Category Archives: Arabic Parts

Solar Revolution – Vernal Equinox

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sun-heaven

Drawing a chart for 0°Aries is an ancient tradition. This is the astrological New Year and the chart is representative of who is the Lord of the Year and what we can expect the year to bring.

This chart is cast for Pacific Daylight Time (+7). This means that it most specifically applies to the Yukon, North to the Arctic and South to the Baja Peninsula. It also includes Haida Gwaii

The Eastern boundary is roughly marked by the Rocky Mountains  It covers several major cities including Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Coastal Range and the Olympian Range of mountains are within this zone, as are fault lines of various threat levels.wtzmap006

It’s being calculated from Victoria, the Capital City of British Columbia, Canada. Most of what I have to say will be most pronounced for this location. The specifics of the chart are as follows 20 March 2013 @ 04:21:55 am. 48 North 25 – 123 W

First of all, I’m using Whole Sign Houses and referring to the same chart in Porphyry to measure relative strength.

The chart is for the Day and Hour of Mars, with Mars Direct and  in his Domicile.

Mars is the chart Almuten. The Sun is the Lord of the Year and in his exaltation Mars disposits the Sun and Saturn, the latter being the Lord of the Ascendant..

There is a remarkably strong Martian signature, not all of which is obvious at first glance. They even share Face, so Mars and Sun will never be too far from each other with regard to intent.123421

Some will argue that Mars is Under the Beams and therefore massively weakened at best. My view on this point is that ignoring the relatedness of Sun and Mars would be careless and ultimately misleading. I believe most seasoned astrologers would agree. When valid considerations become unquestioned dogma, they can often lose their original intent and cause unnecessary oversights.

This is a Night Chart, so Mars is in Sect and applying to the Ascendant. In this case at least, we have two hot masculine planets, both dry.

One is exaltation of the other, which in turn provides the domicile of the second. Of course they will act together.

The Part of Mars is in the Second Whole Sign House. Rhetorius tell us that “The Lot of Mars or Boldness is indicative of rashness and treachery and strength and every form of villainy” (Rhetorius p. 26). He is disposited by Saturn and doesn’t do well in the Second House. . Economic growth is curtailed. There will be water shortages and food costs will increase accordingly.

The Lot of Saturn is also called retribution. Here we find him in the Opposite topos as the Ascendant. Although less than ideal, I can’t see this amounting to much harm in and of itself because its nature is the same as the Ascendant..

Luna is in her own Domicile, separating from a Square to Mars and would transfer light to Saturn via an applying Trine to Scorpio.

There is a problem here because Saturn is Retrograde,  in the disposition of Mars and Lord of the Ascendant. Saturn and the Moon have no reception. However it’s important to note that Luna is Parallel Arcturus, a significant Fixed Star of the nature of Mars and Jupiter.porphai

What was a strong Cardinal presence in the chart, now has a Fixed Martial Saturn in the mix and in a Productive House. The Eleventh House is that of the Good Spirit. Saturn in this House is not good at all. First of all, it subverts the House of the Good Spirit and tends to make those we rely on hostile, usually when we least expect it

The Moon has also just departed from a Trine with Mercury in his Fall and departing from a Cardinal Square with the Part of Fortune. But she is also applying to an Exalted Venus in the Third House. Jupiter is Direct, but in his Detriment and in the Face of Mars. Porphyry houses place Jupiter in the Fifth, affording a bit more relative strength.

This is a bright spark in the horoscope, but Saturn ( Whole Sign) is Almuten of the Tenth House. All things considered this chart bodes well for women and particularly if they are in a position of authority. Venus exalted is in the Third House of the Goddess.

The Sixth House is Unfortunate and Jupiter is limited by all these considerations. It is Fortunate however that Venus is Exalted and Dispositing the Tenth House Part of Fortune.

Mars is Almuten of the Fourth and Eleventh House, while the Sun is Almuten of the Eighth House. Fomalhaut, the Mouth of the Fish is conjunct Mercury, being of his own nature as well as that of Venus. Jupiter is with the very powerful star, Aldebaran, the follower of the Pleiads.

Mars in Aries - From el-Tusi, Paradise of Submission

Mars in Aries – From el-Tusi, Paradise of Submission

This star is said to be of the nature of Mars. He is called the Eye of God and is also associated with blindness.  This latter combination makes for a prophetic or highly intuitive mind, even with Mercury in Pisces. The Stars really change the formula. Also, the Part of Jupiter is in  the Ninth House, lending more spiritual discernment to the overall picture.

There will be increased seismic activity, particularly during May and September, although a heightened threat is present throughout the year. I am not predicting  a major catastrophe for Vancouver or Victoria, although those on the West Coast of the Island should be vigilant. This heightened warning also applies to Haida Gwaii and the Coastal regions of the Olympia Range.

Spring will be relatively warm and damp. Weather will become progressively dry. As the year unfolds there will be excessive heat and some drought, at its worst in the South of California. When the Sun enters his own House in Leo, there will be droughts and more fires than usual, including forest and brush fires on a larger than average scale.

When the  Sun rises with Sirius we usually have the peak of extreme heat. According to writers like Rhetorius and Mashallah , the combination we have brings either war or conflicts. I see widespread social unrest but not a war that effects this time zone.

