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.
The Scope of Astrological Prediction, by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, 1969 – pg. 49
The Solar System consists of interrelating electromagnetic fields. The components of these fields are defined by the eight individual planets along with the two Lights – the Sun and Moon. A planet is the visible core of matter, energy, and intelligence, similar to an atom whose protons and neutrons are orbited by electrons that produce electrical impulses. The fields are encoded impulses perpetually traveling through space with their focus on encompassing the reaches of the solar system including Earth. The planets’ waves of energy interact among themselves to coalesce into a complex messaging system and it is the astrologer’s task to decode their intent and purpose.
The emanation of the intelligent, magnetic fields permeates the solar system, and the earth becomes immersed in its collective energies. The effects of these interacting forces are felt strongly when planets align at geometric angles in relationship to natal planets. In astrological terms, these configurations are called major aspects. The five geometric angles of import are the conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition. These are defined by the planets that are 0, 60, 90, 120, and 180 degrees apart, yet have a 10-degree orb of allowance for the planets, 12.5 for the Moon, and 17 degrees for the Sun. The electromagnetic fields are spherical and three-dimensional.
The human body acts as an antenna absorbing the planetary emanations through the energy centers of the body also known as the chakra system. These energies are usually felt as intense pressures and are felt as emotional stresses within the body and mind, similar to when the opposite poles of a magnet are exposed to each other but not yet actually touching. This magnetic pull is often misinterpreted as being caused by a physical illness or mental pathology. It can be accompanied by anxiety leading the individual to seek to avoid or suppress their emotional and bodily feelings. As planets move into exact aspect positioning they become indicators of an auspicious time for personal growth, however, the ego wishing to remain in a pleasant state often resists these precious times of personal evolution. Planetary interactions communicate in an astrological, geometric language that astrologers can interpret for a person wishing to understand the meaning of the profound feelings that are generated by them.
An astrologer should look to fast-moving progressions and slow-moving transiting planets to identify the sources and meanings of these periodic crises in consciousness. The planets, as representatives of higher intelligent forces, act in this way to gain the attention of the individual. An experienced astrologer is the interpreter of the intense and demanding call to transformation that the planets have in store for the recipient of the forces at play in the solar system.
The Examination of the Sharp and Loose Destiny and Progressed Planetary Stations
The Sharp or Loose Destiny aspects present in a natal chart, and planetary stations in secondary progressions, are among the powerful yet little-known techniques available in the practice of astrological analysis. An examination of the horoscope of Czech-born psychiatrist, Stanislav (Stan) Grof, will illustrate how his Sharp Destiny and progressed Uranus station provide penetrating insight into one of the most profound existential events of his lifetime.
During his residency, at Charles University in Prague, Grof assisted in experimentative LSD sessions with volunteer professionals as well as his own clinical patients. Ampules of LSD were sent from Sandoz laboratories in Switzerland to the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague, and to research clinics worldwide, for the purpose of having psychologists, experience from the LSD, what chemist Albert Hofmann believed to replicate the states of mind suffered by psychiatric patients.
Upon graduation in 1956, Grof was able to experience his own LSD session where he discovered the unconscious to be a treasure-trove of personal and archetypal knowledge and a powerful ally for psychological and emotional healing. The event’s transformative effects diminished his regard for traditional precepts of psychiatry which he then replaced with a quest for a deeper understanding of what he calls “non-ordinary states of consciousness.” Grof’s immersion into the depths of mind through psychedelics and intense breathing techniques inspired him to formulate his theories on transpersonal psychology and to establish his therapeutic, drug-free Holotropic BreathworkTM practice.
Experimentation with LSD was legal until rebellious youths of 1960s America used the substance irresponsibly. Timothy Leary, the controversial Harvard University psychology professor, was among the revolutionaries who encouraged the wide use of the mind-expanding agent. During that time the misuse of LSD was the cause of many casualties on the way to its becoming the requisite sacrament for the more serious-minded nonconformist.
Chemist Albert Hofmann, who first synthesized LSD, wrote of his creation:
I was aware that LSD, a new active compound with such properties, would have to be of use in pharmacology, in neurology, and especially in psychiatry, and that it would attract the interest of concerned specialists. But at that time, I had no inkling that the new substance would also come to be used beyond medical science, as an inebriant in the drug scene. Since my self-experiment had revealed LSD in its terrifying, demonic aspect, the last thing I could have expected was that this substance could ever find application as anything approaching a pleasure drug.1
Aside from its use as a “pleasure drug” as Hofmann put it, LSD also had a nurturing effect on society in contrast with its labeling by the mainstream as a threat to the establishment. Through the provocative LSD experience, Americans were exposed to lifestyle alternatives that included communal living with greater accessibility to healthier foods and natural healing methods. More significantly, it ignited the pursuit of spiritual truths explained in Eastern philosophies and introduced the practice of yoga and meditation. LSD was the chemical agent that opened a channel for the energy/intelligence of the powerful planetary conjunction of Uranus with Pluto throughout a major portion of the 1960s.
Stan Grof “turned on and tuned in” but he did not completely “drop out” as did his American counterparts Timothy Leary, who popularized the slogan, and Richard Alpert, aka Baba Ram Dass, who wrote Be Here Now, which became the counterculture’s guidebook. Instead, in 1967, Grof was accepted at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and later became chief of psychiatric research at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center where he continued investigating the virtues of LSD. In 1973, Grof met with one of the founders of Esalen Institute who then invited him to serve as scholar-in-residence at the institute in Big Sur, California. It was during his residency that he and his wife Christina developed their Holotropic Breathwork techniques.
Albert Hofmann visited Esalen Institute in 1984. Grof interviewed the notable chemist and expressed his gratitude in the following statement:
“Dr. Hofmann’s discovery of LSD and his work, in general, have had a profound impact on my own professional and personal life, for which I am immensely grateful. My first LSD session in 1956, when I was a beginning psychiatrist, was a critical landmark and turning point for me and since then, my life has never been the same. So, this interview gives me the opportunity to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Hofmann for the influence he has had on my life.2
On a Tim Ferris podcast interview,3 Grof candidly described the results of his first LSD session:
“I was one kind of person in the morning, another walked out of there in the evening. This was my first LSD session . . . I was physically open to the mystical world that I saw there. It was a much deeper understanding . . .”
GROF’S TRANSFORMATION IN ASTROLOGICAL TERMS
Grof’s description of his unexpected and radical life-path transition is associated with two significant astrological factors. They are the Sharp Destiny present in his natal chart and the station of Uranus in his secondary progressions. The “hard” and “easy” major aspects between Jupiter and Saturn categorize a native as either endowed with a Sharp or Loose Destiny.4
The Sharp Destiny
When Jupiter and Saturn are in challenging conjunction, square, or opposition aspect, the life direction is defined as fateful or “Sharp.” Experience is guided by a narrowed course with strict adherence to discriminating conscience and a lean toward intense self-scrutiny. (If the indicators form the easier sextile, trine, or are not in major aspect, the destiny is “Loose” and suggests a minimal concern over moral considerations of right and wrong.)
In The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, renowned astrologer Dr. Marc Edmund Jones formulates the contrasting ways consciousness manages its personal conduct. In metaphysical terms, he explains the difference between the two forms of psychological outlook:
The fundamental distinction is between the life with its course rather well determined at birth or before, and the one where there is little preset in its development.5
In Grof’s birth chart, the relationship between Jupiter and Saturn is the opposition of the two and classifies the native’s conscious functioning in accordance with a Sharp Destiny. This is self-awareness in its most alert capacity with Jupiter the indicator of unrestricted, enthusiastic outreach poised in direct balance or conflict with Saturn and its tendency for deliberate control of attitude and behavior. Jones speaks of the opposition as foretelling self-development and heightened awareness, often occurring as a result of polarized circumstantial factors:
Jupiter and Saturn in opposition aspect indicate an ordering of life’s fundamental motives through which the native is usually compelled to dramatize himself continually in the presence of his fellows, at least if he wishes to participate with them in any course of everyday experience. This necessity often tends to throw a given lifetime into two entirely separate periods, with the latter revealing greater depth and continuity of realization, as perhaps an unsuspected consequence of the mirroring it has given itself through some more superficial role-playing in the former. There may be either a prodigal expenditure of the self’s resources, with their ultimate recapture in a refinement of soul, or a moral vacillation that accentuates every weakness of character, and so encourages a surrender to a final and hopeless ineptitude.6
Grof was and is clearly subject to dramatic and periodic change through the Sharp Destiny’s influence in his chart. His formative years were spent with ambitions for a career in film animation which took an abrupt turn when introduced to Freud’s work in psychoanalysis. Grof, however, eventually rejected psychology’s conventional approach, thanks to his encounter with the transformative attributes of LSD.
