Astrology STARTALK from Tim Rubald

NEPTUNE STILL on November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T11:12:00.000-10:00

NEPTUNE STILL on November 9, 2011

Neptune stations today (the still point where we look out to the solar system toward that planet and due mostly to our orbital motion about the Sun Neptune changes from backward to forward against the measuring dial of the Tropical Zodiac) which means, it resumes forward motion. For a few days though Neptune has pretty much not been moving and that will be the case for a few more days to come.

Neptune (discovered 9/23/1846 in Berlin) is a slow mover anyway, taking about 164.79 years to orbit the Sun, 14 years in a Sign, moving about two degrees a year, and due to how we view and track Neptune's motion through the Zodiac it appears to spend about 5 months of every 12 in backward, retrograde, motion. That slowness and infrequency is one of the factors that make a Neptune station (change of direction) special.

I saw a fellow on the beach the other day burning a drawing into a piece of flat driftwood. He used a hand magnifier to focus the sun's rays to burn in a design. When the alignment is right and steady the focal energy is powerful enough to burn the wood. Similarly, when a planet reaches a station point it is as though it is in a similar state of high focus. That's what we have now with Neptune.

Neptune is the planet of the Great Dream, of emotional absolutes like Truth, Love, Beauty, and of the higher realms of music and art. What first came to mind as I allowed the Neptunian flow today (after bravely resisting an impulse to meditate - which by the way is an excellent idea when Neptune is emphasized) was the Lovin' Spoonful song that I've been a fan of since it first hit the airwaves in 1966, "What a day for a daydream," begins the tune, Daydream.

I just wanted to point out Neptune's station today and suggest that on the one hand it's okay and appropriate to give time to your dream, and, on the other hand, that a bit more concentration is in order if you have a job in something that requires critical exactitude (like an air-traffic controller) or even in, as drug labels may say, driving or operating machinery. That applies any time Neptune is in emphasis.

While I'm not a big fan of degree symbols, I will point out that the most popular symbols, The Sabian Symbols give this for the degree of Neptune's station today: 28-29 deg Aquarius - A Butterfly Emerging From A Chrysalis. Isn't that special?

Mars square Saturn triggered August 25 2011

2011-08-24T20:30:00.001-10:00

Mars square Saturn triggered August 25 2011

Mars forms a right angle (270°, an aspect Dane Rudhyar referred to as a “crisis in consciousness”) to Saturn in Libra at 6:46 AM Eastern Time, August 25, 2011. Just over two hours later the Moon triggers the aspect at 9:04 AM Eastern. The trigger happens when the Moon comes exactly to Mars at 14° 34’ of the Sign Cancer.

Saturn represents the old and established way of things while Mars is about the youthful exuberance of action; unmovable object meets irresistible force. Something’s gotta give!

While I am certain there will be events smack within those time constraints, there is also plenty of response on both the before and after of the astrological event. I’ve already noted Mars’ hard aspects to Uranus and Pluto that excite the connection to the great sociopolitical processes at work there, those aspects August 9 and 10, 2011 (See Mars OOB article http://astrology-startalk.blogspot.com/2011/08/mars-out-of-bounds.html). Those occurred with Mars out of bounds and the quality of events about the aspect were indeed extreme. I’d include the July 22 bombing and massacre in Oslo with Mars’ triggering of the Uranus/Pluto 90° square (Rudhyar, “crisis in action”). That was also the same day Mars went out of bounds. A brief look at events from the beginning to mid-August will show many Mars-inspired events.

OK, I was reminded of this when looking at a chart clock today and chatting a bit about astrology. I had an “Oh, my look at that, Mars square Saturn and a Moon/Mars to trigger it!” There is plenty of stress leading up to the event and there will be plenty to represent the mirroring, as above, so below that is astrology but I haven’t time at this juncture in time to write more. Let’s see what transpires and why not list the events you see that match this stress right here!

Mars Out Of Bounds!

2011-08-11T12:19:00.000-10:00

Mars OOB 2011

Ideally I'd have posted on this topic a little sooner but since Mars' OOB continues through August 21 I will write a bit about it. What inspires my paying more attention at this time are the Mars inspired events that have been occurring at a seemingly stepped up rate since Mars went OOB. These events especially coincide with Mars' "triggering" the nearing and extremely potent aspect that will be seen as defining these times, the developing ninety degrees between Uranus and Pluto. Mars squares (90°) Uranus about August 9 and opposes (180°) Pluto about August 10 ("about" due to time zone variations).

To take a moment for a reminder as to what OOB is . . . Due to the tilt of the earth as it orbits the Sun we get seasons and the latitude markers of the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that are 23° 28' north and south of the equator. Imagine the equator and those north and south limits extended out into space. Most of the time the planets stay within those limits set by the Sun. But sometimes, some of the planets swing beyond the limits that the Sun sets. The Sun, Saturn and Neptune never go OOB, but periodically the rest do.

When a planet is OOB it doesn't relate normally to other astrological factors. For the time it is out of bounds it is a bit of a wild card, a bit eccentric, and independent. Mars goes out of bounds in 2011 from about July 23 to August 21.

Without any special research but just recalling some recent events that fit the model, we have the disgusting "war" in Washington over the debt ceiling and the disastrous results of that. Then there have been mass shootings both here and especially in Norway, fiery riots in England, the largest single day loss of US soldiers with the downing of a helicopter in Afghanistan, extremes of heat setting temperature records, horrible famine in Somalia, and on and on. Of course all of these are not "caused" by Mars out of bounds. What they are is reflections of how Martian events have been pushed to extremes. That is the astrological meaning of a planet out of bounds, matters that are linked to the symbolism or archetype of the planet, show more extreme manifestation.

I've written elsewhere about the rare and dynamic current relationship of the planets Uranus and Pluto, how we are reaching a developmental crisis in their cycle, the force of which began in the nineteen sixties. See this post in Gather and scroll down to the "Dear Claudia" commentary for an important continuation of the article. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413046

The reason I am taking note of Mars OOB now is on account of those aspects by Mars pointed out in the first paragraph to the developing Uranus/Pluto square.

"Classically" Mars is regarded as a "malefic", the lesser malefic to Saturn's "greater malefic." In certain contexts Mars fulfills that ascription quite nicely but it is important to recognize that Mars is also beyond good or bad. The astrological function of Mars is also represented by the blood that courses through the veins of many creatures filling the function of distributing nutrition and handling waste. Mars represents the immune system that protects the body. Mars is the figure linked with action in general, the ability to move, to work, to make any sort of physical effort. It is the planet of athletes and athleticism. Mars is fire and as such represents all sorts of energy that is linked with heat that powers our vehicles, our manufacturing, our phones and computers. So Mars isn't inherently a bad (or a good) guy. Mars is energy and action.

What you will want to do is to look or have your astrologer check for how transiting Mars is moving through your horoscope, where it is and what aspects (looks, contacts) that it shares with other factors of your horoscope. That will point to the areas where you may experience Martian "extremes" to utilize as cautions or to ride the wild energetic tide.

Write to STARTALKER@aol.com for personal service.

Eclipse Season ~ June-July 2011 ~ Part I

2011-06-01T18:44:00.000-10:00

Eclipses June-July 2011

Nearly every eclipse season I find that I want to communicate about these interesting and often very visible astronomical events. The linking of astronomical and astrological is a very rational, mental, intellectual process but centuries of attention suggest something more. Sometimes, I sense what prompts some other cultures and civilizations to regard even “simple” (not an eclipse) lunations as important times of alignment with a greater whole. Many cultures use New, Full (and even Quarter) Moons for special awareness, ceremony, and celebration. For most of those an eclipse is “even more so.” I suggest that we make an effort to expand our awareness to include as much as we can and when possible utilize lunation times to see and to feel something greater than our hum-drum everyday life. Find a moment to turn off the phone and to tune in to a few minutes of quiet. Take a wandering walk in nature with no purpose but to observe. Lie on a blanket and watch the clouds or the stars. Since holy days are in most religions linked with the solunar cycle you will often find religious events for your participation near times of New and Full Moons. What is in your heart and the spaciousness you give your mind is key, no matter which option to honor the cycle that you choose.

Astrologers Studying an Eclipse by Antoine Caron 1571

In a very basic sense, an eclipse is simply a very close Full or New Moon syzygy (alignment) so that a shadow is cast either on the earth (Solar Eclipse) or on the Moon (Lunar Eclipse). In the West we tend not to notice the lunar cycle, while for much of the world that very cycle determines the calendar and so it is quite apparent. An advantage of a lunar calendar is that it puts us in touch with what is actually a very significant process that gives a view of the world and of life. I am comfortable with our herky-jerky, 365 & 1/4 days, calendar, but I think we should also be aware of the lunar cycle for more than just tide watching.

