Anthony Louis's Blog, page 27

Stationary True Lunar Nodes in Solar Returns

The Moon’s nodes come in two varieties: true nodes and “mean” or average nodes. Traditionally the mean nodes were used because astronomers did not have instruments capable of measuring the subtle movements on the Moon on its orbit around the Earth. The mean lunar nodes, being average positions, are always in retrograde motion. Nowadays the positions of the true nodes are also available, and as a result we can identify days on which the true nodes become stationary and turn direct or retrograde.

In Hindu astrology the nodes are given names and regarded as “shadow” planets. The North Node is Rahu and the South Node, Ketu. The myth is that Lord Vishnu suddenly and unexpectedly decapitated the celestial serpent, whose severed parts became Rahu and Ketu, when the Sun and Moon turned him in for his deception in trying to steal the Elixer of immortality.

[image error]Vishnu severs the serpent’s head, creating Rahu and Keu.

The Nodes are associated with sudden and often disruptive events. One site gives the following description (bold mine):

“Purāṇic stories (sacred lore of India) reference Rāhu and Ketu, conveying eternal themes of ambition, pursuit of a desire, purpose, addiction, insatiability, illusion, leveling the playing field, immortality, revolution, donning disguises, trickery, manipulation, social unrest, going against the grain, instability, innovation, suddenness, unforeseen consequences, mystery and disruption of the status quo, relating with foreign cultures-lands-religions, technology (especially that which disrupts the status quo), magic and slight of hand.” 

I have noticed repeatedly that when the true lunar nodes are stationary in solar returns, the native’s year is usually marked by periods of disruption and instability, often with crises that confront us with our own mortality. With this in mind, when I come across a biography with such events, I like to check the solar return for the year of the crisis. One such case is the following.

Garry Hoy, a Canadian lawyer, was born in Toronto on 1 Jan 1955 and he fell to his death at age 38 on 9 July 1993. Because of his unusual death, Hoy was awarded the Darwin Award in 1996. The story, according to the site Find a Grave, goes as follows:

“Garry Hoy was a lawyer for the law firm of Holden Day Wilson in Toronto who became notorious for the circumstances of his death. In an attempt to prove to a group of prospective articulating students that the glass windows of the Toronto-Dominion Centre were unbreakable, Hoy threw himself at a glass wall on the 24th floor. The glass did not break, but the window frame gave way and he fell to his death.”

Hoy’s time of birth is unknown so I cast a sunrise chart for his date and place of birth, and a solar return based on this chart for the date of his demise. It is noteworthy that he has the true lunar nodes stationary at birth and again stationary in the solar return for the year of his death.

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Some Thoughts about Cuspal Interlink Astrology

Recently I’ve been exploring a Hindu astrological technique called “cuspal interlink” theory, which was developed by Indian astrologer S.P. Khullar, based on the pioneering work of the late K.S. Krishnamurti (1902 – 1978) who developed KP astrology. Krishnamurti had the idea of basing astrological predictions on Nakshatras, which underlie the Vimshottari dasa predictive system, in combination with the Western idea of quadrant houses, specifically those of Placidus. He subdivided each Nakshatra into 9 unequal parts or “Subs” based proportionately on the durations associated with each planet in the Vimshottari system. Khullar went a step further with his “cuspal interlink” theory [KCIL] and subdivided each “Sub” into 9 unequal “Sub-Subs”, also based proportionately on the durations associated with each planet in the Vimshottari system

The Nakshatras of Hindu astrology are small star groupings or asterisms, which are also referred to simply as “Stars.” Twenty-eight such Star groupings of unequal sizes exist. Perhaps for reasons of mathematical simplicity, Hindu astrology divides the zodiac wheel into 27 equally-sized groupings called Nakshatras, which are named after the original 28 unequal asterisms, much as the 12 equally-sized “signs” of the zodiac are mathematical constructs named after the 13 constellations in the zodiac circle.

Unlike Western astrology, which places great emphasis on the planetary rulers of signs, the system developed by Krishnamurti, and further elaborated by Khullar, stresses the role of the Nakshatras which planets occupy. Specifically in the Vimshottari dasa system (which is one of many Nakshatra-based methods), each Nakshatra is paired with a planetary “lord.” These planetary “lords” vary with the dasa system and should not be regarded as “lords” in the same way that Western astrologers view the planetary rulers of signs, which have an intrinsic relationship with the nature of the zodiacal sign.

Because this Nakshatra-based approach depends primarily on the Star groupings or asterisms rather than the zodiacal signs, it is often referred to as “Stellar” astrology. Because Stellar astrology originated in novel theorizing about the Vimshottari dasa system, it is especially useful in doing predictive work with this dasa system. To illustrate this point, let’s consider a case example.

Recently I was watching a video about birth time rectification in Vedic astrology. The presenter, a distinguished practitioner of Jyotish, noted that the birth chart of the famous Indian astrologer B.V. Raman revealed no connection between the planet Jupiter (a natural signifier of children) and the 5th house of procreation, yet Raman had nine children, most of whom were born during his Jupiter mahadasa. Like Western astrology, and especially Hellenistic approaches which strongly influenced Indian astrologers, traditional Jyotish is largely based on planetary rulers of zodiac signs. Given this odd finding of the absence of influence of Jupiter on the 5th house according to traditional Jyotish, I wondered whether Jupiter would be strongly connected to the 5th house in Stellar (Nakshatra-based) astrology.

Here is the chart of B.V. Raman, calculated in the sidereal zodiac with the birth time Raman apparently rectified for himself and with the Khullar ayanamsa of Cuspal Interlink theory. (Raman had invented his own ayanamsa, which I assume he used for his own chart.) Placidus cusps are used in the Bhava-Chalita chart in the center.

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B.V. Raman has Aquarius rising (sidereal zodiac). His 5th whole sign house of children is Gemini, which is unoccupied. Mercury, which rules the sign Gemini, lies in Leo in the 7th house. Western astrologer might more easily visualize the above chart in its circular format:

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Jupiter, a natural signifier of procreation and children, lies in Scorpio, in the 10th whole sign house in the Rasi chart and in the 9th Placidus house in the Bhava chart. Traditional Jyotish uses whole sign houses and specific aspects for each planet. Jupiter and Mercury are unconnected by traditional standards. (By Western astrological theory, Jupiter in Scorpio is very closely linked by square aspect to Mercury in Leo.)

