Go To Home Page
u
Go
To Other Articles
Astrology Institute Newsletter: October 2006
Written by Joseph Crane
October 4, 2006 Contents:
Personnel
Horary/Electional Group and Consultation Times
Results of UAC Lecture Poll
"Hellenistic," "Classical," "Traditional" Astrology
Planets line up in Scorpio on October 24 Name in the News: Deval Patrick
Personnel
Sadly, as I write these words, Dorian is trying to cram as many books as she can into her luggage to take back to England with her: clothes can wait! While here this summer she's been toiling away at translating and comprehending some essays by Johann Kepler on prediction and uncovering all kinds of interesting things about the original lots (or parts). She should emerge in January just in time to give some tutorials on chart construction!
And Joseph, aside from writing these words, has an interesting teaching assignment coming up: Kepler College, the following semester. Kepler College can give BA's for studies that are oriented toward different features of astrology. This is a part-time residence college, with most meetings taking place over the internet. In other news, the book is in the revision stages and so far all goes well. I also look forward to further astrology teaching in Rhode Island and in Mass.
I am happy to say that two graduates of our program, Barbara Cappadonnaand Melanie Schlossberg, are taking the plunge into teaching astrology. Barbara is in the Eastern Mass. ex-urban Medway area, Melanie is in Houston. (Melanie is also beginning her teaching career by teaching chart construction!)
Horary/Electional Workshop October 15
On Sunday, October 1, we had the first of our two horary/electional presentations, concerning mostly work and career, along with some event charts read as horaries. We are meeting again, on Sunday October 15 at 175 Mass. Ave. in Arlington, and the topics will turn in the direction of medical issues and love and relationships. One needn't take the previous program to benefit from this coming one. As on October 1, the next day will have a lot of example charts and give everybody the chance to read them and determine outcomes in the context of a supportive group. This day program will be from 10:30 AM until about 3:30. Cost is a reasonable $60.
If you are interested, give me an e-mail here or call me at (401) 527-2035.
and my consultation times:
Those who want to work with me privately can do that over the phone or in person. If over the phone, I will send you charts by e-mail beforehand so we can look at them together. After a few mishaps, I am attempting to upgrade our recording possibilities. I am available at different times during the day and week, including evenings and weekend days, if we set them up ahead of time.
In person, one can see me in Harvard Sq. on a Wednesday during the day, or, if you are closer to Rhode Island, down in scenic Warren (no kidding). Of course I'm more flexible about times to meet when in Rhode Island.
So let me know!
Results of UAC Lecture Poll
In 2008 will be the next United Astrology Conference. I need to fill in an application for one of the speaking slots and I asked e-mailed many people asking advice on topics. I selected seven and of those seven the clear winner is "Why Traditional Rulerships and Whole Sign Houses?" This would be a lecture that many people could attend and enjoy. In second place is what I currently call "Early History of Aspects." Of notable mention were "Hellenistic Natal Analysis" and the "Hellenistic Astrology of Soul."
Which brings me to....
"Hellenistic," "Classical," "Traditional" Astrology
Some responses to the poll asked me exactly what I mean by "Hellenistic Astrology," and how does that compare with other branches of non-modern astrology? I will attempt to clarify:
"Hellenistic astrology" refers to that astrology which formed after Alexander of Macedon conquered much of the civilized world east of Greece. This produced a cultural synthesis of Egyptian, Persian, Mesopotamian, and Greek factors. Natal astrology came out of this synthesis. Usually the "Hellenistic" era refers to the time between the time of Alexander and the Roman hegemony 150-200 years later. However, even under Roman rule the culture from the Middle East to Britain was Hellenistic. This culture gave the first flowering of astrology, most of whose basic texts were written in Greek. This era didn't actually end for several hundred years after the fall of Rome,where it could be found in the Byzantine Empire. Hellenistic astrology has bequeathed to us many of the basics of astrology as we know them. Additionally, Hellenistic astrology uses whole sign houses, aspects between signs, planetary sect, and planetary rulers for prediction.
