Timothy Leary and Ram Dass AKA Richard Alpert

In his Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Marc Edmund Jones’ classification of the planetary pair, Uranus and Neptune, as the “planets of Significance” emphasizes their role in shaping deeper, longer-term developments in an individual’s life. Since these outer planets move slowly across the zodiac, they symbolize more profound, far-reaching influences compared to the faster-moving inner planets, that set off the bigger cycles of the outer planets or are often linked to day-to-day experiences and more immediate concerns. These outer planets are one of the four pairings determined by the advanced technique of Self-Determination. The other pairs are the Sun and Moon, Mars and Venus, and Jupiter and Saturn.

The connection between Timothy Leary and Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert), marked astrologically by the opposition of Leary’s Uranus to Dass’ Neptune, perfectly aligns with the transformative dynamic between these two influential figures in the 1960s counterculture and spiritual movements. Uranus symbolizes innovation, rebellion, and radical shifts in consciousness, while Neptune represents spirituality, mysticism, and the dissolution of boundaries between the material and the divine. The opposition aspect between these two planets in the charts of these men highlights a dynamic tension that can lead to their mutual interest in revolutionary awakenings and the disruption of outworn paradigms.

Leary’s Uranus proved experimental, and his rebellious nature pushed the boundaries of conventional science and society, especially through his research into psychedelic substances. His work with psychotropic plants and LSD was pioneering, as he broke from academic norms and took on the radical exploration of human consciousness.

The cross-tie from one chart to the other resonates with the real-life interactions between Leary and Dass, as he was known in his Harvard years. Leary’s explorations obviously stimulated Alpert’s Neptune, as it encouraged the latter to embark on a deeper, spiritual journey. The influence of Neptune can be seen in Alpert’s transformation into Ram Dass, a figure embodying the spiritual yearning of the 1960s. Through his eventual embrace of Eastern mysticism and his devotion to his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, Dass symbolized the merging of Western intellect and Eastern spirituality.

Uranus certainly plays a fascinating role in both Timothy Leary and Ram Dass’s charts, reflecting their unconventional paths and contributions to the counterculture. Leary’s close conjunction of Uranus with his Moon highlights his emotional drive for radical change and exploration, making him a catalyst for societal shifts. For Ram Dass, Uranus conjunct his Sun signifies a deeply ingrained urge for innovation and transformation in his identity and purpose. This alignment suggests that his spiritual journey and teachings were not just personal but also revolutionary, urging others to rethink their approach to life and spirituality. Together, their Uranian influences embody the spirit of experimentation and the quest for liberation from societal constraints.

The configuration of Ram Dass’s chart indeed highlights a remarkable astrological narrative. The ultra-tight conjunction of his Sun and Uranus—barely within the Cazimi range—suggests an intense fusion of personal identity and revolutionary energy. This aspect supercharges Uranus’s influence, making his nonconformity and iconoclastic nature even more pronounced. The Cazimi aspect implies that instead of diluting Uranus’s potency, it amplifies it, allowing Dass to embody the spirit of radical change and spiritual awakening. His life and teachings reflect a deep commitment to challenging conventional wisdom, aligning perfectly with the revolutionary ethos that Uranus embodies. This astrological insight adds another layer of understanding to his profound impact on spirituality and counterculture.

The bonding of the Sun and Uranus is also exceptional because these planets are elevated and conjunct the Midheaven. They are also conjunct with the North Node, which points to the native’s need to assume authority and a position of leadership. Another indicator of the strength of these tightly placed conjunctions is that they are also the Point Focus of a T-Cross. The Sun and Uranus are at a 90-degree angle to the foundational opposition of a High Focus Pluto conjunct the ascendant, opposing Saturn from the 1st to 7th houses. These houses, including the 1oth house where the tension of the energies created by the opposition find their release are all in cardinal signs and placed in cardinal houses. Cardinal signs are immediate and concerned with the here and now, with Mutable signs indicators of the past and Fixed signs anticipating future possibilities. Be Here Now is a riveting result of Dass’ powerful Cardinal Cross in Cardinal houses. In addition to the great emphasis and intensity of self-expression brought on by this dynamic configuration is the placement of the Sun and Uranus in the zodiacal degree, Brownies Dancing in the setting sun. This degree is one of a very special set of Sabian symbols, known as the Elfin or Fairy degrees. There are just a handful of them, but having a planet in one of these degrees allows the native to experience the subtleties of spirituality when others may be more earthbound in consciousness.

From Sabian Symbols in Astrology:

ARIES 16 Brownies dancing in the setting sun This is a symbol of the essentially friendly relationships which exist between man as a person and the totally impersonal forces of nature. The cosmic integrity demands a continual reversion to pure source in the case of each segment of reality, and the universal activity provides a continual sorting and sifting of all things into convenience and order. Implicit here is the dance of life as an unending rehearsal and exhibition of every special capacity of selfhood. The keyword is INVIGORATION. When positive, the degree is simple good fortune together with unlimited opportunity as the direct fruitage of effort, and when negative, delusions of adequacy with a complete inability to act in real self-interest.

In the 2018 documentary, Ram Dass, Going Home, Dass remarks, “My life has been a dance between power and love.” This comment uncannily relates to his Sabian symbol. Dass’ natal Sun is interestingly reflected in the Sabian symbol when it references a setting Sun. The Brownies represent other-worldly creatures who feel free to come out of hiding and rejoice in all the splendor inherent in the oncoming night when dreams take hold of consciousness from the unconscious. This relates to the lifestyle example Baba Ram Dass offered to others as a spiritual mentor for all who resonated with his message.

