In astrology, there is nothing more interesting and fun than the thought of doing the natal charts of the people you know and are close to in your life.  This is something you should probably not do on a whim as the consequences could be dire!  Now that’s somewhat overexaggerated as obviously the world won’t end upon you doing an indepth natal reading for someone you’re close to, but you understand the general idea.

I recently decided to sit down and seriously go over my boyfriend’s horoscope with Lilly’s Christian Astrology Volume III as my guide.  Now, this is a big step because I haven’t even done my own horoscope as extensively as I’ve gone over his so far.  Probably a bit of a weird thing to admit, but it’s true.  His chart was an interesting challenge, mostly because of not having an accurate birthtime but thanks to Ptolemy, I did the best I could in fixing that problem and so far the reading seems to be going pretty well.  The problem being that the chart is mostly referencing things that are still further along in his future, so really the jury is still out, and it may be a big egg on my face if we ever do really find out his real birthtime.

While I’m still not finished (I’ve still got the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth houses to do, and then after that I’m going to try my hand at following Lilly’s directions on progressions), what I have gotten out of his chart so far seems to be pretty interesting, and in some aspects it’s changed my way of thinking about him in little ways.  According to his chart, he’s going to get married twice.  That’s right, you heard it, twice!  Wouldn’t that make you think and get a bit concerned about your future with someone?  Lilly says Venus in the second house argues that the native marries for money.  Lord knows I don’t have any money (you should see the pathetic state of my second house lord), so I’m wondering who he’s marrying for money, because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be me.  Another red flag for the collection.

Now, in this particular case, everything checks out okay.  Don’t tell anyone, but my boyfriend has actually been married already, and yes, it was technically for money for college.  So, that means only one marriage left, and I’m pretty sure I already called it.

Continuing the marriage trend, his nativity also suggested that his spouse would outlive him.  That makes me a little sad already, and it’s not like death is knocking on our front door.  On the positive side of that, maybe it’ll make me take my time with him a bit more seriously, since I know I’m the one who’s going to run out of time with him.

I also learned all the diseases and injuries he’s going to get throughout his life.  Besides the weak eyesight shown, the other interesting diseases were apparently bladder and urinary tract infections.  Now, I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure cranberry juice helps against that kind of stuff.  So bottoms up, you’ll thank me for it later.

Something else I forgot to mention is that his father may not be his real biological father, because apparently his mother slept around. :S  I know, right?  Well, I don’t think his father is his real father, and I’m a little concerned on if I should tell him or not.  He’s got a night chart, so his father is signified by Saturn in Capricorn in the Twelfth and Venus in Aquarius in the Second (Lady of the Fourth).  Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always seen significators of parents in cadent houses as showing a removed parent either physically or emotionally or whatever.  The Twelfth house especially having significations over those things that are secret or kept hidden.  Hm, a hidden father?  Suspicious…

Doing the horoscopes for someone you’re close to can bring about some interesting inner conflicts.  Do you tell them this or do you keep it to yourself?  How do you keep what you learned from influencing how you interact with them?  You probably really can’t, as it’s always going to be in the back of your mind.  In my case, I was lucky.  I could have seen three marriages, I could have seen him inclined to have affairs, I could have seen an untimely death, but I didn’t.  I could have, but I didn’t.  Things to consider before you dig too deep.

And just why did the chicken cross the road?  Well duh…. he was experiencing Uranus transit opposed Uranus natal (midlife crisis time), Hey, how about why was the chicken run over crossing the road?  Saturn return during a Mercury RX period and the Moon in the Via Combusta under the beams of the Sun (the Sun obviously, in fall being in Libra).  I just crack myself up. And hopefully, give a snicker to the reader versed in Astrology. As I had noted in an earlier blog, an Astrologer really does need other friends that are also Astrologers…. we speak a different language than the rest of
the world, including our humor.

Last night I found myself in a fit of giggles. http://horoscopicastrologyblog.com/2009/10/23/rob-hand-wins-lifetime-achievement-award-kanye-west-interrupts-acceptance-speech/ I saw a visual joke that was both timely and steeped in Astrological references.
I tried to explain the joke to my children and a friend of theirs… all have
an elementary understanding of Astrology, but the joke fell flat, and got less
and less funny the more I tried to explain it.  From trying to convey the
importance of the contributions made to Astrology by Rob Hand, to the basic
history of Ptolemy and mixing it up with current events the kids ended
up putting the reference to Kanye West as the important element,
missing the joke entirely. Author Chris Brennen did a wonderful job providing links to all of the players, so none of us would be left in the dark….
wouldn’t life be easier if we could use links when speaking out in person?
I had a great antidotal story that took place about a year ago.  My son is
a Gemini with a Sag rising… so even if the Gemini winds down, the Sag takes
over and he is constant noise and movement.  I had just arrived home and getting out of the car when I see him whirling around in a clockwise circle.  He suddenly comes to a stop and then starts the same frantic circling in a counter clockwise orientation.  I hadn’t seen him do that before so I ask (in retrospect I see I was set up),”What are you doing?” to which I get the answer, “I am retrograde.”  Proud parent that I am, I tell Grandma and the Aunts and Uncles and I get blank looks back.  One call to Ryoin and I get table slapping, and laughing that produces both tears and snorts.Astrology Weekly has a collection of Astrological Humor located at http://www.astrologyweekly.com/humour/ both anecdotal and
the plain silly how many blanks does it take to change a lightbulb.  I know
there are those out there that will say that the stereotypes based
on Sun Signs are detrimental to the study of Astrology, but they are fun and
help those newer to understand the essence of a sign.  And having lived
under a roof so far with 3 Sag Suns, 2 Sag Moons, 3 Sag risings and my afflictedJupiter… I think it takes one Sag and a crew of Virgos to clean the mess and to call 911 after applying the tourniquet, really funny.

