Astrology Blog www.gryphonastrology.com

The Gryphon Astrology Blog has moved!

2006-09-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

The time has come to move on to better, greener, more user-friendly pastures (sorry, Blogger, it was great while it lasted). The blog now lives, better and greener than ever at

http://gryphonastrology.com/blog

Come visit us soon!
My best,
Nina AKA Gryphon

Arabian Part of Spirit and the Guardian Daemon in the Horoscope

2006-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The Gryphon Astrology Blog has moved to
http://gryphonastrology.com/blog

Dear Readers,

I have decided to experiment with a new way of blogging, not unlike the way in which most bloggers out there do it. Yes, Gryphon Astrology joins the 21st century at last. That is, I will write a lot more astrology posts that are shorter, to keep the momentum going on the blog. I'll be shooting for one post a day, to have some kind of quality control.

To get the ball rolling, here is one such short post about the astrological Part of Spirit (the opposite of the Part of Fortune).

My best, and happy reading,
Nina AKA Gryphon

Earlier, I had written on the astrology blog about the connection between the Guardian Daemon and the Lord of the Geniture. To quickly recap, the Guardian Daemon is the ancient Greek name for what we now call our Guardian Angel. In the article above, I wrote about how the Lord of the Geniture, our strongest planet in the horoscope, is a symbol of our Guardian Daemon. The best planet we have will always bail us out of the mess in which we manage to get ourselves. So, to get a sense of what the Guardian Daemon is for us, what is its nature vis a vis ourselves, we must look toward the Lord of the Geniture. Is it nurturing? Aggressive? Disciplinarian? Those are the qualities that will always save us when we are in a tough spot.

One ancient astrologer made the direct connection between the Guardian Daemon (also known as the Eudaimon, or the Good Spirit) and The Part of Spirit. The Part of Spirit is calculated in the opposite way from the Part of Fortune, so Asc + Sun - Moon. Note that for reasons explained in an earlier article, I do not reverse the Part of Fortune and its associated Arabian Parts by night. Firmicus links the Guardian Daemon and Part of Spirit in one sentence:

After these four cardinal points, that is the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven and IMC, there is another set of four points in the nativity which are also of following and favorable power. These are Dea, Deus, Bona Fortuna (Good Fortune) and Bonus Daemon (Good Spirit) which the Greeks have called thus Thea, Theos, Agathe Tyche, Agathos Daemon.

So there you have it, the Part of Spirit IS the Agathos Daemon. But what do we do with this information? As with any Arabian Part, it is best when it is aspected by its sign ruler, and that sign ruler is essentially and accidentally strong. But it doesn't always work that way in real life. Any planets aspecting the Part of Spirit will tell us of the nature of our Guardian Daemon. Then, we would inspect the sign ruler of the Part of Spirit.

For example, imagine a horoscope where the Part of Spirit is at 7 Libra. It is trined by the Sun at 4 Gemini and squared by the Moon at 6 Cancer. The two aspecting planets rule the 10th and 9th houses respectively. Does this bode well for the native's spiritual career? It certainly does, indicating that not only is the Part of Spirit in play, as John Frawley puts it, but it is also going to be used at its highest capacity (strong Moon). Especially more so when we know that the Sun, though essentially weak, is in the sign of Mercury in Gemini. Our hypothesis is confirmed when we see that the temperament is overwhelmingly phlegmatic, with the most "phlegmatic" planet, the Moon, in strong essential dignity, ruling the 9th house. We have here no ordinary character.
This horoscope belongs to Padre Pio, a 20th-century Catholic priest and saint.

That Something Extra in Astrology

2006-08-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

After a brief but relaxing hiatus, the blog is back with all sorts of deep-thinking ideas to stimulate your astrological nerve endings. ---Gryphon AKA Nina

Can a merely competent astrologer ever become a great astrologer? Or, to put another spin on the issue, what distinguishes a cook who can whip up a reasonably tolerable and theoretically correct soufflé from one whose soufflé takes you to transcendent gastronomic heights and leaves you begging for more? This has been an issue that has puzzled me for quite some time, as I know many very competent modern and traditional astrologers, those practicing horary astrology, electional astrology and natal astrology, ones who are very familiar with astrological terminology, give clients astrological answers which are often right, at least in a general sense, and in all other respects have done their homework.

As a completely unscientific theory backed only by empirical evidence, I propose that in any given field, including but not limited to astrology (traditional astrology or modern astrology) the twenty percent rule applies. Thus, roughly twenty percent of astrologers can be said to have a good, solid technical command of their respective astrological fields, and they have put in the years of study and practice to make them the best they could humanly become. The question I wish to address in this article is: What distinguishes the very competent twenty percent from the ultra-amazing one percent?

Lest we get lost in a maze of fuzzy definitions (which, I confess, I use in abundance), let us look at this ultra-amazing one percent. I have this stubborn tendency, perhaps born of studying too much pragmatic traditional astrology, to define the quality of an astrologer based on the results he gets, rather than on the number of talks he gives, or the number of brightly-colored books he churns out. In my necessarily limited sample, I have found that the one-percenters are often not just right, they tend to be spectacularly right in their astrological predictions. They can often be recognized posthumously (which is too late for most of us), not based on the number of glowing eulogistic articles written about them, but by talking to their former clients and associates, who acknowledge that in losing that person, the world has lost a great astrologer.

Like any other group at the top of their field, the astrological one-percenters are both born and made. However, from a traditional natal astrological perspective, we can often locate several indicators of “specialness,” showing us that the person will really get somewhere. The more and starker indicators one has, the better, since we are dealing with degrees of goodness, rather than discrete steps from one level to another.

My rough guidelines are as follows:

Pre-natal eclipse indicators (the more and the stronger, the better)
The fixed stars on important points (royal fixed stars are great, but any fixed stars appropriate to the person’s field are extremely helpful as well)
The Moon and/or Mercury strong and engaged (we are talking about a skill here, so the innate intelligence is important)
Something good going on with Fortuna, and
Astrological evidence of the willingness to make an effort. This is important, as the world is littered with people with astrological (or any other) talent, but with no willingness to put in the hard work needed to rise to the top. Having a melancholic temperament, for example, can be helpful. Lots of fixed signs are not bad, either. A little Saturn, a dash of Mars can be good as well, provided they are in helpful condition.

Example Astrological Natal Chart – Robert Shapiro

Now, I will not use the chart of an astrologer, either as an example of being spectacularly great or really terrible, for the obvious reasons that opinions may differ and egos are notoriously fragile creatures. Rather, I will use the natal astrological chart of a well-known American lawyer, Robert Shapiro, perhaps the best known for his representation of O.J. Simpson in his murder trial. Shapiro is considered a very skilled and talented lawyer, detail-oriented, and 100% committed to his clients. For a trial lawyer, he has managed to remain relatively uncontroversial and well-liked. When his young son was found dead of a drug overdose in October 2005, the death drew many heartfelt condolences from the general public.

Let us step through the above astrological criteria one by one:

Prenatal eclipse contacts? Yes. The preceding lunar total eclipse has Shapiro’s natal Moon on the eclipse Ascendant. In the natal astrological chart, the Moon is in the 9^th house of the law and higher learning, and rules the 11^th house of money from the career. Too, Shapiro’s natal Ascendant is right on the eclipse Mercury in Virgo. In his natal astrological chart, Mercury is in the 1^st house, which it rules, along with the 10^th house of career. We can immediately discern that this person is going to have a successful career, of the Lunar or Mercurial sort. Being a popular trial lawyer certainly satisfies both counts.

Fixed stars? Yes. Shapiro has Denebola on his prominently positioned Mars in his natal chart. Denebola is of the nature of Saturn and Venus, and according to Robson “gives swift judgment, despair, regrets, public disgrace, misfortune from the elements of nature, and happiness turned to anger, and makes its natives noble, daring, self-controlled, generous and busy with other people's affairs.” The last seems especially apropos for a lawyer, doesn’t it? Though with Mars, the star can give fall from power and grace.

Alnitak, of the nature of Jupiter and Saturn, is on the MC, giving a powerful astrological testimony of both skill and luck. Robson says: Strength, energy, industry, organizing abilities, notoriety, good fortune, lasting happiness, a sharp mind and a good memory.

Moon and Mercury strong and engaged? Both are engaged from the previous eclipse, and Mercury is especially strong. Not terribly powerful essentially, but strongly placed and dispositing 5 planets in the chart. The Moon is not as helpful, but we know it will be very important due to the pre-natal placement regardless.

Something good going on with Fortuna? Yes. Dispositor is Mercury in the first house, not aspecting Fortuna, however. Angular Mars aspects Fortuna, and also receives great support from a very strong Jupiter in the 10^th house. We can see that the business associates and clients will be very beneficial to the native’s fortune, which will come primarily from his career. Easy!

Evidence of hard work? Yes. The temperament is predominantly melancholic; certainly very dry, and tending toward cold. This person can definitely work hard. We have already established that we have a strong Mars, showing a good drive, though Saturn is not bad, it is not as great as we would like. So we get an ambitious, hard-working type, which bodes well for success.

The Second House: Money, Money, Money in the Horoscope

2006-07-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

This has been a good – but busy – week:

1. I completely revamped my website

2. I did the first episode of The Gryphon Astrology Radio Show

The radio show was a great deal of fun, and our theme was the 1^st/7^th house axis, which is always interesting and super-important to everyone, including our clients. To hear the show and look at the charts that we analyzed, click here.

The next show will air on Sunday, August 6^th, 2006, and our theme will be the second house. If you have a money-related question (horary or natal) you’d like to submit to the show and hear it analyzed on the air, email me at nina@gryphonastrology.info.

---Gryphon AKA Nina

I have to confess, the second house is one of my favorites in the whole chart. No foofy talk here about self-actualization and archetypal realization; this is all verifiable, real-world information. The second house tells you immediately the reality of someone’s existence; even if they drive a late-model European sports car, one look at their second house will tell you if there is money in the bank to back that up, or if the Porsche is bought on 1000 easy payments of just $9.95 a month, at 20% interest. I like to think of it as the traditional astrologer’s X-ray vision, if you will. I like the second house so much that I even wrote an article about finding wealth in the chart for the fall ’06 issue of Astrologia Restaurata; if you read German, so much the better.

William Lilly, who by all accounts was not totally averse to the second house himself (especially the packed second houses of his spouses), spends a good amount of time on the topic in his Christian Astrology.

In general, Lilly writes that one must look at the 2^nd house and any associated planets either in the house or ruling the house – or both, and then observe what other planets, if any, influence those significators for good or ill.

After some amount of throat clearing, Lilly says that wealth is given when the lights are with eminent fixed stars or the Fortunes. Undoubtedly, this is a very helpful sign. In our article recently about Margaret Thatcher, her Moon is on Regulus, probably THE most eminent fixed star. For a grocer’s daughter, she did well; she married one of the nobility, and managed to amass a respectable fortune during her climb to and residence at the top.

Conversely, Lilly finds that the Moon with Saturn reduces the native to poverty, “though a King.” This is most likely because the Moon is such a powerful force of sheer fertility and generation in the chart; fertility of body, but also of the pocket. With Saturn, the Moon is a shriveled up, dessicated, reduced thing; once a grape, now a raisin.

Lilly then goes on to discuss the many ways one may come to wealth or poverty, by judging the planets that either help or hinder the native’s finances. Saturn, as we might expect, has everything to do with farming, mining, treasures, real estate, usury, prisons, ancient men and farmers. We would imagine, too, profit from funeral parlors or the construction industry. Jupiter, on the other hand, brings money from “dignities ecclesiastical” and religion in general, government, and the upper classes. Too, Jupiter is associated with the law; judges, advocates and lawyers can all help or hinder the native’s wealth. Mars brings or takes money via lawsuits, warfare, quarrels, tyranny and horsemanship, while specific people bringing about increase or decrease in wealth are soldiers, lawyers and thieves.

The Sun shows gain or loss from kingdoms, nobility, public office and royal favor granted by rulers, nobility, and those in authority. Venus brings or loses money via friends, women in general, art and music, jewels and beauty products, gambling, and the wife or mother. Mercury is all about contracts, negotiations, “all manner of subtle arts,” such as computers, divination, and the sciences. The associated helpful or harmful people are scholars, philosophers, merchants, lawyers, and “witty and ingenious tradesmen.” The Moon brings or takes money via anything wet, such as drinks or the sea, women, the common people and messengers/ambassadors.

The house location of each relevant planet will show the area from which wealth or losses will accrue. Too, the strength or weakness of each planet and its interplay with financial significators will show whether the person’s wealth will grow throughout the life or whether they will suffer serious losses.

Let us examine the chart of Ivana Trump (Donald Trump’s first of several wives), an Eastern European skier and model, who divorced Trump for a settlement of approximately $14M plus annual maintenance fees. Ivana came from rather modest circumstances in Czechoslovakia, so we would expect a fairly dramatic improvement in finances in the chart. And Ivana does not disappoint in this regard.

When we look at the second house, we see it is ruled by Jupiter, which is itself posited in the second house, but in its fall in Capricorn. The weakness of Jupiter here causes it to act as an accidental malefic, but in a Jovial fashion. That is, the finances will improve from the level into which she was born (Jupiter as ruler of 2^nd in the 2^nd) but will look far better than they really are (Jupiter in fall). Too, the fact that Jupiter is in a cardinal sign shows that money will arrive quickly, but can just as quickly leave by the back door. Given Ivana’s somewhat phlegmatic temperament, we can assume that any losses will be caused by the desire nature; this woman is a big spender, and is fairly changeable in her tastes, which is an expensive habit.

Where will the money come from? Jupiter types, to be sure, so the rich and the upper classes. Note, however, that Jupiter is disposed by Saturn in the 9^th house, which immediately makes us think of older foreigners. This is true for Ivana’s two husbands, both of whom were older and foreign.

The Part of Marriage falls on 1 Pisces, conjunct the Sun, which rules the 9^th house of foreigners, as well as the Part of Fortune; this is yet another indication that the marriage will involve foreigners, and will be intimately connected to Ivana’s good fortune throughout the life. The Moon, symbolizing travel, aspects the Part of Marriage from the first house, again suggesting travel associated with marriage.

