Category Archives: Mundane

Entering Ages of Air | Out of the Ground, Into the Sky

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We are not in the Age of Aquarius

Are we really in the Age of Aquarius?  People in the new age community often say that we are.

The particular system of ages behind these claims defines them according to either the zodiacal constellation or the sidereal zodiac sign through which the point of the vernal equinox passes (more on this below). In this sense the ages proceed backwards through the zodiac by way of precession. This occurs at the rate of a degree approximately every 72 years (a sign about every 2,160 years).

However, by either calculation we’re only about 80-85% of the way through the Age of Pisces. There are hundreds of years to go before we reach the Age of Aquarius. Still, there are many traditional astrological time lord techniques which show us moving into ages of air in other ways. These overlooked methods of dividing time provide some fascinating insight into broad changes in society to the present day and beyond.

Zodiacs

To figure out if we are in the Age of Aquarius, we must understand that there are three different zodiacs.  Let’s look at the nature of each of these three types of zodiacs.

Zodiacal Constellations

There are twelve main constellations of stars which lie on the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun). The twelve main constellations that the Sun passes through each year are the zodiacal constellations. These constellations vary in size and lack any clearly demarcated boundaries.

Note that a small portion of a thirteenth constellation (Ophiuchus) now also crosses the ecliptic though it is not one of the traditional twelve zodiacal constellations that formed the basis of the signs. There is more on this in the lesson on the signs of the zodiac. However, only a few of the constellations are relevant to this discussion.

Sidereal Zodiac

The sidereal zodiac is a division of the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun) into twelve equal 30 degree segments, called signs.  Each sign in the sidereal zodiac roughly overlays the constellation from which it gets its name. However, the sidereal zodiac is not the same as the constellations because unlike the constellations each sidereal sign is exactly 30 degrees in length and the zodiac is fixed in position to some star (such as Spica marking the start of Libra). Disagreement regarding which star is the best reference has led to a variety of minor variations in terms of where to start the sidereal zodiac.

Tropical Zodiac

The tropical zodiac, like the sidereal zodiac, is another regular division of the ecliptic into twelve equal 30 degree signs. However, it is fixed to the Sun-Earth cycle, rather than to a reference star.  The tropical zodiac  has its origins with the  sidereal zodiac. The two were quite closely aligned two thousand years ago during the rise of horoscopic astrology, but the tropical zodiac is fixed to the Sun-Earth or “seasonal”/”light” relationship. In this way 0 Aries (the beginning of the zodiac) is the Northern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox (spring equinox). Each 30 degree segment of space after the point of the spring equinox is another sign.

The vernal equinox is the point where the Sun (from the perspective of the Earth) crosses the Earth’s horizon northward (i.e. the northern hemispher of the Earth starts to become tilted more toward the Sun than the Southern; transitioning the north into spring).  The “equi” in equinox stands for equal measures of daylight and darkness (day and night are the same length of time on these days). The vernal equinox is the point at which the daylight will begin to overtake the darkness.

Precession and Current Location of the Vernal Equinox

Due to the Earth’s “wobble”, a phenomena called precession of the equinoxes, the starting point of the vernal equinox (and thus the tropical zodiac) moves in relation to the stars. It slowly shifts backwards relative to the constellations (and thus backwards relative to the entire sidereal zodiac as well).

Vernal Point in the Sidereal Zodiac

The measurement of how far the tropical zodiac has moved backwards relative to the sidereal zodiac is called ayanamsa. It is used in Indian astrology to quickly calculate a start point for the sidereal zodiac. According to the wikipedia article on ayanamsa and current tables of ayanamsas, it is typically assumed to be close to 24 degrees (usually just under 24 degrees).

Therefore, the tropical zodiac is currently 24 degrees back from the start of the sidereal zodiac. The beginning sign of the zodiacs is Aries and the final sign is Pisces, so we are almost 24 degrees backward through the 30 degree Age of Pisces. There are 6 degrees more to go before the vernal equinox enters Aquarius. That implies we are only about 80% of the way there! Currently, the vernal equinox is at about 6 degrees Pisces of the sidereal zodiac. As mentioned above, it takes about 72 years for a degree of difference. This means there are over 400 years before the start of the Aquarius period.

