Monthly Archives: April 2019

Current Events | Tiger Woods in a Return to Form

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Tiger Woods

A few days ago, on April 14th, 2019, Tiger Woods won his first major championship in over 10 years. After a scandal pertaining to an affair broke in late 2009, Tiger’s career ebbed toward a low point. Over the last 10 years his performances have been marred by a series of injuries. Therefore, the recent win at the Master’s Tournament is an important turning point in his career. I’ll be examining the event in the context of traditional predictive techniques.

Tiger was born on 12/30/1975 at 10:50 pm in Long Beach, CA. This birth data has an AA Rodden rating (from birth record).

 

Tiger Woods’s Natal Chart

Mars as Planet of Actions

By the traditional approach to analysis of profession in the chart, Mars is Woods’s planet of action. This is because Mars is in the 10th place. It is the best placed of the potential indicators.

Mars is indicative of a competitive profession with a possible physical component, so it is fitting for an athlete. Mars is in Gemini in its own bound (and decan).  Gemini is an air sign ruled by Mercury, so the symbolism is fitting for a profession that is focused on delicate precision (Mercury) and a small air-borne ball subject to the whims of the wind.

Mars, Mercury, and the Lights

The rulers of the Ascendant show personal inclination and identification. The Mars bound of Virgo, nocturnal house of Mercury, was rising at birth. Therefore, we see a strong identification with the symbolism of Mars and Mercury in the chart. Tiger was even born on the day of Mars and the hour of Mercury.

Tiger Woods Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outside)

Mars is in sect, prominent by place, and aspected by the sect light (Moon) and by a superior Jupiter to which it applies. By this Mars is associated with good fortune and importance, especially as concerns the career (10th house). Mars’s ruler, Mercury is in the 5th house of good fortune, with the Sun and the twelfth-part of Mars. That twelfth-part of Mars is in its sign of exaltation (Capricorn). Additionally, the Sun is antiscia the Moon (both are about 8 degrees from 0 Capricorn). Therefore, we have multiple indications of the importance of Mars in career matters and its link to publicity and fortune.

Planetary Years

The planetary years of Mars are 15. Therefore, at about age 15 and multiples of that, there are activations of Mars by planetary years. Interestingly, at age 15 Tiger Woods became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion (a record broken 20 years later).

His 30th year (age 29) and age 30 were more complex, due to the activation of the planetary years of Saturn at 30. He regained his spot as the top golfer but his father’s death (Saturn in XII ruling the Sun), he took a little time off. He came back strong at age 30, breaking tour records for wins.

The next couple years will see similar activations as Woods hits his 45th year and age 45.

Mars-Jupiter Years

As Jupiter is in a close superior applying aspect to Mars, Mars-Jupiter combinations should mark favorable periods. These periods correspond to combinations of 15 (Mars) and 12, the years of Jupiter.

Woods’s first hot streak coincided with ages 26-27 (27th year and age 27). He hit something of a high point in 2002 with a decline afterward in 2003-2004.

Mars-Jupiter combinations by planetary years are not noteworthy at this time (age 43). However, understanding the way such activiations manifest can be informative when using other predictive techniques.

Mars-Gemini

Planetary years were also combined with the ascensional times of signs for activations of planets in signs. Woods is currently 43 years old (44th year). About age 44 will coincide with activation of Mars in Gemini. This is because the ascensional time of Gemini for his place of birth is 29.5, which together with the 15 years of Mars is 44.5.

Tiger Woods’s Ascensional Times

Annual Profection

Age 43 is a profection to the 8th house. For Tiger this is an annual profection to the 8th house, Aries, occupied by Jupiter. Mars is the ruler of the sign and so becomes lord of the year. Therefore, we see an emphasis on the Mars-Jupiter configuration in the annual profection.

Tiger Woods Natal Chart with Twelfth-Parts (outside)

Solar Return

The last solar return features Jupiter in Sagittarius strongly advancing with Mercury. Return Mercury is conjunct the natal Moon. Return Mars is at 29 Pisces, just about to enter the sign of the annual profection, and with a twelfth-part that is in the 1st house of the return. Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury are the only three planets of the return in stakes of the natal chart, indicating their importance for events of the year.

 

Tiger Woods’s 2018 Solar Return

Unfortunately, there is also some difficulty possibly shown in the return as the Sun applies a close conjunction with Saturn. Still, neither Saturn nor the Sun are particularly highlighted by time lord techniques at this time.

Transits

The transits on the day of his win are very telling.

Augusta Masters Transits April 14th 2019

The Sun, indicative of publicity and recognition, was in the sign of the annual profection (24 Aries) and in partile trine to Jupiter (24 Sagittarius). The Moon (21 Leo) applied in a grand trine to both transiting Jupiter and the Sun that afternoon.

