual, microcosm and macrocosm, inner and outer – is seen as connected with everything else. Time itself is seen not in terms of separate measurements of days, hours, and minutes, but in terms of unity: thus a moment possesses its own meaning, carrying particular clues regarding its relationship to past, present and future.
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This view of time is best expressed via Jung’s concept of synchronicity which conveys the idea that each moment in time possesses unique characteristics expressed on all levels at once.
In applying this concept of time to consulting the tarot, the Greek notion of ‘kairos’ – the right moment – is highly relevant. In order to have a meaningful encounter with the tarot several core conditions need to be present. Firstly, the client should have a strong desire to clarify whatever is the issue of the moment. Secondly, the reader should be open and receptive to the client’s need. And thirdly, they should both respect the medium, ie the tarot cards, which they are about to consult.
The Reading
This being the case, the cards are chosen and laid out at a particular moment in time. What happens? It is impossible to know fully – and mystery is part of the potency of the experience.
But you could look at it this way: a biologist cuts a section through a piece of tissue, lays it flat on a slide, uses staining material to bring up the features, then puts it under a microscope bringing the section into clear focus. If s/he is skilled, a detailed picture of the organism from which the section was taken can be built up. This analogy can be applied to the moment the tarot cards are chosen, laid out in all their glowing colours in a particular order or spread, then interpreted by the joint efforts of reader and client.
This section cut through time, the moment of choosing, in some mysterious way seems to reflect the current life of the client. It also carries, in symbolic form, information regarding how s/he came to be in this situation, and some ideas regarding possible courses of action and future outcomes.
Fate or Free Will?
Nobody knows what the balance is between fate and free will. Observation and experience of the flow of life at an inner and outer, personal and collective level eventually leads most of us to form an opinion of this profound topic. Just as there seems to be a connection between who we are and the kind of life we have, so it may be that fate and free will, past, present and future are all part of the same weave – and cannot be separated.
I think that free will rests in our ability to use self- awareness, slowly and gradually developed as fully as possible, in working with the grain of our own lives. It may be our destiny to face certain unalterable circumstances; but the level of awareness we bring to the challenge profoundly affects the level on which we are able to live with the outcome.
Tarot cards should not be seen as implying a fixed and fated future; in my opinion this approach seriously limits a person’s ability to lead their life creatively, restricting any sense of their own free will. Perspective on this point can be gained by considering the parallels between the modern physicist’s view of probability, and that presented by the symbolic pictures on the faces of the tarot cards.
Briefly, the physicist observes the shifting dance of waves and particles and is only able to suggest future outcomes in terms of statistical probability. The tarot reader can observe and describe core energies, in their symbolic form, at work in past present and future – but can only speculate regarding the range of possibilities which flow from each core.
Modern physics has also demonstrated that the presence of the observer influences, however subtly, the outcome of the experiment. By giving definite predictions in a tarot reading, it is highly possible that the reader’s intervention –in some hidden but powerful way – predisposes the client’s life in the direction of the reader’s suggestion.
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The Counselling Dimension
The pictorial symbols of the tarot provide a creative framework within which a person can contemplate their life’s meaning and direction, and gain guidance. But the reader, in being approached for his/her skills, is stepping into the counselling role, whether prepared to acknowledge this fact or not.
The essence of good counselling lies in being able to create a safe and supportive environment in which another person can lay out their hopes and fears, clarifying where they were, are and hope to be – and where the counsellor can help their client to see what the inner meaning and creative potential may be in even the most difficult situations, whilst encouraging her/him to take full responsibility for choices made.
All counsellors have a responsibility to use wisely the power they take on by virtue of their role. This means being prepared to subject their own lives to honest scrutiny via training and/or undertaking their own therapeutic journey. Those who take on a role of power without being prepared either to acknowledge that fact, or examine their own motives, are likely to be a danger to the vulnerable people who seek their help.
This point applies especially to those of us who work within the context of the great arts of tarot reading, astrology or the other symbol systems such as the I Ching or palmistry; these are powerful tools, carrying both healing and destructive aspects. Our job is to empower our clients, not to glorify ourselves, and to help them develop creative solutions to their own challenges, not to become dependent on us.
