Fame and Fortune in the [Fixed] Stars

This week, I wanted to spend some time examining a natal chart for the possibilities offered by the fixed stars. In many ways, the fixed stars are more important even than the planets, though ultimately the two must work in tandem to describe a life. William Lilly, in Christian Astrology, writes: “The fixed stars give great gifts, and elevate even from poverty to an extreme height of fortune, the seven planets do not do so.” We can thus see immediately that we are dealing with two different species here; the seven planets will tell you if you will have lots of money, but only fixed stars can give you a place on the Forbes 500.

To demonstrate the technique, I will look at the fixed stars in Oprah Winfrey’s chart. She certainly qualifies as someone elevated from poverty to dizzying heights. She grew up quite poor in the pre-civil rights American South, and today has a spellbound audience of millions who watch her show, read her magazine, and take her recommendations on everything from diet to spirituality. Her cultural influence is great and her personal fortune is estimated at over $1 billion. If Lilly is right, she must have some powerful fixed stars working for her. I will not hold you in suspense: she does. There is also a planetary significator of wealth in her chart, but on its own, it wouldn’t give her the great fortune she enjoys today.

Her chart is as follows (the data is Jan 29 1954, 7:51 pm, Kosciusko, Mississippi, 10 Virgo rising):

To start with, it is important to remember that millions of people are born in the course of a century with a planet on a good fixed star. For instance, given a 1.5 degree orb, Jupiter stayed within spitting distance of Regulus for months in 1955. And yet not all those people born then are extremely wealthy. This is because Jupiter conjunct Regulus must be highlighted in some way in a chart for that fixed star to really do its work. It should rule an important house or point (such as the Part of Fortune) and/or be in an angular house. Strong aspects are also an added perk. Also, there seems to be considerable strength in numbers when it comes to fixed stars: one, the stars need to really be of the bright magnitude to do some work (no dimmer than a 2 magnitude body). Two, the more planets on strong fixed stars, the better.

Aldebaran

In Oprah’s chart, we can see three important fixed stars. The MC is conjunct Aldebaran, a royal star. This is a most promising start, since the MC shows what we will make of ourselves in the world – becoming like royalty in whatever our circle of influence, in this case. Aldebaran is the Eye of the Bull in the constellation of Taurus. Ptolemy designates it as a Mars-influenced star. It is one of the four Watchers of the Skies of ancient Persia (the others are the royal stars Fomalhaut, Antares, and Regulus), and correlates with the four Horsement of the Apocalypse. Again, if you had any doubts, this is one of the heavy-lifting stars. Its constellation image is the bull, with his front legs emerging from the sea, in an image reminiscent of Zeus’s abduction of Europa. In a metaphysical sense, the image describes earthly manifestation (the bull) from desire (the sea), and both symbols are powerful images of generation and fecundity. We thus would expect wealth from Aldebaran. Vivian Robson writes of Aldebaran that it bestows honor, preferment, good fortune and favors from women (presumably referencing Europa, and especially apropos in Oprah’s case, since women make up most of her audience).

Sirius

The Part of Fortune is conjunct Sirius, the brightest star visible today, which is the mouth of the Greater Dog, Canis Major. It is said to be of Jupiterian and Martial influence. Robson ascribes a positive influence to it, stating that it brings honor, renown and wealth. In more ancient times, however, as Sirius made its appearance during the Dog days of summer, it was associated with an excess of choler (inward heat) and ferocity. The Dog in question, mythologically speaking, is one of the hunter Orion’s two dogs, symbolizing the senses of man, which were created to serve. Undoubtedly, the brightness of Sirius shows Oprah’s brilliant fortune. As someone who had made it big in the media – which by definition caters to our senses, the symbolism seems very appropriate.

Rigel

Jupiter in the midheaven is conjunct Rigel, the star on Orion’s heel. Rigel is of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter, and it is also the star at the end of the celestial river Eridanus. According to Rene Guenon, rivers are a special symbol, as they show the ever-changing but constant (yes, it’s a paradox – the water running through the river is never the same water that just flowed through, and yet it’s the same river) nature of the connection between Heaven and Earth. Orion was the tallest and handsomest giant (for he was a Titan born of Gaia, the Earth) who ever lived. As the son of Poseidon, he was able to walk across the ocean floor with his head above the surface. As a great hunter, he once boasted that he could wipe out all animals from the earth; his mother Gaia grew alarmed and sent a giant scorpion to sting Orion in the heel. In another version of the story, the lunar goddess Artemis, in love with Orion, shot him by mistake as he was crossing the ocean. In either case, the fruit of pure generation, which is what all the Titans are, was slain by generation itself. The Moon is the planet of generation, and creatures like scorpions, that breed in great numbers, are a manifestation of generation as well. So Rigel is at once a star of great abundance but also the threat of a sudden fall from grace when the plentiful blessings grow too profuse.