"Classical astrology" includes Hellenistic material but also extends through the medieval era, culminating in the astrology of William Lilly and others of seventeenth century England. This is a very large field, needless to say. Technically, the word "classical" refers to eras characterized by simplicity and elegance of form, as was fifth century Greece and eighteenth century Europe, the latter of which was a reaction to the opulence and popular inaccessibility of the previous Baroque era. I mention this because much "classical" astrology is quite "Baroque" and, if you want genuinely "classical" astrology, you would go to Morinus of the seventeenth century and Partridge of the turn of the eighteenth -- they pared down astrological technique and tried to "rationalize" them. "Classical" astrology is therefore more like "classical" music, which spans over five centuries and is hard to pin down.
"Traditional" astrology can have the same range as "classical" astrology. That would be fine, except many psychological and humanistic astrologers of the last century, especially Dane Rudhyar, used "traditional" to refer to event-oriented predictive astrology. Of course this continues to be practiced to this day.
Planetary Lineup in Scorpio
Here it is! It is truly wonderful to behold.
Note that Sun, Mars, and Venus are all in the first degree of Scorpio.You will notice that Venus just entered Scorpio. Moon, because it moves 12-13 degrees a day, has less than a half-day left before it moves to Sagittarius. In a natal chart, this makes for intense transits!
If you have much planetary artillery in Scorpio, this may provide a temporary but intense time for you. Please let me know if this becomes the case for you.
In a mundane reading, I would note that Saturn is in exact square to Mercury and Jupiter at 23 Leo and Scorpio, and has a separating square to Moon at 25 degrees. The second house is that of a nation's funds. Although we all appreciate the lower price of gas and those investors among us also appreciate the NY stock market hitting record highs, there may be something else coming down the pike near the end of October. Saturn in the eleventh may represent difficulties with or in Congress, as the eleventh house can signify legislatures. As if the Republicans in government don't currently have enough problems!
Name in the News: Deval Patrick
With so many people on this mailing list from Massachusetts, and with quite a few with "Deval Patrick for Governor" bumperstickers or lawn signs and at least one who works for his campaign, it seems that a look at Deval Patrick's natal chart would be appropriate and timely. In today's Washington Post, David Broder has a column about Deval Patrick entitled "New Star Among the Democrats." You can read this column by selecting
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100401540_pf.html
His birth data was supplied in the last Memberletter from Boston NCGR, supplied by Deval Patrick to Joyce Levine.
His biography is interesting. He grew up in poverty in Chicago's South Side, and received scholarships to go to Milton Academy and then Harvard, His career, primarily in legal work, has led to a wide variety of jobs, from working for the UN, as Clinton's Civil Rights person, as a private attorney, and working for Coca-Cola. A few years ago he moved to Massachusetts and then began a career as a political candidate.
I would have liked to compare his chart with that of Kerry Healey, who is his opponent in the governor's race, but I don't have her data, and Patrick's poll numbers at this writing show that he is dominating the campaign.
Here is his natal chart.
(Please note that this is a whole sign house system: this means that Venus is not conjunct his Ascendant but in the twelfth house!)
Here we see a difficulty with just identifying somebody by his Sun sign. Although Patrick has Sun in Leo and his charismatic style does fit in nicely with Leo, he does not grandstand but rather acts in an unassuming way. Here I note that Patrick has no visible planets in the all-important angular houses -- the first (Cancer), fourth (Libra), seventh (Capricorn), and tenth (Aries). The deficit is somebody who not very well defined; the strength is that he could fit into a number of different roles. Patrick's prior successes in both the public and private sectors, and his strong showing in his first political campaign, show an ability to fit into different situations. This may also mean that, if elected governor, his positions and actions may be difficult to predict.
Moon, lord of his Ascendant, is exalted in Taurus and in planetary sect in this night chart. Moon is in the strong eleventh house and is also in a favorable sextile aspect to the Ascendant. Moon is thus a very positive feature of his chart, bringing focus, practicality, and, with its application to Mercury, verbal finesse. (Adding to the importance of his Moon is that Patrick's Lot of Eros and Necessity are also in Taurus, using the Paulus formula for these lots.)
That Moon and Mercury are both in fixed signs gives determination but also more than a bit of stubbornness. In a difficult situation, he could become rigid and intractable.
What is Saturn doing? It is out of sect and in square to Mercury and Pluto. This can be quite difficult, bringing a narrowness and intransigence, or quite positive, bringing discipline and even more focus.
