Astrology and the Solar Eclipse of May 20, 2012
May 13, 2012 by Nina Gryphon
The annular solar eclipse of May 20, 2012 at 0 Gemini is one of two solar eclipses of 2012 (the other occurs in November, as eclipses run in pairs six months apart). An annular solar eclipse is named after the Latin word “annulus” or “ring”, and this type of eclipse occurs when the Moon is on the far side of its orbit and appears too small to cover the entire solar disk. As a result, at totality, a narrow ring of solar light is visible around the Moon. Approximately one-third of all eclipses are annular. From first to last penumbral contact, the eclipse will last 3 hours and 33 minutes. The totality of the eclipse will last 5 minutes and 46 seconds.
The eclipse will be visible in Southeast Asia, southern Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and western North America (view a Google Map of the eclipse path here). The traditional perspective on eclipses is that they influence primarily the places where they are visible; from an astrological perspective, eclipses are especially active where they are angular in the horoscope. The duration of the eclipse’s effects in years is equal to the duration of the eclipse, or 3 1/2 years. Thus, we will see the effects of the eclipse through the end of 2015.
The eclipse occurs closely conjunct to the 1st magnitude fixed star Mirfak (alpha Perseus, meaning “the Elbow” in Arabic), which is traditionally seen as the side of Perseus, the famed killer of the Medusa and the sea monster Cetus. The star can be said to give bravery and strength, though it is placed in a warlike constellation ruled by Jupiter and Saturn, according to Ptolemy. Jupiter is for justice, but Saturn is for death. In general, this eclipse may bring earthquakes or big storms – the eclipse occurs in Gemini, an air sign, and its ruler, Mercury, is in an earth sign with Jupiter. Certainly Mercury and Jupiter in Taurus can indicate disturbances and movement in the earth.
Let us look at possible effects of this eclipse on the various localities where it will be visible.
China (Southeastern), Macau, and Hong Kong: China has been involved in an altercation with the Philippine Navy in the South China sea over the last few weeks. Chinese vessels stopped the Philippine government from arresting Chinese fishermen accused of illegally fishing in the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal area. The Chinese online media has been talking up preparations for war, which China’s Defense Ministry has denied. The thought is that China is asserting itself to look in control during its political transition this year. The presence of the eclipse indicates further warlike behavior, as the ruler of the eclipse is Mercury with Jupiter, but as Mars is not prominent in the eclipse chart, we do not believe a war with the Philippines will actually start. This is supported by a lack of contacts between the eclipse and China’s 1949 foundation horoscopes.
The Philippines, however, have the eclipse right on the Midheaven (3 Gemini), and the Eclipse Mars (10 Virgo) falls on the natal Philippine Mars-Moon conjunction in the 1st house. The conflict will continue in the Philippines’ backyard, and while it will not make a ripple in the Chinese horoscope, the tensions – and potential conflict – in the Philippines will likely be high.
Japan: We expect changes in Japan following this eclipse. The country has shut off all of its nuclear reactors in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and has recently announced the nationalization of Tepco, the private company that operated the Fukushima Daiichi site. The entire management and board will be replaced as Japan attempts to clean up and contain radiation. The warlike posture of Perseus will show itself as people will demand accountability for this unnecessary disaster.
United States: The eclipse will pass through Northern California, within a spitting distance of Sacramento, the state’s capital. The California governor, Jerry Brown, had announced that the California budget shortfall had grown to $16B, in contrast to the estimated $9B, and that in addition to more program cuts, an increase in taxes will be needed. This is a state that already has the highest sales tax in the nation, and the highest top income tax rate. The economic difficulties that currently envelop California will continue with an added hit of drama. There may be increased earthquake activity following the eclipse. The eclipse will be visible from Las Vegas, Nevada and will pass through New Mexico – Albuquerque, as well as Los Alamos.
The eclipse horoscope set for Sacramento, California, is below:
Horary Astrology: Do Invalid Questions Exist?
May 1, 2012 by Nina Gryphon
Note: A reader asked me recently whether a horary question about someone I do not personally know (i.e. Madeleine McCann) is valid. I am not sure where the concept of some questions being invalid came from, as it does not appear in traditional literature; I assume it arose at some point in the 20th century. Below are some thoughts on this issue.
Let’s unpack what you mean by “valid.” Does an invalid question mean that the answer will sometimes or always be incorrect if people ask a certain type of question? I’ll assume that is what you meant.
Now, let’s take the logic a little further; let’s assume that hundreds of horary astrologers not connected to the McCann situation have asked “Is Madeleine still alive?” For the sake of argument, let’s posit she is still alive. Do we really think that all those charts came up with “no” as an answer? That seems unlikely, so we can assume that questions asked by querents unconnected with the matter will at least sometimes lead to correct answers. But when? Does that mean astrology worked at some of those times but not at other times? That does not seem right.
