Interview: The only way to know your fate is natal chart interpretation

From all the astrological terms, retrograde Mercury has definitely gained increasing publicity. Everyone knows that the period when this planet retrograde is a period when communication problems and misunderstandings are common, so it is not recommendable to sign a contract, bad assessments, and decisions seem inevitable, traffic jams, while some important documents, such as personal ones, can be lost. To this list, and the obviously poor publicity of retrograde Mercury, I have to add another from my recent experience – don’t do interviews when Mercury is retrograde! 🙂

Namely, about 10 days ago, I talked to a journalist from the local newspaper “Dnevne novine”, answering questions whose purpose was to bring astrology to a better understanding of a wider audience. However, when the interview was published, it came out with numerous and serious shortcomings, which not only thwarted the original intention but could cause additional confusion among the readers, despite the undoubtedly good intention of the journalist. For these reasons, but also to protect my integrity and approach to astrology that I nurture on this site, I decided to publish that conversation in its integral form here.

 

  • Why did you choose astrology?

    I can freely say that I have always been fascinated by one of the basic premises of astrology, and that is that each of us lives his uniquely own “piece of heaven”. It also inspired me to explore this thesis as thoroughly as possible. Confirming it through practice, I also discovered the beauty of astrological language that has written a wide variety of different natures and destinies, so this Art found a strong foothold in my spirit and being, already imbued by the research of Hermeticism. I was especially interested in this synchronicity connexion through which this “piece of heaven” is manifested in real life, and whose essence lies in the simultaneity of changes and cycles that take place in the sky, in the form of planetary movements, and in man, which excludes the cause-and-effect relationship between them (heaven and man). Thus, the planets and the celestial sphere move in parallel with the inner development of man, so, in that sense, it is incorrect to claim that the “stars” influence man and determine his destiny by that influence. Stars are just indicators and do not cause anything. Because of all this, the astrological connexion between heaven and Earth cannot be characterized as causal as it is often explained today, but as symbolic and mystical, acausal if you will, as it has been explained for thousands of years. The totality of these and many other insights have convinced me that astrology really “works” on many other levels, in addition to the initial thesis.

 

  • What are the most usual questions you get?

The questions are really diverse and their variety has convinced me that through astrological symbolism,     virtually every question can be properly answered. From questions about lost things, through emotional troubles and joys to some that we could characterize as philosophical, the answer was always hidden in the mystical connection I mentioned in the previous question, which is shown through the appropriate horoscope. Although I initially assumed that “matters of the heart” would be the most frequent, in practice it turned out different, so in addition to these, questions about work and career, litigation, health, and even death are very common.

 

  • Could you give us some comparison of what people are interested in now and before?

It is almost impossible to draw a significant parallel in interests since the interests are quite similar. However, it is worth mentioning that lately, people are increasingly coming up with questions about choosing the best time to start an activity, even regarding the birth of a child, although such interventionism is very limited here, there were such requests. This fact can certainly be taken as an indicator of the growing trust in astrology and its scope because people tend to provide a “cosmic stamp” to their endeavors.

 

  • What questions can a horoscope answer?

Following the above, the horoscope can give really all kinds of answers. Questions like “which career suits me best,” “when is the best time to start my own business,” or “will I have children” are practical questions to which astrology can give specific answers. But besides, astrology can answer deeper doubts, such as “how  to achieve my purpose in life.” All these answers are obtained through specific horoscopes that have their own “specialization”. Thus, the natal chart, also known as the “life horoscope”, provides information on various areas of life such as predispositions for educational and professional development, choice of occupation and career; business and financial opportunities; talents; love and marriage life; offspring and relationship with children; health opportunities and hazards… The annual horoscope covers the same areas at the level of one year, usually from birthday to birthday, and is based on the natal chart. The comparison horoscope analyzes a certain relationship and provides valuable information about how compatible certain people are and what is the level of that compatibility, which leads to the conclusion of how important and permanent the relationship observed is. The widest range of questions is covered by horary horoscopes, which are an extremely convenient astrological tool for providing precise answers to a clear and specific question. Will I get a job at that company? Will I marry him? Does she love me? Should I go on that trip? Will I pass this exam? Will he pay me back? Unlike natal, which is useful for a more general overview of natives’ life, horary astrology seeks to provide practical answers to these and many other questions on a “yes or no” basis.

 

  • Can a horoscope answer questions concerning society as a whole and the future of the state and/or the world?

Yes, there is a special branch of astrology, known as mundane astrology that deals with these issues. It deals with general events such as the destinies of countries, wars, revolutions, states, climate change, economic progress, social events, and all the like that affect a larger group of people. Sometimes some events can be read easily because they are really striking, but sometimes there are more subtle variants of prediction. The beginnings of mundane astrology can be found in Ptolemy’s book “Tetrabiblos” where the author describes the differences of peoples and how and why are they symbolized by a particular zodiac sign, claiming that the characteristics of peoples and customs of countries originate from their longitudinal and latitudinal position and their connection to the Sun. The methods of this branch of astrology are very unique and these interpretations are very complex and involve consulting several different horoscopes, such as the ingress of the Sun in the sign of Aries for the appropriate territory, but also to other equinoctial points. Solar and lunar eclipses are very important, but also the conjunction of the chronocrators Saturn and Jupiter is observed, which takes place every 20 years, but they also have other more important cycles, such as that of triplicity change, where the smallest cycle is somewhere around 200 years and the largest close to 800 years. Only through such a detailed analysis can predictions be made for a state or people.

