Saturday 29 March 2014

Eclipse Aspects to Natal Planets: The Narrative of Change

by April Elliott Kent

Chances are, your birth chart contains at least one planetary configuration so dreadful that astrologers take one look and gasp: “How do you live with that?”

And you shrug. Because it’s like having been born with blue eyes or red hair: that’s the way it’s always been for you, so you’re pretty much used to it, much the way one gets used to a throbbing arthritic joint. A hypothetically awful aspect is your cross to bear, as Sister Rita used to say. But the very aspects that inspire terror in the casual observer are, potentially, your treasure.
Planets woven together by difficult aspects are as strong as steel. They represent problems you can’t ignore, and conflicts that chew at you until you find a resolution – or at least détente. They describe your defining attributes; and each time an eclipse scores a glancing blow off these aspects (about every four and a half years), you’re given another chance to become a little bit more … you.

So not even the most unpleasant natal aspect is inherently awful. And despite the unease they inspire, neither are eclipses. Some are part of a larger and more daunting planetary picture with global implications. Personally, however, we tend to experience eclipses most strongly when they form close aspects (especially conjunctions, squares, and oppositions) to planets in our birth chart. Each time an eclipse aspects one of the planetary crosses that you bear, a narrative of change emerges – one that is repeated over and over throughout your lifetime.
Unless an eclipse triggers these high-tension natal aspects, or falls very close to the cusps of the first, fourth, seventh, or tenth houses, you are likely to experience its influence as relatively subtle, like the flutter of a leaf in a chilling breeze. But let one of your more sensitive aspects get triggered, and it’s the difference between a doctor checking your reflexes during an exam and hammering an arthritic knee.
  • Eclipse aspecting the natal Sun: If life is a movie, the Sun is the protagonist – however flawed – for whom we cheer. Each of us is born to be the hero of our own life story; but often, timidity or false modesty persuades us to hand over that role to others. When eclipses aspect your natal Sun, you are thrust into the starring role – and if you’re not used to it, that can be uncomfortable.
  • Eclipses aspecting the natal Moon – From the moment we’re ripped from mom’s womb, we seek to reclaim the security and safety that we knew there. We feather our nests, stock the pantry with foods we like, and surround ourselves with people who make us feel comfortable. But when eclipses aspect the natal Moon, something – a new living situation, a change in health – may leave you feeling as exposed as a crab with her shell cracked open.
  • Eclipses aspecting Mercury: How do you define yourself? Usually, it begins with a name. Then, with your rank in the family pecking order, on the playground, in the workplace. Finally, numbers (grades in school, numbers on a paycheck) define you. When eclipses aspect natal Mercury, the god of definition, prepare for a change in your name, rank, or serial number – and for a change in how you define yourself.
  • Eclipses aspecting Venus: If only each of us were endowed with flawless confidence, great relationships, bountiful self-esteem, and oodles of cash! Eclipse aspects to Venus remind us that world will not always give us the treatment, whether kind or cruel, that we think we deserve.
  • Eclipses aspecting Mars: Mars is a trained, ruthless guard dog that answers only to you. He guards you and your home, defends your reputation, and helps you get all the cool things that you want. When eclipses aspect natal Mars, the watch dog is stirred up and straining at his leash; get what’s yours, but don’t let anyone get hurt.
  • Eclipses aspecting Jupiter: When was the last time you had an adventure? When eclipses aspect Jupiter, you’re itching to take a chance, to feel the thrill of being completely alive. These can be times when you overreach out of sheer optimism; but they are also moments when your life jumps tracks and starts moving in a new direction.
  • Eclipses aspecting Saturn: When eclipses aspect Saturn, you may feel worn out and discouraged. Probably, you’ve outgrown your life or are playing by outdated rules. But you’ll never get anywhere by blaming others for your problems. Regardless of how things got this way, what are you going to do to make your life better?
  • Eclipses aspecting Uranus: When eclipses aspect Uranus, you may feel like a misfit – and that can hurt. Recognizing who your friends are (and aren’t), and looking for a tribe that lets you be yourself, is the challenge of these eclipses.
  • Eclipses aspecting Neptune: These eclipses compel you to examine your blind spots, question your faith, and dispute what you previously thought was indisputable. If you’ve been fooling yourself – like a wife who ignores the signs that her husband has strayed, or the man who is disillusioned by his womanizing guru – these eclipses can deliver a wakeup call.
  • Eclipses aspecting Pluto: In each of us, there is a dark side. There are feelings that are unworthy of us – rage, jealousy, fear, covetousness. They weaken us, making us slaves to our emotions and to people who are more self-possessed. When eclipses aspect Pluto, we meet that dark self and the others who embody it for us, grappling with power and the need for control.
Combine these descriptions to better understand the sensitive points in your own chart that will be awakened by the upcoming eclipses on April 15, 2014 (lunar eclipse at 25.16 Libra) and April 28, 2014 (solar eclipse at 8.52 Taurus). If a planet in your birth chart, or the Ascendant/Midheaven, falls:
  • between about 21 to 29 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn (April 15), or
  • between about 5 and 14 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius (April 28)
your reflexes will be working overtime… and that arthritic knee is going to be really, really sore.


Saturday 22 March 2014

Love and The Declination of the Progressed Moon

by Luc De Jaeger, Cosmic Technologies (CosmiTec)

Some astronomers and scientists claim that astrology is flawed because from their perspective there are 13 signs instead of the common 12 which most Western astrologers use.

The horoscope division in 12 signs of 30° each is unreal to them.

Not only do they forget (intentionally or not) that there is a difference between the Constellations and the zodiac signs (which they very often mix up) but they also neglect the fact that the division in 12 zodiac signs of 30° each (also called the Tropical Zodiac) has a very natural reason.

