Gryphon Astrology Blog

In the next day and half, Venus will conjoin the benefic fixed star Spica at 23° Libra. This is a position of extreme strength for Venus, because Venus rules the sign of Libra, so it is already strong in its own home, as it were. Conjoining Spica makes it as though Venus’s home was a fairytale castle to boot. This means that the next day and half will be an extremely auspicious time to begin anything Venus-related. Some ideas are: musical or artistic endeavors, reconciliation, marriage, sex, decorating, and anything involving women. In practical terms, this means that this is an especially good time to do spiritual work related to any of the above areas. If you’re looking for love, for example, around sunrise might be a very good time to light a candle for love, and pray to your deity or deities of choice for a favorable outcome.

Your position will be strengthened if you have Venus ruling any appropriate house in your horoscope that relates to your goal. Thus, if you are seeking a relationship, or even just a really good one night stand, having Venus rule your seventh house of relationships or your fifth house of pleasure will be particularly good. In this way, the beneficial influence of Venus will be directly tied into your chart.

Here are some ideas for spiritual work if you’re looking for a particular kind of relationship: first, you need to know exactly what it is you want. This can take as many as a few days to figure out. You should end up with a list of maybe a dozen qualities, physical, emotional, mental, and financial, that you want your ideal mate or partner to have. This in itself can be a powerful magical act, and speaking from personal experience, this list-making itself can act very powerfully to bring you the love exactly described on your list. Once you have this list, you will want to take a bath. I would suggest taking a bath with Love Drawing bath crystals, which are made with specific above drawing herbs.

The more effort you put into this stage of your preparation, the better your results. Think of it as channeling Venus’s energy to enter your life. The more hospitable the conditions you make in your life or Venus, the more fully her energy will manifest for you. You can light some pink or red candles, depending on how much sexual energy you want to attract. These candles should be also dressed with Love Drawing oil, which like the bath crystals, is prepared with herbs specific to this purpose. When you are in the bath, you can read aloud or recite a sacred text specific to love. In the Christian religion, the best bet is probably the Song of Solomon. You do not have to be Christian to utilize this, however. All sacred texts have an energy of their own that will enhance your intention. For best results, you should continue this ritual for at least a week, preferably around dawn. After taking the bath, you can anoint yourself with a Love Drawing oil, to seal the vibrations you have attracted. It is best to air dry, rather than use a towel, so you might want to go for a space heater around this time of year.

Every day that you do this, you will want to burn a small red candle. Personally, I prefer burning a large seven-knob candle, one knob per day. It gives a certain sense of continuity to your work, and it gives you a sense of progress. This candle should also be dressed with Love Drawing oil. Before applying the oil to the candle, you can write your wish in a few words on the candle itself with a pin.

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Question:

In the next few days I’ll have a job interview for a position as a video editor, with no promise for the long-term, but I would like to know when I’ll get a full time job. Is this the right choice for me, career-wise? I’m sort of that creative pearson who’s still searching for his final profession.

—T.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear T.,

My sense, T., is that most people today are still searching for their final profession. Very few people come into this world knowing exactly what they are going to do, because they do not have one overwhelming talent. This puts me in mind of a four year old I know who is basically a child savant, and knows everything there is to know about entomology. This is a kid who started lecturing a presenter at the local Science Center about the fine points of difference between two species of insect, at which point he was seriously invited to come back and give talks. What do you think he is going to be when he grows up? Most of us are not like this, of course, and our talents are more diverse. In the old days you would not have the problem of choosing, as you would simply pick up the trade your parents did, or something similar. The horoscope reflects this basic reality, and will show whether creative work, for example, is appropriate for you. While you can parse between a video editing job and a director job, in the universe of all possible jobs, these are not terribly different from a macro perspective.

I cast a chart for the moment, date, and place that I understood your question. This technique is called horary astrology, and is a very ancient method for answering specific questions such as yours. Some people do not know their time or date of birth, so for them constructing a natal chart would be difficult. However, many questions are answered just fine using horary astrology. If you are more interested in looking at the bigger issues in your life, such as “what career am I meant to do,” then a natal chart is better. The horary chart for your question is here:

As you can see, you are shown by the ruler of the first house of self, Saturn in Leo in the eighth house. Saturn in Leo is in its detriment, so we can see you’re not doing too well for some reason. The reason will be shown by the ruler of Saturn’s sign, which is the Sun. The Sun rules the eighth house of fear, so you’re obviously freaking out a little bit (or a lot) about not having work, and are fretting about what will become of you. Your co-significator is the Moon, which is in 29 Leo, on the fixed star Regulus, and is about to move into Virgo. At this point, the Moon is void of course, meaning that it will not make any more aspects while in its current sign. This can mean that there will be no change in the situation, but because the Moon is about to move into a new sign, this tells us there is no change in the short term but there will be change in the future. Also, Regulus is a Royal star also called the Heart of the Lion. This tells me one, possibly two things. You have a pretty darn good shot at getting the position you are interviewing for in a few days, because Regulus bring success. Two, if you choose, you can have a full-time position in a relatively short time. However, this would be expedited if you stopped freaking out so much, because it makes you somewhat less appealing.