Modern Jyotish might regard Jupiter in the 9th house of the Bhava chart, which is the 5th from the 5th (the bhavat bhavam principle), to be a close connection between Jupiter and the 5th house which would indicate prolific powers of procreation and the likelihood of fathering many children. In any case, from a strictly traditional Jyotish point of view, there is little if any connection between Jupiter and the 5th house in this natal chart.

Now let’s turn to “Stellar” astrology to see if it reveals a significant Jupiter-5th house connection. In Stellar astrology we must consider the Nakshatras occupied by each Planet and by House Cusp in the chart, and also the Sub and Sub-Sub sections of those Nakshatras or “Stars.” The following tables show the Nakshatra or Star positions in this natal chart along with their Subs and Sub-Subs.

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In the above lists, “Ld” refers to the Nakshatra “lord” which is the planet associated with a particular Nakshatra in the Vimshottari system for predictive purposes. If we look at Jupiter, we see that Jupiter occupies the zodiac sign Scorpio and the Nakshatra Anuradha, which is associated with Saturn in the Vimshottari dasa system. Western astrologers would regard Mars (the ruler of Scorpio) as the sign-based dispositor of Jupiter. In Stellar astrologer we could in a similar way regard Saturn as the Nakshatra-based dispositor of Jupiter. A basic principle of Stellar astrology is that Planets give the results of the Nakshatra lords (aka “Star lords”). Thus, in B.V. Raman’s chart, from a Stellar astrology perspective, we must study Saturn as the Nakshatra-based dispositior of Jupiter, to see what results Jupiter might indicate during its dasa period.

We are specifically interested in the 5th cusp of children and its relation with Jupiter in this chart.

The co-rulers of the Gemini 5th cusp are: Mercury as sign ruler, Rahu as Nakshatra ruler, Saturn as Sub ruler, and Jupiter as Sub-Sub ruler.

We have seen that Jupiter, during its dasa period, will give the results of its “Star lord” Saturn, and now we see that Saturn is one of the co-rulers (namely the Sub ruler) of the 5th cusp, which establishes a clear link between Jupiter and the procreative 5th, which we did not see using traditional methods. In KCIL the Sub ruler of a cusp qualifies or specifies the promise of the cusp. Thus Jupiter, through its “Star lord” Saturn, qualifies the promise of the 5th cusp of children. Jupiter is a planet of expansion and abundance.

In addition, the planet Jupiter does not serve as the Star lord of any other planet (see the column under “Ld” in the list of planets. This condition indicates that Jupiter has what is called “positional status” and will also give the results of the Bhava house it occupies and the cusps which it co-rules during its dasa period. As previously noted, Jupiter occupies the 9th Bhava house, which is the 5th of the 5th, and indicates significant procreative potential.

Another principle of cuspal interlink theory is that the Sub-Sub lord of a cusp indicates the promise and potential of that cusp. In Raman’s chart, the Sub-Sub lord of the 5th is Jupiter, which has both positional and stellar status, and thus shows the promise and potential of having many children during its dasa period.

The results of the cuspal interlink analysis is consistent with the findings of the D-7 or saptamsa divisional chart, which is used to study the native’s procreation. Here is Raman’s D-7, based on his own rectified time of birth. As you can see, Jupiter occupies the 5th house of children in the D-7 chart. Jupiter is also conjunct benefic Venus, which rules the 2nd of family increase. In the natal chart, Jupiter rules the Pisces 2nd house which signifies additions to the family. It is no surprise that he fathered a great number of children. The presence of Ketu with Jupiter and Venus in the 5th house of the D-7 may reflect the added burdens and responsibilities of providing for such a large family.

[image error]B.V. Raman D-7 saptamsa chart

The point of this example is that Stellar astrology and cuspal interlink theory add a dimension of Western astrology to traditional Jyotish, which results in being able to derive more information from a natal chart.

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A Great Coordinate Conversion Tool for Astrologers

The accuracy of astrological charts depends on having a fairly precise time of birth at a specific location on earth. Most astrological software allows you to select a city of birth but does not provide the exact coordinates for a specific address within that city.

Fortunately there are websites that allow you to identify a specific address on a map to determine its exact coordinates. One such site, which I recently came across, is called the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool and is located at https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/NCAT/.

Here is an example. I was born at Waterbury Hospital and wanted to know the exact coordinates of the hospital. Using the site, I generated the following map and set of coordinates:

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As you can see, you can move the marker on the map to a specific location and then press “Submit” to calculate its exact coordinates. It turns out that Waterbury Hospital has coordinates: 41N33’33.44″ latitude and 73W03’32.94″ longitude, which you can then enter into your astrological software to generate a precise Ascendant and house cusps for your time and place of birth.

Note that this site returns the “geodetic” or geographical latitude of the location based on the ellipsoid shape of the Earth which, like many of us humans, bulges a bit at the Equator and is not a perfect sphere as can be seen in this diagram from wikipedia.

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Some astrologers prefer to convert the geodetic (geographical) latitude into its geocentric equivalent, which can be up to about 12 arc-minutes less than the geodetic, depending on the geodetic latitude. The program Solar Fire, for example, offers an option to use geocentric latitude and gives the following explantion:

“Apply Geocentric Correction to Latitude

It is possible to calculate charts based either on geographic (also known as geodetic) latitude or geocentric latitude. Atlases such as the ACS International Atlas and the ACS American Atlas contain geographic latitudes. Geographic latitudes are based on the measurement of the angle of the local horizon (also known as the geodetic horizon) onto the celestial sphere. It is assumed that all latitudes entered into Solar Fire are geographic latitudes, and all displayed latitudes, such as in chart details text, are geographic latitudes.

