Gryphon Astrology Blog

The astrology of politics and current events is fascinating indeed, and perhaps the toughest to get right, because there are so many influences happening at the same time. In this article, we will look at the major influences shaping up for the United States this summer.

The Aries ingress horoscope this year set for Washington, DC had a Cardinal ascendant, which means that we have to cast a new chart for every Cardinal ingress until the Aries ingress 2008.

The horoscope for the Sun’s entry into Cancer in Washington, DC is below:

The Lord of the year is the planet that is most strongly placed in the horoscope; in this case, that will be Mercury conjunct the midheaven. Mercury is very weak; it is Peregrine and retrograde/under the sunbeams. So the overall flavor of current events in Washington this summer will be problematic. Because Mercury is just outside the 10th house cusp (the house of the King, or in our case, the president), the problems will chiefly afflict the leadership of this country.

Mercury rules merchants, lawyers, politicians, and scribes/writers. It rules the ninth house, which is the house of secret enemies to the King (the 12th from the 10th). So the president/government will be afflicted by secret enemies who are merchants, lawyers, etc. this affliction may be in response to something the president or the government had done, as Mercury is in mutual reception with the ruler of the 10th house, the Moon. The president’s supporters, cabinet, or the Army will seek to stop the secret enemies, because the Sun, ruler of the president’s second house, afflicts Mercury.

So how is the King? The Moon is in the 12th house of secrets, Peregrine, and without aspects. He does not have very much power to act in the situation, though the mutual reception with Mercury suggests that true political disaster will not strike. At the very least, the leadership and the secret enemies are interdependent, creating a situation of mutually assured destruction.

I noted that Mars is in the seventh house in its own sign. The traditional authorities say that a strong and angular Mars in an ingress horoscope means war. Since we are already at war, we will be seeing more of it. This placement reminds me of the Mars in Scorpio in the seventh house in President Bush’s 2001 inauguration chart, which forecast the Iraq war.

Bookmark to

Horary Question:

I have had endometriosis for the past nine years. I have one son and I’ve lost four babies since 1998. The most recent loss was in February and since then I have had nothing but problems. I am in pain constantly and I am seriously considering a hysterectomy. I am only 29 and my fiancé has three children, two of which we have custody. I desperately want to have another child, but the pain is so bad that sometimes it just doesn’t seem worth it. Is that slim chance of me having another child worth all the pain I am going through? I want to have the surgery if it is going to be better for my health, but I am torn between my emotions and my body. Part of me is screaming to just have the surgery, but the other part of me is crying out for another child. Will I ever have another child?

—C.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear C.,

Thank you for writing to me. I know people with this difficult illness, and the attendant pain, suffering, and sometimes infertility is truly unfortunate. Since this is a semi-medical question, this would be a good time to mention that I am not a doctor, always listen to your doctor first, this is not medical advice, etc.

I cast a horary chart for the moment that I understood your question, and the drawing of that horoscope is below:

First, we note that the ruler of the first house of self is the Sun in Gemini, a barren sign. However, it is conjunct Aldebaran, a fixed star in the constellation Taurus. It is associated with a fresh start, so perhaps the meaning here is that you may be fertile, but unable to carry a child to term. But let us look at other indicators in the horoscope.

The fifth house, which rules your children and fertility, is governed by Jupiter, which is in Sagittarius, a sign that is neither fertile nor barren. Jupiter is in its own sign, which is positive, but it is retrograde, again repeating the same theme that your pregnancies would end prematurely. We also see that Jupiter is trine Mars and Saturn, so it is severely afflicted by these two malefic planets. Note that Saturn rules your seventh house, which signifies your reproductive system and pelvis, and it is very weak due to its location in Leo, the sign of its detriment. This is a reflection of the illness afflicting this part of your body.

It is important to note that the Moon in Sagittarius is just inside the fifth house of children, so it is going to be an important indicator of your fertility. It is Peregrine, so it has no essential strength, and it is quite afflicted by its upcoming opposition to the Sun. The Moon rules your 12th house of self undoing, and afflicts the ascendant by a trine aspect, indicating that your desire for child harms you (presumably because you are not getting surgery to stop the pain, and also to prevent the illness from getting worse).

