by Milky Way Maid
This year, Valentine's Day features a very romantic Moon-Venus conjunction in dreamy Pisces, with Jupiter very close by. The Moon-Venus conjunction is exact at 2:56 pm central time, according to my software. Jupiter tempts all of you to spend a great deal more than you can really afford, so be cautious in planning this event. Really, cheese and a bottle of wine on a living-room picnic blanket is just as romantic as a very expensive splurge at a four-star restaurant. Find some romantic film on DVD and you are all set.
The Moon-Venus conjunction is inconjunct Mars in Leo on one side, and Saturn in Libra on the other side. This forms a Yod. Those who are unattached may walk out somewhere and meet someone who is just fated to meet them. Don't fight it, love can happen in one glance, at first sight, and last till the day you die. It does happen like that sometimes. Mars is sexy, and Saturn is well, restrained. The inconjuncts mean that one has to control feelings of jealousy and anger, refrain from critical comments, deal with emotional insecurity and tight budgets, deal with the seesaw of love-hate emotions, and most of all balance their ambitions with their human need to connect with a genuine human being. Be very tender and gentle with each other this day if you are to navigate all the shoals in this emotional sea.
The Sun is conjunct wishful Neptune at 26 degrees Aquarius that day. This is one reason I suggest the movie night. Neptune is wishing and hoping that all the bad news would just go away, and I guess for one night you can just push the headlines out of sight. But PLEASE do not load up the credit card with charges just for this one occasion because you cannot count on the economy improving in the immediate future.
Most directly affected by the Yod are the signs Pisces, Leo and Libra. Those with Scorpio ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their romantic fifth house. Those with Virgo ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their seventh house of partners. But anyone with any of those signs on their ascendant, midheaven, or fifth or seventh houses will likely feel the fated effect of this Yod. And I am not saying that it will necessarily be a fun or be an obviously romantic first meeting, a' la Hollywood films. You will have to overcome a lot of emotional obstacles in order to connect on the soul level, but it will be worth it.
Aries: Aries, like all the cardinal signs, are very stressed right now. I am sure they wish they could afford to splurge more on this occasion. That's all right, it is better to figure out what to do this evening on the spur of the moment. Maybe there is a sliver of a New Moon showing, and you can drive out somewhere in the country to get a better view of the crescent with Venus and Jupiter nearby. That's very romantic. Mars is in Aries' fifth house so he is either interested in something athletic or something very sexy.
Taurus: Taurus has practical earth sign Virgo in its fifth house. A homemade dinner is probably your best bet, since Taurus is generally a very good cook. Second choice is a dinner at some restaurant with a brick oven, a natural foods menu, or pristine white tablecloths. The place should also have soft music, possibly played by a classical trio or quartet. Words are just as important as good food here. Taurus rules music, so reciting the lyrics of meaningful songs can be a very romantic turn-on for him or her. Alternatively, a concert or dancing may substitute or supplement the night out.
Gemini: Geez, Gemmy, having Saturn in your fifth house sure sounds like a drag. Well, how can we turn that into a plus? Wandering through antique shops would fit the bill, and can be quite romantic, too. Especially if you luck onto a nice settee for two, or a tin print of a loving couple. Saturn can also be satisfied by sticking to the classics, such as by attending a symphony concert or a ballet dress rehearsal. Roaming through the local art museum can be fun, too.
Cancer: Cancerians are very stressed right now, as are all the cardinal signs. Please go out of your way to treat them to something they really enjoy. You may spend the evening at home, where they are most comfortable, or at a fave local restaurant (a seafood place?) that is very homey, with white tablecloths and generous portions. Cuddling on a couch afterwards in front of a romantic movie with candles is just about a foregone conclusion. Cuddling is important, holding hands is important. Feeling cherished is important. Being able to reminisce over the time that you first met, helps.
Leo: Leo loves to make a splash and a big occasion like Valentine's Day is no exception. He may buy you the biggest bottle of perfume rather than the most expensive, but it is the thought that counts. And certainly he will take you to the best restaurant in town, and splurge on the lobster or some other extravagance. Don't complain about the cost; don't look at the prices or you might faint. DO NOT spoil his fun by complaining about the expense! Do wear your nicest outfit and some discreet diamonds, and just have fun enjoying the evening. You are worth every penny to him, so live up to his high regard for you.
Virgo: Now Virgo, on the other hand, does not believe in ostentation. A healthy dinner at home is probably their first choice. He or she may even wish to spend part of the evening in a service capacity at a nursing home or shelter. Fine, humor him/her. Then go out for dancing or a swim or reading romantic poetry to each other. Yum. “Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine,” and so forth. Words are their first aphrodisiac, so fill up. Virgoes have Pluto in their fifth house, which lends itself to discussions of how the human race will continue to evolve on the ascending spiral (see Hawthorne for that theme).
Libra: Libra may be the most depressed and stressed sign in the zodiac right now, so be gentle with him or her. A few flowers will help, even if they are not roses. A single perfect orchid can be the perfect gift right now. Quantity in anything is less preferred than perfection in the one single orchid or dinner or bottle of wine. If you can swing going somewhere that has perfect sunsets, then go. By all means, go. Tell him or her that he/she is like the gold that is being tempered by fire, and becoming ever more perfect and pure. Libra has Mercury and the Sun-Neptune conjunction in their fifth house, lending itself to conversation and also to watching romantic movies.
Scorpio: Scorpio has the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in its fifth house. Wow, what an embarrassment of riches. You may go to a casino night and win big, or just enjoy your family together. It is very, very lucky so make a stop to pick out a lottery ticket or something. Venus rules music and gems as well as love, so if you are ready to pop the question and present an engagement ring, there is no better time to do so. Go all out, Scorpio, because you never, ever do things by halves.
Sagittarius: Early Sag natives will have the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in their solar fourth house of home, so home in front of the fireplace is definitely the place for them on this occasion. They love stoking the fire, or cooking over a grill. Even toasting a few marshmallows will fill the need for a flame somewhere. Have lots of candles lit at the dinner table. If you are in a warm clime, sitting out on a patio with a glowing Mexican clay stove for warmth can be very romantic, too.
Capricorn: Capricorn is under a great deal of stress right now and may believe that they are better off alone. Silly boy! It can be hard to get under Cappy's shell but they can be pure mush inside. Soften them up with gentle touches, recognize their moods and feelings, and they may be eating out of your hands, well not quickly, but eventually. Stick up for love, because they are too prone to get hard and cynical about it in this crazy mixed-up, pragmatic world. Do not admit to ever being on unemployment, and account for periods when you did not work with projects like writing a book or volunteering for the Peace Corps. Respect family, especially family history, so be up on your own family tree; entertain him with stories about great-great-grandpa who came to this country in steerage and started a business.
Aquarius: Aquarians have gotten this image that they are so completely cerebral, but this is not true. OK, they may not get all moon-eyed over romantic stuff, but that does not mean they are not sentimental. Give him or her the goopiest card you can find, NOT the joke card or the funny card. Trust me on this. Buy him or her some candy, and as you hand it over, say “Sweets for the sweet.” Corny, yes, but they will be pleased.
Pisces: Pisces does not care how much you spend on special occasions like Valentine's Day or birthdays, but she sure does want you to care enough to make that day special. Even if you can only afford to have a picnic, or go to that old hot dog stand you frequented when you first dated, it will mean so much to her that you remembered the day. Buy a card, and maybe a single flower if you cannot afford a bouquet of roses, and tell her you wish you could give her a hundred more. Watch out for the fact that Jupiter in Pisces will make her prone to overspend; good for movie night, tho, so find a nice romantic flick.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
January 15, 2010 A Very Eventful Day in Astrology: Mercury Direct and a Solar Eclipse with Venus
by Milky Way Maid
I had to send out this bulletin because I hardly touched on the Annular Solar Eclipse of Jan. 15 in my regular weekly column. This will serve as the “What Will 2010 Bring to You?” article that I promised at the end of 2009. Not only does it kick off the first month of the new year and new decade, the eclipse is conjunct Venus, and the day also sees Mercury go direct. Talk about multi-tasking! There are portents affecting love, business (especially Big Business), government, transit, mail and email and all the other communications and tele-communications that tie our world together, and probably all the transfers of money that go on every second from one bank on one side of the world to another bank on the opposite side of the world. This is reiterated by the fact that the chart has Capricorn straddling the second and third houses in a chart set for Washington DC or even for a midwest location.