Does astrology stop working when we ask certain types of questions? If “as above so below” is true – and Hermes Trismegistus assures us that “true without falsehood, certain, most certain” – then the stars should always reflect reality here on earth without exception. I have gotten accurate results to questions about situations in the news that interest me, so these questions are clearly valid at least some of the time.
This raises a second question: Even if there really are valid/invalid questions, how far removed from a situation do we have to be for a question to be valid, and who decides where the line is drawn? Immediate family to the McCanns? Neighbors who sometimes saw Madeleine? Friends? How about acquaintances of the family? Family of friends of the McCanns? Any line that we draw between valid and invalid questions must be arbitrary, and not supported by traditional literature to my knowledge.
Why is it insufficient that this is a topic that affects me emotionally? Presumably, Madeleine’s parents, would be mainly motivated to ask out of their emotional involvement with their daughter. Is their question invalid? Or are we letting post-Enlightenment materialism creep in by assuming that there must be a physical connection between us to have a valid question? It’s well proven scientifically that emotions affect our bodies, so whether little Madeleine lives or dies does, in fact, impact me more immediately than we think. The only requirement is that we care at least a tiny bit about what happened to this little girl.
I have recently become very conscious of the fact – and this is not about you at all – is that in all areas of life, there are people who set themselves up as authorities who are eager to tell us what is and is not possible and we are very eager to take their word for it. The Buddha said: “One is one’s own refuge, who else could be the refuge?” Also, “be a light unto yourselves.” We cannot take statements of possibility for granted, but rather, let us do the actual hard work to test assumptions. What is our reward? The truth, the only thing worth striving for.
Astrology of Missing People: Is Madeleine McCann Still Alive?
April 25, 2012 by Nina Gryphon
Faithful readers of the Gryphon Astrology blog have read my 2007 post about little Madeleine McCann who vanished without a trace from her parents’ vacation apartment in Portugal, on May 3, 2007. Recently, Scotland Yard stated they have evidence that Madeleine is still alive and they are investigating this line of inquiry. Perhaps they read this blog! In 2007, I wrote that the little girl is most likely alive.
As this is an emotional topic for me (and many readers), I impulsively cast a horary chart when I learned of Scotland Yard’s announcement, asking “Is Madeleine McCann alive?” The chart is below:
Short answer: Yes, Madeleine is still alive. There is a good possibility she will be found.
Long answer: This is clearly a question about children; we have a Mercury-ruled sign rising, Gemini. Mercury rules young children, especially those between 4-10. We also have the Moon and Venus on the Ascendant, so further evidence that this is about a little girl. Madeleine is represented by the 1st house (William Lilly assigned missing persons we don’t personally know to the 1st house), its ruler, and planets in it. Any past connection to planets associated with the eighth house would indicate death.
Mercury, ruler of the 1st house, is in the auspicious 11th house, which, according to Lilly, means the person is still alive, however many reports there are of their death.
Saturn rules the 8th house of death in this chart; there is no past connection between Saturn and Madeleine’s planets (Mercury, Venus, or the Moon). Lilly also says to watch out for oppositions between these planets, which we fortunately do not see here.
Now, the Moon does apply to a trine of Saturn, translating the light of Venus to Saturn. However, we are optimistic that Madeleine is not in danger. Saturn is in the 5th house, which is not malefic, and having Venus on the Ascendant is highly protective for the little girl. Interestingly, Venus will not trine Saturn anytime soon; she will go retrograde a hair before the aspect perfects.
We do see that the Moon has separated from Venus, ruler of the 12th house, which means a past imprisonment or fear of imprisonment. But interestingly, we do see Mercury and Venus applying to a sextile, and are cautiously optimistic that this brings some news of Madeleine. This aspect perfects on May 4th, William Lilly says to look at when the ruler of the 11th (Mars) and the ruler of the Ascendant (Mercury) come into aspect to determine when we hear about the missing person. Mercury trines Mars on the 13th of May. Let us hope we hear about Madeleine on one of these dates.
Astrology Book Review: Traditional Medical Astrology
March 3, 2012 by Nina Gryphon
Lee Lehman’s latest book, Traditional Medical Astrology, is out, and it is a rich work with copious detail. As she points out in her preface, “the study of medical astrology is not especially sexy,” but when we need it, we really need it. The same is true for this book; there is little flash here but much substance for when the need arises. Lehman’s book is a good start for those interested in the historical underpinnings of medical astrology – and historical they surely are, since the Western and Middle Eastern application of astrology to medicine originated in antiquity and lasted until the 17th century. Lehman’s focus and sources are strictly traditional, though she will use the outer planets on occasion to fill in an interpretation. Note that Lehman is not a medical practitioner. As a result, we do not see the application of medical astrology to cases under the author’s care, an essential perspective that distinguishes the classics in the field, such as the works of Nicolas Culpeper. As an overview of the many astrological methods applied to medicine, however, this thorough book is outstanding.