The 1st C.E. poet Manilius writes of Orion: “A son of Orion’s will be worth a multitude and will seem to dwell in every quarter of the city; flying from door to door with the one word of morning greeting, he will enjoy the friendship of all.” How appropriate for someone seen in nearly every home and regarded as a friend by so many!

Planetary Influences

We would be remiss if we ignored the promise of wealth by Oprah’s 2nd house. That house is ruled by Venus, which is cadent, so accidentally weak, but also cazimi (within a few minutes of the Sun). Lilly writes of cazimi planets that “they are wondrous strong,” since they are in the bosom of the king (the Sun). Alone, this Venus may have granted some wealth, but not the fabulous wealth and fame Oprah enjoys today.

Horary of the Week: Will I Keep My Job?

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Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.com by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Question: “Will I keep my job?”

Background: The Querent found out that several coworkers were going to lose their jobs due to a company reorganization. Though he knew that his job was not in danger at this time, he wanted assurance that he was not going to lose his work sometime later.

Short answer: Yes. The Querent’s position seems secure at this time. Though there are changes in his immediate environment, he seems in a remarkably good place for the foreseeable future.

The astrology: First, to get a general overview of the situation, we look to the angles; they are all mutable, showing that we can expect the situation to be in flux, ebbing and flowing. Let’s see what’s going on with our Querent. His significator is Jupiter in the 7th house in Scorpio; Jupiter just entered Scorpio, a fixed sign, so we can see the Querent is not going anywhere for quite a while. The Moon, as the Querent’s cosignificator is also fixed, emphasizing that the Querent is staying in place. It is also void of course, making no further aspects in its sign, indicating that there is nothing going on in the situation. Now, the Moon is at the end of a fixed sign, about to move into Pisces, so the indicator is that there may be some change in the future.
Let us look at the Arabic Part of Resignation & Dismissal (Saturn + Jupiter - Sun); it lies at 26 Cancer. Its dispositor, then, is the Moon. The Moon’s first aspect upon entering Pisces is a trine to Jupiter. The implication is that after some change in the situation, symbolized by the change of sign, the Querent may leave, but not at this time.

Traditional Astrology Books: The Greatest Hits

–Jacob’s Ladder. Clipart collection at godecookery.com.

I have been asked for the best way to learn tradtional astrology, both with regard to technique and the underlying philosophy. While technique is important, the thought behind traditional astrology is a thousand times more important to master. The difference between the two is like knowing how to read versus knowing why we read and what to read once we learned how. Finally, your understanding of traditional thought will greatly improve your technique. In traditional astrology, the method and the philosophy are one, demonstrating the excellence of the type of astrology which stems from the Spirit, rather than material concerns.

Method:

  1. Lilly’s Christian Astrology (both volumes); I recommend the edition published by D. Roell of astroamerica.com. Please see my post on How to Read Lilly for additional elucidation.

  1. Bonatti’s books on horary (there are four currently available from Project Hindsight). Bonatti was an excellent astrologer, and a meticulous (sometimes even pedantic) pedagogue. His books are very clear and easy to understand, though even he had moments when his technique was weaker than we would expect; see last week’s post on Besieging a Castle.

  1. Al-Biruni. The Arabs were instrumental in combining concepts from eastern (i.e. Indian) astrology and western (Hellenistic) astrology. There was substantial cultural exchange between India and the Arab world, and this is reflected in the astrology passed down to the European medieval world.

Philosophy:

  1. Mystical Astrology According to Ibn ‘Arabi by Titus Burckhardt. First, I would never recommend reading this book as my first foray into traditional thought. Though slim, it is extremely dense and assumes that the reader already has a solid grasp of traditional thought. Second, the prose itself is not easy to understand; the sentences often run a paragraph long. However, I have put it in first place, as it is such an excellent summary of the intersection between traditional thought and astrology. My recommendation is to read it first and get a passing familiarity with the concepts therein. Then put it aside and read one or more of the books below, after which it is best to revisit this book. Your brain will thank me.