oh, I have another happening…  a while back, the entire family had a place
we all had to be.  My daughter (Leo with Libra Moon) was unruffled while
the rest of us were running around trying to get everything ready.  At the last
moment, we are about to leave and my daughter announces that she doesn’t
know where her shoes are.  That starts another round of rushing aroundup turning the house.  In desperation her Uncle yells at her, “would you get up and help these are your shoes”.  To which she very innocently blinks and turns the computer screen to show a horary chart labeled, where are my shoes… and says, “I am looking”.  I laughed, the rest of the family could have killed both of us. BTW it was a late Ascendent and the shoes found by her brother a few moments later ( and that did show in the chart including timing).

So thank you my friends and all of you readers.  It is nice to  have a place
to share gems that would otherwise be lost.  I invite all of you to please
share your stories or jokes.

Ever since its release, the movie Zeitgeist has been making waves on the psychology of western society, but having just recently watched it myself, I wondered how real the claims the film made were.  While I really have very little interest in if the U.S. government was behind the plot of 9/11, nor do I have much interest in the banking system’s inherent flaws, as an astrologer I do have some stake in some of the claims made in the first part of the film.  The section titled “The Greatest Story Ever Told” talks about the development of Jesus and Christianity in general and touches on several astrological and astronomical phenomena and significations to convince the audience that Christianity is simply a personification of the sky.  As an astrologer, I was curious as to how accurate some of their statements were, and here’s what I found.

1.  Horus and Set represent the Light and Dark in eternal battle, at morning Horus conquers Set, and at evening, Set conquers Horus.

This statement made by the film is half true, but the half that is true is something that astrologers find today in the story of the astrological houses which are themselves given form due to the same solar myth.  Firstly, it must be stated that the Egyptian sun god isn’t Horus, it’s Ra, so the film is flawed on that remark.  As the sun rises over the Ascendant, it gives its warm and life-giving rays to the world, and so this house has always been seen as fortunate and strong.  Conversely, when the suns sets on the Descendant, it is often thought of as “dead” and must begin its journey through the underworld before rising again the next morning.  This simple myth accounts for the tale of the horizons and their signification, since the Seventh house hides the life force given by the sun, that house evolved into showing our enemies and people who wish to do us harm.

2.  Jesus’ birth is entirely astrological.

Excellent, now the fun can begin.

3.  The Star in the East is Sirius, the brightest star in the night-time sky.

While Siruis is the brightest star in the sky, there is no compelling argument as to why Sirius would be considered the Star of the East described in the biblical story.  The film also makes no attempt to explain why Sirius is the suspect in being the star of the east.  Sirius would probably be considered more of a northern star, as it resides in the area of the sky where the Sun reaches its highest point, but there is really no reason to put it as an eastern star.  A better argument could have been made of Aldebaron who was one of the four royal stars that lined up with the equinoxes and solstices in the ancient year.  Specifically, Aldebaron was called the Watcher of the East, but the film doesn’t touch on this.

4.  On December 24^th, Sirius aligns with the three brightest stars in Orion’s Belt called the Three Kings.  These four stars point to the position on the horizon where the sun will rise from on the morning of December 25^th.

The three stars in Orion’s Belt were indeed known as the Three Kings, however, the rest of the quote is a bit disingenuous.  Saying that Sirius lines up with these three stars only on December 24^th is completely untrue as they draw the same line every day of the year.  The film claims that the four stars all line up to point to the sunrise, but it doesn’t go into much detail about when this occurs because the line drawn by the four stars changes to point at different places on the horizon as the night goes on and they move across the sky.  It could be argued that Sirius and the Three Kings can point at the sunrise of any day throughout the course of any night where the stars are visible.

5.  Mary is the constellation Virgo.  Virgo’s glyph is a stylized ‘M’, and is why several mythical Virgin’s names begin with the same letter.

I find this claim a little bit off the wall since it references several mythological virgins from several different cultures; some of which have no cultural notion of either the modern day ‘M’ or the constellation Virgo and its assigned glyph.  Such is the case of Buddhist China who neither had an ‘M’ as we know it in the English or other Latin-based languages or a constellation seen as Virgo the Virgin.  Chinese astrology was using completely different constellations.  While I have no doubt that Mary is seen in Virgo through the glasses of Christian iconography, the fact of the matter is that as the only human female in the Zodiac, Virgo was associated with several female deities some of whom were virgins and some of whom were not such as Aphrodite, Demeter, and Ishtar.

6.  Bethlehem literally translates to House of Bread and is a direct link to Virgo who is associated with the season of the harvest and is often depicted holding wheat.

The translation is true, however there is an alternate translation that the film ignores that translates the name into “House of Meat”.  Maybe a small thing, but I just thought it was interesting that the film didn’t even attempt to reference the alternate translation.  Virgo being represented with wheat is also true, you’ll find several artistic depictions of such a thing, but it wasn’t ever something that was considered especially significant in astrology.  This isn’t meant to be taken as attempting to undermine the sign’s connection with the harvest or even wheat, simply pointing out that the film’s focus on the wheat is a bit strange as there is no star or group of stars that specifically form a shaft of wheat, however the brightest star in the constellation, Spica, represents an ear of corn.  I find the attention paid to the connection between the artistic inclusion of wheat and the city of Jesus’s reported birth while the obvious astrological corn connection was omitted to be strange.