As you can see, Lilly’s rules hold true, though it’s the application that can be tricky, and requires a patient picking out of themes in the chart.

Waiting for the Miracle - Leonard Cohen

2006-07-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

- St. Francis: The Miracle of the Spring

Baby, I've been waiting,
I've been waiting night and day.
I didn't see the time,
I waited half my life away.
There were lots of invitations
and I know you sent me some,
but I was waiting
for the miracle, for the miracle to come.

From "Waiting for the Miracle" by Leonard Cohen

The singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen hardly needs an introduction; his carefully crafted lyricism has inspired countless musicians from Suzanne Vega to U2. I recently saw the documentary Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man and became curious about Cohen's horoscope and what it showed about his unique artistic style. For those unfamiliar with Cohen's writing, he is at once deeply melancholy and humorous, a romantic on an endless quest for redemption and rare Grace.

Even before I had seen the documentary, it was clear to me that Cohen was a melancholic, though obviously with a twist, since melancholics are not in themselves given to pouring out their experiences to the world. He struggled for many years with depression (perhaps not unlike Lilly's "hypochondriac melancholy") and has come out the better for it, his innate lyrical ability burnished by the friction between the attraction of the material on the one hand and a striving for salvation on the other. Several years in a Zen monastery on California's Mount Baldy seems to have refined Cohen's perspective without necessarily dulling his acute power of observation. His birth chart is below:

Note that the birth time is approximate, and thus may actually give an early Libra Ascendant. Regardless of this, however, the conclusions I reach would be largely similar. Neurosurgery this is not.

The Lord of the Geniture here is Saturn retrograde in its own sign in the 5th house of creative works. Cohen is said to spend a year on each song, refining it through numerous drafts to create a polished gem. This is a Saturnian process indeed, with the endless revisions expected from a retrograde planet. And yet, Saturn in the 5th house will leave its stamp on the native's creations (be they children, poems or songs) – Cohen is not known for chipper musical fare. And yet, the whole thing is saved by a trine from Jupiter near Spica in the 2nd house. In its higher sense, the 2nd house shows the self-worth of the native. Jupiter on Spica, a religiously orientated, benefic fixed star will give an eternal belief that redemption is possible. This constant religious yearning is present in seemingly every song and poem, whether overtly spiritual or not.

Let us move on to the overall temperament; using Lilly's method, the constitution is strongly melancholic and overwhelmingly dry. Along with the usual traits of melancholics, Cohen has quite a dry sense of humor (he said of his first stay at the Zen monastery that he left because it was run by a Japanese Roshi, with a German head monk and with all the Americans walking around in sandals, it seemed to him too much like revenge for World War II). Along with Jupiter, an important source of life-giving moisture here is the Moon in Pisces on Fomalhaut, a royal fixed star that gives treasures in the next world. Cohen spent many years working hard to renounce material success and acclaim; perhaps only his stay in an austere monastery, serving as a cook and driver to the Roshi (6th house of servitude) allowed him to satisfy that longing. The long sabbatical seems to have refreshed Cohen's spirits and creativity in a way his previous efforts did not. The proximity of the Part of Fortune further underscores the importance of renunciation and service in his very core of the being.

Finally, then, we come to Cohen's art. First house Mercury rules the chart, and we immediately notice its mutual reception with the very weak Venus in the 12th house. This connection immediately makes one think of artistic skill, and yet, with the difficult Venus, the artistic process cannot be easy nor joyful so much as an urgent necessity. Mercury and Venus further dominate the chart by reception; five planets are in the dignities of one of the planets. Notably, Saturn, the Lord of the Geniture is not one of those five. This may signify that ultimately, he will do his best work when he approaches his creativity as a discipline, rather than merely a means to create art (Venus) or express himself (Mercury). I believe that Cohen has been largely successful in this - ultimately, he says, he is a vehicle through which art and Grace flow as They will, when they will. His goal is simply to be prepared when They arrive.

"There is a crack in everything;
That's how the light gets in."

- Leonard Cohen

The Great Hunt: Finding the Lord of the Geniture

2006-07-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

[This Greek statue is the best representation of Mercury I know of. Look at that smile, those eyes - would you buy weapons from this boy?]

This article came from a wild and vibrant discussion on an email list (thanks for the idea, Caro!), and I wanted to use this format for explaining my use of the Lord of the Geniture (affectionately known as the LOG). As became clear from our discussion on the list, not everyone uses the LOG the same way, or attributes the same meaning to it.

What is the LOG?

The LOG is the planet that we should listen to, though typically do not. It is the planet which represents the qualities to which we should aspire, but it is more than just a bromide for the self-help crowd. When we seek good luck, ease, and general goodness in life, we should turn to the LOG. Are we tired of always picking the wrong spouse (spouses 1-4 were sort of okay, but that #5 really took me to the cleaners!) or the wrong job, or the wrong pet? Just go with the LOG for any of the above, and things will be more or less okay.

Why only more or less okay? Well, the level of okayness you may achieve depends on the quality of the LOG. Sometimes, we will see a chart where all possible candidates for the LOG are somewhat…lame. And the best we can do is a planet that is peregrine (neither in positive nor negative dignities) – it doesn’t mean the person will never find success in what they do (look at Karl Valentin’s chart, for instance), but it appears from anecdotal evidence that in such cases of a weak LOG, there will always be a drop of bitterness mixed in with any success the person achieves.

From my work with natal charts, I found that the house of the LOG will often be a place where things are a bit easier for the native. A person with the LOG in the 10^th house, for instance, would have an easy time with jobs. Or they might have an especially good relationship with their mother. The LOG in the 2^nd house might bode well for the finances. And a person with the LOG in the 5^th will never be…lonely or cold at night. However, these broad sweeping statements all depend on the nature of the LOG (Saturn in Capricorn as LOG in the 5^th, anyone…anyone?), its overall strength, receptions, house rulerships, etc.

William Lilly defines it as the planet with the most essential and accidental dignities in the chart. The idea is that you want to find the planet with the most essential dignities (the best-looking good guy in the chart), that will hopefully have some accidental strength so that it can throw its weight around. But what if the most likely candidate has little or no accidental strength? In my practice, I still take the most essentially dignified planet, but with the awareness that the native may have to work a bit harder to get to the LOG.

An example

Let’s look at the chart of Margaret Thatcher, which does not have very many good candidates for the LOG:

Margaret Thatcher, 9 a.m., October 13, 1925, Grantham, England, 15 Scorpio rising.

To determine the LOG, we first cast our eye about for any planets in essential dignity. The pickings are rather slim; the best we can do is Mercury in its term at 23.46 Libra. As far as accidental dignity goes, this is hardly an optimal candidate; it is a little too close for comfort to the malefic 12^th house, and even worse, it is combust by the Sun in its fall. Yet, despite these serious handicaps, this Mercury may well hold one of the keys to Thatcher’s political ascent and longevity as PM.

Mercury rules the 10^th house of career and fame, and is on one of the royal stars, Spica, promising an illustrious career. The prenatal eclipse Ascendant picks up this Mercury (with Spica), emphasizing its extreme importance in the nativity. However, because of the serious problems with Mercury (and Mercury’s nature, which has unique notions of honesty to begin with), Thatcher’s legacy has been controversial and generally regarded as deeply problematic. For instance, a 1996 inquiry revealed the Thatcher administration’s weapons dealings with Saddam Hussein to the tune of $2B (1B GBP).

This is exactly what we would expect from a combust Mercury (indicating secrecy and shady dealings) on the cusp of the secretive 12^th house. The tincture of bitterness is present even here, in the greatest of achievements. There is no other planet here that will save Thatcher from Mercury’s bad doings; the dispositor is peregrine Venus. Being peregrine means that Venus will not rap Mercury’s knuckles when it is up to any nefarious doings; rather, it will ask if it can please join the party.

But such is life. The LOG must be the best card we have; it does not have to be an ace to give grand success, and very often it won't be. But the quality of that success does depend on the quality of the LOG.

Ye Quizze: Parte the First - Answer and Parte the Seconde

2006-07-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Here is Thomas's answer to the first question of ye quizze. We hope you enjoy it and spend some quality time going over his answer. There is much to be learned here! Question Two is here as well, for the impatient.

---Nina AKA Gryphon

Both c. and e. are correct.

Now to Mr. X. It is very tempting when assessing temperament to make a list of hot, dry, cold and moist and draw ones conclusion from the qualities that have the most points. But beware! The general condition of the planets must first be considered before a well-founded judgement can be made.

Which planets come into consideration in Mr. X's chart? We have the Sun, the Moon and Jupiter as Lord 1 plus Sagittarius as ascendant. Saturn and Mars give some colour through aspects made either to the Moon or the Sun.

Five planets in this chart are peregrine, including the Sun. The Moon is in its triplicity. Jupiter is in its term. Both the Moon and Jupiter are in detriment.

The strongest planet in this chart is the Moon (see endnote 1 - Ed.). She is the Lady of the Geniture. But let us go through the reasoning. First this is a night birth and so the Moon has a stronger influence than the Sun. The Moon is also angular and in the first house. Don't be confused by her being incepted. Inception is not a debility. It just means that Capricorn does not have a cusp. A planet in its triplicity is also strong. Being in detriment means that this Moon is not nice. She is in fact a nasty sort of Moon. So she will not give a well formed body. Mr. X is not handsome.

Although Lord of the first house, Jupiter cannot be Lord of the Geniture. Jupiter is cadent and combust and therefore very weak.

Mercury and Venus are angular but they are both peregrine and so are too weak to be Lord or Lady of the Geniture.

Now we are ready to assess the qualities. The Ascendant is hot and dry Sagittarius. Its ruler Jupiter is in warm and moist Gemini and being oriental has a bit more hot and dry. But Jupiter is also combust so the moisture is being evaporated so to speak. We have hot and dry with some moisture.

The Sun is in warm and moist season sextile to hot and dry Mars in Leo. Mars is occidental so yet drier. We have warm with some moisture but here also a tendency to dryness.

The Moon is in cold and dry Capricorn. She is in her third quarter and so is even colder and drier. She is trine to Saturn in cold and dry Taurus. Saturn is occidental and therefore even colder but with a bit of moisture. Saturn receives the Moon in its exaltation as the Moon receives Saturn in its domicile. We have a very cold and dry Moon as Lady of the Geniture, angular and in the first house.

The native is strongly melancholic with some choler a tad of sanguinity.

Who is Mr. X?
He is the cabaretist Karl Valentin (pronounced Fah-len-teen)
Pictures of him may be found at the following link. http://www.karl-valentin.de/

Endnote 1

I am of the opinion that a peregrine planet must always be preferred
to an essentially debilitated one (here, the Moon in detriment). As John Frawley put it, putting a debilitated planet in charge is like "giving the mafia keys to the country." It's much better to go for a cadent peregrine planet than an angular malefic. I wouldn't bring in the idea of receptions as reasons to ignore potentially helpful planets. The point of finding the Lord of the Geniture is to be able to give practical, immediate advice to clients in which direction to go; advising anyone to follow that Moon would clearly be irresponsible.

Mercury is the most practical Lord of the Geniture for Valentin. The conjunction with Venus in a water sign on the Descendant gives him an artistic connection with audiences. Note that Mercury is conjunct the (bright) fixed star Alhena, which brings artistic renown. Yes, it's in the Moon's sign, but that's life - lots of good Lords of the Geniture are in bad planets' signs. The point is that we aren't looking for the perfect planet here, but rather the best we can get. An angular Mercury conjunct Venus in the 7th with a good fixed star is not at all a bad thing.

Note also the prenatal eclipse - the eclipse Venus/Merc conjunct the natal Sun, highlighting the importance of the Venus/Merc natal conjunction.

Ye fecunde Questione: What is moitie and how important is it? a. Moitie is a fixed star in the constellation of Ophiuchus also known as X Oph. It is of the nature of Mercury and is described by Ptolemy the younger as dividing in halves so depending on the context it may have some relevance. b. Moitie is not a what it is a who. Philippe de Moitie was an astrologer who lived during the reign of Henri IV. His only surviving manuscript, "Oublie les Orbes" (Forget Orbs) has been sadly ignored. c. Moitie is French for half and refers to the radius of an orb of influence ascribed by many authors to the planets. Each moitie varying from planet to planet. Lilly for example gives the sun a moitie of 15-17 degrees, depending which he remembers. Moitie is actually equivalent to the modern orb which curiously has wandered from the planets to the aspects. Whatever. Both moitie and orbs can be safely ignored as it is more important to consider whether one planet beholds another. Planets in the same sign behold one another even if one is in the 1st degree of the sign and the other in the 29th. Planets in two succeeding signs for example do not behold one another. So a planet in Aries does not behold one in Taurus. They cannot aspect one another. d. Moitie is what happens to an aspect when two planets are in signs of long ascension. It means "stretched". So what usually is a square is in this case a trine. This is important when needed.

Temperament Assessment: Which is the Right Way?

2006-07-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

In light of Thomas’s quiz (see previous post), and my post on melancholy, the question came up: which is the right method for assessing temperament, anyway? Every traditional astrology has his or her pet method, none of which work 100% of the time. With people who are strongly tilted toward one or two temperaments, all of the methods will arrive at very similar if not identical conclusions. With individuals who are more balanced, and have only a slightly predominating humor or two, we will see a greater discrepancy with using various techniques.

Let us take the example of Paul Newman. I got interested in Newman’s horoscope while writing “Spiritual Direction in the Horoscope,” an article that will be published in the next issue of the Dutch traditional magazine Anima Astrologiae. Newman has a pretty balanced temperament, so the results will vary depending on the method we use.

Here is Newman’s horoscope:

Here is the result we get if we use Dorian Greenbaum’s method (discussed in her book on temperament) which she has developed by her study of various traditional sources (all of whom, in turn, had their own methods!):

Ascendant sign element – Capricorn - Melancholic (2 points)
Ascendant ruler intrinsic quality – Saturn - Melancholic (1 point)
Ascendant almuten (defined as planet with most essential dignities in a given degree) intrinsic quality – Mars and Saturn are tied, so Choleric and Melancholic (1 point each) – we’ll pay attention to these if there is need for a tiebreaker.
Moon sign element – Pisces – Phlegmatic (2 points)
Moon ruler by sign – Jupiter in Capricorn – Melancholic (1 point)
Moon phase (using Lilly’s method here) – 1^st Quarter - Sanguine (1 point)
Season of birth – Winter – Phlegmatic (2 points)

The grand total is: Melancholic (4.5), Choleric (.5), Phlegmatic (4), Sanguine (1 point). So according to Greenbaum’s method, we have a melancholic/phlegmatic, a hard-working, practical type with an emotional, self-protective tendency. This analysis gives us a very cold temperament, with some difficulty getting the heat going, both physically and emotionally.