The Jupiter-Saturn opposition encourages metamorphosis when transiting planets conjunct either end of the aspect’s poles or when progressions make any “hard” contacts with it. A thorough probe into the dates of activation throughout Grof’s lifespan is beyond the scope of this brief study, however, an astrologer’s independent search of the dynamic aspects7 to the opposition could further validate the influence of the Sharp Destiny in the native’s life.
Progressed Uranus Station
Thorough chart analysis usually includes spotting current transits of the outer, slow-moving planets that activate natal potentials dramatically and over long periods of time. However, sole attention on real-time planetary movements is not sufficient for the comprehensive identification of the forces at play at precise times of significant events. This was the case in Grof’s life and chart at the time of his exposure to the powers of LSD. In mid-November 1956, the transits of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto failed to make either a conjunction or opposition aspect to any planet in Grof’s natal horoscope. Transits Saturn and Neptune were in square to natal placements during this crucial time, however, squares reveal a more remote or subjective struggle rather than direct aspect connections by conjunctions and oppositions when identifying the connections of celestial forces with empirical reality.
The often-neglected secondary progressions are of paramount importance when seeking to identify astrological indicators of consequential shift. They are powerful corresponding activators in the life process, and it is during the years when progressed planets reverse their direction that great modifications in experience are to be expected. When planets pause in their course to turn from retrograde to direct or vice versa, existential circumstances will mirror the progressed planet’s reversal in direction, producing what Jones defines as a time set apart for “a critical regrasp of experience:” 8
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.
Grof’s personal LSD experience on November 13, 1956, was sandwiched between prior developing circumstances, where he monitored others taking LSD, and the years thereafter of continuing research on the effects and benefits of the psychotropic substance. Both the long-term, subtle development and the abrupt realization Jones points to in his Scope of Astrological Prediction were active in Grof’s case.
To determine the timing of a planetary station, one counts each day after birth as equal to each year of life. Counting from July 1st in the 1931 ephemeris shows Uranus stationing to turn retrograde twenty-five days after Grof’s birth. The station of Uranus synchronizing with his first LSD session accounts for the major transition of his lifetime at age twenty-five.
The seemingly random progressed stations associated with a particular several years in the lifespan mark the rare occasions when a major disruption of normal activity is likely to occur. Grof’s Uranus stationed in progressions to turn retrograde on August 20, 1955, at 19 Aries 23, offering him a new paradigm to contemplate. This date closely corresponds with Grof’s initial steps on the experimentative path he was to take and to which he became thoroughly dedicated. The Uranian impulse incites exploration of unknown realms and dimensions, and when positive, becomes the Hero’s Journey. For Grof, it was the revelation of the bountiful assets available at the deeper levels of consciousness that beckoned him. Progressed Uranus turning to go retrograde led him inward to take up the task as an iconoclast in his chosen field, and shaped him into a spiritual leader in the mid-twentieth century’s New Age movement.
Without forewarning, a native can become alarmed by the mental and emotional pressure of stealth-like stationary progressions, with the stress likely to cause an unproductive resistance to the demands of mandatory turning tides. However, when a station is known to be imminent or when a future date is foreseen, the native can prepare in anticipation of yet undisclosed opportunities for reassessment and reestablishment of circumstances. Although taken by surprise, Grof was able to quickly identify the advantages LSD had to offer when challenging, yet auspicious events, synchronized with his progressed Uranus station.
An interesting feature in the planetary patterning of Grof’s natal chart is the relationship between the numerous opposition aspects and natal Uranus as they create a purposeful conduit in the form of a T-Cross. The name of the Cross is derived from the configuration’s resemblance to the letter T, with the horizontal line representing the planets in opposition aspect and the perpendicular pointing to Uranus at a 90-degrees to the planets in the signs of Cancer and Capricorn. Grof mentions his T-Cross in several interviews but it is far more complex than simply the ultra-tight Pluto-Saturn opposition he occasionally references. With a total of six oppositions in the chart, including the Sun with its wide orb of 17 degrees, it is considered a preponderance9 of the opposition aspect as it establishes the ultra-powerful foundation of the Cross.
The T-Cross is a Focal Determinator10 in Jones’ parlance with the squaring Uranus assigned the position of Point Focus. The squaring Uranus becomes the focal point of a continuous release of self-expression spurred on by the tension of the axis oppositions. With seven of the possible ten planets forming the foundation of the Cross, the arrangement can be considered the chart’s signature aspect. The Sharp Destiny coupled with the Point Focus Uranus coalesced to represent the genius of the chart and man who stepped out of the norm most profoundly in 1956 when progressed Uranus performed its station.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LEGACY
Challenges often arise when one crosses the boundaries of accepted protocols as Grof did in the field of psychology. His own Holotropic Breathwork program could suffer criticism as well, similar to what he outlines in a 2009 interview appearing in The Sun.11 Grof includes the following remarks in answer to the question, “What were the results of that initial LSD study?”:
” . . . at the cradle of all the major religions have been personal mystical experiences of their founders and prophets. When the religions become organized, they tend to lose the connection with their spiritual source and become concerned with politics, money, power, and possessions. . . “
Replacing the word religion with the word movement puts Holotropic Breathwork in a category much like any controversial organization. This exposes Grof’s work to misinterpretation by his peers in the field of psychology and leaves him vulnerable to misunderstanding even among his own representatives and facilitators of the breathwork system. Conflicts over workshop objectives and methods also present difficulties when facilitators’ personal beliefs filter into what should otherwise be a standard and well-regulated program. For a clear understanding of Grof’s intent, one needs only to hear and to read his own words.
Despite all potential obstacles, it cannot be denied, that Grof has developed a valuable program for those who wish to immerse their conscious mind into the deeper states of consciousness. This practice facilitates awareness of the motivations and traumas that often lie dormant in the unconscious and may stand in the way of the sincere seeker’s quest for enlightenment. At the very least, long-standing psychological imbalances may be resolved though Grof’s innovated form of breathwork self-realization.
A Transit of Import
Transit Pluto stations within a degree of Grof’s natal Moon on April 30, 2022, at 28 Capricorn 36. Pluto’s penetrating influence suggests that Grof’s legacy may then firmly take hold, especially with a conscious effort on his part, or by those in his organization, to manifest the message of his Moon’s Sabian symbol, A secret business conference.12Following the suggestions of the symbol’s definition may be the key to a successful and long-lasting legacy:
CAPRICORN 30 A secret business conference This is a symbol of the momentary background in human relations as essentially the product of current activities and attitudes, and of a determination to capitalize on any given situation through effective allegiances among the principal personalities involved. The emphasis here is on man’s desire for an inner circle of associates through whom he may exercise a real control over immediate eventualities, and on his realization that in this fashion he may monopolize the resources of his fellows. The keyword is OPPORTUNITY. When positive, the degree is a gift for clever planning and successful administration in every area of life, and when negative, rampant selfishness and rank exploitation of others.
The Moon facilitates an emotional and nurturing connection with others in give-and-take fashion. World history identifies numerous spiritual leaders tasked with the duty to remind humanity of the wisdom accessible to them from within. Each points the way with a vital message for the advancement of current and future generations. Whether Transpersonal Psychology and the more somatic practice of Holotropic Breathwork stand the test of time is yet to be known.