The eclipse is at 25 degrees 2 minutes CAPRICORN. It is the longest annular eclipse to occur this century with a duration of 11 minutes 08 seconds. The eclipse point is at one degree Capricorn, in the Vedic or sidereal system. The eclipse will begin at 05:14 Universal Time (UT) and end at 08:59 UT. This is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and by some rules of thumb, that means that this eclipse's immediate effects will last nearly three months; its long-term effects may last nearly three years. And because Capricorn is a cardinal sign, you may actually start having 'events' in your life as much as six weeks ahead of the eclipse.
Those with planets conjunct the eclipse may feel a 'stop' signal in their lives. They may get a message from the Universe that they are not on the right track to getting what it is they want, or rather what is the best thing for them. Capricorn, as a very practical sign anyway, and at 25 degrees it is a very practical, here-and-now phase of that or any sign, and the conclusion I make is that this eclipse carries messages about what is actually working or going to work for you -- not what you wish would work, or what ought to work according to some textbook.
BTW according to another astrologer, the ascendant of the Federal Reserve is 24 degrees Capricorn. So we ought to keep an eye on any hints in the news about whether the role of this institution is in for a shakeup or alteration in any way. Has having a Federal Reserve actually worked for the United States?? Are we better off with it or without it? Those are questions that require a hard look and honest answers.
Much is being made of the fact that this eclipse contacts President Obama's Saturn exactly, which is positioned in the twelfth house. It is also widely conjunct his Jupiter a zero degrees Aquarius. In addition, the eclipse also contacts the 26 Capricorn Midheaven of the Jan. 2009 inauguration chart. He may have to deliver some bad-tasting medicine, you might say, to the American public. He may have to make some hard choices that he wished he did not have to make. And he may have to come clean about some sweetheart deals to Big Business or Big Banks in last year's bailout bills. These are all going to bring him down to the level of mere mortals instead of Chosen Ones, but hey, we are being called to deal with practical realities not textbook examples by this eclipse in practical Capricorn.
Mercury, which goes direct the same day, is conjunct Pluto in the second house and square Saturn in the eleventh house. Delays and misunderstandings may rule the day, so postpone signing contracts or holding important meetings or speeches. We are not saying you should stay home and hide under your blanket, but be aware this is a better day for bringing up matters for clarification rather than uttering final pronouncements.
And many of those matters will certainly be related to money and/or love, since Venus is standing at the side of the Sun-Moon wedding. Let you and your honey have a real heart-to-heart over what is really important to both of you. It is much more important, for example, to have a low-key date every week (say, at the local soda shop over a nice ice cream sundae) rather than a big, expensive vacation once a year. And maybe if you are able to meet each other at the soul level, all those other mis-communications will resolve themselves.
Readers may go to http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ to view a nice animation of the eclipse path as it begins over the Congo basin of Africa, progresses to Nairobi, crosses the Indian Ocean to touch the southern tip of India, then goes on to Mandalay and China.
What does an eclipse in Capricorn and conjunct Venus portend? Most of the answer to that question will come from your natal chart and which house is affected, and whether there are any natal planets affected by conjunction or other aspects.
ARIES: The eclipse falls in your solar tenth house of career and reputation. Venus high in your chart certainly gives you a very good chance at earning more cash this year. The North Node is also very near the eclipse, and promises that the events that transpire in 2010 will be favorable to your soul development. Mercury and Pluto in your solar ninth house are incredibly favorable for publishing or telecom ventures. Do you have a book project in the works? This is a good year to promote your book using the internet, social media, word-of-mouth campaigns, and other mass communication media.
TAURUS: The eclipse falls in your solar ninth house of travel, college, publishing and law. Where have you failed to follow through on any of these issues? With Venus conjunct the eclipse, love or cash are somehow tied in with these areas. Do you have a book project? You may finally find a publisher who extends a handsome advance. Prospective college students may locate loans and grants. Legal cases may finally come to a conclusion where you are awarded a just sum in compensation. But you did not have the right information or contact info until now, and so you can finally move forward on commissioning the right attorney, writers' agent, or whatever to represent you in your ventures.
GEMINI: The eclipse falls in your solar eighth house of wills, estates, insurance, taxes, loans and debt. Geminis will have a great opportunity to clear their financial decks of the burden of debt. If you are deeply in debt, get the proper help you need and listen, it should not cost you anything. Look up your state online, and there will be state offices with a list of bona-fide counselors to help you learn to manage your finances. Go online also to find info on what you need to know in order to contest an insurance denial, or refile your taxes, or any of a million things related to these financial issues. The eighth house also covers generational matters, which means that families may see a new addition, elders may come to live with an adult child, and adult children may come boomeranging back to their parents' home.
CANCER: The eclipse falls in your solar seventh house of partnerships and marriage. You will have cleared up the communications difficulties with your prospective partner, and can now move forward with drawing up contracts specifying your division of responsibilities. You may have been stymied in finding a counselor or other help in ironing out any difficulties in your marriage, but now you finally locate a book, counselor, or program that works for you. You might look up the book, “The 5 Love Languages”, which is probably available at your library.
LEO: The eclipse falls in your solar sixth house of health and occupation, as well as hobbies. Here again, one's hobby or avocation may become a second source of income for you, if you are able to figure out how to communicate your skills to the public. Learning a few marketing skills would benefit you now. Perhaps you can share ad space with a related service company, or simply put an ad on Craigslist like everyone else. Guard your health, and control your intake of sweets (Venus rules sugar). You can greatly improve your health over the year to come if you are diligent about taking painless baby steps to improve your diet and exercise regimen.
VIRGO: The eclipse falls in your solar fifth house of children, sports and risk-taking. Venus smiles on you for 2010 if you are hazarding the stock market or other investments, or if you gamble on sports events, or take other calculated risks. Be very careful that you understand the game, tho. Venus may bring another child into the family, or at least a house guest who is quite charming and attractive. If you have been trying to conceive or adopt, you should finally find out what agency or clinic can be of the most help to you in achieving your goal. Virgo athletes may win scholarships.
LIBRA: The eclipse falls in your solar fourth house of house and family. Perhaps you finally manage to get your home loan adjusted in the mortgage relief program signed by Pres. Obama. Your home is very, very important to you Librans, and you have fought tooth and nail to save it all through this horrible mortgage crisis. Now at last some light shines at the end of the tunnel. You find out what info was missing from prior applications for relief, and your request sails through. Family matters brighten, and you are able to express the love that you really feel for one another. Perhaps you are able to live in some kind of extended family arrangement, possibly with one family living upstairs and one downstairs.
SCORPIO: The eclipse falls in your solar third house of siblings, neighbors, local schools, automobiles and transit, and your own community. You may be able to mend fences with estranged siblings (or with problem neighbors), and finally express the love that you feel for each other. Repairing and opening the lines of communication will be paramount in the following months and long-term.
SAGITTARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar second house of money and personal resources. This does not promise lottery wins, Sag, this is just a promising indicator that your efforts at work will continue to be recognized and compensated accordingly. But it also could indicate a change in jobs, with the new job paying more than your present position. Make sure you understand all the details of the compensation package, because employers are not throwing money at employees for nothing. Check out the manager's or president's record with the company or prior companies.
CAPRICORN: The eclipse falls in your solar first house of self and appearance. This eclipse affects you the most personally, not just in your material needs but also your innermost emotional needs for love and affection and acceptance. Capricorn often is treated as Mr. Mealticket because they are quite good at making money, but they really need to know that they are loved for themselves as well as for how well they provide for their wives and families. I think that this eclipse will bring you a special someone who does love you for yourself, although the communication part of the relationship may well need ironing out first.
AQUARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar twelfth house of privacy and retreat and hospitals. This eclipse may bring you an opportunity to withdraw and concentrate on developing a special talent or project. Writers may finally get the chance to attend a writers workshop or retreat, or musicians may get invited to a Chautauqua music camp. And if any of you have unfortunate drug habits that you wish to be rid of, then a stay at a progressive detox facility may help you to finally shake off a self-destructive lifestyle.
PISCES: The eclipse falls in your solar eleventh house of hopes and wishes, as well as friends, groups and social and charitable organizations. You may join a charitable organization or one that provides grants or special events such as Make-A-Wish. OR you and your significant other may join a club together, hoping that the shared experiences will help keep you together.
In addition you may try looking at which house is touched by this eclipse in your NATAL chart. Use the list that follows here. My thanks to Kaye Shinker for this list.
1.The appearance you present to the world -- personality/persona, image, appearance.
2. The income you acquire one dollar at a time
3. The vehicles in your life, siblings and neighbors, community, local schools, how-to.
4. The home, your house, where you start and finish your day. Family matters too.
5. Entertainment and your ability to take a risk; children, games and sports, stock market.
6. The actual work you accomplish; hobbies, health.
7. Your partnerships: business, and otherwise
8. Insurance and taxes, loans, debts.
9. Travel and higher education
10. Career, reputation, honors and rank.
11. Earnings and dividends resulting from career; friends, charities, organizations, all groups
12. Chronic problems, enemies, retreats, hospitals.
Then, one may take note of which planets are near or are aspecting the eclipse point. If the eclipse contacts your Sun, you may experience a milestone and find new ways to make money. Your work increases your income, and you find intelligent ways to set aside the extra money you have earned. If the eclipse contacts the Moon, you may take great risks with your money, and it may actually pay off. Income can be volatile. And the biggest impact on your life is that you may move to a new home.
Eclipses that contact Mercury improve your chances for success in schooling and other intellectually demanding programs. You may be in transit a lot, either driving on the road or piling up the frequent-flyer miles. Eclipses that contact Venus improve your chances of winning money, prizes, and other bonuses during the years following the eclipse. Business partnerships formed now can be very successful, and you enjoy the pleasures that money can bring you. Eclipses that contact your Mars may bring a desire to take risks, so be careful. It is great for buckling down to outline your goals and taking steps to achieve them!
Eclipses that contact Jupiter increase your income and returns on investments, but also you may decide to spend on capital improvements, hopefully ones that will increase your income in years to come. Eclipses that contact Saturn help you learn to drive a good bargain, and thrift becomes an ingrained habit. There is nothing wrong with buying on sale, after all. You tally up your accounts and analyze where your best profits are coming from.
Eclipses that contact Uranus may bring sudden opportunities in whatever house is affected. It may be a business or travel opportunity, for example, but it may carry some risk which you need to research how to manage successfully. But it will probably be worth taking that risk.
Eclipses that contact Neptune revitalizes your creativity; your avocation may become your vocation. Your hobby may become your business if you can finally figure out how to present it to the paying public. Eclipses that contact Pluto serve to close a chapter of your life. Maybe you need to scale down possessions in order to move into a smaller place; Pluto will give you the strength to consign items to the trash or the Goodwill box. You may have a household or a business where you have to prune the payroll; Pluto will give your the strength to make these hard decisions.
And a final note: If you have a relationship that is troubled, or that you wish to resume, you might try the 40-day prayer. It is a very simple ritual that requires only that you repeat the following words at least once a day: “(name of other person), I am praying to you. Thank you, (name) for everything you have done for me. I am sorry for anything I have done to you.” Many stories of reunions or phone calls out of the blue could be related here.
I had to send out this bulletin because I hardly touched on the Annular Solar Eclipse of Jan. 15 in my regular weekly column. This will serve as the “What Will 2010 Bring to You?” article that I promised at the end of 2009. Not only does it kick off the first month of the new year and new decade, the eclipse is conjunct Venus, and the day also sees Mercury go direct. Talk about multi-tasking! There are portents affecting love, business (especially Big Business), government, transit, mail and email and all the other communications and tele-communications that tie our world together, and probably all the transfers of money that go on every second from one bank on one side of the world to another bank on the opposite side of the world. This is reiterated by the fact that the chart has Capricorn straddling the second and third houses in a chart set for Washington DC or even for a midwest location.
The eclipse is at 25 degrees 2 minutes CAPRICORN. It is the longest annular eclipse to occur this century with a duration of 11 minutes 08 seconds. The eclipse point is at one degree Capricorn, in the Vedic or sidereal system. The eclipse will begin at 05:14 Universal Time (UT) and end at 08:59 UT. This is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and by some rules of thumb, that means that this eclipse's immediate effects will last nearly three months; its long-term effects may last nearly three years. And because Capricorn is a cardinal sign, you may actually start having 'events' in your life as much as six weeks ahead of the eclipse.
Those with planets conjunct the eclipse may feel a 'stop' signal in their lives. They may get a message from the Universe that they are not on the right track to getting what it is they want, or rather what is the best thing for them. Capricorn, as a very practical sign anyway, and at 25 degrees it is a very practical, here-and-now phase of that or any sign, and the conclusion I make is that this eclipse carries messages about what is actually working or going to work for you -- not what you wish would work, or what ought to work according to some textbook.
BTW according to another astrologer, the ascendant of the Federal Reserve is 24 degrees Capricorn. So we ought to keep an eye on any hints in the news about whether the role of this institution is in for a shakeup or alteration in any way. Has having a Federal Reserve actually worked for the United States?? Are we better off with it or without it? Those are questions that require a hard look and honest answers.
Much is being made of the fact that this eclipse contacts President Obama's Saturn exactly, which is positioned in the twelfth house. It is also widely conjunct his Jupiter a zero degrees Aquarius. In addition, the eclipse also contacts the 26 Capricorn Midheaven of the Jan. 2009 inauguration chart. He may have to deliver some bad-tasting medicine, you might say, to the American public. He may have to make some hard choices that he wished he did not have to make. And he may have to come clean about some sweetheart deals to Big Business or Big Banks in last year's bailout bills. These are all going to bring him down to the level of mere mortals instead of Chosen Ones, but hey, we are being called to deal with practical realities not textbook examples by this eclipse in practical Capricorn.
Mercury, which goes direct the same day, is conjunct Pluto in the second house and square Saturn in the eleventh house. Delays and misunderstandings may rule the day, so postpone signing contracts or holding important meetings or speeches. We are not saying you should stay home and hide under your blanket, but be aware this is a better day for bringing up matters for clarification rather than uttering final pronouncements.
And many of those matters will certainly be related to money and/or love, since Venus is standing at the side of the Sun-Moon wedding. Let you and your honey have a real heart-to-heart over what is really important to both of you. It is much more important, for example, to have a low-key date every week (say, at the local soda shop over a nice ice cream sundae) rather than a big, expensive vacation once a year. And maybe if you are able to meet each other at the soul level, all those other mis-communications will resolve themselves.
Readers may go to http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ to view a nice animation of the eclipse path as it begins over the Congo basin of Africa, progresses to Nairobi, crosses the Indian Ocean to touch the southern tip of India, then goes on to Mandalay and China.
What does an eclipse in Capricorn and conjunct Venus portend? Most of the answer to that question will come from your natal chart and which house is affected, and whether there are any natal planets affected by conjunction or other aspects.
ARIES: The eclipse falls in your solar tenth house of career and reputation. Venus high in your chart certainly gives you a very good chance at earning more cash this year. The North Node is also very near the eclipse, and promises that the events that transpire in 2010 will be favorable to your soul development. Mercury and Pluto in your solar ninth house are incredibly favorable for publishing or telecom ventures. Do you have a book project in the works? This is a good year to promote your book using the internet, social media, word-of-mouth campaigns, and other mass communication media.
TAURUS: The eclipse falls in your solar ninth house of travel, college, publishing and law. Where have you failed to follow through on any of these issues? With Venus conjunct the eclipse, love or cash are somehow tied in with these areas. Do you have a book project? You may finally find a publisher who extends a handsome advance. Prospective college students may locate loans and grants. Legal cases may finally come to a conclusion where you are awarded a just sum in compensation. But you did not have the right information or contact info until now, and so you can finally move forward on commissioning the right attorney, writers' agent, or whatever to represent you in your ventures.
