Astrological Forecasts

I am delighted to let everybody know that the impeccable, Jane Griscti  has a brand new Blog Site! 

For those unfamiliar with the work of the humble as well as brilliant, Ms. Griscti;  she is author of  the must have ‘Lilly Digested.’  For those students of Art who might have had trouble getting a ‘handle’ on Lilly’s 17th Century ‘lingo;’ Jane has written an easy to read guide that cuts to the heart of Christian Astrology Book 1. In fact, I will go so far as to say that Lilly Digested is the Rosetta Stone to Book I of Christian Astrology. So if you have been having trouble understanding Lilly, and and don’t want to spend the arm and a leg on a teacher, I suggest that you might consider downloading her fabulous work which, of course, is available right here at the website

But as they say in those late night commercials, ‘but that’s not all!!!

Jane has also created a new resource that is equally close to my heart, she has made a brand new lots calculator!! You may want to download some fonts, but for the budding astrologer who wants to investigate the Lots more deeply. Check it out!!!  This is one resource not to be missed! Jane’s Lot Calculator Thank you, Jane!!!

I have recently become most fascinated by the Part of Fortune. It appears to be one of those items, like the star based Lunar Mansions, to be older than the 12 signs of the zodiac. It is basically an equation,  whereby we take the degree of the Ascendant and add it to the Moon, and then subtract the Sun from the total.  The result is the Part or the Lot of Fortune.

The ancients considered this to be a very special location because it marked the place that is equidistant to the Sun and the Moon.  According to Firmicus Maternus, it was said to show amongst other things, ‘the quality of the life, the amount of inheritance,  and the love between men and women.’ A pretty powerful spot indeed!

The Part of Fortune is said to have been handed down to us by the same man that is said to have brought us the written word,  Hermes- Thoth. He is said  to have lived 9000 years before Christ was born.

The inventor of the Part of Fortune

It does two great things. It marks the phases of the Moon by moving around the chart as the month goes on. For example, at the New Moon it will be placed in the first house. At the first quarter, it will be placed in the 4th house, and by the full Moon it will be placed in the 7th house, and so on. For more on the Parsfortuna and the phases,  Thomas Decker does a fabulous job of exploring this on his great blog http://altairastrology.wordpress.com

Here is a chart drawn for an midnight on the day of a New Moon.

( Click here for larger chart )

The Part of Fortune will always be in the first house at New Moon

Notice that the Part of Fortune is in the first house almost 90 degrees  away from the Moon who is in the 4th with the Sun.

According to Firmicus Maternus, it was Abraham who said that the Part of Fortune was the ‘place of the Moon.’

Bonatti said that the Part of Fortune acted like an extra  ‘ascendant of the Moon.’

At midnight on the day of a new Moon,  we see the Moon in the 4th house, just beyond the Sun.

As the long night journeys towards day,   the Moon will edge ever closer and closer  to the  Part of Fortune.

By 4:00 AM  we see the Moon moving upwards towards the Part of Fortune.

( Click here for larger chart )

At 4 AM the Moon edges closer to the Part of Fortune

As we can see in the chart to the left, the Moon is now in the 2nd house and heads closer and closer to the Part of Fortune.

Finally as dawn approaches, the Moon draws ever closer to the Part of Fortune. The chart below  is drawn for the wee small hours when there is light but the Sun has not popped up above the horizon.

Notice  just minutes before the Sun actually rises, we see the Moon is just  below the Part of Fortune also within minutes.

( Click here for larger chart )

At the very moment that the Sun crosses above the eastern horizon  (when the Degree on the Ascendant is one and the same as the Sun), the Part of Fortune will be on the exact same degree as the Part of Fortune.