Timothy Leary also has a planet in one of the few Elfin degrees. His Mercury is in the degree of A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy.

From Sabian Symbols in Astrology:

SCORPIO 23 A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy This is a symbol of the inner or creative values of everyday living, and of the personal or more dynamic meanings with which man may endow the least of the things around him. Implicit in the symbolism is the kaleidoscopic capacity of his imagination, or the extent to which he may mold and remold the everyday reality with which he deals. Here is poetry of soul as it mirrors each person’s ongoing achievement in character and skills. The keyword is TRANSITION When positive, the degree is the thorough self-conquest by which an individual subordinates his naïve and animal impulses to his ideals and aspirations, and when negative, undisciplined escapism and complete distortion of attitude.

Mercury’s prominent role in Timothy Leary’s chart, especially as the Point Focus of a T Cross that is founded by the opposition of Neptune and the Moon, highlights his extraordinary capacity for communication and connection. This potential was revealed dramatically at the start of his cultural influence with his now legendary message, “Tune on, Turn in, and Drop out.” The opposition between Neptune and the Moon creates a tension that drives home the themes of intuition and emotional resonance, while Mercury’s positioning channels these energies into articulate messaging. During the transformative 1960s, Leary’s ability to convey profound ideas about consciousness and psychedelics resonated deeply with a generation eager for change.

The emphasis on Elfin of Fairy degrees, as described by Marc Edmund Jones, underscores the idea that individuals like Leary and Dass are often seen as vessels for larger truths and movements. Their life and work epitomized this, as they served not just their own interests but those of a wider cultural shift towards exploration and liberation. Both Timothy Leary and Ram Dass embraced this role, embodying a collective ethos that transcended their personal experiences. Their lives were not just about personal transformation but also about guiding others toward a broader understanding of existence and spirituality, demonstrating how individual journeys can indeed represent something far greater.

 

Biden, Harris and the 2024 US Presidential Elections

On July 21, 2024, Joe Biden withdrew from his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place. Throughout much of 2024, transit Uranus was lingering opposite Biden’s natal Sun and was slowing to station exactly opposite his Sun on September 2, 2024. True to Uranus’ nature of sudden and unexpected shifts, this transit coincided with a wave of opposition from Democrats after Biden’s erratic performance during the Biden-Trump debate on June 27.

Meanwhile, transit Saturn was nearing the cusp of Biden’s 4th house, which governs home and foundational matters, signaling that the time had come for him to contemplate stepping down or moving on from his current role and abode. Additionally, transit Mars was opposite his natal Venus and approaching a conjunction with natal Uranus, highlighting the internal opposition and demand for change Biden faced from within his party.

Joe Biden’s natal Sun played a key role in both his presidency and his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. His Sun’s Sabian symbol degree, King of the fairies approaching his domain, reflects Biden’s long journey toward the presidency. For decades, he had been “approaching” this position, and in 2020, he finally achieved his lifetime goal. After his inauguration, Biden even remarked to a journalist while walking up Pennsylvania Avenue that he felt as though he was “on his way home.”

However, by 2024, transit Uranus had come into opposition with his natal Sun, signaling a time of upheaval and change. This astrological transit marked a turning point, urging Biden to shift his focus from Washington D.C. back to Delaware. The symbolism of his Sun suggested that while he had once approached the height of his political career, it was now time to retreat from his role as president and return to a more personal domain.

Vice President Kamala Harris takes Center Stage

The astrological indicators involved at the time Kamala Harris was passed the torch are unusual and not easy to find. One has to examine the chart of the United States to see a very poignant progression about to take place and make aspects to Harris’ chart at the same time. The United States (US) is in the throes of a significant cyclical completion called the Progressed New Moon. This is where the progressed Moon in any chart, be it personal or national comes to the place of the progressed Sun. This occurs approximately every 30 years. A new direction of experience is expected although the transition from past to future may take up to three years on either side of the exact conjunction of the progressed Lights. However, it is important not to ignore the events taking place close to the exact aspect. In this case, the US Progressed New Moon is exact within days of the US 2024 presidential elections. Surely the country will take on a new direction since Biden dropped out, however, there should be an even stronger indication of change afoot, since the tension between political parties appears to be at its maximum.

Not every astrological event in the US chart is relevant in the lives of any particular citizen of the country. However, when someone plays a major role in the dramatic events of the country it is pertinent and noteworthy. This is true for Kamala Harris. The US progressed Moon is within close opposition to Harris’ natal Pluto and Venus. In fact, four years ago the US progressed Sun was activating, by opposition aspect, to Harris’ Pluto, the planet associated with political power, when she took office as the Vice President of the United States. On July 21, Harris realized her chance to reach the pinnacle of power when the US progressed Moon opposed her natal Pluto within a mere 38 minutes of arc.

The US Progressed New Moon is exact on November 10, 2024 at 19 Pisces 26. Its proximity to Harris’s planets in Virgo and the closeness in time to the actual elections is uncanny. This timing, so close to the elections is further emphasized by corresponding within less than a month to the last of the several stations of transit Pluto* in its epic 248-year cycle of return to its natal place in the US chart. The Pluto Return as it is called, will finally be over. A new cycle of experience will start with great emphasis in the form of the US Progressed New Moon so shortly after.