 

  • The most interesting horoscope you worked on, a detail you remember?

There were really various curiosities and interesting situations, but here I would like to single out a kind of project that was a special challenge for me. Namely, I had a client who dealt with the stock exchange business, trying to predict periods of growth and decline of currencies and commodities on the Forex stock exchange. Although this was a completely new field of astrological interpretations and predictions, we still managed to develop a certain system that had a high success rate, since these predictions were done very often. I intentionally say “we” because it is one of the situations from which it can be seen how client experiences can help the astrologer in developing such special astrological systems. The degree of accuracy at one point was so good that the above-mentioned stock exchange company gave the client even opposite investment recommendations than the decisions he made based on our predictions, amazed by his investments and consequential profits.

interview astrology

 

  • Is there a relativization in the reading of the horoscope and a tendency for some statements to seem true to us, and in fact they can refer to almost everything?

We can “thank for” this tendency to modern astrology present in the daily press, which certainly relativizes things, starting with the fact that 1/12 of humanity falls under the same sign to whom the same things will happen. Such “predictions” must be made on such a broad basis and through claims that can really be applied to everyone because their basic premise is wrong. Namely, what they are doing here is an interpretation of the current transits, setting a certain zodiac sign as the ascendant of that hypothetical horoscope. Only in very rare cases, these predictions could be true, but most usually they are wrong and worthless and that is why we get interpretations full of the so-called “commonplaces” and uncertainties. Predictions that will be specific and true only for us as individuals can only be obtained from our natal horoscope, and the relevant prognostic techniques that arise from it. Only things that exist in our unique natal chart can happen to us as individuals when the time comes for them, that is when they are activated by predictive techniques. Therefore, it is wisest that we ignore these so-called daily, weekly and similar so-called horoscopes, and if we are already interested in the future through astrology, the only right way is the interpretation of our own natal chart.

 

  • How did the zodiac signs emerge and how were the characteristics of the signs determined?

The characteristics of the signs that we encounter most often today are also the product of the so-called “reformation” of astrology, and in fact, it is a mere degradation of the astrological object to make it somewhat more appealing to the masses. So today, when you meet someone, it is almost impossible to elude the question: what is your horoscope sign? As if that simple answer will provide you with some better insight into the character of a certain person. This is how I often hear people say to me “I am a Sagittarius” or “we are Aquarians like that” etc., which reduces the personality not only to this incorrect correlation but also only to some zodiac sign. And not only to the sign but on our imperfect (and often wrong) idea about it. These are pure speculations, without any astrological basis.

Traditionally, the zodiac signs never had any “personality” that would automatically be applied to all those born on a certain date. The approach was different. Authors from tradition do not give “descriptions” of signs, ie. they do not attribute some characteristics to them. In general, the qualities of the signs are listed, and then the things with which the signs are associated, ie which are symbolically corresponding to them (professions, animals, places, colors, etc.). For example, Aquarius is a fixed, airy (hence both hot and moist), diurnal (as opposed to nocturnal), male, human (not animal like Aries or Leo, etc.), loud (not mute like water signs), the primary house of Saturn, etc. It is these qualities that lead us to further associations and conclusions, which must be in accordance with them. Therefore, Aquarius would be chatty (human and loud sign), stubborn (fixed quality), intellectual (airy and human), striving to structure (Saturn), and so on. Since it is a masculine, aerial, human/intellectual sign, this will make Aquarius more forward-looking and forward-moving than, say, Capricorn (second house of Saturn), but that doesn’t strip them of the fixed, Saturnian nature, so they can’t be so rebellious or independent as they are often portrayed. This is the only purely astrological method that can be used to delineate some features of the zodiac signs. How all these qualities are attributed to the signs stems from the complex but coherent and clear system of true astrology, and whose further elaboration goes beyond the scope of this interview.

