2011 Predictions for the United States
March 29, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
Here is a look at the predictive annual horoscope for the United States each year to get a sense of what lies ahead for the next 12 months. This year looks interesting, especially on the economic front. Based on this horoscope, I do not think we are as far out of the housing/debt crisis as we would like to believe.
Prediction 1: Financial Fallout from Housing Crisis
There will be a new wave of major financial consequences from the housing boom of the last decade,and this topic will dominate the news in 2011 and early 2012. We will see substantial debate anddemagoguery about the American real estate and banking connection. Unfortunately, we as a nation are still not done paying for the financial excesses of past years. Farmers, especially, will be heavilyaffected by the financial difficulties we are facing. Credit may well tighten up again this year, and the mood of the nation will be somber and sad.
The Saturn-Moon conjunction in the 1st house indicates a serious tone in the public discourse; in individual horoscopes, it can indicate depression, and we see a similar feeling, just on the macro levelfor the United States in 2011. The official message will be one of optimism, as shown by Mercury conjunct Jupiter in the 7th house, but the mood of the people (and the reality) will be significantly less happy.
Saturn is well-placed in the horoscope, as it is in the sign of its exaltation, Libra, but it is retrograde. The old astrologers say that Saturn in Libra indicates a time of great building of houses; with the planet beingretograde, however, this building up is reversed, and we see an overabundance of buildings. This will not be a good year for the housing market, and indeed, we are seeing even the best housing marketsexperience drops in price in late 2010. The United States horoscope is experiencing a Saturn return this year, indicating a time when the accounts are coming due for the country’s finances. Saturn rulesthe nation’s second house of money, and his return to its place in the United States nativity indicates closing of one chapter in our financial history, with a final accounting before the new cycle begins.
Jupiter in the national horoscope indicates the banking industry, as well as farming, and real estate.Jupiter and Saturn are opposed in the 1st and 7th houses, showing the housing business being negatively impacted by public pessimism and an unwillingness of buyers to pay, as they wait for lower prices. Inother words, we will see housing prices come down further this year. The housing crisis will continue tobe a drag on the banking industry as well. Oppositions of planets from the cardinal signs indicate “huge evils,” as Jean-Baptiste Morin, the 17th century astrologer, writes.
Many of the evils described by Saturn – debt, inability to pay, insolvency – are related to the common people’s desire to be placed on an equal footing with great men, as the old astrologers have it. The Moon is with Saturn in the 1st house; the Moon signifies the masses and the common man, while Saturn represents the rich and powerful. With the two planets together, the poor wish to be the same as the rich, and as we can see, they are willing to bankrupt themselves to be seen as such.
2011 Aries Ingress Horoscope
Prediction 2: Sex Scandals
Not that there is ever a dearth of sex scandals, but this year shall be particularly notable for hidden vices coming to light. Guido Bonatti writes that Saturn in Libra oriental (as it is in this horoscope)shows the “desire of shameful, criminal men.” In the natal U.S. horoscope, Saturn is occidental,bringing “infamy…upon fornicators, and those abusing shameful sexual intercourse.” These are challenging configurations for public figures, so expect to see lots of public shaming in 2011.
Prediction 3: Public Health Concerns
With Saturn in the 1st house in Libra, we can expect to see health problems that especially affect the poor. Bonatti says that especially “slaves” will be harmed, so likely we will see people at the very lowest strata of society be subject to health concerns of a Saturnian kind. Saturn brings illnesses having to dowith the cold humors, such as tuberculosis, colds, flus, edema, and so on.
Prediction 4: Trouble for the President
2011 will not be an easy year for the U.S. President; there will be lots of contentions between him and his opponents. He might face health challenges as well this year. With the malefic South Node on the midheaven, and the ruler of the 10th house of kings being the Moon conjunct Saturn, we can see that he might have a number of things on his mind, namely people who rise up against him. There could be significant protests this year against his policies, for example.
Iran: War and Change in 2014?
March 13, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
This is the last article in Gryphon Astrology’s series on Iran. It took me nearly two years to write this article, not because it was so complicated – the signs are very simple and clear – but because I hesitated to make such a serious prediction. I believe that 2014 will bring great conflict in Iran, up to and perhaps including regime change.
The God of War
The traditional authors (Masha’allah and Morinus) write that a year with similar characteristics as 2014 will bring wars, seditions, captivities, the fall of cities, anger of Princes, murders. Violent illnesses, deaths of the young, fires, and looting. This combination brings hot spells and wars. The year 2014 will bring serious upheaval for the country’s leadership.