Transit Jupiter Conjunct Trump’s Natal Sun

When comparing the horoscopes of the 2024 presidential candidates, both show signs of potential success. Transit Jupiter, often associated with good fortune and positive outcomes, plays a key role when it becomes prominent during significant events such as national elections. Its activation suggests the likelihood of gratification or a favorable turn of events around the election period. Given Jupiter’s influence so close to November 5, if Donald Trump loses the election, there may still be a reason for celebration or satisfaction, even if he doesn’t immediately contest the result as he did in the past.

Trump’s horoscope, however, suggests a deeper narrative. While he remains focused on maintaining a presence in the public eye, the astrological indicators show that time may no longer be on his side. Challenges seem to be mounting, and although he might derive some sense of victory from the election process, the pressures of time and circumstance are becoming increasingly difficult for him to navigate.

Kamala Harris, on the other hand, appears to have significant momentum that could be intimidating for anyone running against her. She is advancing in sync with the U.S. progressed Moon, a powerful influence not to be underestimated. The aspects between the U.S. progressed Moon and key planets in Harris’ birth chart suggest she is being carried by the same wave of transformation symbolized by the Progressed New Moon. This alignment hints at her being in tune with the larger forces of change and renewal sweeping through the country, giving her a strong, almost unstoppable drive as she moves forward in her candidacy.

 

*October 12, 2024 at 29 Capricorn 39

Read about Biden and his candidacy for president in 2020: King or President? Candidate Joe Biden

For more about the US Pluto Return see: Birth and Remaking of America

Both Trump and Harris have the ominous configuration called a Sharp Destiny.

Elon Musk and Mars

The Man and His Accomplishments

Elon Musk was born in South Africa. He moved to Canada in the summer of 1989 and after living and working there for three years he moved to the United States. To summarize his vast achievements, he is known for his roles as a business magnate, industrial designer, and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, Inc., founder of The Boring Company, co-founder of Neuralink, and co-founder of PayPal and OpenAI.

Planetary Association with Mars

Musk’s core ambition and life’s mission center on establishing a human presence on Mars, fueled by his profound commitment to ensuring humanity’s survival beyond Earth’s potential demise. His passion for multiplanetary habitation, specifically with Mars, resonates deeply with his astrological birth chart where the planet Mars prominently stands out among the other nine planets. This remote, celestial positioning of Mars brings the planet into High Focus.1 In astrological terms, this ultra focus of Mars changes its keyword from initiative, when in normal strength while located closely among the other planets, to indomitable to describe a native capable of unwavering resolve and determination.

Set apart from all other planetary influences in the Splay Temperament Type,2 Mars serves as the Reins planet in control of the two other and distinct groupings of planets. This threefold dynamic encourages a pyramiding of personality traits and talents that results in the native’s ever-increasing impact on others. The unbroken flow of energies from one segment to another fosters an accumulation of personal power and even obstinacy over time.

In a 2012 episode of the TV show 60 Minutes, Musk was asked by the interviewer why he continued to launch unmanned boosters after three had failed to reach orbit. His answer was, “To stop I would have to be dead or incapacitated, I don’t ever give up.” Here Musk expresses the indomitable and relentless force that a High Focus Mars can muster. Eight weeks after his third failure the fourth attempt achieved a successful liftoff.

The Mars Sabian Symbol

A preview of the possible outcome of the conquest of the planet Mars is aptly revealed in the planet’s Sabian symbol:

AQUARIUS 21 A woman disappointed and disillusioned This is a symbol of the inevitable distress of the human soul whenever it seeks any enduring sustainment from elements without anchorage in its own nature, dramatized in the negative symbolism by the futility of its attempted fulfillment through a capitalization on purely physical assets of self. The deeper potentials of the being afford the real possibilities of self-discovery, and personal frustrations are a challenge to a genuine self-realization rather than a denial of opportunity. The keyword is CLEARANCE. When positive, the degree is the self’s inherent gift for pressing on and gaining increased powers with every setback, and when negative, the acceptance of all defeat as final.

The prospect of ultimately colonizing human life on Mars may represent a lofty aspiration for some, but it’s unlikely to serve as the actual salvation of humanity. Mars’ atmosphere, comprised of 95% carbon dioxide3 with only traces of oxygen, prevents an easy adaptation to the red planet. Humanity is also likely to export to Mars its tendency to pollute its surroundings and may also fail to act with maturity within its new and foreign social environment. The result would be a repetition of the circumstances that led to the inhabiting of Mars in the first place. These unfortunate factors may bring about profound disappointment and disillusionment as the Sabian symbol implies for those hoping to surmount the formidable challenge of life on Mars.

Given Musk’s substantial resources, one might argue that investing billions into programs aimed at uplifting inner-city communities on earth might be a better expenditure. By fostering positive goals for youth and providing supportive parental figures would appear to be a more impactful use of funds to many observers of Musk’s ambitions. This suggestion represents just one pragmatic alternative among countless other possibilities available to any wealthy “visionary” like Musk.

The Mercury Sabian Symbol

Mercury is rising and therefore in High Focus with the following revealing Sabian symbol:

CANCER 15 A group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it This is a symbol of the inescapable richness of life in any normal manifestation of itself, here given emphasis on the side of the rewards which come to man as a result of his own efforts. There are penalties whenever he attempts to freeze the present as a promise for the future or seeks to overindulge himself in one direction as compensation for the consequences of inadequacy in another, but individuality in its fullness has recurrent and consistent assurance that its potentials will not be dissipated. The keyword is SATIETY. When positive, the degree is an effective and smooth demonstration of human competence, and when negative, a self-disintegrating surrender to appetite.