However, because the earth is not perfectly spherical it is also possible to define a latitude based on where the horizon would be if the earth was a perfect sphere, which also corresponds to the angle of a line from that location to the center of the earth. This is known as a geocentric latitude. The geocentric latitude is never more than 12 minutes of a degree different from the geographic latitude. There are arguments for and against using each of these types of latitude. Astrologers are divided about which is the most appropriate to use.

Solar Fire always displays latitudes as a geographic latitudes. However, when this option is on, any chart calculations performed will have a correction applied to the latitude to convert it from geographic to geocentric. Any chart that has had this correction applied will have a “G” appended to its latitude. For example, a geographic latitude of 34°S55’ is displayed as 34°S55’G when this option is on. In order to determine exactly what the geocentric correction is, you must view a “Chart Analysis” report for the chart. If the geocentric correction has been applied, then this will be specified in the report, and the corrected geocentric latitude will be shown as well as the originally entered geographic latitude.”

The next graph illustrates the amount of correct in arc-minutes which must be subtracted from the geodetic (geographic) latitude to arrive at the geocentric latitude based on the 1984 World Geodetic System revision (WGS 84):

[image error]The straight line in blue signifies degress of geodetic latitude from 0 to 45.
The curved red line, which ranged from 0 to about 12 on the y-axis, shows the number of arc-minutes to be subtracted from the geodetic degrees to arrives at the geo-centric latitude.

For example, suppose your geodetic latitude is about 30 degrees North, then 30 degrees along the x-axis corresponds to a correction factor of about 10 arc-minutes on the y-axis. Hence, your geocentric latitude (based on the center of a perfectly spherical Earth) would be 30 degrees N minus about 10 arc-minutes. If we were to calculate it using the formulas that underlie WGS 84, we would get a result of 29d 50m 01.1s North geocentric latitude, which is about 10 arc-minutes less than the geodetic latitude of 30 degrees North.

[image error]This is an alternate form of the above graph. The horizontal blue lines represent geodetic latitudes, The shorter red lines represent the number of arc-minutes (x-axis) which need to be subtracted from the geodetic latitude to calculate the geocentric latitude.

The following table presents the same information as the above graph. Subtract the arc-minute correction from the geodetic degree to arrive at the corresponding geocentric latitude in the WGS 84 system.

Degree
(Geodetic)Arc-minute
CorrectionDegree
(Geodetic)009010.48920.88831.28741.686528562.48472.88383.28293.681103.980114.379124.77813577145.476155.875166.174176.473186.872197.171207.470217.76922868238.367248.666258.865269.164279.363289.662299.8613010603110.2593210.4583310.6573410.7563510.8553611543711.1533811.2523911.3514011.4504111.4494211.5484311.5474411.6464511.645Find the geodetic degree of latitude in the left or right column and subtract the number of arc minutes in the center column to calculate to corresponding geo-centric latitude.

In the example of Waterbury Hospital at the beginning of this post, we can see that it has a geodetic latitude of 41d 33m 33.44s, which would correspond to a geo-centric latitude of 41d 22m 06s if the Earth were a perfect sphere and the latitude of the hospital were measured from the exact center of this sphere.

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All original material in this post is copyright Anthony Louis 2020.

Vocation in the Horoscope

I recently did a video with astrologer Levi Cosijn on traditional approaches to delineating vocation in the natal chart. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zt1TyJG4cM&ab_channel=LeviCosijnAstrology

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A Sad Case of Suicide in Bipolar Disorder

As a psychiatrist who is interested in astrology, I find it informative to study events in the news related to psychiatric disorders. One such event occurred on 14 June 2020 when Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, committed suicide by hanging. According to various sites on the internet, the actor’s mother and sister may also have died by suicide.

Unfortunately, the incidence of suicide in bipolar disorder is rather high, being about 20% in untreated patients. This is partly due to the severity of the accompanying depression and also to the tendency of many patients with this disorder to avoid or stop their treatment. The treatment usually consists of medications to stabilize mood and regular psychotherapy to help the individual deal with various life stressors without resorting to suicide. In my experience medication alone is inadequate, and an ongoing relationship with a good psychotherapist is essential in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

A recent scientific paper by Dome, Zihmer and Gonda summarized the risk of suicide in bipolar disorder as follows:

“Bipolar disorders (BDs) are prevalent mental health illnesses that affect about 1–5% of the total population, have a chronic course and are associated with a markedly elevated premature mortality. One of the contributors for the decreased life expectancy in BD is suicide. Accordingly, the rate of suicide among BD patients is approximately 10–30 times higher than the corresponding rate in the general population. Extant research found that up to 20% of (mostly untreated) BD subjects end their life by suicide, and 20–60% of them attempt suicide at least one in their lifetime.”

[image error]Sushant Singh Rajput was born on 21 January 1986

Sushant Singh Rajput was born on 21 January 1986 at about 11:30 PM (23:30) in Patna, Bihar, India. (Some sources give Purnia rather than Patna, but they are geographically very close, so the charts for either location are very similar.) The time of birth, 11:30 PM, is taken from an interview given by the actor in which he states that he was born at 11:30 PM. Oddly, he says in the interview that he was born on a Saturday night, but in fact he was born on a Tuesday. He also says that his sun sign is Aquarius and that he was born on the cusp, indicating that he is referring to his birth chart in the tropical rather than sidereal zodiac. Here is the chart in the tropical zodiac based on the actor’s own recollection of his time of birth.

[image error]Natal chart in tropical zodiac with Whole Sign and Placidus houses, based on the native’s own account of his birth time and the New York Times report of his date and place of birth.

Libra rises in the tropical chart, and the natal Ascendant conjoins the fixed star Spica. Traditionally Spica is a star of the nature of Venus and Mars and is associated with success, wealth, a sweet disposition, and a fondness for the arts and sciences. The actor was fond of music, dance and the performing arts but also had a penchant for science, astronomy and especially astro-physics. Bernadette Brady in her book on fixed stars writes: “Spica represents a gift of brilliance, a hidden or obvious talent, skill, or ability that is out of the ordinary. The word “gifted” applies to strong Spica people, and whatever this star touches, it will illuminate in some way.”