Lest we forget, the job you asked about, the full-time job, is ruled by the 10th house of career, and its ruler, Mars in the ninth house. There is no immediate aspect between Mars and your significators (Moon or Saturn), but we know that eventually you will get a job. So the answer is in here. The most likely time looks when Mercury sextiles Saturn; and this is for two reasons. Mercury has recently separated from Mars, so it will translate the light between Mars, the job, and Saturn, you. Mercury will aspect Saturn in about 9°, which will give us a timeline of about nine weeks. It may be nine months, but I think nine weeks is rather more likely. Do not forget that this is counted from the time I got your question; on September 19, so you have to count forward from that date. The other reason is that Mercury, being in Libra, exalts Saturn; so the job thinks you’re just peachy. This is great news, so don’t forget to ask for a hefty raise when you’re being interviewed.

You ask whether this job is what you’re meant to do. I would say in the universe of all possible jobs, you’re on the right track. Anything that requires working with computers, special analytical skills, and general technological wizardry would be a good match for you. I would not go too heavily into purely artistic endeavors, because we see that Venus in this horoscope is in its fall. I am sure I do not have to tell you that physical work is out of the question as well, as Mars is in its detriment. This leaves Mercury. It is not an utterly fabulous choice, because it doesn’t have a whole lot of essential dignity at 11 Libra, but it is far better than the other alternatives. So yes, I think being a video editor will be fine for you.

—Note to all readers: If you liked this short reading, you can schedule a full private consultation with Nina Gryphon at nina@gryphonastrology.com. zm.

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The Jupiter-Saturn cycle is a very powerful indicator of political activity in the world. It has a strong correlation with important events in the United States, and this upcoming midterm election (on the November 7, 2006) is no exception. Jupiter and Saturn will square each other on October 25, less than two weeks before election Day in the United States. Jupiter and Saturn conjunct each other every 20 years, an event known as the Great Conjunction. Five years after the Great Conjunction, Jupiter and Saturn form a square aspect, five years after that, they oppose each other, and five years after the opposition, they square each other again. In the five years following, they form another Great Conjunction.

The Great Conjunction is considered as a time of emerging potentials that will influence the next 20 years. At approximately five-year points, at the squares and at the opposition, those potentials are tested and form crisis points where the potentials can evolve in different directions. This is probably too theoretical, so consider that the last Great Conjunction occurred in May of 2000. This helped to usher in an era of Republican rule and the general movement in the direction of conservatism in the United States. We are now at the approximately 5 year mark, at which point we are experiencing the first square that happens after the Great Conjunction. The square shows a moment of great tension, and we will see whether the Republican movement can hold onto power or not.

At the moment, it looks as though the Republican majorities in Congress are imperiled. The races are very close between Democrats and Republicans, because it is clear that whoever wins will have a very powerful impact on shaping the future of the United States, perhaps more than usual. There is an overall sense that the country is at a crossroads, and that it is time to make serious decisions about major issues like the economy, the war in Iraq, and the increasingly serious effects of global warming.

Here is the horoscope for the Jupiter- Saturn square on October 25, 2006 set for Washington, DC:

To understand what the placements in in this chart mean, we have to turn to another horoscope, that of the Great Conjunction prior to the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. You can read more in this post on that horoscope’s meaning in light of the 9/11 attacks. For our purposes here, we know that Saturn rules the 10th house of the ruling party in the 1762 Great Conjunction. The Sun rules the opposite house of challengers to the ruling party.

So in the chart for October 25, 2006, Saturn will rule the Republican Party, and the Sun will rule the Democrats. How is Saturn? Not good. Saturn is in its detriment in Leo in the eighth house of death. Further, Leo is ruled by the Sun, which represents the Democratic Party. So the Republicans are in the Democrats’ power. The Sun is somewhat better off, having just left Libra, the sign of its fall. At 2° Scorpio, the Sun is Peregrine, thus lacking any dignity or debility. Peregrine is not great, but it is rather better than being in detriment like Saturn. So based on this, we see the Democrats have an advantage.

We also want to look at the Rulerships in the October 25 chart standing alone. Here, the Republicans are shown by the 10th house ruler of Venus in Scorpio which is combust, a fancy word for being too close to the burning rays of the Sun. This is an extremely serious debility for a planet. The Sun is the natural representative of the King, here meaning the United States president, George W. Bush. So the Republicans’ proximity to Bush is harming them; the newspapers have reported as much, showing that not many of the candidates in this fall’s elections want to be seen with Bush, whose public approval ratings are rather low.

The Democrats are shown by the fourth house ruler, Mars in Scorpio. In the early degrees of Scorpio, Mars is incredibly strong, ruling all of the major dignities. If we were to show the contrast between Venus and Mars’s strength, we would say that Venus has a strength of -5, while Mars has a strength of 11. These numbers don’t mean anything, but they do serve to illustrate the great disparity between the two planets in his horoscope. And that’s not even taking combustion into account, which would make Venus about -10 in terms of overall strength. This testimony, too, shows that the Democrats have an advantage.

However, the chart is not very clear cut. In charts where we are curious about the will of the people, such as charts preceding elections, we have to look at the Moon, the significator of the common folk. The Moon is in Sagittarius, in the 12th house. At 10° of Sagittarius, the Moon has some small amount of regard for Venus, and a bit more regard for the Sun. So the people seem to prefer the Democrats, at least slightly. However, the Moon is in the malefic and cadent 12th house, from where it cannot act. It will be very difficult for both parties to get their voters to the polls. The Moon will make only one aspect in its trek through the sign of Sagittarius. That aspect is a trine to Saturn in Leo in about 13°. Given that it will be 13 days between the square and the election on November 7, one wonders if the Republicans will not go home with a majority after all is said and done. Very much will depend on the ability of the Democrats to get out the vote this November 7.