Meeting Anya and Marc
In preparing this article I asked for, and received, very helpful feedback from various clients. Anya and Marc (not their real names) were chosen for the way in which they brought together, in their respective accounts, elements of most people’s responses to the tarot creatively and responsibly used. I could have used short extracts from all their contributions, but in the end chose these two longer, thoughtful pieces.
First, from Anya, a female client in her late thirties:
“……This felt like an extremely powerful experience and I could hardly believe the cards which were turned up. A number of the cards made a direct impact on me as I realised their significance. Some of the other cards were more difficult to connect with at the time, but have since shown their relevance. All in all, it was an extremely affirming experience and offered me the support I so badly needed at the time – gave me something positive to hold onto.
Meaning continues to unfold as time has progressed, and I feel (six months on) that I am shifting into another phase, having embraced each of the cards’ messages in turn.
This experience has underlined for me a sense of being part of something much larger and greater than myself.
This is awesome! I take faith from this. I found the pictures on the cards most evocative and enjoyed looking around ‘within’ the pictures.
The experience remains with me as an affirmation of my life over the last six months. In many ways I can see that I am at the place of ‘final outcome’ in the reading, certainly having lived through and faced that which I most needed and feared.
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Without the reading, I feel that I would have gone through the experience in much the same way. However, holding on to the most positive aspects of the reading offered me vital support and helped me make connection with my inner strength. Furthermore, the element of warning and caution in the reading helped me to be extremely aware of my need to protect myself. This helped sustain me during a most harrowing time. I look forward to my next reading very much!”
Now Marc’s response. A client in his mid-forties, he was going through a major crisis at the time of the reading:
“…..The best way I can think of to approach this, is to answer the question ‘why did I go for astrology and tarot readings at all, especially bearing in mind my previous contemptuous rejection of such things?’
Well, as you know, only a catastrophe got me there! My previous, very rational, world view having collapsed in some considerable disarray, I had a desperate need for some other source of ‘meaning’ in my life – or rather, some other ‘meaningful’ way of understanding myself and what had been happening to me. I don’t think I was too interested in prediction, only in gaining insight.
As you know, I graduated to the tarot reading from several astrology readings and from participation in your astrology classes. Astrology was powerfully attractive for me – after I had crossed the Rubicon of ‘letting go’ of my previous contempt – because within its own terms it is in fact another vast rational system of understanding the universe. What I mean is, even if you think the whole thing is nonsense, it is nevertheless internally consistent, rational nonsense. Hence it rapidly became acceptable to me.
Moving on to the tarot was perhaps my way of travelling further down the road away from rationality, just to see what it was like. By April last year, my worst times were over and I was feeling the green shoots of recovery – much like Norman Lamont! (note: the then UK chancellor of the exchequer). Psychologically, I think I had come to terms with what had happened to me and was beginning to look to the future. I had sent the divorce papers to my estranged wife, but she hadn’t yet returned them, and I was experiencing pangs of doubt about what I really wanted.
Before, with astrology, I was looking for insight; now, with the tarot, I was looking for a method of choosing – but one that was different from what I had done before, one that involved some kind of surrender on my part. That’s not clear. What I mean is – all my therapy with you brought home to me how much energy I have always devoted to creating a picture of reality inside which I then lived. But it turned out that my reality wasn’t reality after all. By relying so heavily on my rational powers, I had created a faulty picture of how things really were.
Tarot seemed appealing because it involved allowing the universe to show you what reality was. If you made an initial commitment to the ritual, surrendered control, the turn of the cards would show you where you stood. I see the I Ching in essentially the same light, and the notion has a ‘thrilling’ aspect to it precisely because I have been so controlled in my life so far.
What was the experience of the reading like? Given that I was dipping my toe in previously uncharted waters, it felt slightly unreal. I couldn’t ‘believe’ in the tarot as easily as I could in the more ‘systematic’ or ‘rational’ astrology whose terms of reference, unlike the tarot, arise from physical bodies we can actually see in the night sky. But it was thrilling.
I would have to say that I hadn’t fully committed myself to the outcome, but I was much more open to what was going to happen than I could ever have been in my life before. It was an experiment.
