Skyscript Newsletter 13 - November 2023

#13 November 2023

Newsletter Edited by Deborah Houlding

The Sun is in Scorpio www.skyscript.co.uk/scorpio.html

– Contents – • Seasonal Thoughts & Skyscript News • Firmicus: On the Qualities of the Signs (completed) • Mars, Scorpio and the ‘Great Work’ • Trials of Trump & Bankman-Fried • Planetary Themes for November • The Israeli-Palestinian War • Opinion piece: Astrology should not be popular

Contributors: Abigail Joy • Jason Burns • Wade Caves • Kayleigh Jean

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Holding a balance amid a maelstrom of Mars

The body benefits from movement; the mind benefits from stillness – Sakyong Mipham, Tibetan Buddhist lama (Scorpio, born 15 Nov, 1962; M: 22°Ü)

T

his past weekend I stewed on the series of unfortunate events that led to the untimely death of my dearest friend and companion – my computer. Local floods had generated intermittent power cuts a few days before, and there is nothing like absence to make the heart’s dependence on a computer grow stronger. Once all was apparently calm again (and conscious of my challenging transits), I took the time to update my operating system and implement the latest security fixes. And then … It was just a momentary power cut that struck at that critical time, but its villainous effect was to fry my hard drive. I spent Saturday navel-gazing on how I had inadvertently created my own disaster by trying to avoid the prospect of disaster – it all had a touch of fleeing to Samarra without realising that was the place where Death was waiting anyway.1 As I moped on this, my daughter and her girlfriend went to a local ice hockey match in Sheffield.

Speaking to her later, I expected to fill her ears with computer moans – but she never got to hear my news. She was deeply traumatised, having been one of the 8000 family-friendly crowd to witness the shocking ‘freak accident’ of popular ice-hockey star Adam Johnson, who was struck in the throat by the blade of a fellow player’s skate, which acted as a razor. Paramedics rushed to his aid as the horrified crowd tried to avert the eyes of children. His tragic death was confirmed later that evening.

My piddling problems quickly fell back into perspective. Tragedy can strike out of the blue, often when least expected, and recent world events have left everyone feeling the edginess of the cosmos as we witness harrowing human heartbreak amid accelerating political tensions. Putting this Scorpionic, Mars-themed issue together has been disconcerting: the mundane sections, and Wade Caves’ illustrative report of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, make it impossible to ‘unsee’ the escalating power of Mars in world politics, or remain oblivious to the ominous impact of its nebulous, increasing reach.

How do we, as astrologers, deal with this?

From my experience of teaching horary, I often witness the troubling sense of impotency generated in the mind of the astrologer when there is a mismatch between what can be seen in a chart, and what can be effectively done to prevent a disturbance that hurtles towards a client. We want to offer a resolution to problems, but we can only offer a kind, realistic and illuminating understanding of the situation as it ‘is’; we cannot fabricate reality to deny the existence of troubles, or wave a magic wand to take them away.

Reflecting on how this fundamental instinct ramps up in global terms, I recall a comment Rob Hand* made some years ago, in one of his philosophical lectures on the nature of the world-soul. The role of the astrologer, within this, is not to claim to know everything; it is to be a community ‘light-bearer’.

Our more informed position should allow us to keep a sense of poise as the world rocks around us – by remaining stable, stoic, perceptive and calm-headed, those who need our counsel in their periods 1 The story of the ‘appointment with death’ has long roots with numerous variations. An early version appears in the Jewish

Talmud, written about 1500 years ago in Mesopotamia. The gist is that a merchant’s slave sees the menacing figure of Death in a market in Baghdad, so he begs to be allowed to ride far away, to Samarra, to avoid his fate. The merchant then goes to confront Death, asking why he gave his servant such intimidation? To which Death replies “That was not a threatening grimace but an expression of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra”.

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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of distress can draw strength from astrological insight accompanied by sage advice. When life is out of balance, being able to hold oneself still is an achievement, and in a world that is already over-strained by being overly-full of loud, conflicting opinions, serenity flourishes amongst the individuals who can resist the instinct to throw, and just be ready to catch.

Many of you had this steadying effect on me recently, in the messages of support given while I was ill and working through what felt like a proverbial ‘hell, hail and high-water’ period of struggling to meet deadlines (in reality: flu, floods and computer breakdown).

Every reassuring message was balm to my soul and truly appreciated. One message was especially poignant, coming from Cristiano Okalani, who has actively supported his local community after the terrible wildfire tragedies in Hawaii this year. With permission, I quote a little from his message, which came in response to my mid-October Patreon reference to war events creating “a very sad time for the world”.

I relate – I am sure most astrologers do – to the position Cristiano expresses here of having many international friends and not being prepared to hate anyone for the failings of political leaders. I also appreciate the thoughtful reflection of what we take on when we commit to the study and practice of astrology:

“

US ice hockey star Adam Johnson suffered the tragic accident at 8:20pm, 28 Oct., Sheffield, UK. Amongst the harsh alignments, Uranus transited a heavily afflicted natal Mars (conjunct SN/Algol, opposed by Pluto). The incident has already led to a UK ruling that neck guards must be worn in all ice hockey from the start of 2024.

I have ex-employees, friends, relationships I experienced with Russians and Ukrainians, people across this planet. I have friends all around Israel, Iran, Lebanon…. Students in China, Japan, Bulgaria, South Africa… and the list goes on. I have friends all around. … We send light and love for leaders, and for all others to have clarity. We send light and love for the families in need. But we must stay focused on our own journey. The best thing we can render to the planet is our own self-realization. And before demanding world peace, we must learn how to love and forgive our own family members. So peace must start at home. As educators, we need to polish people but most important is to live by our teachings. Words and appearances are meaningless; what matters is our attitude. We must be role models, focusing on what is going right instead of what is going wrong, not being distracted, helping our communities when we can, and constantly creating opportunities to strengthen our mind, body and spirit. Because at the end of the day, when we learn how to love and honour ourselves, we’ll be able to look to others without judgment and with more understanding.

Sending you waves of Aloha.

Be well

* Speaking of Robert Hand, I am happy to share the news that we are planning a joint seminar which will be delivered around Thanksgiving. The invitation was extended to me by Rob – a lovely gesture designed to offer an informative event where we dialogue and swap thoughts, while demonstrating the unshakable mutual respect we hold for each other, as well as the long, sincere friendship which accommodates the ability to hold our own opinions whilst engaging in scholarly debate. More details to follow regarding the shape and final details of this event which are currently being developed.

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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Skyscript updates In good news, the screenshot below gives a flavour of the new mundane section being developed for Skyscript

by Wade Caves: ‘In Mundo’. This will be a substantial addition to the site and will build into a major resource for mundane astro-information, featuring a host of topical and global news through an astrological lens.

In addition, Wade has helped establish a Skyscript YouTube Channel – this is still very new, so doesn’t have a lot of content yet, but new additions will be added at least once a month, and more as it gathers pace in line with community support. If you haven’t visited yet, pop along and subscribe, so you get YouTube announcements when new content is posted. www.youtube.com/@skyscriptastrology

The channel kicked off with video recordings of two talks given at the recent STA/Skyscript-sponsored World Astrology Summit. The first is an excellent presentation by Mari Garci on why Mars acts as a ‘trigger’ that activates larger configurations at play. The second features my presentation on Bernie Madoff, with a comparison of the signatures in his chart with other money-market ‘monsters’, including a timely look at the chart of Sam Bankman-Fried (shown on p.18) a nod to Elizabeth Holmes, and a flash illustration of why Madoff’s chart bears intriguing similarities to Trump’s (p.18).

IN DEVELOPMENT

We are also very close to launching the new Skyscript Glossary – this ought to have been done already, but life has thrown too many curveballs into carefully crafted plans! And thus, a ‘heads-up’ … given how crazy things are now, I am going to erase the idea of a ‘deadline’ for the next newsletter, and let it birth at its own creative moment. I want to relax and enjoy producing a pre-solstice edition full of treats that will fit the season perfectly. More news to follow then. For now, enjoy the wonderful and engrossing content here – with huge thanks to Abigail, Jason, Kayleigh and Wade!

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS

MATHESIS II.XII QUALITIES OF THE SIGNS Translated from Latin by

Deborah Houlding

The eight-part Mathesis (or De nativitatibus) of Julius Firmicus Maternus, written around the mid4th century, is antiquity’s most comprehensive astrological textbook. Firmicus wrote for his patron, Lollianus Mavortius, governor of Campania.

Because his book is aimed at a beginner, it is also the most useful and instructive textbook of ancient astrological practice, and certainly one of the most influential astrology texts ever written. Modern scholarship has tended to overlook it, despite its great historical importance. There has not been a critical edition of the work since that produced in two volumes by Franz Boll, Skutsch and Ziegler between 1897-1913. This gives a tidy and reliable presentation of the Latin text in a modern, easy-toread format, so was naturally used as the source for the English translations currently available: the first

by Jean Rhys Bram in 1975, a later, more literal translation by James Holden in 2011, and a very recently released edition by Benjamin Dykes, 2023.

All English translations lack important sections that were not included in Boll’s critical edition.

Book II fails to provide the planetary rulerships, the arrangement of the triplicities, and most of the information on the zodiac signs. Although widely assumed to be lost, these passages are present within the Latin text of the printed editions that date from the late 15th century.

The task of authenticating any specific section in this work is difficult because all our surviving manuscripts are late reproductions (the oldest, dating to the 11th century, contain books I-3 and parts of book 4 only, and all derive from one source text). Fragments of the text turn up here and there, but the oldest extant copies of the entire text are the late 15th-century Latin print editions. The first was made in Venice in 1497, but the most notable and complete edition was made two years later by the humanist Aldus Pius Manutius, who is known to have actively sought out missing sections in Byzantium before committing his 1499 ‘Aldine Press’ edition to print. The Aldine text was reproduced consistently in many subsequent Latin print editions, including the 1553 edition shown below which was used for this translation.

The translation of the first half of this passage commenced in issue 9. Since it has been a while both parts are included here, along with a full set of annotations and notes, and tables of comparative information.

The 1553 manuscript used in this translation; online at https://archive.org/details/iuliifirmicimate00firm

II.XII THE NATURES, FORMS & QUALITIES OF THE SIGNS ow, having discussed the generalities and terms of the signs, we must explain their nature, forms, qualities, principles and risings, so that we explain knowledge of this art to the fullest and relate to you the clearest definitions.