Tiger Woods Transits to Natal April 14 2019

Comparing the transits with the natal chart we can see that Jupiter was transiting conjunct Tiger’s Moon, Mars was in return, and Mercury and Venus were transiting on Woods’s descendant.

For me the most striking indications pertained to the grand fire trine and the Mars return. The fire trine involved the Lights and Jupiter, configured with Tiger’s own Moon and Jupiter. It indicates recognition and good fortune, setting off indications of such in Tiger’s natal chart and solar return. The Mars return in the 10th house highlights that this event is about Tiger coming back into his own in terms of professional performance.

 

Image Attribution

Featured image of Tiger Woods at the 2018 US Open by
Peetlesnumber1 [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Current Events | Fire at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral Transits

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Update 4/16/19:

Note that some sources say the first signs of a fire appeared around 6:20-6:25 pm local time. These times would put the first or second degree of Libra on the Ascendant of the event. This is even more striking! The twelfth-part of Mars rising conjunct the antiscia of Mercury would coincide with the first awareness of the fire.

Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. This Catholic cathedral is a marvel of French Gothic architecture from the High Middle Ages. Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, was set at the cathedral. Hugo’s novel planted the cathedral vividly in the imagination. In our times, it is the most visited monument in Paris.

Unfortunately, on the 15th of April, 2019, just before 6:50 pm local time, it caught on fire. The cathedral was significantly damaged. It lost its spire and two-thirds of its roof in the blaze.

Notre-Dame Fire

Transits at the Start of the Fire

Astrologers have puzzled over the indications coinciding with the events, pouring over the transits coinciding with the event. Here, I’ll be examining the transits from the start of the blaze using traditional factors.

In traditional astrology, major events are not signaled through the strength of the transits involved. One should examine developments from a hierarchy of mundane charts centered on ingresses and lunations preceding the event. Additionally, one would also want to examine the chart of the building’s founding (if known).

Moon-Mars Square at the Mars Hour of a Moon Day

In the matter of any fire, an astrologer should first look to Mars. Mars is traditionally the “hot” malefic symbolizing fiery destruction and violence. Additionally, it is the Moon which holds the key for the final timing of important earthly events.

In Hellenistic astrology, the Moon applies to a planet when she is within her daily motion from exactly aspecting it (about 13 degrees). The fire happened as the Moon was directly applying to Mars (about 6 degrees). The aspect is a square which is itself an aspect of the nature of Mars, eventful, tense, and overly energized. Mars is in the superior position – a superior square is said to “dominate” or “overcome” the inferior planet. Therefore, the Moon applies to a Mars that dominates her.

Notre-Dame Fire Moon-Mars

Mars

Mars is in an air sign. the Mars-air combination is symbolic of fire itself (gaseous destructive heat).  It is in a dualistic sign which is unpredictable. Mars is in the bound of Jupiter, planet of religion, and opposes Jupiter by sign. It is very symbolic of the fire that the Moon should apply to a Mars oriented toward air, unpredictability, and opposition to Jupiter.

Moon Day, Mars Hour

The planetary ruler of the day of the event was the Moon, highlighting its configurations for the day. Interestingly, the ruler of the hour was Mars. The Moon-Mars square was highlighted.

I’ve addressed the importance of planetary days and hours as time lords in Hellenistic astrology in a previous article.

Mars on the Bull’s Eye

The fire started with Mars at 10 Gemini conjunct the fixed star Aldebaran. Aldebaran is literally the star that marks the bull’s eye of the constellation Taurus. Anonymous of 379 noted that this star is of the nature of Mars (destruction/fire) and Venus (arts/beauty).

Mars on the bull’s eye, a star pertaining to both Venus and Mars himself is a cogent initial symbol of the cathedral fire. Notre-Dame Fire Fixed Stars

Mars-Saturn Contra-Antiscia

When Mars reached 10 Gemini, something else happened as well. Mars and Saturn became equidistant from the starting point of the zodiac, 0 Aries. Mars at 10 Gemini is 70 degrees from 0 Aries, as is Saturn at 20 Capricorn. These are degrees of equal ascension, also known as contra-antiscia.

Contra-antiscia is an important traditional planetary configuration on par with degree-based aspects. I have discussed contra-antiscia’s history in an article on traditional symmetrical configurations. When one uses a chart of antiscia positions, contra-antiscia shows up as an opposition between the planets.

Notre-Dame Fire with Antiscia Positions (outer)

The contra-antiscia of Mars and Saturn involves both malefics, fiery violence (Mars) and unfortunate collapse (Saturn). It also involves the lunar nodes, as Saturn was transiting on the South Node at the time. The nodes are the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and Moon, where the eclipses take place. As they are the eclipsing points, they were traditionally viewed as malefic and powerful.