The Jupiter-Saturn Sharp Destiny and the progressed station of Point Focus Uranus are the two main indicators that empowered the shifts in life direction of consciousness-explorer Stan Grof. They are representative of astrology’s bountiful symbolic and archetypal counterparts to the planetary energies that served to establish an innovative path for the native, and that brought self-realization within reach of both himself and all those blessed by his social contribution.
Regarding horoscope analysis, each astrologer has their preferred approach to which they are dedicated, however, the revealing techniques described above can easily fit into any astrologer’s toolbox. The motivational characteristics defined by the Sharp and Loose Destiny technique and the timing of great change throughout the lifespan shown by progressed stations are invaluable when seeking a comprehensive understanding of a native’s life potentials.
Notes and References
LSD My Problem Child: Reflection on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science by Albert Hofmann
Interview at Esalen Institute of Albert Hofmann by Stan Grof 1984, https://maps.org/news-letters/v11n2/11222gro.html
Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood WA, 1970, Definition: Sharp and Loose Destiny, pp. 342-343
Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones, Difference between the Sharp and Loose Destiny, p. 343
Sharp Destiny, opposition aspect between Jupiter and Saturn, pp. 124-125
Dynamic Aspects are the moving transit and progressed aspects
Scope of Astrological Prediction, by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood WA, 1969, Challenge by Progressed Station, p. 49
Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood WA, 1970, preponderance by opposition p. 266
Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Chapter on Focal Determinators, p. 192, for T Cross p. 193
In recent years, Americans and observers worldwide have been captivated by the turmoil within the United States (US) concerning its intense partisan politics. At the same time, media pundits have failed to adequately explain the nature and causes of the political power struggle that continues to challenge the principles of democracy.
Astrologers, however, understand the uniqueness of our times when noting several dynamic aspects1 that have been activating the potentials of the July 4, 1776 birth chart of the United States. The aspects are the April 5, 2017, US progressed Mercury station that synchronized with the commencement of the Trump administration, the present transit of Pluto now well within the parameters of its 248-year pilgrimage-return to its natal degree, and the progressed Moon aspects from 2021 to 2024.
THE UNITED STATES HOROSCOPE
The horoscope of a nation carries great weight in comparison with the chart of an individual, because of its broad reference to the masses, and by its symbolism contributes to a comprehensive understanding of an entire culture. This enduring effect brings with it the responsibility to create a national horoscope with a favorable resonance between the promise of guiding “stars” and the goals of the society in the making. A fortuitous date, time, and place should be chosen with the best planetary configurations that will support the collective’s desired ideals and objectives. During the establishment of the United States, some of the Founding Fathers were Freemasons and involved with metaphysics, yet it is unknown if their practices included the use of astrology, and if so, whether Electional horoscopy was used in the choice of the inaugural time for the Declaration of Independence. Whether the union was formed with a consideration of celestial factors or by chance, the planetary patterning on July 4, 1776, contained the seeds that would determine the nation’s destiny.
The origin of American thought took its cues from Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, whose thinkers believed they could “create better societies and better people.” Intellectuals from both continents traveled between the old and new worlds during America’s mounting revolution. In his pamphlet, Common Sense,2 published six months prior to the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine proclaimed, “The birthday of a new world is at hand.” The Englishman’s philosophy played an important role in creating the new paradigm that clarified the benefits of a republic versus monarchy. His widely distributed writings helped prod-to-arms the tattered soldier on the colonial battlefield, and when reaching the common citizen, gave them reason to rally to the revolution in lockstep with the Founders’ intent to form a union based on the protection of human rights through democratic elections and legislation.
The most revealing astrological factor defining the stark transition from monarchy to an emerging democracy was Mercury in station-retrograde at the time of America’s establishment. The station nurtured the extraordinary mental activity required of its leaders for the development of an American ethos and for laying the ground for inestimable levels of achievement to be reached by its free and aspiring populace.
Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson, who incidentally had a transit of Pluto passing over his natal Uranus in 1776, was tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence. This was simply a Mercurial function, and with his eloquent narrative style, he definitively explained, point by point, the causes that provoked the Patriot colonists to revolt and engage in battle against the Loyalists to Great Britain’s King George III. Jefferson’s writings introduced what he considered to be “an expression of the American mind.” Not born of originality nor a derivative of established thought, the American perspective, he explained in later years, simply reflected the needs of the time.3
The inner ponderings of America’s Founders materialized objectively with the Second Continental Congress’s approval of the Declaration of Independence at 1:52 am4 on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With this decision, the colonists officially severed ties with the British Crown to reach their goal of establishing separate yet united states in accordance with the heavenly configurations of the moment. Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, in his Mundane Perspectives in Astrology,5 based his US chart’s time on the popular use of Gemini rising by several notable astrologers of his day, and by the authorization of the American Federation of Astrologers. With a bit of rectification Jones settled on a 3 Gemini 34 ascendant.
BIRTHING A NATION UNDER A MERCURY STATION
In the segment on Collective Nativities in Mundane Perspectives, Jones designates Mercury in his US chart diagram as stationary-retrograde. However, the ephemeris for 1776 shows the station to be exact on June 28, just days before the announcement of independence in early July. Planetary stations, whether in transit or progression, point to a crescendo in the development of events that facilitates a psychological shift in perspective resulting in a dramatic transformation of existential affairs. Jones explains the virtual phenomenon in his Scope of Astrological Prediction as a pivotal period demanding “a critical regrasp of experience.” 6 Unlike transit stations, which need to aspect a natal planet by conjunction or opposition to be effective for chart interpretation, a progressed station need not make an aspect with a birth planet, and is often associated with events somewhat in advance or some time after their pause to change direction.
Lyle, and his younger brother Erik, shot and killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their home in Beverly Hills on the evening of August 20, 1989. Soon after the killing, the two brothers went on an eccentric spending-spree with their inheritance and proceeded to live an extravagant lifestyle which led to the suspicion of their involvement in the crime and ultimately to their arrest in March 1990.
Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990, and taken to the Los Angeles County Men’s Jail. Erik turned himself in after hearing about his brother’s arrest. Erik was apprehended by police at the LAX airport after arriving from Israel. He too was taken to the Los Angeles County Men’s Jail. Their arraignment for first-degree murder took place on March 26, 1990. Both are serving life sentences without parole. They are to this day, incarcerated in a Southern California prison where they are allowed to see each other daily at meals and in the exercise yard.
The Menendez brothers may be together again, and they do have a lot in common, but an exploration of their individual horoscopes will unveil a unique difference, one that landed them in prison. It was Erik’s proneness to conscience that made the difference between holding to the lie the brothers had agreed upon and revealing the terrible truth of the diabolical murder of the unsuspecting parents. It was Erik’s Sharp Destiny, indicated by the opposition of Jupiter and Saturn in his chart that led him to confess to the crime, and with no major aspect between Jupiter and Saturn in Lyle’s chart, he quite differently than Erik, held out to the end.
SHARP AND LOOSE DESTINY
Defining the Sharp and Loose Destiny is one of several advanced procedures in chart analysis that were developed in the mid-20th century by astrologer par excellence, Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. Jones’ innovative techniques were based on early astrological practices, which he expounds on in his writings to give a deeper and more comprehensive scope to chart interpretation. In his chapter on Self-Ordering (1) in The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, he begins by pairing the planets into four distinct departments of Self-Determination. Each departmental pair is then assessed for a possible major aspect between their positive and negative significators.
The four planetary departments of Self-determination,
1) The Sun and Moon of Vitality, is the organic will-to-be of the Greater Light, coupled with the Lesser Light’s emotional response and connection to its surroundings.
2) Jupiter and Saturn, as they define the soul’s personal Motivation through Jupiter’s enthusiastic outreach, paired with Saturn’s complimentary sober self-reflection.