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Question:

I was just wondering when I will get a new job. I am working at the moment and am really having a hard time with my manager. Each month it always looks like my last month on the job. I have applied for jobs but to no avail. My preferred ones(with UN organizations) have neither acknowledged nor told me I was unsucessful. Wishful thinking, though they must have thousands and thousands of applicants and the selection process is slow and tedious. I’ve seen the same post advertised again and wondering if whether I should go for it and what the outcome would be.

—N.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear N.,

If I had a dollar for everyone who writes to me who is unhappy with their job and is frustrated at the lack of control in their career, I would be a rich woman indeed.

I have cast the chart for the moment that I understood your question, a technique known as horary astrology. This technique is quite ancient and is excellent for answering specific questions such as yours. You will notice that the birthdate or birthtime are not needed for this, only the time, date and place where I understood your question. The horary chart for your question about your career is below:

You are shown by Mercury, ruler of the first house of self. Mercury is in Libra, the planet that rules your second house of money. It also rules the second house of self worth. So we are looking at issues of value here, both tangible and intangible. How is your money and your self-worth? Not so good, and it’s very much undermined. It is shown by Venus in its fall in Virgo just outside of the first house. Venus’s location just outside the ascendant shows that this issue is heavily weighing on you.

Your job would normally be shown by the 10th house of career, but this house is also ruled by Mercury (you), so we have to take the next sign as showing your job. Therefore, your job is shown by the Moon, ruler of the sign following the 10th. The Moon is void of course, which means it will not make any more aspects in the sign where it is, in this case, Leo. All things being equal, this can mean that there will be no foreseeable change in your situation. However, because the Moon rules your job, and the Moon will shortly enter the next sign, we can also take the Moon as showing your change in jobs. The Moon will enter the next sign, Virgo, in 5 1/2 degrees. Therefore, you will change jobs in 5 1/2 somethings (months or years, depending on the context of the situation), or not at all.

You’re also asking whether you should try to apply for one of the UN positions which you had your eye on. If the Moon shows your current job, the next sign, or Leo, and its ruler the Sun, will show your next position. The Sun is in Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury. Therefore, the UN job really likes Mercury, or you. The difficulty is that the Sun is about to move into Libra, the sign of its fall. So it may be the job will turn out to be much less than you expected. It may still be worth applying for it or investigating it further, if only to learn more about the requirements and potential benefits. You may well end up deciding that after all, it is not the job for you.

Spiritual Work for Jobs:

Looking for work can be a demoralizing experience, because one gets rejected so frequently. Before starting any new venture, frequent readers of this blog know I always recommend a series of cleansing baths. The 13 herb bath is the best for general cleansing because it breaks old conditions and jinxes, whether they are placed on you by someone else or by your own long-standing negative thinking. The 13 herb bath contains herbs such as eucalyptus that are known for their protective and cleansing qualities.you can purchase the 13 herb bath by e-mailing nina@gryphonastrology.com.

These baths are to be taken starting at the full moon for 14 days, around dawn. This makes it easier to do in winter than summer, at least if you’re not an early bird. I always recommend that job applicants put some “steady work” herbal powder on the resumes and applications they are sending to prospective employers. They can wear the steady work oil when they go to apply for interviews, and they can apply a little to their clothes as well. While at the interview, it is best to burn a steady work candle (a candle with the appropriate herbs and oil applied, that has also been prayed over). All of these supplies are available from Nina Gryphon.
–You can schedule a private consultation with Nina Gryphon by emailing nina@gryphonastrology.com

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Question:

I have one question which I have kept asking myself for two years : “Does he love me?”
I thought I have found my twin soul who is also love of my life. In 2004, we started talking and seeing each other. At that time, we were quite obsessed with each other. However, we kept the relationship only as a friendship. Then, he met one guy. Yes, he is bisexual. I left him for 6 months without any contact. I was very hurt. And then we came back to seeing each other again. It was on and off. However, it is very easy for us to reconcile. The universe seems to force us to reconcile anyway. We met accidentally very, very often, like 7 times in two months.

For me, he is love of my life. I loved him at first sight. For him, I know that he is my best friend. If I have problem, he would try to help me more than my other friends.

From the past 13 years, he have had many boyfriends but only one girlfriend. He had a girlfriend when he was around 18-19 for 4 years. After that, he went to study in the US and decided to be gay for good. He did not have sex with that girl anyway since they were still young and it was not acceptable in our conservative society.

I know that he also has strong feelings for me. He was hurt too when we were apart. We understand each other very well. We think and act alike. I really want to know whether he is sexually attracted to me or not. Does he love me as lover, not only a friend? What is the future of our relationship? Does he love him more than me?
—A.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear A.,

You are in a fairly unique but still not terribly unusual (and unenviable) situation. I cannot help but think back to a study that was recently done on men who self-identified as bisexual. You can read about it in this New York Times article . The study concluded that the number of true male bisexuals, that is men more or less equally attracted to both sexes, is far smaller than previously thought. Instead, what you mostly get are men primarily aroused by one sex, but who prefer to identify as bisexual for whatever reason.

The study has attracted some controversy, but it strikes me as very apropos in your situation. You mentioned in your e-mail that the man is bisexual and that he is gay; he cannot be both. Given the fact that he strongly seems to prefer men, I would place him more on the gay end of the spectrum. So even before looking at the horoscope, we know the odds are not in your favor. What I think will be of interest here to you is why he seems so intent on maintaining this relationship with you if he prefers to be with men.

