Mary Pat Enters the Astrodienst Forum

This past Monday I made my first post on the Astrodienst forum, a place where people can post questions or ask for help understanding their charts.  I actually made 3 posts.  One of the members that I responded to followed up with further questions and lots of thanks.  I am in astrology heaven.

Yesterday, after answering the second response from my new astrology buddy, I kept thinking how silly it was that I had waited so many years to ‘enter’ the forum.  I’ve been feeling for some time that the Our Sky group is not getting the kind of participation I had hoped for, and wishing I could just give up and spare my friends the badgering about real time.  Every time I am disappointed at the lack of interest I think of all the interests my friends have that are low on my list of things to pursue.  But the messenger in Aries will be heard whether the message is welcome or not.  (Mercury was in Aries when I was born, just beginning to set.  The position right before disappearing under the horizon is called the house of partnership, and is associated with friends, marriages and contracts.)

So I just floated on long delayed satisfaction all evening and worked on ways to help my forum partner with the language.  Later, after I had finished my response, and checked to make sure there were no errors, I went back to see if my two other posts had responses.  And one of them did.  The response was a criticism.  The other forum member actually said such and such (that I had written) is not your greatest asset, your greatest asset is this…

So I had my answer of why I had waited so long to enter the forum.  I wasn’t ready to be shot down, contradicted, or criticized.  It has bothered me for years that I rejected the astrology community and learned the language in almost complete isolation.  Though it is a language for meditation, it is not objective if it can’t be communicated with others.  I knew restricting my efforts to communicate with friends, as opposed to the wider community, was an insular approach.

Now, I am relieved that that period of protecting myself as an astrologer is over.  Thank you to all my friends who have been so patient with me and resisted the urge to shout, “Shut up Mary Pat you are boring as can be.  We are so tired of hearing about your pet project!”

The forum member’s remark did not bother me a bit.  I can furnish objective reasoning for the statement I made based on the grammar of the language.  I have developed a lot of skills writing the Our Sky blog and built up a lot of confidence thanks to the kindness and enthusiasm of my friends.  Thanks Y’all!

One last thing while I am on the subject of gratitude for wonderful friends.  (Venus is in Taurus right now and I am really digging it.)  I can tell at least two stories off the top of my head of incorrect statements I have made in the process of explaining charts to friends.  Both times I was showing a level of ignorance that really needed to be remedied.  This would be embarrassing if it happened to anyone else, but it is really hard to embarrass someone with Mercury in Aries, so here goes.

In one of the first charts I ever did I said Mercury, Venus and Mars were inside the orbit of Earth.  My friend caught the error immediately and gently questioned the statement.  I really thought I had the order of orbits correct!  One of these days I will mention the other piece of bad information that I would be trying to spread around if an informed friend had not set me back on track.  So, thanks not just for being patient but also for showing me when I’m crossing the lane and headed for a collision.  

See you all later, I'm off to the forum!

Cocho

To mark the 4^th anniversary of the essay Cocho: Dirty and Down Low I am sending out a request for comments or essays about this word ‘cocho.’  Of all the posts on my blog the essay about cocho gets the most hits.  I think that means there are a lot of people out there thinking about this word. 

I haven’t looked it up since I wrote the essay.  Maybe by now there is actually a good definition out there that makes sense.  I also have not recently asked my Mexican, especially Tierra Caliente friends about the word.  Please post anything you know about the word ‘cocho’ in the comments section below this essay.  If you have trouble leaving a comment you can send me an email at goscinnyanduderzo@gmail.com and we’ll get your essay posted.

We want to hear/read your favorite story about the word cocho!

Spring Orientation

The Sun is up in Aries.  I’ve been awake since 4am thinking about how we have been climbing from Cancer to Capricorn all night long.  At 4 we were 2/3 of our way to the top with Scorpio on the midheaven.  By the time the Spring Sun appeared on the horizon we were at the top of our daily climb.  That’s one of the many reasons Aries is called Aries and Capricorn called Capricorn.  The names reflect their nature in the daily cycle of Earth’s tilted revolution. 