~= =

=

Ä= =

Å=

=

Ç=

É=

=

Ñ=

~ is a masculine sign of heaven, equinoctial, regal, fiery, strong, veracious, four-footed, semibodied,1 weak-sighted, wild, which is called Κριός [‘Aries’] by the Greeks, untamed, even,2 impure, lustful. The house of c; decline of `;3 exaltation of the M around the 19th degree; the fall of i around the 20th degree; the triplicity of the M by day, by night of h.

It is called equinoctial because within it the hours of the day and night are composed with equal measure, which the Greeks call tropicon isomerion (‘equinoctial tropic’). For when the M is in ~ it makes day and night equal, so the day has 12 hours and the night also. It is called Crios4 by the Greeks because when the M is in this sign it judges, so to speak, between night and day, which in Greek is crinein (to judge); and because when the M is in this sign, the balance between summer and winter is in turn judged.

The sign is called tropical because when the M is in this sign it makes the spring season, for spring begins when the M has entered the 1st degree of this sign. It is fiery because whoever has this in their nativity will incline to a choleric disposition. It is under the influence of the north wind. Ä is a feminine sign of heaven, northern,5 earthy, melancholic, fixed, one-bodied, four-footed, domesticated, vitiated,6 of few-children, lustful, small-voiced, forceful in the south, oblique,7 heavy,8 single-purposed,9 uneven [impar],10 irrational,11 practical,12 with missing limbs. The house of `; decline of c; exaltation of the R around the 3rd degree; triplicity of ` by day, the R by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the south wind and its significations are also bitter savours; green and white colours; four-footed animals with cloven hoofs; lands of the fifth clime; cultivated earth; mediocre men;13 and all ailments of the neck. Å is a masculine sign of heaven, common, double-bodied, two-footed, rational, fine-voiced, winged,14 sterile, forceful in the west, medium between light and heavy, dual-purposed, even [par], northern, acquiring and emptying.15 It is the house of _; the decline of h; the triplicity of i by day, _ by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the east wind and its significations are also sweet savours; a mixture of colours and humours; intelligent animals such as apes and all vocal or songbirds; lands of the sixth clime; all places that are elevated and light, and particularly those where fowling is practised. It also signifies preeminent officials and astronomers, and all problems and afflictions of the upper arms.16 Ç is a feminine sign of heaven, moveable, semi-bodied, irrational, many-footed, wild, without voice, impaired, of many children, nocturnal, forceful in the north, watery, phlegmatic, singlepurposed, medium between light and heavy, uneven [impar], northern, solstitial, descending, fallible and weak. The house of the R; decline of i; exaltation of h around the 15th degree; fall of c around the 28th degree; the triplicity of ` by day, c by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the west wind;17 its significations are also sharp and salty savours; white and pale colours;18 aquatic animals and sea serpents; lands of the seventh clime; places that are inundated or flowing; mediocre men; and all sicknesses of the breast and midriff. É is a masculine sign of heaven, fixed, one-bodied, four-footed, irrational, medium between domesticated and wild, lustful, forceful in the east, fiery, choleric, medium voiced, light, singlepurposed, even [par], diurnal, northern, direct, veracious, strong. The house of the M; decline of i; the triplicity of the M by day, h by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the north wind. Its significations are also bitter and sharp savours; the colour saffron inclining to ruddiness; wild and ferocious animals; the fifth clime; all places of particularly dignified and elevated work, castles, headquarters, palaces; also leaders, commanders, powerful and wealthy men; and all afflictions of the chest and stomach. Ñ is a feminine sign of heaven, common, double-bodied, rational, two-footed, fine-voiced, winged, sterile, forceful in the south, heavy, dual-purposed, earthy, melancholic, uneven [impar], northern, honourable, fair, liberal, practical, direct, nocturnal, fallible and weak. The house of _; decline of h; exaltation of _ around the 15th degree; fall of ` around the 27th Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

degree; the triplicity of ` by day, the R by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the south wind. It also signifies astringent savours; the colours white and pale purple; intelligent animals and birds; the fifth clime; all cultivated and flourishing places; men that are wise, industrious and witty; and all afflictions and ailments of the abdomen.

Ö=

Ü=

á=

à=

â=

ä=

Ö= is a masculine sign of heaven, moveable, semi-bodied, rational, domesticated, two-footed, fine-voiced, of few children, forceful in the west, medium between light and heavy, airy, sanguine, single-purposed, even [par], southern, equinoctial, direct, diurnal, strong and veracious. The house of `; decline of c; exaltation of i around the 20th degree; fall of the M around the 19th degree; the triplicity of i by day, _ by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the east wind. It signifies sweet saviours; green and pale colours; flying animals, especially large ones; the fifth clime; all places sown and cultivated on mountain peaks; also, merchants, judges, divines19 even, and devout men; and all afflictions of the kidneys and spine. Ü is a feminine sign of heaven, fixed, one-bodied, irrational, wild, many-footed, of many children, without voice, forceful in the north, watery, phlegmatic, single-purposed, uneven [impar], southern, direct, nocturnal, heavy, fallible and weak. The house of c; the decline of=`; the fall of the Moon around the 3rd degree, the triplicity of ` by day, c by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the west wind. It also signifies salty and insipid savours; green, red and ashen colours; reptilian and venomous animals, and likewise of marine and aquatic creatures; lands of the third clime; places sometimes cultivated and gardened, sometimes stinking and deserted; also physicians, though false and uneducated; mediocre men; and all kinds of ailments of the genitals. á is a masculine sign of heaven, common, double-bodied, of which the first part is rational, the latter part irrational; fine-voiced, four-footed, lustful, of few children; forceful in the east, but the second part of it is of diminished voice, light, fiery, choleric, strong, dual-purposed, even [par], southern, direct, diurnal, veracious; part domesticated, part wild. The house of h; decline of _; the triplicity of the M by day, h by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the north wind. It also signifies bitter savours; the colour red or orange; rational animals, and also horses, birds and snakes; the second clime; all places that are well watered, mountains and gardens, and whatever contains in itself something pleasant: judges, worshippers of God, merciful men, interpreters of dreams and visions, and all afflictions of the thighs.20 à is a feminine sign of heaven, moveable, semi-bodied, irrational, four-footed, domesticated, vitiated, of few children, chaste,21 of diminished voice, oblique, earthy, melancholic, forceful in the south, heavy, single-minded, uneven [impar], southern, solstitial, practical, nocturnal, fallible and weak. The house of i; decline of R; exaltation of c around the 28th degree; fall of h around the 15th degree; the triplicity of ` by day, the R by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the south wind. It also signifies bitter and astringent savours; the colour black or grey; four-footed and partly aquatic animals, the first clime, horticultural locations and watering places, springs, rivers, and also pastures, animal pens, and the homes of shady men.

Indeed, crude and but low-class people, yet some with profound intelligence and a melancholic temperament; and all afflictions and sufferings of the knees. â= is a masculine sign of heaven, fixed, one-bodied, rational, two-footed, fine-voiced, of few children, forceful in the west, medium between light and heavy, even [par], single-purposed, southern, oblique, diurnal, veracious, strong, airy, sanguine. The house of i; decline of the M; the triplicity of i by day, _ by night. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the east wind.

It also signifies sweet saviours; green, yellow and pale colours; intelligent animals and airborne creatures; the fourth clime; streams and irrigated places, fountains, seas, mountains and lakes; ingenious, cunning and crafty leaders, prophets, mages, sophists, also envoys and letter carriers, or couriers, and those who report the business of leaders; and all the troublesome afflictions and sufferings of the shins. ä is a feminine sign of heaven, two-fold, moist, watery, double-bodied, fertile, scaly, variegated, oblique, mute, mutable; but one fish bears to the south, the other to the north. This is, moreover, the house of h; decline of _; the triplicity of ` by day, of c by night, the exaltation of ` around the 27th degree; the fall of _ around the 15th degree. Moreover, this sign is under the influence of the west wind. [It also governs] the seventh clime [and signifies] ruinous and wet places, and also fishermen and seamen and all afflictions of the feet.

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

SIGN CATEGORISATIONS S = sign | H = hemisphere |A = ascension| C = clime | P = planetary ruler | D = detrimented planet | T = triplicity (DNP: day, night, participating)

southern

northern

sect S= H gender Masculine* diurnal ~= Feminine* nocturnal Ä= masculine diurnal Å= feminine nocturnal Ç= masculine diurnal É= feminine nocturnal Ñ= masculine diurnal Ö= feminine nocturnal Ü= masculine diurnal á= feminine nocturnal à= masculine diurnal â= feminine nocturnal ä=

element temperament force wind quality body

feet voice

instincts

fiery earthy airy

choleric melancholic sanguine

east north moveable semi-bodied south south fixed one-bodied west east common double-bodied

four four two

/ small fine

irrational (bestial) irrational (bestial) rational (humane)

watery

phlegmatic

north west

many none

irrational (bestial)

fiery earthy

choleric melancholic

east north fixed one-bodied south south common double-bodied

four two

medium fine

irrational (bestial) rational (humane)

airy

sanguine

west

moveable semi-bodied

two

fine

rational (humane)

watery

phlegmatic

north west

fixed

many none

irrational (bestial)

fiery

choleric

east

earthy

melancholic

airy watery

sanguine phlegmatic

east

moveable semi-bodied

one-bodied

north common double-bodied

four

fine (1st half) rational (1st half)

south south moveable semi-bodied

four

diminished

irrational (bestial)

west east north west

two /

fine none

rational (humane) [irrational (bestial)]

fixed one-bodied common double-bodied

* All masculine/diurnal are classified as par (even/balanced/agreeable/fit): all feminine/nocturnal are impar (uneven/odd/inferior/weakened)

oblique

direct

oblique

S A C purpose levity Domesticity fecundity vigour fidelity ~= [3] / / wild [few children] lusty, weak-sighted / Ä= 5 single heavy domesticated few children vitiated, lusty / Å= 6 dual medium / sterile / / Ç= 7 single medium wild many children vitiated, weak fallible É= 5 single light medium [usually barren] strong, lusty veracious Ñ= 5 dual heavy / sterile weak fallible Ö= 5 single medium domesticated few children strong veracious Ü= 3 single heavy wild many children weak fallible á= 2 dual light two parts: both few children strong, lusty veracious à= 1 single heavy domesticated few children weak, chaste fallible â= 4 single medium / few children strong veracious ä= [untamed] 7 dual / many (fertile) / /

body part

other

[head]

equinoctial, regal

neck

practical, missing limbs

upper arms

winged, gaining & emptying

breast, midriff

solstitial, descending,

chest, stomach abdomen winged, fair, practical, liberal kidneys & spine equinoctial genitals thighs knees

solstitial, practical

shins feet

mutable & contrary

S savours colours animals places men ~= / / / / / Ä= bitter green & white cloven hoofed farmland commoners Å= sweet mixed intelligent, apes, vocal birds high, light & airy pre-eminent officials, astronomers Ç= salty & sharp white & pale aquatic, marine watery commoners É= bitter & sharp yellow/orange, red wild & fericious headquarters, palaces leaders, powerful & wealthy Ñ= astringent white, pale purple intelligent animals & birds cultivated, flourishing wise, industrious, witty Ö= sweet green & pale flying animals (esp. large ones) cultivated, mountainous merchants, judges, priests, devotees Ü= salty & insipid green, red, ashen reptilian & venomous cultivated, stinking, deserted physicians, quacks, commoners á= bitter yellow/orange, red intelligent, horses, birds, snakes lush, pleasant, mountainous judges, priests, prophets, visionaries à= bitter, astringent black/dark, grey, ashen four footed, partly aquatic pasture, pens, irrigations low-class /profound, melancholic â= sweet green, lemon, pale intelligent, airborne watery, mountainous ingenious leaders, prohets, mages ä= / / / ruinous, wet fishermen, seamen