Twelve years have completed since the last Superior Conjunction of  May 2000. The Ascendant was in Leo @18°. Directing the Ascendant, we are starting a new cycle with the Ascendant progressing to Virgo..

The syzygy falls in the Third House @ 21 °24 Pisces. In the source chart it appears right on the MC. The Moon is the Hyleg.  Being reflective and turning inwards for answers will be a great skill to have this year

A Question of Combustion

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venus-transit-art-120502-hpi

An anonymous Indian astrologer recently requested astrologers at large “to develop their own faculties of discrimination and judgement which is necessary to appraise an individual chart. No set of rules can provide for all contingencies and all the permutations and combinations possible.”

Yet Vedic astrology has a vast number of considerations resulting in 66 different Yogas alone. If this applies to Vedic then it certainly applies to Traditional Western Astrology.

Divination is not a mechanical or dogmatic process. In fact, some cannot learn it at all. The word Divination is from the Latin divinare “to foresee, to be inspired by a god”

Considerations Before Judgment are laid down for posterity to assist in the different forms of astrology. Bonatti alone identified 123. We don’t know whether he applied them all in every case, but I should think it virtually impossible and certainly unnecessary.

Moreover, he is not in complete agreement with his predecessors or posterity. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t read what he has to say.

Traditional astrologers are wont to mock Modern astrology for its “cookbook” answers to deep questions or being fuzzy-minded as well as employing outer planets without adequate knowledge of the original ones. I think this criticism comes down to saying there is no coherent metaphysical underpinning for Modern astrology.

It’s essentially based on the whims of the Theosophists with little or no foundation in the true origins of the Art.

However, when Traditional astrologers unquestioningly follow rules,  precepts, and dogma, they too can fall into the cut and paste category in its worst manifestation. More often though, they just become confused. Divination is to know and read the Divine Will. It can’t be learned by rote or practised without critical judgment. The sources are not all in agreement about everything.

The Theory of Combustion is based on the same metaphysical framework as orbs. In Traditional astrology planets, not aspects have orbs. These are actually orbs of light. We then remain true to the principal of at least potentially visible light. In fact, without light, there is no vision.

However, William Lilly and his Christian Astrology have arguably shaped Traditional astrology over the last few decades. For many astrologers, his is the last word on the subject. His form is in fact referred to as “The Real Astrology”  When someone of his stature decides to innovate in such as way as to undermine the entire edifice upon which Traditional astrology is built, this surely raises some very interesting questions.   He tells us that if the planet is in another sign from the Sun, it can be conjunct the Sun and not be Combust.

cazimi-venus-transit-

Venus Transits Sun – Cazimi

This may seem to be a fine point,  but he who argues that this is consistent with the larger scheme of astrological theory based on light will find himself denying the undeniable. This might serve as a cautionary tale of dogmatism versus Divination. Essentially, Lilly broke the Cardinal rule but is still loved and respected as a great astrologer because he was. Lilly is distinguished in his humility and honesty. When he gets it wrong, he tells us. For some reason, he persisted in using the same formula for the Part of Fortune, day or night, although even in the earliest sources it’s reversed. He seems a bit muddled on that point, but at least he was aware of the issue.

Strictly speaking, William Lilly already broke with tradition if we are to disallow any form of innovation.

Let’s look at one or two practical examples: first of all, anyone who believes that Mercury has anything to do with thinking or intelligence will need to explain why Albert Einstein’s Mercury is Combust, not in a good sign and applying to Saturn in Aries! Oh yes, and the Chart Almuten is Venus in her Fall.! Followers of Lilly will find an opportunity for validation, but it still won’t explain why being under the beams is still relevant. The theory based on celestial light cannot be used here

If you didn’t know whose chart it was, the chances are you would think of art before science. I think it’s fair to say that Einstein had an approach to knowledge unlike the majority of theoretical physicists. Whether in another sign to the Sun or not, I would say they are working together to some extent. It helps that Mercury is in the Exaltation of the Sun and that Pisces is visionary.

There are two principal reasons for this. The first is that the Traditional is not a monolith and our predecessors didn’t agree on everything. Take a simple example regarding Combustion. Some will tell you that a planet cannot be combust if it’s in a different sign from the Sun. Another will tell you that anything within 15 degrees of the Sun in either direction is rendered virtually useless. Others give the number of degrees at eight and some as little as three.

Although physical attraction is subjective to some degree, there are many people considered attractive by a large number of people. Super models, actors and actresses might come under this category. A brief survey finds that many people who are considered attractive tend to have Venus well beyond the Beams as would be expected

Kate Moss on the other hand, has her Venus within 3 degrees of the Sun and retrograde. If we say Kate Moss has her Venus Combust, we are saying that all things Venusian are radically undermined, are we not?

It’s clear that we need to consider the nature of the planet Under the Beams in a variety of ways in the context of the entire chart. Mars Combust might share some Solar traits depending on Sign or other considerations.  We would be foolish to downplay the power of a combust Mars with other forms of strength, including reception.

Let me be very clear. I am not trying to undermine any Traditional beliefs. What I am saying is that there is a time to consider the spirit rather than the letter of Divination. The Craft requires constant studying. When we cease to query it will die.