  1. Advice to the Serious Seeker by James Cutsinger. This is where you should really begin. Cutsinger, a professor and disciple of Frithjof Schuon’s (more on him below) does an excellent job of laying out the esoteric outlines that underlie traditional thought. He also has a few chapters on integrating the tradition into your modern life, a unique and practical approach to living the philosophy (long medieval gowns are not a prerequisite to practicing traditional astrology, in case you were wondering).

  1. The Essential Frithjof Schuon. Schuon was a renowned exponent of the traditional philosophy. I highly recommend his works in general, as they are a good introduction to many traditional thinkers. The Transcendent Unity of Religions is excellent as well.

  1. Any of Ibn ‘Arabi’s works. Ibn ‘Arabi is considered a great Islamic thinker. He lived during the 12th century and moved through the Islamic world as an itinerant scholar. He was extremely prolific and put much of his mystical understanding into writing. Though a challenging read, his work goes to the heart of traditional thought like no other. A good start is Ringstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam).

  1. The Reign of Quantity & the Signs of the Times by Rene Guenon. This book is definitely a must to get the “why” of traditional philosophy and how in heck we got to where we are today. Another top-notch, instructive and slightly less depressing read is Fundamental Symbols (published by Fons Vitae Press (under the Quinta Essentia imprint)).

Besieging a Castle: How Not to Do It

Besieging a Castle: How Not to Do It.

If you haven’t yet read Bonatti’s On War, you owe it to yourself to do so. This is not so much because it will come in handy in your daily life (note: if you routinely lay sieges as part of your workday, you may need a new career), but because it is a fascinating firsthand account of a “field” astrologer in the 13th century Bonatti had participated in many military expeditions, and there are several stories of his astrological prowess saving the day (check out Holden’s History of Horoscopic Astrology) The text is also an excellent illustration of the fact that even then, the commander did not always listen to his astrologer’s advice!

In this post, I will examine a chart from 1261, when Bonatti went on an expedition with the then-podesta (a type of military commander) of Urbino, Guido di Montefeltro. By way of historical context, Guido was one of the Ghibelline faction and was consigned to Hell by Dante Alighieri in Canto XXVII of his Divine Comedy. Guido was apparently quite a character; he ran Urbino for over thirty years, no small task in those unstable times, and at the end of his long life became a Franciscan monk, presumably to atone for his sins. As an astrologer, Bonatti earned a place in Hell also, though Dante gives every indication of possessing quite advanced astrological knowledge himself! In our chart, Guido and his army were besieging a castle, and the commander wished to know whether they would take it or not.

Technical Details: I am using Robert Zoller’s translation of On War, which I would recommend highly to interested readers. Though the place, date and time for the chart are not given, the closest approximation I could find is October 11, 1261, 9:05 am GMT, Urbino, Italy. Interestingly, the Sun and Moon for this chart are where they should be, but several of the other planets are in different degrees from Solar Fire’s calculation.

Horary of the Week: Will We Be Reunited?

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Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.com by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Question: “Will my boyfriend and I get back together?”

Background: The Querent was dating a man with some psychological issues, and the two enjoyed a long-term relationship. The boyfriend left the country for a few months, promising to return and resume the relationship. However, when he returned, he had a relapse of his former problems and told the Querent that he was not in a state to continue the relationship. The Querent wished to know if they would be reunited and if so, when.

Short answer: Not in the foreseeable future. The chart shows very clearly that as of the date of the chart, he was about to somehow do himself ill, that is, he would start acting against his interest. Certainly, rejecting a positive and constructive relationship would qualify as harming oneself. What is most interesting – and unusual – in this chart is the level of interest that the two people have in one another. Most relationship questions only get asked once the affair is on the rocks; here, there is strong mutual interest. It is his propensity to act against his own best interest that gets in the way of his feelings for the Querent. There is no connection shown between the two people in the near future, however, and so the Querent has two choices; she can wait for him to get his life and health together, or she can move on.