Briefly…
Traditional Medical Astrology is a well-researched overview of traditional astrological medical methods, with a good historical and conceptual overview of the key basics of ancient medicine. The book covers natal topics, such as the temperament and length of life calculations, in addition to decumbiture/horary charts for specific instances of diseases. The last few chapters are devoted to electional astrology and prediction of the course of a disease. A solid reference book for those of us interested in the theory and practice of traditional medicine.
Contents and Structure
In an early chapter, “A Word to the Modern Astrologer,” Lehman encourages readers coming from a modern astrological tradition to dive in. This strikes me as sensible, given that traditional astrology can be intimidating, due to its plethora of foreign terms and frequent reference to ancient books. Few of us in this age of superficial knowledge have been educated to grapple with intellectual difficulty, but as with everything, more effort usually equals better results.
Chapter 1, “The History of Medicine and Astro-Medicine” is a good summary of the historical movements of medicine starting with prehistory, with a strong section on the four-humor structure, especially as applied to astrological diagnosis and theory. In the chapter, Lehman articulates a theory I have long held myself – traditional medicine worked hand in hand with electional astrology to assist in determining the best time for preparation and administration of treatments. The theory is that astrology fell out of the picture at the end of the 17th century and the treatments were timed according to what is convenient/practical for the practitioner. Perhaps for this reason, traditional medical treatments lost much of their effectiveness, and modern medicine began to be born from the search for a better alternative.
Chapter 2, “Understanding Hippocratic-Galenic Medicine” provides background on ancient ways of thinking about health and disease, and gets into the specifics of establishing and maintaining humoral balance by keeping the hot, cold, wet, and dry qualities in balance. This chapter provides some background on the four complexional types – choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, and melancholic – their personalities and predominant diseases. There are a few valuable tables here, notably Hippocrates’ injunctions for balancing health practices by the season. In winter, for instance, we would be required to do lots of walking but eat only one meal daily. The austere winter regimen is offset by Hippocrates’ recommendation to have as much sex as possible to heat the body (“But honey, the doctor said it’s for my health!”). In summer, we are encouraged to wrestle in the dust and keep our exercise short and infrequent.
Chapter 3, “The Body, Its Health, Temperament, and Virtue as Shown by the Natal Chart” gets into the eternally disputed methodology for calculating temperament. Lehman makes a few good points, notably the element of the Sun being used, rather than the season. I am not convinced that a perfect calculation exists, seeing the temperament as one of the tools in the astrological toolbox, but not necessarily the most important one. The author then provides a few temperament calculations of celebrities. It would have been nice to see a few charts for people known to the author that she can comment upon personally; with public figures; it is difficult to know what is reality and what is the public image, especially when it comes to health and the overall constitution. I enjoy speculation as much as anyone (possibly more), but for teaching purposes, the more first-hand information, the better.
There is an interesting section on Richard Saunders’ natal Almuten of Virtue, which looks to the 5th cusp almuten to see which bodily functions were likely to be impacted for someone. The 5th house is an unusual choice for a health reading, since we initially look to the 6th or the 1st houses of disease and vitality, respectively. The 5th rules the liver, however, the traditional seat of vitality, which regulates the humoral balance. I would have enjoyed seeing additional analysis and examples of this method, especially since Saunders’ method was of his own invention.
Chapter 4, “The Body and Its Diseases As Shown by the Natal Chart” starts with an interesting observation; unlike classical astrology, which mostly cared about the timing of one’s death, modern astrology tries to determine the exact cause of death – will it be cancer or heart disease? One can hardly wait to find out. There are difficulties with the modern approach. The Pluto in Leo generation, in a most inconsiderate fashion, has 36% lower rates of death by coronary heart disease than preceding generations, happily ignoring the fact that Pluto is a malefic and Leo rules the heart.
This chapter is where the author gets into some data crunching. It would be ideal if she delved into the statistics, and I hope to see more information in Lehman’s future articles or talks. Comparison of each factor to the norm to see the deviation, a discussion of the sample characteristics, and controlling for variables such as age and sex would be outstanding. Lehman looks at a sample of about 700 A-rated charts and the natal planetary hour and 1st/6th house rulers represented in heart disease, cancer, and drug abuse. There are a couple of short sections on traditional analyses of disease, namely by Lilly and Gadbury.
Chapter 5, “The Body and Its Longevity” deals with the traditional length of life calculations. As in many other books on this topic, the author starts with an apologia, presumably to comfort the more sensitive readers who may be learning of the existence of death for the first time. This is followed by a substantive listing of Arabian parts around mortality and morbidity, and Morin’s own list of significators for the same. The author shares some statistics and bar graphs describing the placement of the Arabic parts and planets in heart disease and cancer deaths.
