Зарад бољег и поузданијег суда, никад се не смије занемарит’ латитуда

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” – The Road to Armageddon, part II

Julius Robert Oppenheimer (22 April 1904 – 18 February 1967) was an American physicist and the scientific director of the Manhattan Project. Response to question on his feelings about the atomic bombings, while visiting Japan in 1960:

„We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.“

Nuclear weapons were developed, tested and first used within the first quarter of the small conjunction which occurred on August 8, 1940 at 14° 27′ in the sign of earthy triplicity, Taurus. It is my conviction, based on astrological reasoning I’m going to present in this text, that they will be used again sometime during the remaining five years of the small conjunction in Taurus (2000 – 2020), the last one in the earthy triplicity (1841 – 2020) before the shift to airy triplicity in 2020 occurs. The nuclear „seed“ that was sown and sprouted during the small conjunction of 1940 – 1960 is going to yield its evil, destructive fruit in the closing phase of the greater cycle, in the current small conjunction. As the entire epoch of 180 years is drawing to a nigh, the existing grave global crises are very likely to experience further escalation and culmination as the current events/developments, too numerous to be mentioned here, ominously testify. From this standpoint, the WW3 fought with nuclear weapons is nothing short of inevitability.  Regarding the middle conjunction of 1841

So one can say that this was not simply a conjunction of the two, but of all the three superiors, with Mars gaining the (additional) dignity of exaltation and impressing its significations upon the symbolism of the conjunction itself. How did this manifest? Well, suffice it to say that humanity witnessed both world wars in this period, not to mention all the numerous, bloody ‘smaller’ conflicts that occurred before and after; the modernization of weapons which led to their increased lethality, causing death/destruction on a scale heretofore unseen. Most importantly, mankind gained the ability to destroy the entire planet by harnessing the power of nuclear chain reaction. Mars at its best (exaltation=kingdom/supremacy), pure and simple – apart from the very important fact that the conjunction itself is so clearly dominated by the greater  malefic, Saturn whereas the grater benefic Jupiter is in the sign of its fall=dejection/depression/slavery and firmly in Saturn’s power. There really hasn’t been much mercy, benevolence and moderation in this period, has it? The malefics have dominated it so clearly! That is why I maintain that also the World War III will occur within this period https://7heavenastrology.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/constantinople/

The chart of the first initiated self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction (rectified to 15:27)   https://7heavenastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/the-road-to-armageddon/  conveys a pretty accurate timing of the bombings of Hiroshima/Nagasaki, when the technique of the progressed degree of the annually profected ascendant is used. On December 2, 1944 the annual profection reached the 4° 17` of the third sign, Cancer. Using 1° = 12.1667 days, the progressed ascendant “hits” Jupiter on malefic Procyon in the beginning of August. The grater benefic turns accidental malefic in this chart, as he’s retrograde and lord of the 8th by counting/division (death), located in the 4th by division (death/endings) and is most closely connected (a mutually applying trine within the bounds of the same planet, Jupiter which represents the Hellenistic concept of “neighboring” symbolizing the most ‘intimate’, strongest connection two planets may have) with contrary to sect malefic Mars on malefic Cor serpentis in its preferred domicile of Scorpio [the sign of its joy] in the 7th, which denotes war/conflict but is also connected to death. The bombings, apart from causing massive casualties and widespread destruction, surely contributed to Japan’s surrender.

“The Soviet entry into the war played a much greater role than the atomic bombs in inducing Japan to surrender because it dashed any hope that Japan could terminate the war through Moscow’s mediation,” said Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, whose recently published “Racing the Enemy” examines the conclusion of the Pacific war is based on recently declassified Soviet archives as well as U.S. and Japanese documents.http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/14/historians-soviet-offensive-key-japans-wwii-surrender-eclipsed-bombs/

It is also notable that profected Mars climbed high upon the MC (the “praxis” of a new weapon and its authority/fame) in its supremacy/kingdom whereas the Moon ended up in the death/destruction-bringing 8th. What is probably most worthy of note regarding this chart is the position of the ascendant in Taurus, which is in a partile opposition to Mars in Scorpio in the ingress chart of the 1841 triplicity shift, underscoring the importance of the event in bringing about a revolutionary weapon that would mark the beginning of the most dangerous period in human history. The small conjunction itself (1940) along with Mars in Taurus is also highlighted by its position in the 1st house of the event chart. The Aries ingress chart preceding the conjunction of 1940 set for Hiroshima has some striking features – Mars is on the cusp of the IC in Taurus (a partile opposition to event chart Mars in Scorpio), while the Moon from the 8th sign of Leo is applying by a dexter square to that same Mars within a five-degree orb! Five years later, the nuclear bombings occurred,obliterating the cities and their inhabitants.

The question I’ve been asking myself is this – could it be that the event chart’s angular Mars/Jupiter trine is going to prove a “nuclear trigger” once more? After all, global conditions are more than favorable for its symbolism to ‘blossom’ sometime in the next few years. The profected ascendant will land in Cancer (again) on December 2, 2016. Theoretically, in the beginning of August 2017 world may witness (a limited) nuclear exchange. But this is just one potential indicator, there would have to be others pointing in the same direction in order to draw such a weighty conclusion with a reasonable degree of certainty. The traditional mundane theory (Abraham ibn Ezra, “The Book of the World”) has it that wars break out when the degree of the profected Jupiter/Saturn conjunction (whether ‘small’ or ‘middle’ one) reaches the position of Mars (its squares/opposition?) in an ingress chart which preceded the conjunction itself (I suppose the other way around may also prove significant in this regard) but one should also pay attention to where Mars of Aries ingress in any given year is positioned, relative to the profected (and radical) degree of the conjunctions. Wars are also a strong possibility whenever there’s an angular Mars in an annual ingress chart and/or an ingress chart happens to contain the superiors opposing/squaring each other, preferably on angles. With this in mind, a short examination of the indicators pertaining to both preceding World wars (only the profected degrees of the middle/small conjunctions and their aspects/conjunctions with Mars in the relevant charts being taken into account because of their universal nature; angularity is a factor which depends on geographical location) may yield important factors to watch for in the near future.

On March 20, 1914 the profected degree of the middle conjunction in Capricorn (8° 54′)  reached Aquarius, which is square to Mars in Scorpio (5° 33′) of the Aries ingress chart (1841). At the same time, the annual revolution shows Mars in Cancer, tightly opposing the radical degree of the middle conjunction. Since WW I occurred during the small conjunction (November 28, 1901) in Capricorn (14° 00′) the profected degree  should prove important – and it indeed is. Landing in the second sign of Aquarius, it is square Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction (a weighty repetition!) and is opposed by Mars in Leo of the Aries ingress chart preceding the small conjunction itself. Astonishingly, the progressed degree of the small conjunction reaches the opposition of Mars at 24° 18′ Leo on July 23, only a few days before Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia (July 28) which initiated the first great slaughter in Europe.

On March 20, 1939 the profected degree of the middle conjunction in Capricorn reached Pisces which is trine to Mars in Scorpio – doesn’t look so threatening. However, it just so happens that the profected Mars lands on the conjunction in Capricorn itself! Moreover, Mars of the annual revolution (1939) lands…in Capricorn as well, while being squared (by sign) by another superior, Saturn in Aries so this particular Aries ingress chart fulfills both conditions for signifying conflict. WW 2 occurred during the small conjunction in Virgo (September 9, 1921 at 26° 35′; the Aries ingress chart of 1921 had Mars in Aries 26° 58′). In 1939 the profected degree of small conjunction applied to Pisces, in trine to a superior Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction, but it “missed” Mars in Aries; Mars in Capricorn of the annual revolution was in a superior sextile to the profected degree of the small conjunction in Pisces. The bottom line is that both world wars occurred with manifold contacts between the degrees of the profected middle/small conjunctions and Mars of their respective Aries ingress chart and/or the Aries ingress of the relevant year. However, inharmonious aspects are by nature more likely to produce strife and conflicts in an already “tense” circumstances – as always, context is everything.

In 2016 Aries ingress chart there’s a pretty rare constellation involving all the three superiors, which is a typical indicator of war/conflict. Mars and Saturn are in Sagittarius squaring Jupiter in Virgo; Jupiter and Saturn form a partile, ‘waning’ applying square i.e. Jupiter is in the 10th from Saturn, in a ‘superior’ position. Abu Ma’shar  On the Great Conjunctions: “We say that if Jupiter applies to Saturn…from the place that indicates plenty of lawsuits among kings, rulers and qādīs”

I’d say this represents a reliable testimony that the antagonized rulers will hardly (want to) find a peaceful solution – to the contrary; the tensions/enmities are very likely to escalate to war. This is reinforced by the fact that the Lot of War (taken from Mars to the Moon and cast out from the Sun of the annual revolution) is found in Sagittarius! Given the current situation in the Ukraine and the ongoing tensions i.e. military maneuvers/buildup involving NATO/Russian troops ranging from Norway in the north all the way to the Black sea in the south, further analysis will concentrate primarily upon indicators pertaining to the Russian Federation’s capital, Moscow. The partile Jupiter/Saturn opposition in the chart of the Russian Federation is in itself is a weighty indicator of the country’s potential to “initiate” a global conflict and the radical change of the existing order, inasmuch as Jupiter rules the principal angles of the ascendant and mid-heaven  and the opposition itself is in a partile square to Mars in Scorpio of the triplicity shift

“When Mars is with of the two at the time of the Revolution , especially if it is in one of the fiery signs, it is an indicator of the occurrence of wars in that year. If the Lot of Prosperity is strong and not corrupt, it indicates victory of the people of truth (one of two sides between whom conflicts arises). If it is weak, this indicates the victory of the people of falsehood from between those two .” [ Lot of Prosperity is taken from the Sun of the annual revolution to the cusp of the 7th and is cast out from the ascendant of the ingress chart; its position is thus also dependant upon geographical location, unlike the Lot of War]. The Lot of War located in the sign partaking in the tense constellation involving all the three superiors is a very bad indicator. In 2016 Aries ingress chart cast for Moscow both lots land in Sagittarius in the 8th house!

The profected degree of the middle conjunction will land in the 9th degree of Leo on 20 March 2016 which means that some 5 weeks i.e. 36 days prior to that the progressed degree will reach the square of Mars in the 6th degree of Scorpio – potentially, very dangerous times, especially if the position of Mars in the angle of the 4th in the Aries ingress chart of 2015 [Mars becomes Lord of the /half/ Year!] for Moscow is taken into account (mimicking the one in the natal chart!) which specifically signifies for the end of the six-months period i.e. the latter part of it, the same as its position occidental of the Sun. Since the chart has a double-bodied/mutable Sagittarius on the ascendant, another one i.e. Libra ingress is necessary to signify for the second half of the year.

The second half of astrological 2015 is ratcheting up tensions to a new level as both superiors are angular and in a square aspect. It is a precursor of what is to come in 2016; this highly momentous ‘continuity’ of Jupiter-Saturn square significations represents an unyielding pressure building up which is of course very dangerous. Back to 2016 – Mars in Sagittarius in the death/destruction bringing 8th house of the 2016 ingress chart is in a partile square to the ascendant in Pisces of the Russian Federation’s ‘natal’ chart

and trines its annually profected degree in Aries [while also closely trining the profected degree of the middle conjunction in Leo.] The profection in Aries itself activates Mercury/Mars applying sextile with mutual reception, which indicates war as Mercury rules the 7th. The superiors form the square in the 10th and the 7th of the Russian natal chart (the executive power/president and enemies/war) whereas the ascendant of the Aries ingress falls in Taurus, in an almost exact opposition to Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction. The two superiors will perfect their first square on 23 March while Saturn himself will turn retrograde 3 days later; the second square aspect will perfect on 26 May 2016 so these are the periods to watch for.

Another important testimony that the end of astrological 2015 and 2016 are very dangerous is the fact that in the chart of the recent solar eclipse cast for Moscow (67% of the solar disc was eclipsed) the degree itself falls into the 9th house (and the 1st of Russian natal chart!) which means that the first effects will start to manifest roughly in the second third of the one-year period (mid-summer/autumn, which just so happens to coincide with the important Mars’ heliacal rising in the ascendant of the eclipse in Leo – August 2015, bringing his significations to the forefront) whereas the most potent “influence” should be felt in the middle of the entire duration of the eclipse comprising much of  2016. Mars in Aries is the lord of the MC of the eclipse [the following angle] and is posited in the 10th, whereas he rules the degree by decan/triplicity; his lesser years are 15 and this value can also be applied to signify month, which accentuates the beginning of summer 2016.  Moreover, the ascension time for the sign of Gemini containing Mars in the natal chart is 25 years, which points to 2016 once more. In the chart of the eclipse, Saturn is the lord of the preceding angle in Aquarius [the 7th – war!] and is in a partile square to the ascendant-descendant axis of the Russian natal chart which is  another very ominous indicator portending conflicts

 

The danger of war in the coming years is also accentuated by the fact that since 20 March 2014 the great mundane fardar (a ten-year period)

Click to access the-fardc481rc481t-in-mundane-astrology1.pdf

is under the rulership of Gemini, containing Mars – this will be all but a period of peace and stability. BTW, isn’t the return of Crimea under the Russian sovereignty in March of the last year a perfect match of the said fardar’s rulership over the 4th house? Mars also rules the 9th , which is the 12th from the 10th (the enemies of the ruler) and it opposes the MC as well – the probability of violent government change is pretty high, resulting in war OR the inception of war leading to the overthrow of the ruler . In August 2016 the conjunction of the malefics in Sagittarius will occur, on the malefic Antares in the 10th sign (the president) squaring the ASC-DESC axis and the part of war at 8° 42’ Pisces in the 1st of the Russia’s natal chart. Since Mars in the chart of the eclipse culminates exactly over the Caucasus region, 2016 is very likely to bring the escalation and widening of the “frozen” conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but it will also include Georgia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan. According to Sergei Glazyev, Putin’s adviser, the period 2015 – 2018 is very dangerous in terms of conflict potential between Russia and the West http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/number/The-Threat-of-War-and-the-Russian-Response-16988

Just as a side note, the 2016 Aries ingress for Washington DC features Mars exactly on the ascendant (along with the Lot of War) while Jupiter is exactly on the MC. Given the current state of (ever further worsening) affairs, it is not too hard to imagine war breaking out and (limited) nuclear ‘exchange’ taking place under these (astrological) circumstances.