In addition, I enclose the text that was finally published. To put aside the editorial policy, as I said before, the published version is obviously incomplete, with additions that I am not the author of, especially the introduction and conclusion.

astrology interview
The published interview pg.1
astrology interview
The published interview pg. 2

Astrology – the language of Nature: part two – About Time

In the previous text, we talked about astrology as a symbolic expression of the physis, or so-called nature of living beings, primarily humans. We did this through a description of temperament and Destiny that unfolds as a necessity of the manifestation of that unique nature. In this text, we will basically follow the same line, but we will now deal with the concept of Time, as a key segment of that same physis and how it is manifested in astrology, making it complete in the symbolic description of the nature of the native. Since astrology is mostly a predictive skill, time is certainly its essential factor. It is the starting point of any interpretation, since if we do not have the time of an event, we do not have a horoscope. And even the word horoscope itself, etymologically, contains time, since it comes from the Greek ὡρόσκοπος, or ὥρα (hora) which means “hour or time” and σκόπος (skopos) – observer, observation, and ultimately we get “observation of time of … (birth, etc.) “. This is so because every being, or any other event and everything that occurs on this planet, is determined precisely by the time of its birth. Time summarizes all the qualities of nature in a given moment which is imprinted in the nature of the native like a seal, and therefore in his destiny.  Time is also the greatest resource that man has at his disposal, but he is also always in race against it, and always lacks it, never able to catch it, man is torn between the past and the future. Time is a conflict of spirit, soul, and material body, for these three are united temporarily, by mortality. Ancient alchemists had a widely known secret formula for overcoming Saturn (Chronos – Time) which reads: “time should be mastered by the rhythm that will turn it into the eternal now”.

This connection can be most obviously made by observing the seasons. The seasons are also basic division of time at the level of the year, and one of the principles that Zodiac is divided upon. So, the first three signs – Aries, Taurus and Gemini – embody the attributes of Spring, each in its own way: Aries, as cardinal, marks the beginning of that age, while the most typical characteristics of spring are embodied in Taurus as a fixed sign, and finally we have Gemini, which, as a mutable sign, still retains spring attributes but they are now largely mixed with summer. And so it is with the other seasons and the corresponding zodiac signs. The position of the Sun in some of them is our birthday, but more importantly, the symbolic attributes of that season are manifested in our temperamental structure, ie. nature or physis. Accordingly, the Sun in Aries will bring warmth and moisture, that is, sanguine temperamental expressions, as they are suitable for spring. From what has been said, it can be clearly seen how much we are really a part of the nature that surrounds us as just another offshoot of it, connected to it in the most mystical way, which we can interpret through astrological symbols.

saturn time
Saturn (Chronos)

 
But, in addition to that, the basic premise is that Time is already inherent in all living beings, it is part of their own physis. This stems from the fact that Time is Numinous – that is, of living beings, and thus biological not linear (of-causality).  Accordingly, Time varies according to Physis. That is, varies according to the nature, the character, of the living entity that manifests – presences – it, so there are a variety of different species of Time. Each living being has a Fluxion (since Time is a Fluxion) appropriate to – which re-presents/manifests/presences – its physis and thus which is appropriate to/manifests its type/species of life. Therefore, our kind of Time, us as humans, is different from those that correspond to other life forms. We can clearly witness this by observing the nature around us and thus see how different forms of life have some time of their own that is part of their nature, as the appropriate processes of their development take place when the time comes for it. So, animals have mating seasons, migration seasons, hibernation seasons, all in accordance with the fluctuations in Nature that activate their internal cycles. Although these processes can be monitored at the species level, they are equally individual, because not every bear goes into hibernation at the same time, but each of them does so in accordance with its inner time, which dictates the pace of their development and ultimately evolution. It’s the same thing with plants, and of course with humans. It should be noted that this flow is not linear, but more spiral, since some of the same seasons are repeated at regular intervals, but each time at a different level from the previous one, so there is no repetition as such, no matter how it appears on the outside. That illusion of repetition and identicality, ie. a line that goes only forward, has given us yet another abstraction of the calendar measurement of Time, although it does not coincide with our actual, inherently own time. So, not all people that are 40 are equally old. Nor does spring come every year in every place on March 21st. Yet it seems that the people here have once again exchanged essence for form, giving precedence to the latter, though aware of its incompetence. The primary purpose of the calendar seems to have been forgotten, and that is to be a symbolic representation of Time, not its faithful indicator.

It should certainly be noted that all these individual times are subordinated to some higher fluctuations of Time and cannot “override” them, more precisely, they are only their segment. Each of those greater Time cycles possesses some of its own characteristics, some of its own zeitgeist (spirit of time), and  human natures and their times are subordinated to that spirit, i.e. to his aeonic or evolutionary force, so man is “… just a straw among the ‘whirlwinds.’ In this broader perspective, human natures do not necessarily embody all the characteristics of the given Age, they can be its antithesis, and perhaps the harbingers of some Change, but all this still remains as “Nature’s intent” that we talked about in the previous text. So some Times will favor bad people, without honor and morals, as leaders in those periods, giving them the highest functions and titles, while those who are different, precisely because of their nature, thay are simply lost in that whirlpool, that is, they are in a certain discrepancy with the course of Time, either late or in a hurry, while the natures of these others are synchronized with that course. Of course, it is clear that leaders are only an expression of a collectively unconscious need, and perhaps the latent aspirations of the majority towards that same way of life and such a character for which there is secret admiration. From what has been said, it can be seen what kind of feedback mechanism is in force here and how the change of consciousness can give an evolutionarily progressive momentum, but like a pendulum, it can go in opposite direction.  However, this is already a story for a new text that will deal with these larger time cycles, also known as the Ages or Aeons, and especially because we are close to a new one, Aquarius.

