Astrology In Theory & Practice

Your how-to manual for utilizing the greatest tool you

never knew you had

Bill Duvendack

418 Ascendant LLC

 Copyright © 2020 Bill Duvendack

All rights reserved.

Cover & Layout: Asenath Mason

Edited by Laura Knight

The materials contained here may not be reproduced or published in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author and/or publisher.
This book is dedicated to the true practitioners of this timeless Hermetic subject.
 Introduction

​ hat can be said about astrology that hasn’t been said before? When
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you’re dealing with a subject that is thousands of years old, there is truly
nothing new under the Sun. There are plenty of modern schools of thought
that are taking the principles of astrology into somewhat new and unfamiliar
territory, but everything comes down to fundamentals. However, what can be
addressed are new ways to apply astrology. After all, if one is not putting
astrology to work for oneself, then what is the point of learning it?

​ his book is written as a beginning compendium to help you learn

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astrology. It is not meant to be a one stop shop like a lot of cookbook
astrology texts, but rather it is a working manual, full of exercises and a brief
holistic overview of the royal art. I hope you enjoy, and it is my intent that
this serves to carry you further into putting astrology to work for you. Be
warned though, there are no images in this book. There are other parts of the
brain to use other than the visual learning center. So, grab a pencil and a
notebook, and away we go! As always, ever discerning….

LVX,
Bill Duvendack
Winter Solstice 2017
 Chapter 1: Foundation

In this chapter, I am going to give a very brief history of astrology, as

well as an explanation of why it works. I will keep this short because this is
not the intention of the book, but I do feel there are a few things that should
be considered as a working platform so all of us are on the same page. Let us
begin, and we will cover a few thousand years in a few pages.

Roots

​ o one truly knows the age of astrology. It can be argued that it is the
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second oldest science on the planet behind agriculture. As long as humanity
has taken what could be considered elementary steps into scientific method,
humanity has been staring at the night sky asking questions. Let’s also
address the facts in the case because much has been discovered over the last
few decades, and much has been neglected as well in the face of dogmatic
history champions. Therefore, let’s address the facts in the case that can be
proven. I share them with the reader so that one can see for themselves.
These facts also serve as subjects of interest for those inclined to research, as
each point has been written about extensively.

​ act 1: There are cave markings that trace back to 25,000 B.C.E. They
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cover a rudimentary outline of movements of the luminaries across the sky.
Usually, these are accompanied by other pictures and artworks that illustrate
principles and messages the artists were trying to convey.

​ act 2: The pyramids in Egypt trace back thousands of years, according to

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recent scientific research. They are astrologically aligned, even to the point
that there are new patterns being found every day with the discovery of new
pyramids throughout the world. There are also still patterns being uncovered
at the site of the Great Pyramid. The view listed here conflicts with other
archaeological findings, though, and thus the time of creation of the pyramids
is in dispute. Some sources say the pyramids date back approximately 4,500,
years while other sources claim they are older.
 ​Fact 3: The oldest known sky viewing artifacts we have are the stones
that are located at Nabta Playa plateau in southern Egypt. These stones trace
the movements of stars, and if liberal interpretations are to be believed, the
time it would take to track their movements are thousands of years. In other
words, the way the stones interact with what was actually happening in the
sky would have transpired over several thousands of years, meaning the
movements of those stars would have to have been watched over that same
duration! The stones at Nabta Playa date back to 6,400-4,900 B.C.E., even
though the movements of the celestial bodies being watched were longer
cycles.

​ act 4: Examples of electional astrology, also known as using astrology

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to check favorable celestial conditions, exists in stone tablets in Sumeria,
dating back to approximately 2155-2140 B.C.E. It was also soon after this
time that the first horoscope was cast in the same area of the world. Until that
time, astrology had only been used to forecast the timing of events, and was
not used on a person by person basis as it is now.

​ act 5: The Bhagavad Gita, which is arguably India’s main holy book,
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was written approximately 3000-1500 B.C.E., and it contains veiled
astrological references. It is a selection of a larger work known as the
Mahabharata, and it focuses on discussions between Arjuna and Lord
Krishna.

​ act 6: Stonehenge came into being approximately 3100 B.C.E., and as

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we all know, is also arranged in alignment with celestial events.

​ act 7: The world’s oldest known calendar is located on the wall at Kom
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Ombos in Egypt, but it only dates back to approximately 200 B.C.E.

​ o why is all of this important? These are the actual proven facts that
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have to do with astrology, period. These are the pieces of proof that exist
when it comes to validating the longevity of astrology as a working science.
By knowing the facts, we can put ourselves in a position to split fact from
belief, which also puts us in a position to understand how astrology is both a
soft science and a hard science, just like any other science in the world that
ends in –ology. These are not the only facts, though, as more and more
evidence is being uncovered all the time and in ever increasing severity.
These could easily be seen as the evidence of the use of astrology, and from
astrology was born astronomy.

The Metaphysics of Astrology

​The study of metaphysics is the study of physics that are currently beyond
our understanding, and is thus a very broad and diverse subject. There are
many layers to metaphysics and many different perspectives. These cover
everything from the twelve laws of karma, and their kith and kin the
universal laws, all the way to understanding how to tune one’s vibration into
the spirit world, which is related to mediumship. The dimension of
metaphysics that astrology most visibly interacts with is the branch of
metaphysics that is related to interaction with the world around us. It can thus
be summarized by what is known as the butterfly effect, which teaches us that
everything is related, even though we may not be able to physically see it.
This knowledge has been passed down through the aeons through mystery
schools, and until recently, was secret knowledge. With the rise of occultism
over the last 200 years, this information has become more publicized and is
now common knowledge for most seekers. From the Emerald Tablets to the
Butterfly Effect, science has proven that all things are connected. We will
come back to the Emerald Tablet later in this book.

​ here is also the fact that on a cellular level all of us are composed of
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stardust, and hence all of us are cosmic with cosmic ties. Once again, this has
been proven by science to be true. This is worth noting because it reinforces
the potency of astrology. A good perspective is that when one chooses to put
astrology to work for them they are tapping into an energy field that is
vibrant, alive, and very fluid, yet is also as tangible as any of the four classic
elements. For example, we do not know the technical rate at which Mercury
vibrates, but we do know that it is fast acting on us because its orbit is so
quick, and due to its location. It is amplified by the Sun to a certain extent.
Hence speed and vibration are tied together as well. We may know how long
it takes for Mercury to go around the Sun. We also know how long it takes
for Mercury to revolve on its axis, but as to its actual vibration, that is still an
unknown quantity. We also know that other planets such as Uranus or
Neptune, affect us in different, usually broader ways because of their distance
from us, and how long it takes them to move through space in the same way
that Mercury does.

​ ften time metaphysics is not looked at in the same light as other

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sciences, but that is a large mistake. To have a category that is more or less a
catch-all of observed phenomena that mainstream science cannot explain is a
brilliant manifestation of scientific method being imprinted on the collective
subconscious of the human species. Over the years, metaphysics has grown
and become more refined, making it more technically sound. It has received a
huge boost in the last three hundred years or so, ever since the Christian
Mysticism movement of the 18th century C.E. Due to this, a clearer
understanding is constantly occurring regarding astrology, and thus there are
many new dimensions to it that are constantly being addressed. As our
collective consciousness is elevated, so, too, is our understanding of our place
within the cosmos and our interaction with it.

I​ n the last few years there has been a lot of information that has come to
light that further cements the scientific basis for astrology. The first point is
the discovery of gravity waves. Early in the twentieth century, Albert
Einstein posited the theory of gravity waves, but like many of his ideas, this
was put on the shelf for the indefinite future due to scientific culture.
However, in 2016, it was discovered that they do exist. In short, gravity
waves have been detected reaching earth from a distant source deep in space,
and it is believed they originated from a major event in deep space. Basically,
think of it like ripples in a pond with the gravity waves being the ripples.
There are a few major points this reveals to us. The first is the obvious:
space/time can ripple when a major event occurs. The second is that our
scientific instruments are still being refined and developed, which means that
gravity waves are proof that there are many different types of energies out
there modern science cannot detect. The third point is that we now know
these exist, correct? Well, if these exist, how many other forms of energies
that move like waves through space exist? Obviously, I don’t know the
answer to that, but neither do scientific “authorities.” What this means is that
we can now view aspects between planets and space bodies in a more
scientific way; ironically enough, validated by gravity waves. For example, if
Mars is one kind of energy, then Venus would be another, and sometimes
they flow together, and sometimes they don’t. I emphasize this here because
this is more scientific than the archaic idea that Mars and Venus (to stick with
the above example represent psychological principles, and psychological
principles exclusively. As I’m showing in this chapter, the actual verifiable
science behind astrology is quickly coming to light the more we move into
the age of science known as the Age of Aquarius. Although we are not there
yet, we are closer each and every minute of each and every day.

​ nother piece of scientific information that has been further developed in

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recent years is that of magnetic ropes emanating out from the Sun to the
seven planets of the ancients. In short, these are magnetic tendrils of energy
that go out from the Sun to all seven major planets. When they interact with
the individual planets, they cause different effects, and the closer a planet is
to the Sun, the stronger they are, and the different and more dynamic results
can be produced. What also makes this time period interesting is that there
was a magnetic rope discovered from the Sun to Saturn. Up until now, they
had only been detected through Jupiter, so we now have a rope from the Sun
to all of the seven classic planets of the ancients. This discovery dovetails in
well with what we were just discussing regarding the gravity waves, because
it gives us further proof that there are connections in space between the Sun
and planets in the solar system. Another piece of the puzzle this gives us is
that it further validates astrological aspects. For example, if Venus is in one
place in its orbit and Jupiter is in another, and their ropes are not necessarily
harmonizing but rather conflicting, you have a challenging aspect. We will
discuss aspects more in depth in chapter 8, but it is enough for now to know
they are based in science, not just relegated to psychology, as modern
astrology would lead you to believe.

Scientific Method, a Down and Dirty Primer

​ brief side trip should be made into the Renaissance to explain why
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astrology is where it is right now, and how the scientific developments of that
time period are still at work today, justifying astrology in a more ubiquitous
way. Interestingly enough, what occurred during that time has caused one of
the most ambiguous and misunderstood perceptions of astrology. During the
time of the Renaissance, it was common for there to be a court astrologer.
Queen Elizabeth I had Dr. John Dee, for example. Astrology was studied in
classic and renowned universities all throughout Europe right alongside other
prestigious subjects. However, rising in validity was a whole new view of the
world that would become modern scientific thought. Too many people see
this relationship between the scientific method school of thought and
astrology as something that was confrontational or negative, but history
paints a whole different picture. Let’s look at this from a pragmatic
perspective to truly understand what was happening, in order to dispel
conjecture.

​ t that particular moment in time, it became economically unfeasible to

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have as many subjects available to study at the universities as there were
subjects available to be taught. In a classic case of money dictating human
development, budget cutting moves were made that started in a few select
universities and spread throughout Europe. One of the main subjects on the
chopping block that got axed was astrology. This was partially due to the
influence of the church, because with the rise of science coinciding with
religion, astrology did develop the tint of being superstitious. Yet that very
same church worked with their own astrologers behind closed doors. Thus,
astrology did not carry forward in universities due to budget cuts. Yes, truth
is stranger than fiction, and in this case, more boring.

​Besides Dr. John Dee, there were a few other people who contributed to
the shift in consciousness that occurred during the Renaissance. Their
contributions to science, reason, and logic cannot be emphasized enough! A
lot of their processes have been modified through the centuries, but the core
ideas they provided have been considered the basis for science ever since
they arrived on the scene. It was this influx of natural sciences that caused the
universities to be overburdened, which was the breeding ground for the
removal of astrology from academia.

​Sir Isaac Newton is the first one that comes to mind (25 December 1642 –
20 March 1727. He is most widely known for giving us three laws of
motion. His first law of motion is: “Lex I: Corpus omne perseverare in statu
suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus
impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.” This translates into English as, “Law
I: Every body persists in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly
straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force
impressed.” In other words, an object at rest will stay at rest until acted upon
by an outside influence. And conversely, an object in motion will continue to
stay in motion unless acted upon by an external influence.

​ is second law is: “Lex II: Mutationem motus proportionalem esse vi

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motrici impressae, et fieri secundum lineam rectam qua vis illa imprimitur.”
This translates into English as, “Law II: The alteration of motion is ever
proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of
the right line in which that force is impressed.” In other words, it takes more
influence to move larger objects than it takes to move smaller objects.

​ inally, his third law is: “Lex III: Actioni contrariam semper et æqualem
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esse reactionem: sive corporum duorum actiones in se mutuo semper esse
æquales et in partes contrarias dirigi.” This translates into English as; “Law
III: To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction, or the
forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in
opposite directions.” In other words, for every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction. Interestingly enough, this third law coincides with the laws
of karma quite nicely.

​Thus, one of the founders of modern scientific thought gave us some of

the mechanics that classical science operates on all the time. While elements
such as gravity work differently (or, arguably, not at all in outer space, these
principles still do give insight into how the solar system operates on a grand
scale. We arrive at this conclusion by remembering the Hermetic axiom, “As
Above, So Below, As Within, So Without.” One final point with regards to
this is there is another theory that Sir Isaac Newton gave us that applies here:
the ‘Law of Universal Gravitation.’ This law simply tells us that two masses
in the universe will move towards each other naturally due to gravity, and
then, of course, there is a formula to figure it out scientifically, but for the
sake of this illustration it is not necessary to know the equation.

​ othing happens in a vacuum, though, and there have been changes to

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these principles over the years that are necessary to know. I will only list the
key ones that support astrology in this text, but for the record, there are many
other changes since Newton’s time; they are simply more specialized. They
may or may not apply to astrology, and they may or may not be impacting.
The ones I’ve chosen to include here are the ones I have found to be the most
useful when understanding astrology. The first of these is Bode’s Law.
 J​ ohann Daniel Titius (January 2, 1729 – December 11, 1796 contributed
a formula to previous work done by Charles Bonnet (March 13, 1720 – May
20, 1793 by adding a section to it when he wrote the translation in 1766.
What he wrote would later be picked up by Johann Elert Bode (January 19,
1747 – November 23, 1826 in a 2nd edition compendium he was writing on
astronomy.

​ he Titius-Bode Law, or, alternatively known as Bode’s Law, is

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something that is not commonly known about outside the scientific
community that uses it. This law is basically a formula that exists, used by
astronomers via a mathematical equation to predict where a planet should
exist in our solar system. Loosely, this is calculated on the orbits of two
surrounding planets. Bode’s law is true for every planet in our solar system
up to Saturn, and including Ceres and Uranus, but not Neptune, Pluto, or
Eris. Interestingly enough, those are the three planets that were discovered
the most recently. Some recent scientists have theorized that the reason there
have been breaks in the Law is because of the interference of specular
reflection.

​ pecular reflection is when light emits from a source in a particular

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direction, and when it contacts the next surface, it reflects again in a straight
line. Thus, specular reflection may explain why Bode’s law hasn’t applied to
these planets, especially when you put into context the irregularities of the
orbits of the planets that it did not predict. Anyway, I digress. Back to Bode’s
law.

​ s mentioned above, Bode’s law is true of every planet until Saturn, even
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to the point that it puts a planet between the 4th (Mars and 5th (Jupiter
planets of the solar system, which is, of course, where the asteroid belt is
located! Ceres was discovered in 1801, by application of Bode’s law.
However, Bode’s law is not true of the planets Uranus or Neptune. It is true
of Pluto, but it is only true in the case of Pluto due to something interesting.
The location of Pluto was predicted in accord with Bode’s law, but by the
time it was discovered, both Uranus and Neptune had been discovered, so
Pluto’s discovery threw the validity of the law into skepticism, which some
scientists have clung to throughout the years.
 ​ uite simply, this theory tells us all motion is relative, and time can be
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removed from the equation. One way a change manifests in scientific thought
relates to free fall. When an object is in free-fall, it falls because that is what
it would normally do when there are no influences acting upon it. In other
words, it’s not falling due to gravity, it is simply behaving uninhibitedly. To
explain this, Einstein proposed that the space/time continuum is curved
instead of linear.

​ here was a theory in quantum mechanics that addressed Einstein’s

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Theory of Relativity that came from the late 1990’s called the String Theory,
which basically says that electrons and quarks, both found in the center of an
atom, are actually one dimensional, not zero dimensional, They exist as a
series known as a string. The foundational work was done in 1969, and many
prominent scientists to this day, including Dr. Hawking, subscribe to it.
Through this theory, multiple dimensions are justified. As a matter of fact,
this has grown so much that there are five different string theories out there.
There is also an offshoot theory to it called the M-Theory, which tells us that
all five of those String Theories compile into one, which is another
dimension, bringing the grand total to eleven. This may seem small to those
that are educated in eastern thought, by the way.

​ inally, on a separate but related note, in 1992, the Kuiper Belt was
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discovered. It exists around the outer bounds of the solar system, lying just
beyond the orbit of Neptune. To understand it, it is wise to think of it as
parallel to our inner asteroid belt, with the only exception being its size. It is
20 times larger and much denser. According to astronomers, Pluto and Eris
are Kuiper Belt Objects (AKA KBOs.

​ ll of this scientific information is shared above to add to your repertoire

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when interpreting a chart and understanding it’s scientific foundation. Pieces
of all these thoughts will be used later in the book to illustrate and explain
certain points in astrology. For now it is simply enough to be aware of the
legacy the Renaissance has left us.

​ s is evident by studying all of this, there are many ideas to be aware of

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when it comes to understanding how astrology works in a very basic and
simple way. The final point to address is what, exactly, modern scientific
method is in the modern world. There are four basic steps that it follows.
Before I get into the four steps, I would like to point out that to the astute
mind this process is very similar to the stages of the alchemical process that
has been passed down through the ages. Different terminology, perhaps, and
slightly different ideas, but the core essence and objective are the same.

1) Use your experience, 2) Form a conjecture, 3) Deduce a

prediction from that explanation, and finally, 4) Test. However, this is
oftentimes broken down into a more detailed approach.

1) Define the question, 2) Observe, paying special attention to

gathering information and resources, 3) Form a hypothesis that
addresses resolution to the question, 4) Test the hypothesis by
experimenting and collecting data in a reproducible manner, 5) Analyze
said data, 6) Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a
starting point for a new hypothesis, 7) Publish results, 8) Retest
(frequently done by other scientists). This is the method that is most at
work in the world today.

Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion

While studying the work of Tycho Brahe, the great astronomer,

Johannes Kepler was able to extrapolate three scientific laws having to do
with how planets move through the solar system and how they relate to one
another. The first two laws were announced in 1609 CE, and a third was
added in 1618. These became crucial for the work that was done by Sir Isaac
Newton decades later, and thus we see that they are underpinnings of
scientific thought and procedure. When looked at closely, we see that they
really do clarify a lot of how and why astrology works, so let us pick each one
apart for greater understanding.

The first law to address states the planets move around the Sun in
elliptical orbits, but the Sun is the main focus. As you may have already
suspected, all of this was occurring at a time when there was still a debate on
whether or not everything traveled around the Sun, or if the Sun traveled
around us. Simple, yes, I know, but at the time it was revolutionary. Now it
has become a known fact that this is the case, just like the well-known fact
that the earth is round.

His second law states something a little more complex. Briefly, this
law says that a radius vector between any planet and the Sun sweeps out in
equal areas in equal lengths of time. Gee, that’s not technical or anything, is
it? This is basically a fancy way of saying that you can draw an imaginary
straight line out from the Sun to the center of any planet that orbits it, and that
line is fixed in many ways. Yes, I know there is much more to it than that, but
knowing that key point is what is most important for our work.

Finally, the third law tells us something just as technical, but also just
as profound, especially when it comes to astrology. This law tells us that if
you take different periods of evolution and break them into squares, they are
directly proportional to the cubes of their average distance from the Sun. In
other words, he’s saying that there is a rhythm and mathematical truth that
can be found in the orbits of the planets and how they relate to the Sun. In
addition, this is a fixed constant. For those of you already familiar with
astrology, you can see that he is specifically talking about the aspect known
as a square, which we will discuss in depth later.

As you can see from this brief view, Kepler basically dissected
planets and how they orbit around the Sun and proved there are certain truths
to be found there. While these laws are used extensively in astronomy, they
also address astrology as well. This makes sense considering that it was only
shortly before his work that astrology was ceased to be taught at a university
level. Its influence on him shows, and his work on validating astrology is
apparent as well.

Alchemy

​ he ancient subject of alchemy is one that has a very checkered past and
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yet is simple in its focus. The subject of alchemy dates back centuries and is a
very immense body of material. The core text of alchemy is named The
Emerald Tablets. Part physical and part psychological, this subject
encompasses several areas of the occult and metaphysics, and interestingly
enough, modern medicine.

​At its core, alchemy is the transmutation of lead into gold. Obviously on
one hand, this is a physical idea. Given the value of gold over the centuries, it
is easy to understand why this idea came to be and why it has been such a
long standing idea and goal in the collective subconscious of the human
species. This idea is only one facet of alchemy, yet this idea alone has
propelled countless people throughout the centuries to experiment and
explore this possibility in depth. Usually this is at the risk of their lives and
the lives of those closest to them. For various reasons, this was attempted in a
trial and error fashion, and as would be expected, not all experiments were
successful. More than one alchemist killed himself accidentally through
pursuit of this transmutation. The most common cause of death was Mercury
poisoning. Mercury is the universal solvent. You can run any other element
through it, and Mercury does not take on its properties, nor does it have a
major impact on the element that runs through it. The reason Mercury
poisoning occurred so frequently is that at the time no one knew about the
effects of Mercury on the human body.

​ urning lead into gold also acted as a magnet to frauds, and the history of
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alchemy has more than one person that attempted this scam. Throughout the
centuries there have been many instances of a certain type of powder or a
particular liquid that could be applied to lead to create gold. Whether or not
any of these have been successful is a matter of speculation and debate.

​ he most enduring dimension of alchemy that exists is that it is process-

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oriented, and because of this, alchemy can be broken down to several stages
and steps that can be used in almost any area of life. I list them here briefly
because knowing these stages can be useful when learning about transits,
aspects, and interpretations of charts in general. Knowledge of these
processes can also be helpful to lay the foundation for understanding
scientific thought and method.

​ s a point of perspective, here are the seven commonly used steps of

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alchemy. Of course there are many other stages and categories, but these are
the steps that most people focus on to put alchemy to work for them in a
spiritual way. The seven steps are: 1 Calcination: This is the process of
bringing things up within ourselves so that they may be addressed. In a
metaphorical way, this is the burning away of the dross parts of the
personality self in order to make room for the more golden parts of the
spiritual self. 2 Dissolution: The first step in this process is to add water.
This water is added to the ashes of what was burned in the calcination stage.
From a metaphysical perspective, this is the adding of the emotional
component, as emotions are brought into the equation. This may manifest in
many different ways through an individual. 3 Separation: Part of this is
where the individual can see the gold of the solar self, as well as the
personality self, and perceive them as two separate individuals. There is also
a decision brought to the forefront during this stage of the alchemical process
which is the decision of discernment. 4 Conjunction: In brief, this is the
stage of the Hermetic Axiom: That which is below is like that which is above.
The second part of this is to perform the miracle of that which is above. In
other words, once finding out what one is put here to do, one chooses to do it.
Of course, there are no absolutes, and thus, this becomes a sliding scale upon
which one simply does their best each and every day. 5 Fermentation: This
stage is also known as putrefaction or decomposition. This is the rotting away
of the dead of what is being left behind. This is the stage in which bonding
with the shadow self takes place. This is the alchemical initiation stage. 6
Distillation: This is the process of detachment from the physical world. Part
of this is to receive divine love from above and understand that detachment
does, in some ways, equate to love. 7 Coagulation: This is the final stage of
the alchemical process. A harmony is created in which the adept can move
about between the plane of matter and the plane of plane of spirit. In brief,
this is the stage of the phoenix rising from the ashes.

​ s can be seen, the alchemical processes are still different, but it is easy
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to see how scientific method came about through the alchemical process. The
main difference between the two is that the scientific method lets the facts
speak for themselves, whereas alchemy is a more interactive, personal
development process. Yes, the two systems can be used in tandem, and they
are used in this fashion many times during the life of an individual, and more
frequently in the cunning and inventive mind. By looking at both the
alchemical and modern scientific perspectives, we put ourselves in a position
to understand both facets of astrology: the soft and the science. This will
enable critical thinking when it comes to applying astrology to the processes
of life that we work to master while in physical form.

Qabalism
 ​ nother perspective to consider is how astrology ties into Qabalism. The
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Qabala is a Jewish system of mysticism that is built around the idea that one
cannot look upon the face of God as it is, because it is too vast, and thus the
human mind breaks. However, the nature of God can be broken down into
various pieces and looked at in a more controlled and methodical fashion.
The two main divisions for the sake of our work are known as paths and the
sephirah. The paths are straight lines that connect the power pools known as
the sephirah. Hence we are given a diagram for contemplating the nature of
God. In a lot of ways, the Qabala is a universal filing cabinet for the mind.

It’s a natural fit between astrology and Qabalism that is present in the
Western Esoteric Tradition, and it is quite potent when applied. Astrological
planets correspond to particular Sephiroth on Otz Chim, also known as the
tree of life. All Sephirah have a planetary correspondence to it, and thus we
can have a more complete understanding when Qabalism is used
astrologically. The only Sephiroth that does not have a traditional astrological
correspondence to it is the point known as Kether, which represents the first
swirling of thought. The Belt of the Stars is an alternate title for Chokmah,
and many consider this to reference the zodiac. Still others believe that this
title refers to the fixed stars in the sky, and there is much to consider when
pondering the possibilities.

​This information is offset by the fact that Saturn corresponds to Binah,

and hence through Saturn (discipline, structure, and maturity one can easily
contact the supernals and “cross the abyss,” as they say. These two Sephirah
sum things up quite bluntly from where I’m viewing them. Discipline,
maturity, and a study of astrology can all be powerful tools to assist us in fine
tuning our own personal paradigms.

​ he study of the Qabala can be a very potent adjunct to interpretations of

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charts, fleshing things out, as it were. By learning the language of the
Qabalist, you open yourself up to thinking in new ways, and this bleeds over
to how the chart is viewed and interpreted. To a creative astrologer, the sheer
amount of symbolism that can be cultivated blending these two can make
beautiful scenery.

​Why is all of this necessary to know? Astrology is an art and a science,

much like magick, and the above information can assist one in applying
scientific principles to their astrology interest, paving the way for a deeper
application of astrology. Conversely, astrological principles can be applied in
many other areas of life as well. If one learns and applies the tips that are
mentioned above, they can then gain a great cohesiveness and depth of a
chart. Using these techniques also assist in the soft science side of astrology
because they help to discipline the mind to think more symbolically.

The final point to note is that to the true astrologer, the psychological
scientific approach is the preferred way to handle things. In other words,
watch the observable facts, let them speak for themselves, and remain free of
attachment to what results are viewed. This is the most logical and scientific
approach to take. Too many times some astrologers (mostly hobbyists look
at a chart and mentally project what they expect to find onto the chart, rather
than letting the chart speak for itself. It is wiser to simply see the chart, the
individual, and the manifestations that have occurred, rather than making
what has been read or learned color your view of the chart. Another way to
think of it is in letting the chart speak for itself, not looking to find
something, but rather observing and analyzing what is found. This is the true
essence of the scientific method, and in astrology, we are in a position to
work with this more fluidly than other sciences. Thus we have the soft
science approach.
 Chapter 2: Sacred Geometry

Conceptually, astrology has a very simple premise. It’s based on a circle.

No more, no less. One simple circle can be used to explain astrology. Like
the principle of a circle, astrology has no true beginning or end. As we
develop as a species we will constantly find new ways of looking at the chart
and the interpretation thereof. In this chapter I am going to go over the
conceptual geometry that is at the foundation of astrology, and it is also my
intent to stimulate the mind into thinking about astrology in new and
innovative ways.

​ efore we look skyward though, let’s look at Earth. Our home planet is
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always our starting point when we use common western astrology.
Technically this is called being geocentric. This is just a technical way of
saying that we’re looking at things from our perspective here on Earth. There
are other systems in astrology that look at things from, say, our local star the
Sun’s perspective. In that case it would be known as heliocentric. On the
surface it may look like an odd thought, but we’ll explore that later. For right
now it is enough to know these ideas exists in astrology. On an interesting
side note, did you know that you have an Earth sign in your chart as well as a
Sun sign? It’s easy to determine your Earth sign, but more on that later. I just
wanted to tease you for now.

​ or the most part, as we understand it, the Earth is round, and it travels on
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its orbit through space, orbiting the Sun, right? Yep, you guessed it. Any
space background you may you learned in your youth comes in very handy
throughout your astrological studies. In a major way, basic solar system
knowledge is a fundamental that can be relied on to fine tune how you work
with astrology. It can save a lot of time when you’re learning basic concepts.

Imperfectly Perfect

​ verything begins and ends with a circle. It is its own alpha et omega, yet
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neither of these. A perfect circle is often times used by belief systems
globally to represent something that has no beginning nor end. Some would
even say it is perfect. Even in astrology the circle is used to represent Spirit
itself because it is eternally continuous. In our current consensual paradigm
belief structure, we understand the earth to be round, circular, if you will. We
all know it’s more like a globe, but I think the point is clear.

Exercise #1: On a blank sheet of paper, draw a circle. Use tools, if

necessary. Do your best. You want this to be as close to perfect as possible.

​ he circle can be found virtually everywhere in astrology. It is the basis

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for most of astrology, too. It isn’t that much of a stretch to see why a circle is
used in astrology, but it is interesting to note that in the early days of charts
they were drawn using a square, rather than a circle. At its essence, a square
is a composite of four complimentary 90 degree right angles. Between 90
degree angles and a circle you have all of the shapes that will be used in
astrology. A square is simply a different arrangement of four right angles
than an equal armed cross. There is one powerful exception to this rule of
thumb though, and that is the shape of a triangle. More on that later.

​ et’s think about that for a minute. A circle is 360 degrees, and a square
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is 90 degrees. If you divide 360 by 90, you get 4. This means any given circle
is comprised of 4 perfect squares. That simple truth is one of the most helpful
facts of astrology. Can you divide a 360 degree circle by the number you’re
currently thinking? If the answer is yes, then you have more than likely
discovered what is called an aspect in astrology. I’ll explain aspects more in
depth in Chapter 8, but suffice to know for now that aspects are figured using
this process. On the surface this may seem like a lot of math, but it’s really
not. Anyway, back to point. And back to point means another exercise, so
enjoy.

Exercise #2: Split your circle into 4 even sections, using an upright equal
armed cross in the middle of the circle. You have just created quadrants, a
subtlety in astrology. Use tools if necessary. You want this to be as perfect as
possible, but also don’t obsess.

​ ut wait, Bill. If you’re making the correlation between this and our
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calendar year, you’re off by 5 days. Huh?
 ​ ep, you’re right, I am. However, let me explain. The knowledge of this
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discrepancy has been around for thousands of years, so this isn’t something
new to the modern world. As far back as Ancient Egypt this has been known.
In those times, the five days were known as birthdays of individual Neters;
their word for a deity, specifically a force of nature. Each day correlated to a
different deity, and they existed outside the circles of time, neither existing in
the old calendar year or the new one. They are known as Epagomenic Days.
It is not known whether or not they knew the modern day scientific principle
behind it, but they did notice that something was off. This difference exists
because the Earth does not travel around the Sun in a perfect circle, but rather
in an ellipse, with the Sun being a sort of weight at one end of it. The Sun
moves a degree a day, which rationally makes sense. After all, day follows
night, and it’s a new day already, and this cycle repeats perpetually. We’ve
now established that the Sun moves a degree a day, and hence we can
measure our days through an understanding of how quickly the Sun moves. I
realize this is a detail, but it is an important one. The fact that even this
obliquity, as it is known, is cyclical tells us that there is a rhythm and pattern
to everything in reality. Hence if we paid close attention to the Earth’s orbit
over an extended period of time, we find that the number of days it takes to
go around the Sun is not a constant, but rather a slight variable. Ergo, 365
instead of 360. There is much more to this though, as there is also a wobble
in the Earth’s orbit to take into account, but I’m going to leave that out of this
book. Speculation says this is because there was a collision between Earth
and some other body in the solar system millions of years ago, and not only
did that cause the wobble in the Earth’s orbit, it also caused the axis of the
planet to tilt to 23 ½ degrees.

I​ t is important to note, though, that not all the chart points used in
astrology move a degree a day. Rather, they have varying degrees of
movement. For example, trans-Saturnian planets move at a much slower rate
than the personal planets. The Moon even moves several degrees a day! A
subtle point that is discovered when one learns how to draw a chart by hand
is that planets may be moving slower or faster than average on the day one
was born, and this can provide detailed information that can be of use for
greater accuracy when it comes to forecasting. For example, in your chart,
Mars might be moving faster than normal, and this faster movement will
offset a poor placement. If someone has a slow moving Mars in a poor sign
placement, they will manifest Martian traits in a different way than you. Your
manifestation would be much more aggressive, while theirs would be more
passive. It is also true that this includes aspects made to Mars. If Mars is
poorly aspected, a faster moving Mars can offset those to a certain degree as
well. A quick look at an ephemeris can give more insight into this in general,
but only by learning how to cast a chart by hand can one fully grasp this
detail. Also on a final note to this, the rate a planet moves is not consistent, so
if you’re curious, it is wise to check rather than guess.

