Gryphon Astrology Blog

The Sun enters cold and dry Virgo on August 23, cooling down substantially from fiery Leo. The Sun in Virgo is somewhat incongruous, a hot/dry planet in a cold/dry sign. Astrologer Ibn Ezra said that Virgo rules scholars, learned people, writers, and merchants. The Sun is the planet of rulers, the nobility, and “top command” of all types. The two characterizations don’t mesh that well; very few leaders are also scholars, or even learned, for that matter. There are exceptions, but they are rare, like the Romaemperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius, whose name is enshrined in history. The picture above depicts him distributing bread to the people, true to the Sun (emperor) in Virgo (bread) symbolism.

The Sun is the giver of life, but Virgo is a barren sign, because it is mentally fertile; Virgo is the most cerebral of the earth signs. Virgo thus channels the energy of the Sun, but not perfectly, which is why Virgo is not an optimal placement for the Sun. It is not a terrible placement, but the Sun does not have lots of dignity in Virgo.

What Astrologers Say about Sun in Virgo

Here are other perspectives on this placement, traditional and contemporary.

William Ramesey, in Astrologia Restaurata, writes: “The sixth sign is called Virgo (signifying a maid) because the Sun therein hath his heat diminished, and dryness ruleth, so that things cease to increase, and the earth becometh barren; being of the nature of a Virgin, who is naturally tending to cold rather than heat, and is of herself barren.” The symbolism here is memorable: intellect without the life-giving warmth of Spirit is cold and barren.

In The Consultation Chart, Wanda Sellar describes this placement as giving “a talent for administration and an impressive knowledge of past and present events. There is a tendency to work quietly behind the scenes, which ultimately can lead to great achievement…striving for perfection can cause difficulties.” This is a riff on Ibn Ezra’s characterization of Virgo nature, focusing on Virgo’s Mercurial nature combined with the practical earthy triplicity.

Keep Your Powder Dry

Based on the Virgo Sun’s aspects to other planets, the coming month presents a few opportunities, but none of them will really pan out.

September 4 – Virgo Sun conjunct Saturn and trine Jupiter. Saturn is the planet of restriction, and Jupiter is in its fall in Capricorn (a Saturn sign). Jupiter can present a seemingly tempting opportunity, but it is likely to be hollow. Better to wait for Venus’s transit through Libra, or even better, Jupiter’s exit from Capricorn in January, if you can.

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Mars enters Libra, the sign of its detriment, and will zip through the sign in about six weeks. Generally speaking, this is a bad time to do martial tasks, such as fighting, physically exerting yourself, or working with tools. Theoretically at least, you can put off that renovation project and exercise routine you’ve been dreading. However, the good news is that Mars will be in a Cardinal sign in Libra, and it will be moving very fast. So any martial activity that you want to happen quickly might be helped by Mars’s placement in the next month and a half.

Mars in Libra

Libra is the beginning of the dark time of the year, when night begins to outweigh daylight in the northern hemisphere. The fiery planets, the Sun and Mars, are ill at ease in Libra, while Saturn, the planet of darkness, is exalted there. Libra is also the beginning of the cold and dry quarter of the year, associated with the melancholic temperament. None of this makes fiery Mars very happy, as he is already uncomfortable being placed in an air sign. Mars is all about action, and Libra is altogether too cerebral for the Lord of War.

Further, Libra is considered one of the human signs, because it has to do with the human quality of reason. To Mars, this is an alien concept, further weakening the planet. Ibn Ezra, in The Beginning of Wisdom, writes that Libra rules “the marketplace people, judges, mathematicians, musicians, and merchants who deal with food and drink.” None of these occupations are particularly congenial to physically-oriented Mars.

The one bright spot of Mars’s transit through Libra is its conjunction to the very benefic fixed star Spica at 24° Libra, which brings Venusian and Mercurial blessings.