Since your question is partly medical, I also would want to take a quick look at the prospective treatment (the hysterectomy), which is ruled by the 10th house. The 10th house is ruled by Mars, the natural ruler of surgery, so that is very appropriate. Mars is quite strong in Aries, where it exalts the Sun. So the proposed surgery looks rather helpful to you.

Unfortunately, the prospects for carrying a child to term are not very positive. You probably could conceive, but the problems indicated in the horoscope are quite serious, and I would hate for your health to deteriorate further if another child was lost. Note that even if the surgery did not prohibit the aspect between the Sun (you) and the child (Jupiter), the aspect between the Sun and Jupiter is an opposition, which indicates conception, but one that does not end well for you or the child.

—Readers who wish to get a reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

Bookmark to

Venus enters the sign of Leo on June 5. Venus has little strength in Leo, and it is Peregrine for most of the sign. The hot, dry, and barren nature of Leo is rather inimical to Venus, which thrives in a more hospitable and fertile environment, such as Pisces, Libra, and Taurus. Of course, Venus will spend a lot of time in Leo this year, because shortly after its entry into the next sign, Virgo, it will turn retrograde, slowly make its way through Leo, and will finally leave Leo on October 8.

Electional Astrology Advice

Venus’s extended passage through Leo puts many people in a bind this summer, because the planet’s weakness comes at the height of wedding season. I heard that July 7 of this year is a very popular wedding date, and has had venues booked for several years in advance. If the people who insist on getting married on 7/7/07 knew that Venus on that date was peregrine, slow in motion (about to turn retrograde), conjunct Saturn in Leo, and about to enter its fall in Virgo, I imagine they would be somewhat less enthusiastic. It is true that a wedding electional chart does not live or die only by the position of Venus, but there really are much better dates to get married this year.

So where does this leave you, if you want to do something Venusian, like get married, or ask someone out on a date while you are still young? First, make your move before Venus enters Virgo, where it is in its fall. This happens on July 15. Venus in Leo is not great, but Venus in Virgo is downright bad. Second, definitely try to act before the last week of June, if at all possible, because then Venus will apply to conjoin our nasty Saturn in Leo. This is certainly not something you need either in your marriage, or even on a date.

Some Famous People with Venus in Leo

Andy Warhol, Pamela Anderson, Abdul Al-Biruni (famous Arab astrologer of 1000 years ago), Barbara Walters, the Dalai Lama, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claude Debussy, O. Henry.

Bookmark to

Horary Question:

I have been working as a freelance translator for four years, but things have slowed down dramatically since the last couple of months. No clients, insecurity and financial difficulties, etc.

Moreover, I am restless and dissatisfied with this job. I would like to do something else but I cannot imagine another activity which could give me the freedom I need.

The only job I am thinking about is astrology. I have begun formal training this year and I wonder if I should make the first move and organize some consultations.

—M.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear M.,

Thank you for writing to me. I cast a horary chart for the moment that I understood your question, and the drawing of that horoscope is below:

We see that you are represented by Mercury, ruler of the first house of self. Mercury also rules the midheaven, which is the house of work. This is very appropriate, because you are self-employed, so in a sense, you and the job are one. So whatever happens to you, also happens to your job. We see that Mercury has recently changed signs, and has exited its own sign of Gemini, in order to enter the sign of Cancer. Whenever we get a horary question about a prospective change, we look at which position was better; the previous one or the current one. In this case, there’s no question that your old job, that is being a translator, was considerably better for you than being an astrologer. Mercury is very strong in Gemini, but in Cancer, it is Peregrine, meaning it has no essential dignity or strength. The fact that Mercury is slowing down in motion gives us yet another indicator that you are going to run into trouble if you leave your old occupation. As Mercury has already changed signs, this tells me that you might be asking me the question after the fact, at least after you have already made up your mind to become an astrologer.