The astrology: The Querent is symbolized by the Moon, Lord of the 1st house, and her biological “I am woman” needs are shown by Venus. Her boyfriend is shown by Saturn, and his biological mate-finding prerogatives are shown by the Sun. We can immediately see the mutual love between the two shown by Moon in Aquarius, Saturn’s sign and triplicity; and Saturn in Cancer, the Moon’s own sign. He loves her, she loves him, so there is no problem so far. Note, however, what is going on with the Sun and Venus, their respective biological urges. Both planets are in Pisces, Jupiter’s sign. Clearly, both people are strongly under Jupiter’s power. Jupiter itself is angular in the 4th house, and retrograde. While it is strongly positioned to act due to its angularity, it is in Libra, the sign of the Sun’s fall, and so harms the Sun. Jupiter rules the boyfriend’s 12th house of self-undoing; his tendency to make less than wise choices controls his urge to be in a relationship. Jupiter is retrograde, implying that his problematic tendency is returning.

Saturn exalts Jupiter in Cancer, showing the boyfriend’s attachment to making less than wise choices. There is no applying aspect between any of her planets and any of his planets, showing that while the mutual inclination is there, there is no opportunity to resume the relationship; the occasion simply is not shown. Finally, the Moon is about to trine Juipter, indicating that the Querent will soon run into her boyfriend’s self-harming tendencies.

The Astrology of the Vices: Passion and Pride


As traditional astrologers, we love our malefics, Saturn and Mars. Not when they act on us, of course, and we find ourselves caught in a Saturnian vise or a Martial tempest. Nonetheless, we pride ourselves on understanding these two planets are meanies to some degree and given half a chance, they will do their utmost to ruin our glorious designs.

However, according to Traditional thought, it is not Saturn and Mars we should really fear, but rather the Sun and Mars, the two Hot and Dry planets. For traditional metaphysicians, passion and pride are the most serious obstacles to spiritual pursuits. Pride is the ugly side of the royal Sun, and passion quite simply is Mars. Frithjof Schuon, in his Survey of Metaphysics and Esoterism, speaks of the problems associated with each vice.

Astrologically speaking, we can discern what these problems are and how they operate in us. We can also watch for the two planets’ operation in natal charts. Pride is said to be a particularly insidious sin, said St. Augustine, because it is the only vice that attaches itself to virtue, rather than fleeing from it. This is very true in any chart: imagine that you have a perfectly lovely Venus in Libra in the 10th house, such that you simply overflow with the milk of human kindness and can share it easily with the world.

Now imagine that this Venus is uncomfortably close to the fallen Sun in Libra, which, in this particular chart, likes to claim accomplishments it knows it does not deserve. And so, where before we had an unadulterated strength, the Sun’s merciless rays turn it to a weakness. Just as no planet is safe from the Sun; no virtue is immune from pride’s destructive tendencies.

Schuon says that passion causes two chief problems: attachment and insatiability. Here, we turn to Mars’s dignities and debilities to understand the difficulties Mars can cause. Mars is strong in its own signs, Aries and Scorpio, and in its exaltation, Capricorn. It is important to remember that though Mars is personified in the following explanation, the application of this is not liimited to natal charts; sign placements in horaries and electional charts are extraordinarily revealing as well.

In Aries, Mars is strong because it remains unattached; the quick-moving cardinal fire sign will not permit Mars to dwell too long on any given desire. The dark side of this placement, however, is the weakness of insatiability; in its eagerness to conquer everything and lose no time, Mars’s hunger for new experiences produces a lack of focus and the drive to pursue an impossible quest.

The converse is true for Mars in Scorpio, a fixed water sign. Water is the desire nature, but fixed water (ice!) forces Mars to slow down and move cautiously and deliberately in pursuit of its passion. Such slow-moving passion is just another word for attachment, this placement’s weakness. Mars is Scorpio is slow to adopt the new and slow to let go of the old.

Finally, Mars in Capricorn is disciplined and given firm boundaries by Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn.. Mars’s unrestrained passion becomes very focused and controlled. However, as a planet in exaltation is not quite as strong as in its own sign, Capricorn does not fully address Mars’s innate tendency to attachment and insatiability; it merely puts Mars into something of a straitjacket.

NG Is Back!

Dear Readers,

I am so excited to be back to blogging and posting the Weekly Horary. My life has been through many wonderful changes recently, and only now have I settled into a routine. The good news is that I have been reading a great deal of fascinating astrological and philosophical material that I am eager to share with all of you. In the next few days, expect a new Weekly Horary and a new “food for thought” article. Thank you for all your support and emails!