Mars Aspects in Libra for 2008

September 7 – Mars square Jupiter in Capricorn. This is a very expensive combination, and might be useful for intimidating your opponents. Jupiter is weak in Capricorn, but exalts Mars, so this might be a good day to verbally confront those higher in social standing than yourself.

September 8 and 23 – Mercury conjunct Mars in Libra. This might be another day for verbal confrontation; there might be a lot of talking and weighing arguments, but not necessarily with a tangible result.

September 11 – Venus conjunct Mars in Libra. This is an attractive combination, because Venus is in its own sign. It’s a good day for romance, and generally making your roof. Mars in Libra may be a little wimpy, but a good time should be had by most.

September 26 – Mars conjunct Spica at 24 Libra. A bright spot of beauty during Mars’s otherwise uncomfortable sojourn through Libra. A good day to try your luck in most things if your natal ascendant is Aries or Scorpio.

[Missed Mars in Cancer?  Read about it here.]

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Mercury will enter its own sign and exaltation, Virgo, on August 10^th. This is great news for Mercury, which has been in a relatively weak position since it left Gemini in early July. But Mercury could not be any happier than it is in Virgo, a mutable/double earth sign, where the Trickster gets to apply all he’s learned to the real world. Mercury is right at home in mundane affairs, indeed. The only problem is that he rarely looks at the big picture, so busy is he running to and fro.

Mercury in Virgo

Virgo is an earth sign associated with the harvest, which is odd, because it is also a barren sign. Its qualities, cold and dryness, are not exactly associated with massive fertility. The harvest association likely came from the days when the extremely benefic fixed star Spica (the Stalk of Wheat) was in Virgo, despite the fact that Spica is now at 24 Libra, and was last in Virgo over 1,700 years ago. Indeed, many depictions of Virgo today still show a young woman with a stalk of wheat.

Ibn Ezra, a medieval astrologer, writes that Virgo rules writers, comedians, women and eunuchs, and mathematicians. This is convenient, because Mercury rules these as well, with the exception of women (the eunuchs could be Mercurial, because they are neither fully male nor female). [from The Beginning of Wisdom by Avraham Ibn-Ezra, trans. Meira Epstein]

If you have Mercury in Virgo, this is very positive, and unless your Moon is much more prominent than Mercury, you can rely on your left brain skills pretty well. The exact way you use your Mercury in Virgo depends on its position, rulerships, and aspects. As an example, a Mercury-Saturn aspect might show a tendency to serious, scholarly thinking, and negative influences might tend to depression and gloom.

Larry Ellison has Mercury conjunct Mars in Virgo, if memory serves, which probably makes him very sharp and quite critical.  Princess Kiko of Japan, originally a commoner, has Mercury in Virgo as her significator of wealth, and Mercury’s position probably makes it quite helpful to her in surviving the rule-laden Japanese royal household.

Now, let’s see what Mercury will do in August, and what it means for us.

Mercury Aspects in August

August 15 – Mercury conjunct Saturn in Virgo. Probably not the best day for your Mercurial tasks, such as important communications, journeys, or merchandising of any kind. Saturn is restrictive and produces denials and delays. However, the day is favorable for solitary, deep thinking, and scholarly pursuits.

August 18 – Mercury trine Jupiter in Capricorn. A day when Mercurial things seem to turn out better than they really did. Jupiter in Capricorn is weak, and because it is a benefic, it appears rather better than it is in reality. Lots of things are going on, and you may want to do make your big Mercurial move, but your expectations are bigger than is warranted.

August 19 - Mercury in Exaltation Degree (15th degree). Mercury is very strong today, so if you don’t mind the applying aspect to a weak Venus, now’s a good day to do your Mercurial errands and tasks.

August 21 – Mercury conjunct Venus in Virgo. Venus in Virgo can have trouble letting her hair down, and Mercury is happy to communicate that. This might be a good day for fun without consequences, or fun…but not too much of it. Not the most favorable combination, as Venus is another debilitated benefic, like Jupiter.

[Missed Mercury in Leo?  Here it is.]