It was a valuable experience – it helped me to work out my real feelings about my ongoing divorce and about career choices. But it was the talking stimulated by the cards that did that – they were a mechanism for releasing talk and thus feelings. IAM INΦINITY | 0154
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My experimentation with both the tarot and astrology has led me to an appreciation that many aspects of our lives are ‘fated’ – but that does not obliterate free will or personal responsibility. On the contrary, it seems that everyone has the responsibility of understanding the purpose of his or her individual life – which will depend on his or her inheritance at the start – and has the freedom to choose to make the effort of understanding, then the freedom to do something with the knowledge – or not.
My response to the pictorial images on the cards? You know, for a Presbyterian Scot, I’ve decided I could go in a surprisingly big way for all kinds of pictorial religious symbolism! The allure of forbidden territory? I got the same reaction recently at the temple at Samye Ling (a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Scottish Borders). My senses were drenched in gold, red, blue, green and in accompanying sounds and smells! Seriously – perhaps a slightly infantile thrill at ‘surrendering’ my destiny to pretty painted pictures with supposedly magical powers.
I am intrigued with the idea of ‘drawing lots’ either via the tarot or the I Ching, and I think it’s something I’ll probably do again. The idea of choosing by some kind of ‘drawing lots’ ritual is powerfully attractive to me because, if done with full commitment, it could of course represent the placing of trust in something outside myself. But it remains an aspiration, not an accomplishment.
My tarot reading suggested that I needed to consolidate choices I had already made in my heart, and move on to new commitments on the basis of the wisdom I had achieved through experience.
I did in fact go ahead with my divorce, not without further emotional upset, and have in fact consolidated my relationship with my girlfriend. My energy level has improved greatly, as predicted, though not without ups and downs.
Well, there you are! That’s the best I can do to recall my reactions to the experience…” ______Endnote:
This article was last published in two parts on 28.8. 2016 and 9.9.2016 on www.astrologyquestionsandanswers.com
Anne Whitaker is a writer, astrologer and astrology teacher based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her work appears in many contexts including the UK’s Astrological Journal, The Mountain Astrologer, Infinity Astrological Magazine and Dell Horoscope magazine. She holds the Diploma from the Centre for Psychological Astrology in London, UK, and postgraduate Diplomas in Education and Social Work. Find Anne on Facebook, Twitter @annewhitaker, at www.astrologyquestionsandanswers.com and email: info@anne- whitaker.com
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IAM ARCANUM The Fool’s Journey Lars Panaro
One of the ways to approach the 22 Major Arcana is to see in them a symbol of The Soul’s “journey” and the many masks that it dons throughout. In Way of The Tarot Alejandro Jodorowsky skillfully elucidates how the Major Arcana are divided into two halves which complement one another. Cards 1-10 form the first half, while cards 11-20 form the second and are themselves the mirror of cards 1-10.19
The Fool (Le Mat) is card 0, a symbol for The Supreme Unbounded Whole (God). The Fool walks toward the future (toward the right) embarking upon the path as various stations of life, symbolized by the remaining Arcana. Yet the Fool is not only 0, but by necessity, 22, for he is the beginning and the end, both source, the summation of its contents, and beyond.
19 For some reason Waite changed the order of the Arcana such that in his deck Strength is the 8th card, while Justice is the 11th card. The Tarot Marseille, being much older, clearly shows the reverse of this. It is notable that Aleister Crowley, who created his own Tarot based upon the medieval decks and assiduous studies in Kabbalah, Astrology and other divinatory systems, faithfully restored the proper order of the Arcana. A detailed numerological discussion is beyond the scope of this essay (see Jodorowsky’s book Way of The Tarot).
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It occurred to me one day that the blue dog accompanying The Fool is none other than The Soul, lead on its journey by The Divine. What we call Soul, individually speaking, moves through various states of being (stone, plant, animal) until it reaches the state of man, with the possibility of being reborn as Hu-Man (Divine Mortal)20 after traversing the terrain of Consciousness (Arcana). This culmination is revealed in Arcana XX, Judgement, wherein we see a light blue figure rising from a grave with a halo on its head - the dog (man) is now Hu-Man21.
