The meaning and value of the birth chart
(or any other chart) is determined
by:
A: The positions of the Sun, Moon, Nodes of the Moon and the Planets.
B: The angular-geometric relationship of the Sun, Moon, Moon’s Nodes and planets
to each other, i.e., the aspects. The planetary configuration in the context of
Starhouse position and relationship determines the character and destiny of the
native.
The best way to grasp the meaning of the
Planetary Spheres in relation to the
true zodiac is to see them in a threefold way analogous to Spirit-Soul-Body,
i.e.:
SPIRIT: SUN-VENUS-MERCURY-
SOUL: MOON’S NORTH NODE
MOON
MOON’S SOUTH NODE
BODY: MARS-JUPITER-SATURN
URANUS?
NEPTUNE?
PLUTO?
There is also a small planet orbiting between Saturn and Uranus called
Chiron; and also the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
SPIRIT: SUN rules LEO 4th House
MERCURY-VENUS rules GEMINI 2nd House and VIRGO 5th House
VENUS-MERCURY rules TAURUS 1st House rules LIBRA 6th House
SOUL: MOON’S NORTH NODE
MOON rules CANCER 3rd House
MOON’S SOUTH NODE
BODY: MARS rules ARIES 12th House rules SCORPIO 7th House
JUPITER rules SAGITTARIUS 8th House rules PISCES 11th House
SATURN rules CAPRICORN 9th House rules AQUARIUS 10th House
We now observe the nature of the beings/states of consciousness manifest
in each of the spheres.
The Sun is the centre of the human being, the “I am” or HIGHER SELF. Now
in the archetypal zodiac, the Earth in the chart is always at the opposite point
to the Sun’s position (see illustration), so that the “I am” is reflected
into the Earth/Moon sphere:
North Node of Moon
Earth “I am” reflected into current
Moon incarnation on Earth
South Node of Moon
Sun sign astrology is a fragmented and partial attempt to comprehend the
above. As the Sun is the centre of the solar system - hence its name - it cannot
be said to be in any constellation. It is the Sun/Earth polarity which reveals
the “I am” reflected into the soul Karmic conditions - Moon sphere - of the
current lifetime. The Earth position reveals the self-image that the native is
attempting to fulfill in the current Earth life, clothed in the soul forces of
the Moon sphere. The full incarnation of the “I am” into the world means the
realization of the qualities of the Earth’s position. Hence, a planet in exact
opposition to the Sun at birth will represent the major obstacle to the “I am’s”
incarnation, if in any way afflicted, or aid the individual if its position is
favorable. In this case we would think in terms of an Earth planet conjunction
under the “Rays of the Sun”.
Through the traditional method of KEY WORDS we can gain an image of the Sun
in the chart:
EMPIRICISM : SUN ANTHROPOMORPHISM
NATURALISM: EARTH
The objective light-filled world in which we find ourselves while we live
here on Earth - objective self-conscious existence - is the self aware of
itself.
The ancient astrology of Egypt was transmitted to the Greek world
by Claudius Ptolemy, who was born in Ptolomais, Egypt, date unknown. The “Four
Books” - Tetrabiblos - is attributed to him and is thought to have been
written by him sometime around the year 139 A.D. The key words that he gives for
the Sun are:
Just Religious Grave Persistent Has
difficulties Rough Cruel Stiff-necked.
As we can easily see, half of the key words are “positive” and half of
them are “negative” - the emphasis of Sun qualities will depend upon the
position and condition of the Sun in the chart in relation to house position,
aspects, etc.
The Venus sphere is the realm of
Mysticism and romantic love. It rules the
constellations of Taurus and Libra, which are the First and Sixth of the
archetypal zodiac. Venus, as the planet closest to the Sun, is his consort, the
Goddess, the archetypal feminine in its highest aspect. Claudius Ptolemy
describes Venusian qualities in the following way:
Beneficent, Femininity, Gracious,
Religious / mystical, Honored, Well-bred, Temperate,
Glory, Loved, Eloquent, Artist, In-love, Voluptuous
The qualities of Mercury, the planet of TRANSCENDENTALISM and co-ordinative
intelligence, rules the constellations of Gemini and Virgo which are the Second
and Fifth houses of the archetypal zodiac. As pointed out elsewhere, the sense
ruled by Gemini is Ego, whilst Virgo rules Transformation Some of the Ptolemaic
key words are:
Intelligent Changing Reasoned Speculative Ingenious Mysterious Calculating Conceited Artistic Negligent Informed Unstable Subtle Unfaithful Inventive Unjust Imitator Wicked Hasty Bold Impetus Rash Liar Oblivious
Again, we see that a wide range of life conditions are manifest in this
sphere, with the “negative” conditions being a corruption of the “positive”
ones.