What brings such terrible things to Iran? No other than the god of war, Mars. In 2014, Mars will fall on the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope. This is the chart cast for the first second of the first day of spring; the beginning of the astronomical (and traditional Persian!) new year. The tenor of this horoscope predicts major events for the specific location where the horoscope is cast. More than this, however, Mars will be in the sign of its detriment, Libra. This is a highly unpleasant Mars, very possibly bringing destruction from the air (Libra is an air sign).
Mars’s malevolent influence is emphasized still further: there will be a total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014, that falls on the very degree of the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope set for Tehran, Iran. Eclipses are malefic influences in the political arena, bringing upheaval and shocking events. This Mars is spring-loaded, as it were, ready to pop at any moment.
Finally, the secondary progressions of the year indicate changes in the government, likely with drama and violence. The progressed Sun (the symbol of the leader) conjoins the malefic South Node in the 12th house in 2014, and the progressed Midheaven (the point associated with the government) will conjoin Mars in early 2015. The influences of these aspects will be seen through 2014.
Also important is the horoscope for the Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran in 1979. This horoscope has strong indications for what has been happening in the country since the beginning of the current regime. The 1979 horoscope has Aries on the Ascendant; with Libra (the opposite sign) on the 2014 Ingress Ascendant, there may well be violent opposition to the regime that year.
Prince William’s Royal Wedding Horoscope: When to Get Married
March 6, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to marry on April 29, 2011, but will they live happily ever after? An astrological analysis of their wedding date reveals many challenges in this marriage, but also offers useful lessons on choosing your best times to get married. This is called electional astrology, because we are electing the best moment for the marriage ceremony, which will result in the best marriage possible between the two people. Of course, no elected date will make a harmonious marriage between two incompatible people, but choosing the best time can certainly smooth over the rough edges. (To have me find the best moment for your wedding, contact me.)
Prince William’s Wedding Horoscope
The royal wedding horoscope is set for April 29, 2011, 11:00 am, British Summer Time, London, England. You might wonder whether this horoscope has been elected; I believe that it is a time set by an astrologer. In fact, I believe that Charles and Diana’s wedding was also astrologically elected. Looking at the horoscope for William and Kate’s wedding, I suspect that the astrologer was working with significant time constraints and was making the best of a challenging astrological configuration.
Prince William’s Son?
The ruler of the 5th house of children is Mars in Aries; a masculine planet in a masculine sign. Jupiter is strongly placed in the 10th house, and closely conjunct Jupiter in Aries, another masculine planet in a masculine sign. It is clear that the intended effect of the chart is to get at least one male child, which is the #1 goal of any royal marriage. However, there is some misfortune for the child – Mars is a malefic planet representing violence and strife. Yes, Mars is in its own sign, Aries, but a malefic is what it is – at its best, it brings a little evil, rather than a lot. Mars rules the 6th house of the children’s health, so that could be one difficulty facing the children from this marriage.
Good for Prince William…Not for Kate
The horoscope is strongly configured to favor Prince William as much as possible, but is rather unfavorable for Kate. It may be that given the time constraints, the astrologer (presumably paid by the royal family) could only strengthen the significators of one party to the marriage, and that would be the prince. Kate’s happiness and well-being, whatever good personal characteristics she may have, is not nearly as important to the royal family as that of William.
Prince William is shown by the Sun, both because it rules the 1st house of the husband, and because Sun is the general significator of husbands in marriage charts. The Sun is strongly positioned in the 10th house at the top of the chart, so William will be very much in charge in this relationship. The Sun is also in Taurus, a fixed sign, so he will want to stay in the marriage and will insist on getting his own way. The good news is that the Sun is received by Venus, so William is generally liked by Kate. The Sun is conjunct the malefic star Hamal, which brings violence, danger, and head injuries. Other than the fixed star, however, the Sun is in decent shape, and William should largely benefit by the marriage.
Kate is represented by Venus, because she is the woman in the relationship, and also by Saturn, ruler of the 7th house of spouses. Venus is in bad shape in the wedding horoscope; she is in its detriment in Aries, and opposite Saturn. Venus is in the 10th house, so the issues in this marriage will be well-documented and made very public. Saturn, Kate’s other significator, is in the 4th house of endings, specifically “how the marriage ends” – Kate may well suffer in the marriage; will it end prematurely? I think there is a strong possibility of this. Kate is going to have to deal with some tragedy; Saturn rules the 8th house of death – a situation troubling for her, but not necessarily a negative from the royal family’s perspective. Remember, the paying client (here, the royal family) always gets the better end of the electional chart, and it looks like Kate is getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop in this chart and marriage.
