“Cancer Full Moon on Jan 19th Whispers to Us to Nourish the Spirit of the Moment”

On January 19^th 2011 at 1.22 p.m. PST is the fourth of the five Full Moons in a row that are in the last degrees of a sign.  Besides being predisposed to the sign it is about to leave, it is starting to be influenced by the sign it is moving towards.  The Moon is the ruler of the sign of Cancer and so it is happy and at home here, and is about to enter into the sign of Leo ruled by the Sun.  As the energy of the Moon moves into Leo, it is reminding us that the environment we have surrounded ourselves with and that which is nourishing us, is the key to our happiness and success.  We must question ourselves that what we are working towards is what we really want?  If we have any thoughts and doubts, we need to rethink, reevaluate and rework the matter at hand.  With a stellium in Capricorn, our need to put our best foot forward is extremely important, if we are to gain the respect of our peers and have the ability and the essential paraphernalia to successfully accomplish our dreams and wishes.  At this point in time to have a plan that has been thoroughly thought out is the essential solution to work with, as the aspects of the planets are cautioning us about the future, and our place in it.  The light at the end of the tunnel is our calling card to continue the journey with determination, faith, hope and the consciousness of experiencing and living each moment to the fullest.

“The Sabian symbol for the Moon in 30 degrees of Cancer and for the Sun in 30 degrees of Capricorn is taken from “The Sabian Symbols in Astrology by Marc Edmund Jones”, and what follows are my comments.

Cancer 30  A Daughter of the American Revolution  This is a symbol of the enduring background in human relations as essentially dependent on an established tradition, and of a willingness to maintain it through a sharp rejection of any modifying influence of unsympathetic times or events.  The emphasis here on an outer conservatism carries with it an implicit warning against any mere resistance to change, and also stresses the need for a life which is exemplary through its faithfulness to standards of proved worth.  The keyword is inheritance.  When positive, the degree is an infectious pride in leadership through which a group is able to act as a unit, and when negative, the ultimate betrayal of selfhood by a false assumption of superiority.

Capricorn 30  A Secret business conference  This is a symbol of the momentary background in human relations as essentially the product of current activities and attitudes, and of a determination to capitalize on any given situation through effective allegiances among the principal personalities involved.  The emphasis here is on man’s desire for an inner circle of associates through whom he may exercise a real control over immediate eventualities, and on his realization that in this fashion he may monopolize the resources of his fellows.  The keyword is opportunity.  When positive, the degree is a gift for clever planning and successful administration in every area of life, and when negative, rampant selfishness and rank exploitation of others.

The traditions and inheritance we are handed down by our friends, family, ethnic group, and the country we abide in, is the dignity, integrity and honesty that is inherent in the spirit of the human race, as we are the reflection of the Divine Universe.  It is by putting our inheritance into action for the whole that success and satisfaction ultimately becomes reality.  The moment we consider the part, greater then the whole unit, we have lost the power and energy that is inherent in every one of us working together.  As we start the new calendar year, the Zodiac is telling each of us to live each minute fully and to nourish the spirit of that moment in time.

“The Yin and Yang of Astrology is Being Aware of the Cycles of Light and Darkness”

As the winter months approach, and one year ends and another begins, and the nights become longer and darker.  We have the opportunity to go within and meditate on what we need, and what we would like to accomplish and change in the coming year.  As there is such a contrast of the light of the day and the dark of the night, I began to concentrate on the opposites in astrology, and how I may use them to my advantage.  In this fast paced world of the internet age everything is black or white, you are either on one side of the situation or on the other side.  This was a dilemma for me, for how was I to work with both sides and come to a point in the situation that would be beneficial to that which I was working on?

Fortunately, because of my background the concept of the Yin and Yang was not alien to me, and the ideas of opposites fell right into place and worked well with astrology.  The Yin and Yang concept is widely accepted in the Asian communities as two opposites or opposing forces that are bounded together, intertwined and interdependent to one another.  Yang is represented by the white portion of the symbol with an essence of Yin within its psyche representing positive energies, masculinity, hot, dry, powerful, and daytime amongst other attributes.  Yin on the other hand is represented by the black with an essence of the Yang within its psyche representing feminism, receiving, protecting, wet, cold, nighttime and et cetera.  The Yin and Yang expresses the need for balance and equilibrium, and the opposing forces united as one.  The rise of the Yang will see the fall of the Yin and vice versa.  Hence the separation between the Yang and the Yin is not a straight line, but a curve showing the variation of gray between the two opposites.  With this symbol, there is no absolute right or wrong, but depends on one’s perspective and choice in handling any situation one faces.

In applying this concept to the houses and the ruler of the house to the opposite houses are my thoughts and observations I have made through the years in my love and study of this ancient art.