Prior to this glorious rebirth in blue a second small blue creature appears in Arcana X, The Wheel, standing midway between The Fool (Arcana 0) and Judgement (Arcana XX). This creature sits atop the wheel and resembles a sphinx, part man and part beast. The sphinx clearly stands outside of the wheel of existence and so cannot itself be representative of the soul midway through its journey. Instead it is an embodiment of Wisdom serving as a guide, similar to the Buddhist Yidam2223.
The Two Halves - Involution & Evolution
The first 10 cards of the Arcana are all simple images of human beings, each one evoking a different aspect of social consciousness. This is the Yang portion of the Arcana and depicts man as a social animal, lost in the world he/she has created with little to no regard for the hidden urges and drives which so often compel.
The second series of 10 cards, bring in a flurry of nature, animal, ghoulish and mystical symbolism, thus shifting the focus from Yang to Yin. Just as the sphinx on the wheel, man stands between the realm of conscious activity and that of unconscious forces yet to be understood. Having failed to find immortality in the affairs of social human life, he/she has come to, by spiritual necessity, the sphinx, part man/part beast — master of riddles — a being that can help him/her to bridge and connect the two worlds and form an integrated whole, which is ultimately symbolized by Arcana XXI, The World.
First Half - Involution
In The Magician (I), man resides in the child phase, and plays with all the possibilities standing before him/her. The four objects upon the table (four elements/suites) are like a new set of toys, not fully understood, there for the enjoyment.
In The High Priestess (II) phase, man is educated in the social constructs and value systems that form the basis of social order, while in The Empress (III) the vital-sexual energies surge forth during puberty, with little to no regard for socially binding and often suffocating constructs.
The Emperor (IV) organizes and arrests such forces with the aim that order and stability may reign. The harsh realities of life are brought to bear upon the chaotic forces of creation surging through the youth.
The father and the emerging responsibilities of life are the major faces of this phase (actions have consequences as revealed through Arcana VIII, Justice, twice that of the number of The Emperor).
20 Hu is an egyptian deity synonymous with The Greek Logos, the word of God, while the term Man stems from Indo-Aryan root words like Manas, denoting mind.
21 According to Jodorowsky the light blue color symbolizes “receptivity to celestial powers”, for this is the same color as the daytime sky.
22 https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Yidam
23 The three creatures are also symbolic of the three gunas, with the sphynx symbolic of sattwa.
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Yet stability is an illusion, man’s control a false idol, always on the verge of shattering, giving way to the sense that something more exists. The Pope (V) points to something beyond the mundane, that something which finds its seat in the heart of all. Man now sets his/her sight once more upon the unknown as The Pope gazes left (future). Spiritual seeking in the form of organized religion with its dogmas, customs and rites leads to the experience of beauty, harmony and devotion in The Lover card (VI). A disappointing realization ensues from the frustration of an often narcissistic pursuit of happiness filled with expectation and muddied by attachments predicated upon the complex social customs man has yet to leave behind (the preceding cards).
Thus man is driven to find his/her place as an individual in the world — somewhere there must be a balance between pleasure and pain — thus he/she embarks on the lonesome journey of The Chariot (VII). This is the quest for perfection founded upon Dharma and the nature of this phase is conquest. The Chariot constitutes an embarking upon the quest that The Pope once envisioned.
The path of individualism entails responsibility and honesty — man is made to behold the awesome law of balance (Karma) in Justice (VIII). Man atones for all deeds of misconduct and reaps the benefits of all auspicious actions.
The first series of 10 cards ends in the Hermit (XI) and culminates in the Wheel of Fortune (X). The Hermit has realized the spiritual limitations of worldly life and is therefore ready to embark toward the land beyond the veil, betwixt the vicissitude of extremes. Through contemplation he illuminates the past (he faces the left) and sees all his actions summarized within the turning of The Wheel. Yet he also beholds the the sphinx abiding in stillness atop, unaffected by its perpetual turning (attachment and aversion). It explains, in riddles and parables, the mysteries of life and death, the wheel of time, and the illusory nature of all reality and beckons the Soul into the unknown where it will realize its innate Immortality.
Second Half - Evolution
Having completed the involutionary phase of the cycle of being, the Soul begins the second, evolutionary half, of its journey — the rise out of matter and into Spirit. The various obstacles and terrain of the second half of the journey unfold principally within the mind, symbolically as the Hermit dwelling in meditation after receiving guidance from the sphynx.