S ~= Ä= Å= Ç= É= Ñ= Ö= Ü= á= à= â= ä=

R

D

Exalt

c= ` _ R M

` c h i i

Fall

F2*

T-D

T-N

T-P*

M (19) R=(3)

i=(20)

19

h(15)

c=(28)

15

M ` i ` M

h R _ c h

i= c= h= R= i=

_ ` c h

h c ` _

_=(15) i=(20)

`=(27) M=(19)

15 20

R=(3)

3

` i ` M

R _ c h

c= h= R= i=

i i h

R M _

c=(28)

h=(15)

28

`=(27)

_=(15)

27

` i `

R _ c

c= h= R=

Term rulers

Decan rulers

6 `= 12= _= 20= c= 25= i= 30 c= 10= M= 20= `= 30= 8 _= 14= h= 22= i= 27= c= 30 _= 10= R= 20= i= 30= 6 h= 12= `= 17= c= 24= i= 30 h= 10= c= 20= M= 30= 7 `= 13= _= 20= h= 27= i= 30 `= 10= _= 20= R= 30= 6 `= 11= i= 18= _= 24= c= 30 i= 10= h= 20= c= 30= _= 7 `= 17= h= 21= c= 28= i= 30 M= 10= `= 20= _= 30= i= 6 _= 14= h= 21= `= 28= c= 30 R= 10= i= 20= h= 30= c= 7 `= 11= _= 19= h= 24= i= 30 c= 10= M= 20= `= 30= h= 12 `= 17= _= 23= i= 27= c= 30 _= 10= R= 20= i= 30= _= 7 h= 14= `= 22= i= 26= c= 30 h= 10= c= 20= M= 30= _= 7 `= 13= h= 20= c= 25= i= 30 `= 10= _= 20= R= 30= `= 12 h= 16= _= 19= c= 28= i= 30 i= 10= h= 20= c= 30= h= `= _= c= h=

* The Mathesis is afflicted by inconsistency in its report of fall positions. The table here shows those given in this translated chapter, followed by ‘F2’ which presents the alternate fall positions given in chapter 2.3 (Exaltations & Falls). Participating triplicity rulers are mentioned in chapter 2.11 (Triplicity Rulers).

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

TRANSLATION NOTES 1

= =

All the cardinal/moveable signs are classified as semi-bodied, and throughout this chapter the Latin terms semicorporeum, unicorporeum and bicorporeum are used consistently to distinguish the moveable, fixed or mutable/common signs: =Moveable== =Fixed== = =Common===

~ÇÖà ÄÉÜâ ÅÑáä

semicorporeum ‘semi-bodied’ or ‘half-bodied’ unicorporeum ‘one-bodied’ bicorporeum ‘double-bodied’

Modern astrologers trained in traditional techniques are familiar with the concept of bicorporeal/double-bodied, but the definition of semi-bodied is unusual. The terminology seems to embed the notion of moveability and adaptability (freedom from bodily constraint) contrasted with fixity and singularity of purpose, or being bound to bodily needs. Manilius, for example, tells us: Certain signs must with careful mind be noted as single, and these keep an unshared estate. Now turn to the double signs; being doubled they will exert influences the power of which is tempered by a partner (Astronomica, 2.245 ff.).

Although Manilius does not specify which signs are single, the double signs are identified by him as those that “precede all the tropic ones: the Ram, the Crab, the Claws and the Seagoat, for the reason that, linking season with season, they possess double powers” (2.176).

2

L: consonans (‘in harmony/fit/balanced’); for why this is translated as ‘even’ see footnote 10.

3

L: occasus ` (occassus: ‘setting’, ‘declining’, ‘falling’, ‘being ruined’). This detail may have been added as a later interpolation to complete the text to medieval standards; otherwise, if authentic, the Mathesis is the oldest text I know of that systematically details all the planetary signs of detriment.

4

Jean Rhys Bram, in his 1975 English translation for Noyes Classical Studies, adds endnote 30 here which reads: Crios is the Greek for Aries, the Ram. It is Firmicus’s idea to derive it from crinein, which means ‘to judge’ in Greek.

5

That is, belonging to the northern hemisphere: northern signs: ~=Ä=Å=Ç=É=Ñ southern signs: Ö=Ü=á=à=â=ä

6

L: vitiosum ‘vitiated (spoiled/impaired/defective)’; so-called because the celestial image is not complete; c.f. Manilius, 2.256: “the Bull sinks lame with leg doubled under it; the Crab lacks eyes”. Firmicus identifies Ä, Ç and à as vitiated; the latter presumably because, as Manilius says, “Capricorn’s nature is compromised by its tail”.

7

I.e., one of the signs of oblique ascension, contrasted with the signs of direct (or ‘right’) ascension. In the northern hemisphere the oblique/crooked/short ascension signs rise quickly at an oblique angle to the horizon, whereas the signs of direct/straight/long ascension rise more slowly, but at a more direct and perpendicular angle to the horizon. oblique: direct:

à=â=ä=~=Ä=Å= Ç=É=Ñ=Ö=Ü=f=

a.k.a. ‘crooked’, ‘short ascension’ a.k.a. ‘straight’, ‘long ascension’

8

Most signs are classed as leue (‘light), ponderosum (‘ponderous’) or something averaging between them. As in English, these words tie together principles of weight and motion, so ponderosum might mean heavy, weighty, or slow; or both heavy and slow.

9

Most signs are called unius negocii except the double-bodied (mutable) signs which are characterised as duorum negociorum. This relates to the principle described in footnote 1, but here negotium pins the meaning to employment or adopting a singular or joint approach to business and mental activities, as well as indicating the general inclination for embracing the concepts of others (‘dual-purposed’) or not (‘single-purposed’).

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All the feminine signs are categorised as impar ‘uneven/odd/inferior’, in contrast to the masculine signs that are categorised as par ‘even/equal/suitable’ (in the case of Aries the word used is consonans, ‘agreeable/fit/suitable’). This is not about even or odd in any kind of numerical sense, but more about noting a sense of completeness and strength for the masculine signs, contrasted with an element of weakness or subdued vital force for the feminine signs. The Latin impar originates the English word impaired and the Latin par means something that is suitable, appropriate or fitting to what it should. The terms ‘even’ and ‘uneven’ are used here, but the Latin word is left bracketed in the text since the meaning of these terms are easily misconstrued.

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L: irrationale – being strongly responsive to instincts and emotions (rather than the modern expectation of irrational meaning ‘illogical/absurd’). The categorisations of ‘rational’ or ‘irrational’ line up with what are generally termed ‘humane’ and ‘bestial’.

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L: facile – ‘easy/simple/doable/handy’, though this could also mean ‘agreeable/compliant/ affable’. The term is applied to the three earth signs.

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L: homines mediocres – intends the meaning of ordinary social status rather than average physical height.

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L: alatum ‘winged’. The categorisation of Gemini as an air sign is missing (all other signs are classified as ‘fiery’, ‘earthy’ or ‘watery’) so this may be flagging the sign’s association with the element of air; however, the earth-sign Virgo, the ‘winged maiden’, is also tagged by the same term whereas the other air signs (Ö and= â) are not. According to Al Qabisi’s Introduction (I.10.6) the winged signs are Gemini, Virgo and Pisces; Pisces is presumably because the fins of a fish work in a similar way to the wings of a bird, or because some ‘flying-fish’ are capable of taking flight.

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L: acquirens evacuánsque ‘aquiring and evacuating’ (buying and selling?); demonstrating this sign’s mutable and commercial nature.

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L: humerororum: the upper arms, the shoulders, or the bones that run from the shoulders to the elbows.

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L: Positum est autem hoc signum in vento Aphrico: association with the west comes from the Latin word for Africa, which anciently referenced only the upper region of the continent, around modern Tunisia (to the west of Rome).

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L: leucotheum, from the Greek leuko, which is usually translated as white or pale, but it might mean bright, milky coloured, ashen, grey or perhaps transparent or silvery. In Greek mythology, Leucothea (literally ‘White goddess’) was an ancient sea goddess who protected sailors and used dreams as a form of oracle. She was known for her white or pale, moonlike appearance which clues us into how this word might denote a whole range of moonlike or even silvery, blue colours, as distinct from those with the vivid or golden tones of the Sun. This is why some historical texts appear to show an unnatural reliance on grey for sign colours, deriving from a word that means moon-like but then gets translated as ‘ashen’ or ‘grey’. With that in mind, we can note good agreement between the colours mentioned in this text and the sign colours listed by Ibn Ezra (as shown in the table of sign-colours created

by David McCann and published at skyscript.co.uk/colour.html). It is worth noting the different mindset towards describing colour in ancient times. There was no simple notion of yellow for example, instead there was a separate distinction between things that were citrinus, the colour of a lemon (stark, pure yellow, or yellow tinged with green) and things that were croceum, the colour of a saffron crocus (more orange or brown in tone).

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Someone working in the field of theology or divinity – priests or prophets, etc.

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L: femorum – literally the thighs, but the Latin word was also used figuratively to refer to the ‘loins’ and, by extension, the capacity to bear children.

21

L: castum – in a general sense, ‘chaste, pure’, but it might also refer to abstinence from sensual enjoyments on religious grounds or due to castration or impotence.

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by

KAYLEIGH JEAN

Mars, Scorpio, & the Great Work

T

his Halloween’s planetary picture fits the holiday’s spooky theme perfectly. It’s a heavy configuration – just three days after a lunar eclipse, Mars is combust and joined to a peregrine Mercury as it separates from the opposition with Jupiter, which bracketed both ‘ends’ of the Taurus-Scorpio eclipse.