GEMINI: The eclipse falls in your solar eighth house of wills, estates, insurance, taxes, loans and debt. Geminis will have a great opportunity to clear their financial decks of the burden of debt. If you are deeply in debt, get the proper help you need and listen, it should not cost you anything. Look up your state online, and there will be state offices with a list of bona-fide counselors to help you learn to manage your finances. Go online also to find info on what you need to know in order to contest an insurance denial, or refile your taxes, or any of a million things related to these financial issues. The eighth house also covers generational matters, which means that families may see a new addition, elders may come to live with an adult child, and adult children may come boomeranging back to their parents' home.
CANCER: The eclipse falls in your solar seventh house of partnerships and marriage. You will have cleared up the communications difficulties with your prospective partner, and can now move forward with drawing up contracts specifying your division of responsibilities. You may have been stymied in finding a counselor or other help in ironing out any difficulties in your marriage, but now you finally locate a book, counselor, or program that works for you. You might look up the book, “The 5 Love Languages”, which is probably available at your library.
LEO: The eclipse falls in your solar sixth house of health and occupation, as well as hobbies. Here again, one's hobby or avocation may become a second source of income for you, if you are able to figure out how to communicate your skills to the public. Learning a few marketing skills would benefit you now. Perhaps you can share ad space with a related service company, or simply put an ad on Craigslist like everyone else. Guard your health, and control your intake of sweets (Venus rules sugar). You can greatly improve your health over the year to come if you are diligent about taking painless baby steps to improve your diet and exercise regimen.
VIRGO: The eclipse falls in your solar fifth house of children, sports and risk-taking. Venus smiles on you for 2010 if you are hazarding the stock market or other investments, or if you gamble on sports events, or take other calculated risks. Be very careful that you understand the game, tho. Venus may bring another child into the family, or at least a house guest who is quite charming and attractive. If you have been trying to conceive or adopt, you should finally find out what agency or clinic can be of the most help to you in achieving your goal. Virgo athletes may win scholarships.
LIBRA: The eclipse falls in your solar fourth house of house and family. Perhaps you finally manage to get your home loan adjusted in the mortgage relief program signed by Pres. Obama. Your home is very, very important to you Librans, and you have fought tooth and nail to save it all through this horrible mortgage crisis. Now at last some light shines at the end of the tunnel. You find out what info was missing from prior applications for relief, and your request sails through. Family matters brighten, and you are able to express the love that you really feel for one another. Perhaps you are able to live in some kind of extended family arrangement, possibly with one family living upstairs and one downstairs.
SCORPIO: The eclipse falls in your solar third house of siblings, neighbors, local schools, automobiles and transit, and your own community. You may be able to mend fences with estranged siblings (or with problem neighbors), and finally express the love that you feel for each other. Repairing and opening the lines of communication will be paramount in the following months and long-term.
SAGITTARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar second house of money and personal resources. This does not promise lottery wins, Sag, this is just a promising indicator that your efforts at work will continue to be recognized and compensated accordingly. But it also could indicate a change in jobs, with the new job paying more than your present position. Make sure you understand all the details of the compensation package, because employers are not throwing money at employees for nothing. Check out the manager's or president's record with the company or prior companies.
CAPRICORN: The eclipse falls in your solar first house of self and appearance. This eclipse affects you the most personally, not just in your material needs but also your innermost emotional needs for love and affection and acceptance. Capricorn often is treated as Mr. Mealticket because they are quite good at making money, but they really need to know that they are loved for themselves as well as for how well they provide for their wives and families. I think that this eclipse will bring you a special someone who does love you for yourself, although the communication part of the relationship may well need ironing out first.
AQUARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar twelfth house of privacy and retreat and hospitals. This eclipse may bring you an opportunity to withdraw and concentrate on developing a special talent or project. Writers may finally get the chance to attend a writers workshop or retreat, or musicians may get invited to a Chautauqua music camp. And if any of you have unfortunate drug habits that you wish to be rid of, then a stay at a progressive detox facility may help you to finally shake off a self-destructive lifestyle.
PISCES: The eclipse falls in your solar eleventh house of hopes and wishes, as well as friends, groups and social and charitable organizations. You may join a charitable organization or one that provides grants or special events such as Make-A-Wish. OR you and your significant other may join a club together, hoping that the shared experiences will help keep you together.
In addition you may try looking at which house is touched by this eclipse in your NATAL chart. Use the list that follows here. My thanks to Kaye Shinker for this list.
1.The appearance you present to the world -- personality/persona, image, appearance.
2. The income you acquire one dollar at a time
3. The vehicles in your life, siblings and neighbors, community, local schools, how-to.
4. The home, your house, where you start and finish your day. Family matters too.
5. Entertainment and your ability to take a risk; children, games and sports, stock market.
6. The actual work you accomplish; hobbies, health.
7. Your partnerships: business, and otherwise
8. Insurance and taxes, loans, debts.
9. Travel and higher education
10. Career, reputation, honors and rank.
11. Earnings and dividends resulting from career; friends, charities, organizations, all groups
12. Chronic problems, enemies, retreats, hospitals.
Then, one may take note of which planets are near or are aspecting the eclipse point. If the eclipse contacts your Sun, you may experience a milestone and find new ways to make money. Your work increases your income, and you find intelligent ways to set aside the extra money you have earned. If the eclipse contacts the Moon, you may take great risks with your money, and it may actually pay off. Income can be volatile. And the biggest impact on your life is that you may move to a new home.
Eclipses that contact Mercury improve your chances for success in schooling and other intellectually demanding programs. You may be in transit a lot, either driving on the road or piling up the frequent-flyer miles. Eclipses that contact Venus improve your chances of winning money, prizes, and other bonuses during the years following the eclipse. Business partnerships formed now can be very successful, and you enjoy the pleasures that money can bring you. Eclipses that contact your Mars may bring a desire to take risks, so be careful. It is great for buckling down to outline your goals and taking steps to achieve them!
Eclipses that contact Jupiter increase your income and returns on investments, but also you may decide to spend on capital improvements, hopefully ones that will increase your income in years to come. Eclipses that contact Saturn help you learn to drive a good bargain, and thrift becomes an ingrained habit. There is nothing wrong with buying on sale, after all. You tally up your accounts and analyze where your best profits are coming from.
Eclipses that contact Uranus may bring sudden opportunities in whatever house is affected. It may be a business or travel opportunity, for example, but it may carry some risk which you need to research how to manage successfully. But it will probably be worth taking that risk.
Eclipses that contact Neptune revitalizes your creativity; your avocation may become your vocation. Your hobby may become your business if you can finally figure out how to present it to the paying public. Eclipses that contact Pluto serve to close a chapter of your life. Maybe you need to scale down possessions in order to move into a smaller place; Pluto will give you the strength to consign items to the trash or the Goodwill box. You may have a household or a business where you have to prune the payroll; Pluto will give your the strength to make these hard decisions.
And a final note: If you have a relationship that is troubled, or that you wish to resume, you might try the 40-day prayer. It is a very simple ritual that requires only that you repeat the following words at least once a day: “(name of other person), I am praying to you. Thank you, (name) for everything you have done for me. I am sorry for anything I have done to you.” Many stories of reunions or phone calls out of the blue could be related here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Blue Moons and Black Moons
by Milky Way Maid
Blue Moon: The second Full Moon in a given month.
Black Moon: The second New Moon in a given month. ALSO: a month without either a New Moon or a Full Moon (this can happen only in February.)
Blue Moons are linked to unexpected good fortune according to folklore. The hill people of the Appalachian mountains credit Blue Moons with all kinds of good luck in love, happiness, business, and serendipitous events.
By contrast, European traditions are the complete opposite. Blue Moons were blamed for harsh weather and attacks of the blues.
There is an alternate definition of Blue Moon and that is the name sometimes given to a thirteenth full moon in a calendar year.
Historically, the 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa caused a blue tinge on the moon, the result of so much volcanic ash tossed into the atmosphere. And occasionally ice crystals in the atmosphere cause a blue tinge, and that may also be called a Blue Moon.