Another crisis point occurs in 2017 as the annually profected degree of the small conjunction in Taurus (22° 43′) reaches Libra, which is in opposition to Mars of the Aries ingres chart (27° 58′) preceding the conjunction. The progressed degree of the conjunction will perfect the opposition with Mars in 64 days, i.e. on 23 May which is about two months earlier than the potential “trigger” consisting of Mars/Jupiter trine in the chart of the first initiated self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Most ominously, the annually profected ascendant of Russian Federation’s natal chart will reach Taurus which will be the place of Mars in Aries ingress chart of 2017 (both benefics are in aversion, the ascendant in Leo squared by Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction) and at the same time, the place is in exact opposition to Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction! The place of Mars in Taurus in the 10th sign/house should signify the gravest danger of war during the first quarter of the year, i.e. toward its end, which means sometime in the second half of May/June.

Notably, when in 2008 Russia entered the war in South Ossetia on 8 August, defeating/driving out the Georgian aggressor

1) the annual profection reached Leo and the malefic 6th house of the natal chart, squaring Mars in Scorpio of the middle conjunction [Mars in Aries of the small conjunction also casts its ray by trine!]; the profection activated a weighty, partile, fixed Jupiter/Saturn opposition which is in a tight square to that same Mars. Jupiter is lord of the ascendant (population) and the mid-heaven (authority) of the Russian chart while Saturn rules and is located in the 12th, signifying enemies/tribulations. This opposition was activated again in 2013 with the annual profection in Capricorn, when Russia managed to fend off the planned US-led military intervention in Syria AND the Crimea became a part of Russia again; 2014 (Aquarius) which saw the progressive worsening of the relationship with the West (sanctions) because of the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine. In 2015 the opposition is still ‘on the table’ since the annual profection returns to Pisces; as the cadent houses are involved, all the tensions/conflicts remain more or less ‘powerless’ to produce the ultimate harm i.e. cause the war, though 2015 will prove to be substantially more dangerous than the previous years because Mars on the IC in Gemini is in a mundane square to the ascendant in Pisces, mimicked by Mars’s position in the chart of the annual ingress 2015 – “northern front” (Norway, Baltic sea/Arctic region) may get acitvated in clashes with NATO troops. However, ‘everything’ changes with the onset of 2016 when angular Mars sextile Mercury in the natal chart gets involved, for the already mentioned reasons.

2)Mars/Saturn conjunction occurred exactly on the cusp of the 7th in Virgo on 10 July 2008

3) Mars in Cancer of the 2008 Aries ingress chart cast a partile, dexter trine to the cusp of the natal ascendant in Pisces whereas Saturn in Virgo was in a partile opposition

4) the profected degree of the small conjunction in Taurus reached Capricorn, which is square Mars in Aries of the ingress preceding the conjunction. The Russo-Georgian war of 2008 has had momentous consequences, as it brought relations between Russia and the United States to their lowest point since the dark days of the Cold War – well, this fits quite nicely with the activation of the equally momentous astrological indicators I’ve presented.

Constantinople

As any serious astrologer is well aware, there can be no perfect electional chart, one can only strive to „catch“ the best moment possible to achieve a certain goal (or more of them). Casting an electional horocope for a city must be a daunting task and in this text I’ll try to reconstruct the astrological reasoning behind the electional chart of Constantinople.The background story can be read here http://science-astrology.blogspot.com/2014/09/constantinoples-inauguration-horoscope.html

Here’s the chart

By putting the chart luminary, the Sun in the beneficent 11th house (the „good spirit“) and its natural house according to the Chaldean order of the planets, the astrologer wanted to ensure that abundant life force was provided and the sign of Taurus would also give all the strength and stability inherent in its fixed modality – after all, the city did endure for 1123 years under its original name! The sign of Taurus is ruled by a benefic Venus, while the Sun’s bounds are under the jurisdiction of another, greater benefic, Jupiter. As the Sun is the natural significator of rulers, fame influence and power as well, one can see how he strives (and succeeds!) in killing both birds with one stone. The lesser light, i.e. the Moon as the lady of the ascendant is in the fixed sign of Leo in the 2nd house, in mutual reception with the Sun so here we have another confirmation that astrologer’s aim was to ensure durability of the city, trying at the same time to strengthen the ties between the common people, whose natural ruler is the Moon, and the kings, signified by the Sun. This is further reinforced by the fact that Leo and Taurus are signs of equal daylight (also known as „antiscia“ signs) which underline and accentuate mutual sympathy between the planets posited in them –„they consent in good effects and agree in power“ (Abu Ma’shar, Introduction to Astrology).

However, as it should be expected from a knowledgeable astrologer working for a powerful king, one of his primary tasks was to ensure that the king remains unquestioned in his authority – that’s why the Sun is „overcoming“ the Moon, i.e. it is in the 10th sign from it, signifying dominance, highest authority and power. But there’s still more to it, as the 9th and the 10th from the Moon’s sign were described as „mighty images“ (Serapio of Alexandria, but also reminiscent of Firmicus Maternus‘s enenecontameris, the 90th degree on the right of the Moon/ascendant, i.e. in its superior square) so is it a mere coincidence that Aries, the sign in the 10th (king/authority) and Taurus, the place of the Sun, are these two images? I don’t think so! The Moon as the ascendant lord is less than a degree away from the royal Regulus, a first magnitude fixed star of Mars/Jupiter nature, which aptly describes a future magnificent center of an empire, the largest, most splendid city in the Medieval Europe. But there’s more to it, of course. In a diurnal chart, the best place for the Moon to be is under the earth, preferably in its waxing phase, both of which are given in this chart. This ensures continuous growth and development of the city, strengthened by the fact that the bound lords and benefic sect-mates of both lights, Jupiter and Venus respectively, are conjunct in the ascending, fertile sign of Cancer which Jupiter rules by exaltation and Venus by triplicity. But most important of all, the two benefics in the 1st WS are in the 10th sign from the Lot of fortune in the angle of the 4th in Libra with Venus as its lady, which is the most fortunate constellation that can occur in any chart – blessings of wealth, prominence and influence abound. The wise astrologer also ensured that both benefics scrutinize the lot, i.e. aspect is within a three-degrees orb, which was deemed the most powerful connection possible (even W. Lilly in the 17th century still terms it ‘partile’, mimicking Vettius Valens who states that it is equivalent to the same degree position of the planets!)

The Moon, as the natural ruler of POF (which was also known as the Moon’s ascendant) casts such an aspect to the lot as well, from the superior sextile which is the lot’s 11th, indicative of gain and acquisition – the waxing Moon as the lord of the ascendant (populace) on the royal fixed star in the 2nd house and in a mutual reception with the excellently posited greater luminary which rules the 2nd ensure a steady and ample influx of wealth. Here you can get a glimpse of the enormous wealth pillaged by the crusaders from Constantinople in 1204. during the 4th Crusade. http://www.myriobiblos.gr/afieromata/1204/clari2_en.html http://aggreen.net/church_history/1204_sack.html Valens also had to think about the enemies of the state, of course, and his main task was to weaken them as much as possible. He solves the issue by putting Saturn, lord of the 7th, in its detriment in Leo and in the turned 8th house which, among other things, signifies death. Moreover, he also ensures that the Sun as the lord of the 8th applies to him from the superior square, bringing death and destruction to the adversaries. Saturn is in an unmitigated aversion to its domicile Capricorn, and thus unable to successfully manage the affairs of the house it rules so the enemies’ ship „lacks a reliable helmsman.“ The greater malefic is also weakened by being occidental of the Sun, in a feminine quadrant and under the earth in a diurnal chart. As Capricorn is one of the signs which have an exalted ruler, Valens had to think about him too, so he put Mars in the 12th in Gemini in the house opposite its joy or as Ibn Ezra would later call it, the „house of its sadness“.

Even though the aversion between Gemini and Capricorn is mitigated because they are of the same ascension, Mars is still thoroughly incapacitated to act because the 12th house is cadent  while his lord Mercury is also there – there’s no ‘way out’ for him since no (preferably) angular planet is able to lend it assistance, i.e. reflect his light to Capricorn. Mars is occidental of the Sun (additional weakness) in a masculine sign and quadrant, contrary to sect and above the earth in a day chart, all of which are factors that make his condition very unfavorable so the enemies are unable to do much harm to Constantinople and are prone to self-destructive behavior. If one looks at the chart from the perspective of POF serving as an alternative ascendant one gets a similar picture regarding enemies. Mars is lord of the 7th and it is in the cadent 9th, while Venus culminates in the 10th, co-present with the sect-benefic, Jupiter which receives her. What is most intriguing about this chart for me, however, is its ascendant in Cancer, the sign which it occupies in Thema mundi as well. I cannot stop wondering if Valens was thinking in terms of creating a city which would lie at the heart of a world-dominating empire? After all,Constantinople did endure for 1123 years under its original name, which is fascinatingly close to the greatest years of Venus (1150) and she is lady of the Sun, the chart luminary/hyleg and hence the giver of years of life. Ironically, some 300 years later a new religion, signified by Venus, entered the world stage in today’s Saudi Arabia and the Ottoman army which ultimately conquered Constantinople carried its banners. However, there’s another version of electional chart for Constantinople and it can be found in Luca Gaurico or Lucas Gauricus (Italy,1476‐1558) Tractatus astrologicus http://warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/fah1940w.pdf

 

The main difference between the two lies in the position of the ascendant and hence, of the all-important POF. In Gaurico’s chart, the ascendant is in the 6th degree of Cancer tightly conjunct Jupiter and Venus making the two considerably more prominent and powerful than is the case with the first chart which has the ascendant in the 19th degree of Cancer. Gaurico’s version puts the POF in the 3rd WS (but the 4th mundane house) in the 24th degree of Virgo, which locates Venus and Jupiter in the 11th from it, the house of acquisition and gain. But why would Valens decide to put the benefics in the 11th from POF rather than in the 10th, which is a lot more auspicious since the benefic angle of the 10th is always preferable to the succeedent 11th? Moreover, if POF lands in Virgo, the contrary to sect malefic and its ruler in the 12th culminate from it, which is disastrous, as Mars rules the 7th house of enemies by exaltation and Mercury is the lord of the 12th, known as “bad daimon”. If the POF is in Libra, these two fall cadent from both ascendants! That is why I think that the first version is more likely to represent the moment chosen by Valens.

Nevertheless, the second version may have much more significance when looked through the lenses of prophecies which never fail to fascinate me. In short, whether they were uttered by the famous German seers (Alois Irlmaier http://www.schauungen.de/wiki/index.php?title=Alois_Irlmaier “Waldviertler” http://www.schauungen.de/wiki/index.php?title=Waldviertler), Greek orthodox monks (elder Josif from Vatopedi monastery, elder Paisios, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP4ts8cmNNg  ) or Muslim eschatologist Sheikh Imran Hosein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcUGZT-zoo they all boil down to (more or less!) one thing – Istanbul will be Constantinople again, when Russia rushes to aid Greece and defeats and destroys the invading Turkey during the World War III.  Allegedly, only the Hagia Sophia will be left standing after the fiercest fighting during the “three days of darkness” mentioned in many European prophecies ranging from the Middle ages to present. The city itself is undoubtedly of primary strategic importance, as it controls the passage from the Black sea to the Mediterranean; the Russian army has already tried to conquer it during the Russo – Turkish war (1877 – 78) but was forced to a halt by a powerful British fleet. This time there’s no fleet powerful enough to intimidate and stop the Russians when the war breaks out.

But when could this prophecy be fulfilled? I have no doubts that it actually CAN come to pass, as the current state of global affairs doesn’t testify to the possibility of peaceful resolution of all the tensions/conflicts brewing between East and West, i.e. Russia and the USA/NATO. With this in mind, I’ll examine “signs of the times” within the context of traditional mundane astrology. The ‘greater picture’ is under the jurisdiction of the horoscope of the revolution of the world  in which the triplicity shift of the superiors occurred  in the sign of Capricorn (1841) having significance up to 2020. when the conjunctions of the superiors again shift to airy triplicity (the so-called ‘middle conjunction’).

So how does this chart relate to the chart of Constantinople and what does it signify? First of all, it is significant that oriental Mars in Scorpio dominates the conjunction from a superior sextile and most importantly, its twelfth-part lands in Capricorn and Ibn Ezra tells us in his Book of the World  that “…one should always…find the sign in which the power of the dodecatemoria occurs, whether from the malefic or the benefic planet. Know that the power of the dodecatemoria is stronger in a great than in a middle conjunction and stronger in a middle than a small conjunction, and stronger in a small conjunction than at the revolution of any year.”

“So you should observe the place of Mars at any conjunction, whether great, middle of small. For if it is with Saturn or Jupiter at the revolution of the year, or in opposition or quartile with them, wars will break out in the world. This will occur when the terminal sign [annual profection] of the conjunction reaches the place of Mars.”

And Kusyar ibn Labban in his Introduction to Astrology states that “When a planet is in the dodecatemorion of <another> planet, it (the former) is in application with it (the latter). When it (a planet) is in the dodecatemorion of a house in the diagram of the horoscope, it is the same as when it is situated in this house. By the kindness and favour of God.”

So one can say that this was not simply a conjunction of the two, but of all the three superiors, with Mars gaining the (additional) dignity of exaltation and impressing its significations upon the symbolism of the conjunction itself. How did this manifest? Well, suffice it to say that humanity witnessed both world wars in this period, not to mention all the numerous, bloody ‘smaller’ conflicts that occurred before and after; the modernization of weapons which led to their increased lethality, causing death/destruction on a scale heretofore unseen. Most importantly, mankind gained the ability to destroy the entire planet by harnessing the power of nuclear chain reaction. Mars at its best (exaltation=kingdom/supremacy), pure and simple – apart from the very important fact that the conjunction itself is so clearly dominated by the greater  malefic, Saturn whereas the grater benefic Jupiter is in the sign of its fall=dejection/depression/slavery and firmly in Saturn’s power. There really hasn’t been much mercy, benevolence and moderation in this period, has it? The malefics have dominated it so clearly! That is why I maintain that also the World War III will occur within this period, and that will be the time when the prophecies regarding the city  may find their fulfillment.