I also find the reference to Virgo to be completely irrelevant to anything that happens in the sky around the time of December.  Sure it can be said that Christian iconography superimposed Mary over Virgo symbolism and pointing it out makes for some interesting thought, but what does that have to do with December 25^th and the story of his birth?  How does Virgo connect to the rising of the sun on that morning to constitute it symbolizing the mother or city in any way?  The film doesn’t talk about it.

7.  Jesus (the Sun) died on the cross (the constellation Crux) and was resurrected three days later, with the three day period symbolzing the sun’s apparent lack of motion for three days upon reaching the winter solstice point.

The film is pretty much correct when it discusses the duration of the death of the solar deity.  It is indeed connected to the three day still period where the sun appears to not move.  It’s not a far throw for the imagination to make, linking the still sun to the mythological death of the person who symbolizes the sun.  This is reflected a lot in ancient mythology and several neo-pagan religions continue to use the three day reference in their year myth.  However, the film completely misleads the audience with the idea that the sun is anywhere near the constellation of Crux during the winter solstice.  The images that the film uses couldn’t be farther from the true positions of the sun and Crux during this time.  Below are the actual images of the Sun on December 24^th in relation to the constellation Crux.

The snap shot taken was calculated with the skies on December 24^th of the year 0 so as to account for precession.

As you can see, Crux is a long way away from the Sun during the solstice, so the film presents a mischaracterized and skewed depiction of what actually occurs.

8.  Easter is celebrated as the rebirth of the sun because of the conquering of the darkness.  The Spring Equinox marks the time of the year when the daylight hours last longer than the night, showing the sun’s rise to power.

All true.  Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox symbolism is mixed together and separated oddly in several religions revolving around solar symbolism.  A good example would be the Neo-Pagan religion Wicca which holds that while the God (often represented by the sun) is born again on the Winter Solstice, he doesn’t really take an active role until the Spring Equinox when he leaves his infant state behind and takes on the symbolism of youth and growth associated with Spring as he ages into a young man.  A parallel can instantly be drawn to Jesus who having been born a mortal man on the Winter Solstice, becomes a god during the Spring Equinox.

9.  The Christian Cross is a shorthand Pagan Cross to represent the cross of the zodiac and Jesus is depicted with a cross in art due to this association.

This is more or less true, I just don’t think the image shown with the cross having the bottom line the longest is a very honest representation.  The lines would all be the same length and may or may not be accompanied with a circle.  Nitpicky perhaps, but something that bugged me nonetheless.  I don’t, however, agree to the notion that Jesus is depicted in art with a cross due to these associations between himself and the sun and the cross and the zodiac cross.  It’s probably more of a reference to the instrument of his death, but that’s probably more of an opinion than a fact of any kind.  Can’t think of a way to prove or disprove it.

10.  Jesus’s twelve disciples are directly connected to the twelve signs of the zodiac.

This is something that several people choose to believe, but the film doesn’t give any reasoning behind the assertion.  It just says it and expects us to take it on face value.

11.  When the Bible references “Ages”, it is speaking about astrological ages which occur when the Vernal Equinox point occurs in a different sign of the zodiac.

Completely possible, but really no evidence to show that this is what it is referring to,  however, I don’t think it’s a bad conclusion to draw.

12.  The Bible narrates through three astrological ages while alluding to a fourth.  The first being represented by the Gold Bull (signifying Taurus), Moses represents the second (Aries), Jesus represents the third (Pisces), and allusions are made to a fourth (Aquarius)

We’ll tackle this one in a few parts. The video presents the idea that the Golden Calf was a symbol for Taurus, which it very well could have been as bull worship was a pretty far-reaching form of worship and it wouldn’t be inconceivable for it to be written this way.  Moses is said to represent the Age of Aries, but no real reason is given as to why except for that Jews blow the ram’s horn, which may or may not have anything to do with anything. Many more ideas are offered up to connect Jesus with the Age of Pisces, his miracle involving the bread and fish, his recruiting fisherman near the sea of Galilee, his symbol of the Jesus Fish, and even his supposed birth date being around the start of the Age of Pisces.  All the fish symbolism aside, there is just as much, if not more symbolism available that links Jesus with lambs and thus Aries.  Jesus is often called the “lamb of God” and the “sacrificial lamb”, being “washed in the blood of the lamb” is the metaphor behind baptism in most Christian denominations.  However, the abundance of lamb and thus Arian associations to Jesus are omitted.  Also, I find problems with the idea of Jesus being born around the start of the Age of Pisces; it’s too clean cut.  There’s no way the Age of Pisces started around 1 A.D., it’s a childish estimation at a calculation that several respectable associations disagree about.  Case in point, one calculation says the Age of Pisces began around 498 A.D., another says 1 A.D., and a third says around 90 B.C.  Jesus representing Pisces, the age supplanting Aries represented by Moses does make sense in some theological instances however, such as the doing away with old Jewish law.  The book of Galatians tells us that we no longer have to follow the laws written in Leviticus, and this is a perfect example of a “new age” of Christianity beginning.

After this statement, the film goes on to draw parallels between Christianity and Egyptian mythology and Old Testament and New Testament characters, subjects I have no interest of getting into as they are outside of my bounds as an astrologer.  Hopefully this has been as fun to read as it was to think about and write.