Let’s use a different method to compare and contrast. John Frawley, in his Real Astrology Applied, goes through a temperamental analysis based closely on William Lilly’s method. Using the Frawley/Lilly method, Newman’s temperament would look something like this:

Ascending sign: Capricorn - Cold - Dry - (a slightly melancholic Ascendant)

Aspected by Mercury in Capricorn, oriental, Hot (Capricorn gives some Dry)
Aspected by Venus in Capricorn, oriental (slightly Hot and Moist)
Aspected by Saturn in Scorpio, oriental (and on the MC) (very Cold and Moist)

Lord of the Ascendant: Saturn in Scorpio, oriental: Cold - and Moist +

Aspected by Mercury in Capricorn, oriental (Hot and somewhat Dry)
Aspected by Venus in Capricorn, oriental (slightly Hot and Moist)

The Sun in a Winter Sign – Cold and Moist
The Moon in Pisces in 1^st Quarter – Hot – and Moist +
The Lord of the Geniture – Mars in Aries, occidental – Hot (due to placement in Aries) and Dry + . Mars is the LoG, as it is the only strongly essentially dignified planet in the chart.

This gives us Cold-, Cold-, Cold, Hot-, Hot, Dry-, Dry+, Moist+, Moist, Moist+. Using Frawley’s method of combining the most frequent elements, we see that Newman is pretty well balanced, and gives us a slightly predominantly phlegmatic (cold and moist) temperament. So we still get a cold temperament, but one that is only a little cold, whereas Greenbaum’s method gives us a downright glacial temperament. We don’t know Paul Newman well enough to decide which is correct, but our guess is that the latter method describes him better. He is known for taking a relaxed approach to his career, and even his hugely successful charity food line, Newman’s Own ™, happened sort of by accident, as he tells it.

This is not to say that Greenbaum’s method is wrong – any solid method will succeed 85 or 90% of the time. However, nothing in our sublunary sphere is 100%, and astrology, or rather the astrologer, is the same. This is the point of traditional astrology – because we astrologers tend toward imperfection, we seek out methods that have passed to us from higher, more lasting spheres than our own.

Ye Quizze: In feven Partes (Parte the First)

2006-07-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, This week, I am happy to present a special ongoing feature in addition our normal weekly article. This feature is by Thomas Decker, a German astrologer who has graciously written for the Gryphon Astrology blog before. This is a traditional astrology quiz, with answers to be revealed later. You can use the comment board for each question (the link is at the end of the article itself) to share your answers and guesses. Good luck, and have fun! Nina AKA Gryphon

Note: Although multiple choice, each question may have more than one right answer. And some of the answers may be partially right! (Just to keep a measure of suspense :-))

Ye firft Questione:

What is Temperament and how is it assessed in a chart?

a. Temperament shows elemental balance. One checks in which sign each planet is and what element they have. So if someone has lots of planets in earth signs they have an earthy temperament.

b. Temperament is another name for the native's emotional life. All that is required is to look at the positions of the Moon, Venus and Mars and the aspects they make to each other.

c. Temperament describes the deep-seated constitutional nature of a person. If the life is considered as a symphony then temperament is the key in which the symphony is written in. The ascendant, Lord of the Ascendant, Planets aspecting the ascendant, the Sun, the Moon and
the Lord of the chart must all be included in assessing the temperament of a person.

d. Temperament is something our ancestors had. We don't have it anymore. Some people had lots of black bile while others were full of yellow bile. Some just had too much blood and if one wanted to insult someone one said they were full of phl...

e. Temperament or complexion describe a person's predominant humour. Just as mercurial describes a quality and not only the metal and the planet known by that name so too does the quality of the predominant humour describe the constitution of a person and how it might be
expressed in their personality. The melancholic has an abundance of the cold and dry black bile while the sanguine person an abundance of hot and moist blood. The choleric has plenty of hot and dry yellow bile and the phlegmatic plenty of cold and moist phlegm. Quite often two humours are dominant. The temperament is thus based on the assessment of how hot, cold, dry or moist the ascendant, Lord of the Ascendant, Planets aspecting the ascendant, the Sun, the Moon and the Lord of the chart are.

What temperament does Mr. X have? (June 4, 1882, 21:08 MET [Middle European Time] München, 11e34, 48n08 Asc. 27 Sagittarius)

Hint: see Real Astrology Applied pp. 121

Marsilio Ficino: A Study in Melancholy

2006-07-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Image from: http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/image/bellerophon2.jpg

Nowadays, when we says someone is melancholy, we mean they are depressed and not enjoying life. In traditional astrology, however, calling someone melancholic had a far more complex and nuanced implication. First, it was directly related to temperament; a unique combination of personality and body type that we all possess. The four classical temperaments are phlegmatic (watery), choleric (fiery), sanguine (airy), and melancholic (earthy). Most people are a mix of two or more of these; if you possess all four in equal measure, you are that rare creature; a well-balanced individual. Melancholics are studious, contemplative, serious, practical, cautious and deliberate in all their words and deeds. They are not given to emotional scenes or histrionics.

In traditional medicine, melancholy is synonymous with the bodily humor of black bile, which is cold and dry, possessing the two qualities most antithetical to life. Aristotle described Bellerophontes as a melancholic, who, having fallen from Pegasus, wandered alone in desert places. Aristotle cites Homer’s description of Bellerophontes: “But when he was hated of all the gods, then he wandered alone on the plain of Aleïum, eating out his heart, and avoiding the track of men.” Here is a description of the coldest melancholy that can exist. Aristotle later makes the distinction between melancholy that is less cold, and thus less harmful, and the very extreme coldness seen in Bellerophontes.

Marsilio Ficino was a Renaissance scholar, priest, musician, poet, philosopher, physician, and astrologer. He was a prolific writer, both of books and of letters, and only recently have we been able to get our hands on decent English translations of his works. Two titles that spring to mind are Three Books on Life, and Meditations on the Soul, a book of some of his letters to well-known personages of his day, such as the Medicis, whom he served as a spiritual advisor.

Ficino struggled all his life with an excess of melancholy, and his Three Books on Life goes into extensive detail on how to cure melancholy, or at least keep it in balance. Many of his suggestions are especially useful because they address the proper lifestyle of scholars who are predisposed to melancholy by their occupation and by their horoscopes, which will tend to have strong melancholic planets, Mercury and/or Saturn. This is very applicable to us today, as many of us work in our sedentary jobs doing mostly cerebral (as opposed to physical) work. This kind of existence aggravates the black bile humor. Ficino’s recommendations stem from the understanding that melancholy is primarily a Saturnian illness. Saturn is best neutralized by Jupiter, and to a lesser degree, Venus and the Sun, so Ficino recommends remedies that are Jupiter-ruled, and therefore hot and moist, to neutralize the melancholic’s inherent cold and dryness.

One great recipe for melancholics, derived from Ficino’s recommendations, is warm almond milk with cinnamon; milk and almonds are naturally moist, while the warm liquid and cinnamon are both heating. This is a very good evening drink, as it is somewhat sedative and soothing. However, the bigger problem for melancholics tends to be the morning, as getting going early is rather against the inherent slowness of black bile. Lots of melancholics guzzle coffee like it’s going out of style to compensate for this, but we have noticed that a strong decoction of ginger-licorice-anise-cinnamon acts like morning rocket fuel for these people. Also, Ficino was a great believer in the power of clear white wine to balance melancholy.

As for non-dietary guidance, Ficino recommended that those predisposed to melancholy rise with the Sun (remember, this was before the days of artificial lighting), meditate and do one’s studies. One was to study no later than noon. The reason for this recommendation was that the Sun is strong right at sunrise, because it is in the Ascendant, and at noon, when it is in the Midheaven, and it weakens significantly thereafter. As melancholics tend to coldness, the goal is to be in tune with the Sun to harness its life-giving warmth. Making music, too, will dispel melancholy, as will the company of young people, who are by their intrinsic nature sanguine (hot and moist). Finally, religious faith is Jupiter-ruled, and though Ficino does not recommend it as such, since it would have been taken for granted in his time that one was religious, it must provide the melancholic with much needed spiritual “warmth.”

Note that Bellerophontes’ loss of Pegasus provides a succinct description of what happens to melancholics when they don’t use their natural gifts for contemplation and spirituality. The black bile becomes even colder and they shun human contact, eating out their hearts. Perhaps this is one reason why today, it seems that everyone is on anti-depressants: our fast-moving lifestyles are not conducive to contemplation or faith, and those with melancholic tendencies have little outlet for their natural tendencies.

The Mystery Surrounding the Dolfijn

2006-06-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

To continue our watery theme this week, we have an event chart by Karin Verhoeve, a Dutch traditional astrologer. She arrives at a startling insight regarding the mysterious sinking of a French boat in 2004. Enjoy!
--- Gryphon, AKA Nina

On Monday, June 13^th 2005, the Dutch television program Netwerk discussed a fishing-boat accident. The mystery surrounding the sinking and the possible link with a submarine of the Navy drew my attention.

Here's a summary of what happened:

Early last year a French cutter, the Bugaled Breizh (“Child of Brittany” in Breton), was wrecked near the coast of England. The reason remains a mystery. According to relatives the accident was caused by a collision with the Dutch submarine, the Dolfijn. An independent Navy expert supports that view. But the French as well as the Dutch Navy both strongly deny this.

The Bugaled Breizh sank on January 15 2004, around noon, near Lizard Point. Five crew members died. Three bodies of these five victims have been found. The submarine HMS Dolfijn, close by for an international exercise, was one of the first to respond to the S.O.S.

What exactly caused the accident is a big mystery. At first the authorities assumed that the fishing-trawler had been sailed over by a freighter. At least ten ships have been examined for traces of a collision, but this investigation gave no proof.

According to the fishermen and relatives, underwater film footage of the wreck proved that the ship was hit from underneath. They laid the blame on the Dolfijn. The fishermen claim that the submarine has been repaired after the rescue operation.

A report of two French experts on accidents at sea shows that it is apparent that a submarine has caused the accident. Possibly a cable or net has been twisted in the rudder of the submarine, which made the submarine pull the cutter under water. (According to Netwerk)

The program mentioned the date, time and location of the accident, and based on this information I've erected an event figure.

In William Lilly's work we find a chapter dedicated to ships: contents, safety etc. (Christian Astrology, page 157). The body of the cutter is the Ascendant. In the chart it appears conjunct the fixed star Rana. According to Robson, the latter has a Saturn-like quality and it is a star from the great river Eridanus. This star provides love for knowledge and science, lots of traveling…but it's also responsible for accidents at sea.

This fixed star gives the boat (Ascendant) a Saturn-like quality; the cutter is slow, overloaded and has no speed or is moored.

This confirms the announcement that the cutter wasn't sailing during the accident. Taurus, an earthly and fixed sign, shows the quality of the cutter: strong, small and solid. The television item showed a small cutter, with a solid and well maintained construction that had been clearly damaged after the collision, having two firm dents on both sides.

The North node, which has a Jupiter-like quality, dominates through its conjunction with the Ascendant. Jupiter, Lord 8 and 12, dispositor of Lord 1, is destroyed, runs retrograde and trines the Ascendant. This Jupiter does not bode well for the ship – in a big, Jupiterian way.

Venus, Lord 1 in the 11^th house, has only just entered the sign, is in exaltation and her own term and in the 11^th house accidentally well placed. [She has just entered a watery sign, surely not a good omen for a boat! – Ed.] She has recently made an aspect with Mercury in the 8^th house and this significator of communication rules the 6^th house. Mercury has just entered the sign, comes out of fall and is now peregrine. Saturn is his dispositor. Venus is in mutual reception with retrograde Jupiter, conjunct cusp 6 in detriment placed in a weak reception (exaltation - face) with Saturn, also detriment. Both damage Lord 1.

The Moon, significator for fishermen, is located in the 6^th house and the Via Combusta, in an air sign and intercepted. Lilly says if the significators of the question are unfortunate, if a malefic planet is placed in the Ascendant and is dignified in 8 or when Lord 1 is in 8, in a difficult aspect with Lord 8 or 12 or 4 or 6, or if the Moon is combust or below the horizon, it means that the ship is lost and the men have drowned (except when there's a mutual reception between them). Though the Moon is placed antiscion to Venus, this antiscion hasn't much to offer since the Moon is peregrine and accidentally not placed well.

Uranus is exactly conjunct Venus, which indicates the abruptly changed condition of the cutter.

[We think this "Uranus" may have wandered over from a medical horary...and will send it along presently. -Ed.]

The prominently placed South node (Saturn-like quality) conjunct cusp 7 shows the affliction or damage. Saturn signifies the part of the cutter that has been affected.

Saturn is in Cancer, according to Lilly the lowest point or bottom of the ship! At that point the cutter has severe bumps on both sides.

Has the cutter been hit by a submarine?

Mars Lord 7, 'the other', in this case the submarine, is a malefic, not well placed in the 12^th house but strong in its own sign. The planet and the sign confirm that we're dealing with the right significator; the submarine belongs to the army, specifically the Navy!

The 12^th house represents revealed matters, things that we can't perceive directly. The cusp is in Pisces, according to Lilly: fishing spots, rivers full of fish. This shows that the submarine was close to, or involved in the disaster. Mars has also to do with steel. Intercepted: a cage of ‘steel’ encloses the submarine. Mars, 'the young one', can signify young inexperienced sailors.

The TV-program exposed a navigation map that mentioned that the Dolfijn came above water twelve minutes after the shipwreck. This has also been confirmed by a British trawler and opposes the statement of the submarine crew that the submarine had been above water all day. At the time of the accident the submarine had been west of the cutter, which we can find here through the location of Mars in the 6^th house (turned); the west.