Sun-Moon and Venus-Ascendant Antiscia

You may have noticed some additional interesting configurations by antiscia in the chart above. At the time of the start of the blaze the Moon conjoined the antiscion of the Sun, while the Ascendant conjoined the antiscion of Venus. These connections highlight publicity and importance (Sun and Moon) as well as the involvement of a work of beauty (Venus).

Notre-Dame Fire with Antiscia (outer)

Twelfth-Parts of Mars and Saturn

We’ve seen the very important role played by antiscia positions. Another subtle but very significant factor is the twelfth-part positions of the planets. The twelfth-parts are subdivisions of each sign into 12 micro-signs. They have been used since Babylonian times. For some Hellenistic astrologers they were regarded as a necessity for accurate chart examination. I regard them as so important that I find them mentally when I look at any chart.

The fire started just as the Moon conjoined the twelfth-part of Saturn (at 4 Virgo). Additionally, the twelfth-part of Mars is in Libra, so its rising was something of an ignition point. Some have reported to me that the fire actually started at about 6:25 pm which is when 2 Libra (twelfth-part of Mars) was right on the Ascendant. Additionally, see the antiscia chart above, as 2 Libra is also the antiscia of Mercury. The Moon’s own twelfth-part was also in Libra, opposing the Sun in Aries.

Notre-Dame Fire with Twelfth-Parts (outer)

Conclusion

Transits are rather ephemeral. One should not attempt to predict mundane events on the basis of transits at any given moment. This is because transits realize a potential promised in more important root charts, including foundation charts, ingresses, and lunations. Nevertheless, the transits of the moment of a major event tend to be vividly symbolic, as we find here.

The transits at the time of the Notre-Dame fire highlight the important role played by Mars and the Moon. They also highlight the significance of fixed stars, antiscia, and twelfth-parts. These are traditional factors too often overlooked, especially in transit analysis today.

Image Attributions

Featured image (cropped by me) is of Detail of the west facade of Notre-Dame, Paris, France by Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Paris, Notre Dame — 2014 — 1477” / CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo of the fire by LeLaisserPasserA38 [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Traditional Astrology of Death | Scott Walker

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Scott Walker

Sadly, I just became aware of Scott Walker’s passing a few weeks ago. Walker was a musical maverick and innovator, from his early days with The Walker Brothers and through his solo career. He will be missed.

He died at age 76, on 3/22/19, in London, from cancer. I’ll be examining the timing of his death in terms of traditional predictive techniques, as I have with other articles in this series.

Natal Chart

Scott Walker’s birth chart is below with the twelfth-part positions marked along the outside of the wheel. His birth data source gets a Rodden rating of AA (from birth record).

Scott Walker Natal with Twelfth-Parts

Saturn’s Relationships with the Sun and Venus

Two immediate stand-out features involve the Sun (a significator of vitality) and Saturn (a significator of death). Saturn (death) rules the Sun (vitality/publicity) and 8th house (death) from the 12th house (loss). The twelfth-parts of the Sun and Saturn are in partile conjunct at 15 Leo.

Additionally, Saturn is strongly associated with Venus (arts) in the chart. Saturn rules Venus (and her twelfth-part) and Venus applies a trine to Saturn. Saturn-Sun and Saturn-Venus themes connect darkness and death to the arts and beauty, as well as to fame and publicity. This is more of a harmonious relationship with Venus-Saturn (trine). The relationship with publicity is a more dynamic one.

Significators of Death

While Saturn figures into the arts and public persona in significant ways, for our purposes we are most interested in significators of death. We must always start with the natal chart itself in any investigation of timing indications. Transits take on their meaning through their reflection of natal configurations activated by predictive timing techniques like profections, progressions, solar returns, and primary directions.

Sun-Saturn

Sun-Saturn is one of the most vivid of such configurations, pertaining to everything from Whitney Houston’s accidental death to suicides of Kurt Cobain and Ilya Zhitomirkiy, as well as natural deaths in old age. The symbolism of Saturn, which is that of darkness, endings, and limits, combined with that of The Sun for light, awareness, and vitality, is the most potent symbolism of biological death.

 

Scott Walker Natal with Twelfth-Parts

Here we have the Sun in VII (the setting place) ruled by Saturn. Saturn is in sect but in rough shape too, as it is opposed by Mars and in XII (house of the bad spirit). Sun and Saturn then intimately link through their twelfth-parts which are conjunct in the same degree in Leo (house of the Sun).

Venus

Venus is in the 8th house, has her twelfth-part also in the 8th house, and rules (the sign and bound of) the lot of death. Therefore, Venus is also significant for matters of death.

Scott Walker Natal with Select Lots

Mars

Mars is not strongly linked with death significantly but can be indicative of harm here. It is the out of sect malefic in a dark place (VI), dominating the Moon (superior square), opposed by Saturn, and with its twelfth-part conjunct the Ascendant.