We will have a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve this year, Dec. 31, 2009. (NOTE: People who live near the International Dateline in the Far East will have a Blue Moon in January 2010.) It is at 10 degrees 15 minutes of Cancer. This doesn't look like a relaxed night in front of the fireplace or DVD player; the Moon makes a T-square with the other cardinal planets. Saturn has recently entered Libra, while Pluto in Capricorn is joined by the Sun, Mercury and Venus. Cardinal signs take action, so your New Year's plans may include several stops before dawn!
Other Blue Moons will occur on Aug. 31, 2012 in Pisces, and July 31, 2015 in Aquarius.
Black Moons (new moons) will occur on July 30, 2011 in Leo; on Jan. 30, 2014 in Aquarius; and March 30, 2014 in Aries.
The Black Moon seems to have a lot less publicity than the Blue Moon. At least, I don't recall hearing any songs about a black moon. It is said to open a portal to other dimensions. Magicians and Wiccans are said to revere the Black Moon as a special time when the veil between planes of existence can be pierced. One might try to contact those who have passed on, as well as ascended masters and other beings on a higher vibration.
Some astrologers and New Age types recommend people write down their wishes during New Moons. Your wishes will relate to the sign that the moon is in. For example, a new moon in Libra might be a good time to light a candle and ask that your relationships be more harmonious. The Black Moon may be an even more powerful window of quantum opportunity!
Blue Moon: The second Full Moon in a given month.
Black Moon: The second New Moon in a given month. ALSO: a month without either a New Moon or a Full Moon (this can happen only in February.)
Blue Moons are linked to unexpected good fortune according to folklore. The hill people of the Appalachian mountains credit Blue Moons with all kinds of good luck in love, happiness, business, and serendipitous events.
By contrast, European traditions are the complete opposite. Blue Moons were blamed for harsh weather and attacks of the blues.
There is an alternate definition of Blue Moon and that is the name sometimes given to a thirteenth full moon in a calendar year.
Historically, the 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa caused a blue tinge on the moon, the result of so much volcanic ash tossed into the atmosphere. And occasionally ice crystals in the atmosphere cause a blue tinge, and that may also be called a Blue Moon.
We will have a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve this year, Dec. 31, 2009. (NOTE: People who live near the International Dateline in the Far East will have a Blue Moon in January 2010.) It is at 10 degrees 15 minutes of Cancer. This doesn't look like a relaxed night in front of the fireplace or DVD player; the Moon makes a T-square with the other cardinal planets. Saturn has recently entered Libra, while Pluto in Capricorn is joined by the Sun, Mercury and Venus. Cardinal signs take action, so your New Year's plans may include several stops before dawn!
Other Blue Moons will occur on Aug. 31, 2012 in Pisces, and July 31, 2015 in Aquarius.
Black Moons (new moons) will occur on July 30, 2011 in Leo; on Jan. 30, 2014 in Aquarius; and March 30, 2014 in Aries.
The Black Moon seems to have a lot less publicity than the Blue Moon. At least, I don't recall hearing any songs about a black moon. It is said to open a portal to other dimensions. Magicians and Wiccans are said to revere the Black Moon as a special time when the veil between planes of existence can be pierced. One might try to contact those who have passed on, as well as ascended masters and other beings on a higher vibration.
Some astrologers and New Age types recommend people write down their wishes during New Moons. Your wishes will relate to the sign that the moon is in. For example, a new moon in Libra might be a good time to light a candle and ask that your relationships be more harmonious. The Black Moon may be an even more powerful window of quantum opportunity!
Monday, November 30, 2009
A few notes on Sports Astrology, Nov. 2009
by Milky Way Maid
I have mentioned I have been working more intensively on my sports astrology skills. It is not the first time I have made charts for individual games, but it is the first time I tried making charts for ALL the football games on a given weekend. It has been a challenge and a real learning experience (in a good way).
One of the interesting things that I noticed is that when Mars entered Leo about mid-October, it affected the play of the teams with Leo birth dates. In general, they started playing much more competitively. In some cases, a team settled on its starting quarterback and began winning more games than they lost. Some of the Leo teams started to perk up earlier than others, and that generally correlates with how early or late their Sun is actually placed in the sign Leo.
Don't assume that these teams will win everything from here on out. For one thing, the chart of the game will have many other clues about the outcome of the game. For another thing, Mars will go retrograde in mid-december and could take back any gains in the league standings.
The teams with Leo suns, as taken from the dates of the franchise being awarded or announced, are: New York Jets and New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos.
The teams with Leo ascendants are Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and appropriately enough, the Detroit Lions.
I have mentioned I have been working more intensively on my sports astrology skills. It is not the first time I have made charts for individual games, but it is the first time I tried making charts for ALL the football games on a given weekend. It has been a challenge and a real learning experience (in a good way).
One of the interesting things that I noticed is that when Mars entered Leo about mid-October, it affected the play of the teams with Leo birth dates. In general, they started playing much more competitively. In some cases, a team settled on its starting quarterback and began winning more games than they lost. Some of the Leo teams started to perk up earlier than others, and that generally correlates with how early or late their Sun is actually placed in the sign Leo.
Don't assume that these teams will win everything from here on out. For one thing, the chart of the game will have many other clues about the outcome of the game. For another thing, Mars will go retrograde in mid-december and could take back any gains in the league standings.
The teams with Leo suns, as taken from the dates of the franchise being awarded or announced, are: New York Jets and New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos.
The teams with Leo ascendants are Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and appropriately enough, the Detroit Lions.
Wintry skies produce “rainbow smiles” or upside-down rainbows
by Milky Way Maid
SPACEWEATHER.COM has a beautiful picture of an upside-down rainbow. To quote: “The technical name for this phenomenon is circumzenithal arc or "CZA" for short--and it's no rainbow. CZAs are formed by sunlight shining through plate-shaped ice crystals in high clouds.”
These ice rainbows are more common in fall/early winter when the sun is low -- so keep an eye peeled for them. The photo was taken recently in Alabama. Consider it a smile in the sky just to brighten your day.
SPACEWEATHER.COM has a beautiful picture of an upside-down rainbow. To quote: “The technical name for this phenomenon is circumzenithal arc or "CZA" for short--and it's no rainbow. CZAs are formed by sunlight shining through plate-shaped ice crystals in high clouds.”
These ice rainbows are more common in fall/early winter when the sun is low -- so keep an eye peeled for them. The photo was taken recently in Alabama. Consider it a smile in the sky just to brighten your day.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Watching the Planetary Hour-Wheels Go By
by Milky Way Maid
Recently I started noticing the planetary hours as they go by each day, well, most days.
MERCURY: I notice that generally, I can write a little quicker during a Mercury hour. It is best to START your writing project during this hour. I have not however, tried to track whether emails sent during a Mercury hour are more likely to get answered sooner.
MOON: During a moon hour, I am more likely to get hungry for a lunch or dinner, or to need a break from the computer. Sometimes I even feel like a nap. Step away from your work and just watch the clouds or aquarium or take a walk. Or go get a hug.
SATURN: This is very odd but I notice that I suddenly have the urge to straighten up papers or clean something. Weird, hey? You can stick with a project till it is done. You are willing to put some elbow grease into a job (generally a physical task). Time to get physical and accomplish something, then give yourself some points for doing so.
MARS: Feel like moving around, taking a walk, stretching those arms and legs. Seems to be best for doing your exercise routine, or for sports activities.
Recently I started noticing the planetary hours as they go by each day, well, most days.
MERCURY: I notice that generally, I can write a little quicker during a Mercury hour. It is best to START your writing project during this hour. I have not however, tried to track whether emails sent during a Mercury hour are more likely to get answered sooner.
MOON: During a moon hour, I am more likely to get hungry for a lunch or dinner, or to need a break from the computer. Sometimes I even feel like a nap. Step away from your work and just watch the clouds or aquarium or take a walk. Or go get a hug.
SATURN: This is very odd but I notice that I suddenly have the urge to straighten up papers or clean something. Weird, hey? You can stick with a project till it is done. You are willing to put some elbow grease into a job (generally a physical task). Time to get physical and accomplish something, then give yourself some points for doing so.