I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to get oriented while we still see the Sun in the beginning of Aries.  Capricorn, Aries, Cancer and Libra are the easiest positions in the cycle to picture in our minds.  This is why they are called the cardinal signs.  In addition to being easier to picture spatially they are each most representative of a different type of motion in the cycle.  The first degree of Aries on the midheaven (not when the sign is appearing on the horizon like this spring morning, but when it is above us, as it will be this afternoon) is the point where we are in absolute downward motion.  Capricorn on the midheaven is when we are turning down from our upward climb.  So on these spring mornings we are crossing the mountain top at sunrise and at midday we are halfway down.  In Spring time every one around the globe literally begins their day on top of the world.

Enceladus in Astrology

I don’t read much science fiction, but the little exposure I’ve had makes me feel sure there are many people thinking about this. 


Jen posted a link from NPR about Enceladus and asked about the moons of Saturn in astrology.  From a few quick searches I came up with nothing.  This might seem surprising considering that Astro.com provides locations for thousands of celestial objects, including asteroids and fixed stars.  But when we consider that from Earth’s perspective the moons of Saturn are always near Saturn, and astrology follows the cycles of heavenly objects as viewed from Earth, their effect on Saturn’s approximately 29 year cycle would not be considered separately.  In other words we see the moons of other planets kind of like horse flies-  the only ones we really care about are the suckers circling our own steed.  That's not a nice way to talk about our moon, but then maybe it shows a deeper appreciation for horse flies.

 

While the cycle of Earth’s moon is central to the study of other planetary cycles, especially Jupiter and Saturn, there appears to be no astrological treatment highlighting members of Saturn's family or the other planets that have close companions similar to our Moon.  The astronomical descriptions, complete with quantitative analysis are readily available, so it is not because of a lack of information. 

I am aware of astrology techniques that analyze charts calculated for time and space originating from the location of the Sun, but that only diminishes the relative motion of our moon to a subsumed cycle like the moons of our sibling planets.  Imagine yourself observing Earth’s motion from the Sun, and the Moon that we see in a different part of the sky every day becomes a little electron never straying from the proton of Earth.  Maybe there are folks out there somewhere doing charts from the point of view of various planets.  Viewing time from the point of view of Saturn would definitely give its moons central roles in defining the various cycles, just as ours takes a central role in human astrology. 

I don’t read much science fiction, but the little exposure I’ve had makes me feel sure there are many people thinking about this.  I’ve come across sites that convert cycles from the point of view of other planets to the cycles we experience on Earth, and if I remember correctly I read a story years ago that took place on the planet Uranus which included one or more of its moons in the plot.  I expect as we become more intimate with our solar system people will give more consideration to how time passes on various animals in this little Milky Way merry go round; but wherever humans migrate, according to the current story, we evolved on Earth, so it is Earth's cycles that have shaped us.

Janis Joplin

Janis’ Moon in Cancer was almost across from the Sun at the end of Capricorn.  Sun in last duad (twelfth) of Capricorn is an inspired organizer.  Ms. Joplin’s Moon in the 6^th house of that late Capricorn Sun was an apprentice to her organizing spirit (Sun is usually translated as spirit or ego).  Earth had passed through the closest point with Jupiter for the year by the time she was born, so the Sun was in a position of equality with the nurturing philosopher.  That meant the inspired organizer had an equal say with the exalted nurturing philosopher.  Exalted nurturing philosopher refers to Jupiter being exalted in Cancer.

Mars in Sagittarius was disposited by Jupiter.  Jupiter exalted in Cancer was in a position to receive praise, but that’s not the same as having power.  BUT, since Jupiter in Cancer is disposited by the Moon, and there was the Moon in Cancer coming to its monthly fate with Jupiter, the Moon (translated as soul) is the ruler of her chart.

Van posted the comment about Janis’ chart (Jan 18, 2015) during a period when Mercury and Venus are in a very similar position to the one they hold in her chart.  Mercury is exalted in Aquarius.  Mercury is usually translated as mind or intellect.  Location of Mercury is associated with style of processing perceptions.  Today Mercury is almost standing still, about to go retrograde, it is just ‘backing off’ from a meeting with kind Venus occurring in the sign Aquarius.  Janis was born a few days after Mercury turned retro.  These periods of Mercury slowing down in Aquarius are associated with clear minded focus, unclouded by emotion or past experiences.  That clear focus was still allied with the planet of kindness even though they were both in a sign of cool headed rationalism.

I hope someone will add observations about Ms. Joplin’s chart.  I have copied it to paper and it is going up on my wall of charts.

Here is a chart showing Mercury slowing down near Venus yesterday. 