The dark areas indicate where the eclipse is visible.

The two lunar eclipses this year are total: June 15, and December 10.

June 15 is seen in Africa, Arabia, Eastern Europe, India and western Asia. http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2011Jun15T.pdf

The December 10 total lunar eclipse is most visible in the Eastern Pacific and the Orient with the US mainland getting various degrees of the eclipse at moonset. http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2011-Fig06.pdf

The shadow of the solar eclipses in June, July, and November this year graze the polar regions and will only be visible at very high or very low latitudes depending on the eclipse. All four Solar Eclipses are partial: January 4 (most widely seen), June 1, July 1, and November 25.

Most of the astrological work that I do is for individuals. I find that opportunity deep and fascinating. It is a calling. Still, on a daily basis I give varying degrees of attention to much larger applications of solar system patterns. Those have historical connections, from the rise and fall of civilizations to geologic and climate anomalies. While mundane and political astrology is fascinating, sharing it is challenging. It isn’t so hard to point things out, but it is hard to do it in a way that does not seem completely boring. The reader has to work a bit to “get” the political and mundane astrology that I share, especially when it is before the fact, predictive if you will.

I posted commentary for a previous eclipse season and did it in stages. I think I will take that tack again. I hope you will give me feedback and ask questions. That helps me make future offerings about this eclipse season interesting and relevant to you.

A note about times: the reach of the Internet being global the question of “what time is the event?” poses a bit of a problem. There are web sites and cell phone aps you can find easily. Sometimes I’ll use UT/GMT (Universal Time and Greenwich Mean Time) as that is a world standard. I live in Hawai’i and Hawai’i time will insinuate here and there. I often calculate charts for the White House or Washington D.C. as that is the seat of power for the United States from where come most of my readers. From an astrological perspective calculations interpreted for D.C. will have relevance for the United States as a whole.

Partial Solar Eclipse/New Moon June 1, 2011 occurs at 11°02' Gemini

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2011-Fig02.pdf

Ecliptic Conjunction = 21:02:35.5 UT [This is the astrological conjunction or New Moon.]

Greatest Eclipse = 21:16:11.1 UT [This is the greatest shadow.]

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2011.html#SE2011Jun01P

According to the Eclipse Geeks at http://eclipsegeeks.com/SolarEclipse1June2011.aspx to see this Partial Solar Eclipse you need to be in: Alaska - only US view, northern Canada, China, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Japan, North Korea, or the Russian Federation. The eclipse is remarkable in the lands of the midnight sun. "The eclipse can also be seen from Siberia, northern China, remote parts of Alaska and Canada, and Iceland," writes Fred Espenak of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where the eclipse circumstances were calculated. "Greatest eclipse occurs at 21:16 Universal Time on June 1st. At that time, an eclipse of magnitude 0.601 will be visible from the Arctic coast of western Siberia as the midnight sun skirts the northern horizon."

Here’s an astrological charting of the eclipse.

The eclipse set for the White House has Jupiter sinking 1°35’ below the Descendant making it the most prominent (thought not exactly powerful) planet for USA charting. The 7th is the House of treaties and foreign relations and Jupiter represents legislation. The question is how much is known or revealed about foreign affairs now? Does the eclipse suggest major behind the scenes machinations, the revelation of past actions, or simply point to a current focus on international activity and legislation?

Looking at where planets of the eclipse chart Rise, Set, Culminate, and Anti-culminate gives additional indications of the type of events we might see in parts of the world where planets are angular at the time of the eclipse.

The glyphs at A, M, D near the middle of the map are Uranus (Ascendant), Pluto (Midheaven), and Saturn (Descendant). Map via Janus software - www.astrology-house.com.

Some of what strikes me is the eclipse itself (Moon and Sun together) is near the IC (foundational effect) near Baghdad, Iraq, with Neptune of confused uncertainty on the Ascendant there. There is a similar arrangement in Yemen and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Not illustrated.)

To further complicate US (undeclared) war zones the Saturn/Uranus opposition on the Asc/Dsc axis sandwiches secretive and powerful Pluto on the MC at the time of the eclipse. That “sensitizes” western India (including Western Kashmir), Pakistan (Uranus on the Ascendant in Karachi and Quetta, Saturn on the Descendant in Lahore), Afghanistan, and on north thru this-and-that-stan through Kazakhstan and up through central Russia.

In flip-flop fashion, the same planets are emphasized on the opposite side of the globe. In the US the Saturn/Uranus with Pluto configuration occurs in the Rocky Mountain region (Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona). These are areas where we might expect the struggle Saturn (structure, established order) poses with Uranus (freedom, independence, revolt) and that is raised to potentially volcanic proportions with the presence of Pluto, the Phoenix planet of death and resurrection.

The key three are represented from left to right at the top of the map, Uranus (D) that looks like a sort of antenna, Pluto (I) that might be a figure with arms raised, and Saturn (A) a little cross with a tail. Map via Janus software - www.astrology-house.com.

What these observations suggest is not specific events but events that fit the archetypal signatures of the planets involved. Those “sensitize” the location to fitting events, whether geologic, meteorological, or political, or combinations of those.

The eclipse occurs just over two degrees past the July 4, 1776 location of Uranus. The reference here is to the revolt that resulting in the founding of this independent nation. Uranus is the planet of divorce and separation and the implication for our period is a continuation of the divisiveness we see in current politics.

Other links from the eclipse chart to that of the Declaration chart: Eclipse Pluto opposite Jupiter, Eclipse Uranus sq Venus (&Uranus), Eclipse Saturn near Declaration Saturn reminds us of the “growing up” US Saturn return in effect (8th since Independence, exact December 2010, by Rx March 2011, final of the series in August 2011). The eclipse Mercury at a right angle to the US Moon suggests continuing dispute and discussion about matters of labor, jobs, and employment between the people and between the representatives of the people. As much as this represents real exchange this is very much needed now.

Individually those with important planets or horoscopic points at 11 degrees will have revelations keyed to this eclipse and this period (eclipse effects at least cover a time frame until the next eclipse of the same type – solar or lunar – in other words, at least a month’s time until the July 1 Partial Solar Eclipse). While the eclipse makes a nice trine to Saturn, that aspect is separating and a 3/16 aspect to Uranus may have more to say about the type of effect, especially with those with something significant at 11 degrees, and especially if the 11 degree factor is in a mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). For those the message is freedom, change, revolt, independence, breakthrough, surprise, and science, to suggest a few possible themes.

Total Lunar Eclipse June 15, 2011 occurs with Sun at 24°23' Gemini, Moon at 24°23' Sagittarius

Ecliptic Conjunction = 20:13:34 UT

Greatest Eclipse = 20:12:36 UT

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2011Jun15T.pdf

100 minutes of totality.

With this lunar eclipse 24 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) might feel some message while the pure and simple mundane chart set for DC has a powerful similarity with that of the previous solar eclipse in that Jupiter is exact to one minute of longitude conjunct the Descendant (7th House cusp) of international affairs, treaties, and allies and enemies. Aspects in the chart with the MC, representative of the chief executive suggest the President being very active in terms of public perception for this time frame as well (again, at least until the next eclipse, perhaps until the next lunar eclipse, or for some period indicated by the 100 minutes of totality – you see there are quite a few different theories about the amount of time covered effectually by a given eclipse. Personally, I’ve seem some important Solar Eclipses remain resonant zodiacal points for ten or more years. Practically speaking, I give most eclipses a few months of attention if that. In general I give most attention to Total Solar Eclipses the paths of which traverse populated regions of the planet.

While this is a lunar eclipse, it is total and of fairly long duration so should show some astrological effect (eclipses are always believed to be more potent that an “ordinary” Full or New Moon).

Partial Solar Eclipse/New Moon July 1, 2011 at 9°12' Cancer

Ecliptic Conjunction = 08:53:54.2 UT – July 1, 2011

Greatest Eclipse = 08:38:22.7 UT – July 1, 2011

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2011-Fig04.pdf

Just nicks the South Polar region (Antarctic Ocean) with a maximum eclipse of 3% shading of the sun. It is the first of a Saros Series (156) and as the series continues the eclipses will be more central on the earth, to totality, and then grow less and less eventually concluding the last eclipse of the series at the North Polar Region.

Astrologically this eclipse is really rock and roll from a mundane perspective. I have it set to DC for this writing and Venus rises just 18’ from the Ascendant. While women and relationships of all kinds would be flagged with Venus rising, for a mundane chart set for Washington I would especially thing of money and finance. Venus rising is likely to be an beneficent indication of financial progress, and especially of news in the Sign Gemini, so I’d expect some good news about the economy. Not a guarantee, this is an eclipse chart and sometimes what is revealed or discovered is not happy making. Still, Venus is more often nice than not even if to some cultures she is a war maker.