As always, I cast a horoscope for the moment I understood your question a technique known as horary astrology. This is a very old technique, used as long ago as the ancient Greeks. It is very good at getting to the root of a relatively complex situation, and figuring out the motivations of those involved. It is also very good at predicting future trends in the situation. The horoscope for your question is here:

In this horoscope, you are shown by Jupiter, ruler of the first house of the self, and by Venus, which rules your female urge to find a mate. The man you’re asking about is ruled by Mercury, ruler of your seventh house of partners, and his male urge to find a mate is the Sun. Since your question so specifically asked about his sexual attraction to you, we will spend a lot of time talking about the instinct symbolized by the Sun.

The Sun is at 25 Virgo in the ninth house. In Virgo, the Sun is in the detriment of Jupiter and in the fall of Venus. Therefore, he is not sexually attracted to whatever Jupiter or Venus symbolize. In this case, as I said above, Jupiter and Venus are both your significators. Therefore, the short answer is that he is not sexually attracted to you at this time.

However, there is more to the story. The Sun is about to enter the sign Libra, which is ruled by Venus. This is the same Venus that is the significator of your sexuality, so we can assume he will shortly become more attracted to you in a physical way. Now this is interesting. Why? We see the Sun has recently separated from the malefic South Node, which indicates that he has recently undergone something nasty. Given the context here, it could be that he has just endured some kind of breakup or something kind of traumatic. So his first instinct will be to run to you, his best girlfriend. The problem is that by entering Libra, the Sun enters its fall, meaning he will not be able to perform his Sun functions. So, expect him to attempt to reconcile, but do not expect a fully functional sexual relationship.

This still leaves the question: why is he leaving you dangling and hoping for more? I think the answer comes from the fact that you both come from what you describe as a socially conservative culture. Notice that Mercury, which shows him at the mental level, is in the sign of Libra (ruled by Venus or your sexual side). So on a mental level, cerebrally, he rather likes the idea of dating you, because it conforms to his cultural notion of a “normal relationship.” Notice, too, that Mercury has just separated from a conjunction of Mars. Conjunction is an old word for sex; here is another piece of evidence that he has recently broken up with someone, and wants someone stable (like you!) to comfort him whenever a boyfriend dumps him.

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Question:

I am like many millions who would like to know when I am going to be married. I have met so many men and I am ready to settle down but things don’t work out. Right now I am so frustrated and just don’t know what to do anymore. I have been patient and my biological clock seems to be ticking even louder now. I am going to be 38 years old, and embarking on my second advanced degree. The problem is that in this area, most of the guys are not on the same academic level as I am. I think that is very important especially where communication is concerned. So I end up looking for guys through the Internet. Well, so far I have come close to five guys who were ready to settle down, believe it or not, at the last minute they all changed their minds. When I ask why, apparently they don’t know or they leave me hanging and after a few months come calling; of course I am not interested any more. I feel my life is at a standstill…nothing seems to be prospering, neither career or marriage.

I feel so rejected, I mean there is ample time for them to pull out but when emotions are all involved I get so frustrated. I ask myself what am I doing wrong? I know for sure it’s not me. But again, I never fail to wonder.

—B.

Nina Gryphon:

Thank you for writing to me, B., with your problem which is indeed very common. So many of my clients want to know when they’re going to get married or, if they come from Western cultures, where the open desire for marriage is not considered politically correct, when they will find a long-term relationship. But of course it translates to the same thing.

I set the chart for the moment I understood your question, a technique known as horary astrology, in which the answer to a question is encompassed in the horoscope for the question itself. The horary chart for your question is below:

In his horoscope, you are shown by Saturn in Leo in its detriment in the eighth house. The eighth house is the house of fear, and very often when we see the person’s significator there, we can see that they are afraid of whatever is going on in their situation. We see here that you are indeed very afraid of never marrying. Saturn in detriment is not an appealing planet; and here may lie one clue as to why you have found it difficult to find someone to marry. Your fear and desperation scare the men off — they may not know how exactly to verbalize it, but it is likely the deal breaker.

Your other significator in this horoscope is Venus, which shows your urge to find a mate; this is not just sexual, but more your interest in finding a husband in order to have a man. There is not a lot of rationality to this part of ourselves. It is more our genetic and cultural programming. Venus is in Virgo, in its fall, also in the eighth house. It tells a very similar story to Saturn, and shows that your fear and anguish are present on multiple levels in your life. Therefore, the first practical step I would suggest is to do a little spiritual cleansing before trying to find a man. At the end of this article, I will give you some suggestions on how to proceed.

Now, let us take a look at the overall flavor of the horoscope to see whether you will get married at all. People often skip over the important question of whether they will find a husband, and immediately ask when they will find him. First, we need to look at the practical terrain of the situation. That is to say, are you, at the age of 38, likely to get married? I would say so, though your odds are not as good as someone in their early 20s, but you’re still young and may well marry twice, if the chart should suggest it.

Based on my assessment of the chart as a whole, I would say your odds are decent, though not amazing. Both the Moon and Saturn are in a barren sign, which in a question about marriage suggests the lack of marriage. Venus, too, is in a barren sign, adding to that testimony. However, these are not insurmountable problems, so if you start with assuming 70-30 odds for marriage, we’re looking at maybe a 40-50% chance of ever getting married. That’s not bad.