In the first stage the Soul reunites with an inner source of primal power long forgotten in Strength (XI). This is a phase of primal innocence and a shedding of mentally/emotionally stifling systems of morality that had cut one off from this primal play of force. Many lose their way in this phase; the number 11 is felt as incomplete and negatively manifests as the battle between man and God, for the ego-mind wishes to seize upon this primal power, proclaiming it as its own, and believing itself equal to God.
To stop at this phase guarantees self destruction and so the journey continues as though nothing had been achieved at all. Focusing and binding himself within the womb of nature (the trees) The Hanged Man (XII) focalizes the energies released in Strength toward a definite purpose (sublimation).
He binds himself for the transmutation of these raw forces so that they do not feed his remaining weaknesses and become a source of pride.m He meets Death (Nameless Arcanum XIII) face to face, and realizes the impermanence of embodied existence, beholding his “father and mother” (attachment and aversion) destroyed in an awesome spectacle.
Man now acquires supreme faith and balance as Temperance (XIV), necessary for a confrontation with The Satan (the accuser or opposer). Temperance offers the knowledge that opposites at their extremes are in fact one and the same and therefore the middle path is the optimal one. Man is now prepared to leave behind the duality that emerged so sharply between Strength and the Hanged Man.
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The Devil (XV) is the stage of confronting bondage in its various forms, whether as guilt, fear, ambition, lust or more. When Yeshua was tempted by The Satan during his 40 day excursion into the desert, he was confronted with three tests: hunger, pride, and power (Matthew chapter 4), presumably the last things blocking him from receiving the full mantle of Christ.
Following this confrontation is a burst of power from the immutable well of wisdom; The Tower (XVI) (Le Maison Deu - The God House) is a surge of energy which obliterates the duality engendered by the ego (symbolized by the two figures fallen at the bottom). More poetically it is the ability to play or laugh at the crude illusory forces of darkness because they have lost their sway. When Gautama Buddha was confronted by Mara (Arcana XV), who demanded to know who stood witness to his realization, Buddha touched his fingers to the earth (the only stable thing in the Tower card), and Mara was destroyed, revealed as a mere illusion of the mind bound by ignorance.
The result of this is purification represented by the naked woman in The Star (XVII), who is replenishing the barren landscape seen in Arcanum XIII (symbolic of all superfluous elements of one’s foundations purged) with the creative forces of The Cosmos — the seven small stars (the seven planets - the seven rays). Above them is an 8th star (the 8th sphere) — Christ Consciousness — which transcends time and space as we understand it. Here man has been freed from the bonds of fate and the cycle of birth and death. This is spiritual maturity — man naked of all attachments, purified and beginning anew.
The Moon (XVIII) captures the natural result of this naked purity, symbolizing illumination as the radiant, disrobed, light of mind - samadhi. The world is seen clearly as various patterns of energy, often trapped in broken record like loops (dogs barking incessantly, life emerging and returning from oceans of energy as the lobster). Here the true nature of what lies below the surface is revealed.
In The Sun (XVIIII) these trapped energetic loops are purified as the dogs (animal-man) are reborn as Hu-Man and enmity turns to friendship. The Sun sheds its light freely upon friend and foe alike and transcends all barriers (the wall). The Sun takes the lunar realization and extends it to all sentient beings revealing the non-dual Truth that separation does not exist. Together the Sun and Moon symbolize “meditation radiating wisdom and compassion”24. These realizations are integrated in Arcanum XX, Judgement, wherein the Self Realized Soul returns to the world from its retreat within (arising from the tomb). This is the way of the Bodhisattva25.
Conclusion
At the end of the journey stands Arcanum XXI, The World, wherein the four elements or four suites are symbolized as various sentient beings, one in each corner of the card, and in the middle stands a young naked woman — The Virgin Spirit. Just as The Fool is the seed of all the cards, the beginning and the end, The World represents the transmutation and completion of the Arcanum. This means a mastery and balance of all the elements, finding the world within, and thus becoming a mirror of The Supreme.
