General Astrology Techniques...

Since the most recent tabulation of our survey about what You want to see on this blog shows the categories of "General Astrology Techniques" and "Famous Birth Charts" as ranking higher than other topics, I'm going to devote this post to an examination of Barack Obama's chart, from the stand point of how one first begins to approach an honest and holistic appraisal of any chart...

First, let me quote the previous post on this blog about Obama:

Mr. Obama's chart shows an archetypical "Bucket" pattern (most planets within half the circle) yet has a uniqueness due to having two "handles" for the bucket (even though the two handles have more than 3 degrees between them, which the link I just gave you says is the limit; though, in Obama's case, one of the handle-planets is the ruler of the other's Sign, "pulling-in" the conjunction).

So, we'll look at Obama's Sun (of course), his Moon and Neptune (the "rim" or defining functions of the Bucket), and Saturn and Jupiter, the Handles or Focus of the whole chart.

I hope you have the basic materials of the system at hand [ if not, do check out our Information Site for all the basics for using the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System...] as I use my intuition to select words and phrases to construct the five Symbolic Sentences that go very far in sketching-out the major soul-components of Mr. Obama's character.

His Central Life Purpose

Sun in Leo in the 9th House:
Vitalizing Creative Response in order to See the Broader Perspective.
~~~~~~~~~
The Defining Functions for His Primary Talents

Neptune in Scorpio in the 12th House:
Being Idealistic about an Analytical Attitude in order to Utilize the Resources of His Unconscious Mind.

Moon in Gemini in the 7th House:
Nurturing Conceptual Versatility in order to Initiate Sharing.
~~~~~~~~~
The Focal Release of His Talents