The Tropical Zodiac, which most Western astrologers use, is based upon the annual movement of the Sun north and south of the celestial equator.

The Sun's movement starts at the equator (at 0° declination) at the spring equinox and the Sun then travels through the Northern Hemisphere for about three months until it reaches its highest declination above the equator (which is 0° Cancer).

It then proceeds and moves downwards towards the equator again until it crosses the equator (which is 0° Libra) and heads further south till it reaches its lowest declination (which corresponds with 0° Capricorn) and goes way up again to cross the equator again around the Vernal point (0° Aries).

And so the cycle repeats.

In other words, the Sun's movement along the equator marks all our seasons and builds the cornerstone of the Tropical Zodiac and the division of the horoscope wheel in segments or sectors of 30° each.

Not to make it too difficult, it's this path of the Sun, the Moon and the other planets, which is called declination, that interests us here.

It was the German astrologer Reinhold Ebertin who did quite some research and used the declinations in his astrological work (published among others in his book 'Applied Cosmobiology').

He even used the declination midpoints!

Ebertin found a 'simple' way to show the planets' movements along the equator on a Graphic Ephemeris which is commonly called the Lifespan Declination Graph or Lifetime Graph.

Aside from the transiting declinations, he also calculated the declinations of all the progressed planets and bodies to find the milestones in life.

Many other astrologers followed in his footsteps and have researched the (secondary) progressed planets in declination and especially the progressed Moon (with the key of 1 day after birth = 1 year after birth) in declination.

They all found that particular positions of the secondary progressed Moon in declination coincided with life-changing events and/or experiences.

In particular the following positions indicate important changes:
  • the progressed Moon crossing the equator (at 0° declination)

  • the progressed Moon at its highest declination North
  • the progressed Moon at its lowest declination South

  • The peaks and the crossings are powerful turning points in life, indicating childbirths, moves, job changes, divorces or important separations and are especially telling the story of your (family and love) life.

    We can only confirm these findings.

    Things become yet more interesting and powerful when the progressed Moon reaches its peak (North or South) and goes beyond 23°26' (which is the Sun's boundaries).

    When planets go beyond the 23°26' mark, thus go beyond the Sun's boundaries, they are told to be 'out of bounds' and become more powerful and more 'extreme' in their manifestation.

    Such out of bounds planets (or the Moon) become independent, often uncontrollable, extraordinary and 'beyond normal.'

    When the progressed Moon is out of bounds, it's thus going to bring some events to happen that are beyond expectation.

    When the Moon reaches its rare maximum declination of 28°45' North or South, it's at her major standstill, resulting in huge personal changes.

    For now and in conclusion, keep in mind that the secondary progressed Moon in declination marks highly powerful turning points in life when it peaks or crosses the celestial equator.

    Always look at both the direct progressed declinations and the converse progressed declinations.

    If you find a peak or a crossing in both the direct and converse Graphs at the same moment in time, expect something really BIG and important to change the life of the person profoundly.


    We mentioned that the crossing (at 0° declination) and the highest declinations (North or South) represent turning points and milestones in one's life.

    Most astrology software programs are able to calculate the positions of the planets and points in declination.

    It's best to have the progressed Moon's position in declination shown in a graph.

    Some software programs have a graph with the Equator (horizontal 0° line) in the middle and the North declinations above the 0° line, the declinations South below the 0° line.

    Other programs show the 0° line (Equator) at the bottom and print the declination lines North or South above the horizontal Equator in different colors or thickness.

    If you have no software program with this feature, you can still get your progressed Moon in declination graphs from Astrodienst.

    Just follow the instructions below:

  • Select 'Free Horoscopes' in the left navigation bar, top left
  • Choose 'Horoscope Drawings & Calculations'
  • Choose 'Extended Chart Selection'
  • Login or enter the birth information by following the instructions on the screen
  • In the 'Extended Chart Selection' window, click on the 'Special Charts' link next to the "Methods:"
  • In the 'Select the type of chart you want' drop-down menu, just scroll down and find the 'Ebertin's Life Diagram, Progressed declinations' option
  • In the 'options' heading, make sure you enter a start date
  • Then, click on the blue 'Click here to show the chart' button
  • The (very) light blue line is the (direct) progressed Moon in declination line

  • The graph shows the crossings of the Equator (0° declination) at the bottom and the highest declinations (North and South) are at the top of the Graph.

    Now let's take a look at some random examples to illustrate the principles.

    Recently (early January 2014), Francois Hollande , the French president, admitted having an affair, resulting in the separation from his wife.

    When looking at his direct progressed Moon in declination graph, you will be stunned to find out that late December 2013, the progressed Moon in declination crossed the Equator (at 0° declination) denoting a turning point in his life.

    Most often, the progressed Moon crossing the Equator coincides with separations (in a wide sense).

    Another example is Frank Sinatra , who married in February 1939 when the progressed Moon in declination was at its highest declination South.

    He remarried in November 1951 when the progressed Moon in declination was at its maximum North.

    Sarah Ferguson , the British Duchess of York who married Prince Andrew in July 1986, did so when the progressed Moon in declination crossed the Equator at 0° declination.

    The British soccer player David Beckham , married spice girl Victoria Adams in July 1999 when the progressed Moon in declination was in maximum declination South!

    Bill Gates , one of the founders of Microsoft Corp. and still one of the richest men in the world, married on January 1, 1994 when the progressed Moon in declination crossed the Equator (0° declination).

    Julia Roberts got twins in November 2004 when the progressed Moon in declination was at maximum South declination.