The all important question is, when? To begin with,the very degree of the middle conjunction (9th, with Mars on it) happens to land in the 7th house of the Constantinople chart, denoting enemies/wars. The general stage is set, and let’s imagine ourselves in the shoes of a traditional astrologer living in Istanbul at that time, examining the chart of the triplicity shift. He would have probably concluded that the city is destined to suffer greatly through the hands of its enemies at some point during the 180 year-long period, as the opposition to the ascendant in Cancer is quite close and Mars in Scorpio is casting a partile dexter square to the Moon, lord of the ascendant, in Leo; moreover, in the chart of the shift itself, the Moon in Pisces applies to Saturn (sextile) and Mars (trine), both of which are tight and malefics are in a superior position.

How would he have tried to be more precise? Certainly by looking at small conjunctions which happen every 20 years within this period in the signs of the same, earthy triplicity. But not all of them of course, as Abu Ma’shar says that the time of the appearance of the indication(s) in the case of earthy triplicity is either four or eight conjunctions after the shift. Four conjunctions would have led him to examine a little bit more closely the period, that is, the significations of the small conjunction relevant for 1921 – 1940 and to compare it with the 8th, the one we’re living in, i.e. 2000 – 2020. He would have probably concluded that the 8th conjunction is far more relevant. Why?

Because it overlaps with another very important mundane indicator, the conjunction of the malefics in the sign of Cancer (2004.) occurring every 30 years, whereas the 4th small conjunction does not. In itself, the current small conjunction is pretty eloquent in its significations for the city. Here’s what Ibn Ezra has to say:

“Masha’allah said: If you know the ascendant of the city, at the revolution of the year of the conjunction find the aspects of the planets to this sign as well as the lord of the sign , pronounce judgment according to what you observe. For if Mars or Saturn is in opposition or quartile to the sign of the city, and if no benefic planet aspects the sign and the lord of the sign of the city is burnt by the Sun, or if it is in one of the cardines of the sign of the city and it is with Saturn or Mars or in opposition or quartile to them – this signifies that a great misfortune will befall the city, particularly ill-fated if a malefic is in the sign of the city. Know that Venus removes Mars’ harm in conjunction or aspect so that his harm is felt only in thoughts and words. But Venus has no power to remove Saturn’s harm; only Jupiter, either in conjunction or in aspect, removes Saturn’s harm. What we have said applies on condition that Venus or Jupiter is not under the rays of the Sun because if they are, they will not be beneficial.”

Mars in Aries is in a cardine of the ascendant of the city whereas the Moon in Libra (lord of the ascendant of the city) is applying to Mars by opposition without reception [one should note the important Moon/Mars  aspect repetition already given  in the chart of the shift]  all the while Venus in Pisces is in aversion to Mars and unable to remove his harm. Venus does cast a close trine to the ascendant of the city though [it’s a superior WS sextile in the chart of the shift] which is certainly helpful BUT superior square from Mars [its trine/opposition in the chart of the shift] is stronger. Interestingly, Venus is the exalted lady of the 9th WS of the Constantinople chart, denoting houses of worship/ God/religion; by its very nature, Venus rules the ‘purification rites and cleanliness’ which are an integral part of religious ceremonies. What I’m aiming at is this – aren’t these protective Venus aspects cast to the ascendant of Constantinople a perfect symbolical equivalent of the prophecy that only the Hagia Sophia will be spared [obviously by a supernatural intervention of God], while pretty much everything else is leveled to the ground? The Moon/Mars opposition perfects at the very end of their respective signs, denoting war/destruction toward the end of the 20-year period.

Now to the already mentioned conjunction of the malefics in Cancer

The Moon as the lord of the city’s ascendant is obviously very unfortunate in this chart, as it is applying to the Sun (burnt) in a cardine of the ascendant of the city and applies to Mars in the 12th by sextile as well (third repetition).  Saturn, lord of the 8th WS is partilly on the ascendant of the city. Again, there’s a malefic in a cardine of the city while benfics are also aspecting, but with weaker aspects of sextile (Venus) and trine (Jupiter). If  the number of degrees between the Moon/Mars perfection (seven degrees, twenty minutes) is taken and multiplied with the lesser years of the Moon (a technique found in the 6ht book of Vetius Valens‘ Anthology), 183.3325 is obtained. Divided by twelve, one gets 15.2777 years.  According to this technique, the city is likely to suffer destruction sometime in 2019 which fits nicely with the general time frame provided by the Moon/Mars opposition in the chart of the preceding small conjunction in Taurus. Additionally, one can use the following reasoning from Anthology as well:

“Every star that is upon a pivot point gives the totality of its own times, but when not upon a pivot point it imparts as much as remains in arrears from its own numbers”

As Saturn is in the 2nd WS/mundane house (succeedent), he gets activated in the middle of his lesser years (15) pointing to 2019 again. But there’s more to it, of course. It is highly significant that within this 20-year period (2018) there occurs the conjunction of the malefics in the sign of Capricorn, at the very degree  of the middle conjunction of  1841!

The malefics are angular in the 4th and oriental, while the ascendant of the city is the midheaven of the conjunction. The Moon is in her fall in Scorpio, where Mars of the triplicity shift is located! Earthy signs signify destruction, adds Ibn Ezra laconically when discussing the signification of Mars’s position in an annual revolution

The chart of the preceding annual revolution remarkably conveys (almost) the same information

As the malefics conjoin every two years in the following zodiacal sign, the period 2018 – 2020 is under the sway of the conjunction in Capricorn. The conjunction of malefics, especially the one occurring in Cancer in a 30-year intervals (Saturn’s detriment and Mars’s fall) signify war, bloodshed, upheaval and destruction. The annual ingress chart of 2018 is a typical war-chart, as both malefics/superiors are conjunct in Capricorn and dignified, angular, oriental of the Sun and squaring it and the ascendant. Saturn is LOY, (actually lord of the spring quarter since the angles are cardinal; nevertheless, the Aries ingress chart is still very important in its significations throughout the entire year!) as the Sun commits its disposition to it via Mars and Saturn is also term/exaltation lord of the ascendant, trined by the chart luminary, the Moon. The Moon is in the 8th in its exaltation, denoting death and destruction as it is still in partile trine to Saturn in the 4th. However, both benefics aspect the malefics in the 4th and the sign of Cancer, the city’s ascendant, so there’s some mitigation of their harm. Interestingly enough, bot the autumn and winter quarter charts repeat Libra on the ascendant, with Saturn in the angle of the 4th!

When is the deadly signification of the malefics’ conjunction in Capricorn most likely to manifest? Theoretically,most probably during their opposition, in June 2019. But 2018 also represents a strong possibility, for the obvious reasons already presented. Which year is more dangerous then? Ibn Ezra once more:

“So you should observe the place of Mars at any conjunction, whether great, middle of small. For if it is with Saturn or Jupiter at the revolution of the year, or in opposition or quartile with them, wars will break out in the world. This will occur when the terminal sign [annual profection] of the conjunction reaches the place of Mars.”

The technique already proved itself in 2011 when the small conjunction in Taurus reached the place of Mars in Aries, bringing war to Syria (along with the preceding solar eclipse) which is under the rulership of Mars, Aries/Scorpio! The illustration Ibn Ezra provides is stunningly similar to the chart of the current small conjunction so it deserves to be quoted at length:

“Let us suppose that at the revolution of the year Jupiter is at Taurus 10°, Saturn at Taurus 13°, Mars at Aries 26° and that the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter occurs at Taurus 14°. I assign one year to each sign; hence in the 12th year the terminal sign of the conjunction reaches the place Mars. We already said that it was at Aries 26° , hence the beginning of the year occurs at Aries 14°. We calculate the ratio of 12 to 30, which is 2/5. Therefore, at 2/5 of the 12th year after the small conjunction there will be great bloodshed in every city whose sign is Aries or in every city where Aries is one of its cardines. Also, at the revolution of the year we should observe the place of the planets and their aspects to Aries which is the terminal house. We should pronounce judgment according to whether they are benefic or malefic planets”

During the last week of  May  2019 the profected small conjunction (22° Taurus 43′) will reach the dexter square of Mars in Capricorn (27° 58′) in the 8th WS from the ascendant in Gemini, while Saturn of the annual revolution is in it and Mars trines it from Taurus. Sagittarius and the 7th house will be the place of the profected conjunction in 2018. 2019 is thus more likely a catastrophic year. From the point of view of the middle conjunction (8° Capricorn 54′) in 2018 the profection will reach Libra (which will also be the ascendant of the annual revolution, <autumn/winter quarters> and both malefics in the chart of the annual revolution casting their dexter square to the terminal point and only Venus aspecting it! ) and the profected degree of the conjunction will reach Mars in Scorpio in 10.6 months i.e. in the beginning of February 2019.

Tu sum up, it looks like 2018/2019 are the years likely to see the fulfillment of the prophecy, with 2019 appearing the more significant of the two. But one should bear in mind that оnly God knows future and can change it according to His will.

The Lion of Damascus

Damascus, 11/7/2000 

Speaker of the Peoples’ Assembly Abdul Qader Qaddoura on Tuesday announced Lt. Gen. Bashar al-Assad President of the Syrian Arab Republic for a seven years term. The declaration came during the extraordinary session held by the parliament and transmitted via TV.’’ I declare Lt. Gen. Bashar al-Assad as President of the Syrian Arab Republic for seven years term,’’ Qaddoura said. He noted the new President would take oath on Monday July 17 at eleven AM local time. The Syrian constitution termed the President would start ruling the moment he sworn in  

  http://www.presidentassad.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=233:president-bashar-the-hope-for-the-syrians&catid=86&Itemid=474

As Mars is slowing down in Libra and is about to station in an exact opposition to Mars in the Aries ingress chart of the GC in 2000 when Assad acceded to power, I thought it would be interesting to (try to) reveal what future has in store for this man (and his country) – especially if we bear in mind that 2014 is an election year in war-torn  Syria and currently ongoing Geneva II Middle East peace conference seems pretty unlikely to provide solution for a three year-long conflict (on Friday 24 January 2014, the opposing sides held their first face-to-face talks and it was said that Assad’s position as President is non-negotiable).

Yes, I’m aware the presidential term in Syria lasts for 7 seven years and the elections were held in 2007 as well but that chart is of no importance due to second elections being a mere formality.

As for knowing the quantity of their life-spans from the second division – i.e. from the time of their accession – one looks for it from the ascendant and from the midheaven, and one derives for it the haylag and kadhudah just as one does in nativities. Then one moves the degree of the ascendant for his body, and that of the midheaven for his authority, and the periods of both of them are rotated together. Then, if the prorogation and the period of the two together arrive at misfortune, one judges cutting off of life. If the corruption is of one of them without the other, one should judge from that corruption.  If the degree of the ascendant arrives at the malefic, and the misfortune is strong, one should judge cutting off for him. If the misfortune is not strong, one should judge illness for him, if the prorogation from the degree of the midheaven is sound. If the corruption is  without the ascendant, one judges the corruption of the government. If the corruption is from the two, one judges cutting off   (Abu Ma’shar, On the Great Conjunctions)

The chart of his accession has several striking features, first being the lady of the ascendant’s/hour’s position in Leo in the 11^th (Al-Assad meaning “lion” in Arabic and 11^th house having ‘hope’ as one of its fundamental significations!) and second the partile, still applying opposition of the Moon to Venus. The Moon governs the 10^th (authority/rulership) and disposes Mars, the Sun and Mercury in Cancer in the 10^th while translating the light of Jupiter in the 9^th WSH/8^th by division, lord of the 6^th and the 3^rd , ‘throwing’ it all on Venus.  Mercury governs the 12^th and the 9^th.

This is a clear picture of an uprising spearheaded by a part of rebellious population (the Moon in Aquarius) which is motivated/sustained  by ‘open’ enmity to Assad, both domestic and foreign (Mars is lord of the 7^th  and Mercury rules the 12^th /9^th ), religious issues/differences throwing their own considerable weight behind it (Jupiter as a natural ruler of religion but accidentally designating enemies as well by  ruling the 6^th  (both from the ascendant and MC) and located in the 9^th WS ruling the 3^rd , both of which have to do with religious issues.) Mercury as the lord the 9^th signifies the enemies to his authority – Mercury/Jupiter are in mutual reception by domicile/kingdom so the exchange/support between the two is undeniable (enhanced by antiscia).   The Sun, natural significator of rulership and Venus’s dispositor applies to Saturn in the 8^th without reception, while the grim reaper governs the 4^th (end of the matter) the 5^th (the ‘death’ of government). Saturn is the Moon’s dispositor as well, another significator  for the end of the matter  so everything testifies to resulting death/destruction once again. On top of it all, Mars as the 7^th house lord is in the 10^th in its dejection, portending conflict/war emerging because of his presidency – a very intricate and complex picture presents itself, symbolizing perfectly the state of affairs in Syria since March 2011 to the present day.

There’s one more interesting detail ‘hidden’ in this Moon/Venus opposition.  Is it a mere chance that the lesser years of both add up to 33, third part of which is 11, representing the exact number of years when the uprisings began to take an ugly shape of a bloody rebellion aimed at overthrowing ‘the Lion’? Almost the same result is obtained by taking a third part of the sum of the lesser years of the Sun (19) and Mars (15) in the 10^th – eleven years and four months.