MARS: Feel like moving around, taking a walk, stretching those arms and legs. Seems to be best for doing your exercise routine, or for sports activities.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Essenes were astrologers, too, as Dead Sea Scrolls show; Was Jesus an astrologer?
by Milky Way Maid
We astrologers seem to have taken for granted that the Bible is anti-astrology. A quote from the Bible has been widely interpreted as a condemnation of astrologers and astrology (although there are other interpretations). But it may surprise you to learn that the earliest Jewish writings – namely, the Dead Sea scrolls discovered at Qumran -- included astrology lessons.
The Essene scrolls, the Torah (Old Testament) and Talmud, all have references to astrological or astronomical material. They include not only interpretations of the stars and planets, but the fact that they observed other phenomena such as new and full moons, eclipses and comets.
Sid Jefferies, on his web site FactsBehindFaith.com, states that “the magi who attend the Birth of Jesus and prophesy so accurately his future are not really three ‘kings.’ These Persian magi are now properly translated as astrologers in many Bibles.”
The Qumran texts even include a bit of national forecasting. We find the line: “when the new moon is in Taurus’ foot -- happiness will come to Israel(2).”
No less a figure than Edgar Cayce also confirmed that the Essenes studied astrology and related arts: “in Carmel - the original place where the School of the Prophets was established during Elijah's time and that of Samuel - these were called the Essenes; and those that were students of what ye would call astrology, numerology, phrenology, and those phases of study of the return of individuals - or reincarnation.(4).” Cayce also states that Anna was a key figure in the Qumran community by virtue of her skills in astrology and numerology.
Collins' book on the Dead Sea scrolls states that the Essenes had a “special interest in the regular, “lawful” movements of the stars in astrology, in an exact sun calendar with fixed dates for the Sabbath and the festivals and individual horoscopes; and in physiognomy and predictions based upon the stars and physical human attributes -- a typical phenomenon of the rationalism of the Hellenistic age. Physiognomy together with the astrological nativity played an important role for the ranking of members within the community. Since the third century BCE, astrology and related sciences conquered the whole eastern Mediterranean area, with Alexandria as its center, and became the most modern “progressive” and highly esteemed science(5).”
Where did the Jewish peoples get their first instruction in astrology? Tradition says that it was revealed to Enoch on heavenly tablets(5).
We may also quote Revelation (22.16) where Christ is actually called ‘the bright and morning star,’ a clear planetary reference although such a description may be comparing him to Venus or Saturn, as it may apply to both. There are even some who believe that Jesus was a practicing astrologer! In the “Gospel of the Holy Twelve” the training of Jesus is described; “And Jesus, after he had finished his study of the law, went down again into Egypt that he might learn the wisdom of the Egyptians, even as Moses did. And for seven years he conversed with God face to face, ... and he learned the motions of the Sun and the Moon and the Stars, and the powers of letters, and the mysteries of the Square and the Circle and the Transmutation of things, and of forms, and of numbers, and of signs.”
Apparently God is an astrologer, too. Not once but twice in the Bible do we find phrases describing him counting the stars or measuring them. God is depicted as counting the stars and giving them names in Psalms 147:4 and in Isaiah 40:26. Psalms 147:4 - “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.”(7) Isaiah 40:26 - “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”(7) Job 38:33 asks “Do you know the laws of the heavens?”(7)
Also in Revelation is an equally intriguing description of Mary. How many of us have stopped to notice the astrological or astronomical language in the following? -- ‘There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the Sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she was pregnant …. and brought forth a man child who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron.’ (Rev. 12.1) A crown of twelve stars certainly indicates the twelve sun signs; the crown or halo is often a Neptunian image. (especially the crown of thorns, the piteous image of the suffering of Jesus).
In the Bible itself, we still find nuggets of astrology or what might be termed pre-astrology. Yoel 2:10 says that along with a belief in earthquakes and thunder as omens, they also observed solar and lunar eclipses. All these phenomenon were believed to be expressions of God's will. Which leads me to wonder, when we cast an electional or horary chart, are we asking what God's will is in the question under consideration? Do we still have some residual faith that what will be, will be, and is part of a grand design?
And let's not forget that in Genesis, after the Creator made all the stars and planets, it adds the phrase, “and let them be for signs.”(7) For signs? You mean, like in astrology? You mean, really, you're giving us permission to interpret the placement of the planets and stars??? Oh, THANK YOU!!!
Even the planetary rulers of the signs were pretty much the same as they are now although again, Jefferies gives his own views on why Mars ought to be the ruler of Scorpio, and not Pluto. Please see his article -- http://www.factsbehindfaith.com/default.aspx?intContentID=56 -- for a full discussion of the matter.
The Jewish traditions even mention a prominent astronomer and astrologer as well (and maybe even a physician) by the name of Shemuel. He lived in 3rd century CE Babylonia. While this is centuries after the Essenes or the birth of Christianity, the fact that his writings and sayings survive attest to the state of the art of the times. Shemuel said that Kima is a cold star compounded of some 100 stars (b. Berakhot 58b). Later Kima was identified with the Pleiades. Shemuel said that Kesil is a hot star without which the world would not survive (2).
An astronomer from the fifth or sixth century gave scholarly sources for a wealth of data. According to Astronomy in Ancient Judaism, “Baraita deMazalot is a unique astronomical and astrological tractate. It gives astronomical data in unprecedently scientific ways. The author describes two different systems, an Egyptian and a Babylonian one, regarding the position of the stars in the zodiacal signs at the moment of creation. The author gives the exact distances from the Earth to the Moon, from the Moon to Mercury and so forth in a manner resembling the Mesopotamian beru ina same, x heavenly units equal to y earthly units. The author quotes not only Rabbinic sources but states the opinions of “the sages of the Gentiles”, “the sages of Egypt, Chaldeans and the Babylonians”. There is no doubt that the writer drew some of his data from Ptolemy (2).” So it is clear that they knew and preserved a body of knowledge dating back to the Babylonians and Egyptians.
There is also a great deal of attention given to determining things like the moment of the New Moons, calculating the correct length of a solar and lunar year, inserting intercalary days to even out the year and keep it in sync with the solar year, and noting eclipses, equinoxes and solstices. They also give names to each of the decans of the 12 signs. In Chapter 18 of the apochryphal Testament of Solomon, the demons of the 36 decans appear with names that sometimes seem to be conscious distortions of the traditional names for the decans; each one is assigned 'rulership' over various ailments and pains. The testament lists magical cures; example: the thirty-third demon is Rhyx Phtheneoth who causes sore throat and tonsilitis and can be driven off by writing the word Leikourgos on ivy leaves and heaping them into a pile.
An ancient Jewish astrologer named Tanna gives the following rules for interpretations, which it is believed were borrowed from the Babylonians. He said: “When the sun is afflicted (solar-eclipse) – it is a bad omen for the Pagans, when the moon is afflicted - it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel calculates according to the moon and the Pagans according to the sun. If the affliction is in the east – it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; in the west - it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; in the middle of the sky - it is a bad omen for the whole world. If the face (of the moon) looks like blood – war is coming to the world; if it looks like a sack – arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it looks like both – war and arrows of famine are coming to the world. If it was afflicted while rising – tribulation sojourns; while setting – (tribulation) comes fast. Some say the other way around” (t. Sukkah 2:6)(2).”
I might add by way of explanation that solar eclipses were believed to be punishments for any one of four ethical lapses. The eclipses were punishments rather than material for an interpretation or elective advice.
In Jubilees 12:16-17 Abraham is depicted as an astrologer who observed the stars on 1/7 (later known as Rosh Hashana), to know how rainy the coming year would be. This connection between stars and rain is part of the Mesopotamian omen heritage. (Jubilees is a Jewish apocrypha.) The verses 16-17 say: “And in the sixth week, in the fifth year thereof, Abram sat up throughout the night on the new moon of the seventh month to observe the stars from the evening to the morning, in order to see what would be the character of the year with regard to the rains, and he was alone as he sat and observed. And a word came into his heart and he said: All the signs of the stars, and the signs of the moon and of the sun are all in the hand of the Lord. Why do I search (them) out?”