Not Much Happens?
The odd thing about this horoscope is that the Moon is placed in the cadent 9th house, and is void of course (not within orb of aspect of another planet). Given that the Moon shows the flow of events in this marriage, the marriage looks oddly directionless. Does nothing happen in this marriage? The Moon is also weak because it is waning, and is located in the terms of Mars, which is a malefic place for her to be. The medieval astrologer, Sahl bin Bishr, says of the void of course Moon that it represents “futility and annulment, and turning back from [one's] purpose, and the impediment of that same purpose.” Annulment is not what you want to see in a marriage chart; void of course for the Moon represents isolation, and the lack of a meaningful connection made – again, perhaps the last description for a horoscope of a relationship.
When to Get Married: Lessons Learned from the Royal Wedding Horoscope
From William and Kate’s wedding chart, we can see there are a few things to avoid when choosing your wedding date and time. For best results and to ensure the strongest possible start to your marriage, I recommend that you have an astrologer choose your wedding date. The royal wedding horoscope shows us what not to do:
1. Avoid the Moon void of course. You do not want a marriage in which nothing happens, or that forces either of you into isolation! This is easy to avoid, as the void of course periods typically do not last very long. Do not place the Moon in the malefic or cadent houses (houses 3, 6, 8, 9, 12) – no need to borrow trouble.
2. Make sure the planets symbolizing both the husband and wife are strong. If you want an equal marriage, in which neither party suffers disproportionately, strengthen the Sun, Venus, and the rulers of the 1st and 7th houses. Both of you deserve to be happy.
3. Avoid the malefic planets (Mars and Saturn) predominating in the horoscope. This rule has exceptions, for example, if the malefic rules both partners’ charts, but it is best not to try this at home.
If you are interested in finding the best time to marry, contact me to discuss your priorities for your marriage, and to learn how astrology can help you bring out the best between the two of you.
Astrology 101: What Are the Real Dates for Astrology Signs?
July 5, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
This is a regular question and answer column for those new to astrology, or those who have gotten their feet wet a little in their study of astrology, but are looking for more answers. These are questions I have received and those with which I have seen newcomers struggle. Do you have general questions about astrology? Contact me.
Q: What are the real dates for astrology signs? They are different in all the books and newspaper columns. What sign am I?
A: There are a number of people out there who live in the strange twilight zone of not knowing their Sun sign for sure. The good news is that you don’t have to be one of these poor lost creatures for a moment longer.
The dates show when the Sun moves into a new sign; it takes the Sun one year to travel through the twelve signs of the zodiac. The reason the dates are different in various sources (usually varying by a day or so) is that the Sun isn’t on the exact same schedule every year. For example, in 2009, the Sun entered the sign of Aries on March 20, but in 2003, the Sun entered Aries on March 21. The only way to be sure of your Sun sign if you are born near one of these dates is to consult an ephemeris for the date of your birth, examine your astrological chart, or get an astrological reading.
Some astrologers claim that people born within a day of a Sun’s change of signs are “born on a cusp” and therefore have qualities of both the preceding and the next sign. This is most definitely incorrect; the Sun is either in a sign or it’s not. Believing that the Sun is in two signs at once is like saying that one can be a little bit pregnant, or only slightly dead. One sees this notion most often in Sun sign books or columns, but few professional astrologers incorporate it into their practice in any significant way.
The other reason that the concept of being born on a cusp is incorrect is that astrologers who espouse the idea do not extend the same reasoning to the other planets which are part of one’s horoscope. For example, many people are born on the same day that the Moon changes signs, because the Moon changes signs every 2 1/2 days, but no one claims that such people share the qualities of both the signs that the Moon occupied that day.
Finally, there are no clear guidelines as to when being born on the cusp starts and ends. Is it within an hour or day of the Sun’s changing signs? No one has a definitive answer, and there are no written sources that resolve the question once and for all. Best advice: forget all about cusps, and instead get your horoscope done or learn astrology so you can discover the right Sun sign.
Lunar Eclipse of July 7 2009: Astrological Effects on the U.S.
June 28, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
The lunar eclipse of July 7 will intensify the current US debate regarding an overhaul of health care, and this time will also emphasize the trouble in which much traditional media find itself. there may also be additional discussion of the government accessing private citizens’ data, and also a highly publicized cutting of social services for the public, in the name of reduced funds.