Mars is at 13° Ü on October 31st, potent in its sign of rulership and drawing attention to a number that folklore regards as cursed and inauspicious. The number 13 is also strongly associated with Scorpio, which rules the 13th Key of the Major Arcana in Tarot: the Death card. According to the 9thcentury major occult work, the Piatrix, the 13th degree is the only degree of the Moon suitable for drawing down the powers of Scorpio.1 The symbolism here is very multifaceted, and there’s a lot to unpack!

The word ‘Halloween’ emerged after the Christianisation of the Celtic New Year festival, Samhain (pronounced sow-wen).

This became All Saints, or All Souls Day (Nov 1st) and All Hallow’s Eve (Oct 31st), which morphed into Hallowe’en as a blend of the latter with the phonetic ‘en’ ending of the original Celtic name. According to pagan belief, the veil between the material and spiritual worlds comes to its thinnest at Samhain. Consequently, spirits of the dead can approach the living to give messages of advice and support. However, at nightfall, the delicacy of the veil becomes a liability, as evil spirits and corrupted human souls might also cross the boundary and attack the living, bringing bad luck, ill health, and hauntings.

1 The Complete Picatrix, Greer & Warnock, (Lulu, 2011) p.236.

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A lesser reported detail is that the opposite cross-quarter period, Beltane (widely celebrated as May Day on May 1st), is a mirroring gateway for the ‘thinning of the veil’. These festivals represent midpoints in the ‘transitional’ periods of spring and autumn, so both act as seasonal portals that fall within the sensitive annual phases most associated with noticeable, rapid changes in temperature and light.

Traditionally, both holidays are celebrated by the burning of massive bonfires (‘bone’ fires). At Beltane, festival goers walked cattle through the threshold between the fires to encourage the health and fertility of their livestock for the bright half of the yearly cycle. At Samhain, the bonfires were constructed over burial mounds, and people walked between them for purification and protection from evil spirits.1 The Hindu Diwali ‘Festival of Lights’ also occurs around this time and marks the Hindu New Year, while in Latin America ‘Día de los Muertos’ begins with the lighting of candles to honour deceased loved ones and ancestors.

Elaborate bonfires are still held to celebrate Beltane /May Day festivities in many parts of the British Isles

Below: illustrations of geomantic sigils from Agippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1531), with a highlighted detail showing how Rubeus might appear as an inverted goblet

The fact that the cold, darkening Scorpio season breeds festivals of fire makes sense: this is the time of year when people in the northern hemisphere begin having fires in their homes to keep warm, and Scorpio’s ruler, Mars, governs fire and “all things which pertain to fire” such as metallurgy, and alchemy.2 And yet, at this time, Mars takes up its nocturnal residence in a water sign, the element that is the natural enemy of fire, which calls for a little more subtlety in how the symbolism is understood.

In Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, illustrated by Frieda Harris, Mars in Scorpio is attributed to the Five of Cups card, entitled ‘disappointment’ (shown right). The motif displays five empty cups arranged in an inverted pentagram, denoting “the victory of matter over spirit”.3 In Geomancy (a form of divinatory ‘earthly astrology’ which uses special patterns to generate a lower, worldly amalgam of a horoscope), Mars in Scorpio is represented by the sigil named Rubeus (Latin for ‘red’). The shape of this figure can also be conceived as an upside-down glass. When Rubeus appears in the ascendant of the figure, it signifies “a short life, and an evil end; signifies a man to be filthy, unprofitable, and of an evil, cruel and malicious countenance…”.4 In Lilly’s Christian Astrology, the signification of Mars fairs little better; in persons, it is: “contumelious, seditious, conspirators, thieves, ireful, cruel, impudent … backbiters … wrangling fellows”; and in matters: “lawsuits, controversies, quarrels … wars, warfare, alchemy, handicraft trades, working with iron or by fire, tyranny, oppression, violence”.5 Such a besieging mix of negative, dangerous implications makes it easy to forget that astrological symbolism is inherently neutral until directed by the will of the individual.

We know the potential for negative expression is high, but what about when this force is directed more productively?

The Scorpionic design of Crowley’s Thoth Tarot card for the Five of Cups, entitled ‘Dissapointment’

1 Celtic History and Mythology, B. Wellman, (Wellman, 2023) p.65.

2 A Brief & Most Easy Introduction to the Stars, C. Dariot, trans. G. C. Gent, (1598) D3, p.36.

3 Book of Thoth, A. Crowley, (1944, republished Weiser, 1969) p.198.

4 Henry Cornelius Agrippa, His fourth book of Occult Philosophy, Of Geomancy, trans. R. Turner, (1655), online at www.princeton.edu.

5 Christian Astrology, W. Lilly, (1647), Vol III, ‘Introduction to Nativities’, p.556.

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Alchemy; the Occult side of Mars?

Hermetic alchemy is a deeply secretive art, possessing multiple layers of esoteric and exoteric meaning.

Known as the ‘Lower Astronomy’, it assigns each planet to a corresponding metal, and each zodiac sign to a stage in the alchemical transmutation of base metal into gold. Mars rules iron; Scorpio is given the stage of Separation, connected with Putrefaction.

In the Hermetic Qabalistic Tree of Life1 Mars and Scorpio rule the path of Nun, the Path of Putrefaction, a death and fermentation process. In Aramaic, Nun means ‘fish’; as a verb, it means ‘to sprout’ or ‘to propagate’.2 Fish are symbols of consciousness (or imagination), but they also represent fertility, so putting these together conjures a theme of death that leads to mystical germination, or fertilisation. In a simplified interpretation, Nun connects the higher self to the personality, but it only emanates downward. It is the pathway by which part of the higher self projects down into the individual during incarnation.

The only time energy flows upward along this path (to be reabsorbed by the higher self) is upon physical death or occult initiation.3 Nun represents a total transformation of energy from one phase to another.

This produces the unconscious logic behind the instinctual hesitations felt when bumping elbows with Scorpionic themes: what can be gained is promised to be of inconceivable value, yet remains shrouded. Meanwhile, the sacrifices are dear.

According to Richard Hinkley Allen:4

“

the alchemists held [Scorpio] in high regard, for only when the sun was in this sign, could the transmutation of iron into gold be performed

Claude Dariot writes of Scorpio, “Begin no good thing in this sign at all, as it is a sign of falseness and lying”.

But then he thoughtfully adds that it is “good to use [in] potions for physick.”5 From a magical perspective, Crowley says Scorpio “is the basis of all fertility, all life”.6 A strong statement for the least of the fertile signs!

Frontispiece to Fulcanelli’s alchemical Mysteries of Cathedrals & the Interpretation of Esoteric Symbols (1926). The Latin reads: “everything from one, & everything to one”

Antares, the star at the ‘Heart’ of the constellation Scorpio, is the bright red ‘anti-Mars’ of the night-time sky. Mars’ rulership of Scorpio seems like an allegory of alchemy, with its obsessive insistence on integrating natural enemies and Mars, a hot, dry masculine planet, nestling into a cold, phlegmatic, feminine sign. In this symbolic shorthand, the whole process of alchemy is distilled, with Mars as the chemist and Scorpio as the fraught, ‘hermetically sealed’ process of transmutation.

1 An interpretation distinct to the orthodox Hebrew Kabbalah.

4 Star Names, Their Lore & Meaning, R.A. Allen, (Dover, 1899) p.363.

2 See www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Nun.html.

5 Intro to the Stars, C. Dariot, trans. G. C. Gent, (1598), Cii. p.28.

3 The Qabalistic Tarot, R. Wang (Marcus Aurelius, 2004) p.183.

6 Book of Thoth, Crowley, (1944, republished Weiser, 1969) p.198.

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Scorpio: Dark Matrix of Alchemical Fertility

Egypt is recognised as a foundational source on which European and Arabic branches of alchemy rest. The ancient native name for Egypt, Kemet, means ‘black’, referring to the fertile black soil of the Nile. The words alchemy and chemistry are thought to derive from this via the ancient Greek name for Egypt, Chêmia. In Egypt, the Scorpion-headed goddess Serqet (a.k.a. Serket/Selkis) was a patron deity for physician and healer cults. Her name means “she who causes the throat to breathe”, referring to the effects of the scorpion venom, which restricts the victim’s breathing.

Often depicted with exposed breasts symbolising motherhood and the nurturing of infants, Serqet oversaw deified births, including that of Horus. She is often seen as a facet of Isis, but she has her own stories and identity. In the Metternich Stela, a 30th dynasty (380342 BCE) magical compendium of incantations to heal poison wounds, Isis-Serqet and her scorpions are involved in the death of an innocent child and its subsequent revivification.1 Serqet was also tasked with protecting the dead while traversing the underworld realm. She appears as a powerful protector for those who recently crossed the threshold between the spirit world and the material one, whichever direction they move in.

In the opening scene of the ‘Eleventh Hour of Night’, in the Egyptian Book of Gates (16th-11th Century BCE),2 we meet Serqet in the act of restraining Apep (a.k.a. Apopis), the force of Chaos. She blocks him from attacking Ra during a crucial moment just before he passes through the gates of dawn to be resurrected as the morning sun. In this mystical text she presents as a powerful protector during the most crucial transition, ‘dawn’ being analogous with ‘birth.’

Above: Egyptian bronze staff finial depicting Isis-Serqet with the inscription “Isis may give life” Right: Depiction of Serqet in The Tomb of Nefetari

Virgo, Scorpio & Virgin Birth Mysteries

Associating a scorpion deity with the mysteries of birth, motherhood, and death is curiously apt. The Hottentotta scorpion is one of the rare parthenogenetic creatures that gives live births, being able to clone itself without the need for a male. This brings to mind the striking similarity of the glyphs for Virgo and Scorpio, leading us back to the fascinating points made in Abigail Joy’s article detailing Virgo’s association with the womb in the last Skyscript newsletter.3 Both glyphs contain the shape of the letter M with a tail. Virgo’s ‘tail’ curls back into itself, while Scorpio’s ‘tail’ unfurls, pointing outward in an expressive manner.4 If we absorb the constellation Libra into the claws of the Scorpion, then Virgo and Scorpio become adjacent, linking the mystery of the ‘virgin birth’ in the sky to an earthly phenomenon that would have been witnessed by priests or physicians in antiquity, who kept scorpions as part of their research or healing practices. (Reptiles and insects make up a significant portion of the creatures that reproduce asexually – all of which have been astrologically associated with the traditional symbolism of Scorpio.)