Omens were read, or fortunes told, for individuals depending on what day of the week they were born or what hour was rising. “One who is born on a Monday will be a tartar, on a Tuesday – will be a wealthy man…under Venus – will be a wealthy man and adulterer, under Mercury – clever and smart” (2). Not for nothing did Jewish people wish each other 'Mazel tov' which translates literally as “good zodiacal sign” on family occasions; it is assumed to be invented in the 11th century at the latest (2).
Sid Jefferies quite rightly points out that the Kabbalah tradition incorporates a great deal of astrological knowledge. Kabbalah constantly refers to the eleven Sephiroth or Shining Ones which precisely describe the qualities of the ten planets (plus Earth, which does not shine). As Jefferies writes on his web site: “The Tree of Life is the central figure of the Kabbalah, the esoteric Tradition behind the Bible. It is entirely astrological, based on the ten planets and twelve Signs of the horoscope. It is mentioned in both Genesis and Revelation where it is clearly associated with the Sun’s annual cycle through the twelve zodiac Signs ‘the tree of life yields twelve crops of fruit, one for each month of the year. The leaves of the tree shall serve for the healing of the nations.’ Rev. 22. 2 This evidence shows the planets were all known in ancient times and even more shockingly, that astrology lies at the very heart of the biblical Tradition, from the Beginning to the End.”
Along the way, Jefferies provides an explanation for a puzzling aphorism made by Jesus. He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. What does it mean, besides the obvious tendency for the wealthy to lose their moral compass? From Torah: The Hebrew letter for the Moon’s long path is Gimel, a camel, the ship of the desert, full of water, while Pluto’s is a tooth or a needle. The strange image that ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven’ is pure Kabbalah. The path of the camel does go up to the heavenly heights of the Crown through Pluto, through the eye of a needle.
So let's look at the Tree of Life a bit closer. See the illustration. It has all the planets we use now: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and even tiny Pluto which was not rediscovered in the modern era until 1930. How is this possible? I don't know, I only know that they are there. Traditions also assign various personages from the Bible as archetypes of certain planet, or as the Kabbalah calls them, Sephiroth or Shining Ones.
Planets and O.T. Figures attributed to them:
Neptune = Abel
Saturn = Eve and Cain
Mars = Isaac
Mercury = Aaron
EARTH = Esau and David
Moon = Joseph, and Bathsheba
Sun = ISRAEL, Solomon, Jacob, God
Pluto = Serpent
Venus = Moses
Jupiter = Abraham, Jehovah, Our Father
Uranus = Adam, Holy Spirit, Sophia
So Mazel tov, Mazel tov to you all!
[The early Jews seem to have captured an observation of Halley's Comet with this line from their books: “The Rabbis said that there is a star that rises once in 70 years and deceives sailors (b. Horayot 10a). It is assumed they meant the comet later named after Halley, a comet that appeared around 140 CE (and 70 is taken as a round number for a cycle of around 78 years) The book of Shemuel quotes him (Shemuel) saying: “the paths of the sky are known to me like the paths of Nehardea, except for a comet whose nature I do not know” (b. Berakhot 58b).]
SOURCES:
1 Albani, M., “Horoscopes in the Qumran Scrolls,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, edited by PW Flint and JC VanderKam, Vol. 2, 279-330, Leiden:Brill, 1999.
2 ‘Astrology in Ancient Judaism’, ‘Astronomy in Ancient Judaism’, J. Neusner, A. Avery-Peck and W. S. Green (eds.), The Encyclopaedia of Judaism, V, Supplement Two, Leiden - Boston: Brill, 2004, pp. 2031-2044.
3 Jefferies, Sid (aka Classical Astrologer), Facts Behind Faith, The Dead Sea Scrolls, undated. www.factsbehindfaith.com/default.aspx?intContentID=13
Jubilees – May be read at http://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/jubilee/12.htm
4 The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel, Cayce Readings on the Essenes, 1999-2006, www.essene.com/Bible/CayceReadingsOnMtCarmel.html
5 Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls, J.J. Collins and R A. Kugler (eds), William B. Eerdmans, 2000.
6 The Star and the Magi, Essenes.com, undated.
7 And the Old Testament.
We astrologers seem to have taken for granted that the Bible is anti-astrology. A quote from the Bible has been widely interpreted as a condemnation of astrologers and astrology (although there are other interpretations). But it may surprise you to learn that the earliest Jewish writings – namely, the Dead Sea scrolls discovered at Qumran -- included astrology lessons.
The Essene scrolls, the Torah (Old Testament) and Talmud, all have references to astrological or astronomical material. They include not only interpretations of the stars and planets, but the fact that they observed other phenomena such as new and full moons, eclipses and comets.
Sid Jefferies, on his web site FactsBehindFaith.com, states that “the magi who attend the Birth of Jesus and prophesy so accurately his future are not really three ‘kings.’ These Persian magi are now properly translated as astrologers in many Bibles.”
The Qumran texts even include a bit of national forecasting. We find the line: “when the new moon is in Taurus’ foot -- happiness will come to Israel(2).”
No less a figure than Edgar Cayce also confirmed that the Essenes studied astrology and related arts: “in Carmel - the original place where the School of the Prophets was established during Elijah's time and that of Samuel - these were called the Essenes; and those that were students of what ye would call astrology, numerology, phrenology, and those phases of study of the return of individuals - or reincarnation.(4).” Cayce also states that Anna was a key figure in the Qumran community by virtue of her skills in astrology and numerology.
Collins' book on the Dead Sea scrolls states that the Essenes had a “special interest in the regular, “lawful” movements of the stars in astrology, in an exact sun calendar with fixed dates for the Sabbath and the festivals and individual horoscopes; and in physiognomy and predictions based upon the stars and physical human attributes -- a typical phenomenon of the rationalism of the Hellenistic age. Physiognomy together with the astrological nativity played an important role for the ranking of members within the community. Since the third century BCE, astrology and related sciences conquered the whole eastern Mediterranean area, with Alexandria as its center, and became the most modern “progressive” and highly esteemed science(5).”
Where did the Jewish peoples get their first instruction in astrology? Tradition says that it was revealed to Enoch on heavenly tablets(5).
We may also quote Revelation (22.16) where Christ is actually called ‘the bright and morning star,’ a clear planetary reference although such a description may be comparing him to Venus or Saturn, as it may apply to both. There are even some who believe that Jesus was a practicing astrologer! In the “Gospel of the Holy Twelve” the training of Jesus is described; “And Jesus, after he had finished his study of the law, went down again into Egypt that he might learn the wisdom of the Egyptians, even as Moses did. And for seven years he conversed with God face to face, ... and he learned the motions of the Sun and the Moon and the Stars, and the powers of letters, and the mysteries of the Square and the Circle and the Transmutation of things, and of forms, and of numbers, and of signs.”
Apparently God is an astrologer, too. Not once but twice in the Bible do we find phrases describing him counting the stars or measuring them. God is depicted as counting the stars and giving them names in Psalms 147:4 and in Isaiah 40:26. Psalms 147:4 - “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.”(7) Isaiah 40:26 - “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”(7) Job 38:33 asks “Do you know the laws of the heavens?”(7)
Also in Revelation is an equally intriguing description of Mary. How many of us have stopped to notice the astrological or astronomical language in the following? -- ‘There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the Sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she was pregnant …. and brought forth a man child who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron.’ (Rev. 12.1) A crown of twelve stars certainly indicates the twelve sun signs; the crown or halo is often a Neptunian image. (especially the crown of thorns, the piteous image of the suffering of Jesus).
In the Bible itself, we still find nuggets of astrology or what might be termed pre-astrology. Yoel 2:10 says that along with a belief in earthquakes and thunder as omens, they also observed solar and lunar eclipses. All these phenomenon were believed to be expressions of God's will. Which leads me to wonder, when we cast an electional or horary chart, are we asking what God's will is in the question under consideration? Do we still have some residual faith that what will be, will be, and is part of a grand design?