The chart is a very active one, the most of the three discussed in this article. Some indications are: adjustments with regard to the military and defence (it would be nice if the Venus effect allowed for defence cutbacks to the benefit of civilian needs); challenge to the status quo and struggle between legislature and executive government branches reaching some sort of a peak; striving for scientific and technological refinement clashing with the status quo (telecom, Internet, nuclear, are likely zones of this contention); and awareness of social unrest over the increasing distancing of what was formerly a middle class from the financial well being enjoyed by corporations. There are definitely echoes of the sorts of struggles of the Sixties that included anti-war, civil rights, and movements to empower the disempowered. This will be a very active and challenging time.

For individuals 9 degrees of the Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are activated by the eclipse and folks with points there will most likely be part of the shadow play, that may not seem so shadowy after all.

Silly Season: About the Void of Course Moon

2011-04-27T15:36:00.000-10:00

Silly Season

About the Void of Course Moon

or De evacuatione cursus luna

[Cursus means course by the way, not curse.]

“ . . . when the Moon in transit makes the last major aspect it will make before it changes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. It ends when the Moon enters the next sign. The name of this period is Void of Course Moon. You may call it a silly season or vacation from normal living.” -- Al H. Morrison

I began my study of the Void of Course Moon in the 1970s with the help of the little annual Void of Course Moon ephemerides prepared by the astrologer Al H. Morrison. Since then, noting voids is as common to me as tracking the phases of the Moon and the Signs she transits.

The astrology is that the Moon "wanders aimlessly," after making that last aspect; that things just don't seem to connect or click into gear.

For example, on a shopping trip one may buy something that later you ask, “Now what was I thinking? What did I get that for?” I like the image of a child's power boat in a tub of water, bumping here and taking off there, but ultimately not going much of anywhere.

Far from impeding me from action or outings I am delighted with long VOC days. I stick to my shopping list as much as I can, always find a parking place, and sometimes enjoy whatever not-on-the-list oddity that I bring home.

"Every couple of days there comes a time which is best used for subjective, spiritual non-material concerns, like prayer, yoga, play, psychotherapy, or passive experience, sleep or meditation.

"This period may last a few seconds, or it may be three days and nights in a single session.” [When we have many planets in the early degrees of Sign the likelihood of the Moon spending longer times Void of Course (VOC) increases.]

"It begins when the Moon in transit makes the last major aspect it will make before it changes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. It ends when the Moon enters the next sign. The name of this period is Void of Course Moon. You may call it a silly season or vacation from normal living.

"Decision making in such periods turns out later to be unrealistic. Creativity diverges into unpleasant directions, improvisations, false starts, error. Business moves fail to generate profits, or meet unexpected difficulties. If you buy any object it usually fails of its intended use.

"Human judgment is more fallible than usual during the time the Moon is Void of Course. This is the principle factor in all observed experience thus far.

"Routine proceeds readily, but often requires an adjustment later. Defects or shortages come to light. Delay and frustration are commonly experienced while the Moon is Void of Course.

"Neurotic tendencies, bad habits are more open to change. ESP experiments show odd results.

"Historic events during such periods have a wild, Pandora’s Box impact on cultural evolution. The first two dozen successful spaceshots were all launched with the Moon Void of Course, to open an all-new age in which old concepts and ideas are corrected or disproven.

"In every presidential election from 1900 through 1972 one of the two major party candidates was nominated with the Moon Void of Course. Every one of the candidates nominated with the Moon Void of Course lost.

"Jimmy Carter's 1980 nomination came in a Void of Course Moon."

From Al H. Morrison’s “Void of Course Moon Ephemeris.”

For more on Al see: http://www.solsticepoint.com/astrologersmemorial/morrison.html

On her website Debbi Kempton-Smith notes that Al Gore’s 2000 nomination and John Kerry’s 2004 nomination both occurred with the Moon VOC.

http://www.topquarkia.com/Docs/Stargazer/VOID2004and05.HTM

Astrology, the Cosmos, and Life, can all be pretty complex, and this technique of analyzing the flow of time is no exception. For example, there is another range of astrological aspects that occurs in declination; the parallel and the contraparallel.

The PARALLEL is an aspect made in declination (angular distance North or South of the celestial equator ... like latitude on earth) when two planets share the same degree N or S. In a CONTRAPARALLEL the aspect is made when one planet is the same degree N declination as another is S.

When we include these aspects (and/or Ptolemaic aspects to the Nodes of the Moon, which horary astrologers may also utilize) the period of VOC may be shortened.

I utilize both. For my primary analysis I use the aspects in longitude but for fine tuning or detailed electional or horary work, I include the aspects in declination.

The VOC concept applies to the motion of all of the planets. Robert Zoller notes in his translation of Guido Bonatti’s Liber astronomiae: Tractatus Tertius, Section II, Chapter X (written around 1277, was reputed "the most important astrological work produced in Latin in the 13th century").

“After one planet has been joined to another, and their conjunction has been completed, and after completion has been passed over, so that one of them is separated from the other and, after the separation, is joined to no other planet, it is called void of course until it is joined to another, or seeks its conjunction as was said elsewhere and this is a certain impediment to it.”

Here the only aspect considered is the conjunction but the idea of an “impediment” is clear.

Kaye Shinker writes: “Early in my study of astrology I was a clerk for our Weight Watchers group. I did a short research project, if someone signed up for the program on a void of course moon would they stick with it or would they drop out. Results 60% stuck with the program. My conclusion, start the program on a VOC moon. I did not consider the phase of the moon.”

-- Kaye Shinker, Instructor of Financial Astrology, www.astrocollege.org

Since I am writing this on April 27, 2011, with the Moon VOC, it is likely that I’ll revisit it for a tune-up somewhere along the line. I also notice that “The Royal Wedding” of Prince William and Kate Middleton occurs with the Moon VOC. Hmmm. [Prince William & Kate Middleton wedding, Apr 29 2011, 11:00 AM, Westminster,

England]

Ophiuchus is a Constellation, not a Sign

2011-01-14T15:41:00.002-10:00

Misunderstanding Ophiuchus vel Serpentarius

Ophiuchus is a Constellation, not a Sign

Ophiuchus holding the serpent, Serpens, as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.

I thought it would be easy to link my December 2010 comments on Ophiuchus from Gather to Facebook but no. So I am putting them together into this blog post to have them handy.

Ophiuchus silliness has been getting attention periodically for goodness knows how long. My first dealing with it was in the Nineteen Eighties, so long ago that my articles on the subject predate computer files. I am not going to try to find those.

About a month ago a Gather.com user posted “the Zodiac is wrong” hoax believing it to be true. I wrote two or three comments to clarify the facts and a couple of those I linked to my Facebook wall. This was several weeks before the latest mid-January 2011 flap that I understand was ignited by one or more of the corporate conglomerates (NBC?).

I will start here with something that I collected from the wonderful, recently departed, Jack Horkheimer.

“In Greek mythology, Ophiuchus, known to the Greeks as Asclepius, the son of Apollo was a great healer. He even learned how to restore the dead to life. According to the tale Ophiuchus was contemplating the tragic death of the young son of King Minos when a snake crawled toward the body. Ophiuchus killed the snake but another appeared. This one carrying an herb in its mouth which it placed in the mouth of the dead serpent. The snake revived and Ophiuchus snatched the herb and placed it on the body of Minos' son. He too revived. Incidentally, that's why the modern day symbol for physicians is two snakes entwined around a staff.

“Ophiuchus used the secret herb to resurrect hundreds of people. Pluto, god of the Underworld complained to Jupiter who sent Aquila, the Eagle, to kill Ophiuchus with one of his thunderbolts. But that enraged Apollo so Jupiter made Ophiuchus immortal and placed him in the stars.”

[Transcribed from "Star Date" radio spot for May 7, 1993.]

Kepler's drawing of the fellow

The hoax, myth, error, or what have you:

“The 13th Zodiac constellation [sic] is Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. The sun moves through Ophiuchus in late November and early December.”

The constellation Ophiuchus does intersect the ecliptic* where we find the constellations of the Zodiac. The key word here is constellation. A Tropical Zodiac Sign is not a constellation.

Wikipedia gives us “Ophiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator [plane of Earth’s equator extended into space]. Its name is Greek (Ὀφιοῦχος) for 'serpent-bearer', and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.”

The Zodiac that most of us know and love is not based on constellations but on the seasons. Twelfths of the circle, 30 degree segments of the 360 degrees the earth makes around the Sun, are named the 12 Zodiac Signs.

