Gryphon Astrology Blog

Mercury and the Sun will conjoin at 6:41 p.m. GMT on June 28. This happens a few times a year, and even if Mercury retrograde puts the fear of God in you, this exact conjunction with the Sun temporarily strengthens Mercury. This condition is known as being in cazimi, or in the heart of the Sun. Cazimi’s outer limits are 17.5 minutes on either side of the Sun, outside of which lies the deadly zone of combustion. Combustion is extremely bad for planets, while cazimi is extremely good. You can learn more about the meaning of cazimi here.

Electional Astrology Advice

If you want to take advantage of Mercury’s temporary strength, you should act between 2:40 pm and 10:40 p.m. on June 28, and you will be safe. What kinds of things are benefited by Mercury? Buying and selling, messages and communications, and especially asking for favorable treatment from superiors (which are ruled by the Sun). So, all other things being equal, this would be a good time to ask for a raise from your boss.

However, let us say that you cannot act during this time. Mercury being combust (within 8.5° of the Sun in either direction) can be helpful if you’re trying to get away with something, because planets that are combust cannot be seen. Because Mercury is moving relatively slowly, this condition will last quite a few days before and after the exact conjunction with the Sun. So if Mercury rules your first house of self, this would be a great time to sneak out of work to go to the movies or the beach (Mercury is in the water sign Cancer right now), without fear of running into your boss there.

Some Famous People with Sun Conjunct Mercury

Julia Roberts, Kenny Loggins, Rodney King, Jules Verne, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Gene Kelly, Tommy Lee Jones, Lauren Hutton, Pauline Kael, Gerard Depardieu, Oliver Stone, Farrah Fawcett, Barbara Cartland.

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Horary Question:

Is now the right time to conceive? I have been with my husband for ten years (four years married). We are very compatible and feel now may be the right time. We’re both 28. I am finishing up college in December. I am torn between jumping head first into a career, buying a home or having a child! He says that now is right but has been against it until now, which doesn’t seem fair to me.

—P.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear P.,

Thank you for writing to me. I cast the horoscope for the moment that I understood your question, which is a method known as horary astrology. The horary chart for your question is below:

In this horoscope, you are represented by Jupiter, ruler of the first house of self, and also by the Moon. We will also need to take a look at your fifth house of fertility, which is ruled by Venus. We see that your and your husband’s biological clocks have been a major topic of contention recently; the Moon has just opposed Mars, which would indicate disagreements regarding your husband’s desire for children. Mars rules your husband’s fertility, as it rules his fifth house of kids.

I suspect that finances have a lot to do with your reservations about having children right now. We see that the fifth house ruler, Venus, is about to conjoin Saturn in barren Leo, and Saturn rules the second house of money. How is your money? With Saturn in detriment, not so great. So there is a strong argument for you going out and getting a job before committing to kids. We also see that Mars afflict the fifth house, and this is not just about Mars representing your husband’s fertility. Mars also rules your fourth house of home and real estate. So you recently realized your house is no longer satisfactory, which is another pressure on you. Again, if you’re going to have kids, it would make sense to have your new house set up first.

Given these two afflictions from Saturn (money) and Mars (housing and pressure from husband’s bio clock), I think your instincts are correct, and you should get your financial and housing situations straightened out before deciding to have kids.

—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.

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As expected last week, the weather warmed up a bit toward the end of the last lunar cycle. San Francisco hit a sweltering - for San Francisco - 77F (25C) on Wednesday, thanks to hot Venus in Leo on the 4^th house cusp in the last lunation horoscope.

The horoscope for the upcoming lunation is below:

The New Moon (Moon conjunct Sun) in Gemini is inside the 7^th house cusp, bringing us some moisture. The New Moon is in a moist sign, so we may get some rain, or at the very least, more clouds/humidity/fog. This depends on the type of moisture typical in your location. The connection to Mars in Aries, which also rules the important 4^th house, may bring some unsettled weather. The old authorities say that Mars in Aries causes wind, but not rain, as well as thunder and lightning. So there will be an increase in moisture this week, “restless” weather, and possible – though not probable - thunderstorms.

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Horary Question:

Will there be a job opportunity for my daughter soon? She is a single mother, has applied in numerous places but nothing has opened to her. I’m retired and have helped her to the limit of my fixed pension. She is determined to accept any job.

—H.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear H.,

Thanks for writing to me. I cast a horary chart for the moment I understood your question. The horoscope for the horary is below:

Your daughter is shown by your fifth house of children, and its ruler, Venus in Leo. Venus is peregrine, without strength, in that part of the zodiac. This can indicate that a person is wandering, which is another meaning of peregrine; this is true – your daughter is wandering between jobs. Peregrine can also indicate that the person may not have the skills employers are seeking. Ideally, we would see your daughter’s significator strong, showing that she is qualified for the jobs she seeks. Still, there is no reason she shouldn’t get hired. It’s just that she is not a shoo-in.

