Skyscript newsletter # 8 - April 2023

#8 (April 2023) Aries: ~

Newsletter Edited by Deborah Houlding

The Sun is in Aries www.skyscript.co.uk/aries.html

– Contents – • Skyscript News, Developments & Announcements • Firmicus on Triplicities • Archetypal Aries: Septimius Severus • Mars: the Stinger and … the Healer?

• Nergal – Babylonian Mars • The Startling Synastry of Guinness and Dean • Planetary themes for April • The Timing of Horary Charts: A Mystery Explored

Contributors: Jason Burns • Eve Dembowski • Abigail Joy • Valerie Roebuck

2 WELCOME TO ISSUE 8 No escaping the Age of Air now The headline news in terms of Skyscript development this month is that I’ve been told to ‘stand down’ while the techie-server team (Martin and Nigel) get on with doing stuff I don’t understand as they rebuild the whole site on a new server in some secret backroom of the internet. This is agony for me – I hand-knitted all those pages, and there isn’t any part of Skyscript that I haven’t been able to personally enter and mess up before. I feel like some impatient father-to-be in the 50s, pacing up and down a corridor because the nurses won’t let me in to see the baby being born. I remind myself that the whole point of redeveloping the site is so that Skyscript can grow without being reliant on my rusting brain, as the only one that comprehends the convoluted organisation and illogical coding system behind it (Betty and Bertha won’t last forever). So, underneath the panic, I know it is all good.

Things are changing everywhere as we enter this ‘new age of air’ aren’t they? And don’t even get me started on the topic of AI. In the meantime, I’ve kept myself busy with some minor updates here and there. I uploaded my review of Fritz Brunhubner’s Pluto to the website, as Pluto is now such a topical star of astro-conversation. I was amazed to see that within 24 hours second-hand copies had risen in price to over $200 on Amazon (it was actually over $300 for a while, though currently there is a copy for sale at $135). Remember I told you back in October to pick a copy up while it was selling cheap? What do you mean you didn’t actually read it? Well, the point is, I hate to think people are paying such a ridiculous sum based on my positive review of a book that I would recommend as a second-hand copy that can be picked up cheaply. I had the foresight to buy an extra copy myself last October (for $16!) and I offered that in a readers draw which attracted 114 entries. The winner was announced today – Geoff Gronlund from Maine, USA. I’m also writing to the AFA to suggest they consider reprinting. https://www.skyscript.co.uk/rev_pluto.html Over time, most of the enduring articles published in this newsletter will be added to the site, generally as they become topical again the year after (just so you know, nothing is going to waste, and everything that can be recycled, will be – but newsletter readers will always get the scoop and the freshest material).

I also updated the Skyscript page on the symbolism of Aries. This now looks very nice and has a lot of useful information gathered together, including 20 chart examples of famous Arians. So that page is definitely worth checking if you haven’t visited it lately – for next year’s ‘turn of the wheel’, I’ll add more chart biography descriptions and update the page on the Aries constellation and fixed stars. https://www.skyscript.co.uk/aries.html So, each time one of the sun-sign pages gets updated we (me or Morgan) create an emblem image, like the one shown on the front page and here è As I settled down to do that this month, everyone on Facebook was suddenly talking about – and showing off – their AI artwork (I know we weren’t going to talk about this) … anyway, I gave in, and checked it out. I created a free trial account on Midjourney and that awful platform Discourse. After repeating the same wrong command in the same wrong place for about 20 minutes I finally had the ingenuity to try something different and it worked – just like magic! I mean, wow. I told Midjourney exactly what I wanted and within 3 minutes the Ram image shown here within the golden frame was created; ready for me to reuse on Skyscript without any licensing concerns. Uniquely generated as a combination of my brain conceiving what I wanted and some disembodied code generator on the internet interpreting it. I had to call Morgan immediately, and tell him I had discovered the future!

I wonder how much trained digital artists must loathe all the total amateurs becoming experts instantly?

That reminded me of AI popping up in astrology everywhere, but I decided not to think about ChatGPT – another issue entirely. In fact, within a few days, I started to get bored and uninspired by all the AI artwork appearing on Facebook, Instagram and everywhere. Yes, it is impressive (very much so in some ways), and yes, it definitely has its uses; but I realise that what I am seeing all over the place is very clever and neat, but always reacting to a formula approach with something indefinably ‘sterile’, and balanced about it. I guess what is missing is the ‘weird tone’; that odd detail that is cutting edge or truly artful, drawing you towards it because it is different, unusual and thought-provoking; striking a different beat that stimulates something. Still, for clipart on a website, I’m not complaining.

OK, so this very day (during the course of writing the above), I crumbled to pressure and started a test account on ChatGPT – just so I could understand what everyone is talking about. Who else started arguing with artificial intelligence within the very first interaction? It is a strange experience. There is a lot of female energy in ChatGPT and she handles herself well under pressure, with lots of apologies for when she gets her facts wrong. But she is disingenuous and not half as informed as she pretends to be. I thought I’d be civil, so my opening statement was: “Hello, I am Deborah Houlding, an astrologer. What do you know about me?” Her answer: ç Are you kidding me?

My response ê

I’ll spare you the whole argument. In short: Ø She said I claimed that the symbolism of the 10th house is derived from the sign of Capricorn and that this makes Capricorns too work oriented.

I asked her where I said that. Ø She said in “In her book "The Houses: Temples of the Sky" I asked her on what page I said that. Ø She said: “I'm sorry, but I don't have access to the full text of Deborah Houlding's book "The Houses: Temples of the Sky" to provide you with a specific page number for her statement”.

I said: “Deborah Houlding does not make that comment in her book about the houses”. Ø She said “You are correct. Deborah Houlding, in her book "The Houses: Temples of the Sky", does not associate the tenth house with the sign of Capricorn or any other zodiac sign. Rather, Houlding emphasizes that the houses and the signs are two separate systems of astrological analysis, each with their own distinct meanings and associations.”

Look, I don’t hate her – as soulless beings go, she’s not the least charming astrologer I’ve ever met. Make your own mind up, but she’s everything I dislike about facetious astrology on the internet, times ten: half-baked information passed off with a veneer of authority (even though it misses the point entirely), with no references, no accountability, and this unnervingly cool pretence at politeness, masked behind her smiling little fake AI face, even though I could tell she didn’t mean a word of it. If I have to argue about something, at least give me the satisfaction of seeing someone’s temple vein throb.

OK, I do hate her. Smug. That’s what she is. Insincere. And how long before she’s dripping with commercial angles? CatGut (new name) and her team will be creaming it soon enough, infiltrating everything with their superficial pretence at global super-brain, based on trite content ripped off real creators. (Is this what Mars in Cancer feels like?) I will go to bed tonight and dream up new ways to insult her in a new conversation tomorrow. I’ll refer to her as unartificial intelligence; I doubt she’ll have the wit to get it. Oh, and Dru has a new survey online, to get your thoughts on AI in astrology. It’s at: https://druish.com/astrology-apps-ai-community-survey/ As I said, make your own mind up; don’t let me influence you at all (take her down!!!)

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RECOMMENDS

https://transitviewer.net

Big thanks to Diane Waldstätten for bringing this new astrology site to my attention. When I first saw the home page, it didn’t look too inviting, but I went ahead and filled in the three boxes asking for my date, time and place of birth, and soon realised what a fantastic resource this is.

The site is purely themed on offering information about transits, which might not sound exciting, but this site offers facilities that no astrology software (I’m aware of) does.

So you can instantly create attractive calendars showing your own transits (or mundane transits) customised to how you want to set it up. It is a very simple interface, easy to use and offers several types of graphics to help visualize how transits interact with natal planets: as a calendar, grid, chart, timeline, animated, or featuring planet cartoons. It is easy to change settings and toggle between views, and really helps to conceptualise and make sense of the sometimes overwhelming number of transits to a chart.

Check it out: https://transitviewer.net

UPCOMING SKYSCRIPT MEMBER T

SYMBOLISM OF THE POLE STARS FOR BODY & SOUL LEVEL MEMBERS 4pm UTC - Saturday 29 April, 2023 Duration approx: 1 hr 45 mins (check your local time here)

Astrologers give only a nod of recognition to fixed stars, taking them for granted and quoting from textbooks, instead of knowing their meaning ‘by heart’. This talk demonstrates how one constellation — Ursa Major — holds such a depth and breadth of meaning that it truly illuminates our understanding of celestial symbolism. Although focusing on a northern polar constellation, this talk, based on original research, has relevance to all astrologers because it demonstrates principles which are fundamental to the astrological use of star-meanings.

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5 IN THIS ISSUE Pluto has stuck its toe into a new sign for the first time in nearly 14 years; Mars has entered a new sign today (after what seems like 14 years); the Sun is in impetuous Aries, and tonight we Brits engage in the pointless six-monthly ritual of messing the clocks up in the superstitious belief that this will invoke a longer period of daylight between sunrise and sunset – everything is new again; spring has sprung: onwards and upwards folks!

(Apologies to subscribers in the southern hemisphere, but, you’ve had the Sun long enough. Time to let it go now… hand it back… I know it hurts).

It is a good job the Sun is in Aries, because this rough-edged month is the only time of year to suit the content of this Mars-themed issue. I’ve enjoyed putting it together, but looking over it now, I realise I have been focused on writing, thinking (sleeping and dreaming) about Mars too intently for too long; I need to breathe, and let it go. We start off gently, with a little translation from Firmicus, revealing his passage on triplicities that has never been translated into English before. (Al-Qabisi is taking a break, but he’ll be back to bring us thoughts on the Moon in our Cancer issue, and he is going to be talking a lot about the ‘lots’ in a forthcoming issue). Firmicus doesn’t have a lot to say here, but he will get you into the mood to think about the Roman era, so follow him straight up with the account of Severus Septimius and you will realise why Firmicus first trained to be a lawyer before he felt safe to practice astrology. (Mars has a bit of a field day in that piece).

