What's Important To You?

I was going to look at Elvis Presley's chart in this post but that will have to wait. There's a more important topic that should be dealt with since I've launched into showing you how the interpretive system in my book (Astrological Repair Manual) can be used to arrive at more honest and positive insights into those strange entities called charts.

As you noticed in the last post, while considering Adolf Hitler's chart, my focus isn't from the ground, up; it's from the sky, down...

I didn't try to find the evil actions of Hitler in his chart, I considered the positive factors in his life-blueprint and gave a few reasons why he didn't fulfill his positive potential. Hitler was born with all the positive potential for creative contribution to our human family as any of us but his environment and his own free-will conspired against his developing a desire to be a trustworthy member of the human race.

Our ego minds seem to never get enough of seeing life as good/bad, white/black, for me/against me...

But, we all have higher or, if you prefer, deeper minds that can bridge the gap between "good" and "bad" and find a position of Best, for ourselves and for others we relate to.

Here's an analogy to help you see why I propose that a top-down interpretation is always better than a bottom-up one:

Let's consider a view of the ancient alchemical elements Earth, Water, Air, Fire. In fact, that ordering of the elements (which is at least 4,000 years-old) is very valuable for getting from a street-view of astrology to a cosmic view of the potential our inner solar system contains.

Important Note: This consideration goes beyond how much of each element you have planets in. Don't forget, we All have All the elements at our disposal. Matter of fact, the view I propose can help us "activate" those elements we may think we don't have...

Earth is where we all live, the place of daily chores, relationships with other humans, and, eventually, our body's grave. If we fashion an interpretive process that sticks to the Earth, we only have at our disposal a view that's limited to concrete processes; and, our range of tools is reduced to our own physical experience or the "indications" of chart factors borrowed from other's physical experience...

When we shift to the Water perspective, we don't lose our Earth bearings because Water encompasses and enfolds Earth. What we do, though, is to widen our range of tools in our astrological kit. We have now the powerful tools of empathy, sympathy, compassion and concern. Our astrological bedside-manner becomes more valuable because we're relating to the other person (or, even ourselves) with a gut-level understanding. The trials and temptations of a merely physical life are tempered at the fountain of fellow-feeling...

It takes more willed work but transition to the Air perspective has valuable rewards, for ourselves and those we may counsel. Now, we have a point-of-view that encompasses and enfolds both Water and Earth yet can operate above their enticing attractions and give us a far-seeing approach that can warn more effectively of approaching danger or steer more efficiently across the canvas that Earth and Water have given birth to...

Finally, for we earth-dwellers, is the realm of Fire. Few can maintain their position within this framework for long, mostly because they have no tools to help them maintain their interpretive focus at this intuitive and dramatically dynamic level of astrological awareness. The Fire perspective enfolds and inspires creative responses at the levels of Air, Water, and Earth...

I claim that the system I present the basics of in my book, in the section at the back called The Instructions, and which I'll be using to consider the charts of famous people {and regular folk like you and me when you begin to contribute to the comments section about your experience with it}, this system can and does operate at the Fire level. It stays above the possible confusions of the Air level, above the possible swampings of the Water level, above the possible petrifications of the Earth level, while still offering aid and assistance for all those realms.

Download the book, try the system on yourself or a few friends (be sure they get to pick their own options!), and seriously consider sharing your experience in the comments. The more we Share, the more we Grow.

Next time, Elvis' chart...

Plasma Love

image credit
Well, we've finally gotten to the Sun in the journey from my Free-To-Download book, Astrological Repair Manual.

After the next post (the last chapter in the book), I'll be free-forming it in this blog—going where most astrologer's fear to go—exploring a new form of astrology that puts You in the driver's seat. I'm hoping for many more comments and feedback. This blog is about you telling me what you think so I can incorporate those perspectives in the expansion of the existing single volume into 10 modular volumes that can make anyone their own astrologer...

I'll let the book speak now:

"The Sun. Our Star.