I​ ’m also going to briefly touch on retrogradation here because it does tie

into degrees. All bodies in the solar system retrograde with the exception of
the Sun and the Moon. It has also been argued that they can retrograde, too,
but that is a subject for another time. When they retrograde they don’t
necessarily stop on the spot and turn retrograde. Instead, a lot of times they
will hover over a certain degree for a given length of time on their way to
retrograde movement until they become full blown retrograde. For the inner
and personal planets this usually only lasts a day or so, but for the trans-
Saturnian planets this time period can last several days or even up to a week!
We will discuss retrogrades more in Chapter 5, but for now just be aware that
the time period and degree movement is not necessarily the same across the
boards. This rule of thumb is also true when a planet goes direct coming out
of retrogradation.

​ nyway, back to the topic. And back to the topic means that it’s time for
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another exercise.

Exercise #3: As you’re facing your quadrated circle, begin a numbering

system starting at the far left of the circle, where the most left point of the
equal armed cross intersects with the outer circle. At this intersection, write
“0°.” Follow the circle, and at the next similar intersection to the right, write
“90°.” Then proceed to the other two points in the pattern, and at the first
intersection, write “180°,” and at the remaining point write “90°.”

​It is important to note here that each point is 180° from its opposite point,
and the closest intersections to any given point are 90°. Thus right angles are
formed. Esoterically, this tells us there can be sharp angles when it comes to
how energy flows, just like energy flows smoothly, as indicated by the circle.
Hence we have the blending of matter (right angles) and spirit (the circle).
Esoterically the equal armed cross is known as the cross of matter, or the
cross of incarnation. To the astute student, you may also see your current
drawing looks like the alchemical glyph for the element earth.

Optional Exercise: Draw a straight line between the intersection points of

the right angles in the wheel to the outer wheel, and their next closest point.
This will create a square within the circle.

Squaring the Circle

I​ n ancient geometry, there is a concept that has survived to the present

day, although it has been dormant for almost a century. This idea is called
squaring the circle. It is not like what we were discussing. The gist of it is
this: Using only a straight edge and compass, construct a square with the
same area as a circle. Many ancient geometers devoted themselves to this,
and in 1882 CE it was declared that it couldn’t be done.

​ ften times the phrase squaring the circle has been used to describe
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something as being impossible. This has been used with great frequency
throughout history in esoteric and occult circles in a much different fashion.
This term has been used in secret rituals, and has been passed on from one to
another. This is not the time nor the place to get into that side of the phrase,
but I share this to illustrate how much astrology is intertwined in all areas of
the society we inhabit, especially magick and occultism. This also reminds us
of the undeniable and important link that tells us if you want to be a true
competent astrologer, it would be wise to be well versed in occultism as well.
Even if I did get into the esoteric side here, astrology is almost the exact
opposite. In astrology, we don’t seek to accomplish this goal but rather we
work with its opposite. We don’t seek to fill the same amount of space
between the two, but rather we look at how right angles and squares represent
an exchange of energies between two or more points. A circle is a continual
line, whereas squares are formed from two right angle lines, and in order for
there to be a right angle square, the energy is not allowed to flow straight.
This is an important detail because all energy follows the path of least
resistance throughout the cosmos. This is a very valuable lesson when it
comes to astrology as well as metaphysics. Discordant energy is a hallmark
of aspects that are made of 90° interactions. Notice I didn’t say anything bad
here, because bad is truly subjective. We’ll discuss aspects in depth in
Chapter 8, but in order for us to do that, we must first understand the basic
division of the astrological circle.

​ nother facet to the concept of squaring the circle has to do with personal
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gnosis revealed during spiritual advancement, but this is not the time nor the
place for that discussion either. Simply know that there is a psycho-spiritual
component to it as well.

​ t this point we have got our circle divided into four even sections. If you
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divide 360 by 4, you arrive at 90. That means each quadrant of the wheel is
comprised of 90°. If you divide that further, you find out that you can have
three sections of 30° each.

Exercise #4: Divide each of the quadrants equally into three sections.
Then, at the beginning of the quadrant to the far left of the circle as you view
it, number it 0°. Proceed to the next line down and to the right of where
you’re at, and number it 30°. At the next line, 60°, and so forth, until you’ve
come back around to your starting point, and it is sequential. You can also
erase your previous degree markings at this point if you choose. Whether you
have both sets of numbers or not is moot. Congratulations! You’ve just
constructed the areas that will be associated with the signs in a little bit.

​ f course you can also subdivide the circle by more than what has been
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discussed here, but the question may currently be “Why this format? Why 3
groups of 30° each?” The answer to this is that the idea of a 10° division goes
back thousands of years and has been found to be fair and accurate. Dating
back to the ancient Egyptians, the idea of groupings of 10 as they pertain to
time- keeping and time-division has been around and in use. Thinking along
these lines though, is a good thing to do right now and especially when we
get to Chapter 8. At this point, though, your circle is now broken up into what
will eventually become associated with signs. You have a 360° circle, divided
into four quadrants, which are divided into 3, 30° sub-groupings as well.
Hence, each area that will become a house and a sign is split into 30°
sections. Of course there are some caveats to this that we will discuss further,
but for right now it is simply worth noting that the natural zodiac and houses
are split into 30° sections.

​Besides this, it is worth noting that if each sign is 30°, and we’ve already
discussed 90° as being an integral part of astrology, we can see how the two,
the circle and the square, come together.

​Let’s take a moment to talk about these degrees. On the surface, degrees
can be a little intimidating. Well, at least they were to me when I was starting
astrology. When I saw degrees, my first thought was: “Oh crap! Math! Ugh!”
It looked a little too much like geometry for me, and needless to say, that was
a big turn off. After I worked with astrology awhile though, I realized there
were some subtle points I could use to conveniently break it down. For
practical purposes, we can leave off the degree side of things to focus on the
basics and come back to that technicality later. The easiest way to think of
degrees right now is just a numbering system from 0-30 that can equilaterally
break down signs and the circle as a whole. Degrees can also be broken down
further by being divided by whatever number you choose. This is an
advanced idea though, which we’ll discuss later. For now if you feel so
inclined, feel free to divide 30 by 3, 5, 6, and 10 if you want, just to
understand what we’ll be doing with them.

Signs

​ ach sign, and in the natural zodiac each house, is divided into 30°.
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Therefore in a sign, you have 0-10, 11-20, and 21-30. These are called
decanates of a sign. When you have a chart, you’ll notice that planets are
located in particular signs at particular degrees. This simply means that at the
time the chart was cast for, that particular planet was located at that particular
degree in the zodiac. Each year the zodiacal year starts at Spring Equinox,
which is zero degrees Aries. Since the Sun moves one degree a day, this tells
us that over the course of the year the Sun will come full circle. Don’t forget
about the five days differential due to the wobble though, which is why
things aren’t exactly the same ratio. At the completion of the most recent
exercise you now have a circle that is split into 30 degrees for each sign as
we are discussing here.

I​ t is worth noting that there are three modalities of each element and one
sign per modality. We’ll get further into this later, but for now simply note
that there is a cardinal, fixed, and mutable modality for each element. This
was mentioned earlier in the chapter when we laid out the circle and the terms
for each house. Hence there are three signs that are associated with any given
element; one of each modality. Each sign has a ruling planet or two, and
while we’ll go more in depth later, for now just understand that means there
are three planets associated with each element, to a certain degree. For
example, the planets classically associated with the element of fire are Mars,
the Sun, and Jupiter. These planets are not mutually exclusive, and you’ll
notice that some planets rule more than just one sign. In Chapter 6, you’ll
find more information about the signs and the planets that rule them.

​ he easiest way to understand the signs and their modalities is that each
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modality represents a different way for the energy of that element to
manifest. For example, the cardinal modality refers to the element when it is
forward thinking and progressive, the fixed modality refers to the element in
a static state, or status quo, and the mutable modality, also known as the
common modality, refers to the element as it adapts and flows, changing in
accord with its environment and evolution. A fine detail to note is that the
modalities are reflected in the myths that accompany each sign, so if
modalities are not clear, you can study the myths that go with the signs. This
gives greater insight into what to expect when dealing with the energy of the
sign.

​ ake for example the element of water. The cardinal manifestation of

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water would be a wave crashing on the beach or the flood of a river. The
fixed modality of water would be still, almost stagnant water, and the
mutable manifestation of water would be a lazily flowing river on a nice
Spring day. This can be extrapolated to each element to understand how the
energies may manifest in day to day life.

​ he modalities are also cyclical. They are always in the same order:
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cardinal, fixed, then mutable. Not only does this rhythm make it easy to learn
the modalities of the signs, but it also makes it easier to learn aspects, which
we’ll discuss later. Little shortcuts like this can save a lot of time and effort
when it comes to initially learning astrology and are very useful points on
down the road. It also makes deductive reasoning a lot easier, too, when it
comes to interpreting a chart. Cardinal always starts, followed by fixed, with
mutable bringing up the rear.

Exercise #5: On your circle, following the same pattern that you’ve been
using, mark the first division “Angular” on the outside of the wheel, the
second “Succedent,” and the third, “Cadent.” Repeat this pattern all the way
around the circle. Also at this point, add in the words, “Cardinal,” “Fixed,”
and “Mutable,” to correspond with angular, succedent, and cadent, as listed
above. The reason for this will become clear later, but it is just more
convenient to add them now rather than come back and do it later. See? I’m
saving you work!

​ et’s take a moment to discuss angular, succedent, and cadent. In short,

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these terms are not used often, and really they have fallen out of vogue in the
last few decades, but they are still powerful concepts to be aware of and use.
A lot of this is common sense if you know what the terms mean. An angular
house is a house that sits on an angle in the chart. A succedent house is one
that follows it, and a cadent house is one that follows a succedent. Thus is the
natural zodiac: angular corresponds to cardinal, etc, etc, as I’m sure you can
deduce from the given information. However, almost each person’s chart is
unique, and therefore some angular houses can be fixed, or even on the cusp.
There is a fine point to interpretation that can be gleamed from this, but we
will come back to that later in the book. Suffice to know for now that while in
the natural zodiac angular corresponds to cardinal, and etc, etc. This is not
necessarily true when it comes to personal charts. Just because you learn
something at the beginning level of astrology as being true doesn’t mean it is
true when you get further into your studies. While this is a powerful point no
matter what you study, it is especially true in this case.

​ s you can see, opposite divisions are of the same modality, and
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modalities square each other as well. You’ll learn in Chapter 8 how they all
interact, but at this point it is worth noting this rhythm exists. Yes, this
pattern also applies to our wheel of the year. The equinoxes and the solstices
are cardinal in manifestation, and the solar ingresses that occur sequentially
after these four pillars follow the same pattern. This also means that each
season of the year has a cardinal, fixed, and mutable element to them. By
watching the rhythm of the seasons, it becomes clear how these modalities
manifest in the physical world around us. For example, as most of us know
when a season begins it usually begins with a punch, denoting the cardinal
mode. It stabilizes for a while, and as it begins to prepare for the next season,
it begins to head that direction, so to speak, and becomes mutable- flowing
and giving way to the next season that lies ahead in one fashion or another.
We can thus watch the natural world around us to understand the application
of modalities in life, which can increase our understanding of interpreting a
chart.

​ o the modalities tie into degrees? In a minor way, yes, they do. For
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example, zero degree of a sign is the beginning of that sign, and 29° of a sign
is known as a critical degree of that sign. This is called the Anaretic degree,
and when chart points are located here, it tells us there is a particular cycle of
development associated with that sign and planet combination that is being
brought to completion during this incarnation.

​ o if zero degrees of a cardinal sign correlates to the beginning of a

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season, you can then divide a season in half, and this halfway point is 15° of
the fixed sign right in the middle. This is commonly used to find the cross-
quarter days. In an eight spoke wheel of the year format, you have four major
days which correspond to the beginning of seasons. You then have four
minor days that are the cross-quarter days that correspond to the perfect
middle of that season. While this is a topic for another book and context, it is
important to note here because it shows the correlation between astrology and
the seasons that many of us enjoy.

​ or example, if you were looking for the midpoint during the season of
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Summer, it would be located at 15 degrees Leo, which is located halfway
between zero degrees Cancer and zero degrees Libra. This location is
approximately early August, and corresponds to the ancient festival of
Lammas, a time of harvesting and of celebrating the harvest. Whatever day
that degree falls on is the day that is the exact midpoint of the Summer
season. That’s when it’s at its height, so to speak. Before that is a build-up,
and after it things begin to shift towards Autumn. While the ancient festivals
weren’t one-day-only events, they were occurring during these time periods.
It is also wise to keep in mind that what we are discussing here is occurring
north of the equator. South of the equator is a different story altogether. Also
remember that due to the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun, the day
of fifteen degrees of a fixed sign varies from year to year.

​ outh of the equator, this pattern is inverted, so when you have Summer
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in the northern hemisphere, you have Winter in the southern. This is true of
all of the seasons and should be kept in mind when interpreting charts. Far
too many astrologers that claim to be competent leave this point out, which is
not only rude, it is also sloppy work and disrespectful.

​ his pattern can be continued through the rest of the zodiacal year.
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Fifteen degrees of the next fixed sign Scorpio is the time of the ancient
festival known as Samhain, and fifteen degrees of the next fixed sign after
that is at fifteen Aquarius, which corresponds to Imbolg, also known as
Candlemas. To finish the pattern out, fifteen degrees of Taurus gives us the
festival of Beltane. All of this fits together into a cohesive system of
symmetry and harmony that we can use to navigate the year, and helps us
understand how to tap into these energies in a highly productive way.
However, this is an astrological text, and I save this information for another
time and place more fitting for the wheel of the year.

Other Geometric Shapes

​ strology uses more than just the circle, though, and here we’ll discuss
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what those shapes are and how innovative you can make things if you apply
them to astrology. As I hinted at previously, squares are used in astrology,
but so are triangles and six pointed stars. You can also find parallelograms in
there. While it may be clear from inference, you can also find straight lines
and half circles, too! The triangles can be further broken down into two
different types. What is the key to understanding all of these, you may ask?
Why, degrees, of course! We’ll go over these in depth in Chapter 8, but the
foundation of all aspects can be found in geometry. As the ancients knew and
have said many times, the strongest shape in existence is a triangle. With the
rise of the Judeo-Christian paradigm, focus has shifted to the concept of the
square as being solid, putting the idea of a triangle secondary, but anyone that
has worked with various shapes knows the truth of the matter.

​ his also opens the door for future work that can be done with astrology.
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In ancient times, lasting up until a few hundred years ago, there were mainly
just five shapes that were used. This changed with the pioneering work of
Johannes Kepler in the late 16th century as discussed previously, but his work
stands as a testament to the evolving spirit that comes with astrology. He took
the classic aspects of astrology from Ptolemy and added depth and detail to
them. While his work with aspects will be covered later, it is sufficient for
now to understand that he based a lot of his work off of ideas that came from
geometric shapes. Since his time, there have been others that have looked at
astrology in new ways, and the basis of these mathematical calculations and
insights have been geometry.

​ et’s also clarify here that there is one kind of geometry that is the basis
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for astrology, and that is Euclidian geometry. Pythagorean Theory also comes
into play here, tangentially speaking. As astrology has developed it has not
lost its mathematical roots, as anyone that has ever cast a chart by hand can
attest. The mathematical and geometric roots of astrology have made it
endure the test of time, yet have been flexible enough for adaptation as we as
a species have matured. The more we evolve collectively and the more we
learn about our world, the more details we discover and the more fine-tuned
observations can be made about the world around us. By seeing the world
through a much finer lens, we put ourselves in a position to be more careful
when it comes to our interaction with the environment and our own
evolution. As we discussed in Chapter 1, scientific instruments have come a
long way and have been developing rapidly over the last few decades, but
they are in no way perfect nor complete. Astrology mirrors this by constantly
evolving and adapting to the new paradigm we inhabit. By finding more
detailed and subtle nuances in the astrological chart, we become more detail
oriented and perceptive when it comes to co-creating the reality around us.
We become more efficient masters of our charts, and in so doing, we evolve
in a more controlled and focused way. Funny how all of this begins with
geometry, isn’t it?
 Chapter 3: The Astronomy of Astrology

Astronomy, which is the newer of the two sciences, is a science that

studies the naming and classification of stars and all things celestial.
Astrology is how they speak to one another and then by extension to us, but
astronomy tells us what their names are and other characteristics, such as
size, type, etc. Both are powerful sciences and both have their strengths, so it
is wise to be familiar and competent with each. It is a fairly new trend in
astrology to work with astronomy and due to this, I would like to discuss
what this blending entails.

​ he merging of these two areas of study has only really become

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commonplace in the last few years or so, so don’t be surprised if this is
unfamiliar to you. It may seem alien and perhaps a little daunting when it’s
first being considered for use, but that will quickly fade. There’s so much to
astronomy just like astrology. With its more hard science focus it may seem
like it’s a tough nut to crack, but when you break it down to the brass tacks,
there are simple starting points. In order to fully integrate the two systems
there are some things to note, so let’s address them to bring some clarity.

Nomenclature

​ first point is that it is wise to be familiar with the terms and concepts
A
used by astronomy even if you don’t use them a lot in your own astrology.
One of the reasons for being familiar with them is so if you see them used,
you’ll know their origin. This can help quite a bit to keep things straight in
your own mind, and thus weed out what is applicable and what is not. If you
can identify something as coming from astronomy rather than astrology, you
can decide how to use it in your astrology work, if you decide to use it at all.
The way I like to look at it is to liken it to becoming familiar with another
language. Astronomy has its own lexicon and when you become familiar
with it, things become a lot easier to digest. If you know, for example, that
dwarf planets are a concept that comes from astronomy then you can
mentally classify that idea in the appropriate file in your brain. Let me give
you an example: Pluto. In 2006 the IAU (International Astronomical Union
created the designation dwarf planets due to the fact that more and more
small planets are being discovered in our solar system. Thus, as far as planets
are concerned, there are two categories that are now being used for planets:
planets and dwarf planets. Pluto was changed from a planet to a dwarf planet,
which caused quite the global uproar and understandably so. Many people
were still alive from when the discovery of Pluto was major news to them,
and many also saw this act as sacrilegious. Besides revealing how people feel
about their planets and stars, this also made people inaccurately question
astrology and astronomy. Many felt that astronomers weren’t doing the right
thing, and others thought this changed classification affected astrology in
some way. Let’s look at this a lot closer and clarify what we learned from this
event.

​ he first thing we learned was that the IAU is not afraid to change,
T
clarify, and add classifications as new discoveries are made. I completely
agree with this. After all, they name the planets and the stars. They have the
technology to discover more and more interesting things about our solar
system while approaching things from a highly scientific mindset. To me this
is smart on their part. After all, they’re doing what they’re trained to do, and
it’s what they do well. By doing this though, they’ve put pressure on the
astrological community to keep up with them. Here again in the long run I
think this is a very good thing. You’ve seen me mention twice now that there
is an International Astronomical Union; a veritable coalition of astronomers
that work in unison planet wide, and this opens the door to many wide
ranging possibilities. Have you heard of any comparable group for
astrologers? If so, I’d like to hear about it because I haven’t, and between you
and me, I see that as a strong, limiting, and outdated detriment to our
wonderful art. They can be organized, but we can’t? And they’re the new
kids on the block? That’s, well, to me that’s sad. But anyway, that’s on
astrologers as a whole to address. Of course addressing this takes
intelligence, maturity, and a list of other things currently lacking in the
greater community. There are many reasons for this, but that would require a
whole essay or book, so let’s get back to topic. The IAU is going to keep
naming and classifying things that have to do with our solar system, so it’s in
our best interests to keep an eye on what they’re doing, and incorporate
applicable elements where we can to the best of our abilities.
 ​On the surface this may look like a very daunting task, but it’s really not.
All we have to do is get through the initial learning curve and then everything
becomes easy because being a hard science, they are limited to what they will
inject into the study of the immediate solar system. It’s not like there are
going to be a lot of new ideas that they bring into being until more emphasis
is put on expanding beyond our own planet. Seeing as how we’re still having
ego problems that lead to international incidents and wars, it could be a
while. If we take the time to learn their concepts and terms, then we simply
pay attention to what happens with them in the future and add new things to
our repertoire as they add to theirs. After repeated exposure, their terms will
become second nature to us as we seek to develop an understanding of more
subtle nuances and manifestations of the stars and planets that influence us
moment by moment.

I​ would like to clarify something here. When I write all of this, I’m not
writing it from the perspective of a jaded or disillusioned astrologer. When I
was 7 years old, I wanted to become a professional astronomer. I grew up in
the country, and would spend many hours outside at night stargazing, using
my star finder to locate certain stars and planets, and then I would learn the
constellations. This love for all things celestial continued for quite a while
until I got older and started giving that profession a serious look. That’s when
I decided against it, because I learned what it truly means to be an
astronomer. Not only should you have a love of the night sky and the stars,
but you also had to excel in *gasp* math! I consider myself a math atheist
after a comic strip from Calvin and Hobbes, and math has never been a
strength of mine until recently, so needless to say when I learned this, I
started to feel daunted. At that time (the early 1980s astronomy was still a
small community, and something else I learned that daunted me was the
demand for jobs was so low I would basically be waiting for someone to die
to get into the job opening left behind, so I would spend most of my adult life
not doing what I wanted to do. Needless to say, to a young child that’s pretty
much a career killer, so I left the world of astronomy behind and pursued
other things. I never lost the love of stars, and I always did my best to keep
up with all things related to the night sky and their study. Little did I know at
the time that later on in life I would become an astrologer! It’s fascinating
how life works sometimes! I share all of this because it is my intent to
illustrate that above astronomy and astrology I simply love the night sky and
all things related to our solar system. This passion is true for many, regardless
of whether they are a hobbyist, enthusiast, astronomer, or astrologer. We’re
all interested in the same subject matter; we just have different areas of focus.
So when I write these words, I’m approaching all of this from a holistic
perspective. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses, and only by
bringing everyone on the same page can we truly move forward in a way that
can best serve our species as a whole.

Basic Tenets

​ stronomy excels at classifying things. After all, it is the naming of the

A
stars and all things celestial that is their primary focus. Without astronomy
we wouldn’t have such a well laid out view of the cosmos as we currently
have. We wouldn’t have the ideas of dwarf stars, blue stars, red stars, white
stars, or supernovas. We also wouldn’t have a way to accurately measure
distance, or an understanding of what comprises our atmosphere or the
atmosphere of other planets that are close to us. In short, there are many
wonderful things that astronomy has brought us that the ancients couldn’t
give us for many reasons. But, you know I’m a pragmatist, so let’s talk about
what most of this means to the average practicing astrologer. Well, it means
nothing, quite bluntly. Seriously. We’re the ones that don’t look at the
curtain; we’re the ones that look behind the curtain. You can classify
anything all you want, but all of the classifications that exist don’t really
mean anything until you can see the principles at work behind the scenes and
understand what it means from a working model. Can you incorporate these
ideas into your astrology? Yes, for the most part, and I encourage you to do
so. Some things may not incorporate well or easily, but yes, certain elements
can be blended in for greater potency and accuracy.

​ hen it comes to astrology, the classifications used by astronomers are

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really more details than anything else. They can be useful to know, and there
is some merit in them, but if you’re an astrologer that isn’t well versed in
astronomy and has no interest in learning it, then don’t feel pressured to learn
the classifications. While I may encourage it, it is in no way a must to achieve
astrological success, much like learning psychological concepts isn’t
necessary, either. However, in a book about astrology I do feel it important to
address astronomy at least in passing. If you’re not interested in this, then
please feel free to skip to the next chapter. What I share here is only brief
information anyway.

There is so much more to astronomy than what I can adequately

convey in this slim volume, so please take these general concepts with a grain
of salt, and explore where you feel drawn. The first point to know is that
astronomy doesn’t just look at the planets in our local solar system, it also
looks at different types of space phenomena such as the brightness of stars in
the sky, the constellations, black holes, solar winds, and gravitational fields
of planets. It also looks at the composition of planets, whether or not there is
life beyond earth, and advanced ideas such as quantum physics and different
waves of energy, which includes a broad spectrum in and of itself. While not
all of these are useful in astrology, some of them are, and in this chapter we
will focus on the points of astronomy that are useful in learning the nuances
of application for astrology. Some of what astronomy focuses on is not
particularly useful in astrology, yet some are highly useful and can provide
clarity when it comes to subtleties of interpretation. Let’s break down the
useful and applicable concepts to get a better understanding of what they are
and how to apply them.

The first point to address is solar flares. Basically, solar flares occur
when there is a burst of fire and energy that emanate out from the Sun. They
are sort of like tendrils that occur at certain intervals. Technically, these are
eruptions that come from the surface of the Sun and disrupt a lot of the
different types of waves of energy that are commonly used here on earth. For
example, a solar flare may disrupt communications if it is of that particular
type. Yes, there are different types of solar flares, but really the main
variances have to do with the intensity of the individual flares themselves
rather than the material involved. Since they emanate out from the Sun the
basic composition of all solar flares is essentially the same. As you can see,
knowing about solar flares and understanding how they impact life on earth
can be quite valuable when it comes to astrology for a few different reasons.
The first reason is that they can disrupt radio frequencies here on earth that
may conflict with what we see with astrological transits. Here’s an example:
Let’s say that when you look at transits on any given day, everything looks
highly positive and supportive, yet the day goes off the rails as it were. When
this occurs, there are two points to note. The first is the fact that the transits
may be positive, but the way they interact with individual charts may be
highly challenging, and thus there is no true blanket analysis that is accurate.
The second point is that the transits and interactions with the planets in the
solar system may be positive, but if the solar flare activity is strong enough, it
can interfere with life here on earth, causing challenges and upheaval, even
though astrology says things should roll along smoothly.

Solar flare activity usually corresponds to sunspot activity and

sunspot cycles, and this is important to know because these cycles impact life
on earth in a variety of ways. A good rule of thumb is that sunspot activity
occurs in approximately a twelve year cycle. You can chart the ups and
downs of financial forecasting with this cycle. Generally, the rule of thumb is
that if the sunspot and solar flare activity is in a low point in its cycle then the
financial industry will be calm, but if solar flare activity is towards the height
of the cycle, there may be extreme fluctuations in the financial industry.
While I am focusing on the financial industry here, it is safe to extrapolate
this out to other areas of society. Sometimes a correlation can be made
between solar flare cycles and crime, or solar flares and technological
innovation, so it is wise to look at several different sectors of society to see
how solar flares and their cycles impact life on earth. Through the years I
have found that knowing solar flare cycles and activity can explain some
things that astrology can’t, and while cynics may say this is proof that
astrology doesn’t work, it’s actually proof that if you exclusively use
astrology, you’re not always using the proper tool for the appropriate job.
However, let’s look at another astronomical concept that can be of great use
to the astrologer.

This is an idea that is easy to understand in theory, but sometimes

hard to understand in practice, and that is the idea of declinations. In essence,
declinations have to do with where planets are located in the sky, but this is a
different manner than standard astrology and astrological charts. Yes, an
astrological chart tells us where the planets, asteroids, etc, are at any given
moment, but they don’t tell us where they truly are in the sky in regards to
earth. For example, when we look at an astrological chart, we can see that
Mars is in Virgo, but that doesn’t tell us where in the night sky it is, but rather
it tells us where Mars is in the chart. In this example, where is Virgo in the
sky? Is it in the visible night sky? Is it not visible in the night sky? Is it
visible in the northern hemisphere but not in the southern, or vice versa?
These are the questions that can be answered by declinations. As you can see,
that makes this a subject that deserves a book all to itself, so there’s no way I
can address it here in its entirety, but I will at least guide you to a basic
understanding so you can pursue your own research as you see fit.
Declinations tell us where in the sky something is located; above us, below
us, not visible to us, etc, etc. Declinations also reveal something else to us,
which is a nuance of astrology, and that is whether or not the planets are
moving in harmony with each other on this level, which is in addition to
aspects, which we will discuss more in Chapter 8.

The concept this addresses is called parallels. The easiest way to work
with these is to draw an imaginary line from the equator out into space, and
then mentally figure out where the planets in signs are located based off that
baseline. If this seems challenging, don’t worry, because most computer
software programs can do this for you, and information can easily be found
on the internet that can help. This is more of a mental exercise than anything
else, but it is something that can be very valuable to understand and use. This
also ties into an astronomical concept called declinations, but I will table that
for now. The planets in signs will either be parallel to each other or not, and
if they are not, they are known as being contraparallel to each other. For
example, you may have the aforementioned Mars in Virgo above the equator
line, but Neptune in Pisces below the equator line. If this is the case, then
they could be known as being contraparallel to each other. Parallels and
contraparallels are things that can be looked at as strong as aspects in the
chart, so dismissing them is unwise. However, they are more of an advanced
concept, so tabling them for future study is wise, especially if you feel
overwhelmed when first learning astrology. What they reveal are concepts
that have to do with how the human mind processes information, the default
mental state of the individual when put into context of others, and the ability
of the human mind to work with the information it receives. Astrology has
worked with these two concepts for a number of years now, and something
that has come to light is that they reflect mental illness in an individual.
While there is much research still being done about this, it is worth noting
because it shows there are aspects of astronomy that can explain things that
standard astrology cannot.
 Another astronomical focus that can be useful in astrology is that of
the composition of planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, are the gas
planets in the solar system that we know about at this time, and this can be
very useful when it comes to interpreting astrological information. I’m not
going to take time here to explain what a gas planet is, as it should be clear
from the name, but rather let’s focus on how to use this information when
working with astrology. What this tells us is the effects of the planets may
manifest in a highly diffused way. This also has something to do with more
scientific ideas that science hasn’t discovered yet, such as the type of energy
and energy waves they emit as we discussed earlier in the book. While
science is able to tell what planets in our solar system are composed of, it has
yet to determine the kind of waves emitted by planets of differing
compositions. However, as scientific instruments are further developed, this
information will come to light.

From a modern perspective, there is another facet of astronomy that

has recently moved into astrology, and that has to do with black holes. Yes,
I’m serious. This is something I learned about a few years ago and have
found very fascinating, but not altogether practical. In short, a lot of black
holes that are known have coordinates that can be placed in a birth chart, so
you can fairly easily see what black holes fall where. But like I said, I have
not found this to be practical. It is my firm belief this is because there’s not
enough exposure and research currently in existence to do anything with the
information. I simply mention this here because it illustrates the further
blending between astronomy and astrology and the potential present when it
comes to deepening your understanding of both. I feel confident that with
time this will be worked with more and more, and that in the not too distant
future astrologers can see how chart points blended with black holes can play
a role in the understanding of life.

Astronomy has also caused astrology to readdress long standing

concepts as well, which is a point that is very important. For example, as
discussed earlier, when planets were reclassified, the onus was put on
astrologers to adapt. By and large, the astrological community did adapt.
When categorizations of planets changed, astrologers changed their lingo and
approach. This was also coupled by the Kuiper belt objects discussed earlier.
Another facet of astrology was also covered in this move, and that was the
asteroids. Recently some asteroids have been reclassified, and while this
doesn’t change the application or interpretation of them, it is worth noting
because astrologers have been using asteroids for a few hundred years now,
so the adjustment is tough for some old soul astrologers. Meanwhile, the
classification of Pluto has changed, which caused quite an uproar, but really
this change makes sense.

Something that astronomy deals with that astrology has yet to address
though, are comets and meteors. Astronomy charts them, classifies them, and
studies them, whereas astrology does nothing with them. This is not a slight
against astrology, but rather it shows a growth area to be explored now and in
the future. Was there a comet near earth when you were born, and if so, how
does that impact your life? I realize that due to the fast moving nature of
these bodies this may seem irrelevant, but the same could be said of other
topics of astrology, so that argument loses its footing fast. This simply
illustrates one of the areas for expansion as we move further into the new
century and aeon. A tangent on this is the concept of the two moons.

It has been noted for quite some time that at any given moment the
earth has two moons around it. This idea is partially illusion, though, but it is
important to note when it comes to understanding astrology. Basically, there
is the Moon we all know and love, and then there is a captured asteroid that
goes around the Earth, often times trailing the Moon across the sky. Some
speculation even says this is the root of the children’s story of Jack and Jill.
However, the second Moon is almost always smaller than the main Moon,
and often times it burns up before leaving the atmosphere. This means its
astrological influence is temporary at best, and that it generally doesn’t
survive the experience of being a second moon. Technically and logically
there would be an impact on an astrological chart, however fleeting, and if
astrologers have been paying attention to the influence of asteroids over the
last few hundred years, it stands to reason integrating these would be a
natural extension.