Lehman then walks us through the hyleg and alcochoden calculations that lead to a length of life estimate. This is a rather complex and hotly contested area of astrology, so the interested reader will want to review as many sources as possible, test many charts, and draw her own conclusions. As with calculating temperament, no one method works 100% of the time, but some are better than others. Ten examples are given for the reader to follow along with the author.
Chapter 6, “Astrological Iatromancy” is my favorite chapter, not only because iatromancy is a great word, but also because this is where we learn to apply some of the most useful techniques of medical astrology. The author discusses the difference between horary (question) and decumbiture (start of illness or diagnosis) charts, and a checklist for evaluating such charts. Then we are off. This chapter is where Lehman’s skills and insights as a researcher and compiler really shine. There is a handy six-step checklist (I bookmarked this page, as it is a great summary), followed by a lengthy list of medical aphorisms (of which there are thousands) from traditional sources including Saunders, Culpeper, Lilly, Hermes Trismegistus, and Blagrave. She then provides a few charts that she has run through a computer program that has all – yes, all – of the aphorisms in Lehman’s sources. It is interesting to see all the aphorisms fighting it out amongst themselves, and one cannot help but reach the same conclusion as Culpeper; let us keep our brains in our heads and not in our books. Each chart is different and applying thousands of rules to it will not give us a magic answer. The author seems to come to a similar conclusion, as most of the charts consist of her analysis with her six-point checklist, rather than a mindless application of aphorisms.
Chapter 7, “Prediction through Time: Crises and the Development of Disease” is a fascinating topic, as the ancients spent a lot of time evaluating the changes in a disease. Specifically, astrologers and doctors set charts for the crisis points of the disease and watched for the good and bad aspects in those charts. Crisis times are when the transiting Moon makes a major hard aspect to the decumbiture Moon. Judicial (intermediate) times are when the transiting Moon makes a minor hard aspect (semi-square and sesquiquadrate) to the decumbiture Moon. For chronic illnesses, we look at the same positions of the Sun relative to its decumbiture position. I have used this method for myself when ill, and it works extremely well. We then see some of the predictive value of solar return charts when it comes to illness and injury.
Chapter 8: “Surgery: Electionals and Events” shows us some rules for surgery, as well as examples of surgical elections and charts for surgeries done without astrological consultation, with discussion of how the procedures had turned out. The attentive reader will not be surprised to know that the surgery where the #1 rule of medical astrology was violated – never have the Moon in the sign ruling the treated body part – turned out terribly. The patient almost died and had to have multiple re-dos of the surgery.
Chapter 9: “Non-surgery Electional Astrology: Purges, Diets, and Breaking Habits” provides more opportunities to apply the art of electing the right moment for treatment. These are the moments that are more electable than surgery; few surgeons have very flexible schedules, but if we want to find the right moment to quit smoking, start a new drug regimen, or start a diet, elections can be helpful. We see a summary of the therapeutic methods of the Hippocratic/Galenic practitioners, few of which are in common use today; bloodletting, vomiting, purging, enemas, sweating, and diuretic procedures. Even for today, there are some helpful rules here, e.g.: to stop a nasal discharge, put the Moon in Earth. Lehman applies the ancient rules for more modern problems, like beginning a weight loss regimen: eat your first “diet” meal on a waning Moon, then once you enter a maintenance phase, do a second chart with lots of fixed signs to keep the weight off.
In Chapter, 10, “Conclusion: When We No Longer Engage in Bloodletting,” the author puts the study of traditional medical astrology in context. As she points out, U.S. medical expenses have tripled in the last 50 years, yet life expectancy has only risen 10%. She expects that inevitable cutbacks in medical funding will lead to more alternative treatments, where medical astrologers could find a niche combining their skills with alternative medical modes such as herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine, or homeopathy.
Finally, there are a helpful few appendices: classical concepts necessary for horary (for those brand new from the land of modern astrology), a glossary of terms used in the book, where we may learn the meanings of words such as abstergent and spagyric. There are a few worksheets for temperament calculation, and medical rulerships of various body parts. Don’t miss the small but useful table comparing indications of a physical vs. mental or spiritual disease as indicated in horaries.
Observations
I enjoyed delving into this book, as it summarizes many of the traditional medical books on my bookshelf in easy-to-understand modern language. Though it is not a substitute for the classical texts, it provides a painless, accurate introduction to many essential topics that one can learn about in more depth from the masters themselves. This is not astrology lite by any means, but rather straddles the ground between a reference work and a critical text, as many of Lehman’s books do. Highly recommended.
—+++—
Traditional Medical Astrology
By: J. Lee Lehman, Ph.D.
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 2011
34.99 USD
Available at amazon.com and leelehman.com
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.
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.
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.
—+ + +—
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.
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