Of course, there are other very potent indicators which reinforce/confirm the already mentioned. There was a partial solar eclipse on January 4, 2011 which was visible from the entire Middle East. The chart is cast for the moment of maximum obscuration in Damascus

The ruler(s) of the eclipse are a no-brainer. As it occurred in Capricorn, its lord is Saturn in the angle of the 7^th in Libra (within three degrees of the ascendant of the accession chart, representing a threat to Assad’s life/body!) while Mars is strongly participating in the angle of the 10^th as lord of the ascendant in Aries and the lord of the eclipse by kingdom/decan.  Both malefic also dominate the angle of the Mid-heaven, rounding off the picture of a coming insurrections, wars and destruction of government(s), as both benefics are in aversion to the ascendant/in malefic houses, unable to mitigate the harm of the malefics totally controlling the chart with cardinal signs on the angles – a harbinger of sudden, great violent changes coming.

Additionally, the second magnitude Deneb Kaitos is in the degree of the ascendant, adding more of Saturn’s malefic nature, causing self-destruction by brute force, sickness, disgrace, misfortune and compulsory change (Robson)

However, Jupiter in Pisces is also (indirectly) involved as he’s in contra-antiscia to the ascendant degree. He rules the 9^th and the 12^th  and is in the 12^th , aptly describing the issue of religious contention/differences/fundamentalism/extremism thrown into the mix; with Venus/Scorpio (as general significators of Islam/Arabs) pushing her management to Jupiter out of the 8^th  (received by trine and receiving Jupiter in turn by kingdom/triplicity  while the third ‘level’ of reception/sympathy is provided by the essentially benefic nature of both stars and the fact that Pisces obey Scorpio, signifying ‘concord and esteem’! ) is it just a coincidence we’re witnessing a widening, growing conflict between the two main branches of Islam going on in Syria (and Iraq) that has the potential of throwing the whole Middle East (and beyond!) into chaos and carnage? Both the houses holding benefics are malefic and signify grief, suffering, affliction, death and destruction.

In 2011 the profected ascendant of the conjunctional chart (i.e. annual revolution of  2000 when Assad acceded the throne) ‘hit’ the 12^th in Taurus containing the superiors; this sign also just so happens to be in opposition to Mars in Scorpio on the ascendant of the triplicity shift to earth in 1841

 and the ascendant of the annual revolution 1946 when Syria gained its independence

The annual profection of the triplicity shift itself applied to Capricorn, which is the place of the conjunction (and of Mars’s twelfth-part). On top of all that, lord of the big (mundane) fardariyat was Scorpio (2009 – 2014) which is the 7^th of the Syria chart containing the Moon [and the Mars of the triplicity shift]. Middle fardariyat belongs to the Sun (in the 12^th of the independence chart and disposed by Mars, applying by square to both malefics conjunct in Cancer and the retrograde Jupiter in the 6^th by opposition.) The small fardariyat, participating with the middle one, belonged (logically) to Mars – again. (What the mundane  Fardars are and how to calculate them you may read in this excellent paper by S. Birchfield http://internationsocietyofclassicalastrologers.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/the-fardc481rc481t-in-mundane-astrology1.pdf )  

Syria itself, according to a table of planet-region correspondences from The Search of the Heart  and  Prolemy’s Tetrabiblos belongs to Aries/Scorpio and Mars whereas Damascus belongs to Scorpio and the Sun (On the Great Conjunctions)

But let’s get back to accession chart – the eclipse fell within three degrees of the 4^th angle, which of course, opposes the 10^th. Mars of the eclipse chart is in an exact opposition to Mars of the accession chart in the 10^th. Approximately three and a half months later [just a tiny bit sooner than the position of the eclipse in the mid-heaven would signify, according to theory. However, if one bears in mind that the duration of eclipse is a bit more than three equinoctial hours and every hour signifies a year, the eruption of a full-scale civil war /and world powers’ proxy-war/ i.e. intensification of the effects really did occur a year later, in the middle of the period] the time of  “Lion’s  trouble” began as transiting  Jupiter/Saturn met in the third and last opposition across  the degrees of the 1^st – 7^th house of the accession chart, squaring  the degree of the eclipse and the planets in the 10^th (government).

But it only started to get really ugly and violent a month later when Mars joined the fight, squaring the eclipse degree, opposing Saturn out of the accession’s 7^th at the same time enjoying its heliacal rising which makes him extremely powerful in its significations (it was in April 2011 that the Syrian Army was deployed to quell the uprising and soldiers started battling rebels across the country).  The two malefics conjoined on July 31, 2010 at 10:07 in the 1^st degree of Libra, which is the WS 1^st of the accession chart and of the conjunction itself (the two ascendants being in the same, 15^th degree of Libra according to my rectification of the accession chart!); the violent potential which brought detriment to the people/trouble for Assad manifested at the time of their opposition/heliacal rising of Mars, just as the theory postulates.

Further testimonies are found in the yearly profections of the ascendant/mid-heaven degree of the accession chart

2011 brought the ascendant in the 11^th house (helpers/supporters of president’s authority, ‘second-in command’/close associates/military. A considerable number of high-ranking [military] officials have deserted him in the course of rebellion) where the lady of the ascendant is posited. LOY is the Sun, in the 10^th and conjunct Mars/north node – authority/rulership problems are bound to begin in this year and affect him personally, as previously mentioned factors point in the same direction/prepare the ground for their manifestation to occur. Additionally, Leo is the 6^th of the solar return chart   (a peregrine solar return Mercury happens to land there, within three degrees of the profected ascendant, ingressing   the place of Venus  – an accidental malefic from accession chart, as he rules both 12^th and the 9^th and is in a mutual reception with Jupiter, another accidental malefic ruling the 6^th both from the ascendant and from the MC), while the SR ascendant activates the 6^th of the accession chart (where the twelfth-parts of Mars/the Moon are located in Pisces). It just so ‘happens’ that the significations of the malefic 6^th house are doubly activated that year

 Abu Ma’shar, On the indication of the sixth place

We say that, if it happens that the terminal sign of the ascendant of the revolution <of the year>  is the sixth <place in the horoscope> of one of the preceding beginnings…it indicates that…the affairs of the riffraff and of the holders of bad professions become strong…the exile of most of the people from their homelands, change, trouble, an abundance of difficulty, immorality, forgeries, the occurrence of envy and accusations, a loss in trading, rebellion against the authorities, the forsaking of obedience, violations, and a large number of prisoners…

The ascendant of the accession chart lands in the solar return’s 8^th (fear/terror/anguish of mind). At the same time, the 11^th house in Leo is impeded by the square of Saturn from the ‘radical’ 8^th. The profected MC/the Sun hand over to Saturn in the 8^th (his twelfth-part in lands in the 7^th   signifying war/enmities) while MC’s under tight square aspect from SR Mercury in the 6^th, lord of both SR malefics in the 7^th.  SR Moon in the 8^th (natural ruler of the people and ruler of the accession’s 10^th) located  almost exactly on accession chart’s ascendant, will be ‘struck’ by Saturn, lord of the coming eclipse in January 2011, to degree! All of these are very salient indicators that Assad’s status/leadership are going to be under attack by a widespread insurrection.

Another interesting point to consider is that the Sun in the 10^th  as the LOY/the natural significator of authority/rulership/chart luminary is separating from SR Mars and applying to SR Saturn in the 7^th SR house by sextile (the Sun is actually under siege just like in accession chart and no planet intervenes to break it!) but the aspect is not perfected before Saturn changes signs and I think that is what saved Assad from fall that year, along with SR Venus (lady of the profected MC) unimpeded i.e. not joined  to malefics in the angle of the SR 7^th in her own triplicity/bounds, occidental both by quarter and from the Sun, in sect/hayz, direct – though also in her dejection as well. It seems that a major essential debility of a planet is not such an impediment when the majority of other important factors make its condition favorable.  Anyway, Abu Ma’shar was of the opinion that not every planet’s dejection was equally bad:

Libri mysteriorum

II181. The reason why some stars in their humiliations offend a lot and other offend little

There are differences in the humiliations of the stars as far as the damage is concerned… as for Venus, it humiliates itself in Virgo, but it agrees with this sign owing to the feminine nature and besides almost everybody knows that Virgo means dancing, singing harmonies, lyres and other musical instruments and the search for marriage, all the things which are typical of Venus. Moreover, Venus has its humiliation in the XXVII degree of Virgo which is not far from Libra, its domicile; we can therefore say that it is similar to a worried and distressed man who briefly goes from distress to cheerfulness and joy.

And last but not least, the testimony of distributors/participators of the primary directed ascendant/mid-heaven for the relevant year. Based on the (postulated) entrance of primary directed MC in the bounds of Saturn on 21 March 2011 (which, according to Persian theory, may be enough to activate Saturn’s sextile ray in it) I think it’s justified to rectify the time of accession to 11:02:10 [this is entirely plausible as an oath had to be taken first requiring a couple of minutes]

An intriguing picture emerges. Mid-heaven has been running in the rays of the Sun (conjunct Mars) since April 3, 2010 and is handing over to Saturn in Saturn’s bounds (malefic handing over to malefic in the bounds of malefic – the worst possible combination!) – isn’t that telling  (almost) the same story as the profected Sun/MC handing over to Saturn and the Sun being besieged between the malefics in the accession/SR chart?

Abu Ma’shar If the lord of the term of the full or new Moon occurring before the beginning of the year of the conjunction, and before a revolution of one of the years…is a malefic, this indicates the rising up against kings of rebels and their (the kings’) opponents in future times

Both the full Moon prior to his accession and the one occurring prior to Aries ingress 2000 were in the bounds of the greater malefic – Saturn!

Indicators pertaining to Aries ingress chart of the year in which acceder accedes

If the lord of the 7^th place from Saturn is in a strong position and the planets push management to it, it indicates a large number of people rebelling against him, fighting against him (and defeating him?) together with their gathering in great numbers, their enticing of most of the supporters of the acceder and fear of  his death for that reason

Lord of the 7^th place from Saturn (Scorpio) is Mars. He is in his domicile of Aries in the strong 11^th but he’s also occidental and at the end of the sign. Only one planet will push its management to it – the Moon, by opposition without reception. Though they have been gathering in great numbers, they haven’t managed to entice most of his supporters and are currently definitely way too weak to defeat him. In fact, different extremist groups have recently started fighting fiercely among themselves, which is a fitting manifestation of the Moon/Mars opposition – they are actually losing the war for the time being.

If one wants to know what kind of condition and nature he has…then one should look at the lord of the first lot, i.e. of Saturn. If the lord of its house applies to it otherwise than from opposition, this indicates the goodness of the obedience of the subjects toward him. If the lord of the house of Saturn is in conjunction with it, this indicates his power over his subjects and his victory over his enemies.

Well, he would have surely succumbed by now if the support weren’t there. His fall was declared ‘imminent’ several times in the last three years by the inimical (mainly western) media, but it never happened.  In the Aries ingress chart of 2000, Saturn is peregrine and occidental in the malefic 12^th house. But he’s offered a tremendous amount of help – its lady, Venus, is applying by sextile (having the strength of a trine, according to Paulus because Taurus /Pisces is one of the commanding/obeying pairs of signs!)  from Pisces in the 10^th and is receiving him! Being essentially dignified by kingdom/triplicity/bound and angular, she’s both ‘pushing power’ onto peregrine Saturn  and mitigating his aversion to the ascendant, making him both essentially/accidentally much stronger than he would otherwise be.

If Jupiter aspects Saturn it indicates…the weakness of rebels and his victory over them, especially if Saturn is unstained in his house.  If Jupiter applies to Saturn, he overcomes them, especially if it is in its house and unstained [Saturn’s condition is very much improved by its lady Venus, as I’ve already explained]

It is necessary also to look at the 10^th place from the ascendant and from the Sun. If it is in a fixed sign and the benefics are situated in them, this indicates his good fortune, and the large amount of his superiority and might. If the planets are in those two positions in their exaltations, or are eastern, or in their hayyiz, or in a northern latitude increasing in motion this is best for that. If the lord of the 4^th or 7^th place is in the ascendant is in the ascendant or midheaven, this indicates the obedience of his enemies toward him.

No planet is in the 10^th place from the Sun. Benefic, eastern Venus in her kingdom is in the 10^th from the ascendant testifying that ‘the Lion’ has proven a too tough nut to crack for three years. Mercury, lord of the 4^th, is in the 10^th – we may see the rebels ‘bowing down’ to him (at least temporarily), giving up on  their goal of overthrowing him, since they are becoming a danger for the entire Middle East and beyond as a hotbed of terrorism.

As for the triplicities in which the conjunction indicating the lengthiness of lives of kings occurs, they are the triplicities in which Saturn has a witness. If the conjunction is in Taurus at his accession, this indicates a period of one conjunction. If in addition, the Moon and Venus are good in their places, this increases those life spans. If Saturn is in one of the houses of the inferior planets and they aspect it, and it is received, it indicates the lengthiness of their life spans.

Venus is good in her place, strengthening Saturn by reception but the Moon isn’t as she’s separating from opposition with the Sun and will perfect her opposition with Mars without reception while both benefics are in aversion and unable to mitigate the harm. Could it be that Assad stays the entire 3^rd term as the president of Syria? According to the above quote, one shouldn’t discard the possibility – though it may seem pretty unlikely from the current perspective.

Discovering the knowledge of the length of their periods is divided in its consideration into two divisions: the first is from the revolutions if the years of the world and the conjunctions, the second, from their accession. As for the consideration from the revolutions of the years of the world and the conjunctions, one looks at the revolution of the world-year in which the acceder accedes, then one looks at Saturn. Knowing that time is found from the amount of its movement in its sign and the remaining amount, each degree being taken for a year, each 5 minutes for a month and each 12 seconds for a day.

According to this method, Assad’s rulership could last for 15 years, 9.5 months as Saturn has 15 degrees 47 minutes to go before leaving Taurus. The contrary to sect Mars in the 10^th of the accession chart is activated in accordance to its lesser years – 15, which is another concurrent testimony. At the same time, the profected ascendand/midheaven of the accession chart both come under his attack  in the SR 2015/2016 – ascendant in the 4^th in Capricorn (end of the matter, which is SR 8^th  !) by opposition and the midheaven in Libra in the 1^st by  square; he returns in Cancer right on the midheaven of the accession.

On 21 February  2013 the primary directed midheaven finally encountered the sextile ray of Saturn and has been running under that double ‘burden’ of the greater malefic ever since.