Each Morning at Sunrise the Moon will be exactly with the Part of Fortune

( Click here for larger chart )

So what is all the fuss? Well, as we know from the old game of ‘telephone’ where one game player whispers something to another, and then another person does the same, and then another and another,  all the way around the room how different the original message winds up being by the time it reaches the last game player.  Well, we can imagine how much affectation can happen with a little equation over 9000 years! Evidently, some where along the way, the idea of ‘sect’ became important. This idea is where the Moon becomes the light of night, and the Sun the light of day. This was obviously a big deal by the time Christ was born.  Many ancients, said that if a person is born at night, that the formula had to be changed to satisfy this idea of the Moon being in charge at night. Thus some ancients, amongst them, Paulus, Firmicus, and Bonatti, said in order to find the Part of Fortune for the night born amongst us, the formula will be ASC + Sun – Moon.

Sounds logical, doesn’t it?

There is one big problem with this idea. If the switch has to be made for those born at night, then we lose this beautiful tie between the Moon, the ASC and the Sun.

We all agree what the formula was for day births, and that the Moon will be exactly with the Part at the moment the Sun crosses the horizon, because we all agree that by then it is day time. However, if we draw up the chart for just one minute before dawn using ASC + Sun – Moon, what we see is that the contact with the Moon is thrown off, completely and the Part of Fortune falls way into the 12t house, thus losing both the marking of the phase of a new Moon, but even worse, the Place of the Moon is thrown way off!!

( Click here for larger chart )

Riddle:

How on earth does this mark the Moon???

Answer:

It doesn’t.

Now just to make sure you are paying attention. Here is the chart for the Part of Fortune on the very same day using the acceptable formula but just one minute, later….Which begs the question, if the ancients agree that the Part of Fortune is to be the ‘place of the Moon, doesn’t the switch blow this tie altogether ? In other words, if we switch for night time, then we wind up with at 6:54 am in San Francisco, one minute before dawn, the Part of Fortune is in the 12th house, and one minute later it is in the first house?

( Click here for larger chart )

When citations don’t make any sense, then I have to question authorities.

Claudius Ptolemy and William Lilly sayeth not to switch. Both have come to be dismissed by many in the field of astrology. In the case of Ptolemy, this may be just because he was so overrated for 1400 years or so. However, in saying we should not switch formulas for night births, it would seem he is being true to Abraham’s statement that the Part of Fortune is the ‘place of the Moon.’

Wicked Witch of the West with the Part of Fortune!!!

Dorothy J. Kovach will be presenting a special Halloween lecture at 7:30 pm, Thursday the 29th of October at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. She will be discussing that hidden gem of the horoscope, the Lot of Fortune.

Once relegated to the dusty recesses of history, the last two decades have seen a revolution in ancient techniques. Amongst the most beneficial, if not controversial, is the Part of Fortune. The ancient Greeks considered it to be the lot we chose, before descending into matter. Also known as the Part of Fortune, this little equation is invaluable, for getting to the heart of the matter, in both forensic and horary astrology, but when applied to natal charts, it is also the key to finding, the gold lying inside deep within our own charts, waiting to be mined.

Celebrate the Feast of the Spirits of the Beyond by letting your inner ghoul fly free. Consider dressing for this festive occasion.

Bring your questions, and a copy of your natal chart, as we plunge the deep, and find the treasures and the traumas deep within. Join us and learn how astrology can be a beacon of light in spooky times. (continue reading…)

Jerome Cardano

I am still trying to figure out what is wrong with the pages if you use ‘Explorer’ as your internet browser.  I apologize for any inconvenience readers using ‘explore’ might experience. Let’s just say, we are working on it.

On brighter notes, I am delighted to announce, that Dr. Valerie Livina and Anton Grigoryev have allowed us a sneak preview of things to come. They have generously made a fragment of their upcoming work on Jerome Cardano’s, ‘The Seven Segments’  available for your pleasure, and for FREE!   I am honored to be able to share it with you.

The Seven Segments by Cardan

The subject of the famous savant, Michel Nostradamus,  probably one of the greatest astrologers of all time,  recently came up on our traditional astrological mailing list, Angelicus Merlin:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/angelicusmerlin

As many know, he was one of the greatest physicians of his era. He was said to have healed so many people during the Black Plague that his work was brought to the attention of the king of France, who hired him to become the king’s personal physician. It was no surprise that many know of his predictions, but it was very surprising to find that so few astrologers also knew that like most doctors of his day, he was also an astrologer.