The lunar eclipse will happen just above the horizon in Washington DC, at 9:21 AM GMT, July 7. The French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin said that locations where the body being eclipsed is angular will see the strongest effects from the eclipse. In Washington DC, the lunar eclipse has the Moon in the seventh house, and above the horizon, so it will be visible as well as angular. This eclipse is especially important because the Moon, which is being eclipsed, was the ruling planet of the U.S. horoscope for this summer. The ascendant of the lunar eclipse horoscope will be in the sign Cancer, which is the sign most prominent for the summer horoscope for the United States. This means that the lunar eclipse will bring to bear some of the effects promised in the Summer 2009 horoscope for the United States. Many of the issues below were highlighted for the U.S. for this summer, and this lunar eclipse, due to the similarity between this horoscope and the summer horoscope, will activate these topics and make them more apparent and intensely debated.
The Lunar Eclipse and the US Healthcare Debate
The chattering classes, especially in July and early August 2009, will be all abuzz about the impending Congressional bills regarding an overhaul of American healthcare. This battle will be fought very much in the press, and in the court of public opinion. A health care bill will be passed this summer, but Pres. Barack Obama will not get everything that he wants in the bill. It will be very difficult to get the bill through in the form that he envisions, and his ability to dictate the terms of the bill will be hobbled by the fact that there is not enough money to pay for the changes that he wants. the resulting bill will be an improvement on the existing state of things, but it will likely be far short of a major change from the current system.
President Obama’s political opponents are very much aware of the power of public opinion, and they will use all of their considerable media influence to shape the debate. Prepare for a blitz of attack advertisements following this lunar eclipse.
The Decline of Newspapers and the Power of Technology
American newspapers have not been doing well financially, as they find they cannot compete with online media outlets. There will be renewed attention to this situation, and some traditional media will embrace or merge with Internet or other electronic news formats. The idea of branding will be especially important, in that a well-known media or Internet brand will change dramatically, or even close down entirely.
A new and noxious electronic virus may be making the rounds and getting public attention as the lunar eclipse nears.
Swine Flu Regains the News
There will be additional attention to matters of public health, which this summer likely means the swine flu. The flu will continue to grow in strength, and the media and public hysteria will grow in step with the spread of the illness.
To find more astronomical data about the July 7 Lunar Eclipse, visit the NASA Eclipse Page, and download the July 7 Lunar Eclipse fact sheet (pdf).
Astrology of the Iran Election: Rigged or Written in the Stars?
June 21, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
The 2009 Iran election is over, and the people had filled the streets in protest. Now, there is a minor lull as the authorities have cracked down violently on the protesters. What will happen next in this stalemate?
Astrological omens indicate that the action is not yet over, and indeed, may just be beginning. The summer of 2009 will bring violence and bloodshed in Iran, specifically violence involving the government committed in the name of Islam. Women will be very important in these events, particularly women from Iran’s ruling class. The rulers will display their enemies’ injured bodies as public deterrents, perhaps ensuring that images of death get out to the public and the world. The astrologer Masha’allah said that in years where Mars governs and is in the 10th house, the king will “put his enemies in a gibbet.” Among the president’s enemies will be those from his own circle (from domicile of significator of the president). There will be great conflict among the clerics, and also contention between the common people and the clerics.
The horoscope for the summer promises serious conflicts, with Mars aspecting Saturn out of the Midheaven, indicating the weakness of the ruler. The horoscope for this summer in Iran is below:
Mars governs the horoscope, as it is at the top of the chart, and it is about to enter the 10th house, the house of the king. However, it will be shortly overtaken by Venus, and then trine Saturn. This is likely indication that the violence (perpetrated in the name of Islam, as it is a Venusian religion, and Mars is in Venus’s sign) will be done with the help of the government and of the people (paramilitary groups?), and that the current rulers will harm their enemies. Mars is in Taurus, the sign of its detriment, indicating violence and harm to the rulers.
This horoscope is similar to the Capricorn Ingress of 1978, presaging the exile of the Shah, who fled the country in early 1979. In that horoscope, Venus was in the Midheaven in the sign of her detriment.
End of July (around the Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009, which will be visible in Iran) indicates possible changes in leadership in Iran this year. There will be more on this eclipse later, but for now, suffice it to say the eclipse shows difficulties for the existing government.
The horoscope for 2009 promised violence and death this year in Iran, particularly the deaths of young people, indicated by the Mercury-Saturn opposition out of the 8th house of death. Again, Mars was prominent in the 7th house.
Interestingly, the Iranian regime is having its own Saturn return, a time said to be difficult for individuals and organizations alike; Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in February 1979, when Saturn was at 12 Virgo.