It is to be noted, because it is very important from the point of view to be
taken in chart interpretation, that the planets Venus and Mercury are very
intimately connected. Being the two “moons” of the Sun, they reflect and
manifest Sun qualities into the Earth/Moon sphere of individuals. At the same
time, they represent the higher states through which the native on Earth can
attain to Sun consciousness.
Whereas the Sun is positive and masculine with Venus being receptive and
feminine, Mercury is neutral and takes on the qualities of the
constellation/house it is in and the qualities of whatever other planet it is in
configuration with. Mercury is the great IMITATOR, whereas the Moon is a simple
instinctive emotional reflector. Mercury, the planet of co-ordinative
intelligence, is constantly confronted by the task of unifying and synthesizing
the qualities directed to it by the other planets. Mercury constantly
communicates the results of this activity, mostly in speech, but also through
whatever other means of communication are at its disposal.
Throughout the ancient world, Mercury has always been called the “messenger
of the Gods”. When we consider the existential implications of our diagram, we
can see very clearly that Mercury is the closest of the Sun spheres to the
Earth/Moon sphere. The condition of Mercury in the chart is therefore indicative
of higher moral intelligence and the native’s capacity in this lifetime to
recognize and act upon spiritual consciousness.
Mercury/Horus/Jesus is made to say in the New Testament, “behold I am the
shining morning star”.
Because of the intimate interaction between Mercury and Venus, much confusion
has arisen over the centuries of western tropical symbolic astrology. These two
planets will always “do well” in each other’s houses, so that if we see:
Mercury or Venus in: Taurus Libra Gemini Virgo-they are well positioned.
The principle that needs to be understood here is: Mercury conducts the
content of the Sun/Venus sphere into the objective consciousness and life of the
native, and conversely, it is the transcendental faculty through which the
native is able to ascend into a clear consciousness of their relationship with
spiritual truth.
So, at the intersection of the spheres of Sun/Venus to Mercury we have a
“descending - ascending” process involving the human being’s higher
faculties.
In short, Mercury will always embody and communicate the interests of Venus,
and Venus will always respond to and be receptive to the aspirations imparted to
Mercury by the rest of the chart. The Mercury sphere in this case works as a
quality control state to the ascending impulses arising out of the Earth/Moon
sphere focused in the North Node of the Moon - the “Ring pass not” for the
incarnated human being as regards higher experiences of intellect and culture.
When we consider the special relationship between Venus and Mercury, it is
easy to appreciate the most positive position for these two planets is a
conjunction. If we place next to each the key words of these two planets, we
will see just how positive the conjunction can be.
The Nodes of the Moon determine the
outer circumference of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth. In an ontological
mystical sense the Moon’s Nodes define the native’s psychic experience of “emotional space”.
The North Node is called “Ring pass not”, a term derived from the older
esoteric literature to indicate the limitations placed upon the human being in
the world by the polarity of “fear” and “shame”, which is to say,
personal Karma. Take for instance a human being in a social situation where they
do not know anyone and must select someone to talk to from a large selection of
unknown persons. The human being will avoid some people out of a subliminal fear
and avoid others out of a fear of rejection, i.e., shame. These two states, fear
and shame, acting in concert, will bring our strange guest into conversation
with someone who is felt to be a “safe” beginning into the new social
situation.
Of course, the above is modified by the planetary interaspects to the Moon’s
Nodes. The main point is that there are existential boundaries beyond which the
native may not pass with ease. These boundaries are revealed by astrology to be
the nodal axis of the Moon.
The constellation and house in which the North Node of the Moon is found in
the chart will reveal an area of special and specific striving upon the part of
the native - indeed often the underlying motives of the personality as a whole
can be deduced from it. This area of the chart shows what it is the native feels
impelled to perfect - and will throw light upon why the native does the kind of
work they most like to do.
The North Node of the Moon rules Taurus and Libra - both Mercury-ruled
starhouses. It has the sense of a Mercury/Saturn conjunction, so that in this
case the key words are:
Determined Ambitious Practical Timely Sensible Shrewd Exacting Inhibited Taciturn Separative Alienated
The Nodes of the Moon are time bodies rather than planets in the usual sense
of the word.
The North Node is experienced through the native’s sense of
timing in regard to the life experiences defined by the above key words. In
Sidereal Astrology the Moon’s Nodes are an axis which reveals the soul Karmic content
carried over into this lifetime from the previous incarnation. The North Node is
the way in which the Karmic necessity of this lifetime is to be met and
resolved. The tendency of the Moon’s North Node is to overdo things, to
overcompensate in the area of life that it rules in the chart. The danger is
that it will totally destabilize and destroy those things in which it most wants
to experience itself as a success.