And let's not forget that in Genesis, after the Creator made all the stars and planets, it adds the phrase, “and let them be for signs.”(7) For signs? You mean, like in astrology? You mean, really, you're giving us permission to interpret the placement of the planets and stars??? Oh, THANK YOU!!!
Even the planetary rulers of the signs were pretty much the same as they are now although again, Jefferies gives his own views on why Mars ought to be the ruler of Scorpio, and not Pluto. Please see his article -- http://www.factsbehindfaith.com/default.aspx?intContentID=56 -- for a full discussion of the matter.
The Jewish traditions even mention a prominent astronomer and astrologer as well (and maybe even a physician) by the name of Shemuel. He lived in 3rd century CE Babylonia. While this is centuries after the Essenes or the birth of Christianity, the fact that his writings and sayings survive attest to the state of the art of the times. Shemuel said that Kima is a cold star compounded of some 100 stars (b. Berakhot 58b). Later Kima was identified with the Pleiades. Shemuel said that Kesil is a hot star without which the world would not survive (2).
An astronomer from the fifth or sixth century gave scholarly sources for a wealth of data. According to Astronomy in Ancient Judaism, “Baraita deMazalot is a unique astronomical and astrological tractate. It gives astronomical data in unprecedently scientific ways. The author describes two different systems, an Egyptian and a Babylonian one, regarding the position of the stars in the zodiacal signs at the moment of creation. The author gives the exact distances from the Earth to the Moon, from the Moon to Mercury and so forth in a manner resembling the Mesopotamian beru ina same, x heavenly units equal to y earthly units. The author quotes not only Rabbinic sources but states the opinions of “the sages of the Gentiles”, “the sages of Egypt, Chaldeans and the Babylonians”. There is no doubt that the writer drew some of his data from Ptolemy (2).” So it is clear that they knew and preserved a body of knowledge dating back to the Babylonians and Egyptians.
There is also a great deal of attention given to determining things like the moment of the New Moons, calculating the correct length of a solar and lunar year, inserting intercalary days to even out the year and keep it in sync with the solar year, and noting eclipses, equinoxes and solstices. They also give names to each of the decans of the 12 signs. In Chapter 18 of the apochryphal Testament of Solomon, the demons of the 36 decans appear with names that sometimes seem to be conscious distortions of the traditional names for the decans; each one is assigned 'rulership' over various ailments and pains. The testament lists magical cures; example: the thirty-third demon is Rhyx Phtheneoth who causes sore throat and tonsilitis and can be driven off by writing the word Leikourgos on ivy leaves and heaping them into a pile.
An ancient Jewish astrologer named Tanna gives the following rules for interpretations, which it is believed were borrowed from the Babylonians. He said: “When the sun is afflicted (solar-eclipse) – it is a bad omen for the Pagans, when the moon is afflicted - it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel calculates according to the moon and the Pagans according to the sun. If the affliction is in the east – it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; in the west - it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; in the middle of the sky - it is a bad omen for the whole world. If the face (of the moon) looks like blood – war is coming to the world; if it looks like a sack – arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it looks like both – war and arrows of famine are coming to the world. If it was afflicted while rising – tribulation sojourns; while setting – (tribulation) comes fast. Some say the other way around” (t. Sukkah 2:6)(2).”
I might add by way of explanation that solar eclipses were believed to be punishments for any one of four ethical lapses. The eclipses were punishments rather than material for an interpretation or elective advice.
In Jubilees 12:16-17 Abraham is depicted as an astrologer who observed the stars on 1/7 (later known as Rosh Hashana), to know how rainy the coming year would be. This connection between stars and rain is part of the Mesopotamian omen heritage. (Jubilees is a Jewish apocrypha.) The verses 16-17 say: “And in the sixth week, in the fifth year thereof, Abram sat up throughout the night on the new moon of the seventh month to observe the stars from the evening to the morning, in order to see what would be the character of the year with regard to the rains, and he was alone as he sat and observed. And a word came into his heart and he said: All the signs of the stars, and the signs of the moon and of the sun are all in the hand of the Lord. Why do I search (them) out?”
Omens were read, or fortunes told, for individuals depending on what day of the week they were born or what hour was rising. “One who is born on a Monday will be a tartar, on a Tuesday – will be a wealthy man…under Venus – will be a wealthy man and adulterer, under Mercury – clever and smart” (2). Not for nothing did Jewish people wish each other 'Mazel tov' which translates literally as “good zodiacal sign” on family occasions; it is assumed to be invented in the 11th century at the latest (2).
Sid Jefferies quite rightly points out that the Kabbalah tradition incorporates a great deal of astrological knowledge. Kabbalah constantly refers to the eleven Sephiroth or Shining Ones which precisely describe the qualities of the ten planets (plus Earth, which does not shine). As Jefferies writes on his web site: “The Tree of Life is the central figure of the Kabbalah, the esoteric Tradition behind the Bible. It is entirely astrological, based on the ten planets and twelve Signs of the horoscope. It is mentioned in both Genesis and Revelation where it is clearly associated with the Sun’s annual cycle through the twelve zodiac Signs ‘the tree of life yields twelve crops of fruit, one for each month of the year. The leaves of the tree shall serve for the healing of the nations.’ Rev. 22. 2 This evidence shows the planets were all known in ancient times and even more shockingly, that astrology lies at the very heart of the biblical Tradition, from the Beginning to the End.”
Along the way, Jefferies provides an explanation for a puzzling aphorism made by Jesus. He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. What does it mean, besides the obvious tendency for the wealthy to lose their moral compass? From Torah: The Hebrew letter for the Moon’s long path is Gimel, a camel, the ship of the desert, full of water, while Pluto’s is a tooth or a needle. The strange image that ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven’ is pure Kabbalah. The path of the camel does go up to the heavenly heights of the Crown through Pluto, through the eye of a needle.
So let's look at the Tree of Life a bit closer. See the illustration. It has all the planets we use now: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and even tiny Pluto which was not rediscovered in the modern era until 1930. How is this possible? I don't know, I only know that they are there. Traditions also assign various personages from the Bible as archetypes of certain planet, or as the Kabbalah calls them, Sephiroth or Shining Ones.
Planets and O.T. Figures attributed to them:
Neptune = Abel
Saturn = Eve and Cain
Mars = Isaac
Mercury = Aaron
EARTH = Esau and David
Moon = Joseph, and Bathsheba
Sun = ISRAEL, Solomon, Jacob, God
Pluto = Serpent
Venus = Moses
Jupiter = Abraham, Jehovah, Our Father
Uranus = Adam, Holy Spirit, Sophia
So Mazel tov, Mazel tov to you all!
[The early Jews seem to have captured an observation of Halley's Comet with this line from their books: “The Rabbis said that there is a star that rises once in 70 years and deceives sailors (b. Horayot 10a). It is assumed they meant the comet later named after Halley, a comet that appeared around 140 CE (and 70 is taken as a round number for a cycle of around 78 years) The book of Shemuel quotes him (Shemuel) saying: “the paths of the sky are known to me like the paths of Nehardea, except for a comet whose nature I do not know” (b. Berakhot 58b).]
SOURCES:
1 Albani, M., “Horoscopes in the Qumran Scrolls,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, edited by PW Flint and JC VanderKam, Vol. 2, 279-330, Leiden:Brill, 1999.
2 ‘Astrology in Ancient Judaism’, ‘Astronomy in Ancient Judaism’, J. Neusner, A. Avery-Peck and W. S. Green (eds.), The Encyclopaedia of Judaism, V, Supplement Two, Leiden - Boston: Brill, 2004, pp. 2031-2044.
3 Jefferies, Sid (aka Classical Astrologer), Facts Behind Faith, The Dead Sea Scrolls, undated. www.factsbehindfaith.com/default.aspx?intContentID=13
Jubilees – May be read at http://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/jubilee/12.htm
4 The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel, Cayce Readings on the Essenes, 1999-2006, www.essene.com/Bible/CayceReadingsOnMtCarmel.html
5 Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls, J.J. Collins and R A. Kugler (eds), William B. Eerdmans, 2000.
6 The Star and the Magi, Essenes.com, undated.
7 And the Old Testament.
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