Regardless of the short-term outcome, this summer’s events plant the seeds for a much more serious showdown in Iran several years from now.
P.S.: Late last year, Gryphon Astrology did a seven-part series on the astrological history of revolution in Iran.
The Full Moon of June 7, 2009: The Astrological Perspective
June 3, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
This Full Moon is in 17° Sagittarius and it looks to be a very interesting month indeed. In astrology, the Full Moon is thought to bring forth the potentials promised by earlier horoscopes. The Full Moon chart will only do something if an earlier horoscope promises it. Before we talk about the effect of this Full Moon on current events, let’s talk about a few of the characteristics of the Full Moon chart that will be effective worldwide.
Saturn at 15° Virgo squares the luminaries, creating a configuration all in mutable signs. Because two of the signs are ruled by Mercury, we look to it to get additional information; it is moving very slowly in Taurus, having just come out of retrograde motion, and it is conjunct the malefic fixed star Algol. Mercury is also square Jupiter in Aquarius. Jupiter receives the moon by rulership, so we can see that the Mercury-Jupiter square will be important during this Full Moon.
The Full Moon chart set for Washington DC is below.
General Trends
Using Morin’s method of determining the ruler of the chart, we see that Saturn is the indisputable ruler of this Full Moon horoscope. Obviously, this does not bode well, because Saturn is a malefic, and it brings unpleasant things like illnesses, poverty, exalts, panics, disasters, and death. It is configured in the 12th house, so we will expect respiratory diseases (Saturn in the Mercury sign), and the revelation of secrets and scandals, things to do with prisons, charities, the homeless, and large animals. It is disposed by Mercury in the eighth house of death, and it is on Algol, so there is a strong determination to violent death in this Full Moon chart. Because Mercury is the planet of communication and speech, it signifies a revelation of secrets or scandals, quite possibly of a sexual or financial nature. Mercury is disposed by Venus conjunct Mars in Taurus. The 12th and eighth houses dominate here, indicating some kind of tragedy. The prison/torture scandal will gather momentum.
Bad, But Not Terrible…
However, let’s remember that this Full Moon horoscope only be effective if it is linked to another, preceding chart. The Aries ingress horoscope set for Washington DC is below.
It also has a strong emphasis on the 12th house, with Venus and Mars ruling it, and in mutual reception. The similar 12th house emphasis again speaks of imprisonment, secrets, and scandals. However, Saturn is not involved as a ruler in this chart, and therefore some of the worst effects in the previous paragraph will not be seen in Washington DC or by extension, the United States.
In other words, it is a positive that there isn’t great similarity between the Aries ingress and the June 7 Full Moon chart. A good rule of thumb is that the more similar the two charts are, the more likely it is that the Full Moon horoscope will bring forth its full promise. As a result, I would expect only those characteristics of the Full Moon chart that coincide with that of the Aries ingress to actually occur this coming month. So there may well be the revelation of secrets and scandals, and issues having to do with prisons. But at least for the US, the worst will not happen.
…For Most Locations
Locations that had Saturn ruling the Aries ingress will not be so lucky, however, and there we would expect some of the worst effects (death, tragedy, etc.) to occur during this Full Moon. Unsurprisingly perhaps, this is the case in India and Pakistan, where more suffering will certainly ensue. There, Mars is on the seventh house of war, and Saturn is on the ascendant. In these locations, the full unpleasantness of Saturn will likely manifest this coming month.
Horary Astrology Reading: Is the Vanished Air France Flight Okay?
June 1, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
I read about the Air France flight that disappeared over the Atlantic this morning, and my immediate thought was: “Are the Air France plane and its passengers okay?” I am sure that being an optimist is somewhat laughable in the situation, but I do think that good things can happen, and perhaps the passengers and crew escaped the worst. I cast a horary chart for my question, below, because I genuinely want to know what became of the Air France flight.
I used William Lilly’s horary criteria from Chapter 26 of Christian Astrology: “Of a Ship, and Whatever Are in Her, Her Safety or Destruction.” This should apply to more modern conveyances as well, and an airplane would certainly be very similar to a ship in this situation.
As I discussed elsewhere, for horary questions that don’t directly concern me, I like to doublecheck the radicality of the question, and make sure that it is appropriate. Here, we have a horary question about transportation by air, with Mercury ruling the hour, and Gemini rises, so because of the planet-sign agreement, we have a very radical horoscope.
- Because in this horary question, I identify with the flight and the people on it, and am concerned for their well-being, we must give the plane the Ascendant, its ruler, and the Moon.