Mars is not in mutual reception or aspect with Lord 1. Mars is in reception with the Sun, dominantly placed on the MC. Under protection of a powerful person or authority?

At the time of the event a fisherman on the bridge had just laid out a fishnet. The cables of the fishnets have been thoroughly investigated. It appeared that one cable had been fully unwound, a safety measure to get the boat back in balance in case a cable hooks to an object (rocks for example). If this failed, the cutter would sink within 2 minutes. The chart shows the Moon, significator of fishermen, in the 6^th house. Literally: the fishermen are at work. The Moon will change signs within two degrees and will be in its fall under the rulership of Mars. The last aspect of the Moon was made with the Sun. The Moon in Scorpio will make an aspect with Mercury within 2 degrees and with Venus as Lord 1. The cardinal sign of Libra as well as cadent house 6 illustrate a fast time unit: within 2 degrees = within 2 minutes or 2 hours. The Moon is also lord 4: the end! The aspect with Lord 1 says: the end of the cutter.

Pluto plays an important role, conjunct cusp 8, death. Pluto's dispositor is retrograde Jupiter, also dispositor of Lord 1 and Lord of the 12^th house. Pluto makes aspects with Mars and Jupiter, Lord 8 and makes a contra-antiscion with Saturn.

[We do not claim to know what this “Pluto” object is, and include it for the sake of novelty only. Don’t try this at home, kids! – Ed.]

A second reason that has possibly caused this shipwreck is inadequate communication or the complete lack of it. The condition of Mercury is bad. He has just emerged from a sign in which he was in fall and is now peregrine.

All this could confirm that the submarine did play a role in this shipwreck.

We have to wait for the investigation to receive confirmation of this astrology case. The question is whether the actual truth will 'break the surface'.

Thanks to Erik van Slooten, astrologer and teacher of Dutch, for his editorial advice.

She studies astrology with Martien Hermes, Oscar Hofman, Robert Zoller.

Workshops: Robert Hand, John Frawley ea.

E-mail: verhoevk@xs4all.nl

Hurricane Season 2006

2006-06-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, this week I am very pleased to present a continuation of the hurricane theme from last week by Thomas Decker, a German traditional astrologer whose skills I greatly respect. In the future, I plan to mix things up a bit, and publish articles by other traditional astrologers to give you a sense of the great variety within traditional astrology. If you are interested in having your article appear on this blog, contact me at nina "at" gryphonastrology.info. Enjoy!

---Gryphon, AKA Nina

By Thomas Decker

At the beginning of the hurricane season I asked a horary question whether there might be another devastating storm in the Gulf of Mexico region. The general tenor of the chart was yes and probably at the beginning of September. But this particular chart does not answer the question where this might be. Other methods are required.

The first step is to try to find a focus of activity and so it seems that a rough triangulation would be the appropriate method. The Cancer Ingress chart for Cancún, Mexico, Santiago de Cuba and Miami Beach give a general region where most tropical storms and hurricanes seem to cross. This is really very rough, other points could also be used. The charts of Cancún and Miami show some indications of danger. In the Cancún Ingress chart the MC is at 9 degrees Aries which is one degree away from the position of the last total solar eclipse on March 29th. The Miami chart has Mercury and Procyon rising.

More detail is required, however, as judgement cannot be made on an Ingress chart alone. The New Moon charts of August 23 and the Full Moon/lunar eclipse charts of September 7 need also to be considered. Here activity directly on the angles would support any testimony given by the Ingress chart. A cursory view shows some danger but nothing extreme. That doesn't exclude storm activity. In the Cancún New Moon chart Mars is applying to conjunction with the MC, an indication of danger. In the lunar eclipse chart of Cancún Mars repeats this pattern, he is once again within one degree of the MC. This is like a multiplication.

But based on the Cancún chart I tried to find an area where there is even more focused activity. There must be somewhere where Mars might be exactly on the MC. As the New Moon occurs only at 0 degrees Virgo, we have to look for somewhere a little bit further west and a bit more northward. And so I examined the charts of Houston, Texas. So let us look at these charts.

The Cancer Ingress chart of Houston has Sirius, the Dog-star rising. Sirius was important to the Egyptians as he marked the flooding of the Nile. The Nodes are directly on the MC/IC axis of the chart in exact square to the Sun in the 12th house. The North Node and the MC are conjunct Scheat a fixed star of the nature of Mars and Mercury. Scheat is associated with drowning. A conjunction with one of the nodes usually brings with it far reaching change in the sense of before and after. The North Node tends to multiply anything for better or worse. In combination with a malefic fixed star associated with drowning this does not portend well. Already all of the exact aspects and the tie in two fixed stars is testimony to look closer. While the Cancún charts are like warning lights, this chart is already like a siren.

Let us continue with the New Moon chart for Houston. Mars at 20 degrees Virgo forms an exact sextile, in mundo, to the position of the Sun in the Cancer Ingress chart. This position of Mars we need to remember as it plays a central role in the Lunar eclipse chart. What we see here is an activation of the Ingress T- square of the Sun to the MC/IC and Lunar Nodes.

The Houston Lunar eclipse chart of September 7 has Antares, the heart of the Scorpion rising. This is an extremely malevolent star associated with destructiveness and violence. In this chart the position of 20 degrees Virgo which was occupied by Mars in the New Moon chart is now occupied by Mercury and the MC. Mercury which is at 20 Virgo 59 is applying immediately to a conjunction to the fixed Star Denebola at 21 degrees Virgo. This means that Denebola is about to culminate in one degree. Denebola at the tip of the Lion's tail is associated with misfortune from the elements. Mars at 29 Virgo is about to conjunct the IC and South Node of the Cancer Ingress chart. The eclipse itself is in Virgo, a human sign. This means that human beings will be directly affected. William Lilly in his Annus Tenebrosus say of a Lunar eclipse in the second decanate of Virgo that "…it prepares destruction and Calamities…"

As to timing, the one degree application of both Mars and Mercury to respective critical points would show that within a week of the eclipse a very dangerous storm will approach Houston and Galveston, Texas.

If we were to try to formulate all of this in William Lilly's language we might say: "Citizens of Houston take warning. The month of September may be one of many troubles from storms, flooding and general malevolence of the elements" It certainly wouldn't hurt to take the necessary precautions.

Afterword:

The hurricane season is the theme here. Everyone knows that through global warming hurricanes will increase both in number and intensity. No one knows where and when. Just as meteorological methods of prediction are used to try to narrow down this area of the unknown it seems justifiable to use the time honoured astrological approach particularly if extra precautions, such as the strengthening of storm protections can be taken in time, and anyone in authority can thereby be convinced that this is indeed necessary. The astrological testimonies mentioned above are so strong that it is a responsibility to make them known. If there should be an error in this judgement, you are called on, dear reader, to correct it.

Hurricane Katrina…Back for an encore in 2006?

2006-06-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

The widespread and unnecessary disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2006 is just beginning to drop out of the news. Of course, it’s just the beginning of the new hurricane season, and with global warming being what it is, experts say hurricanes will become more and more powerful and destructive. The question on everyone’s mind is “will there be another Katrina for New Orleans?” For another similar disaster would surely bring the city to its knees for a long time.

We do not have the founding chart of New Orleans, since it, like most cities, just sort of accumulated over time. There are some historical charts floating around, but it is unclear how useful they are in predictive work. The best we can do is to use a Cancer Ingress chart set for New Orleans. Let us first look at the 2005 chart to see how Katrina shows up. With Ingress charts, we must be very careful, since the planetary configurations are identical anywhere in the world (and it is funny to see some modern astrologers cast charts for a particular location and seeing death and destruction visited upon their own hometown…the same aspects are happening world-wide, folks!). Thus, we will have to watch out for close aspects to angles and their rulers, since that is the only thing that will make the New Orleans chart unique from, say, the Washington, D.C. chart.

So back to our 2005 chart. Doesn’t look too bad, right? At least that’s what I thought when I first glanced at it. Mars, Lord 1, rules the location for the duration of the summer season. It is essentially strong, but accidentally (and remember, accident is what counts in these charts) very weak in the 12^th house. The preceding eclipse is lunar, and as such has a luminary above the ground, which makes the effects strong, according to Lilly. Further, the eclipse will be partially visible from North America, further increasing its effects on especially the eastern part of the United States. So this eclipse will have a lot to say about the hurricane season in New Orleans. The Lord of the eclipse is Mars, ruling the elevated Moon in Scorpio (double whammy of wetness). Mars is in a hot and moist sign in the eclipse chart, which adds yet more moisture to an already drenched eclipse. Lilly writes that when an eclipse happens in the watery triplicity, it "presages a rot or consumption of the vulgar sort of people [these were the hardest hit group in the entire Katrina devastation, as the poorest areas of New Orleans were most affected by the broken levees]...destruction of Water Foul, great inundations and overflowings of the Seabanks [!]." And this eclipse was not even angular in New Orleans - merely elevated, and then "plugged in" to the Cancer Ingress.

In the Ingress chart, Mars is also opposed by Jupiter, the planet of rain. Jupiter (and hence Mars) squares the IC/MC axis of one’s position in the world. Jupiter will afflict the city’s standing – despite being a benefic, here it is a rather malefic influence, due to its contact with Mars and the angles. Jupiter is not done with New Orleans yet – it is conjunct Vindemiatrix, a star of the nature of Saturn and Mercury. It is generally malefic, and is specifically associated with overreaching and causing one’s ruin. Finally, we get the Moon in Sagittarius trining the Ingress Ascendant. The Moon is conjunct the fixed star Sabik, which brings “wastefulness, lost energy,” among a host of other undesirable qualities. Indeed, these are words that well describe the relief effort mounted by FEMA after the disaster.

What about 2006?

The 2006 Cancer Ingress chart for New Orleans has Cancer ascending, so the Big Easy will be ruled by the Moon for the season. The Moon is in Taurus, so it is exalted, and in the cold and moist 4^th quarter. So how is New Orleans? It’s all right, but seems to be doing better than it really is (exaltation), because it is rather wet. The Moon is applying to an opposition of Jupiter, the planet of rain, in a cold and moist sign, which itself is retrograde. Could this mean that New Orleans will be inundated once again? If so, let us hope it is only with heavy rain and not with floods stemming from broken levees. The Moon also applies to the inauspicious Mars-Saturn conjunction in Leo on the cusp of the 2^nd house. There is some hope here that serious disaster may miss New Orleans this year, however, since none of the above problematical planets aspect the angles, as happened in 2005.

And the fixed stars? Wasat, of the nature of Saturn, is right on the Ascendant. According to Robson, the constellation to which Wasat belongs (Gemini) indicates “trouble and disgrace, sickness, loss of fortune, affliction and danger to the knees.” Wasat itself brings violence and malevolence. This obviously is cause for concern. Let’s see what the preceding eclipse is doing: this is the total solar eclipse on March 29, which fell on 8.30 Aries, two degrees away from the Cancer Ingress MC. Despite this strong and malefic contact, it may not bode too badly for New Orleans. The eclipse chart itself shows the eclipse below the earth, on the cusp of the 2^nd house, so its effects are not nearly as strong as they would have been had the eclipse occurred above the earth or at least in a cardinal house. The 2006 eclipse does not pass over North America, which further mitigates its effects.

Lilly writes: “you shall usually find that where the Ascendant or Mid-Heaven of those Cities or men doe concurre with the place of Heaven Eclipsed or defective, that in a great measure the effects shall appear and manifest themselves upon those men, Kings, or Rulers, Kingdoms, or Cities, especially if the Eclips be above the Earth, for all Eclipses are held to extend their effects most forcibly when above the Earth, weakly and not so vigorously when under the Earth; but that they have also then some manifest operation greater or lesser, I could manifest by many examples of Eclipses in this age, and confirm my own judgement by the opinion of severall learned men; I shall instance only Cardan Seg. 7. Apho. 81…Eclipses in the fourth House or Heaven are more forcible than those in the eighth or eleventh, those in the first more strong than they in the ninth or twelfth, and it must be acknowledged that although Eclipses in the first House cannot be visible, yet we are by no Author prohibited to judge them…”

So 2006 will likely not pack the same punch as 2005 did for New Orleans, due to the lack of angular contacts in the Cancer Ingress and the “invisible” and succedent preceding eclipse So what can we expect this year? Probably a good, healthy storm over New Orleans, but this time with far less water than before. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Horary of the Week: Will My Friend Go to England?

2006-05-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TWICE TO SEE A FULL-SIZE VERSION

Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.info by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Question: “Will my friend move to England?”

Background: A friend has been thinking to moving from the U.S. to England to be with her boyfriend. This would be obviously a big change for her, though she had lived abroad before, and she is more than adequately prepared to handle it. When she emailed me, she was trying to decide whether to go or not. Her mother in particular was against it at the time, and it looked as though my friend might not go because of the opposition from her mom. I felt she should go as it would help broaden her horizons.

Short Answer: Yes, she will go to England, though perhaps she will regret it or simply might return at some point.

Astrology:

1. My friend is signified by Saturn (Lord 11 of friends) in Leo, in her turned 7^th house. Obviously, she is very much in love with her boyfriend (7^th house), and this is her primary motivation for going overseas. Saturn, however, is retrograde, which might signify return. Let’s see how the rest of the chart looks.

2. She would be making a long journey to a foreign country. So we would look to the 9^th house. But do we look at the turned 9^th house or radical 9^th? John Frawley suggests that the bigger and more impersonal the object, the less likely we are to turn; turning the chart suggests the object somehow belongs to the person. Here, England does not belong to my friend, but her journey to England is hers alone. I realize reasonable people can differ on this one, but I chose the turned 9^th, which is the radical 7^th house.

The ruler of the 9^th house is Venus. To determine whether my friend will make her journey, we need to find an aspect between Saturn and Venus. And we’ve got one; Venus applies to an opposition to Saturn in 2 degrees. So my friend will indeed go to England, though oppositions bring regret or a breaking apart, so perhaps she will not stay there.

Follow-up: My friend did indeed leave for England, one month after I asked the question. Whether she will stay there or not, only time will tell.