Vernal Point in the Constellations

Similarly, there is at least a few hundred years before the vernal equinox could be said to be within a reasonable boundary of the actual constellation Aquarius.  This site (click link) provides more information on its current position relative to the constellations.

Age of Aquarius?

The vernal equinox is hundreds of years away from entering the sign or constellation of Aquarius, so why all the talk of the Age of Aquarius? It seems a little far-fetched to attribute dramatic shifts in global circumstance to the precession into Aquarius when that precession is actually yet to occur for many hundred years.

Some modern astrologers believe that we must be transitioning into a new age because of the vast changes brought about by technology and globalization in the current era. To them, these changes reflect Aquarius as an air sign. Air signs are more associated with mental phenomena and information. Additionally, the modern astrological rulership assigned to Aquarius is to Uranus. Uranus is a planet modern astrologers associate with electricity, originality/invention, and perturbation.

Are these Ages Part of Traditional Astrology?

While we are not yet in the Age of Aquarius, it is noteworthy that it was not custom in ancient astrological practice to define major eras this way, by the sign or constellation of the vernal equinox. Finally, Aquarius was not ruled by Uranus in ancient astrology, but by the dark and malefic planet Saturn. The sign Aquarius, and that of Capricorn, are ruled by Saturn, planet of darkness, and are opposite the signs of the Lights (the Sun and Moon). Therefore, many of the features of the present day do not fit well with traditional conceptions of Aquarius and Saturn.

Each of the 5 classical planets aside from the Lights, including Saturn, rule two signs, one day home and one night home.  The system lost its logic and symmetry with the introduction of new rulers of the signs as new planets were discovered. Uranus is not one of the 7 wandering stars, defined as “planets” within astrological science, as it does not appear like a star in the sky (it’s not visible as such to the naked eye).  Uranus as the Greek god of the sky, also known as Father Sky, also seemed to have little to do with electricity, revolution, and some of the other associations given to it by modern astrologers. Father Sky, Uranus, should probably be associated instead with astronomy, astrology, the sky, and so forth.

New Agers

I believe the Age of Aquarius concept should be rejected as an astrological explanation of current societal changes.  The concern with the Age of Aquarius and a “New Age” in general (the influx of “2012” BS being the latest incarnation), has its roots in 19th century, industrial-age, spiritualist movements, like Theosophy.  As the world was being radically transformed by industrialism many believed that some similar type of radical transformation of the human spirit was at hand. This transformation was like a hokey non-“religious” counterpart to the rapture, where either everyone, or just a spiritually select few, would be swept up into a natural spiritual evolution.

The naivete of this spiritual triumphalism mirrored the similarly naive scientific and industrial triumphalism of that age. An overly simplistic and misleading whiggish history was expounded. Whig history sees the past as a linear progressive evolution from a dark ignorant past to an enlightened present and future (for more on whig history see this link). This triumphalist worldview, dismissive of the past and competing worldviews, hangs on in many spiritual, scientific, and technological circles to this day, but is, hopefully, losing credence.

Looking Back with Clearer Eyes

Overcoming such distortions is something of a prerequisite to understanding the past and one’s ancestors. Rejecting a “new age” outlook establishes a respectful openness to the humanity, individuality, and intelligence of those who presided over prior times.

History is not one linear progression to greater evolved states. It involves forward, backward, and tangential movement, not to mention give and take where certain forms of knowledge progress and others atrophy. For instance, the first analog computer, the antikythera mechanism, believed to serve astrological purposes, dates to the 2nd or 3rd centuries BCE. Mechanisms of equal complexity were previously unknown to exist in Europe prior to the 14th century, so it represents an instance of advanced technological achievement which was subsequently lost for a thousand years.

There is an opportunity cost associated with all broad societal movements toward some set of shared goals.

A Couple Techniques for the Ages

There were ancient mundane astrological techniques for characterizing society over large spans of time, like ages. The Persian astrologer Abu Ma’shar discussed some of these which I highly regard for major global cultural shifts. The first of these is the dawr which changes every 360 years. The second is the shift in triplicity of the Great Conjunctions which varies in length but is about every 240 years.

