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§ASTROLOGICAL PORTHOLE

ASTROLOGY

As you can imagine, astrology encompasses a vast subject. There are many different ways to approach astrology. There are many different points of view. Within our own western tradition back in medieval times, alchemists understood astrology to be a method of personal integration a way of transcending the chaotic human condition, which they called the great work. I am going to present astrology firstly from this point of view and then discuss how this has changed in modern times.

To begin with, what did the medieval alchemists mean by personal integration? According to them this was a way of transmutation and transformation. At that time, approximately 15 hundred years ago, the average person in Europe couldn't read or write. If he lived in large town like London all his life and never ever worked on a farm he wouldn't have even known when to plant the crops so that they would be ready to harvest in spring. Would he have known what a horoscope looked like? Individual horoscopes were made only for the king and queen and members of the ruling class and the aristocracy. It wasn't until the beginning of the 17th century that Galileo understood that the earth revolved around the sun, but when he published this he was met by a lot of opposition from Pope Urban VIII. When Galileo died in January 1642 only a few of his closest friends understood that the earth revolved around the sun but even they could not be seen discussing this openly. To express such a view anywhere in Europe at that time, was considered heretical by the Catholic church and punishable by death. Even fewer people understood anything about astrology. If astrology of the present day does not have a correct intellectual framework it is meaningless. There must be an accurate idea of how the earth moves around in the solar system. The diurnal motion of the earth and its yearly cycle around the sun are of paramount importance. The tilt of the earth in relationship to the sun is of equal importance. More of that later. Astrology has to be understood from what is happening on earth. The relationships humans form with each other and their environment can be illustrated by astrology in various ways.

Why did the medieval alchemists consider astrology to be a method of personal integration? Medieval alchemists were the ones who could change base metals into gold. I wonder if they also had the ability to gaze into the distant future and see that the average person in western society of today, even under vastly improved economic circumstances, would still find astrology highly amusing, entertaining and helpful?

You must have all come across the way astrology is presented in the newspapers and magazines where there is a different forecast every day. But really the logic used and the assumptions made are faulty. Here is an example of what I mean by faulty logic. Every young lady named Susan likes wearing an evening gown to a concert. Susan was born when the sun was in the sign of Pisces. But at the same concert there is another young lady named Cathy. Cathy was born when the sun was also in Pisces but Cathy is wearing a mini dress and has red hair while Susan is a brunette. If you buy shares in Kalgoolie Gold because Mars is about to form an exact conjunction with Pluto will you make a tidy profit by the end of the day? These are some of the  assumptions people make using faulty logic, who write these type of things in the newspapers.

Of greater interest is what astrologers present on the internet. Their pre-recorded video presentations are most informative about global trends, political machinations of the power elite and the lives of current American leaders.

There are in the human family, relationships within relationships and these can be shown by astrology by the use of its symbols. These symbols can be interpreted and re-interpreted in an infinite variety of ways. What does the horoscope show the astrologer of the 21st century? It can show the end result of a process that may have begun several life times ago, if you believe in reincarnation, or it may be the result of passing on an ancestral inheritance that began thousands of years ago, if you believe in families passing on what they value from one generation to the next.

A horoscope may be used to find out whether a particular business is going to be a success. This branch of astrology is called horary or elective astrology and is treated differently from a natal horoscope.

But let's get serious here folks. If I were to describe a horoscope in as few a words as possible what would I say? It is like an architecturally designed blue print for a house. It is up to you what you do with it. You may not know what to do with it at first. Your natal horoscope uses symbolic language to describe  your life, the way your soul has allowed you to use your present incarnation. Continuing  the metaphor of the blue print of the yet to be built house,  perhaps it is just the right time to reconsider and revaluate a few things. Probably after you have studied the blue print for an hour or so you realise that the house will cost a lot more than you first thought, even if you do a lot of the work yourself and then you have just realised that the trusses for the roof are going to be a big problem. Are you even sure how much the foundations and the slab will cost. Some people are lucky enough to have laid the foundations of their house just before their life has come to an end. At least they will have something to come back to when they return. Others have managed to follow the blue print and built the house up to lock up stage when they are still in their prime of their life. It looks like they may finish building the house in the next five to ten years but then something changes in the fabric of their life. The  time they have originally been  allotted for this life may have changed; there may be a serious accident or even the sudden death of the person who is building the house. The soul's journey has seemed to have changed direction. What has happened is a mystery. The aspects seen in the blueprint have an infinite number of possibilities depending on how we choose to express them. The blueprint may show what needs to be done, what could be done, possible strengths, weaknesses, challenges but they do not show how we will choose to use them in our lives.