Scott Walker Natal with Twelfth-Parts

Planetary Years

Walker died at age 76, in his 77th year, and just a couple months after his birthday. There are many planetary year combinations that pertain to the numbers 76 and 77. A few that stand out given our identified significators are Sun (19*4=76), Sun-Saturn-Venus (19+19+30+8=76), Saturn-Venus (30+30+8+8=76).

Primary Directions

When it comes to traditional primary directions, the distributors must be considered first. They set the tone for a period, particularly those of the Ascendant and sect light. Aspectual directions into those bounds then can impact the characterization of the periods. There are also suggestions in early Hellenistic astrology that the directions (bounds and aspects) to other places, particularly the other light, prenatal syzygy, and fortune, can also pertain to death under certain circumstances.

Distributors

The distributors (bound lords of directed positions) for all 5 hylegical factors are provided below. I’m typically most interested in the sect light and the Ascendant, as well as that of the Moon generally for the body. The sect light (Sun) was in the bound of Mars (of Pisces) at the time of death. That of the Ascendant was in the bound of Venus (of Virgo). The Moon’s distributor was Saturn (bound in Taurus). That of the prenatal syzygy was Mercury (of Pisces) and that of Fortune was Venus (of Scorpio).

Scott Walker Distributors

Note on Hylegs

However, some Hellenistic astrologers, such as Valens, would not take the sect light (Sun) or Ascendant as hylegs. Hyleg being a later term for what they might call the control, releaser, or apheta – a planet that pertains most strongly to the life, with directions to it indicating death. Neither Sun nor Ascendant are aspected by bound lords. Additionally, The Moon is cadent (IX) so wouldn’t be taken as such by Dorotheus or Valens. Similarly, the prenatal syzygy is at 15 Capricorn and is also not aspected by the bound lord (Venus). Fortune would be the best candidate with an aspect by bound lord. Still, Valens would like take Venus as the houseruler (alcocoden) of the releaser (hyleg) as Venus is bound lord of both lights and the prenatal syzygy.

Therefore, I provide those distributions for the sake of completeness. Still, I focus primarily on the Ascendant and sect light in practice.

Aspectual Directions

Saturn Square Ascendant

The bound lord of the directed Ascendant is Venus. We noted that Venus is in the 8th and rules the lot of death. However, also note that the bound of Venus is specifically from 6-12 Virgo. Only Saturn casts a ray into that bound and it is from superior square, from 6;16 Gemini. Therefore, we may say that the time period is generally characterized by Venus with more eventful characterization by Saturn. As no other planet casts a ray into the bound, we may assume that Saturn carries the chief eventful characterization. Saturn’s exact square to the Ascendant by primary directions occurred about a year prior (March 2018).

Scott Walker Saturn Direction

Profection and Solar Return

The annual profection for age 76 is to the 5th house. In this case it is Scorpio, with Mars as lord of the year. The solar return chart in fact has Scorpio rising. Mars is in Aries, the 6th house of return. More significantly, Saturn was with the Sun at the time of the return, emphasizing the natal configuration.

Scott Walker Solar Return

Comparing the solar return to the natal chart, we can clearly see the Sun-Saturn return transit in VII, the return Moon in VII (conjunct the S. Node), the lord of the year Mars strongly square the Ascendant from superior position, and Venus in partile sextile to her natal position from the 6th house of illness.

Scott Walker Return Comparison – Solar Return Transits Outside of Natal Chart

Secondary Progressions

Believe it or not, secondary progressions are Hellenistic, being explored by Vettius Valens in his Anthology. We noted that Mars was the lord of the year in terms of profections and the bound lord of the directed Sun (sect light). Mars in the solar return was at 5 Aries. This degree is interesting as the secondary progressed Sun position is in fact 5 Aries.

Scott Walker Secondary Progressions

Also interesting is that the secondary progressed Moon at 6 Sagittarius was in opposition to natal Saturn at 6 Gemini (progressed Saturn is at 7 Gemini). Compare natal chart with twelfth-parts below to secondary progressed positions above.

Scott Walker Natal with Twelfth-Parts

Transits

The exact time of death is unknown. It noted the Sun-Saturn configuration’s importance for signifying death, and its indication in the solar return. On the day of death, Saturn was transiting at 19 Capricorn, within a degree of the natal Sun.

Transiting Venus was at 25 Aquarius, the degree of the S. Node and the position of the Moon in the solar return, in the 8th house. Additionally, transiting Venus in the 8th house (place of death) was in a tight square with transiting Mars in Taurus (place of the lot of death).

Scott Walker Transits on Day of Death Outside Natal Chart

Featured Image

Featured image is a portion of Orpheus in the Underworld by Frans Francken the Younger (circa 1620), which is in the public domain.