Finally, the last two ideas I want to touch on in this brief chapter are
very important ones that are wise to work with if you want to integrate
astronomy with astrology. The first one has to do with binary star systems,
and the second with star clusters. Personally I have only limited experience
with binary stars in context of astrology, but I have noticed that if they are
worked with more than they are now, there is a lot of profound information
that can be revealed. Here are two examples that stimulate the imagination.
The first one is the constellation Draco. This is the constellation that circles
around the North Pole. At the heart of the constellation is a binary star system
comprised of Thuban and Theta Bootis. I won’t go into a lot of detail here
because I would like to keep this astrologically focused, but there is a lot that
can be discovered if you are willing to do the research. The main point I want
to drive home is that at approximately 3800 BCE those two stars were at their
closest proximity to each other, and occurring in Europe was a technological
revolution. Since that point in history the two stars have been moving away
from each other, but of course they are still in orbit to each other. They
reached their maximum distance away from each other at approximately
December 2012, when they began moving back towards each other. Of
course a few thousand years in the future they will be close to each other
again, most likely coinciding with another advancement for the human
species.

The second example I would like to share is that of the twin stars we
know today as Sirius. What has been passed down from the Dogon tribe
throughout the centuries is that there are two stars that comprise what we
know as Sirius. However, Europeans and science in general didn’t have the
technology to validate this, so their perspectives were not given the weight
they deserved, often times relegated to ancient myths and legends. In recent
times though, it was discovered that there are two stars that we know as
Sirius: Sirius “A” and Sirius “B,” thus validating what the Dogon have been
saying for thousands of years. This is particularly amazing because the
Dogon of Africa are known as primitive people, yet this information shows
that they were far more advanced than the Europeans in some ways, even
though they didn’t embrace technology, society, and other modern comforts
like the Europeans developed.

I realize these two concepts can be seen as only tangentially related to

astrology, but the situation about Dracos should be clear as to how binary star
systems could be looked at and studied in the context of astrology. One
deduction is that you could study binary stars to gain an understanding of
greater cycles than the ones that are normally studied in astrology today. The
situation of the Dogon is another matter entirely, as it shows there is much to
be learned by listening to the stories of the ancients rather than discarding
them because we’re not in a position to validate them. How did they know
there were two stars there, when our modern concept of a telescope wasn’t
developed for several centuries afterwards? Best case scenario, they had
some sort of night viewing equipment we can’t fathom, and worst case
scenario, well, aliens; but I digress.

Let’s turn our attention to star clusters, and here again I would like to
focus on two specifically to illustrate a point. I am fully aware there are many
other star clusters that could easily be studied, and I encourage you to do so.
The first example is that of the Pleiades. In short, the Pleiades is a star cluster
that has been known about from ancient times, but in recent decades has
experienced a resurgence of interest. There is a rich story stemming from the
Greco-Roman pantheon that tells the story of this cluster and the seven sisters
it is named for, but what has been worked with in recent decades is
something quite different. Recently there has been channeled information that
has come from the Pleiades that has risen in popularity, and a lot of this
information has to do with healthy and proper relationships, and treating each
other in positive particular ways. Setting aside the validity of the information,
this is worth being aware of because it shows the cyclical popularity of the
unknown. Why Pleiades? Why not the Horsehead Nebula? Time will reveal
the truth of the information that has been channeled from this so called
location, but I do find it interesting from an astrological perspective because
it sits at in the constellation of Taurus, where another interesting point is
located. Personally, I don’t believe in coincidence, and this placement of
Pleiades in addition with the channeled information does make me question
it. Perhaps there is something deeper here I am missing, and I will freely
admit that, but the fact of the matter is that it is a focal point for the current
blending of astronomy, astrology, and modern spirituality.

The second star cluster to look at is the Sagittarius star cluster that is
the center of our galaxy. Sagittarius A and B are two stars that sit in the
middle of that cluster that have recently risen in popularity as well, and some
speculate that the ancient concept and symbol “Om” can be found within it.
Here again, regardless of the truth of that, this is a cluster worth paying
attention to because it’s the Galactic Center! Therefore, astrologically
speaking, any transits that occur near there, and any astrological activity
located in context of it, is highly important to note in the interpretation of the
chart because it shows an individual aligned with the very center of our
galaxy. Such alignments may or may not have significance, but bluntly, the
research hasn’t been done, so for now all we have is a tangent of thought and
development for future studies. In the late 1990s and early part of the new
aeon, Pluto was transiting the galactic core, and research into history can give
us an understanding of how things were at that time, which means we can
deduce and infer from there. Being aligned with the galactic core could have
personal development significance as much as some sort of physical
significance, but it is way too early into the studies to tell. However, there has
already been some preliminary research done into this and other astronomical
and space phenomena in approximately the last ten years, so if you’re curious
it should be no problem finding the information you seek. I would encourage
you to use your best discretion when analyzing it, as all that glitters is not
gold.

I’m sure it is quite clear by now that there is a lot that astronomy has
to offer astrology, and conversely there is a lot astrology can offer astronomy.
This reciprocity paves the way for further development regarding space
across the boards. Both sciences have a lot of developing to do, but both are
getting better and better each year. Eventually this will produce some sort of
cohesion, and when that occurs, the development of the human species into
outer space will take a next step for humankind.
 Chapter 4: Soft Science

The Soft Science

​ very science that has the suffix of -ology is a soft science, which means
E
it is a mix of observation and logical deduction. There are many examples of
this in the world today and I will name a few for a point of perspective.

Soft Science Function

Astrology The logic of the stars.
Anthropology The logic of humanity.
The logic of the past of humanity. The logic of the
Archaeology
ancient roots of humanity.
Biology The logic of living beings.
The logic of the weather, particularly the atmosphere
Meteorology
and atmospheric events.
Physiology The logic of the body.
Psychology The logic of the human mind.
Sociology The logic of society.
As you can see from the above list there are many sciences based on
our understanding of the universe around us and our relationship to it.
Astrology exists to assist us in learning our interaction with our local solar
system and is based on one simple principle: the interconnectedness of all life
that we know. There are several other soft sciences that are not on this list,
but most of these are common, so they provide a good starting point for our
discussion.

​ n the Emerald Tablets the classic Hermetic phrase “As Above, So

O
Below” is written and while most of us today know that to be fact, what is
also worth taking note of is that only in the last twenty years or so has science
proven this to be true, thus validating astrology. Some of the scientific
theories that support this validation are the theories of the M theory and the
String theory, which discuss multiple dimensions, and the Field theory,
which addresses a one unified field surrounding everything. There is plenty
of good material out there that is readily available to all of those curious
about more in-depth research. We touched on this in Chapter 1, but there is a
wealth of information beyond that to be found by the curious seeker.

​ s a planet moves it affects us. At first this may seem mind blowing
A
because we are talking about celestial bodies that are millions of miles away.
However, keep in mind that we get light from the Sun, which is millions of
miles away also. Thus, astrology is one of the oldest branches that comprise
metaphysics. The premise of astrology is simple: As those celestial bodies
move, they influence all life. The uniqueness of the equation though, is in the
way it affects humans. The chart of any given native is a blueprint of that
individual’s psyche as it enters into its current incarnation. Some charts are
almost identical, while others are extreme in one way or another. We’ll talk
about what would make two almost identical charts turn out completely
different in the life of the native later, but for now it is worth noting astrology
addresses the imprinting influences of consciousness by the stars at first
breath. There are also specialized areas of astrology that look at pre-natal
cycles for those that are curious. It is called the pre-natal epoch, and much
has been written on this for the curious. On a more scientific level, all things
are connected as we discussed in Chapter 1, and this is being realized more
and more by the intelligent in the scientific community. This helps support
astrology in that this information moves astrology out of the realm of
dubiousness and restores it to its previous stature of a higher education
subject. Yes, during the Renaissance, astrology was taught in places like
Oxford, but with the explosion of natural sciences, it got left on the cutting
room floor in place of the new and the innovative. I mention this because it
means it is on the same level as every other science out there, but not taken as
seriously for many factors. Between M theory, String theory, gravity waves,
and magnetic ropes, much information is coming into the forefront of mass
consciousness that helps explain why astrology works. It’s no longer a belief
system, but then again, was it ever?

​ o on one level we have the blueprint of the human and how it relates to
S
the movement of the celestial bodies in space via the aspects of the natal
chart. Following that, we have the interaction of those celestial bodies in
accordance with each other. So you may have two planets that are not
interacting harmoniously, and those may be different from the imprinting on
the native. Then of course is the third dimension to this equation which is the
connection between the two. I realize this may seem complex, but give it time
and it will be crystal clear. In short, the relationships that are exposed by
astrology have to do with a the celestial bodies being studied in relation to
each other, and b how the native is composed, and c how this composition
relates back to the celestial bodies.

The Hard Science

​ hard science is one that is not open to human interpretation. It is worth

A
noting immediately that there is no pure hard science because as long as there
are humans that are working with these systems, there will be a human
consciousness applied to the subject. The closest subject we have to a true
hard science is mathematics. However, there are sciences out there that are
more objective than others, and thus they fall into the realm of being hard
sciences. A few good examples of hard sciences are mathematics and
geometry. Of course most of society is built upon these principles, so they
may be invisible to the casual observer, but to the true spiritual seeker, they
are the foundations of the current society we inhabit.

​ ne of the reasons that hard sciences are called hard sciences is because
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they can apply a strict formula to a study and obtain reproducible results,
each and every time. Soft sciences also adhere to a formula to obtain results,
but there is a little more leniency when it comes to adherence to the formula.
Of course all of this falls under the umbrella of ‘scientific method,’ and here
again, much has been written about this line of thinking that originated in
strength during the Renaissance of the 16th and 17th centuries in Western
Europe with the rise of Dee, Newton, and Copernicus, among others. Some
people even say that hard sciences are more valid than soft sciences, but both
use scientific method, and both have viable areas of study that can be useful
to humanity as a whole in their evolution. In actuality, what we’re talking
about here are the two sides of the brain, and how they blend together. Both
are useful and both are valid, but each one takes a different perspective to use
and apply. Let’s look at a list of hard sciences to gain a clearer understanding.

Hard
Definition
Science
Mathematics Manipulating Numbers and working with formulas.
Investigation and study of substances composing
Chemistry
matter.
Linguistics The study of languages, and of language families.
Study of hereditary characteristics, and the evolution
Genetics
thereof.
Study of the bodily structure and function of living
Anatomy
beings.
Study of planting, maintaining, and growing a forest
Forestry
and its ecosystem.

​ strology also uses formulas to produce results, but it is in the

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observation and interpretation of the information that astrology differs from
hard sciences, which is what makes it a soft science. I’ll use the following
simplistic example to illustrate this. Hard science tells us that a particular
chemical reaction will cause results that are consistent each and every time.
This is a yes or no situation with no room for variance. The soft science of
astrology though, would allow for minor variances as acceptable criteria. For
example, let’s look at the color red as it is seen by the human eye. If the color
was a lighter shade of red that is closer to orange, astrology would say that
fits the pattern of acceptable and forecasted results, whereas hard science
would not necessarily agree. But as I discussed before, the approach that
astrology is taking is consistent with the other soft sciences that exist because
it understands the logic behind something rather than the technical
manifestation. It requires observing the technical manifestation of something
to understand the subject more in depth, which of course is in line with hard
scientific thought.

Scientific Method Application

 ​ s we discussed in Chapter 1 there is a scientific method of thinking and
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analysis that goes with science in general, no matter whether it is a soft or
hard science. This kind of method can be challenging at first but after time,
using it can become second nature and can be summed up in one phrase:
“The facts speak for themselves.” Preconceived notions are just about the
antithesis of scientific thought. It is highly unwise to go into a situation with
preconceived notions, and this is as true for astrology as any other science,
particularly soft ones, and really almost every situation you encounter in life.
The way I like to use this is to have a vague idea about whatever scenario I
find myself in, but I will reserve judgment on making any firm decisions until
I have a clearer picture of what’s happening. Usually my thoughts are based
on very broad generalities. For example, if I’m going to a park, it’s safe to
infer there will be grass and trees, but past that, it’s really kind of up in the air
because parks vary from place to place. Once I arrive at the park though, I’ll
be able to see things as they are right there, and decide for myself what is and
what isn’t.

​At this point it’s worth mentioning that a subtle key to effectively using
the scientific method is the eastern philosophy of detachment: Detachment
from preconceived notions, detachment from expected results and
detachment from the personal ego as well. Impartiality is what is being
addressed here, and this can be challenging for a lot of people that are
emotionally focused and driven. By not letting emotions and preconceived
notions cloud our judgments, we put ourselves in a better position to see
things clearly, and this is particularly useful when it comes to interpreting an
astrological chart and events from an astrological perspective.

​Let’s take a few moments to look at this when it comes to the chart. There
is a pitfall that many might fall into when first working with astrology and
that is of rote memorization and regurgitation. This comes from way too
many hours spent in formalized schooling during which students are expected
to memorize pieces of information as they are presented, and then expected to
regurgitate to the instructor what that information is. This is the basis of all
standardized tests. In some fields, particularly hard sciences, this is a good
thing, but in the area of soft sciences, this isn’t beneficial because it closes the
mind to possibilities that are well within accepted parameters. Because
astrology is so massive and on the surface so fact oriented, it’s easy to fall
into the pitfall of memorizing correspondences that have to do with astrology.
Yes, it is wise to memorize basic information. Yes, this is good material to
know. However, knowing the information is only half of the equation. The
other half is what you do with the information. To draw a parallel, it’s the
difference between wisdom and knowledge.

​ nyone can memorize astrological information, but not everyone can

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apply it to whatever may be in front of them. I know plenty of people that are
theorists in that they know a lot of astrological information, but horrible at
being practitioners because they can’t or won’t apply what they have learned
for various reasons. Usually this reason is because they lack confidence or
experience, but sometimes other factors come into play, such as lack of
people skills, etc. Whatever the case may be, it is worth noting that if this
imbalance isn’t addressed, then astrological growth becomes stagnant. Too
much theory is stagnant and dead, while too much practice is out of bounds,
in a lot of ways.

I​ nterestingly enough, all of this is also why so many people fail at

astrology or think that it doesn’t work. If someone memorizes astrological
material, and there’s a slight difference in how it is actually applied, then “by
Jove, it doesn’t work!” People that think like this are most likely looking for
astrology to be a hard science rather than a soft science, and they may or may
not be aware of that within themselves. There are people out there that get
daunted by astrology for these reasons. This is NOT a science that one can
master by simply memorizing information. It takes application and critical
thinking. Variances on a theme are acceptable in astrology, just like they are
in any of the other soft sciences that were mentioned above. It’s only in hard
sciences that variances aren’t welcome.

Rote Memorization

​ hen I first learned astrology I was very into memorizing as many

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correspondences as I could to understand the nature of what I was learning.
However, after months of doing this, I found that I still felt like I was getting
nowhere with it because while I had a grasp on this important information, I
was constantly coming up short, when it came to discussing astrology with
astrological peers. Even though we all basically knew the same knowledge,
they were much more advanced than I was, and not just because of the years
of difference in the application of astrology. They had the one thing that I
didn’t have; the ability to extrapolate from the known information that was
common to us all. They were able to do this much better than I for a couple
of reasons. The first obvious reason was the difference in years of experience,
which is common sense. The second reason though, was because astrology is
much more than simply memorizing correspondences. It also takes the ability
to apply these correspondences in a way that is more living, so to speak.

​ he problem with rote memorization is that if a situation comes up that

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isn’t exactly as was memorized it can be confusing to the beginning
astrologer. Let’s look at the planet Mars, for example. Mars corresponds to
aggression, competition, athleticism, war, conflict, and being proactive. If
just this list of correspondences was memorized, a few important points
would not be noticed. On the surface, it looks all conflict and testosterone
related, but Mars is more than that. When you strip away the above
correspondences, it becomes clear that what Mars corresponds to is energy
itself, and the application of said energy. Thus Mars also corresponds to
vitality, prana, and feeling a connection with the divine, no matter the name
you know it by. When the principle behind the correspondences is uncovered,
using Mars becomes clearer, and it’s easier to extrapolate on the fly if
necessary. Because of the fiery nature of Mars, this also means it corresponds
to purification through fire.

​Let’s look at a chart point as an example instead of a planet to illustrate

the comprehensiveness of the principle. Let’s look at the descendant. Most
astrology books and correspondences will tell you that the descendant, which
is the sign on the cusp of the 7th house directly opposite the ascendant, gives
insight into the type of personal relationships you may have in your life. This
also includes your role within them. However, what is not talked about a lot
regarding the descendant is something that can be just as valuable when it
comes to applying it in everyday life. The sign on the descendant is also
indicative of how we like to unwind at night when we’re done with the day’s
responsibilities. In this way it acts as the antithesis to the ascendant, which
makes sense because the descendant is the sign that was on the western
horizon at the time of birth, so it shows the setting influence. A lot of this part
of the descendant is not written about, nor is it widely applied, but by being
aware of this principle behind the descendant, we increase our ability to
integrate the descendant into interpretations, and we have an easier time
extrapolating things we may see that are not common correspondences. To
illustrate, if someone has a fixed sign on their descendant, they will generally
prefer the same way to unwind each day, rather than private time filled with a
lot of activity. Or, if there is a lot of activity, it will be of the same kind and
variety most of the time. However, this also means if someone has a fixed
sign as their descendant, and something throws off their behind the scenes
time, then they may not be happy, and will probably even show it.

​ es, there is value in memorizing lists of correspondences, but there is

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also value in learning the principles that are being worked with behind the
correspondences. Anyone can memorize a list of details, but not everyone has
the ability to peer beyond the veil to the principles that are being employed.
As you can see from these first few chapters, this is a common theme in
astrology. This takes a certain open mindedness as well as the ability to
extrapolate, which can take some practice. In short, what I’m discussing here
are critical thinking skills, and how important they are when it comes to
applying astrology in a living way.

Regurgitation

I​ t never ceases to amaze me how many people that study astrology simply
regurgitate what they read in a book somewhere. Then, on top of that, they
simply tell the person they’re reading for, this material, which in effect, is the
same thing as forcing a square peg into a round hole. This can leave the
person whose chart is being read feeling like something’s not right, which
can turn them off of astrology for their entire life, depending on the person. I
know this was the case for me when I was younger and still new to astrology.
As a matter of fact, it did turn me off of astrology for a few decades. It was
only much later when I had restarted my astrological studies that I realized it
was the incompetence of the astrologer that influenced me in a not so nice
way.

​Not everyone is the same, and thus astrological correspondences should

not be treated as the same thing across the boards for everyone. People that
do this don’t understand the difference between hard sciences and soft
sciences, and that astrology is a soft science, not a hard science. There’s an
element of astrology that is not being taken into account by these people,
which is the element of free will. We live in a free will zone when we inhabit
a body on earth, and because of this we can influence and affect our chart,
and in particular how it may manifest in our daily lives. Astrology is more
than just facts from a book that are memorized. If you only know the facts,
but can’t adapt on the fly, then you’re missing half of the beauty and
accuracy of astrology.

​Let’s look at other examples. The first one to consider is that of Jupiter. If
you simply memorized correspondences of Jupiter, then you’d know that
Jupiter corresponds to good fortune, abundance, prosperity, expansion, and
beneficence. Thus, if you saw a positive aspect in someone’s chart to Jupiter,
these ideas may come to mind first. I can easily see the person sitting across
the chart from you frowning as you tell them that they are prosperous and
abundant. When asked, their response may be something like “Actually, I’m
about to file bankruptcy, and it is tough making ends meet.” Well, that would
make it look like astrology is wrong in this case, but it’s not. When we keep
in mind what we mentioned above about knowing the principles behind the
correspondences, certain esoteric correspondences of Jupiter come to light.
The first one that is applicable to this situation is that Jupiter is associated
with expansion. Often times, but not always, this can explain why someone is
in debt enough for bankruptcy. Said bankruptcy may be an option because
too much of life was spent expanding, and not enough attention was placed
on more Saturnine correspondences, such as living within one’s means.
Another perspective to consider is that Jupiter also corresponds to living large
and in charge and because of this, the person may not be that good with
money, but they may live a very large, rich life overall, being the kind king or
queen, as it were. In this case, to simply regurgitate the Jupiter
correspondences would be doing an injustice to Jupiter, and it would be
making too many assumptions about how this Jupiterian energy may be
manifesting in the individual’s life. Jupiter is also known as the guru planet
and in this way it corresponds to the wise teacher. Not quite the task master
that Saturn is, but still a teacher nonetheless.

​ ere’s another example that’s not quite as black and white as the
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previous one. Let’s look at the ascendant. The ascendant is the mask that we
wear when we’re interacting with people outside of our immediate home
environment. In other words it’s what comes into play more often than not
when we’re interacting with the world at large. Thus if someone has a Cancer
ascendant, correspondences associated with Cancer would be the first words
that spring to mind, so a Cancer ascendant could reflect someone who tends
to take a nurturing stance towards their environment, or someone that likes to
be nurtured either by their environment or when it comes to getting
something from their environment. If this was brought up to someone when
their chart was being looked at, it may produce a scowl though, which is
something that I’ve experienced before. The reason for this is that you may
come across an individual who has nothing to do with nurturing or sharing
these views, yet is still highly Cancerian. A lot of times people see nurturing
in a very parental sort of way, but it’s more than that. Someone with a Cancer
ascendant may be someone that doesn’t have a nurturing bone in their body,
and these are replaced by the intuition and working out of the home. Yes,
these are correspondences of Cancer, but unless the rest of the chart is looked
at in context, it is an easy misread if one is not careful. Not every Cancer
ascendant is nurturing, or worse, they’re nurturing, but for unhealthy reasons.
The point I make here is that to a certain extent correspondences, and in
particular the interpretation of them, is often times a very fluid process. Some
correspondences may apply, whereas others may not, yet when you look at a
second chart, the converse may be true, changing everything you believe.

Environmental Context

I​ realize this may cover a lot of common sense, but it does justify a brief
section. There’s something to be said for understanding the environment
someone comes from when they want their chart interpreted. This
environment isn’t only the world around them they live in; it is also the
genetic environment they have been born into. On the surface it may look
like this is an area that is difficult to work with, but when you break it down
to the brass tacks, it becomes clear that all you need to work with this is
perception skills and knowledge of geography, broadly speaking.

​ et’s look at a very silly yet real world example. If you were interpreting
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a chart for someone that lives in a desert environment, such as the southwest
part of the United States or the Middle East, if you saw heavy water influence
in the chart, this would take on more of an emotional slant rather than
physical water. Yes, this is not an absolute rule obviously, but it does bear
mentioning here because it is a trap that many fall into. Water is also the
element most associated with initiation and mediumship, which tells us this
individual may be a seer of some kind, or perhaps this lifetime is one big
initiation. Whatever the case may be, it is worth keeping these points in mind
because they reinforce outside the box application of information that is
elementary to the study of astrology.

​Another example that is not so obvious is the environment of the home

and the formative years. Like every part of astrology, there should be no
assumptions when it comes to someone’s background and how they’ve
grown up. I realize this is a common sense point, but I’ve seen enough people
over the years assume something about how someone grew up based on
appearances, body language, etc, that it does bear mentioning here. This also
includes their background regarding whether they were raised in a traditional
family structure, a blended family, or something else entirely. The easiest
way I’ve found to treat this is to take the person, the chart, and the
interpretation all at face value. In other words, when someone sits at the table
across from me I treat the situation like it’s a blank slate. Here again, I realize
this should be common sense, but often times it’s not. We come full circle to
scientific method here, in that if we approach this like it’s a blank slate, we
let the facts speak for themselves, which is the application of scientific
method. Inferences are another dangerous part of this, and while some things
are safe to infer, other things are not. The test of someone’s skill is to know
the difference between the two.

I​ f all we know about the person is their chart, then all we have to work
with is the chart, and the chart can tell us at least 75% of who they are and
where they’re at, karmically and evolutionarily speaking. We don’t need
more than the chart in a lot of cases, and if we knew more than the chart, this
could actually work against us. For example, I have not found a way for the
chart to tell me whether the person is a man or a woman, nor whether they are
a brunette or blonde, African, Asian, Caucasian, or any other ethnicity.
While, yes, their name may give me clues, nothing should be assumed until
you’re actually doing the interpretation. This is important to keep in mind
because any thoughts we presume can actually work against us either
subconsciously or consciously if we’re not careful. In all actuality, we really
don’t need to know any of that anyway, but that’s another story. Yes, there
are techniques that can determine a guess at biological gender, but that’s
about as far as it goes, and this should be kept in mind. If you’ll notice, a lot
of what I’m touching on here has to do with biology. The biological factor
should not be glossed over when it comes to interpreting an astrological
chart, and this usually works in tandem with the environmental factors we
mentioned above. Thus we really have three parts of the equation: the chart,
biology, and environment, both in the formative years and throughout life. In
this list, I mean biology to also include the genetic line the individual
inherited. That is something else that should be minded when interpreting a
chart and meeting with the native.

​ o summarize the whole chapter, it comes down to two major points. The
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first point is that it is wise, almost critical, to know scientific method and
scientific thought, and how to use it when it comes to astrology. To neglect
this point is to do a disservice to the chart you’re working on and a disservice
to anyone else that may be involved in the interpretation process, such as the
native. By working with these principles, the science side of astrology is
being honored in a way that keeps it in line with newer soft sciences, like
meteorology. Staying detached and objective when looking at a chart and
when putting the pieces together is essential to being successful with your
astrological work.

​ he second point to remember is to walk that fine line between using

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correspondences and limiting yourself to only correspondences. Astrology is
more than just a list of correspondences. It is a living, breathing body of
material that goes back thousands of years, yet is still potent and fluid enough
to be adapted to our modern world. While this sets astrology apart from other
sciences it also brings it in line with soft sciences. By learning and walking
the line between hard fast correspondences and an interpretation that is based
on what is seen, we put ourselves in a better position to be more accurate
with what we see in the chart and what we share with others when it comes to
helping them put it to work in their day to day lives. Anyone can memorize
facts, but not everyone can take these facts and turn them into a fluid, living,
breathing, organism that is a cosmic view of a noun.
 Chapter 5: The Planets

In astrology we have our own classification of the planets we use. It

doesn’t necessarily technically match how astronomers classify planets, but it
is an excellent working model for our practical purposes. We’re not as
stringent with classification as astronomers are with theirs for reasons
discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, so there’s less to know. From a practical
perspective there are only about half a dozen categories for planets in
astrology, and in this chapter we’ll discuss all of them.

​ et’s look at these categories and briefly discuss them before we move
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onto the planets themselves. We should define the term planet though,
because it means something slightly different, or at least more in depth, than
it does in astronomy. The word has Greek roots, and originally meant
wanderer. This is one of the reasons that in astrology the Sun and the Moon
are considered planets, whereas in classifications used by astronomers they
are not. The reason they got the term planet was because they and the other
planets in our solar system were seen as wandering through the heavens
against the backdrop of stars that appeared to be fixed into position. We learn
two things from this. First, we learn that the ancients knew enough about the
sky to know that not all stars move at the same rate, which provided a
layering effect in a way, like moving pieces against a backdrop of a stage.
Secondly, we learn that they were much more liberal with their understanding
because the Sun and Moon were considered planets as well, and when you
stick to the etymology of the word, this is made clear. It is also worth noting
that after the night sky was studied long enough, the fixed appearance of stars
behind the obvious moving ones were discovered to move, too, but at a much
slower rate over greater periods of time.

​ nergetically speaking, planets are known as generators of energy,

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whereas signs are the patterning of energy. It is through the movement of the
planets through space that we have the harmonic or discordant energetic
exchanges between them and us. As they move in geometrical patterns, so,
too, are we affected. When we discuss planets, we are discussing where the
friction energy comes from that we experience in our individual lives.

​ lanets are divided in different ways in astrology than they are in

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astronomy. Through an astrologer’s eyes, they are divided more along the
lines of their potency and how long it takes them to travel through the zodiac
and thus the chart. Some planets move quickly when put into context of the
human life while some planets move very slowly. Thus the main point to
understand is that the astrological classification system is more in tune with
life and how the movements of celestial bodies are, rather than hard scientific
data.

The Luminaries

Our inherent masculine and feminine sides

​ strology has been called the psychology of the ancients, and this is an
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important fact to keep in mind at all times when studying it. To begin with, it
is smart to keep in mind that the context of that psychology is the time of the
ancients and not necessarily 100% accurate and true now, from an
interpretive perspective. Often times, the intermediate student of astrology
falls into the subconscious trap of simply memorizing correspondences and
regurgitating them, never seeking to think of modern equivalents or variants.
Thus, as human consciousness has evolved, so, too, have the correspondences
changed to reflect that. I clarify all of this here because there is one
psychological principle that is true regardless of era and that principle is the
principle of gender. In other words, within each of us, there are two sides that
we manifest in different ways throughout our lives. One side is masculine,
and the other is feminine. Needless to say I am speaking here in a very
neutral way, because there is no right or wrong manifestation of these parts of
ourselves in our lives, unless it violates another’s will.

​These two opposite gender sides of our internal selves correspond to the
two brightest lights in the sky, the Sun and the Moon. They are known as the
Luminaries, and can give us much insight into the internal gender blend of
the individual from an outside perspective, specifically the blend on the
psyche. It should be obvious that these two bodies also correspond to the
Yin-Yang as well. Thus if one is familiar with the Yin-Yang concept they are
already familiar with the idea of the Luminaries. It’s simply a switch of terms
to put this knowledge to work effectively and easily. Yin is female, and Yang
is male, and thus they correspond to the Moon (Yin and the Sun (Yang.

​ he implications of these correspondences are also interesting when put

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into context of the human species. The Sun represents where we are shining
our brightest. Its association with masculinity is fascinating to ponder,
because the Sun is proactive, while the Moon is reflective. The Sun produces
whereas the Moon collects. Yet most people feel both energetics
approximately in the same strength, whether conscious of it or not. After all,
just like the Sun helps life on Earth grow, the Moon affects the tides as well
as many other things on this planet. There have been many studies done
throughout the years that tell us the effects of the Moon on life here on Earth
as we discussed in Chapter 1. On very base levels, the cycles of the Moon tell
us when to plant crops, when to plant certain kinds of crops, and even address
our psyches. Some of the studies that come to mind here are the ones that
address different facets of civilization. There have been studies done that
have shown visits to the emergency room in hospitals, arrests records by
police, and trips to the veterinary clinic are all increased during the full
Moon. Thus, it has been proven in many different ways that the Moon affects
us just as much as the Sun. It is worth the reminder though, that the Moon
produces no light of its own, but rather it gathers and reflects light received
from the Sun.

​ here is also a detail I would like to briefly discuss before moving into
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the planets themselves. Many planets have a musical note they resonate with,
and when known, I have included it here with the individual planets. When
researching this, I did not find a rhythm or a pattern for why particular notes
resonate with particular planets, so take this information for what it’s worth.
And of course, if you can fill in gaps or correct information you see here,
please feel free to do so! Also note that musical notes can be converted to
hertz.

The Sun

​The Sun is our local star. It is approximately 93 million miles from us and
gives us all of the energy that perpetuates growth on our planet. Of course in
dark places on the planet where the sunlight doesn’t reach, life can still be
found, but the Sun is responsible for most energy and life here on earth. It is
in the younger part of middle age of its life cycle, and will thus most likely be
around for quite a while. Considering that our planet is approximately 4
billion years old, that’s saying something!

​As is commonly known, the planets and other local bodies orbit around
the Sun, kept in place by the gravitational pull to it. This is also put into
context of the gravitational pull of other planets and nearby celestial bodies as
well, and thus the end result is the solar system as it is today. The solar
system didn’t start out with its current layout, but rather this has come into
being over an evolutionary cycle that has been fairly continuous since the
beginning. There are many theories regarding the early development of the
solar system, but those will be addressed in future books. Suffice to say for
now that what we know of the solar system is what we currently know. There
are many different theories regarding its origin, but the only fact is that it all
came into being around the Sun.

​Just like the Sun is central to life here on Earth, working with the Sun in
our horoscope can be central to life in our individual paradigms. In astrology,
the Sun represents that potential that is to be developed through hard work
and discipline. In this regard it is what we are developing within ourselves to
maximize spiritual growth during this lifetime. There’s a lot of
misunderstanding in astrology regarding the role of the Sun. A lot of material
out there may tell you that you ARE your Sun sign, but that is assuredly not
the case. If we were our Sun sign, then we wouldn’t be developing it within
ourselves during this lifetime, now would we? Astrology tells us that the
Moon is our personality self, and thus represents more of what we do on a
daily basis rather than the Sun sign. When we go through the day to day
rigmarole, we are living out our Moon sign. This is proven if you’ve ever
read your Sun sign horoscope and it has not fit on any given day. Besides the
obvious explanation that perhaps the horoscope wasn’t necessarily the best
written one, there is also the fact that perhaps you were approaching life at
that time from more of a personality perspective rather than a spiritually
oriented perspective. When we choose to personally and spiritually develop,
it is our Sun sign that we are choosing to work with; to unleash the potential
there that can not only bring us success, but also bring us growth that can
propel us forward.

​ hen we research our Sun sign we can get more insight into what exactly
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it is wise to work on during this lifetime. Thus it acts like a spiritual north
star, guiding our soul to maximum growth. In this way, we become the
sunflower following it through the sky, seeking light for warmth and growth.
The sign that our Sun is in can provide much insight, but that is most
effective when we remember that there are no absolutes, and thus what we
learn about the Sun in our chart is not mutually exclusive to anything else in
our chart. The entire chart is a mosaic; a mandala if you will, and only by
studying it in its entirety can you come to the best implementation strategy
for positive growth. This is also one of the reasons why no two people are
exactly alike. Other than the obvious environmental factors there are the
astrological factors as well. The aspects in the chart provide us a glimpse
regarding how we can manifest our solar light in the best fashion. For
example, if you have a water Sun, but a predominantly air chart, then the
approach to take to manifest more solar light is through psychological and
mental plane means, whereas if there was more of an earth influence, then it
would be through physical plane means and ways.