Saturn in Capricorn in the 3rd House:
Clarifying a Desire for Enduring Patterns in order to Make Connections.
closely linked with
Jupiter in Aquarius in the 3rd House:
Being Optimistic about Humanitarian Considerations in order to Be Aware of His Immediate Environment.
~~~~~~~~~

I can hear more than one person saying something like, "Whew! It's all so abstract!!".

My answer: Would you rather use a bunch of bits of concrete "indications", usually borrowed from others, to form an interpretation that limits and constrains your understanding of a living human being?

Certainly, as I've mentioned in past posts, these Symbolic Sentences, or Affirmations, are not intended to give quick and easy "answers"; they, just like the Symbols of the chart, need interpretation. And, here comes yet another experimental aspect of this post: I'm not going to show alternative Sentences for Obama (each Planet/Sign/House combination has 64 possible Sentences in the system...) and I'm not going to (in this particular post) start the process of giving more concrete shape to those Symbolic Sentences. I'm going to leave that up to you...

So that's what I said in the previous post about Obama and it does give some very large hints about the initial approach to analyzing a chart...

Soon, I'll be adding information about overall chart patterns to the Information Site and will certainly be doing other posts like this about other famous people...

BTW, who's chart would you want to see analyzed here...?

More About Dane Rudhyar

Last post, we used a few bits and pieces from Dane Rudhyar's Chart (namely, His Sun/Function, Sun's Sign/Energy, and Sun's House/Activity) to see that the B.I.D.E. System can function well even without creating a Symbolic Sentence. (for a guide to using the full System, see our Information Site)

But even though, for awhile, we'll look at piecemeal uses of the System, and because too many astrologers use Only piecemeal interpretation, I included a full Symbolic Sentence for Rudhyar's Sun:

Vitalizing Fresh Approaches in order to Study What He Discovered Was Important.

I also urged you to, "...look into some of his ground-breaking writings on Khaldea's Rudhyar Archival Project...".

Now, I want to draw your attention to the two Planets that define the "boundaries" of his Talents—Saturn and Jupiter.

Let's compare first the differences and, especially, the complementary nature of these Key Planets in Rudhyar's life (in case you've never heard of the man, I would call him the Einstein of Astrology).

Here are the key phrases for these Key Planets in Dane's chart:

Saturn
Rudhyar's Saturn is retrograde so everything pertaining to it must be viewed in the most unique and individualized way possible...)
Defining
Clarifying
Structuring
Organizing

Jupiter
Expanding
Amplifying
Optimizing
Being Optimistic about

If these Planets were married, they'd be the Perfect Couple...

Now, let's compare the interaction of the Signs of Saturn and Jupiter in his chart:

Scorpio for Saturn
the Urge to Blend Perspectives
the Desire to Bond Deeply
an Analytical Attitude
the Worth of Others

Gemini for Jupiter
Diversity of Ideas
Multiplicity of Interests
Intellectual Freedom
Conceptual Versatility

Even a quick scan of the Wikipedia Article for Dane will reveal the prominence of these Energies in his life...

Here are the Houses (or, the most prominent Activities in his life):

11th House for Saturn
Make His Social Position Secure.
Enlist the Aid of His Social Network.
Activate His Goals.
Give Expression to His Hopes.

7th House for Jupiter
Begin (or, Refresh) a Relationship.
Be Aware of the Other Person’s Perspective.
Initiate Sharing.
Find a Compensating Viewpoint.

You may have to dig a bit deeper into the Khaldea site or the Wikipedia article to see how these activities were prominent but it won't really be all that hard...

And, to bring this post to a conclusion, I can't avoid constructing the full Symbolic Sentence for these Planets. They're nine degrees from a Waning Trine but Saturn is retrograding back toward a tighter orb so:

Clarifying an Analytical Attitude in order to Give Expression to His Hopes
Induces Insight into the Needs of Society by
Optimizing Intellectual Freedom in order to Initiate Sharing.

And, Share he did!

Those were my picks from all the options in the System...

What would you pick to create a Symbolic Sentence for Dane's most prominent Functions?

Want to share it in the Comments?

What We Don't Know *Can* Hurt Us...

From Dane Rudhyar:

"...the person who becomes an astrologer's client must have faith, or at least the queer borderland feeling in which curiosity, skepticism and an avid eagerness to believe blend. As the astrologer talks of these remote entities, the planets, the ordinary client senses the power of mysterious Forces operating in his life. He is led to the realm of a 'threshold knowledge'; he is led, in most cases, blindfolded and without any bearings. Yet he who leads him and pours into his mind and psyche starting information has, in most cases, very little sense of responsibility for what this information evokes in the client's consciousness."

It's time for me to reveal a bit about my sense of responsibility in introducing the B.I.D.E. System to the readers of this blog and I'll do it by talking about asteroids (please take note that I'm using the term "asteroids" in a non-astronomical way, somewhat like calling the Sun and Moon "planets". {for detailed information about the smaller bodies of the solar system, check out Asteroid groups and families and the IAU Minor Planet Center})

In the original volume of Astrological Repair Manual (which is still a free download near the top of the right panel), I began to address the issue of interpreting "asteroids":

"The critical thing for an astrologer to consider is what can be done, with such a wide variety of objects orbiting in such a wide variety of places, when the astrologer comes to the point of trying to draw any logical, interpretive conclusions. Sad to say, there are many astrologers who don’t stop to consider many things before they blithely offer up their opinions. Result? Chaos; in the astrologer’s mind and in any soul unwitting enough to bite this particular apple."

I mentioned not only the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter but also those in other spaces in the solar system. The tentative interpretive issue I sketched back then was stated this way:

"The first major consideration before attempting astrological interpretation of this kind of object is, 'What about all the other ones?' Sure, some astrologers interpret a few of the asteroids in their practice, but the critical difference between planets and this host of other bodies is that they are a host, a multitude, a legion. Back when we were hovering near Xena, I said one approach for hordes-interpretation was to, '...think of a sheath or aura around the chart, a non-localized group of potentials and energies that each individual can tap into IF they can manage to begin using the other planetary functions consciously'."

The three images below show, first, the "asteroidal bodies" out to Mars' orbit, then, out just past Jupiter's orbit, then, out past Pluto. The second image includes the first image and the third includes the second. The blue circles are the planets' orbits and the orange areas are the names of asteroids and other small objects...

We are, in truth, dealing with "a sheath or aura around the chart", not just the four or five asteroidal bodies most astrologers consider...

Well, "Why", you might ask, "should we worry about all of them?"

My answer would be another question: Why should we use the planets beyond Mars' orbit? Can't we just forget about Saturn through Pluto?

Of course we can't forget about those planets and we shouldn't forget that there are thousands of other objects around each of our charts...

I'd said that these bodies represent "a non-localized group of potentials and energies that each individual can tap into IF they can manage to begin using the other planetary functions consciously".

Well, dear soul, this astrologer, even after 40 years, is still working on clear, conscious use of all the planets out to Pluto. So, I'm still looking forward to the day when I begin to get a clear sense of how to explain the tentative understanding I've gained about this aspect of astrology. I intend to share it in future volumes of Astrological Repair Manual...

So am I just teasing you with this post?

Nope. I'm using the issue of interpreting asteroids as an example of why I feel so strongly that the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System is valuable. I know that continued use of the System leads to more conscious control over how the planets are understood and how that understanding is used to improve our situation here on sweet Mother Earth. And, I'm revealing my deep concern about the responsibility that Dane Rudhyar was talking about in that opening quote.

I want anyone who continues to visit this blog and persists in learning to use the B.I.D.E. System to gain a much more complete understanding and conscious control over their destiny...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way, the survey that lets you help me know what you'd like to see in this blog is still available: up near the top of the right panel and, also, right HERE...

Oprah, Revisited . . .

In our last post about Oprah Winfrey, I gave an interpretation from the B.I.D.E. System for each of her ten planets. If you're new to the blog, check out the red link in the right panel that says, Information Site, for guides and tips for using my System.

This post will take three planets from Oprah's chart and explore the aspects to them. The Information Site has the full set of aspect phrases that I'll be drawing my interpretations from.

I'm going to cover aspects that involve the three retrograde planets that are the only functions Oprah has above the horizon—the arena of objective, social action. Because they're all retrograde, Oprah found it very easy to "customize" those functions, use them in highly individualized ways, and make them talents that give her a profound influence in whatever social matrix she inhabits. In the last post about her, I called these three planets her BroadcastStation...

As explained on the Information Site, the B.I.D.E. System uses a full-cycle approach to aspects which makes any given aspect-type (except the conjunction and opposition) have two distinct manifestations: Waxing (0° to 180°) and Waning (180° to 0°). Also, aspects are always calculated from the slower planet to the faster planet. In addition, each of the interpretations below are only what I think fits Oprah's character and accomplishments. Each of those aspects has 511 other possible interpretations in the B.I.D.E. System...

If the interpretations of these planetary aspects of Oprah seem way too abstract or don't give you any interpretive satisfaction, I challenge you to construct a few Symbolic Sentences with the B.I.D.E. System of your own aspects and see just how powerfully it can reveal a vast amount of insightful information...

Since these aspects all involve Oprah's major social talents, interpreting them can give insight into why she's been called the world's most influential woman.