Her next job is showed by the 10^th house from the 5^th, and its ruler, the Moon. Now, we see that the Moon is in Pisces, the exaltation of Venus (and in fact, it has just left the super-exaltation degree of Venus). I take this to mean that she will leave her pleasant but unemployed state soon, just like the Moon will shortly leave Pisces. The Moon will enter Aries, which is the detriment of Venus – she will find work, but she will not enjoy it.

When will this likely happen? Well, we have two possibilities: the Moon will enter Aries in about 3 degrees, and it will make its next aspect as a trine to Venus in 6 degrees. Since the Moon is in a mutable sign, it will go a little bit slower than normal. So we could say, between 4-6 weeks, two months on the outside.

—Readers who wish to get a reading with Nina Gryphon may click the PayPal button at top left, or go to her website at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

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One of the most valuable pieces of knowledge that natal astrology can give us is an understanding of others’ motivations. Yes, we can get a good feeling for how one’s personality manifests, but this is but a robe over the basic shape of the personality. To illustrate how this can be found, we will look at the horoscope of Maria Callas, a woman famous for both her intense dedication to her art, and her tumultuous, colorful personality. Her performances in La Traviata are renowned, as well as her spectacular singing in Medea.

Her renowned temperament and dramatic flair were a major attraction of her larger-than-life public persona, but what motivated her? This is where we get a sense of the level at which a person lives. Maria Callas’s horoscope is below:

If we examine the temperament, we get sanguine (airy)/choleric (fiery) blend, with the former slightly predominating. This combination would give us an outwardly-focused, dynamic, ambitious, warm personality, someone very much living for the public, but emotionally self-contained.

Still, these are just adjectives. They are meaningless without us understanding the essential quality that they describe. For this, we turn to what William Lilly (and other traditional astrologers) calls the significator of manner. I will not give the complete method here, as that is easily available in William Lilly’s writings. It is more interesting to see the principle in action. The first step is to determine whether any planets occupy the first house, particularly around the Ascendant. These are our prime candidates for the significator of manner.

In Callas’s horoscope, we have the Sun in Sagittarius (on the royal star Antares) right on the Ascendant. Ptolemy says that the involvement of the Sun adds probity, industry, and honor to the native’s inherent motivations. Certainly, with the Sun in its triplicity on the Ascendant, a major motivation is going to be for glory, recognition, and honor. Lilly and Ptolemy say that the luminaries can only participate, rather than determine, manner. So we must look at Mercury, also in the first house. Mercury is the planet most influenced by others, so we also examine its dispositor, Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Ptolemy writes that a strong Jupiter connected with Mercury “will render men fit for much business, fond of learning, and of geometry and the mathematics; poetical, public orators, acute, temperate, well-disposed, skilful in counsel, politic, beneficent, able in government, pious, religious, valuable in all useful professions, benevolent, affectionate in their families, ready in acquiring knowledge, philosophical, and dignified.” The problem is that Mercury is in its detriment in Sagittarius, so it will make one inconstant, foolish, and frivolous. Mercury is angular, compared to Jupiter’s cadent 12^th house placement, and so the negative characteristics will come through more easily.

How does this square with what we know of Callas? She was known to be temperamental and divaesque, which matches the Mercury in mutable, fiery Sagittarius, combined with the Sun on the Ascendant. However, the real power of the significator of manner is to help us understand what drives and motivates the native. Mercury (especially when debilitated) gives the love of change for its own sake, combined with the Sun’s need for glory and fame. Still, the Sun’s and Jupiter’s essential strength and lack of serious afflictions help ensure that the native lives out her life at a high-functioning, positive level. Morinus tells us that strong benefics in the malefic houses (here, Jupiter in the 12^th house of self-sabotage and secret enemies) prevent the worst that those houses might ordinarily bring. So we can say that Callas’s changeability and need for acclaim caused her repeated problems (she famously walked out of many contracts with the world’s top opera companies), but her career did not suffer long term. Rather, her artistic career ended prematurely due to her vocal deterioration, perhaps also indicated by the weak Mercury, ruler of the voice.

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Summer is nearly upon us, but weather in much of the West has been relatively cool and windy this Spring (as shown in the Aries Ingress horoscope for 2007). Let us see what this coming week holds, and whether the colder weather will continue. The lunation horoscope set for San Francisco, California, is below:

We have a very warm, occidental Venus in Leo near the 4^th house cusp, so that will be our chief weather factor for the West this week. Venus in Leo will give a warm, pleasant temperature, and a stillness in the air, with occassional warm breezes. Rain is unlikely. During the coming week, it will be especially warm around June 13^th, with transiting Venus conjoining the lunation’s 4^th house cusp, and the transiting Moon conjoining the Ascendant on the same day, triggering this pattern.