The Dawr

The dawr has both fixed and relative variants.  The dawr consists of 360 year periods ruled by a planet and a sign.  The planetary rulers proceed in the so-called Chaldean order (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, then Saturn again, Jupiter, etc.).  The sign rulers proceed in the zodiacal order (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, etc.). The fixed dawr was believed to be rooted in the calculation of the date of a great flood, typically associated with the flood in the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark.

Eras of the Fixed Dawr

Here are some of the more contemporary periods of the fixed dawr:

  • Saturn-Aquarius: -860 to -500
  • Jupiter-Pisces: -500 to -140
  • Mars-Aries: -140 to 220
  • Sun-Taurus: 220 to 580
  • Venus-Gemini: 580 to 940
  • Mercury-Cancer: 940 to 1300
  • Moon-Leo: 1300 to 1660
  • Saturn-Virgo: 1660 to 2020
  • Jupiter-Libra: 2020 to 2380
The High Middle Ages: Mercury-Cancer

Notice, for instance, that the period from 940 to 1300 coincided with the High Middle Ages in Europe.  The High Middle Ages were a period of particularly strong increase in trade, as well as important translation movements. These translation movements re-exposed Europe to Greek thought (and its Perso-Arabic developments), igniting immense scholarly and scientific activity.  This fits well with Mercury, lord of commerce, language, and analysis, as period ruler.  It was also a time of population booms and rising ethnocentric nationalism, which fit well with the fertile, familial, sign Cancer.

Renaissance and Age of Exploration: Moon-Leo

1300 to 1660 coincided with the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery/Exploration.   The Moon rules bodies of water and all voyages. She is an appropriate ruler for this period of immense transfer of human culture by water. There were also major humanist movements at this time. These movements shifted focus from the recovery and development of natural science toward literature and the arts. This is consistent with the personal and subjective significations of the Moon. The renaissance was also marked by clarity, coupled with a haughty royalty, self-awareness, and self-importance, all consistent with the significations of Leo.

Scientific and Industrial Revoluations: Saturn-Virgo

1660 to 2020, the age we are currently presiding in, saw the birth of industrialism and modern science. The scientific revolution is generally considered to really have come into its own in the last 17th century. This age has involved a literal ravishing transformation of the natural world.  With limitation being a chief concern (Occam’s razor) we have seen a very materially productive transformation of science and philosophy. We’ve seen the ascendancy of physicalism, materialism, and a more restrictive scientific method. This is the age of Saturn, planet of land, earthly resources, raw materials, tangibility, restriction/rejection, doubt, solitariness (individualism), and administration.  It is also the age of Virgo, Mercury’s earth-sign home, pertaining very strongly to material science and commerce.

What’s Next?: Jupiter-Libra

Within the next decade we will begin a new 360 year age which will run from 2020 to 2380.  This age will be ruled over by Jupiter, a planet which signifies friendship, tolerance, fellowship, charity, generosity, openness, spiritual expansiveness, and opportunity. The sign of the age is Libra, an air sign, pertaining to ideas, information, and culture. Libra is ruled by Venus, planet of the arts/aesthetics, love, marriage,  and beauty.  Libra, the sign of the balance or scales, focuses on themes of social relationships, aesthetic science, and fairness/justice.  While Virgo is a mutable sign, signifying complexion and mixture, Libra is a cardinal sign, signifying a bolder and more direct change of direction.

It will be interesting to see how this shift pans out, going from a physicalist bottom-line materialist intellect to a more information-based or mentalist view of reality. Especially as this view will be coupled with a stress on generosity, spirituality, and expansion.

For more on the Dawr, see commentary regarding it in Burnett’s translation of Abu Ma’shar’s seminal text on mundane astrology.  It is a rare and highly priced book at the moment. It may be available at some college libraries in your area through inter-library loan.

Triplicity of the Great Conjunctions

I have mentioned the great conjunctions previously in my post on Abu Ma’shar’s “Six Elements for Deducing Advanced Knowledge”. The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which occurs every 20 years was the cornerstone of mundane predictive techniques in ancient Persian astrology.

This conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs in the signs of the zodiac in a triangular pattern moving backwards.  For instance, a conjunction in Aquarius will normally be followed by a conjunction in Libra, then one in Gemini, then in Aquarius, etc.  However, the conjunctions are not spaced exactly 120 degrees apart, so they shift triplicity (element) over time.  This shift would occur every 240 years if regular, but varies in reality.  After the shift occurs there is often one or two conjunctions at the start of the series that revert back to the previous triplicity/element (see Richard Nolle’s 3000-year table of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions).

Triplicity Shifts

Here are a few elemental periods from shifts of the triplicity:

  • 1603/04 to 1802: Fire
  • 1802 to 1980/81: Earth
  • 1980/81 to 2159: Air
  • 2159 to 2338: Water
Fire: Age of Enlightenment

The Fire period occurred during the Age of Enlightenment, a period of heated philosophical activity, elite socially-dominant intellectual circles, and of great political importance. This is consistent with the energetic, truth-seeking, and leading or elitist qualities of fire.

Earth: Industrial Revolution

The Earth period, which recently ended, provided strong reinforcement for the significations of the dawr of that time (Saturn and Virgo). It concerned natural resources and skepticism (Saturn) as well as physicalism. Virgo is an earth sign and for the physicalist existence depends upon physicality. This period from the start of the 19th century until nearly the present day, saw an evident focus on earthly resources and the material realm in every sense.

Air: Information Age

Since 1981, and the start of the Air triplicity, we’ve seen a drastic cultural shift. There is now a strong emphasis on abstract information.  The personal computer came to ascendancy in the 1980’s, as well as new increasingly information-based (digital) rather than physical-based media.  Some of the most profound changes have occurred in terms of communications and social technology. From social media to searching the web for needed information. Pieces of technology continue to lose mass, go wireless, and depend upon transmission of waves through the air. These changes are consistent with a shift to Air, with its significations of abstraction, communication, and social relationships.

Conclusion

There are broad global transitions taking place which are taking us “out of the ground and into the sky”. The Age of Aquarius is an inadequate and naive astrological approach to understanding these changes. The shift of the triplicity from Earth to Air in 1981 set off a number of cultural and philosophical changes. These changes move us away from a material standard and toward an information standard. We are likely to see these changes intensify following the shift of the dawr to an air sign in 2020. There will possibly be a focus on global welfare, as well as a shift in the meaning of “meaning”. Societal goals of spiritual fulfillment and generosity may become more meaningful. The old goals of material acquisition, material standards, and rational certainty are likely to become less and less central.

Featured image:
A portion of a drawing of Surya in his chariot by an unknown Indian artist of the late 19th century.

Transit of Venus 2012 | A Ray of Hope for Gay Marriage in the U.S.A.

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2012 Transit of Venus

Earlier this month, on the 5th of June, there was a Transit of Venus over the Sun. This once in a lifetime event involved being able to observe a comparatively tiny Venus pass in front of the body of the Sun. Millions viewed this rare event, either by using special equipment, or online through NASA’s webcast.

Many people have asked me what I believe the Transit of Venus signifies. My focus is on ancient astrology, so what do ancient texts say about transits of Venus, or any planet, over the surface of the Sun? I’m not aware of ancient astrological commentary on the phenomena. It is a type of “mundane” phenomena though, as in something that seems to have significance for general worldly events, such as political and cultural changes.

Venus Cazimi

It basically seems to be a suped up version of “Cazimi”. Cazimi means a planet is “in the heart of the Sun”. It is when a planet is within a degree from the Sun (later authors made it within 16′ of the Sun). Cazimi was commented upon in ancient astrology.

My Take: Transit of Venus 2012 – Gay Marriage in US

I do actually have some very strong opinions myself about what the Venus Transit means. They tend to differ considerably from what I typically see ascribed to the transit in the astrological community. While my interpretation of the transit as a phenomena is not lifted directly from any ancient source, my interpretation of it is completely based in ancient principles and doctrines of interpretation.

I believe that the Venus Transit of 2012 pertains very strongly to the issue of gay marriage, especially in the U.S., and that it bodes well for major progress in that area in the near future.