- Mercury is in its second station in the 12th house in Taurus, on the malefic fixed star Algol.
- The Moon is just inside the fifth house in Virgo, within orb of a trine to Sun in Gemini. Its last aspect was a trine to Mercury.
- The Ascendant is with the fixed star Aldebaran, which is of the nature of Mars and therefore malefic. The Sun is just inside the first house, and therefore will be important to our judgment. It rules the fourth house.
Lilly says that if we find out the Lord of the Ascendant in the eighth house, in any “ill configuration” with Lord 8, 12, 4, 6, or the Moon combust or under the Earth, the ship is lost and the men drowned, unless there is mutual reception. If there is reception, the ship was wrecked, but some of the men escaped.
Here, Mercury is in the 12th house, which is bad, and it is square Jupiter, ruler of the seventh and 11th houses, and it is also trine Saturn. The connection to Jupiter might indicate that some hope still remains, but more likely it might indicate that the plane had encountered some winds, because Jupiter is in the 10th house in an air sign.. The trine to Saturn in the fourth house, which is particularly malevolent in these types of questions, is rather disconcerting. Mercury receives Saturn by domicile and exaltation, but what we really care about is whether Mercury is received by Saturn, and being at 22 Taurus, it is not. With no reception, Saturn will not spare Mercury, and therefore, the Air France plane is not in good shape. Mercury is essentially motionless in second station, and in a fixed sign, indicating that this plane is not going anywhere.
The Moon under the Earth is a bad sign, and the fact that it had been void of course shows that no news had been available from the plane. The Sun is kind of a secondary significator in this chart, because it is placed in the first house. It, too, aspects Saturn, but by a square. Neither of them receives the other, which makes the situation serious.
The fixed stars in this chart look pretty grim, with Mercury on Algol and Aldebaran rising.
Lilly has a handy chart of parts of the ship assigned to the different astrological signs, and since we see Saturn in aspect to the Ascendant, the Sun, and Mercury; essentially all of our main significators, we can see that it is the “belly” of the plane that will have been affected, as that is the part of the ship associated with Virgo. It could be that the plane smacked down on the ground or water and broke from the bottom.
The Moon will aspect the Sun in about 13°, indicating that some news will be heard of the Air France plane in 13 hours or days from this chart (which was cast 6 AM Pacific time on June 1).
This is one of the charts where I sincerely hope I am wrong, but the testimonies look pretty serious indeed.
Astrology Book Review: Astrologia Gallica, Book 17 (Jean-Baptiste Morin, trans. James Herschel Holden)
May 31, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
James Herschel Holden, the premier English translator of the works of Jean-Baptiste Morin, recently published this essential volume, Book 17 of the Astrologia Gallica. Book 17 discusses the qualities of the 12 houses, and, as is typical for Morin, he lays out and refutes the objections of those who say that the division of the sky into 12 parts is arbitrary. Never one to shrink from ambitious projects, Morin discusses the reasoning behind the meaning of each house, and makes some of his own emendations according to his own logic. Then, he moves on to discussing the various house systems, and makes arguments for his own preference for Regiomontanus, after which he explains his own eponymous system. Book 17 concludes with some theoretical discussion of the calculations used in determining house cusps, which is primarily of theoretical and historical importance, though less so for practicing astrologers today.
Briefly…
A slim but essential book for understanding Morin’s system of horoscope construction and interpretation. The theory behind house construction is interesting, primarily for those with interest in the history of astrology and astronomy. For astrologers who simply want to understand Morin’s assignations of the house meanings, there is plenty of food for thought and in-depth discussion as well. Perhaps the most unique feature of Morin’s house meanings is his linking of opposite houses. For example, the traditional meaning of the sixth house is that of illness; Morin also assigns this as one of the meanings of the opposite, the 12th house, precisely because the two are opposite and therefore share some essential meaning. Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica will be of interest to intermediate to advanced astrologers, but beginners can get a great deal out of it as well, provided they can keep up with the various historical references to other astrologers and some of the more obscure astrological/astronomical terminology. For those who want additional information by Morin about the houses, he wrote a short work called The Cabal of the 12 Houses, which was translated in 1659 by the English astrologer Sir George Wharton.
Contents and Structure
The book is divided into three major parts: Section 1, “The Cabal of the Astrological Houses and Its Natural Foundation That We Have Revealed,” Section 2, “The Erection of Celestial Figures for Astrology,” and Section 3 “In Which the Essence or the Formal Reason for the Astrological Houses Is Stated.”