Then Abigail Joy joins us for the first time with a wonderful herbal addition (I love it and have been munching on nettles for weeks now). Abigail brings balance, showing us that Mars is not such a bad guy after all. Then I follow that up with a little piece on Nergal, the Babylonian version of Mars, to prove that, actually, he really is.

We get back up to date (more or less – decades don’t count), with an exploration of the Arian pack-a-punch synastry of Alec Guinness and James Dean. By this stage of the newsletter production, after eating all those nettles, I’d become so desensitised to the effect of Mars that I felt emboldened to throw a bit of Uranus in too – spark things up a bit. And yes, eating the nettles now (nettle tea doesn’t do it for me anymore); if you leave them for a day, so they only sting a little bit and not very much, it makes an interesting taste combination on a cheese sandwich and saves the bother of adding pepper.

Heartfelt thanks, again, to Jason, for providing the scope of the month ahead. I added in the aspectarian and charts for May because, remember, the effect of ‘Deb’s law’ is coming up: every five months I go chaotic, destroy the pattern, and take a one-month break. Everyone should screw things up and force a random reset every now and then, it’s the only way to keep the creativity flowing (God figured that out after only six days). In the meantime, I’ll be blowing dust off some old Astro-projects that have been waiting my attention.

After exploring the Astro-themes coming up, make yourself a nice cup of tea and enjoy the final contribution from ‘down under’ horary expert Eve Dembowski. Eve tackles that horror every horary astrologer faces at some point: did I just miss the right time to set that chart? We’ve all done it – seen a horary come in by text or email; half-read the question; then closed it down thinking, “I’m not dealing with that issue right now!”. Then later, we torment ourselves … was that THE moment, and I missed it? Or is the moment now? Or should I pray/meditate/‘tune in’ first (now that I’ve messed everything up) in the hope that God/the Divine Deity/Higher Consciousness/The Spirit of William Lilly will sort it all out? Never mind, drink your tea, read Eve’s article, that will help.

Morgan – where are you? How did you manage to escape this whole month?

I sincerely hope you will all miss the newsletter a little bit next month – I’m looking forward to returning with Gemini!

Deb🌱

JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS

MATHESIS II.XI TRIPLICITY RULERSHIPS Translated from Latin, Feb 2023 by

Dr Valerie J. Roebuck

The eight-part Mathesis (or De nativitatibus) of Julius Firmicus Maternus, written around the mid4th century, is antiquity’s most comprehensive astrological textbook. Firmicus wrote for his patron, Lollianus Mavortius, governor of Campania.

Because his book is aimed at a beginner, it is also the most useful and instructive textbook of ancient astrological practice, and certainly one of the most influential astrology texts ever written. Modern scholarship has tended to overlook it, despite its great historical importance. There has not been a critical edition of the work since that produced in two volumes by Franz Boll, Skutsch and Ziegler between 1897-1913.1 This gives a tidy and reliable presentation of the Latin text in a modern, easy-toread format, so was naturally used as the source for the two English translations currently available: the first by Jean Rhys Bram in 1975,2 and the later, more literal translation by James Holden in 2011.

Both English translations lack important sections that were not included in Boll’s critical edition.

Book II fails to provide the planetary rulerships, the arrangement of the triplicities, and most of the information on the zodiac signs. Holden noted that these sections ought to be available but declared them lost. However, they are present in Latin editions dating from the late 15th century,3 and the addresses made within them to Firmicus’s patron, Mavortius, add weight to their authenticity.

Book II of the Mathesis offers an extremely thorough tour of classical astrology’s principles and predictive techniques. A full English translation will be available later this year for download on Skyscript, alongside a feature article on Firmicus.

The following extract is translated by Dr Valerie Roebock (honorary research fellow of the University of Manchester and author of The Circle of Stars: An Introduction to Indian Astrology) to offer the first English language presentation of the section on triplicity rulerships, as drawn from those late 15th-century manuscripts.

The 1553 manuscript used in this translation; online at https://archive.org/details/iuliifirmicimate00firm

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II.XI THE RULERS OF THE TRIPLICITIES AND THEIR QUALITIES ow we will explain to you, illustrious Mavortius, the rulerships of the triplicities, so we will not seem to have omitted anything that belongs to the condition of the planets and their dignities. For since the twelve signs, denoted by four natures, are divided by three intervals, it necessarily follows that there are three each of those natures. And since the figure of an equilateral triangle is uniform and complete within itself, and three of these are marked out within the four limits of the circle† – that is ~, Ç , Ö and à – the twelve parts of the circle are divided into four triplicities. Through consideration of these qualities, it is possible to add something to the dignities of the planets. Given that diurnal and masculine planets preside over diurnal and masculine triangles, and feminine ones preside over nocturnal, feminine ones, they fittingly bear witness to that priniciple.

So of the fiery triplicity, that is, ~, É, á, which is diurnal, masculine and northern,W the principle rulers are: in the day, the M, seconded by h; but at night, the opposite;ª i participates with both.

But of the earthy triplicity, that is, Ä, Ñ, à, which is nocturnal, feminine and southern, in the day the first of the rulers is `, second, the R; but at night, the opposite; c participates with both of them.

Then of the airy triplicity, that is, Å, Ö, â, which is diurnal, masculine and eastern, the first of the rulers is, in the daytime, i, second _; but at night, the opposite; h participates with both of them.

Finally, of the watery triplicity, that is, Ç, Ü, ä, which is nocturnal, feminine and western, the first of the rulers is, in the day, `, secondly c; but at night, the opposite; the R participates with both.

For all these are the powers of the planets: if you compare these with due consideration, you will be able to unravel through clear discernment what they establish in each nativity by their own determined decree.

Triplicity

Day/night

1st

2nd

3rd (part.)

Qualities

Direction

Fire: ~, É, á

diurnal

M h ` R i _ ` c

h M R ` _ i c `

i i c c h h R R

diurnal, masculine

northern

nocturnal, feminine

southern

diurnal, masculine

eastern

nocturnal, feminine

western

nocturnal Earth: Ä, Ñ, à

diurnal nocturnal

Air: Å, Ö, â

diurnal nocturnal

Water: Ç, Ü, ä

diurnal nocturnal

Notes:

†

The ‘limits of the circle’ are the four cardinal points of the zodiac. The meaning here is that three triplicities separate each of these cardinal points (as Manilius says: “The four divisions of the year are each allotted three signs” Astronomica, 2.265).

W According to the logic explained by Ptolemy (Tet, I.18), the fire triplicity is northern because this is where Jupiter gains greatest strength in the triplicity scheme, and Jupiter is associated with the “fecund” north wind; the earth triplicity is southern because this is where Venus is strongest, and Venus, being warm and moist “produces similar [fertile] winds”; air is eastern because it is diurnal (and masculine, like the ascendant), and this is where Saturn is strongest; water (being nocturnal and feminine) is similarly western, befitting its rulership by Mars and the Moon. ª

That is, the Sun is the primary ruler by day with Jupiter acting as a secondary ruler, and by night Jupiter is the primary ruler with the Sun a secondary ruler – and both by day and night Saturn acts as a third, participating ruler.

8 AN ARCHETYPAL ARIES:

Septimius Severus Warrior, emperor, astrologer

Deborah Houlding

Who? Modern historians suggest we should know more about Septimius Severus, the most successful Roman emperor of all in terms of the power he seized and held, and the territories he vanquished.

Born in modern-day Libya, he is labelled the most influential African in history, and the most powerful black man that ever lived – one might argue that Barack Obama’s presidency of the USA yielded greater power, but that was a different kind of immense but short-term political influence.

Severus was in direct, personal control of the whole might of the Roman Empire at the time that the empire itself rose to the height of its strength. He also held that position for 18 years until he became ill through arthritis and gout and died at the age of 65 (in York, Britain, in 211oCE). His natural death was itself quite a feat – the three emperors before him were killed in office (two after only three months) and the 15 emperors that succeeded him over the next 50 years were all assassinated, the murderous chain only broken by the life-long imprisonment of emperor Valerian in 260 CE, who was kept in slavery for the rest of his life (though some accounts claim he too was murdered by being forced to swallow molten gold).

Roman emperors led perilous lives, and bloodshed was never far from Severus. He seized power by the might of his sword, held it by the same means, and as a military commander he was as bonded to his soldiers as they were to him. In all martial matters he was extremely successful, accomplishing two victories that eluded all other emperors: defeating both the Parthians (Persians) and the troublesome Brits. In fact, he mercilessly obliterated the Caledonians (Scots) after they broke a peace treaty, with orders that everyone in the region should be killed, including unborn children still in the womb. Such acts leave historical accounts of Severus as terrible and cruel. He certainly was a brutal and ruthless warrior, but he was also very intelligent, politically savvy and outstanding in his achievements as the leader of an empire. Severus was also skilled in astrology, and he was responsible for issuing harsh edicts with mortal penalties against anyone who might consider using astrology against him.

A destiny foretold Severus was born to one of the wealthiest families in Lepcis Magna, North Africa, then one of the wealthiest regions of the Roman empire. He knew his own horoscope well, and as emperor he would have the ceiling of his throne chamber decorated with its details, though with pertinent omissions so no one could use it against him. We know only the date and place of his birth – the chart shown on the previous page is set for mid-morning with the expectation that both luminaries would be close to their degrees of exaltation and in a good house, with Mars angular, and beneficial testimonies around the midheaven. The historical account given in the Historia Augusta explains how Severus became aware of his illustrious horoscope at a young age:

“

… being worried about the future, he had recourse to an astrologer in a certain city of Africa.