Basis of Gay Marriage Interpretation

I base my interpretation of the Venus Transit on 4 main factors:

1. Venus – her natural significations

2. Cazimi – what it means to be empowered with the Sun

3. Venus-Mercury – the combination of these planets in partnership

4. 7th House for U.S. – for this year

Let’s discuss each one of these.

Venus

First, it should not be forgotten that the Transit of Venus is chiefly about Venus. Her main significations pertain to sexuality, love, union, marriage, pleasure, art, aesthetics, music, femininity, liquids, perfumes, and fatty fruits.

It is not uncommon to see predictions that pertain to weird new age spiritual things, financial cycles, wars, etc. based on her transit, as if matters of art, music, pleasure, sex, marriage, and all that other enjoyable stuff is just too marginal for us to find significant. I think this is quite misguided. There is significant importance to changes in the way we perceive and create beauty, make love, trends in music and fashion and art, sensual openness, partnership customs, and so forth. These are integral parts of human culture.

Therefore, when you think of the Venus transit, think of the goddess Venus, and Aphrodite, and that something important is brewing in the world of pleasure, beauty, and partnership.

Heart of the Sun

There is a distinction between a planet being strong when within a degree of the Sun as opposed to being weakened when under the Sun’s beams in Hellenistic astrology. The distinction first subtly appears in Paulus Alexandrinus (4th century CE, in Ch. 14). The distinction is actually lost in the Schmidt translation of Paulus but is correctly maintained in the Greenbaum translation. The distinction is not called “heart of the Sun” or cazimi by Paulus but is merely referred to in the following passage (Ch. 14, Greenbaum trans., 2001, p. 21):

And they become conjunct whenever they happen to be in the same degree as the Sun in the same zōidia, not being away from it by more or less than 59 minutes. And when more than that, the stars become weak and unprofitable in their specific outcomes, whenever any of them may be within 9 degrees distance of the Sun, whether they be in morning or evening rising.

Rhetorius compared the distinction to being in the heart of the Sun ( ~7th century CE, in Ch. 1, Holden trans., 2009, p. 4):

And the stars that are in the heart are said to be those that are conjoined partilely to the Sun, either in the same degree or an adjacent degree.

Early Medieval Cazimi

Medieval Persian and Arabic astrologers drawing on Rhetorius and/or Paulus continued to use the concept of cazimi within one degree. In the Jewish Persian astrologer Sahl’s “Fifty Judgments” (9th century CE) the concept still involved a full degree. It was a distinction of strength versus the weakness of being under the beams. For instance, Sahl thought it good if a malefic were under the beams because it would be weaker in its malefic significations (see Judgments 29 and 39).

16′ Cazimi

However, later in the Perso-Arabic medieval period the concept of cazimi changed from being within a degree of the Sun to being within 16′ of the Sun. Why 16 minutes of a degree? 16 minutes are about one solar radii in arc length as observed from earth. In other words, 16′ is at the body of the Sun by longitude.

Al-Qabisi (10th century CE) even went so far as to say a planet should be within 16′ by both longitude and latitude. This amounts to a planet transiting at the actual body of the Sun as observed from earth. Such a planet is either in front of the Sun (a Transit of the Sun by Mercury or Venus) or behind it (as in the case of Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn). Therefore, an actual Transit of Venus is Venus cazimi in the strictest, later sense, as used by al-Qabisi. We might consider it a more powerful version of the foundational Hellenistic notion of being in the heart of the Sun (within 1 degree).

Venus on the Throne

Early definitions refer to power associated with being in the heart of the Sun. The Sun is the primary symbol of power, leadership, honors, and political office in ancient astrology. Therefore, the notion of greater power only when truly in the Sun’s “inner circle” becomes very naturally extended. In this vein, the famous Jewish scholar, astrologer, and traveling mystic, Abraham Ibn Ezra, in the 12th century likened a planet in cazimi to one sitting on the throne with the king (Book of Wisdom, Ch. 8, #98). While I don’t usually explore astrologers beyond 1,000 CE on this site, Ibn Ezra’s great analogy for cazimi is consistent with both the prior notions of power and natural solar significations.

I view the Venus transit as Venus assuming a role in leadership. She has special consul with the major players, the game changers. It is her time to wield some political power and bring about things she’d like to see.

