The Meanings of Many Words Are Derived From Astrology

Further, the qualities of the planetary gods inform our literary vocabulary. Jovial is of the qualities of Jove (Jupiter), Martial is of the military or warlike qualities of Mars. Lunatic is of the qualities of the Luna, the Moon. A Saturnine disposition is a dour one, derived from the energies of Saturn. Venereal (as in a social disease) comes from the name of the planetary goddess, Venus. Indeed, many words we use come from the names of the planets and qualities that the planets represent. I am sure that you, the reader, will recognize these words in literature if you pay attention.

Connection in stories, visions and more

The astrological connection is in our stories, visions, dreams, mythology and religion. An example, perhaps only obvious to a practitioner of astrology, is in the Book of Revelations. We recognize astrological symbolism in Revelation 4:6.

Revelations 4:6

“6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night…. “

What is the connection to astrology in the verses above?

The twelve signs of the zodiac circle include four fixed signs, four mutable signs and four cardinal signs. The fixed signs are the anchors, the signs that hold the energy. The mutable signs are the changeable signs and the cardinal signs are the initiators. The four fixed signs include Aquarius the Water Bearer (a man), Leo the Lion, Taurus the Bull (or Ox) and Scorpio, which we know as a scorpion, a snake or, in Scorpio’s highest and most spiritual manifestation, as an Eagle.

We see the same group in Ezekial 1:10

Ezekial 1:10

Ezekiel 1:10 “As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.“

The Magi Were Astrologers

The story of the Christ child and the crèche statues that we see all around at Christmas attest to the journey of the Magi. Although translations of the Bible called them the Wise Men, the actual translation of the Greek means “astrologers”. Astrologers came from the East to greet the Christ child. This story attests to the fact that astrologers were considered so important that their inclusion in the story of the Christ child gives credence to it.

Learn the keywords for the planets, signs, houses and aspects. The keywords are short phrases or single words that describe. A planet may have hundreds of keywords. For sure, the more keywords you learn, the more you will learn the fabulous depth and breadth of the art of interpretation. The cool things is that you can read a book as old as Chaucer’s Tales or read up on current events and you will be able to connect the planets to the story.

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Learning the keywords for each house will be essential for understanding what area of life is represented.

The Houses Keywords

The Planets

What is transiting the houses? Well, planets. Each planet has its own nature, its own interest, its own personality. If planets were people, Venus is the sensual femme fatale, Mars is the athlete or warrior, Jupiter is a good natured world traveler or the know-all guru, who rules himself, Saturn is the wet blanket who finds the problems and mentions them when the other planets want to party. Mercury is either reading a book or talking to everybody about everything at once while going quickly from one person to another giving them messages and telling gossipy tales. The moon is either gloriously shining with a silvery light, casting a magnetic glow over the party, or she is crying on the couch, covered with a dark blanket, her exquisitely sensitive feelings having been hurt by a rude guest. The sun is shining brightly, blinding some of the guests while fascinating others with his talent.

The heavies were not invited to the parties of the ancients, but since science discovered them, they insist on an invitation. When Uranus enters the room, the crystal breaks or the guests scatter in different directions for no apparent reason. Neptune comes in with a bong and drinks, promising instant enlightenment if you just take a toke. Then Pluto torches the whole place. The next day a phoenix rises from the ashes, and the world dream begins again.

What is the planet doing in that house, how does it act there?

We combine the nature of the particular planet with the part of life represented by the house it is in to get an idea of what is being triggered in the transit. We look in the ephemeris to see the movement and how long this sojourn in a particular house with last and when will it end.

Each planet’s sojourn in a house is affected by the planet’s affinity with a house. Some planets are more comfortable in certain houses than others. Just as planets are more comfortable or can express themselves better in certain houses than others, planets have affinity for certain signs, as well. When a planet is not in a house or a sign with which it has affinity, the planet does not express its unique qualities with as much success as it would have in better placements.

What is the transiting planet doing to your natal planet(s)

We also look at the relationship between the transiting planet and the natal planets in the birth chart. Are they in a significant angular relationship with one another? Are there other planets connected by an angular relationship? Where are they? That will be part of the picture too.

Learn the Keywords!