First and Seventh houses:

Mars the ruler of the first house and Aries are opposite the Venus the ruler of the seventh house and Libra.  Mars full of energy and action can be overbearing and is balanced by Venus, the goddess of beauty and orderliness.  Venus exemplifies culture and the arts and our relationships, but without the energy of Mars, it would not become reality.

Second and Eighth houses:

Venus the ruler of the second house and Taurus are opposite Mars and Pluto the rulers of the eighth house and of Scorpio.  Venus gives us the appreciation of the material and culture, and Mars helps us with the desire to bring it into reality and maintain it, and Pluto gives it a life of its own.  Mars gives us intensity in all our relationships and possessions, but without the love of Venus, it would be destroyed by the energy of Mars and Pluto.

Third and Ninth houses:

Mercury the ruler of the third house and Gemini are opposite Jupiter the ruler of the ninth house and Sagittarius.  Mercury allows us to be the messenger of our thoughts, and Jupiter allows us to say something that is meaningful, otherwise we may only repeat what we hear.  Jupiter allows us to develop a philosophy and ideology, and Mercury allows us to share it with others.

Fourth and Tenth houses:

Moon the ruler of the fourth house and Cancer are opposite Saturn the ruler of the tenth house and Capricorn.  The Moon gives us the ability to nurture our surroundings and build upon it, and Saturn gives us structure.  Saturn in the tenth can alienate others from our cause and support, without the love and concerns of the Moon we would be unsuccessful among our peers.

Fifth and eleventh houses:

Sun the ruler of the fifth house and Leo are opposite Saturn and Uranus the rulers of the eleventh house and Aquarius.  The Sun gives us the energy and the personality to bring others to us, and Saturn and Uranus gives us structure and adaptability to all we encompass.  Saturn and Uranus gives us hopes, friends and wishes, the Sun gives us the energy to make it happen.

Sixth and twelfth houses:

Mercury the ruler of the sixth house and Virgo are opposite Jupiter and Neptune the rulers of the twelfth house and Pisces.  Mercury gives us the understanding and communicative abilities to relate to others, and Jupiter and Neptune give our thoughts and ideas depth and vision.  With Jupiter and Neptune in the twelfth, the sacred and the mysteries of our beliefs have new meaning and Mercury helps to incorporate those ideas into our modern living.

What we see is that opposites maybe opposing, but with ingenuity we can bring about reconciliation along the curve of the Yang and Yin and arrive at a point where these two opposites are a benefic in anything we wish to accomplish.  By meditating on this symbol with any problem, tribulation and situation, our higher intuition and self will come up with an answer that we can work with to achieve our final goals.  It is through the understanding of the cycles of light and darkness between the Yin and the Yang, that the opposites will be reconcile and bring peace of mind and success in any project we bring to fruition.

“Capricorn Solar Eclipse on Jan 4th 2011 calls for Action to Accentuate the Positive!”

Just a few days into the new calendar year, it will bring in 2011 with a big bang, with 13 Capricorn 38 Solar Eclipse at 1:03 a.m. PST on January 4th.  With the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus, heralding brilliant out of the box ideas to create and solve situations at hand, and the revolutionary tendencies instilled in our psyche to break out of the same as usual routines and compromises.  This aspect of the two planets is demanding that we begin to have foresight and stop depending on hindsight to solve our problems.  The usual tendencies of keeping the peace and not rocking the boat is about to be booted out the door and that we are about to show a new side to our attitude, that business as usual is no longer acceptable.

With the Eclipse square Saturn our dependence that others in the know should know better is being replaced with thoughts and convictions that those who have created the crisis and problems because of greed need to be responsible for their decisions.  Our responsibility at this time is to begin to take accountability of our own direction and destiny, and to realize that we are the creator and designer of our future.  With the Solar Eclipse helmed in by Mars, Pallas and Pluto, the need to take action and not wait for others to create our reality is at our door step, in which we can longer avoid.  The Zodiac and its energies are demanding answerability, transparency, cooperation and integrity in all our dealings.

“The Sabian symbol for the 14^th degree of Capricorn is taken from “The Sabian Symbols in Astrology by Marc Edmund Jones”, and what follows are my comments.

Capricorn 14  An ancient bas-relief carved in granite  This is a symbol of the immeasurable potentiality of the present moment as a recurrent manifestation of all that ever has been or that ever can be, and of the ability of man to capitalize on opportunities thus brought to focus in himself and his world at large again and again.  Here is an absoluteness of self as it proceeds to express itself with true conviction, and a completeness of its achievement as it acts with the over-all perspective of which it is capable.  The keyword is foundation.  When positive, the degree is a gift for bringing all things into a pattern of convenience and thereupon precipitating an inevitability of desired results, and when negative, meaningless limitation.

