Eclipse 2017: The Beginning of the Pathway

As noted in the last post in mundane astrology there are always loads and loads of charts to consider. This is reasonable as one is not dealing with a single question as in a horary chart but with a collective. The more charts, the more detail and the more possiblity of observing a development. We will look here at a limited set of three charts for the first state that is in the eclipse path. These are the Grand Conjunction chart, the spring equinox 2017 chart and the eclipse chart for the capital of Oregon (Salem).

Traditionally an eclipse is an ominous event. What we want to look at here is what will the event leave as potential in its trail?

Salem, Oregon:

Salem, Oregon: Grand Conjunction, 28 May 2000, 16:05 GMT

Salem, Oregon: Spring Equinox, 20 March 2017, 10:29 GMT

Salem Oregon: Solar Eclipse 2017, 21 August 2017, 18:26 GMT

Where do we begin?

We will keep it simple at the moment and only look at the climatic condition. That means we will focus on the 1st house. It might be helpful to envision a best case and worst case scenario before you look at the charts. If for example we look at the climatic/geological situation; the best case is beautiful weather, the worst case is seismic activity, storm, floods or some other form of upheaval. For the latter to happen there must be strongly debilitated planets and these are triggered in most of the charts you look at. Generally you will find that nothing is triggered. The status quo is maintained. Nothing happens – or at least nothing noticeable.

No matter where you are the planetary alignments for each of the three charts is the same for any location on earth.The difference is in the angles and the house rulerships.That is where we will start. The chart for Salem, Oregon will look different from that of Columbia, South Carolina the state at the end of the eclipse path because the angles will be different.

Let us look at the angles (Note: only close aspects within 1 degree are considered here as significant). In the GC (Grand Conjunction) chart 25 deg 21 Cancer is on the Asc and 5 deg 08 Aries on the MC. Also on the angles are the nodes of the Moon (SN on Asc) and the Moon is 2 degrees from the MC. On the Spring Equinox (SEq) 06 deg 21 Capricorn is on the Asc and 04 deg 37 Scorpio on the MC. There are no planets on the angles. In the eclipse 2017 chart 25 deg 34 Libra is on the Asc and 01 deg 29 Leo is on the MC. There are no planets directly on the angles.

The GC Jupiter/Saturn at 22 deg 43 Taurus is not activated in the SEq or the eclipse chart.

There is only one trigger point and that is Venus at 24 deg 44 Cancer during the solar eclipse. The Asc of the GC chart is within one degree of conjunction. Venus is the highest elevated planet in the eclipse chart and is not debilitated (she is in her triplicity). She is also Lady of the Asc in the eclipse chart.

We might also want to note that the Moon the Lady of the Asc in the GC chart is in a similar position to that of Venus in the eclipse chart. She too is the most highly elevated planet and close to the MC.

What does all of this tell us about the condition of the land and its inhabitants – the 1st house? From what we can see the Asc of the GC is activated in the eclipse chart by Venus who is also Lady of the Ascendant in the eclipse chart. Venus is benevolent and not debilitated. She has accidental dignity by being the highest elevated planet and close to the MC. The land and its inhabitants are quiet and content – from the point of view of the climate. Nothing even close to the worst case scenario mentioned above is expected.

Prologue: The 2017 Solar Eclipse

I hope to look more closely at the 2017 solar eclipse before the event itself takes place! As you may have noticed posts have been few and far between since May 2014. Not without reason. But dear reader I haven’t forgotten you.

Here a few thoughts.

First. Mundane astrology is a convoluted affair. All of those charts.

Let me see.

For starters there is the last grand conjunction (Saturn/Jupiter), the last Jupiter/Mars conjunction, the vernal equinox for 2017, the previous solstice, the previous full moon and the eclipse chart itself  for the capital of the country ‘hosting’ the eclipse. In this case Washington D.C. Then there are the players that the ‘host’ country is involved with (Moscow, Beijing, Brussels, Riyadh, Teheran, Tokyo, Canberra, Brasilia, Damascus, the capital of your own country …).