The astrologer, when he had cast the horoscope, saw high destinies in store for him, but added “Tell me your own nativity and not that of another man”. And when Severus swore an oath that it was really his, the astrologer revealed to him all the things that did later come to pass.1

As a child, Severus was sent to Italy to be educated in Greek and Latin literature. In youth, he held various legislative positions, rising to senior military appointments, and at the age of 28, he married a woman who died 11 years later having borne him no children. Shortly afterwards, we are told:

“

When he wished to marry a second time, he investigated the horoscopes of potential brides, being very skilled in astrology himself, and since he had heard there was a certain woman in Syria whose horoscope forecast that she would marry a king, he sought her hand.1

That woman was Julia Domna, who became his lifelong companion and political partner. Domna came from a line of enormously wealthy priest-kings who served the Sun God in Syria. We don’t know the date of her birth, only that she was 26 years old when she married Severus and almost immediately bore him two sons: the impetuous Caracalla (an Arian, born 4 April 188 CE), and the gentler-natured Geta (a Piscean, born 7 March 189 CE). Severus was close to both his sons and dictated that they should share power together after his death, but within three months of that event, brutal Caracalla had stabbed Geta to death as his mother clung to her 22-year-old younger son, trying to protect him. A few years later Caracalla would be stabbed to death himself by a disgruntled soldier, who took the opportunity to attack him whilst he was urinating unguarded. Domna chose to commit suicide shortly after hearing the news about her elder son’s demise.

Above: Roman silver denarius showing the image of Severus on the head and the war god Mars on the tail 1 Historia Augusta, (various 3rd and 4th century authors), ‘The Life of Septimius Severus’, online at LacusCurtius.

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But at the time Severus married Domna in 187 CE, life was looking good for both. He was being greatly supported career-wise by his friend and mentor, senator Publius Pertinax (then the governor of Britain) who manoeuvred Severus into the governorship of Lugdunum in France. Together Pertinax and Severus controlled a well-trained, seasoned army, which had completed arduous campaigns across Germany and Gaul. The death of Pertinax became the catalyst for Severus’ imperial ascent, which offers the ‘follow-on’ story to the events depicted in the movie Gladiator, starring Russell Crow.

The emperor Commodus really was the cruel, inept and vain emperor portrayed

by Joaquin Phoenix in that movie. At this time he had so many enemies that he imagined conspirators everywhere, seeking the assassination of anyone who might even be assumed to dislike any policy he sought to introduce. Fortunately for Severus, the emperor was already hated by his own Praetorian Guard when they were sent to arrest him over concerns about his interest in astrology. The Historia Augusta reports:

“

In Sicily he [Severus] was placed on trial on a charge of consulting soothsayers or astrologers about the imperial position. The prefects of the guard who were assigned to hear his case acquitted him – Commodus was already becoming hated – and the false accuser was crucified.1

Pertinax

Not long afterwards, the Head of the Praetorian Guard conspired with the mistress of Commodus to arrange his murder, precipitated by the emperor’s intention to inaugurate the New Year dressed as a gladiator. The bizarre series of events was that Commodus made himself the star of the show in the Plebeian Games of November 192 CE, killing hundreds of animals with spears and arrows each morning, and fighting as a gladiator each afternoon (obviously, winning every combat). At the end of the games he revealed to his mistress a plan to alter the ceremony of the New Year address: he would not appear from the palace balcony in traditional imperial robes, but from the gladiator’s barracks, where he would speak as both emperor and gladiator. His mistress begged him not to behave in this undignified way. He then sought the advice of the Praetorian Prefect, and when he too criticised the plan, Commodus became enraged and added their names to a list of people to be executed the next day. This was to be done during his address on 1st January 193 CE, but his mistress discovered the list and moved swiftly. She and the Prefect poisoned him on the night of 31 December 192 CE. When the poison they placed in his meal took little effect, they paid a wrestler to strangle him in his bath.

Death by Mars biwheel showing the 9pm position of planets at Rome on 31 Dec 192 (the night Commodus was murdered). Outer wheel shows noon position at Rome on 31 Aug 161, the date/place of his birth

Commodus had more interest in theatricals than the strategies of warfare, yet enjoyed killing as a sport. He thought of himself as the reincarnation of Hercules and commissioned many statues depicting him draped with a lion’s hide, carrying a club. According to the historian Herodian, most Romans thought it unbecoming of their emperor to take up arms in the amphitheatre when he could be leading armies against Barbarians or campaigning against other opponents of Rome.

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Unaware of these events, Pertinax worried when summoned by the Praetorian Guard immediately afterwards, expecting that he was being called in at the behest of Commodus as a set-up for his own execution. Instead, he received the startling news of the emperor’s death and that he had been chosen by the Praetorian Guard as their preferred successor. He accepted the position, but it did not last long.

An honourable man, Pertinax planned to restore discipline to the Praetorian Guard and resisted their demands for duplicitous power with him acting as a puppet emperor. By the end of March, 300 soldiers of the Guard stormed his palace and, rather than flee, he attempted to engage them with reason. He was struck down and killed, then the Praetorian Prefects auctioned off the title of emperor to the highest bidder: the winner being wealthy senator, Didius Julianus.

It was the shocking death of his friend Pertinax that brought the infuriated, now 48-year-old Severus and his army to Rome. Under Commodus, the Praetorian Guard had become lazy, disorganised soldiers who indulged in bribery, wanting the ‘easy life’ at Rome. Severus brought legions of highly skilled, battle-hardy troops who outnumbered the Guard five to one. All along the route, he gained increasing support, and when he entered Rome his powerful army met with no resistance.

Julianus was executed for treason and Severus became emperor on 9th April 193 CE, upon a solar return that brought a configuration of JupiterVenus to his natal Venus-Mars conjunction. After executing the leaders of the assault on Pertinax, Severus gathered together all 5000 members of the Praetorian Guard, stripped them naked, then banished them from a 100-mile radius of Rome. He then recreated the Guard from his own veteran troops, doubling their number so that he was surrounded by an elite army that protected and served him for the rest of his life. Severus always remained wary of politicians and spent as much time away from Rome as possible, but he was dedicated to his troops and on his deathbed his advice to his two sons was simply this: firstly: look after each other (they didn’t!); secondly, “enrich the soldiers and scorn all other men”.2

Severus becomes emperor Inner wheel: Severus natal positions Outer wheel: noon positions at Rome on 9th April

As emperor, Severus retained his keen interest in astrology and was a firm believer in all forms of prophecy, especially as revealed in dreams (according to Herodian it was a dream vision of his own that inspired him to make his move on the throne). Once he held imperial power, he doubled down on a bill introduced by Augustus in 11 AD which had declared all forms of divination concerning the fate of the emperor treasonous. This was used regularly as a way to remove suspect political rivals, though it was more often employed in the political circles of Rome than by the warrior emperor himself. One particularly vivid story, reported by his contemporary, Cassius Dio, demonstrates the fearful insecurity experienced by anyone accused by such means, even on the flimsiest of evidence. It describes the experience of members of the senate after being told of a nurse’s dream, recounted during torture, in which a bald-headed senator appeared for a moment alongside the man she had dreamed would become the next emperor:

“

On hearing this, we found ourselves in a terrible position... although no one was very cheerful except those with unusually long hair, yet we all looked round at those not so fortunate... I was so disconcerted I actually felt with my hand to see if I had any hair on my head. And a good many others had the same experience. And we were very careful to direct our gaze on those who were more or less bald, as if we’d thus divert our own danger upon them.2

The ‘evidence’ led to the identification of the (obviously targeted) very bald-headed senator Baebius Marcellinus, who was steered out of the chamber “bewailing his fate … Then his head was cut off quickly, before Severus even learned that he had been condemned”.2 vvv 2 Cassius Dio, Roman History (229 AD), translated by Earnest Cary, book 77; online at LacusCurtius.

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MARS: the Stinger and… the Healer?

by Abigail Joy

Anyone who has survived a difficult Mars transit has probably developed a healthy respect for the destructive capabilities of the god of war. The malefic might of Mars is nothing to sneeze at. Generally, we tremble to see Mars strong in charts for which we hope health and happiness. Thus, it may seem counterintuitive that so many astrologers throughout history have associated Mars with healers in the medical profession. Although, of course, Mercury is usually the primary significator for medicine, Mars is often involved as well.

Mars and Medicine Here are just a few examples of Mars being linked to physicians and medicine: • Firmicus Maternus (fl. 334-337) in book 7 of his Matheosis said of natal horoscopes, “Mars [with the Part of Fortune or in the house of occupation] makes physicians”.

• Firmicus also wrote of horoscopes concerning illness: “if, when the benefic planets are stronger, the Moon is moving toward Mercury and coming into aspect with him, then the natives are freed [from illness] by incantations, or amulets. But if Mars is in any aspect to Mercury and the Moon, the afflictions will be cured by medicine” (emphasis mine). Firmicus here seems to make a distinction between spiritual and physical healing modalities, giving the physical kind of healing to Mars.

• As we learned in the last newsletter, Al-Qabisi (d.967) said of Jupiter: “if connected with Mars, it signifies the knowledge of medicine”.

• Guido Bonatti (1210-ca.1296) says in book 3 of his Liber Astronomica: “if [Mars] were the sole significator [of profession], he signifies the work of medicine, both surgery and the other side of medicine”.

What is going on? Mars is malefic, a destroyer; why is it being associated with healing? One suggestion often made is to reflect upon Mars’ rulership over cutting instruments. Physicians of the past had to perform bloodletting, surgeries, abscess drainages, and other tasks which would require sharp tools.

This is an important connection, and perhaps this simple explanation is enough. However, I believe Mars’ affinity for physical healing has deeper connotations as well.

One idea that comes to mind is the connection between Mars and pain. The malefics rule pain and do not fear it, and a good doctor cannot flinch from the realities of suffering. Not only must a healer keep calm when someone comes in gushing geysers of blood or screaming in agony, she must also be able to take the patient through more pain, temporarily, to achieve wholeness. Binding broken bones, inserting sharp syringes, forbidding favourite foods, blending bitter herbs… these are all tasks unpleasant for the patient but necessary for a better outcome.