~~~~~~~~~
*Pluto's Aspects*

Pluto in Leo in the 11th House waxing Sextile Neptune in Libra in the 1st House
Regenerating Creative Response in order to Enlist the Aid of Her Social Network
Induces New Ways of Organizing the Situation by
Envisioning a Harmonizing Attitude in order to See Things Clearly.

Pluto in Leo in the 11th House waxing Square Mars in Scorpio in the 2nd House
Getting to the Depths of Dramatic Concern in order to Give Expression to Her Hopes
Induces Courage to Face Crises by
Asserting the Worth of Others in order to Ground Her Plans.

Pluto in Leo in the 11th House waxing QuadNovile Mercury in Aquarius in the 5th House
{If you're wondering why I'm not calling this an Opposition, mention it in the Comments}
Transcending [ordinary] Dramatic Concern in order to Activate Her Goals
Helps Perfect the Cultivation of Plans by
Investigating Humanitarian Considerations in order to Externalize Her Creativity.

*Uranus' Aspects*

Neptune in Libra in the 1st House waning Square Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House
Being Idealistic about Awareness of Others in order to See Things Clearly
Increases Dedication to Social Transformation by
Seeking the Truth of Character Development in order to Make the Situation as Objective as Possible.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House waxing TriDecile Saturn in Scorpio in the 2nd House
Breaking Obsolete Traditions of Emotional Security in order to Express Her Social Role
Helps Clarify Responsibilites by
Defining the Worth of Others in order to Be Aware of Her Worth.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House waxing BiQuintile Moon in Sagittarius in the 3rd House
Exploring Fresh Ideas about Nurturing Abilities in order to Make the Situation as Objective as Possible
Aids the Development of Required Resources by
Adapting a Broad Viewpoint in order to Be Aware of Her Immediate Environment.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House waning QuadNovile Sun in Aquarius in the 5th House
Seeking the Truth of Character Development in order to Be Who She Is In The World
Creates an Awareness of New Social Possiblities by
Vitalizing Humanitarian Considerations in order to Provide an Example.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House waning QuadNovile Venus in Aquarius in the 5th House
Breaking Obsolete Traditions of Character Development in order to Express Her Social Role
Helps Realize the Value of Unconditional Inclusiveness by
Valuing Group-Consciousness in order to Dramatize Her Concerns.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House waning Quincunx Mercury in Aquarius in the 5th House
Seeking the Truth of Emotional Security in order to Realize Her Highest Objective Goals
Aids Development of Group Experience by
Perceiving “Global” Awareness in order to Dramatize Her Concerns.

*Jupiter's Aspects*

Saturn in Scorpio in the 2nd House waning BiQuintile Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House
Clarifying the Worth of Others in order to Focus on Her Resources
Aids Exploration of Underlying Social Forces by
Amplifying Intellectual Freedom in order to Bring the Situation to its Highest Expression.

Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House waxing QuadNovile Moon in Sagittarius in the 3rd House
Being Optimistic about Intellectual Freedom in order to Realize the Ideal
Increases Awareness of the Actualization of Potential by
Nurturing a Broad Viewpoint in order to Make Connections.

Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House waning Trine Sun in Aquarius in the 5th House
Expanding Diversity of Ideas in order to Bring the Situation to its Highest Expression
Induces Insight into the Needs of Society by
Focusing Humanitarian Considerations in order to Dramatize Her Concerns.

Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House waning Trine Venus in Aquarius in the 5th House
Amplifying Intellectual Freedom in order to Realize the Ideal
Impels Understanding of the Attitudes of Others by
Attracting Radical Breakthroughs in order to Externalize Her Creativity.

Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House waning Trine Mercury in Aquarius in the 5th House
Being Optimistic about Intellectual Freedom in order to Broadcast Expectations
Induces Insight into the Needs of Society by
Increasing Awareness of Humanitarian Considerations in order to Provide an Example.

Oprah Winfrey

"She is..., according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world."