3) Mars and Venus are paired to establish Efficiency in experience, through the initiative of Mars in concert with Venus’s gratifying conclusions.
4) Uranus and Neptune, the planets of Significance, as they work together to encourage the elevation and expansion of consciousness beyond the personal motivations of Jupiter and Saturn.
Mercury and Pluto are supernumerary and not included in the technique of Self-determination.
Each planetary department is vital for a well-rounded involvement in the business of everyday living. However, it is the role of Jupiter and Saturn, the department of Motivation, to offer the native an opportunity to develop personal accountability. The development of self-conscious awareness unfolds and becomes the necessary foundation for the further development of higher consciousness, represented by Uranus and Neptune, the planetary pair of Significance in the process of self-realization in a more expansive comprehension. The prominence or lesser influence of the department of Motivation in any chart is determined by the major aspect between the planetary pair to signify whether the life is destined to a Sharp and conscious moral self-awareness, or when Loose, minimizes the focus on behavioral moral standards.
The aspect allowance between Jupiter and Saturn has an orb of 10 degrees. A Sharp Destiny is identified when the pair of Motivation is in conjunction, square, or opposition, with each aspect characterized by its own unique definition. These formidable aspects produce continuous self-monitoring, which in normal circumstances should lead to a dedication to high moral standards. A Loose Destiny is found in the chart with Jupiter and Saturn in sextile, trine, or not in major aspect, allowing the native to be more relaxed in the assessment of their own or others’ acts and attitudes, and with relative freedom from both internal conscience and external pressures.
The contribution of the Sharp and Loose Destiny technique, as it relates to all other chart configurations, helps form an assessment of the native’s potentials for the refinement of character. Jones elaborates, “The fundamental distinction is between the life with its course rather well-determined at birth, or before, and the one where there is little preset in its development.” (2)
JUPITER AND SATURN IN THE CHARTS OF LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ
The signature difference between the two brothers is defined by the one as experiencing a highly sensitive struggle in conscience that produced the guilt that led to his confession to the crime, and the other, by contrast, was more hardened to his commitment to withhold information thanks to his Loose Destiny and his lack of consideration of the right and wrong of the circumstances leading up to the fatal and irrevocable event.
It is Erik’s Jupiter and Saturn in an opposition aspect that defines his Sharp Destiny that differs greatly from Lyle’s Loose Destiny, determined by a lack of major aspects between the pair of Motivation.
From the book, The Menendez Murders:
“Only Erik was having a hard time living with it. He kept dreaming about the gory scene in the TV room. His guilt was overwhelming him. He had to confess to someone. Naturally, he had picked his therapist. Nobody had witnessed the crime. Nobody had found the weapons. Nobody had challenged their alibi. Nobody could point a finger at them.”
While in a therapy session with his psychotherapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, Erik confessed that he and his brother killed their parents. “I was having trouble telling him (Dr. Oziel) about why I was suicidal since I hadn’t told him that I killed my parents, and so he wasn’t really getting it,” recalled Erik. “And so I just decided that I needed to tell somebody, and I decided to tell him right then . . . I really wanted him at that point to tell me that I wasn’t a bad person. And he couldn’t do that unless he knew that I killed my parents.” (3)
The motivation for Erik’s desire to have his therapist “forgive” him by telling him he wasn’t a bad person, was part of the process of conscience seeking to assuage the pain-producing guilt that arises from the realization of one’s wrongdoing.
JUPITER AND SATURN IN OPPOSITION ASPECT – From the Essentials of Astrological Analysis,
“Jupiter and Saturn in opposition aspect indicate an ordering of life’s fundamental motives, through which the native is usually compelled to dramatize himself continually in the presence of his fellows, at least if he wishes to participate with them in any course of everyday experience. This necessity often tends to throw a given lifetime into two entirely separate periods, with the latter revealing greater depth and continuity of realization, as perhaps an unsuspected consequence of the mirroring it has given itself through some more superficial role-playing in the former. There may be either a prodigal expenditure of the self’s resources, with their ultimate recapture in a refinement of soul, or a moral vacillation that accentuates every weakness of character, and so encourages a surrender to a final and hopeless ineptitude.” (4)
According to the definition of the Sharp Destiny with Jupiter and Saturn in opposition aspect, Erik was compelled to go along with the crime as a form of acceptance needed in relation to others, as is the requirement of a native with this planetary indication. Rather than superficial role-playing on his part, his participation in the murders was a result of his immature inability to discern the magnitude and seriousness of the crime he was about to commit in coordination with his brother Lyle. This is in contrast to the second half of his life-experience with its more shocking realization that he would be having when incarcerated without parole. His time in prison could most advantageously lead to a refinement of soul to counteract the anguish of his otherwise hopeless ineptitude.
Erik’s Saturn becomes the outlet of energy as a High Focus Focal Determinator in his Funnel Temperament Type. Saturn also is the elevated and sole occupant of the southern hemisphere. These combined chart features greatly emphasize the power of the Sharp Destiny in Saturn’s application to Jupiter through opposition. The opposition takes place from the 9th to 3rd mental houses and assist in the manifestation of the Sharp Destiny’s conflict in thought and moral motivation and its need to create an alignment with truth and conscience without guilt.
There are astrological techniques that can help couples make certain that their choice of partner brings about a fruitful and happy marriage. At the beginning of an attraction between two hopeful individuals comes a sense of emotional and physical euphoria. This often blinds the prospective couple with the belief that their match was indeed made in heaven, only later to find out that the realities are far different than what was expected. Astrology often reveals harsh realities, so it is wise for the astrologer to be sensitive to the feelings of their clients when it comes to revealing the facts about what is seen in the chart comparison data. This should apply in the case of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, previously known as His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex, and actress Meghan Markle of Los Angeles.
The reason to be ultra-cautious in reading the potential cross ties and element comparisons between these two celebrated individuals is that the vital factors of effective exchange are significantly lacking. With missing astrological connections come continuous challenges that may hinder their union over time.
The following techniques are applied when assessing the potentials of any forthcoming partnership whether for personal or for business purposes.
Cross Conjunctions and Oppositions
Using a one degree orb, one needs to identify the planets in one chart that are in the same degree or opposite any planet in the chart of the other individual.1 If there are planets in the same sign and degree or opposite sign and degree, it is safe to say that the connection between the couple is potentially positive for an active and continuing relationship with minimal struggle toward that end. An analysis of the house positions and characteristics of the planets involved are considered in the interpretation as well. Oppositions of planets within one degree orb are favored more than a conjunction of planets because a magnetic stress develops with this polarizing aspect and assists in continuously drawing the couple together. It is essential at the same time to warn of potential conflicts due to the planets poised in stressful opposition to each other. The conjunction of planets from one chart to the other reveals the perpetual need to be in each other’s presence for the bond to continue in an ongoing manner.
If there are no cross conjunctions or oppositions between the planets in the two charts, the individuals in question will need to make a very concerted effort to establish and maintain a connectivity that promotes enduring fulfillment. With a lack of these cross ties, the parties concerned will be caught up in daily adjustments to compensate for the lack of synergy between them, thus leading to the perpetual reestablishment of their commitment to the relationship. On the other hand, when necessary factors are present and of a positive nature, the shared experience is primed for active interaction and vibrant, mutual exchange.
Compatibility in Triplicity
The planets of daily Efficiency are Mars, Venus and Mercury.These three indicators are compared (Mars to Mars, Venus to Venus and Mercury to Mercury) to determine if they are in or out of harmony by virtue of their sign elements. Earth and water signs are compatible as are fire and air combinations.2 If for example Mars in one chart is in an earth sign, in order to be compatible with the other person’s Mars, it must be either an earth or water sign.
The ideal potential occurs when two of the three planets of Efficiency are in harmonious elements, and one is not. Two pairs in harmonious elements allow for establishing general compatibility, while the single pair that is not in harmony establishes the stress and stimulation for growth and development in the relationship. Examination of the Suns, Moons and Ascendants in the same fashion, provides a comparison of the more personal characteristics between individuals.