His manic-depressive tendencies are probably reflected in Moon conjunct Chiron in Gemini in the Placidus 8th and opposite Saturn in Sagittarius in the Placidus 2nd/Whole Sign 3rd. Solar Fire interprets this Moon/Chiron conjunction as follows: “You have suffered from rejection by a parent-figure, probably your mother, when only a young child. As an adult you have become adept at looking after your loved ones, sometimes at the expense of yourself. You need to nurture yourself.” The Moon/Saturn opposition involves the parental axis with Saturn ruling the 4th cusp and the Moon, the 10th cusp. When the actor was 16 years old, his mother died unexpectedly. She called him the night before her death and asked his to come home to visit her but he was unable to. Although he was told she died of a cerebral hemorrhage, it is quite possible that she called to say goodbye because she was planning suicide the next day (on 12 Dec 2002).

Sushant Singh Rajput recounts his final conversation with his mother in December of 2002 as follows: “She would call me everyday and would try to pretend to be happy. I could sense all of it. On December 11, I got a call at 11.30 pm. I picked up and she was crying. I was like, ‘What is wrong, What happened?’ She said, ‘Nothing. Can you take out some time and come back?’ I told her, ‘No, abhi kaise hoga? I will come during Holi. Why do you want me to come now? I am okay’, etc. I asked her to stop crying. I was trying to be mature, but I could sense that I didn’t want to go back at that point of time. I knew she was missing me and wanted me around all the time, but I thought this was the right thing to do — to go home later. She just asked me to take care of myself. It felt odd. That was the last line my mom told me. Next day, she had a brain haemorrhage and she passed away. She was 40-something, fine before this suddenly happened.”

In this natal chart Chiron, the wounded healer, is exactly conjunct the fixed star Aldeberan. Vivian Robson writes: “Fixed star Aldebaran is of the nature of Mars (violent death, ultimate ruin by folly or pride.) It gives honor, intelligence, eloquence, steadfastness, integrity, popularity, courage, ferocity, a tendency to sedition, a responsible position, public honors, and gain of power and wealth through others, but its benefits seldom prove lasting and there is also the danger of violence and sickness.” Chiron, through its proximity to the Moon and opposition to Saturn, ties these significations of Aldebaran to both the native and to his mother. 

In his birthplace Solar Return for 2020, Capricorn rises with Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of its fall, closely conjunct the SR Ascendant. Natally Jupiter rules his 6th of illness and squares natal Mars. In addition, the true lunar nodes of the SR are stationary, which almost always indicates of year of major changes and unexpected disruptions in the life trajectory.

[image error]Sushant Singh Rajput’s Solar Return for 2020 at his birth place.

Sushant Singh Rajput himself committed suicide by hanging in his Mumbai apartment on 14 June 2020. If we look at this “distributions” (primary directions of natal planets to the horizon), we see the following pattern.

[image error]His mother died in Dec of 2002 when Pluto by primary direction was on the horizon in the term/bound of Venus and the square of 4th house Venus was partnering with the bound of Venus. The actor committed suicide in June of 2020 with the term of Jupiter in Scoprio on the horizo and Mars by primary direction conjunct the horizon. Natally Jupiter rules the 6th of illness and is closely square to Mars.

If we consider the transits in effect at the time of his death, we see that he was undergoing a conjunction of transiting Saturn to his natal Sun as well as his natal Ascendant ruler, Venus. Such Saturn transits often mark periods of depression, frustration, hardship and hopelessness. In addition, transiting Venus (his natal Asc ruler) was in the 8th house opposing natal Saturn at the time of his demise. A good astrologer could have warned him that he was passing through such an intensely depressive period and encouraged him to seek psychiatric treatment to get him through the worst of it without resorting to suicide.

Saturn transiting over Venus often heralds the loss or separation from an important female figure in one’s life. The actors’ death occurred just days after his former manager Disha Salian allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the 14th floor of a building in Mumbai on June 8, 2020. It is quite likely that the death of his former manager reminded him of the death of his mother and increased his sense of depression and hopelessness.

[image error]Inner chart is the natal one. Outer chart are the transits at the approximate time of death. Note transiting Saturn passing directing over the natal Sun/Venus conjunction, and transiting Venus in the 8th opposing natal Saturn in the 2nd. In addition, transiting Mars conjoins transiting Neptune and squares natal Uranus.

 Much more could be said about this natal chart and the related life events, but this post is already getting too long, so I’ll stop here.

PS: Astrologer Athen Chimenti has a “true sidereal” chart calculator at his site. Here is what this actor’s chart looks like in the “true sidereal” zodiac which uses the actual sizes and locations of the constellations in the sky. It’s interesting to compare this chart with the tropical one as well as with the standard sidereal chart calculated with Lahiri or any of the of the multitude of sidereal ayanamsas.

[image error]Natal chart in “true sidereal” zodiac which uses the actual boundaries of the constellations.

Trump vs Biden, Part II

In the last post I looked at the profections of both charts. In this post let’s consider the solar and lunar returns of both candidates for 2020 and the election. SR refers to the solar return. LR refers to the lunar return.

[image error]Lower left is Trump’s natal chart. Upper right is Trump’s Solar Return for 2020 for his birthplace.

Assuming that Trump has Leo rising (a few seconds later he would have Virgo rising), he is 74 years old at the time of the election so that he is in his 3rd house/Libra profection year, with the profected Asc ruled by Venus.

Venus rules his natal 10th cusp and SR Venus occupies his natal 10th house, which makes sense since he is running for re-election to the presidency. In the SR chart Venus in Gemini is Retrograde and peregrine (without essential dignity), suggesting that winning the election will not be without difficulty.

The SR Ascendant in Cancer is ruled by the Moon, which conjoins Mars and Neptune in Pisces and also conjoins the cusp of the natal Placidus 8th house. In addition, the SR Moon lies at the bendings of the lunar nodes. This close square to the nodes indicates major changes during the SR year. Furthermore, the true lunar nodes of the SR are stationary, which almost invariably indicates major shifts and unexpected alterations in the person’s life, often involving health and career. With the SR nodal axis spanning the 6th and 12th SR houses, there is a suggestion of a significant health crisis during the 2020-2021 SR year.