The Guardian Daemon

2006-05-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

---Image from travellerspoint.com

A fascinating traditional concept is the notion of the entity assigned to be keeper of our soul, whose single task is to guard it against harm, and to aim us, in our imperfect incarnation, toward our destiny. The entity, of course, is the Guardian Angel, or as it was known to the ancient Greeks, the Guardian Daemon (this word did not used to have the negative meaning it carries today; rather, it meant “spirit”). You might think of the popular Lindberg image of the white-robed female angel hovering protectively over a small girl and boy crossing a precipice. However, while protection is an important part of the Daemon's function, its most important role is to ensure that our souls gain the maximum benefit from our life. In Platonic theology, souls are assigned their lives before they are born, a process involving both choice and chance, since each soul receives a lot to stand in line and gets to choose a life from innumerable ones spread before it. The lot represents chance, while the choice of life represents the free will to choose our life prior to birth. At least partially, a soul chose a particular life for a reason, in order to experience a particular set of circumstances. The Guardian Daemon ensures that the soul meets its objectives and, most important, gains something by the experience.

Not all Guardian Daemons are equal in effectiveness, since not every soul learns their lessons fully or completely during their sojourn on earth. This is not due to one Guardian Daemon being inferior to another, but rather to the quality of the soul's
perception. For some people, the Guardian Daemon shouts in their ear, while for others, he may as well be shouting across a busy street. Astrologically speaking, this is all in the strength or weakness of the receiving instrument, or the soul in question. Iamblichus, in "On the Mysteries," writes that the Guardian Daemon may be found in a chart, by looking for the Lord of the Geniture, since that is our strongest planet and our best card. However, he cautions that the planet itself is not the Daemon, but rather provides a means to the Daemon. I am inclined to see the overall strength of the Lord of the
Geniture as our willingness to follow the Guardian Daemon's promptings. A powerful Lord of the Geniture indicates that the person can hear clearly; a weaker Lord of the Geniture shows some fuzziness in the reception.

Too, every person's Guardian Daemon is different in nature. It is said of Socrates that his Guardian Daemon had a constraining nature, whereas for most people the Guardian Daemon incites to action. For most of us, it is when we do not listen to our Guardian Daemon's
promptings, we tend to become mere lumps of clay. For the very tiny minority of souls like that of Socrates, the Guardian Daemon must actually restrain the soul from pouring out its divine essence too quickly, and from expiring too soon to give the rest of the world any benefit of its wisdom. It is as though the vast majority of mankind was walking uphill to achieve wisdom at the top of the mountain, while Socrates walked downhill and told of those he met about what he saw at the top. Our Guardian Daemons must push us upward, while that of Socrates had to act as a brake so that he did not descend the mountain of knowledge without conferring any benefit on the rest of us.

How, then, do we find the Guardian Daemon and his nature in the chart? Manilius, in his Matheseos (IV.XVIII) suggests we take the Part of the Spirit (the formula is opposite that of the Part of Fortune, so Asc + Sun – Moon) and observe what planets aspect the part. The role of the Guardian Daemon is to bring out the best in us, so far as our natal charts allow it. I would thus look for the Lord of the Geniture (the planet with the most essential and accidental dignities in the chart) as a way to communicating with the Guardian Daemon. By doing things in accordance with the planetary nature of our Lord of the Geniture, we naturally emphasize our best side and leave our weaknesses by the wayside. If our Lord of the Geniture is Venus in Libra in the 7^th, we can expect that we need to cultivate Venusian relationships to be at our best. Perhaps the guidance from the Guardian Daemon will come through our relationship with others. The planet that is Lord of the Geniture is the overall “flavor” of the Daemon, while the house placement shows in which area of our life he can best manifest.

Real Astrology Conference at Fulda, Germany

2006-05-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Real Astrology conference at Fulda, as presented by John Frawley, was a great success. There were approximately 30 attendees from numerous countries, including Germany, the UK (including Scotland), the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, South Africa, and other exotic locales. Yours truly was the only representative from the US. By the end of the conference, I realized one very important thing – we really need more dialogue between traditional astrologers in all countries. There appears to be very little cooperation between US and European astrologers – sure, they chat on email lists, but the US traditional astrology community could significantly benefit from the Europeans’ efforts and knowledge. Judging from the attendees at the conference, the European traditional astrology community is extremely impressive, and I wished I could have spent a week just talking to everyone (whether they would have enjoyed that, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter). There need to be more cooperative ventures between traditional astrologers in variuos countries to enhance our understanding of the art, and truly bring the tradition to life.

As an illustration, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK each have their own home-grown traditional astrology magazine. The US, despite a much greater population and its technological advancement does not. The same is true for conferences and associations focused on traditional astrology. As you can no doubt tell from my strident tone, I have resolved to do something about this, and plan to pursue a rather unique method of bridging the geographical divide in the community, which (I hope) will raise the level of discourse about traditional astrology and its practice. Stay tuned for more details on this website and at www.gryphonastrology.info.

So what actually happened at the conference? John and Branka each lectured on key topics in the tradition – John spent the first evening discussing the philosophical and religious underpinnings of our art. We sang a traditional hymn in the praise of Lilly (“Lilly, Lilly, I love you so”), and analyzed two Rubens paintings. The following day, John lectured on the Arabian Parts and the soul within the chart. It was a very inspiring lecture, and was especially enlightening in view of John’s recent article in the Astrologer’s Apprentice on this very topic.

On Sunday, Serbian astrologer Branka Stamenkovic shared a few horaries with us, which all had to do with nefarious doings in the far-off land of Serbia. Vanished political rivals, hidden mafiosi assassins, and tormented lovers (are there any other kind that call astrologers in the middle of the night?) were all trotted out on display. We learned much from Branka’s charts, as she described the analytical process she used for each chart.

At the end of the last day, John lectured on the chart, solar and lunar returns of one Vesna Vukovic, a Serbian airline hostess who fell from the skies during a terrorist plane bombing, and miraculously survived.

About Fulda itself: a town of about 65,000 in the Hessian region of Germany, it has both historical and natural beauty. On the train ride from Frankfurt, there were beautiful rolling flowery meadows with contented cows grazing happily. It appeared to be a large Milka commercial. The town has beautiful baroque architecture and gardens dating from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, as well as churches that were far older, and were established when Christianity first arrived in Germany over 1000 years ago.

Finally, the hotel itself was very cozy and as one should expect in Germany, immaculately clean. The food was delicious, abundant, and all homemade (just thinking about the yummy desserts makes me hungry). Yum!

Future doings: Word has it that due to the great success of the Fulda conference, there will be a repeat next year, this time with more speakers from all over the world. Details, as always, can be found on John Frawley’s website, in the “Here, There and Everywhere” section. Visit www.johnfrawley.com for updates.

A Donkey, a Rope and the Nature of Solar Eclipses

2006-03-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Solar eclipses are extremely important in traditional astrology, increasing exponentially in importance as we ascend from horary through natal to electional and finally mundane techniques. But why is this? The scientists would say that it is because that legendary creature, Primitive Man, looked with awe and fear upon the shadow hiding the sun even as the sun stood high in the sky, and ascribed it magical powers. This is clearly nonsense, since if anyone understood the true nature of an eclipse, it was that nonlegendary creature, Traditional Man. Luckily for us, there exist fragments of myths so old they were ancient millennia ago, that indicate the true nature of astronomical phenomena, so that we, the moderns, may begin to understand eclipses like our ancestors did.

Ocnus

“Ocnus the rope-maker is a symbolic character, represented as being in Hades weaving a rope that a female donkey eats as fast as he can make it,” says Pierre Grimal’s phenomenal mythological compendium, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Grimal goes on to say that the meaning of the myth is unclear.

The symbolism here is strongly astronomical, since in the Tradition, whenever we have two of something, we are looking at a description of the Solar-Lunar relationship. Here, we have a man (Sun) and a female donkey (Moon), one which creates and gives, and the other which receives and devours. In the normal state of things, during the day, the Sun far outshines the Moon. But during a solar eclipse, the Moon interposes itself between the Earth and the Sun, and hides the Sun from our view. Many ancient cultures referred to the Sun being consumed by a dragon, a demon, or another being. Going back to Ocnus and the donkey, there is a crucial third element to the Soli-Lunar relationship; the rope made by Ocnus that is constantly eaten by the donkey.

The Rope

“All this is threaded upon Me, as rows of pearls on a string,” says the Bhagavad Gita.

In the tradition, threads, chains, and ropes all symbolize the omnipresent divine nature connecting all worlds. Our visible, three-dimensional world is but one of innumerable beads on a string, or as René Guénon more accurately puts it, “an indefinite series of horizontal discs strung on a vertical axis,” since the universe is ordered hierarchically.

The axis of the thread running through each disc or bead is itself a Solar (i.e. divine) symbol, indicative of the way the Sun’s rays intersect with the world. Ibn ‘Arabi writes that the Sun (Ocnus) carries its influence to the receptive Moon (the donkey), which in turn, transmits that influence to our world. Normally, the Moon passes over or under the Sun, therefore not eclipsing it, and we do not receive the full impact of Solar energy because the Moon and the Sun are not perfectly aligned. During an eclipse, however, they are aligned, and for just an instant, we get a glimpse of the thread connecting us to the world above, and through the thread, a hint of the upper world itself.

This is why eclipses have the greatest impact in the localities where the eclipse is total, and more generally, the areas where the eclipse is visible. The beads are perfectly aligned from the perspective of those locales and the thread is dead-on straight. For an instant, we see the string of beads, not just the bead we happen to inhabit. Of course, given that the effects of solar eclipses are generally disruptive to our bodily existence, we are obviously less than adept at handling such infusions of raw power. So much for the idea that we have somehow evolved.

Gryphon Is Back!

2006-03-11T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I am very excited to be back after a longish pause of almost four months. During this time, much has happened, but I have certainly not given up on traditional astrology! On the less-momentous scale, I got a much-needed update of my AstroDatabank software (which I heartily recommend to anyone with an interest in natal astrology. They have now added a few features especially nice for a traditional astrologer).

Past and Future Astro-Adventures of the Fearless Gryphon.

A more thrilling escapade (more thrilling than updating my astro software, even) lay in store a few weeks ago, when I went to a fantastic workshop with John Frawley in San Francisco. The workshop was two days. The first day consisted of discussions of natal astrology, while the second day focused on fixed stars. It was a wonderful experience, both because it was super educational (where else can you get a traditional perspective on the astrological links between George W. Bush’s chart and that for Baghdad?), but also because the caliber of the attendees was simply top-notch. Many of the attendees came from outside the Bay Area, the farthest being a strange land known as New Jersey. I was impressed with everyone and my only regret was that I didn’t get to spend a few hours talking with each person there.

My next astro-adventure is John Frawley’s conference in Fulda, Germany in early May (you can read about it on his website), which promises to be great fun. The two lecturers are John himself, and Branka Stamenkovic, a traditional astrologer from Belgrade. My understanding is that Fulda has at least one Internet café, so I plan to blog the conference from there with some pictures of the proceedings (watch in amazement as John and Branka fearlessly tame a stable of wild and dangerous antiscia!). I really look forward to meeting the European contingent of traditional astrologers as well. Not to mention the shopping in Germany (insert Homer Simpson drooling noise here). Needless to say, if you’re going to Fulda for the conference, send me an email and introduce yourself.

Future Blog Articles

So, what’s ahead for us here on the Gryphon Astrology blog? Last time we ended with some talk about the Fixed Stars. I have since gotten deeper into this topic, and have acquired a few books on mythology to better help me understand the underlying myths. I have even begun reading a few of the said books. I will talk more about a few major Fixed Stars from a mythological perspective, to better clarify the relationship between the myths and the stars’ use in a chart. Since last November, I have accumulated a few horaries I would like to share with you as well, so I will bring those out as time permits. Finally, I have been doing a lot of reading of the ancient Greek philosophers, courtesy of that prolific and incredibly gifted 18th-century translator, Thomas Taylor. The Greeks spent a great deal of time thinking about spiritual matters, as well as the unseen world in general. One of the things I found fascinating, especially within an astrological context, is the existence of what the Greeks called “Guardian Daemon,” which was co-opted into Christianity as Guardian Angel. Finding the nature of this entity in a chart poses an interesting challenge, and I look forward to addressing it in an upcoming article. In the meantime, stay tuned and once again, it’s good to be back.

Fame and Fortune in the [Fixed] Stars

2005-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

This week, I wanted to spend some time examining a natal chart for the possibilities offered by the fixed stars. In many ways, the fixed stars are more important even than the planets, though ultimately the two must work in tandem to describe a life. William Lilly, in Christian Astrology, writes: "The fixed stars give great gifts, and elevate even from poverty to an extreme height of fortune, the seven planets do not do so." We can thus see immediately that we are dealing with two different species here; the seven planets will tell you if you will have lots of money, but only fixed stars can give you a place on the Forbes 500.

To demonstrate the technique, I will look at the fixed stars in Oprah Winfrey’s chart. She certainly qualifies as someone elevated from poverty to dizzying heights. She grew up quite poor in the pre-civil rights American South, and today has a spellbound audience of millions who watch her show, read her magazine, and take her recommendations on everything from diet to spirituality. Her cultural influence is great and her personal fortune is estimated at over $1 billion. If Lilly is right, she must have some powerful fixed stars working for her. I will not hold you in suspense: she does. There is also a planetary significator of wealth in her chart, but on its own, it wouldn’t give her the great fortune she enjoys today.

Her chart is as follows (the data is Jan 29 1954, 7:51 pm, Kosciusko, Mississippi, 10 Virgo rising):

To start with, it is important to remember that millions of people are born in the course of a century with a planet on a good fixed star. For instance, given a 1.5 degree orb, Jupiter stayed within spitting distance of Regulus for months in 1955. And yet not all those people born then are extremely wealthy. This is because Jupiter conjunct Regulus must be highlighted in some way in a chart for that fixed star to really do its work. It should rule an important house or point (such as the Part of Fortune) and/or be in an angular house. Strong aspects are also an added perk. Also, there seems to be considerable strength in numbers when it comes to fixed stars: one, the stars need to really be of the bright magnitude to do some work (no dimmer than a 2 magnitude body). Two, the more planets on strong fixed stars, the better.