But let’s get back to the key topic. So, each person has its own time, period or season in which his potential matures and reaches a peak, so there are no regularities, although generalizations of this kind are somewhat symbolic and appropriate. Because just as it is true that everyone has their time, it is equally true that everything has its time. This Flow in astrology is represented through seven phases or periods in life, corresponding to the seven planets – starting from the Moon and, in the Chaldean order, all the way to Saturn. Life is divided into periods of planetary rulership so that the period of the first four years is ruled by the Moon, then to the sixteenth by Mercury, Venus from 16 to 22 and then from 22 to 42 is the period of the Sun, then to the age of 56, of Mars, when Jupiter takes rulership up to 69 and then, for the rest of life,  Saturn takes over. All those times were beautifully described by Shakespeare in his play “As you like it”:

“(…) All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

 

time astrology

Seven stages of Life

 

As we can see in this most general division, the Moon rules the period of the first four years of life, which is quite corresponding to the fact that this is the period when children mostly absorb impressions from external reality, to which they react only emotionally and unconsciously, when they are very dependent on their mother, so everything symbolically corresponds to the Moon. The experiences that the native will have in that period are portrayed by the natal position of the Moon. Therefore, although this period is somehow universal for all people at that age and experiences are similar, the  real experiences will again be individual, conditioned by natal predispositions. Like in some of the previous writings, I would present this principle again through Mars and Venus. In that respect, it has always been interesting to me how, for example, certain professions, such as modeling, have a precisely timed period when those careers can begin, and that is exactly the period of Venus, that is in those adolescent years. Likewise, men generally experience their zenith in the forties, which is the period of Mars, while in women it is the opposite, since that is when menopause occurs. It is worth adding that the temporal conditionalities in this division also derive from the previous observation about humors in the body. So we have that the sanguine period is characterized by the first quarter of life and blood as the appropriate life juice, and so on to the cold and moisture of phlegm and black bile, so it is not surprising that this end of life belongs to Saturn, which unites it all with its symbolism. Even in colloquial terms, we come across these parallels, such as “autumn of life”, etc. This division of Time is further “brought down” by astrological predictive techniques to an increasingly individual and thus unique experience. Thus we have Firdaria periods which are the division of life into planetary periods, also according to the Chaldean order, but starting from the ruling luminary at the time of birth, i.e. the Sun in day and the Moon in night births, so these periods are interpreted in accordance with the natal position of the corresponding planet. Furthermore, more and more concrete techniques such as Firdaria subperiods, profections, primary directions, progressions, planetary, solar and lunar returns, which increasingly specify a certain time for an event, fit into this framework.

One of the primary considerations when interpreting the natal chart is the assessment of life expectancy, ie. our very lifespan is contained in the natal chart. This assessment starts from the hyleg, the planet or point that is the carrier of life force, and its ruler, known as the alcohoden. Alcohoden is the planet that has the most dignity in the place of hyleg, and according to some authors, it also has to aspect it. Each planet can assume the role of alcohoden and each one of them have their small, medium, larger and highest years, and these are assigned depending on the strength of the planet that is an alcohoden in natal. Lifespan can also be determined by the encounter of the hyleg with the anareta (the point of the destroyer of life) in primary directions. However, what is important here is the correlation of the assessment of the life force or strength of a horoscope, and thus the nature and constitution of an individual, with the duration of his life, and thus indicating how time is woven into the physis of the individual.

From this it is clear how Time is inherent in the nature of beings, for the potential promised by the natal chart will not be reached until it is symbolically activated by astrological predictive techniques, that is, before the Time for it comes. In accordance with the previously described, it should not be understood that these techniques condition or cause anything, they only symbolically show that my / your / her time has come. So, although it is considered that the third decade of life is  ideal period for marriage , it will not always be so, but everyone has their own time when he will attain that experience most completely. It is the same with career, and generally with luck or misfortune in life. Some people experience peaks in their older years, or earlier in their youth, although according to the general division, the zenith of life is in their 40s. By considering the natal chart, we can see what the natal potential of the native’s physis is, and how it, as an expression of its nature, will unfold through Time, in a completely unique way. The composition of the personality affects the pace at which things happen in a person’s life, ie. that tempo is contained in his nature, so someone will patiently and diligently build their achievements, someone will conquer them by assault and through struggle, someone will frustrate themselves again and again by giving up and retreating, and so on, everyone in his own rhythm unravels that fine weaving of their nature, at the same time getting to know and build themselves through consequential experiences. Astrology, as the language of Nature, in its symbolism abstracts all these aspects, allowing us an insight into that eternal Mystery that is Life.

All this ultimately leads us to the fundamental principle of Hermeticism – “as above so below.” The time cycles of the cosmos seem to be in a certain correlation with the inner cycles of human nature and its development, because there is an obvious synchronicity between the movements of celestial bodies with changes and events in human lives. Because the thread that connects the macrocosm and its cycles with our microcosm and its cycles is unbreakable. As we said earlier in the text The Question of Fate in Astrology, this connection is not causal nor can it be explained by some exact methods of modern science, it is simply mystical, presented in the only language by which it can be explained, by astrological symbolism that allows us to penetrate this connection and learn more about ourselves and our nature. Because of this described comprehensiveness and richness of symbolism that extends to all levels of existence and at all times, astrology will always possess the keys to the treasury of the Wisdom of Life!