Then it remains to be seen when you will make the mutual decision to marry. The best bet for marriage in this horoscope is the Moon applying to Saturn in less than 3 degrees. If we follow the timing rules strictly, this would give us less than three months. However, I would suggest it means three years, given the context of your situation. The Moon represents the potential husband, because the rules the seventh house of partners. In Leo, the Moon is very interested in the Sun, which is the ruler of Leo.

The Sun represents his urge to find a mate, the male version of the Venus principle I discussed above. So his mind is going to follow his biological urge. This works in your favor, because his mind is going to be on marriage as much as yours. So how is the Sun? Can it actually deliver marriage? In Virgo, it is not very strong, and it has recently conjoined the malefic South node. So, right now, whoever this is is not very ready to marry anyone.

The good news, however, is that the Sun is about to move into Libra. In Libra, the Sun is in the sign of Venus, and exalts Saturn, so this person will be very ready to marry after some period of time. We noticed that it will move into Libra in about 4 degrees, while the aspect between the Moon and Saturn gives 3 degrees. So this gives us a range in which we can expect marriage: three to four somethings. I’m inclined to think this is more years rather than months. I believe it will be closer to four years rather than three, because the Sun is in a double sign, which always prolongs things just a little bit.

— For a private consultation, e-mail me at nina@gryphonastrology.com.

Spiritual Work

Spiritual cleansing is the first step to achieving anything you want; if you imagine your life as an empty house that you want to redecorate to your own liking, it stands to reason you will want to clean the house first before attempting to move in the objects of your desire.

For someone who is working with a relatively long history of bad luck in love, I would strongly recommend a series of baths. You’re working with the spiritual equivalent of a house that has not been cleaned in a few years, to continue the above metaphor. You would want to use a 13 herb bath; 13 is the number that breaks bad luck, or rather turns bad luck to good. Also, I would start at just after the full Moon, and do a two week series of daily spiritual baths until the new Moon. Then I would stop for two weeks and repeat again just after the next full Moon. I would do the series a total of three times, lasting three months. If this seems like a lot, remember how long it took to accumulate all of this detritus on your psyche.

Spiritual bathing is not the same as regular bathing, and there’s no soap involved. Some people do like to use spiritual soaps, one popular brand in the United States is Florida water soap, or sometimes the green Chandrika soap, which is made with patchouli and sandalwood. Anyway, the 13 herb spiritual bath involves making a strong tea from a special 13 herb combination of herbs (which includes cleansing herbs like eucalyptus, and which I sell - e-mail me at nina@gryphonastrology.com) . You can then add this tea to a regular warm bath, and immerse yourself, head and all, 13 times. Here, it is traditional to recite or read the appropriate Biblical psalm, very often Psalm 37 (”Fret not thyself against evildoers…”). However, any relevant and appropriate sacred text would do, depending on your religion. After you step out of the bath, you would let yourself air dry, to keep the beneficial influences of the bath on you. This may be a good time to turn up the heat in your house.

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Question:

My mother was severely injured by taking a pharmaceutical drug and is now involved in a lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturer, the outcome of which will have worldwide consequences that affect justice and health concerns for many people.

Initially, my mother was in excellent health in her 60’s. She started taking a popular medication for minor health concerns and took it until it was removed from the market. Before taking the drug my mother was a popular, sociable, well-situated woman who had just received an incredible offer to take over a major entertainment industry talent agency.

Immediately after starting the medication, my mother quickly deteriorated into a bedridden recluse riddled with multiple bizzare health problems and severe personality/mental changes and deterioration. We never heard of the medication or it being a problem and sadly thought our mother was just suffering a horrible “old age” and her medical professionals did not indicate anything different. None of these health problems ran in our family which made it all the more puzzling.

In about late 2002 my mother went into a coma and we were told she would die. Eventually she woke up, but remains disabled mentally and physically.

I’d like to know if astrology offers any insights as to the possible outcome of the lawsuit and my mother’s health?

—D.

Nina Gryphon:

The first thing I would like to say, D., is how heart-wrenching your situation sounds. I think all of us can imagine a loved parent in the same situation, the heartbreak of which is compounded by the fact that the injury was caused not by accident, but by cynical disdain bred of commercial greed.

I set a horary chart for the moment I understood your question, using this ancient method that was used at least since the time of the Greeks. One advantage of this method is that it provides a clear and succinct summary of the situation, and provides a quick prognosis. It is especially useful when a person’s birth time is not known or is in doubt. The horary chart is below:

First, I’m going to analyze the likely outcome of the lawsuit. Your mother is shown by Jupiter, ruler of the 10th house of mothers. How is Jupiter? Not so good; Jupiter is peregrine at 16 Scorpio, and it is in the malefic eighth house. The opponents are shown by the Moon, which is in Leo and about to conjoin Saturn in Leo. Generally, an applying conjunction to the planet as malefic as Saturn in its detriment, shows harm coming to the person in question. In the lawsuit, seeing your opponents run into a nasty Saturn is a good thing.

The Moon’s most recent aspect has been a square to Jupiter, significator of your mother. This can show the possibility of settlement out of court, because the aspect is in the past, it may be that the drug company has attempted to settle, but you rejected their overtures. The other possibility is that it shows settlement is such a sure thing it may as well be done. The fact that the two planets are coming together with a square shows that any settlement talks will be attended with difficulty, and may well break down because Jupiter is in the fall of the Moon; the plaintiffs intensely dislike the defendants here.