The primary directed ascendant is currently in the bounds of Venus (February 5 2008 – June 15 2016) with the Sun [conjunct Mars/north node] participating (by square) since December 19, 2012.  

Abu Ma’shar’s On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities (translated and edited by Benjamin N. Dykes)

The distributor provides the fundamental tone and character of the period and what the various events eventually get resolved into whereas the partner shows more temporary circumstances as well as particular situations/types of people one encounters. The distributor indicates any fundamental problems during the period and of what type they are; the partner indicates the source of the problems, especially if it is in a bad condition.

The state of participator is highly problematic and has been causing trouble (to put it mildly!) in perfect accordance to its universal/accidental significations, diminishing the overall benevolent influence of the distributing benefic Venus. However, Assad health/life/position has been spared so far as could be expected from a benevolent fixed Venus in a good/strong 11^th of the accession chart. Could it be this about to change in the near future?

Transiting Mars as a contrary to sect malefic has just entered the bounds of Venus, moving very slowly on the way to its first station in the 28^th degree of Libra (within three degrees of the primary directed ascendant, squaring mid-heaven of the accession chart even more exactly!) on March 2 2014 reinforcing Mars’s influence as the planet joined to the participator, the Sun. As I’ve already pointed out in the beginning of this text, the position of Mars’s station happens to be the exact opposite of the one taken up by Mars in the chart of Aries ingress of 2000, the year of great conjunction in Taurus when Assad acceded the ‘throne’.

When Mars wavers [stationary, especially in its first station] in the sign of the religion of a people, or in its opposition, and that year is near to the completion of the period of the acceder, his ruin is in that year. 

 Libra (also) happens to be the ascendant of the triplicity shift in 571 AD which announced the new religion, Islam. In fact, the chart provided by Abu Ma’shar shows the ascendant in the 28^th degree of Libra, where Mars stations! At the same time, in the Aries ingress chart of 2014, Mars is retrograde in Libra in the 1^st, in the bounds of the primary directed ascendant of the accession chart – the ‘crisis’ occurs pretty close to the projected number of his years in power and might prove  dangerous.

Could it represent some serious threat to his health/body/life as far as ascendant is concerned – could it be he gets wounded, even killed? Or ‘just’ gets sick, undergoes surgery, etc? From the point of view of the mid-heaven, a possibility of being violently overthrown by treachery, imprisoned? Will he manage to get re-elected this year? Let’s see what  the other important indicators have to say in this regard – SR chart for the current year, profections of both relevant points, along with further indicators found in Aries ingress 2014.

The place of distribution of the ascendant is in SR  WS 12th which is not good and hints at some kind of trouble, possibly isolation too but it is also not oppressed by any malefic in the SR chart – neither by location nor by aspect. Quite the opposite – the unimpeded Venus, lady of the distribution, is aspecting her bound from a fixed sign of Leo, which is WS 10^th/9^th by division and 10^th from the profected ascendant. These are important testimonies in favor of  his safety in matters of body/health and stability. The participating Sun is in the 9^th (joy)  unimpeded by the SR malefics as well.

The profected ascendant is in Scorpio this year, making Mars LOY (SR ascendant is in Scorpio as well). Mars is in the sign of its dejection in Cancer, the same as in the chart of accession, but now his condition is much alleviated/improved as he’s also out of the Sun-beams, oriental/fast, in his own bounds (considerably more resources to act in accordance with its own ‘will’ than triplicity alone can provide) and most importantly, received by his dignified kingdom lord, Jupiter by conjunction within a three-degree orb and within the bounds of the same planet – this is the most intimate, strongest possible bond two planets can share (R.Schmidt) Jupiter is very powerful as his heliacal rising phase occurred within seven days prior to the date, is in its sect and fast. This is an excellent indicator for Assad in terms of his personal safety and his standing in the coming elections, as Jupiter should provide help, support and even a decent amount of ‘popularity’ despite the awful situation in his country.  The same is testified by the SR north node on the profected ascendant. ‘Spoiling the fun’ is Saturn’s opposition aspect thrown into Scorpio (while Jupiter is in aversion from Gemini) and the position of the SR Moon/Saturn in it, while Saturn will also station there at the beginning of March – fear of death/danger are still present. But since Mars as dispostor is in a rather ‘decent’ overall condition and SR Venus/Sun as natural benefics closely aspect the SR ascendant by square/trine, these testimonies seem to point out he’s relatively safe – at least till July.

Now to the mid-heaven. The place of its distribution in Cancer is cadent in the SR 9^th, but is again unimpeded by the SR malefics, which is good. The distributor/participator Saturn is peregrine and cadent in Scorpio, occidental and in a sign of contrary sect but his ‘strengths’ are direct motion after second station (things go ‘forward’ again, slowly but surely!) he’s in sect/in a fixed sign and in his halb, in the oriental/masculine quarter of the chart while his benefic sect-mate Jupiter is in a partile trine to it, pushing his own (great) essential/accidental power by a harmonious, benevolent trine (a kind of milder reception). No doubt, Saturn is greatly (and also unexpectedly) helped by Jupiter as well – unexpectedly, because these two are in aversion in the accession chart and hence do not represent a previously existing relationship/support; the bond is of transitory nature and limited to this solar year only.  Nevertheless, it looks reasonably well for his authority/presidency, which is why I think he may even get re-elected for another 7-years term or at least won’t be violently overthrown if he happens to lose the elections up to July 17.

The profected MC/the Sun land in Leo in the beneficial 11^th , where both ‘natal’/SR Venus happen to be in SR 10^th WS/9^th by division and the 10^th from the profected ascendant – these are very good indicators. The profected lord of the mid-heaven is the Sun unimpeded by any SR malefic (but impeded by Mars in the accession chart!) in the house of its joy, in SR/profected 9^th  trining the SR ascendant. But yet again, Saturn from the accession’s 8^th throws a square aspect into Leo and casts a shadow onto an otherwise decently looking indicators pertaining to Assad’s rulership/authority for this solar year.

When the period in which one fears for the accede draws near, it is necessary that you rotate the years for him to know what kind of condition he has in them, looking in the revolutions by day, at the Sun (if it is by night, look at the Moon) at the lot of elevation and victory and prosperity – which is taken by day from the degree of the lot of absence to Jupiter and by night the opposite, and cast out from the ascendant – and at the lord of  the term of the midheaven.  Whichever of these is in a cardine or in a laudable and strong position, is the indicator of the acceder in that year. If it is free from misfortune and harm, especially coming from the lord of its 4^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th and 12^th places, this indicates his safety in that year. If the malefics are cadent, especially under the earth, his enemies’ command changes to weakness and lowness.

In the SR chart 2013-2014, the term lord of the midheaven is Mercury and the lot of elevation, victory and prosperity is located in Libra in the 23^rd degree. The Sun is in the 9^th house. Mercury is still under the beams and retrograde (though near its second station within 7days!) cadent by WS/in the 8^th by division and joined to a planet in its own dejection (the Moon, which happens to be its dispositor), dignified by term/decan in Cancer. The Sun is in the house of its joy, but feminine both by quadrant/ sign and peregrine; the Moon as its lord is afflicted both by cadency/ dejection and by its position on the north node. The lot is cadent in the bad WS 12th but is in a beneficial, strong 11^th by division, closely aspected by its term/domicile lady Venus from the WS 10^th/9^th by division. Of all the candidates, I judge the lot/its lord to be in the most laudable condition. It is unimpeded by either of the lords of the bad houses relative to its position – another testimony for Assad’s safety till July 17 this year.

However, the Aries ingress chart for the first quarter of 2014 is pretty problematic in its overall indications for the region as cardinal Libra on the ascendant necessitates 4 separate charts for every quarter of the year and Mars is in the 1^st house in both the spring and the summer quarters (while the winter quarter, amazingly, again displays Libra ascendant!)  In itself, this is an (almost) certain testimony (by repetition) to a very volatile, unstable year likely to produce some sudden changes/new conflicts – unlike the current one with fixed Leo on the ascendant, which has signified a year of relative stability to Syrian government; the threat of foreign intervention in September 2013 was averted with the help of his most powerful ally Russia as the greatest danger that may have happened. But potentially the most dangerous indication pertaining to Assad, to reiterate, is Mars retrograde in Libra in the 1^st, in the bounds of the primary directed ascendant of the accession chart; lord of the midheaven, the Moon, is in its dejection in Scorpio and applying to a retrograde Saturn under the earth. Spring quarter is likely to bring renewed western pressure on Assad to ‘abandon his post’, along with fresh offensive(s) by the rebels/increased fighting. However, Jupiter is testifying from the WS 10^th (probably) preventing the ultimate harm to his life/well being in the spring quarter.

The threat is further reinforced by the already mentioned repetition in the Cancer ingress of 2014

Mars on the ascendant in Libra is almost exactly on the ascendant of the accession chart. Generally, the violent/destructive potential ‘promised’ in the year’s ‘root’ chart of the spring quarter is very likely to manifest in full during the summer quarter in the Middle East, especially if one bears in mind that the ascendant of the Aries ingress prior to Israel’s independence in 1948 is also in this degree and the yearly profection reaches the 7^th in Aries, containing Mars in ingress chart of 2000. Israel is very likely to /limitedly?/ intervene in Syria to avert the danger to its northern borders posed by amassing terrorists bent on its destruction and probably finally in Iran too. As wars/hostilities are likely to occur in the years when the superiors are in square/opposition, preferably in angles of the ascendant/the Sun (and they tend to start when the superiors become retrograde/direct) as well as when Jupiter enters the sign of its exaltation, all these conditions are met in the charts of the spring/summer quarters.

Additionally, the annual profection of the already mentioned triplicity shift of 1841 arrives to Aries (square to the conjunction itself and conjunct Mars of the conjunction in 2000) while the annual profection of the preceding conjunction in Taurus lands in Leo, sqauring both the preceding conjunction  and Mars of the triplicity shift; Saturn stations in Scorpio tightly opposing the degree of the conjunction in Taurus – perhaps the most potent indicators of  the hostilities flaring up to a wholly new level of scope/destruction.

According to Abu Ma’shar, when the shift occurs in the earthy triplicity, it indicates power of the western people (!!!) Capricorn carrying the strongest significations. The time of the appearance of the indication(s) in the case of earthy triplicity is either four or eight conjunctions after the shift. Now if one remebers that Mars is on the ascendant of the shift (chart for Jerusalem “the epicenter”) while the superiors conjoin in the 3rd which along with the 9th indicates the birth of a ‘new religion’ in the west (“democracy”), it is easy to see why 80 years after the shift the world was in crisis symbolized by the great economic depression (an earth sign!) ushering in the birth/rise of totalitarian ideology (fascism) leding ultimately to the WW II – the great battle of ideologies i.e. secular “religions”,which began at the very end of the twenty-year period marked by the fourth conjunction after the shift.

Isn’t it astonishing that 8 conjunctions after the shift i.e. 160 years later, the (western) world is in the middle of another deep economic crisis, with ideological/religious gaps between the east/west getting wider, bigger by the day. Thus the WW 3 is bound to happen before 2020 and it will start in the Middle East (Mars of the triplicity shift on the ascendant for Jerusalem/Damascus, the region of current upheaval; it may be argued the opening shots of the WW 3 have already been fired in Syria because the last conjunction in earthy triplicity occurred in the ascendant of that country ) resulting in the considerable (perhaps even total) loss of power of the ‘west’.  The Moon/Mars opposition without reception perfecting at the end of their respective cardinal signs (sudden ‘change’) also seems to testify the same, denoting war toward the end of the 20 year period. With the shift to airy triplicity in Aquarius (the ‘strongest’ of the airy signs) in 2020, the power/dominance will also be transferred to the people of northern region(s) – Russia/China?

Mars will be stationary direct on May 21, so this could prove a dangerous period for the peace in the region – apart from his turning retrograde in the beginning of March (along with Saturn!) in the angle of the 4^th of the current ingress. As if all this weren’t enough, the lot of war/battle (taken day/night from Mars to the Moon and cast out from the Sun of annual revolution) is in the 23^rd degree of Aries in the 7^th, opposed by its lord Mars in detriment in the 1^st, in a human, airy sign of Libra. The fighting is likely to take a turn for the worse i.e. expand in scope and intensity, involving the substantial use of air-force and missiles. 

The SR chart 2014 – 2015

brings even more threatening indicators for Assad (because of the overlapping indicators, especially in the period July 17 – September 23)  since SR Mars is in the terms of the ascendant’s distribution (within three degrees) in the mundane 8^th. Though Venus aspects Mars by trine she is separating and I’m having doubts if this can prove a life saving influence in the event of an attempt on his life. The Sun from the SR 6th is in a partile, still applying square to that Mars without reception which is a very dangerous indicator for his authority. But theoretically, as the SR chart is nocturnal, the Moon should be given preeminence in examining the indicators of his safety in that year. Still, the Sun/Mars square looks really threatening when one bear in mind its ‘natal’ significations.

The Moon is peregrine in cardinal Aries and under the earth at night, approaching the south node in the WS 3^rd/2^nd by division  and will apply to the cadent Sun with a strong mutual reception and the Sun further applies to Mars (the Moon’s dispositor in detriment) without reception which is very bad as far as the result of the Moon’s disposition is concerned. The term lord of the midheaven in Sagittarius is Jupiter, in the WS 7^th/6^th by division in his own triplicity/terms but has already entered combustion and is therefore discarded. The lot of elevation, victory and prosperity is in the 24the degree of a fixed Taurus in the WS 4^th/3^rd by division with its lady Venus in aversion to it from Gemini in the 5th. It is sextile the Sun and opposed by Saturn. A considerably tougher call this time between the chart luminary and the lot, but I give it to the lot/its ruler again. The lords of the 6^th, 7^th , 8^th and 12^th from its position are not afflicting it, but the Sun as the lord of the  WS 4^th is closely aspecting, albeit by a harmonious sextile, indicating by itself probably some rather bearable affliction/disturbance.  Saturn/Mars are both above the earth, with Saturn in the WS 10^th which should indicate the renewed strengthening/consolidation of the rebels and their command – compared to the previous year. All in all, a more dangerous/unstable year lies ahead.