This interpretation of this Sabian symbol suggests the potential folly of investing unlimited resources into a project that may serve as a substitute for addressing unresolved dilemmas on Earth. Viewing Mars as a safe haven could be seen as an escapist approach, deflecting attention from responsibility to our true home planet Earth.

The Sun Sabian Symbol

The Sun, symbolizes one’s fundamental role and life purpose. With the image of Game birds feathering their nest, it appears that Musk’s primary aim is to create a home base whether that be on Earth or potentially on Mars, even if his aspiration leans towards science fiction.

CANCER 6 Game birds feathering their nests This is a symbol of the unlimited degree to which the spirit of man may develop and preserve its initiative by utilizing the natural course of things in the world at large, and of the satisfaction anyone may know through his conscious participation in a group destiny. Individuality flourishes whenever it is able to establish its personal rights over some desirable segment of reality, and thereupon justify its own being by fulfilling the expectation of others. The keyword is METICULOUSNESS. When positive, the degree is high intelligence and skill in enlisting the potentials of experience for the service of self, and when negative, unnecessary concern over everyday security.

It’s intriguing to consider whether the negative aspect of the Sun’s Sabian symbol serves as a motivation in Musk’s pursuit of the transformation of Mars into a surrogate home planet for humanity. While the Sabian symbols provide symbolic imagery and insight, interpreting them directly, relative to Musk’s motivations would be speculative but revealing. The symbols are just one unique lens in which to view the horoscope and the life of this complex and controversial, public figure. The most fascinating element, in the end, is the stand-alone Mars in the horoscope of a stand-alone man obsessed with the planet’s conquest.

 

  1. Any planet situated in a special circumstance in the horoscope is High Focus. Chapter Two, pg 75, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970.
  2. Temperament Types define seven responses to life in general, based on the configuration of the planets in the horoscope as a whole. Chapter Two, pg 27, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970.
  3. Carbon Dioxide is a waste gas that moves from the blood to the lungs and is expelled through exhaled breath. Humans breath in oxygen for survival and breath out carbon dioxide necessary for plant life.

 

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Her Astrological Condition

Having wealth and influence may shield you from many external challenges, but it cannot guard against the internal struggles posed by nature. The Princess of Wales finds herself grappling with this very issue, and astrology eerily reflects her situation.

While the average astrologer adheres to more commonly used methods, some are privy to the significance of the deeper and relatively hidden stations in secondary progressions. This is precisely the planetary activity occurring in the Princess’s progressions that relating directly to the unexpected cancer diagnosis. Progressed Mars stations to turn retrograde 42 days after birth, relating to the native’s 42nd year of life. This critical astrological event falls squarely at time of her personal crisis.

Taking several years to complete, progressed Mars is on its way to station near natal Saturn at 21 Libra 50. Going in retrograde motion may offer the Princess some respite, although Saturn’s involvement often signifies particularly grave concerns.

Marc Edmund Jones explains the following concerning progressed stations (1):

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to a rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa . . . The phenomenon in progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.

In this case, the diagnosis of cancer was marked by “a single sharp event of easy identification” as Jones explains is one of the ways to identify a serious time of challenge and transformation.

The Princess of Wales will undergo yet another significant progressed station as Jupiter is due to turn retrograde at age 45. Whether this brings similar concerns or presents new ones, it certainly suggests further hurdles for her to navigate.

Stationary planets are powerful in transits as well. Transit Pluto comes to the fore with its station at 5 Aquarius 31 minutes in May 2026. Here the station comes very close to an exact conjunction with natal Mercury. The 6th house governs the state of health and one’s need for lifestyle adjustments that offer a path to well-being. While no specific predictions are made here, the situation warrants attention with respect to potential health issues. The 6th house also refers to duties to be performed under pressure. Great effort to accomplish daily responsibilities may present problems to overcome.

Astrology charts future events whether perceived as positive or negative experiences. Being aware of upcoming astrological factors allows us to adapt and make concerted efforts to understand what the planetary aspects expect from us in response. Prior awareness of coming events also provides us with an opportunity to navigate challenges more gracefully, rather than facing them head-on without preparation.

It is also important to note that these present and upcoming progressed and transit stations are not only precursors for ill health, they are also pointing to a time when the Princess could be elevated to her expected position as Queen. Planetary aspects in astrology are neither solely good nor bad but indicate a full spectrum of possible experiences. In the Princess’ case, they indeed represent an extreme of possibilities that most individuals will never be faced with in their lifetimes.

(1) From the Scope of Astrological Prediction 

 

 

Ignorance of One – Part 4

Read Part 1 http://planetarydynamics.com/2018/10/03/ignorance-of-one/

Part 4

If I don’t know it and can’t find it in my Universe, I’m a chump to accept any fiction about it, — especially a fiction written by one who admits he does not know and is only guessing-assuming-inferring-speculating-theorizing. The facts in these fields which I know and are pertinent to this discourse I have told and shall tell you.

What do you really know about your own land?