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Mercury will enter the fiery sign of Leo on Saturday, July 26, thereby entering combustion. This is a harmful state where a planet is a little too close to the Sun (about 8.5 degrees on either side), and is afflicted by the Sun’s extreme heat. Mercury will stay combust until about August 6^th. Read on for the best ways to use Mercury in Leo.

Half-Voiced Mercury in Leo

Leo is one of the half-voiced signs; halfway between being fully vocal and totally mute. It is therefore not the best sign for Mercury, who loves to vocalize and communicate. Also, Mercury tends to not do as well in the bestial signs, of which Leo is one. Mercury brings the gifts unique to humanity: speech, commerce, reading and writing, etc. Being in an animal sign is not exactly his best location, nor being in a fixed sign like Leo. Mercury likes movement and action, and the fixed signs are a little too staid for his fluid nature.

That said, Mercury in Leo is a pretty good placement: half a voice is better than none for Mercury, whose normally smooth speech may change to growls or purrs in Leo. While it is not Mercury’s finest moment, it is still a sign where Mercury can express itself reasonably well. Also, the “bound” or part of the sign, 11 Leo to 17 Leo, is ruled by Mercury, so there is some affinity between this cold and dry planet and Leo, the hot and dry sign! At least they share one quality, that of dryness.

This brings us to an important observation of Mercury in Leo. This is not the most emotional placement. It does not mean that a Mercury in Leo native has no empathy; it just will not come from this planet-sign combination. The dry quality gives a lack of sentiment – an overabundance of moisture increases it. Mercury is not a touchy-feely planet. It is the rational, organizational part of ourselves that is not naturally at ease with feelings. The heat of Leo might give passion or enthusiasm, sometimes mistaken for emotion, but the inward, receptive soul of the native will not be touched when he expresses passion.

Mercury in Leo Secrets

Combustion essentially hides a planet from view in the rays of the Sun. Mercury in Leo, combust, is thus doubly heated – once from the Sun and once from its sign. The combination gives us secret and heated communications, which are none too eloquent, but drive their point home. One growl from the lion is unmistakable in its import. If you wish to talk to someone secretly, or to do something hidden, now through August 6^th may be the best time to do so. This is especially true if Mercury rules your horoscope.

[Want to learn more? Visit the Gryphon Astrology Blog Archives, with our best articles organized and easily accessible!]

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Every couple of years, the two malefics, Mars and Saturn, conjoin in the sky. This is considered a malefic cycle, because of the problematic nature of Mars and Saturn. The most ominous of these conjunctions is when Mars conjoins Saturn in Cancer, because the planets are each in their fall and detriment, respectively. On July 10, Mars and Saturn will conjoin at 5° Virgo; this is not considered as bad as the conjunction in Cancer, because neither Mars nor Saturn are particularly afflicted in the sign of Virgo.

However, the conjunction of the malefics is still bad, and we can expect it to manifest in the summer or autumn of 2008, specifically in places where important points in the Cancer and Libra Ingress horoscopes fall on this conjunction. I will keep an eye out for this and point out any such connections to the Mars Saturn conjunction.

Effects of Mars and Saturn in Virgo

Whenever we have the malefics in Virgo, we can expect some of the following effects:

Saturn in Virgo brings:

Wholesome and beneficial gusts of wind, especially during the harvest

Droughts of fountains and a scarcity of water

Women miscarrying

Acute fevers

Rulers will be ultimately helped by their enemies

Mars in Virgo brings:

War and bloodshed in the North

Vision and eye problems

A good harvest (or injury to the harvest, depending on Mars’s position in a given location)

Death to many women

The death of old men and illnesses of men

Strong winds

The good and prosperity of the rich and famous

In the next few posts, we will discuss the connection of the Mars-Saturn conjunction to upcoming important charts for the United States, and possible effects of the conjunction in this country. I would be interested to hear from non-US-based astrologers who are investigating this conjunction relative to their own countries.