In a case of serendipity, the gifted Australian astrologers,  Silva and Anne Fryer, had only recently suggested we spend more time on missing item horary charts,  I thought it might be fun to share a missing item horary reading from the great astrologer, himself.

I thank Anton Grigoryev for sharing this horary with me, many years, ago. The astute will remember that the late Olivia Barclay shared this horary at UAC some years back. Those who attended my talk at the South Bay Astrological Society, may remember I presented this chart there, in 2007.

Where are the Missing Church Bells?

February 13 1562 (Gregorian)

Feb 3 (OS)

18h30m LMT* (I have changed the time from 18:30 in my copy of this chart so we can arrive at the same house cusps as the original).

Provence 44n00 5e00

scan of the original chart

Provence 44n00 5e00

Nostradamus Missing Church Bells

To my venerable Lords, Messiers, the Canons of the Cathedral Church of the most ancient city of Orange. Venerable Lords, with respect to your inquiry concerning the specificd and enumerated sacrilegious thefts, concerning theft and hoard hidden but not concealed.

“According to the astronomical figure drawn above, you will see fully that it shows that the theft of the sacred objects has been perpetrated with the collusion of two of your brothers of the Church. Indeed, ones who have previously extended to you private counsel on several occasions as to what has befallen your silver. One of them gave his opinion that ith ad been takend to Avignon, the other that it had been taken to some other place. Both were of the opinion that it had been sold, as indeed was their intention.

“Booty to be divided among canons who were at present like soldiers. This opinion was not rendered as good and godly and commendable. Several would not agree with it, although some were pleased, though in the end not agreed on one point or another. But all was halted as the silver was put in the house of one of your people and locked up; which was not done agreeably to some. One opinion held that it was necessary to melt it down into bars and sell it, storing it for the present in the home of one of them.

“Then two or three came forth to say that this could not possibly be for scarcely any length of time, since the Roman Church would be involved in the most sinister events. It was locked up, and although with but tow of them remaining of the opinion that it should be sold and melted down and plotting secretly with one another.

“There were only three, and they brothers of the Church, and they have ravished that which was without fault with the intention of stealing everything and not withouth the collusion of the custodian, for you entrusted the sheep to the wolf. As indeed Jesus Christ for some committed His flock to long plunderings of His Church, wlso under the shadow of faith and probity, as you have committed your silver, sacred and dedicated as it is to the sacred ornamentation of your temple, donated in ages past by Kings and Monarchs, Lordly Sovereigns of the earth as ttrue observers of the faith and religion.

“But note, my Venerable Lords, that unless by those of your company who were not without knowledge of the day and the night when the theft of the sacred objects was perpetrated there be restored and replaced in full what was stolen, not only in its place and into the hands of those entrusted with its custody, but also returned into the temple, remembering the silver chalice, there will full upon them the greatest misfortune that ever befell anyone, on them and their family; and furthermore, pestilence will approach yhour city and within its ramparts as great as ever covered your city or was contained within your walls, and let them not object to the above. Priests are like comrades of propitious gods.

“But they will see, as it is said, that God takes his vengeance on those who have profaned his Holy Temple and who have stolen what has in ages past was donated by the observers of the Christian religion.

“Therefore, let this letter of mine be read in the presence of your people; as if not; opened until all are present, and then without fail the faces of those in collusion will change with great shame and confusion that they will be unable to repress.

“Therefore, keep this my letter as a complete witness of the truth, time to come to bear witness to it, and rest assured, my venerable Lords, if that which was stolen is not brought back one way or another, that they will die the most miserable death, more lingering and more violent and mof more inconceivable intensity than ever before occurred unless everything is restored and replaced in its ancient repository, and thus you will find it to be.

“I am grieved that the sheep has been entrusted to the wolf, as much to take note of it as to devise what message to send about it.

“What I write you is according to astronomical judgment and, I protest lacking in offense to anyone in this world. I am human and can err, be wrong and be deceived; nevertheless, be there anyone in your city familiar with the astronomical doctrine extending to the judicial, by the figure let him judge if he understands not that my saying contains the truth.