"Source of Light and Life.

"Mystery to this day!

"Scientists are having a horrible time making sense of how the Sun works. Astrologers miss many of the most important aspects of the cycle of this Function.

"Many people feel that this function is the only part of astrology. (Except, of course, for those twelve Signs of the Zodiac that are popularly given costumes and asked to play parts they’ve never read the script for...)

"You might think that, this being the next to the last chapter of the book, I’d want to calmly summarize and draw all the other chapters’ information to some grand conclusion. The thing is, I don’t intend to actually 'conclude' this book. I want you to enter The Instructions (in the Free-To-Download book) with Wings! I want you to soar through the Realms of Astrological Meaning!! I want you to Really Live!!!

“'Calm down, Alex. These people may not realize what treasure lies at their feet. They may still think this astrology-thingie is a fancy parlor game that makes for witty conversation. They may not understand it when you throw out concepts that aren’t accepted by most reasonable people.'

"Hmmm...

"Well...

"All I can say is that this very close Star, this fantastically beautiful beacon of Purpose has me all fired up! So...

"Start to get used to the idea that our solar system is not what you may have heard it was in high school. The planets may not have always been where they are right now...

"The Sun and its orbiting progeny may not be floating in some lonely backwater of the galaxy, like many astronomers would like you to believe...

"The Sun has been said to hold the planets in orbit with its gravity. This is not capable of being true, which is born out by the latest interdisciplinary scientific studies...

"There are many aspects of the planets, individually and collectively, that want to tell a very different story.

"For instance, the ancients talked about a 'sun' but its characteristics don’t match the one that gives us a tan. They do match the planet Saturn. Also, Venus was thought to have been much closer to Earth in the past and so was Mars. As a matter of fact, there was a time when people saw Venus in front of Saturn, Mars in front of Venus, Jupiter hidden behind Saturn and the whole party steadily revolving at our north pole. There was also a time when this configuration broke up, and there were shudderingly graphic 'wars of the gods' in the heavens which rained debris, electromagnetic bolts, and terror on our ancestors.

“'Oh, my! Poor Alex has gone off the deep end and doesn’t even have a
spaceship’s lifeboat to crawl into. He’s Sun-drunk and his little brain is melted.'

"Hmmm...

"I’m putting some information in the references at the end of this book that will help you find sources that confirm everything I just said. At this point, I’m going to say that this magnificent Star, our Sun, is the Center of our solar system, and it’s also the Center, the Focus of any interpretation you dare make with astrology.

"Focusing, Centering, Life-Giving, Light-Bringing, Purpose-Revealing Sun.

"One extremely important fact of astronomy that every person using it should know is that ninety-nine percent of the universe is plasma. You surely remember your solids, liquids, and gases, right? Plasma is the next state of matter, the most rarified form of substance, yet capable of organizing, moving, and creating new organizations of the other three forms of matter.

"Our Sun is floating in a Sea of Plasma, electrified Plasma, powerful Plasma...

"If you’ve seen neon signs or arc-welders, you’ve seen small versions of the process that lights our Sun and every other of the billions upon billions of stars. The regularity of the orbits of our planetary system (as well as the previous orderings and the transitioning chaotic states) are maintained by the streams of plasma and the power contained in this almost 'spiritual' form of matter. Even the weather on our Earth (as well as the weather on the other planets) is influenced and driven by the power of this all-pervasive Plasma.

"It's much more the case that the planets are ordered by a form of Cosmic Love—a force that transcends mere gravity and material forces—a power and vitality that centers all our concerns...

"If 'Love' holds it all together, it certainly must be a Plasma Love...

"And, if love is the power that binds it all together, we could say that:

Pluto is the Regeneration of Love.

Neptune is the Vision of Love.

Uranus is the Transformative Power of Love.

Saturn is the Clarity of Love.

Jupiter is the Expansiveness of Love.

Mars is the Externalizing of Love.

Venus is the Valuing of Love.