Homosexuality in Ancient Astrology

I’ve done a lot of research into the ancient astrology of sexual orientation. It surprised me when I got into the Hellenistic and Persian material just how much material there was that pertained to sexual orientation. Some people get weird when discussing such literature, as if it’s taboo to have a symbolic language that might be able to describe various expressions of sexuality, but it’s an important part of the astrological language. The extent of such literature has actually put me in awe at the extent of astrological achievement in the Hellenistic era. Mainly because these are good significations, which when used properly are quite informative, in ways other systems of astrology had never been with this topic.

There are many indicators of homosexuality (and of various sorts of sexual appetites) in the literature. However, please don’t attempt to delineate sexuality based on a few stray indications. Some of the indications can mean many things, not just homosexuality.

Venus-Mercury

This brings us to Venus-Mercury combinations. Venus-Mercury combinations show up in many indicators of homosexuality in ancient astrology. Interestingly, Venus-Mercury also pertains a great deal to theater, eloquent speech, and musical composition. Remember that Mercury signifies commerce, language, and generally complex things with lots of “exchange”. Hermes, the original astrological Mercury, was a god associated with hermaphrodites, and even more combinations of gender roles through his children. Mercury basically complicates through admixture and exchange. Venus with Mercury, brings in sexuality, partnership, and the arts, and thus is a natural and comfortable signifier for hermaphrodites, homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestite, transgender, and so forth. These are but some of the more sexually-oriented significations.

It is interesting how significations can bundle at times when Mercury-Venus is prominent and there are many similar indications with regards to sexuality. For instance, we may have gay and transgender people attracted to the theater, musical composition, aesthetics, and so forth.

They do not always bundle though. I have Venus and Mercury co-present in the same sign and I’m heterosexual. In my chart, one manifestation has been an attraction to the science of music and composition, as well as to poetry.

Ancient Astrologers on Venus-Mercury and Sexuality

In any case, below are some indications about sexuality involving Venus-Mercury in ancient texts.

Dorotheus (1st century CE, Carmen Astrologicum, Book II, Ch. 7 – repeated in Rhetorius and others):

  • Venus in a house of Mercury (i.e. Gemini or Virgo) while Mercury is in a bad place (i.e. the 12th, 6th, 8th, or 2nd) is an indication of homosexuality.
  • Lot of marriage (not Venus but Venus-like) with Mercury (Rhetorius has in a house of Mercury), with Mercury in a masculine (i.e. air or fire) sign in an angle (i.e. in the 1st, 10th, 7th, or 4th house), indicates homosexuality.

Abu’Ali (9th century CE, On the Judgements of Nativities):

  • Venus and Mercury in each other’s domiciles, or Venus and Mercury together in a domicile of Saturn, indicates homosexuality.

Abu Bakr (9th century CE, On Nativities):

  • Mercury and Venus together in the 7th house is an indication of homosexuality.

Umar al-Tabari (9th century CE, Three Books on Nativities):

  • Mercury as the almuten (planet with the most rulership) over many of the marriage points, including Venus, Moon, 7th, and lot of marriage, is an indication of homosexuality.

As you can see one of the indications of Venus-Mercury combinations is homosexuality, and possibly LGBT-ness in a general sense.

Transit of Venus in Gemini with Mercury

The Venus Transit involved Venus in Gemini, a house of Mercury, and with Mercury in that house. Therefore, the cultural and political power wielded by Venus can pertain to poetry, music, artistic theory, but also to more complected forms of sexuality and partnership. The joining of Venus to the Sun was in the bound of Venus as well, which is sort of like her own room in Gemini, thus it echoes back to more prototypical or core Venusian significations, especially of sexuality and partnership.

House of Marriage, For a Little While

Many people contend that the chart of the U.S. has Sagittarius rising. If that were so, then Gemini would be the 7th house of the U.S. chart. As the 7th house of a political state it would have special relevance for marriage and partnership customs as they develop within the legal entity of that state. However, the U.S. chart is a matter of heated debate. Additionally, in the ancient world, the charts of political entities were not the key charts. Rather, the emphasis was on temporary charts for the location that pertained over specific periods of time.