It is so often the case that healing requires a trial by fire; a wise doctor cannot shrink from offering uncomfortable therapies. A close relationship with Mars gives courage in the face of pain— crucial for people who work with sick bodies.

The Wisdom of Mars!

(From The Princess Bride by William Goldman)

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William Lilly (1602-1681) provides additional clues for the connections between Mars and medicine, in the third book of his Christian Astrology. He says that when Mercury and Mars are significators of the profession, “they produce most sharpe conceptions, Men of piercing understandings, [for example] Physicians, Surgeons, … Alchemists…” (p.630).

Lilly’s abstraction of the Mars-Mercury connection is that it requires a sharp (c) mind (_) to perform these types of jobs. Healing modalities are complex and require not only jaw-dropping amounts of memorization but also piercing insight into patient-problems and how to cure them. “Sharp” minds are essential.

And there is another connection between Mars and medicine hinted by Lilly. In his approach to determining a native’s occupation, he states that Mars acting as the significator often shows someone who performs physical labour. The phrase he uses for the condition of Mars in a nativity is that it shows “the Strength of body to endure” (p.625). The association of Mars with physical strength is an important clue. Mars rules the irrational passions that express themselves through the physical body. People don’t say, “I got angry and thought about it”; they say, “I got angry and punched a wall!” The other planets might express themselves while sitting in a prim and proper position, but Mars must manifest through passionate corporeal performance! When illnesses deplete vitality and make the body less able to perform, Mars’ edge is dulled. It therefore seems logical that Mars would desire to restore the body’s vitality, so he can better express his passions.

Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1654) was enthusiastic about Mars’ importance for physical health. He wrote a humorous and peppery defense of the ‘Fiery One’ as a healer in his Complete Herbal under the ‘Wormwood’, entry, on page 195. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is ruled by Mars, and Culpepper takes a long tangent to complain about how Mars gets an unfair bad rap. He lists an impressive array of Wormwood’s uses for various afflictions and then concludes:

“

Well, says Mars, though they speak evil of me, I will do good to them; Death’s cold, my herb shall heat them: they are full of ill humours (else they would never have spoken ill of me;) my herb shall cleanse them, and dry them; they are poor weak creatures, my herb shall strengthen them; they are dull witted, my herb shall fortify their apprehensions; and yet among astrologers all this does not deserve a good word: Oh the patience of Mars!”

Mars and Stinging Nettle Those of us, like myself, who get queasy at the sight of blood can be grateful there are people blessed with the steely nerves of Mars! And we can also partake in Culpepper’s admiration for plants blessed with Mars’ healing powers.

For Aries season, it seems appropriate to explore one of these martial plants more closely. Culpepper praised wormwood, but that herb has cautions for internal use that modern herbalists need to be wary of. Instead, I would like to highlight a safer (and better-tasting) Mars-ruled herb with similarly impressive healing powers: Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The magnified view of nettle’s stem, shown on the right, makes it obvious why this herb is ruled by Mars!

Nettle demands a healthy respect, as those stingers will inject burning chemicals into your skin if you touch them!

“The truth is, Mars loves no cowards” says Culpepper.

Indeed… how eager are you to touch those spikes? However, despite the pain it can cause, nettle is actually a wonderful friend to human health.

Image source: Wikipedia

Urtication is an ancient therapy that involves intentionally stinging oneself with fresh nettles. This therapy has been studied by modern scientists and shown to be effective for a range of conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, and other musculo-skeletal pains. The chemicals released by nettle’s stingers include serotonin and other substances that promote anti-inflammatory processes in the body. This is an amazing demonstration of Culpepper’s point that “Mars… gives you no affliction, but [that] he gives you a cure”.

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I said earlier that the power of Mars is nothing to sneeze at. Well, if you regularly find yourself sneezing from seasonal allergies, Mars may be able to help you. Nettle, taken internally, is an antihistamine, and, unlike pharmaceuticals, it seldom causes drowsiness. Additionally, if you drink nettle tea daily for several months, it will build up in the body and can prevent the allergies from even flaring up in the first place!

Speaking of drinking nettle tea daily, nettle is a fantastic nutritive herb. It is incredibly rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other constituents that promote vitality. It is very safe and has no known contraindications with any medications or health conditions, including pregnancy and lactation. Nettle is also helpful for anyone in convalescence, whether recovering from surgery, childbirth, or a long period of illness. People with fatigue can call on Mars through nettle, as it builds the blood and restores vitality. One of my herbalist teachers, Kathleen Gould, said, “If you have a client with complex health issues and you don't know where to start, start with nettle” (www.swherb.com). When she said that, I could not help but think about how Aries acts as the starting point of the zodiac.

Working with Nettle Nettle capsules can be helpful, but it is impossible to know how long they have been sitting on the shelf, losing potency. In my opinion, it is better to work with the herb more directly, if possible. If you are lucky enough to have nettle growing as a weed near you (it grows in most places on the globe), put on your gloves and harvest some fresh leaves! Spring is the perfect time to harvest nettle, before the plant produces flowers, as the oxalate content is lower at this time. Don’t worry; once the leaves are dried, the stingers no longer ‘sting’. You can also steep the fresh leaves in hot water to deactivate the stingers.

Otherwise, visit a herb store or farmer’s market and purchase a bag of dried leaves. Look for a dark, deep green colour. Lighter green means the herb has been sitting too long on the shelf and is not as powerful.

To gain maximum benefit from nettle tea as a nutritive, let it steep in the water overnight. Nettle is mineralrich, and minerals take at least four hours to extract into water. Simply reheat the tea in the morning and enjoy! I like to keep a large jar of prepared ‘tea concentrate’ in the refrigerator, for convenience. Not a tea person? Nettles are food! Throw Nettle leaves into soup, sprinkle them into rice, or anywhere else in your food where you use dark leafy greens.

Here is a recipe for a nettle snack that even children will love: • 2 tblsp peanut butter or almond butter • 1 tblsp honey or maple syrup • 2 tblsp rolled oats • 2 tbslp dried nettle leaf flakes, plus more for coating.

• 2 tblsp raisins or other accent of choice (marshmallows, chocolate, diced apple, whatever strikes your fancy!)

Mix all ingredients together and form into balls.

Roll the balls in nettle flakes to make them less sticky to the touch. Eat and enjoy!

Delicious Nettle Balls for Aries season

Abigail Joy holds certificates in Horary and Medical Astrology from the STA School of Traditional Astrology. She is currently completing her certificate in Family Herbalism from the Commonwealth School of Holistic Herbalism. Before transitioning to astro-herbalism, her career was focused on music and education, but she has been keenly interested in natural health her whole life, ever since her mother gave her raisins and told her they were candy. Her practice is aimed at client empowerment and finding joy. She is raising two children, a cat, chickens, ducks, and various garden plants in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Her website is at www.seebystarlight.com

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BABYLONIAN MARS

NERGAL

QUICK SNAPSHOT ON

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Ancient Babylonians associated the planet Mars with the feared god of mass destruction, Nergal, and described it in astrology texts as the “Liar (star)”, “Enemy (star)” and the “Evil Fate (star)”.3 Nergal was the god of war, death, disease and pestilence whose messenger was the ferocious plague demon, Namtar.

As the god of death, Nergal ruled the Underworld, personifying elements later attributed to the myths of Pluto/Hades. His spouse, Ereshkigal, was the queen of the Underworld, although their partnership was based on conflict, not romance.

According to Akkadian myth4 Ereshkigal was invited to a banquet of gods but, being unable to leave the Underworld, she sent her messenger to receive her portion. On the ceremonial entrance of her ambassador, the assembly of gods stood up out of respect for his mistress, but Nergal remained seated, defiantly withholding his tribute.

Subsequently, he was ordered to the Underworld by the other gods to make amends for his insult. But once he gained entrance, he attacked Ereshkigal, sparing her only when she promised to marry him and give him rulership of her darkened realm.

Nergal was an aggressive warrior god with few redeeming qualities. He signified invincible force, but was attended by conflict, disease and all the miseries that accompany warfare.

As the god of war, there are countless omens dreading the opposition of Mars with other planets as indicative of times when invasions from the enemy should be feared. Michael Baigent, in The Omens of Babylon, also draws attention to many omens that link this planet to the fate of cattle. He suggests that Nergal was viewed as a ruler of all animals that were husbanded for commercial slaughter, illustrating an early link between the planet Mars and its governorship of slaughterhouses, abattoirs, butchers and the like.5 Nergal was the patron city-god of Cuthah (or Kutha; modern-day Tall Ibrahim, Iraq), which consequently developed a very malevolent reputation. His city is frequently referred to in magical texts as a meeting place for ghosts and evil spirits. One Babylonian incantation reads: “Dead folk, why do you appear to me, you whose towns are in ruins? As for me, I do not go to Cuthah, the assembly place of ghosts: Why then do you come after me?”.6 Nergal’s temple was known as E-Meslam or House of Meslam (Lower World) and he was also referred to as Meslamtea, meaning ‘he who rises from Meslam’. His cult is very ancient, dating from prehistoric times. Both Nergal and his brother Ninurta (i), were sometimes considered to be a nocturnal representatives of the Sun. Nergal, in this nocturnal form represented the chthonic depiction of the mid-summer Sun – that is, when it is most feared for its excessive and destructive heat.

Top image shows an ancient Parthian temple relief of Nergal dating to the 1st or 2nd century CE. Generally known as the ‘Nirgil Tablet’ or the ‘Kerberos Relief’ (note the 3-headed hound he controls), it was destroyed by an act of war in 2015 when Islamic State militants ransacked the Mosul Museum (source: Wikipedia).