Mercury is the Perceptiveness of Love.

And, our ol’ familiar Moon is the Style of Love’s expression.

The Sun is the Center of it All...

"To make sure this chapter goes out with a sense of the ineffable—the truth that defies rigid expression—here’s a poem by Emily Dickinson:

Love reckons by itself — alone —
"As large as I" — relate the Sun
To One who never felt it blaze —
Itself is all the like it has —

What's Your Point-of-View ?

Last post we checked out the Moon as the fastest and most intimate Function in astrology. Now, we'll look at the Earth's cycle in the second half of Chapter 10 from my Free-to-Download book, Astrological Repair Manual:

"If I said the Moon cycle shows the Style of living, then the Earth shows the actual Central Focus of a life. The Earth is going around the Sun, right? In astrology, the Sun is referred to as the Central Focus of life. It's easy to see why, since without it, we’d be dead! So why am I confusing things and calling Earth the Central Focus? It’s because the Sun’s cycle is the reflection of a moving Earth, and astrology is all about our point-ofview from the Earth. I needed to remind you that the Earth is moving ‘cause it’s so easy to forget...

"So, we’ll pair the Earth-Sun year-long cycle of Central Life Purpose with the month-long Moon cycle of Style of Living that Purpose, and we’ll have the most important Couple of all the astrological Relationships. So important that, with just Sun- Sign and Moon-sign and an understanding of how to blend their meanings into one 'chord', you can impress and astound anyone by explaining the Core of their psychology.

"Certainly, there are other important considerations, like two or three of the other planets close to each other or the Sun or Moon very near another planet, but Everything else in a chart depends on this 'battery' of Sun/Moon. Nothing else would happen without it.

"While we’re here where astrology actually lives, it’s time to get into a little more detail about what the Signs and Houses of astrology mean. We’ll start with the Houses, since these are the Space within which everything else happens.

"There you are, a newly born babe, taking your first breath (the most accurate moment to use in a birth chart). The space that surrounds you has Meaning. Your unconscious mind is already working overtime, though the conscious ego will take years to catch up, if it ever really does... The unconscious is noting the directions and the various cyclic energies that are ranged around you. Powerful connections are being made between your deep psychological state and the actual space that surrounds you. The imprint of this moment of birth is so profound that an astrologer can look at a chart’s meanings and sometimes actually deduce some of the physical happenings at that moment. Certainly, the moment is powerful enough that it becomes, in the full detail of a complete birth chart, the 'blueprint' for the rest of your life.

"To the East, where the path of the planets rises, is what has been called the 'Ascendant' or the beginning of the First House. At the highest point of the planets' path is the 'Midheaven' or the beginning of the 10th house. These two positions define the circle of the Houses. There are actually twelve of them, and their meanings will be given in detail in The Instructions. For now, let’s look at these two defining positions' meanings.

"The Ascendant is the position of your most individualized perspective on life— your 'mask', in the old meaning of that word—what the medicine man wore to let a part of his unconscious come out, certainly not something put on to hide behind. If you don’t know your time of birth accurately and you can’t find it in the records, you need to locate a well-seasoned and rigorously honest astrologer to do what’s called 'rectification'. This is a complex method of working 'backwards' to deduce a time of birth. Much can be told from a chart that’s approximately correct, but it will be significantly general information, true for many people born at or around the time of your birth.

"The Sign that was rising on the Ascendant when you were born is the energy you characteristically use to individually perceive the world. Any planets that are near the Ascendant will blend their functions with your perceptions and become some of your very best 'tools' in life.

"The Midheaven is the position of your characteristic way of Growing into the world. It shows the way you can best be 'objective' about life and, with its accompanying Sign is often used to guide people toward a profession. (Again, I must stress that the chart doesn’t 'say' which specific profession. What’s indicated is the meaning that the profession has in your life. Rather than saying 'doctor' or 'nurse' or 'counselor', for instance, you might see the meaning of 'helping others', although this is a very simplistic way of telling you what a good astrologer could say about your Midheaven and its relationship to other factors in your chart.)