Examining the Natural Disposition, Temperament Type, Sharp and Loose Destiny, and other Focal Determinators between the two charts can further reveal hopeful possibilities. Marc Edmund Jones states the following when the primary techniques explained above lack interactive cross ties and compatible elements:
When no sympathy is revealed by any of the three pairings considered for the general pattern of compatibility between two charts by TRIPLICITY, the basis of the tie between the individuals involved can be assumed to have no roots in the ordinary elements of experience through which people are likely to develop an intimacy for one purpose or another. This may indicate that other and deeper factors are the clue to the nature of a given relationship, and to the probable developments to be expected from it. Much more frequently however there is indication that the ties have no vital significance, or are not anchored in any basic reality of being.3
Chart Comparison between Harry and Meghan
Comparing Cross Ties
The chart cross ties between the Duke and the Duchess are nonexistent. There are no cross conjunctions or cross oppositions within one degree between the planets from one chart to the other. This leaves the couple at a disadvantage, unless they have an arrangement to be open to much time involvement with separate pursuits.
Comparison of Elements
When examining the elements between the charts of Harry and Meghan, the only harmony between them is at the Ascendants which are in earth and water signs. Their Suns and Moons do not show any compatible element combinations. This reveals that their Wills and Feelings are quite different and that their purpose in life (Sun) and the path that each will ultimately follow (Moon) is quite different than the other. Observing the couple, it is already apparent that there are many separate projects, events, and responsibilities that they do not share in common. If independent experience is acceptable in the daily manifestation of their marriage, their chance for happiness can be enhanced.
Although their overall charts are not ideally compatible, the fact that their Ascendants are in accord with each other brings attention to their shared perspectives and approach to life in general. They will also find it convenient and supportive to rely on one another’s similar skills and abilities to handle any daily concerns coming their way. Each has a history of personal struggle that they share in common, and a continual vigilance that is armed with each other’s support promises a successful conquering of obstacles put in their way. They also have mutual experience in humanitarian projects that they can fall back on when more superficial pursuits fail to satisfy. Their partnership, as seen by the public, can be rewarding to them personally and can be a light in the lives of those to whom they give of themselves unselfishly. These are the strengths of mutual Ascendants in compatible elements, and hopefully this will be enough to establish a solid foundation going forward. It must be taken into account, however, that the sought-after ideal compatibility of elements is missing, so that no matter the similar approach to experience they may feel with like Ascendents, inevitable struggles may outweigh all common views putting the marriage at risk.
A look at the progressed horoscope of each individual will also shed light on the connections that are currently present and can be expected in the future. Comparing the progressed planets of one chart to the natal planet positions in the partner’s chart can give vital future perspectives. All of the major aspects can be brought into play for this revealing view of the marriage potentials. The Electional4 horoscope set up for the time and day for the marriage is also extremely helpful in creating the future success of the partnership.
The Marriage Potentials
The Electional chart for the marriage is set up for noon, May 19, 2018, and shows very good aspects within the layout of planetary relationship. The Temperament of the moment was Locomotive which indicates an expression of power in partnership. The Sun is elevated in the 10th house which prophesied parenting and all things done with public opinion in mind.
The rulers of the ascendant and 7th house are in trine, meaning that as individuals and in partnership there is a flow of cooperation and peaceful coexistence available to them. The Moon makes a gracious sextile to the Sun and is the very last major aspect made before leaving the sign where it is positioned. Giving a final note of good fortune is Jupiter on the 4th house cusp of home. Overall, this is a very gracious astrological promise for their union and may possibly make up for any deficiency in cross ties and element imbalances between their individual horoscopes.
Transits and progressions to the Electional marriage chart should be noted as they occur, especially with the long-term and powerful transit of Pluto as it forms its conjunction with the marriage chart’s Mars due to be exact March 2, 2024. Transits of Pluto are approximately four years in duration. This ominous transit of Pluto to Mars may declare the beginnings of a real need for a transformation and adjustment to each other’s energies. The Sabian symbol reveals quite stark possibilities in terms of physical well-being noted by the transit’s sixth house positioning:
AQUARIUS 2 An unexpected thunderstorm This is a symbol of nature’s potentialities as they lie beyond any individual control, as well as of the tendency of all things to come to some dramatic head in either physical or psychological terms. The primitive symbolism emphasizes the necessity that every living spirit remain wholly self-quickened within itself, and be alert to its more or less inevitable participation in every shifting pattern of events. The convergence of relations in some climax of experience is man’s real opportunity, for self-fulfillment. The keyword is ACCIDENT. When positive, the degree is creative opportunism and a genius for shaping all eventualities to some desired end, and when negative, complete temperamental instability.
While many people wish the couple well, there are formidable challenges for them to withstand in the overall compatibilities of this partnership. The nature of astrology is that it is the “science of probability” as Marc Edmund Jones notes, and because of this factor, the efforts individuals make can possibly overcome what otherwise may seem impossible.
Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970. Pg 335
Fires signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, and the water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970. Pg 333
Electional horoscopy is used when choosing a time to open a business, embark on an adventure or to sign contracts of any kind, including marriage. It is associated with the predictive branch of astrology.
From an online forum dialogue in 1998, between a Uranian (Midpoint) astrologer and Sarah Kalvin
Question: Has anyone worked out a simple method of differentiating between the North and South Nodes?
SARAH: Just considering the Moon’s Node: When you think of the fact that in traditional astrology the Moon refers to contact and connection with the outside world through emotional outreach, (including to family, blood ties – Moon rules Cancer), it is not difficult to see that there is little difference between the traditional and symmetrical (Midpoint Astrology) approaches concerning the nodes. One difference between the two systems is that different words are used to describe the same astrological points – the Nodes. Also, it is a case of keywords not having the capacity to explain everything. Different groups of people cling to various keywords, however, it is best to consider that the Moon’s nodes are the points in space where spirit and matter meet (their junctions). They track the orbit of the Moon (soul) in relation to the orbit of the Earth (matter) and mark off this unique interrelationship. The journey of the soul on its earthly path balances between moving forward in the exploration of experience, and drawing on the support from its past, to define personal evolution. The nodes represent the combined symbolic relationship of the Moon and the Earth, each affecting the other to give definition to ourselves and others in the development of our spiritual journey in a material world.
Mark wrote: Then anything aspecting or in any way arousing the one node, would automatically be aspecting and releasing the other node. So how does one arrive at seemingly opposite meanings for each node?
SARAH: There are unique meanings assigned to the North and South Nodes (NN, SN) because they are defined by an axis with a positive and negative pole, indicating one’s Karma and Dharma. The NN is defined by the Moon as its orbit crosses the plane of the Earth’s ecliptic on its way north. The path upward represents Dharma – the experience one is required to explore. It points to the expansion of conscious living as opposed to the SN’s connection with the personal, subconscious elements of the soul. The SN outlines one’s Karmic past through programmed, autonomic behavior. The polarity of the nodal points represents the crossroads of the two worlds of matter and soul, of conscious and unconscious experience.
That which is new and in need of experience is North and future, and that which comprises accumulated conditioned experience is South and past. Therefore they do not express the same meaning. When the NN is aspected by any planet in progression or transit, the function of the native is to assimilate new factors into consciousness. If the SN is directly aspected, conscious awareness is required to monitor the involuntary reservoir of programmed responses to allow for an adjustment in consciousness.
All astrological indicators have their supportive opposites. Polarity is a universal principle and there is a difference between the positive and negative poles of life and death, light and dark, hot and cold, although they are on the same axis. This is why the nodes have different meanings in human experience and understanding, yet their purpose is to work in unison.