The Key Mundane Charts

The important mundane charts for periods of time that were discussed by Abu Ma’shar and al-Qabisi were of two main types, those of equinoxes/solstices and those of lunations/eclipses. Most of the important charts are those of a Vernal Equinox preceding a great conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn. These great conjunctions occur every 20 years, but certain ones are particularly important, such as the first such conjunction in a new triplicity (i.e. element) which carries significations that apply to major changes over about 240 years. Even more significant is the first such conjunctions in Aries which carries significations that apply to major changes over about 960 years. You can read more about the hierarchy of these charts in my article on that matter.

Vernal Equinox 2012

What is particularly significant to us is that the chart signifying the major U.S. changes for 2012 has Sagittarius rising, and the exact Venus Transit to the center of the Sun from Washington, D.C. has Sagittarius rising. This means that the Venus Transit has a particular relevance for state matters of marriage and partnership this year and that this significance was reinforced at the actual transit.

Transit of Venus from DC

Vernal Equinox 2012 from DC

Given the occurrence of the Venus Transit in the 7th house of the year for the U.S., we are given a clear indication that such events in Gemini take on a particular relevance for marriage in the U.S. Not only the Venus Transit but also the solar eclipse of May 20th, 2012 occurred in the sign of marriage for this year in the U.S.A.

Conclusion

Venus, planet of love, sexuality, partnership, and beauty, has attained some special significance this year in terms of political developments. Influence by Mercury, Venus inclines toward to complected sexuality, including LGBT. The place of her transit this year is one where she has access to the marriage and partnership customs of the country.

On a side note, the Venus Transit took place conjunct the star Rigel, which is a star in the foot of the hunter Orion. It is thought to have significance related to marching. Time to get that pride march together!

References

Paulus Alexandrinus & Olympiodorus. (2001). Late Classical Astrology: Paulus Alexandrinus and Olypiodorus. (D. G. Greenbaum, Trans.). Reston, VA: Arhat.

Rhetorius of Egypt, & Teucer of Babylon. (2009). Rhetorius the Egyptian. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.

Featured Image

Featured image is a cropped version of the image Gay Parade by Drpaluga at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons

Persian Mundane Astrology | The Six Elements for Deducing Advanced Knowledge

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Foreward

There’s a lunar eclipse today. It seems like a good time to discuss the importance of solar and lunar phenomena in ancient mundane astrology. Honestly, despite my great interest in mundane astrology, I haven’t studied it thoroughly. Therefore, I avoid mundane prognostication.

I’m sure that if you search for “lunar eclipse December 10, 2011, astrology”, you’ll be inundated with mundane astrological predictions. I’m also pretty sure that most of the predictions will be vague and obvious. You’ll see people predict that some existing long-term crisis will be prolonged. You know, the type of crisis that always takes years to resolve anyway.  🙂

However, if you want to spot a change in the trends, then you should know the type of charts to look at. Let’s take a look at that.

Mundane Astrology

Mundane astrology is the study of astrological significations as they relate to the general world, including political, religious, cultural, and meteorological events. In many regards, there is simply a lack of high quality and clear Hellenistic and Persian mundane texts in English. By contrast, there are extensive works on natal astrology. Additionally, in the Persian medieval period, there is an outpouring of pivotal horary and electional material, but the mundane material is less pronounced.

Abu Ma’shar On the Great Conjunctions

Perhaps, the most comprehensive, and certainly the most influential, treatment of mundane astrology from the period that interests me (pre-1100 CE), came from Abu Ma’shar in the 9th Century CE. It is known as The Book of Religions and Dynasties, or On the Great Conjunctions, among many other names.

An English translation by Keiji Yamamoto and Charles Burnett was released in 2000.  This translation can be a bit confusing, and at a price over $500 on Amazon, it can also be prohibitively expensive.  College students should know that Texas A&M University has a copy available for inter-library loan.

This text should serve as something of a bible for traditionalists into mundane astrology, particularly for those who are fans of Abu Ma’shar. I’ve heard that Benjamin Dykes, who produces clearest and most thorough translations of ancient astrological texts available, has planned on translating the text at some point.

A 16th century Latin translation of Abu Ma’shar’s classic text of mundane astrology, On the Great Conjunctions.

