Planets in Your Horoscope: Mercury conjunct the Sun on June 28, 2007
June 25, 2007 by admin
Mercury and the Sun will conjoin at 6:41 p.m. GMT on June 28. This happens a few times a year, and even if Mercury retrograde puts the fear of God in you, this exact conjunction with the Sun temporarily strengthens Mercury. This condition is known as being in cazimi, or in the heart of the Sun. Cazimi’s outer limits are 17.5 minutes on either side of the Sun, outside of which lies the deadly zone of combustion. Combustion is extremely bad for planets, while cazimi is extremely good. You can learn more about the meaning of cazimi here.
Electional Astrology Advice
If you want to take advantage of Mercury’s temporary strength, you should act between 2:40 pm and 10:40 p.m. on June 28, and you will be safe. What kinds of things are benefited by Mercury? Buying and selling, messages and communications, and especially asking for favorable treatment from superiors (which are ruled by the Sun). So, all other things being equal, this would be a good time to ask for a raise from your boss.
However, let us say that you cannot act during this time. Mercury being combust (within 8.5° of the Sun in either direction) can be helpful if you’re trying to get away with something, because planets that are combust cannot be seen. Because Mercury is moving relatively slowly, this condition will last quite a few days before and after the exact conjunction with the Sun. So if Mercury rules your first house of self, this would be a great time to sneak out of work to go to the movies or the beach (Mercury is in the water sign Cancer right now), without fear of running into your boss there.
Some Famous People with Sun Conjunct Mercury
Julia Roberts, Kenny Loggins, Rodney King, Jules Verne, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Gene Kelly, Tommy Lee Jones, Lauren Hutton, Pauline Kael, Gerard Depardieu, Oliver Stone, Farrah Fawcett, Barbara Cartland.
Planets in Your Horoscope: Sun in Cancer on June 21, 2007
May 26, 2007 by admin
The Sun enters the sign of Cancer, and summer officially begins. Cancer is one of the Cardinal signs of the zodiac, because it starts the season (all Cardinal signs begin their respective seasons).
The Sun is Peregrine throughout Cancer, meaning it has no dignity or strength in that sign. If you’re planning solar activities, or the Sun rules an important house in your natal horoscope, you will want to wait until the Sun enters the sign of Leo, at the end of July. Some examples of the Sun-ruled activities and things are as follows: anything to do with royalty, food, all superiors in any setting, honors, gold, and fathers. If the Sun rules a house with different meanings in your chart, this would take precedence over the natural rulerships listed above.
During its passage through Cancer, the Sun will conjoin Mercury on June 28, which will give us a few hours of the respite from the effects of retrograde Mercury. This is because the conjunction of the Sun and Mercury will cause Mercury to temporarily enter the state of cazimi, which is considered extremely beneficial for a planet. The Sun will not make any major aspects to other classical planets, except for the Moon.
Since Cancer begins the summer, stay tuned for a weather prediction for the American West for the upcoming season.
Astrology 101: How To Use Planetary Hours, Part II
May 17, 2007 by admin
Yesterday, we talked about the purpose of using planetary hours as a simple form of electional astrology, and how they are calculated. Today, we get to the good stuff: how to use the planetary hours in our daily lives. It is very simple – first, we must determine the planetary nature of the activity in which we want to engage, and then find the right hour.
But what if our activity can be described by two planets? To use the example I chose yesterday, if we want to paint or compose a song, both Mercury and Venus accurately describe the activity. In this case, we can have it both ways: Start on the day of Mercury (Wednesday) in the hour of Venus, or vice versa. For extra credit, we would want the planets in question to be strong, so Mercury in Gemini and Venus in Taurus, for example. If one or both are strongly placed by house and aspect at the time we choose, so much the better.
Below is a list of planetary hour activities from Henry Coley’s Clavis Astrologiae Elimata (modernized as much as possible). Use it only as a guideline – always rely on your understanding of the planets first. To get a more comprehensive understanding of each of the planets, click on the name of the planet below:
Saturn – In the hour of Saturn take no voyage to sea, neither take any long journey by land; for crosses will assuredly attend, and small success may be expected; take no physick: entertain no servant, for they will prove idle, careless persons: not good to put on a new garment, or cut your hair; but this hour is good to buy, or take leases of houses, or lands; good to buy any kind of grain, or to dig in the earth, or plow; not good to borrow money in this hour, or to fall sick in; for it threatens a long disease, and sometimes terminates in death.