It has been mentioned before how the earth turns on its axis and revolves around the sun. Even though this has happened for millions of years and it is generally taken for granted, the two motions are very different. The twenty-four hour cycle of the earth is used in astrology to express individual experience. The yearly cycle is used to describe how that individual conducts himself in the world.

There are also 12 signs of the zodiac. These fit like a belt around the earth and stretch for 15 degrees on either side of the equator. They mark the seasons on earth and mark the cycle of the year.

The names of the 12 signs of the zodiac are listed below.

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

The tilt of the earth is a much larger cycle that takes 25,300 years to complete. All of you must have had childhood memories of a spinning top. Remember how it spins at quite a fast speed at first then as it starts to slow down and then it begins to wobble. The same thing happens to the earth. Because it is so much larger than the spinning top the whole motion takes a lot longer, more than 25,000 years to complete. It never has stopped.

Expansion??

The horoscope is divided into twelve houses that represent the revolution of the earth in one 24 hour cycle.

Both the houses and the signs of the zodiac have different meanings attributed to them. That information is easily accessible in magazines and newspapers.

The planets weave an intricate dance in the zodiac. Pluto and Chiron have such an irregular orbits that they weave in and out of the zodiac.

There are patterns within patterns. scraps of material are placed in different containers. Astrology is a method whereby the unexplained urges a human being can

be given a valid reference point. Such as for example why did you get suddenly excited; what made you want to gamble and lose all that money at the on line casino last night. Why are you so sad. Why did you leave your elderly parents to die in a nursing home instead of caring for them at home. What makes you feel that a relationship  you  have with someone has become  a tombstone around your neck. Why did you drive to the pub half an hour before closing time and get drunk. What made you run into the darkness of the night and then, suddenly realise what you were doing before casting yourself over the abyss.

How are these urges, emotions, feelings and altered states of consciousness that we all have from time to time expressed in the horoscope. Here are a few items that are significant when looking at a natal  horoscope.

the ascendant, the eastern most point in the horoscope shows how a person is seen in the world.

the MC is the highest point of the horoscope. It represents the individuals professional standing in the world.

the descendant the western most point in the horoscope is where you find end of life issues. It is also the cusp of the 7th house from where personal relationships with other people are experienced.

the  IC the lowest point in the horoscope describes the attitude you have towards your home and under certain circumstances it can mean death.

There are also the planets that revolve around the Sun. These are Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Chiron is an asteroid that was discovered 1977 but I consider it a planet. The outer planets are Uranus Neptune and Pluto. They are called outer planets because these 3 planets are a lot further away from the Sun than the others. The 11 planets of our solar system can form aspects like-:

conjunctions 0-15 degrees,

oppositions 180- 190 degrees,

trines 120 degrees.

squares 90 degrees.

There are many different  aspects or subdivisions of the circle you can make for the horoscope. There are transits and primary progressions, secondary progressions and tertiary progressions.

There are also some 50  important fixed stars that also form aspects with themselves, with the planets and other points in the horoscope.

For the  year 1347 is  erected a horoscope for London England on the 26th of July 1347 at 9.04 am. Considering that the moon sun conjunction is square mars and the lowest point of the horoscope forms an exact conjunction with the galactic centre, I wonder if this horoscope  can be used as a pointer, perhaps the start of the Hundred Year War between England and France and the black plague that killed a third of the population of Europe in three years.

In the 21st century in Australia today because there has been such great improvements in medicine and almost anyone can have access to a doctor or a hospital if they so wish, there are no famines or plagues in this country. The average working class Australian does not have to deal with the same sorts of problems as his mid 14th century cousins did in Europe. But from a young age our average working class Australian has still a lot to contend with. He still has to deal with the same sort of aspects in his horoscope as his cousins did more than  five hundred years ago.