24 The Life of Milarepa, p84 where Marpa explains Milarepa’s vivid dream.
25 An important detail not visible in the portrait of the Arcana in the beginning is that the Star woman has an orange crescent moon shape on her forehead. This easily implies that the following cards, Moon and Sun, are combined in this symbol on her forehead indicating that these cards and what they show are encapsulated in her head as Ajna and Sahasrara Chakras awakened, and thus Arcanum 17, 18, 19 are all unfolding concurrently, rather than as graded steps. Perhaps she is The Moon and the star above The (Spiritual) Sun.
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May/June 2018 | the Fate Issue The World reveals the dance of the naked Soul, the child who plays in the garden of paradise — free to enjoy while unable to become attached. As Tilopa26 so phrased it “the problem is not enjoyment; the problem is attachment”27.
In order to be brief, much has been left unsaid and indeed there are auspicious and inauspicious manifestations of each of these stages/cards. Though it has been presented linearly, in fact it is not, for all these phases are happening at the same moment in greater or lesser degrees, for time is not fundamentally linear, though we often live this way.
Glory To God Alone
Hello. They call me Lars. My journey into the esoteric began rather suddenly and unexpectedly whilst pursuing a degree in Guitar performance and I have been on a strange, wild (and never boring!) ride ever since. Divination is a key to unlocking powerful Truths concerning the nature of reality, and when I became aware of it in the form of Astrology, it quickly became the vehicle for my journey of inquiry. I consider my approach holistic, artistic and very practical as I draw upon multiple traditions (Hellenistic, Medieval, Indian and Humanistic) and incorporate Tarot and Omenology into all of my readings. Contact me at [email protected] and read me at www.larspanaroastrology.com
26 A great Indian Buddha.
27 https://garchen.net/tilopa-988-1069/
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IAM ARCANUM And the Wheel Turns Tara Aal
Jupiter blesses those who are open to new experiences Fortune is an ever-turning wheel To resist is to be dragged To flow is to ride Not recoiling against the movement Clinging and screaming in fear But sitting straight up in it Leaning into the momentum Shouting your affirmation of life In exhilaration
Our astrological Tarot puzzle continues and I’m along for the ride. This mind merging of cards was Smiljana’s brilliant idea and I’m happily going with it, not knowing what will happen next.
Let’s recap. Last edition, we added the 2 of Cups (Love) to The Fool. I introduced the idea of Fool’s Love, which requires we step off our own cliff of love prescriptions and experience love with renewed liberation. The Fool’s Love isn’t stupidity or blind faith. It is love chosen wisely, given room to breathe, express, and evolve. The Fool is the part of us that says “yes” to freedom. The Fool doesn’t settle, she is liberation in motion.
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The 2 of Cups wants a caring, connected, and emotionally stable partnership. Emotional maturity is required of both partners for this union to blossom. Halves won’t do – only two whole people. Love will reveal itself, especially in unguarded moments. We call it “falling in love”. We know it requires a free fall, if it’s the real thing. Two fools leap, together, not knowing where and how they will land. They haven’t come together to be tied down, they are sharing an epic adventure, hand in hand.
And here’s the next piece: Major Arcana X, The Wheel of Fortune. What happens when Fool’s Love meets Jupiter’s Wheel of Destiny? We wish on stars and romanticize the moon because part of us believes in the magic – the magic of love. How does magic come true? With belief that is so big in our minds it takes form. We believe things into existence. Jupiter reflects our beliefs and The Wheel of Fortune teaches us to go with life’s motion with confidence and optimism. What is luck? Luck is believing and being open – being in the moment where “it” can happen.
Fool’s Love is a doorway into luck, because it is already riding high on good feelings, freedom, and the shared spirit of adventure. When Fool’s Love takes a ride on The Wheel, the world expands, and the Universe delivers blessings in accordance with the joy and love the Fool feels. Because the Fool in Love is vibrating with love, she attracts more and more things to love. She wins the game without even knowing she is playing. Have you had this experience? Can you remember a moment when you felt free to be yourself, in love with the moment, and open to whatever would come next? Because you went with that feeling and allowed room for the details to fill in, your experience was rich with enjoyment. Any food you ate tasted better, the music made you want to dance, your lover’s eyes were never dreamier, and everything around you seemed in harmony. Why? Because you were in alignment with Love; you were in alignment with yourself as Love. You didn’t have a prescription for what needed to happen and when. Even if you did have plans, you weren’t attached to them.