1 See ‘The Metternich Stela’, N. Stott (Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol 9.8; 1951).

2 The Egyptian Book of Gates, trans. by E. Hornung, (Living Heritage, 2013), pp.364-367.

3 ‘Mercury in Virgo & the Mysterious Woman in the Sky’, A. Joy (Skyscript Newsletter, #12, Sept 23), pp.8-11.

4 Discussed in D. Houlding’s Skyscript article ‘The Symbolism of Scorpio the Scorpion’ (2003).

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

Left: Detail from the Metternich Stela housed at The Met Museum Below: An asexual Hottentotta scorpion carrying babies on its back

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The English letter M comes from the Greek letter Mu, which itself derives from the Phoenician Mem, a character which means ‘water’ and shares an origin with the Egyptian ideogram for water (𐤌).1 As an extra layer of mysticism, the English letter M and the Semitic Mem are each the 13th letter of their alphabets and Mem’s equivalents are the 13th letters of the abjads in the Semitic languages Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and Phoenician.2 Mem immediately precedes Nun in the Hebrew alphabet; thus: ‘from the water, comes the fish’.3 Because Mem is one of three ‘mother letters’ in the Semitic abjads, it does not associate with a zodiac sign or planet, and I would argue that it joins its meaning with that of Nun, being a kind of a primordial matrix from which a subjective new form is spontaneously made manifest. In Hinduism ‘OM’ is seen as the primordial vibration which created the Universe.4 With its arching pattern, the letter M is oddly reminiscent of a sine wave, while the sounding out of ‘M’ definitely produces a palpable vibration.

In esoteric alchemical thought, the Shamayim (Talmudic word for heaven) is the ‘fiery water of the spirit’ – the prima materia which is split into Esh (fire) and Mayim (water) upon incarnation. This separatio of spiritual fire-water sets in motion a conflict within humans, which finds its frontline in the heart centre5 and remains in a continual state of flux and rebalancing until they are (hopefully) reunited on this earthly plane during the individual’s own transmutation.

Illustration from Jacob Böhme’s Mysterium Magnum, (1682).

Note the emphasis placed on the letter Ms, and how the Virgo and Scorpio glyphs are so prominent in the zodiac belt.

Exoteric Alchemy

Glenn Seaborg was the 20th-century chemist who first transmuted a base metal into gold, thus reuniting the paths of modern chemistry and mystical alchemy. He was also the discoverer of Plutonium. For those with an interest in name symbolism, Glenn means ‘valley’ (or a low place) while Seaborg breaks down to ‘sea’ (water, etc.) plus ‘borg’, an old word for a fortress, or stronghold. Putting it all together, the sense of ‘deep, fixed water’ produces quite a Scorpionic label!

We don’t have an exact time for Seaborg’s birth but he was certainly Mars-ruled, which aligns with his realised life purpose as a chemist.6 His chart is dominated by a strong Sun/Mercury/Venus stellium in Aries, with the sun at the anoretic degree, bordering the Taurus/Scorpio axis.

Though impressive, Seaborg’s transmutation of bismuth to gold had no chance of economic viability (it uses massive amounts of energy at exorbitant cost to generate just a few

1 See ‘Hieroglyphs Organized by Gardiner’ ‘N35’ (www.egyptianhieroglyphs.net) or Egyptian Grammar, A. Gardiner (Oxford Univ. Press, 1927), p.27.

2 See ‘Omniglot Hebrew abjad’ by Simon Ager (all other abjads are available on this website).

3 In Egyptian mythology “Nu ‘watery one’ or Nun ‘the inert one’ … is the personification of the primordial watery abyss which existed at the time of

creation and from which the creator sun god Ra arose … ” – ‘Nu (mythology)’; Wikipedia.

4 ‘Om is the Primal Sound of the Universe’, S. Allard (2020), Hindu American Foundation website.

5 6

Alchemy and PUTREFACTIO Mysticism, A. Roob, (Taschen, 1997) p.453.

Mars is traditionally associated with chemists, as for example, John Partridge, Vade Mecum (1662) p.13: “Physicians, chemists, …barbers, smiths”.

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The biwheel showing the planetary placements at this year’s Halloween against those at the time of the discovery of Plutonium, suggests that the themes of that incident are about to be revisited: Jupiter and Uranus have returned to their conjunction phase in Taurus and are presently very close to their positions at the time of the breakthrough. Mars has also returned to its 1940 position to oppose those Taurean planets from Scorpio whilst Neptune and Pluto are close to their opposing degrees.

thousand atoms of stable gold). An exact date for this particular experiment is unavailable, but his paper on the outcome was released on August 5th, 19801 as Mars conjoined Pluto in Libra.

It was 40 years earlier, on December 14th, 1940, that Seaborg and his team bombarded uranium with deuterons using a 60inch cyclotron, which gave birth to plutonium (element 94).2 Within months, Seaborg and his team were able to confirm the discovery, and named it after the then-newly-discovered planet, Pluto. The planetary picture for plutonium’s creation bears some striking similarity to the planetary theme for Halloween, as well as 2023 generally.

“

[Plutonium is] one of the most exotic elements of the periodic table. Maybe the most. It has about six forms. It undergoes change in ways that are different; in expansion, in contraction, in heating and the effect of temperature and electrical conductivity and things of that sort are all anomalies… For the metallurgists, it is a very fascinating element.

– G. Seaborg, Nov. 2 1965, Voices of the Manhattan Project

The 1940 experiment shows Mars and Venus united in Scorpio opposing Seaborg’s natal Saturn (20°Ä) with retrograde Uranus joining it at 23°Ä (Uranus is currently undergoing its first return to that degree). Seaborg was also experiencing his first Saturn return at the time of the experiment, which occurred as transiting Pluto opposed his natal Uranus. We know he felt the seriousness of his work, which is why the discovery was initially kept secret. Following this breakthrough, which paved

Now I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds – line from the Bhagavad Gita, that Seaborg’s colleague Robert Oppenheimer quoted after witnessing the first atomic bomb detonation

1 Record of time of receipt by American Physical Society “Received 5th August 1980”.

2 ‘Atomic number 94’, V. Grant (Plutonium timeline) hosted by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

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the way for the Manhattan Project, Seaborg signed a formal letter along with six other Manhattan Project scientists asking President Truman to allow Japanese officials to view a test explosion of the atomic bomb before it was used on their civilians. This would have, potentially, avoided use of the bomb altogether; sadly, the request was denied.

It is ironic to note that the same mind creating this devastating technology also rearranged the periodic table and discovered Iodine-131, which continues to be an effective Nuclear Medicine treatment for thyroid cancer (widely linked to radiation exposure). The Iodine-131 treatment extended Seaborg’s own mother’s life by many years, and brings to mind Paracelsus’s words, “All things are poisonous, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison”.

Seaborg considered the creation of the atomic bomb a necessity because for the Nazis to achieve it first and wield its power against the rest of the world was unthinkable. However, once completed, he strongly opposed its use on civilians and advised future presidents on various negotiations to prohibit its use and reduce its danger.1

Conclusion

All things are poisonous, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison

When it comes to Martial, Scorpionic themes and the multifaceted historical threads of alchemy, there’s a world of depth that cannot be mined in one article, but one consistent and unifying component is that anything constituting an ‘alchemical’ process will significantly alter the trajectory of reality in some way. It is not without relevance that the keen interest in alchemy which arose in the Early Modern period through celebrated scientists such as Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Johann Glauber (referred to as the first chemical engineer), immediately preceded a period of great change in the world: the Industrial Revolution.

In the first half of the 20th century there was a resurgence of interest in alchemy in multiple forms. Fulcanelli, (a nom de plume for what was likely several French individuals), inspired interest in the art through books and fantastical claims in the twenties and thirties. Carl Jung (1875-1961) is well known for his psychoanalytical interpretations of alchemical symbolism; his book Psychology and Alchemy was published in 1944, just as alchemy’s exoteric offshoot, modern chemistry, was preparing atomic weapons for use in a war with egregious consequences. If we take a collective psychological interpretation here, the implications are that, at least during the last millennium in the West, whenever alchemy bubbles up from the margins to claim a piece of the cultural zeitgeist, great change appears on the horizon.

Befriended, this mythical ‘dark side of Mars’ represents powers which become the most supreme protectors against all dangers and evils, to be invoked with shockingly decisive results. It can restore order, prevent chaos, fertilize, transform, and resurrect. Apparently, it’s even the mojo needed to move spirits between worlds! If an individual or society mishandles this concentrated energy, it returns as the metaphorical ‘backbiter’; like Judas – the 13th guest to arrive at the last supper – being (allegorically speaking) the destroyer of all that is of value.

While most of us cannot influence how cutting-edge explorations and new technologies will affect the future (even the folks who create them lose control of them), we can still approach this concept for good insight on an inner level. To start with, you might assess this planetary theme in your own chart. Mars in Aries may be the warrior, while Mars in Scorpio may be more of the alchemist or ‘mad scientist’ type; but going past that, we see that Mars is like a highly charged battery in any chart, and it is always associated with some element of danger.

Integrating this is not a carefree process, but when placed in service of something meaningful, the Martial impulse toward transformation can produce wonders. Metaphorically, your natal Mars and placements in Scorpio offer insight into how the ‘reunion of water and fire’ alchemically happens in you.

With so much emphasis in the Hermetic traditions on the merging of opposites: the base with the precious, the fixed with the volatile, male with female, etc., look particularly at any planets in hard aspect to Mars, or any contradictions and debilities it suffers. Pluto’s proverbial key is in the ashes with this. When integrated into the rest of the chart, perhaps the Mars-powered lapis philosophorum can give us the strength to make necessary transitions, take great risks when needed, and reinvent ourselves at precise moments in our lives; or perhaps simply help us to become as resilient in the face of catastrophe as mortal humans can ever be.

Kayleigh Jean runs a property management company with her husband in Southeast Texas. She holds the STA Practitioner-Level Horary and Traditional Medical Astrology certificates and thoroughly loves astrology, cooking, reading, and astro-speculation.

1 ‘Glenn Seaborg: a man in full’, obituary tribute by L. Yarris (1999), hosted by Berkely Lab website.

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“The dark material fire of the black Sun divides spirit and soul from the putrefied body. You should know that the head of the art is the raven. If someone cuts off its head, it loses its blackness and will attract the wisest colour of all” D. Stolcius von Stolcenberg, Annotations on Viridarium Chymicum, 1624; (illustration shows ‘figure XLI from this work, plate 182)

“Putrefaction destroys the old nature and form of the rotting bodies; it transmutes them into a new state of being to give them a totally new fruit. Everything that has life, dies; everything that is dead putrefies and finds a new life”

The TRIALS of

Antoine Pernety, Myths of the ancient Egyptians & Greeks, 1758

Two NY Fraud trials started within 2 days of each other – neither is going well for the defendant.