"All the other Houses in your chart derive their meanings from these two—your individualized way of perceiving life and your unique way of growing into it. The Houses can be thought of as the Activities of your life while the Signs are the Energies you use in those Activities and the Planets are the Functions that channel those Energies in those Activities. Another way to say this is that the Function 'uses' the Energy to 'perform' the Activity. You’ll get a lot of practice with this basic astrological formula in The Instructions (in the Free-to Download book) when you begin interpreting your own chart!

"So, the Houses are determined by where and when you were born and define your Space of Activity. The Signs are determined by the motion of the Earth around the Sun and define the Energies that are used in that space.

"There is a moment in the Earth’s journey around the Sun that we call Spring— when day and night are equal and day is beginning to be longer than night. This moment and the place the Sun is in at that time is what we call the beginning of the Sign Aries. In a very important way, saying what Spring means is saying what Aries means. There is another time in the Earth’s journey around the Sun that happens when night is longest and day is shortest and day is just beginning to increase again. This time and the place the Sun is in then is called Capricorn and (without using any of the negative meanings) saying Capricorn is the same as saying Winter. These two Signs and times determine all the other Sign’s meanings, similarly to the Ascendant and Midheaven giving meaning to all the other Houses. I’ll direct your attention to the web site link in The Instructions that goes to Khaldea where you’ll find more than enough information to go as deeply as you desire into the lush fields of Sign and House meanings...

"Earlier in this book I said something to the effect that nothing in astrology has meaning without everything else—kind of like your head means nothing without your neck... Even things like the Ascendant or the first House, which give meaning to other factors, don’t have meaning by themselves. It’s our position on the Earth and it’s relationship to the rest of the solar system that give meaning to Ascendant and first House.

"When we get to the last chapter, you’ll get a feeling for how even this solar system gets its meaning from the rest of space...

"Most of my time on this Earth has been spent learning to find the core meanings of the various factors of astrology. The journey has been wild with discovery and, at times, perilous with risk. I mentioned two languages earlier—the one that astrology has crystallized into traditional words and meanings—and the one that holds the truth. Even though you’ll be able to interpret your own chart (in a basic way) by the time you finish reading this book, you won’t have reached the end of that interpretation until you die. The reason I've stuck with astrology for so many years is that its deepest meanings are the 'seeds' that give meaning to everything else. The structure of astrology is, at root, the structure of our psyche.

"Bold statement, that! Hard-won truth, too. Back behind all the lunacies of popular astrology, far deeper than anything I can say about the subject, is the ocean of our unconscious mind. Our mind, because, at that level, it is a collective mind—heir to the full history of humanity and parent to any individual ego consciousness. There is a man, someone I’ve called the Einstein of psychology—Carl Jung. If you want to delve into this magnificent arena of the origin of consciousness, read Jung...

"And what about our feelings? Ah! We must travel to Venus to begin to unravel the mysteries of feeling..."

We'll also be exploring Venus in the Houses in the next post...

Earth's Moon

We've left Mars and have arrived in orbit around the double planet—Earth/Moon. I'm still mostly quoting from my free-to-download book, Astrological Repair Manual. We're up to Chapter 10 and there are only 14 chapters (plus, the "Instructions" that show you how to begin interpreting your own chart...) so, not long from now, we'll be exploring the ideas in the current book in some very creative ways and I'll begin to discuss ideas for the revised and expanded edition which I'm working on now.

Let's check out the first part of Chapter 10:

"Here we are, finally approaching Earth—birthplace of astrology. First, we cuddle up to the Moon, home of much lunacy...

"Let’s look at that last word more closely since a major purpose of this book is to repair mis-perceptions, and various lunacies are still far too prevalent in the astrological community.

"In Old English, lunacy was born in the phrase mona seocnes or, to attempt a translation, 'monthsickness'—insanity alternating with periods of clear mindedness. This clearly describes many practitioners of astrology, but, if it were up to me, I’d reverse the order and say they seem very clear-minded for periods punctuated by bouts of insanity...