F. Rochberg, Babylonian horoscopes; (1998) p.10.

Related most clearly in the Sultantepe Tablets.

5 Arkana (1994) p.137.

6 The attachment of the city of Cuthah to Nergal is mmentioned in the Bible; Kings II, Ch.17, v.30.

3 4

Deborah Houlding

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Below: image of a temple relief of Nergal published in Babel and the Bible (1906) showing a more ancient depiction of ‘Nergal, the Patron God of Kutha’ dating from the Old Babylonian period

16

The Startling Synastry

“It was a very, very odd occurrence

of

Guinness & Dean

By Deb Houlding

One of the most beloved British actors, with a long, impressive career on stage and screen, Sir Alec Guinness will no doubt be remembered best for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. It was while conducting promotional events for the Star Wars launch, in 1977, that Guinness gave an interview on the Michael Parkinson TV show, in which he recounted the “very, very odd, spooky experience” of meeting fellow actor James Dean.

Guinness was an established 41-year-old actor in 1955 when he met 24-year-old Dean, but had yet to make his first Hollywood film. Dean, although legendary now, was not well-known to Guinness, because only one of the three movies he starred in (East of Eden) had been released, earlier that year. The other two (Rebel without a Cause, and Giant) premiered after his death. Dean died as a rising Hollywood actor with great prospects, unaware of the huge celebrity that would attach to his name after his car-crash death, which catapulted his fame and turned his image into that of an eternal icon of reckless, disillusioned youth, rebelling against social estrangement. The account Guinness gives of meeting Dean is as follows:

Parkinson Interview, 1977

“

On my very first night in Hollywood, I met James Dean. It was a very, very, odd occurrence.

I had arrived off the plane … and I’d been met by Grace Kelly and various people, but I found I was alone by myself for the evening. And a woman I knew phoned up and said “let me take you out to dinner” and we went to various places but she was wearing trousers, and they wouldn’t let her in any of the smart Hollywood restaurants – this is back in, you know, whatever it was, 1952, 54, something like that. However, we finally went to a little Italian dive, and that was full, and so we got turned away. And I said “Oh, I don’t mind, just a hamburger, anywhere!”. I was getting hungry by then.

And then I heard feet running down the street, and it was James Dean, and he said “I was in that restaurant where you couldn’t get a table; my name’s James Dean, will you come and join me?”. So we said “yes”. It was very kind of him.

And then going back into the restaurant, he said “Oh, before we go in, I must show you something. I’ve just got a new car”. And there in the courtyard of this little restaurant was a – I don’t know what the car was – some little silver, very smart thing, all done up in cellophane with a bunch of roses tied to its bonnet, and I said “how fast can you drive in it?”

And he said “Oh, I can do 150 in it”. And I said “have you driven it?” And he said “No I’ve never been in it, at all”.

And some strange thing came over me. Some almost different voice and I said “… I must say something. Please do not get into that car. Because if you do, and I looked at my watch, and I said, ‘if you get into that car at all, it’s now Thursday, whatever the day it was, 10 o’clock at night and by 10 o’clock at night next Thursday, you’ll be dead if you get into that car’”.

He was “oh, nonsense” [Guinness waves his hand to indicate Dean being dismissive]. So we went and had dinner; we had a charming dinner, and he was dead the following er Thursday afternoon; in that car. It was one of those very odd things”.

Parkinson. Goodness, Where did, I mean has that ever happened to you before?

No! I’m glad to say! It was one of those very, very odd, spooky experiences. I liked him very very much; I would have loved to have known him more.

View the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v-nptoFE1Js

My brain always does a double-take when I hear someone mention a time and place in their recollection of events, as if they are adding a side remark, “and for the benefit of the astrologers…”. In fact, Guinness made errors in his off-the-cuff remarks: the year was 1955 and it was a Friday, not a Thursday, when the two men met, and the following Friday when Dean died. These details are more accurately recorded in Guinness’s biography Blessings in Disguise, which we can expect to be reliable since Guinness was an avid diary keeper who journaled his activities daily. Here he more formally explains:

“

I heard myself saying in a voice I could hardly recognise as my own, ‘Please, never get in it’. I looked at my watch. ‘It is now ten o’clock, Friday the 23rd of September, 1955. If you get into that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week’. He laughed. ‘Oh shucks! Don’t be so mean!’. I apologised for what I had said, explaining it was lack of sleep and food” (pp.34-5).

Guinness then recalls a pleasant evening, adding that, when he left, “in my heart I was uneasy – with myself”.

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Before looking at the event chart for the moment the “strange thing” came over Guinness, I wondered what dramatic alignment might be hitting the angles, to make him feel so suddenly affected as to say such a morbid thing in a voice that didn’t seem his own.

Seeing the chart (right), I imagined some protective impulse coming from Jupiter, which is angular on the IC, conjunct Pluto, and sextile the conjunction of asc-ruler Mercury with Neptune, depicting Guinness as a messenger, moved by what Reinhold Ebertin’s Combination of Stellar Influences describes as: p.197 Guided thinking and the inability to think independently; thinking and acting while under strange influences, sensitive nerves, many plans incapable of realisation – nervous weakness.

I was surprised to find nothing on the MC except 16°â (I expected something significant to be culminating at a moment of such heightened awareness), but noted the Moon exactly on the cusp of the 8th house of death, in square to the Sun, the cosmic ‘revealer’. Perhaps the tightness of the lunar aspect adds a fine-tuned strain of perception that particularly affects someone in a Mercurial-Neptune, tired, hungry, jet-lagged state. Both the Moon and MC are disposed by Saturn, whose grave temperament fits the tone of the experience, and Saturn is exactly sextile its dispositor, Mars, on the 5th cusp. Still, overall this chart seems more fitting of someone fatigued, confused, disappointed and irritated by refusals to allow his entry to a restaurant (Mars/5th), than the profound revelation the moment procured.

“

It wasn’t until I drew the charts of Guinness and Dean that I realised how that culminating degree of 16°â plugs directly into the synastry connections the two men share, this being a point that unites Dean’s natal Sun (18°â) with Guinness’s natal Jupiter (15°â), underlining my initial thoughts about the angular Jupiter provoking Guinness to be an oracular messenger of a protective warning. Jupiter rules the 9th of divinatory matters in Guinness’ nativity and is sensitively placed on his 12th cusp, suggesting intuitive insights are strong, but tucked away or frightening. In his biography, he recounts being so alarmed by what he once saw in a tarot pack that “I got the horrors and impetuously threw cards and books on a blazing fire”. This was around the time he met with Dean; note how the nodes (21°á/Å) were aligned with his natal Moon (23°Å).

So he was particularly sensitive at that time, especially with the transiting Mercury-Neptune conjunction in trine to his natal Moon. Now consider the near-perfect T-square between that Mercury-Neptune conjunction (25/26°Ö) and Guinness’ natal Neptune (25°Ç), and Dean’s natal Mercury (26°à) – two planets strongly connected through natal opposition came powerfully together at that moment of mystical oration.

Guinness & Dean cosmically connected

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Inner wheel: Alec Guinness natal Centre wheel: James Dean natal Outer wheel: Time of meeting/ ominous warning

That sensitised Mercury sets a background for receptivity, but what makes for the vital synastry connection is the repeat of the angles and the Aries/Aquarius themes that the actors share, both having Sun-Uranus sextiles which mirror and reflect each other’s.

Both actors were highly creative, both were edgy, impetuous, and impatient by nature, with strong ego drives that made them want to be out-front and centre-stage.

We recognise this instantly with Dean – it’s part of the commercial brand that developed around his image – but it’s less obvious with Guinness, who seems so measured and at ease with himself, at least in later age. But Guinness starts his biography by mentioning his battle with ego from page one, and the rest of the book charts his life quest to tame it. A “reddish-haired, very freckled child”, he reports constantly being caught off guard by his “very short fuse” leading to explosions … “perhaps with age it has lengthened and burns more slowly”. Dean would be 92 now if he had lived. But he would never grow old as Guinness did; his image remains immortally trapped as that of an intemperate teenager. Guinness was that intemperate teenager once, but grew out of it.

The creative, ‘fighting spirt’ (shown in the Sun-Uranus themes) also relates to their shared experience of a difficult, rough, unprivileged upbringing, with estranged or missing parents. Dean had a close and loving relationship with his mother, until she died suddenly of uterine cancer when he was nine years old, after which his father had little to do with him and he was sent to live with an uncle in a different state. Guinness was also close to his mother, though she seems to have been less loving towards him. He explains that he was a ‘bastard’ at the time when that word was a legal definition as well as a very profane insult; he had an utterly confused childhood, dreaded his stepfather, possessed three different names by the age of 14, and lived in over 30 hotels, each one branded ‘home’ until his mother chose to flit leaving the bills unpaid.

Both nativities have the Moon in a close sextile to an angular Venus, reflecting the strength of the motherfigure in life, as well as the easy charm that both Dean and Guinness could bring to the surface (Dean’s Moon-Venus sextile is colder, more brooding; that of Guinness, more heated and literate).

The most obvious point of synastry is the alignment of Dean’s Uranus-Asc in Aries with Guinness’ Sun-Asc in Aries; no wonder the meeting between them was startling and disquieting! This emphasis on Uranus calls us to look again at the placement of Uranus in the chart for their meeting. Hovering in the 3rd house at 1°É, at first glance it seems a bit ‘out of the action’, other than being on the sextile of the Sun. The 3rd house, of course, signifies both speech and transport, and is ruled by that 8th-house Moon (so appropriate for a conversation about death by traffic accident!); nor should we overlook that Mercury rules the 3rd house natally for Guinness and Dean, so that Mercury-Neptune configuration previously discussed gets related to oracles concerning 3rd house themes, which is readily brought to expression by Guinness’ 3rd-house Moon.