Perhaps the most common questions asked in horary astrology are questions concerning relationships.  How a relationship will go, when we’ll meet someone new, if an ex will get back with us, and anything else that has to do with the budding, blooming, and withering of romances are all questions that burn into our brains and keep us up late at night.  These are the questions that oftentimes end up anonymously in e-mails and internet forums, whether those forums be for astrology, tarot, i ching, or any other sort of divinatory system.  This may also be a good way for some newly budding astrologers to learn something of horary astrology that they may be able to apply to their own lives and practices, since these types of questions come up a lot.

So, you’ve gotten your first relationship question and you’ve got the chart in front of you, but where do you start?  Just like in any horary question, the person who asked the question is shown by the First house, its lord, and the Moon.  The person they are asking about is represented by the Seventh house and its lord.  While many modern texts will assert that you should look to the Fifth house and its lord to find the person they are asking about, this is not true.  The Fifth house is what you’re [i]doing[/i] with the person, not the person.  The only people usually signified by the Fifth house are children, and that might be a little bit awkward.  Planets that are in the Seventh house can also be used as co-significators and can generally give some good description as to what’s going on behind the scenes.  The Sun can also be used as a general signification for men, while Venus is can be used in the same way for women.

So, now that we have significators assigned, we need to figure out what they are doing for one another.  Let’s say the question is “Will we be in a romantic relationship?” with a man asking.  So, we have the First house, its lord, the Moon, and the Sun showing as the querent, while the Seventh house, its lord, and Venus are the questied.  There are a few tell-tale signs that will suggest whether the relationship has any likelihood to grow from a current situation.  If the First house lord is in the Seventh house, then it shows the querent is the one who is the most interested, should the Seventh house lord be in the First, then it suggests that the queisted is the most love-struck.  Another way to tell is to see who is signified by the faster planet as they are the one who are the most interested in developing a relationship.  However, if the Seventh house lord is in the Seventh house then it shows the quesited has little thought of the querent and is more concerned with themselves.  Should the Seventh house lord also be in their own dignities, it may suggest a disinterest in a relationship.

Receptions are another sign.  If the significators are in each other’s signs, then it’s a good bet that there is a mutual interest in the other.  Receptions are not enough to bring about any kind of relationship as receptions simply show a willingness to get along, aspects show action and they must be considered.  Sextiles, conjunctions, and trines show a greater chance of things going smoothly while squares and oppositions show more obstacles and challenges involved.  The chances are again increased or decreased based on receptions.  If Jupiter and Mercury serve as significators with Mercury being in Pisces and Jupiter is in Virgo, even though the planets are in opposition with one another, the reception between the planets makes it much easier for the opposition to be overcome and the relationship to grow.  If there are no aspects between the significators, then check for collection of light or translation of light.  This can bring about a relationship as well, but often shows the work of a third party.

None of the above means no relationship.  No receptions?  No want to get together.  No aspects?  No action in getting together.  Bad aspects with no reception?  Bad things will happen before you decide to take the advice and discontinue the relationship.  Is a significator going to go retrograde before the application is complete?  The person whose significator is turning around is going to change their mind.  Is another planet going to get to one of the significators before the other?  Then it seems like something else is going to come up .

While this is in no way a complete list of things to look for in relationship horaries, it is a good checklist for simple things and following it should lead to reliable results.  However, all charts are different, and positions and circumstances in the chart can change the outcome.

Think of the splintered broom in Fantasia and see the correlation of those professing knowledge in Astrology and are here to help (their own egos usually).   This is one of those fields…. I myself do not care for the need of certification, as I am skeptical off any and all facilities that offer such, no offense to them, it is my skepticism.  But I am considering embracing them now as the litmus test of when someone is indeed an Astrologer.  In other fields, you don’t go out and buy a stethoscope and say, “hi, I am a Doctor” with out professional schooling.  I unfortunately live in a state that thinks anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a councilor.  But does the average person looking for help know that is our state law?  Are they expecting a more rigorous  standards and protection by the state than, sure if you can buy a business card, you can be a counciler too.  Now applied to Astrology, how does the average person know anything?

I frequent a forum (not for much longer as the one Ryoin and I started I am hoping takes off…. see the link to the right of this article) and lately have been just appalled by what is allowed to take place on there…. and honestly, this is the kind of stuff that has made it impossible to convince the scientific world of the value of a legitimate look at Astrology as a scientific principle.   I have had to intervene on the behalf of a child that was reported to be abused and all grandma wanted was to have someone look at the chart so she would have ammunition to fight with the child’s mother on the behalf of the child’s health…. EXCUSE ME???  Grandma said and described the abuse.  Even after my posting to report the parents and worry about Astrology later, the follow up postings were in giving the grandmother sympathy and advice…. Poor Grandma, old enough to escape a deadly situation, lets coddle her and further victimize her granddaughter….. This wasn’t one or two “astrologers” it was about a dozen or more postings after that.

Who would turn to strangers for their children’s mental health?  Apparently, there are plenty of parents out there doing just that.  Not just in Astrology, but that is the place I am focused on with this blog.  I was just dealing with another ( Neptune, Chiron conjunction rx… there have been many) flair up.  Mom writes in wondering where to find the place in the chart that would make a child clairaudial.  But what is written really warrants a quick trip to the medical field before preceding.  What a blow up that was!!!   Immediately out of the woodwork came those claiming it was spiritual voices, or ghost other dimension voices… and I am not saying that wasn’t the case… I was saying, go get it checked… there are various reasons that audible hallucinatory impulses happen and they are not all psychotic…. check that out first.  You would think that I was the messenger from Hell’s pit for suggesting it.  It got ugly in places, we have a member that is part of a few different professional organizations and holds some very important positions within them, and bless his heart, he came out to say how it is unethical for anyone to diagnose over the internet and the medical issues need to be taken up with medical professionals.   (yay, he is my hero) and immediately came the back lash…. all spiritual and religious rhetoric.  The sad thing is I know most of the individuals, and I would be weary to take advice from them on how to trim my toe nails…. yet a desperate person will listen and feel justified when one of the flakes agrees with their assumptions and then run with it.   We all want to be special and want those in our lives to have special talents and gifts, so it is easy to believe what we want to hear.