The segments are based on the solstices and equinoxes. The Spring Equinox marks zero Aries, the Summer Solstice, zero Cancer, the Autumn Equinox, zero Libra and the Winter Solstice, zero Capricorn. Those four mark 90 degree segments that are divided in thirds, each 30 degrees named for a Sign.

That system uses the names of near ecliptic constellations for the twelfths, the Signs. Those were in close alignment with the seasonal based Signs about 2100 years ago. Today the Tropical Signs are about 24 degrees out of alignment to the constellations which names they bear. The Zodiac is based though, not on those constellations, but on Solstices and Equinoxes (the seasons).

The Zodiac of Siderealists and Vedic astrologers is linked to constellations. Talk to them about what to do with Ophiuchus.

The question is shall we plug a constellation into sun-sign astrology? That is the most recognized and popular astrology† and the way most astrologers find their way to astrology. There are many who go with the notion that there are twelve types of people and give them different interpretations. Linda Goodman is the most famous of who I call “Signologists”. In order to reach wide audiences, to give something to the general populace via media, Signology is probably necessary. I've written columns for "Signs" myself, I do not mean to dismiss the effort or the art, but in-depth horoscope analysis is far superior to what can be gleaned from Sun Signs.

If one is going to utilize Signs based on the Tropical Zodiac, plugging in a constellation is a very iffy exercise. To repeat what I pointed out earlier, the Zodiac of Signs that most people refer to (whether they understand its astronomical foundation or not), that we learn by calendar dates that our birth occurred with the Sun in this or that Sign, is established by solstices and equinoxes, NOT by constellations.

The Zodiac of constellations is not popularly used in Western Astrology but is the basis for Hindu (Vedic) astrology and is a legitimate astrology. There are active schools of modern sidereal (constellational) astrology in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. It is just not the astrology that is commonly used and understood by the general populace as astrology.

I don’t think it matters so much WHICH astrology one uses, as long as one is well schooled and skilled in its use. Cosmos' message via the stars is too awesome for just one approach. In terms of astrology, it's the singer, not the song. However, it does make sense, if one is after consistent results, not to mix Signs with constellations.

Maybe what happens when a particular date range gets focus as from a “look how this constellation overlaps this Sign” is that it draws attention to a zone of the Sign and what is achieved is a deeper understanding of the Sign rather than something separate and different.

Post comments or questions here or send them via email.

*The Ecliptic is a great circle of the Earth's path around the Sun (apparently, the path of the Sun around the Earth). Astrologers use the Ecliptic as the center of the belt of the Zodiac that is like a measuring tape marked with 12 signs of 30 degrees each.

† Astrologers use a birth chart (horoscope) calculated for an individual. By using the exact time and place of birth, the horoscope shows distinctions between the thousands of people born on the same day. The astrologer interprets the chart by translating a symbolic language.

There are millions of people born with the same Sign. People are not Signs ... that sort of idea leads to stereotyping and prejudice. There is no such thing as an absolute . . . whatever Sign you want to name.

Astrology has been in use for thousands of years. The practice of connecting people with Signs was begun by the "media astrologer," R. H. Naylor in the first part of the Twentieth Century; a rather new development. It caught on and now you can find so-called astrology columns in newspapers, magazines, and on websites worldwide.

Eclipse Part IV 2010-2011 fits the news January 5, 2011

2011-01-05T18:41:00.000-10:00

World food prices story fits Solar Eclipse delineation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12119539

‎"The most emphasized body at that location (at the Rising degree of the chart) is the big asteroid Ceres. Ceres is the Earth Mother asteroid. Her glyph resembles the sickle, the tool used for centuries for harvesting grain. The suggestion is that food is in emphasis for the period. We can expect both crises that bring food to world consciousness as well as worldwide efforts to deal with hunger and agriculture."

Eclipse Part IV 2010-2011 addendum

2010-12-21T10:59:00.001-10:00

This wonderful web site was shared with me by LibraMoon, a Gather.com reader of my posts. http://libramoon.gather.com/

I cannot attest that it is perfect but it seems to agree with the Fred Espenak/NASA eclipse material I've utilized.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

http://shadowandsubstance.com/

The information on the lunar eclipse is no longer timely but the animation for the January 4, 2011, Partial Solar Eclipse is timely (until the 4th anyway) and very nice.

One of several web sites listed by LibraMoon, Laurie Corzett, is this "emerging visions" that I probably limit by calling it a magazine of visual art, poetry, and thought. The short dash through it that I was able to take made me wish for more time to explore.

http://emergingvisions.blogspot.com/

Science and art for this brief post. What a concept!

Eclipse Part IV 2010-2011

2010-12-12T15:19:00.001-10:00

Eclipse season comes again about the time of the Winter Solstice. Part IV of this series will consider:

The Total Eclipse of the Moon, December 21, 2010, at 3:13 AM Eastern/12:13 AM Pacific. It occurs on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis with Moon in Gemini, Sun in Sagittarius, 29° 21'. Moon opposite Sun 8:13:27 AM GMT, Maximum Eclipse at 8:16:53 AM GMT.

The Partial Solar Eclipse, January 4, 2011, 9:02:36 AM GMT (Moon conjunct Sun), 8:50:33 AM GMT (Maximum Eclipse), occurs with Sun and Moon at Capricorn 13° 38'.

The Full Moon on December 21 is a Total Eclipse of the Moon. It occurs on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis with Moon in Gemini, Sun in Sagittarius, 29° 21’. Moon opposite Sun 8:13:27 AM GMT, Maximum Eclipse at 8:16:53 AM GMT.

Moon enters the penumbra 5:28 GMT

Umbra 6:32 GMT this is where it starts to look like an eclipse

Completely in the umbra 7:40 GMT now the moon is reddish brown

Middle 8:17 GMT

End umbra 10:02 GMT

End penumbra 11:06

The duration of the entire show is five hours, thirty-eight minutes, but the beginning and ending parts when the moon enters and leaves the penumbral part of the shadow are often unspectacular and I’ll find myself wondering, “Is it starting? Is it starting?” At the end, I’ve grown tired of watching and don’t much care about the “Is it over?”

The darker part of the eclipse, when the moon enters the umbra until it leaves the dark shadow, is three and a half hours duration. The most spectacular part of the show is definitely the middle, the time of “maximum eclipse”.

Rather than list times for the process in five different time zones please use the list above, calculated for Greenwich Mean Time, and subtract the factor that converts it to your local time. Eastern -5, Central -6, Mountain -7, Pacific -8, and Hawai’i -10 (Alaska, you’re on your own, 9 or 10 and you know which.) Add 12 to the GMT when you need to in order to subtract (time will be PM on December 20). Still confused? Send me an email to STARTALKER@aol.com with your location and I’ll send you your times.

Illustration via Wikipedia

OK, that’s for the watching part. To have a sense of how the eclipse might play out in the environment, we locate the eclipse chart to an area of interest. Take the precise time of the Full Moon (3:13 AM EST, 2:13 AM CST, 1:13 AM MST, 12:13 AM PST) and calculate the horoscope for the location of interest. Then look at that chart for whatever’s emphasized at that location. For the national climate I use Washington D.C.

Another way is to look at the chart of an eclipse with mapping software that shows where charted planets, rise, set, culminate (top of chart), and anti-culminate (bottom of chart) with lines on a map. Mars lines might indicate action and fiery events. Neptune lines might be confusion or flooding. The quality of the planet is enhanced at the location with some difference in interpretation relative to rising, setting, culminating and anti-culminating. If a particular location is “flagged” on the map in a way that I find interesting I then calculate an eclipse chart for the place for more information than one can get from the map.

Looking at a chart cast for the lunar eclipse and set for the White House, the planet that first catches my eye is Venus. In a personal chart we’d say she was Rising and important by her placement in the First House. But that’s not so important in this kind of chart. The Rising degree is 7 Scorpio and she’s about 14 Scorpio. That’s about 7 degrees of separation and I don’t pay much attention unless the separation is less than one degree. Looking at the mapping version of the eclipse, I’d not even bother to look at DC. Since it is the seat of power though, I look. What is critical about this Venus is that she’s at an almost precise right angle with the MC degree (the MC is similar, but not quite what the map shows as “culminating”).

Venus is minutes from 14 Scorpio and the MC is minutes from 14 Leo. That ties the Lunar Eclipse Venus strongly to Washington. In this sort of chart, Venus, among other things, represents the economy, money, finances, and women. The MC represents the chief executive and his public standing. The Venus aspect may be an indicator of improving popularity. The aspect however, is a stressful one, so the message may be mixed.