​ nother point to consider is that our Sun sign represents our own inner
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inherent masculinity. Every person has an inner masculine side and an inner
feminine side. However, that’s about where the commonalities stop, because
it manifests differently in almost every person. The masculine side is the side
of us that is constantly moving forward and creating and doing instead of
being. Of course this is not mutually exclusive, but in a broad sense
masculine energy is that of proactivity. In this way it corresponds to our
ability to manifest. Now does this mean that manifestation is not possible
without our inner Sun? No, it does not mean that at all. It simply means that it
is easiest to achieve through our own solar light. Thus by working with our
Sun sign we are improving our ability to manifest onto the physical plane.
We are also developing what our soul would like to see us develop during
this lifetime regarding spiritual lessons. A final correspondence to note is that
the Sun resonates with the musical note “E.”

The Moon
 ​ here have been so many volumes written on the Moon that it seems
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futile and almost pointless to get into it here. Suffice to say though that the
moon has been a focal point of our curiosity and imagination for thousands of
years. Next to the Sun this is the body in the solar system that has the biggest,
most measurable impact on our planet. We are all familiar with the tides and
how the moon affects them, and of course the many studies that have been
done over the decades regarding the effect the Moon and her cycles have on
the human mind and behavior. This is not restricted to humans though, as
there have been many studies that have also proven how the Moon affects
animals; in particular, visits to the vet! The short of it is that the Moon has a
huge influence on all life on Earth, and because of this it is a factor to pay
attention to beyond almost all others.

I​ n the Earthen sky, there are two celestial objects that command attention.
During the day it is the Sun and during the night it is the Moon. It matters not
their size or particulars, because with enough attention it is quickly
discovered how integral each is to what we would consider normal cycles
here on Earth. They are important and because of this, astrology considers
both to constitute the luminaries; the inherent parts of ourselves. It’s
interesting to note at this point that there is a subtlety here that is oftentimes
overlooked, and that is that we are our luminaries. They are what is left if we
take away any external interaction. For example, when we are by ourselves,
we are acting out our luminaries. As stated above, they are our masculine and
feminine sides, and we have to be careful not to fall into stereotypical
thinking when we ponder this point. The point to be mindful of here is that of
masculine and feminine, versus male and female.

I​ emphasize this point because of the varied gender identifications that

exist in the world today. Each of us has a masculine and feminine side, but
the way in which we identify with those sides are as varied as the types of
people that exist in the world today. This is a subtle point that not all
astrologers take into account when looking at a chart, and in some ways this
is a gross injustice to a large segment of the population, particularly here in
the United States. This also leads us to another point that is worth
mentioning, which is that there is no way to identify the gender of a person
by simply looking at a chart. Rather, I should say that if there is a way to do
so, I have not discovered it. The closest you get to this is a technique that is
used as part of the prenatal Epoch, but I don’t want to get into that here
because it is an advanced concept to cover later in greater detail. In any event
it is wise to keep these points in mind when looking at a chart. Gender
identification cannot, in my experience, be spotted in a chart, but by being
sensitive to this detail, we can open up astrology to the modern world. No
matter the gender identification of the native, there is a masculine and
feminine side to the individual that is clarified by studying the luminaries.
Individual approaches to these two sides are things that can be quantified and
studied, and even applied to greater astrology as a whole. Anyway, back to
the Moon and her attributes.

​ he Moon is reflective. Without the Sun, the Moon produces no light of

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its own. Throughout history the Moon has been identified with many things,
ranging from the intuition to things happening sub rosa, as it were. The Moon
is our intuition and our receptiveness. It is that part of us that is open to
interpreting impulses from our external environment. It is not as proactive as
the Sun is, but rather it is reactive in that it takes the information it is given
and creates a course of action that seems the most intuitively sound. The
Moon also correlates to our energetic sensitivity and our day to day
disposition. An easy way to understand this is to contemplate the fact that a
lot of times we move through life subconsciously, on autopilot. Hence the
Moon is more of our day to day selves rather than the Sun. In Vedic
astrology, which is astrology that comes out of India and is also known as
Jyotish, when we are asked what our sign is, we respond with our Moon sign
rather than our Sun sign. This conflicts rather strongly with our western view
of reading Sun sign horoscopes and research. Pondering this line of thought
can produce many deeper understandings of astrology.

​ hen this is extrapolated it tells us there is a great deal of emphasis

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placed on transits of the Moon because these transits impact us on a more
visceral level. Solar transits affect our growth, while lunar transits affect our
day to day being and experiences. By studying our Moon sign, we can see the
day to day things we face and how to approach them in an empowering way.
In a lot of ways this touches on one of the most, if not the most powerful,
method of learning that exists, and that is learning through repetition. If we’re
facing something on a monthly basis, we get more exposure to it and hence
we have ingrained healthy patterns in a faster way. Solar transit patterns only
occur at certain times of the year, allowing us to adopt a weather-the-storm
type of mentality, which does almost nothing for our individual development.
On the other hand, lunar transits occur each month and are more potent in
manifestation.

I​ won’t get into more detail on the Moon here due to the numerous
volumes written on her as previously mentioned. For the curious seeker
though, many valuable tomes can be found that can give greater insight into
correspondences of the Moon and ways to work with her on a more practical
level. A final correspondence to note is that the Moon resonates with the
musical note “Ab.” (A Flat

The Inner Planets

​The inner planets also constitute part of the personal planets due to the
fact that they are the ones that we feel on a very personal level. We can chart
their cycles to the cycles of our lives, and hence they are easier to pay
attention to rather than trans-personal planetary cycles. The two planets that
command our attention are Mercury and Venus because they exist between us
and the Sun; between us and the luminaries. Hence these are planets that we
feel, intimately. These two planets are known as the inner planets. Mercury
corresponds to communication and Venus corresponds to our ability to
create. We’ll discuss them more shortly, but for now these characteristics
stand to illustrate just how intimate they can be. After all, as soon as we’re
interacting with something outside of ourselves, we are having an intimate
interaction with something else. These situations pull our heartstrings in ways
they cannot otherwise be pulled. These are also planets that have such rapid
transit cycles that they generally happen very frequently, and this makes them
easier to work with if we’re alert to what’s happening.

Mercury

​ ercury is the planet closest to the Sun. It zips around the Sun over the
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course of 88 days, which means that we can easily pay attention to it. It
corresponds to personal communications and adaptability. On an esoteric
level this could be seen as alchemy, and in another light it represents our
ability to change lemons into lemon juice. Mercury is thus a planet that we
work with all of the time; to the degree that we may not always be conscious
of it. This is also why retrograde periods of Mercury may hit us harder than
other retrograde cycles. In Chapter 5 we will discuss what retrograde is, and
it will become clear why those cycles are so intense. For now though, it is
simply worth noting the distance between the Sun and Mercury and the fact
that Mercury lies between us and the Sun. These are two very strong reasons
why Mercury retrograde cycles are so impacting. Mercury is also considered
gender neutral.

​ utside of astrological circles, Mercury, and specifically Mercury

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retrograde cycles, are probably the most talked about facet of modern
astrology. Needless to say, there have been volumes written on it, so I won’t
discuss it in full depth here. However, I will say that for those that want to
establish an intimate relationship with Mercury, there is plenty out there to
feed that desire. A final correspondence to note is that Mercury resonates
with the musical note “C#.” (C Sharp

Venus

​ enus is actually a very complex planet to understand and potentially the

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most powerful outside of the luminaries. It is said the ancients viewed a trail,
commonly speculated as dust, following Venus across the sky. This was
known as a beard or a tail, and hence an old title of Venus was “the bearded
one.” Her appearance at sunrise and sunset in an alternating fashion also gave
rise to some of the earliest stories having to do with the “light bringer” when
she was visible near dawn. Some theorists speculate that the concept of the
light bringer, particularly how it refers to the persona of Lucifer, is actually a
veiled attempt at the demonization of the goddess by later oppressive solar-
phallic belief systems. However, I digress. That is a subject for another book.

​ enus corresponds to love, art, beauty, money, and all things related.
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However, Venus also corresponds to the appreciation of all those things. She
also corresponds to goddess energy, and by working with her we can unleash
our inner goddess energy. In astrology she is known as the Lesser Benefic
because she is the second most beneficial planet to look at and to integrate.
 ​The correspondence of money is an interesting correspondence and one
that isn’t talked about extensively. We’re talking money here; the coin of the
realm. I emphasize this because we’re not talking about prosperity or
abundance, but rather the physical money that we use to get us where we
want to go. If money is to be understood as a physical representation of the
exchange of energy, then we can infer that the way money corresponds to
Venus is how we get value for what we have created. What we have created
is based on where our love of art and beauty lie. This makes Venus earthier
than other planets we’ll discuss later, because one of her subtle
correspondences becomes physical results for our passions and interests. In
this way she is grounding, and grounded. Hence we can chart our progress
with Venus in a very measurable way. This isn’t a mutually exclusive thought
though, and it is wise to keep that in mind as we go through future planets.
Yes, she is the goddess, but she is the physical goddess we see and is not
perhaps the spirit of the goddess that lives in and moves through physical
form. Those correspondences belong elsewhere, located later in this chapter.
A final correspondence to note is that Venus resonates with the musical note
“A.”

The Rest of the Personal Planets

Mars

​ ften times Mars gets a bad reputation in astrology. Too often the
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challenging correspondences of Mars are highlighted rather than the positive
ones. This is evidenced by the fact that Mars carries the name of the Lesser
Malefic. Mars corresponds to a lot of things in astrology, and they all have
one thing in common when you get down to the core of it all: energy.

​ es, Mars at its essence corresponds to energy, and because of this it also
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corresponds to how energy is used. Let’s look at the correspondences of Mars
for further clarity. Mars corresponds to activity, aggressive tendencies,
athleticism, conflict, competitiveness, competition, vitality, and war. He also
corresponds to the masculine energetic, particularly when it comes to a more
youthful expression of it, standing in contrast to the Sun. To borrow a
metaphor from Joseph Campbell’s material, this is the warrior stage of
masculine development and not the father or sage level of development.
Often times Mars is also seen as impulsive, whether it is acted on or not.

​ n easy way to understand Mars is to think of it using the eastern

A
tradition idea of prana. Prana is the essence of life. It is the energy of life
itself that is carried on the wind and on the rays of the Sun. We absorb prana
through exposing ourselves to sunlight. To the health conscious this also
means, in some measure, in order to work with Mars it would be wise to
work with vitamin D. This is my observation though, and of course the
proper medical professionals should be consulted if one is thinking about
addressing this. When we consider Mars in the context of prana though, we
can gain a greater ability to control the energy that is evidenced by the house
and sign placement of him. Mars is also associated with the element of fire,
and hence it is an active planet. Whereas Mercury is air and Venus is water,
Mars is fire, rounding out the planets up to this point. The element of earth
will come up later to round out the traditional four element system and
interestingly enough it shows up last. That is of course, if you don’t count the
physical earth that we all inhabit. A final correspondence to note is that Mars
resonates with the musical note “D.”

Jupiter

​ hile Venus is known as the Lesser Benefic in astrology, Jupiter is

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known as the Greater Benefic, and this serves as an excellent starting point to
work with when understanding the energy of Jupiter. Jupiter is the most
beneficial planet there is in astrology. When you want to understand your
fortune, Jupiter is the planet to look at first. Jupiter corresponds to fortune
(both financial and etheric prosperity (as opposed to money expansion,
living large, spirituality (as opposed to religion, being in charge, and all
things related to rulership. An easy image to visualize with Jupiter is that of a
ruler of a kingdom. On a quick side note, Jupiter is also the planet that is least
affected by retrograde motion, but that is a discussion for another time. To
follow the Joseph Campbell metaphor through, Jupiter is the father aspect.

J​ upiter is also one of the two social planets. Jupiter and Saturn are
considered social planets in astrology due to the fact that they give us insight
into how we relate to society in general. This also extends to how society
makes us feel, too. While the other planets we’ve discussed thus far give us
insight into one on one interactions, it is these two planets that can give us
insight into how we interact with groups of people. The tricky thing about
Jupiter, though, is that it is a gas giant, so sometimes it can be etheric rather
than physical. The metaphor I like to use is that sometimes it can be
considered like a balloon. If you work with Jupiterian energy too much
you’re adding thoughts which correspond to air to it, and thus you are
continually feeding it. This can be too much of a good thing though, and as
we all know, if we’re not careful we can spend too much time in our heads
and not enough time interacting with the physical world. On a darker note,
there have been many stories of people that intellectualized things to the
degree that they saw physically incarnated life as pointless, or they developed
another form of psychoses that affected them in a challenging fashion, and
consequently madness may have taken hold. Jupiter is the ever expanding
principle, while his social counterpart Saturn is the ever contracting principle.
A final correspondence to note is that Jupiter resonates with the musical note
“F#.” (F Sharp

Saturn

​ ike Mars, Saturn often gets a bad reputation to the degree that one of his
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nicknames is the “Greater Malefic.” A lot of Saturnian correspondences can
be tied into the view that the Abrahamic faiths have towards the devil. To
follow the Joseph Campbell metaphor through, Saturn is the sage aspect of
the masculine trinity. Elementally Saturn corresponds to earth, and this is
very apropos since it is also the personal planet that has the longest cycle.

​ ftentimes Saturn gets a bad reputation due to heavy emphasis on some

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of his correspondences, but rest assured there are many others that are just as
beneficial as the challenging ones. The challenging correspondences are
mortality, lessons, being forced to ground, karma, and maturity. However, the
uplifting correspondences include stability, foundation, practicality, solidity,
maturity, patience, growth, and longevity. Persistence and dedication are also
two strong correspondences of Saturn that shouldn’t be forgotten. One of the
biggest challenges with Saturn though is that if any one of these
correspondences is worked with more than others, it can throw the balance
and harmony of Saturn out of whack and make life more challenging for a
longer period of time than other planets.
 ​ aturn is the contraction principle which is the riposte to Jupiter’s
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expansion principle. By knowing when to harmonize the two, we can find the
perfect fulcrum point to work from as we build our lives. Too much maturity
and restriction can be detrimental, while too much expansion can be just as
detrimental. A final correspondence to note is that Saturn resonates with the
musical note “D#.” (D Sharp

Trans-Saturnine Planets/Generational Planets

​ he following planets are known as the trans-Saturnian planets, and they

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address much larger cycles. When they come into play, they usually address
energies that are bathing the Earth in planet-wide ways rather than on an
individual level. However, they still have personal manifestations which we
will address as well. Let’s start off by looking at their dual nature so that we
can understand another subtlety of astrology.

The dual nature of the outer planets

​ et’s face facts: the outer planets are very far away, and they move
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slowly. Thus most of their rhythms and interactions affect generations of
people rather than individual people. However, there is something else to
consider here which comes to us through esoteric astrology in particular, and
that is they have a special relationship with the personal planets.

​ he reason the personal planets are the personal planets is because they
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were the seven lights in the sky that were observable to the ancients. Their
orbits and cycles could be charted by the naked eye when observed long
enough, and due to this, their lessons could be applied to everyday human
life. While there is a strong possibility that some of the ancients knew about
the trans-Saturnian planets, it is more commonly accepted that they weren’t
discovered until the modern invention of the telescope. A way that esoteric
astrology looks at this has to do with the evolution of consciousness of
humanity. In short, our species is constantly evolving and developing the
collective consciousness that we all share, which of course fuels our
intellectual and spiritual growth. This takes place over many years and can
have quite profound impacts on life in general on planet Earth. For example,
the Renaissance could be seen as one of these shifts in consciousness of the
species as a whole. Another time would be the more recent industrial
revolution. Of course this isn’t limited to these two time periods, but I simply
use them to illustrate the point that throughout our past, these kinds of times
and events have served to help us evolve to where we are now.

​ he way this ties into the outer planets of astrology is that as the
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collective consciousness of the species has risen, we have also discovered
new planets in our solar system. First it was Uranus in 1781, then it was
Neptune in 1846, then it was Pluto in 1930, then it was Chiron in 1977, and
finally Eris in 2005. As is obvious, these discoveries are becoming more and
more frequent as we more rapidly evolve. These discoveries left astrologers
with the quandary of how to make them fit the model they had worked with
for centuries.

​Esoteric astrology took the view that as the collective consciousness of

our species raised, we were in a better position to be open to the energies of
these planets. Part of this was also that we were now more open to better,
more refined views of the initial seven planets. What was set up was a
particular pattern of understanding. If the seven lights in the sky of the
ancients have to do with the human body and personal cycles, then these
planets could be seen as more refined versions of the personal planets. This
also means they are the more refined, higher vibrational manifestation of this
principle. The reason this view could be taken is because they were only
revealed to us when we were ready to work with their lessons and insight.
Yet it could not be forgotten nor denied that they also affected people en
masse, so a duality was seen and worked with. The trans-Saturnian planets
are both higher vibrational counterparts to their corresponding personal
planets, and planets that affect groups of people, both natally and in transit.
To understand what corresponds to what, it is simply wise to keep in mind
the order of the personal planets. When this is kept in mind, a pattern is
revealed to us which we can clearly see below:

Personal Planet Outer Planet

Mercury Uranus
Venus Neptune
Mars Pluto
 Jupiter Eris

​ here are a few planets missing though. These are the Sun, the Moon, and
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Chiron. The Sun and the Moon are luminaries and thus represent our inner
feminine and masculine sides as discussed above. Coupled with the fact they
never retrograde, we can see why they don’t fit into the above pattern. This
leaves us with Chiron, and Chiron is interesting because it has been called the
rainbow bridge between the personal planets and the trans-Saturnian planets.

I​ t’s also worth mentioning that in the above chart, Saturn is not listed.
Logically it stands to reason that it should be on the list, and in time it will be.
After all, Eris has only recently been discovered, and there are new
discoveries regarding the solar system being made every day. Therefore it
stands to reason that at least one more planet will be discovered in our solar
system, and when this occurs the pattern will be finalized. We’ll then have a
mirror of the personal planets with the outer planets. We will have the base
human lessons, and at the same time, the broader lessons for our entire
species.

Chiron

​Chiron is technically a B Planet according to astronomers, as opposed to

an actual planet, but we’ve already discussed this point. It takes
approximately 51 years to go all the way through the zodiac back to where it
was when the individual was born. This can be a powerful moment in the life
cycle of the individual, as it corresponds to profound changes and growth. On
one hand this can be a time when wounds that have not been healed come
home to roost. However, something else you may find just as profound that
this is an excellent time for personal and spiritual growth particularly when it
comes to inner development.

​ hiron corresponds to a major wound in the individual. It gives us insight

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into the psyche and shows us where there is a wound present. One point to
know is that we can heal this wound, but it usually takes an almost Herculean
effort to accomplish. Hence often times it is seen as a wound that one cannot
heal, but that is highly debatable. Chiron also corresponds to the healing
process and in particular how we may interact with energy in general. If
Chiron is retrograde in a natal chart, it tells us that in the most recent lifetime
the individual was most likely a healer of some sort. This may not be the
most recent chronological lifetime, though, if a particular lifetime in the
recent past before that one had a particularly strong healing vibe to it. One of
the reasons for its nickname is that by undergoing the healing process, one
can put oneself in touch with the macrocosm and in particular how to blend it
with the microcosm of the individual self.

Uranus

​ ranus is an interesting planet which is reflected in astrology

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dynamically. Not only does it rotate on its side, it also has an eccentric orbit.
As the outer planets were discovered (including Chiron, one of the things
that astrologers did was look at the state of the world around them at the time
of the discovery to get insight into what the planet corresponds to and
associates with. Uranus was discovered in 1781, and was originally named
“Herschel” after the astronomer that discovered it.

​ rom a historical perspective this was a very transitional time. On one

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hand there was the American Revolution, so rebellion was in the air.
However, this was also the time period of an enlightenment known as
Christian mysticism. This saw the broadening of spiritual consciousness,
particularly in the Judeo-Christian paradigm. Of course deeper metaphysical
truths were present as well, veiled behind that belief system, but that is a
topic for another time. Electricity was also just being discovered and
developed, and because of this there were plenty of experiments and
experimenters that were observing and interacting with this new type of
natural energy.

​ hese clues give us insight into the properties and correspondences of

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Uranus from an astrological perspective. Uranus corresponds to electricity,
eccentricity, rebellion, uniqueness, and mass communication. The
correspondence of mass communication brings us to another very interesting
point of Uranus, which is that since it’s a higher vibration of Mercury, it ties
back to that personal planet. Whereas Mercury is personal communication,
Uranus is mass communication. Whereas Mercury is the mind, Uranus
corresponds to the mind of the higher self. A final correspondence to note is
that Uranus resonates with the musical note “G#.” (G Sharp)
 Neptune

The next planet out is Neptune. Neptune is a fascinating planet from

an astrological perspective because it encompasses all of the highs and all of
the lows possible. Discovered in 1846, Neptune broke on the scene in a rather
diffused yet potent way. This idea alone gives us plenty of clues regarding
what it represents and how to work with it. Shipping via the oceans was the
major way goods and people were transported from one place to another.
This was also shortly before Greenwich Mean Time was established, and it
was also during this time that the United States of America had a banking
collapse. This was also the time that the French occult revival was occurring,
and thus we get insight into its higher manifestation. Neptune corresponds to
the imagination, mysticism, metaphysics, creativity, and the overall concept
of the muse. Simply knowing these correspondences shows us its relationship
to Venus, as Venus corresponds to most of these as well. The main difference
between these two, though, is that Venus is more earth and focused on
physical manifestation of all of those above correspondences, whereas
Neptune is more the inspirational and theoretical side, lacking the grounding
required to bring things into reality.

However, Neptune also corresponds to not being able to see things

clearly (It is a gas giant, after all, escapism, denial, and vagueness. Of course
these are the lower manifestations of Neptune in a chart to a person, but
knowing these it is easy to see how Neptune is classified as a malefic to many
astrologers. The onus then gets placed on the individual when it comes to
working with either the higher or lower manifestations of Neptune. For
example, a strong Neptune can produce amazing artistic endeavors, whereas a
weak Neptune can produce someone prone to substance abuse and escapism,
constantly seeking release and a way out. A final correspondence to note is
that Neptune resonates with the musical note “G#.” (G Sharp

Pluto

​We find ourselves at the next planet out, Pluto. Pluto was discovered in
the 20th century, and has thus been a recent factor in astrology. While, yes,
we can trace Pluto’s influence backwards through time, we can also look at
what has happened since Pluto has been discovered- a period full of violence
yet transformation. Transformation for better ends is a major theme of Pluto,
which is also considered a higher vibrational manifestation of Mars. It is
aggressive, but in the way that the phoenix aggressively rises from its own
ashes to be reborn in a better way.

​ luto is what’s in the dark and in the deep. It’s what is lying below the
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surface ready to explode in a profound, powerful way. However, because of
this, it is oftentimes associated with large scale violence. The best metaphor
I’ve found to describe it is that a lot of times it manifests like a volcano.

​ nother fact that comes up with Pluto is that we’re still learning about it
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because it’s only been known about and worked with for a few decades.
Information and data are still being collated, and while some things may be
crystal clear and easy to interpret, other things are not. It takes Pluto
approximately 248 years to travel through the entire zodiac, so no human has
ever had a Pluto return (that we know of, nor have most people had a Pluto
opposition at age 124! A final correspondence to note is that Pluto resonates
with the musical note “C#.” (C Sharp

Eris

​While most places reference the finding of Eris in 2005, it is worth noting
that it was originally discovered in March of 2004, and was originally named
“UB 313” (Unidentified Body #313. When it was undergoing the naming
process, most people looked at the state of the world and created a list of
correspondences based on what was occurring on a global scale. Astronomers
then decided to name it Eris after the ancient Greek goddess of Chaos due to
political and social events that were happening globally.

​ ere we are, more than a decade later, and some could say that the chaos
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is still present, while others could say it has subsided. Really there was
nothing more chaotic about 2004 than 2017. It seemed that way because of
major astrological transits and aspect patterns, so to the astrologically
ignorant, it did seem chaotic. However, to those that were in the astrological
know, they knew this was simply this aspect pattern and tough transits
interacting, so hence the name of a chaos goddess didn’t fit. However,
astronomers name planets, and thus we have Eris.
 ​ ris hasn’t been studied enough to really draw any correspondences.
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There are many astrologers out there though that work with Eris and give it
many correspondences, but none of the data that goes with this is
substantiated with any validity. Thus we find ourselves with a lack of quality
correspondences. The linchpin to unlocking this is to remember that Eris is a
higher vibration of Jupiter, so we can apply Jupiterian correspondences.

​ he common correspondences of Eris have to do with what you would

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expect, since she was the ancient Goddess of Chaos. Hence she represents
chaos and the dark in a very dark goddess kind of way. Now do you see why
I disagree with this list and other correspondences with Eris? That doesn’t fit
the mold, and it’s still too early to tell how things will pan out from 2004. In
2018 Eris will have only been known about and worked with for fourteen
years. Hence it’s too early to really tell.

I​ posit the theory that perhaps instead of these correspondences, there is

another set of correspondences that is more cohesive and fairly neutral. As
I’m sure you’ve seen, all of the outer planets are more specialized versions of
their inner planetary counterparts. If this line of logic is followed through,
then more accurate correspondences can be drawn. Thus Eris corresponds to
bringing spirit down into physical form in a practical way, shamanism,
accepting the responsibilities that go with growth and an increase in personal
power, and perhaps the idea of even a priest king. Besides, let’s look at this
whole contention from another perspective. We already have a planet of
chaos, which is Uranus. I have seen that correspondence in print many times,
and it has been around as an idea for a while now. Hence Eris being chaotic is
redundant and poorly thought out.

​ s you have probably already figured out, this is a very cursory glance at
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the solar system, for it also includes asteroids, solar flares, and several regular
visitors in the form of comets and asteroids. The above list is sufficient for
now. After all, astrology can be daunting in the beginning, so let’s keep it
simple, shall we?

Your Earth Sign

 I​ saved the best for last in this chapter. Let us turn our attention into
discovering what our Earth sign is. We all have an earth sign. There is a sign
for each of us that has to do with where our planet Earth was when we were
born. We all know the answer to this, but many of us don’t realize we know.
The Earth sign of any given horoscopes is the sign opposite our Sun sign.
Really, this is just logical deduction. If we’re standing here on Earth and
looking at the Sun, then we are, for all intents and purposes, looking at it as
occupying the opposite sign of us in order for us to view it. Thus, if your Sun
sign is twenty-five degrees Virgo, then your Earth sign is twenty-five degrees
Pisces. When you were born, the Earth was located in the sign of Virgo. It’s a
detail, but it does tell us how we approach day to day life overall, and this can
be quite useful when interpreting our individual horoscopes.

Planetary Glyphs

​In astrology, each planet is portrayed as a symbol or glyph. On one level,

this is astrological shorthand so that you don’t have to write the full name of
the planet each and every time you do your work. Astrological signs also
have glyphs, but we will focus on those in Chapter 6. These symbols are not
arbitrarily created though. They contain levels of symbolism that are not
found in just the name of the planet, and by meditating on them and drawing
them, we imbed their energies into our subconscious in a more lasting way.
The subconscious works predominantly in symbols, so the more symbols we
use in our work, the more we are engraining our subconscious with patterns
and information. A derivative thought of this is “a picture is worth a thousand
words.” In Chapter 2 we discussed the circle and the straight line, and we
circle back to that now, but on a deeper and more esoteric tangent. Most
planets only have one symbol that corresponds to them, but some have two,
and below is not only a list of all the planetary symbols, but also how to
break them down to understand and synthesize. While I am focusing on the
planets here, it should be noted that there are symbols for the asteroids and B
planets as well, but that is a conversation for another time.

​ irst let us start with the individual parts that constitute the glyphs.
F
Basically there are only two segments, but there are variations on them that
come into play as well:
 1. The first shape is the circle. “O” In astrology, it represents
eternity, continuity, perfection, and all things related to Spirit. The
variation on it you find in astrological glyphs is the crescent, which
means an impression from the spiritual world and/or the unknown.
2. The second shape is a straight line! Yes, you read that correctly.
However, the main variance on it that you will encounter more
often than not is the shape of an equal armed cross “☐”. The
straight line represents energy emanating out in that particular
direction. However, the equal armed cross represents the “Cross of
Matter” as the esotericists call it. Thus it represents the physical
world and all things related to it.

All planetary glyphs are combinations or variations on these two key

underlying concepts. Let us break the glyphs for the seven personal planets
down to understand how they fit together. Then you can use this thinking to
break down the glyphs of the remaining planets!

Sun: A As you can see, it is a perfect circle with a dot in the middle.
The dot represents the center point or beginning point, and of course the
circle is continuity and eternity. Therefore it represents the sacred center
found in all things being central to being surrounded by eternity and Spirit.

Moon: B This is the first derivation on the two features I discussed

above, but it is quite clear. On one hand it represents how the Moon literally
looks during a few of its phases. However, esoterically speaking, it also
represents the impressing of Spirit onto the physical world.

Mercury: C Here we come to our first multi-piece glyph. We also

have the introduction of the Cross of Matter. When we break the pieces of the
glyph down, we see a fairly complex yet clear picture of the energy of
Mercury. First we see the Cross of Matter at the bottom overcome by the
unity and eternity of Spirit and the spirit world. However, at the very top we
have a crescent, and the way it is portrayed, it is the influx of Spirit into the
spirit world. While that may seem like a contradiction, that is not necessarily
so. Another way to view this glyph is to see the crescent at the top as “horns”
on Venus, whose glyph is almost identical, save the top crescent. When we
take that into account, we see that the glyph itself is saying the conquest of
Spirit over matter but that there are some devilish things afoot, specifically in
a trickster way, as Spirit impresses itself onto matter.

Venus: D This is one of the most well-known astrological glyphs,

and one that is commonly found outside of astrology, too. Not only is it used
to represent the planet, it is also largely used to represent women in general.
The meaning of the glyph is quite simple. It tells us two things: 1) The
conquest of spirit over matter, and 2) eternity over the Cross of Matter.

Mars: E This is a very interesting glyph because it has two strong

associations with it. The first is that it represents energy emanating out from
Spirit and the spirit world in a specific direction and with a specific purpose.
However, another way it can be translated has to do with the Greco-Roman
being of the same name. In this way it can be seen as a shield, with the tip of
a spearhead pointing out from behind it. Like Venus, this symbol is
commonly found outside of astrology too, and usually represents men.

Jupiter: F This glyph is a little different than the others, as is the next
glyph, which is for the planet Saturn. In the glyph for Jupiter, we see the
Cross of Matter, and a somewhat distorted crescent. Thus on the surface it
means the influx of Spirit onto the physical world. However, the cross and
the crescent aren’t exactly the same as they are in other glyphs that share a
similar message. In this image, the crescent is of a larger nature when put into
proportion and context of the cross, and thus it points to the large energy of
Jupiter. In this case, the large energy is an indicator that what comes in will
be larger than it is for the individual person and may influence more than just
them. This is a veiled hint at a classification of Jupiter we will discuss next
chapter, which is that Jupiter is known as one of two social planets, along
with Saturn.

Saturn: /G Saturn’s glyph is an interesting one with a dual meaning,

too. On one hand we see the common elements we’ve been discussing, but in
this case it is the conquest of the Cross of Matter over Spirit, here represented
by the crescent. This means it’s not a total victory of Spirit, but rather it is the
stopping of an attempt by Spirit to enter physical life. However, another
hidden piece of symbolism for this glyph is that it looks like a scythe you
would use during the harvest season, and in this way reminds us that Saturn
reaps.

I’m sure you see what I am saying when you break down the glyphs,
so I would encourage you to finish out the remaining glyphs used in astrology
for a deeper understanding of the energies of those planets. In the process,
you are also training your subconscious to work with these energies in subtler
and more profound ways. Much insight can be found when one synthesizes
these glyphs into their psyche.
 Chapter 6: Signs

Whereas the planets are the actors and actresses on the stage of the solar
system, the signs represent energetic and behavioral patterns that people
share, as well as identifying types of situations that may be recurrent in the
life of the native. Signs are patterns of energy that affect the soul as it comes
down into physical form. At this point though, it is worth taking a brief
detour into what a sign actually is, as there is constant unnecessary and
juvenile debate about it. Critics will say one thing, while people that work
with signs will say another, so let’s all get on the same page, shall we?

Signs are NOT constellations!

​ hat did you just say, Bill? What are you talking about? Well, let’s look
W
at this from a mentally clean perspective. In our early school years we learn
the names of the constellations in the night sky. These include such
constellations as Orion, Gemini, Scorpio, Virgo, Pisces, the Big Dipper, and
the Little Dipper. We hear the stories of what they were in mythology, and
hear the stories of how they became constellations in the first place. Then
when we learn about astrology, and we recognize the sign names, our brain
realizes that we are familiar with some or all of them, and in our individual
minds the connection is made between constellations and signs. One of the
reasons for this connection, though, is that among basic astrology books, this
differentiation is not addressed. Thus we continue along our astrological
studies, not realizing how important of a piece is missing.