[image error]Joe Biden natal chart is lower left. His SR in effect on 3 Nov 2020 is upper right.

Joe Biden will be 77 years old at the time of the election, making this a 6th house/Taurus profection year, with Venus ruling the profected Ascendant. Venus rules Biden’s natal 11th and 6th houses and occupies his natal 12th.

In the SR chart Venus is peregrine (without essential dignity) but is fortified by a conjunction with SR Jupiter and occupies the angular 4th SR house. Biden’s Venus appears a bit more favorable than Trump’s in their respect SR charts.

Like Trump, Biden also has his true lunar nodes stationary in the SR chart. This is typically a highly disruptive influence indicating major shifts in the life trajectory, including a possible health crisis. Biden’s SR nodal axis falls across his 5th/11th house axis, whereas Trump’s SR nodes fall across his 6th/12th house axis which is more indicative of a health crisis for the current president. In either case, the presence of stationary lunar nodes in the SR is an indication of a highly volatile year for both individuals, marked by much unpredictability.

Now let’s look at the lunar returns of both men at the time of the November election.

[image error]Lower left is Trump’s LR in effect on 3 Nov 2020. Upper right is Biden’s LR for the same period.

Above are the lunar returns in effect for each candidate on the day of the election.

Trump has his LR Moon conjunct the LR Asc, and the LR Moon is peregrine. In addition, the LR true nodes are Stationary and fall across the horizon, suggesting a major disruptive life change during this period. LR Venus, ruler of LR 10th, lies at the bendings of the nodes in the LR chart.

Biden’s LR Moon has essential dignity and his LR true nodes are in normal Rx motion.

Overall Biden’s lunar return looks more favorable than Trump’s during this period.

In summary, it doesn’t look like smooth sailing for either candidate. Judging from the solar and lunar returns, I think Biden has somewhat of an edge over Trump. At the same time, both men have indications of major disruptions and unexpected changes in their charts, so election time should be full of surprises. Trump’s return is especially concerning because of the 6th/12th house nodal axis and the possibility of a significant health crisis before his next birthday in 2021.

Biden vs Trump: who will win in November?

Until now I’ve avoiding speculating about the outcome of the 2020 U.S. elections but have been following various predictions online. Not surprisingly, astrologers are split on who will win the presidential election in November. Some say that the current incumbent is unbeatable, while others maintain that Biden will defeat Trump in a landslide victory. The polls currently favor Biden, but they also favored Hillary Clinton around this time four years ago and she lost in the electoral college, which is all that matters in our U.S. democracy.

Biden (b. 1942) will be 78 years old on 20 November of 2020 (which is after the election), and Trump (b. 1946) will be 74. In astrological terms Biden will be experiencing a 6th whole-sign-house profection year until Nov 20th when he will enter his 7th whole-sign-house profection year. Trump will be in a 3rd whole-sign-house profection year.

[image error]Joe Biden natal chart (tropical)

In Biden’s tropical chart, Taurus is his profected Asc sign until Nov 20, 2020. Venus rules the natal 6th house Taurus and natally lies in his 12th house where it is combust the Sun. This placement of the profected Asc lord in the 12th is not especially favorable to winning an election. On the other hand, Venus also rules the natal 11th and is in a close trine to Jupiter, exalted in Cancer but in the unfavorable 8th house. The activation of Taurus as profected Asc sign stimulates the natal Moon exalted in Taurus, but the Moon also rules the unfortunate 8th and occupies the 6th, so it’s a mixed bag.

Gemini becomes the profected Ascendant sign on Nov 20th and Mercury, the profected Asc-ruler. Biden’s natal Mercury rules his natal 10th house of career and lies in Scoprio in the natal 12th house where it is sandwiched between Mars (the out-of-sect malefic) and the Sun. The condition of Biden’s profected ASC ruler in the natal 12th could indicate some type of loss, decrease in status or wealth, or health problem during his Nov 2020- Nov 2021 year. In addition, Gemini (the profected ASC sign) contains natal Uranus and natal Saturn Rx, which could be harbingers of unexpected loss.

[image error]Donald Trump natal chart (tropical). If he were born a few seconds later, he would have Virgo rising.

In Trump’s tropical chart (if he has a Leo Asc), Libra becomes the profected Ascendant, and Venus the profected Asc-ruler. Trump’s natal Venus lies in Cancer in the 12th house and is afflicted by a conjunction with Saturn in Cancer, the sign of Saturn’s exile. On the other hand, Saturn is the “in-sect” malefic and also “rejoices” in the 12th house. The condition of Trump’s profected ASC lord Venus in the natal 12th could indicate a loss, a decrease in status or wealth, or a health problem during his 2020-2021 solar return year. The activation of Libra as profected Ascendant stimulates Jupiter, which rules his natal 8th house, another indicator of possible loss.

Continuing with the theme of profections, let’s look at the technique of profecting (symbolically directing) the entire chart at a rate of 30 degrees per year of life. Below are the natal charts of both candidates inside, with the profected wheels for Nov 3, 2020 (the date of the U.S. elections) outside.

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In the above chart we see Biden’s profected Asc on 3 Nov 2020 conjunct natal Uranus at the cusp of the natal 7th house. At the same time his profected Uranus applies to conjoin his natal Ascendant at the cusp of the 1st house. Of concern is the fact that his profected Sun closely conjoins the malefic fixed star Caput Algol, the Head of the Medusa, which was associated in the past with beheadings, serious illness, and other misfortunes. Sun conjoins Algol in the natal 6th and turned 12th, which could indicate some type of serious illness or accident requiring hospital confinement.