Venus locally dominant in the DC eclipse chart is a strong indicator of financial and economic matters. Further, the Full Moon/Eclipse axis falls across the financial 2nd and 8th Houses. Mercury retrograde (ruling the 8th of the monetary standard, the national debt and intelligence) is in the money 2nd as well as the North Lunar Node and Pluto. Mercury is also at a right angle to Uranus of surprise and the unexpected. Holiday travel will be an adventure for many. The configuration with other planets in the financial picture (5th House – the stock market, holding Jupiter with Uranus), clearly suggest the cliché, “it’s the economy stupid.” That Mercury is retrograde points to the likelihood of trial and error; and Venus ruling the 7th and 12th points to international involvement and behind the scenes machinations.

A negative read would suggest an enhanced “more of the same”; bad news of slow economic growth, unemployment, foreclosure, etc. A more optimistic assessment might be a President gaining in approval and an economy beginning to respond to stimulation. The point isn’t a good or bad prediction but awareness of the issues in emphasis. After all, humankind presumably has this thing called free will.

Some other places “hit” in the eclipse charting include Salt Lake City, and Phoenix where Mars at the IC maybe activating opposition Parties or pointing to a potential for devastating fires. The IC with Mars might also point up weather problems, storms, and natural disasters. Mars heats things up!

"The lunar eclipse is visible over Britain, northwest Europe and Africa at Moonset (dawn); the Pacific and the Americas; and northeast Asia around Moonrise (Sunset)." [This location information via http://www.astronomylive.org/event/total-lunar-eclipse-21-december-2010]

************

Two weeks after the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse comes a New Moon Solar Eclipse.

Solar Eclipse Partial January 4, 2011, 9:02:36 AM GMT (Moon conjunct Sun), 8:50:33 AM GMT (Maximum Eclipse)

Partial Solar Eclipse of January 04

Illustration courtesy of NASA,

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2011.html#SE2011Jan04P

The first charting of this eclipse I did for Greenwich, England, the traditional place used for a World chart. The most emphasized body at that location (at the Rising degree of the chart) is the big asteroid Ceres. Ceres is the Earth Mother asteroid. Her glyph resembles the sickle, the tool used for centuries for harvesting grain. The suggestion is that food is in emphasis for the period. We can expect both crises that bring food to world consciousness as well as worldwide efforts to deal with hunger and agriculture. While “modern” farming methods have allowed for huge yields of selected crops, those have not always been what are needed. Monoculture has forced small farmers out of business and genetically modified crops threaten world ecology. Clearly, food and agriculture need attention and this eclipse suggests that the time is now.

When we locate the eclipse chart to the White House there’s the surprising repeat of a Venus theme (Venus was also emphasized in the December 2010 Total Lunar Eclipse). Venus is less than a degree from the Ascendant of the chart suggesting finance, women, and international relations will be highlighted in the months ahead.

Venus holds connotations of both the 2nd House - finance, prosperity, revenue, and the 7th House - the general public, the status of the nation in the world, international disputes, trade agreements, cartels, and so on.

While Solar Eclipses are often harbingers of difficulty and crisis this one seems almost benign in its Washington DC outfit. We’ll see.

Eclipse 2010 Part III

2010-12-07T21:13:00.000-10:00

Eclipse Part III

(This was written in August/September 2010. The eclipse chart notes for Greenwich, Washington D.C., and Hawai'i date from then and refer to the July 11 Total Solar Eclipse.)

In this, Part III, I am going to jump more deeply into astrology and bypass some of the softer stuff that was in previous blog entries about eclipses. Here we spend time looking not at eclipse paths and sky shows but at horoscopes, horo = hour, scope = view. What we call "charts", as in, "Let me look at your chart."

I distinguish mundane from political charting in that a mundane chart has an astronomical basis while a political chart links the astronomical with social and political life on the planet. It can be a thin distinction; for example, a New Moon is a mundane event but when calculated for a specific location it may be used for a political chart.

When we look at a mundane chart such as an eclipse, lunation, ingress, season, conjunction, etc., it doesn't come with a specific location. We might get coordinates for the place where an eclipse is maximum and use that, but a mundane chart is most often viewed astrologically as set for the place where we want to consider its effects. If we want to know about life in the US we set it for Washington DC. Some astrologers will set a mundane chart "for the world" at a location that appears quite Eurocentric, Greenwich, England. That choice has a long tradition and some very experienced astrologers still abide by it.

We can set a mundane chart for any location that fits the information we might like from the chart. In my practice I most often set one for the White House for political/national information and one for the town where I am living or for any place of interest.

I may also use an astro-mapping program to quickly identify locations where a particular factor suggests that a chart for a specific location might be revelatory. You may have heard of Astro*Carto*Graphy® mapping and "lines". The maps provide a shortcut to where a chart will put this or that factor on one of the up, down, rise or set points. Lines show where the planet or factor will be near or on an angle at the location. That's very handy but it's only one factor. Some hucksters are offering to find you love, money, health, and happiness based on these lines alone. Tsk.

What we learn from location charts is how the event's (ingress, lunation, eclipse, etc.) planetary configuration works out for the area, nation, or whatever. In any chart we note "angularity", the placement of a factor near one four sensitive chart locations: 1) Ascending or Rising, 2) Descending or Setting, 3) Culminating, "up", at the Midheaven, MC (Medium Coeli) or, 4) Anti-culminating, "down" at the IC (Imum Coeli). When we find a planet or point at or near those chart angles it is emphasized and the emphasis is tied to the location. So Mars, god of war and planet of fire, might be in emphasis for one location and not for another.

Viewing charts based on the Total Solar Eclipse of July 11, 2010, 7:40:27 PM GMT, 19:40:27 UT, at 19° 24' Cancer (Summer Time was in effect, please note this time is NOT Summer Time, but Standard Greenwich Mean Time).

The illustration shows the path of totality (the darker blue band).

For an eclipse you may see two different times, one based on the longitudinal alignment of Moon and Sun (New Moon or lunation) and another keyed to the moment of greatest eclipse. Greatest eclipse occurs in the South Pacific at 19:33:31 UT. There's usually not a great deal of difference, and I may look at charts for both times, but to keep it simple I usually chart for the lunation which is the time I use for all New Moons, eclipse or not.

At the time of the eclipse in England, the Sun is getting ready to set. That is a public/social part of the horoscope so we might surmise from a "world chart" that the eclipse effects will be felt world-wide and that ordinary people (not just presidents and kings) will receive the message of this eclipse.

The "karma" of personages of the old guard will have a strong effect on events to transpire and it is the new lawmakers and young persons who will breathe life into progress (North Lunar Node Rising, South Setting). It is obvious that the leaders of the past have a great deal of responsibility for the mess the world is in even though much of the populace has such a lack of historical perspective that they place the blame for current ills on current leaders. The other side of that is represented in the Greenwich chart in that the future direction is in the hands of younger people coming into view, creators of new technologies like Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), or political gadfly Julian Assange (WikiLeaks).

The eclipse in DC occurs in the part of the horoscope that has to do with international relations and that will be an area of additional focus for the period and in months to come. With the Sun and Moon in that House it is likely that leaders will be traveling internationally. No surprise in what we find at the bottom of the chart, "the homeland". The planet Neptune of the sea is in emphasis. That brings to mind the oil spill and indicates continuing confusion, illusion, and leaky-leaky in the Gulf.

Looking at the chart for my current home (Hawai'i), it has the eclipse in the legislative 11th. There's a lot of attention given to the upcoming election and negative ads are in abundance. Two planets traditionally referred to as "malefic", Mars of war and heat, and Saturn of lack and limitation are in the 1st House that has to do with the health of the community. Hawai'i currently has the highest drought rating (by far, as high as the scale goes) of any of the fifty states.

Eclipse season comes again about the time of the Winter Solstice. Part IV of this series will consider:

The Total Eclipse of the Moon, December 21, 2010, at 3:13 AM Eastern/12:13 AM Pacific. It occurs on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis with Moon in Gemini, Sun in Sagittarius, 29° 21'. Moon opposite Sun 8:13:27 AM GMT, Maximum Eclipse at 8:16:53 AM GMT.

The Partial Solar Eclipse, January 4, 2011, 9:02:36 AM GMT (Moon conjunct Sun), 8:50:33 AM GMT (Maximum Eclipse), occurs with Sun and Moon at Capricorn 13° 38'.

Thanks to Janus www.astrology-house.com for charts and to NASA for eclipse path map. Questions? Ask away.

Another Moon out of bounds October 25, 2010

2010-10-25T12:47:00.001-10:00

Another Moon out of bounds for you and the post is too long for Facebook.

We've got another little blip of the Moon out of bounds, OOB, from the 25th until the 27th.