Personally, this has given me motivation to work harder on the forum we had created last year.  I am sure nothing is perfect, but  I can’t imagine a time where I would be okay with the forum being used to promote spiritual agenda against common sense.

Oh, and if I see one more person suggest to another Clinically Depressed person that yoga and a nice walk will fix it all …. or to shake it off, man… I will blow up!

The modern day Leo is a figure that is considered to be strong and powerful.  The perfect leader, Leo has a natural magnetism that draws others to his cause and the determination to see the cause through to fruition.  The downside with Leos is like anyone in power, too much of it can go to their head and they can come off as arrogant, self-centered, and power hungry.  Leos are easy to get along with, everyone loves Leo, after all, there’s not much to hate about it.  It’s this easy going nature that contributes to Leos natural magnetism and makes Leo such a popular sign.  Not popular in the sense of everyone wants to be a Leo, but popular in the sense that everyone wants to be Leo’s friend.  Things seem to come easy for Leo because people are willing to do a bit extra to help it out, knowing full well that Leo would probably do the same.

Astronomy

Leo contains several bright stars and has a notable reputation of having even some of its dimmest stars named as opposed to having just a nomenclature.  Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac to contain an asterism (basically a mini-constellation), Leo’s asterism is called the Sickle, but in reality, the Sickle represents Leo’s head and mane.  Deep inside Leo is a star called Wolf 359, this star is one of the closest stars to earth.  Gliese 436 is a star that has one of the smallest exo-solar planets ever discovered orbiting around it.  Leo also contains many galaxies like Messier 65, 66, 95, and 96.  Also, left over from Creation, the Leo Ring contains a cloud of hydrogen and helium gas from the Big Bang.

Mythology

Leo has been represented as a lion by numerous civilizations, including the Persians, Turks, Syrians, Jews, Indians, and Babylonians.  While this connection has permeated the different cultures, there is surprisingly little mythology behind it.  In Babylon, the lion is often a representative of the goddess Ishtar (Greek equivalent would be Aphrodite).  However, the Greco-Roman tradition holds Leo is the Nemean Lion which served as Hercules’s first labor.  Now, the lion could not be hurt by weapons, having such a thick hide, so the struggle came as one of sheer might where Hercules had to strangle the monster with his bare hands.  After the struggle, Hercules himself would wear the lion’s thick hide.

Traditional Associations

In William Lilly’s Christian Astrology, he says of Leo:  “Is the only house of the sun, by nature fiery, hot, dry, choleric, diurnal, commanding, bestial, barren, of the east and firey triplicity, masculine.”

Masculine signs are those that are said to be extroverted.  Leo is a very extroverted sign, everyone knows what’s on Leo’s mind one way or another.  Even when he tries to keep his emotions and thoughts hidden, it doesn’t work.  Leo loves the limelight and loves being the center of attention and often expresses himself as if he were on stage.

Fixed signs are those that take place during the middle of the season, as is the case of Leo, which marks summer at its full strength.  The good side of this is that Leo is persistent and has the staying power to see long projects through to the end.  The bad side is that Leo is stubborn and it takes a lot of persuasion to get Leo to do anything he doesn’t want to do.  Stubborn in action and mind, once he’s made his mind up about something, he usually doesn’t change it.  The same goes for forming opinions on matters, which may take awhile.  After the initial gathering information and thinking, the conclusion that follows is one that is going to stay for awhile as Leo will usually not except new facts on the matter for one reason or another.  Leo is often called simple-minded, as he usually only responds to things as they appear on the surface, failing to find the hidden and deeper meanings of things.  The battle continues, though, after the underlying messages are pointed out to him, Leo will often dismiss them as contrived or pointless.  This detailed orientation is not for Leo, who prefers to see the whole picture and draw conclusions from that.

Leo is one of the three fire signs, exemplified by spontaneity, creativity, intuitive responses, and an infectious way of relating to others.  Leo wants to be the center of attention, and is a fire that wants moths to circle it.  Being a big fan of drama, Leo will use dramatic gestures and hyperbole like it’s no one’s business in a conscious or unconscious attempt to get attention.  Like all fire signs, Leo can be roused to seemingly easily (note that Leo is the least angry of the fire signs due to the fixed quality of the sign) and will either outwardly show anger through a raised voice and other angry characteristics, or will show it inwardly through the throbbing temple vein and flushed face.

The sun rules Leo, and as such, Leo embodies a lot of solar qualities including courage and an unconquerable optimism.  Traditionally, the sun signifies the boss, whether it be the president, king, commander, or general, this carries over to Leo, who strives to be that boss.  The sun has its ecliptic, and as such, so too is Leo extremely territorial.  This territory is different for every Leo, it could be the home, the work environment, an interest or hobby, or just about anything else.  They put their entire heart and soul in this one area of life, and their pride for their accomplishments in that area is just as extreme.  Severe heartbreak can befall Leo should he ever be one-upped in that area.  Another planet that plays a part in Leo is Saturn and its weakness in the sign.  As such, limitations and depression don’t work well for Leo who has a natural optimism.  Leo is poor with money and budgets, seeking to spend when they should  be saving as their natural optimism tells them money is just on the horizon.