"Let’s be clear. It’s insane to say that astrology predicts events (and, of course, I'm using the word 'insane' in its original meaning: not healthy) This may be really hard for some folks to understand, but here it is: Astrology does not, will not, and never has predicted events. What?! Yes. It's the absolute truth, even if some astrologer 'predicted' something for you. (If an astrologer tells you something is going to happen, don't you think that, if it does, there may just be a bit of self-fulfillment in that?) What astrology does predict or reveal is Meaning.

"O.K. What if an astrologer says some event happened in your past, and that, in fact, it did happen? Believe it or not, what happened is that the astrologer saw a meaning in the chart and made a very good guess at the exact event. Here's some proof of that:

"Many years ago, I had the opportunity to talk to two men, born of different mothers but at the same time at the same hospital. Since they had the same chart you'd think they would have had the same events happening in their lives, right? Well, all it takes is one contrary occurrence of something to disprove a theory and here it is:

There was a strong indicator in their charts at a certain time, and I asked the first man what happened. He said his father had died. I asked the other man, with the same chart, what happened, and he said he'd been on his first nude beach...

"Obviously, the same chart had shown two very different events! Then, I asked the first man (by the way, I interviewed these men separately), "What did it mean when your father died?" He said that he'd felt like he'd had shackles removed (his father had been rather authoritarian). I asked the other man, "What did it mean to be on your first nude beach?" He said that he had dropped his shackles... They used exactly the same, and not so common, word to describe what two very different events meant.

"See? Astrology predicts meanings.

"By the way, it’s also insane to attribute the mental faults of some astrologers to the effect of the Moon. The Moon has nothing to do with it. None of the planets have anything to do with it. It’s the influence of environment coupled with free-will that warps folks into the fields of lunacy. ‘Nuff said.

"So, what’s this big, beautiful Moon good for? It just happens to be, from our view on Earth, the fastest cycle we have—27.3 days to be exact—the archetypical Month!

"Think of it as the second-hand on a cosmic clock with ten hands. By the way, my saying, just a second ago, 'from our view on Earth', may be the most important thing we can consider. Astrology from any of the places we’ve been so far, including this Moon, would be very different! It’s very definitely a thing about point-of-view...

"The cycle of the Moon gives us many things. One of the most important is a cycle we can definitely feel—if we’re not stone-cold numb. Whether or not you’ve been keeping up with the cycles of your chart, you most likely have a clear feeling for what a 'month' means for you—even if only in terms of what you can get done in that amount of time. If you look at a month as the time the Moon spends going from where it was when you were born, around the cycle of Signs, and back to your birth-position, you’ll have a marvelous indicator of your personal style-of-living. The Instructions ( in the free-to-download book) will help you find your personal Moon position and the recommended web sites plus our Forum will tell you how to track it [the forum died but will be reborn when the new edition is published...].

"The Moon in astrology also acts like a 'trigger' for other cycles. (I must reiterate: the actual Moon is not making things happen) Tracking it around your birth chart while being aware of when it’s 'over' your other planets' positions is a solid exercise in making the internal chart (the one in your unconscious mind) reveal itself in the symbolic chart (the one on paper or your computer screen). I'm being as basic as possible in this book for good reason—roots must go deep for trees to stand tall..."

Next time we'll discover some basics facts about how the Earth and our view from it create the Houses of astrology...

What Is Your Major Motivation?

We're still with Mars but I'm going to introduce a new way to look at the Signs of astrology. So, here's the rest of Chapter 9 of my free-to-download book, Astrological Repair Manual:

"I think it’s time to introduce the signs of astrology. I’m going to do it by sketching out what Mars using each of them could look like. You’ll have a chance to do this for all the functions in all the signs in The Instructions (in the free-to-download book). Remember, though, that just because you might start with Mars using a particular brand of energy, and even though that way of being assertive has a tendency to be prominent your whole life, there is a slow and steady moderation. Time and the tides of the cycles bring opportunities to act in differing ways and with differing results. Some see these as obstacles to their 'natural' way of motivating themselves, some as chances to refine and expand their innate drives. This is seen in what's called astrological progressions.