However, we also need to look at the Moon, which is your co-significator. The Moon is very weak; it is in a cadent house, and it is in the sign of its detriment, Scorpio. The Moon is about to leave the region known as the Via Combusta, or the fiery road, which indicates that a period of emotional disturbance is coming to an end. Since Mars rules the eighth house of your clients’ money, we see that this emotional disturbance was connected with clients’ money not coming to you. As time goes on, I think you will find that your misgivings about your old job were somewhat exaggerated or overly emotional.

We also see that the Moon will next square Saturn in Leo, which is particularly malefic, as it is in the sign of its detriment. So the overall feeling in this horoscope is that hanging up your old job would lead to trouble. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with doing astrology as a sideline, perhaps during times when you don’t have many translation clients. However, Mercury’s loss of strength tells us very clearly that you might be acting too hastily in rejecting your translation business altogether.

—Readers who wish to get a reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

Bookmark to

The Sun enters the sign of Cancer on June 21, 2007, which inaugurates the Summer season worldwide. The positions of the planets are the same the world over for the moment of the ingress, so the important features here are house positions and house rulerships, which will vary by location.

For this season, we will still give priority to our Aries ingress horoscope from the spring. This is for two reasons: one, the Aries ingress addresses the conditions for the entire year, so it is an “umbrella” chart that we must consult before making more specific predictions. Two, the old astrologers used to say that when the Aries ingress ascendant is in a mutable sign, we need to look at the Aries ingress and the Libra ingress only, to get a good feeling for each half of the upcoming year. This Spring, we had Virgo ascending here in the West during the Aries Ingress, so the Aries and Libra ingress is this year will be most important. So the Cancer ingress might be helpful, but it is not that important in a year such as this one.

The Cancer Ingress horoscope for San Francisco, California, is below:

Our Aries ingress indicated that it was going to be windy and temperate in 2007, due to Mercury in Pisces conjunct the seventh house cusp. So we have to keep this in mind as we look at the Cancer ingress horoscope. In this chart, we see that Jupiter rules the fourth house cusp, which would give us a warm and dry summer (no surprise there), though nothing extreme, due to Jupiter’s benefic nature. Also, Jupiter is trine Venus in Leo, which gives another hint of a warm but not unpleasant season. Last year’s deadly heat wave is not likely to return this year (it was indicated by the Sun near the ascendant in that year’s Cancer ingress, by the way).

Most likely, we will have a pretty breezy summer, due to Mercury’s continuing influence. For those of us in the earthquake-prone San Francisco Bay area, July may well give us a little bit of a rattle, as Mercury rules both winds and earthquakes.

Bookmark to

Horary Question:

I am 37 years old, and had a 4 year whirlwind live-in relationship with a guy 4 years my senior. We are very compatible on the sexual level, but both emotionally immature. Our split 3 years ago was very acrimonious. Both families got involved and his family was very one-sided. My family was much more neutral.

Part of our attraction is our differences; my family is bohemian and money poor. I am of mixed race where his is white English. He was educated privately. I never felt comfortable with his family, which has lots of unspoken rules for conduct and I suspect not comfortable with people of colour in the closer ranks.

I instigated a meet up after no contact at all these last years, and have started seeing him again, and of course sex is fantastic because I want him with my body and soul.

After 6 meetings I am getting impatient with him, but we are able to talk about things we couldn’t before. Turns out he has a new girlfriend of two years, that he says he loves. He has taken her to meet his parental home and been to France with her to meet her family. So he must be serious about this girl, at least until I came back on the scene. He says I turn him on like no other and that the sex they have is not as good. She is good for him on other levels and he calls her ‘excellent really.’

I want to end seeing him while he is in a new relationship, I don’t want to be the obstruction or excuse for him not being emotionally available to the next girl. It is difficult to stay at arms’ length, because my bio clock is ticking, I yearn for him. He tells me that he wants to be with me, but afraid of (his words) divorcing a lot of people, who were there for him, when we split, and to be disenfranchised again. These are real concerns and risks to consider.

What are the real chances of us succeeding as a couple?