Section 1 begins with restating basic arguments that Morin made in Book 14 of Astrologia Gallica, namely that the “birth, bigger, decline, and the death of things” are all distinct periods of life on earth, and therefore are shown by different parts of the heaven. Philosophically, Morin assumes agreement with the basic notion of “on earth as it is in heaven.” Chapter 2 begins with the most basic distinction in the heavens; above the horizon and below it, with the ascendant, or the rising place being the most powerful of all the points in the heavens. The Midheaven is the apex of the path of the body as it travels through the heavens, the setting represents decline, while the angle of the earth or the fourth house is directly below the Earth and represents the death or end of something. In Chapter 3, Morin provides a table listing the meanings of each of the houses. The two major differences between his meanings and those of the older astrologers is the assignment of illnesses to the 12th house and the assignment of both the parents to the fourth house, whereas before it was only associated with the father. It is interesting to note here Morin’s reference to Kepler, who correctly stated that it is the earth that turns, and not the heavens. Morin apparently went to his grave believing that the earth is stationary, in accordance with the Church dogma of that time.
Chapter 4 affirms that there are 12 divisions of the heavens, and they are divided by three because of the divine Trinity. Thus, it follows naturally in Chapter 5 is an explanation of the threefold division, the triplicity. Each of the four triplicities is associated with with one of the angles; for example, the first house in the first triplicity is that of the ascendant, followed by the ninth house of religion, and then the fifth house of children. Morin calls it the triplicity of life. He goes through each of the triplicities in turn, concluding that everything that happens to humans can be shown by one or more of the 12 houses. Chapter 6 presents Morin’s view that the opposite houses are related, as discussed above with the example of the sixth and 12th houses. Chapters 7 and 8 are theoretical reputations of anti-astrological writers, including Pico Mirandola, and an additional exploration of the relationship of the fall of man and the division of the heavens into 12 houses. Morin comes to the conclusion that even if we lived in a prelapsarian state, the heaven would still have been divided into the 12 houses we know today. Here, he runs into the theological problem of suffering, which is only said to have begun after Adam’s exile from Eden. This makes it difficult to place houses four, eight, and 12, which are associated with suffering, but he performs a little logical legerdemain.
Section 2 takes up the division of the houses into two halves, that above and below the horizon, and of the vertical division of the Meridian. Chapter 2 examines and rejects be equal house system which divides the ecliptic into 12 equal parts. Morin attacks that on the basis of the two most important points of the horoscope, the Ascendant and the Medium Coeli, not starting their appropriate houses. In Equal House system, the first house would begin at 0° of the given sign, and the Ascendant would be somewhere in the house, but not necessarily copresent with the beginning of the house. Morin also shows the horoscope of Cardan, “the Prince of Astrologers,” to demonstrate the efficacy of systems other than the equal house system. Perhaps somewhat inevitably, Morin shows his own nativity, which he uses throughout Astrologia Gallica, and complains of his Pisces stellium in the Vale of Miseries, also known as the 12th house. This is an interesting chapter, because in it, Morin gives great autobiographical detail, and reveals his character indirectly. He uses the difficulties of his life to show that in the Regiomontanus system, his miseries were shown by all the planets in the 12th house, whereas in the Equal House system, they would have been in the benefic 11th house. Of course, some might argue that his life was indeed very fortunate, prosperous, and highly accomplished. He then uses as an example another nativity that shows up throughout Astrologia Gallica, that of Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden. He died in battle, and his chart is indeed very violent and indicative of a military death. Another horoscope is given, that of the Duke of Montmorency, and that of Albert Wallenstein, the Duke of Friedland. These were all military commanders during the war-filled 17th century, all of whom died violently in battle.
Chapter 3 lists a few other house systems of which Morin disapproves, including that of Porphyry and Alchabitius, the latter having been used extensively before and during Morin’s time. In Chapter 4, Morin examines the Campanus method of house division, and finds it wanting, partly because the system divides the ecliptic and the equator into unequal parts, and often does not intersect the ecliptic. Moran also shows his natal chart as it would have been drawn using the Campanus system, and points out that in that system Saturn would have ruled his ninth house of religion, rather than Jupiter, and Saturn would not have made Morin as deeply devout as he had been. He then displays the Nativity of François de Bonne, the Constable of France, who ascended through the ranks of the nobility, which is better indicated by the Regiomontanus system. Chapter 5 comes to the inevitable conclusion that the Regiomontanus is the better house system, and Morin’s own variation of it, which later becomes known as the Morin house system, is by far the best method to use.