Due to the tilt of the earth in relation to the Sun we get seasons and the latitude markers of the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that are 23° 28' north and south of the equator. Imagine the equator and those north and south limits extended out into space. Most of the time the planets stay within those limits set by the Sun. But sometimes, some of the planets swing beyond the limits that the Sun sets. The Sun, Saturn and Neptune never go OOB, but periodically the rest do.

When a planet is OOB it doesn't relate normally to other astrological factors. For the time it is out of bounds it is a bit of a wild card, a bit eccentric, and independent.

This OOB began today, October 25 at 637 PM UT, 237 PM Eastern, 137 PM Central, 1237 PM Mountain, 1137 AM Pacific, and 837 AM Hawaii.

The Moon returns to the fold 208 AM UT on the 28th, for US times it will be October 27 at 1008 PM Eastern, 908 PM Central, 808 PM Mountain, 708 PM Pacific, and 408 PM in Hawaii.

A Few Notes on October 2010 Astrology

2010-10-11T16:22:00.000-10:00

October 11, 2010: A lovely Crescent Moon in the early evening last night went out of bounds (OOB) a few minutes after her exact forty-five degree separation from the Sun. She’ll remain OOB until

Wed 10/13/2010 1:35 PM UT, 9:35 AM Eastern, 8:35 AM Central, 7:35 AM Mountain, 6:35 AM Pacific, and 3:35 AM here in Hawai’i.

Additionally, a longer term aspect came to perfection last night. The aspect, a parallel in declination, is not one that gets a lot of press. It’s a measurement analogous to latitude on the surface of the planet. Saturn and Uranus reached the same precise distance south of the celestial equator. The aspect suggests some emphasis of the dynamic between the planet of order and structure, Saturn, and the planet of revolutionary change, Uranus.

This is an enhanced continuation of one of the big picture planetary alignments that’s been discussed quite a bit in terms of the opposition of those two. Saturn opposed Uranus for the first of five times November 4, 2008 and then the opposition repeated (due to retrogrades) 5 February 2009, 15 September 2009, 26 April 2009, with a final exact opposition on 26 July 2010.

The expression represented by the aspect in opposition is far from over as the aspect in declination reminds us. Saturn wants to put a straight jacket on the impulse for democratic advance as represented by Uranus that the writer Richard Tarnas has compared to the archetype of Prometheus. Prometheus was the Titan who looked out for the well being of man and is famous for giving the gift of fire (a modern comparison might be technology and the democratizing Internet).

At this point in a global economic recession the forces of Saturn represent the conservative impulse to go with what is tried and known while the progressive impulse of Uranus is to protect and find benefit for the masses. The obvious parallel (pun intended) is apparent to the astrologer as another of the connections to be found between the sky show and life on this miracle planet.

What a time! SuperMoon-New Moon and Venus retrograde October 7, Jupiter retrograde in aspect to Neptune retrograde on the 8th for more on the “adjusting” going on about faith, religion, and beliefs, and a Mercury with the Sun “Superior Conjunction” on the 16th to suggest continued focus on relationship communication. We need to listen to one another more than we need to talk to one another.

I thought to just post the OOB Moon information to Facebook but this grew a bit beyond the mild lunacy that the OOB suggests so I’m putting this on the blog instead. Look for the day-to-day effect of the OOB to see a bit of jitter to life, the ball takes an odd bounce.

Eclipse ~ Part II

2010-09-08T15:18:00.000-10:00

The Total Solar Eclipse of July 11, 2010 & more, more, more!

Most of what I write about in this blog is in response and reply to your questions and issues* and I want it to be interesting and relevant to you. I’m back to the eclipse now more than a month later. I hope it does not seem irrelevant after the fact.

Some astrologers suggest that the resonance of an eclipse may be measured in years, with one year given for each minute of totality (in this case 5 minutes 20 seconds is 5 years 4 months). It is not uncommon for astrologers to consider the degree of an eclipse a “sensitive point” in the Zodiac for years to come (this eclipse at 19°23’ Cancer). Personally, I give greatest focus to a particular eclipse until another similar eclipse occurs (the next total solar eclipse occurs November 13, 2012). There are exceptions, but there is so much in astrology to take into account that I try and apply the KISS principle (keep it simple sir). In short, a) this eclipse is still relevant, b) some principles that I offer here have been utilized for centuries, and c) occasionally my fifty plus years of study allows for a useful observation.

“The second solar eclipse of 2010 occurs at the Moon's descending node in central Gemini just 45 arc-minutes east of the 3rd magnitude star Delta Geminorum.” So begins my favorite source for eclipse information via NASA from astronomers Espenak and Anderson. Astrologically that suggests a look-up of that star for whatever insights it may give us. We might phrase it that the eclipse is conjunct Delta Geminorum, a star with the traditional name Wasat.

Astrology gets information from placement (in the apparently fixed background of space) and proximity or relationship (to bodies or points in motion). “Sign” measurement (placement) is longitude (east-west, right-left) along the ecliptic (the path through the sky traveled by the sun, moon, and planets). The 360° circle of the ecliptic is made sexier, more fun, and gets suggested meaning by naming the 30° degree segments, Aries, Taurus, and so forth. The segments are linked precisely with the Earth’s seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and the Solstices and Equinoxes that mark those. That is why the Zodiac of the seasons is known as the Tropical (seasonal) Zodiac. Once, some two thousand years ago, named constellations matched the Signs of the seasons, now they are nearly a full Sign out of synch. Various matches of Zodiac to constellations are referred to as the Sidereal (constellational) Zodiac. There is easily a small book about what that suggests.

The longitude degree of the lunation or New Moon of the July 11, 2010 Total Solar Eclipse is 19°23’ Cancer (the point of greatest eclipse is very slightly different). Our NASA astronomers tell us that is minutes of longitude from the star Delta Geminorum. The traditional name of that star is Wasat, Arabic for “middle”. That refers to the star’s location either in the middle of the constellation Gemini or near the middle of the constellation Orion - to know which, you had to have been there when they named it.

Now Wasat is at 18°39’59” Cancer. It is Yellowish-White, Magnitude +3.5 (not all that bright), and according to Ptolemy has the nature of Saturn. From deVore’s Encyclopedia of Astrology we have: “Wasat, Delta Geminorum. A pale white and purple double star in the right arm of the Northern Twin. (Saturn) Malevolence, violence and destructiveness; associated with poisons and gases.” And, “Interpretations given are mostly from ancient authorities, who apparently were inclined to place undue stress upon the direful.”

Wasat is only two-tenths of a degree south of the ecliptic and therefore is occasionally occulted by the Moon and more rarely by a planet. The last occultation by a planet was by Saturn on June 30, 1857 and the next will be by Venus on August 12, 2420. This may be a contributing factor to the negative quality ascribed to Wasat since the occultation by Saturn may have given a saturnine taint or color to Wasat. Maybe 25th Century interpretation will give a nicer, Venusian quality to that star.

In Chinese astronomy, Delta Geminorum was one of a triangle of stars on the ecliptic forming Tianzun, a wine cup or water jar with three feet. Maybe some connection with water and its presence or lack. I don’t know about how the entire Pacific is doing but Hawai’i is experiencing a devastating drought, the worst by far of any US State.

We would not be mistaken to link this eclipse with the worst environmental disaster in US history, the oil spilling into the Gulf as a result of high tech poking into the sea bed. The substance of mundane (Earth events) astrology comes from combining many astronomical/astrological events of which eclipses are near or at the top of the list.

A wee bit beyond the customary degree for involvement by conjunction (within one degree) we may also take note of the proximity of the geocentric North Node (NN) of Pluto at 20° 26’ 33” Cancer (heliocentric node, 20° 28’ 13”) to the degree of the eclipse. Pluto’s node is suggestive of death and rebirth transformation. Pluto is of course the Lord of the Underworld and in charge of hidden riches buried deep within the earth.

In many references one can find, “20°... Degree of limitation and hindrance.” (A degree and one or more minutes is customarily regarded as the next whole degree, e.g., one degree one minute is two degrees, one degree fifty-nine minutes is two degrees.)

This is a total eclipse, spectacular to those able to view it, but the path is sparsely populated. Good viewing locations were Easter Island, Tahiti, and Mangaia Island (Cook Island). One might have seen some of the eclipse way south where it ends in Chile and Argentina (dead winter there) and some other islands in the South Pacific.

One reason we look to the eclipse path is visibility, where can one view the eclipse? Where is the eclipse to be seen? Just as the degree of an eclipse is said to sensitize that degree, the path of an eclipse is thought to indicate a geographical area that may be likely for events that correlate to the astrological themes given by the eclipse degree and aspects.