I was born and reared in what is called the United States. I have traveled about in the land, visited nearly every state. I found every state to be a fiction, and the whole country itself a fiction, — fictions manufactured by words, surveyor’s abstracts, and a few other symbols. None of these fictions is any more real than Uncle Sam himself, the fourth dimension, Paul Bunyan, George Washington, Captain Ahab, the Devil, and Santa Claus. The United States is a myth. So is every state in it. Washington D.C. is a myth, and so is every book in the Congressional Library. The United States is one of the greatest un-realities ever invented by a race of pathological mythomaniacs. — Next.

What do you really know about other lands than your own?

The answer is the same. They are all fictions. The actual dirt, water, vegetation and animal life in each country are realities, but the countries as they appear on the maps are fictions.

So what do you know about the earth and the universe that isn’t fiction?

What I really know about them certainly is not fiction, but if I tell what I know in words what I say will be a fiction. How-ever, honest fictions about reality are not to be despised. There are very few honest fictions about reality in this world, in which most books are religious-scientific romances, or fictions a-bout fictions, imaginings about vain imaginings. From the first, I have been formulating some of the facts I know about the universe. Here, in conclusion, let us re-examine those facts and expand a few of them.
* * *

Read more

Progressed Stationary Planets and Their Sabian Symbols – 1991 Fall of the Soviet Union

The most outstanding progressed aspect corresponding with the fall of the Soviet Union in December of 1991, was the station of Venus going retrograde after 74 years of Communist rule. This important dynamic aspect,1 based on the chart of the Bolshevik Revolution that took place on November 7, 1917, shines much light on the economic upheaval, value changes, and general discontent with political inequality taking place in the Soviet Union at the time. Venus rules a nation’s economy, and during the tense period of the attempted coup d’état by hardline Communists, the progressed station of Venus was buttressed by a transit of Venus stationing from August to September 1991.  

Marc Edmund Jones describes in his Scope of Astrological Prediction2 that progressed stationary planets, going retrograde or direct, indicate a time for a radical change in the life of a person or nation. This unique feature of the progressed charting calls for a turning away from obsolete routines, habits, and behaviors by becoming aware of issues needing reevaluation and renewal in self or country. New methods of resolving difficulties can emerge with stark revelations which may then lead to the fulfillment of present and future needs. Totally new ways of acting and attitudes need to be developed. In Marc Edmund Jones’ words:

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to a rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa. If the change is to retrograde the indication is more personal or intimate and if to direct it is more impersonal.

The phenomenon in progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.

In the case of the Soviet Union, one can easily observe that the government and its people were in a great transition, one that obviously called for a serious regrasp of the entire situation. The progressed Venus station in 1991, occurs in the auspicious Sabian symbol degree of a Butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. This image is the symbolic testimony of a country in the midst of transformative times. The butterfly represents the potential freedom won through discarding the chrysalis of worn-out and stifling political circumstances.

AQUARIUS 29 Butterfly emerging from chrysalis This is a symbol of humanity’s insatiable appetite for experience on the side of an intellectual self-assurance, and of the nascent eagerness of the conscious self for a complete or effective grasp of all possible knowledge. There is a continually self-renewing purity of man’s mind at root, and he somehow feels that nature herself springs from her over-all potential as spontaneously as his own ideas come forth from the formless matrix of his inner being. The keyword is EMANATION. When positive, the degree is uncompromising faith in the promise of existence itself and in the wonders of a continuing creation, and when negative, utterly sluggish response to reality.

The Soviet Union was plagued by recurring upheaval and redirections during its relatively short history, synchronous with its numerous progressed planetary stations throughout its lifespan. Looking back to 1936, we find the progressed station of Saturn revealing the mystery surrounding the great purge orchestrated by Josef Stalin. Through the threat of death, he eliminated all possible opposition to his rule. This demonstrates the power of symbolism in its negative or reverse form through the Sabian symbol, A pageant at 14 Leo 32. Stalin sought to exhibit the fruits of his achievements for a heightening of self-significance which only encouraged the continuance of the evil dictatorship so prevalent in Europe at the time.

LEO 15 A pageant This is a symbol of man’s constant delight in exhibiting the fruits of his achievement, and of a naïveté dramatized in the world of everyday through a very human pride in common works and co-operative accomplishment. There is high magic in the public display of all the things in which the least of individuals may have had some minor part, and out of it comes a sense of fellowship through which the whole is revealed in an over-all excellence and every last inarticulate ideal somehow is exalted. The keyword is DEMONSTRATION. When positive, the degree is an irresistible heightening of self-significance across the whole face of experience, and when negative, unconvincing claims and embarrassing self-assertion. 

In 1965, progressed Mercury stationed to turn retrograde to usher in a new cycle that took twenty years to unfold. The older hardline generation, trained under Stalin, began to die out and give way to a more relaxed form of proselytizing under Khrushchev and Brezhnev. By 1985, Mercury turned stationary direct at 3 degrees Capricorn 28 and is associated with the Sabian symbol of A party entering a large canoe. Following the death of General Secretary Konstantin Chernenko on March 10, 1985, Politburo member Mikhail Gorbachev became the new General Secretary of the Soviet Union. This indicated the apparent decision to unite the previously provincial nation with the world outside its borders and toward the West. Gorbachev was given the “oars” as his rise to power corresponded exactly in that year with progressed Mercury station direct. 