As Jupiter is lord of the profected ascendant in the SR 10^th, its combustion in the WS 7^th/6^th by division looks even more ominous.  Additionally, SR Venus as the lady of the accession’s ascendant/its distribution signifying Assad’s body/life is exactly on a 1^st magnitude fixed star Betelgeuze (Mars/Mercury) which is a potential ‘cutter’ (Kusyar ibn Labban, Introduction to Astrology) at the very end of her current sign, potentially symbolizing a  fundamental ‘change’ in his condition.

On July 12, there’s a full Moon in Capricorn in the 21^st degree, opposing Mars in the chart of the accession partilly.  A potential ‘trigger’ for the loss of authority, or even worse?

Sahl bin Bishr, On Questions   And look at the hour of his entrance into the seat of his kingdom, provided that he did sit in the seat of his empire and undertook to rule and protect it. If his entrance was in the day…and if the malefic aspected the Sun, and the malefic were Mars and he were exalted above the Sun from the midheaven, and the Sun were in the ascendant in a movable sign, some one of the citizens of that kingdom will be turned against him who often terrifies him; or his end will be by means of death and killing. [The Sun is joined to Mars in a movable sign in the midheaven which amounts to pretty much the same]

After this look at the sign of the midheaven and its lord to see where he is and who aspects it and the lord of the midheaven…which if indeed the malefic were in the same place [the midheaven] he will find great difficulties in that work, and whatever he earned will be taken away from him through martyrdom and being bound up, and by being deposed in the anger of his king. And if a benefic aspected the midheaven and there were not a malefic in the same place, the work will be an advantage and good.  [Both benefics are in aversion to the midheaven, so the work will not be an advantage/good. Could Assad somehow end up making his biggest/strongest allies Russia&Iran angry to the extent they speed up/cause his end? Hard to imagine, but time will tell. It makes the most sense to see it as a ruler being ‘deposed’ by someone much more powerful/influential than him – both militarily and politically]

Indeed if there were malefic in the same place [the 4^th], he will find evil and impediment after he is deposited from the work, with prison and martyrdom and punishment and in extended imprisonment. Indeed if a benefic did not aspect the malefic which was in the 4^th, he will be conquered and undergo punishments, and he will die in that same prison. But if the lord of the 4^th were in the ascendant or in the 10^th or in the rest of the optimal places, cleansed of the malefic, and likewise the lord of the domicile of the Moon, it signifies the good end of the work. [The Moon’s domicile lord is Saturn which also happens to be the lord of the 4^th. Since he’s peregrine in the malefic 8^th, a house wholly corresponding to his natural significations according to the Chaldean order of the planets, this is pretty unlikely to signify the ‘good end of the work’ – to the contrary. Though no malefic is in the 4^th, they aspect the place – Mars/Mercury by opposition, Saturn by trine – while both benefics are in aversion.]

In the revolution of the year when the acceder accedes…if Mars is with the Sun or the Sun is in the second sign from Mars and the Sun is raised over it [when Mars and the Sun are in the same , or nearby signs, the Sun is said to be ‘raised over Mars’ /“falling over Mars” in Latin/ if it is in fewer degrees and vice versa; the Sun may be in the second sign from /i.e. in front of/ Mars, Mars may be in the 11^th or 12^th sign from  /i.e. behind/ the Sun]  or Mars is in the 11^th or the 12^th sign from the Sun, and Mars is raised over it, it is an indication of his being killed, and after it there is a riot in his house.

 To cut the long story short – in the months/SR year ahead, it appears Assad enters a pretty rough period which may bring several crises endangering both his life and government. The first may occur at the end of February/beginning of March; the indication is reinforced by the progressed degree of the annual profection (one degree = 12.1667 days) reaching from 15^th degree of Scorpio – 15th degree of Sagittarius this year. It has been running under the opposition from Saturn since the beginning of January and will remain under his malign influence till the beginning of March.   The second is likely to manifest July 17 – 23^rd September, overlapping with the period when monthly profection of the ascendant activates Mars of the SR chart 2014/2015  (14 August – 11 September it arrives in Capricorn /kingdom of Mars/), opposed by ‘natal’ Mars and squared by solar Mars in Libra located in the bound of the distribution in the mundane 8^th. At the same time, the monthly profected midheaven meets SR Mars in Libra as well. Another one is 6 November – 4 December when monthly profection arrives in Aries and then the monthly profection in Libra 24 April – 22 May 2015.  2015/2016 as already stated, is the year most likely to brings his political/personal ruin – if he manages to master the crises till then.

Abu Ma’shar   As for how to know the week day on which their disaster occurs, it is found from the position of the Moon at the revolution of  the year in which the acceder accedes, and its location among the signs. For, wherever it is in them, he meets disaster on the day of the lord of the sign in which it is. If the Moon has a mixture with the lord of its place, it is surest and most true in its indication, especially if it is the house of a planet agreeing with it.

In the revolution of the year 2000, the Moon was in Libra, its lord Venus in Pisces. Though the Moon doesn’t have “mixture” with Venus due to aversion between these signs, the same is mitigated because this pair is of equal daylight/agreeing in strength and power – or simply put, they are antiscia signs. And Venus ‘agrees’ with the Moon because they are nocturnal sect-mates.

Whenever it may occur, some Friday is likely to be the day of reckoning for Al-Assad, the Lion of Damascus.

Is she pregnant?

This question was posed by a desperate (married) acquaintance of mine who was having an  affair. He wanted to know whether his ‘new girlfriend’ was pregnant, as her period was delayed for about two weeks, this being the  first instance  of such irregularity since the two got involved more than a year ago.

Sahl bin Bishr instructs us to look at the ascendant, its ruler and the Moon. Basically, he says that if the Moon/ascendant lord are in the 5th and/or the lord of the 5th is in the 1st, free from the malefics, the woman is pregnant. If the Moon/ascendant lord are joined to a planet cadent from the ascendant, it signifies detriment (more strongly so if the ascendant is a movable sign or there’s a malefic in an angle or if the Moon is joined to a malefic). But if the planet receiving the Moon’s/ascendant lord’s disposition is free from the malefics and it is in a ‘good place’, the woman is pregnant.

  The lady of the ascendant, Venus is in the angle of the earth in a barren sign of Leo peregrine and not received, which is the first testimony against pregnancy, reinforced by the placement of her twelfth-part in Aries, a sign “of few children, sometimes none” (according to Abu Ma’shar/Al Qabisi’s  Introduction to Astrology) in the unfortunate 12^th WHS/in detriment. She is joining no planet and none of the planets is being joined to her so I turned to the Moon in Libra for supporting testimonies. Libra is again a sign “of  few children” and being the cadent 6^th WHS of the chart, made me think about some health/stress related issue which probably caused the delay – after all, air signs generally symbolize blood and Libra ‘rules’ ovaries as well and the Moon is separating from Jupiter, lord of the 8th by square! Additionally, the Moon’s twelfth-part is in the sign of its detriment in the 9^th, the house opposite of its joy – further testimonies against successful conception.

The Moon is joined to Mercury, lord of the 5^th (the matter inquired about), by square with mutual reception but he is cadent, retrograde and under the beams, making him unable to retain the Moon’s light (his twelfth-part in the 8th in detriment, in a tight conjunction with Saturn’s twelfth-part!) Though the return is theoretically with amelioration (due to Mercury offering reception by triplicity/term) I judged the woman not pregnant, first and foremost because of the bad significations pertaining to the retreating 6^th WHS where the Moon gets its light returned. I thought the cadency of both planets (and Mercury’s other grave impediments) would overrule the reception existing between them, making it a case of light being returned with detriment/corruption – since both are incapacitated to act, the matter never gets developed. The conflicting testimonies of light being returned with both amelioration and destruction still favored the latter, because of the preponderance of negative indications through twelfth-parts and the position of Venus along with the square aspect connecting the Moon/Mercury.

Now one might ask what’s the difference between this case and the one presented here https://7heavenastrology.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/an-example-of-mashaallah-al-kindi-in-action/ since the outcomes are different but the charts pretty similar. I think there are several important points to consider. First of all, while the Moon in Pisces does get its light returned by a cadent, peregrine and combust Jupiter in Taurus with amelioration, it has additional strength to deal with it because of its position in the 4th WSH where it has testimony of triplicity/term while the aspect itself is a harmonious sextile having the strength/nature of a trine (Paulus Alexandrinus, Introductory  Matters); the Moon in the latter case is only in its face in Libra. Furthermore, its following application is to a strong angular, benefic Venus in the 7th in its sect/halb with reception, whereas in the pregnancy question, if we allow for the possibility of the Moon’s ‘recovery’ through reception provided by Mercury,  its next joining is again to a cadent planet (the Sun) which doesn’t offer reception. To the contrary – the Moon is downright rejected, as it approaches the Sun from the sign of its slavery/depression by square!

But probably the most important thing to bear in mind is the different context of the two questions – while any real estate does eventually find its buyer/renter despite the potentially problematic chart indications, the conception of a new life is a much more fragile,sensitive issue which cannot ‘survive’ the hardship/strain involved in the return of light.

The outcome – two days later, greatly relieved, the man sent me an SMS confirming the veracity of my judgment. I was glad to hear the news too, because the old masters’ techniques proved their accuracy and reliability once more 🙂

The Prophecy

Happy New Year, everyone  🙂

Last five months have been very busy for me as a seemingly endless line of clients kept me very occupied so while my astrological practice indeed flourished, there was not much time left for updating my blog and I don’t like doing anything in haste.

To begin with, I’m fascinated by prophecies – first and foremost by the ones from the Bible and secondly by those stemming from (not so ancient) people who left written testimonies of their prophetic abilities for us to wonder and ponder upon. One of those people is Nicolaas Pieter Johannes (“Niklaas“ or “Siener“) Janse van Rensburg (30 August 1864 – 11 March 1926) a Boer seer from South African Republic who became famous during his lifetime for accurately predicting several important events. He also spoke about future global affairs culminating in WW 3 and his visions were recorded by his daughter Anna. There’s even a fascinating BBC documentary on this man

Now what does he have to do with the horary chart delineated in this text?

Well, he prophesied that not long after a great black leader has died, riots would erupt in South Africa, leading to a bloody civil war. War would also engulf almost the entire East Africa and when these times come (and the “ice starts melting”) WW 3 will start as Russia joins China against western powers in the Middle east, and so on.

Being aware of this prophecy since 2009 I was anxiously following the news about the rapidly deteriorating health of Nelson Mandela who was hospitalized  for lung infection at the time of my question.  This, coupled with my inborn eagerness to pry into the future and the destiny of mankind, led to the query “When will Nelson Mandela die?”

Mandela is represented by the ascendant in Taurus(close to Algol), its lady Venus and the general co-significator, the Moon. Peregrine, occidental Venus in the 4^th in Leo (with its twelfth part in the bounds of Saturn!), a royal sign nicely depicts a very famous, old person at the end of his life. Interestingly, Venus rules the 6^th (illness) as well and  posited in the 4^th, she accurately describes the afflicted organ – lungs (and probably heart as well)! The Moon as a sect light and kingdom/triplicity lord of the ascendant in its depression in the 7^th WSH/mundane 6^th in a lame degree is another fitting symbol of a depleted, feeble life force and worn out body, heavily burdened by advanced age and illness.

Again, as in couple of other examples I’ve provided on this blog, the slightest sign of worsening in the relevant planets’ condition is a sure testimony of death. For one, Venus being joined by the Moon in its own fall from the sign of her detriment by square is one reliable testimony. Another one is Venus’s proximity to the end of her current sign of Leo, after which she enters the sign of her depression, Virgo. Both of these are perfected nearly in the same number of degrees – five and a half. Based upon fixed signs of long ascension and the houses which are in the slow, descending part of heaven, the theory seemed to favor longer time units (months), though on the other hand they also appeared too long, given Mandela’s grave condition. I thought weeks would be most appropriate,but…

Four and a half months later, on 5 December, Mandela died – a month earlier than the number of degrees seemed to symbolize. Well, the chart isn’t radical so perhaps one shouldn’t expect it to be too precise in its indications. However, after inspecting it with greater care (trying to squeeze the right moment out of it, actually!) I noticed a potentially important detail – namely, Jupiter’s twelfth part in the beginning of the 30^th degree of Leo. As 8^th house lord, he has the final say in the matters of death. In four and a half degrees, Venus perfects her conjunction with Jupiter’s twelfth part, accurately depicting the time of Mandela’s passing away.

All in all, my point is that perhaps one should pay more attention to what twelfth-parts have to say in horary charts, especially in ‘sensitive’ cases like this. We have a great, fascinating set of tools& techniques at our disposal in true astrology’s kit and as long as we don’t try to distort it by making things up which are inconsistent/irreconcilable with its fundamental principles, I think we’re free to experiment with what we’ve been given.

As for van Rensburg’s  prophecies…time will tell whether he was right or not. Based on the current state of global affairs, I think one shouldn’t discard them as false (yet).

 

Death of a Football Fan

Brice Taton sustained severe head and chest injuries when Toulouse football fans were attacked in the Irish Pub in central Belgrade by a 30-strong group of hooligans armed with iron bars and baseball bats on September 17, 2009.  Taton’s condition was termed “critical” after a long aorta surgery on September 18 and brain surgery the day after, his chances of survival rated as “very small”.

Feeling sorry for the innocent victim of a ruthless, mindless mob I wanted to know whether there was any chance he could make it despite the heavy odds.

 

I assigned the ascendant to the Frenchman  as the question relates to his health and life, which are the significations pertaining to the rising degree; this approach is well attested to in the works of Sahl,al-Kindi, Bonatti so it’s no wonder one finds it in W. Lilly’s Christian Astrology as well.

The hour ruler was the Moon, which made the question radical. Let’s see if the chart provides us with a symbolic description of the background which led to the query.