Astrology – the language of Nature: part one

In my practice so far, I have noticed that there is a certain disagreement in understanding of the predictive power that astrology as a craft possesses, that is mainly expressed through the conflicting attitudes that people have towards the concept of fate. So some believe that astrology can really predict future events, because they “believe in fate”. It can also be said that among those who are skeptical on this issue, astrology enjoys the greatest credibility that arises from its presumed scientific basis, that is, their perception of the same. We dealt with this in one of the previous articles, The Question of Fate in Astrology, which explains that same concept and provides an answer to the question of why astrology works. On the other hand, people who do not believe in fate start from the assumption that life itself is unpredictable, emphasizing that this unpredictability is one of the essential beauties of life and that the concept of fate is contrary to the concept of freedom etc. In a certain sense, both views are valid, and that derives from the very concept of Life, that is, Nature. Everything is really possible in Nature, and in that respect there can be no exclusivity or limitation, which doesn’t come from the very nature of living beings. But it is precisely this nature that is at the same time limiting, because a sentient being can only develop in accordance with its own nature or physis. Man is no exception in this regard, whether he accepted this predictability or not. Therefore, it is clear that predictability can be disputed to some extent, but this is not the situation when it comes to the knowability of our development. This, of course, does not mean that it is unambiguous, ie. generally determined for each person in terms of his attainment, but on the contrary, individual sprouts are always different and that diversity should be achieved at all levels. This individual basis is one of the basic premises on which astrology as a hermetic discipline is based. This cognition of our individual development therefore arises from our very nature. Astrology is a language that can enable us to know that, and hence its predictive power. Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychologist, expressed this most beautifully:

“We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.”

This is so because nature shapes us with the mentioned qualities, and what is most closely explained to us through humoral medical theory. Humoral medicine (theory or pathology) is the name for a theory that developed in ancient times and held that the human body consists of four basic body juices (humors). These juices have traditionally been: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. According to that theory, the diseases were the result of an imbalance among the juices, and the treatment had to restore that balance. The theory was first put forward by the Greek physician and philosopher Empedocles in the second half of the 5th century BC. The theory is based on the teaching about the four basic elements that make up all things. The theory was further elaborated by Hippocrates, and later systematized by Galen, so that in the end it came to European doctors who learned it from medieval Arab doctors. The mutual proportion of these four humors forms the temperament of the person, which depending on the dominance of body juice in the body constitution can be choleric (yellow bile) – fire, melancholic (black bile) – earth, sanguine (blood) – air and phlegmatic (phlegm) – water . It is very rarely this pure, most often it represents a combination of all four, although the dominant one somehow always stands out. What is important to point out is that temperament is a predominantly innate personality trait determined by the biochemical characteristics of the limbic and central nervous systems. Given this, the assessment of temperament is also the starting point when analyzing the natal chart  – you can read more about it in the text How to (not) interpret the natal chart? Temperament is also considered the only unchanging constant, since it represents this fine weaving, the very foundation on which character is further built, because temperament is the one that colors all acquired experiences of a person, so his character traits will be differentiated on that basis. The concept of fate further fits into this, since it is closely connected with the character of the individual. This was noticed by another ancient philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus:

Everyone chooses – thinks, does, adopts … what follows him by nature, ie character (spirit). That is why some are “awake” (reasonable), while most are “sleepers” and their souls are mostly “moist” , i.e., limited, sensual, and irrational. 

One can also see the connection of this thesis with the modern theory of the “law of attraction” and the concept of “our life is what our thoughts make it” motto, which would clearly indicate that our thoughts and actions are conditioned by our nature. Or as Jesus points out in the Sermon on the Mount, speaking of prayer, “… Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

temperament astrology
Four temperaments

Astrology as a language of symbols contains all this information primarily in the natal chart. Astrology determines temperament by observing the following points: the ascendant, the Sun, the Moon, and even the Lord of the Geniture. It is especially interesting to consider the position of the Sun in this regard, which is not observed through the zodiac sign, but through the seasons, so here we have direct link with Jung’s interpretation that “… we carry within us the quality of the season in which we are born.” Since it is a sign that appears on the horizon at the moment of birth, the rising sign or ascendent ie. the horoscope has a special meaning because it imprints its symbolic qualities in the nature of the native. The significance of the second luminary, the Moon, is most obvious even on physical level, since science has also unequivocally determined the influence of its phases on life on earth. This influence is clearly manifested through the temperament of the native, since the phases of the Moon are observed in regard of relationship between qualities of heat, dryness, moist and cold (that determine temperament, eg choleric – hot and dry) which were observed to dominate in  a certain phase. So we have: from the new moon to the first quarter – hot and moist (sanguine); from the first quarter to the full moon – hot and dry (choleric); from the full moon to the last quarter – cold and dry (melancholic); from the last quarter to the new moon – cold and moist (phlegmatic).