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In the above chart we see that Trump’s profected Uranus closely conjoins his natal Ascendant and the fixed star Regulus on the day of the election. Uranus is a planet of the unexpected and is associated with rebellion and the overthrow of governments. Trump’s natal Uranus in the 10th is also highlighted by a close opposition from profected Neptune in the 4th. With Uranus so prominent in both candidates’ charts on November 3rd, it seems that this will be an election full of surprises that we cannot even anticipate. In Trump’s favor is the fact that profected Mars (lord of the profected Asc in this technique) closely trines natal Mercury, lord and occupant of the natal 11th of his hopes and wishes. Against Trump winning is the unpredictable nature of profected Uranus conjoining his natal Ascendant and the fixed star Regulus on the day of the election.

I can see why astrologers are so divided on whether or not Trump will win a second term. Based on the above analysis, it looks like Trump has a reasonable chance of winning. What most concerns me about Biden is his profected Sun conjunct Caput Algol on the day of the election. As I try other astrological techniques, I will attempt to update this post. It’s a work in progress.

A Classic Horary by James Wilson – will my friend live or die?

In his 1909 text on Horary Astrology Alan Leo reproduces a classic horary chart by James Wilson, taken from Wilson’s Dictionary of Astrology. In January of 1819 a good friend of Wilson took ill with fever and shortness of breath. Initially it appeared to be a typical winter respiratory illness, which his friend had always recovered from in the past, but this time the doctors became quite concerned that the illness might be more serious than initially thought and that his friend’s life might be in danger. Concerned about the doctor’s medical opinion, of which he was initially skeptical, Wilson cast a horary chart with the question, “Will my friend, Mr. J, live or die?”

The data for the chart are: January 10, 1819, 11:33:36 PM LMT, London, UK. Wilson used Placidus houses as was the custom in the UK at the time due to the popularity of the writings of Placidus among English-speaking astrologers since the end of the 17th century. Here is the chart.

[image error]Will my friend Mr. J live or die because of this illness?

The question is asked on a Sun day during a Moon hour. Libra rises, making Venus the ruler of the Querent, James Wilson. Leo on the cusp of the 11th indicates that the Sun is the signifier of Mr. Wilson’s friend, Mr. J.

The Ascendant at 9 Libra 11′ has its 12th part at 20 Capricorn 12′ in the 4th house and conjunct the Sun. The 4th house is the 6th from the 11th, that is, the house of illness of the friend. The Sun is the signifier of the friend, so that the 12th part of the Asc conjunct the Sun in the 4th indicates that the illness of his friend is on Mr. Wilson’s mind. The Sun is conjunct Jupiter, ruler of the radical 6th, which is the 8th of death the 11th house friend, and Mr. Wilson is concerned that his friend might die of the illness.

The Sun, which rules his friend, is without essential dignity in the friend’s derived 6th house of illness. The Sun applies to Jupiter, ruler of the friend’s 8th of death and also peregrine and in Fall in Cancer, which is an indication of approaching death. The Sun and Jupiter are only 3d 42m of arc apart, indicating that the death may not be far off. In the ephemeris, the Sun will conjoin Jupiter on Friday January 15, 1819 at about 5 PM LMT, indicating that he may die on the Friday following this horary question.

Saturn rules the radical 4th, which is the friend’s 6th of illness, and conjoins the radical 6th cusp, which is the friend’s 8th of death. The illness is likely to prove fatal.

The Moon is dignified in Cancer and strong in the radical 10th; however, the Moon rules the friend’s derived 12th of confinement and misfortune. In addition, the Moon’s last aspect was a trine to Saturn, ruler of the radical 4th of the grave and the turned 6th of illness of the friend, and the Moon’s next aspect is an opposition to the Sun, signifier of the friend. As mentioned previously, Saturn is also conjunct the radical 6th, which is the 8th of death of the friend, so that the Moon is transferring the light of Saturn to the Sun. The Moon and the Sun are 5d 30m apart on the ecliptic (disregarding the latitude of the Moon), suggesting that death might occur about 5 1/2 days after the horary question, which is slightly longer than but consistent with the transiting Sun/Jupiter conjunction on Friday January 15, 1819.

To interpret the application of the Moon to oppose the Sun, Wilson also made use of the concept of the Moon as hyleg (life-giving planet) and the Sun in the 4th of endings and the grave as the anareta (killing planet) in this nocturnal chart.

Outcome: Wilson noted that his friend died on Friday morning at 5 AM, which was about 4 and 1/4 days after the question and 12 hours before the Sun/Jupiter conjunction became exact on Friday January 15th. The doctor had diagnosed “dropsy” which is most likely shown by the Moon in watery Cancer and by Saturn in watery Pisces at the cusp of the radical 6th / turned 8th house. [Dropsy: “An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. In years gone by, a person might have been said to have dropsy. Today one would be more descriptive and specify the cause. Thus, the person might have edema due to congestive heart failure.”]

Here is the transiting aspect sequence in the days following the question:

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Adjusting for the Moon’s latitude:

To time the death of his friend, Wilson considered primarily the applying opposition of the Moon to the Sun, which are about 5d 51m of arc from perfecting the opposition by modern calculation. Wilson found the difference to be 5d 16m of arc in his ephemeris. Wilson noted, however, that the Moon “was near 5 degrees north latitude for which, according to the common rule, there should be subtracted at the rate of a degree for a day, though I know not for what reason, for it makes for but a small difference in the right ascension. For my own part I never allow above a degree for latitude, however great it may be, nor do I allow even that if it does not amount to 2/3 of a degree.” In other words, Wilson adjusts the timing given by the applying aspect to up to a maximum of one degree depending on the latitude of the Moon. Wilson therefore subtracted one degree from the 5d 16m he had calculated until the opposition between Moon and Sun and thereby arrived at an approximate time of death of 4 days and a 1/4 day from the time of the question, which would have been Friday morning January 15th, very close to the actual time of his friend’s demise.

According to modern calculations, the Moon was at 4N53 latitude and had a RA of 106d 18m. The Sun always has a latitude of 0 degrees and was at a RA of 291d 37m, the difference in RA being 5 deg 19 min in a modern ephemeris. Because the Moon has north latitude, Wilson shortened the time originally suggested by the application of the Moon to the sun. In her book on horary, Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson writes: “When the significator is in North latitude the time is shortened, but in South latitude it is prolonged” (page 70, Simplified Horary Astrology).