Jupiter rules the ascendant in Pisces and is posited in the violent, fixed, humane sign of Aquarius in the 12^th, in aversion to the ascendant and retrograde. A perfectly fitting symbolism for someone who’s lying helplessly in a hospital with very slim chances of recovery after having been brutally beaten up by a savage hooligan mob.

Jupiter is the natural co-significator of the 9^th which (among other things) symbolizes foreigners.  The Moon itself is located in Scorpio the 9^th, denoting the same. It disposes a contrary to sect, oriental  Mars in the 5^th in its dejection in Cancer and separates from Jupiter by square out of another violent sign while Mars closely aspects the ascending degree and besieges Jupiter by sign – all of which represents a stunningly precise description of the event!

The Moon naturally rules common people and being posited in the sign of its dejection, it aptly signifies low, ignoble, ill-bred group of aggressive individuals (the Moon/Mars mutual reception) who beat up a foreigner (the Moon/Jupiter separating square) in the place of enjoyment (Mars trining the ascendant from the 5th, besieging Jupiter in the 12^th).

Based on this, I expected the chart to correctly describe the outcome of the matter as well as its timing.

Jupiter is joining no planet, so the primary testimony fell to the Moon. It is separating from Jupiter and joining Mercury retrograde in Virgo, in the angle of the 7^th without reception. This is a very negative testimony for several reasons.

Mercury is the lord of the 4^th, which has a strong signification toward death and is located in the 7^th, reinforcing the signification. Mercury as a naturally neutral, impressionable planet is in the same degree with Saturn (Jupiter’s lord in aversion to it), the natural ruler of death and co-almuten of  the 8^th in Libra. Mercury also disposes Venus, the lady of the 8^th. The Mercury/Saturn conjunction is in the 8^th sign from Jupiter, in itself  a death-bringing combination as it connects mutually destructive planets – Gemini are destroyed by Capricorn, Aquarius by Virgo (V. Valens).

Now I’m aware it’s not usual to delineate the signification based on planets’ positions relative to each other, but there’s an interesting example of just such a practice in Masha’allah’s Interpretation of  Cognition (also presented as Hermes’s chart on thoughts about a sick mother in Hermann of Carinthia’s The Search of the Heart. As Hermann points out, this chart appears in many works).

In the example, Masha’allah concludes that the thought is about a sick mother because the Moon is in the 4^th sign (Libra) from the significator Venus in Cancer signifying a family member; the Moon also naturally signifies mothers in nocturnal charts. She’s judged sick because the Moon is in the radical 6^th, separating from Saturn in Leo in the radical 4^th.

If one applies the same logic here, the Moon’s contact (translation of light) with Mercury/Saturn conjunction in the ‘derived’ 8^th in Virgo can mean only one thing – death. There are six degrees to the perfection of the sextile, denoting probably 6 days when his grave condition is taken into account.

Brice Taton, aged 28, an innocent victim of brute savagery so often displayed by hooligans, passed away on September 29, at ten o’clock in the morning, as the Moon was transiting Aquarius.

RIP, Brice.

Homo homini lupus est

An Example of 8th House Matter

A worried querent wanted to know whether her grandma would survive the following couple of days. The old lady was 88, very feeble and constantly in bed for the last few weeks, her condition going from bad to worse with each passing day. On the day of the question, she slept almost incessantly, and even her pains were not as strong as usual.

The hour ruler was Mercury, which made the question radical. The old lady’s significators are Venus, lady of the 4^th in Sagittarius and, of course, the Moon in Pisces. It is very interesting to find the twelfth-part of the ascendant (the ‘real’ focus of the querent’s thoughts) in the 5^th house/sign, the place of Venus but also of Mercury, which rules the derived 8^th in Gemini and disposes lord of the radical 8^th, Jupiter in Gemini (Mercury/Jupiter mutual reception).

The POF as another possible significator of the querent’s thoughts is in the 10^th  in a feminine sign of Taurus, which also makes sense as the question was about  her mother’s mother. Venus as the ruler of the Lot falls in the 8^th from it, which is the house of death.

Additional testimonies of the question’s radicality are found  in the Moon – separated from Mercury, lord of the derived 8^th and placed in the radical 8^th,  joined to Mars in Capricorn in the radical 6th which also happens to be the ruler of  the derived house of illness and afflicts the IC by a partile square aspect – thoughts/indicators  of  illness/death all over the chart. Venus is also heavily involved in providing  convincing testimony – she’s in antiscia with  Mars. Finally, Saturn as the contrary to sect malefic and the natural ruler of  old age and death is placed in the 4^th  as the lord of the radical 6^th and Mars’s dispositor  (again, there’s the mutual reception by sign between the two malefics.)

What will happen next, and when?

Peregrine Venus is joined by malefic opposition to Jupiter which is himself ‘doubly’ malefic i.e. lord of death for the already mentioned reasons and he’s also contrary to sect, out of its domain, in detriment and retrograde while sitting upon a malefic fixed star which is a potential cutter – Aldebaran.

Though  Jupiter receives Venus, we have to bear in mind that the old lady’s  condition makes it highly unlikely for the reception to prove a life-saving influence.  The slightest sign of the deterioration is a sure testimony of death in this case – the opposition coupled with the return of light represents just such a kind of exacerbation, even though the return is with amelioration (due to reception and succeedent position of Venus).  Four and a half days left…?

The Moon offers a similar testimony, by its perfection of sextile with  Mars in two degrees. Mars does receive the Moon by triplicity/bound/face BUT he’s also in a bad cadent house which doesn’t behold the ascendant and in the sign of the Moon’s detriment – again, an aggravation which may turn out deadly. I judged a major turn for the worse in two days, probably resulting in death. And so it proved – she died in two days, around 14:00. Though the Moon/Mars perfection denoting two days is a sufficient testimony in itself, Mars’s dexter square to the IC perfecting  in two days and lacking only 15′ to be exact is also a very powerful indicator of the same.

If one chooses to delineate the chart from the perspective of whole-sign houses, the same result is obtained. Grandma is Saturn in the 4^th and  Mars in the 6^th, in antiscia with Venus which rules her 12^th. The Moon in the radical 8th is translating the light between Mercury, lord of the turned 8^th and Mars, grandma’s significator. But even if the Moon didn’t translate the light from Mercury, its contact with Mars out of the radical 8^th would still prove fatal.

An Example of Masha’allah & al-Kindi in Action

A querent wanted to know when she’d be able to rent her shop again, as her income depended almost solely on it. Her previous tenants had just terminated the agreement due to lack of business caused by increasing competition in the area.

It was the hour of Mercury, which makes the chart radical. At  first glance, it seemed pretty hopeless. Both  Jupiter, lord of the querent, and Mercury, lord of the 7th (potential renters) are combust/under the beams and cadent from the ascendant in the 6th in Taurus. Jupiter is also peregrine, while Mercury is in its own terms, applying to Jupiter – but can this contact perfect anything, as both are very weakened by the Sun/cadency?

I turned to the testimony of the Moon and found it in the house of the matter (whole-sign 4th) but in the 3rd by division, (in its joy and triplicity/term)  separating from Mercury all of which described the background of the question very clearly. The Moon is applying to Jupiter, translating the light between the relevant significators; moreover, the Moon receives Jupiter and is in turn received by him. Therefore I thought there was a chance (albeit it seemed to be slim because of the significators’ weakness) new renter would turn up within 7 weeks but my judgment proved too optimistic  – he came in exactly seven months (as Mercury was transiting the ascendant, BTW).

Now why months? Had I been a bit more careful/objective in my judgment, I could have perceived the following testimonies more clearly: cadent houses (aversion to the ascendant!) prolong the matters and fixed signs show longer time units while both significators are in the descending part of heaven which is again slow (however, I didn’t know about this division of the circle then!) Being under the beams is equivalent to being cadent/remote and Jupiter as the receiver of the Moon’s disposition is a slow moving planet. Testimonies to the contrary are: Taurus is a sign of short ascension and it is ruled by a quick moving planet, but these two are obviously heavily outnumbered  so she had to wait a bit longer than expected/desired.

But is it possible that the mutual reception between the Moon/Jupiter is enough to annul the effects of combustion and the cadency of all the significators? After all, according to theory (Sahl bin Bishr, Abu Ma’shar), Jupiter is too incapacitated to handle the Moon’s disposition and returns the light howbeit with amelioration because he receives the Moon. The Moon is then free to proceed to its next application with Venus in Gemini in the 7th (Jupiter/Mercury dispositor), again with reception by exaltation/triplicity. Masha’allah’s essential theory of reception seems to prove its great value once more. Here’s how one of  my all-time favorite astrologers defined a fundamental astrological precept in the 8th century

Because a conjunction of the lord of the Ascendant with the lord of the quesited matter is attainment through himself, and nothing forbids its effecting, if God wills (not even combustion?)

For reception effects matters, so that it can in no way happen but that it comes to be – whether it were delayed or is going to come about shortly but the angles hasten the matter, and strengthen it, and the following domiciles or those succeeding [the angles] are useful; but the cadents [which do not aspect the ascendant] delay the matter and postpone it. But reception cannot pass over into nothing, even if a period of time came in between, by the command of God   [Masha’allah, On Reception]

In the end,I’d also like to delineate  the chart from al-Kindi’s perspective which recommends using victors for the querent and the relevant topic. This represents a sort of a final check, either confirming or contradicting the conclusions reached initially.

By using all three triplicity rulers of the five releasers, I get Jupiter as the significator of the chart,i.e the querent.

Victor of the topic, i.e  the planet with most authorities in the 4th, in the Lot of real estate, lord of the hour and the natural significator of the matter (Saturn) is Venus. As Venus disposits Jupiter and Saturn and is in the 7th ( in mutual generosity with Mercury, lord of the 7th!) we see that the source/outcome of all the querent’s interests/actions is tied to the principle of  (business) partnership. Given that benefic Venus is angular (angles establish/perfects matters!) in the house of negotiations/contracts, in her sect/above the horizon/in a  feminine quadrant  in the nocturnal chart, there is sufficient testimony pointing to a successful conclusion of the matter. Venus also receives the Moon, the querent’s co-significator by exaltation/triplicity. She’s only a few days before her 1st station,which is a considerable weakness, but the reception offered to the Moon ensures the return of the light with amelioration

Let’s investigate further. Another candidate for the victor of a topic is chosen among the fittest of the following – lord of the ascendant, the Moon, the Sun, lord of POF, lord of SAN. Lord of the ascendant and the Sun are discarded for obvious reasons, as well as the lord of the preceding SAN (Mars) which is falling/retreating from the angle of the 10th and is only a participating lord of earthy triplicity. Lord of the POF is a very dignified, received Saturn in 11th, but he’s contrary to sect/above the earth in a nocturnal chart and retrograde so I discard him as well. That leaves the Moon (the chart luminary) as the final and probably best choice (feminine sign/quadrant, in its lunar half=term+participating triplicity, in the house of its joy by division, received by both benefics)  and who does it commit its disposition to from the house of the matter? Jupiter, with mutual reception!

With this final confirmation indicating the attainment of the matter, the circle closes.

Al-Kindi’s Victor(s) of a Topic

And know that each sign has a lord, and ascends within two hours, and many things can be asked in them. And if the lord of the Ascendant had been the significator of all things, [then] all things asked under the same sign would be all good or bad according to the signification of the lord of the Ascendant – but it is not so. Likewise, the Moon is being joined to some planet throughout the whole day, and throughout the greatest part of the day, but the significations of matters are diverse in that same day: because certain ones of them are effected, but certain ones not. Wherefore, it is necessary for us always to seek the significator. Masha’allah, On the Interpretation of Cognition

In this text, I’d like to present al-Kindi’s method of establishing victors for the querent and the matter inquired about which haven’t found their way into mainstream horary practice as we know it primarily from William Lilly’s masterpiece Christian Astrology.

The victor of a particular topic becomes the planet which has the most powers (almuten) in the house of the matter, its Lot, lord of the hour and the natural significator. For instance, in the case of a question about marriage, this would involve the sign of the cusp of the 7th house, Venus as the natural significator, the Lot of marriage, and the lord of the hour. It’s important to note  that his weighted system prefers the bound lord, giving him three points and the primary triplicity lord two points (authors like Ibn Ezra and al-Qabisi do the reverse). This method of establishing victor by dignities  tries to identify a  planet with most authority over certain topic; it’s not a question of quality/goodness and strength!

Another  method of identifying  the victor of a particular topic is to choose the best candidate from among the following – the Sun, the Moon, the ruler of the ascendant, the ruler of POF and the ruler of the preceding syzygy. Each candidate is treated individually and its essential/accidental dignities are weighted carefully in order to find the most suitable one.

Victor for the querent, on the other hand, is found by taking the planet with most dignities  in the positions of the Sun, the Moon, Ascendant, POF,  the preceding syzygy – again, it’s not the question of quality/strength of the significator in any given chart, but of authority only  (as we all know, a king/ruler can also be a corrupted, weak individual). Once the victors are established, we assess their overall condition and look to see if there’s an application between the two, preferably with reception.

Generally, al-Kindi’s approach to delineating horary questions entails the following requirements: the relevant house/its Lot should be aspected by the sect light, its domicile lord and the natural significator of the matter. This ensures that the relevant topic is given permission to “go ahead” from the highest authority (the sect light), it’s managed in a stable, consistent manner (domicile lord ) and the kind/quality of the event is in harmony with the basic principles of the matter (natural significator).

An interesting example of how (well)  these methods may work in practice is here http://skyscript.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7608&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30 (the chart and my comments on it are about half way down/ the end of the page)

Masha’allah’s Right – Again!

A  querent asked whether her child would recover from pneumonia without having to be hospitalized. Since the hour ruler was Mars, the  question was radical. Interestingly, the hour/ascendant ruler posited exactly on the cusp of the son’s 6th (illness/hospital) accurately reflected her  worry, especially if we also note that Mars is in contra-antiscia with Saturn in the 12th.

The son’s significator is Jupiter in Taurus, which fits perfectly as he naturally rules pneumonia. He’s unafflicted  by the malefics  but as his nature is hot/moist and Taurus is cold/dry, it’s clear he’s not very comfortable there. The culprit should be Jupiter’s ruler, Venus since she also rules the part of illness on the descendant (ASC + MA – SA /r).