Learn the keywords for the houses, learn the keywords for planets, learn the keywords for the signs, and learn the keywords for the angles and you will be able to put together a word picture of what is happening in your own chart. Many astrological textbooks have keyword lists. A old book I own “The A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator” has an extensive list of words that, reading though, really enhanced my understanding of astrology.

The post Why I look at the houses of the transits first. appeared first on Reflections.

Natal Complexity

Of course I don’t mean that someone or anyone has a bad chart.  But some charts have such disparate juxtapositions of key planets in elements and modalities, that it would be very hard to find a partner who would complement the entire chart in every way. Back to my analogy to cooking, some foods may have such complex flavors that they would be hard to combine with a similarly complex flavored ingredient.

Other Significant Relationships

As a caring person, I look at both the synastry and  composite charts to understand the relationship focus.  I also look at the current transita to the partners’ charts to see what transitory issues are unfolding and when they might be resolved.Where is the complex blending, the sweet spot, tasty to both partners?

Though the romantic partner relationship is key, it is but one of many relationships we cultivate over our lifetime. Relationships with our early caregivers, mom, dad, siblings, extended family, teachers and friends are highly significant. I urge you to look at those relationships with care and focus, through the tools of astrology. You can choose from many options to see your chart(s) at astro.com.

Planetary Pairings

For marriage as a romantic sexual union, Venus and Mars are the most important to be good aspect to each other.  But marriages also embody other types of relating or responsibilities. If it’s about nurturing children, then we would want to see Sun -Moon harmony and some nurturing and responsibility aspects.  If a person has a strong Mercury and an intellectual need for a communicative partner, then Mercury aspects take precedence.  An older or sick person might need a partner who is more of a caregiver, then we see the strong harmonious Neptune or 12th house connection.  Sports aficionados and social leaders will be looking toward Mars and Jupiter.  Partnerships that focus on competitions like tennis would have first house, seventh house, Aries, and Libra highlighted.

Life Stages

As we go through different stages in our lives, it’s important to take our stage of  life into consideration when comparing charts.  The difference between a person’s  value system or sense of self after the first or second Saturn return can be quite dramatic.  Relationships based on a value system that has become outdated may  need to find a new focus of communication and sharing.

The Transits Can Alter Our View of Our Relationships

Depending on your own chart, some transits can really alter your perception of your role or your partner’s role in the relation, as well as alter your view of what kind of relationship you want or need. I wrote a short blog post you can find here.

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Complementary Practices

The practice of yoga, with its postures, meditation, breath work and mantra, gives the opportunity to find equanimity amid changes, to be able to dive down, however temporarily, into that deep still part of oneself that knows not sadness, excitement, or fear.

The study of astrology gives the gift of using the mind. The mental questioning part of oneself, the part that thinks about problems and fears, will learn to identify the patterns which correlate with the changeable moods, feelings and thoughts. Astrology allows us to categorize and analyze patterns that correlate with our mental, emotional and physical states. The transitory part of ourselves, the thinking and feeling part that has opinions, takes on challenges, feels pain and expresses itself as separate and different from others becomes a field of self-observation.

Our idiosyncrasies, our uniqueness, strengths, talents, and challenges reveal themselves more clearly through the lens of this ancient complex and fascinating system.

Time to Learn

If you, dear reader, haven’t yet delved into the practice of yoga, this is an opportune time to start. There are teachers everywhere, in person, online, in apps on the computer and smart phones, on DVDs, and books.
For learning astrology, there are webinars, online classes, podcasts, books, YouTube teachers, and organizations like the NCGR, with meetings in the larger urban areas.

An Era of Opportunities

We live in a time of great unfoldment and learning possibilities. From history we learn that times of great awakening and knowledge can end, sometimes abruptly.

As the Roman Empire gradually crumbled, the infrastructure of roads, protected by loyal soldiers, also crumbled. Roving bands of thieves harassed travelers. The increase in danger prevented  people from traveling, trading, and exchanging ideas. Safety was only found in sheltered fortress-like towns and in monasteries. Historians labeled that era the Dark Ages.

We don’t live in a Dark Age now, though in some urban areas, people are afraid to go out at night or to walk home from school in the afternoon. Life on this planet is changeable and unpredictable. Because opportunities right now are all around us, now, this present moment, is an excellent  time to grasp them.