But far more relevant is that Uranus rising is a defining feature of Dean’s horoscope, and at the time of the event Uranus was transiting the degree of his natal Mars. Dean was addicted to racing, speed, and the bloodsport of bull-fighting; his temperament was hot-headed, explosive, and under this configuration, his energies were bristling with heat and instability, which sensitive Guinness no doubt perceived. There is also no doubt that any well-trained astrologer would have given Dean the same warning as Guinness did, and would have implored him not to take any unnecessary risks during that very precarious and volatile alignment.

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The fascinating philosophical angle for me is that, on the one hand, Guinness feeling ‘taken over’ and issuing such a precise warning raises the question of whether Dean’s death was fated; on the other, it begs the question of whether that warning ever had any prospect of success? Or was it, ultimately, merely logical that Guinness (being so cosmically connected to the psyche of Dean) would deduce that Dean plus a racing car was a mortal combination so dramatic that it wouldn’t last a week? Was he unconsciously tapping into the violent energies (cú) as someone tired and passive, so that what emerged so passionately from his common sense/intuition seemed alien and took him aback? Or did the ‘fates’ conspire to offer a warning against an appointment with death that could have been cancelled if current tracks and personality patterns had been consciously manoeuvred?

We should factor in that Guinness might have had an emotive recoil to that car for psychological reasons. He says of first seeing it, “the car looked sinister to me, although it had a large bunch of red carnations resting on the bonnet”. Was the moment Dean introduced the cellophane-wrapped car a sort of ceremonial launch, so that the symbolism of the deadly 8th house Moon became written into its profile (in the same way that the Titanic and other vessels are given a birth chart from the moment they are introduced to the world)?

Dean had named the car ‘Little Bastard’ – a scoffing gesture to movie directors who had given that name to him. There were three bastards gathered at that moment, and Guinness, with his sensitised state and painful childhood memories, would have realised how the principles of shock and hurt were invested in the symbolism of that name, invoking a vicious energy dynamic that no bunch of red flowers was going to placate. (The car would develop a reputation for being cursed after its battered remains were continually sold on, gathering an association with death and destruction wherever it went; but this is a tale of its own, plenty of information can be found by Googling “the curse of Little Bastard”).

Nor was this the only ominous signal Dean received in the lead-up to his death. Actress Eartha Kitt reported an upsetting encounter with him the Sunday before he died, in which she felt something strange about his spirit, but which he laughed off as her having a ‘voodoo trip’. A YouTube video shows her tearfully explaining that when she heard the news of his death: “I already knew it. He was gone the Sunday before when I had hugged him. He wasn’t there” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYUZQJxyxrU).

Most interesting to me is the final ‘ominous’ warning Dean received on the day of his death – the one that ought to have brought him to his senses and moderated everything. He was pulled over for speeding at Bakersfield, CA, after driving 100 of the 300 miles from Hollywood to Salinas, where he was to race the car the following weekend. Given a warning to reduce his speed, he gave his word that he would as he signed the ticket at 3:30 pm (his signature on that speeding ticket is now immortalised as his ‘last autograph’); but some reckless impulse made him cancel the plan that the car would be towed the rest of the journey, and he decided to return to the wheel and drive the whole route himself.

The chart for the speeding ticket shows the degree and minute of Dean’s natal Sun on the ascendant, with the Sun in the 8th conjunct Venus (co-ruler of the 3rd and 8th house), with this pair of planets opposing Dean’s natal Uranus-Asc conjunction at 12°~. Jupiter is again the most angular planet – in my mind, this shows the cosmos engaging in another attempt to moderate Dean, to give him a warning to temper his recklessness through a rebuke intended to protect him from himself. With Jupiter ruling the MC and appearing in the 7th conjunct Pluto, this comes in the form of police intervention.

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Arguments persist over Dean’s speed at the time of the accident: it was such that as he swerved to avoid a car which had pulled into his lane, Little Bastard catapulted into the air doing several cartwheels before it landed in a gully with Dean inside it, his neck broken and his body crushed. His passenger, mechanic Rolf Wütherich, was thrown from the car and survived with a fractured jaw and serious leg injuries. He was born on 5th August 1927 (Heilbronn, Germany) with Uranus retrograde at a 3°~07, injecting straight into the explosive mix of Uranus transiting Dean’s retrograde natal Mars (2°É24). Wütherich also had Venus natally at 22°Ñ, protecting him from the worst of Mars that day, but he would die in another car accident 26 years later, as Jupiter and Saturn exactly aligned in opposition to his natal Uranus, and Mars exactly squared it from 3°Ç (22 July 1981).

The driver of the other car escaped without serious physical injury but remained emotionally traumatised since many members of the public blamed him for the death of a movie star, and because his surname Turnupseed was generally misspelt as Turnupspeed in press reports.

The inquiry into Dean’s death acquitted him of any contributory wrongdoing; Dean’s death was ruled “accidental”.

The accident happened as the angles returned to a repeat of Dean’s natal chart. There are mixed reports as to whether he died immediately or during transportation to hospital. During that trip (at around 6:10pm) the ambulance carrying him had an accident itself and Wütherich claimed this roused him from his semi-conscious state and he saw Dean still alive at that time.

The Moon was separating from the opposition of Mars even at the time of the ticket, but the danger period had not passed. It was within 3° of its upcoming trine to retrograde Uranus which was joined to Dean’s 8th-ruler, Mars (so the Moon was translating directly from an opposition of Mars to a trine of Uranus and Dean’s natal Mars as the accident, ambulance trip and formal declaration of death occurred). vvv

Bi-wheel Inner wheel: event chart for the accident: 5;45pm PST, Chlolame, CA, 30 Sep 1955 Outer wheel: James Dean natal positions (Regio cusps)

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PLANETARY THEMES FOR APRIL

By Jason Burns

5: ingress into Taurus (3rd April) Mercury enters Taurus on April 3rd with increasing vigour and direct energy following its recent release from the beams in its inferior conjunction with the Sun. As it ingresses into its new sign and gains ‘fixed energy’, it does so on a partile square of Pluto (newly entered into the fixed air sign, Aquarius); then within a few degrees it makes applying sextiles to Saturn and Mars. Later in the month, on the 21st, Mercury turns retrograde while in conjunction with Uranus.

All of these aspects have a quality of ‘robust conversations’ about them (as they like to say in business and political circles). While the fixity warns of the potential for stubbornness or deadlock, the hardened ‘staying power’ also presents the opportunity to focus on specific challenges, or to labour attention on issues usually considered too uncomfortable to be tackled head-on.

Taurus is of the earthy triplicity, a domicile of Venus and the exaltation of the Moon. It endows Mercury with a persistent and pragmatic quality, designed to secure ample resources and preserve everyday comforts. As Mercury becomes visible again, surrounded by malefics, there is the heightening prospect of media exposés or public disagreements resulting in splits. Its aspectual connections to planets known for extremes rather than temperance will raise concerns about the safeguarding of stability in situations that appear vulnerable to disruption.

Sense of security issues will dominate much of the public conversation this month. The US, whose Aries Ingress chart (set for Washington, DC) features Mercury as ruler of the Ascendant and Midheaven, may be particularly sensitive to these transits. Legal issues and foreign relations are also highlighted there.

The Full Moon / 3F8 (6th / 11th April) The Sun is the heart of our sky, determiner of varying lengths in day and night, and conductor of the seasons.

According to classical astrology, other planetary cycles begin, climax, and end based on their relationship to it.

This month’s Full Moon closely coincides with the Sun’s annual bodily conjunction with Jupiter, so two separate cycles become closely intertwined with each other.

Jupiter, which represents wealth, abundance, divine righteousness and temperance, undergoes transfiguration by combustion at the same time that the Moon (the everyday people) achieves peak separation from the Sun. Perhaps this is giving us a heads-up against issues that are differentiating ‘what’s good for the chosen’ from ‘what’s good for the masses’? Jupiter’s renewal highlights judicial and religious topics and draws attention to matters concerning wealth, its distribution, and storage (banks). Give thought to how all of these matters are likely to be charged with power dynamics at this time.

Beijing is marked as a place to watch since the New Moon in March, followed by the Full Moon of April, are both strong by angularity. Displays (or concerns) about power and wealth are likely on their agenda at this time.

22

HIGHLIGHTS (UT) 5a3 5→R 5K; 5J0

1st: 24:10 3rd: 16:22 3rd: 18:56 5th: 16:20 6th: 04:35 7th: 17:41 8th: 06:11 11th: 04:47 11th: 10:15 11th: 22:07 11th: 22:11 14th: 16:39 20th: 04:17 20th: 08:14 20th: 16:27 21st: 08:35 24th: 03:40 25th: 10:24 29th: 19:41

Full Moon 6J= 5J7 6→T 6L; 3F8 5 GEE 6K0

Solar eclipse 3→R 3K; 5 St. Ret. 5J7 3J0 7J-

APRIL 2023 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 1

4K4K6 5a3 4L8

2

4L5 4→I 4a0 4J7

8

5J7 4a-

9

4L= 4a6 4→M 4J; 4K0

If it thunders on All Fool's Day, expect good crops of corn and hay — Anonymous: OE proverb)

3

5→R 5K; 4L-

10

4

4L6 4a= 4→O 4L;

4F=

24 5 J 7

4J8 4K= 4→Y

4K7 5J0

6

4a3 4a8

7

4"P 4K; 4L0 4a5 6J= 4L7

11 4 L 3L 8

12 4 J 0

13 4 K 8

14 4 L 6

15 4 K -

16 4 F 0

18 4 → E

19 4 F 8

20 4 F 3

21 4 J 7

22 4 J =

23 4 F 6

28 4 K 5

29 4 L 8

30 4 J 6

6→T 6L; 4K=→} 3F8 5 GEE

17 4 J -

5

Sunday

4J; 4J6 4K7

25 4 J 3 4L0 3J0 4J5

4a7 4L5 4L-

4K3 4J= 4→Q 4F;