Leo is also given the title of bestial and feral.  While he is very well known for understanding his own emotions, he is also well known for not being able to understand the emotions and thoughts of others.  Leo responds more with animalistic instincts rather than reasoned logic and is not very well gifted in social graces despite the popularity.  Leo’s feral association manifests itself through insensitivity for other’s feelings.

Fixed Stars

The stars that make up constellations have an effect on shaping the early significations of the sign.  Ptolemy likened the stars in the head of Leo to be of the nature of Saturn and to a lesser degree Mars.  The stars in the neck were of the natures of Saturn and Mercury.  The chief star of Leo, Regulus, was given a distinct association with the natures of Mars and Jupiter.  The stars in the loins and tail of the lion are of the nature of Saturn and Venus, and the stars in the legs are of the nature of Venus and Mercury.

The alpha star in Leo is Regulus, who is of the nature of Mars and Jupiter.  This star is one of the four royal stars that ruled the south and signified the power of the sun.  Regulus shows a civil disposition, ambition, and a will to lead.  The star is generally beneficial due to the Jupiter nature and the brilliance of the star, but there is a danger through sickness and fevers due to the Mars influence.  The star in the tail of Leo named Denebola is of the nature of Saturn and Venus and while it does have the ability to show a rise to fame and fortune, it is not near as a fortunate star as Regulus.  Denebola is generally seen to show a sort of fall from grace such as the happiness turned to anger signification given to it by Robson.  Another Saturn and Venus natured star in Leo named Zosma is considered an unfortunate influence and is said to bring disgrace and melancholy.

Dignities and Degree Influences

The sun is the ruler of Leo, due to the sun reaching its height in the sign and the heat and dryness that accompanies it showing the raw power of the solar energies.  Saturn is in detriment in this sign as he does not do well in the extreme heat and dryness of the sign.  No planet is in exaltation or depression in this sign.  Leo is part of the fiery triplicity which is ruled by the sun during the day, Jupiter at night, and Saturn as a participary ruler.

0° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn

1° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn, Increasing Fortune

2° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn

3° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn

4° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn, Masculine, Increasing Fortune

5° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Saturn, Deep

6° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Mercury, Increasing Fortune

7° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Mercury, Feminine

8° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Mercury

9° Leo:  Face of Saturn, Term of Mercury, Dark

10° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Mercury

11° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Mercury

12° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Mercury, Deep

13° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus

14° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus, Masculine, Deep

15° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus

16° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus

17° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus

18° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Venus, Increasing Fortune

19° Leo:  Face of Jupiter, Term of Jupiter, Smokey, Lame

20° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Jupiter

21° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Jupiter, Deep

22° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Jupiter, Feminine, Deep

23° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Jupiter

24° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Jupiter, Void

25° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Mars

26° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Mars, Lame

27° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Mars, Deep, Lame

28° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Mars

29° Leo:  Face of Mars, Term of Mars, Masculine, Light

You know,  when an event happens, we can go back to find the culprits,  but ask a dozen Astrologers and you will have about a dozen different opinions…. and usually they are all right.   Smaller events, like the over eating on brownies maybe you will find Jupiter with the hand in the cookie jar, but for larger events, especially those time stopping, earth shattering events, multiple factors will be present.  This is when we also want to pull out as many different charts to look at.  I suspect the more often we find triggers in the different charts, we get an idea of the magnitude of the event.

So lets look at August 8th, 2008 at 3:17am Colorado Springs /Mountain time.  After weeks of recognizing a bipolar meltdown approaching, I had a decisive moment to ruin my life   It was one of those times where I said something when the rest of my brain was shouting…. no no no, the keys are still in the ignition as my hands were slamming the door shut. Then I went O.o I am an Astrologer, quick what is the time?

We can start with the obvious, transits against the Natal chart.   I still get my charts online, so no fancy point out of stuff in the margins or borders, so to keep from missing anything, I created a synastry chart with my Natal and the Transits.     The Ascendant for that moment was conjunct my Cancer Moon (off by 4 degrees) and on my natal NN.  That would put my Capricorn
Sun and the natal SN on the Descendant, how ironic, the house of open enemies, I find my Ego.  Transit Venus is also Conjunct the Natal Moon, so she is opposing the 7th also.  Do we want to include BML?  I am not inclined to… but the Transit one is Conjunct my Natal Ascendant and Mercury and Mars…. so she is riding through the 7th house at the time of my “attack” and does it surprise me that she would be sitting on the verbally nasty duo of Merc and Mars?  Not at all…   Asteroid fans?  Vesta is now on my Natal Descendant and Juno moving into a Tsquare with my Luminaries… hope she finds solice with my Natal Jupiter a few degrees away….. aaaaahhh Jupiter hoof and mouth disease, I guess when the tention broke through the Tsquare, natal Jupiter would have triggered.    When we have a “decisive” moment, we usually will find the fast moving Moon in there somewhere.  The transit Moon was 11 degrees Pisces…. opposing my Uranus and Pluto Natal conjunction in the 8th house… Ouch, but wait…. that means she is also ontop of my Chiron EXACT in the 2nd house.  I really have to work through these self worth issues…. for those of you that don’t know what triggered an outburst of “stay away”  He wrote “Love you”…. self worth… I had a melt down… very, very Chironic and in that sense, the wound that will never heal.   The transiting trio of Chiron, Neptune and Jupiter going rx in Aquarius… bleh, they are having a party on my Natal Anti Vertex.  More going on, but those are the big ones.