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When Prince Harry was in the news a while ago, I looked up his birth chart and share here my short delineation.

If I did a cold reading of his chart, without knowing his name, profession or anything about him, here are some things I would notice and remark upon. I would see the Mars in Sagittarius, indicating that he likes to move his body freely, sports would include running, climbing, and any competitive tournaments. Since Sagittarius is a crusader at times, I would advise that he has the capacity to be ruthless in promoting or coercing others to adopt or harbor his philosophy or world views. With this Mars in the eleventh house, he applies this approach to society as a whole or his friends.

Smarter than He Seems

The next planet that I notice is his Mercury in Virgo. He isn’t stupid. Mercury in Virgo is an analyst and sometimes sharp with words. Combined with his Sun in the same sign, he is smarter than he seems, but too focused on details to see the big picture, often getting lost in minutiae, and he may alienate others with his sharp words. The mind here is analytical without vision. However, the position of these planets in the eighth house indicates that he has the capacity to go within, to drop out, to be alone and ponder. Jupiter and Neptune in the 12th house additionally indicate capacity, indeed need, to hide away and be alone. Here they also give capacity for secret philanthropy. Neptune and Jupiter here also expand psychic and emotional energies coming from deep within, can create self-imposed or community imposed isolation and seeking altered states of consciousness.

North and South Nodes

In this short analysis of his chart, I would note that the north and south node positions show a familiarity, though discomfort, with status and career with eventual comfort in home and later in ancestry. The moon in the fourth is a strong indicator of the importance of his mother (and father) in his life and his family in general.

Secret Philanthropy

Because the houses show where we “do” our lives and the planets and signs show what we do, here are my further thoughts:

He would benefit from doing actual secret philanthropy, charity behind the scenes, in institutions like hospitals or prisons. Family life suits him well. When I see several planets in the 8th house in someone’s chart, I often find out that death has made itself known to them in a tragic way. Facing endings, death, is a very hard lesson and the eighth house also asks us to embrace the “what’s next” and to recognize the cycle of life in all its aspects. That is why we associate the eighth house not only with death, but with sex, and recycling, and the renewal of anything by transformation into a new form. This could be a life work for the material, practical Virgo, who isn’t always able to envision the ineffable realities very well.

Seems that Prince Harry is voicing his desire to live his own chart, his written and spoken reality is congruent with this chart I see before me, right, wrong or indifferent, and his Virgo Mercury is doing the speaking.

I’ve written a short blog post about his royal relative Edward VIII at https://blog.carolynrelei.com/edward-viiis-impressions-of-ms-simpson/

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The screenshot below captures the intriguing point. View the article which contains the quote at https://mol.im/a/12673407

Now, let’s look at the chart itself!

Fascinated by the talkative, mercurial Wallace Simpson, Edward VIII’s impressions of Ms. Simpson read like a classic textbook of astrological keywords for Gemini. The interrelatedness of both of their Gemini planets fostered communication, travel, and connections. Of course, some of the travel is because of their position of near or actual exile. History hasn’t been very kind to this couple. Edward VIII’s moon in the first house in Pisces is a position of a psychic sponge and sometimes indicates a quitter or an individual who doesn’t have enough fight in him to see things through to a desired outcome. Though some call the quitting cowardice, I feel that the moon in Pisces often sees the world as an illusion. It wouldn’t be hard to quit something that interiorly seems at times to have so little substance.

If you are interested in the chart of a more modern royal, you will find my post by clicking blog.carolynrelei.com/prince-harry-in-the-news

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Acid Rock Music and Peace Marches

Returning from Europe in July 1966, after almost a year of travel, I was immersed in the San Francisco vibe.  This was the period of acid rock, Be-ins, the Oracle, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Jefferson Airplane. The venue was the Avalon Ballroom. Our friend, Woody, had a gig as the Master of Ceremonies at the Avalon.  Mentioning his name at the box office gave us free entry.   During the fall of 1966 through the spring of 1967, we went to the rock concerts weekly, seeing the above mentioned groups and many more.

Besides the rock concerts at the Avalon, there were anti-war demonstrations, marches and celebrations. We attended many of them, mostly by chance, simply by walking into Golden Gate Park or taking the bus to the Panhandle.