Aldebaran

In Oprah’s chart, we can see three important fixed stars. The MC is conjunct Aldebaran, a royal star. This is a most promising start, since the MC shows what we will make of ourselves in the world – becoming like royalty in whatever our circle of influence, in this case. Aldebaran is the Eye of the Bull in the constellation of Taurus. Ptolemy designates it as a Mars-influenced star. It is one of the four Watchers of the Skies of ancient Persia (the others are the royal stars Fomalhaut, Antares, and Regulus), and correlates with the four Horsement of the Apocalypse. Again, if you had any doubts, this is one of the heavy-lifting stars. Its constellation image is the bull, with his front legs emerging from the sea, in an image reminiscent of Zeus’s abduction of Europa. In a metaphysical sense, the image describes earthly manifestation (the bull) from desire (the sea), and both symbols are powerful images of generation and fecundity. We thus would expect wealth from Aldebaran. Vivian Robson writes of Aldebaran that it bestows honor, preferment, good fortune and favors from women (presumably referencing Europa, and especially apropos in Oprah’s case, since women make up most of her audience).

Sirius

The Part of Fortune is conjunct Sirius, the brightest star visible today, which is the mouth of the Greater Dog, Canis Major. It is said to be of Jupiterian and Martial influence. Robson ascribes a positive influence to it, stating that it brings honor, renown and wealth. In more ancient times, however, as Sirius made its appearance during the Dog days of summer, it was associated with an excess of choler (inward heat) and ferocity. The Dog in question, mythologically speaking, is one of the hunter Orion’s two dogs, symbolizing the senses of man, which were created to serve. Undoubtedly, the brightness of Sirius shows Oprah’s brilliant fortune. As someone who had made it big in the media – which by definition caters to our senses, the symbolism seems very appropriate.

Rigel

Jupiter in the midheaven is conjunct Rigel, the star on Orion’s heel. Rigel is of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter, and it is also the star at the end of the celestial river Eridanus. According to Rene Guenon, rivers are a special symbol, as they show the ever-changing but constant (yes, it’s a paradox – the water running through the river is never the same water that just flowed through, and yet it’s the same river) nature of the connection between Heaven and Earth. Orion was the tallest and handsomest giant (for he was a Titan born of Gaia, the Earth) who ever lived. As the son of Poseidon, he was able to walk across the ocean floor with his head above the surface. As a great hunter, he once boasted that he could wipe out all animals from the earth; his mother Gaia grew alarmed and sent a giant scorpion to sting Orion in the heel. In another version of the story, the lunar goddess Artemis, in love with Orion, shot him by mistake as he was crossing the ocean. In either case, the fruit of pure generation, which is what all the Titans are, was slain by generation itself. The Moon is the planet of generation, and creatures like scorpions, that breed in great numbers, are a manifestation of generation as well. So Rigel is at once a star of great abundance but also the threat of a sudden fall from grace when the plentiful blessings grow too profuse.

The 1^st C.E. poet Manilius writes of Orion: “A son of Orion's will be worth a multitude and will seem to dwell in every quarter of the city; flying from door to door with the one word of morning greeting, he will enjoy the friendship of all.” How appropriate for someone seen in nearly every home and regarded as a friend by so many!

Planetary Influences

We would be remiss if we ignored the promise of wealth by Oprah’s 2^nd house. That house is ruled by Venus, which is cadent, so accidentally weak, but also cazimi (within a few minutes of the Sun). Lilly writes of cazimi planets that “they are wondrous strong,” since they are in the bosom of the king (the Sun). Alone, this Venus may have granted some wealth, but not the fabulous wealth and fame Oprah enjoys today.

Horary of the Week: Will I Keep My Job?

2005-11-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

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Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.info by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Question: "Will I keep my job?"

Background: The Querent found out that several coworkers were going to lose their jobs due to a company reorganization. Though he knew that his job was not in danger at this time, he wanted assurance that he was not going to lose his work sometime later.

Short answer: Yes. The Querent's position seems secure at this time. Though there are changes in his immediate environment, he seems in a remarkably good place for the foreseeable future.

The astrology: First, to get a general overview of the situation, we look to the angles; they are all mutable, showing that we can expect the situation to be in flux, ebbing and flowing. Let's see what's going on with our Querent. His significator is Jupiter in the 7th house in Scorpio; Jupiter just entered Scorpio, a fixed sign, so we can see the Querent is not going anywhere for quite a while. The Moon, as the Querent's cosignificator is also fixed, emphasizing that the Querent is staying in place. It is also void of course, making no further aspects in its sign, indicating that there is nothing going on in the situation. Now, the Moon is at the end of a fixed sign, about to move into Pisces, so the indicator is that there may be some change in the future.
Let us look at the Arabic Part of Resignation & Dismissal (Saturn + Jupiter - Sun); it lies at 26 Cancer. Its dispositor, then, is the Moon. The Moon's first aspect upon entering Pisces is a trine to Jupiter. The implication is that after some change in the situation, symbolized by the change of sign, the Querent may leave, but not at this time.

Traditional Astrology Books: The Greatest Hits

2005-11-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

--Jacob's Ladder. Clipart collection at godecookery.com.

I have been asked for the best way to learn tradtional astrology, both with regard to technique and the underlying philosophy. While technique is important, the thought behind traditional astrology is a thousand times more important to master. The difference between the two is like knowing how to read versus knowing why we read and what to read once we learned how. Finally, your understanding of traditional thought will greatly improve your technique. In traditional astrology, the method and the philosophy are one, demonstrating the excellence of the type of astrology which stems from the Spirit, rather than material concerns.

Method:

Lilly’s Christian Astrology (both volumes); I recommend the edition published by D. Roell of astroamerica.com. Please see my post on How to Read Lilly for additional elucidation.

Bonatti’s books on horary (there are four currently available from Project Hindsight). Bonatti was an excellent astrologer, and a meticulous (sometimes even pedantic) pedagogue. His books are very clear and easy to understand, though even he had moments when his technique was weaker than we would expect; see last week’s post on Besieging a Castle.

Al-Biruni. The Arabs were instrumental in combining concepts from eastern (i.e. Indian) astrology and western (Hellenistic) astrology. There was substantial cultural exchange between India and the Arab world, and this is reflected in the astrology passed down to the European medieval world.

Philosophy:

Mystical Astrology According to Ibn ‘Arabi by Titus Burckhardt. First, I would never recommend reading this book as my first foray into traditional thought. Though slim, it is extremely dense and assumes that the reader already has a solid grasp of traditional thought. Second, the prose itself is not easy to understand; the sentences often run a paragraph long. However, I have put it in first place, as it is such an excellent summary of the intersection between traditional thought and astrology. My recommendation is to read it first and get a passing familiarity with the concepts therein. Then put it aside and read one or more of the books below, after which it is best to revisit this book. Your brain will thank me.

Advice to the Serious Seeker by James Cutsinger. This is where you should really begin. Cutsinger, a professor and disciple of Frithjof Schuon’s (more on him below) does an excellent job of laying out the esoteric outlines that underlie traditional thought. He also has a few chapters on integrating the tradition into your modern life, a unique and practical approach to living the philosophy (long medieval gowns are not a prerequisite to practicing traditional astrology, in case you were wondering).

The Essential Frithjof Schuon. Schuon was a renowned exponent of the traditional philosophy. I highly recommend his works in general, as they are a good introduction to many traditional thinkers. The Transcendent Unity of Religions is excellent as well.

Any of Ibn ‘Arabi’s works. Ibn ‘Arabi is considered a great Islamic thinker. He lived during the 12^th century and moved through the Islamic world as an itinerant scholar. He was extremely prolific and put much of his mystical understanding into writing. Though a challenging read, his work goes to the heart of traditional thought like no other. A good start is Ringstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam).

The Reign of Quantity & the Signs of the Times by Rene Guenon. This book is definitely a must to get the “why” of traditional philosophy and how in heck we got to where we are today. Another top-notch, instructive and slightly less depressing read is Fundamental Symbols (published by Fons Vitae Press (under the Quinta Essentia imprint)).

Besieging a Castle: How Not to Do It

2005-10-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

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Besieging a Castle: How Not to Do It.

If you haven't yet read Bonatti's On War, you owe it to yourself to do so. This is not so much because it will come in handy in your daily life (note: if you routinely lay sieges as part of your workday, you may need a new career), but because it is a fascinating firsthand account of a "field" astrologer in the 13^th century Bonatti had participated in many military expeditions, and there are several stories of his astrological prowess saving the day (check out Holden's History of Horoscopic Astrology) The text is also an excellent illustration of the fact that even then, the commander did not always listen to his astrologer's advice!

In this post, I will examine a chart from 1261, when Bonatti went on an expedition with the then-podesta (a type of military commander) of Urbino, Guido di Montefeltro. By way of historical context, Guido was one of the Ghibelline faction and was consigned to Hell by Dante Alighieri in Canto XXVII of his Divine Comedy. Guido was apparently quite a character; he ran Urbino for over thirty years, no small task in those unstable times, and at the end of his long life became a Franciscan monk, presumably to atone for his sins. As an astrologer, Bonatti earned a place in Hell also, though Dante gives every indication of possessing quite advanced astrological knowledge himself! In our chart, Guido and his army were besieging a castle, and the commander wished to know whether they would take it or not.

Technical Details: I am using Robert Zoller's translation of On War, which I would recommend highly to interested readers. Though the place, date and time for the chart are not given, the closest approximation I could find is October 11, 1261, 9:05 am GMT, Urbino, Italy. Interestingly, the Sun and Moon for this chart are where they should be, but several of the other planets are in different degrees from Solar Fire's calculation. This could be because Bonatti was doing the chart on the go, as it were, and he probably did not bring a watch, mainly because they did not exist in 1261. The computer approximation is close enough for our purposes, anyway. If you have Zoller's translation, the chart reproduced from a 16^th-century manuscript is the preferred version.

In a siege chart such as this one, Bonatti says to use the 1^st house and the Moon for the querent and his side, and the 4^th house for the enemy's castle or land. One then weighs the accidental and essential dignities of each house and ruling planet to see who will emerge victorious. This seems simple enough. However, Bonatti acknowledges other authorities who would assign the 10^th house to the enemy's land (under the reasoning that it is the 4^th from the house of open enemies, the 7^th). There is yet another possible analytical approach we can take, which Bonatti does not mention, but it seems the most plausible to me: weighing the relative strengths of the 1^st and 7^th houses, house cusps, planets therein, and their rulers, as in any contest. The 4^th/10^th house axis becomes largely irrelevant in that case. I will apply each of these three techniques to this chart, and see which one(s) gives the result Bonatti describes.

METHOD 1 (Bonatti's original method):

Querent and his army are represented by Moon in Taurus in the 5^th house, and Jupiter in Capricorn in the 2^nd. The 1^st house cusp is conjunct Antares, the star of the autumn equinox, symbolizing endings. Two planets below the horizon, one in fall, Asc conjunct Antares; not a terrible start for Guido, but it could be a lot better.

The enemy (the castle's army) are shown by the 4^th house, also ruled by Jupiter, so we cannot use it twice. However, we do see the North Node in the 4^th, and also Saturn. In his book, Bonatti says that Saturn is positioned at the entrance to the house, which it clearly is not. I think he just does this with 20/20 hindsight, since the castle (spoiler alert!) was not taken by Guido. Normally, seeing Saturn in a house is not good for its occupants. It seems, however, that the North Node may have helped quite a bit.

We will also note (and this is NOT what Bonatti says) that to find the ruler of the 4^th, we simply move on one sign from Pisces, and take Mars, ruler of Aries. Mars is the most elevated planet in the chart, conjunct the fixed star Vindemiatrix, the widow-maker, and conjunct the South Node. Note that Jupiter exalts Mars; Jupiter is in Mars's power. With the Moon applying to a trine with a weak Jupiter, we can assume Guido will not win. Bonatti says Guido's men lost because they were slothful; given that Jupiter is in its fall, perhaps they spent too much time in excess to really do battle. Attacking the castle with a beer in each hand just doesn't work.

METHOD 2

Bonatti mentions that this method is used by some authorities; give the castle the 10^th (as 4^th from the 7^th) and 1^st to the besieging army. We've already talked about the 1^st above; the 10^th is ruled by Mercury, which is in Scorpio in the 11^th house (so elevated over Jupiter). As we mentioned previously, Mars is conjunct Vindemiatrix and the South Node in the 10^th house. The South Node does not bode well, but elevation seems to mean a lot in these charts, and having the God of War on your side, elevated over all the other planets is not a bad thing. Even according to this method, then, Guido loses.

METHOD 3

I like this method the best, because it's based on first principles. Our team gets the 1^st house; our opponents get the 7^th. It doesn't really matter if our house (4^th) or castle (4^th) or cattle (12^th) or child (5^th) is at stake. This is a duel. Mano a mano.

On this reality check, we proceed: As we noted the 1^st house and its rulers are not in excellent shape. The 7^th house looks a bit better; Mercury is in the 11^th. The Moon just opposed it, so we can assume that our armies have clashed, or at least that negotiations were broken off and Guido announced that the castle is now officially besieged. Note that Mercury hates the Moon; it is in Scorpio, the Moon's fall. The Moon could care less about Mercury, on the other hand. Guido's men just don't seem that motivated. Jupiter recently squared a very nasty Saturn in fall; our men are doing really badly, now that we look at it.

As Bonatti points out, it's not that the enemy were such amazing fighters, it's just that Guido's men were in such pitiful shape. And why were they in such pitiful shape? Bonatti mentions that when they leave the siege field, the men are grateful that for the first time in four months, it stopped raining. No wonder they were glad to go home!

Horary of the Week: Will We Be Reunited?

2005-10-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

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Question: "Will my boyfriend and I get back together?"

Background: The Querent was dating a man with some psychological issues, and the two enjoyed a long-term relationship. The boyfriend left the country for a few months, promising to return and resume the relationship. However, when he returned, he had a relapse of his former problems and told the Querent that he was not in a state to continue the relationship. The Querent wished to know if they would be reunited and if so, when.

Short answer: Not in the foreseeable future. The chart shows very clearly that as of the date of the chart, he was about to somehow do himself ill, that is, he would start acting against his interest. Certainly, rejecting a positive and constructive relationship would qualify as harming oneself. What is most interesting – and unusual – in this chart is the level of interest that the two people have in one another. Most relationship questions only get asked once the affair is on the rocks; here, there is strong mutual interest. It is his propensity to act against his own best interest that gets in the way of his feelings for the Querent. There is no connection shown between the two people in the near future, however, and so the Querent has two choices; she can wait for him to get his life and health together, or she can move on.