Jupiter – in the hour of Jupiter ‘tis good to apply to ecclesiastical persons, and all great men, to obtain their favor. In this hour ‘this good to take a journey; or to go out of the house with success; good to sow all kind of seeds, or to plant; not good to be let blood; he that falls sick in this hour will soon recover; good also to lend, or borrow moneys; not good to enter a ship; not good to buy beasts; to conclude, this hour is good to contract matrimony in, etc.
Mars – In the hour of Mars begin no worthy action, or enterprise, for it is a very unfortunate hour in all things, and therefore as much as may be to be avoided, it is ill to take a journey, for you shall be in danger of thieves, very ill to take a voyage to sea, and generally in all things.
Sun – The hour of the Sun is not to be chosen, as being generally infortunate, unless in making application to great persons, not good to begin a building, or put on new garments, not good to enter into a man’s own house, for discontent and brawling may then be expected to follow, this hour is good for a man to receive preferment in, not good to court the female sex, or lay down moneys upon any account, ‘tis also very dangerous to fall sick in.
Venus – In the hour of Venus ‘tis good to court women, or to begin a journey, but not a voyage, good to enter upon any play, sport or pastime; not good to be let blood in, good to go out of a man’s [own] house with success, but not so good to return again in, good to take physick in, but if a man falls sick in that hour, the disease proceeds from some venereal distemper, this hour is generally good to undertake any business relating to women’s concern, or any delightful actions, not good to begin a new garment, but singular good for marriage, and contracting in matrimony, etc.
Mercury – The hour of Mercury is very good to merchandize in, buy or sell, or to write letters, or to send messengers, to take physick in, to send children to school, to begin a journey, to lend or borrow moneys in, to put forth apprentices, to begin any building, but not good to contract marriage, or to buy houses or lands, or to re-enter your house being abroad, lest discontent or brawling arise; nor good to take or hire a servant, or to redeem a prisoner, but good to plan or graft in, and finally to make suit to great persons.
Moon – The hour of the Moon is not accounted good to buy cattle in, especially of the smaller sort, nor to take physick in, or to make new clothes; ‘tis good to court the female sex in, or send children to school, and in some cases to take a journey, or to pursue an enemy, and to conclude, you may make choice of this hour to leave your native country in (if designed to travel) but choose another hour when you return, and are to re-enter your own country in.
Astrology 101: Planetary Hours and How to Use Them
May 16, 2007 by admin
In traditional astrology, the seven classical planets rule everything. We are familiar with the idea that all planets rule physical, tangible things. For example, Venus rules tangible things like women, sweet foods, and works of art. However, the planets also rule intangible constructs, like time. According to modern thought, all time is the same, divided into equal portions, with one hour being just like another hour. However, traditionally, all the hours in a day were ruled by different planets, and the quality of a Saturn hour would be considerably different from a Jupiter hour. This is a very basic but powerful form of electional astrology – the idea that we can affect the outcome of events by beginning our project during an astrologically propitious hour. As an example, if we want to create the most beautiful painting within our means, we start working during a Venus or Mercury hour.
How Planetary Hours Work
1. Each day of the week is ruled by one of the seven planets. Sunday = the Sun, Monday = the Moon, Tuesday = Mars, Wednesday = Mercury, Thursday = Jupiter, Friday = Venus, and Saturday = Saturn. Each day begins at sunrise and ends at sunrise the following day. As a result, if the sun rises at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and it is currently 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, we are ruled by the previous day’s planet, the Moon. When 6 a.m., Tuesday, rolls around, the day ruler is now Mars until sunrise on Wednesday.
2. Each day is divided into two halves: daytime and nighttime: daytime is sunrise to sunset, and nighttime is sunset to the next sunrise. Then, each half, daytime and nighttime, is divided into 12 equal hours, giving us a total of 24 hours in one day.