However, what makes a natal chart the most suitable means of interpreting this predictability, ie of knowing one’s nature, and therefore one’s fate, is the fact that all of this is expressed in a unique language of symbols. The symbol represents the sublimation of different concepts, i.e. it is a combination of intuitive cognition and logical understanding and as such is an expression of Knowledge. When we look at a certain symbol, we can come to much deeper, and more importantly more complete, knowledge about everything that is somehow woven into it, than we ever could by simply reading tons of books about it or by just intuitively guessing. The symbol unites both these types of cognition into one and enables us to see the Truth that it represents without any relativization. Surely in many situations you could feel how this congruency of some inner voice and logical reasoning leaves that infallible impression of knowledge that leads you to enthusiastically exclaim “I knew it!” It is precisely such a connexion that  the symbol represents, and their power lays just there, since they transcend words and feelings and sublime them into a unique synthesis of Knowledge. This is also the reason why the highest Mysteries of human existence are transmitted precisely through symbols.

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. (Gospel of Luke, 8:10)

In that sense, symbols can be considered as the language of Nature and her Intent in the philosophical sense. Astrological symbols are an example of such sublimation, as we shall see in later examples. This principle is perhaps most clearly expressed through Jung’s hypothetical construct of the archetype that signifies the universal, inherited framework of all experience. These are innate patterns of thought, feeling, and action that result from the centuries-long experience of many generations of ancestors. In a broader sense, the original model or prototype. The archetype is the basic structural and dynamic unit of the collective unconscious. It can be studied through its manifestations on a collective level (in myths, religious dogmas, poetic images, rituals, etc.) and on an individual level (in dreams, visions, symptoms and parapsychological experiences). However, his expression is always a symbol and it is always an allegorical representation of a certain aspect of Truth. Take, for example, the symbol of the cross, which is most often associated with sacrifice, and at the same time it is a clear symbol of Christianity, whose paradigm is based on sacrifice.

planets astrology symbols
Symbols of the planets

Astrology works on this principle, considers the symbols of the planets, zodiac signs and other astrological factors which as such represent certain special aspects of Knowledge and the mentioned intent, expressed through a personal microcosm, described by their unique relationship in our “piece of heaven” and it is possible, and consequently derived, from the natural, hermetic teaching “as above so below.” It is very important to point out that when I talk about a natural plan, I am not talking about a master plan that can only take place one way that is pre-conceived and determined and that there is no other way. This intent that we have in mind here is more like something that is constantly evolving and somehow unwinding on its own, and all we can actually do is only to notice the symbolic constants of such unwinding. This is obvious on an individual level through the fact that our naturally given potentials may or may not develop, and the same can be said even for the civilizational currents through Time, which we will deal with in the following text.

But, let us return to the symbols in the natal chart. As an example, here I would like to highlight two planets that I truly consider transcendent, and that is the pair of Venus and Mars, and not some others that modern astrology favors without any basis. Surely the ideas of love and partnerships immediately come to your mind, which is only a part of their general symbolism, but which of course has a clear implication in that field that comes from their transcendental nature. So aren’t we most challenged to overcome our ego in love relationships?

Venus and Mars are inviting us to this transcendence in different ways. Astrology observes the principle of Mars through right action. It is an action that in some abstract sense transcends the demands of our ego, regardless of what personal views tell us that it is or is not right, and regardless of whether the personal ego tells us that it is smart or not. Traditionally, there are two places where Mars causes a person to transcend itself. One is the battlefield, where you do something your ego doesn’t want you to do at all – you sacrifice yourself through the right action. Another place where you sacrifice yourself through right action, putting your ego at risk, is the bed. That is why an orgasm is called a “small death”. Because if you are transcending your ego, it does not want that to happen, to give so much of yourself. Finally, whether you are male or female, the impulse of Mars in you wants to transcend the ego, because then you can find beauty.

venus mars
Venus and Mars

If Mars wants to transcend the ego through right action, Venus wants to the same but by sacrificing in a different way – by giving that transcends the ego. What do you do when you connect your Venus with someone? You start buying gifts. And your ego doesn’t want that, he wants presents for himself. Or spend time cooking for another person, while your ego doesn’t really care what he or she will eat! And when your Venus is seriously attached, you completely transcend your life by wrapping it in a fine little ball and offer it to another person, saying, “Look, do you want this, do you want to marry me?” This principle of giving comes from a related aspiration towards union which is, clearly, also a symbolic expression of Venus, which at the deepest level wants to unite us with God (hence in traditional iconography the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, a bird ruled by Venus), while at the synastry level this aspiration is expressed through desire to connect with another person. Interestingly, the symbol of Venus contains the previously mentioned symbol of the cross.