Natal charts è Trial commencement charts ê

Trump & Bankman-Fried

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PLANETARY THEMES FOR

[NOVEMBER]

by Jason Burns & Deb Houlding

8 culminates as 0 stations direct (3rd November) Jupiter will have a glorious appearance this month. Shining brightly throughout the whole night, it gains its greatest luminosity of the year on 3rd November when the Sun reaches its opposition. This is the culmination of Jupiter’s synodic cycle, where it becomes fully expressive, flooded with the maximum light of the Sun. Known as acronycal ‘nightfall’ rising (because it appears at sunset and remains in view until sunrise), this intensifying and amplifying phase also acts as the transition point where Jupiter ceases to be an oriental planet (with themes of increase embedded in its symbolism) to an occidental planet, which introduces connotations of decline.

The Sun and Jupiter are affiliated with authority figures, leaders, and prosperous/powerful/influential members of society. Jupiter symbolises judicial and philosophical principles, banking, and the flow of wealth and material assets. As these two planets confront each other, public attention is drawn to the consequences of high-profile lawsuits and court rulings concerning overreach from leaders or the misappropriation of funds and resources.

The opposition perfects upon the MC-IC axis for Washington DC (chart below), so its effects are especially evident in America: consider the trial of Donald Trump and its knock-on effect on US politics, or that of Sam BankmanFried, expected to impact the future regulation and development of the cryptocurrency industry (previous page).

Elsewhere, watch for concerns about bank collapse or turmoil within the financial sectors, which is likely to have an unsettling effect on the values of shares. In general, questions surrounding ethics and prosperity are likely to bring revelation, with monopolisation also playing a part due to the aspect’s occurrence in fixed signs.

Although astrology considers Jupiter a fortunate planet, the kindly reputation of the ‘Greater Benefic’ is based on its association with temperance, Jupiter having a humoural balance that is neither too hot or cold nor too arid or wet. But factor in that this opposition perfects in a month where Mars dominates both lunations (see p.22) and that it is heavily attended by the presence of Mars, with the Sun translating between Jupiter and Mars to reactivate the effects of the Mars-Jupiter opposition that perfects on the 29th October. Mars is potent and targeted in Scorpio, whilst Jupiter is wholly lit and fully charged, augmenting and expanding the influence of anything it touches. Mars being ignited always exacerbates uncomfortable themes of conflict, acting as a ‘trigger point’ that fires up swift action and heated reaction as it brings disagreements to a head.1 The Scorpionic placement draws in deeply rooted, intractable controversies that resist easy resolution. Sadly, the destructive warfare incidents initiated in October will likely remain ‘energised’ as the martial theme continues unabated through November.

Concurrent with the M-h opposition, Saturn makes a pivotal shift as it labours its energies while stationing and turning direct in the first degree of Pisces. The March and June issues of the newsletter considered the broader concerns of Saturn’s ingress into Pisces and some of its global implications for agriculture and water management.2 Since then, worrying reports detailing water scarcity have surfaced in China, India, and the US – three of the world’s top agricultural producers – whilst flooding and droughts in parts of these countries have strained the industry’s yield.

Expect more concerns relating to floods at the start of this month as a fallen Venus (the ‘moist’ planet traditionally associated with rainfall and water flow) perfects its opposition with a ‘very watery’ Neptune in Pisces (conjunct Scheat) against a background planetary configuration that is clearly problematic.

Continues p.22 è

1 Explored in Mari Garci’s recent presentation ‘The Mars Trigger’ – available on the new Skyscript YouTube Channel.

2 Skyscript Newsletter, Issue #7 (Pisces; March 2023), p. 18; #9 (Cancer, June 2023) pp.3-5).

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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HIGHLIGHTS (UT) 3a8 6a= 0 St. Dir. 5a6L; 5L= 6→O 5→M 5K0 7a-

New Moon 3a7L= 3L= 3F7 3→M 3K0 7→M 7K0

Full Moon 5K=

3rd: 05:03 3rd: 22:06 4th: 07:03 4th: 16:07 6th: 14:38 7th: 01:37 8th: 09:31 10th: 06:25 10th: 15:08 11th: 21:12 13th: 09:27 13th: 17:21 17th: 08:36 17th: 14:52 18th: 05:42 22nd: 14:03 23rd: 09:47 24th: 10:15 25th: 16:58 27th: 09:16 27th: 13:28

NOVEMBER 2023 Monday

Tuesday

Nature hasn’t gone anywhere. It is all around us, all the planets, galaxies & so on. We are nothing in comparison

Wednesday

Thursday

1

4K6 4K= 4→Y 4L0

2

4L3 4J8

3

8

4J3 4J7 6→O 4L4a=

9

5J; 4L; 4J5 4→O 4F6

10 5 → M

11 4 K ;

12 4 a 8

- Bjork (M & R in Ü | chart)

6

4K4K5 6L; 4→I 4a0

7

5L= 4L8

Friday 4L7 3a8 4L5 4J-J6 4L= 6a=

5K0

Saturday 4

4a; 0 St. Dir. 4→U 5a-

4→P 4L0 7a-

Sunday 5

4K8 4 K3 4K7

13 4 F 3

14 4 → M

15 5 J 6

16 4 → }

17 4 K 6

18 4 J =

19 4 K 8

20 4 K 7

21 4 J 8

22 7 J ;

23 3 K 0

24 4 L 5

25 4 F 8

26 4 F -

27 4 → T

28 4 L 6

29 4 a 5

30 4 J -

4a4F7 4L= 3a4J;

4 K3 4→W 4F0 3J;

4K0 4a7 4 a3 5K=

4K0 4F5 4J6

4K5

4K=

4K=

4J-F= 3→M 4 J ;L 7 4→E 4L3

4→Y 4L0 4J8

4J0 4L8

4a6

7L= 3L= 4L-

7→M 4K; 4→R 4J0

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

4J3 4J7 3F7 4F; 4→Q

7K0

4L6 4J5 4K-

4J= 4L;

When the going gets tough, the tough reinvent - Ru Paul (M & R in Ü | chart)

COMING UP

21

December 2023UT 00à00 03à19 00Ü00 24ä53 20á40 08à28 00à00 00á00 04Ç58 00á00 05Ä34

5 5 6 = w 5 3 5 q 6 8

" GEE " SD NM SR SOL " FM " SD

7 w 5 ; q -

4 00}00 NM GEW 4 00Q00 FM SD

w 7 7 q

NM 4 F; FM

1st 4th 4th 6th 12th 13th 22nd 23rd 27th 29th 31st

14:32 14:29 18:51 13:22 23:32 07:09 03:28 06:18 00:33 20:24 02:41

January 2024 4th 11th 12th 21st 25th 27th

14:58 11:58 14:38 00:51 17:54 07:35

February 2024 9th 00Q00 13th 14th 24th

22:59 06:05 06:06 12:31

All nature is a vast symbolism: Every material fact has sheathed within it a spiritual truth - Edwin Powell Hubble (US astronomer: M & R in Ü | chart)

EPHEMERIS

NOVEMBER 2023

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The following text was submitted for publication by Jason on 24 September 2023, two weeks before the Hamas attack on Israel. Apart from very minor amends, I have let Jason’s text remain as it was because I feel it is interesting how he drew attention to the November Full Moon having consequences for Israel even without knowledge of the Hamas attack and subsequent state of warfare, which now provides a context for that – DH

The New Moon (13th November) Mars, universally associated with military operations and war, is the dispositor of the November New Moon and simultaneously receives both luminaries as they immediately apply to it by conjunction. This is a very potent and volatile Mars, confronted by the opposition of Uranus. Five days later, the Sun perfects its conjunction with Mars at 25°Ü36' – the ‘cazimi’ status of Mars is pure, with the two planets being within minutes of exactness by latitude as they unite by longitude.1 It is of concern that both the New Moon and Sun-Mars conjunction are prominently placed on the angles in charts cast for Moscow at the moment of perfection [* addition by Deb: it is also of concern that the New Moon has Mars angular on the MC for the district of Israel too, so I have added that chart below].

The strength of Mars in both events speaks of the significance of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the world stage and the unrelenting drive of the Russian regime to see this war through. Unions with the Sun indicate transformative experiences and the initiation of a new phase, so I expect November will bring about a turning point in Russia’s approach to the war. The tactics may not be apparent right away due to the secrecy invoked by the symbolism inherent in combustion and the sign of Scorpio, but an attempt at overwhelm on the part of open enemies (the luminaries co-rule the 7th house in the New Moon chart) and sudden disruptions that strike close to home (Uranus in opposition on the IC) will have the effect of reorganising Russian defence efforts. The chart for the perfection of the Sun-Mars union suggests that an (unwelcome) forced mobilisation of citizens may be part of the strategy.

The Full Moon (27th November) Separating from configurations to both malefics, Mars and Saturn, the luminaries come into November’s Full Moon casting light on embattled and extreme situations. Mercury, dispositor of the lunation (R in Å), is in its detriment in the ‘royal’ sign Sagittarius while conjunct Lesath, a martial fixed star with a bad reputation located in the stinger of the constellation Scorpio, allowing for speculation that unpopular or faulty governmental policies are behind a movement of the ordinary people (R) in opposing militant leaders (M-c). This lunation also falls across the MC/IC axis in the capitals of Syria and Israel – two nations where protests against the reigning authorities have been ongoing. The Moon’s next aspect is a trine to Venus, suggesting pacification or a turn towards more peaceful outcomes, but it is still a long 18° away from perfection. In the meantime, the diffusion indicated by Mercury’s square to Neptune suggests that protests will continue to spread.

1

In the astrological tradition, the question of what parameters qualify a planet as cazimi has been a source of deliberation. The theory I subscribe to is that to be cazimi a planet’s centre must lie within the body of the Sun. This requires there to be less than 16' between the centre of the body of the Sun and the planet, both by latitude and longitude.

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The Israeli-Palestinian War An astro-commentary

by WADE CAVES Around 6:30 am local time, Hamas – a militant group formed in resistance to occupation of Palestinian land – announced Operation Al-Aqsa Flood with thousands of rockets sent from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. A war began at this moment, recognized some hours later by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The name of the operation comes from the Al-Aqsa Mosque situated against the southern wall of Old Jerusalem.

This mosque is a contested holy place, and signatures of that strain are present in the war commencement chart.