If the lawsuit will be decided judicially, which seems less likely, but still possible if you reject the company’s offer, we need to look at whom the judge and jury will favor. The judge/jury is shown by the 10th from the 10th, so the radical seventh house. The ruler of the seventh house is Mercury in Libra. Whomever Mercury prefers will win the lawsuit. Note that this has very little to do with who is in the right legally or morally. As we learned in law school, judges always vote their breakfast. In Libra, Mercury does not care either for you or for the defendant. This may indicate a so-so verdict for you, one in which you will either lose or win. Let us see what the verdict shows, to see the effects of the outcome.

The verdict is shown by Mars, the sign following the fourth house from the 10th, showing the end of the matter. Mars is in 7 Libra, where it is in the face (a minor dignity) of the Moon, so shows the verdict would slightly favor defendants. However, not by much. It rather looks as though the outcome of the lawsuit will punt the decision to a different decision maker, such that no one will have lost or won this round. Such an outcome would favor the pharmaceutical company simply because delay always works in the defendant’s favor here. It may be worthwhile to settle, though such settlements are typically confidential, so few people beyond the plaintiffs would benefit.

You also asked about your mother’s health. This is a good point at which to note that I am not a doctor, and that you should always follow her doctor’s guidance first and foremost. I am concerned that her health may deteriorate from here on out. The reason for this is twofold. First, we see that the Moon has separated from Jupiter (your mother) and is about to conjoin Saturn in detriment in Leo. This does not bode well for her overall health, as Saturn by itself is a malefic planet, and in detriment it is much worse. Here, the Moon picks up Jupiter and carries it, as it were, to Saturn. This is called a translation of light, because the Moon carries the influence of one planet to another, like a messenger.

Further, Venus in its fall in Virgo is about to sextile Jupiter. Here, Venus acts as an accidental malefic. Though Venus by itself is a good planet, even a good planet can be very harmful when it is in its detriment or fall, as it is here. The fact that the aspect in question is a sextile, shows that the contact will come easily. In this situation, this is not good, because it shows that the bad thing in question will easily occur. Venus rules two malefic houses in this horoscope; one is the turned sixth house of illness, and the other is the radical eighth house of death. I would finally note the negative mutual reception between Jupiter and Venus; Jupiter is in the detriment of Venus, while Venus is in the detriment of Jupiter; your mom and this negative thing hate each other. Either way, I think it would be be a good idea to stay very alert and aware of any changes in your mom’s condition in the near future.

—To all readers: To schedule a private consultation with Nina Gryphon, you may email her at nina@gryphonastrology.com

Spiritual Work

I am a firm believer in the effectiveness of spiritual work when it comes to disputes and legal matters. I think the reason that it works so well is that one has very specific, known people on whom to focus one’s energies; the defendants and the judge/jury. Depending on what you want to achieve, you can accomplish a great deal with relatively little. In the world of spiritual work, court case spiritual work commands a premium, because the stakes are so high, and the work itself is so lengthy.

However, there is a lot that a person can do to help themselves. Probably the best thing to do to begin with is to sweeten the judge or the jury toward your cause. You can also do this if you want a settlement with the other party. The way to do this is to use a honey jar, into which you can put your name and the judge’s name written together on a piece of paper. If you can get something of the judge’s, even just their handwriting, add that as well to strengthen the psychic link. You then create a mental command that summarizes your need, such as “favor my cause, give me total victory over the defendant,” and focus on that as you burn candles a few times a week on the lid of the closed honey jar. You can see that this kind of work takes a long time, so it takes focus, dedication, and giftedness.

For this kind of work, I find it very helpful to use herbs and oils known for their efficacy in court case work. You can dress the candle with an herbal oil, which is made from herbs known to be helpful in court case matters. You can also add such herbs to the main paper that goes into the jar. The idea of all this is to focus your energy and intent on one single-minded goal for a long period of time. Too, if you’re gifted for this kind of work, the combination is unbeatable.

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Question:

I am married with 2 wonderful kids. All my life, I have always felt that my soulmate exists somewhere and that when I see him, I would know it immediately. Now, in my younger years, of course I’ve had infatuations and the like, however, now that I am in my 30’s, I feel I am more experienced and also know exactly the kind of person I would be happy with. The culture where I come from, we have introduced marriages, hence my current marriage is of that kind. I am happy except for the fact that I feel I have not met my soulmate. I have been married for 10 years and really till now, have not thought of looking at other men in general. I don’t do that normally.

Fast Forward to November 2005, when I met a new man. From the very first day I met him, I felt a really strong connection. I met him in June 2005, I dismissed it as a silly crush. But in November of 2005, when I saw him, I felt an instant connection and against my better judgement, I decided to start talking to him. It’s been about 10 months now, and really, my appreciation for the kind of person he is, does not show any signs of waning. He was really interested in talking to me in the beginning and when I showed mutual interest, he backed off a bit. But then I started keeping in more frequent touch, at times, I do feel that I make more of an effort, but he really has not asked me to stop. In July of this year, I decided I will stop talking to him as he was really distracting me and I felt, why, when I have a complete family and everything is going well, should I bother? We meet once a week, (it’s always a very platonic meeting, except for one time, where it almost came to an intimate moment, but we just hugged and that’s it). I am very confused about what is going on.

My question to you, on an astrological basis, is whether this guy is my soulmate? Have I really found my soulmate? Or is this is all an illusion?

I am not looking to indulge in a frivolous time pass thing, rather in quest for my true love and soulmate. We have one life to live and in this life time nothing would fulfill me, if I found that one person who is supposed to be my soulmate.