The Moon itself is of profound importance as the spontaneous reflector of the
total chart content in the realm of immediate emotional presence. The meaning of
the Moon is OCCULTISM, i.e., that which is hidden from intellectual assessment.
The way in which we attain to an understanding of our “Moon content” is
through INTUITIONISM, i.e., the very personal things we are aware of about
ourselves, or how we are emotionally related to others, something which we just
simply “know”. Often we are unable to explain the things that we “know”
in this way, yet if the Moon is well positioned or aspected in our charts, our
“knowing” will turn out to be correct. Out of this immediate “emotional
awareness” we relate ourselves with an “instinctive confidence” to our
world.
The Moon rules “lower mind” and communications with those most
immediately related to the native, i.e., the mother, siblings and family in
general. Further, the Moon rules all the life activities surrounding the home,
family and those related to it, such as, friends, community and all
communications related to community.
As regards time, the Moon functions on a monthly rhythm, so it has to do with
all short-term activities, communications and journeys. It is well known that
the Moon causes the rising and falling of the tides in the oceans and seas of
the world. The brain is suspended in fluid within the skull and the Moon’s
rhythm interacts with this fluid as it does with all others on Earth. Hence, the
Moon “rules” lower mind, or, if you like, the brain mind. The brain itself
is the suppository of ancestral and cultural influences.
The Moon key words are:
Feminine, Nocturnal, Generous,
Open-minded, Free, Assured,
Beneficent, Varied, Subtle, Temperate,
Overheated, Inconstant, Coward, Timid, Abject.
You will surely wonder how the Moon can be described as ASSURED and TIMID;
this seems at first sight to be a glaring contradiction and so it is. The
emotional/Moon life in most human beings is to start with a mass of
contradictions. We all know the experience of “mixed emotions” in regard
even to those who are our closest intimates. The upshot of this whole thing is
that the Moon rules temperament, and its position in the chart will determine
what kind of feelings predominate. The conjunction of any planet with the Moon
will modify its condition along the lines of character traits determined by the
conjoining planet. The Moon most immediately and intensely reflects the
qualities of the constellation and house position within the chart.
Sex and the Moon:
As the Moon rules the monthly fertility cycle in women and the expression of
sex drives in men, it would seem obvious that the Moon is a major indicator of
sexual compatibility between men and women. Much is made of sun sign
compatibility in the tropical zodiac of signs, but it will be found in working
with the archetypal zodiac that Moon compatibility is the major force in binding
and lasting attractions between men and women.
The Moon is OCCULTISM, i.e., that which is hidden, and the faculty of
INTUITIONISM, i.e., the awareness of immediate affinity, which is the
fundamental ground of true communication. The Moon rules this fundamental
affinity. When the Moon in a man and woman’s charts are compatible and free of
affliction, a successful long term is the result. This is the basic principle.
The full extrapolation of this law of mutual sexual compatibility is rather
complex, as it involves a full study of the mutual charts in order to assess the
extent to which the basic affinity inherent in the compatible Moons is borne
out. If the Moons are not compatible, all other attempts to derive a harmonious
result from the two charts are in vain. It will be discovered in Sidereal
practice that compatible Suns can do nothing to alter this, though they will act
as an additional positive factor where basic Moon affinity exists.
In addition to lunar affinity, the major influences for relationship are:
In male charts - the interaspects
between the Moon and Venus-Mercury in relation to Mars, and the Starhouses 2 and
5 with the addition of 3 and 7, i.e., 2= 5= both ruled by Venus, 3= ruled by the
Moon, and 7= ruled by Mars. From
these Starhouses and the position of their rulers in the larger chart context,
can be perceived the nature and worth of the women he attracts.
In female charts - the interaspects
between the Moon in combination with Mars in relation to the Sun and Saturn -
the starhouses 12 and 7, 3 and 4, and 9 and 10.
In a female chart the analysis is the same as with a male chart, with the
differences as outlined above and with the planets and houses revealing the kind
and quality of men that she attracts. In a female chart, Venus reveals her
capacity to love. Conversely, in a male chart, the Moon/Venus configuration
reveals how he feels about women and how he will love and treat them.
The South Node of the Moon reveals what is called in spiritual circles the
LOWER ASTRAL. It is that aspect of human nature, revealed in the chart, where
individuals carry electromagnetic force field which pertains to subhuman
impulses. Hence, in sacred sidereal astrology it is called “vortex of descent”. The karmic
residue of the previous lifetime as it pertains to instinctive sensory impulses
is focused in this force field. It has the character of a Moon/Mars conjunction.