 And a snippet from the ephemeris showing Mercury slowing down from day to day.

Thanks to Van for mentioning Janis' birthday!  Now I will have Janis Joplin’s chart on my wall near the ones for Keith Richards and Patti Smith!

Sun entering Aquarius almost across from Jupiter in Leo

The executive minister is the student to the king as the parent is the student of the child.  Managers study the advertised policies of business owners as teachers study the creations of their students.  The Sun in Jupiter’s 6^th house is studying the philosopher’s pronouncements in order to make the most effective response.  The Sun will cross into Aquarius tonight at 4:44am (9:44Universal Time) the sign opposite Leo.  Jupiter is in Leo until August of this year.  But instead of counting Jupiter’s chickens the Sun is still warming the philosopher’s eggs.  The pair of the great benific and the flaming thrower of almost everlasting fire will not reach their point of complete balance with regard to Earth till Feb 6, when the Source will be seen at 17.5 degrees Aquarius.  Meanwhile the philosopher appears to be backpedalling as little Earth comes through in the passing lane like a smart car tooting around the floating track in the night.

The 6^th house is analogous to Virgo the 6^th sign of apprenticeship.  When we see the Sun in Virgo we have come a long way from the explosive springing to life in Aries.  On July 24^th the Sun had its yearly meetup with Jupiter and since it was in the beginning of the sign Leo (northern hemmies) it was a real philosophical barn dance, a good time was had by all.  Now, the philosopher is hanging in the Sun’s sign while the Sun is passing through the territory of sober Saturn. 

Keith Richards has Jupiter in Leo and is a good example of an entertaining philosopher.  He was born in late 1943.  Jupiter was also in Leo late 1931 early 1932, some of 1955 56, some of 67, 68 you get the picture- about every 12 years.  When Mr. Richards was born the Sun was in the end of Sagittarius and Jupiter was near the end of Leo.  If you count the signs from Leo to Sagittarius you come up with his Sun being in Jupiter’s 5^th house of self expression and children.  Let’s count the signs from Leo to Sagittarius.  Leo 1, Virgo 2, Libra 3, Scorpio 4, Sagittarius 5.  So the Sun had gotten pretty far in its cycle with Jupiter, but not as far as the Sun in Capricorn and Aquarius.  Until it gets to 17 Aquarius the Sun is in Jupiter’s 6^th house, the one after self expression but before contracts.  The Sun is no longer a protected child to the philosopher, but still has a measure of safety.  It has some responsibility, but not enough to sell the house.  It watches the house and has responsibility for maintaining the upkeep of the house and is learning all about how to run a house.  But in the 6^th house from the philosopher the Sun is only an assistant.  When the Sun reaches Taurus it will be in a closing square with Jupiter and will then be responsible for the philosopher.  It will be high in the sky when the performing philosopher is rising.  It will be the worker reminding the philosopher that high falutin words are nothing without a good grasp of how to lay bricks. 

But that’s a few months in the northern hemisphere future.  Right now the Sun can’t expect too much from its relationship with Jupiter.  It has to watch the talker closely, and put the pieces of the puzzle together.  A child cannot say they are getting plenty of sleep at home and lots of attention from older family members, or that they are disturbed at home by a lot of fighting, or not sure when bed time is because of loud music and partying.  The teacher has to listen closely, look at what the child draws, how the child interacts with others and carries herself to determine what the child is dealing with.  That’s the Sun in late Capricorn early Aquarius to Jupiter in Leo.  We think of a planet in Capricorn as being the boss and having the last say, as having ultimate responsibility.  But when we consider the early Aquarian Sun in its relationship to a planet in late Leo we see that that responsibility is not so much about setting limits and laying down the law as it is about observation and determining specific needs.

A manager has to figure out how to run the show by listening closely to what the business owner says she wants.  The business owner often does not know what is actually possible.  The manager has to be a student of everything the business owner says, and then figure out how to turn the pronouncements to workable solutions that satisfy everyone sharing in the tasks.  While the manager may be in a position of authority to the workers she must also observe and pay close attention to their actions in order to insure that no worker is treated unfairly.  Only observant managers can know who is not contributing their fair share. 

One of the things that makes Aquarius and Capricorn good managers is the skill of observing self expression and using that information to respond effectively to others.  That’s my meditation for the Sun entering Aquarius almost across the zodiac from Jupiter at 19degrees Leo.