​Many, many centuries ago signs and constellations were one in the same,
but interestingly enough, science changed this. This wasn’t intentional, nor
the product of a mad scientific community. Rather it was a scientific
observation that was made that changed everything. This was the discovery
that there is something that exists that became called the precession of the
equinoxes. Thousands of years ago the Sun rose in the cardinal fire sign of
Aries on Spring Equinox, which is the beginning of each astrological year. It
was observed over time that this ceased to be the case, and that gradually the
sign on the eastern horizon at sunrise on equinox changed to Pisces.

​ he pattern that was recognized was that this shift occurs approximately
T
every 2,200 years or so, and when this cycle continues through to its
conclusion, approximately 25,900 years will have passed. This is known as
the great year in astrology and esoterica. This is where the idea of the “Age of
Aquarius” comes from, for we are closely approaching the time when
Aquarius will be the sign that the equinoctial Sun will rise through, and will
usher in a new age. When the Piscean shift occurred, we saw the rise of
Christianity, for example. Upon realization, astrologers divided the sky into
twelve, thirty degree sections that are equal in their size. They also stuck with
Aries beginning on Spring Equinox. We know that the constellations
continued to exist as well, for we all have been exposed to learning them in
our youth. The twelve signs that were decided upon were of course the ones
that are equinoctial in placement.

​ ltogether, the signs are known as the zodiac, which translates to “belt of
A
beasts,” for this is what they are. They are a belt due to their equinoctial
nature, and the beast reference regards the fact that almost all have a beastly
nature to them. More on that later, though. This zodiac uses the names of
characters out of ancient mythology, and if we know the stories of the
characters we gain insight into these signs. There is another dimension to the
signs though, and that is they are very archetypal in nature. As Dr Carl Jung
pointed out, there are archetypes that underlie a lot of human behavior. For
example, there is a Warrior archetype, and Romantic archetype, to name just
a couple. Therefore when we combine the two ideas, we arrive at an
understanding of the basic makeup of the native.

​There are many, many variances on this theme, though, which is one of
the biggest reasons why astrology is a soft science and not a hard science.
There are as many different types of Leos as there are of Pisces, to illustrate
this point, and no two are the same. There are several reasons for this, and
common sense shouldn’t be overlooked. The factors that go into making
someone who they are, are quite varied, but I’ll provide a short but accurate
list here.

​1. Environmental Conditions

 ​2. Familial Upbringing

​3. Day, time, location, and year of birth

​4. Religious and/or spiritual influences

​5. Physical condition

​ ecause of the influence of these factors, each individual is different, and

B
hence within the overall spectrum of the sign, you have a plethora of
individuals. Lumping people together simply based on their sun sign is a
gross abuse of astrology. Yes, there may be some common traits among the
masses of people that are all under one sign, but this is true of groups of
people from different societies and cultures globally as well. Assumptions
based on gross generalizations are usually wrong, and at least ignorant.

​ here have been debates throughout the years trying to incorporate

T
constellations into astrology and attempting to add or distort the twelve sign
system is the norm, but all have met with failure because they are based on an
incomplete understanding of astrology. These attempts will meet with
continued failure for the indefinite future, I assure you. Discussing signs vs.
constellations is something that skeptics and critics try to use to prove their
point, but all they really show is their narrow-mindedness and ignorance.

Qualities and Correspondences of Signs

​ sign is more than just the above information though, so let’s take a
A
moment to flesh out the details of them. For starters, signs are associated with
one of the four classical elements: earth, water, air, or fire. Each element
corresponds to something different. Esoterically they correspond to the
planes used in the western tradition. However, they also correlate to areas of
focus that individual people have. For example, earthy people are down to
earth and practical, reliable and dependable. They are also slow to change.
Water people are people that are in touch with their emotions and have
powerful ones. They may also be highly intuitive. People with heavy air in
their charts are people that are highly cerebral, intelligent, analytical, social,
and can easily grasp advanced mental concepts. However, they may also be
people that can be lazy, as it takes a lot of discipline to bring their ideas into
physical manifestation. Fire types of people are people that initiate things.
They may be people that are physically active, energetic, and/or have a strong
connection with divinity. Please keep in mind that these points are just the
tips of the icebergs, and there is a lot more depth happening here. There are
three signs per element, rounding out the series of twelve signs.

​Besides an elemental correspondence, there is another correspondence,

and that is of modalities. There are three modalities in astrology. In short,
modalities reveal how the energy of the sign will manifest, and it is based on
the concept that each element has approximately three different ways that it
will manifest in the world today. These modalities are Cardinal, Fixed, and
Mutable. Mutable has also been known in the past as “Common.” At the time
that phrase was commonly used, it was because the majority of the people in
the world had them prevalent in their charts. Cardinal energy is forward
thinking, initiatory, and progressive, while fixed energy is that of the status
quo, structure, and dependability. Mutable energy is just that: mutable. It is
flexible, adaptable, and fluid. Of course most birth charts are different blends
and combinations of both modalities and elements, and we can easily see how
intricate they may appear on the surface. Each element has a sign that belongs
to one of those modalities. Hence there is a cardinal air sign, a cardinal earth
sign, a cardinal water sign, and a cardinal fire sign. By understanding
modalities, we discover that we can gain a great insight into how someone
may live their life, subconsciously or consciously.

​At this point let’s take a pause and reflect on what we know. Each sign
has an element associated with it, as well as a modality. Each sign also has a
polarity associated with it. Polarities are more akin to those of a battery rather
than a psychological perspective or orientation. Hence one is receptive and
one is projective. The air and fire signs are active (projective, while the
water and earth signs are passive (receptive. Another set of correspondences
to keep in mind when learning signs is whether or not they are masculine or
feminine. This is a derivation of the polarities we mentioned above. As much
as you could say a sign is positive, you could just as easily say it is
masculine, and negative equates with feminine. Now, for the cynics in the
back of the classroom, this does NOT mean that men are psychologically
positive and women and psychologically negative! I cannot stress this enough
because I see very few astrological texts outline this difference. This concept
has no bearing on the psyche of individuals that have a high concentration in
their chart. Below is a quick reference chart to help delineate and clarify.
Following the chart will be brief descriptions of each sign.

The Signs

Sign Glyph Element Modality/Polarity

Aries ♈ Fire Cardinal/Positive/Masculine
Taurus ♉ Earth Fixed/Negative/Feminine
Gemini ♊ Air Mutable/Neutral/Neutral
Cancer ♋ Water Cardinal/Negative/Feminine
Leo ♌ Fire Fixed/Positive/Masculine
Virgo ♍ Earth Mutable/Negative/Feminine
Libra ♎ Air Cardinal/Positive/Masculine
Scorpio ♏ Water Fixed/Negative/Feminine
Sagittarius ♐ Fire Mutable/Positive/Masculine
Capricorn ♑ Earth Cardinal/Negative/Feminine
Aquarius ♒ Air Fixed/Positive/Masculine
Pisces ♓ Water Mutable/Negative/Feminine

There is a special note that should be made about the sign Gemini as
well. Technically, Gemini is a neutral gender sign. However, a case can be
made for a masculine correspondence because it is an air sign and the
element air is seen as masculine. As you can see from the list above, air and
fire signs are masculine and positive, whereas water and earth signs are
feminine and negative.

​This list is also their order in the zodiac beginning with Spring Equinox,
and this order is also the house order they are aligned with, or “rule.” I.e.,
Aries is the first sign, and rules the first house. Let’s look at traits for each
sign:

Aries (♈) Cardinal Fire / Active / Masculine / The Ram

 Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and the first sign of the zodiacal year.
It is associated with many different concepts. The Planet that rules Aries is
Mars, and thus a clue to the energy of Aries is given. Aries is forward
thinking and progressive. It is the initiator and the initiate. The key phrase of
Aries is “I am,” and thus another clue is given to where Aries excels. This is
a sign that is associated with defining the self. This can come through self-
expression, but also self-exploration and self-reflection. This is the patterning
of beginning and of defining identity in a pronounced way. Aries corresponds
to the musical note of “C#.”

Taurus (♉)Fixed Earth / Passive / Feminine / The Bull

Taurus is an energy pattern of earth. Solid, stable, and practical, Taurus is

associated with getting the job done, getting the lead out, and bringing things
into physical reality. Dependable, reliable, and consistent, Taurus is stalwart
and productive. The planet that rules Taurus is Venus and thus a clue to the
energy of the sign. The key phrase of Taurus is “I have,” and thus another
clue is given, as people with Taurus tend to have what they need, and may
like to make sure every base is covered. This is a sign of possession, but not
in a bad way, rather a practical way. Taurus corresponds to the musical note
of “D#.”

Gemini (♊)Mutable Air / Active / Masculine / The Human Twins

Gemini is an energy pattern of air. Flexible, adaptable, intelligent,

conversational, inquisitive, and mentally active, Gemini is the sign of
personal communication, which is evidenced by the planet Mercury ruling it.
The key phrase of Gemini is “I think,” and thus a powerful clue is given to
what exactly Gemini encompasses. Gemini is dual in nature, as is evidenced
by the symbolism of the twins, and it is the first human sign of the zodiac.
Gemini corresponds to the musical note of “F#.”

Cancer (♋)Cardinal Water / Passive / Feminine / The Crab

Cancer is an energy pattern of water. It is associated with the intuition,

powerful and deep emotions, nurturing and being nurtured, religion, and
forming emotional bonds. The ruling planet of Cancer is the Moon, and here
a clue is given to its properties. Cancer is reflective, and has the ability to be
open and receptive to things. The key phrase that is associated with Cancer is
“I feel,” and thus another clue is given as to how it acts and reacts. Cancer
enjoys belonging and finding a place to belong. Cancer corresponds to the
musical note of “G#.”

Leo (♌) Fixed Fire / Active / Masculine / The Lion

Leo is an energy pattern of fire, like Aries above. However, it is more

associated with the idea of static fire, rather than a flash fire. An excellent
parallel is found in the ruling planet, which is the Sun. The Sun continually
gives light and heat to planet Earth, and in that same way, Leos are known for
being consistent like Taurus’ but in a more active, creative, and bold way.
Leo is associated with leadership, much like its lion symbol. Lions are the
kings of the jungle, and thus they are said to rule. Much in the same way
Leos can rule and do make excellent leaders. They are known to have strong
wills and creative imaginations. The key phrase of Leo is “I will,” and thus
another clue of its energy is given. Leo corresponds to the musical note of
“A#.”

Virgo (♍) Mutable Earth / Passive / Feminine / The Virginal Human

Maiden

Virgo is another earth patterned energy, and thus it has the ability to
fluidly move through the earth plane, making what it chooses, and using what
it has. Virgo is associated with the harvest, as well as many other
correspondences that are quite varied. A clue to these correspondences can be
found in the ruling planet, Mercury. Virgo energy can be critical, adaptable,
discerning, discreet, and service oriented. The key phrase for Virgo is “I
analyze,” and thus another clue is given. Virgos have the ability to break
things down into pieces and reassemble them, oftentimes with pieces left
over because they have improved efficiency. Virgo corresponds to the
musical note of “C.”

Libra (♎)Cardinal Air / Active / Masculine / The Scales

Libra is another air patterned sign, and because of this, it can be highly
cerebral. Libra is the sign associated with balancing things, but also of
harmonizing things. It is the sign of weighing what seem to be polar
opposites in order to objectively come to a conclusion. However, Libra
energy prefers justice, and because of this, Libra energy is excellent for
moderation. Like Taurus, its ruling planet is Venus, and thus a clue is given
to its energy. Another clue can be found in its key phrase, which is “I
balance.” Like Virgo, Libra energy is analytical and can see better ways to do
things. Libra corresponds to the musical note of “D.”

Scorpio (♏) Fixed Water / Passive / Feminine / The Scorpion, The Eagle,
The Serpent, The Phoenix

A lot can be said about this water pattern sign. Scorpio is the most
adaptable sign of the zodiac, as is evidenced by all of the symbolism attached
to it. It is also the most occult sign of the zodiac, meaning that it is the most
hidden and gains the most enjoyment out of discovering things that are
hidden. Scorpio is associated with transformation. The life, death, rebirth
process is the crux of Scorpionic energy. However, it is also associated with
magick, witchcraft, and death. Scorpios are also known for their passion and
intensity. It has two ruling planets that give further clues: Mars and Pluto.
Scorpio is highly analytical and prone to masks. The key words of Scorpio
are “I create,” and thus further insight is given into the nature of this sign.
Scorpio corresponds to the musical note of “E.”

Sagittarius (♐) Mutable Fire / Active / Masculine / The Centaur

Being the final fire pattern sign in the zodiac, Sagittarius energy is the
fluid fire. It ebbs and falls, freely moving about the planes. The key words of
“I perceive” reveals what is truly going on underneath it all. It is associated
with the truth and spirituality, as well as the freedom to make such things
happen. Nomadic in behavior, Sagittarius energy is that of the strategist, but
also the alchemist, morphing from one state to another easily. Its ruling
planet of Jupiter gives a further clue to its nature. Sagittarius corresponds to
the musical note of “F.”

Capricorn (♑) Cardinal Earth / Passive / Feminine / The Goat, The Sea
Goat
 This earth patterned sign is the eldest of the three, and therein lies the
secret. Being physical, Capricorn is associated with making things manifest
on the physical plane, as well as old age, responsibility, maturity, and
management. Capricorn is that of stability, but not static stability. This is the
stability that produces, yet is able to be built upon. The key words of “I use”
pretty much sum it up. Its ruling planet of Saturn gives a further clue as to
how this energy works in life. Capricorn corresponds to the musical note of
“G.”

Aquarius (♒)Fixed Air / Active / Masculine / The Energy Bearer

The final air patterned sign of the zodiac is that of Aquarius, and it brings
with it the uniqueness one would expect from ample mental plane work.
Aquarius is the energy of the group in many different ways. The group mind
is something that Aquarius understands very well. Aquarius is known as
intelligent, but also very eccentric. It’s not that any habits or behaviors are
odd, but rather what is emphasized is identity of the self. An accurate
summary could be we are all individuals. Key words of “I know” speak
volumes about what Aquarians can easily accomplish. The ruling planets of
Aquarius are Saturn and Uranus. Aquarius corresponds to the musical note of
“A.”

Pisces (♓)Mutable Water / Passive / Feminine / The Two Fishes

From the group mind of course springs the dissolution into the group
mind, hence we come to the water patterned sign of Pisces. Pisces is that of
redemption and resurrection. It is the sign of sacrifice but also that of group
identification. Dreamy and etheric, no two Pisces are the same. Mystic and
metaphysicians, Pisces move through the planes with ease. This sign is the
most psychic of the zodiac. However, they are sensitive to the vibrations
around them and while creative, can indulge in that too much. Their key
phrase of “I believe” gives insight into their more spiritual side. We gain
further insight into the nature of Pisces when we learn the two ruling planets
are Jupiter and Neptune. Pisces corresponds to the musical note of “B.”

​ his is a solid starting point for learning their signs and their basic
T
attributes. Remember that one of the best ways to apply this material is to
think of the amount of influence in the whole chart rather than just focusing
on one facet of the chart, such as only the Sun sign. However, you can also
use this material to understand particular facets of astrology, too.

Exercise #6: Go back to the chart you have been drawing, and add in the
names of the signs and ruling planets as they correspond to the houses and
divisions you already have recorded. When done with that, add in the ruling
planets of the signs so you have a comprehensive zodiacal mandala in front
of you to study as you work with this book.

​ here is another subtle teaching to remember as well. Some of the signs

T
have two planetary rulers, so how do we work with them when it comes to
chart interpretation? The easiest way to integrate this material is to
understand that if you were born during the daylight of a particular sign, the
traditional planet is considered the ruling planet of the sign for that particular
chart. If you were born at night, the newer, outer planet would be considered
the ruling planet of the chart. For example, an Aquarian born during the day
would be ruled by Saturn, whereas an Aquarian born at night would be more
Uranian.

​Also of note regarding the signs is that each one corresponds to an image,
and some signs correspond to two or more. These are traditional images that
are associated with the signs that have come down to us through the
centuries. They convey deeper, subtler, yet more profound truths of
astrology. The general concept behind the images is that they reveal to us
how the energy of the sign may manifest. In short, signs with animals as
images may manifest as more beastly in nature, so working with a heavy
concentration of that sign during a lifetime may be more of a conquest of
humanity over animal impulses. In contrast, the signs that have human
images reveal the native is working with more humanistic concepts, ideas and
approaches during this lifetime. There is even one sign that is not an animal
nor a human, and that is Libra, which is the scales.

​ eople that have high concentration of Libra in their chart are dealing
P
with situations that have to do with bringing things in order, harmony, and
balance, within themselves and within the context of the greater world at
large and the consensual paradigm. The ancient Egyptians understood this
concept very well with their idea of cosmic order, and it is something that is
wise for us to contemplate as we grow through life.

I​ n addition to a night or day birth governing the ruling planet of a sign for
the signs that have two ruling planets, there is another dimension of astrology
to incorporate with regards to the time of day of one’s birth. If one is born
during the day, then the Sun plays a larger than average role in the life of the
native, but if they are born at night, it is the Moon that holds sway over the
native. This material can be used in conjunction with the other pieces we
have looked at, and is not meant as a replacement, but rather to provide
additional information into the psyche of an individual. This also means that
someone born under a sign that has two ruling planets will always align with
the Sun and the personal planet ruler, whereas an individual born at night
under that same sign would have the Moon and the “newer” planet as ruler.
This is worth noting because the planets that exist beyond Saturn, but
including Saturn and Jupiter, are said to be generational or group planets
because they move so slowly. This lines up quite nicely with the idea that the
Moon represents our day to day almost unconscious trip through manifested
life.

​ here is one final facet of signs to know now as we continue our trip
T
through astrology, and that is the concept of the decanates. The short version
of decanates is that they are three, ten degree subdivisions within a sign, and
each one is ruled by a particular planet. In this way they can be seen as minor
influences on how the energy of the sign manifests. So, for example, if your
Sun sign is Leo, its location could be in the decanate of the Sun within the
sign of Leo. If this placement is occurring, then this would represent the even
sunnier side of Leo energy than someone with their Sun in a different
decanate. However, both individuals would share Leo characteristics overall.
These would be more minute and detailed differences. In a lot of ways,
decanates are one of the few remains from older systems of astrology, but
that is a topic that has been discussed frequently throughout the years.

​ he planets that are assigned the decanates are not arbitrary placements
T
either. There is a logic and a rhythm to them. Also keep in mind that it is wise
to layer the decanates with whether the individual was born at night or during
the day, as mentioned above. Someone that was born at night of a particular
decanate will be vastly different than someone born during the day of the
same decanate due to the lunar vs solar influence. Here is the table of
decanates, and after it I will explain the how and why of planet placement.

Decanate 1, 0- Decanate 2, 10- Decanate 3, 20-

Sign
10° 20° 30°
Aries Mars The Sun Jupiter
Taurus Venus Mercury Saturn
Gemini Mercury Venus Saturn (Uranus)
Jupiter
Cancer The Moon Mars (Pluto)
(Neptune)
Leo The Sun Jupiter Mars
Virgo Mercury Saturn Venus
Libra Venus Saturn (Uranus) Mercury
Jupiter
Scorpio Mars (Pluto) The Moon
(Neptune)
Sagittarius Jupiter Mars The Sun
Capricorn Saturn Venus Mercury
Saturn
Aquarius Mercury Venus
(Uranus)
Jupiter
Pisces The Moon Mars (Pluto)
(Neptune)

​ he planet is parenthesis is the outer planet correspondence, as you can

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tell, and the rest are the personal planets. At first glance it may look like the
planets are arbitrarily assigned, but that is not the case. When we take a more
analytical look at the chart, we see that the decanate of each sign is ruled by
the ruling planet of that sign. Understanding the second and third decanates is
a little trickier though, but there is a rhyme and a reason to it. The second
decanate of any given sign is ruled by the planet that is the ruling planet of
the following sign of that element. Hence you do have to know the sequence
and elemental correspondences of each sign at this point. For example, the
next fire sign in the sequence after Aries is Leo, and it is ruled by the Sun.
Thus the second decanate of Aries corresponds to the Sun. This logic should
also be applied to understand the third decanate. The third decanate is the
ruling planet of the sign of the same element that is the next sign in the
sequence. Following our example through regarding Aries, we know that the
third fire sign in the sequence is Sagittarius, and lo and behold, Sagittarius’
ruling planet is Jupiter, which is the ruling planet of the third decanate of
Aries! I will freely admit though, the application of decanates is something
that is a little beyond astrology 101, so you may want to consider waiting to
integrate it into your work. Simply know that material is here when you are
ready to use it.

​In addition to the decanates, there is another detailed point to know about
the placement of planets in signs: There are some planets that fit with some
signs better than other planets. We all know that fire and water don’t mix
from a science perspective, and what this tells us about astrology is that Mars
(fire may not interact well when located in a water sign (I.e., Cancer, Pisces.
There is a system that covers this though, and I have found over the years this
can be a cheat to learning how to apply astrology if you work with it from the
start. Briefly, this is known as dignities, or planets being dignified. Really,
there is a lot more to it than that, as these placements only sometimes have to
do with actual dignities. Other times this covers when planets are located in
weak positions, too, and there’s nothing dignified about that. When
discussing this material we are looking at four basic concepts: Dignified,
Exaltation, Detriment, and Fall. Let’s break these three terms down for a
better understanding.

​Dignified is pretty forward, as it means a planet is dignified when it is in

the sign it rules. Exaltation is pretty much on the surface with the term itself
as well. When a planet is said to be exalted, this means it is as strongly placed
as it can get, so this is just about an ideal placement. This doesn’t mean
everything will roll along easily with no challenges, but rather the lessons and
personal development that come from its placement will be maximized, and
forward progress will be made even if it is arduous rather than easy to
achieve. When a planet is in detriment, it is considered substantially weaker
but still fairly workable with a lot of energy and attention on personal
development. However, a planet in its fall is considered very weakly placed
in general, and thus it takes a lot of work to undertake the same life lessons
during this incarnation.

Being a big believer in charts, here is another handy one to refer to

when you need a quick reference. Let’s take a closer look at this, and then we
will discuss why this material is the way it is.

Planet Exaltation Dignified Detriment Fall

Sun Aries Leo Aquarius Libra
Moon Taurus Cancer Capricorn Scorpio
Mercury Virgo Gemini Sagittarius Pisces
Venus Pisces Taurus Aries Virgo
Mars Capricorn Aries Libra Cancer
Jupiter Cancer Sagittarius Gemini Capricorn
Saturn Libra Capricorn Cancer Aries
Uranus Scorpio Aquarius Leo Taurus
Neptune Leo Pisces Virgo Aquarius
Pluto Aquarius Scorpio Taurus Leo
North Node
Gemini Libra Aries Sagittarius
of the Moon
South Node
Sagittarius Virgo Pisces Gemini
of the Moon

​ o understand the above chart, we should pay attention to the rhythm

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present. When a planet is exalted in one sign, it is considered in its fall in the
sign’s opposite. The second half of the equation is that if we remember a
planet is considered dignified in the sign it rules, then it is also considered in
its detriment in the opposite sign of that one. This rhythm is one of the
reasons why this chart may not look like other charts you find on the subject.
Over the last thirteen years of astrology work, and while writing this book, I
kept discovering conflicting information about this topic. Rather than try to
decide what was right and what was wrong, I searched for underlying
patterns and rhythms, and when that logic was applied, I arrived at the chart
above. Therefore, yes, this deviates from other material, but now that you
know the reason why, you can decide for yourself what you would like to
use, and how. Basically, I found the formula and followed it through to its
completion. Yep, like I said earlier in the book, scientific method of logic and
scientific thought are all our friends.

​ here is one final thing to note about the astrological signs. Unlike the
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planets, the glyphs for the signs are based on the way the constellations were
said to have appeared to the ancients. Thus for example, you can take the
glyph of Aries and overlay it on top of the constellation. There is not as much
esoteric meaning in these glyphs as there are for the planetary ones.
However, they do take a little more creativity to visualize, as some of them
are a stretch of the imagination to mentally see in your mind’s eye.
 Chapter 7: Houses

In astrology, the sky is divided into 12 sections, known as houses or

temples. Each house focuses on a different life area that has common themes
that run through them. Thus each set of 3 houses is also called a quadrant,
which gives us four quadrants to the wheel. Each quadrant follows a set
pattern of modalities: angular, succedent, and cadent. As is implied by the
name, the angular house is the house that sits on one of the four angles in a
chart: the 1 ascendant, 2 IC, or Imum Coeli, 3 descendant, or 4 MC, or
Midheaven.

​ he house system has evolved over the years, starting from simply four
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quadrants and evolving from there. There is a lot of documented history of
the house systems to be found, but in practical day-to-day terms there are
only two house systems to be aware of: Equal houses and unequal houses.
There are other house systems out there, but those are the two most
commonly used types. Each system has its pros and cons. Unequal houses
can lead to a more personalized chart, because in essence it’s stating that not
everyone has the same emphasis on the same life areas. Thus you may have a
heavy focus on occupation but almost no emphasis on personal relationships.
This chart system can also lead to intercepted signs which usually indicate
blockages of some type in the life areas that they correspond to. An
intercepted sign is a sign that occurs between two signs on house cusps and
therefore does not rule its own house. However, the challenge that goes with
using an unequal house system is that it breaks down at extreme north or
south longitudes, for example, being ineffective in Norway, northern Russian,
or the North Pole. The other house system to be aware of is the equal house
system, which is the one favored by the legendary Robert Hand. It uses the
same number of degrees for each house. Thus, for example, if the ascendant
is 16 degrees Aries, then each cusp will be 16 degrees, and there will be no
intercepted signs. One of the pros to this is that it does not break down at
extreme longitudes. However, a con to this is that it treats everyone as being
equal with regards to their day-to-day activities, thus homogenizing the
person and the chart.

I​ t’s also worth remembering that the houses are in the visible and
invisible sky. The houses at the bottom of the chart (the 1st through the 6th
are below the skyline, and thus cannot be seen, whereas the houses at the top
of the chart (the 7th through the 12th are occurring in the visible sky, and can
be seen or estimated to the best of your abilities. This is one of the reasons
why some houses reflect the inner life while others reflect the outer life.

I​ f you are using an unequal house system, remember to look for

intercepted signs. Wherever there is an intercepted sign in the chart this also
means that the opposite sign is intercepted in the opposite house. Thus you
have an axis to work with in order to harmonize the affairs of the houses.
Intercepted signs are present when there is a blockage and the energy can’t
flow freely through the chart. As another note, remember to look for
stelliums in a chart. Technically a stellium occurs when there are three or
more chart points located in the same sign and/or the same house. A stellium
represents when energy is knotted in a particular chart and thus cannot flow
freely throughout the entire chart. Also pay attention to house cusps. The
general rule of thumb is that the sign on the house cusp is the way the energy
is patterned for the whole house, but this isn’t always the case. For example,
if you’re using unequal houses, you may find that the house cusp is Gemini,
but right after the house cusp the dominant sign of the house is Cancer. This
tells us that the energy of Cancer is the way that the affairs of the house may
play out rather than the way of Gemini. Following this line of logic through
then tells us that it is also wise to pay attention to houses that have a critical
degree as the house cusp. The most glaring example of this is when a house
has an anaretic degree on its cusp (the 29th degree. This tells us that during
this lifetime the handling of the affairs of that house are coming to a close
from a pattern perspective. Hence whatever happens in that life area may be
more prevalent and life altering than other houses that may be spatially
bigger.

I​ t is wise to look for planets near angles and house cusps. When a planet
is located close to a house cusp, it means that planet will get triggered by
transit in a more dynamic way. The further away a planet is from a house
cusp, the less diffused the effect of the transit in that particular life area. It’s
also wise to remember Midpoints, as they can activate via transit in particular
life areas. A final word on houses addresses a subtlety of the chart: the
interplay between modalities of signs and the natural energy of the particular
houses. For example, if you have a cardinal house, but in your chart it is a
fixed sign, you may find a much different flow of energy than if the chart
you’re using has a cardinal or mutable sign on the house cusp. If in doubt
with this, come back to basics regarding the energy of the modalities.

The Houses

1st House:
House of the Self: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Aries

Thus the energy of this house is cardinal. This is an angular house, and
the sign on the 1st house cusp is also known as the ascendant or rising sign in
the chart. This house also begins the first quadrant, known as the quadrant of
Inner Self Awareness and Intuition. In the natural zodiac, the ruling planet of
this house is Mars.

​All concepts related to the self are being addressed in this house. This is,
but not limited to, the following list: self-esteem, self-value, self-worth, self-
confidence, self-expression, self-respect, self-love, self-trust, and faith in the
self. The sign on the house cusp tells us how (archetypically speaking this
plays out in life, and any planets that are located there give insight into how
the energy is anchored in day-to-day life. This is true of all houses, but this is
especially worth noting in this one because the ascendant is the face that is
viewed in public, and the lens through which we view the world. This is the
mask that is present when interacting with the outside world. This house also
corresponds to charisma and energetic attraction.

​ he energy of the first house is cardinal and masculine, in that it is the

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beginning of that quadrant. Retrograde planets located here tend to emphasize
the idea of inner self awareness. Practically speaking, it corresponds to the
direction east. Colors that correspond to the first house are pale colors and
whites. It is known as a diurnal house, meaning it corresponds to the day
rather than the night. Mercury and Saturn are both strong when located here.

2nd House:
 Personal Resources and Personal Resource Management, and Values:
Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Taurus

This house follows the first, and is thus fixed in the way that it manifests
through life. This house is the halfway point for the first quadrant. The ruling
planet of the house is Venus.

​ his is the house of personal resources and personal resource

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management, and this is a broadly encompassing house for this reason. While
many astrological texts say this is the house of money, this is only because
money is a physical representation of how we manifest our personal
resources using our management skills. This is also the house of physical
comforts and our view towards them. Hence part of this also has to do with
our physical world desires and criteria for comfort.

I​ n reality, personal resources are more than just things that have to do
with money. Rather this house can be looked at from all the planes and
encompasses all the personal resources we have. On the physical plane, it
represents the resources that we have and use to better our life experience. On
the emotional plane this house represents our emotional resources, such as
our emotional strength and energy we have to invest in a project. On the
mental plane this can represent our mental resources, and this is where the
concept of values come in. What do you value and why? Of course for this
reason, the idea of values also ties into the spiritual plane as well.

​This house is known as succedent with a natural feminine energy to it. It

is a nocturnal house, meaning that it corresponds to the night, and the color
associated with this house is green. The direction this house corresponds to is
east-north-east. Jupiter is strong when located in this house for the reasons
listed above having to do with resources and the management thereof.

3rd House:
Personal Communication, Short Distance Travel or Trips, the Personal
Computer, and Siblings: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Gemini

This is the 3rd house in the first quadrant, and is thus a cadent house.
An easy way to understand the energy of this house is to think of it as a
transitioning house, as the first quadrant begins to dissolve into endings, yet it
also acts as a bridge to the next quadrant. The ruling planet of this house is
Mercury. Thus the energy of this house is mutable in manifestation.

​ his is the house of personal communication and is thus related to news

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traveling in a small and easily digested format. Thus it corresponds to the
personal computer, newspapers, magazines, gossip, and small bits of
information that may come our way. This is also the house that corresponds
to short distance travel and trips. Hence it may represent a lot of small jaunts
around town rather than an extensive excursion to a foreign country across
the ocean. The best example of this is to think of it as corresponding to
weekend getaways. Emails and faxes also fall into this house. Infrastructure
travel within a country is something that is also covered by this house.

​ ontracts and deeds also fall in this house. Along a different tangent, this
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house also corresponds to siblings and cousins that we are close to.
Neighbors and the neighborhood also fall into the affairs of this house. This
is a masculine house that is nocturnal, and it corresponds to the direction
North-north-east. The planets that are strong here are the Moon and Mars.
The color associated with this house is orange.

4th House:
House of the Home and the Roots: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Cancer

Thus the energy of this house is cardinal. This is an angular house,

and the chart point located at the beginning of it is known as the Imum Coeli,
usually shortened to the IC, and an alternative name for this point is the
Midnight Point. This house also begins the second quadrant, known as the
quadrant of Inner Awareness of the Outside World, Emotions, and Feelings.
In the natural zodiac the ruling planet of this house is the Moon.
​This can be a complex house to understand because it encompasses a lot
of different topics, and while some are related, others are not. This is the
house of the home and all things related to the domestic life. This can cover
everything from the dishes and the laundry to the physical structure of the
home itself. However, another set of correspondences that go along with this
have to do with the roots, the past, and the formative years. Some astrologers
say that this also corresponds to the female authority in life during the
formative years. Older astrology books say that this is the house of the
mother, but that is not technically correct. If someone was raised by their
grandmother, as an example, then this would refer to her because she is the
dominant female authority figure present in the formative years. This would
be a deviation from other correspondences. Some people say that the
grandparents are a correspondence of the 3rd house, while others say the 11th
house. However, the 4th house trumps both of these possibilities because it is
an angular house, and thus carries more strength. The fourth house is also the
house of our heritage and roots as they apply to genetics and family history.
Some astrologers say that the 4th house also signifies qualities at the end of
life, and that the sign on the cusp of the fourth house denotes end of life
characteristics. Because of the ties with the roots and where one comes from,
this is also the house that addresses religion and the belief systems of the
individual relating to how they were imprinted onto the psyche of the
individual.