Libra rises, and Venus rules the ascendant. This planet is important to note because of its ancient associations with the Islamic world.1 The applying opposition of Venus to Saturn brings the Israeli community into sharp focus, Saturn being the natural significator for Jewish people.2 That Venus and Saturn both disposit the ascendant (Venus by sign, Saturn by exaltation) reflects the conflict arising from dual claims to sovereign land.

Al-Aqsa can be roughly translated to mean ‘furthest’, and even that name’s theme of final limits is reflected in the chart’s symbolism: Venus is in the final term of its sign, Saturn is retrograding back to a sign boundary, and the Moon squares the nodes while at its most extreme northern latitude.

Of immediate interest is the sharp application of the Moon to Mars by square, Mars itself in a tight applying square with retrograde Pluto. This combination brings obvious connotations of violence, attack, and bloodshed.

Mars is debilitated in Libra, and conjunct the South Node which tends to signify misfortune and mistakes. In mundane astrology, the essential dignity of a planet plays a different, more subtle role than it does in horary and nativities, yet we can note the sheer volume of news stories questioning efficiency vs effectiveness, intended vs unintended targets; I wonder how much of that can be associated with the signature of Mars by aspect and sign.

1

The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology, Al-Biruni (11th c.), 433-434, p46. The Islamic Golden Age brought sweeping developments in culture, music, philosophy, artistry, and science, gradually pulling the West out of a centuries-long Dark Age. The renewal of hope, wisdom, and joy felt by this intellectual and cultural resurgence within Islamic society brought out the mundane significations of Venus and Jupiter, and both planets were accorded special importance for Islamic histories. For more on this, see: On Astrology, Prophecy, & Religion, R. Hand. ReVision, vol. 23, no. 2 (Fall 2000); p.38.

2

Ibid., 433-434, p41. The Jewish association with Saturn has been twisted to make racist comments related to the Jewish people, typically related to themes of usury and “wickedness”. According to translator Shlomo Sela, Ibn Ezra was the first to redress this injustice in his commentary of Exodus 20:13. Ibn Ezra reframed the ancient association, arguing that Saturn accords with Hebraic reverence for the sabbath and reflects the solemnity which accompanies Jewish ritual and tradition. Ibn Ezra posited that the origin of Saturn’s association with the Jewish people is owed to a Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius which preceded Jewish exodus from Egypt; Saturn, then, became accorded the planet of the Jews (Jupiter then signifying their freedom from Egyptian domination), and Aquarius their sign. It is perhaps worth noting that we are, once again, under the dispensation of yet another Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius (December 2020) – perhaps the next two decades will bring resolution to the issue of Palestinian statehood and Israel’s armed occupation of Palestinian lands. The Book of Reasons (tr. Shlomo Sela), Ibn Ezra (12th c.). Brill (2007); p.71, 157-159.

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Prior to the Hamas attack, the Full Moon fell in Aries (chart: top left). When centred on Tel Aviv, Mars (dispositor of the lunation) culminates in the midheaven at 21°Ö, the same degree as the solar eclipse that followed two weeks later.

The midheaven of the war’s preceding lunation, at 13°Ö, is making a tight conjunction to the 11°Ö ascendant which rose at the time of the war’s commencement (i.e., the Hamas offensive, chart reproduced bottom right).

The chart I use for Israel (middle left) is the one dated for the signing of the independence proclamation, when state founder David Ben-Gurion announced, “Israel has been born!”.3 This war began with Mars at 27°Ö and the South Node at 25°Ö, transiting Israel’s national ascendant of 29°Ö, in sextile to the nation’s natal Mars at 28°Ö.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has an unconfirmed 10:30 am birth time (bottom left). Other reports place the time between 9:30-11:45 am, so we know the Moon to be close to where it stands in this chart (19°Ö), very near to the degree of Mars in the lunation preceding the Hamas attack (21°Ö26') and the solar eclipse of 14 October (21°Ö07'). Netanyahu’s Sun (27°Ö) is within a degree of Mars at the launch of the attack, coinciding with Israel’s national ascendant. In the Aries ingress of 2024, set for Tel Aviv (facing page), Saturn rises on the ascendant at 12°ä, in tight opposition to Netanyahu’s natal Saturn (15°Ñ) this shows a grave and serious year ahead for Netanyahu and his administrative rule in Israel.

Netanyahu returned to his post as Prime Minister in December 2022. The Aries ingress of that year (facing) gives a sense of what manifests under his leadership. The Moon was at 29°Ö (the placement of Mars at the time of the Hamas attack). One degree later, the Moon slipped into Scorpio, its sign of fall, and ran head-on into a square with the 8th-ruler, Mars. The chart is loaded with war symbolism, and as the 2nd-ruler Venus is besieged between the conjunction of Mars and Saturn, we could expect Netanyahu to manage his administration in a way that puts Israel’s national allies between a rock and a hard place.

National chart data from Nick Campion’s Book of World Horoscopes (Wessex, 2004); Israel: p.168; China: p.79 ff.

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It seems unlikely that this war will be resolved by spring 2024. In November, the Sun and Mars conjoin at 26°Ü upon Israel’s 2nd house cusp, which seems likely to stir up events that rattle or galvanize allies. This conjunction squares Israel’s natal Mars and comes out of a square with the country’s natal Saturn/Pluto conjunction in mid-Leo. I also note that the Sun/Mars conjunction in late Scorpio conjoins China’s natal midheaven (27°Ü). China has a friendly relationship with Israel but formally recognized the State of Palestine in 1988. Given the close alignment of the angular Moons between Israel and China, we may find Chinese influence in the current conflict increases as we approach this conjunction.

In mid-February, Venus, Mars, and Pluto all conjoin on Israel’s I.C. (see detail below). This shows a prospect for treaty negotiations related to land rights. That said, the Aries ingress of 2024 features a very strong opposition between the Moon and Pluto at 3°É and 1°â respectively, at once bringing in the MC/IC axis of Israel and the country’s natal Moon.

Detail shows planet position on 16 Feb 2024 è

There is more to watch as this tragic situation continues to unfold. Even as I write, we learn that Israel has initiated a ground invasion, cutting off electricity to citizens in the Gaza Strip. Without power, citizens cannot send messages out or receive them through modern means – only radios work. On 27 October, the UN voted 120-14 in favour of an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza. Those voting against peace included the United States, Israel, and twelve small countries. That Palestine is not accorded a vote in United Nations proceedings is telling of the power imbalance that keeps this crisis in motion. vvv

The astrology related to the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and war) is historied and complex, reaching across multiple decades and administrations. Some key moments related to current affairs will be explored in greater depth in an upcoming webinar: Click here for registration link https://donate.stripe.com/9AQ4hCfoe6tS3u000r

Astrology of the Israeli-Palestinian war Wade Caves

l

Fri 3 November l 12pm EDT (US / 4pm GMT (UK)

Donation-based registration Registration includes 28-day access to recordings l

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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OPINION PIECE! ASTROLOGY SHOULD NOT BE POPULAR

by

ABIGAIL JOY

www.seebystarlight.com

SEEBYSTARLIGHT.COM

One of the treasures of modern astrology is the variety of excellent blog posts written by passionate, informed astrologers. But these are easily missed if you are not part of an existing network. This will be the first in a series of ‘opinion pieces’ that showcase the work of bloggers and creative astrologers; it is a reworking of Abigail Joy’s blog post: The Dangers of Pursuing Professional Respectability. Don’t agree? Let us know. We’ll be happy to publish any follow-up thoughts.

I

t is a conundrum for most of us who wish to immerse ourselves fully in astrology: unless we are lucky enough to have a trust fund bequeathed by a rich relative, we must find a way to pay our living expenses, and this requires finding clients. We must also find a way to gain the knowledge and experience required to practise with clients in the first place, which means a financial investment in books, classes, and materials. Finding clients requires awareness within the public that astrologers exist and can help, so it would seem obvious that increasing astrology’s popularity (thus increasing the pool of paying clients) would be good for the field of astrology. However, while I am most definitely in the position of being devoid of rich relatives, I nonetheless believe that astrology should not, actually, be popular in society.

There are certain conversations in the astrological community that resurface from time to time, and one is about astrology’s social respectability. Many astrologers are bothered that so many people in society see astrology as quackery, akin to people who believe the earth is hollow, or who wear tinfoil hats to ward off aliens. Astrology is a serious field of study, dammit!

It intersects with legitimate history, psychology, mathematics, astronomy, and other academic fields! According to some astrologers, we are just suffering from a marketing problem. They wonder what we can do to increase our respectability in the broader world and make astrology a more accepted field.

It is an understandable impulse. Nobody likes to introduce themselves at a party with “I’m an astrologer” and have half the room snort out drinks in attempts to hold back laughter. We all want to be viewed as the intelligent, learned, and highly skilled people we truly are. Many of us fantasise about holding status as professional experts, generally referred to as authoritative. In this fantasy, it would be understood by all the world – Break a bone? See a doctor. Will it rain tomorrow? Ask a meteorologist. Need to know the future? Talk to an astrologer. Some people are even talking about teaching astrology in public schools. Would such a society be ideal? Should astrology be popular enough to be respectable?

As a side note: let’s assume that astrologers could roughly agree on a universal method first… an impossible assumption! We will never agree on a single zodiac, house system, set of celestial points to use, and so on. But for the sake of argument, let us take it as a given that astrologers could agree on some baseline approaches to send to the public school curriculum.

(The fact that we don’t and never will should cinch this discussion from the start!).1 Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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One reason we should be careful what we wish for is that ‘respectability’ leads to social authority, which necessarily leads to social hegemony. ‘Hegemony’ means social pressure to believe something, and social consequences (e.g. ostracization) for those who don’t. For example, imagine announcing that you don’t believe in gravity. People would look at you askance, for you violated an unwritten rule in the realm of social hegemony. We all pretty much believe in gravity these days; only extreme outliers question it.

Hegemony creates an invisible set of prescriptions for what people ought to think and do. Astrology in a place of social hegemony would require it to be understood as a way of approaching truth that most people would accept without question; inversely, those who doubted it would be considered the ones to laugh at.

In such a society, most people would ‘believe’ astrology, not from a place of love but from a place of duty.

Its study would not be delightful; it would be perfunctory. Its messages would not be miraculous; they would be rote. A certain level of social hegemony is inevitable and not always bad. However, society should be very selective about what is allowed to enter that space.