Read the Summer Weather Forecast for 2007

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Horary Question:

I currently live in Michigan. My husband has been laid off, on and off for the last year and a half. I’ve tried finding jobs here, but nothing over minimum wage. We have had to move into my in-laws’ home, and due to many reasons, desperately want out. I’m currently attaining a bachelor degree for Paralegal Studies, I will be done in 11 months.

We heard about the big boom in Wyoming and I applied for some jobs. I received a call to go there for an interview. It is for the state of Wyoming and my dream is to work for the government at a state or federal level. The problem is that it would really strap us financially for me to go on a maybe. At this moment in time my husband has a great job making great money, but it may only last until this one job is done. He may find another company, or he may not. In Wyoming, he cannot make what he can normally make here, but if hired there, it would be a permanent job, not just for a specific job.

I would also have great benefits. I’m afraid to move, we have children ages 11 and 5, and moving means moving them from friends and family. I’m torn, this is the job of my dreams, we may be ok here, but maybe not. I don’t know if I should go or not, and if I go, what if I get the job, and my husband does not get paid what he would here in a normal economy?

Should I go for the job interview and if I get it, move to a state 1300 miles away?

—J.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear J.,

Thanks for writing to me. I cast a horary chart for the moment I understood your question. The horoscope for the horary is below:

You are represented by the ruler of the first house of self, Venus. The job is shown by the ruler of the 10^th house of work, the Moon. Venus is peregrine in 1 Leo, which means it does not have any essential dignity (or debility) in that part of the zodiac. So you are moderately qualified for the job; not totally amazing, but you would do fine, given the opportunity. The interesting thing is that Venus is in Leo, where it is not at all interested in the Moon (the job). Venus was recently in Cancer, where it was very interested in the job, but that has passed as Venus changed signs. I suspect that as the reality of moving to Wyoming, and the implications for your family, had hit, you became somewhat less excited about this job.

However, Leo does rule the job’s wages, so your main interest at present is in the pay. Unfortunately, the pay is not that great; at least, I don’t think it would meet your needs. The Sun, ruling the wages, is peregrine and cadent, so it would not really be enough.

So, despite all of this, will you get the job? I would say that you will not, as there is no aspect between the Moon and Venus. The Moon is in the exaltation of Venus, which means they are very interested in you (though they may think you are more qualified than you really are). But the Moon is also in the triplicity of Mars (ruling the 7^th house of your competitors), so the job likes the others quite a bit as well. Also, the competition for the job is quite stiff – Mars is in its own sign of Aries, and is strengthened by being angular. The other applicants are very qualified and are in a good position to make that known to the employer.

So, in sum, I don’t think it’s worth it to go for the interview.

—Readers who wish to get a reading with Nina Gryphon may click the PayPal button at top left, or go to her website at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

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Finding the best time to plant your garden using astrology is a tradition that goes way, way back in history. This serialized astrological planting guide helps you learn the principles of successful astrological gardening. However, there is much more to the art of astrological agriculture than just sowing the seeds at the right time. For optimal results, the soil must be prepared at the right moment, you have to plant at the right time for your crop/plant type (do you want flowers? Fruit? Fast or slow growth?), you should cut back growth at the right time, etc. Of course, the first and foremost consideration should be the right season and weather for planting in your area. No matter how great your planetary aspects, a coating of snow or hail is probably not going to help your project.

Part I. Preparing the Soil

As the ancient god of agriculture (the one who devours his own children), Saturn rules the soil, so you will want to make sure that it is strong. It preferably should not be in a barren sign, but if that cannot be helped, as it is barren almost 8 years out of 28, you will want some positive indicator of fertility influencing it, such as Venus in Pisces, or Moon in Cancer. The fourth house should be strong as well, as it rules the earth, or at least it should be free of afflictions. Regardless of Saturn’s sign or aspect, turning the soil during an hour of Saturn is highly recommended by the old authorities. I am sure that if you can do your rototilling on a Saturday (yes, Saturn’s day), on a Saturn hour, you get extra Saturn points.

How do you figure out when Saturn hours are happening at your location? Read this helpful two-part guide to calculating and using planetary hours.

The above also applies to fertilizing/manuring the soil prior to planting. William Ramesey, in his chapter on Tillage and Manuring the Soil, reminds us to make the Ascendant and its ruler strong, as well as the Moon and its dispositor. But that is good advice for many astrological elections, and not specific. Going by the rules in the previous paragraph will not steer you wrong, and, if followed over a period of time, should give you some enviably rich soil.

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Horary Question:

I was in an emotionally involved and intense relationship with my co-worker. It started pretty much out of the blue, just like it ended (last month). And I know without a shadow of doubt she wants to save us from getting hurt by each other in the long term. I guess it was a learning experience for both of us, as we basically have a lot in common in fundamental things, many hopes and dreams, strong feelings, a seriousness to work on this relationship, but also the wrong attitude from the start.