CAPRICORN 4 A party entering a large canoe This is a symbol of man’s necessary adjustment of the practical details in his immediate environment as a preliminary to any personal participation in experience, and of his greater concern with these at times than with the real ends in view. Here also is his desire for the approval of his fellows before he commits himself, and his determination to involve them in whatever commands his own attention. The individual is sure of himself as he acts with others. The keyword is ORDERING. When positive, the degree is exceptional capacity for bringing all proper relationships to a point of effectiveness in any given exigency of everyday affairs, and when negative, inability to get along with anybody.

Gorbachev continued a bit unsteady as he rode the wave of another great turnabout during the progressed Venus station of 1991. At that moment in Soviet history, the Venus station synchronized with a basic struggle for a more satisfying ideal and ethic to rally around, as well as with the desperate need for practical solutions to economic problems, some as simple as food distribution. It was apparent that a totally new structure of government needed to be installed to replace the Communist regime. In reality, however, communism in its root concepts, defined in Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto had never been truly practiced in the Soviet Union. On the contrary, it appeared that Soviet officials filled the empty shoes the hitherto dreaded bourgeois used to wear. Instead of abolishing classes, those considering themselves the proletariat before the 1917 revolution soon after became the new bourgeois.

The horoscope of the Soviet Union is set up for the revolution of November 7, 1917, at 1:02 PM in Petrograd (present-day St. Petersburg).  On that date, transit Neptune stands out in importance for the incoming governing body through its station going retrograde at 7 Leo 07. Neptune, associated with social equality, inequality, and the dissolving of separatist boundaries was in the Sabian degree of none other than A Bolshevik propagandist. This is the most uncanny and literal form of confirmation of celestial intelligence, given voice through Sabian symbol messaging, as they correspond with earthly affairs.

LEO 8 A Bolshevik propagandist This is a symbol of the indomitable expectation of the human spirit as it gathers strength from the innermost reaches of man’s own or enduring nature, here emphasized by the recurrent battles over social and political concepts. The exceptional dynamic involved is seen in the selfless energy developed to an extreme by the revolutionists of each new age. Implicit in the reversed symbolism is the need of the human community for a worthy cause to which to rally in every aspect of its potentials. The keyword is LEAVEN. When positive, the degree is a determination to share the soul’s vision and to make a permanent impact on history, and when negative, futile ranting against a multitude of superficial ills.

 

  1. Dynamic aspects are the progressed and transit planetary interactions with the natal planets.
  2. Scope of Astrological Prediction, Marc Edmund Jones.

A Royal Sharp Destiny – Queen Elizabeth II

Orbiting planets work in pairs of positive and negative expression. Astrologers often pair the planets but differ in their choice of couplings. Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 at 2:40 am in London, England. The planetary pairs used in the analysis of the Queen’s chart are those defined by Marc Edmund Jones. The pairs are the Sun and Moon, the planets of Vitality; Mars and Venus the planets of Efficiency; Jupiter and Saturn, the planets of Motivation; and Uranus and Neptune, the planets of Significance. The planetary pairs are used to determine what Jones calls the Mode of Self-Integration.1 The technique reveals the way in which an individual integrates their talents and abilities with the opportunities their environment offers.

The graph on page 154 of Jones’ Essentials of Astrological Analysis assists in determining which psychological approach an individual should adopt in the pursuit of their life objectives. The six possible modes of integration with the physical world are personal or impersonal circumstances determined by an emphasis of the houses, subjective or objective function defined by the signs and disjunctive or conjunctive activity defined by the planets. The planetary pairs are applied to the graph with the results offering the best means to accomplish one’s goals.

The simplest indication in a chart for integrating the self within society is when two of the planetary pairs form major aspects and two do not. This ideal balance in the psyche facilitates individuals with a clear, outward direction of intent. A mental imbalance can occur when three or all pairs are found in major aspect. It can cause a need for the native to take more time in the orientation of their approach in the process of accomplishing goals. The difficulty arises when a plethora of thoughts vie for attention within the mind, thus canceling out what would otherwise be simple decision-making under the ideal of only two of the four pairs in major aspect. When no pairs are in major aspect there is an under stimulation of initiative, with a resulting feeling of ineptitude and lack of direction in general. When no pairs are aspected, or when one, three or all pairs are in major aspect, a dominant two pairs can be identified through symmetry2 within the overall planetary patterning.

The Queen’s Mode of Self-Integration

Queen Elizabeth’s chart shows the ideal situation with two pairs that are in major aspect and two that are not. The pairs in major aspect are Jupiter-Saturn and the Sun-Moon. This defines subjective function as the Queen’s Mode of Self-Integration. The Queen, although very young when first ascending the throne, became a monarch who rose to the occasion primarily with a reliance on subjective values with the desire to follow the dictates of her own mind and heart. She accepted her royal role with an ease of alignment of inner and outer rapport, and for the most part, kept her own council throughout her long reign. She most likely from early childhood, ruminated about the possibility of taking on grave responsibilities at some point in her life, and the inner poise with which she accepted her duties gives testimony to a well-balanced subjective functioning in consciousness.

The T Cross

The oppositions from the 1st to the 7th house of the chart are intercepted and allow the Queen to be discreet and avoid the public display of any conflicts between herself and others. The north and south nodes rest on the ascendant-descendant meridian. The north node in the 7th house points her attention toward the direct interaction with others and downplays any over-concern with personal needs that the 1st house represents.

Both opportunities and challenges are created by the polarization of planets from the 1st to 7th houses. The tension created by these multiple oppositions has its release through Saturn elevated at the Midheaven and in square aspect with the four planets forming the foundational opposition aspect to which Saturn becomes the outlet of energies.