Now lets look at transits and progressions, shall we?  That same trio of transits ran over my Progressed Sun, Mars, and Saturn.  My progressed Moon is in orb, but not a direct hit.  Hmmm, Natal Juno is seperating from its  conjunction with Progressed Venus.

Now lets see what happened with Solar Arcs?  What I have been finding in this is that at the moment, there was no activity that should have set off the charges, but OMG the activity over the next few days!!!  When the Moon has triggered one, or the Sun in Leo will soon too…. I want to just hide under a rock.  Soon afterwards, the Moon set off the Solar Arc Venus (Conjunct his natal Venus).. Whoa hold up!!  Just found the Solar Arc POF is conjunct my Natal Uranus, and transit Mercury is possitioned there too… now add in the Transit Pisces Moon and KAPOW… that must be the moment I hit send… the rest of the charges will be coming up and I am sure regretfully.

Being that it involves another person, we should see some activity in their charts also… with out delving too much information we have a Natal Sun, Chiron and the MC all dealing with the Aquarius rx trio.  Natal Venus is now in orb of Uranus conjunction/opposition with Saturn… He was a mess before I sent the note…  The Lunar eclipse might have done a number with his Solar Arc Moon conjunct Natal Uranus at 13degree Leo… combustion was in the air.

Finally, I am going to look to the composites and progressed composite…. and we have a composite NN, Venus and still in orb Chiron being relentlessly hammered by the trio of rx transits…. who also are enjoying an opposition to the composite Uranus.  Transit Uranus is conjunct the composite Mars and squaring the Composite Moon.  I should be glad that this was as mild as it was… I mean ouch this hurts bad… but that combo could have been really explosive.   The progressed composite has the same hits in different variations.

Where does this go now?  I don’t know, I have just been trying to keep focus November there is a return of some sanity in the Universe.  As for the Bipolar and Depression…. it wasn’t an attack from the stars… that was my not keeping up with my medication.  And needing to remember, during an episode, any time you think you have broken through and made a life altering decision that is to your benifit….If it is 3am, it probably is something you should think out first before acting upon.

One of the more obvious cases of astrological misconstruction is the case of Cancer who has become an almost carbon copies of her ruling planet the Moon and her alleged house of rulership, the fourth.  With such outspoken connection between Cancer and the home, family, and motherhood, it’s no wonder we haven’t just thrown two of the three out and called them super-Cancer as the significations are apparently simply repeated all across the board.  This does not undermine the emotional feelings and deep-seated memories Cancer holds, but is intended to undermine connections between the fourth house and Cancer who have very little in common in the astrological tradition.  Perhaps the most annoying trait of Cancer is the ability to withdraw emotionally from situations that get too difficult to handle, that’s of course not counting the possible emotional manipulation by this sign as well as the ‘crybaby’ syndrome that Cancer seems to possess.  No other sign in the zodiac can cry at the drop of a hat like Cancer can!

Astronomy

Cancer is the dimmest constellation in the zodiac with its brightest stars being just third magnitude, however, despite this faintness, there are some interesting things in the constellation itself.  Firstly, there’s a planetary system in the constellation around the star 55 Cancri which has four gas giant planets and one terrestrial planet.  Cancer is also home to the open star cluster called Praesepe which is also called the Beehive Cluster and in ancient times referred to as the Gate of Men.

Mythology

The Greek tradition holds a very minor place for Cancer only showing up during the tales of the twelve labors of Hercules.  During Hercules’s fight with the Hydra, Hera sent a crab to interfere.  Unfortunately, the crab did very little, only grabbing onto his toe which eventually led Hercules to crush the creature.  The deed earned the crab a quick death and an eternity in the heavens.  In Egypt, Cancer took on the appearance of a scarab, the sacred symbol of immortality.

There’s an almost universal connection between the constellation of Cancer and shelled, shore-inhabiting creatures, Cancer having been associated with tortoises, crabs, and lobsters which connects the constellation to the idea of the emergence of life from the Primordial Ocean.

Aside from the connection between Cancer and the Primordial Ocean, there is a genuine life-giving aspect of Cancer that sets it apart from the rest of the signs of the zodiac.  Namely, the Gate of Men which is said to be the portal where new souls arrive into the world just before birth.

Traditional Associations

In Christian Astrology, William Lilly writes about Cancer saying “Is the only house of the Moon, and is the first sign of the watery or northern triplicity, is watery, cold, moist, phlegmatic, feminine, nocturnal, moveable, a solstice sign, mute and slow of voice, fruitful, and northern.”

The even numbered signs of the zodiac are given the title “feminine” which basically translates into internalized energy.  Cancers are very introverted, often pondering on their current moods and those of others.  This introverted manner makes Cancer seem even more moody than she really is because of how unapproachable the introverted, feminine quality makes her appear.  Feminine signs like Cancer also have a disdain for fame and the public eye as they are uncomfortable at the center of attention.