The astrology: The Querent is symbolized by the Moon, Lord of the 1^st house, and her biological “I am woman” needs are shown by Venus. Her boyfriend is shown by Saturn, and his biological mate-finding prerogatives are shown by the Sun. We can immediately see the mutual love between the two shown by Moon in Aquarius, Saturn’s sign and triplicity; and Saturn in Cancer, the Moon’s own sign. He loves her, she loves him, so there is no problem so far. Note, however, what is going on with the Sun and Venus, their respective biological urges. Both planets are in Pisces, Jupiter’s sign. Clearly, both people are strongly under Jupiter’s power. Jupiter itself is angular in the 4^th house, and retrograde. While it is strongly positioned to act due to its angularity, it is in Libra, the sign of the Sun’s fall, and so harms the Sun. Jupiter rules the boyfriend’s 12^th house of self-undoing; his tendency to make less than wise choices controls his urge to be in a relationship. Jupiter is retrograde, implying that his problematic tendency is returning.

Saturn exalts Jupiter in Cancer, showing the boyfriend’s attachment to making less than wise choices. There is no applying aspect between any of her planets and any of his planets, showing that while the mutual inclination is there, there is no opportunity to resume the relationship; the occasion simply is not shown. Finally, the Moon is about to trine Juipter, indicating that the Querent will soon run into her boyfriend’s self-harming tendencies.

Passion and Pride

2005-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

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As traditional astrologers, we love our malefics, Saturn and Mars. Not when they act on us, of course, and we find ourselves caught in a Saturnian vise or a Martial tempest. Nonetheless, we pride ourselves on understanding these two planets are meanies to some degree and given half a chance, they will do their utmost to ruin our glorious designs.

However, according to Traditional thought, it is not Saturn and Mars we should really fear, but rather the Sun and Mars, the two Hot and Dry planets. For traditional metaphysicians, passion and pride are the most serious obstacles to spiritual pursuits. Pride is the ugly side of the royal Sun, and passion quite simply is Mars. Frithjof Schuon, in his Survey of Metaphysics and Esoterism, speaks of the problems associated with each vice.

Astrologically speaking, we can discern what these problems are and how they operate in us. We can also watch for the two planets’ operation in natal charts. Pride is said to be a particularly insidious sin, said St. Augustine, because it is the only vice that attaches itself to virtue, rather than fleeing from it. This is very true in any chart: imagine that you have a perfectly lovely Venus in Libra in the 10^th house, such that you simply overflow with the milk of human kindness and can share it easily with the world.

Now imagine that this Venus is uncomfortably close to the fallen Sun in Libra, which, in this particular chart, likes to claim accomplishments it knows it does not deserve. And so, where before we had an unadulterated strength, the Sun’s merciless rays turn it to a weakness. Just as no planet is safe from the Sun; no virtue is immune from pride’s destructive tendencies.

Schuon says that passion causes two chief problems: attachment and insatiability. Here, we turn to Mars’s dignities and debilities to understand the difficulties Mars can cause. Mars is strong in its own signs, Aries and Scorpio, and in its exaltation, Capricorn. It is important to remember that though Mars is personified in the following explanation, the application of this is not liimited to natal charts; sign placements in horaries and electional charts are extraordinarily revealing as well.

In Aries, Mars is strong because it remains unattached; the quick-moving cardinal fire sign will not permit Mars to dwell too long on any given desire. The dark side of this placement, however, is the weakness of insatiability; in its eagerness to conquer everything and lose no time, Mars’s hunger for new experiences produces a lack of focus and the drive to pursue an impossible quest.

The converse is true for Mars in Scorpio, a fixed water sign. Water is the desire nature, but fixed water (ice!) forces Mars to slow down and move cautiously and deliberately in pursuit of its passion. Such slow-moving passion is just another word for attachment, this placement’s weakness. Mars is Scorpio is slow to adopt the new and slow to let go of the old.

Finally, Mars in Capricorn is disciplined and given firm boundaries by Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn.. Mars’s unrestrained passion becomes very focused and controlled. However, as a planet in exaltation is not quite as strong as in its own sign, Capricorn does not fully address Mars’s innate tendency to attachment and insatiability; it merely puts Mars into something of a straitjacket.

Gryphon Is Back!

2005-10-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The Gryphon Astrology Blog has moved to
http://gryphonastrology.com/blog

Dear Readers,

I am so excited to be back to blogging and posting the Weekly Horary. My life has been through many wonderful changes recently, and only now have I settled into a routine. The good news is that I have been reading a great deal of fascinating astrological and philosophical material that I am eager to share with all of you. In the next few days, expect a new Weekly Horary and a new "food for thought" article. Thank you for all your support and emails!

Nina

Weekly Horary: Should I Hire J As Personal Assistant?

2005-08-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

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Email your horary questions to nina “at” gryphonastrology.info by Friday to be published on Sunday.

Question: “Should I hire J. as my personal assistant?”

Background: The Querent owns a small business and is looking for a personal assistant to help her organize her busy schedule. She has been looking at a number of candidates, and has found one that seems appropriate. However, the Querent had some reservations about the candidate’s skills and experience as a personal assistant.

Short Answer: No. While J. is a decent person who could do the job adequately, it looks as though there will be some impediment to her using those skills. Perhaps the Querent’s job requirements will impede J. somewhat. More importantly, the Querent does not seem to like J. very much, or at least harm her in some way. This may not be personal, just that the Querent feels J is unsuited to the job. Instead, Querent seems to very strongly prefer another candidate, though that individual may be a rather worse choice than J. Nonetheless, we can determine J will not be hired.

Astrology:

J, as the Querent’s potential employee, is shown by the 6^th house and its ruler, Jupiter. Jupiter is in its term, so it has some essential dignity, indicating that J has some skills and is essentially a decent person. However, Jupiter is about to conjunct the malefic South Node, indicating that while J would be an okay employee, she will be prevented from using those skills. Perhaps something will happen to her, or more likely, the Querent herself would somehow prevent J from doing her job.
Querent does not seem to like J very much, which would be one reason not to hire J as a personal assistant. This is shown by Venus in Jupiter’s detriment. However, both the Moon and Venus are in strong dignities of Mercury, indicating that the Querent much prefers another candidate. Unfortunately, Mercury is not known for its sense of honesty or integrity, and here Mercury is debilitated by being retrograde, peregrine and combust. Querent would do better in hiring J than this other individual.
There will be no progress in the situation, as shown by the Moon being Void of Course (not making any aspects in its current sign). Nothing will happen, so unless we see aspects between Lord 1 or the Moon and Lord 6, we can assume J will not be hired. There is no applying aspect between Jupiter and Venus/Moon, so J will not be hired by the Querent.

The Part of Fortune, Part II

2005-08-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Meaning and Use of the Part of Fortune

In the previous article we established that it is best to follow Ptolemy’s lead on calculating the Part of Fortune and not reverse it in nighttime charts (to recap, the formula is PoF = Asc + Moon – Sun). This is because the reversed Part of Fortune is actually a whole new part with a different meaning, the Part of Spirit. While the Part of Fortune is concerned with physical riches and the physical state of one’s soul (remember that in traditional thought, the soul itself is a physical entity), the Part of Spirit is concerned with spiritual riches and one’s inclination to the spiritual life. Thus, we cannot confuse the two Parts, and must keep them separate.

The fact that the two most important Parts in a chart are mirror images of one another is extremely important from a spiritual perspective. I will cover the spiritual implications of the reversal and the relationship between the Part of Fortune and the Part of Spirit in a subsequent article. For the moment, I simply quote these words from Meister Eckhart: “The Soul has two eyes – one looking inwards and the other outwards. It is the inner eye of the soul that looks into essence and takes being directly from God.” The Part of Fortune, then, is the outward-looking eye, the rays of which go outward into the world (again, traditionally, the eyes emanated divine light toward objects, not vice versa as the scientists assure us today).

The Part of Fortune in the Chart

In the natal chart, the Part of Fortune will show us the physical nature of the soul. Think of it as a bodily faculty, like sight or hearing. Look at its house position and the state of its dispositor, which is probably even more important than the state of the Part itself. We can identify very spiritual individuals from the Part of Fortune and its dispositor. Typically, the dispositor will itself rule several important planets in the chart. This means that the soul governs the other physical and mental faculties of the native, which is ideal, and correspondingly rare.

Bonatti says that the Part of Fortune “signifies the life, the body, and also its soul, its strength, fortune, substance, and profit, that is: wealth and poverty, gold and silver, heaviness or lightness of things bought in the marketplace, praise and good reputation, and honours and recognition, good and evil, present and future, hidden and manifest; and it has signification over everything.” That last bit being particularly unhelpful, the very comprehensiveness of Bonatti’s list is interesting. In it, he basically combines the roles of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant, the three of which on some basic level, do have “signification over everything.”

Regardless of the discussion about the Part’s role in describing the soul, it will always describe the material fortunes of the native. Bonatti ultimately says that the Part signifies “good fortune,” or presumably its lack in the native’s life. Ultimately, the signification of the Part is external, and the spirituality that it describes is that which shines through the native’s exterior. In traditional philosophy, and in an ideal world, there is no disconnect between the external and the internal – one’s appearance mirrors one’s essence. The Part of Fortune reflects that reality, that the inner reality is always tied in with the outer.

Weekly Horary: Should I study architecture?

2005-08-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

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Remember to send in your questions for next week's horary to nina "at" gryphonastrology.info. Thanks!

The Question:

“Should I study architecture?”

The Querent is trying to decide between two possible courses of study to supplement her major at university. One possible course is architecture, in which she did well academically, but did not enjoy the material. The other possibility the Querent is considering is archaeology, with which she has considerably less experience, but is more drawn to it. Ultimately, the choice for the Querent is between a practical career in architecture or an academic career.

Short answer:

Neither architecture nor archaeology are going to miraculously do wonders for the Querent – it appears that she is deciding between two decent but fairly unexciting courses of action. The short answer is that either course of study would be a reasonable choice, though architecture seems to be a somewhat better pursuit. More broadly, however, addressing the Querent’s motivation for asking the question, we can say that a career in academia seems to be the better direction. Presumably, the Querent could enter academia either with an architectural or with an archaeological background. The key is that academic work is more after the Querent’s heart, which is very important, as having a career one loves is crucial.

Astrology:

1. We have to identify architecture and archaeology in this chart. The special challenge here is that both fields are naturally ruled by Saturn; archaeology involves digging in the ground for old things and ruins, while architecture is about creating structures and giving form to ideas. We thus have to turn to the receptions to find out what is what in this chart.

The Querent has told us she is interested in archaeology, so we would want to see one of her significators in the dignities of a certain planet. Venus is in the sign and exaltation of Mercury, while the Moon exalts Jupiter. So, most likely, Mercury is likely the study of archaeology. Mercury is not in good shape in this chart: it is retrograde and combust, and moving deeper into combustion by the day. I don’t tend to see retrogradation as a problem for Mercury here, since the nature of architecture is to go back into the past. However, the increasing combustion indicates problems with that field of study – problems which may get worse with time.

If Mercury stands for archaeology, then architecture may well be Saturn, but we should check this. The Querent has told us she is not crazy about studying architecture, which she finds boring. So we would expect to see one or both of her significators (Venus or the Moon) in negative receptions of Saturn, if indeed it stands for architecture. Venus is not in any of Saturn’s dignities, but the Moon is in Saturn’s debility. This fits what we know – on an emotional level, the Querent dislikes architecture. Saturn is not in an excellent position, either, because it is in detriment. However, it has recently left combustion, and therefore is not that afflicted.

Neither Saturn nor Mercury is in the Moon’s or Venus’s dignities/debilities, so neither field seems particularly good or bad for the Querent. But Saturn is in marginally better shape, so it is the better choice of the two.

I would also note that the Ascendant is conjunct the fixed star Vindemiatrix, suggesting that the Querent may be overestimating her abilities in some manner. Thus, the more conservative option is advisable here, where the Querent should stick to the more familiar – if disliked – architecture studies. Archaeology may be a bit of a stretch for the Querent.

2. Since the Querent mentioned that her question really stemmed from her indecision about pursuing architecture as a career or going into academia, I took a look at the Part of Vocation (MC + Moon – Sun), which is at 15.13 Gemini, in the 9^th house. Its location immediately suggests that the Querent’s vocation lies in academia (9^th house = house of higher learning). Further, the Moon’s antiscion is conjunct the Part of Vocation, suggesting that academic work is really what she wants to do.

This chart shows what is the case in many horaries – very often, we are faced with two choices, one not much better than the other. This is probably why we asked the question; if the answer was clear, we wouldn’t need to ask. The chart will typically show something like we saw here: “Neither choice seems amazingly wonderful, but Y seems somewhat better than X.” Kind of like real life, isn’t it?

The Part of Fortune, Part I

2005-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Part of Fortune, Part I.

(Sources used for analysis in this article: Robert Zoller’s translation of Guido Bonatti’s treatise on the Arabic Parts; Al-Biruni’s Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology.)

The Part of Fortune aka Fortuna has been used by astrologers for hundreds of years in natal, horary and electional astrology; many modern astrologers typically encounter it but do not use it. It can be quite a handy tool to have in natal analysis, and can substantially enrich one’s practice.

Though we will discuss this notion in greater length, the Part is generally taken to signify one’s material possessions, i.e.: one’s wealth. It is often taken to signfiy the state of one's soul as well. Its reverse, the Part of Spirit, shows shows spiritual, inward possessions, or one's propensity to religion and things of the Spirit. The condition of the Part of Fortune and its dispositor will determine the quality and state of one’s material and spiritual wealth.

In this article, we will discuss in detail what the Part of Fortune means and how to use it. In this Part I of the article, we will discuss the mechanics of how to implement the Part of Fortune in charts. In Part II, we will talk about the practical and philosophical meaning of the Part of Fortune.

Calculation of the Part of Fortune

The Part of Fortune is a point calculated in the chart, as distinguished from any astronomical body. To find the Part of Fortune, take the longitude of the Ascendant, add the longitude of the Moon, and subtract the longitude of the Sun (PoF = Asc + Moon – Sun).