I wasn’t in the best of health then, having contracted amoebic dysentery in Egypt.  The antibiotics had stopped the virulence of it, but my body wasn’t dealing with food very well yet.

I Made Healing My Focus

My greatest desire was to have good health.  So on my “trips” I focused on my body, looking inward, asking what it needed  to be well.

My internal and external exploration for healing my body bore fruit. By the the summer of 1967, we were completely living a new lifestyle.  Early morning and late evening yoga practice, eating vegetarian food, mantra meditation, and walks to the ocean became a daily routine. The beach below Lincoln Park was relatively deserted in those days. On the beach we often sat patiently to watch barnacles catch their prey in the tide pools.

Our path was brightened by the luminaries who lived in San Francisco during that seminal period.  Influencers and teachers included A.C.Bhativadanta Swami, Richard Hittleman, Suzuki Roshi, Eknath Easwaran and Sivaram. Many swamis from India taught classes or gave lectures. Timothy Leary was there from time to time. Standing next to him in line one day, I sensed his energy to be nervous and scattered, quite unlike the disciplined energy of the teachers of yogic meditation that were sharing their wisdom with us.

Master Subramuniya’s Influence

There, too, was the relatively unknown yogi, Master Subramuniya, whose ashram was a few blocks from our apartment.  While we experienced many in-person classes with several of the  important spiritual influencers, we never met Master Subramuniya, though we attempted to attend events at his ashram on more than one occasion.

His influence, though, was through his guest appearances on a nighttime talk show. People called in to ask him questions about their experiences opening the doorways of perception with LSD or mescaline.  I remember one of Subramuniya Swami’s calm responses. He explained to the caller, based on the caller’s description of his experience, which chakra was being activated.  He explained the psychedelic experience through the lens of yogic states of consciousness. 

Explorers in a Strange Land

It’s probably hard to fathom that, in the 1960s, the effects of psychedelic drugs were little known to most people.  Like travelers in a land that hasn’t been mapped yet, we were all explorers.

And, while Timothy Leary made the news, others were quietly planting seeds of world views that would bear various kinds of fruit.

Though Subramuniya Swami did not introduce me to yoga, nor was he my guru, I want to acknowledge him in this blog as someone who made reasonable sense out of the chaos of experiences during that tumultuous time. You can learn more about him at the link below.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivaya_Subramuniyaswami

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Arne Trettevik: The star Shaman of South Palm Canyon and his art is the subject of the article linked above.

Several years ago Ann Japenga interviewed me. Ann is a writer based in Palm Springs. She wanted to know about the artist who painted the paintings that I was selling. My response piqued her interest enough that she wrote the above article.

Arne, the subject of Ann Japenga’s article, introduced me to the wonders of Mayan archaeological ruins. Until I saw his slides (photos), I didn’t know much about what Mexico and Central America offered. His seven month journey in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala inspired me.

The gallery below has a small sample of his photos. Unfortunately, my scans of the original beautiful Ektachrome slides are somewhat drab.

Shortly after I viewed Arne’s beautiful slides of his unusual (for the times) journey, he invited me to come down to Mexico to see for myself. Without hesitation, I did, and we spent several years together studying and traveling. In those days we climbed the pyramids and often we were the only visitors around.

Ultimately, there is something about being alone in these ruins that expanded our awareness of different cultures and ways of being. Travel, in general, changes the traveler. Here, in the ruins, my sense of connection to nature and spirit was enhanced.

It’s some sixty years later and I am still fascinated by this region. Most recently, I visited Xel-Ha archaeological site with Robert. I wrote a blog post about Coba with photos here. I plan to visit more of the sites. Although I earned my master of arts degree in Cultural Ecology by doing scholarly research on the region, my visits now are strictly for my own enjoyment.

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The transit coincided with an opportunity to become peaceful!

But something did change that day. On that day, I realized that I had been creating a battle of sorts with my husband for a couple of months and I decided to make peace with myself. The truth is that he wasn’t engaged in battle with me. Our trip to California in the hottest week of the summer left me tired and out of sorts. I simply wasn’t letting go of the mood. So this gentle transit sextile marked a decision that I made to be peaceful, as it revealed to me my own attitude quite clearly. The sextile provided the ease to change, to be in a loving and open state of mind again.