​ particular detail to note is that the IC represents the northernmost point

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in the sky, and anything placed here is considered to be weak, or at least at
the weakest point in the chart. The easiest way to think about this is to
consider that the energy is veiled. Existentially this is because this is the point
that is farthest away from the light of the Sun as it travels across the sky.
Hence the opposite house, which is the 10th, is considered one of the
strongest, if not the strongest, in the chart since this is where the Sun is the
strongest on its journey through the sky. With this house we also see the
transition into the western hemisphere of the chart. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th,
and 12th houses of the chart are said to be the eastern hemisphere because the
ascendant represents the eastern horizon. The eastern hemisphere corresponds
to being more of an independent and free will type of energy. This is the
energy of the proactive person. The western hemisphere is that of the soul
that is cleaning up karma and that can work within the system as the system
stands.

​ he energy of the first house is cardinal and feminine, in that it is the

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beginning of that quadrant. Retrograde planets located here tend to emphasize
some quality of life present during the formative years. For example, a
retrograde Jupiter located here could indicate either parents splitting up when
the person was young, or a dual life in some fashion. Practically speaking, it
corresponds to the direction north. The color that corresponds to the fourth
house is red. It is known as a nocturnal house. Saturn and the Sun are strong
when located here.

5th House:
House of Creative Self-Expression: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Leo

This house follows the first, and is thus fixed in the way that it
manifests through life. This house is the halfway point for the second
quadrant. The ruling planet of the house is the Sun.

​ his is the house that represents creative self-expression. This can

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encompass many different things and is usually referred to as the house or
art, music, all creative endeavors, and gambling. The concept of gambling
can be broadened to include speculation, in particular, financial speculation.
As a side note, this is the house of fortune, usually seen as good, but if ill
aspected then not so much. This is also known as the house of children. Part
of the correspondence that has to do with children has to do with the health of
the children as well. Another interesting correspondence is that this is the
house of recreational sex, rather than intentionally procreative sex. As can be
deduced from the above list, any ability or talent that someone has that has to
do with art, hobbies, and things that are created fall into this house.

​ his house is known as succedent, with a natural masculine energy to it.

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It is a diurnal house, meaning that it corresponds to the day, and the color
associated with this house is gold, or bright yellows, or as William Lily says,
“Honey color.” Another color correspondence has to do with the duality of
black and white. The direction this house corresponds to is north-north-west.
Venus is strong when located in this house for the reasons listed above
having to do with creating things of lasting value that express the creativity of
the individual.

6th House:
Day to Day Work Routine, Unusual Pets, the Government, and Health:
Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Virgo

This is the 3rd house in the second quadrant, and is thus a cadent
house. An easy way to understand the energy of this house is to think of it as
a transitioning house, as the second quadrant begins to dissolve into endings,
yet it also acts as a bridge to the next quadrant. The ruling planet of this
house is Mercury. Thus the energy of this house is mutable in manifestation.

​ his is the house of the day-to-day work routine and in particular the
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house of health. However, this is also the house of government and the
keeping of unusual pets. The natural world is a correspondence of this house,
in so far as the interaction between the individual and the natural world
around them. However, with this house we also have the beginning of a
particular facet of the astrological mandala. This house is ruled by Mercury,
as is the 3rd house, and with this we have the beginning of serendipity in the
chart of the houses. A particular correspondence of this house that is
oftentimes neglected is that this house corresponds to being of service and
showing gratitude for what one has. Some kind of skill mastery is another
correspondence that can be tied to the 6th house. Hence in order to
accomplish that, discipline and structure on a day-to-day level are required.

​ his is a feminine house that is nocturnal, and it corresponds to the

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direction West-north-west. The planets that are strong here are Mars, Venus,
and Mercury. The colors associated with this house are dark colors in
general. Of particular note for this house, the 9th, and the 12th: Pay attention
to any planets in this house that are within five degrees of the descendant, for
these can be considered conjunct an angle, and thus manifest stronger in the
life of the native. This is also true for five degrees into the next angular house
for the remainder of the houses. Challenging or unsupporting aspects to this
house may indicate challenges or growth opportunities regarding health early
on in life, and may continue to be triggered throughout the life of the native.

​ t this point it becomes wise to mention that this brings a certain rhythm
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in the chart to a close. This rhythm is that of the first six planets being located
north of (or under the horizon line. When this occurs, it tells us that there is a
lot of internal work that is occurring in the life of the individual. This does
not mean that the individual is an introvert, but rather it simply means that
there is a lot more going on in the mind of a person than what they might
show. This is in contrast to the 7th-12th houses, which are said to be located
above the horizon line, or in the visible sky. The activity that is located there
is more extroverted in nature and manifestation. Usually someone that has a
lot of activity there is someone that is actively engaged in the outside world.
In some ways they are extroverts, but in other ways they are not. Thus the
focus of the first six houses is internal work and inner personal development
and choosing to process things before taking action.

7th House:
House of Personal Relationships: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Libra

Thus the energy of this house is cardinal. This is an angular house.

This house also begins the third quadrant, known as the quadrant of Outer
Awareness of the Outside World and Sensation. In the natural zodiac the
ruling planet of this house is Venus.

​This is a fairly straight forward house, so it is easy to understand its traits

and what it encompasses. However, while it is straight forward, it may not be
an easy house to work with because it is so broad in what it encompasses.
This is the house of personal relationships. Commonly called the house of
love, but it is more than that in actuality. Any relationship we have in our
lives that is one-on-one in nature is covered in this house. The chart point that
lies on the 7th house cusp is the descendant, and this addresses two specific
points. To begin with, the descendant addresses our one on one relationships,
no matter what form they take, whether they are intimate or professional. The
second thing this point addresses is how we unwind at night. Do we like to do
the same thing over and over again, or do we prefer variety?

​ ractically speaking, it corresponds to the direction west. The colors that

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correspond to the seventh house are black and dark colors. It is known as a
masculine and diurnal house. Venus and the Moon are strong when located
here.
8th House:
House of Shared Resources, Shared Resources Management,
Inheritances, Legacies: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Scorpio

This house follows the seventh, and is thus fixed in the way that it
manifests through life. This house is the halfway point for the third quadrant.
We also come into a new situation here in that there are two ruling planets of
this house in the natural zodiac: Mars and Pluto.
 ​ his can be a tricky house to understand and work with because it
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encompasses a lot of different things that may seem disjointed but can really
be tied together. A lot of this can be seen when the 2nd house is studied. This
house addresses such things as managing a joint bank account, as well as the
resources of several people. Hence this is oftentimes called the house of
business. However because of this, this is also the house that addresses the
legacy one leaves behind and any inheritances that may go along with it. On
an interesting side note, this is also the house of procreative sex. On another
interesting side note, this house has a fairly unique attribution to it, which is
that when you have planets that constitute a stellium here, you may find that
psychic skills are increased to the degree of mediumship.
This house is known as succedent with a feminine masculine energy
to it. It is a nocturnal house, meaning that it corresponds to the night, and the
color associated with this house is dark green. The direction this house
corresponds to is west-south-west. The Moon is strong when located in this
house but only if the chart is a nocturnal one. Also of note is that Saturn is
strong here as well, having to do with longevity, seeing long term situations,
and all things related to the aging process and the responsibilities that go
along with the above mentioned qualities.

9th House:
Expansion of the Higher Mind, Publishing, Spirituality, Investments, and
Expansion in General: Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Sagittarius

This is the 3rd house in the third quadrant and is thus a cadent house.
An easy way to understand the energy of this house is to think of it as a
transitioning house, as the third quadrant begins to dissolve into endings, yet
it also acts as a bridge to the next quadrant. The ruling planet of this house is
Jupiter. Thus the energy of this house is mutable in manifestation.

​ his is the house that has to do with the expansion of consciousness, as

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well as making an impact on people outside of the self on a broad level.
Hence a lot of different concepts come into play here, ranging from the
expansion of consciousness to publishing, in that it is mass dissemination of
ideas to assist others in their growth, or at least your own growth. It is
important to note that this is the house of spirituality rather than religion,
because spirituality shows a distinctive growth of consciousness of the spirit,
and in this way it grows beyond what most codified religions can teach
because of their emphasis on social control.

​ his is a masculine house that is diurnal, and it corresponds to the

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direction south-south-west. The planet that is strong here is Jupiter. The color
associated with this house is light green.

10th House:
House of the Occupation, Career, & the Overall Vibe of Life: Natural
Zodiac House Ruler: Capricorn

Thus the energy of this house is cardinal. This is an angular house.

This house also begins the fourth quadrant, known as the quadrant of Outer
Self-Awareness and Thinking. In the natural zodiac the ruling planet of this
house is Saturn.

​ his is a very interesting house because it encompasses two very distinct

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ideas. The first idea it addresses is that of the career and the occupation.
Notice that this differs from the day to day work routine, which is addressed
in the 6th house. A reason for this differentiation is that some people work
jobs that are not in their career while they are building their career. This
house addresses more of the vocation and long term professional goals. It has
also been said that this house corresponds to the father, which is the
counterpart to the 4th house which is the house of the mother.

​ owever, since the 10th house is at the top of the chart, it is also the point
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known as the MC, or Midheaven. Thus what sign is on the 10th house cusp
gives insight into the overall backdrop of life that may not be tangible. Any
planets that are located here also carry greater weight in the life of the native,
whether this is professionally speaking or not. Transits to these planets are
also more impacting in the life of the native than other planets, and the
manifestation of these transits is more readily visible.

​Practically speaking, it corresponds to the direction south. The colors that

corresponds to the tenth house are pink and light red. It is known as a
feminine and nocturnal house. Jupiter, the Sun, and Mars are strong when
located here.

11th House:
House of Groups, Non-Profit Organizations, and Humanitarian Efforts:
Natural Zodiac House Ruler: Aquarius.

This house follows the tenth, and is thus fixed in the way that it
manifests through life. This house is the halfway point for the fourth
quadrant. We also have two ruling planets of this house in the natural zodiac:
Saturn and Uranus.

​A complex house, the 11th house has a lot of correspondences to it, and it
can seem daunting at first. This house encompasses everything from informal
groups of friends to more formal ones, like the American Congress. This is
the house of group work of all kinds, but in particular, group work that has
the best intent of all as their goal. Groups and endeavors that are looking for
solutions for everyone are 11th house organizations, and this also includes
humanitarian efforts. Part of this also addresses exchanging philosophical
concepts, which is why this is an air house in the natural zodiac.

​ his house is known as succedent with a masculine energy to it. It is a

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diurnal house, meaning that it corresponds to the day, and the color
associated with this house is yellow. The direction this house corresponds to
is south-south-east. The Sun and Jupiter are strong when located in this
house.

12th House:
The Subconscious, Endings, Undoings, and all Things Hidden: Natural
Zodiac House Ruler: Pisces

This is the 3rd house in the fourth quadrant, and is thus a cadent
house. An easy way to understand the energy of this house is to think of it as
the final transitional house, as the third quadrant begins to dissolve into
endings, yet it also acts as a bridge to the next quadrant. The ruling planets of
this house are Jupiter and Neptune. Thus the energy of this house is mutable
in manifestation.
 ​An interesting house, and arguably the most complex one in astrology,
the 12th house comprises a lot of different correspondences, and is usually
scrutinized quite heavily. It can be very nebulous to understand and work
with, but if basic principles are remembered, it can be quite a powerful house.
The 12th house is the house of the subconscious, endings, and undoings. Thus
this house represents all things hidden below the surface. What makes this
especially noteworthy is that this also includes our own subconscious minds,
so in some ways this house is more personal than other houses. This is the
house that can eat us from the inside out if we’re not careful. However, this
can be a very useful house for those that want to understand hidden motives
and hidden behaviors. If you’ll notice, then, this house can be quite
psychological in its focus, particularly internally psychological. Because of
this, this house also corresponds to mental health institutions, psychological
health in general, psychology, and the psychic side of life.

​ his is a feminine house that is nocturnal, and it corresponds to the

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direction east-south-east. The planets that are strong here are Saturn and
Venus. The color associated with this house is green.

The Debate

I​ n astrology there is a great debate among some people whether whole

sign houses are better than houses of varying size. It has been written about
extensively, and I won’t tread on trodden ground, but I will chime in so that
the person new to astrology has at least a baseline understanding of it and can
decide to pursue this topic in more depth if it interests them.

​ ouse systems are based on the rotation of the Earth on its axis, and the
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whole sign system is one that says every house is equal in size. Therefore, if
your ascendant is sixteen degrees Cancer, then every house cusp begins at
sixteen degrees of the next sign. While this isn’t the most popular house
system out there, it is the one that is used by many high profile and prolific
astrologers, who also argue in favor of it being the best system.

​ owever, the converse house system to this that is the most popular is an
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unequal house system, and the most commonly used one of that type is
known as the Placidus house system. It gets its name from the 17th century
astrologer Placidus de Titis, but it does date back before him. The basic
principle of this house system is that it is a division of the sky in a different
way than an equal house system. In this system, houses can have varying
sizes, and in this house system you can have intercepted signs, which we
mentioned earlier in this chapter. There is a problem with this system though,
and that is that at extreme northern or southern points here on earth, it breaks
down. Whole sign house systems do not. The benefit of the Placidus system
though, is that it gives everyone a more personalized chart. And herein lies
the philosophical difference between the two.

To use a whole sign house system, you, the astrologer, are effectively
saying that life areas get the same treatment across the boards with the
individuals you read. In other words, everyone spends the same amount of
time on home affairs, the career and occupation, personal relationships, etc. I
think we all know enough people in our lives to know that is not necessarily
the case for everyone, and this is the biggest downfall of this system. I know
plenty of workaholics that spend far more time pursuing their career than
they do the personal relationships in their life. This would be reflected in an
astrological chart in a couple of different ways. One way is the number of
planets located in their tenth house, and the other way would be to have a
large tenth house and a smaller fourth house. I have had related discussions
with many clients over the years, and I have continually found uneven houses
more reflective of the individual, making them more accurate.
But having said that, I can also think of instances for when an equal
house system would be of more appropriate use. If you were an astrologer
living in Norway, for example, it would be wise to use a whole house system
instead, due to the fact that the latitude it is located at is so extremely north
that the unequal house systems begin to fall apart. What falling apart means
is that you begin to see more and more intercepted houses, but logically this
could not be the case if intercepted signs signify blockages! This would be
like saying that large swaths of people would all have blockages in those life
areas, and not only is that unreasonable, it is also mentally deranged to think
that, to a large degree!

I share all of this to illustrate the differences, but also to show that
neither is better than the other, but rather each one has its strength and
weaknesses, and it is up to the individual astrologer to make the choice of
which one to use for one’s self. I did choose my words carefully though,
because these are not the only two types of house systems out there. There
are many, many house systems available to the practicing astrologer. While I
have not explored many, I encourage you to do so if it strikes your fancy.

Quadrants and Hemispheres

Quadrants

​ e touched on quadrants of the wheel back in Chapter 2, but let us return

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to it now to add more information to what they actually mean. In that chapter,
I mentioned them so that you would begin thinking about quadrants
immediately. I come back to them here to show why I took that approach.
There is subtle material that can be extracted from interpreting the quadrants
in a broader way than by just looking at the individual signs. This is a
continuation on the Hermetic axiom I’ve quoted a few times in this text: “As
Above, So Below.” Just like there are individual themes that are pearls of
wisdom gleamed from the activity of individual houses, there are pearls of
wisdom that are gleamed from the overall quadrant activity.

​ owever, there are two different ways to look at quadrants. The first one
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is the way I just mentioned. What kind of activity is in particular quadrants of
a chart? What quadrants are empty or harshly aspected? What quadrants are
dominant? The second way to look at quadrants though, is that they also
correspond to seasons of the year, beginning with the Spring Equinox. When
we have the change of seasons, we have the Sun entering into a cardinal sign,
regardless of whether it is a solstice or equinox. This means that at Spring
Equinox, the Sun begins its journey through the first quadrant, which
contains houses one through three. At Summer Solstice, the Sun moves into
quadrant two, which are houses four through six. At Autumn Equinox, the
Sun moves into quadrant three, which are houses seven through nine, and at
Winter Solstice it moves into quadrant four, which are houses ten through
twelve. Hence we see the entire year can be understood by watching the
quadrants play out through the life of an individual during any given
energetic year. I emphasize energetic year here to differentiate from the
calendar that is commonly used that starts in January rather than on Spring
Equinox. Let us take a closer look to see what the quadrant activity reveals to
us when we see it in a chart.
 1st Quadrant: Inner Life and Developing Personal Trust

​ his is the first of the four trios in the natural zodiacal wheel. It is the first
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of the energetic year as well. It is the period of time for the year that runs
between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. During this time, the
energetic current of the year is established. It is, in a way, primal, for it is the
first triplicity of the year, making it unrefined, undefined, and untamed. Much
like the human psyche, it is what we choose to work with during the year.

In March and April we have the cardinal fire sign of Aries (♈).This
is the beginning of the year, and as such it is the energy of youth coupled
with the energy of a new cycle beginning. Similar to "The Fool" from the
tarot, this is a time to define your actions and agenda for the year. It is also a
time when the quest begins for inner self-awareness. What will be sought
about the self this year? What facet of the self will be explored? It is a time of
great passions and gut instinct responses. Decision, not thought through
processes, is what the modus operandi is. Mars (♂ is the ruling planet, and
that implies aggressiveness and strength through tests. It is not a passive sign,
and that means that the energy of this house is proactive.

In April and May we have the fixed earth sign of Taurus (♉).This
sign is the exact opposite in some regards. For starters Venus (♀ rules it.
Besides the obvious counterpart of male and female, we have the fact that
Taurus is passive and receptive. Taurus is the steady state counterpart to the
fiery Aries. Heavy Taurus activity reflects steady state ideas and processes.
These are almost 100% the opposite of Aries, with their fiery tempers and go-
getter attitudes. Taurus' are plotters and planners who are more comfortable
with maintaining the status quo. However, they are also resistant to change.
So here we have instincts (Aries and thought (Taurus; order and chaos. So it
is only fitting to throw in the balancer here.

The third sign of this quadrant is the mutable air sign of Gemini (♊),
ruled by Mercury (☿).Mercury is the universal solvent. It is the planet of
transmutation. Very alchemical in nature, Mercury assists us in changing
things. The wry humor of the situation is that while all of these things may be
true of Mercury, Gemini is a dual sign! This reminds us that there are always
at least two sides to any situation. Gemini's strength is the ability to see any
issue from at least two perspectives. The problem is that a Gemini can't
always commit to one view more than the other.

So here in the first triplicity we have:

1) Recognition and Understanding of the Self

2) Personal Understanding and Development
3) Personal Alchemy

This is how the first quadrant translates to the inner life. By being
aware of whether a reaction or a choice is made from instincts or thought is
the first step towards taking control of the self, using Mercury as the
universal change all tool.

Thus, if you should happen to see a lot of planets, aspects, or activity

in general in this part of the wheel, then you know the person is working
through self-perceptions and issues of the self.

2nd Quadrant: Awareness of the Other, Self-Expression, and Work

I​ n the 2nd quadrant we have the next part of the zodiacal year, lasting
from Summer Solstice until Autumn Equinox. In it is the cardinal water
Cancer (♋),the fixed fire sign of Leo (♌),and the mutable earth sign of
Virgo (♍).Here we have receptivity and sensitiveness with Cancer, the fixed
brilliance of the self with Leo, and the discernment and decision making of
Virgo. In some ways, this builds on the previous three signs. The masculine
instinct of Aries has been changed to the receptive nurturing of Cancer. The
fixed pattern of Taurus has changed to the creative outlet provided by Leo,
fixed in its creativity. The transmutation ability of Gemini has
metamorphosed into discernment from Virgo. Virgo is another sign that has
Mercury as a ruling planet, much like Gemini did. Only this time, it is all
about the decision-making process rather than the ability to see the other side.
It's the process of deciding which you believe in.

​ ancer represents the extreme ability to be receptive and impressionable.

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It is the maiden that is pregnant with new life, whereas Aries was the injector
of life. In this very symbolic way, we have a metaphor for life. Also in this
way they mirror each other.
 But, whereas Taurus was in the first quadrant, we now have it
replaced by Leo. The Sun (A) rules Leo, and in this quadrant it represents
creativity, self-empowerment, and self-actualization. This is a by-product of
the responsible management of resources under the guidance of diligent
Taurus in the 2nd house in the first quadrant. Through managing resources
like time, money, etc, we can have more to create, thus we can tap into our
true potential.

The third and last sign of the 2nd quadrant is Virgo in the 6th house.
Here again we have the final house in that quadrant ruled by Mercury,
showing the ability Mercury gives us to change one thing from one to
another. However, whereas in the first quadrant it was in an opening the mind
way, it is more analytical and discerning in this quadrant. This shows that
there is an understanding of what things are necessary and what things aren't
and the ability to decide between them.

So here in the 2nd quadrant we have:

​1) The Foundation of the Self

​2) Self-Expression
​3) Physical Discipline

Once the individual is ready to receive, the solar light arrives. But it
means, by default, discretion between choices. Once base instincts are
mastered, greater heights can be achieved, however, this requires greater
decision-making skills.

Something else worth pointing out here is the fact that both quadrants
are below the horizon line. This translates to internal psychological activity.
Usually, when there is a lot of activity in this area, it means that there is a
great deal of psychological issues being worked through in this lifetime.
Usually that translates to not only psychological but also emotional issues,
especially with Cancer there.

There is a pattern worth addressing here, and that is the reflection

below the horizon between the 1st two quadrants. Aries is masculine and
aggressive while Cancer is feminine and receptive. Gemini is neutral, but
Virgo is feminine. What does this mean, you ask?
 When you see a lot of activity in this part of the chart, however it may
be represented, it usually shows that the individual is working with emotions
and feelings. There is a lot of both in this quadrant of the chart, with Cancer
being open, sensitive, and receptive, and Leo ruling the 5th house, the house
of creativity, where all the attention is on the individual when it creatively
turns out correctly. The awareness of the outside world comes from the Virgo
aspect. What can the native take to get them where they choose to go? If
decision-making processes are improved, can time be saved and things
streamlined?

​So, to sum this half of the chart up, it is all about what is going on inside
the individual. Awareness is coming to fruition. There is still a sense of
internalization to it, but it is internalization with the purpose of understanding
and coming to grips with the self. Instincts, emotions, feelings, and the
intuition are all being developed and refined. However there is still the lack
of contact with the outside world, which will be addressed in the top half of
the chart.

3rd Quadrant: Relationships and How They Change Us

This quadrant begins with the cardinal air sign of Libra (♎),when the
sun moves into the Autumn equinox. This period lasts from Autumn equinox
until Winter solstice. In this quadrant we have Libra, which is a sign of
balance. In this sign we have the scales of karma weighing out what has come
to pass internally up until this point. Then you have Scorpio (♏) energy
changing things yet again, but in a different fashion than either Gemini or
Virgo. This change comes in the form of an external motivator. The third of
this quadrant is the mystical quest of the archer, brought about by the exterior
initiated change of Scorpio. The mutable fire sign of Sagittarius (♐)is all
about the journey and the spiritual growth that goes with it. Also in this
quadrant we begin to get the outer planets involved. This doesn't happen until
Sagittarius, but then the 4th quadrant is just the outer planets. The last sign to
have an inner planet is Scorpio, which is ruled by Mars.

In the third quadrant, Libra starts off the party being ruled by Venus.
Libra is a feminine sign and is receptive in its nature. It is all about finding
the balance, and on a psychological level this is an internal process balancing
out what the internal has learned against the experiences of interaction with
the outside world.

This sets the stage for Scorpio, who then dumps things on its ear.
Once impulses have been received, internalized, and synthesized into the self,
balanced against all angles, then things change. Nature abhors a vacuum, so
when one set of lessons is learned, then the next one begins. Scorpio is that
energy of change. It is masculine and proactive. Therefore its study is the
study of transitioning from the internal world to the outside world and
interacting with it as well.

Sagittarius then takes what has been changed and breathes new life
into it by helping the individual think outside the box, and thinking on a
larger scale. Jupiter (♃), the planet of expansion and prosperity, rules
Sagittarius. Once the final dissolution of Scorpio has been attained, things
can then grow on a larger scale, reaching new heights.

This quadrant is also a lot of times negatively referred to as the

quadrant of the sheep. People that go along with the flow may have a lot of
activity there, or it may be perceived that people with a lot of activity there
tend to go along with the flow. This is because every interaction between
them and the outside world is a learning experience, and thus they absorb
every morsel of wisdom they can. The best way to do this is to not be
distinctive, but rather complacent for the sake of convenience.

A lot of activity in this section of the chart denotes someone that is

calm and aware, but likes to experience for the sake of experiencing. Usually
internal turmoil is absent. There is also a lot of interaction with the outside
world on some level.

So here in the third quadrant we have:

​1) Relationships with others

​2) Changes Incurred
​3) Expansion of Mind
Once the individual enters relationships with people outside of the
self, things begin to change. This change leads to expansion, just in time to
reach the Midheaven.
 4th Quadrant: Outer World Engagement and Interactive

​ or the last leg of the journey we have everything wrapping up in a

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mature way. This quadrant begins when the sun moves into Capricorn (♑) on
the Winter solstice and lasts until Spring Equinox. In this way it coincides
with regrowth, renewal, and, to a certain degree, death. This quadrant,
composed of Capricorn, Aquarius (♒),and Pisces (♓)in the natural zodiac,
is where a lot of freedom and growth happens. No longer is the individual
content to experience the sensations associated with the outside world, but
rather now the individual assumes a co-creative mentality. While these may
be the last of the signs in the natural zodiac, these are also the signs that are
all ruled by the outer planets, and as such they signify expansion and moving
beyond.

​ irst we have Capricorn, ruled by Saturn (♄). The 10th house is the house
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of occupations, and as such Saturn is the planet of lessons and manifestation.
It is at the very top of the chart, and is also home to the Midheaven, which
addresses occupations as well. Because of this, it is also a background light,
which pervades all on a subtle level. Capricorns are practical and mature, and
these traits allow them to manage better. Manage what, you ask? Time,
resources, frugality, etc.

Next to its left is the sign Aquarius, ruled by, you guessed it, Saturn!
The 11th house is the house of social circles and friends. Here again, in a
house addressing something other than the self, we have a healthy dose of
Saturnian energy. The traits of manifestation, limitations, and lesson learning
are equally prevalent here, and the growth that comes with it. However, what
separates the two is the fact that the Saturn of Capricorn is cold and desolate,
while the Saturn of Aquarius is more thought oriented, as Aquarius is an air
sign.

Finally, in the 12th house, we have the subconscious, endings, and

undoings. This is ruled by Pisces, which is ruled by Jupiter (F. Pisces is a
water sign that is completely adaptable. However, that trait is also its greatest
weakness. When something is as mutable as that, it is hard to nail it down to
something, and therefore, in this way, Pisces is generally associated with
wishy-washiness. The trade-off is that because it is so ungrounded, it is also
highly psychic because there is nothing in the sign to tell it not to be, and
nothing in the sign to keep it grounded and focused. This leaves the door
open for impressions from Spirit. When this quadrant is called Outer Self-
Awareness, it's no joke! This outer self-awareness can also include non-
physical awareness. It travels from an understanding of limits, lessons, and
limitations to psychic development and impressionism. It goes from one
extreme to another, and in this way promotes freedom through understanding
through Saturn, and growth and independence through Jupiter. So in this
quadrant we have Saturn, Saturn, and Jupiter. This puts Saturn at the apex of
the chart, showing that lessons, limitations, and manifestations are the height
of achievement.

​ his quadrant of the horoscope can be seen as outer self-awareness in the

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way that it brings the focus of the individual to the outside world and to the
natural cycle of endings, as opposed to changes, as it was in the 8th house.
The thinking part of this quadrant is shown in the fact that, to manifest, we
must use our minds.

​ hen there is a lot of activity in this area of the chart, it shows that an
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individual is coming from a space of freedom. It could also show, depending
on the aspects, independence and free will.

​So in the fourth quadrant we have:

​1) Overall Life Focus

​2) Group Interaction and Participation
​3) The Ability to End things

Exercise #7: On your chart, add in house numbers and key words, if you
choose. Adding in house keywords is not necessary, though.

Hemispheres

​ he chart can also be divided into hemispheres, which opens the door to
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another nuance of astrological interpretation. The activity in a particular
hemisphere can reveal a lot about overall themes of the life of the native.
There are two different sets of hemispheres to look at when you are
interpreting a chart. They are polarized but complimentary and in this case
are their own versions of Yin-Yang. There are the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres, and Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

​ et’s start off with the northern and southern hemispheres. When you
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look at your chart, the half of the chart that is at the top is known as the
Southern Hemisphere, and the half of the chart that is at the bottom is the
Northern Hemisphere. Yes, I realize this seems counter-intuitive to most
people, but the reason why this is laid out has to do with a principle of
astrology. Because of the tilt on its axis, the Sun moves across the Southern
part of the Sky, which means that it corresponds to the top of the chart due to
the all-pervading influence on the whole chart. There is a lot more
mathematical detail that can go into this explanation for those of you that are
curious, but I am simply focusing on giving you a basic understanding for
now. When the Sun is moving across the southern sky, it is at its strongest
and thus would be towards the top of the chart. However, when the Sun is
moving across the northern part of the sky, it is considered weaker and is thus
located at the bottom of the chart, where its influence is a lot weaker. Houses
one through six belong to the northern hemisphere, and houses seven through
twelve belong to the southern hemisphere.

​ hen the bulk of the chart activity is predominantly in one hemisphere, it

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reveals general overall vibes of life. For example, when the bulk of planetary
activity is at the top of the chart, it is considered located in the southern
hemisphere and tells us that the individual may spend a lot more time
integrated with the outside world than someone that has the bulk of their
planetary activity at the bottom of the chart, or in the northern hemisphere.
Using this example I am picky with my words again, because I have seen
great misunderstandings about this in astrology books. Just because someone
is integrated to a high degree with the outside world does NOT mean they are
an extrovert! It simply means a lot of their life has to do with the outside
world in general.

In contrast, if there is a lot of activity in the bottom of the chart, also

known as the northern hemisphere, it tells us the individual is not as
integrated with the outside world as the other person in the example, but this
doesn’t mean they are necessarily any less active, nor are they an introvert!
Simply put, they have a lot going on behind the scenes as it were, whether
this is internally focused, or simply removed from the public eye. It has often
times been said that someone with a busy northern hemisphere is someone
that has a lot going on in their head, and interestingly enough, may have an
easier time of it when it comes to quieting the mind and meditating. These are
just generalizations though, so take them for what they’re worth.
If there are northern and southern hemispheres, then by default there
are eastern and eastern hemispheres, too. Learning these hemispheres round
out our picture of the whole chart, and also helps to bridge understanding
from hemispheres and quadrants to the angles that are found in a chart.
Before we move along to angles though, let’s finish looking at hemispheres.
In the chart there are eastern and western hemispheres just like there are
northern and southern ones.

When you look at a chart, the eastern hemisphere is the half of the
chart that is to the left, and the western half of the chart is to the right. Thus
the eastern hemisphere is comprised of houses one, two, three, and ten,
eleven, and twelve. The western hemisphere is comprised of houses four,
five, six, seven, eight, and nine. Each of these hemispheres is very different
though, but can be easily delineated. If the bulk of the activity is occurring in
the western hemisphere (so, houses four through nine, it is said that the
individual is resolving and revisiting a lot of subjects and themes during this
lifetime, so it is a cleanup kind of life. This doesn’t mean that forward
progress can’t be made, but rather the individual is moving through society
with the current of all the other people on the planet. In this way they can be
seen as riding a big current of energy and making the most of it.

If someone has the bulk of chart activity in the eastern horizon

though, they are approaching life from a much different perspective. This
hemisphere is the hemisphere of the strong willed, independent,
entrepreneurial individual that operates at their own pace and tempo, and go
their own way. As you can infer, this also means that generally this type of
person has a lot of life lessons and growth opportunities that others don’t
have, and they may also not be riding any wave or current of energy.
However, it is also fair to say that perhaps the individual is more in line with
creating their own wave of energy. Neither hemisphere is better than the
other. Both have challenges and blessings that go with them, but this is good
basic material to know. I have seen that people that know these subtleties
tend to extract more information from a chart than people that don’t, so I
include it here to help expedite your astrological development.

The Angles of the Chart

The Ascendant, the Imum Coeli, the Descendant, and the Midheaven

In astrology, there are four particular chart points that exist in the
chart to be aware of, as well as the planet/house/sign combinations that are
related to them. These are overlooked in astrology quite a bit, but they can
provide useful insight into general themes that may be present in individual
lives. These four points correspond to the time of the day you were born.
Each one has a different energy attached to it, and each one can provide
insight into different dimensions of our lives. All four of these chart points
are best understood by being reflective of psychological patterns of thought
and how they manifest in our lives. There is more to it than just the
psychological dimension though. When there is a transit to any of these
points it may trigger life changes, specifically in the areas of those houses.
We will discuss transits in Chapter 8 when we discuss aspects.