Nina

Weekly Free Astrology Readings: Hire J As Personal Assistant?

Free astrology reading: should I hire J as my personal assistant?

Free weekly astrology reading question: “Should I hire J. as my personal assistant?”

Background: The Querent owns a small business and is looking for a personal assistant to help her organize her busy schedule. She has been looking at a number of candidates, and has found one that seems appropriate. However, the Querent had some reservations about the candidate’s skills and experience as a personal assistant.

Short Answer: No. While J. is a decent person who could do the job adequately, it looks as though there will be some impediment to her using those skills. Perhaps the Querent’s job requirements will impede J. somewhat. More importantly, the Querent does not seem to like J. very much, or at least harm her in some way. This may not be personal, just that the Querent feels J is unsuited to the job. Instead, Querent seems to very strongly prefer another candidate, though that individual may be a rather worse choice than J. Nonetheless, we can determine J will not be hired.

Astrology:

  1. J, as the Querent’s potential employee, is shown by the 6th house and its ruler, Jupiter. Jupiter is in its term, so it has some essential dignity, indicating that J has some skills and is essentially a decent person. However, Jupiter is about to conjunct the malefic South Node, indicating that while J would be an okay employee, she will be prevented from using those skills. Perhaps something will happen to her, or more likely, the Querent herself would somehow prevent J from doing her job.
  2. Querent does not seem to like J very much, which would be one reason not to hire J as a personal assistant. This is shown by Venus in Jupiter’s detriment. However, both the Moon and Venus are in strong dignities of Mercury, indicating that the Querent much prefers another candidate. Unfortunately, Mercury is not known for its sense of honesty or integrity, and here Mercury is debilitated by being retrograde, peregrine and combust. Querent would do better in hiring J than this other individual.
  3. There will be no progress in the situation, as shown by the Moon being Void of Course (not making any aspects in its current sign). Nothing will happen, so unless we see aspects between Lord 1 or the Moon and Lord 6, we can assume J will not be hired. There is no applying aspect between Jupiter and Venus/Moon, so J will not be hired by the Querent.
  4. Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.com by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Lunar Astrology: The Part of Fortune, Part II

Lunar Astrology: The Meaning and Use of the Part of Fortune

In the previous article we established that it is best to follow Ptolemy’s lead on calculating the Part of Fortune and not reverse it in nighttime charts (to recap, the formula is PoF = Asc + Moon – Sun). This is because the reversed Part of Fortune is actually a whole new part with a different meaning, the Part of Spirit. While the Part of Fortune is concerned with physical riches and the physical state of one’s soul (remember that in traditional thought, the soul itself is a physical entity), the Part of Spirit is concerned with spiritual riches and one’s inclination to the spiritual life. Thus, we cannot confuse the two Parts, and must keep them separate.

The fact that the two most important Parts in a chart are mirror images of one another is extremely important from a spiritual perspective. I will cover the spiritual implications of the reversal and the relationship between the Part of Fortune and the Part of Spirit in a subsequent article. For the moment, I simply quote these words from Meister Eckhart: “The Soul has two eyes – one looking inwards and the other outwards. It is the inner eye of the soul that looks into essence and takes being directly from God.” The Part of Fortune, then, is the outward-looking eye, the rays of which go outward into the world (again, traditionally, the eyes emanated divine light toward objects, not vice versa as the scientists assure us today).

The Part of Fortune in the Chart

In the natal chart, the Part of Fortune will show us the physical nature of the soul. Think of it as a bodily faculty, like sight or hearing. Look at its house position and the state of its dispositor, which is probably even more important than the state of the Part itself. We can identify very spiritual individuals from the Part of Fortune and its dispositor. Typically, the dispositor will itself rule several important planets in the chart. This means that the soul governs the other physical and mental faculties of the native, which is ideal, and correspondingly rare.

Bonatti says that the Part of Fortune “signifies the life, the body, and also its soul, its strength, fortune, substance, and profit, that is: wealth and poverty, gold and silver, heaviness or lightness of things bought in the marketplace, praise and good reputation, and honours and recognition, good and evil, present and future, hidden and manifest; and it has signification over everything.” That last bit being particularly unhelpful, the very comprehensiveness of Bonatti’s list is interesting. In it, he basically combines the roles of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant, the three of which on some basic level, do have “signification over everything.”