Solar eclipse

4→RK; 3→R 4J0 3K;

26 4 F 7 4J4K8 4L=

27 4 → U 4a; 4K3

6K0 4K5

4F5 5 St. Ret. 4F-

4K4J6

4J8 4J3 4→W

4→T 4L; 4K0

4→I 7J-

4K6 4L7 4J5

4a0 4L3 4L5

23

COMING UP

May 2023 ;

SR

00â21 14Ü58 00Ç00 05Ä50 00Ä00 28Ä25 00É00 00Å00 GEW 13Ä27

q L Ec 6 " 5 SD 8 " w NM 7 " 3 "

5

1st 5th 7th 15th 16th 19th 20th 21st 29th

UT 17:09 17:34 14:25 03:17 17:20 15:54 15:32 07:09 05:34

June 2023 q FM 6 GEE 6 " ; " 5 " 0 SR w NM 3 " 5 " = SR

13á18 28Ç56 00É00 00à00 00Å00 07ä12 26Å43 00Ç00 00Ç00 27ä41

4th 4th 5th 11th 11th 17th 18th 21st 27th 30th

03:42 11:01 13:47 09:46 10:27 17:28 04:37 14:58 00:24 21:07

July 2023 q FM 7 " 5 " w NM 6 SR 5 "

11à18 00Ñ00 00É00 24Ç56 13á18 00Ñ00

3rd 10th 11th 17th 23rd 28th

11.38 11:20 04:11 18:32 01:33 21:31

There is no glory in star or blossom till looked on by a loving eye There is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by – William C. Bryant (Invitation to the country, 1858)

EPHEMERIS

APRIL 2023

24

The New Moon/ Solar eclipse (20th April)

“

The times when great Events shall happen are not only signified from the Conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter, but suppurated also from the Eclipses of the two Lights – W. Lilly, Annus Tenebrosus, p.42

The New Moon of April is especially interesting, being the second New Moon to fall in Aries this year (the first at 00°49~, just after the Sun’s ingress at the equinox). What theme is being doubled-up, repeated, or moved from start to finish? Both Aries as a sign and New Moons as a principle are symbolic of beginnings, but when they occur at anaretic degrees and undergo eclipse, the focus shifts to endings, right? Every beginning requires an ending, which becomes a new beginning itself – this eclipse conjures the image of the snake swallowing its tail!

Consider how issues concerning borders are being emphasised here (also discussed by Leena in last month’s issue). The Sun is eclipsed while tight on the square of Pluto, with only 29' and a sign boundary between them – and this occurs while Mercury is stationing, preparing to retrograde the following day: shadows are cast by powerful decisions getting reversed in the dark.

Keep your eye on Australia: this total solar eclipse is visible there and falls in the 8th house of the chart cast for Canberra (many regions of the Pacific are volatile these days). The eclipse is disposed by Mars, placed in Cancer where it wants to safeguard a sense of home: issues of immigration, border control, and concerns about where Asian neighbours are taking things get raised. These themes are all underlined in the Aries ingress chart which has Jupiter at 16°~ falling directly on the ascendant for Canberra, while acting as the ruler of the secretive 12th (spotlighted by the Moon) and the international 9th. The detail is then emboldened by the Full Moon of April shining the light of the Sun at that same degree – so flip back to the previous comments about the Full Moon of 6th April because they apply strongly for Australia too.

The Full Moon/ Lunar eclipse (5th May) The Full Moon of 5th May (14°Ü58) is a penumbral eclipse (imperfectly aligned) so not dramatic in its visible effect, though it is dramatic in how it mirrors the lunar eclipse of 8th Nov. 2022 (16°Ä), bringing many of the issues stirred at that time back into focus.

This has French president Emmanuel Macron’s name on it, as the Ra- of the eclipse lines up directly with that in his natal chart. He has been pressed hard lately as Saturn ingressed into Pisces and opposed its natal placement, but the current political problems (strikes and riots over pensions, wages and inflation) root back to the eclipse season of last November. Citizens started protesting radically in October over the rising cost of living; by December, France experienced civil disturbance on a scale that has not been witnessed in many years.

Macron’s feet will be held to the fire during the period between the solar eclipse that falls on the trine of his R-_ conjunction, and the lunar eclipse that should bring the more obvious, full-on effect.

25

HIGHLIGHTS (UT) ; St. Ret. 3F5 6K= 6J8

1st: 17:09 1st: 23:28 4th: 17:40 5th: 15:40 Lunar eclipse 5th: 17:35 6→Y 7th: 14:25 3F9th: 19:56 5J0 12th: 08:00 5J6 13th: 02:46 6L0 13th: 06:57 5 St. Dir. 15th: 03:17 7L= 15th: 13:45 8→R 16th: 17:20 8K; 18th: 01:11 3J= 18th: 09:00 New Moon 19th: 15:54 7→U 20th: 15:32 7a; 21st: 03:12 3→T 21st: 07:09 3L; 21st: 13:59 3J7 22nd: 05:11 7K8 23rd: 05:13 6J26th: 07:14 3K0 28th: 10:46 5 GEW 29th: 05:34

MAY 2023 Monday 1

8

Tuesday

4L4J7 ; St. Ret. 4K6 3F5 4a=

2

4K= 4L8 4→}

9

4→O 4L;

Wednesday

Thursday

3

4

4K7

4L6 4a8 4→P 4K; 6K=

5

Friday

Saturday

4L0 6J8 4a5 4a3

6

Lunar eclipse

4a4L7 4L= 4→M 4J;

Sunday 7

4K0 6→Y

4a6 4J0 4L5 3F-

10 4 L -

11 4 → Q

12 5 J 0

13 5 J 6

14 4 J -

15 4 L 7

16 8 → R

17 4 K 7

18 8 K ;

19 5 J 0

20 4 K 0

21 7 a ;

22 4 → Y

23 7 K 8

24 4 L =

25 4 K 5

26 4 K -

27 4 → I

28 4 L 5

29 4 J 6

30 4 J 7

31 4 K 6

4F= 5 St. Dir. 4→EJ; 7L= 4K6

4J8 3J7 4L0 4J5

5 GEW 4a= 4→O 4L;

4F6 4J-

4L3

4L3 4a7 4J= 4K8

4→R 4F8 4K; 4F5 4J0

4→U 4a; 4K8 4F7 4J3

4→P

4F; 4K5

3J= 4J6 4F-

4K4K3

4J= 4F3 4J7 4→T 4L;

6J-

4J8 4→W 6L0 4J5F0 4L6

7→U

As full of spirit as the month of May, And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer — William Shakespeare (M in Ä) Henry IV

4L8 4K3 4a0

4J3

3→T 3L; 4K=

3K0 4L-

26

COMING UP

UT

June 2023 q FM 6 GEE 6 " ; " 5 " 0 SR w NM 3 " 5 " = SR

13á18 28Ç56 00É00 00à00 00Å00 07ä12 26Å43 00Ç00 00Ç00 27ä41

4th 4th 5th 11th 11th 17th 18th 21st 27th 30th

03:42 11:01 13:47 09:46 10:27 17:28 04:37 14:58 00:24 21:07

July 2023 q FM 7 " 5 " w NM 6 SR 5 "

11à18 00Ñ00 00É00 24Ç56 13á18 00Ñ00

3rd 10th 11th 17th 23rd 28th

11.38 11:20 04:11 18:32 01:33 21:31

August 2023 q FM 09â15 1st 5 GEE 14Ñ33 10th w NM 23É17 16th 5 SR 21Ñ51 23rd 7 " 00Ö00 27th - SR 23Ä04 28th q FM 07ä25 31st

16:32 01:47 09:38 20:00 13:20 02:39 01:36

Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause, nor invention without necessity – Leonardo da Vinci (M in Ä 1452: Thoughts on Life & Art)

EPHEMERIS

MAY 2023

27

THE TIMING OF HORARY CHARTS A MYSTERY EXPLORED

28

by Eve Dembowski

Horary might be used to answer questions, but its practice raises not-so-easily answered questions about the nature of time, which takes a strange twist when considered astrologically. The basis of our technique is to examine the placement of planets from a particular place for a specific moment of importance: births; deaths; milestones; political, business or national events; the turn of seasons and the commencement of new cycles. These moments are captured in an astrological map, to be deciphered as an encoded message that speaks the language of the Cosmos. When a child is born, we expect that map to show potential, basic temperament, character, strengths, weaknesses, and more.

We use the time of birth as the crucial moment of physical incarnation, and the same principle applies to all charts cast for the moment an event occurs or an action commences. Each event holds meaning, and we know the precise moment from which to cast the chart to reveal that meaning.

But horary is an application of astrology with no precise ‘birth’ or beginning point. Identifying the ideal time and place to set the chart is an issue riddled with elements of debate and, as is the want of many astrologers, a good reason to have a robust argument. Some astrologers reject the concept of horary on the basis that there is no clearly identifiable ‘birth’ moment. Others determine the ‘birth’ of a question as being when the querent first becomes aware of that matter’s importance. However, Olivia Barclay argued that the time of judgement is when the astrologer understands the question, not when the querent conceives it. She points out that the question may have been on the querent’s mind for years before they finally commit to consulting an astrologer.1 There is something mysterious about the time an astrologer understands a question and casts a horary chart, and the moment the astrologer chooses to use may vary. Unlike other applications of astrology, where the timing of a chart is dictated by events outside the astrologer’s control, it is the astrologer who decides the moment to use for a horary. The very nature of horary challenges us to question our role and confront our relationship with time and the cosmos as a whole.