The concept that is expressed from this Sabian symbol is the immeasurable potentiality of living and experiencing the present moment and the solid foundation we need to build upon, for the future.  We need to be aware that everything we put our mind to, may not have a successful completion.   What is important and necessary is that we need to accentuate and concentrate on what we are good at and capable of doing, and working along those lines to improvise and accomplish that we thought might not have been possible.  Once we allow our authenticity, honesty, philosophy and our true spiritual nature to express itself, our higher spiritual self will guide us through the rough waters of life.  Being true to ourselves and our nature, and by living the moment, the truths and path we seek for, will be revealed to us.  In this way we would be proud and honored to have our story and accomplishments carved in granite for those who come after us to be inspired and guided by.  The keyword is to accentuate the positive, and the pathway to success will reveal itself to each and every one of us.

“Sect a Technique in Astrology was Forgotten and Rediscovered With a Vengeance!”

As always, as in any interest and a love of any subject one wants to be proficient in, there is a never ending of learning and research into all areas related.  Especially in astrology, and I assume as in any field one is interested in, one becomes an eternal student.  Whether it is because of the love of the subject or because of the Universe’s design for our lives, things seem to fall into place in the most unusual ways.  By accident about three months ago I ran across an article on the subject of sect by Chris Brennan on his blog, which pique my interest.  Then six weeks later, my Mountain Astrologer Magazine arrived, with an updated article on the subject by the same author.  Although in my early studies I ran across the terms “diurnal” or daytime and “nocturnal” or nighttime planets or signs, the explanation of how to apply these principles into one’s own chart was hazy and unclear.  I just assumed that these terms were similar to hot, wet, cold and dry, that are use in astrology and at one time made a difference in one’s delineation, but no longer held a place of honor as it once did.

Reading the article gave me new insights into my own chart and my emotional and intellectual behavior that I never really understood before.  It was like a light bulb turned on to its full potential, instead of the candle light I was using.  In this article the term sect, refers to dividing the planets into diurnal which is lead by the Sun, follow by Jupiter, and then Saturn.  The nocturnal planets are lead by the Moon, Venus and then Mars.  Mercury is considered neutral, and depending where it is in connection with The Sun is either diurnal or nocturnal.  There is a distinction between these planets and how they work, according to whether your chart is considered a diurnal or nocturnal.  Applying these principles to my own chart, I came away more enlighten why my Venus and Moon worked as they did in the tenth house.  Filled with new knowledge and a sense of confidence, I decided to search the internet for more information, and found very little.  The only other two articles I found of importance on the matter was by Curtis Manwaring, Doug Noblehorse and an out of print book by Robert Hand entitled “Night & Day: Planetary Sect in Astrology”.  In Mr. Manwaring’s article, he works the principles in regards to sect in a nautical metaphor, referring to the ascendant as the helm of the ship.  To the midheaven he refers to it as the force that drives the ship.

Unfortunately for me, unless I work any principles into my own understanding, I never seem to get the jest of the matter the author is trying to convey to me.  Using the terms daytime or nighttime planets just didn’t register to me, until I replaced certain keywords.  In today’s world of psychological terms I am a daytime person. I do my best work and thinking between 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.  The moment I replaced diurnal with being an A person, meaning a day person, the planets and their potentials and problems began to make sense to me.  A nocturnal planet definitely in a day chart would be out of place and not using its full resources.  This would be true of a benefic planet in the wrong sect having its power to do well lessen.  Seen in this light, the variations from good to bad or the reverse may be very slight, but the difference could mean the distinction of completing a project and success in the matter.  By replacing the nautical metaphor with driving a car, since I live in an area where this form of transportation is a necessity, it made the difference in the understanding and the comprehension of the subject matter.  The ascendant is the type and condition of the car, determining how well it will perform.  The midheaven is the road conditions, such as an unpaved road, cobblestone, a side street or highway.  Seeing the ascendant and midheaven in this light, it made more sense to me that we needed to improvise to avoid certain problems in life if we are to succeed, even if the outcome seems assured.  Understanding what we have to work with is the first key to success, because then we know what to avoid.  If we have a vehicle that would do better on the side roads instead of the highways, it may take longer, but in time we will reach our destination.  The important thing is not how fast and the way we got to our destination, but that we do arrive.

This added knowledge increases my curiosity to return back to some charts to see and review how persons with similar aspects were so different because of this aspect.  It also showed and convinced me that our charts do not predestine our lives, but through the knowledge of what is going on, can make a difference between success and failure.  It is our choices and our abilities to adapt to our conditions and to work with them, which will show our ingenuity as a creation of the Universe.  Understanding our charts and being honest to the potentials is the key to success in fulfilling the promise recorded in the stars.  The ancients and wise ones knew this, and this is why in my opinion the study of Sect is an important part of astrology that should not be forgotten and lost to future astrologers.  We must rediscover this lost art in astrology, and with a vengeance to bring the study of the stars into the twenty first century.