King George VI died unexpectedly when the 25-year-old princess was in Kenya on a tour of the Commonwealth. When it came time for her to give up her personal involvements, she willingly and responsibly took on the role that was thrust upon her. Her father is symbolically reflected in the planet Saturn, which rules the paternal figure, and its placement in tight conjunction with the Midheaven shows the potential for worldly power. The planet is in High Focus when both conjunct the Midheaven and elevated but is also in Point Focus of the powerful T Cross. Undoubtedly, Saturn represents the signature mark of rulership shown in the chart. This powerful potential could have been recognized from birth by any knowledgeable astrologer. Saturn’s dominant position in the chart revealed a destiny to wield power and influence at some point in the Queen’s life.

The Sharp Destiny

When Jupiter and Saturn, the planetary pair of Motivation, form a conjunction, square or opposition aspect, they create what Jones calls a Sharp Destiny.3 A person with one of these three “hard” aspects in their chart is compelled, in three distinct ways, to live up to their highest potentials. In the case of the Queen, she rose to the occasion in royal fashion. In a speech three days after her death, King Charles said of his beloved mother, “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived, a promise that destiny kept.”4 A Loose Destiny is found when the pair of Motivation is in sextile, trine, or not in major aspect. Life then is lived with less pressure to follow the standards imposed by others or by moral considerations from within.

The Queen’s dedication to her service as the monarch of not only her country but for the ages, was living under the influence of a powerful impulse to do the right thing under all conditions. Living under the influence of a Sharp Destiny is well-described by Jones in his Essentials:

Jupiter and Saturn in a Square aspect indicates an ordering of life’s fundamental motives, through which the native usually suffers very immediate consequences of the least neglect or abuse of his own potentials. He finds he must fight continually for the ideals in which he has come to take the most consistent interest, and also learns that his conscious well-being is wholly dependent on the moral struggles in which he becomes involved almost inevitably at every stage of his experience. If he does not relish the days in which he seems torn to pieces in self-uncertainty, he must discover ways to tear himself apart deliberately, and in equally painful fashion, on the behalf either of some cause of real significance or some conception that he can dramatize through his own being. Personal existence under this configuration can become either great opportunity, or else a gradual disintegration of the soul in the very core of itself.

The Queen offset any struggle between self-gratification shown by Jupiter in the first house and the need to sacrifice her personal wishes in the fulfillment of the greater good shown by Saturn in both High and Point Focus by viewing the limitations of her fate as a great opportunity rather than as a frustrating sacrifice.

Jupiter is intercepted and therefore only the strait-laced and no-nonsense Saturnian dignity is shown to the public. Only occasionally did the matters of real life’s challenges and frustrations emerge into the light of day for all to witness. The Queen unexpectedly revealed that 1992 was a particularly difficult year with three divorces and the palace literally on fire. The Queen called the year “annus horribilis,” saying, “. . .1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”5 It is the square of the planets of Motivation that dominated the chart at the time and brought the pressure of difficult circumstances to a point too intense to conceal. In 1992, Pluto was directly conjunct the Queen’s progressed Saturn, and transit Saturn was opposite her natal Moon for a good part of the year. Both transits involved Saturn activating the Sharp Destiny at every turn.

The Outgoing and Incoming Monarchs’ Simultaneous Mercury Progressed Stations

In 2022 the death of the Queen instantly meant that after 73 years Prince Charles would finally be King of England. Although the event of a death cannot be changed, it can be anticipated. With a long history of astrology practiced in the United Kingdom, it is odd that the important coronation was scheduled for May 6, 2023, during transit Mercury’s retrograde period.

Progressed Mercury, stationary retrograde, was an interesting dynamic6 aspect active for King Charles at the time of his mother’s death. Even more fascinating is the fact that at the same time the Queen’s progressed Mercury was also stationing to go retrograde (see ephemeris graphs). Any astrologer looking for a sign of great change in the lives of these two royals would have happily stumbled across this astrological omen pointing to what Marc Edmund Jones explains in his Scope of Astrological Prediction:

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to a rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa. If the change is to retrograde the indication is more personal or intimate and if to direct it is more impersonal.

The phenomenon in progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.7

The obvious events corresponding to the Royals’ duel stationary retrograde Mercuries are for the Queen, an expected withdrawal from public service, and for the incoming King, a time for a critical adjustment to newly imposed responsibilities.

Not only were the Royals experiencing mutually progressed Mercury stations, but they were also in opposite signs within one degree. The Queen’s station of Mercury was 21 Leo 15, while the King’s station was at 20 Aquarius 13. Adding even more emphasis to that unusual configuration between their progressed Mercuries is the transit of Saturn exactly conjunct the King’s station and opposing the Queen’s on the day of her death. Once again, Saturn appears in a timely manner to figure into her very Sharp Destiny. For the Queen, this dynamic station was the marker indicating the turning point and possible departure from the throne of influence, and for King Charles, it literally forced him into the role for which he was preparing for most of his life.

There has always been a close tie between mother and son, seen in the mutual placement of her natal Sun conjunct his natal Moon in his 10th house at 1 degree Taurus. The 10th house represents the parent, either mother or father, who introduces the offspring to the world. For Charles, the Moon in the 10th house identifies his nurturing mother as the parent responsible for that task. To intensify the match made at their midheavens is the close conjunction of the King’s Sun degree at 22 Scorpio 24 with the Queen’s elevated Saturn at 24 Scorpio 27. It was the Queen’s responsibility to strictly, yet sensitively (Saturn), prepare her son for the role (Sun) he was inevitably primed to embrace.