Throughout the long history of humanity’s presence on Earth great minds have attempted to reveal the mysteries of life’s origin and its purpose. Some curious and penetrating minds gazed outwardly into the vast visible universe while others turned their focus inward to discover the nature of reality within their own being. The enigmatic universe consistently challenges us to seek answers to timeless inquiries. Astrology offers a lens through which we can discern our place within the vast mosaic of life and provides guidance on how to align ourselves with the discoveries of those who have unveiled life’s mysteries from both within and without.
Astrologers look for indications in a natal horoscope that reflect the realities of a person’s life and what makes them think, feel, and respond the way they do. To understand and expand one’s character, it is often advantageous to study the lives and horoscopes of accomplished individuals who can act as role models. One of the most intriguing charts of prominent world leaders alive today is that of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, born at 4:38 am on July 6, 1935, in what is now Taktser, China. How spiritual potentials reveal themselves is a special type of analysis, and the birth chart of the Dalai Lama shows several obvious signs of advanced, personal evolution.
THE NATURAL DISPOSITION
The basic elements of a horoscope are the houses, signs, and planets, but it is the planets that bring the chart to life as they tie the houses and signs together through what are known as majoraspects. The five fundamental aspects are based on geometry. In astrological terms, the geometric relationships are called conjunction when they are positioned together within 10 degrees for planets, 12.5 when the Moon is involved, and 17 degrees with the Sun. Planets are in sextile when 60 degrees apart with the same orb allowances as the conjunction. The same follows for the square at a basic 90-degree separation, the trine at a 120-degree separation, and the opposition at a 180-degree separation. Among the five aspects, it is the opposition of planetary energies in cooperation or confrontation with each other that stands out to draw one’s focus of attention outward into the world of experience. This direct planetary stress propels the individual toward a characteristic interest defined by the quadrature of the sign wherein the planets in opposition lie.
Three quadratures define the psychological lean of interest a person is inclined to entertain. This technique, called the Natural Disposition,1 is the first of several that are described in detail in the Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones.2 An opposition of planets in the mutable sign quadrature encourages interest and involvement with people in general, with a concern for their wellbeing before one’s own. Oppositions in the cardinal sign quadrature create a focus of attention upon one’s benefit with attention to immediate issues in anticipation of opportunities primarily for self-advancement. With an opposition in the fixed sign quadrature, remote or abstract interests take precedence above and beyond the need to help others or for concern for one’s advantage. Mutable signs support humanitarianism, the cardinal signs influence charismatic leadership, and the fixed signs promote a philosophical approach to life.
The chart of the Dalai Lama contains two active oppositions that vie for dominance in the direction of interest. The mutable opposition gives him a keen concern and dedicated involvement with the welfare of the Tibetan people and for all of humanity. The fixed sign opposition reveals a pressing curiosity and interest in the concepts of religion, psychology, philosophy, and science.
To resolve these conflicting interests the attention must give precedence to the characteristics of the absent cardinal opposition, known as negative cardinal. Here lies the necessity for the Dalai Lama to focus primarily on his development as a world leader. He was born to be an example of spiritual achievement and to take the lead in the political situations in which he continuously found himself. Cardinal signs are associated with the angular houses and therefore issues of the moment are dramatically played out in the immediateness of the political crises that plagued his early years.
He is regarded as His Holiness because he plays the role of the most elevated devotee of Mahayana Buddhism and is tirelessly working toward the betterment of the people he was born to lead. The immediacy and excitation of the cardinal influence endows the native with a charisma that has a profound effect on all who are fortunate to encounter him personally. He has become a beacon of liberation as a result of the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the embodiment of compassion that is more important than his concern and involvement with people, and even more pressing than the spreading of the ideals and values of Buddhism. This is the power of the negative cardinal dynamic at work in his life and chart.
Cardinal individuals are politically minded, and for most of the Dalai Lama’s life, the weight has been on his shoulders to strategize the outcome and governance of his displaced people. More than for his dedication to the Tibetan cause or his primary Buddhist teachings he will be remembered in history as a personification of compassion in his own person.
THE TEMPERAMENT TYPE
One’s overall response to life in general is determined by the Temperament Type,3 defined by the planetary patterns the planets form when viewed geocentrically. The planets arrange themselves into seven basic patterns around the horoscopic wheel, with the pattern formed at the moment of one’s first breath determining the overall temperament of an individual. The patterns first used by the British astrologer Charles Carter were called the Bundle, Bowl, and See-Saw. In the mid-20th century, Marc Edmund Jones expanded the number to seven to include what he named the Bucket, Splash, Locomotive, and Splay. He went on to define each of the seven in far greater detail than had been explained previously. The Dalai Lama’s horoscope forms a Locomotive Temperament, which along with the Splay is based on a division of the circle by three, making the pattern and characteristics of the native more complex than the five patterns based on a division of 360 degrees by two.
The Locomotive temperament builds on the possibility of a Grand Trine in a chart as it encourages a pyramiding development of personality. The soul projects itself through the Cutting or Leading planet and in the Dalai Lama’s chart that planet is Saturn, which becomes High Focus. Saturn’s powerful conservative influence in the profound focus of a Locomotive urges the Dalai Lama to follow the strict traditions of Buddhism.
The Locomotive is characterized by a driving force that is spurred on and further developed by the ever-spiraling and revolving Grand Trine, given thrust by the High Focus leading planet in an opposition aspect with any other planet. In the Dalai Lama’s chart, Saturn moves in the direction of the open trine to project the personality onto its environment. The Dalai Lama’s driving and persistent mission is to help humanity deeply understand the way of Buddhism through compassion and kindness toward others. Saturn’s keyword is Sensitiveness, and it is associated with the practice of meditation that leads to the spiritual attributes of self-awareness and patience.
The specifics of the pattern show a well-constructed Grand Trine in fairly tight orb that strengthens its thrust through Leading Saturn and its opposition with the Moon and Neptune. The opposition does not have a squaring planet and so leaves the High Focus planet uncontested by any Point Focus planet of a possible T Cross.
SELF-DETERMINATION
The ten planets are divided into pairs; the Sun and Moon are the planetary pair of Vitality, Jupiter and Saturn are the pair of Motivation, Mars and Venus are Efficiency, and Uranus and Neptune are the planets of Significance. Mercury and Pluto are supernumerary with Mercury belonging to the pair of Efficiency and Pluto to the pair of Significance. It is most favorable to have two of the pairs in major aspect and two not so that the individual needs only to integrate two prominent modes of interaction to have ease in determining the self’s focus in life. The chart of the Dalai Lama has all planetary pairs in major aspects, causing the psyche to become overfilled with possibilities that create a plethora of outer involvements with which to engage and integrate into cohesive activity. There is often a feeling of becoming inept with too much internal and environmental stimulus and opportunity. However, analyzing the pairs and choosing two out of the four to be prominent helps to focus the attention on a specific direction to counter any confusion caused by overstimulation. There are special techniques found in the chapter on Self-Ordering in the Essentials of Astrological Analysis that show how to determine which two are the more prominent of the four.
Saturn and Jupiter are the planetary pair of Motivation. Conscious sensitivity to high moral standards becomes a prominent motivation when this pair stands out over the other pairs. Saturn forms a trine to Jupiter and is in High Focus as the Leading planet. Saturn’s role is meditative and reflective, illuminating one’s attitudes and behaviors within one’s own mind. When experiencing conscious pain, it is due to Saturn’s pressure to face unsuspected errors in behavior needing correction through recognition of personal shortcomings. Adopting an attitude of acceptance and surrender to this humbling process results in the release of the pressure of conscience. Suppressing the truth about oneself to avoid a painful conscience is escapism. When one accepts one’s limitations, psychological obstacles become stepping stones to future spiritual expansion. Jupiter as the positive and outward ambassador of the personality works hand-in-hand with Saturn’s double-checking in the continuous correction process of the soul. The Dalai Lama performs spiritual practices that include regular meditation which is synonymous with the meaning of the planet Saturn and a characteristic of Tibetan culture itself. Jupiter and Saturn in trine aspect indicate a Loose Destiny. The Dalai Lama has made use of the ease of self-expression without the sometimes lack of moral conscience often observed in individuals with lesser aspiration.