Serendipity isn’t a secret. It’s being open to the moment with a cheerful attitude, broad vision, and a perfect dose of innocence. If you expect to throw up on the ride, the carnival isn’t going to be very fun. If you imagine a day full of laughter and enjoyable surprises, you can bet you’ll have a great time and be much less likely to react to life by getting sick. The Wheel of Fortune is going to keep turning, so you don’t have a choice about that. None of us do. But when you lessen your grip on the past (that you keep alive as your present), you see how bright the future really can be.
Is time real? Is space? I don’t think so, but we’ve collectively chosen to play with it, so let’s listen to Jupiter’s advice on the matter. Would our personified planet Jupiter fall victim to the perceived cycles of life? No – I see him standing on that Wheel of Fortune seeing beyond it; understanding it is just a piece of all the pieces that make up our experience. He’d take the ride and make the best of it, like a progressive scavenger hunt. The adventure would inspire his passionate search for truth, a more encompassing view of life. He always wants more, and the Wheel is an exciting way to get on with it! He’d use it to his advantage and sell you a seat along the way.
Love is like a wheel of fortune – we don’t know where it will take us. But we all want it; we want love.
I smile having pulled The Wheel of Fortune as this third card in our IAM puzzle spread. It tells me that opportunity, growth and fortunate turns awaits us when we embody Fool’s Love for ourselves. Fool’s Love state of mind and heart (not just in romantic love) is a key to abundance and happiness. It requires confidence, faith and positivity to truly expand, perceive greater truth, and find your bliss. When you’re there; trusting life and your intuition, knowing that you want more of the things that make you feel good, life fills your cup with goodness. Is there no limit to Fool’s Love? Maybe in the next edition…
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Through her own commitment to personal growth, Tara supports others in discovering more truth about themselves. Tara believes in the healing power of acceptance and allowance – in first receiving ourselves and each other as we are, and as we change. With her ability to quickly get to the root and meaning of things, she helps others shift perspective and create new options. Tara has been a writer and teacher for many years, and has been practicing astrology and the Tarot since 2011. She completed Laura Nalbandian’s Evolutionary Astrology three-year program and is a certified Soulsign Astrologer through Adam Gainsburg’s Immersion program. Currently, Tara is living in Los Angeles, working as a metaphysical writer. She offers private sessions, lectures, and workshops. She is a regular presenter with EA (Evolutionary Astrology) Zoom Meetings, and columnist for Infinity Astrological Magazine and Conscious Community Magazine. Tara is very passionate about using and sharing the astrological technique Planets on the 1st (choosing a new experience of yourself). Tara also enjoys painting, drawing, music, and photography. She loves using images in her work, and you can expect to find her journal pages, mind mapping diagrams, photos, and paintings in her presentations and publications. Much of her inspiration comes from nature, and she loves to explore the outdoors. You can find her at www.TaraAal.com
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IAM ARCANUM
The Wheels Of Fate Are Turning Kim Buckley
IAM Issue 19 is ruled by the Sun card number 19 of the Major Arcana. The Sun card brings success, optimism and vitality, a boost of creativity. It is full of positive vibes and a time when the magazine could be recognized for its achievements and success within the astrological community. The path to success is illuminated by the bright rays of the Sun giving IAM the opportunity to shine.
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Two of Cups, Queen of Wands and Ten of Pentacles. Card Images are from The Gilded Tarot Deck © Copyright Llewellyn Publications Ciro Marchetti Barbara Moore
Smiljana has asked me to elaborate on the previous cards selected in Issue 17 and add another card to the story. So we now have the Two of Cups, The Queen of Wands and The Ten of Pentacles. This feels very passionate a creative union unfolding that will bring a treasure of rewards and achievements.
I notice that there are no Sword cards so the spread is lacking the element of air which is connected to the intellect and communication. They often bring conflict and challenges so I would imagine this to be a time IAM is not faced with many obstacles and blockages. That nothing will stand in the way, the path of communication is open and able to fully flow. There are also no Major Arcana so there will be no major external events preventing this Issue from running smoothly.