—H.

Nina Gryphon:

Thanks for writing to me, H. I’m always interested in looking at the horoscopes for the questions that people send to me, because they always show the situation as it truly is. Very frequently, people will omit crucial information in their e-mails to me, whether because they think it’s irrelevant, or because they think it’s none of my business. But the horoscope shows the truth, and we can see a whole new dimension to their question, or the real reason for their situation. For most people, this is something of a revelation and helps them move forward with their situation because it confirms something they already knew deep down.

I think this is the case with your situation, because your e-mail begs the question, if everything is so wonderful in your life, why are you seeking emotional fulfillment elsewhere? Your husband is notable mainly by his absence from your question. We will see whether we can identify him in the chart and see the nature of the relationship between the two of you, which might help address the situation at its root.

As always, I cast the horoscope for the time of the question, a technique known as horary astrology. This technique is very ancient and highly specific and accurate. It works extremely well for situational analysis and prediction; just like in your situation. The horary chart is below:

In this horoscope, we first notice the very early degrees on the ascendant. This often shows that the situation is still in its very early stages. However, the chart shows very accurately the way things look at the time of your question, and the way they appear to be headed.

In his horoscope, you are shown by Jupiter, which is in Scorpio, and therefore in the sign of Mars. The man you mention is shown by Mercury in Libra, separating from the conjunction with Mars in its detriment. This makes me strongly suspect that there is another person involved, specifically someone like a wife or girlfriend to the man. Because Jupiter is in the sign of Mars, this shows you been under that person’s control; that is to say, as long as she is on the scene, whether you know it or not, you cannot fully act. It shows the politics of the situation, as it were.

Mercury and Mars are both in Libra, where they are in the sign of Venus. Venus is your urge to find a mate, so it shows the level of your physical attraction to this man. Here, Venus is in Virgo in the seventh house, showing that you are very physically attracted to the man. He obviously feels similarly, because Mercury is in the sign of Venus, so he appreciates the attention, and the Venusian energy. Venus is in the detriment of Jupiter, and in the sign of its own fall. This is not uncommon in questions about love triangles, because it shows that your physical attraction is at odds with your head (Jupiter), and there is something “bad” about it, which is shown by Venus being in its fall.

Jupiter, for its part, feels the same; it does not like Venus, so you know on a mental level that your attraction is a problem. The moon shows your emotional side, and here it is in Cancer, its own sign. This shows your emotional enjoyment of the situation, and reveals a lot about what’s going on in your heart. The moon exalts Jupiter, so we can see that there is a strong force (your rational side, shown by Jupiter) holding you back from pursuing this relationship. You yourself have mentioned that you have kept it platonic for an extended period of time. At the same time, the moon is in the detriment of Saturn, so you really dislike whatever Saturn represents. We also notice that Mercury and Mars are in the exaltation of Saturn. Meanwhile, Jupiter and Venus are not interested in Saturn at all. In short, we can be pretty certain that Saturn is your husband.

How is Saturn? Not great. Saturn is in its detriment in the malefic sixth house; this does not have the makings of a satisfying relationship. What makes it more problematic, is that Saturn is not terribly interested in Jupiter, Venus, or the Moon. We simply do not see much of a bond between the spouses here. On the mental and physical levels you are handling this reasonably well, but your Moon, being so unhappy with Saturn, shows the lack of emotional fulfillment in the marriage.

What is the Sun, that so influences Saturn? The Sun shows the other man’s physical needs; your marriage is not helped by the sexual energies between you and the other man. The Sun is in Virgo, where it is in the sign of Mercury, the fall of Venus, and the detriment of Jupiter. The other man does not seem hugely attracted to you, at least on the physical level. I think this is why you feel like you have to put more effort into continuing the relationship. For him, the spark just isn’t there, and it is very difficult to have a relationship with a man who is not at least somewhat sexually attracted to you. I notice that the Sun will shortly move from Virgo into Libra, where it will be in Venus’s sign. This shows that if you choose to continue the relationship, a greater degree of sexual attraction will develop mutually. Of course, that will entail its own decision on your part. Do you want to take it to those levels?

Do I think this man is your soulmate? I am not so sure, simply because there are so many entanglements in both of your lives with other people, it strikes me more that this is a way for you to escape the emotional dissatisfaction in your marriage. It does not mean that the two of you cannot live happily ever after, but the big concern for me is that neither Mercury nor the Sun, his two planets, are terribly interested in the moon, your emotions. I am not sure that you would be so emotionally fulfilled in relationship to this man either. The last thing you want to do is to jump from one relationship to another, at great personal cost, only to find it’s really the same thing in different clothing.

—To schedule a private consultation with Nina Gryphon, you can email her at nina@gryphonastrology.com.

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The Lunar Eclipse of September 7^th was partly visible in North Korea (around the time of Moon set), and indeed, we are starting to see its indications with North Korea’s alleged nuclear test. Moreover, the Lunar Eclipse at 15 Pisces fell right opposite North Korea’s Sun at 17 Virgo. In the horoscope of a country, the Sun always has to do with the government and leadership, and of course the opposition aspect has to do with confrontation, disharmony and breaking up.

We would expect this Lunar Eclipse to have significant repercussions for North Korea’s leadership, though the consequences will be even worse for the North Korean people. In a Lunar Eclipse, the Moon is obscured by the Sun; the Moon always signifies the people of a kingdom. Thus, we have the picture of a people being harmed by their government. This does not happen at every eclipse, of course, but because the Lunar Eclipse contacted the North Korean Sun, we would expect some serious effects.