 

  1. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. Chapter 2, Self-Ordering.
  2. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1970, pg.186, symmetry
  3. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1970 pgs.342-343, Sharp Destiny
  4. King Charles speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9EUPrd_oJw 0:32
  5. https://www.history.com/news/annus-horribilis-queen-elizabeth-royal-scandal-windsor-castle-fire.
  6. Dynamic aspect refers to progression or transits i.e., moving planets, not static as in a birth chart.
  7. Scope of Astrological Prediction, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington. 1969, pg. 49, progressed stations

How King George VI, the Father of Queen Elizabeth II, Prepared His Daughter for the Throne

An Astrological Profile of the Assassination of Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe was born into a lineage of politicians. Several in the family held public office including Abe’s father who as a youth trained to become a Kamikaze pilot. However, that was short-lived when WWII ended before his training was completed. Some relatives holding office were more liberal than Abe, who was Japan’s longest-running Prime Minister and known to be a staunch conservative of the Liberal Democratic Party.

The astrological portrait of Abe’s assassination is stunning, with the usual planetary players in prominent roles on the stage set for July 8, 2022, in Nara, Japan. Although there are few guns and killings in Japan, thanks to harsh gun laws, this one high-profile killing rocked Japan and the rest of the world.

A PROGRESSION AND TRANSIT IN TANDEM

The progressed Mars was activated by a conjunction of transit Saturn with both pointed at Abe’s natal Pluto. This is a sure sign of planetary stress in the horoscope and in life and ultimately led to the violent act which in better circumstances might have expressed itself in more constructive and forgiving ways. These characteristics were missing in the mind and actions of the assassin on that fateful morning. When destiny is in the hands of evildoers, as it was when the 41-year-old took Abe’s life with a homemade rifle, a thorough probe into the cause of the devastating action is sparked. It is clear, that the astrological factors at the time of the shooting were foreboding on the one hand while earthly circumstances mirrored them with a revolting, existential drama on the other.

The progressed Mars and transit Saturn were forming for several years, ever inching toward the threatening opposition to natal Pluto. The inauspicious alignment of Saturn steadied the aim of Mars as it directed its fiery force in the form of that handmade gun. The transit to progression aiming at Pluto developed into a highly lethal lineup of ominous planets, proving through the tragic event, that astrology does indeed reflect worldly affairs whether for good or ill.

Taking note of the fact there is no known time of birth, the natal chart is set up for 12 noon, appropriate for the planetary map of a public figure. The inner wheel of the progressed planets shows Mars at 25 Aquarius 28, within 15 minutes of its exact opposition with Pluto. However, the most profound astrological dynamic in the mix, adding weight to an already overwhelming force of negative energy focused on an unwary victim, was Pluto stationing in secondary progressions. Pivoting to turn retrograde as Abe approached his sixty-eighth year, the station of Pluto alone was enough to create severe upheaval. Mars and Saturn added a formidable force against which the victim had no protective shield.

PROGRESSED PLANETARY STATIONS

Marc Edmund Jones states in his Scope of Astrological Prediction:

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa. If the change is to retrograde the indication is more personal or intimate and if turning direct it is more impersonal.

The phenomenon in secondary progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.

The shift in the course of life for Abe was unfortunately the termination of his life. In his case there was no need for a personal “regrasp of experience,” however, as Pluto indicates the community at large, it is the people he left behind that must pick up the pieces and go forward in their lives in an entirely new way.

CONTRIBUTING TRANSIT ASPECTS

Transit Pluto seen in the outer wheel of the tri-wheel is opposite both Jupiter and Uranus, and at the same time, transit Neptune is directly opposite the natal Sun. The Sun represents Abe himself as the target of the aspecting, diffusive planetary energies. While transit Saturn was making its conjunction with progressed Mars in opposition to Pluto, the faster transiting Moon marked the decisive moment with its brief but penetrating conjunction with progressed Neptune. On the morning of the grievous event, all the transits and progressions clustered in forbidding formation to define an intolerable yet predictable moment in time.

THE PROGRESSED LUNATION

In 2020, Shinzo Abe resigned from his position as Prime Minister for the second and final time. Corresponding to that specific year was a Progressed Lunation that always indicates the end of a cycle of experience and an opening of new possibilities ahead. It was the dropping away of public life to direct the native’s attention toward the healing of a chronic disease that once again plagued his personal and everyday life. The three planets in Cancer and Sun in Virgo would naturally point to digestion as a factor in Abe’s health. The actual date of the Progressed Lunation is dubious because the time of birth is unknown. The Moon’s position is also not certain which makes the calculation of the exact Lunation impossible. However, Progressed Lunations possess a wide orb allowance of months if not years on either side of the actual conjunction of the progressed Moon to the progressed Sun. The indication at the very least, points to 2020 as a year bringing significant challenges and change into the native’s life.

All the planetary indicators gathered in unison to produce a shocking, tragic event that could have been noted ahead of time if there was any reason to believe that Abe in his normally peaceful homeland was in any way threatened. Astrology can anticipate future stresses and their potentials. In this way, the extraordinary powers of celestial forces continue to fascinate the curious and probing mind of the astrologer.

 

  1. The Scope of Astrological Prediction, by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, 1969 – pg. 49