—E.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear E.,

Thank you for writing to me, and wow, what a saga. As always, I cast a horoscope for the time that I understood your question, a method called horary astrology. The horoscope for your question is below:

You obviously think the world of this guy. Two of your three significators, Mercury and Venus, are in the exaltation of Jupiter. Since Jupiter rules your seventh house of partners, we know you’re putting him on a pedestal. With Jupiter in its own sign, even though it is retrograde, he is probably rather pedestal-worthy, whether in appearance or overall good personality. The only problem with his planet being in its own sign, is that it is rather uninterested in anything but its own needs. This does not mean he doesn’t care for you, as we will soon see, but I would like to see him put himself out a bit more on your behalf.

With his co-significator, the Sun, in Gemini, we see that he is very physically attracted to you, and in an ideal world, he would marry you. However, this is not enough to actually motivate him to do so. His girlfriend is one obstacle; he does care for her a good amount, though not as much as you, and she thinks the world of him. She is indicated by Saturn in Leo, the sign of the Sun.

To see whether the two of you would actually get married or have some kind of permanent relationship, we need to see if any of your planets in his planets will meet. Unfortunately, there are no upcoming aspects between your planets and his, so I am concerned that a marriage or similar exclusive relationship would not happen. I was hoping that there is some kind of third party who can be of assistance. Specifically, we would want to see Mercury (you) aspect Mars (a third party), and Mars would then aspect Jupiter (your guy). This would bring your planets and his together by the mediation of another person. The problem is that Mercury is moving very slowly, and Mercury will not aspect Mars before the latter trines Saturn. So I am afraid the other woman is going to whisk him out from under your nose, mainly because your guy does not want to do anything hasty or risky (in his mind).

—Readers who wish to get a reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

Bookmark to

Mars enters the sign of Taurus on June 24, ending Mars’s sojourn through its own domicile of Aries.  This is quite a step down for Mars, which was very strong in its own sign Aries, and now is in its detriment in Taurus.  Mars will leave Taurus on August 7.

The energy of Mars is stifled and frustrated by heavy, earthy, fixed Taurus.  For another analogy, Taurus is associated with cattle, and cattle are supposed be docile.  Mars injects an inordinate amount of energy into this calm, contemplative sign, producing something of a raging bull.  The energies of Mars and Taurus are incompatible, and the placement is considered an inauspicious one.

Still, there are many redeeming features that help press even the most recalcitrant planets into useful service.  A trine from Saturn in Capricorn, for example, is most helpful, and gives Mars in Tarurus some needed structure and discipline.  A square from Saturn in detriment in Leo, not so much.  Of course, in a natal chart, we would first examine the level at which the person lives.  Yes, Saturn in Capricorn might give discipline, but it might be the determination to do harm.

Electional Astrology Advice

If Mars rules an important house in your chart, such as the first house of self, do not start important undertakings during this period until August 7^th.  From about July 24 through August 3^rd, this weak Mars will be squaring Saturn in Leo, which makes Mars rather crankier.  Thus, if it is the end of July, and you are planning Martial activities (sports matches, brawls, international conflicts), or activities ruled by Mars in your horoscope, it’s best to wait.

Some Famous People with Mars in Taurus

George Steinbrenner, Jacques Offenbach, John Irving, Adolf Hitler, Kirk Kerkorian, Queen Latifah, George Sand, Alexandre Dumas, Sr., Timothy McVeigh.

How has Mars in Taurus manifested in your life so far?   

Bookmark to

Horary Question:

My boyfriend in America is seriously ill with no nobody to help. There is only a slim chance of a tourist visa, but I am looking for a way to be there for him. It is a long shot due to poor finances. We have been fighting over it and he does not believe me when I say it’s hard for me to be there. Will I get approved for a K-1 [fiancee] visa?

—R.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear R.,

Thank you for writing to me. As always, I cast a horoscope for the time that I understood your question, a method called horary astrology. The horoscope for your question is below:

The late degree on the ascendant indicates that you are feeling desperate or out of options. You are symbolized by two planets, Venus, ruler of the first house of self, and the Moon, which is your co-significator. I will look at this question in two ways; first, I will see whether you’ll get your visa, and then we can see whether you will go see your boyfriend in America, looking at the larger picture.