For millennia, events have followed in regions where an eclipse was witnessed, events that people have connected to the fact of the eclipse. Some interesting connections I recall are that the eclipse prior to the birth of Alexander the Great traced the extent of his empire; in a similar way the eclipse prior to the birth of Karl Marx indicated the area of the Soviet Union. I’d like to give more examples but my library has mostly been donated to the Bob Mulligan School of Astrology and I can’t play my research game of pull books from the shelves.

SKIP NEXT THREE PARAGRAPHS unless you are the complete astro-nerd!

To add further depth (or to further complicate) the study of the symbolic effects of an eclipse, we can consider the “family” to which an eclipse belongs. There, we look especially to charting of the first eclipse of a family (Saros Series) for themes that might “color” all the eclipses of the series.

“This is the 27th eclipse of Saros 146 (Espenak and Meeus, 2006). The series began on 1541 Sep 19 with the first of an unusually long series of 22 partial eclipses. . . . The 2010 eclipse marks the longest totality of Saros 146 because future durations will decrease. . . . The series ends with a set of 13 partial eclipses the last of which occurs on 2893 Dec 29.

“In all, Saros 146 produces 35 partial, 13 total, 4 hybrid and 24 annular eclipses. Complete details for the series can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros146.html

NON-TECHNICAL RESUMES HERE!

Astronomy measures while astrology draws meaning. The suggestion of the eclipse is the extinguishing or dimming of light. That often has been linked with the passing of leaders. The Sun represents, the center, the king, the chief.

Another kind of information gleaned from eclipses that is crossing the astrolo-astrono divide is geophysical phenomena (earthquakes, volcanoes, all kinds of storms, etc.). The precise alignments that result in an eclipse also contribute to gravitational anomalies that are linked to the geophysical. Things tend to speed up during eclipse season.

For a lovely article on the eclipse, NASA Science News offers the story and great pictures at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/09jul_solareclipse/

* I haven’t yet got a good handle on this Internet communicating and am trying many avenues (this blog, Facebook – Astrology with Tim Rubald – a fan page, a Tim Rubald Facebook page, Gather.com, and some dozen other places as well). Any way you want to get in touch to have me address a particular topic is fine; there may be more continuity if it is here in the blog, but any way is fine.

Saturn's in Libra now. Isn't that nice?

2010-07-25T16:25:00.006-10:00

Saturn entered Libra
July 21, 2010

The change really makes me glad. I don't go on much about the personal in this blog but Saturn in my life lately brings to mind those apartment building size tractors they use in open pit coal mines; a huge, inevitable, unrelenting machine.

Saturn moved into Virgo September 2 of 2007*. On October 29, 2009, it made an initial duck from Virgo into Libra. January 13, 2010, Saturn began a retrograde that took it back into Virgo from Libra on April 7. May 7 it resumed forward motion and on July 21 was back in Libra where it will travel until October 5, 2012, when it goes into Scorpio.

I wish I could draw a picture; dates, retrograde, direct, blah, blah, blah. It's summertime, how about a metaphor? Saturn jumps in the Libra pool and swims a bit then gets out in order to take care of a chore, then goes back in the pool for the duration. The swimming pool metaphor's a little weak because Virgo is Earth and Libra is Air.

Traditional, conventional, long time astrology has Saturn EXALTED in the Sign Libra. Planets are said to have affinity for certain Signs and to not work so well in other Signs. The astrobabble for this is "dignity" and "debility." DIGNITY refers to conditions of placement where a planet is strengthened and DEBILITY to conditions that are said to weaken a planet. A planet is said to have dignity here and debility there ("here and there" can be Signs, degrees, Houses, etc.).

Saturn's stuff includes RULERSHIP of the Signs Capricorn and Aquarius (until the 19th Century astrologer(s) Raphael came along with a wish to fit the then freshly discovered Uranus and Neptune into the scheme of things and suggested Uranus for Aquarius and Neptune for Pisces - traditionally under the lordship of Jupiter). Personally, I like Uranus for Aquarius but also give Saturn equal time for that Sign. That's just me.

Traditional sign rulership has more to do with how the signs reinforce, positively or negatively, the essence of a planet - hence, the term "essential dignity."

-- Rob Hand

Rulership is one sort of dignity. Saturn is DIGNIFIED in Capricorn and Aquarius because it RULES those Signs. Saturn is thought to be weakened in the opposite Signs, Cancer and Leo. The astro-babble is that Saturn is at DETRIMENT in Cancer and Leo.

Saturn gets his greatest dignity in the Sign Libra, the Sign of his EXALTATION. Conversely he reaches his FALL in the Sign opposite, Aries. What's with Saturn in Libra being so good, said to be the best Sign placement for the planet? That's such a big question that I am going to skip it. Too involved, too technical, and too boring to all but a few astrologers. I'm not trying to shirk an explanation, only saying that to do an explanation justice is more fitting to a long book chapter or a pamphlet, not a blog entry. Suffice to say, Saturn works well in the Sign Libra.

Here's some of what the 17th Century astrologer William Lilly wrote about Saturn:

[Houses] In the Zodiack he hath two of the twelve Signes for his Houses, viz. Capricorn his Night-house, Aquarius his Day-house; he has his Exaltation in Libra, he receives his Fall in Aries; he rejoyceth in the sign Aquarius.

[Triplicity] He governeth the Aiery Triplicity by day, which is composed of these Signs; Gemini, Libra, Aquarius;

Lilly also gives more detail on Saturn in what are called "terms" but we'll skip that in favor of some basic Saturn information. Saturn takes about 29.46 years to circle the Sun, spends about 2.5 years in a Sign and about 4.5 months of each orbital period appearing to move backward through the zodiac from our perspective on earth (called retrograde motion).

Let's be happy now with a lighter touch from the old man, a more considered, humanitarian application of structure and authority. Maybe there will be a better crop of political candidates this November, more amenable to care for people rather than the current batch, which are mostly in the pockets of corporate interests.

The Sign Saturn leaves, Virgo, is an Earthy work Sign. Saturn's now in Libra; more concerned with harmony and humanity than with the world as a work farm. Cheers for Saturn in Libra!

* UT/GMT dates

Eclipse ~ Part I

2010-06-28T13:32:00.001-10:00

In my email this morning (June 25, 2010) was an inquiry about an upcoming partial lunar eclipse. While I’ve written many times and lectured and taught about eclipses, I thought it might be as good a time as any to revisit the topic.

My friend commented that she’d heard this was an auspicious eclipse. One gets a sense of benefit from that word, auspicious, that is not (in my experience) usually connected with an eclipse.

In the simplest terms, an eclipse is an obscuration, a dimming or elimination of the light from one of our planet’s most important lights, sun or moon. For that reason, eclipses most often have a negative connotation with regard to the astrological “what does it mean?”

Where astronomy splits from its mother, astrology, is that astrology offers some meaning we might derive from an analysis of the greater whole while astronomy is primarily about measurement of a piece of the whole (how far, how bright, elemental composition, motion, etc.)

The question of auspiciousness comes to some degree from the lunation process. A lunation follows the waxing and waning moon through eight stages: New, Crescent, First Quarter, Gibbous, Full, Disseminating, Last Quarter, Balsamic, and back to New. The process of New Moon to New Moon takes about 29.5 days.

“Moons” are one of the first and most obvious markings of astronomical events experienced by us critters on this planet. Moons are utilized for everything from hunting and fishing, to the timing of religious observances (Easter, Diwali, Saga Dawa, Ramadan, Passover, etc.) New Moon timing for religious purposes usually doesn’t kick in until the moon begins to pull far enough from the sun’s rays to be visible in or after the sunset (crescent). The more obvious Full Moon is the one that gets popular names such as Harvest Moon.

Some lunations or “moons” are deemed positive or auspicious and some not so much. Every eclipse will also be linked with this or that “moon" because an eclipse is a "moon". Considering lunations from an astrological (it means something) perspective, the more precise alignment that results in an eclipse steps up or enhances whatever the meaning of the lunation.

We can get an idea of the auspiciousness of certain moons by their names. I’ve picked a few at random. Some North American indigenous peoples call the midwinter Full Moon, the Starvation Moon. That would likely be an inappropriate name for it in the southern hemisphere where seasons are flip-flopped. The name Harvest Moon was given to the first Full Moon after the Autumn Equinox and northern hemispherites from North America (some tribes refer to the Grandmother Moon) to Europe celebrated it for much the same reason. I’ve heard it said that its light extended the hours available to harvest. Personally I’d rather not be swinging sharp harvest tools by moonlight. The bounty of the harvest gave way to celebratory feasts such as the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA.