Second. The reading of the charts commands maintaining a neutrality that is very difficult to achieve. Who isn’t tempted to write the sensational prediction of the decade and become the William Lilly of the 21st century? Who can look at the charts as if dealing with an historical event that took place ten years ago particulary in light, or in dark (?) of the path of the eclipse  (from the west coast of the United States to the east coast) and the current climate (political and otherwise)? Whose vision isn’t coloured by his or her background and expectations. An American will treat the eclipse differently than a Swede or someone from Vietnam.

Third. Where should the focus be and from whose standpoint. The people of the country, the leaders, the economy, the climate? If you consider these four you already have 12 different flavours of interpretation.

Let’s take the climate for example. Let’s call her Gaia. What is the expected interaction with the people of the country? Do they treat her well? How will she respond to their treatment? What about the economy? Will she wreak havoc with the countries trade in futures? What about the leaders? How do they view her? Is she respected? Does she respect them?

I wonder if I am up to it 🙂 Are you?

Japan – A Brief Event Analysis

I find it difficult  to immediately write about large-scale disasters, particularly with the extent of injury both to life and land.

A week has passed now and just as seismologists are analyzing the situation so too many mundane astrologers. I will only post a few observations today, a more thorough analysis with charts, etc. will have to wait.

At first I thought it might be sufficient to look at charts for the region, but considering the extent of the damage and the major atomic crisis it seems more likely that this event will also be reflected in the mundane chart of Japan. This is indeed so. Nicholas Campion in his book, “The Book of World Horoscopes”, lists two possible events for the newly constituted sovereignty of Japan after WWII. The first event is the presentation of a new constitution by the Diet to the Emperor on May 3, 1947 12:00 LMT, Tokyo. The second event, and this is the one I have chosen here is for the official restoration of Japanese independence on April 28, 1952 at 13:30 GMT in Tokyo. Only three charts will be referred to here:

1. Japanese sovereignty
2. Solar Return for 2010-2011
3. Solar eclipse Jan. 2011

I would like to list only a few relevant event “activators”:

• In the sovereignity chart the MC/IC Axis is 20 Libra/20 Aries
• The IC is at the midpoint between Mercury and Jupiter
  (earthquake and inundation)
• This midpoint was activated by the Jan. eclipse.
  The chart for Tokyo has an MC/IC axis that is exactly the
  reverse of the sovereignity chart ( 20Aries/20Libra)
• The solar return of the sovereignity chart 2010/2011
  has 13 Capricorn on the ASC
• The Jan. eclipse was at 13 Capricorn

The acitivation of both the ASC/DESC and the MC/IC axis along with the middle point activation of Mercury/Jupiter by a solar eclipse alone point to a major event.

2012: Time of Change, but in which Direction?

Poor 2012. It hasn’t even begun and already has a bad reputation. The world is supposed to end, say some. Others say, no, not end, but end as we know it because other-worldly visitors wearing headdresses of feathers and stone will come and solve humanities’ messes. And all because of the end of a cycle in the mysterious Mayan Calender. With all the sensation-mongering the real sensation is being ignored. 2012 is the year that Regulus, the heart of the Lion, one of the royal stars, moves into Virgo after a 2149 year sojourn in Leo. That is an end of a cycle. More profoundly so, as it will join the other royal stars, Aldebaran, Antares and Fomalhaut who have been in mutable signs for a while now.

Most mundane events cast their shadows beforehand and so perhaps we should ask ourselves what current events are telling us.

Around the time of Regulus’ last sign shift, ca. 138 BC, the Roman Republic, to take one example, was in upheaval. Historians say that the assassination of Tiberius Gracus, whose reforms threatened the holdings of rich landholders, marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic. Rome was later to become imperial and to dominate the world. Wealth and power were concentrated in Rome in a hitherto unknown dimension – very leonine if you ask me.

Could 2012 point to the final breakdown of the last remnants of Roman Imperial policy that have lived in one form or the other in the hearts of the wealthy and powerful down to this day? Could it be that the tumult of our day is a call for Virgoan discipline and careful housekeeping? Could it be that 2012 marks not the apocalyptic doom that some would have, but centuries of conflict over rapidly diminishing resources? Dying oceans? Could it be that instead of a dramatic deus ex machina that rationing of those meagre resources that remain will become the lot of most of humanity unless an awareness for a rational and responsible care for the planet; land, air and sea is cultivated?