Zealous defenders of astrology today are reminiscent of the astrologers in the Ottoman Empire who had to explain that astrology did not conflict with Islam, and astrologers in Medieval Europe who insisted that astrology was not opposed to Christianity. While such apologia is important and strengthens astrology overall, we must not allow ourselves to be confused: Astrology may be compatible with Islam or Christianity, but it is itself, neither Islam nor Christianity. Likewise, there may be an ability to reconcile astrology with some forms of scientific thought, but astrology is itself not Science. These are all different things. Trying to ‘hitch our star’ to the dominant paradigm of the day shows a lack of foresight. Astrology existed long before Christianity and Islam, and it will exist long after today’s trend of modern materialistic naturalism dissolves into whatever paradigm will follow it.

Professional respectability or hegemony is not a goal we should concern ourselves with. It is not necessary for astrology to be accepted by the mainstream. Indeed, this would actually damage astrology, not help it.

Astrology is an occult (Latin for ‘hidden’) art. Unlike science or other academic fields, astrology functions best in the shadows. It should be an esoteric option only for those who wish to engage with it. Although it has many practical and tangible applications, and it can be studied with somewhat predictable and measurable rules, fundamentally, astrology is a spiritual practice, which functions best out of the realms of power and at the level of individuals connecting to Transcendence from the sincerity of their hearts.

Epistemological Categorization of Astrology Saying astrology is a ‘spiritual practice’ does not mean that it is like meditation, worship, or religious rituals, although there may or may not be some overlap with those fields. It means that astrology operates at a level beyond the physical. Astrology is not like physics, psychology, medicine, or weather prediction. Particularly, to be blunt about it, astrology is NOT a science. Many astrologers dearly wish to make it so, but this wish betrays a fundamental misapplication of both science and astrology. (It also betrays the high level of esteem Science holds in the general culture. Everyone wants to be the cool kid, and Science has become the cool kid.) Science is the study of cause and effect in the physical world, but astrology is a symbolic language of divination. And this is the crux of the matter: Astrology is a symbolic language of divination. There is no astrology that is not divination.

The sooner we allow ourselves to feel comfortable with the fact that we practise divination, the more progress we can make in the field of astrology on its own terms, instead of trying to put it into the Science box, where it does not belong. Science must be immutably empirical and rational, while divination uses symbolic language to explore deep meaning and to communicate with Transcendence.2 Divination allows us to interact with the part of existence that is qualitative, meaningful, and experiential. Divination helps us know things we could not know via strictly rational processes. It helps us make meaning from our experiences. It speaks to our hearts, not just our minds.

Some astrologers may argue that astrology is empirical and rational, actually. Look at all the maths! And the amazing correspondences! And we can use scientific tools like regression analyses and standard deviations, etc., to study astrology, right?

Yes, we can. However, the involvement of maths and observations does not mean it functions at the same epistemic level as science. While Science explores truth with a lower-case t, speaking to facts in the physical realm; Astrology explores Truth with a capital T. It speaks to Truth in the realm of meaning, energy, and fate. Astrology pertains to tangible events, yes, but the way by which it does so happens at the transcendent

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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level – through symbol and mystery. It is as if a message is sent from a higher, abstract realm down into our lower, concrete realm. A message is not the thing itself; it is just a way to understand the thing.

All divination can be understood as following this structure: 1. A symbol is given, containing mystical truth. Symbols of divination may come from many different places – the shapes of tea leaves left in the bottom of a cup, the images on cards randomly drawn from a deck, or the positions of stars and invisible points in the sky. (An example of a symbol from astrology could be i).

2. A system of linguistic structure offers meaning for the symbol, containing qualitative truth. (For example: Boundaries, Coldness and Dryness, Structure, Despair.)

3. The recipient(s) must have an interpretation, to provide objective truth that applies to their lived experience. (For example: walls, lawsuit, death, bones, running out of money, prison, end to an activity, contract, someone says “no”, disciplinary action, hospital stay… the possibilities are myriad.)

Mystical Symbol → Qualitative Meanings → Objective Interpretations = Divination I gave only one simple astrological symbol, and already the interpretive possibilities have splintered to at least dozens of potential outcomes. When we add more symbols to create an astrological ‘sentence’ (for example, i +=c in â), there will be thousands of possible meanings and millions of interpretations. The ‘art’ of astrology involves choosing the interpretation most likely to manifest. Not easy! The more specific and concrete we try to be in our predictions, the more we are surprised by the other ways that the symbol can manifest.

Since astrology is divination, learning the symbols and meanings only gets you so far. There is a mystical connection, a communication – a sort of ‘jump’ –that must happen beyond that. Patterns and symbols are used as conventions for communication, not inputs for a causal technocracy. The longer you do it, the more you get a ‘sense’ for what astrology is saying, but it still always manages to surprise you, like any great relationship!

Approach the Oracle, if you dare! (Image Wikimedia)

Church and State Because astrology is, at its core, a divinatory activity, it is unhealthy to make it socially authoritative, just as it is unhealthy to establish a state religion. Of course, astrology is not religion, and there are many differences between the two, but as far as providing ways to connect to deeper meaning, religion and astrology have some similarities.

Everyone’s relationship with the Transcendent is personal and different, and that is a good thing. There are many, many ways for individuals to find meaning and depth in life. People should come to astrology (if they do) because they want to, not because they feel social pressure to. Astrology is not the only source of Truth or meaning. If astrology were somehow put into a place in society where everyone felt like they had to follow it, then it would no longer be a conversation with Transcendence born from a place of authenticity.

It would become dogmatic and ritualistic. It would bind instead of liberate. It would curdle instead of nourish.

There was a lot wrong with the Enlightenment, and I will join criticisms of its many flaws any day; however, one thing the Enlightenment got right was that society is better when religious and spiritual ideas are divorced both from the state and from social hegemony. Freedom of conscience, freedom of worship, and freedom to pursue the spiritual path one prefers are fundamental for healthy societies. Anything that becomes either a state project or a broad, universally-prevailing social artefact necessarily interacts with the dangers of Power. When there is Power, corruption is soon to follow. Anyone who loves astrology should strive to keep it out of the realm of Power, lest it become weaponized and ultimately corrupted beyond recognition.

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But What About the History of Royal Astrology?

I recognize that my opinion could be seen as deviating from astrology’s historical use as a royal endeavour.

For hundreds of years, astrology was only available to nobility, who often consulted astrologers to determine how to rule their kingdoms. Astrology only stayed alive due to Power; it was in the halls of Power for a long time; and it thrived on Power, right?

The context of royal astrology was probably not ideal for astrology either, but being a royal endeavour did not fatally corrupt astrology, for a few reasons: •

•

•

First, astrology was still optional, in the sense that the astrologer advised the king or queen what to do, and they still had a choice about what to do with that information. Astrology was respected but not necessarily hegemonic. The king would not be punished for ignoring the astrologer; it was the other way around.

Second, astrology was for a long time withheld from mass consumption. Royalty would not want astrology (and the requisite literacy necessary to study it in the first place) being accessible to just anyone. So astrology was not socially prescriptive. It was still occult. The state power astrology lived within for centuries was not the type of broad social power that some astrologers today advocate for.

And third, although we cannot know hypotheticals for sure, I don’t believe that astrology necessarily thrived due to Power per se. I’d say it thrived despite the corrupting influences of Power. The aforementioned relative secrecy in which it developed actually provided some protective influence against the damaging corruption that otherwise occurred.

Prophet Motives: Bad Goods & Slimy Services Another problem that occurs when astrology becomes widely popular in society is it becomes more exposed to the corrupting influences of financial incentives. Astrology is currently in a phase of higher visibility and we are seeing this happen. Big box stores are selling zodiac-themed kitsch, much of it cringeworthy in its oversimplification of complex astrological concepts. But cheap astro-merch is not the only problem. More troubling is the proliferation of scammers, amateurs, and unethical hacks, wanting to get their slice of the astro-money-pie by soliciting consultations they have no business offering.

There are people who live to sniff the wind and follow the currents of popularity, to find opportunities for fast cash. Such people are rarely tethered to bothersome scruples like historical integrity, psychological safety, intellectual property rights, or analytical accuracy. There are plenty of outright scammers out there, offering consultations that are not even remotely related to real astrology, but who make up starrysounding words and pass them off as astrology to uneducated, unsuspecting clients. Then there are people who do present astrology in more accurate ways, but don’t want to put in the work of making their own content, so they plagiarise the works of other astrologers and pass them off as their own.

Less obvious, but still problematic, are the practitioners who truly are sincere, but who have nonetheless not studied long enough to be offering consultations. We have all seen people who started studying astrology less than a year ago suddenly think they should start charging for services, or that they should be ‘influencers’. I don’t care how much of a whiz you are, or how fast your brain can process information, astrology Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023

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does not work that way. Astrology is not just knowledge, it is wisdom. Wisdom takes time. Even for smart people. Astrology is not a set of data points to simply memorise and regurgitate on command. Astrologers hold one of the most precious and fragile aspects of the human psyche in their hands – the ability to create meaning and relate to higher powers of fate. You can’t just read a book and be ready for that responsibility.

Astrology is a priesthood, not a business degree.

Conclusion: Call Me Crazy, I Don’t Care!

Those who feel called to astrology should make peace with the fact that some people will not understand or appreciate that calling. Being ridiculed at parties is a small price to pay for the cloak of priesthood. Astrology is healthiest when it is practised by individuals who seek it out of passion instead of obligation, and society is healthiest when there is not a domination of one, single method for understanding Transcendence, but all forms of spiritual inquiry and meaning-making are allowed to flourish.

Notes & references:

1

Respectability here means professional status, not the more general idea that everyone should tolerate and respect the beliefs of others, even if they disagree. The latter is definitely admirable; the former is what I am arguing against in this article.

2 Transcendence here may also be termed ‘God’s will’ or perhaps ‘Fate’, or ‘the Universe’, or there could be many other terms.

Abigail Joy is trained in Horary & Medical Astrology (STA) and Family Herbalism. She offers a practice aimed at client empowerment and finding joy. Find more of her work and services at:

seebystarlight.com

Astrology is a profound science. The depth this art lies obscured in, is not to be reached by every vulgar plummet that attempts to sound it. Never was any age so pestered with a multitude of pretenders, who would be accounted ...masters, yet are not worthy to wear the badge of illustrious Urania. And (oh to be lamented) the swarm is likely to increase, until through their ignorance they become the ridiculous object of the enemies of astrology...and eclipse the glory of that light, which if judiciously dispensed to the world would cause admiration, but unskilfully exposed becomes the scorn and contempt of the vulgar – the warning of Elias Ashmole against the danger of over-popularisation, Theatrum Chemicum Brittanicum, 1652

Skyscript newsletter #13: November 2023