Before we look at Oprah's chart with the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System, I want to remind you to check out the Information Site for this blog (also accessible with the red link in the right panel). You'll find guides there to help you follow along with interpretations in the blog as well as begin to use the System with your own chart...

After looking at Oprah's Chart, it became obvious to me that, unlike all the other charts we've looked at so far, I needed to create a Symbolic Sentence from the System for all of her planets.

Overall, her chart shows the dynamics of the "Locomotive" pattern as well as "Asymmetric" qualities. I'll be adding a guide to the Information Site that covers the major chart patterns but for now you can reference the not-so-bad tutorial at AstroTheme.

I begin with the Sun/Venus/Mercury group (which I'll call her "PowerStation"), then the Neptune/Saturn/Mars/Moon group (which I'll call her "PrimeTalents"), and, finally, the elevated and retrograde group, Pluto/Uranus/Jupiter (which I'll call her "BroadcastStation"). I feel these organic groupings show her basic character structure clearly, if considered in the order I'm using.

Admittedly, the following Symbolic Sentences are the choices I'm making from the 64 possibilities for each planetary position. Hopefully, you'll access the Information Site's guides and work out your own Sentences for Oprah; and, hopefully, post them in the Comments!

Oprah's PowerStation

Sun in Aquarius in the 5th House
Vitalizing Radical Breakthroughs in order to Externalize Her Creativity.

Venus in Aquarius in the 5th House
Evaluating Humanitarian Considerations in order to Dramatize Her Concerns.

Mercury in Aquarius in the 5th House
Investigating Group-Consciousness in order to Externalize Her Creativity.

~~~~~~~~~

Oprah's PrimeTalents

Neptune in Libra in the 1st House
(Since this planet is retrograde, Oprah uses it in extremely unique ways...)
Envisioning a Harmonizing Attitude in order to Truly Be Who She Is.

Saturn in Scorpio in the 2nd House
Clarifying an Analytical Attitude in order to Ground Her Plans.

Mars in Scorpio in the 2nd House
Being Driven by the Desire to Bond Deeply in order to Be Aware of Her Worth.

Moon in Sagittarius in the 3rd House
Nourishing an Idealistic Awareness in order to Study What’s Important.

~~~~~~~~~

Oprah's BroadcastStation
(All these planets are retrograde and are used in highly individualistic ways...)

Pluto in Leo in the 11th House
Getting to the Depths of Dramatic Concern in order to Give Expression to Her Hopes.

Uranus in Cancer in the 10th House
Transforming Active Feelings in order to Express Her Social Role.

Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House
Amplifying a Diversity of Ideas in order to Realize the Ideal.

How would You use the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System to explore Oprah's chart?

p.s. I didn't forget her Ascendant or Midheaven, or the other angles; I purposely left those factors of interpretation up to you. Since the angles have no planetary component, just insert the generic "Using" in front of the Sign phrases...

Israel

Israel's Chart is only the fifth (following Obama, Joplin, Presley, and Hitler) considered in this blog; and, that's out of 34 posts.

I began the blog in March to introduce my (free-to-download) book and its unique interpretive system to a larger audience, first by taking the time to post the chapters here. I also began the blog to seriously play with the system—show it's usefulness and adaptability. And, since it's an interpretive system, I also hope my readers will offer their alternative interpretations of the charts I present. I'll be using any feedback I receive to help shape the next ten volumes in the series...

The system is Positive, Affirmative, and User-Customizable. Each combination of Planet/Sign/House has at least 64 different interpretations. The book has 14 chapters that explore my "philosophy" of astrology and include instructions for operating the system in the back of the book. I've also prepared a stand-alone guide for the system that's also a free download.

Now, to consider certain factors in the chart of Israel. As far as any commentary on the actions of the State of Israel, I leave that to the Media and Encyclopedists. My system of interpretation was created to help people get to the most honest and positive interpretations of charts so the inner essence of a person, country, or situation could be explored and used to improve our human family's journey on this fantastic planet. The Symbolic Sentences that are created with the system are WordSymbols and need their own brand of interpretation to be used in social, personal, and practical situations. One of my undying convictions is that there is absolutely no use for an astrology that looks for the "good" and "bad", or even the "beneficial" and afflicted". I have thoroughly and exhaustively explored those flavors of astrology and found them dangerous—to my own psyche and to the spirit of those I counsel...

We should be spending the fleeting moments we have on this Earth applying our energies to finding the Best solutions to the challenge presented in every chart we examine.

So...