These four points have to do with the factors that were present at the
time of the birth in the natal chart. The Ascendant is the sign that was on the
eastern horizon at the time of your birth and begins at the 1st house cusp. Yes,
this is as easy to understand as they come. If you were born when the Sun
was in Libra, and if you were born at dawn, your ascendant would also be in
Libra.

The Descendant is the sign that was on the western horizon at the
time of your birth and begins on the 7th house cusp. Thus you already know
what sign this is, too. This is the opposite sign of the one that is on the
ascendant, so to use the above example, it would be Aries. The other two
reflect whether the sun was up or down when you were born. The point at the
bottom part of the chart represents the furthest point north in the sky/nativity.

The Ascendant

​ he Ascendant (sometimes abbreviated ‘ASC’ is the sign that acts as a

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mask. It is located on the cusp (or edge) of the 12th and 1st houses. It is the
public face we all have. When people first meet us, they may mistake us for
our Ascendant (also known as our rising sign), instead of who we are on the
inside.

​ he Ascendant is also a sign that acts as a filter. It filters impulses we

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receive from the outside environment beyond ourselves. In this way it acts as
a kind of tool through which we can work with our higher ego. Because we
live in a society that is more integrated than not, it could be argued that the
ascendant is the most powerful point in the chart. Not only does it represent
our public face and all things mentioned above, it also has to do with the role
that we play in society in our chosen professional role.

​It takes approximately two hours for the ascendant to change. This does
not occur with regards to the natal chart, but it does apply to the daily chart.
The way this applies to the natal chart ties into the idea of a progressed chart.
I have found this detail valuable because knowing this makes it easier to
guesstimate the ascendant of someone without having to hand cast a chart.

The Imum Coeli

(sometimes abbreviated ‘IC’)

​ he IC, also known as the Nadir (which translates to “bottom of the sky”
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or the Midnight point, reveals to us two core dimensions of our being. The
first thing the IC reveals is through its role in our charts. The IC is located on
the cusp of the 3rd and 4th houses. The amount of activity that is located there
reveals to us an inner glimpse of our psyches. It is considered a weak house
because it’s the farthest north point and shows what is in some ways, us at
our weakest.

​ he IC reveals to us how we handle such topics as security and taking

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care of our basic needs. This is foundational and covers the home, traditions,
and behavior. This is also considered the hidden point, for you may find work
goes unnoticed. This point also corresponds often times to the mother and
motherly influence. Hence it can reveal information about the interaction
with the mother figure early on in life. In this way it creates an axis with the
10th house, where the interaction with the father figure is revealed.
 The Descendant

​ he Descendant is located on the cusp of the 6th and the 7th houses. It
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reveals to us how we like to unwind in our down time and what patterns we
may have in our personal lives. It also gives us insight into our one on one
relationships. The descendent also reveals to us what we like in personal
relationships. Do we like them active or laid back? What do we like the
environment to be? This can apply in all areas of relationships.

The Midheaven

The Midheaven (also known as the Medium Coeli, or MC is located

on the cusp of the 9th and 10th houses. It reveals to us information and
patterns of thought and action with regards to our professional life. However,
as mentioned above, it also serves as the other point of the axis with the 4th,
and represents the father figure.

The Midheaven also paints the backdrop against which our lives are
played out. In other words, it is the general environment, psychologically
speaking, we find ourselves in through our natural courses of action. Hence it
is the stage that we find ourselves on.

There is a lot more that can be said about these four chart points, but I
will leave that for another time. I believe you have enough information now
to see them at work in your chart and also to understand how overall vibes
can come into play in the life of an individual and how they are represented
in a chart. Since we are not talking physical bodies in space, nor discussing
how the sky is divided, we are talking about psychological facets of astrology
when we study the angles in a chart. This is important to keep in mind
because it is one of the rare instances of astrology that is more in line with the
soft science side of things. While I emphasize they are more psychological in
nature and manifestation, there is a lot more to them than that, which we will
discuss in Chapter 8 when we talk about aspects. While, yes, they are overall
diffused in a lot of ways, they are just as tangible and strong as planets when
it comes to interpreting astrology, so they should not be dismissed lightly.
Great care in their interpretation should be taken when one works with them.
 Empty and Packed Houses

I​ am adding this brief section because I’ve had a lot of people ask me
about this over the years. To me it belongs in a book like this because it is an
easy understanding for everyone and is something that, if known right off the
bat, can be of great value for clarity and deeper understanding of a chart. Not
every house has planetary activity in it. Yes, some charts are like that, but
many more are not. The average number of empty houses in any given chart
is three to five, so this is the common number to look for, in addition to what
has been previously stated about hemispheres and quadrants.

I​ f someone has three to five empty houses, then the chart could be
considered average. However, if someone has far more empty houses, then
by default they have a few houses that are packed with planetary activity. If
you see an abnormal number of full or empty houses, then you can infer from
this that the soul came into this life with a specific mission and a specific set
of tools to accomplish said mission. An easy way to grasp this concept is to
consider it this way. Before the soul came down into physical form, it
decided if it would have a lot of tools at its disposal to accomplish its agenda,
or if it is here to advance a specific agenda using specific tools. Of course the
more focused the tool set, the more things the soul is not focused on, nor does
it have the necessary tools. This doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be to the
detriment of the soul, rather it means there is a clarity here and the soul is in a
lot of ways, single-minded. Again I pass no judgment here, as both are
equally good and bad.

Exercise #8: Fill in the rest of your chart with the four angles, and make
notes on where in your chart the planetary activity is occurring in whatever
quadrants and hemispheres are applicable.
 Chapter 8: Aspects

Let’s start off by talking about the science behind aspects, and I assure
you there is science there. Relationships between planets and certain chart
points are based on Euclidean geometry. Basically, planets produce sounds
which have been scientifically proven to alter DNA and moods. Aspects are a
representation of Euclidean geometric principles, harmonizing or not, which
affect the sound, which affect moods, which affect our very DNA! It’s just
straight science. Non-Euclidean geometry would give us different results for
these aspects, but that is a conversation for another time and place. The short
explanation is that we are affected by the geometric patterns produced
through the waves of one planet interacting with others. When the music they
make is harmonious, it is generally perceived as an easily beneficial aspect.
But when the music they make is rough and doesn’t harmonize in a pleasant
way, it is generally perceived as a more opportunistic yet hard working
aspect. The aforementioned gravity waves are great examples here. Let us
now turn our attention to the aspects themselves, and how they are used in
astrology.

Aspects are how planets talk to each other and how they influence
each other. How planets aspect determines the ease of communication
between them. In easy to understand terms, the softer the aspect, the easier
they communicate. Aspects also denote past life successes and/or challenges.
If you have a soft aspect in this life, chances are that in a past life (if you
believe in them, you mastered that skill to the degree that it became second
nature to you. Or, the soul that sent you into this body this life may believe
that this frees your energy to go other directions. If you don't believe in past
lives, aspects can be seen as the true, quintessential, language of the stars,
covering our strengths and weaknesses through modern quantum physics
principles.

In any event, soft aspects are those that add an easy dimension to the
human existence. They are gifts to be used strategically and responsibly.
They represent how the energy is being exchanged between different points
in a chart. If we think in terms of communication and music, we gain a better
understanding of how they come into manifestation in our lives. Music can be
harmonious or discordant, and communication can either be easy or
challenged, as examples. When we think along these lines, it makes it easier
to spot them at work in our day to day lives.

​ onversely, there is a truth to consider. That truth is that as easily as the

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soft aspect comes, there comes a challenge with it as well. The challenge is
that those skills may be taken for granted. This can be a problem in this life
as you may find that you fall into the category of “don’t know what ya’ got
‘til it’s gone.” If you believe in reincarnation, abused skills may pave the way
for issues. Humility will be brought to bear on those skills, and the karmic
cycle continues.

​ nother point to consider is the fact that the softer the aspect, the subtler
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they manifest. For example, the best way to know whether or not a soft
aspect is manifesting in your life is to look at the skills that come easy to you.
Akin to talents, soft aspects are those that manifest, generally, without your
knowledge. If you have a natural gift for managing other people's money (8th
house as a profession (10th house, there is most likely a soft major aspect
there, and, to extrapolate it further, probably between two grounded planets
and/or signs.

Types of Aspects

I​ n astrology, there are a few categorizations of aspects that you should be

familiar with. Aspects can be broken down into major and minor aspects, as
well as hard and soft aspects. Let us take a closer look at these different
categories to understand them more clearly. Major aspects are also known as
the Ptolemy aspects because he was the thinker that emphasized them and
brought them to the forefront. There are five of them, but even these can be
subdivided, as we will discuss in a few moments. Here are the five major
aspects, and when learning astrology, I encourage you to start with these five
before learning and exploring others.
 The Five Major Aspects

Sextile (☐) 6( 0 degrees): This is a gently flowing positive aspect between

two chart points. The sextile is an angle produced when two points are
approximately 60° from each other. This is known as a soft aspect because
the aspect does not have any hard edges to it. The energy flows smoothly,
almost unconsciously easily. Because of this, they may be hard to spot at
work in the life of a native, but they often times also manifest as talents, too,
so by learning one’s talents, you learn their sextiles. Planets or chart points
that are sextiling have only one attribute in common: they are both of the
same gender. As is true in The Kybalion, is also true in astrology: there is a
gender balance in the universe. With a sextile, the two planets share the same
gender. For example, in the natural zodiac, when Taurus (b sextiles Cancer
(d, it is noted that both of these are negative signs. In astrology, negative
signs translate to feminine signs. Also, by this same token, negative and
feminine means receptive, as opposed to projective. This is key to
understanding the energy of the sextile. The sextile is receptive to whatever is
done with it. Ever had a skill that you knew you could do well, and not done
anything with it because you knew you could do something with it later?
Yep. That's a sextile.

​ nother perspective on the sextile is that, by working with one, you can
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assist in the manifestation of the other. For example, if you have Venus (D
sextile Mercury (C, you have no problem with the energies of Venus, or the
energies of Mercury. The trick lies in harmonizing the two. This is true of all
sextiles. Each one by itself is strength. But, the more the two are worked with
and balanced, the stronger they become, and the better they interact together.
In this scenario, when Venus and Mercury are balanced, they can produce
harmony in communicating all things of beauty, whether this is an artistic
endeavor or internal alchemy.

​ omething else to consider is that a sextile is best realized by

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understanding the self versus the not self. If the trick to working with the
sextile is to balance it out for complete manifestation, then the best way to do
that is through service to others, or through interacting with others. Using
these methods is the easiest way to achieve this end. By working with others,
and being aware of what is in the astrological chart, one can utilize the time
and energy spent with others in a more productive fashion, both for internal
growth and for the betterment of others.

Square (☐)(90 degrees):Now we come to my favorite aspect but one of

the most misunderstood and ill-liked ones. This is the square. A square is
formed when two planets are 90° apart. In older astrological texts, it was
referred to as the most negative aspect, because it is not easily understood or
worked with. Upon my own research, I discovered why this is. A square has
four sharp edges. The other hard major aspects we've been dealing with have
only one point to work with or from. A square is its own creature. As soon as
you master one aspect of a square, another one comes back to bite you. There
don't have to be four planets involved in this. There can only be two planets
involved, but the four corners are there to be worked with nonetheless.

​ he elements in a square are not compatible, but the modes are the same.
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The similarity of modes is a key to harnessing the awesome power these can
provide. Disharmonious elements can challenge the native to harmonize, but
the common modality is essential to working with it. For example, if you
have a square in two fixed modes, and one is in fire, with the other in water,
you have to treat it differently than other elements. Fire and water are almost
opposite ends of the spectrum. But by utilizing the modes of the square, you
can bypass the unharmonious aspects of the planets. If you have a square that
is mutable in nature, then you can harmonize the elements at your own
tempo, for adaptability is the key to synthesis. If you have the common mode
of fixed, then by establishing a routine, you can harness its power.

​ hy do I keep saying power? I'm glad you asked! It’s power because of
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what it can do. Similar to sanding the uncarved block from Taoism, or
sanding the block of karma, working with a square can untap previously
unknown potential on a large scale. Think of it as turning the square into a
circle. By choosing to work with each aspect of the personal square, you are
focusing on one point at a time, and by doing this, you are softening that
aspect. Simply continue to do so until you have turned the square into a
circle. You guessed it! A square is simply a circle that is waiting to be
finished. It is the true microcosm to the macrocosm that is in nature inherent
around us.

​A lot of times people that have a lot of squares in their chart can feel
persecuted without just cause. This is understandable because, to a certain
degree, they are on a crucible. However, that pain is psychological. There is a
wonderful opportunity to grow. The fact of the matter is that it just happens
to take twice as much effort as any other aspect. This is a hint at the Esoteric
Astrology teaching of the three different mode crosses.

​ nother point to consider is that the more the squares, the older the soul.
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Is there a direct correlation between the number of squares and the number of
centuries? No. But the more squares in a chart, the more the soul is
experienced in rough lifetimes, and the more lessons can be learned and fine-
tuned during this lifetime. It truly is a compliment, and a sign that god won't
give you any more than you can handle. What a compliment to your strength!

Trine (△ (120 degrees: A trine is created when two planets are 120°
apart. This equates to 4 zodiacal signs, or 30 percent of the wheel. Just
because the name of the aspect is a trine, this doesn't mean that there are three
planets involved in this aspect. A trine is when, as stated above, two planets
are 120° apart. In the natural zodiac, this equates to signs of the same
element. In this fashion, it holds the old adage true: The strongest shape in
the universe is the triangle. When two planets are in trine, they are helping to
create a foundation that cannot be broken. Two planets that are trining are
providing a stable base to build from. For example, if Mercury and Jupiter
(F are trining, they are speaking well together, and they provide a base to
produce prosperity (Jupiter through communication (Mercury. Once this
base is mastered, one can then extrapolate to whatever degree is chosen.

​ he question then becomes: "What if there is no third planet in the

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Trine?" Honestly, in all practicality, this is a moot point. It's the fact that they
connect on that firm level that matters. If there were a third planet involved in
the trine, it would elevate the trine to a Grand Trine, which is an aspect
pattern. The trine helps to stabilize energies already prevalent in the chart. In
past life terms, the trine is an area of existence that has been mastered in
previous lives, but still needs a little polishing in this lifetime before
becoming almost automatic, like a sextile is. A trine does, however, provide
the very stable base to grow from. In this way, a trine is actually stronger than
a sextile because it gives you something to grow from. A sextile simply is a
fact, but a trine provides a base for growth.
 Opposition (☍) (180 degrees): This is an aspect that denotes tension.
Need I say more? The opposition occurs when two planets are 180° apart.
This means that they are opposing each other. Depending on the node, they
will either be opposing, or actively working against each other. In either case,
they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, mathematically speaking.

​ he easiest way to understand an opposition is to think of it as a tug of

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war. There is planet 'A', which is at one end, and planet 'B' at another. A good
rule of thumb to take into account is that each planet is six signs away from
the other. For example, Mars in Capricorn (j is six signs away from Mercury
(C in Cancer (d (10-6=4. This is helpful when glancing at a chart for the
first time. Besides being familiar with the standard planet, sign, and house
combinations, one should also be familiar with the mode that the opposition
is happening in. This is represented by the fact that the mode determines the
intensity and style of opposition. The opposition is always going to be in the
same mode, so this keeps things simple. In the above example, Capricorn is a
Cardinal sign, as is Cancer. This means that any opposition in that mode is
going to be forward oriented and progressive, but also active. An opposition
in fixed signs would manifest much more rigidly and in a pattern fashion. An
opposition in mutable signs would manifest in a much more fluid motion. Of
course, with all these modes, the one thing to keep in mind is that the
opposite energy of the energy of the opposition is crucial to working with it.
For example, if you have an opposition in cardinal signs, don't try to make
yourself very flexible. If you have an opposition in mutable signs, don't seek
pattern to tap into it.

​Oppositions are also easy to understand from a psychological perspective.

To a certain extent, one can change their thinking to the opposite; thereby
understanding what it is they are to learn. In this fashion they are applying
wisdom to profit the wise by skipping the experience. For example, using the
above example, Mars in Capricorn would be someone who is very career
oriented, whereas the energy of Mercury in Cancer is someone who is very
centered on not only the home life, but also as a sensitive communicator.
This means that if the native feels more drawn to the career than the home,
then so be it. But, if the native wants to understand why they are very
sensitive about their home and home life, one need not look further than their
chart. By rearranging their thinking patterns and perspective on their
paradigm, they can see things in a different light. In this case it would be
someone going from extroverted to introverted, but not losing himself or
herself in the process.

Conjunction (☌) (360 degrees/0 degrees): To begin with, a conjunct

doesn't necessarily mean that they are in the exact same spot in the sky. As
was discussed earlier in the course, there is the orb to consider. And, as
mentioned before, the orb varies whether or not there are inner planets or
outer planets involved, or a combination of both.

​ few of the keywords associated with a conjunction are intensity and

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focus, but also blindness. The intensity and the focus come from the fact that
there are two planetary bodies that fused together. For example, if you have
Mars conjunct Mercury (C, all you want to do is communicate and
transmute. This is an example of the intensity and the focus. But, here is an
example of the blindness: Sometimes it is necessary to not communicate in
order to observe how you are being received. This idea would be a challenge
to someone with that particular conjunction. It's similar to the idea of "you
can't see the forest for the trees". When looking at a chart, the idea of a
conjunction being one of the most, if not the most, intense aspect of the chart
could throw the interpretation of the chart off severely. When looking at
charts, look for an anchor to that energy. Some of the most successful people
have had a very powerful conjunction, but they have had something almost as
profound to offset it.

​ conjunction is a blessing in disguise. It is disguised not because it must

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be worked with to manifest, or that it is hidden, but rather that it comes so
easily, it is easy to miss. It's not really a case of taking it for granted, but
rather it just comes so naturally that you don't even realize it’s there.
Awareness of the energies combined is necessary to utilizing the full
potential of what it has to offer. This means knowing the planets and what
they represent and the combinations between planets and signs.

​ ow put into context of this setting the idea of adding modes. A cardinal
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conjunction is a lot different, and a lot different to work with than a fixed
conjunction. A cardinal conjunction is one that would have lots of energy,
enthusiasm, and forward looking energy to it, while a fixed conjunction
would be one that is much more rigid and pattern forming and manipulating.
A mutable conjunction would be one that is teaching the self to be more
adaptive. They would be the ones that have no problem being dropped in
some place foreign because they know they will come out for the better and
be able to help others along the way. It is not enough to spot a conjunction. It
is equally as important to know the mode and see how the two intertwine.

Besides the node and the planetary energies, the element involved is,
logically, just as important. If you have a conjunction in air, it is a different
energy than if it was in earth. Think about the basic attributes of each
element, and you will see the nature of the manifestation for the conjunction.
There is a side note to this that should be considered: the speed of the
manifestation of the conjunction with regards to the elemental association.
For example, a conjunction in air will manifest quicker than a conjunction in
earth. And the nature of the manifestation will be in accord with the element
as well. Earth conjunctions will manifest more concrete than air conjunctions.
But both are equally valid. And both can be used for prosperous and
successful ends. To summarize briefly (very briefly, it depends on the
YHVH formula for manifestation. For more information on that formula,
consult high magick texts. Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig has the
easiest to understand formula, but it can be found in many other classical
texts on magick.

One final note that I must mention for clarity is that some books on
astrology will say that a conjunction occurs when planets are either at the
same space, or 360°. You be the judge. It's honestly the same thing.

​ s you can see, they all have degrees attached to them. In short, if two
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chart points are that many degrees apart, or close to it, then they have that
kind of an exchange of energy between them. This is put into context of
house and sign placement as well, so it does add another layer, but this is the
glue that shows the life and structure of the chart, and then by extension, of
the life of the native.

​ ajor aspects are those that are the most prevalent in our day-to-day
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existences. For example, if you have a Trine (△ of fire in your chart, then it
means that being active, motivated, and on the go come naturally to you. This
doesn’t seem out of the ordinary until you study other people and see that
they may not be as active or motivated as you. Often times this is seen as a
negative, but when you look at it astrologically, it is just a different set of
strengths. Major aspects are easy to understand because they are obvious.
Major aspects are easy to spot in a chart because they are derivatives of 60°.
This is important to note because a zodiacal circle is 360°, and 60° is one-
sixth of a zodiacal circle. This translates to roughly twenty percent of the
zodiac. This means that major aspects also roughly translate to three sign
derivatives.

​ inor aspects are more detail oriented, and thus they can be seen as
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filling in the gaps of a native’s personality, as it were. They are still dynamic,
but they have lesser strength to a large degree. They are fun to explore,
especially from the sake of adding detail into your chart interpretations, but
when starting astrology, it is wise to put all aspects other than the major ones
off to the side until you are comfortable with them.

Minor Aspects

Minor aspects are those aspects that don't manifest as clearly or as

potently as major aspects, but they have potential and influence regardless.
Minor aspects are not as much based around the thirty-degree system as
major aspects, but there is a rationale and psychology to them nonetheless.

By not being exact sign multiple distances apart, they are sometimes
harder to spot at first glance, but their effects are not as pronounced as a trade
off to their hidden nature. Minor aspects fall into more than just the two
categories listed in this course. There are not only hard and soft minor
aspects, but there is also what is known as Ternary Aspects as well. Soft and
hard aspects are already familiar to you, but it is necessary to add something
here. Whereas major aspects have a very forgiving orb of anywhere between
3-5 degrees, minor and ternary aspects have an orb of 1 or 2 degrees. They
are much tighter in their interpretation. The reason for this is that they are
much more acute in their manifestation, and therefore more exacting in their
effect.

Ternary aspects come from the astrologer Johannes Kepler work from
1595-1624. They are lesser-known minor angles in astrology, and astrologers
do not use them in common practice today. Think of them as the mortar that
holds the foundation of the birth chart together. The other more widely
known aspects come to us from one of the first fathers of astrology: Ptolemy,
which is why they are used often and frequently. However, Kepler discovered
many angles himself, and when put into context of sacred geometry, they fit
in nicely with astrology's precision.

When you take into consideration all the different lesser-known

angles in astrology, it is easy to see how the art is seen as intimidating.
However, the thing to keep in mind is that whether or not one uses all of
these tools in interpretation is at the choice of the interpreter. There is no hard
fast rule as to whether they should be included in analysis. It is entirely
choice. At first, they may be left by the wayside, but most astrologers have at
least a passing familiarity with them. There are seven different aspects that
we will cover in this class alone! The difference between them and the majors
are that, since they are used less, there is less information available, so the
sections will be shorter. This leaves it open as new territory to be navigated.

One final word on minor aspects. They are often times hard to spot,
since they require math to be done to a certain degree. However, like
asteroids, they are highly specialized, and when they manifest through the
course of the life path, they manifest in an exact and exacting way. They are
the details that assist a chart in popping to life, from a 2-D representation of
divinity connection, to the 3-D mandala model, which has always been the
intent. Minor aspects really bring out the variety of people and their
experiences, which the old adage "variety is the spice of life" ring true. Let us
start with soft minor aspects.

The semi-Sextile is the most commonly and popularly known soft

minor angles out there. It is when two heavenly bodies are 30 degrees apart,
with an orb of 1. The semi-Sextile is therefore half of a Sextile. To activate a
semi-Sextile, it takes the individual a lot of work. First, one must be able to
spot both planetary energies at work within them. Second, one must be able
to see the outward manifestation of how these energetics dance and play out.
Third, the conscious choice must be made to work with them, and fourth,
actually working with them must be done. A Sextile is a smooth relationship
between the two that barely needs any activation, whereas the semi-Sextile
does need more TLC.

​ bviously a semi-Sextile will always be at least one sign apart,

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sometimes two signs apart (take into account the orb of one degree, and can
be viewed like all other aspects as either applying or separating. When
deciding whether or not to work with a semi-Sextile, one should consider
whether or not it is separating or applying. It is easier to work with an
applying semi-Sextile than a separating one. You can work with a separating
one, but it is just more challenging. Semi-Sextiles are aspects that should be
thought of more like the mortar holding the temple bricks together. It is the
"how can I improve this detail of me?" aspect.

​ hen semi-Sextiles are on the cusps of signs, they can be a little more
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troublesome to work with than if they are in full signs, but this only opens the
door to creative application of alchemy.

The Virgintile is an aspect that Kepler added to astrology. It is when

two heavenly bodies are 18 degrees apart. Therefore it is one-twentieth of the
circle. This is a soft aspect because one twentieth is a round number, and as
will be shown, there are some aspects that are not round in said fashion. In
nature, the aspect manifests in a positive way. This is an aspect that produces
mental ideas.

The Quindecile is an aspect from Kepler that addresses a distance of

24 degrees between heavenly bodies. This means that the bodies are 1/15th of
the circle away from each other. Again, we have a round number, which is
stable, as you will see. It is a weak aspect but positive in nature. The thing
that makes the Quindecile unique is that although it is positive and soft, there
is a certain touch of rebellion to it. It is known to have radical energy
associated with it. It is also known to be an unfolding and creative aspect. It
is also an aspect that can indicate obsession.

The Semi-Quintile, (AKA Decile, is an aspect that is formed when two

heavenly bodies are 36 degrees apart. This equates to a tenth of the circle.
Micromanage as much as you like and see how detailed this aspect is. It is
known for being fortunate and mild. This translates to a natural affinity for an
area of life that is mild but that you have fortune in. It is also similar to the
Quintile but weaker.

​ Quintile is an aspect that is formed when two bodies are 72 degrees

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apart. This equates to one fifth of the circle. By its definition and
clarification, it signifies human endeavors and accomplishments. However,
what makes this truly unique is the fact that the number 72 is very prominent
in western tradition magick and paganism. In magick, among other things, it
is associated with how many degrees there are between the points of a
pentagram. There are also 72 Goetic Spirits in the Lesser Key of Solomon the
King. There are also 72 names of God in the Judeo-Christian Mystic belief
system. 72 is the number 24 x 3. This is key because the number 24 refers to
spot 24 on the tree of life. This would place it between Tiphareth and
Netzach, which then equates it with Death, Atu 13. I use all of this to
illustrate interrelatedness and also to show how the smallest of aspects can be
one of the most rewarding! In paganism, it is a number that is associated with
Baphomet, or the horned god. This makes it lord of the woods and lord of the
wild. It also makes it a very masculine energy.

A Sesqui-Quintile is a favorable, angular aspect that is one and a half

times a quintile, which means that it is 108 degrees separating one heavenly
body from another. Here we have a prime example of the lack of data
available.

The Biquintile is an aspect that occurs when two heavenly bodies are
144 degrees apart. It is a harmonious aspect that is not covered much, since
the inconjunct is 150 degrees. Because of the proximity of the two aspects,
this gets lesser attention. It is subtle in its manifestation. Also of interesting
note is the Judeo-Christian connotations implied with the number 144. This
aspect speaks to creative energy of an uncommon amount and emphasis.

​ s can be seen from the aspects in this section, the number 72 and its
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derivatives play a significant role in astrological charts, if one but looks deep
enough. There are fewer physical notes in this class, but the one thing to
consider is how much of the finer astrological aspects hinges on derivatives
of 72. However, there are more minor aspects in astrology to present. Let us
turn our attention to them now as well, for the sake of completeness. These
are known as hard minor aspects.
 We begin with the Undecim. This is the smallest of the hard, minor
aspects in astrology. It accounts for 32.72 degrees of a circle, or, roughly,
32.5 degrees. One of the reasons it is recognized is that it is 1/11th of a circle,
so given the magical correspondences to the percentage it is taken into
advisement. 11 is a prime number, and is usually associated with magick,
among other things. This is a little knit picky because a semi-Sextile is 30
degrees of the circle. With an orb of one degree, this aspect brings to life the
point made last class of one aspect overlapping another. The Undecim and
the semi-Sextile are off by one degree, and it makes the difference between a
soft minor aspect, and a hard minor aspect. The Undecim, and the Undecim
family bring with them the idea of social consciousness and the skill to reach
beyond the self for assistance. The other members of the Undecim family are
the Biundecim at 65.45 degrees, the Truindecim at 98.18 degrees, the
Quadriuncim at 131 degrees, and the Quinqueundecim at 164 degrees. When
a 1-degree orb is taken into consideration, these are quite tight aspects, as
well as very exacting. When taking the basic concept of the Undecim into
consideration, it can be seen where the family goes from there. There's not
much information on any of these minor hard angles at all, either in books or
online, so I have very little to share here. Suffice to say that these are not
necessarily easy to spot, but when they are, they can be worked with a little
easier than major hard aspects. They are most exact in their traits, but because
of that they are a little easier to mold and heal.

Now we proceed to the Novile, aka Nonagen. This is a degree that is

40 degrees apart. It is not quite the semi-square, but it is a little further out
than the Undecim. This aspect reveals a spot in in the chart and life where it
is wise for one to overcome restrictions. It also reveals in which life areas the
native will undergo spiritual initiations.

Semi-Square. This is one of the most commonly known about minor

aspects in astrology. It is 45 degrees in manifestation, thus making it half a
square. Therefore, it is seen as a hard minor aspect because of its unforgiving
lines. There are distinct differences, however, and these define its
malleability. When working with a square, there are four hard angles to
consider, and thus there are many different perspectives to take into account.
By default this means that there is a lot of work put into it. With a semi-
square, there is not as much work put into it. You must still work at it, but
there is only the one hard angle to contend with. There are still three major
points to contend with, but it is still less than the hard four of a square. This
puts it similar to working with a trine in some respects. The only difference is
that you shouldn't expect it to balance out as well as a trine. These are life
lessons, and they are meant to challenge us. A trine is meant to give us a
solid working foundation. These are not. Traits of a semi-square include the
same as a square, which are short patience, short sightedness, and drive. The
difference is that a semi-square takes less work to manifest the lesson.

A septile is when objects are 53 degrees apart, or roughly 6.79 percent

of a circle. This is an aspect that has to do with the idea of magick, the
divinity found in creation, and is considered an aspect of the occult.

A binovile is an aspect where two bodies are 80 degrees away from

each other. This equates to roughly 4.5 of a circle. When looked at in that
light, it is an interesting angle. 80 degrees is 2 2/3 of a sign. This refers to
bodies that are, for example, from Aries to the middle decanate of Gemini.
Here is another case of splitting hairs, since 90 degrees is a square, which is a
hard major aspect. Ten degrees separates a hard minor aspect from a hard
major aspect. This detailed fact is what determines a hard minor from a hard
major aspect. Major aspects are broader and cover a lot more ground, while
minor aspects are more exacting, but if sloppy or loose, can be mistaken for
major hard aspects. This confusion can lead to an unclear assessment of the
psychological situation. Here again there has not been enough data collected
for an accurate assessment. Just take into account how exactly a square and a
Sextile manifests and in between the two you get this. Easy but rough.

A Biseptile is formed when two bodies are 103 degrees from each
other. This aspect is how one manifests their destiny.

A squine is when two objects are 105 degrees away from each other.
This would mean that they are forming an aspect that is a cross between a
square at 90 degrees and a trine at 120 degrees. To understand this aspect,
think of it as a cross between a square and a trine.

A sesquiquadrate occurs when two objects are 135 degrees apart. This
is another commonly known hard minor aspect that one will see referred to
by many astrologers. Sometimes it is also known as a sesquisquare, square
and a half, quartile and a half, or a trioctile. This is known as an aspect that
reveals present tension, and also tells us the solution is control.

The Quincunx, also known as the Inconjunct, occurs when planets are
150 degrees away from each other. This is one of the more documented
minor aspects of astrology, and the bodies involved in a quincunx don't
understand each other. Most Quincunxes share nothing in common with each
other. However, this is part of their challenge. Redirecting, challenging and
diverting can all be said true of the Quincunx. With an orb of 2 degrees, the
Quincunx crosses the path of another aspect: the Triseptile.

The Triseptile is an aspect that is there when two heavenly bodies are
154 degrees apart. Therefore there are those times that a Triseptile is the same
as a Quincunx, aspect speaking. As far as a translation goes for that, the same
or similar energetic could be said true. Keep in mind that in situations like
this one, the art is in the interpretation. However, this aspect also reveals a
trigger point for irrational responses and/or conditions.

The Quatronovile is the last of the minor aspects to look at. This
occurs when planets are 160 degrees away from each other. This means that
they are 2 1/4 of a circle away from each other. This aspect reveals a life
path, or perhaps a calling, for the individual which can be seen as dynamic.

As you start to take a closer look at minor aspects, you may find that
things get intricately detailed, and that there are several different terms that
mean the same thing, such as semi-quintile also being known as a Decile.
And, eventually, you will find this takes you into another area of astrology
that has to do with the harmonics in a chart, but I’m not addressing that here.
Rather, I’m simply letting you know it exists.

When looking at the minor aspects, you can see that a lot go together,
or are derivatives of one another, and there is a deeper side of astrology there.
When you read that list, if your intuition was saying something like that, let
me validate that you are correct. If the names are similar or derived from
others, there is a common connection there. This is worth pointing out here
because the next few minor aspects I will briefly list reveal this truth very
clearly.
 Other minor aspects that exist but that are beyond the scope of this
book include the semi-Sesquisquare, which is 22.5 degrees and has an event
style of energy to it, the quadnovile, which is 160 degrees and means
concepts like perfection and marriage, and the quarto square family of aspects
that include 3x, 5x, and 7x facets.