All in all, this example of Venus and Mars in their symbolic expressions of our transcendent needs clearly tells us to what extent we can observe astrological symbolism and what insights it can give us about ourselves and our nature, and hence destiny. For destiny is only a set of experiences derived from  our needs and desires and as such represents the unwinding of our nature through those experiences, ultimately and possibly leading us to Wisdom, to the development of our potential, or to the failure that nature will reject.

 

How to Ask a Horary Question?

The main purpose of this text is to clarify certain details related to asking a specific question to which we get the answer by the method of horary astrology. This is also a good opportunity to look at the considerations before judgement that are traditionally taken into account in these interpretations.

First a few words about horary astrology herself. Horary astrology is a branch of astrology in which an astrologer provides answers to specific questions by making an astrological (horary) chart for the time and date when he learned (heard or read) and understood the question he was asked, as well as the place where he was at the time. The concept of the time and place of the astrologer is based on the idea that the thoughts of the client can be connected with the celestial spheres only through the medium, ie. the astrologer. This astrologer’s “mediation” is a precondition for the birth of a horary question without which it does not exist as such, but only as an ordinary question. Therefore, it is very important that the astrologer understands the question correctly, therefore the client’s question must be precise. Of course, the astrologer can ask for additional explanations when he deems it necessary, all in order to better understand what the client wants to know. This is really the key thing because it allows the answer itself to be concrete and precise, and it allows horary astrology to fully achieve its purpose as the most suitable astrological means of obtaining such answers. This is because the chart made for a given moment, describes the life of the thing demanded, the upheavals that will happen and the final outcome of the situation.

A chart made for a particular question provides enough information to answer the same, but only to that, and not to more than one question at a given moment. It is very important that only one question is asked at a time. The very essence of horary astrology is lost when asking more than one question in the same moment. The client can ask only one question at a time about a problem for which he needs a solution, putting it together precisely and honestly. It is also pointless to ask the same question several times. This limitation should not be taken literally, as additional questions can be asked but only if they are closely related to the main question. Additional questions that have nothing to do with the original question cannot be considered from the same chart. For example, it is wrong to first ask a question about marriage and then ask something about your career. Likewise, asking multiple questions in a row at almost the same time is irrelevant and cannot be interpreted. In practice, this usually happens through modern means of communication, such as messengers and the like, when questions are asked in a series. This is not acceptable because, in principle, you are not focused on any of these issues in the right way, and the chart itself will often show that. This is something that refers to the so-called radicality of the question, but more on that a little later. In principle, the question should come as a product of your true interest in something, and that is the main feature of their importance! Some astrologers say that one should not answer trivial questions, but the final word on that belongs only to the client, since something can be extremely important to the client no matter how different it may seem to the astrologer.

 

Frequently asked questions by clients:

  1. “When will I get married?”

The chart gives the answer to this question if the marriage is possible within a reasonable time, the type of partner, and if it is judged that the marriage will happen, how it will unfold, in mirth and joy or otherwise. You don’t need to have a candidate to ask this question. If, on the other hand, you have someone in mind, it is more appropriate to ask question number 3, whether that person will be your spouse. The answer to that question may include the answer to the question of when the marriage will take place.

  1. “When will I find a job?”

This chart will show when this will happen, as well as the type of employment. If the answer is yes, the chart will also show the place: here, far away, abroad. For example, if you would ask: “Will I get a job in a laboratory or a bank?”, then, you have to properly formulate the question and explain it to the astrologer. If the question is honestly asked, the chart will reveal whether the employment will occur and whether it is bookkeeping or engineering work. These jobs may or may not be in the companies you mentioned. But, to the question: “Will I get a job in specific bank, you will get the most precise answer.

  1. “Will I marry X?”

This question is possible if you are in love with person X, but, then again, if you ask: “Will I marry X, Y or Z?”, having three people in mind, no astrologer will be able to clarify that mess.

  1. “Will I marry X?”, “Can I avoid it?”, “Will I buy a house and when?”

As already mentioned, when it comes to a group of questions, the chart cannot give an answer to any of them.

  1. “Should I go for surgery?”

All issues of a medical nature are particularly sensitive, so it is necessary to present as many details as possible about the disease itself, since in these considerations the chart is approached in a slightly different manner. This applies to all health issues.

  1. “Am I under some spell, or bewitched?”

A question that is quite often encountered. The only special note here is that if you have someone specific in mind who you suspect might be harming you this way, someone who is in a special relationship with you (friend, relative, lover), it should be mentioned when asking a question.

  1. “Will I pass this exam?”

No matter how promising the horoscope and the answer based on it are, you still need to study 🙂

 

Considerations before judgement

And finally we come to a few rules concerning the so-called radicality of the question, which are primarily important to the astrologer himself in order to better assess how serious and sincere the question is. Many authorities such as Lilly and Bonatti, according to their own testimony, pointed out that they were asked certain questions that were designed only to test their knowledge, and that’s how some of these rules were created.

Bonatti
Guido Bonatti, anonymous 18th-century engraving.