Thus, 2 Aries is 2 degrees of longitude, 2 degrees of Taurus is 32 degrees of longitude, 17 Gemini is 77 degrees of longitude, and so on around the zodiac. The resulting point from your calculations is the place of the Part of Fortune. Its state and that of its dispositor (the planet which rules the sign the Part of Fortune falls in) will describe the state of the person’s possessions.

If you were born at night, that is, the Sun is under the horizon in your natal chart, some authorities state that you should reverse the above formula: PoF = Asc + Sun – Moon.

The Actors: The Sun, the Moon, and the Ascendant

So why use these three points in calculating the Part of Fortune? Obviously, they are the most important parts of a chart. This is especially the case in natal charts, where the Sun and Moon are the elements that power a chart, while the Ascendant is the place where the heavens meet the earth – the point of incarnation, in other words.

The Reversals of Fortune

One of the many debates continuing to rage among astrologers is whether to reverse the Part of Fortune by night (and therefore all the parts that use it also). Ptolemy, in his Tetrabiblos, states in two separate places that one should not reverse the Part of Fortune by night. However, many subsequent authorities, including Bonatti and Al-Biruni, state quite clearly that one should reverse the places of the Sun and Moon by night.

So why would someone do this? Bonatti’s chief justification for reversing Fortuna is that Parts should be calculated from the naturally stronger planet (he would have looked at our formulas from right to left). Thus, because the Sun is considered stronger by day, when it is in houses 7-12, Fortuna should be calculated from it during the day. Conversely, the Moon is stronger by night, and therefore the calculation should begin from the Moon by night.

However, there are a few problems with Bonatti’s reasoning. First, just because we are looking at a nighttime chart does not mean the Moon is stronger than the Sun. We could imagine a chart where the Sun is on the IC, thereby gaining some accidental strength, and the Moon is below the horizon in the sixth house. Unlike the Sun during the day, the Moon does not have to be above the horizon by night. Automatically considering it the stronger planet at night is simply wrong.

Second, the Moon is considered the “luminary of the time” in nighttime charts. All this means is that it has more of a responsibility for the native’s wellbeing on its planetary shoulders; it does not mean it can effectively take care of those responsibilities. Therefore, we should not artificially put it in the driver’s seat by reversing the Part of Fortune by night.

Third, reversing the Part of Fortune gives you another part, the Part of Spirit. The two parts are obviously related, since they are mirror images of one another. Bonatti writes that the Part of Fortune shows the soul’s strength, fortune, substance, etc., while the Part of Spirit (aka the Part of Things to Come) shows faith, prophecy, and religion. The two Parts are obviously distinct in some fashion, and transposing them by night causes us to get two entirely different beasties depending on when we were born.

Stay tuned for Part II. – the meaning and interpretation of the Part of Fortune.

Weekly Horary: Should I Go Live in This Ashram?

2005-07-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

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Background: The querent is very seriously considering going to live in an ashram in India (definition from zoofence.com: ashram is “a Sanskrit word indicating a spiritual community or any place where seekers meet, presumably for instruction, under the authority or auspices of a guru”).

The querent has been dissatisfied with what he perceived as his materialistic existence and wants to direct his energies in a more spiritual direction. He had visited the ashram twice and was impressed with the charismatic guru who leads and presides over this spiritual community.

Living in the ashram would be a major step for this Westerner, both because he would be entering a hermitage lifestyle and because he would move to a foreign country.

Short Answer: You will do well at the ashram, but with some major caveats. It appears that you currently do not have all the information, or are even a bit blinded by your own expectations. While you probably like the community because the people treat you as an honored guest when you visit, the spiritual values or spiritual direction of the ashram seems to have some problems. Further, the ashram itself seems to be in disrepair on a physical or even more metaphorical level.

The chief concern, however, is the guru/director. He and you do not seem a very good match in terms of forming a positive lifelong relationship. In the near future, you may find that the two of you have some differences, which will lead you to abandon your plan to move there.

Finally, it appears that much of your current anguish comes from hating your job, and the only thing making it more bearable now is that you’re considering leaving. It may be more productive and satisfying to reorient your career course than to make a drastic lifestyle change you could later regret.

Astrology:

Will he be happy in the ashram? The Querent’s planets are Saturn and the Moon. The ashram itself is signified by the Ninth House of monasteries, spiritual retreats, and long journeys, and its ruler, Venus. Picking up Saturn and dropping it just inside the 9^th cusp shows us how the Querent will do in the ashram. Saturn is exalted in Libra, and so is quite strong. From this we can see that the Querent is treated with extra respect when he is there, and also feels he can get in touch with his highest (exalted) spiritual urgings when he is there.

What is going on with the Querent? He is blinded at the time, and does not have all the necessary information; his significator, Saturn, is combust. Luckily, the Sun is moving away from Saturn, indicating that shortly, the veil will be lifted from the Querent’s eyes and he will see previously hidden information. The Moon is in Venus’s sign and so is very interested in the ashram. Saturn is about to be squared by a very essentially weak Mars in Taurus in the 3^rd house. Mars rules the Querent’s 3^rd and 10^th houses, so we can surmise that the Querent is being harmed by his job and it’s only bearable because he’s considering leaving (Saturn recently left Cancer, the fall of Mars). This issue may be at the heart of the matter and should be addressed before making any major changes.

What about the ashram itself? Its ruler is Venus in Virgo in the 8^th house, and as such is dreadfully accidentally debilitated. This transforms a natural benefic into an accidental malefic, implying that there is something very wrong with the ashram, either spiritually or physically. Moreover, Jupiter, the natural ruler of religion, is very weak, is peregrine just inside the 9^th house and is conjunct the South Node. This further shows that the spiritual direction of the ashram is not good, perhaps even perverse in some sense.

What about the guru? We can take Mercury as the director of the ashram, since he rules Venus. Fortuitously, Mercury also rules the 10^th house from the 9^th, another symbol of the ashram’s boss. Mercury is peregrine in Leo, is also retrograde, and is under the sunbeams. In short, the guru is very weak, and probably does not have the very best of intentions – Mercury’s notion of honesty is notoriously negotiable, and because it’s peregrine, it tends more toward evil than good. Mercury is in Saturn’s detriment, so the guru harms the Querent. Meanwhile, Saturn is not in Mercury’s dignities, so perhaps the Querent doesn’t care for the guru quite as much as he says. The Moon’s next aspect is a square to Mercury, again with no reception between the two, implying that there may be some difficulties between the Querent and the guru in the near future, and may lead to Querent’s abandoning his plan.

Weekly Horary: The Tryall of a Law Suit

2005-07-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

TO SEE A BIGGER VERSION OF THE ABOVE CHART, CLICK ON IT TWICE.

This is the first week's chart, taken from Lilly's England's Propheticall Merline, Foretelling to all Nations of Europe untill 1663 the Actions depending upon the influence of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, 1641. Yes, the title is that long. By way of background, it's a neat little booklet, where Lilly shows off his natal, horary and mundane skills in various charts.

First, here's Lilly's take on the chart, in his own words, more or less:
The Moon in Cancer is for the Querent, being Lady of the Ascendant: Saturn, Lord of the seventh is for the Adversary.

Jupiter Lord of the 10. house is Significator of the Judge, with whom Mars hath participation, because placed in the 10.

The Question is easily judged, for according to the strength of the Significators the judgment is determined: If the Lord of the Ascendant be stronger than the Lord of 7. the Querent shall overcome, and to the contrary.

Of this opinion is Guido Bonatus, sol. 273. Ille cujus significator est fortior, debebit obtinere; fortiorerit qui est in angulo maxime in aliqua suarum domorum, viz.

He whose significator is most strong, ought to obtain the better, and he is best dignified that is in an Angle, and in any of his own houses:

Being in this figure the Moon to be in her own house and in the Ascendant, in trine to Mars in the 10. and in Sextile dexter with the Sun, Lord of the second, and part of fortune with the dragons head: I judged the Querent should overcome his enemy, and so he did, Cauda draconis in the 10th.

I said that the judge at the tryall would be angry, and so he was, for the adversaries witnesses knew not what to swear, you see the quesited his significator peregrine, and in his fall; yet in accidentall dignities, prettily fortified, but wanting essentiall, it nothing availeth; whereas the Moon is essentially strong, increasing in light, number and motion.

The Querent was a sanguine complexion Gentleman, of a generous Martiall disposition, big-bon'd, strong, and very discrete.

The defendant was lean and thin bodied, hollow cheekes, sad brown hair, bending forwrd, malitious, willfull, and neither better or worse than a true Saturnine man.

If two go to fight, or to make war, the question is thus resolvedfor the most part, but you are to consider in war, the second house, and the Planets therein, signifie the friends and assistance the Querent shall have on his side; the 8th house, and the Planets therein posited, shew the same for the enemy.

Now if it happen that the Lord of the 2d is Peregrine, weak or unfortunate so shall the friends of the querent be, viz. men that promise much, but not able to performe any thing: if the Lord of the second, out of the 6. 8 or 12th Aspect the Lord of the Ascendant with square or opposition, the Querent shall have no ayde come to him, though he be promised some; and moreover it may be doubted, he or they that promise assistance, will betray the Querent, and yet seeme to be willing to help him, but will in fine do nothing; and this is more certain, if the Lord of the second have any benigne Aspect to, or with the Lord of the 7th, then they wish better to the Enemy than the Querent.

And this, to the everlasting dishonour of some in the world was in August 1644 verified: when the noble Essex was worsted, in not having timely assistance, which I foresaw by the houre of his going out, being exactly taken for me: he that could never be beaten by an Army or Armies of men, was foiled by plaine treachery, under pretence of I know not what parsimony: if men forebear to speak of this, the stones of every street will be transformed into Cryers, and cry aloud for vengeance against the perfidious.

The problem with the interpretation above, though it is astrologically correct, is that it is not entirely logically correct. In the adversarial trial system in the US as in England, it ultimately does not matter who has the better case (shown by the strength of the significators as Lilly does), but rather whom the judge favors.

Here, the judge is Jupiter as ruler of the 10th. It is in Taurus in the 11th house, so in Venus's sign and triplicity. It also exalts the Moon. This judge really, really likes our Querent, who, let's be honest, sounds like bit of a stud muffin. Jupiter is not in any dignities of Saturn, the opponent, so just from this information, we can be pretty sure that our Querent will win.

You want more, eh? All right. What does the opponent want? Well, as Saturn is in strong Sun dignities (exaltation and triplicity), and the Sun rules the Querent's 2nd house of money, it's simple - the opponent wants the Querent's cash. Whom does the money like? The Sun exalts the Moon (Querent), and the Moon recently aspected the Sun. So most likely, the Querent will get the money at issue in the suit, because his money wants to be with him.

So, there you have it. If you're wondering what Lilly was talking about, or how to read his sometimes mystifying prose, see this post (click here).

This article and this retype of Lilly's judgment is (c) 2005 Gryphon Astrology.

Free Horary Questions Answered Here Weekly

2005-07-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks, you wore me down (y'all know who you are). Thanks for your enthusiasm. Starting next week (Friday July 29th 2005), I will be answering free horaries on this blog, one per week, more if I can. If I find I get more than one question per week, which has been the case in the past with similar ventures of mine (there was this time I got 38 questions in two days. Wow.), I will just take them first come first served.

This week, I will do one published horary to get the ball rolling, and in the meantime, you can send along your questions to be published next week.

Again, much love to all of you.

PS: That's the one nice thing about an astrology blog. I don't have to sweat blood and have a conniption fit, whatever that is, to update my website every time I want to add something. Aaahhh. The lazy woman's Internet.

Categories: Free Weekly Horary Horoscope.

How to Read William Lilly

2005-07-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hint: With your wits firmly ensconced about you. Or, to paraphrase the 17th century physician and astrologer Nicholas Culpeper, you must keep your brains in your head where they belong and not in your books.

Let's get this out of the way first: why even read William Lilly's Christian Astrology? Because it is the greatest book on astrology that has been written in the English language. Ever. Whatever you may think of the most recent editions of Neptune or Solar Arcs or that timeless classic, Astrology to Instantly Firm Up, Groom, and Tone Your Karma. Reading CA is guaranteed to turn you into a better astrologer, provided you use some common sense when reading. There can arise an infinite number of charts, each different from the last, and even the most explicit 1-2-3 instructions (on which Lilly tends to skimp, anyway) will not work in all cases.

Reading William Lilly is frequently crazy-making, and it's not because of his archaic language (you should know by now that Lilly's "clown" so often mentioned in CA = our peasant/country bumpkin/hick). Rather, it's because he is not a particularly methodical writer or explainer. Don't get me wrong - he was a truly excellent astrologer. It's just that in the conveying of the information, he would be somewhat stream-of-consciousness. Disorganized, we would say nowadays.

So, how do you read Lilly for pleasure and profit? Since he himself provides no handy manual, here are some necessary steps:

1. Check and recheck that brain is in your head not book. Less messy that way.

2. Get pen & paper.

3. Open your CA, and start writing. Organize Lilly's instructions numerically; break each segment down into an outline. Once you have a good algorithm for a certain operation (e.g. how to tell if it will be a girl or boy in a horary), go and test it out on some charts. As you do this, keep asking yourself at each step, why? Why do we care what the 11th house is doing in a pregnancy chart? (Answer: because in most pregnancies, it takes two, and the 11th house is the 5th house of the partner, who is signified by the Querent's 7th. And it's the partner's kid as much as the Querent's.)

Note that in many if not most chapters, Lilly will give several possible algorithms for a certain operation. In such cases, try to use both when learning, but mainly, be very analytical. Observe what common elements arise among the instruction sets. Then try to figure out why these elements are important.

4. Rinse and repeat, banging head against wall as little as possible.

Good luck, and let me know if you have questions. You can always reach me at nina " at " gryphonastrology.info.

(c) Gryphon Astrology, 2005

Categories: William Lilly, Astrology Books, Houses in Astrology.

Welcome to the Gryphon Astrology Blog

2005-07-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first and only Traditional Astrology blog on the web (that I've been able to find, anyway).

I'm your friendly host, Nina:

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The newsletter will not be available until the second week of August, so check back soon.

http://www.gryphonastrology.info/newsletter.pdf