The final thing to note is that when it comes to glyphs for the
individual minor aspects, I seem to have left them off. Bluntly, this is for two
reasons. The first is that I found conflicting glyphs for the same aspect, and
the second is that there were many aspects that didn’t have any more than a
letter and a number, or multiple numbers, attached to them. These two points
greatly diminish the respectability of astrology in my eyes, as it shows a lack
of cohesion and professionalism, but I do want you to know why those are not
present.

Orbs

Astrology is not a black and white science, but rather it is a science

that understands the idea of mutually exclusive is not a physical law. For
personal planets, an orb of 3-5 degrees is suggested and encouraged,
depending on the speed of the planet on the day. For Saturn and trans-
Saturnian bodies, a wider orb is suggested of 5-7 degrees on average, again
based on planetary speed of any given day. For points such as asteroids and
nodes, and minor aspects consider an orb of approximately 1-2 degrees.

So what exactly are orbs? Think of orbs as orbs of influence, in that

orbs are basically saying planets and chart points may manifest as a particular
aspect or aspect pattern if they are close enough to each other. In other words,
aspects don’t have to be exact in order to manifest. They can be close enough
to the specific degree of an aspect to manifest the traits of that aspect. The orb
varies though, on a couple of different factors. The first one is the one we just
discussed, which is that the orbs are based on the size of the planets as well as
their proximity to us. And, of course, the size of the bodies is factored in as
well.

There is another factor though, which is that they vary based on how
they appear in a natal chart. This requires a slight tangent into psychology
though, so bear with me a moment while we put things together. One of the
things you want to do when you’re first learning astrology is to see how the
average aspect plays out in any given chart. Are you looking at a chart full of
tight aspects or loose ones? What about your chart? Is your chart full of loose
aspects or tight ones? There is no right or wrong answer here, but this is
worth thinking about to prevent a subconscious pitfall to manifest.

Astrology says to start with your own chart when you’re beginning,
and that is wisdom I fully endorse. However, a common subconscious
thought pattern we oftentimes fall into is that if we have tight orbs of
influence in our chart, then we may automatically look for that specifically in
other charts we interpret, and that is the trap! Just because we have charts of
tight orbs doesn’t mean other charts will as well, so if we go looking for
those and don’t find them, then we are doing a disservice to the native.
Instead, we should look at the overall chart and draw our deductions and
inferences from it, rather than go into it, subconsciously or not, looking to
meet specific criteria. This used to happen to me, so I have learned from this,
and I hope you heed the warning. If you’re in doubt, then ask the native
questions about their life in order to see if they should be tight or loose orbs.
Interpret from there.

One final detail point to note is that aspects, but in this case orbs also,
can be broken down further for deeper understanding. Aspects can also be
seen as separating or applying. I realize this may seem like an odd idea, so let
me explain. When you work with aspects enough, you notice that sometimes
the aspect is approaching exactness, but sometimes it is leaving exactness
between the two chart points. If the orb of influence reveals that the aspect
has not hit exactness yet, then it is known as an applying aspect. However, if
it has already left exactness, it is known as separating. To me, the
understanding of what that means is in the title, but allow me to explain
further for clarification.

If an aspect is applying, it means the aspect has not become exact yet,
and thus at some point after the first breath of the individual, the aspect will
become exact, and when this happens, it will trigger some sort of life event
for the native. This also means the energy of the aspect is building, and thus a
more of an anxious kind of manifestation will accompany the aspect in the
daily life of the native.
 However, if it is separating, it means the aspect was exact before
birth, but is waning from influence and strength. What this means in a day-to-
day sense is that the individual will still have the characteristics of the aspect
in their life, but that a more reserved type of energy may manifest. Thus in
other words, the individual may not be anxious when it comes to the nature of
the aspect, they may instead be resigned to simply dealing with it and may
even go so far as to have next to no, or no, emotional attachment to the
situation. For those of you that are familiar with the waxing and waning
cycles of the moon, this same idea is at play here.

Aspect Patterns

​ hen aspects are looked at by themselves, they can be seen as ways that
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heavenly bodies communicate between themselves. But when patterns of
aspects are studied, they can be seen as communication patterns between the
heavenly bodies. This understanding can point to a larger picture than regular
aspects could. For example, when looking at aspects we are looking at the
trees, and when looking at aspect patterns we are looking at the forest.

Aspect patterns can tell us where or how energy is placed in the chart,
and by default, what areas are the best to tap into individually. For example,
if there is a T-Square in the chart, then it should be understood that things
would manifest a lot differently than if there is a Grand Trine. We will look
at both of these in-depth in a little while. Suffice to say for now that the
direction and focus of energy into an individual's life is guided by the over-
laying patterns of a chart as well as the individual patterns known as aspects.

Common Aspect Patterns

​ et’s start with The Bundle. The bundle is also known as a wedge and is a
L
very common pattern that is easy to spot at first sight. It is technically defined
as a group of planets and/or heavenly bodies that are no more than 120
degrees apart, as well as being grouped within four houses distance. Of
course, like any other aspect or aspect pattern, there is approximately an orb
of 1 or 2 degrees to consider, and an exact aspect pattern is rare.

​ our factors to consider when looking at a bundle are the leading planet,
F
sign it is in, the house that most of the activity is taking place in, and the
trailing planet. Let's dissect: 1 the lead planet of the bundle tells how the
individual will manifest, initially, the thought to begin the action of
manifestation. For example, if the lead planet is Mars, then the initial impulse
will come through actively and quickly, as well as maybe even being seen as
aggressive by the individual. Whereas if the moon was the leading planet,
then the initial impulse could be seen as more of an intuitive flash and an
intuitive leading, rather than an aggressive pursuit of an idea. 2 The sign the
lead planet is in will determine what form of thought will occur. For example,
if the lead sign is Leo, then ego first will be a mainstay of the idea. Also
included in that will be creativity brought about to express the self. 3 The
house that has the bulk of the activity will be the focus of the individual and
where their attention and energy will go.

A point to watch for is the stellium. A stellium occurs when there are
five planets in a sign. As you can see from the definition, a lot of bundles are
stelliums as well. This is not necessarily always true, as the support of the
bundle may be different than a traditional bundle, but the two are close to
misleading, so pay attention to the lead and the trailing planets involved.
Sometimes a stellium can be too much energy focused in one place, while a
bundle is not, so pay attention to the details!

The Grand Trine is the next pattern to look at. The Grand Trine
occurs when there are three planets in the same element forming a trine that is
anchored in all three places. Sometimes it can be offset by an element,
especially when orbs are taken into account, but this generally has no bearing
on the manifestation of the pattern. Grand Trines are exceptionally easy for
the individual to work with, but that is also the weakness. A native can be so
acclimated to his or her Grand Trine that they may not be able to conceive of
anyone having a difficult time with the element their grand trine is in. The
challenge is to be open to other points of view and always question the ease
at which you work. People with Grand Trines in their charts sometimes like
to take the easy road and even avoid confrontations! Imagine someone with a
fire grand trine avoiding confrontations!

​ he only other point to consider about a grand trine is whether there are
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inner or outer planets involved in it. If two of the three are inner planets, then
it manifests in a more hard-edged way, as opposed to the soft edged way it
would manifest if two of the planets were outer ones. This would explain
why two people with Grand Trines in the same element would have it
manifest differently in their lives.

Next is the T-Square. A T-Square is related to a Grand Cross, so we

will cover both here. A Grand Cross occurs when there is a planet at each of
four points of a chart. This is also sometimes called a Grand Square. It is also
sometimes called a Seesaw. However, a Seesaw is actually a perfect square.
To some with this aspect pattern, it may seem as if they are on a cross with
the amount of energy coming in from all directions. The key is to use extreme
self-discipline to focus the energy so that it doesn't overwhelm the self. A T-
Square is that same pattern but with one anchoring point missing, so the
intensity of energy coming in is not as much as a Grand Cross. However, the
amount of focus and self-discipline required is just as much in either case to
harness the amount of energy. The difference between the two is that the T-
Square is more unbalanced and harder to deal with than the Grand Cross. A
Grand Cross is anchored at four points, while a T-Square lacks the final
balancer.

A Grand Sextile is formed from six interlocking sextiles and three

oppositions, forming a magnified sextile that runs throughout the chart. By
harnessing the power of the six sextiles, one can go through life in a balanced
fashion, if only the doubt that comes from the two oppositions is overcome.

Related to a Grand Sextile is a Kite pattern. This is formed when a

planet is in opposition to one of the planets in a Grand Trine, and in sextile to
each of the others. This pattern resembles a kite! When you see this pattern in
a chart look for the interplay between planets, signs, and houses for
manifestation clues. The kite pattern has a reputation for being very good to
work with, since it is composed of sextiles and trines. Besides having a
reputation for helping people to land on their feet as life tosses them around,
it is also key to note that people with this pattern are practical and look at life
challenges from a grounded perspective. They are also enterprising and see
everything through to a successful ending. The opposition from the other end
of the kite provides the energy to get going on projects and is the drive for the
successful endeavors.

A Mystical Rectangle is formed when there are two pairs of

oppositions that are sextile and trine to each other, forming a rectangle in the
chart. Once again we have the oppositions that give energy to the rest of the
sextiles and trines. There is a relaxed flow of energy and an ease of
opportunity when this pattern is manifested openly and well.

Next is The Locomotive. This aspect pattern is fairly easy to spot at

first glance. It is a pattern where planets are distributed evenly through eight
of the twelve signs. A key element is that there is a trine (four signs of empty
houses. Key notes to watch for when trying to identify this pattern in charts
are: four empty signs between the outside two planets in the pattern, eight
occupied signs of the chart, and the largest gaps in the pattern are no more
than 60 degrees. Obviously, when it comes to an all-encompassing pattern
like this, there are many other aspect patterns contained in it that we have
already discussed, so when practicing spotting these in charts, don't feel
restricted to choosing one pattern over another. The art is in the synthesis!

The key psychology of the Locomotive is in the underlying thought

patterns of the individual. When using the word locomotive, the first thing
that comes to mind is "I think I can". That is not necessarily the case with this
pattern, but it is not far off. More accurately it would be "I know I can".
People with this pattern have the belief in themselves, their skills, and their
abilities, no matter what other aspects may be masked within the locomotive
design.

One of the easiest aspect patterns to spot is The Bowl. Yes, it is as

easy to spot as it sounds. A bowl is formed when all of the planets in a chart
are in one half of the chart, and the outer two are in opposition to each other.
The one that crosses the ascendant line is the one that is most of the focus and
energy in this lifetime. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

​Well think again! Extrapolate this out for a glimpse of how complex it
can get, by rethinking the empty sectors. For example, if everything is below
the horizon line, you have an introvert, if all is above the horizon, then you
have the opposite, and so on and so forth around the wheel. By seeing what is
not present as clearly as what is present, you can get an idea for how the
person operates on an internal level, as well as an external level. One
buzzword for this line of thinking in how the individual contains his or her
self.
 Following the bowl pattern is a related one called The Bucket. The
bucket is the same as the bowl, with one exception: with the bucket there is a
handle opposite the bowl of the pattern. When this type of pattern is noticed,
special attention should be given to the handle, what it represents, its
placement, and how it works to guide the bowl. To understand and work with
this pattern, think in terms of an actual bucket and water: water being a
metaphor for energy. If the handle is straight up, then the bucket is full and
balanced. If the handle is tilted off to one side, then the bucket is tilted
slightly, and there is a chance of energy pouring out, etc., etc., etc.

The opposite thinking of the bucket pattern is the pattern called The
Fan. In the fan, the emphasis and study is on the bundle, not the handle. The
other defining factor is that the fan has two fewer houses filled with planets.
For a bowl pattern, and then by default the bucket pattern, you have six
houses with planets in them. With a fan, you only have the four central ones,
with a planet in opposition to the central point (or offset as above as a
handle.

​Students of astrology can see how this is a little easier to work with since
the focus of study is on the four houses that have planets in them alone and
then the handle as an anchor and guide. The outer limits of the bundle part of
the fan are no more than 120 degrees. The more the handle leaves the central
opposite point of the opposite of the fan, the more it loses its impact and
focus.

The Yod is the next aspect to be discussed, and it is arguably the most
documented and most pronounced. Sometimes it is known as the Finger of
God or the Finger of Fate. It is formed when there is a planet at the tip of the
finger that is two quincunxes away, one clockwise and one counterclockwise
from the tip planet. And, those two planets are sextile from each other. One
thing to note is that the chart points involved in a Yod don't necessarily have
to be planets. They can be placements such as the ascendant, MC,
Descendant, and IC. When these things happen, the manifestation of the Yod
is much different than when there are three planets involved.

​ o put it into perspective, Willie Nelson has two Yods in his chart. This
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is one very distinct fashion that it can manifest. However, a Yod in a chart
doesn't necessarily equate with fame and success. This is a misconception of
a Yod. One theory is that if a Yod doesn't manifest by the age of 40, then it
most likely won't manifest at all. It is more of an opportunity to grow beyond
the norm. To put it plainly, the Yod represents an underlying theme in one's
life.

​ his opens the door to the more esoteric definition of the Yod. According
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to Western Esoteric Tradition, the Yod is in the four-fold name of god, and of
manifestation. For example, in the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram,
it is in the East, and is spelled in English "YHVH". In this way it is the
Hebrew letter that starts everything off. When the Yod is seen in a chart, keep
in mind there is only an orb of about 1 to 1 1/2 degrees. Anything past that
erodes the quality and manifestation of the Yod in the life of the native.
Volumes have been written about the Yod, so feel free to pursue.

The Splay is a pattern that stands on its own in many regards. One of
the key points of a splay is that there will be at least one grouping of three
planets in a particular house and/or sign. Resembling a tripod, this can be
representative of someone who has varied interests, but is stable and focused
in at least one. Technically, a splay is a concentration of planets in one house,
then three empty houses, then another concentration of three planets in a
house, but then one empty house, and a concentration of planets in a house.
This makes it sort of like a tripod, so it is stable, but it doesn't distribute the
energy equally, so there is more focus in one house than in another. Usually a
splay pattern is not the first pattern noticed in the chart. It is usually a latter
one considered when all others are ruled out. Its strengths are that it is diverse
and solid.

Finally, the last aspect pattern we come to is the most interesting. It is

simply called the Splash. This is also easily spotted. It is seen when there is a
planet in almost every house, evenly distributed. This, of course, leaves one
empty house. When this pattern is noticed, it is indicative of even and
ultimate diversity. Similar to the thought form of a jack of all trades, this
individual can play many roles and has many skills. The strength is the ability
to handle anything, but the weakness is no mastery of any. The challenge
here is to focus and develop one above the rest. However, doing so takes
away from the depth of the adaptability of the rest. The superficial
adaptability is still there, but the depth is lost.
 Parallels and Contraparallels

​ his is something I alluded to in Chapter 3, and wanted to circle back to

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here to give you a taste of just how far you can take modern astrological
thought. There is a fairly recent concept being worked with by more and
more astrologers, especially those that resonate with the blending of astrology
and astronomy, which is the concept of parallels and contraparallels.

​ hese two ideas come to us from what is called the declination.

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Declinations arrive into astrology from astronomy, where they got their start.
The basic premise behind these terms can be summarized as follows. The
declination in astronomy is how high above the horizon line a planet is
located. Of course scientifically this also means it addresses how far below
the horizon line some planets are located. I’m not going to get further into
this here because there are those out there who are better well-versed in this,
so I leave it to them to write the tomes. However, a tangent of this is a
parallel. Basically, a parallel is when two planets would be seen as being
parallel in the sky to one another, whether in positive declination (I.e. in the
visible sky above us, or negative declination (I.e., out of our range of sight.
If planets are seen as being parallel to each other, then they are also seen to
have a harmonious exchange between them.

​ onversely, it is also true that some planets are not parallel to each other
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in the sky, and these are known as contraparallels. These are planets that are
not only NOT parallel to each other, they are also perpendicular to each
other. As one would imagine, this means their energies do not get along
smoothly or nicely. The dominant way these two concepts are used right now
are psychological in focus, but to give you an example of how potent they
are, it is often said that mental illness can be determined if we take a close
look at parallels and contraparallels. The general rule of thumb is that the
more contraparallels, the more the psyche of the individual may be
challenged or outside the social normal parameters. And the more parallels
present, the better a mental disposition someone has. It should be
remembered though, that this material should be put into context of aspects
and other pieces of the chart described in this book, but it is vital information
to note and explore when one is ready.

Exercise #9: Find all of the aspects you can in your chart. Begin by
focusing on the major aspects, and move your way into minor aspects if you
want. Then, when this is complete, turn your attention to the aspect patterns
present in your chart. Record them as well. This also includes separating and
applying aspects. If you are feeling courageous, you can research parallels
and contraparallels, too.
 Chapter 9: Putting It All Together

Through the course of this book there have been exercises contained in
Chapters 2, 6, 7, and 8. While elementary and rudimentary, they walk you
through from beginning to almost end, laying out everything you need to say
that you have put together your own astrological chart by hand. However, the
method in this book is much, much different than you will see in older
astrological books. In previous centuries, putting a chart together by hand
meant doing all the math to construct a chart from a table of houses,
ephemeris, and other specialized astrological books. I took a different
approach in this book because we are not in those centuries anymore, and
more and more people are simply going to pages on the Internet to enter their
birth information and get their chart that way.

There’s nothing wrong with learning the math behind astrology, and I
strongly encourage you to do so! I put it off for far too long when I was
learning astrology, but when I did learn it, I was blown away at the nuances
and subtleties that were contained in the math that was used. However, I’m
the first to say that I am not very good at math, so it was a severe challenge
for me. If you are good at math, then spare no expense and learn how to
calculate a chart by hand. But, if you’re like me, and not very good at math,
then this book serves as a good beginning point to learn astrology. Lacking
skills in math, or a good teacher for that matter, should not prevent you from
learning astrology, especially in the information age.

Traditionally an astrologer would first learn how to draw a chart by

hand, and then would dive into everything we discussed here, and that is still
a fantastic method to learn astrology. In this day and age though, more and
more people are getting introduced to astrology through various digital
resources, so they come to astrology already knowing many things about
themselves that traditional astrologers would not have known when they
started. Hence it’s a different environment, and thus requires a different
approach. It is my sincere intent to encourage you to learn how to draw a
chart by hand, but by offering this book, I cater to the people that may have a
challenge with that for various reasons. This also means that you can learn
the math behind it and still find this book useful as a reference.

Because of this, this chapter will be brief. I am going to focus on

recapping the exercises and showing you where you should be if I did my job
as a teacher and author and if you did the work. As we all know, studying a
subject only takes you so far. Then you either do the work and become
someone with a working knowledge of it, or you don’t, preferring to remain
on the sidelines as a fan, hobbyist, and theoretician. I’m not passing judgment
here, but rather emphasizing that when it comes to astrology and all things
related to metaphysics and the occult, there are generally three groups of
people: Those that do the work, those that read about it but never engage in
its practice, and those that are a mix of reading and doing, or in other words,
a mix of theory and practice.

Exercises one through four are easy enough to accomplish. Whether

you draw a circle and subdivide it by hand or with a tool is irrelevant,
because we are emphasizing simply getting it done.
With exercise five through seven we start to add a little more detail to
the chart, fleshing it out with houses, planets, signs, and angles. Exercises
eight and nine focus on putting the finishing touches on it by defining and
explaining aspects and aspect patterns. We also address the angles and
hemisphere relevance. Thus by the end of all nine exercises, we have a fully
fleshed out chart. Or, do we?

I mean, we do have a fully fleshed out chart, but not really a fleshed
out chart because we only have the map, and as the old saying goes, the map
is not the territory. This is the reason for this chapter. While you may have
your chart laid out in front of you, you have only mastered half of the
equation. Now it is time to turn our attention to the beginning of chart
interpretation. In this chapter I will go into some detail to show you how to
analyze the information you’ve gotten.

Chart Interpretation 101

 ​ he first question to address is why I call it an interpretation rather than a
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reading, as many other astrologers do. I do this because it is my firm belief
that astrology is its own language, and thus one needs an interpreter to be
able to understand it. I arrived at this conclusion over the last ten years or so
because I notice patterns. After all, I am an astrologer, and recognizing
patterns is something quality astrologers should be doing almost
unconsciously. It should be so ingrained in the psyche of the practicing
professional astrologer that they should not but help to see patterns
everywhere and in everyone. All of life is patterns, even if these patterns
follow the chaos theory in manifestation.

​ ver the course of many years, I have interacted with astrologers of all
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types and have experience with many different kinds of organizations where
astrology played a major role. Due to this, I noticed that many astrologers are
like big children with a new toy. When they begin talking about astrology,
many unconsciously fall into the lingo of astrology, and oftentimes fail to
read the person they are speaking with. They miss the social cues that tell
them the other person is lost when it comes to what they are saying. As a
matter of fact, I’ve created or adopted a term to address this. I call this
speaking astrologese, treating it as another language. Unlike others, I don’t
see this as any indicator of the social graces of astrologers, but rather I see
someone that is so excited about their passion that they oftentimes get caught
up in the moment. It’s like a child playing with a new toy on Christmas, and
it is made all the better if they have someone to share that moment with! But,
this is also the reason why I treat astrology the way I do. While joyous and
energetic, these kinds of conversations can also turn individuals off to
astrology if the astrologer becomes so self-absorbed and misses the social
cues due to enthusiasm. I have known many people that got turned off of
astrology for this very reason, and this book is meant to address those people,
as well as to give words of warning to astrologers that may fall into this
subconsciously. In any event, this is why I call it a chart interpretation rather
than a reading. Others may not follow suit, and that is perfectly fine with me,
for their path is not mine, and vice versa.

​ hile you have all of the individual pieces necessary for interpretation
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from the previous chapters, there is still the matter of putting them all
together, which is what we will discuss here. Right now it may look like a lot
of disconnected information, or a puzzle that you have all of the pieces for,
but may not have an image to consult to know what the final picture is like.
As I stated before, you basically have all of the trees in the forest, but now
it’s time to focus on the forest itself. The technique I like to use to assimilate
this data is by focusing on the large swaths found in the chart, and then fine
tuning things to look at the smaller pieces and the details. This is the
approach we will take here.
​Now that you have your hand drawn chart in front of you, look for three
specific things. These are often times called The Big Three, as they are the
chart points that people generally focus on when beginning to learn astrology,
and are handy to have memorized because they are the ones that play a large
role in knowing ourselves overall. In your chart, identify where your Sun is,
your Moon, and last, your Ascendant. For the Sun and Moon, you should be
able to identify the signs they are in, as well as the houses. When it comes to
the ascendant, knowing the sign of it is good enough for now.

​ hen you have them identified, you can move on to the next step of
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interpretation, which is to create context for them. The main focus here is
putting together the three pieces of the Sun and Moon. What sign is your
Sun? Your Moon? Remember that signs are patterns of energy, and thus they
tell us how you may live out those two luminaries. What elements are they?
When you’ve accomplished this, check to see in which houses they are
found. Remember that houses are life areas we all experience, and when we
identify what life areas these two bodies are found in, we see what life areas
we are most active in. For example, if the Sun is located in the fourth house,
it tells us you shine your best and brightest around the home and all things
related to the domestic scene and your roots. If your Sun is located in the
tenth house, it tells us you may shine your best and brightest when it comes
to your occupation and career, but also, since the Midheaven is located there,
it tells us your overall vibe of life is to shine your best and brightest, even if
it’s not predominantly in your occupation. Follow this same line of thought
through for your Moon, too, but remember the dual nature of the Moon in
astrology. What house your Moon is located in tells us where your emotions
are most activated, but also where may be the main focus of your day to day
almost subconscious life. Take a moment to accomplish all of this before
continuing. Also remember to pay attention to the modalities of the signs as
well. Record all of this information in the notebook you’ve been using. Then
look at how this plays out in your daily life. This is the key to making
astrology work: seeing how it plays out in physical life. And understandably,
this is the hardest part of astrology for many to grasp. What it takes to
accomplish this is repetition and practice, so if it doesn’t make sense early on,
continue to work with it every chance you get.

​ fter you have this information recorded, turn your attention to the
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ascendant. Remember that this is the sign on the first house cusp, and it is a
lens and filter. Record this information in your journal as well. When you
have done this, you now have your Big Three. When it comes to reading your
horoscopes, or at least starting to learn practical and living astrology, these
are the three to consult. Sometimes a person gets more pertinent information
about how to handle day to day affairs by consulting their Moon sign rather
than the Sun. Or, sometimes, more information is gained by paying attention
to the ascendant. One of the biggest reasons for this is that things kind of
depend on what we’re doing on any given day. For example, if you plan on
spending a lot of your day doing day to day tasks, then the Moon would be
wise to consult. However, if you plan on spending a lot of your time
integrated with society, then reading about what is occurring with your
ascendant would be wise. Remember to also focus on how your ascendant
plays out in day to day life.

​ ow that you have your big three, we turn our attention to a few other
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broad points to understand the chart. The next point to look at is to note the
Midheaven. Remember that it is located on the tenth house cusp, and
represents the overall vibe of life. For example, if you have Leo at the
Midheaven, it means you may be sunny, optimistic, and creative overall
when it comes to how you live your life. It also means you may be more in
the public eye as it were, to a large degree. You may also have child-like
qualities as well, or at least spend a decent amount of time around children.
Note your Midheaven, record it in your journal, and write down any
impressions you may have as to how it plays out on average.

​ nlike other tomes on astrology, and unlike other astrologers, we are

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going to turn our attention to a couple of other points that usually get skipped
over and neglected. We will now focus on the descendant and the IC.
Remember that the descendant is the opposite of the ascendant, and thus it
lies on the seventh house cusp. This gives insight not only into how you have
personal relationships with others, but also how you may enjoy unwinding at
night when you’re done with the day. For example, someone with a Gemini
descendant may enjoy their down time filled with various tasks, or perhaps
they enjoy chatty conversations with others to fill their time. Record your
descendant in your journal and make notes on what this tells you about
yourself.

​ eturn to your chart and find your IC. Remember it is the opposite of
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your Midheaven. This is considered the weakest part of your chart, so planets
and things that are located there are considered weaker overall. There are a
few exceptions to this of course, but for now it is simply wise to remember
what this means. Record this information in your journal before continuing.
Since we’ve touched on all four chart points and the luminaries, let us
address one other thing. Look to see if any of these points are on the cusp of a
sign. If any or all of these points are near the beginning or the end of
particular signs, they are said to be on the cusp, which means they are just as
much influenced by the adjacent sign as they are the sign they are found. If
any of these points, and even any points in the rest of the chart, are located on
the cusp, remember to record the information for both signs as they influence
the whole of the chart and the whole of your life in general. When you have
double checked for cusps, make sure your journal is current before
continuing.
​Before moving onto aspects of particular planets, let’s look for aspect
patterns. A general rule of thumb is that aspect patterns are similar to the
Midheaven in that they generally address overall vibes and influences on the
life of the native. For example, someone with a Grand Trine in fire is
someone that has a lot of energy at their disposal. They may be constantly on
the go, or perhaps they are more aggressive than most, but in any event, they
are not ones that sit idly by and watch life happen. They are the ones that
make things happen, for better or for worse. Consult Chapter 8 for a list of
aspect patterns, and see which ones are at play in your chart. Remember to
watch for orbs of influence, too. Record all of this in your journal.

​ inally, let us turn our attention to the true meat of the chart: the
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individual aspects. We have now assessed the forest, so let us look at the
individual trees. For each planet in your chart, figure out what aspects are
occurring. At this point it would be wise to focus on only the five major
aspects, and only aspects between planets. Below is a quick reference
formula to follow when interpreting aspects at the beginning of your
astrological journey.

“​ My planet_____ is located in the sign of _____ in the ____ house. This

means that in that life area, ________ is how things generally manifest.” As
you can see, this is very general, broad, and formulated, but this serves as a
starting point to interpret and understand the hows and whys of astrology in a
living sense. When you train yourself to think along these lines it makes it
easier to see the planets and aspects in play in your daily life. This is intended
to simply give you something to work with in the beginning, and it is wise to
adjust this as you choose and see fit to understand your chart. I won’t go into
more depth here, as I want to move on to other things, but if you use this as a
starting point, you will soon discover that seeing a chart in action can be easy
if you do your due diligence.
​While you’re researching this, also pay attention to one detail, which is
that some of your planets may not have strong aspects at all, and they may
seem to stand alone in the chart. This requires a brief discussion and
clarification, so let us take a side detour to fill in some blanks. Let us begin
with a little bit of cynicism. As you can see from all of the aspects, major and
minor that were addressed in Chapter 8, almost every planet in your chart has
some sort of aspect attached to it, whether major or minor. Hence to a certain
degree, there is no such thing as unaspected planets. There, I said it.
However, there is a HUGE caveat that comes with this, and that is that
sometimes planets are considered unaspected if there are no major aspects
present. In this case, minor aspects are generally disregarded. I leave it to you
to decide how to treat unaspected planets, but I will give you some insight
into how to interpret unaspected planets if you go that route.

​ he general rule of thumb in functional astrology is that unaspected

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planets may tend to be a handful to deal with. This is because they are not
integrated with planets in the rest of the chart, so when working with them
you have no leverage to use to create success. It is uncommon to find
unaspected planets in a chart, but it does occur, and with this basic
information, you are now in a position to deal with them competently.
Needless to say, if you only use major aspects, good beginner material may
be more common than if you include minor ones, so this should also be kept
in mind. Anyway, back on point. At this point, record all of the planets in
your chart and the affiliated aspects. While I suggest focusing on only the
major aspects at this point, feel free to include minor aspects as well, if you
choose. Take your time while doing this part of your astrological education,
and remember to pay special attention to how these are at work in your day-
to-day life.

​ he final point in interpretation, if you choose to pursue it, would be to

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look at parallels and contraparallels. But let’s be honest, really, that is an
advanced topic, so if you choose to put it off, it is completely understandable.
Also remember they predominantly give insight into the mental health and
well-being that may or may not be present in your chart. If you choose to put
this off until you have more experience, then that is just as acceptable. After
all, everything from here on out will proceed at your pace and tempo.

​ ow we come to the close of this brief tome on astrology. From here

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what you do with it is entirely up to you. All of the preliminary necessities to
learn and understand astrology are found here. This book can serve as a
foundational text for where you grow from here. Astrology is the most
powerful tool you didn’t know you had, and remember that knowing when to
act is as important as knowing how to act.
 About the Author

Bishop Bill Duvendack is a lifelong practitioner and student of the

western mysteries, as well as being an internationally known astrologer,
presenter, psychic, tarot reader, teacher, clairvoyant, and author, whose
clients can be found all over the globe.

He is an ordained Thelemic priest and bishop who can provide

ceremonies of any faith and type, in accord with one’s beliefs. He has
performed everything from weddings and handfastings to baby naming and
blessing ceremonies as well as remembrance services. He is ordained
through the EGNU (Ecclesia Gnostica Universalis He was formally an
ordained Spiritualist minister with over a decade of experience on the church
board. When it comes to astrology, he is a lifetime member and past president
of the Astrological Association of St Louis, where he spent over a decade on
the board there, too. He has formally ran a coven and is the founder of
Temple 418. His monthly Sun sign horoscopes are also available on his
website, and daily horoscopes appear on his Facebook page. He has presented
in many different venues, ranging from public libraries, high schools, and
colleges, to private groups and gatherings, including a long list of occult
events. He has made many media appearances on Fox television, NBC, and
the CW; interviews with local papers, and has been interviewed by the NY
Times and RTE 1 radio from Dublin, Ireland, in addition to local radio station
KMOX in St Louis MO.

When it comes to the Western Esoteric Mystery Tradition, he has been

working with that system for 33 years, and has much experience with its
teachings. In this regard, he is an internationally published author, with
essays appearing in over a dozen anthologies covering a variety of topics, and
in various magazines and newsletters. He has written over a dozen books on
the Western Esoteric Tradition on various subjects. He is co-creator of the
Oraculum Leviathan tarot deck, along with Asenath Mason. His magical
writings have been translated into six different languages. His skills and
experiences include, but are not limited to, ceremonial magick and many of
its more specialized branches, such as Enochian, shamanism, paganism of all
types, familiarity with the Afro-Carribbean diasporic traditions, channeling,
mediumship, divination, evocations, invocations, Theosophy, working with
semi-precious stones, ghost hunting and paranormal investigations, past life
regressions, house cleansings, and exorcisms. He is also a member of the
Fellowship of Isis as well as BOTA. He is also initiated in the Golden Dawn
tradition. His experience also includes being familiar with and working with
Hinduism, in particular mantras and pujas, familiarity with Tantra, and
Buddhism.

He is also available for private consultations of most varieties. For more

information, feel free to contact him at bill@418ascendant.com, or visit his
website: www.418ascendant.com
BOOKS
 From L to R: Vocal Magick, published by Immanion Press, Spirit
Relations, same publisher, The Metaphysics of Magick, available through
Createspace, Lucifer Chronicles, published through Become a Living God, as
well as Awakening Lucifer, co-written with Asenath Mason.

Front Two Books: (L) In the Shadow of the Watchtower, Enochian

Grimoire V 1, published through Sirius Limited Esoterica. (2) Sat En Anpu,
through the same publisher.