The primary indicators showing the lack of radicality of a question concern the ascending degree and the planet (ruler of the hour) of the horary chart. The ruler of the hour or the ruler of the ascendant located at the very end/beginning of a sign or at the boundary between two signs are the first hints indicating the lack of radicality of the question. Bonatti didn’t state precisely which degrees (out of thirty pertaining to every zodiacal sign) are to be taken as indicators showing the lack of radicality, but we may assume he had in mind the 29th, 30th and the 1st (ordinal) degree of every sign. There is one more possible interpretation of this rule, which originated because of the imprecise calculation of the ascending degree in 13th century, when Bonatti lived. The ephemerides and the tables of mundane houses were neither very precise nor reliable back in those days, especially in the case of signs of short ascension (Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini). When these signs are concerned, the “sensitive” interval of ascension shift from one sign to the other is, in fact, between the 26th of the preceding and the 5th degree of the following sign. In the case of the signs of long ascension (from Cancer to Sagittarius) this sensitive interval is considerably narrower and is situated along the longitudes which Bonatti presumably had in mind when he mentioned them as indicators showing lack of radicality in a horary question. There is also a third kind of interpretation of the rule pertaining to the early/late ascending degrees and it concerns the observations that the question is too early/too late to be judged. This is not originally Bonatti’s idea. John Partridge, the English astrologer from the 17th century, was the first to explicitly assert that if the first few degrees of any sign are on the ascendant, the matter is not yet ripe for judgment. Several other English astrologers of this period, including John Gadbury and Henry Coley, interpreted the early/late degrees on the ascendant as indicators of “knavery and stupidity of the querent” and the absence of spontaneity. Gadbury, for instance, interpreted it as a hint that the querent had already posed the same question to some other astrologer and is now only testing the current one. Coley suggests the same, whereas Partridge thinks that only the late degrees rising convey such a message. This leads us to another consideration which stresses the necessity of posing a particular question only once, which means that there’s only one horary chart relevant for a particular question. By posing the same question more than once, the horary chart loses its focus, conveys contradictory information and becomes useless for proper judgment. William Lilly, specifically, interpreted the late ascending degrees as a potential indicator of the querent’s age, when, in the case of a match between the querent’s age and the number of the late degrees ascending, the degrees ascending may be taken as an indicator of radicality (and not of the lack thereof, as is suggested in the writings of the majority of the older authorities on horary).

The situations of uncertainty regarding the sign ascending Bonatti used to solve by taking the ruler of the hour into account. If, for instance, the ascendant falls between Pisces and Aries, and Jupiter rules the hour, he chooses Pisces because of the domicile rulership of Jupiter in this sign.

Another, very important rule about radicality is the comparison between the ruler of the hour and the ruler of the ascendant according to planetary/triplicty affinity and according to the sign on the ascendant.

One of the more popular considerations of radicality of the question, first mentioned by Claude Dariot (a lesser known astrologer from the 16th century) is the rule about the condition of the 7th house which is, most probably, deduced from the XIV aphorism of the pseudo – Ptolemy’s Centiloquium which reads: ”The astrologer plunges himself into many errors, when the cusp of the 7th house and lord thereof are unfortunate or afflicted.”. This is also one of the Lilly’s considerations which he wrote down in his “Christian Astrology”. Beside this 7th house rule, Lilly also took into account two rules laid out by Bonatti (early and late degrees on the ascendant and the hour ruler of the question), then the rule about the affliction of the Moon in the late degrees of a sign, especially when in Gemini, Scorpio and Capricorn, Vacua cursus (Void of course of the Moon) and other relevant significators, which implies the absence of the applying aspect before the change of a sign, or, up to 5 degrees in the following sign, as well as the position of the Moon in the Via Combusta (burned path) between the 15th degree of Libra and 15th degree of Scorpio. After the assessment of the conditions of the Moon, important consideration indicating the lack of radicality contained the condition of Saturn, especially if it is retrograde and placed in the 1st mundane house, near the ascendant. The ruler of the ascendant combust, as well as the equality between negative and positive testimonies in a horary chart are the rules Lilly also mentions regarding considerations before judgment.

This all seems like a fairly comprehensive list for rejecting interpretations. Some authorities, such as John Frawley, do not pay special attention to it, treating them as excuses. He only considers the rule of late and early degrees of Asc, but more for practical reasons, because if we do not know the degree of the Asc, we may be working with a completely wrong significator. But today, with precise computer calculations, this consideration also seems to have lost its importance. Nevertheless, I believe that these considerations can be an interesting indicator about the question itself, because these rules can provide very useful information about the attitude of the client towards a given situation or the circumstances that affect the final answer.

At the very end of this lengthy text, it should be concluded that the matter is essentially very simple. You need to turn to astrologer when you really sincerely want to know something, when a certain problem really bothers you and you want to ask an astrologer for advice. Bonatti even stressed, almost obsessively, the need for profoundness and contemplation regarding any horary question. The point is that you are serious and honest when you turn to an astrologer, because in that way you will also invoke the “favor of heaven” and get the proper answer.

 

Excerpt taken from the article “Considerations before judgement”, author: Nataša Karalić Koprivica. Link