Here are the Sun and Neptune (which border and define or shape the major Talents of the State of Israel), and the Moon (which is the basic Style of Israel's developmental growth). Also, I'll use the system to interpret Israel's Jupiter (the Focal Release for the rest of the chart). I won't add any further interpretation to the Symbolic Sentences I create from the system, primarily to leave Space for you to comment on what I've done and/or offer alternative interpretations that You create with the system. {if you feel lost trying to respond to these interpretations or coming up with your own, I encourage you to look back to the posts for Hitler, Obama, Presley, and Joplin for hints and tips...}

Remember, I'm making my own choices from 64 different possibilities. Also, what follows is not what Israel is or isn't doing, right or wrong; it's the Best that Israel is capable of doing...

~~~~~~~~~
The Shapers of Israel's Major Talents
Neptune in Libra in the 12th House
Being Idealistic about Considerations of Sharing in order to Realize the Oneness of Life.

Sun in Taurus in the 8th House
Integrating Individual Worth in order to Merge With Others.
~~~~~~~~~
Israel's Basic Style of Growth
Moon in Leo in the 10th House
Nourishing Magnanimous Action in order to Realize Its Highest Objective Goals.
~~~~~~~~~
The Focal Release of Israel's Potential
Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 3rd House
{being retrograde makes this function operate in highly unique ways}
Expanding an Idealistic Awareness in order to Make Connections.
~~~~~~~~~
Your Thoughts, Opinions, Disagreements, Feedback...?

Barack Obama

An Experiment...

Apart from showing you another example of my interpretive system in action, this post has two experimental qualities:

1) Unlike the posts for Elvis and Janice Joplin, I'm going to cover more than just the Sun/Moon Combination. True, the post about Hitler covered more, but in a tentative way... So, even though I'm trying to go slow for now, to ease into how to use this unique system, Obama's chart just demands I cover more than Sun/Moon.

2) I'm also experimenting by using a living person who is in the forefront of much of the News and has an extremely active and thick aura of media-meaning engulfing his real character. Many astrologers will settle for the media-man and try to fit the chart to that electronic ghost... I choose to start with the man's chart and see him from the inside, out...

So, if you haven't been here before, I recommend you download (Free) my book or, at least, the short version of how to use the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System. You can follow along with my examples and, hopefully, come up with a few of your own interpretations; and, share those in the Comments!

Mr. Obama's chart (which will open in a separate window) shows an archetypical "Bucket" pattern (most planets within half the circle) yet has a uniqueness due to having two "handles" for the bucket (even though the two handles have more than 3 degrees between them, which the link I just gave you says is the limit; though, in Obama's case, one of the handle-planets is the ruler of the other's Sign, "pulling-in" the conjunction).

So, we'll look at Obama's Sun (of course), his Moon and Neptune (the "rim" or defining functions of the Bucket), and Saturn and Jupiter, the Handles or Focus of the whole chart.

I hope you have the basic materials of the system at hand as I use my intuition to select words and phrases to construct the five Symbolic Sentences that go very far in sketching-out the major soul-components of Mr. Obama's character.

His Central Life Purpose

Sun in Leo in the 9th House:
Vitalizing Creative Response in order to See the Broader Perspective.
~~~~~~~~~
The Defining Functions for His Primary Talents

Neptune in Scorpio in the 12th House:
Being Idealistic about an Analytical Attitude in order to Utilize the Resources of His Unconscious Mind.

Moon in Gemini in the 7th House:
Nurturing Conceptual Versatility in order to Initiate Sharing.
~~~~~~~~~
The Focal Release of His Talents