She is the strongest woman I ever met, a true Catholic, successful in her TV journalism career, but she does better in her career than in her love life. And I’m much the opposite, trying to get my career and life together. I suspect that some other factors, rather than the emotions we felt, played a role in things ending up this way, whether they were in our working enviroment or life in general. It’s merely my intuition that she’s not confident about separation, and I’d like to know what you see? So, will we be back together again?

—T.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear T.,

Thanks for writing to me; relationships can be so complicated sometimes. I cast a horary chart for the moment I understood your question. The horoscope for the horary is below:

You are represented by the Lord of the first house, the Moon, and your male urge to find a mate (physical and psychological) is shown by the Sun. Your girlfriend is represented by the ruler of the 7^th house, Saturn, and her need to pair up is shown by Venus. We will take a look at how these planets relate to one another to see how each of you feel, and also whether the opportunity to get together will present itself.

She is obviously very attracted to you, at least on a physical level. Both of her planets, Saturn and Venus, are in Leo, where they are dominated by the Sun, the planet symbolizing your male appeal, whether she is just looking for a lover or some guy to marry. Venus just left Cancer, where it was in Saturn’s detriment and the Moon’s sign. She liked you a lot, but this was causing her some problems. In either case, she is not very interested in you as a person, so we would not expect a lasting, profound relationship based on this.

Now, let’s see what is going on with you. Your main planet, the Moon, is in Aquarius, where it is dominated by Saturn, her planet. So you are in love with her, but I think a big part of that love is that you are not exactly happy with your life, and expect her to make you happy. Physically, as indicated by the Sun, you like her well enough, but are not head over heels, either. My sense so far is that this might work as a no-strings-attached physical relationship, but there is not enough emotional “glue” to make it last.

I suspect that there were external influences in play here, just as you say. Note that Mercury afflicts the Arabian Part of Marriage by opposition. Now, Mercury does not necessarily have to be a third party – it rules your 12^th house of self-undoing, so perhaps it indicates some kind of relationship sabotage on your part - or her 9^th house of religion and long-distance travel. Whatever this Mercury is, it ruptured a relationship that was already mutually ambivalent.

So, will the two of you get back together? Sun will sextile Saturn, which would indicate at least a short-term reunion. But there are obstacles: the Sun runs into Mars first, which would indicate that the reunion will not happen due to Mars reasons. Mars can mean sex (you find someone more attractive), your job (Mars rules your 10^th), her friends (Mars rules her 11^th house of friends), etc. In any case, something gets in the way, and this something will be positive for you, but not so positive for her. It may well mean a new person of interest in your life.

—Readers who wish to get a reading with Nina Gryphon may click the PayPal button at top left, or go to her website at http://www.gryphonastrology.com/astrologyreadings.html.

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Horary Question:

I met the love of my life last April 2006. He came here to the Philippines last March 17 to April 17 to be with me and asked my hand for marriage from my family. I fell in love with him even more. Ever since he came back to the US, we planned on being together again. I miss him so much and all we hope is that everything would go well with the papers for me to be able to go where my baby is and so we could be together and spend our lives with each other. I love him so much and I miss him more and more each day.

Will we have any problems with the process for us to be together? Will I be with him anytime soon within this year or early next year?

—G.

Nina Gryphon:

Dear G.,

Thank you for writing to me. I can certainly understand your anxiety and uncertainty about the situation. I cast the horoscope for the moment that I understood your question, which is a method known as horary astrology. The horary chart for your question is below:

You are shown by the Moon, ruler of the first house of self, while your fiancé is ruled by the seventh house, and its ruler, Saturn. There will be a lot of twists and turns in the process, but I do believe that the two of you will be together. We see that your planet, the Moon, will shortly square Mars. The Sun meanwhile will oppose Jupiter and then will sextile Mars. The Sun will later sextile Saturn, finishing this bucket brigade, and connecting the Moon to Saturn in the process.

Does this seem slightly convoluted? It certainly is, but the immigration process is neither quick nor simple, and this being passed from one planet to the next is a good analogy for the different stages in the process you will have to go through before moving to the US permanently with your fiancé. There’s really no reason why you would not receive your papers eventually, so I think it’s just a question of how complicated the process will be and how long it will take. Timing the events arising from a tangle of aspects like this seems near impossible, but we can certainly try.

The Moon will square Mars in about 2°, which would give us two months. Then, the Sun will sextile Saturn in about 7°. This would give us seven months. Since the Sun is in a double sign, I would be inclined to call it eight or nine months, and adding the two gives us something like 10 or 11 months from the time of the question. So I would expect you to be in the US with your fiancé inside of a year. In the meantime, be patient, as the process can be somewhat frustrating and nerve-racking. Good luck!

—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.

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