To bring this discourse to a satisfactory conclusion here are the horoscopes of one nuclear physicist and 3 famous Australian writers. Because it was not possible to find out  the exact time of their births I have used primary progressions to ascertain this. According to Bernadette Brady in her book the Eagle and the Lark this method of rectification is acceptable in these types of cases.

Here is the horoscope of  a prominent Australian physicist Mark Oliphant born  8 Oct 1901 Sun  13 56 libra

Prog Merc trine Pluto graduated Uni of Adelaide

Prog Jupiter con Uranus worked with radar and designed a cavity magnetron that made microwave radar possible.

36 Prog Sun qcux Pluto Poynting Professor of Physics at Uni of Birmingham

40 Pro Merc opp  Pluto feasibility of the atomic bomb possible production date 1943.

45 Pro Saturn square Mars dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan

Here is the horoscope of a famous Australian writer Morris West born 16 April 1916  in Melbourne Victoria.

Sun 5 Taurus. Moon conj Uranus opp Mars.

MC conj GC

Ascendant square GC

Descendant conj Alkaid.Venus conj Bellatrix.

Prog Venus conj Saturn  29 he published Moon in my Pocket 1st book 1947

Prog Pluto conj Mars Shoes of the Fisherman

Prog Merc conj Pluto The Devil's Advocate

Pro Merc conj fixed star Mirzam 1963 visit to South Vietnam President. A month later Diem was assassinated. These events inspired West to write The Ambassador published in 1965. Prog Mars opp GC

Daughter of  Silence prog Mars con Pluto 1961

Tower of Babel Prog Mars square Chiron 1968

Pro Sun 29 Geminii Betelgeuse The Salamander presented to publishers 1971

Pro Jupiter con Bellatrix  1981 Clowns of God

Prog Jupiter conj fixed star Mirzam Vanishing Point

Pro Jupiter conj 27 Gemini opp GC Cassidy

Prog Ascendant near  Aldebaran 1990 Lazarus

Thomas Keneally is a world famous Australian writer who at the age of 5 nearly died of asthma.

Pro chiron conj MC opp Mars

pro chiron conj Canopus the Place at Whitton 1964

pro Sun conj Alphecca the Fear 1965

pro MC conj Sirius one of the Royal Stars of Persia 1967 Bring Larks and Heroes Miles Franklin Award

pro Sun conj Zuben Elgenuben 1968  Three Cheers for Paraclete also pro Jupiter conj Aculeus Miles Franklin Award

pro jupiter con GC 1969 The Survivor

pro jupiter con Acumen 1971 A Dutiful Daughter

Pro Mercury con Antares Moses the Law Giver 1975

Here is the horoscope of a 59 year old lady born in Victoria on the 16th of June 1958. Isobelle Carmody is a famous Australian writer best known for her much acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles. When she was born her  Sun  was found in the sign of Genini. I' ve placed her Sun in the 10th house. It is conjunction Mercury and I've positioned her MC  at   10 degrees Gemini which is conjunct her Moon. Also I've placed her ascendant at 26 degrees 40 minutes Leo. I will explain my reason for this later.

Mercury conjunct Bellatrix  21 Genini one of the Royal Stars of Persia

Pluto is close to her ascendant and conjunct Regulus.

There is a Ptolomiec aspect Mercury from the 10th house opposition Saturn in the 4th house. Ptolomy was a Greco - Roman mathematician and astrologer who lived in Egypt in Alexandria in the beginning of the Christian Era. He  believed that Saturn opposition or square aspects to Mercury indicated that the person was lacking in intelligence to a large extent. Today there are many doctors, lawyers, computer programmers and  engineers and famous writers like Isobelle Carmody with that aspect in their natal horoscopes  who have proved Ptolemy old fashioned and out of date by now. I wonder how these highly gifted, talented and successful  people cope with the negative energies  these aspects manifest in their lives.