Saturn in Capricorn in the 3rd House:
Clarifying a Desire for Enduring Patterns in order to Make Connections.
closely linked with
Jupiter in Aquarius in the 3rd House:
Being Optimistic about Humanitarian Considerations in order to Be Aware of His Immediate Environment.
~~~~~~~~~

I can hear more than one person saying something like, "Whew! It's all so abstract!!".

My answer: Would you rather use a bunch of bits of concrete "indications", usually borrowed from others, to form an interpretation that limits and constrains your understanding of a living human being?

Certainly, as I've mentioned in past posts, these Symbolic Sentences, or Affirmations, are not intended to give quick and easy "answers"; they, just like the Symbols of the chart, need interpretation. And, here comes yet another experimental aspect of this post: I'm not going to show alternative Sentences for Obama (each Planet/Sign/House combination has 64 possible Sentences in the system...) and I'm not going to (in this particular post) start the process of giving more concrete shape to those Symbolic Sentences. I'm going to leave that up to you...

See you in the Comments.........

A Positive Interpretation of Hitler's Chart ?

Click Image To Enlarge

Overheard at the Café:

Susan: "Well, of course he was evil. His Venus was retrograde in the 7th House. And, his Moon and Jupiter were both in Capricorn—cold man..."

John: "Yes, and Neptune and Pluto in the 8th, my God what a bad position!"

Andy: "Then there's his will-to-power with Mars in Taurus and Saturn in Leo in the 10th..."

Really? Is everyone with Venus retrograde in the 7th and Moon and Jupiter in Capricorn cold?

Know anyone with Neptune and Pluto in the 8th? You do!? Hm... Trick question: they were conjunct back in the late 1800s and won't be again till the 2060s... Do you think they thought or will think that was or will be a bad position?

Mars in Taurus and Saturn in Leo in the 10th... Let's kill 'em all before they breed!

Far too many astrologers are working their craft backwards. They learn a bunch of good/bad "indications" and use them like a bludgeon—beating people with good clubs or bad clubs so they'll fit into the mold—the predetermined "meaning" of the chart factors. No room, it seems, for free will; no time for grace; no patience with positivity...

I've known people to attend a class on positive thinking, leave with malice in their hearts, then claim the methods didn't work.

I've also known people who had all the "bad" aspects and all the "afflicted" positions in their charts who turned out pretty well. In fact, if you look at my chart, you'll understand the utter unfairness of a student of mine, asked to analyze the chart (not knowing it was mine) and tell me who they thought it was. They said, "Charles Manson"...

Naturally, trying to guess who belongs to a chart is a hapless profession but I did the experiment to prove a point—back-reading a laundry-list of "indications" into a chart is exactly the wrong way to do astrology.

Certainly, if someone, due to their own free-will or the oppression of another's free-will, becomes evil, astrology can see the factors that were warped. Try reading this biography of Hitler while keeping in mind what those folks in the Café were saying and you can see some of the places in Hitler's chart where the wrong external or internal pressure was applied. This still does not justify reading a chart and attributing negatives automatically...

It's my very carefully considered opinion, after forty years of study and counseling, that astrology must be used to help foster the positive development and/or help heal the negative experiences of fellow members of our human family.

That's why I took 20 years to create a system of interpretation that was as honestly positive as I could make it—a system that gives people the best possible chance to use the blueprint of their chart to help them develop their latent potential toward constructive and affirmative ends.

This system is available in The Instructions of my free-to-download book, Astrological Repair Manual. In fact, I'm going to use the system to reinterpret those claims made by my imaginary Susan, John, and Andy. 

Since each combination of Planet, Sign, and House can have 64 interpretations in the system, I'm purposely going to choose the ones that emphasize Adolf's challenges. Even though the symbolic sentences produced by the system are positive, I think you'll see where he needed more encouragement at a young age, more positive nurturing, more constructive use of his free-will, more support for the soul inside that was abused and frightened...

Venus retrograde in Taurus in the 7th: (retrogradation demands that the factor be interpreted as highly unique and internalized, capable of development in ways that challenge the norm.)
Valuing Individual Worth in order to Be Aware of the Other Person’s Perspective.
He was not given enough support for his individual worth...

Moon conjunct Jupiter in Capricorn in the 3rd:
Nourishing and Expanding an Objective Attitude in order to Be Aware of his Immediate Environment.
His immediate environment was ill-equipped to help him be objective...

Neptune conjunct Pluto in Gemini in the 8th:
Being Idealistic about and Regenerating Intellectual Freedom in order to Merge With Others.
He got the intellectual freedom part but was impeded in his efforts to merge with others... (the activity in the 8th is a consequence of the activity in the 7th—see Venus and Mars)

Mars in Taurus in the 7th:
Being Driven by Individual Worth in order to Find a Compensating Viewpoint.
The close conjunction with Venus here, and not having had enough support for his individual worth, made the compensation come from his unconscious—the shaky and defensive soul that he didn't feel he could unburden...

Saturn in Leo in the 10th:
Organizing Dramatic Concern in order to Express his Social Role.
He had the drama and could definitely organize it yet his other challenges and his lack of self-worth warped his sense of his social role...

O.K., now it's your turn; to add some feedback or argument in the comments. Or, at least go away from this post considering how you can help support the development of another member of our human family...

Plasma Love

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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 —

Asteroids and Chaos

We've left Jupiter and are entering the asteroid belt. Our journey mirrors the one in my free-to-download book, Astrological Repair Manual.

Let's look at Chapter 8:

"Here we are traveling through what’s been called the Asteroid Belt—many thousands of carbony or rocky planetoids, chunks of stuff that some think are left over from a destroyed early planet and others think haven't been together long enough to make a planet; jury’s still out...