Regardless of the discussion about the Part’s role in describing the soul, it will always describe the material fortunes of the native. Bonatti ultimately says that the Part signifies “good fortune,” or presumably its lack in the native’s life. Ultimately, the signification of the Part is external, and the spirituality that it describes is that which shines through the native’s exterior. In traditional philosophy, and in an ideal world, there is no disconnect between the external and the internal – one’s appearance mirrors one’s essence. The Part of Fortune reflects that reality, that the inner reality is always tied in with the outer.

Free Astrology Chart Reading: Should I Study Architecture?

Free astrology chart reading: Should I study architecture?

Free astrology chart reading of the week: should I study architecture?

The Question:

“Should I study architecture?”

The Querent is trying to decide between two possible courses of study to supplement her major at university. One possible course is architecture, in which she did well academically, but did not enjoy the material. The other possibility the Querent is considering is archaeology, with which she has considerably less experience, but is more drawn to it. Ultimately, the choice for the Querent is between a practical career in architecture or an academic career.

Short answer:

Neither architecture nor archaeology are going to miraculously do wonders for the Querent – it appears that she is deciding between two decent but fairly unexciting courses of action. The short answer is that either course of study would be a reasonable choice, though architecture seems to be a somewhat better pursuit. More broadly, however, addressing the Querent’s motivation for asking the question, we can say that a career in academia seems to be the better direction. Presumably, the Querent could enter academia either with an architectural or with an archaeological background. The key is that academic work is more after the Querent’s heart, which is very important, as having a career one loves is crucial.

Astrology:

1. We have to identify architecture and archaeology in this chart. The special challenge here is that both fields are naturally ruled by Saturn; archaeology involves digging in the ground for old things and ruins, while architecture is about creating structures and giving form to ideas. We thus have to turn to the receptions to find out what is what in this chart.

The Querent has told us she is interested in archaeology, so we would want to see one of her significators in the dignities of a certain planet. Venus is in the sign and exaltation of Mercury, while the Moon exalts Jupiter. So, most likely, Mercury is likely the study of archaeology. Mercury is not in good shape in this chart: it is retrograde and combust, and moving deeper into combustion by the day. I don’t tend to see retrogradation as a problem for Mercury here, since the nature of architecture is to go back into the past. However, the increasing combustion indicates problems with that field of study – problems which may get worse with time.

If Mercury stands for archaeology, then architecture may well be Saturn, but we should check this. The Querent has told us she is not crazy about studying architecture, which she finds boring. So we would expect to see one or both of her significators (Venus or the Moon) in negative receptions of Saturn, if indeed it stands for architecture. Venus is not in any of Saturn’s dignities, but the Moon is in Saturn’s debility. This fits what we know – on an emotional level, the Querent dislikes architecture. Saturn is not in an excellent position, either, because it is in detriment. However, it has recently left combustion, and therefore is not that afflicted.

Neither Saturn nor Mercury is in the Moon’s or Venus’s dignities/debilities, so neither field seems particularly good or bad for the Querent. But Saturn is in marginally better shape, so it is the better choice of the two.

I would also note that the Ascendant is conjunct the fixed star Vindemiatrix, suggesting that the Querent may be overestimating her abilities in some manner. Thus, the more conservative option is advisable here, where the Querent should stick to the more familiar – if disliked – architecture studies. Archaeology may be a bit of a stretch for the Querent.

2. Since the Querent mentioned that her question really stemmed from her indecision about pursuing architecture as a career or going into academia, I took a look at the Part of Vocation (MC + Moon – Sun), which is at 15.13 Gemini, in the 9th house. Its location immediately suggests that the Querent’s vocation lies in academia (9th house = house of higher learning). Further, the Moon’s antiscion is conjunct the Part of Vocation, suggesting that academic work is really what she wants to do.

This chart shows what is the case in many horaries – very often, we are faced with two choices, one not much better than the other. This is probably why we asked the question; if the answer was clear, we wouldn’t need to ask. The chart will typically show something like we saw here: “Neither choice seems amazingly wonderful, but Y seems somewhat better than X.” Kind of like real life, isn’t it?

Remember to send in your questions for next week’s horary to nina “at” gryphonastrology.com. Thanks!