Cancer is one of the three water signs, which are phlegmatic or cold and wet in humour.  Wetness or moisture is the manner in which people connect with others and experience emotion.  Ancient astrology holds moisture as being the condition which allows for empathy, sympathy, and shared or collective experiences.  One of the easiest ways to connect with people is through emotional bonds which are fostered through the condition of moisture and those signs that contain that quality like Cancer have an easier experience connecting with people.  Moisture’s abilities of passivity, absorption, and reflection are all very central to Cancer, however, there is a bit more to the watery sign, that being the second half of water, coldness.  That coldness does not translate to unfeeling, it simply means a delayed reaction time.  Coldness makes the water signs passive and allows them to wait before acting, this is what makes them stay out of debates or heated arguments, as well as to reflect on the best course of action.  This waiting period has given Cancer a reputation of weakness, being unable to apply solutions to problems in a timely manner due to the lethargy of phlegm which seeks to retain itself.

The sun’s ingress into Cancer marks the beginning of summer, and it is due to this that the sign is called cardinal.  Cardinal signs are changeable, and Cancer’s moods, opinions, and views are subject to change on a daily basis.  Perhaps as a grand paradox by design, Cancer has a hard time handling change within their environment as they tend to be clingy to things as they remember them.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, and as such Cancer has an interest in the past and a pride in the home that is unseen in other signs.  Cancer has a deep interest in cultures of the past, especially if that past is her own.  By researching family history, Cancer finds fulfillment and a deeper connection to her past.  Due to the Moon’s association with tribal instincts, Cancer has an “it takes a village” approach to family and children, understanding the importance of having several adult role models for children to experience as opposed to just being limited to their mother and father.  As a result, Cancer is likely to draft their friends and siblings when it comes to childcare.  Cancer has strong parental instincts as the Moon is directly associated with young children, and is likely to be very protective of their children, bordering on suffocating.

Cancer is represented by the crab, a creature with a tough outer shell protecting a soft inner core which is appropriately shown by the ability to withdraw emotionally to protect oneself.  This highlights the sign’s want to avoid issues as opposed to facing them, however, when Cancer does decide to face issues, she still doesn’t.  Like the crab, Cancer confronts issues from the side, making decisions that defy logic after much hesitancy to make those decisions in the first place.  Due to the sideways thinking, the fact that the sun seems to stand still for three days after entering Cancer, and the darkness associated with the sign due to the femininity and faintness of the constellation, Cancer is anything but transparent and the motives behind decisions often lie behind confused and inconsistent logic powered by emotive responses.

Anatomically, Cancer is associated with the breasts, stomach, and chest and all ailments targeting those areas, most notably, bad coughs and digestion problems.  The sign is one of overall poor constitution.  As is standard among all water signs, Cancer relates to places that are near sources of water.  This includes everything from the ocean, rivers, brooks, streams, the seashore, and marshy land.  Inside it represents cellars, bathrooms, and places near water.

Fixed Stars

The stars that make up a constellation are a good indication of what a constellation is likely to end up signifying.  In his work Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy likened the stars in the eyes of Cancer to be of the nature of Mercury and Mars, the stars in the claws to be like Saturn and Mercury, and the nebula in the breast to be like Mars and Luna.  The star Asini is specifically said to be of the nature of Mars and Sol.

The cloudlike cluster in Cancer is called Praesepe which comes from a word meaning multitude.  Today it is often referred to as the beehive cluster, but astrologically, this cluster is a weak, vulnerable area that often manifests itself in blindness or sickness.  The two stars on either side are called the Northern (Borealis) and Southern (Australis) Ascelli (Asses) which are said to give a charitable nature and caring responsibility, however, there is a danger of violent death, accidents, and burns.  The alpha star of Cancer is called Acubens (the Claws) which is said to show malevolence and poison as well as making its natives undesirable in the manner of liars and criminals.

Dignities and Degree Influences

The Moon is said to be dignified in Cancer due to the agreeable gender and warmth of the sign and corresponding brightness of the planet, for these exact same reasons, Saturn is in detriment in Cancer.  Jupiter is said to be in exaltation in Cancer due to it being the northernmost sign and Jupiter loving the northern winds, whereas Mars is depressed in Cancer, as Mars loves the southern winds.  Cancer is a member of the watery triplicity, which is ruled by Venus during the day, Mars at night, and Luna as a participary ruler.

0° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars, Increasing Fortune

1° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars, Masculine, Increasing Fortune

2° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars, Increasing Fortune

3° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars, Increasing Fortune

4° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars

5° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Mars

6° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Jupiter

7° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Jupiter, Feminine

8° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Jupiter, Lame

9° Cancer:  Face of Venus, Term of Jupiter, Masculine, Lame

10° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Jupiter, Lame

11° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Jupiter, Feminine, Light, Deep, Lame

12° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Jupiter, Lame

13° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury, Dark, Lame

14° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury, Lame, Increasing Fortune

15° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury

16° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury, Deep

17° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury, Void

18° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury

19° Cancer:  Face of Mercury, Term of Mercury, Smokey

20° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus

21° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus

22° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus, Masculine, Deep

23° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus

24° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus

25° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus, Deep

26° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Venus, Feminine

27° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Saturn, Light

28° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Saturn

29° Cancer:  Face of Luna, Term of Saturn, Masculine, Dark, Deep

Hey everyone, if you remember for a bit ago, WinterSprite and I tried out a forum.  Unfortunately I made the decision to close it for a bit after WinterSprite was without internet and was also the reason the blog wasn’t updating.  (I don’t like to do things without WinterSprite.  What can I say?  The crazy lady grew on me).

Anyway, the forum is back up and we’re going to try again, hopefully she won’t lose internet again and we can keep things going like they were for a little while.   Please join us for some conversation and help the forum grow.

http://s1.zetaboards.com/Astrology_Forum/index/