Like Wilson, I do not know the origin of this principle about time speeding up when the Moon is of north latitude and slowing down when the moon is of South latitude. It may have to do with the symbolism of the activity of spring and summer occurring in the northern hemisphere (where Western horary astrology was invented) when the Sun lies north of the equator, with the slowing down signified by fall and winter occurring when the Sun lies south of the equator.

The following table shows the latitude of the Moon and the other points and planets in this chart.

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This table also reveals that the Moon is “out-of-bounds” which means that its declination is greater than the maximum declination of the Sun, that is, greater than 23 degrees and 27 minutes of declination, either North or South.

The following passage from the 1832 text on horary astrology by R. Stella also discusses the use of latitude in timing horary charts.

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The Moon’s Nodes and Bendings

Although neither Wilson nor Leo mention the Moon’s nodes in this chart, it is noteworthy that the lunar nodes across the 1st/7th Libra/Aries axis have their bendings across the 10th/4th Cancer/Capricorn axis. The South Lunar Node, which is associated with loss, falls in the first house of the querent, suggesting that the querent, Mr. Wilson, may be dealing with a loss.

The south bending of the lunar nodes falls in Capricorn in the 4th of endings and the grave. The Moon itself falls in Cancer with the north bending of the lunar nodes in the radical 10th, which happens to be the 12th of confinement of his friend.

Where is the Moon in relation to its own nodes?

In addition, Vettius Valens, in his commentary about the lunar nodes and their bendings (points in square to the nodes) in electional charts, notes the following. When the Moon occupies the same sign as one of its nodes or occupies a sign of one of the bendings of its nodes, then the situation surrounding the matter under consideration is unstable and the matter will run its course in a manner that is unsatisfactory, deficient or painful to the querent. In this chart the Moon in Cancer lies in a sign square to the lunar nodes, and the outcome was painful to the querent and not what he hoped for.

A Classic Horary by John Wilson – will my friend live or die?

In his 1909 text on Horary Astrology Alan Leo reproduces a classic horary chart by John Wilson, taken from Wilson’s Dictionary of Astrology. In January of 1819 a good friend of John Wilson took ill with fever and shortness of breath. Initially it appeared to be a typical winter respiratory illness, which his friend had always recovered from in the past, but this time the doctors became quite concerned that the illness might be more serious than initially thought and that his friend’s life might be in danger. Concerned about the doctor’s medical opinion, of which he was initially skeptical, Wilson cast a horary chart with the question, “Will my friend, Mr. J, live or die?”

The data for the chart are: January 10, 1819, 11:33:36 PM LMT, London, UK. Wilson used Placidus houses as was the custom in the UK at the time due to the popularity of the writings of Placidus among English-speaking astrologers since the end of the 17th century. Here is the chart.

[image error]Will my friend Mr. J live or die because of this illness?

The question is asked on a Sun day during a Moon hour. Libra rises, making Venus the ruler of the Querent, John Wilson. Leo on the cusp of the 11th indicates that the Sun is the signifier of Mr. Wilson’s friend, Mr. J.

The Ascendant at 9 Libra 11′ has its 12th part at 20 Capricorn 12′ in the 4th house and conjunct the Sun. The 4th house is the 6th from the 11th, that is, the house of illness of the friend. The Sun is the signifier of the friend, so that the 12th part of the Asc conjunct the Sun in the 4th indicates that the illness of his friend is on Mr. Wilson’s mind. The Sun is conjunct Jupiter, ruler of the radical 6th, which is the 8th of death the 11th house friend, and Mr. Wilson is concerned that his friend might die of the illness.

The Sun, which rules his friend, is without essential dignity in the friend’s derived 6th house of illness. The Sun applies to Jupiter, ruler of the friend’s 8th of death and also peregrine and in Fall in Cancer, which is an indication of approaching death. The Sun and Jupiter are only 3d 42m of arc apart, indicating that the death may not be far off. In the ephemeris, the Sun will conjoin Jupiter on Friday January 15, 1819 at about 5 PM LMT, indicating that he may die on the Friday following this horary question.

Saturn rules the radical 4th, which is the friend’s 6th of illness, and conjoins the radical 6th cusp, which is the friend’s 8th of death. The illness is likely to prove fatal.

The Moon is dignified in Cancer and strong in the radical 10th; however, the Moon rules the friend’s derived 12th of confinement and misfortune. In addition, the Moon’s last aspect was a trine to Saturn, ruler of the radical 4th of the grave and the turned 6th of illness of the friend, and the Moon’s next aspect is an opposition to the Sun, signifier of the friend. As mentioned previously, Saturn is also conjunct the radical 6th, which is the 8th of death of the friend, so that the Moon is transferring the light of Saturn to the Sun. The Moon and the Sun are 5d 30m apart on the ecliptic (disregarding the latitude of the Moon), suggesting that death might occur about 5 1/2 days after the horary question, which is slightly longer than but consistent with the transiting Sun/Jupiter conjunction on Friday January 15, 1819.

Outcome: John Wilson noted that his friend died on Friday morning at 5 AM, which was about 4 and 1/4 days after the question and 12 hours before the Sun/Jupiter conjunction became exact on Friday January 15th.

Here is the transiting aspect sequence in the days following the question:

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Adjusting for the Moon’s latitude:

To time the death of his friend, John Wilson considered primarily the applying opposition of the Moon to the Sun, which are about 5d 51m of arc from perfecting the opposition by modern calculation. Wilson found the difference to be 5d 16m of arc in his ephemeris. Wilson noted, however, that the Moon “was near 5 degrees north latitude for which, according to the common rule, there should be subtracted at the rate of a degree for a day, though I know not for what reason, for it makes for but a small difference in the right ascension. For my own part I never allow above a degree for latitude, however great it may be, nor do I allow even that if it does not amount to 2/3 of a degree.” In other words, Wilson adjusts the timing given by the applying aspect to up to a maximum of one degree depending on the latitude of the Moon. Wilson therefore subtracted one degree from the 5d 16m he had calculated until the opposition between Moon and Sun and thereby arrived at an approximate time of death of 4 days and a 1/4 day from the time of the question, which would have been Friday morning January 15th, very close to the actual time of his friend’s demise.