There are many things I do not love about North Korea’s natal horoscope, which has a Sun-Moon square, showing disharmony between the people and the government. It is this square that the Lunar Eclipse of September 7th triggered, so we can expect the North Korean people to suffer for the actions of its government. In real world terms, we expect any aid from other countries to North Korea to be withdrawn, since Jupiter rules sustenance. Not surprisingly, the nuclear test in a water sign (Pisces), ruled by a moist planet (Jupiter) in Scorpio (a water sign) will likely harm the aquatic life significantly, as well as vegetables and plants. Note, too, the ominous location of the eclipsed Moon - in the 8th house of death.

Saturn in Leo (the sign of its detriment) is on the Ascendant, and since the Ascendant rules the people in political horoscopes, we see serious strain on North Koreans here as well. Saturn as such rules deprivation, so we can expect the North Koreans to suffer from other countries’ retaliatory measures. Saturn in this chart rules the 7th house of open enemies, which in North Korea’s case includes just about all other countries. So suffering will come to North Korea from open enemies.

The test itself occurred on October 9^th, which was right on schedule; we would expect the effects from the Lunar Eclipse to begin between September 27^th – October 7^th, 2006, and reach their peak between October 15^th – October 29^th, 2006. Indeed, North Korea started threatening a nuclear test in the first few days of October.

The horoscope for North Korea’s Lunar Eclipse on September 7th is here:

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Question:

I am a very pretty 21 year old Taurean girl. I know a 20 year old super cute guy who lives on my street. He always used to stare at me for the past 3 years. I am very shy, and I don’t talk to any guys on the street. To look nice in front of that guy I don’t even talk to the guys in my building. We almost always keep looking at each other, sometimes even for hours. He is always discussing me behind my back with his friends and I feel he likes me. But he is from a different caste, moreover he is younger than me.

He came and spoke to me once and ever since then, we have exchanged pleasantaries when we bump into each other. Now I am starting to get really very restless, and all I can think of is him. I keep thinking of him all the time. If I don’t see him I become very sad. I was otherwise very good at studies but now I can’t even concentrate.

Is there any way I can get him to come to me and acknowledge his feelings?. Or can I go and tell him somehow without making him feel I am very needy? Please don’t tell me to forget him!

Nina Gryphon:

When I read your e-mail, I couldn’t help but think “that is so cute!” But I can also sympathize with how you feel, mainly because I, and every other female who has ever lived, has been there. Before we get into your reading, I would just want to point out that I don’t know all the rules on castes, so I don’t know what is possible in terms of a relationship with someone outside of your caste. Is it feasible for the two of you to get married? Would your parents freak out and disown you? When I do the reading, I am going to treat the relationship as a Western relationship, in the sense that I will not go into the caste issue unless it comes up in some obvious way.

I cast a chart for the moment I understood your question, which is a technique known as horary astrology, by the use of which one can answer questions without knowing the person’s birth data. This method, which has been around since the ancient Greeks, is especially good at answering specific questions about a specific person, such as yours.

In this horoscope, you are shown by Mercury in Libra, while your level of physical attraction is shown by Venus in Virgo. Your emotions are shown by the Moon in Cancer. The guy is shown by your seventh house of partners, and its ruler, Jupiter in Scorpio. His physical attraction and desire to find a mate is shown by the Sun.

What is interesting in this horoscope is that Venus in Virgo is in the detriment of Jupiter. Therefore, Venus dislikes Jupiter. While you may be physically attracted to him, you know that your relationship could never be, and marriage to this guy is not possible. Notice that Venus is within 11 degrees of the Sun; Venus is under the Sun’s beams, and the Sun is in the fall of Venus. It looks as though your deep attraction to this guy is overwhelming your judgment, and as you mentioned, it is afflicting you. Emotionally, you are definitely infatuated with him; the Moon in Cancer is in the exaltation of Jupiter. This very well describes your ga-ga feelings about him, and that you are putting him on a pedestal. Jupiter in Scorpio is not very strong, as it does not have very much essential dignity. This tells me that he cannot possibly live up to your high expectations and fantasies. Moreover, Jupiter is in the fall of the Moon, which tells us that he cannot do a lot in this situation to live up to your expectations.

Thus far, it doesn’t look as though he is very interested in you. However, when we look at the Sun, which shows his physical attraction and urge to find a mate, we see that it’s in Virgo, and therefore is very interested in Mercury, which is you in this horoscope. Mercury, however, is in Libra, the fall of the Sun. This means that Mercury has little regard for the Sun; intellectually, you know it could never be. Here is another piece of evidence showing that you know the two of you could never have a serious relationship.

Will the two of you ever get together? The potential is there, but I don’t think it will amount to much. The Moon is applying to sextile Venus in the 12th house. Because Venus is in the malefic 12th house, it shows you are not in a position to act. After meeting Venus, the Moon will trine Jupiter, translating the light between Venus and Jupiter, and connecting the two of you. Ordinarily, this might show at least the chance for a relationship, but Jupiter is cadent because of its location in the third house, so the guy is not in any position to act, either. What is more problematic is the difficult mutual reception between Venus and Jupiter; the two planets are in each other’s detriment, showing not much of a bond that would make the relationship last. Perhaps this refers to the problematic caste situation between the two of you — you each know the other person is unsuitable.

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