The keyword for Saturn in normal strength is Sensitiveness, but when emphasized in High Focus, the keyword becomes Shrewd. The Dalai Lama has had to use his subjective ingenuity toward Chinese officials who oppose his birthright. His Holiness has had to be shrewd in the way he approaches his “enemies,” and applies the Buddhist principles of forgiveness, non-violence and compassion toward those who have violently infringed upon his domain. True to the nature of the expanding water element, the Dalai Lama’s exile has worked to the world’s advantage. Had he only been able to rule and lead in his own remote country, without interference from outside forces, he would not have become an overwhelming influence for the good of the world. His philosophical beliefs are supported by his most tolerant and gracious host and adopted country India, and have brought spiritual progress to an otherwise limited outreach. The Dalai Lama also has expanded his understanding of spirituality through exposure to Hinduism which has made him even more capable of being considered a world leader, as opposed to simply a leader of the limited community of Tibetans.
THE MODE OF SELF-INTEGRATION
When a chart has all planetary pairs in major aspects, the determination of the Self-Integration is chosen through symmetry and weight within the planetary Gestalt. The Dalai Lama’s chart shows that Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and Neptune pairs are forming interesting symmetrical patterning. Both pairs are in trine with their “partners” and cross over the north and south hemispheres. Mars and Venus and the Sun and Moon pairs also create symmetry but do not integrate the two separate segments of the horoscope. All four pairs form major aspect relationships to create a complex and extremely interesting configuration. However, it is essential to discard two of the four pairs in order to influence a native to draw their conscious attention to the two that will assist in bringing a satisfactory mode of self-integration within easy reach. Out of the six possible Modes of Integration, the Dalai Lama is categorized as Subjective Function. This means that the Dalai Lama is a person who ultimately follows his own counsel. He turns within to confer with his own conscience and responds to external challenges with a comprehension based on his own wisdom and experience. A person with the opposite mode is considered Objective Function can easily follow the direction of others and is often content with bonding with their work and projects. To be subjective in function is very fitting for one who must play a leadership role in the guidance of others.
FOCAL DETERMINATORS
The Grand Trine is a Focal Determinator that has very tight orbs in the chart of the Dalai Lama. The free-flowing water sign element encourages the native to expand his presence outwardly to embrace and be embraced by all with whom he comes in contact – that is the nature of water, to permeate, absorb and expand. When a Grand Trine is present in a Locomotive pattern it gives the Leading or Cutting planet the power to project the message/meaning of the entire configuration of planets into the open space of the empty trine. The result is an ability possessed by the native to project their will, character, and purpose onto others. Saturn leads all the planetary energies into the empty trine and so becomes High Focus and therefore the most important Focal Determinator in the chart. The highly focused, superpowered Saturn amplifies its archetypal nature in terms of self-awareness and self-control, accompanied by an ultra-reflective personal consciousness. Moral standards take residence in life and rigorous discipline is the way to hold to his beliefs. The Grand Trine offers the pyramiding and ever-increasing powers which assures that the native will have little resistance in the projection of his psychic onto all who are touched by his grace. The Grand water trine is a sign of advanced spiritual achievement expressing itself in the present incarnation.
Often astrologers believe that the Grand Trine can be a detriment because of its nature to groove into patterns of negativity in contrast to the equal possibility of creating positive habitual behavior. What the Grand Trine actually represents is a degree of harmony achieved from past incarnations. With the Dalai Lama’s practice and deep understanding, this Focal Determinator gives him an outlet for the continuous manifestation of enlightening reason as the first response to daily challenges that the opposition from Saturn to Moon and Neptune present.
The Grand Trine endows flowing ease and approachability and creates a driving force of personality, backed by the power of the Locomotive pattern, and the caution of Saturn at the helm allows for precise dissemination of wisdom. The water signs are permeable, receptive, and sensitive to feeling and compassion, especially when in the sign of Pisces. As the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people in exile, he must remain strong in his beliefs and practices and present a message that encourages his people to adhere to their ancient roots. If the birth time is correct, then the placement of the Leading planet and sign are in the all-important 10th house of Authority among men and a truly inspiring leader of mankind.
At age 6, progressed Jupiter stationed direct, corresponding to the enthronement ceremony held in Lhasa.
THE HISTORICAL LAMA
The Dalai Lama was recognized and enthroned when he was just five years old The event corresponds to the progressed Jupiter station-direct, shown in the ephemeris of July 1935 – five days after birth. Each day after birth is equal to each year of life. The planets in the ephemeris for age five are calculating the planets’ movement for the 5th year of life, and so on. The station of Jupiter symbolically represents the laying of responsibility as a leader on the mere child; the paternal benefactor-to-be. Progressed Stationary Jupiter proclaimed the coming stewardship of a man who would shine light and good fortune, and profess compassion for all people everywhere. Jupiter is the guru, the teacher on a scale of holy possibility.
Progressed stations represent a pause in time and space to rearrange things, within and without, in the greater journey of continuous personal growth. The official enthronement ceremony, however, as the spiritual and political leader of Tibet took place on November 17, 1950, in Lhasa when Lhamo Thondup was to become the Dalai Lama. The progressed Saturn at the time was completing its opposition to the birth Moon as foreseen in the natal potentials. The exact aspect brought the leader into his responsibilities at the tender age of fifteen.
Marc Edmund Jones, in his Scope of Astrological Prediction states:
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.
THE SABIAN SYMBOLS
The Sabian Symbol for the High Focus Saturn Leading in the Locomotive pattern of the Dalai Lama’s chart is Men seeking illumination. This is a remarkable example of how the symbols can at times manifest in literal fashion. A portion of the symbol from Sabian Symbols in Astrology states:
Pisces 11 Men Seeking illumination This is the symbol of the immortality of man as dramatized in some form of an apostolic succession, or living tradition of spiritual achievement. The divine spirit is fundamentally a matrix of itself, since its continuance depends on its unswerving maintenance of the purity of motive and expression it has contributed to the humanity it has created in its own image. . . . When positive, the degree is high accomplishment in an effective alignment with ultimate reality.
The “apostolic succession” mentioned in the symbol’s definition gives confirmation to the way in which Dalai Lamas are chosen. They are assigned their lofty position directly from descending spiritual forbearers. It is truly stunning how the symbol describes Tibetan culture’s lineage procedure.
July 17, 1989, was the year representing the high point of a life’s work when the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Prize for Peace. This was a very special year for the Dalai Lama in that the very important Progressed Lunation is at its exact point in time and very close to the following Progressed Lunar Return. These aspects also include the Part of Fortune at 5 degrees Virgo, A man dreaming of fairies.
According to Marc Edmund Jones, “The Part of Fortune is your special horizon of success and it will give a significant insight into the potentials of accomplishment through the sign, house, and symbolical degree where it is found.”
5 degrees Virgo is unique in the 360-degree possibilities, as this particular one is a member of a handful of degrees that reflect an air of other-worldliness because they are represented by images of imaginative creatures such as fairies, elves, and the like. They are referred to as Elfin degrees by Marc Edmund Jones, and in this case, the symbol describes the incarnation of a special soul, not able to live for himself alone, but as the manifestation of something greater than himself.
Nativities with these degrees are often obligated to be of service to others just as the Dalai Lama exemplifies a great candidate and representative of that purpose. Not all individuals understand the calling when possessing these degrees, and instead may fall short of the required capacity for sacrifice. However, the Dalai Lama is not only qualified to be a leader in the furthering of human development, but as the symbol implies, his character is ever imagining and dreaming of the perfect world of compassionate understanding.
There are subtle vibrations associated with “fairy” degrees. It is like the difference between standard broadcasting and cable connections. The cable can tune into higher frequencies, as people with fairy degrees can tune into higher electromagnetic vibrations. The degree should always refer to the planet or point that coordinates with it, and if it is a Focal Determinator or simply a random point in the horoscope it will be strengthened or weakened respectively.