Still with me? If you’re thinking ahead, you will realize that in the depths of winter, when night is a lot longer than day, the 12 nighttime hours will all be very long, whereas the 12 daytime hours will all be quite short, as all twelve of them have to squeeze into a short amount of daytime. The reverse is true in the summer, when the night is very short and the day is long. This is why the system is also called “the unequal hours” system. A daytime hour and a nighttime hour will usually be of unequal lengths, depending on the time of year.
3. Every day, the first hour after sunrise will be ruled by the same planet as the day ruler. Therefore, the first daytime hour of Saturday, the day ruled by Saturn, will be ruled by Saturn as well. The planets always go in this order, indefinitely (from the slowest planet to the fastest): Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. So a Saturn hour is always followed by a Jupiter hour, and so forth. A Moon hour is again followed by a Saturn hour.
So how do you figure out what planetary hour you are currently in?
Yes, you could calculate it all by hand, but I prefer software. If you use Windows, get ChronosXP. It’s not beautiful, but it is highly functional. If you’re a Mac user, you’re in luck, because you can get Astroclock, the world’s most gorgeous planetary hours screensaver. When I first saw it on someone’s computer, I seriously considered getting a Mac. Astroclock also shows you the dodecahour (5 minute) and sub-dodecahour (2.5 minute) planetary rulers. I don’t use these minor subdivisions, but they certainly sound cool.
Tomorrow: What to Do with Planetary Hours?
Planets in Your Horoscope: Mercury Retrograde on June 16, 2007
May 15, 2007 by admin
Mercury will turn retrograde on June 16 at 11° Cancer. Yes, as we all know, the world will grind to a halt for a few weeks. At least for astrologers; the rest of us, not so much. But do not fear, even if you are Mercury-rx-phobic, there is a bright spot during Mercury’s retrogradation. Fortunately, we can use electional astrology to choose the right moment to minimize Mercury’s weakness. Mercury will be cazimi, i.e.: “in the heart of the Sun” on June 28, between approximately 3:23 pm and 10:23 pm Universal Time. You can read more about the meaning of cazimi and its meaning in your natal horoscope.
In short, a cazimi planet is very strong (William Lilly used to say “wondrous strong”) because when it is in the middle of the Sun, nothing else can harm it. It is as though the heat of the Sun destroys all enemies that may want to harm the planet in cazimi. The zone of cazimi extends 17.5 minutes (not degrees) from the Sun, in either direction. As a result, the duration of this beneficial state is usually quite short, and if we want to take advantage of it, we have to plan carefully.
Unfortunately, when Mercury goes retrograde in Cancer this time, it will not retrograde back into Gemini, which would give it some added strength, since Gemini is Mercury’s own sign. As a result, we only have this seven hour window in which to do mercurial things.
Some of the mercurial things there would do very well in cazimi would be the submission of applications, communicating with superiors (which are symbolized by the Sun), and generally applying to those in authority. It would be better if one could wait until Mercury was not retrograde, but the world is not always so accommodating.
Planets in Your Horoscope: Saturn Direct, April 20, 2007
May 10, 2007 by admin
I have been getting lots and lots of questions about Saturn turning direct last month, after having been retrograde forever. In general, people want to know whether Saturn is still nasty and malefic now that it is direct.
Saturn in the sign of its detriment, Leo, is going to be difficult no matter what. When it is retrograde, that is another strike against it, but to give you a sense of the importance of strength by dignity, it is far better to have Saturn in Capricorn retrograde than Saturn in Leo direct and going full speed. The one positive thing that was happening when Saturn was retrograde, was that Saturn was locked in a long-lasting trine with a very powerful Jupiter in its own sign of Sagittarius. So even though Saturn was retrograde, it was getting a very positive infusion from Jupiter’s benefic energy.
Now that Saturn has turned direct, it has separated itself from Jupiter, and will continue to put more and more distance between them as time goes on.