Section 3 is the most theoretical and perhaps mathematical of the entire book, and begins with the assertion that the essence of an astrological house is the relation of its location to the native’s location on the earth. Chapter 2 states correctly that the houses are determined by a line that passes through the center of the earth, even though a human is born on the surface of the earth. The difference between these two locations should be corrected by parallax, but Morin does not apparently do so for any of his charts. Chapter 3 determines that the heaven should be divided into 12 houses, rather than some other number, and reaffirms the privacy of the ascendant degree. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 discuss some of the ambiguities that are writes from dividing the sky into houses. Chapter 6 briefly discusses some traditional divisions of the houses, such as into four quadrants. Moran quickly dispenses with these, stating that it is illogical for the fourth quadrant, comprising houses one, two, and three, to be called that of the old age, because it contains the first house, which represents the beginning of life, not its end.
Observations
Book 17 of Astrologia Gallica is challenging, but essential for understanding some of the concepts that Moran later takes for granted in the following volumes. It is particularly useful to look at the concepts that he retains from the tradition, and those that he discards, such as the division of the heaven into four quadrants, as shown in the last chapter. The book is also worthwhile for examining the lives and natal horoscopes of people largely forgotten by history, and to watch over the master astrologers shoulder as he interprets them. Another highly recommended book from the Astrologia Gallica series.
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Astrologia Gallica: Book Seventeen, The Astrological Houses
By: Jean-Baptiste Morin
Translated by: James Herschel Holden, M.A., Fellow of the American Federation of Astrologers
American Federation of Astrologers, 2008
21.95 USD
Available from Amazon.com, AstroAmerica.com, and Astrologers.com.
Horary Astrology Reading: Is the Talking Fish Story True?
May 25, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
There was a talking fish in a New York market a few years ago, issuing warnings in Hebrew to repent because the end is near. Many people interpreted it as an ill omen for the then-impending Iraq war. I find omens fascinating, but most of them verge on the ridiculous (yes, I speak of the grilled cheese Virgin Mary). This seemed just odd enough to warrant an astrological inquiry. After reading about the talking carp, I immediately wondered whether the story was true; the Guardian article mentions that it could have been a practical joke, but I had my doubts. So, I cast a horary chart, asking “Is the talking fish story true?“
Is the Horoscope Valid?
First, I checked the horoscope for radicality, the indication that the question was asked properly and not out of idle curiosity. Because this is not a story which involves me personally, I wanted to make sure that the chart was solid, and that the heavens were on board with this question, as it were.
The ruler of the hour is Mars, which is of the same nature as the rising sign, Leo. Both are hot and dry, and therefore the chart is radical. Moreover, Mars is in its own domicile in Aries, placed in the ninth house of religion and God. As is often the case with Mars, the lesser malefic, the story does not end well for either the butcher, who, in attempting to kill the fish, sliced into his own thumb and had to be hospitalized, nor for the carp, which was eventually chopped up into gefilte fish. If it was an omen presaging a war in distant lands, then Mars in the ninth house would take on another layer of significance.
Find the Fish
The carp is symbolized by the Moon, which rules all fish; Al-Biruni says that the Sun rules all large fish, and carp definitely counts as a large fish. Moreover, the Moon is in the terms of Mercury, so it is a large fish endowed with the gift of speech. Note that the Moon and the Sun are in mutual reception by major dignity; it is as though the fish had been suddenly enlightened, the heavens parted, and it spoke. The Sun, of course, represents divine inspiration.
But Did the Fish Really Speak?
William Lilly, in his Christian Astrology (p.192-194), has a few pointers on determining whether a rumor is true. Our horoscope, amazingly, hits all of the points mentioned by Lilly:
- Lilly says that the Moon in the Ascendant means the rumor is true; here, we have the Moon in Leo on the Ascendant.
- If Lord one is angular, the rumor is true; this chart has the Sun in the 10th house.
- If the angles are fixed, the tale is true; all the angles in our chart have fixed signs.
- The Moon angular makes the story true; we have already established that this is the case in our horoscope.
- If the dispositor of the Moon is angular and in a fixed sign, the story is true. The Moon’s dispositor is the Sun, and it is in Taurus in the 10th house.
- If the Moon is separating from a malefic and applying to a benefic that is angular, the tale is true. Here, the Moon separates from a trine to Mars and applies to a square with angular Sun.
One cannot help but draw the conclusion that the story is indeed true. If the heavens speak to us in signs we do not understand, we must try to unfold their meaning.
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