"Plus, there’s the other truth of astrology (I’ve been saving this one for the right
moment): We all have all twelve signs. When you look at a complete birth chart, and when you realize that the whole chart is a symbol of your whole life, you’ll know that all the signs or energies of astrology are there in that wheel, that you have all those energies available to use. Most people have four or five much stronger than the rest because that’s where their planets lie, that’s where the cycles of the functions begin their evolution.

Now, let’s look at Mars with each of the signs; but realize that this is just an introduction to your own interpretations in The Instructions. As you read each of these different ways of asserting ourselves, see if some of them seem like friends or work-mates or relatives... Also, if you know which Sign your Mars is in and these words don't seem like you, consider that I'm still being extremely optimistic (from necessity) plus, you could have another planet heavily modifying your Mars.

"Mars using Aries is a motivation that springs ahead with such energy that restraint is next to nil if there are no other functions to slow it down or moderate it. Thankfully, it’s uncommonly rare for anyone to have all ten planets in Aries! This is the first sign of spring and has all the youthful energy that it implies. People with Mars using Aries seem to have unending energy supplies. They have no problem asserting themselves and usually learn quite early that everyone else just seems to act differently. Goal and action seem to occur simultaneously—no timeouts and no restraints. But, since people with Mars using Aries do have other functions in other signs, they have the potential to channel all that energy without busting a seam against any obstacles.

"Mars using Taurus is, in important ways, a polar opposite to the motivator using Aries. This combination still shows a very determined way of acting (we’re still in the early phases of the energy cycle, just after the rush of the rebirth), but the application of drive is more deliberate, more restrained, more focused.

"Mars using Gemini has a chance to be motivated in multiple directions simultaneously. This is a combination that can diffuse energy and spread motivation out. Sometimes this manifests as an ability to operate on multiple levels of energy use or in parallel lines of endeavor.

"Mars using Cancer is an assertiveness that’s motivated by strong feeling. Here is where things are not just done to be finished but to attain some value. This is when people are able to externalize their feelings in ways that make others want to act on those feelings.

"Mars using Leo is extremely outgoing yet has quite a bit of natural restraint. This is the combination that acts toward clear goals, being forward when necessary and holding back if action would impede future forward motion.

"Mars using Virgo has the ability to finely focus energy use. This is a Mars that can seemingly wait forever to act at the “right” moment. This is disciplined motivation, moderated drive.

"So far, we’ve covered Mars using what can be called the 'personal' Signs. The next six combos will show a more social orientation.

"Mars using Libra is the situation of working toward a balance in outgoing and incoming energy. Actions are intended to accomplish what’s necessary to engage other’s motivations.

"Mars using Scorpio also seeks to fathom how others can be brought within the sphere of action, but the intensity of analysis is sharper, the thrust of intention is deeper.

"Mars using Sagittarius takes flight and looks for distant goals that can lead yet farther. Action here is initiated for ideal reasons, socially grand designs, or future possibilities.

"Mars using Capricorn has all the ambition it needs and also the practical reasons for having it. Motivation streams toward practical solutions. Assertiveness aims at accomplishments that endure.

"Mars using Aquarius is action in the social arena, motivation that is fitted for group goals, assertiveness that stimulates a consensus.

"Mars using Pisces is the way to make peace—act as if you were the other, act for the other, or, like the Zen mind, act without acting...

"This round of motivational types was meant to be illustrative only; certainly not
definitive! When you consider that Mars must act in concert with nine other functions, much of what I’ve indicated can be woven with other thread, colored by other filters. Still, the essence of these various ways of externalizing our drives remains.

"Time to move on. There is much to do at Earth!"