Six Elements for Deducing Advanced Knowledge

One of the first issues that come up with mundane astrological work is deciding which charts matter most and how they fit together.

In Book I, Chapter 1, of The Book of Religions and Dynasties, Abu Ma’shar sets out the 6 levels of important mundane charts. These are hierarchically arranged in terms of the length of time for which they give significations. One of the more fascinating aspects of that exposition is that all of the charts are of lunar syzygies (New and Full Moons) and solar sign ingresses.  The level of importance assigned to a specific ingress or syzygy pertains to its proximity in time to important phenomena.  Here is the list of the six elements for deducing advanced knowledge (from Book I, Ch. 1, 12-21).  You may find it helpful to use the handy tables of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions and Mars-Saturn conjunctions supplied on Richard Nolle’s website.

1. Aries Ingress Preceding Great Conjunction in Aries

A great conjunction is a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Presumably, this is the first conjunction in Aries of the series in the fire triplicity.  This occurs about every 960 years. The next 1st conjunction in Aries of the fire triplicity series would take place every 960 years ideally, but can actually be a much shorter or longer period.  Currently, it’s the Aries Ingress of 1702.

2. Aries Ingress Preceding Great Conjunction in New Triplicity

Presumably, this is the 1st conjunction in a new triplicity marking the beginning of the series in that triplicity, even if there are one or two last bastion conjunctions after it in the series of the prior triplicity.  This occurs about every 240 years. Again, it seems it could be applicable for quite a bit longer or shorter a period, depending on the particular length of time of the series.  Currently, it’s the Aries Ingress of 1980 (great conjunction in air).

3. Aries Ingress Preceding Mars-Saturn Conjunction in Cancer

This occurs about every 30 years.  Currently, it’s the Aries Ingress of 2004.

4. Aries Ingress Preceding a Great Conjunction

This occurs about every 20 years.  Currently, it’s the Aries Ingress of 2000.

5. Three Quarterly Charts

A. Solar ingress into a cardinal sign (i.e. charts of the equinoxes and solstices – especially the Spring Equinox)

B. New Moon that precedes “A” (i.e. the New Moon preceding a equinox or solstice)

C. Full Moon that precedes “A” (i.e. the Full Moon that precedes the equinox or solstice)

The Aries ingress is the most significant of these and is the main chart used for predictions of the year.

6. Three Monthly Charts

A. Solar ingress into a new sign

B. New Moon

C. Full Moon

Typically B (new moon) was preferred when the lunation directly preceding the ingress was a New Moon, while C (Full Moon) was preferred when the lunation directly preceding the ingress was a Full Moon.

Solar Ingresses and Lunar Syzygies

This is the hierarchy of mundane charts presented by Ma’shar in Book 1.  Many indications and predictive techniques, such as profections of the chart Ascendant, are derived from these charts for the relevant locations.  There is much more to Ma’shar’s own mundane predictive system than just these charts, but this exposition gives a general sense of the fundamental role solar ingresses and lunar syzygies, including eclipses, played in traditional mundane astrology. Basically, all the mundane charts looked at were of one of these classes (i.e. either the moment of a sign ingress or the moment of a lunation).

Note on Mean Conjunctions and the Zodiac

Please note that I give the ingress chart date using the true conjunction in the tropical zodiac for each of the first four categories. However, many Persian astrologers (including Abu Ma’shar) used mean conjunctions and the sidereal zodiac instead. Mean conjunctions assume an idealized steady progression through the signs with a clean transition to each new triplicity, rather than the actual progression in which the length may vary.  I feel strongly (and so did some medieval astrologers and most later astrologers) that the actual Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions in the tropical zodiac should be the point of reference.

References
Abu Ma’shar. (2000). Abu Ma’Sar on Historical Astrology: The Book of Religions and Dynasties on Great Conjunctions (Islamic Philosophy, Theology, and Science). (K. Yamamoto & C. Burnett, Trans.). Leiden and Boston: Brill Academic Publishers.
Image Attributions
Featured image of the painting Selene (1880) by Albert Aublet (cropped) is in the public domain.
Image of the 16th-century translation of Ma’shar’s On the Great Conjunctions is in the public domain.