According to modern calculations, the Moon was at 4N53 latitude and had a RA of 106d 18m. The Sun always has a latitude of 0 degrees and was at a RA of 291d 37m, the difference in RA being 5 deg 19 min in a modern ephemeris. Because the Moon has north latitude, Wilson shortened the time originally suggested by the application of the Moon to the sun. In her book on horary, Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson writes: “When the significator is in North latitude the time is shortened, but in South latitude it is prolonged” (page 70, Simplified Horary Astrology).

A Classic Horary by Alan Leo — Moon in a Pitted Degree

On Tuesday August 4, 2020, a hurricane passed through my home state of Connecticut, cutting power to a huge number of residents, including me. Fortunately on Saturday (8/8/2020) power was restored With several days of no internet, phone, TV, etc., I spent time reading over some texts I hadn’t looked at in a while, including Alan Leo’s 1909 book on Horary Astrology. Even though I had mentioned this chart previously in old post, I thought it was worth another look.

Alan Leo is not often cited for his work in horary astrology. According to wikipedia, “Alan Leo, born William Frederick Allan, (Westminster, 7 August 1860 – Bude, 30 August 1917), was a prominent British astrologer, author, publisher, astrological data collector and theosophist. He is often referred to as ‘the father of modern astrology’.”

With his predilection for natal astrology, Alan Leo warned of the dangers of excessive reliance on horary for two reasons: (1) “it weakens the true judgement and if practiced to excess gradually deprives those who lean on it of all independence and self-reliance,” and (2) “unless pursued in conjunction with Natal Astrology, it is apt to lead to erroneous judgments.” Interestingly, in his 1909 text on horary Alan Leo cites classic authors including “Alcabitius, Aedila, Morbecca, and various Arabian astrologers” and also “Zael, Haly, Abenragel, Gerald and others.”

Alan Leo’s astrology business, with an office in London, generated income by answering horary questions which were sent by mail. For example, on page 43 of his 1909 text Alan Leo describes a horary question he received form one of his clients, a prominent businessman whose natal chart he had interpreted. His client wanted to put a new food preparation on the market and asked whether such an enterprise would be successfully received by the public with lots of sales or whether it would lose money. The question arrived in the mail, and Leo read and understood it at about 8:10:38 AM in London on 26 October 1989. Here is the chart with Regiomontanus houses as Lilly would have done it (Leo had cast it in Placidus).

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Alan Leo read and understood the question on a Mercury day during a Moon hour.

The 12th part of the Ascendant lies in Taurus, ruled by Venus. There are no other planets in Taurus, so we look to the location and condition of Venus in the chart. Venus occupies Sagittarius, the sign on the 2nd cusp of income, and conjoins Saturn. The question has to do with possible gain or loss of income, which is what was on the querent’s mind according to this technique. In Jyotish, the 2nd house symbolizes what we put in our mouths, and this question has to do with a new food product.

Because Scorpio rises, the querent (the businessman) is ruled by Mars. Alan Leo points out that the querent was somewhat secretive and very set in his ways, as befits Scorpio rising. Mars in the water sign Cancer has dignity by triplicity but is also quite debilitated in the sign of his fall, which is one argument against his initiating a successful venture. Mars is also cadent in the 9th house both from a quadrant house perspective and from a whole sign house perspective.

A business venture is symbolized by the 10th house with Virgo on the cusp. Thus, Mercury rules the proposed new enterprise. Unfortunately, Mercury is totally without essential dignity (peregrine), lies in the 12th house of loss and disappointment, and is combust the Sun. The proposed business venture is not likely to succeed. In addition, Mercury and Mars are not connected by an applying aspect.

Profits from the business would be shown by the 2nd from the 10th, which is the Libra 11th house ruled by Venus, which has essential dignity only by term/bound. Venus is conjunct Saturn, which lacks essential dignity and is therefore peregrine, thus signifying loss of income. Venus also rules the 7th cusp of the general public, implying that the consumer base is not likely to take well to the new food product. Looking ahead in the emphemeris, we would see that Venus will turn Stationary Retrograde on November 11th, just a couple of weeks after the date of the horary question

Jupiter rules the Sagittarius 2nd house of personal income. Jupiter has minimal essential dignity (only by face) and is under the Sun’s beams. Jupiter is Libra occupies the sign of detriment of Mars (the querent) and is unlikely to benefit the querent very much.

Alan Leo, who also used modern planets and minor aspects to analyze this chart, advised his client: “You will be very determined in your efforts to place your food preparation upon the market, but the company will not be floated and I judge you will lose a considerable sum over the venture. The figure shows waste of money, and I cannot advise you wasting much money to prove the truth of this judgment.”

Nonetheless, the querent ignored Leo’s advice and made a determined effort to launch the product, which resulted in failure and the loss of a considerable amount of money.

Leo apparently learned after the fact that the querent was inclined to heed his advice but the son of the querent, ruled by the fallen Mars (Aries on the 5th cusp), disdained astrology and insisted on going ahead with the project which ultimately produced significant losses.

Interestingly, the next aspect to be made by the peregrine Moon is a trine to the fallen Mars, signifying both the querent and his son. In addition, the Moon at 23 Pisces 55′ lies in a “pitted” degree, about which Lilly states “that if either the Moon or the degree ascending or lord of the Ascendant be in any of them, it shows the man at a stand in the question he asks, not knowing which way to turn himself and that he had need of help to bring him into a better condition; for as a man cast into a ditch doth not easily get out without help, so no more can this querent in the case he is without assistance.” (CA., p.118) It is as if the Querent has fallen into a pit and needs assistance if he wants to get out of the hole he is in.

[image error]In Lilly’s Table above, the numbers refer to the ordinal number of the degrees. For example, the “deep or pitted” degrees in Pisces are the 4th, 9th, 24th, 27th and 28th degrees. In Alan Leo’s horary example, the Moon lies in the 24th degree of Pisces.