On April 20, Saturn stationed at the same degree (18 Leo) that it occupied during the Aries ingress, which is the chart that determines the course of events for the year. This highlights or sensitizes Saturn’s position for the upcoming year. I took a quick look at places in the world where Saturn was angular during the Aries ingress. We would expect intense, most likely troubling activity in these places. This is certainly true for weather this Spring in those locales, as well as political events, to a lesser degree. Note that Saturn and Mars were in opposition during the Aries ingress, adding to the difficulty. The Mars-Saturn opposition was on the Ascendant/Descendant axis in Iran and Afghanistan (not in the capital cities, however), and on the fourth/10th house axis in middle Australia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Planets in Your Horoscope: Mars in Aries
May 9, 2007 by admin
After what seems like an eternity, on May 16, 2007, Mars enters one of the two zodiac signs it rules, Aries. The ancients considered Aries to be a sign of bestial behavior and violence, due to its fiery Cardinal nature. As a Cardinal sign, Aries epitomizes the essence of the fiery element, and manifests it very intensely. Since Mars is a malefic, this gives us something of a scorched earth feel to the sign of Aries. For this reason, even though Mars rules Aries, the planet is considered slightly happier in its other domicile Scorpio, where the watery element defuses and transforms Mars’s hot, warlike energy.
As it passes through Aries, Mars will form a trine to Jupiter and Saturn, each of which is in one of the other fire signs. While the trine from Mars to Jupiter is largely positive, the Mars-Saturn connection is a little bit scary, especially since Mars is in the fall of Saturn when it is in Aries. This means that if you’re planning any major steps or ventures, do them before Mars trines Saturn on June 11, and shoot for the Jupiter contact on June 4 instead. Jupiter is in its own sign nowadays, and even though it is retrograde, it has the added nice effect of humanizing Mars’s animalistic intensity.
What does it mean to have Mars in Aries natally? For starters, congratulations. It is always excellent to have a planet in its own sign in your horoscope, even if it is one of the malefics. It means that you can use the energies of the planet, the house it rules, and any other associated planets constructively. For instance, if you have Mars ruling the fifth house of games, all other things being equal, you might be a pretty athletic, sporty type (unless you have a phlegmatic temperament!). It’s going to be important that Venus and Saturn are on the strong side in your chart, because Mars is in their detriment and fall, respectively. This means that Mars will have the power to harm Venus and Saturn types of things in your life. Hence, we would want the other two planets to be strong, in an ideal world.
The famous French novelist Emile Zola had Mars in Aries conjunct Mercury on the cusp of the fifth house of creativity. As a Naturalist writer, his goal was to mimic everyday reality in his writing, but also display the animalistic, sordid aspects of human nature. How fitting for the “animalistic” Aries!
Planets in Your Horoscope: Sun Opposition Saturn
February 5, 2007 by admin
The Sun opposes Saturn on February 10, 2007
The Sun and Saturn couldn’t have more different energies, so when they come to an opposition, but the overall effect is one of tension and difficulty. The Sun represents the vital force, life, honors, and royalty. Saturn, on the other hand, represents the lowest social positions; it also represents death and the extinguishing of the vital force. The two of them locked in opposition show a struggle between two extremes, and experiencing this opposition in a secondary progressed chart, for example, can be challenging, to say the least.
The Sun and Saturn are in mutual reception, meaning that each is in the sign ruled by the other. Saturn is in its detriment in Leo, the sign ruled by the Sun. The Sun is in Aquarius, in its detriment, in the sign ruled by Saturn. It’s kind of like seeing two people pointing guns at each other — they are both able to act, and at the same time entirely within the other’s power.
If Saturn opposes your Sun natally, this is not an easy aspect, but it does not prevent you from achieving great things. It will, however, bring some difficulties in your life, with the source and the outcome depending on the placement and rulership of these two planets. Because the Sun is so closely linked to vitality, it can indicate a recurrent health issue.
Famous Case of Sun opposite Saturn: William Lilly
William Lilly, the famous English astrologer of the 17th century, had Saturn opposite his Sun natally. This did not stop him from rising from poor beginnings to become a very wealthy and renowned man. His natal Sun was in the second house of wealth, and Saturn was in the malefic eighth house. Saturn also ruled his 12th house of secret enemies. After the restoration of the monarchy, Lilly, who was a parliament sympathizer, came very very close to losing not only his property, but also his head. He escaped the hangman’s noose by the skin of his teeth, and thereafter had to substantially scale back his public life and practice.