Key words are:
Ardent Forceful Intense Enthusiastic Vivacious Belligerent Overemotional Lustful Violent Quarrelsome
The Nodes of the Moon:
North Node: “Ring pass not” / South Node: “vortex of descent” are
always found to be exactly opposite each other in the chart, and should be
evaluated as an electro-magnetic polarity. This is why no chart can be found
without an opposition aspect of 180º in it. Along with the Moon itself, they
determine the sphere of personal emotional soul forces in the incarnated human
being.
This middle principle in the human being is called the ASTRAL BODY. It is
essential to evaluate the total chart in order to determine whether the
ASTRAL/SOUL BODY is more strongly influenced by the higher spiritual spheres of
the Sun, Venus and Mercury, or the South Node/vortex of descent in conjunction
with Mars. A highly fortunate condition of life is found when a balance
prevails, permitting the native to live at a high energy level as a being of
spirit, soul and body, with the spirit holding the upper hand.
As the Moon and the Nodes of the Moon reveal the Karmic condition of the
current lifetime, it is worth noting which cross they occupy.
In the Fixed Cross : SPIRITUAL FOCUS: Taurus Leo Scorpio Aquarius
In the Mutable Cross :SOUL FOCUS: Gemini
Virgo Sagittarius Pisces
In the Cardinal Cross: PHYSICAL FOCUS: Cancer
Libra Capricorn Aries
The reader should take care not to fall into the error of thinking that
Spirit is good, Soul less good and Physical least good. It’s not that simple.
Mars Voluntarism rules:
Aries: Idealism
Scorpio: Dynamism
The Mars sphere manifests within the will forces of the native as applied to
the concrete reality of the immediate physical world. The willingness to apply
force to the environment and the determination to cause events and projects
arise from Mars impulses.
At its extreme of aggression, Mars can be defined as the warlord. The ancient
world acknowledged Mars as the god of war. This still holds true. By simple
extension, we can easily see that Mars is also the god of athletics.
Perhaps the key word for Mars in the chart is competition. As the ruler of
native’s drives and impulses, Mars rules sex drives and what the native is
willing to do in order to fulfill sexual desire.
In metaphysical terms, Mars is the
sphere where unity becomes diversity, or to say the same thing, where energy is
converted into matter. Mars is, therefore, the ruler of all industry at a
manufacturing level where machinery is involved. The Astrological traditions attribute the metal iron to
Mars. We can see the truth of this when we observe that the most warlike nations
in the world have also been the originators of the industrial revolution.
Industrialized nations entered into a worldwide competition of empires that
expanded through the combination of military and industrial forces. This is
particularly true of, for instance, the British Empire, which underwent its
major expansion during the industrial revolution. The British were extremely Idealistic
about their Empire and were absolutely convinced that it was their duty to run
the world. Such is the nature of Mars.
Post-industrial technological evolution has also meant that the military
caste throughout the world employ increasingly complex weapons and machines of
war. The ultimate Scorpionic weapon is, of course, the nuclear warhead. It is of
interest to note that the two most bombed countries of World War II, namely,
Germany and Japan, underwent the most spectacular post-war industrial
resurrection. Mars-ruled Scorpio means death and resurrection, and, in the above
cases, we see it operates at its most basic level.
So, we live in a universe with Mars beings. Does this mean that mankind is
doomed to go on fighting until the Earth is laid waste in the ultimate nuclear
holocaust? Not necessarily. We have seen that Mars forces are both constructive
and destructive, and war impulses, like everything else, are subject to the law
of evolution. The space program is a diverting of Mars forces away from the
surface of the planet. It was certainly a Mars being that inspired the term “conquest
of space”, which, of course, has more recently become “star wars”.
In a Nietzschean sense, Mars signifies the “will to power”. At a
planetary level we see this manifest as the modern state upheld by military
technology. The urge to expand and gain dominion over any aspect of life
involves Mars forces.
At a more personal level, we are dealing with physical vitality, the will to
live and survive, through all the means of survival open to the individual. From
a purely Martian point of view, all life at every level is seen as a struggle to
survive. The Mars sphere deals with the various forms that human survival
may take.
Every state of survival from simple personal survival through to survival as
sexual activity and the reproduction of human life to the maintenance of
environment and all the ecological systems of nature which support the survival
of the human species at a planetary level, is the expression of the Mars sphere.
Personal spiritual survival and atonement with the Supreme Being are the
highest expressions of the Martian will to live. It is of interest in this
context to note that Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was the son of a
warrior caste king of northern India.
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