Venus is in the twelfth sign from the Ascendant but also the ninth from the Lot of Fortune. That, in addition to the influence of Venus' ruler Mercury, helps rescue Venus from the twelfth house blues. Jupiter, however, is not in great condition, being in detriment in Virgo, rising behind the Sun, and in a so-so third house. One has to look to another planet as pivotal for him:
Mars is important for a number of important reasons. It is also in sect in his nocturnal chart and is in its own triplicity in the water sign Pisces. Additionally Mars is the lord of Patrick's Lot of Spirit, which gives indications about his ability to make decisions and be independent. Mars then indicates a strong drive and desire to succeed; in the ninth house, Mars may indeed have a visionary quality. Mars is also tied to the fixed star Rigel of the constellation Orion, which gives both an independent and innovative. (Although one is justly skeptical of a chart seemingly rounded off to the hour, Rigel also makes a strong appearance co-rising with his Ascendant.)
What do his predictive indicators look like?
His transits give not much of an indication of past success: he dominated the state democratic convention when Saturn was squaring his Moon! Happily for him and his supporters, on election day Jupiter is in exact conjunction to his Saturn.
In addition to transits, one can use profections to get indications about a given year. In short, Patrick is in his 51st year and the next lower multiple of 12 is 48 -- everything advances to three signs from its natal position. His Ascendant in Cancer advances to Virgo, wherein lies Jupiter -- this gives the great benefic prominence for his general situation this year. Venus in Gemini advances to Leo, wherein we find his Sun and Mercury. In spite of Venus being in the twelfth, she has enough strength to account for Patrick's his strong personal appeal -- this year. Jupiter itself advances to Saturn, which helps Saturn quite a bit, especially as Jupiter has been transiting Saturn's sign during this time.
Below is his progressed chart. On the chart below, "Naibod Secondary" refers to the progressions along the zodiac ("secondary") and an mean progression of the Midheaven ("Naibod")
Two things strike me. He is in the middle of a longopposition by secondary progression between Mars and Jupiter, as they have been opposing each other. Mars is the stronger planet here, as it is in Patrick's natal chart. Indeed this may have helped launch his political career in the first place and this configuration will be with him for some time into the future. Secondly, Patrick is approaching a progressed Full Moon: this should occur next spring. Indeed being governor may be the culmination of his career, yet the progressed Full Moon may also launch him into a new direction. If he does become elected governor, we will all have to see how his progressed Full Moon may manifest publicly.
(For those of you who use solar arc directions, one would note thatin April, 2006his solar arc Ascendant was conjunct his Sun, which would bring his campaign into strong public focus.)
Here is his solar return for this present year.
This is a complex chart. We see that Sun and Saturn are in the first, as it is the same sign as the Ascendant. That would be more difficult except that the Sun is in application to Jupiter which is in fairly good position in the fourth. Please note Venus and Mercury in Cancer in the twelfth house. This would be very difficult, except that these planets are also oriental, rising before the Sun. In fact, Hellenistic astrologers would call Venus and Mercury spear bearers for the Sun, whose function is to exalt the condition of the Sun itself, which is already in the first and in its own sign Leo. (This gives particular advantage to Mercury, which is in sect in this diurnal chart.) This becomes more critical as there is a mutual reception between Moon and Venus (Venus in Cancer is in the Moon's sign; Moon in Libra is in Venus' sign.) and that the Moon applies to Mercury. This is a year in which Deval Patrick's eloquence and personal magnetism is particularly available to him and obvious to others.
I close this with a quick look at a Hellenistic planetary lord system called decennials. In this system a planet its the general lord for a long time, about 10 years and 9 months each, and a specific lord for the number of months that is assigned to the specific planet. Moon has the longest number of months in this -- any many other -- systems: 25 months. During the time in which Deval Patrick moved to Massachusetts, Jupiter/Moon were his decennials. In September, 2005, it became Jupiter/Venus. That would last only eight months, to be replaced by Jupiter/Sun, the combination that most lends itself to leaping onto a public stage. This will last until late 2007, when Mercury replaces Sun. Chances are we will know him very well by then!
We end for now: next newsletter will happen with leaves on the ground and much more night in our day.
Joseph