"The thing is, that since they first called it a belt, astronomers have found bodies orbiting in something more like a sphere with the majority of them huddling in the somewhat flat plane of the major planets. Also, this conglomeration of bodies between Jupiter and Mars used to be the big thing in small bodies. Now we know there are large groups between Saturn and Neptune, not to mention all those Hordes out past Pluto (check out the first few posts of this blog for Xena and her Hordes).

"The critical thing for an astrologer to consider is what can be done, with such a wide variety of objects orbiting in such a wide variety of places, when the astrologer comes to the point of trying to draw any logical, interpretive conclusions. Sad to say, there are many astrologers who don’t stop to consider many things before they blithely offer up their opinions. Result? Chaos; in the astrologer’s mind and in any soul unwitting enough to bite this particular apple.

"One outstanding example of this unconsidered (though, probably, sincere) approach to interpreting this realm of chaotic bodies is the object dubbed Chiron. Discovered in 1977 and having an orbit that takes it between Uranus and Saturn, this small celestial traveler has been given way too much responsibility in the traditional astrologer’s bag of tricks...

"The first major consideration before attempting astrological interpretation of this kind of object is, 'What about all the other ones?' Sure, some astrologers interpret a few of the asteroids in their practice, but the critical difference between planets and this host of other bodies is that they are a host, a multitude, a legion. Back when we were hovering near Xena, I said one approach for hordes-interpretation was to, '...think of a sheath or aura around the chart, a non-localized group of potentials and energies that each individual can tap into IF they can manage to begin using the other planetary functions consciously.'

"That was said for the bodies out beyond Pluto, but it can certainly be applied to the asteroid belt and this plethora of small bodies. Another consideration is the length of their cycles. This depends on physics, but with this legion spread over most of the extent of the solar system, we witness cycles from less than a year to many hundreds of years...

"One approach would be to use 'the sheath or aura...of potentials and energies' and give it special attention when we find a concentration of these denizens of chaos. Since the Hordes of Xena have very long cycles, they would represent a congregation of energies that society-at-large can use; the flock between Jupiter and Mars would be oriented toward the transition between Social Expansion (Jupiter) and Personal Motivation (Mars-teasermeaning).

"I should make it clear that since astrology deals with the mirroring of solar system cycles in the lives of people (and cultures or individuals), everyone is always 'using' these energies and functions. The goal is to make this cyclic-meaning more conscious. And, to be as progressive as possible, astrology is not the only way to do this; just the one I’m writing about...

"So, in other words, these hordes and legions are a cloud of cycles and meanings that don’t have the clarity or precision of interpretation that planets do. They do, however, let us consider the value of chaos in our lives.

"Chaos is a word, like many others, that now seems to live far from its birthplace. Not to say that words shouldn’t grow and move from place to place, but, like you and me, if they change their identity too many times, we should give them a new name or folks might get confused. Actually, most words like this don’t change their meanings; people just don’t know them well enough. Like 'chaos'.

"It came from the Greeks and originally meant something like the primal emptiness or to gape or be wide open. One thing it didn’t mean back then was disorder or confusion—meanings common today. Some of you may be thinking, 'So the word changed its' meaning. Forget about the old ways of using it.' Well, the fact is, that’s real hard to do, and the reason is lurking right there in all our minds—the unconscious. It remembers, very well, and, when we use words in ways they weren’t born for, we induce chaos in our thoughts. Oops! Did I mean disorder or confusion? Did I mean emptying our minds or making them wider? (Actually, I tried hard in that sentence to leave room for all the meanings of chaos...)

"Let’s leave this discussion behind with the understanding that words can be tricky, we should be wary, and chaos just might be a good thing—in its proper place, of course!

"I feel this is the proper place for an understanding of the potential for using all these otherwise misunderstood space objects as a symbol of the vast and multilevel energies available to us; some deep in the unconscious, some much closer to our waking understanding. It’s my firm conviction, though, that none of us will use them consciously unless we're using the main functions—the planets we all know and love—in consciously controlled ways.

"Let me share a quote from Dane Rudhyar that speaks to this positive understanding of chaos:

'Whereas our ancestors used to dwell in a comfortably static universe in which everything had a well defined and rationally reassuring name, a form and a permanent set of characteristics, today we find change enthroned everywhere.... Against the classical concepts of permanence and identity the realization that all living is a dynamic process of transformation from which no entity escapes now stands backed up by the whole edifice of scientific research and theory. On the ruins of the world of thought dogmatically extolled by nineteenth century minds we witness the reappearance of ancient concepts which were for millennia the foundations of human knowledge. The universe is once more to be understood as an ocean of energies in which two vast complementary tides can be distinguished. Everywhere a dynamic and electrical dualism appears as the foundation upon which all reality stands.'
--- The Pulse of Life (1943)

"Humanity is far from a complete understanding of life, the solar system, or the universe. There will always be more to learn and new ways to use what we already know. As we approach the inner edge of this asteroid belt, let’s just agree that there is more to know, and we can profit from letting our minds open a little bit wider at times. If we can reach a place where our minds feel somewhat empty, we will feel less driven, less oppressed. Our minds might even become broad enough to let new interpretations in, interpretations that include enough reality to have the power to take us closer to the truth."

All comments, critiques, and questions welcomed!

Jupiter's Friend, Saturn

We're going to stay with Jupiter a bit longer but we'll consider it in relation to our old friend Saturn.

From Chapter 7 of the free-to download book, Astrological Repair Manual:

"There is a set of forces within each of us:

Structure, Definition & Clarity
and
Expansion, Optimism & Extension