Since you’re not American, the ninth house represents the US, because it is the house of foreign countries. The American government, which is the party granting you the visa, is going to be the 10th house from the ninth, or the radical sixth. This house is ruled by Mars, which is in Aries. In Aries, Mars is in the detriment of Venus, so we see that the government does not like you/your application. If it does not like you, it will likely not grant you the visa for which are applying. We also see that the Moon is void of course, which means that it will not make additional aspects in its current sign. In the absence of other favorable evidence, this can confirm our suspicion that nothing will happen in the situation. But there are other ways to examine this question, and we can see whether another approach might be more favorable.

I was hoping to see an applying aspect between the ruler of the ninth house, Mercury, which rules foreign journeys, and one of your significators. Such an aspect is not in evidence; in fact, we see a separating aspect between the Moon and Mercury, indicating you and the journey moving farther apart, not closer.

Your boyfriend is also ruled by Mars, with his co-significator being the Sun. Unfortunately, we do not see and applying aspect between your planets (Venus, the Moon) and his, which would indicate an upcoming reunion between the two. I am concerned that getting this visa is going to be an uphill battle. Please keep me posted, and let me know how it turns out.

—Readers who wish to get a reading from Nina Gryphon may purchase one at top left, or learn more at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

Bookmark to

The 12th house is one of the most fascinating astrological houses, because what we find connected with it often solves a mystery. Below is a discussion of some of the major traditional meanings of the 12th house:

Self-Sabotage, Secret Enemies, and Witches

These are the enemies who hurt us by clandestine means. Such a person might spread rumors or mail anonymous letters in order to harm us. For example, some of the classical astrology writers had many examples of horoscope so famous people who met a bad end because their 12th house was afflicted and their secret enemies eventually got executed or whatever.

Similarly, a witch would naturally also harm others via clandestine means, and we examine this house carefully when answering the question: “Am I bewitched?”

However, neither of these bad characters are as harmful as we ourselves. The 12th house is where we undercut our otherwise positive efforts. These are the strange compulsions that keep on surfacing, and that span the range between overeating and depression. Which of these actually manifest depends on the connection to other houses, and upon the person’s overall tendencies and temperament. For example, a very watery, phlegmatic type with a series of 12th house afflictions, especially in the water signs, might feel compelled to take to drink, or other drug abuse.

Secrets and Imprisonment

An active 12th house, in the right context, can show that there is secrecy afoot. In one of the Gryphon Astrology radio shows, I discussed the natal horoscope of an individual (now deceased) who had a “respectable” day job and by night was a high-risk sex worker. The 12th house was very active, and was connected to a debilitated Saturn-Venus combination. This double life eventually led to death, so the 12th house took on the dual meaning of secrets and of self-undoing.

Perhaps because 12th house habits are so problematic, they often lead to imprisonment. The “right” combination in the natal horoscope can show a more than casual brush with the judicial system.

Large/Wild Animals

Since the 12th house shows that part of us which is animalistic and wild, we also look for such animals in that house. A particularly strong 12th house, combined with the right kind of personality traits, could show someone especially attuned to working with animals, such as horses or cattle.

I am curious what your experiences with the 12th house are, whether your own or that of others.

Bookmark to

The Sun enters the sign of Cancer, and summer officially begins. Cancer is one of the Cardinal signs of the zodiac, because it starts the season (all Cardinal signs begin their respective seasons).

The Sun is Peregrine throughout Cancer, meaning it has no dignity or strength in that sign. If you’re planning solar activities, or the Sun rules an important house in your natal horoscope, you will want to wait until the Sun enters the sign of Leo, at the end of July. Some examples of the Sun-ruled activities and things are as follows: anything to do with royalty, food, all superiors in any setting, honors, gold, and fathers. If the Sun rules a house with different meanings in your chart, this would take precedence over the natural rulerships listed above.

During its passage through Cancer, the Sun will conjoin Mercury on June 28, which will give us a few hours of the respite from the effects of retrograde Mercury. This is because the conjunction of the Sun and Mercury will cause Mercury to temporarily enter the state of cazimi, which is considered extremely beneficial for a planet. The Sun will not make any major aspects to other classical planets, except for the Moon.

Since Cancer begins the summer, stay tuned for a weather prediction for the American West for the upcoming season.

Bookmark to