The cards selected for Issue 19 fit so nicely with the Title The Fate, the Two of Cups is connected with fate and the coming together of two souls who unite on equal terms, offering each other respect and love from the deepest soul level. It’s like they have lived many lifetimes together so when they see one another they immediately recognise each others souls. Like walking mirrors they are able to reflect back what each other needs in order to feel loved and fulfilled.
When they join together they can make amazing creative energy that will bring emotional bliss to many. Perhaps IAM will welcome on board another person who will be able to waken the creative spirit of Smiljina and there could be articles on karmic love or soulmates, there is something really very beautiful occuring, the creative seeds that were sown in the last issue now have the opportunity to grow and evolve. One splits into two as the story unfolds.
As I write this article Venus, the Two of Cups ruler is in its natural home Taurus trining Saturn also in its natural home of Capricorn as the Two of Cups is ruled by Venus and the Moon. This could be a time when the foundations of success are laid down guaranteeing IAM long term success in the future. As Mercury is retrograde as well I can't help but wonder if someone connected from the past will resurface to unite with Smiljana and offer help in creating this and future issues of IAM.
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The Queen of Wands is the mother of the fire suit and is ruled by Pisces and Aries she is independent, mystical, creative, passionate, fiery, sexy (Smiljana I think this is you). A woman who rules her kingdom with compassion and kindness. Full of confidence she is able to offer her knowledge and wisdom to those around her, she has a magnetic quality that draws people to her and will often create an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm her energy is very contagious and lifts peoples spirits she will help you look at the positive things you have in your life.
The Queen adds sparks of fiery passion and excitement to the Two of Cups there is so much creative energy to tap into. It feels magical and I would expect this Issue to be filled with inspiring articles that will give readers much joy and access to ancient wisdom.
The final piece to the puzzle is the Ten of Pentacles it reveals that whatever IAM is doing right now will lead to long term success and achievement. What starts out as an emotionally fulfilling event will have the opportunity to manifest into material treasure something that many can enjoy and benefit from.
Virgo rules the Ten of Pentacles, Virgo’s rule Mercury is retrograde in Aries the Queen of Wands ruler. So there maybe some backtracking that needs to be done or looking at new ways that IAM can be inventive and come up with new ideas and ways to monetize the magazine. This could be through sponsorship or advertisements.
There could be lots of discussions on how to push the magazine forward. There maybe talks of creating an app or looking at ways that people could donate. This is a great card that compliments the other two selected I can see so much growth and expansion. Security and stability is on the cards and all I AM's visions and creative goals will start to become a reality.
As the final card is number Ten a number that correspondences with the Wheel of Fortune, and often brings endings . IAM must be prepared for practical changes and have faith that they are for the better. Ten is related to karma and fate and a reminder that life is always in constant flow and comes in cycles to help us evolve and grow. The wheels of fate are turning and as one door closes another will open.
Overall the cards selected for Issue 19 are very promising , some major decisions may be made that will have a positive impact and bring financial rewards for IAM. This wonderful Astrological Magazine can only go from strength to strength .
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I studied two Tarot courses several years ago with the wonderful Sue Merlyn Farebrother who teaches at both Treadwells and the LSA check them out if you are interested in learning Tarot. Sue has over 30 years of Tarot knowledge and lectures all over the country. I will always be grateful to Sue for introducing and teaching me all about Tarot. I then went on to study Astrology at the London School of Astrology with the fabulous Frank C Clifford. I passed the Foundation course and I am still to tackle the diploma, but I am determined to go back and at least give it a go. Frank and Sue have been great mentors, they have inspired and motivated me to set up my own online business where I can combine my knowledge of Tarot and Astrology to empower and help others. I have recently completed the TF2 course with Tarot Foundations run by Biddy from Biddy Tarot; this has enhanced my intuition skills and was able to get a different perspective of the cards and their meanings. Further to completing TF2 I applied to be a Certified Biddy Tarot Reader, I managed to pass the required tests needed in order to become a Biddy Tarot Reader. I have also recently become a member of the International Tarot Foundation. www.psychicpassage.co.uk/
www.psychicpassage.co.uk
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Check our previous issues: www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com
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