A Progressed Lunation is a powerful aspect with powerful consequences for good or difficult times. There is usually a period of 3 years where there is a closing of old ways and an opening of new opportunities. There is also the tendency for a crisis to arise during this time, because the ego wants to hold on to the past, and the Progressed Lunation is a time of rebirth and new cycles symbolized by a new seed of life is being planted. Here in the chart and life of the Dalai Lama is an epic and rewarding moment, and it is further enhanced by the Progressed Lunation taking place at one of the very few Elfin degrees.
The Dalai Lama was also awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor on October 17, 2007 for extraordinary service during the George W. Bush administration. The aspects of import at the time were progressed Venus conjunct natal Moon and transit Saturn opposite natal Saturn.
When reviewing the chart of the Dalai Lama, it is apparent that he was born for a special purpose. The native of the horoscope has well expressed the profound potentials revealed by the unique configurations analyzed in this astrological report.
Jupiter, SCORPIO 14 Telephone linemen at work This is a symbol of the interconnection which links all phases of existence with all others, and of man’s special genius for expanding the relationship between the most widely separated and distinctive aspects of experience. Implicit in the symbolism is a responsibility on the part of all higher life for all lower, and a faithfulness of all lesser things to the requirements of the greater. Here is emphasis on self-specialization as the root mode of all individual being. The keyword is AITACHMENT. When positive, the degree is an effective penetration of human competence into each pertinent complex of everyday living, and when negative, unnecessary concern over the affairs of others.
Mars, LIBRA 19 A gang of robbers in hiding This is a symbol of the periodic exercise of man’s freedom of spirit and soul in a complete if often unhappy deviation from his normal impulses or attitudes, dramatized here on the side of a practical or everyday self-fulfillment. Emphasis is on every person’s disturbing capacity for antisocial or even self-perverted practices, or for self-involvement in potentials which may have imaginative but hardly intelligent sustainment in his consciousness. The reversed symbolism reveals his need for initiative, and for a more challenging perspective. The keyword is DIVERGENCE. When positive, the degree is alertness to every threat against a true
individuality, and when negative, abnormal mistrust of everything worthwhile.
Neptune, Virgo 13 A strong hand supplanting political hysteria This is a
symbol of the real weight of human personality as emphasized
here by the direct intervention of outstanding individuals in
the affairs of their follows. They must provide an over-all
ordering for each moment of history if it is to count for much
in the lives of the others around them, since there is always a
counsel of confusion to take over when events are allowed to
drift or when the immediate leadership proves deficient. The
greatest opportunity for self-discovery lies in the transient
crises of everyday living. The keyword is POWER. When positive, the degree is consistent effectiveness in dramatizing personal potentials, and when negative, loss of all opportunity by
timid action.
Moon, VIRGO 11 A boy molded in his mother’s aspiration for him This is a
symbol of the immortality of man as dramatized in his physical
heredity, or in a succession of tangible achievements and
possessions down through a family line. The soul is
fundamentally a matrix of itself, since in a sense the ideals it
holds create its outer habiliments among its kind and contribute
to its embodiment on some congenial plane of human affairs.
The coming of the self into experience is always in response to
these inner and almost irrevocable compulsions. The keyword
is EXACTION. When positive, the degree is personal excellence
sustained in its own creative consciousness, and when negative,
insensitive conformity to superficialities.
Venus, LEO 29 A mermaid This is a symbol of humanity’s insatiable
appetite for experience on the side of psychological selfassurance, and of the nascent eagerness of the soul for a
private and personal participation in every possible facet of
self-fulfillment. There is an ineradicable purity of man’s makeup at core, and inconsequence an ultimate repudiation of all
the compromises which seem to be demanded in everyday
relationships. The individual forever seeks and responds to the
creative needs of life itself. The keyword is IMPORTUNITY. When
positive, the degree is a completeness of quickening to inner
instincts of the being and a real willingness to trust them, and
when negative, a lack of discrimination and an awkward insensitivity.
Sun, CANCER 13 One hand slightly flexed with a very prominent thumb This
is a symbol of that belief in his inherent supremacy over all
other orders of nature by which man is characterized most
fundamentally, dramatized by his quite normal confidence in
his ability to deal with every eventuality of day-by-day activity
and relationship. Any individual must rule his environment or
surrender his own potentialities forever. Here is practicality
brought to the point of ruthlessness. The keyword is
DETERMINATION. When positive, the degree is exceptional
steadiness and a high sense of self-responsibility in every issue
of the moment, and when negative, unnecessary
aggressiveness and a self-defeating shortsightedness.
Pluto, CANCER 26 Contentment and happiness in luxury, people
reading on davenports This is a symbol of a pure mastery of
experience in its outer aspect, and of a full capitalization on the
potentials of all being in a personal and ultimately immortal
realization. The static symbolism is a warning against idle selfindulgence, and an emphasis on the fact that any lessening of
practical responsibility is primarily a can to self-strengthening
and a prelude to some greater outreaching. The keyword is
REPOSE. When positive, the degree is a relaxation valuable for
the momentary sustainment of human aspiration whenever it is
strained beyond its powers of self-regeneration, and when
negative, the loss of all reality in a needless softness of living.
Mercury, GEMINI 26 Winter frost in the woods This is a symbol of the
cosmic significance in any momentary cancellation of the
more immediate interests and private concerns, and the emphasis is on the supremacy of the needs and powers of nature
over the aspirations and conveniences of man. Implicit in the
static symbolism is the call for a reorientation in the individual’s point of view, and for some further discovery of the
self’s potentials. Normal life is brought to a point of sharp
suspension so that the larger magic may be manifest. The keyword is SPLENDOR. When positive, the degree is the
creative transformation by which older cycles give way to
newer ones, and when negative, a reduction of the useless to a
total annihilation.
Uranus, TAURUS 5 A widow at an open grave This is a symbol of the
impermanence of physical things whenever man permits reality to come to center in the static representation, and thus
neglects the creative contribution through which he has
responsibility for the larger whole. Implicit in the reversed
symbolism is the need for an inner and constant return to
every enduring value achieved by the self, and for a complete
and immediate release from all outworn elements of
experience. The keyword is REORIENTATION. When positive,
the degree is man’s genius for personal aplomb or an effective
transcendence of disappointment and delay in an ever-spiraling self-discovery, and when negative, surrender to
frustration or descent to ineptitude.
Saturn, PISCES 11 Men seeking illumination This is a symbol of the
immortality of man as dramatized in some form of an apostolic
succession, or a living tradition of spiritual achievement. The
divine spirit is fundamentally a matrix of itself, since its continuance depends on its unswerving maintenance of the purity
in motive and expression which it has contributed to the humanity it has created in its own image. The emergence of the
human self into experience is similarly a manifestation of the
potentialities to which it must devote itself to be itself. The
keyword is DEDICATION. When positive, the degree is high accomplishment in an effective alignment with ultimate reality,
and when negative, obvious hypocrisy.
*For an example where the laws of the physical world do not apply concerning the retrograde motion of planets, see blog post: Retrograde Planets Prove Universe is Mind
From NobelPrize.org: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/lama-facts.html
From his exile in India, the religious and political leader the Dalai Lama has since 1959 stood at the head of the nonviolent opposition to China’s occupation of Tibet.
When the Nobel Committee chose the Dalai Lama, it emphasized that he based his Buddhist peace philosophy on reverence for all living things and the idea of a universal responsibility that embraces both man and nature. It weighed heavily in the Tibetan leader’s favor that he had shown a willingness to compromise and seek reconciliation despite brutal violations.
The award of the Peace Prize gave the Dalai Lama the opportunity to present a plan for the restoration of peace and human rights in Tibet. In the plan, he recommended that the country be turned into an ecologically stable and demilitarized zone that might serve as a buffer between major Asian powers. The object was to set in motion serious negotiations on the future status of Tibet, but this was rejected by the Chinese government.
ation 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.