If the Sun rules an important house in your horoscope, it would be best to avoid starting major projects until February 12 or later, when the opposition will have passed. On the other hand, if you are starting a diet, and the Sun rules your first house of self/the body, and opposition from Saturn is just the thing to help you reduce your weight. Of course, Saturn being what it is, you’re going to be miserable throughout the diet. But you will end up ever so slender.
—Readers who wish to learn more about finding the best time to start a new venture may learn more at Nina Gryphon’s astrology readings page.
Planets in Your Horoscope – Electional Astrology: Venus enters Pisces
January 19, 2007 by admin
Venus will transit Pisces on January 28, 2007 through February 20, 2007
Watery, fertile Pisces is perhaps the loveliest placement for Venus, the planet of love. While Venus is exalted in Pisces, it is not the strongest place for Venus – that honor must go to Taurus and Libra, which are the signs ruled by Venus. However, Venus delights in the water domicile of benevolent Jupiter the most, perhaps because Jupiter, ruler of fertile Pisces, delivers fertility and blessings in abundance. In this way, Venus (the Lesser Benefic) can temporarily experience the greater goodness of Jupiter (the Greater Benefic).
This is especially good news for Valentine’s Day, on which you would hope to have the planet of love in a strong position. Of course, the placement of Venus is a good day on which to do all things love- and sex-related. Here is more information about the astrological weather for Valentine’s Day, in case you have (or want to have) major plans for 2/14.
If you were born with Venus in Pisces, this is an excellent placement for Venus – the more prominent its placement is in your horoscope, the more strongly you will feel its harmonious influence. You are also about to have a Venus return, which is not an earth-shaking event, but will likely give you a day or two of harmony and good luck (provided your natal Venus is not horribly afflicted by a trine from Saturn in Cancer or something).
If Venus rules an important house in your horoscope, her passage through Pisces is a good time to start activities associated with those houses. Of course, you would want Venus strongly placed in the chart, which would require additional fiddling with the exact time and date, but just having Venus in the right sign would put you ahead of the competition.
Note that after passing through Pisces, Venus will enter Aries, which is unfavorable for the goddess of love. Venus in armor? I should think not! So if you have any Venusian things to do, do them before Venus leaves Pisces.
—If you wish to find the right time to start an important project (marry, conceive, start writing that novel), you can learn more through my page on electional astrology.
Planets in Your Horoscope: Mercury, Venus, Moon, Jupiter, and Mars on January 30 and 31st, 2007
January 16, 2007 by admin
January 30 and 31st (and the tail end of January 29, if you live on the West Coast of the US) are unusually positive days, when all but two of the seven planets are in strong essential dignity. Venus will be in its exaltation in Pisces, Mercury will be in its triplicity (by night) in Aquarius, the Moon will be in its sign of Cancer, Jupiter will be in its sign in Sagittarius, and Mars will be exalted in Capricorn.
This means that if any of these planets rule important houses in your horoscope, or somehow represent an activity that you want to start, I would highly recommend that you choose January 30 or 31st to start that project. By the way, the art and science of choosing an appropriate date for your actions is called electional astrology (if you click on the link, it will take you to an explanatory article that I wrote for my website).
However, all of this wonderful news comes with an important caveat. The Sun will be in its detriment in Aquarius, and Saturn is still in its detriment in Leo, and retrograde to boot. As a result, if the Sun or Saturn rule anything you’re about to do, you might want to wait a while, until the appropriate planet is in a happier place. If it’s the Sun you’re concerned about, wait until it is in Aries in its exaltation (March-April timeframe). If you’re doing something having to do with Saturn, such as you’ll just have to wait until it enters Virgo in September.
The nice thing about having so many planets in auspicious signs is that if you have to make more than one house strong in your astrological election, you’re more likely to succeed since five out of seven planets will be in a good place.
—If you are interested in finding a personalized astrological moment to do something important, such as getting married, applying for a job, or opening your business, you may wish to get an electional astrology reading.
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