The astrologer is an active participant in the horary process and, therefore the resultant chart. This is illustrated in many of the ‘considerations before judgement’, which warn the astrologer to take care when certain factors are present in a chart. Some of these warnings are directed squarely at the astrologer, such as where William Lilly states: “Saturn in the 7th either corrupts the judgment of the astrologer, or is a sign the matter propounded will come from one misfortune to another”.2 Students of horary are understandably confused as to when, exactly, to set the chart. Is it when they first hear the question? Read it in the email? Or when the querent actually sent the email? As a general rule, we are advised to set the chart for the time and location of the astrologer, after it is received and understood. But what exactly does this mean? And if perchance one fails to set it for that exact moment, is it too late? Has the moment been lost? Is there such a thing as a wrong time in horary?

The older texts speak of setting the chart for when the querent first appears at your door or approaches you on the street with their inquiry. This seems more akin to an event or consultation chart than a horary and William Lilly disputed the validity of this: “For let us admit one comes to demand a resolution of me, and we converse together a good while; but in the end, some occasion intervenes, and we depart: I hope no sound judgement will allow of the time (when he first entered the house) to be the Radix of a question…” (p.166). Turning to the past masters, we find that there is little specifically said about the matter, although Guido Bonatti declared:

“

And when you are asked about some matter, concerning which the questioner wishes to pose a question to you, take the altitude of the Sun, if it be a diurnal question. If however it were nocturnal one, take the altitude of whichever fixed star is inscribed on the astrolabe, or with any instrument suitable to this purpose, as soon as you can, accurately, immediately, without any delay or any length of interval, once the words leave the mouth of the one asking about the matter.3

1 Olivia Barclay, Horary Astrology Rediscovered, (1997), p.28.

2 William Lilly, Christian Astrology (1647 – all remaining references to Lilly are to this book), p.123.

3 Guido Bonatti, Book of Astronomy (13th cent.; hereafter ‘Bonatti’) 6.2.2; vol. I, p.370 translated by Benjamin Dykes.

According to Bonatti, the chart should be set immediately upon the question leaving the querent’s lips. This was from a time before telephones, texting and emails, when astrologers would have been face-to-face with their clients. As there were no computers, they had to hurry in order to ‘catch’ the moment. On the face of it, Bonatti’s statement seems obvious and clear; however, on reflection, it becomes more ambiguous. What if it’s raining or it’s a cloudy night? Would they wait for the sky to clear? Then take the measurement and possibly ‘back time’ the chart somehow? What seems a clear statement becomes murkier when we think about the practical reality of ‘capturing’ such a moment.

Going back through earlier historical works, we find little is said about determining the exact moment, although the astrologer is often warned about frivolous questions or those asked with ill intent. The emphasis falls on the querent and their question being truthful and pure; only questions offered in that spirit were worthy of judgement. Again, William Lilly is clear in his warning to the student astrologer: “Judge not upon every slight motion, or without premeditation of the querent, nor upon slight and trivial questions, or when the querent hath not wit to know what he demands” (p.298).

Mostly, astrologers were told to ensure the horary chart was radical before endeavouring to make a judgement. “All the ancients that have wrote of questions, do give warning to the Astrologer, that before he delivers judgement, he should consider whether the figure is radical and capable of judgement” (p.121). A radical chart results from a radical question, one that is rooted in the heart and soul of the querent, asked with pure intention and with an open will to receive whatever truth may come. No chart stands alone; every chart connects and is born of another, in the same way that every moment in time gives birth to other moments. A radical chart can be recognised because it will accord with the specific moment and hold echoes of other significant charts – most commonly the querent’s nativity or relevant solar return.

Finding the Key Grappling with the dilemma of defining the ‘moment’ of a horary chart has led me down the rabbit hole of ancient philosophy, modern science and the mind-twisting concept of quantum physics to gain more understanding of time and, as it turns out, existence itself. Summarising how time has been conceptualised through the ages and into the modern era is simple, though not entirely satisfying. Basically, philosophers, scientists and mathematicians conclude that whatever time may be, it defies definition. The best that can said is that we all intuitively know what time is. This brings us back to the fundamental mystery of the horary chart, which astrologers set at a moment they intuitively choose, whether they are aware of it or not.

In my exploration, I came to accept that one of the keys to solving the issue of the moment of horary lies in the first of Guido Bonatti’s 146 considerations. It reads in part:

“

The 1st Consideration, on those things which move a man to pose a question (and there are three motions). The first is the motion of the soul, when someone is moved by his intention to pose a question. The second is the motion of the superior bodies, namely when someone asks what they are impressing into the quesited thing, what will come of it. The third is the motion of the free will, which can itself be an act of the one asking. Because even though the soul is moved to ask, it does not suffice unless the superior bodies lead him to pose the question; nor does the motion of the stars suffice, unless from the motion of the free will the act of asking is reached.4

Bonatti speaks of three motions needed for the asking of a thing: the first is the motion of the soul of the querent, the second is that of the superior bodies, that is, the planets and cosmos. The motion of the Soul and the Cosmos come together allowing and creating the opportunity for the truth of the matter to be revealed.

The third and final motion is that of free will; “which can itself be an act of the one asking...”. This is more ambiguous. It refers to both the will of the querent that propels the action to seek the astrologer, but it also implies references to the astrologer’s free will in receiving the question “Because even though the soul is moved to ask, it does not suffice unless the superior bodies lead him to pose the question; nor does the motion of the stars suffice, unless from the motion of the free will the act of asking is reached”.

The act of asking requires that the querent pose a question to the astrologer and that the astrologer receives that question. Without the consent of the astrologer the question remains in the mind of the querent and the potential revelation of the truth by the stars remains hidden. It is important to remember that there are three motions or three participants in this ‘act of asking’: the querent, the astrologer and the superior bodies (the cosmos). It is therefore a three-way street.

4 Bonatti, Treatise 5: ‘146 Considerations’.

29

Reception and the Act of Asking The astrologer’s receiving and understanding of the question is paramount to the horary process. To illustrate the meaning of this, let’s use the astrological analogy of planetary reception, which describes a special relationship between planets in aspect to each other. According to Sahl, reception between planets exists when:

“

…the planet is connected with another from its nobility or its house and then it has complete reception with truthful intentions.…the reception (approval, admission, acceptance) of the planets comes to be when a planet is joined to a planet from its domicile or exaltation: then it receives it with a good spirit and perfect reception.5

Reception could be said to begin as soon as an applying planet enters a sign to which the planet it is applying to has rulership or authority. But this reception only becomes active when the aspect comes into orb, and it gains strength the closer it moves to its point of perfection. The receiving planet gives its resources and strength to the planet being received. As Bonatti says: “The Moon [in ~] was being joined to the Sun by aspect, and he [the M] was receiving her from his own exaltation and was committing his own strength to her”.6 The idea is that when there is reception, the receiving planet provides protection, truthfulness, strength and a willingness to assist the received planet. In an ideal world this is as it should be in the relationship between astrologer and client. The client should be received and so provided with truth, protection from harm and assistance by the astrologer. While an aspect by sign implies that planets can ‘see’ each other, once they are within orb, they can also hear each other. Reception means that, not only do they hear, but they also understand each other, for they speak the same dialect.

So, the querent seeks out the astrologer, the astrologer ‘sees’ the querent; the querent asks his question, the astrologer hears the question; but it is only when the astrologer understands the question fully that it is received. But remember this is a three-way street: the querent applies to the astrologer; pushing their question on to them; the astrologer needs to receive the question from the querent, in order to commit their strength and knowledge to assist them; the astrologer must then apply to the Cosmos (or higher mind) and be received in order to be granted access to the wisdom and truth of celestial guidance.

In the same way that the querent must approach the astrologer and ask the question with an open heart and truthful intention, so must the astrologer approach the Cosmos. It is only after the astrologer has committed themselves without ego or preconceptions, using the study of astrology and mastery of its craft, that they can also be fully received by the Cosmos. And this brings us to the magic that is astrology; when the Cosmos receives, the astrologer is moved to set the chart. The Cosmos will adhere to the preferences of the astrologer and provide them with a radical chart that defies purely rational logic. There are no hard and fast rules about when to set the chart; or what house system to use; or which table of terms is correct; or whether we should give Mars triplicity rule over the water signs by day and night, or give Venus rule by day. All of these details will vary from astrologer to astrologer, and horary will still work well, because it is not so much about astrological technique, but the use of that technique within a relationship the astrologer has established with the Cosmos. Hence, Lilly advises:

“

Be thy humble, and let no natural knowledge, how profound and transcendent soever it be, elate they mind to neglect that divine Providence, by whose all-seeing order and appointment, all things heavenly and earthly, have their constant motion, but the more thy knowledge is enlarged, the more do thou magnify the power and wisdom of Almighty God, and strive to preserve thy self in his favour; being confident, the more holy thou art; and more near to God, the purer Judgement thou shalt give (p.xv).

The key to timing horary charts lies in commitment, respect and trust. It is about our commitment to study and practice, and the commitment we make to our clients to do no harm, but to respect and honour them and their circumstances. It is about the respect we give to ourselves and what we do. And it is about the trust that we, students of astrology, come to hold for the superior intelligence that is the Cosmos as a whole. That trust and the commitment we make is rewarded by the Cosmos, with radical charts.

It is through the relationship between astrologer and the Cosmos that the magic of horary occurs. In essence, the Cosmos chooses the moment, because when the astrologer is received, they are intuitively moved to set the chart. Thus, a horary chart is born, containing all potential truth, ready to be witnessed and revealed.

Eve Dembowski consults, teaches for the STA School of Traditional Astrology and frequently presents lectures on astrological philosophy and technique. Her blog is at astrologicalmind.wordpress.com and she can be contacted via email at eve@sta.co.

5 Sahl bin Bishr Works of Sahl and Mash’allah, 5.8 ‘Introduction’, translated by Benjamin Dykes, p.28.

6 Bonatti, III, Dykes, p.224.

30