In Isobelle's horoscope  both the Sun and Mercury conjunction form a close Grand Trine with Jupiter and Chiron. This means there is a free flow of energy from the Sun Mercury conjunction to Jupiter and Chiron    The Grand Trine is in her natal horoscope so it is an aspect she has to contend for her whole life. Generally average working class Australians with a Grand Trine in Air Signs have a string of good luck. But when nasty planets transit any  sensitive points their good fortune seems to evaporate suddenly and they don't know what to do. On the other hand there are those like Isobelle Carmody who lead successful lives despite the difficulties.

For her entire life Isobelle has to contend with the opposition of 2  giant red fixed stars. The huge star Aldebaran is found on her MC the highest point in the horoscope. It is 45 times the size of the Sun and in her natal horoscope is sextile Uranus. Antares is found directly opposite Aldebaran on her IC, the lowest point in the horoscope, and is 12 times the size of the Sun.

1a. At the age of 14 progressed MC is conjunct the fixed star Algol. Isobelle's father was killed in a road accident by a drunken driver.

1b. Prog Jupiter 7 libra near opposition Mars 6 Aries

1c. Prog Jupiter 27 Virgo Alkaid. Death of her brother ten years after the death of her father along the same road.

2a. Progressed Mars  had reached 22 degrees of  Pisces. Since Roman times Mars represented the God of War. In modern times Mars has come to represent how an individual meets the challenges in his life. However  because  primary progressed Mars has moved to a water sign it is in its detriment, somewhere where it is not very comfortable at all. It has come to a point where it is almost exactly square Saturn 22 Sagitarius.

2b.When progressed Mars is in a watery Pisces and prog Mars is still intercepted, and  squares Saturn in a firery Sign there is sometimes a violent death of the father the result of a car accident with a drunken driver, as is the case of Isobelle's father.

But generally in most cases, when prog Mars or Saturn is not intercepted, there is no death in the family. Instead there may be a divorce caused by family swabbles between the mother and the father. There also may be a breakdown in their relationship because there are the unmet expectations that haven't been fulfilled.

Depending on the circumstances, this may not mean a permanent separation of the father from the rest of the family for ever. Usually arrangements are made so that parents can visit their children. If the father meets with members of the family some time later perhaps when the children have grown up the situation may have changed completely; it would be like a meeting of different people.

2c.When she was still at high school and in the same year her father died Isobelle started writing Obernewtyne the first book of her much loved Obernewtyne chronicles that has proved to be an inspiration to millions of young adult readers of the English speaking world. Prog Sun conjunct Aldebaran. Prog Mars sextile Mercury.

2d prog Jupiter is opposition  Mars. Realisation that there is  a great potential of establishing herself as a famous writer. Death of her father.

2e. prog Mars trine Saturn

2f. pro Saturn trine Mars trine Uranus

The father is generally represented by Saturn. The Moon represents the mother.

2f. Progressed Saturn is near opposition her Moon. Because of the death of Isobelle's father her mother had to get a job and leave Isobelle alone at home.

Progressed Saturn con Antares

Prog Sun was conjunct MC

Progressed Uranus sextile Sun

At the age of 19 her progressed Sun had reached 5 geminii  which was sextiling her Mars. Obernewtyn was published

 23 her progressed MC conjunct Venus Farseekers was awarded Children' s book of the Year for older readers.

''' 24 Death of her brother 10 years after the death of her father. progressed Venus near conjunct Aldebaran. Pluto 24 Virgo square  Sun

Progressed Jupiter conj Alkaid

Progressed DT conjunct Capulus DH conj Agena

''' 40 progressed DH is conjunct IC 10 sag  DT 10 gemini  Darkfall and Greylands. Birth of Adelaide

57 the Red Queen is published Chiron 25 sag

At age 53 the Sending was published; prog Chiron 29 sag.

'' 55 progressed Chiron has reached GC 27 Sag and is trining Ascendant.

   50 the Stone Key prog Venus is 27 Pisces opposition Alkaid

At the age of 57 The Red Queen is published the last book of the Obernewtyne Chronicles. Pro Chiron 25 Sag con Aculeus; Pro Pluto 27 Libra sextile ascendant.