Let in the Rain…

One of the central interests of Astro-Meteorology, and probably  the oldest field of astrological interest, is which planetary configurations favour rain. The first level is knowing which planets are wet and which dry. The next level is how they interact with one another. The fluctuation between temperature and moisture and their planetary connection was noted by Johannes Kepler, though he was by far not the first, nor the last to discuss this. (We speak nowadays mostly of the interaction of cold and warm fronts, although usually no planetary connection is taken into consideration.) The third level is of course how planetary configurations effect local conditions. This is important as any single planetary configuration applies to all of the earth. Methods of localization need to be taken into consideration here.

Of the traditional planets, along with the Moon, Venus is considered to be the wettest. Saturn also plays a role because of his crystallizing tendencies. He causes moisture to condense. In modern Astro-Meteorology Neptune is also considered to be a very ‘wet’ planet, though interestingly enough after his discovery Astro-Meteorologists first explored the possibility of his being warm, dry and stormy. They did however add that such “…predictions must be to some extent speculative.” (Alfred Pearce’s discussion of Neptune around 1863). More recently George McCormack wrote of Neptune being, “the most pluvial of all the celestial bodies.”

There are of course many configurations between wet and dry planets. Let us choose one. Venus in configuration with either Mars or the Sun. I’ll note it as:
Venus : Mars/Sun,
where the configuration, “:” can be an aspect by longitude or declination.

Take a peek into your ephemeris and look for the next significant configuration between Venus to either Mars or the Sun. You will find it on the 13th of October, 2009. Venus sextiles Mars on this day, and not only that she has just previously, in the same degree, also conjuncted Saturn. This is an intensive conjunction as she is also at the same declination of Saturn and is therefore parallel. Let us note it thus:
Venus : Mars + Venus :: Saturn
we can expect this aspect to be very pluvial. But that doesn’t mean everywhere. There we need to place it into the locality. This is best done by casting a chart for the location when this aspect is exact. From my previous discussion on expecting more from aspects we may also take the standpoint that the effectiveness of this aspect is not only on the day it takes place but already begins one to two days before (application) and will last for two days afterwards (separation). So we are looking at the period from the 11th of October to the 15th.

I will be looking at three charts for my location. These are the previous lunar phase (Last Quarter on the 11th of October), the partile Venus/Mars sextile and the preceding partile Venus/Saturn conjunction and parallel within 29 seconds of arc. You might want to cast these three charts for your location (I am using GMT so you can take the GMT time for your location) and then observe what the weather conditions were in this period. It would certainly be very interesting if these observations were to be posted as a comment here when the time comes.

Last Quarter Moon:

Last Quarter Moon, Oct. 11, 2009 8:55 am GMT

Important for location are the 4th house and Ascendant, respectively. The Moon/Sun square is not predominant in this chart. The Lords of both the 4th and 1st house are also not prominently placed. Uranus is in the 4th house and Venus, Saturn and Mercury occupy the 10th house, with Venus and Saturn being in the same sign as the MC and Mercury in the following sign.

Venus/Saturn conjunction:

Venus/Saturn Conjunction, Oct. 13, 2009 10:51 GMT

In this chart the 4th house is immediately brought into focus by the trine of the Moon at 17 Leo 37. Also Lord 4 is Mars, who is already in sextile to the Venus/Saturn conjunction. Jupiter, Lord 1 is also exactly in sextile with the IC. So we can definitely speak of an activation of the locality.

Venus/Mars sextile:

Venus/Mars Sextile, Oct. 13, 2009 5:50 GMT

Here the Mars/IC conjunction is immediately noticed. This particular aspect is focused on the locality, that is for sure!

Now what does it all mean? The Venus : Mars configuration occurs when Mars is focused on a locality with a cold and moist sign on the IC. So cold rainy and slightly stormy weather should be expected.

I’ll keep you posted around the 15th of October and then we can look at the charts with hindsight!