For much of the world, the calendar is lunar based. Probably the oldest lunar calendar in use is that of China which begins with the first New Moon after the Sun enters the Sign Aquarius. Chinese New Year is an example of auspicious endeavor coming by way of splendid celebration, parades, fireworks, new clothing and special foods. While celebration and ritual are practiced to “seed” the year ahead, some years are said to be more auspicious than others and a year may be said to benefit or challenge the native of one Chinese Zodiac year Sign more or less than it does the native of another Sign.

This is given to offer some hint as to how an eclipse might or might not be auspicious. Many other factors can go into the mix. For example, an eclipse that occurs in a good relationship to a benefic planet (Venus or Jupiter) might be considered auspicious.

A Hindu blog I came upon informs us that the eclipse is a “Chandra Grahan”. I know that Chandra is Sanskrit for Moon; I will assume Grahan indicates eclipse.

(Although I’ve given a few years of my more than fifty years studying astrology to an investigation of Jyotish, Vedic, or Hindu astrology, I am no expert in those techniques. I believe that any form of astrology when understood and practiced with expertise and heart has value; Western Tropical (my practice), Vedic, Chinese, Classical, Mayan, etc. I remember a Mick Jagger line, “It’s the singer, not the song.”)

Here is information on the Chandra Grahan given by Paramahamsa Swami Sivananda

“At the time of the eclipse, people bathe in the sacred rivers. They do charitable acts. They give cows, money and gold. The day after the eclipse they feed the poor, the Brahmins and the Sadhus. After the eclipse they clean their houses, vessels, etc., and take a bath before they start cooking.

“Those who do Japa [mantra] at the time of the eclipse derive great benefits. The effect of Japa and Sankirtan [sacred song, call and repeat] during the eclipse contributes towards relieving the suffering of humanity and also of the planets. These people receive the blessings of the gods. They attain perfection quickly. . . . You will shine in your own glory. This is the spiritual significance of the eclipse.”

From http://www.astrojyoti.com/EclipseGrahan.htm

There are many, many variants to the moon’s motion and relation to Earth. There’s a slightly less precise alignment than an eclipse that is very nearly as dynamic in effect as the eclipse alignment that astrologer Richard Nolle’s named a “SuperMoon”. Eclipses and SuperMoons are often linked with geophysical phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the like. I’ll write more about these special lunations at some point in the future.

Eclipses tend to occur in groups so the Lunar Eclipse this time is followed by a Total Solar Eclipse on July 11. I’ve been writing about eclipses here in a general way in order to address the question of auspiciousness. Many times I’ve been called upon to evaluate a specific eclipse in the sense of meaning and effect as applied to the world and individuals. I will leave that for another blog entry since this one has grown large enough.

Eclipses in 2010 (UT/GMT dates)

Annular Eclipse of the Sun, January 15 at 25° 01’ Capricorn
The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 07:06:33 UT

Partial Eclipse of the Moon, June 26 at 04° 46’ Capricorn
Greatest Eclipse: 11:38:27 UT

Total Eclipse of the Sun, July 11 at 19° 24’ Cancer
Greatest eclipse occurs in the South Pacific at 19:33:31 UT.

Total Eclipse of the Moon, December 21 at 29° 21’ Gemini
Greatest Eclipse: 08:16:57 UT

Astrological information from Jim Maynard’s Celestial Guide. Best astronomical eclipse data is from Fred Espenak at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The time of greatest eclipse will be near but not exactly the same as the time of the New or Full Moon alignment.

Welcome to Spring!

2010-03-20T04:25:00.000-10:00

It is the time of the Vernal Equinox. The Sun enters the Sign Aries on March 20 at 17.32 UT (that’s 1:32 PM Eastern, 10:32 AM Pacific).

The longer night of the winter season is now in equal balance with daylight. From this point the length of daylight grows.

It is the beginning point of the Zodiac that astrologers use as measure. An astrological chart for the equinox moment is said to contain information relevant to at least the Spring season and perhaps for as much as the twelve months to follow.

Imbolc, Brigid, and Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T18:53:00.001-10:00

We often talk about the connections of astrology with the season cycle. The Solstices and Equinoxes mark zero degrees of the Cardinal Zodiac Signs. The midpoints in time between Solstices and Equinoxes are "Cross Quarter Days," holy days based on the seasons.

The middle of Aquarius comes early in February and brings Imbolc or Brigid ~ Candlemas (February 2) ~ the newborn Sun God is seen as a small child nursing at the breast of the Mother. Energy is directed toward blessing and empowering new beginnings. At this Holy Day the Goddess of Fire and Inspiration, Brigid, is honored. To the Irish she is the Triple Goddess of Poetry, Healing, and Smithcraft. The Light of the days continues to increase.

Aquarius tells us it is a time for our unique individuality to manifest as well. It is a time of Initiation ritual, of beginnings. Coming at lambing time, Imbolc (or Oimelc) celebrated the beginning of the end of winter. New lambs were born, and a dish made from their docked tails was eaten. This survived into Christian times as the Feast of Brigid: the saint was a Christianized version of the pagan goddess of the same name. http://www.livingmyths.com/Celticyear.htm

Brigid's festival is Imbolc, when she ushers Spring to the land . . . This mid-Winter feast commences as the ewes begin to lactate and is the start of the new agricultural cycle. During this time Brigid personifies a bride, virgin or maiden aspect and is the protectoress of women in childbirth. Gailleach, or White Lady, drank from the ancient Well of Youth at dawn. In that instant, she was transformed into her Maiden aspect, the young goddess called Brigid. Wells were considered to be sacred because they arose from oimbelc (literally "in the belly"), or womb of Mother Earth.

Imbolc also is known as Oimelc, Brigid, Candlemas, or even in America as Groundhog Day. As the foundation for the American Groundhog Day, Brigid's snake comes out of its mound in which it hibernates and its behavior is said to determine the length of the remaining Winter. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/brigid.html "Brigid." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.

-- from handout material at a January 2005 talk I gave. Although there are a couple of sources given, I'm not certain where I got some of this. It didn't just pop out of my head or from the belly of Aquarius for that matter even though I have Venus quite near that place. -- Tim

Meteor shower & astrology

2009-10-21T07:30:00.000-10:00

Meteor shower astrology

A friend wrote me this morning and it got me thinking.

She included a news clip about this morning’s meteor shower and wrote: “Hi Tim, Any horoscopic effect of the likes of this?”

I replied that I love looking into the night sky; especially from places with little or no light pollution. That’s another one of the many things that inspire my calling. Sometimes, if I happen to awaken “pre-dawn” and happen to remember there’s something to look at, I see a special sky show. I missed this one.

In terms of horoscopic effects, I don’t see astrology as any kind of cause and effect thing. My view is that astrology is a reflection, and so offers another perspective on life, on whatever.

This Orionid shower represents a convergence of Earth’s orbit with the debris field left by a comet (this famous one, Halley’s). Particles of the debris fall through the atmosphere and light up.

While I’ve never made a study of an astrological reflection of such an event, I would do it something like this. I’d translate the location of the event into Zodiacal longitude in order to know where it might apply in an horoscope. That opens a big can of worms in that the belt of the Zodiac is relatively narrow in terms of the whole of the space around the planet. If the location is way above or below the belt the convention is to drop lines down (or up) from the location to where they would be if within the belt, if space could be squished down into a disk.

Then, knowing where the event is occurring Zodiacally, I could plug that into a horoscope (stylized round map) and begin to apply some of the symbology/mythology to the individual or whatever in question. I would consider the symbology of the region of space, of Halley’s Comet itself, what stars, what constellations, if there are any planets currently in the region, and so on. Then I’d apply that via its location in the individual horoscope to get more information on the intersection of the event with the person.

http://meteorshowersonline.com/images/orionidsnorth.jpg You see by looking out into space just from this picture you see Orion, a constellation. Here’s another view. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/images/orionids/skymap_north.gif]

The astrological background would be the palette of myth, symbol, and scientific measure. Orion is the Great Hunter and in the Tropical Zodiac the constellation extends from about 8º Gemini to 6º Cancer. Had I the time to make an evaluation I’d include all of that and especially links including major stars like Betelgeuse, Rigel, Bellatrix and others. There are symbolic applications that can be made including the comet, these stars, the constellation, the Zodiac, and more.

A meteor shower might be a blip astrologically that we’d link with what it looks like, bright displays, streaks of light, enhanced wonder, even joy at a natural display. It might coincide with some flashy dreams, some moments of inspiration, illumination of an individual’s hunt, and so on.

There are astrologers who utilize a great deal of focus on the stars and constellations who could offer much more than I can. Because a meteor shower is such a flickering and transitory event, I’ve not thought to make much of a study of them. I am open to the possibilities though.