I hope today finds you well. You may note from the title that there are Mars and Mars-like occasions to comment upon. But first we can discuss happier matters.
Program Offerings 2008
January
Astrological Society of ConnecticutWethersfield, Cr. January 17 Evening talk: Dante's Divine Cosmos
January 19: Saturday workshop --"The Nuts and Bolts of Hellenistic Astrology"For further description or to register, here is their web page:http://www.myasc.org/program.htm
February -- Texas Retreat (see below)
Note: Registrations close on November 17! If you would like to register or have questionabout registering, contact Melanie Schlossberg at the e-mail or phone number below.
Winter, 2008 -- Eastern Massachusetts
Although many of astrology's concerns have been around for thousands of years, our moderntendency to relocate is a more recent occurrence. In this workshop, we will look at the theoryand the results of contemporary methods for symbolizing the space one inhabits. We will lookat astrological mapping and local space astrology, their theory and their practice. This programwill give additional insights into why different locations bring out different features of ourselves,and how to astrologically account for this.
(For people who are convinced that I no longer do modern astrology, here is my answer!)
One day workshop -- time and location to be determined.
Spring, 2008: Eastern Massachusetts
(Depending on interest, this program may occur over many weekday evenings or a fewSaturday afternoons.)
This program uses eight birth charts of notable nativities and compares different styles ofexamining their charts. We will bring in some Hellenistic features but add those from themedieval era as well as modern uses of planetary evaluation, chart configurations, harmonicsand midpoints. Emphasis is on helping participants come up with their own style of nataldelineation.
Summer, 2008 -- Eastern Massachusetts
Following up on a summer program from a few years ago, we will further investigatespiritual astrology adapted from Platonism. We will look at spiritual astrological issues from theHermetic and Neoplatonic texts, its versions by Dante during the medieval era and Ficino in theRenaissance, and an important modern adaptation. Emphasis is on practical application ofprinciples to the astrologer's craft and client's life.
This program brings together the best astrology teachers to conduct intensives on specificeras and fields of astrology. Both Dorian Greenbaum and Joseph Crane are teaching during theHellenistic astrology day.
Further information on this conference will be available in future newsletters.
...Now onto Mars and Mars-like phenomena...
Mars goes retrograde this week. Below is a chart of when Mars stops in the sky to to retrograde.You might notice from the chart that if, in your mind's eye you place Sun on the Ascendant, Marswould be seen angled on the western horizon. In relationship to the Sun, the planet Mars is oriental -at some time at night, Mars would be seen on the eastern horizon.
As Mars appears to go retrograde in the zodiac, and as Mars continues to separate from the Sunmoving toward the opposition, Mars can be seen to slightly more westward before Sunrise.
You may notice that Mars' station is at 12 Cancer: it's probably that this becomes an important (andthankfully, transitory) transit if it aspects your natal positions at 12 degrees of the cardinal signs Cancerand Capricorn, Aries and Libra.
Below is the opposition between Mars and Sun: at this time when the Sun rises Mars sets; . One can call the opposition the acronycal rising of Mars.
One could say that the Mars opposition is like the Full Moon --the planet is then at its brightest.This is because, from the Earth's perspective, the planet catches the most of the Sun's light.
What is wonderful is that this Mars opposition will occur while Mars is keeping company with thewinter constellations Orion and Gemini. This should make for some beautiful evening skies, especiallyon Christmas Eve.
After its opposition to the Sun, Mars's visibility conditions change: during this occidental phase, Mars climbs the eastern skies at sunset. This happens as Mars is no becoming closer to the Sun afterthe opposition. Actually, the Sun, the faster planet, begins to catch up to Mars.
Below is the chart for the Mars station.
Now that Mars is on the other side of the Sun from the opposition, one would think the nextconjunction of Sun and Mars would come fairly quickly. This is not so, because past the direct station, Mars increases its daily speed and the Sun will take far longer to catch up the Mars. Indeed theconjunction does not occur until eleven months later --on December 5. Now for something completely different.Actually, not very different.
The fixed star Antares, also known as the Heart of the Scorpion, is 09 Sagittarius 52. It's fairlyclose to the ecliptic, so we can get a sense of where it is in the sky by its position in the zodiac.
If you're interested, Antares is listed as the nature of Mars and Jupiter --with emphasis on theMars. This is a red-colored fiery aggressive influence.This summer after sunset one could see Antares high in the sky keeping company with Jupiter. Assummer came to a close, Antares would appear further in the west at the same time in the earlyevening. Now, being only twenty degrees away from the Sun, Antares is a faint speck in the westernsky after sunset.
At this point Antares will set into the Sun, commencing a period of invisibility for the star. On December 6, with the Sun near Antares' zodiacal position, the star and Sun will be conjunct. Ptolemycalls this event "true" heliacal rising, although the star is impossible to see at this time. BeginningDecember 21, one will be able to see Antares once again, the "apparent" heliacal rising of the star. This is because the Sun has moved sufficiently away from the star, and the star now appears as a faintspeck in the eastern sky before sunrise, and will gradually become brighter as the Sun gains distance.
Importantly, this happens at the same time every year.
Last month's newsletter featured H. Clinton's birth chart for 8 AM --there are two birth times given for her, separated by 12 hours.
Clearly it is important to get this one right!
Last month I made a case that the AM birth time, giving her a Scorpio Ascendant and manyplanets in Leo in the Tenth, is quite plausible. You can find the article about this chart in last month'snewsletter or on our web site astrologyinstitute.com
However, the PM birth time is also plausible. The birth chart alone gives us an Ascendant closeto Uranus, which could signify a unique or disruptive individual. The Moon is stronger being in exactsquare to her Ascendant from her Tenth house: one here sees her interest in children's issues. Ingeneral the PM chart shows a more sensitive and less commandeering individual than the AM chart.
December Newsletter -- more on the winter sky and a new astrological profile.