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Mercury turns direct in Libra on November 1, causing the astrological world to heave a sigh of relief. If you were holding off on Mercurial projects (mailings, business deals, legal affairs, leaving your house), now is a good time to resume what you want. In the few days following Mercury’s second station - another term for the point at which Mercury turns direct - Mercury will still be moving slowly as it picks up speed. But there is a silver lining to this: Mercury will be conjunct the benefic fixed star Spica, which should make your work go more smoothly.

Mercury is happier in Libra than in Scorpio (which Mercury enters on November 11) because the airy nature of Libra is much more compatible with Mercury’s communication- and movement-oriented personality. Also, Mercury rules the air triplicity by night, so for optimal Mercury strength, it’s best to start your Mercury projects after sundown before Mercury enters Scorpio on 11/11.

Mercury in Scorpio is not as favorable as Libra, though by no means terrible. There are some areas of incompatibility between Scorpio and Mercury. For one, Scorpio is one of the mute signs, which does not go with talkative Mercury. Similarly, Mercury is not as quick and cerebral in the water signs - Mercury’s winged sandals don’t help him as much in the water as they do in the air. While there are a few powerful fixed stars in Scorpio, acting while Mercury is on Spica is a rather better bet.

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Mercury gets very close to the sun on October 23, and it will be in the heart of the Sun (or cazimi) precisely at 11:56 p.m. GMT on that day. Cazimi planets are within 17 1/2 degrees of the Sun on either side, and are considered extremely strong due to the powerful infusion of the solar rays. If Mercury is just a little bit farther from the Sun than this, it is considered combust, and is seriously afflicted.

As a result, the short period of Mercury cazimi is highly auspicious for all mercurial undertakings. This includes writing, mailing important documents, buying and selling, etc. This fortunate configuration will happen between roughly 8:40 p.m. GMT on October 23 and 3:40 a.m. GMT on October 24.

Shortly after the cazimi period, Mercury will reenter Libra (it is retrograde, so it’s regressing from Scorpio back into Libra), where it has some strength by night. This is because Mercury rules the night triplicity of all the air signs, including Libra. Mercury has special affinity for the air signs, as it is a planet of communication and intellect, and the air signs resonate very well with this, especially Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury.

All in all, your mercurial projects should improve if you start them between the October 24 and November 11, which is when Mercury reenters Scorpio, for good this time.

To identify the best times for your new project or important event, you may wish to look into an electional astrology reading.

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Scorpio is the sign that is über-Marsy, which is why modern astrology had to assign Scorpio a planet as extreme as Pluto*.

The sign Scorpio is ruled by the planet Mars, and Mars also rules Scorpio by triplicity. During the first few degrees of Scorpio, Mars rules even the minor dignities. There are few equivalent situations in the zodiac, where one planet so completely dominates a sign. As a result, Mars is very happy when it is in Scorpio, but the gentler, softer planets are all but decimated. This is why Venus is in its detriment in Scorpio throughout the sign, and the Moon is in its fall.

The Sun’s entry into Scorpio, a fixed sign, marks the second month of autumn. The Sun is not terribly strong in Scorpio, which makes sense, as we don’t get to see the Sun very often this time of year. In many traditional cultures, Sun’s entry into Scorpio marked the time when the dark forces started ruling the world, and their hold on the earth increased with the longer nights. Frequent house cleansings were performed to keep harm at bay.

If you have solar things to do, such as talking to your boss, attempting to rule over something, or any other activity ruled by the Sun in your natal horoscope, you will do well if you wait until the Sun enters Sagittarius. The Sun will rule the triplicity by day, and it will be considerably stronger than in Scorpio. To top it off, the Sun will sextile Saturn and trine Mars shortly after its entry into Scorpio. Neither is considered beneficial for the Sun.

To find the best time for major events or activities, you can use electional astrology. Learn more about electional astrology here.

* I have a fondness for the belief that violence, extremism, and even death existed before the discovery of Pluto. Just recently, I read a social history of England, which said that the per capita murder rate in medieval England was a few hundred times greater than England’s murder rate today. How the medieval English accomplished this without Pluto remains a mystery.