"Neither is more important, neither is better. Certainly, at different times of our lives, one or the other will become more prominent, but, if we want the best for ourselves, we’ll always keep both close by, even if one of them is standing more forward and taking the temporary lead. Jupiter (nothing for it but to use the common name and rely on your ability to stay above the worst of the common interpretations) is the function we all need to assure ourselves we can find greener pastures for our energies, the symbolic power to take a viewpoint that is high enough and broad enough to serve as the ruler of our hopes and aspirations. Without Jupiter, life would be sterile, and there would be no progress. It’s much more than just interesting to trace this function’s path through its 12 year-long phases.

"It begins with the potential you were given at birth to initiate your life’s expansions—the sign and house Jupiter occupied in your birth chart. [ If you haven’t yet looked back to The Instructions {in the free-to-download book} to find your chart factors, this might be a propitious time to begin. If you don’t want to yet, I’m sure your reasons are valid. ] Naturally, children in their first year of life have a maximum of desire to expand and seek all the opportunities possible. Even people who later ripen into the more austere members of humanity begin with some measure of exuberance and abandon. The second year of Jupiter’s transit brings some kind of contrast to the first since there’s a natural polarity to the flow of the signs and houses (more on this later). Year three sees the potential for a certain productivity along with the sheer delight at so many open fields of discovery. The fourth phase brings the first gearshift or rooting-in of our sense of opportunity—half-way to the middle of the cycle. Five gives us a chance to test the waters with some showing off and six brings a breather while we check our bearings just before the apex of the cycle. After six years of experiencing Jupiter’s power of seeking opportunity, we’ve almost completed one quarter of our first Saturn cycle. Our growing sense of structure is nearing its first attempt at nailing things down.

"It’s always interesting to look at what society has scheduled for us at various times in our lives and compare that with what our internal cosmos wants us to do. Reaching the ripe young age of six brings with it a deep desire to share with others our first full sense of what optimism means to us. Of course, most six-year-olds don’t think of it this way, but that doesn’t stop it from happening. We’re at our first peak of feeling our oats, and we need outlets to share that feeling without it getting stepped on. One good reason for needing that easing up on a six-year-old is that Saturn's first quarter cycle is at seven years old and there is a natural tendency to get a bit serious then. Compare Saturn's structuring and limiting challenges at seven with Jupiter's seventh phase and you can see one of the potentially toughest times in a young person's life. Jupiter's year seven should be a time of finding special others that can share our particular brand of positivity; eight, a time of deepening those ties; nine, an opportunity to take some first steps in social expansions; ten, the first reception of solid social rewards; eleven, the beginning of learning to network our abilities; and, twelve, a rebirth, with many gold stars on the wall! In the chapter that deals with the most expansive of the functions, I can be nothing but positive.

"That sketching-out of the first twelve years of growth and expansion may have sounded nearly idyllic and there are many other factors in a chart to consider to see the details of anyone's first 12 years. But I must speak the truth about what’s possible. If not now, when? If not me, who? Also, consider this: that 12-year cycle of expansion and opportunity continues, on higher and higher levels, throughout one's life... So... We all can tap into the positivity of the Jupiter cycle throughout our lives.

"Plus, there’s Chaos ahead and we can use all the upbeat attitude we can get our minds into!"

Promiscuous Gods

We left Saturn behind (in this trip ever deeper into the astrological solar system from the free-to-download book, Astrological Repair Manual) and we're arriving at Jupiter. I'll let the book speak for itself:

"Approaching Jupiter, largest planet in this system, 300 Earth’s-worth of gaseous colors swirling in riotous flow...

"Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Best and Greatest) for the Romans; Zeus for the Greeks—god of sky and thunder.

"For everything that Saturn pulls in and tightens, Jupiter loosens and expands. Rather than focusing on a clearly defined territory of meaning, Jupiter magnifies things to their widest potential. Instead of limiting, he amplifies.

"Jupiter’s full cycle is very close to 12 years and its meanings have to do with opportunities and how we give them birth, fill them with optimism, and reap their
rewards.

"In mythology, this character represents what most of us think of when the word promiscuous is used—many sex partners. In fact, this “god” impregnated many mortal women. (It's interesting that the word promiscuous comes from Latin roots that mean to mix very well.) Jupiter was also the supreme ruler of all the other gods, sat on his throne on the highest peak of the world, and issued proclamations that none dared to question. I’ve been mentioning some of the mythos of the planets as we’ve been traveling, and I think you’ve noticed that I don’t adhere strictly to the myths' "official" interpretation. It’s not that I think the myths have little to offer; it’s that there’s more than any one particular myth-meaning in every planet. The planets and their symbolic meanings predate the urge that societies had for making myths. The planets' cyclic meanings run deeper and spread farther than all the myths ever told.

"Fact is, we have the whole solar system inside us, including all the changes this system has gone through in its history. Our unconscious minds resonate and vibrate with the energy of the cosmos. And, when I say that, I’m just repeating something that’s been said in every culture and religious tradition since stories started to be told.

"This is something that Saturn would caution against—dangers abounding for those who go too far, dream too high, probe to deep! Jupiter shrugs and says, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

"There have been many times in my astrological career that I’ve wanted to rename everything, even astrology itself. Names carry so much power to bend minds and too often blind us to the true identities circling around us. I believe there’s a place in all of us (part of that deeper, collective unconscious mind) that knows well the names of Jupiter and Saturn, knows their exploits and their reputations. This is the part of the unconscious that needs a good airing out in the light of day. And while the dirty laundry is flapping in the breeze, we can dive even more deeply into what preceded these notorious characters."

We'll do that in the next post...

Your thoughts and feelings?