Transits Affect Multiple Planets

I feel the transiting Saturn conjoined to my Moon much more strongly. Saturn is a slow moving planet. Lately, it has be conjoined to my natal moon. My natal moon is the focal planet of a natal partile yod, involving the Sun and Neptune both quincunx to Moon, while natal Moon opposes natal Mercury. Moon is square natal Mars. So when Moon experiences a challenge it sets off multiple reactions.

I feel sadness on and off as Saturn’s apparent motion moves forward and retrogrades back. The energy remains consistent whether the aspect is exact or a few degrees off. It feels as if I am at a happy get together (my own normal internal joy and outward life) but a stranger is the room. This stranger, Saturn, is the room and I know he’s there. When Saturn is in closest aspect to Moon, the dark stranger seems to be shaking hands with me and he is bringing tears to my eyes. Even when the transit conjunction is a couple of degrees from exact, I still see him in the room. And I know he’s going to walk up to me again. What is his message going to be?

Transits to my moon “trigger” other planets in my chart.

Some transits are felt throughout the chart!

In addition to the conjunction, there is a “game of pool” type of energy around my chart that gets activated by any planet conjunct my Moon. When Saturn bumps the Moon, the Moon sends its energy to Mercury, to the Sun, to Mars and to Neptune, all sitting between 0° and 4°. So Moon’s issues trigger anger (Mars), mental agitation (Mercury), a longing for spiritual oneness (Neptune), and a longing for a creative role (my Leo Sun).

And I’ve noticed that when the slow moving planet walks into my 10th house, it affects me greatly. I’ve worn so many hats through my life, used a variety of talents. I’ve enjoyed putting on different occupations, different roles, so when the slow moving transits occur in my 10th house, initially, I don’t know what my role should be. I don’t know how I can most be of service to others and to myself. It is really disconcerting to flounder, in my sense of my outward role. I know I am Spirit-Soul (Moon in Pisces). But what does Spirit-Soul do in the outer world? The 10th house is not about money. The 10th house is about our place before the public, career, how we identify when we are asked upon being introduced to someone new “so, what do you do?”

Looking back

Months have gone by since writing the above blog article.  Saturn has moved way past the interactions with my Moon, Sun, and Neptune.  I’ve got a habit tracker app.  I listed all the things that I think are important for good health in the app.  Things like breathing exercises certain yoga practices using eye wash a lot of health practices and spiritual practices that I did many years ago are on my new list.  My list even includes reminders to call my friends or contact people or write in my blog.  So Saturn had the effect of making me feel empty and kind of structureless, career-less and friendless.  The healing response is that I have put a better structure in place.  It’s working!  And as a result of having this structured list I have created space in my life in my days is to write, to talk, and share what I know. As a person who has spent her whole life studying, teaching, and learning,  I  will continue doing what I have always loved.

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Since leaving California, Robert and I have been traveling through Mexico.  It’s been an exciting journey for us – a journey of connection to each other and exploration of the greater world.  We have not yet integrated into a community anywhere, as we’ve been moving a little too fast for that.  At the same time, we  haven’t had a sense of social isolation.

Relocating to Playa del Carmen

Shortly after arriving in Playa del Carmen, we signed a 6 month lease for an apartment.  All of a sudden, after signing that lease, I felt very very lonely.  I felt like I was in a trap. The sense of isolation surprised me.  After a few days went by with no change of mood, I remembered to create a relocation chart for this area.

All of a sudden I could see it quite plainly, my Moon is in the 8th House here. Saturn is in my 1st.  My friendly natal Venus in Gemini is in the 12th in this location.   A big chunk of my depressive feelings lifted as I saw that it was locational and situational.  It wasn’t Robert isolating me, it was a locational choice and I am free to move, albeit with a loss of money.  Interestingly, moving here coincides with transit Saturn conjoining my natal Moon.  So it is as if I moved to a place, unknowingly, where the energy of the Saturn conjoined Natal Moon transit would be actualized.

A lesson I’ve learned is that traveling with the concept of just visiting is totally different than committing to stay, in the same way that dating is different from marriage.  Astrology speaks to all these conditions, and the next time I get ready to sign a lease I’m going to be sure to check my locational astrology chart.

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