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Mercury will go retrograde at 9° Scorpio on October 12, and turn direct on November 2 at 23° Libra. By the end of the year, Mercury will be zipping along near top speed, flying through the zodiac.

Unlike some, I personally don’t believe that Mercury retrograde sends the world into complete chaos, but there are people who seem to be more affected by it than others. If you find you’re one of these unlucky few, it will be best not to mail important documents during Mercury being retrograde, or close major deals. Alternatively, prepare for administrative and bureaucratic processes to take longer than usual, and make sure you have at least one copy of everything.

Even the gray clouds of Mercury have a silver lining, however, and this time is no exception. Note that Mercury is in its own triplicity by night when it is in Libra. So if you must do something mercurial (commerce, mailing, important writing projects, etc.) during this period, you can wait until Mercury regresses into Libra on October 24, and then act after sundown/before sunrise.

Alternatively, you can wait until Mercury stations around 23° Libra, where it is conjunct the benefic fixed star Spica, and gets extra juice that way.

Despite these dire warnings, there is some historical evidence that our ancestors dealt with Mercury retrograde much more boldly than ourselves. I would draw your attention to Marcantonio Michiel’s statue of the god Mercury, made for a Venetian merchant in the 16th century. The statue is interesting astrologically, because it has a plaque on its side listing the zodiacal positions of all the planets, suggesting a purpose beyond mere decoration. Mercury itself is retrograde, an interesting choice of timing for a Mercury statue. Perhaps the merchant patron was concerned about his ships coming back from their voyages, an excellent example and use of Mercury retrograde. (Watch for an article about the Mercury statue soon.)

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Mercury will enter the sign of Scorpio, and it will spend more time there than usual, as Mercury will turn retrograde at 9° Scorpio. Scorpio is not an entirely uncongenial sign for Mercury, though there are distinct differences between the qualities of Mercury and those of Scorpio. Mercury is Peregrine (without essential dignity) through most of Scorpio, with the exception of a few degrees toward the end, where Mercury is in its own term.

Mercury is a cold and dry planet, associated with the melancholic (earthy) temperament. Scorpio is cold and moist, because it is a water sign. So there is some similarity between Mercury and Scorpio, in that both are cold; but the emotional moisture of Scorpio is somewhat alien to the cerebral cogitation of Mercury. Beyond this, Mercury is the planet of communication, whereas Scorpio is a mute sign.

Even at the time of this writing, Mercury is starting to slow down, until he grinds to a complete halt at the point of retrogradation. Generally, it is not considered auspicious to have a slow moving planet signifying our work, which may be in danger of becoming interminably long, so it is probably best to wait until early November to do major mercurial tasks, such as applications, written works, and so forth.

Mercury in the Natal Horoscope

The famed Pablo Picasso had Mercury in Scorpio. Picasso’s horoscope is below:

Throughout his life, Picasso had difficulty reconciling his spiritual faith with his day-to-day behavior. Though he was officially married to his first wife in the Eastern Orthodox faith, he was not able to reconcile this faith to his actions. This is very clearly seen in the opposition between Jupiter, the ruler of the ninth house of religion, and Mercury, the ruler of the third house, which shows how we really act.

I suspect that Picasso was born a couple of minutes earlier than the official time of 11:15 p.m., which would make Mars in Cancer in the 12th house as the ruler of the fifth house of sex. If Mercury is Picasso’s behavior, its ruler being Mars in Cancer and the 12th house might indicate frequent and secret affairs. So Picasso might want to be good, but Mercury is far more interested in Mars than in Jupiter.

Mercury also points to the intensely emotional nature of Picasso’s art. If, as I think, the 5^th house cusp is in Scorpio, Mercury would be on the 5^th house cusp, indicating the profound emotional depth of his paintings. Jupiter’s opposition shows the sheer volume of Picasso’s work; he is known to have worked constantly.

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