Finding her in the second sign from her domicile (throat/neck), afflicted by a close separating conjunction to the south node and in a close separating square to Mars, I told her that the pneumonia was probably the consequence of a cold/flu afflicting his throat which wasn’t properly taken care of so it developed into something worse (the querent confirmed this). The sign of Gemini, where Venus and the south node are, signifies the boy’s lungs; its ruler Mercury (which is also the ruler of the derived 6th and the dispositor of Mars) lands in the 5th in Pisces (detriment/fall), afflicting his well-being/health. The Moon’s separation (by opposition) from Venus as the lady of the lot of illness was another important indicator she was at the root of the problem.

Jupiter was joined to no planet/none was being joined to it so the weight of  testimony fell primarily on the Moon in Sagittarius. It was joined to the Sun in its kingdom by a trine aspect which was an excellent indicator of betterment because the Sun is a natural ruler of vitality

Strong reception [the greatest generosity] more often comes to be from the Sun to the Moon, because he receives her from all the signs for the reason that her light is from him. If however her conjuction with him were from a sign in which he himself had dignity, there will be two receptions: namely reception of nature and reception of sign.

Even all of the prosperous stars are generous between themselves , since their natures are similar.

And there’s another kind of reception: when some one of the planets occupies the trigon of the other, or the hexagon together with it  Abu Ma’shar, Great Introduction

Not only does the Sun have dignity of triplicity in Sagittarius, but this sign also belongs to the solar half of the zodiac where it enjoys the authority equivalent to a bound as well. The Moon is received by triplicity/term! And both lights are natural benfics.

And the half of the circle which is from the beginning of Leo up to the end of Capricorn is called the “greatest half”, and it is the Sun’s half: because the Sun has sovereignty in this whole half just like the planets do in their own bounds  Al Qabisi, Introduction to the Science of Astrology

However, I didn’t like the Sun committing disposition to the out of sect, retrograde Saturn in the 12th/via combusta by opposition without reception, making him the final receiver of the Moon’s disposition and the indicator of the outcome of the matter (“the author of the question”).  In addition, Mars opposes the 5th while Saturn besieges it as well as the ruler of the 5th by sign. I told the querent that the initial betterment is likely to make a turn for the worse eventually, necessitating hospitalization after all.

In her feedback some two weeks later, the querent told me her son was doing well, having underwent a thorough medical check. Luckily, he didn’t have to be hospitalized. A  quick initial recovery was shown by the Sun’s position in a cardinal sign of short ascension and by  its swift motion (as opposed to the motion of the superiors). The Moon itself was also very fast.

Nevertheless, I was bewildered as to where Saturn’s influence ‘disappeared’.  Was Masha’allah’s horary method wrong this time?

Exactly five months later, the querent contacted me again to inform me that her son would have to undergo surgery of the third tonsil – it was enlarged due to the heavy pneumonia. Saturn finally revealed himself, and I realized (again!) Masha’allah’s method functioned splendidly.

Remarkably, the boy underwent surgery on the day the transiting Sun was exactly on Saturn’s degree in the chart of the question. It “had” to come to this because Saturn as ‘the author of the question’ was in contra-antiscia of Mars (in the boy’s 6th), the natural ruler of cutting/surgery .

The Sun/Saturn opposition perfected in a bit less than five and a half degrees, which corresponds exactly to the time the querent informed me about the date of the surgery, some two weeks later. But why did the whole process take more than five (actually,very close to six) months?

Most probably because Saturn is the slowest moving planet, he’s cadent in the 12th and Libra is a sign of long ascension. Interestingly, on the day of the surgery, transiting Mercury (one of the natural significators of children) was exactly on the ascendant,  coming from the 5th which signifies children as well.

The Road to Armageddon, Part I

On December 2, 1942, man first initiated a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, and controlled it. Beneath the West Stands of Stagg Field, Chicago, late in the afternoon of that day, a small group of scientists witnessed the advent of a new era in science. History was made in what had been a squash-rackets court. Precisely at 3:25 p.m., Chicago time, scientist George Weil withdrew the cadmium-plated control rod and by his action man unleashed and controlled the energy of the atom.

http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/firstpile/firstpile_01.shtml

 The birth chart  of “nuclear age”

Fixed stars first.

There are several very prominent ones on the key points of the chart – Saturn, the hour ruler/chart almuten (if we take Ptolemy’s above the earth luminary criterion) almost to the minute exactly on Aldebaran, Mars (the ruler of the 7th/12th=enemies/wars) as the strongest angular planet in its heliacal rising phase on Cor Serpentis, Jupiter in the angle of the 4th on Procyon and the degree of the ascendant on Hamal.

I think the weightiest of these is Saturn/Aldebaran combination, precisely because it’s the exactest one (only two arc minutes of difference!) There’s a very clear, literal symbolism embodied in this constellation – Saturn as the ruler of the 9^th sign (science/knowledge) which holds the MC (professional action/goal, it’s almuten is Mars!) and the universal significator of natural sciences in a double bodied, Mercury ruled, male sign of Gemini nicely depicts the moment a group of scientists successfully conducts an experiment after years of scientific effort/study.  Aldebaran adds an epochal, ground breaking dimension to it, because it’s one of the four royal stars, marking a new, powerful ‘beginning’. As it’s nature is pronouncedly martial, the final purpose of this experiment is to make a revolutionary weapon, to achieve leadership/dominance.

Saturn is retrograde, as usual when opposed to the Sun. Another stunningly appropriate symbolism is embedded in this aspect. The opposition is formed on the axis of two human signs (the first half of Sagittarius belongs to human ones) and Saturn is the natural ruler of revolution/sedition, while the Sun is the symbolic representation of God/ordering principle/hierarchy in the universe. The similarity between the name “Saturn” (whose domiciles are opposite to those of the lights, sources of creation/life) and “Satan” (the opposite of God) is most certainly no coincidence; his name means “adversary” in Hebrew  and is known as “corruptor”.

Hence this constellation can be read as man’s ‘challenge’ to God because it symbolizes the capability to use/unleash/control the horrendous energy potential embedded in the basic building blocks of creation. As the superior planets in their acronycal setting phase generally designate mature individuals, this can also be viewed as a symbolic “Declaration of Independence” from God when man deems himself mighty enough to assume power over life and death on Earth. It’s also no coincidence the opposition stretches between the 2^nd/8^th sign, both of which are in aversion (loss of light & sight = darkness/secrecy/threat) to the ascendant and symbolize death/destruction/loss/fear as well. Even the ruler of the ascendant, Venus is in the 8th, in aversion to its domicile – this “ship” lacks  reliable helmsman who really knows what he’s doing/where he’s heading and that doesn’t bode well   

To sum it up, all of this can be read as a hidden, ground breaking scientific activity/achievement whose aim is to create a weapon of mass destruction, but also to secure/conquer wealth/resources crucial for one’s survival. Additionally, the ultimate weapon itself is seen as the resource/reliable ally which is to secure the future existence in the world of dwindling natural resources and constant threats (the fixed, earth sign of Taurus is on the ascendant, symbolizing the need for physical stability/security). This is further accentuated by Mercury’s (Saturn/2^nd house’s ruler) position in the 8^th  (the resources of others, ruled by Jupiter), as well as by the Sun/Saturn’s position in Jupiter’s bounds, Jupiter being the natural significator of wealth/substance but also of the wealthy/the elite. He’s also the ruler of  the 11^th in Pisces (the military). It’s the military that has the experiment under close watch and sets all the rules – bounds/terms are literally descriptive of circumstances/restrictions set for planets which happen to land in them.

It’s no wonder we find Jupiter in its kingdom/bounds on an aggressive fixed star Procyon (Mercury/Mars = science/military) in the angle of the 4^th (hidden matters/natural resources/end of the matter), being applied to by Mars, the natural ruler of war/army/weapons, from Scorpio in the angle of the 7^th on Cor Serpentis (Unukalhai = Saturn/Mars). Mars/Jupiter applying trine in the angles represents the most pervasive/notable overall influence in the chart, especially if we bear in mind that Mars is in the house naturally signifying war/contest in the sign of its joy and is oriental in its heliacal  rising(!) all the while they’re both posited in Jupiter’s bounds, thus representing a very powerful, intense connection between the two.

Therefore, if one planet is being joined to another, if there were the quantity of one-half (or less) of the orb of each of them between them – that is, in front or behind – the signification of their conjunction with each other will manifest…and if in addition it were in one bound, they will be stronger in signification. (Abu Ma’shar, Great Introduction)

Those are actually the only two planets which behold the ascendant.  Mars also ‘pushes power’ to Jupiter, and I read this symbolism as a future constant external threat of (nuclear) attack/annihilation fueling the strengthening of one’s own military capabilities – a vicious circle.

Yet Mars/Jupiter don’t really like each other because they belong to different sects and are also natural enemies; despite the benevolent, ‘perfect love’ denoting trine, we should expect/see some rather negative manifestations like exaggeration/over-expansion, brinkmanship, etc as Jupiter is accidentally corrupted by being retrograde/out of domain and Mars is contrary to sect/domain and both are under the influence of very negative/aggressive fixed stars of (partly) martial nature. Jupiter actually returns Mars’s light which may be considered pretty dangerous as the natural ruler of wisdom/benevolence/moderation/law can’t handle Mars’s belligerent intentions and lets him do things his own way – the god of war being more than capable of achieving this, by provoking lethal hostilities in the 7^th.  He gets even more accentuated if we take a closer look at the POF (analogous to the ascendant) in Aquarius – Mars is culminating in the 10^th from it while the lot itself is afflicted by being in the same degree with the south node!

The symbolism of an arising, very powerful  military-industrial complex imposes itself quite naturally, as well as an enormous potential for future expansion in nuclear WMD production/power because both planets are in fertile, water signs and in the angles which denote everything stable/lasting/effective. I’d also add that this may reflect the attitude “might makes right” which led to “cold war” between the two superpowers right after the WW II on the basis of mutually exclusive ideologies.

According to Ibn Arabi, the angel of Taurus holds the keys of creation of heaven and hell – well, the chart for the birth of  nuclear age certainly confirms the potential for the latter to manifest on earth, especially if we bear in  mind what’s happening in the Middle East nowadays! In that sense, violent Hamal (Mars/Saturn) on the ascendant adds considerably to an already ominous, threatening symbolism of the chart.

The Moon, as the general significator of the mankind is in the 6^th cardinal, male, human sign of Libra in its first degree – again, a clear symbolism of a new (dangerous) beginning for human kind. Again, according to Ibn Arabi, its [Libra’s] angel holds the keys of the creation of states (ephemeral) and of change.

The Moon as the ruler of the IC and its third triplicity ruler (the end of the matter) is cadent/retreating both by whole sign and mundane houses division, and is applying to Saturn by trine with reception from the bad 6^th house (affliction/harm/enemies). Since the receiver of the Moon’s disposition is retrograde, he’ll return the light which is in itself always negative/harmful but there’s also hope because Saturn receives the Moon in his exaltation/triplicity/term thus the return is with amelioration/fitness – the matter is made fit after destruction.

Now as the greter malefic Saturn is the natural ruler of death and is in the 2^nd which accidentally signifies death by virtue of its opposition to the 8^th and as his position on a royal martial fixed star of the first magnitude designates an extraordinary amount of destruction (by fire!), I think this constellation symbolizes that nuclear exchanges of a (relatively) limited scope will eventually take place but the mankind will not be utterly destroyed; there will be several such”events” i.e repetitions because Saturn is in a double-bodied sign of Gemini . A  similar conclusion can be reached if we take the testimony of the Moon’s dispositor (Venus in the 8^th) into account – she’s still combust in a fire sign(!) but has already left the Sun behind and is in her own terms (somewhat protected by being in her own chariot?)  Calamities come, but they will not be totally disastrous. As the Moon’s in her last quarter, I think this aptly marks the beginning of mankind’s ‘last phase’ of ‘life as usual’ existence/attitude, before the sudden/unexpected (application to a retrograde planet) disaster strikes and enforces radical re-thinking and re-evaluation of the road taken thus far.

But there’s one more important reason to mention Mars again. It’s the chart of the SAN (the preceding syzygy)

Mars is the ruler of the ascendant and the ruler of the chart luminary, the term ruler of the full Moon (on Alcyone, a violent/unfortunate fixed star of Moon/Mars [!] nature) and the ruler of the preceding angle but there’s something which makes him even more notable than the rest of the planets – it’s his heliacal rising in an advancing sector of the chart on top of that. He’s exactly fifteen degrees away from the Sun and has just exited its beams. An exceedingly powerful, new-born martial influence is on the stage and it makes itself heard beyond everything else; a new era of warfare potential has arrived. Additionally, an important but unfortunate/violent fixed star is (again) underpinning/fueling its influence – Zuben Elgenubi (Saturn/Mars). As he rules the 1^st and the 8^th where he’s also located, its significations clearly connect the themes of life and death – particularly the death/destruction which is self-inflicted, caused by one’s own rashness/aggressiveness/assertiveness; this is further reinforced by its twelfth-part in the 1st – yet another factor indicating that the results of this experiment would eventually lead to a great conflict fought with nuclear weapons. There’s one more factor mimicking the constellations from the “experiment” chart – upon changing sign, the Moon will conjoin Saturn. Now it’s true it will encounter Venus’s opposition aspect first, but I deem it less important because

a) she’s combust (returns the light)

b) conjunction is more forceful than any aspect so Saturn is definitely the more prevailing influence

Additionally, both lights squaring the nodes to the degree (“bendings”) make the symbolism of this chart even more threatening

For the days that are drawing near, when the Moon is traversing the ascending [node] at that time, and its squares and diameters, especially when it is traversing its very degrees, one must guard against beginning anything, or sailing, or marrying, or having an encounter, or building, or planting, or assembling, or in general doing anything; for that which comes about will be judged neither stable nor easily brought to completion, but rather inconstant and incomplete and subject to punishment or painful and not enduring.
Book V, chapter 2 – Vettius Valens, The Anthology

To be continued…