“Have no fear whatever, sirs but that shortly all will be found, and that if it be not thus, rest assured that their unhappy destiny approaches for those who have perpetrated sacrilege by their execrable crime.

“Further, I cannot write you for the present. God watch over you and to restore you to your first state. Although there are several who would be displeased if they had to wear again the amice, several of them near you, and one there is who will not want to find himself accompanied by another of the same type. God guard you from evil. From Salon, this February, 1562.”

-M. Nostradamus, Salon de Crau Provence

If nothing else, this reading proves that Nostradamus was not only an astrologer,  but practiced horary astrology. I adjusted the time so that it could agree with the house cusps of Nostradumus. I wonder if it really was 6:50pm, after all, a 5 and a 3 look very similar, and can easily be mistaken for one another, with the fading and ink blurs of ancient documents.

One of the things I found interesting is that it is clear that Nostradamus is following the same tried and true horary principles in his work on the missing church bells.

Here we have 11 Virgo rising, so the querent, will be Mercury. Mercury is in the 5th house on the very last degree of Capricorn, and conjoined to, but separating from Venus. By this, double bodied planets on the cusp of the ASC, and the ruler with Venus, we know that more than one person asked this question, as we can see from Nostradamus’ reference to ‘messieurs/’ The the next thing that we notice is that he said contrary to what some had stated, the missing bells had not been moved but were still there. Notice the ruler of the 1st house, is with the ruler of the 2nd house, Venus. This is a sign that the missing objects were close to the seekers, perhaps so close that one of the querent’s might well have been the guilty party!

One of the things that is interesting is that although both luminaries were below the horizon, Nostradamus said that they would be found. This could be because the Moon is just a hair beyond the Sun, and will trine her dispositor, Saturn, in the Midheaven. Saturn, has a lot of strength in Libra, as the almuten of the 2nd. Another thing we might notice is that Nostradamus ignored this age old warning to the astrologer of a malefic in the 10th and the artist getting no credit for his or her work.

Unlike Lilly, Nostradamus was not afraid to point fingers. He came right out and said that the thieves were the clerics, themselves!! How did he come to this conclusion? Well, if we follow traditional methods, for finding the thief, we rule out Saturn. The first place we are told to look, when trying to catch a thief is peregrine planets in angles. The only planet in an angle is Saturn, and Saturn has strength by triplicity. The next place to look is the ruler of the 7th, and there we see, Pisces at its cusp, with Jupiter, known as the natural ruler of priests, in the house of priests, the 9th house. Albeit the house of far away, that they didn’t go anywhere could be because they are in the fixed and earthy sign Taurus. Notice that the Moon last squared Jupiter, from the 12th house of the 7th, perhaps the theft, itself?

I find it most interesting that Nostradamus said for them to read his letter to the entire populace and the thief will be found. We look and see ruler of the 3rd house of pronouncements, in the 9th house, and fallen, but notice that the Moon will be on its contrantiscion, and that Mars is also approaching a trine to the Part of Fortune in the first. Perhaps this is why Nostradamus suggested the public reading.

We will never know if the bells were found, but I bet they were!

“Things are not the way they used to be.

I wont tell no lie; One and all have to face reality now.

Though I’ve tried to find the answer to all the questions they ask.

Its just impossible to go livin’ through the past –

Dont tell no lie.

Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air – If you listen carefully now you will hear.”

-Robert Nesta Marley

Before an at times, audibly skeptical audience, President Ahmadinejad took his oath for a second term as president of Iran last week. For better or worse, the very second that a candidate goes from being a ‘regular’ person to the exalted status of ‘president’ every person living within the borders of the country, in this case, Iran, becomes literally ‘subject’ to that moment in time. If Ahmadinejad, and his band of mullahs were hoping to quell the massive dissent that has risen since his contested June election; this was certainly not the best time to hold an inauguration. From the looks of it, at best, there will be a lot of double talk from this administration, at its worst, they may paint themselves into a corner from which they may not be able to recover.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s inauguration as Iranian president for a second term was marked by opposition walkouts, demonstrations and criticism from his own conservative camp today as pressure mounted on the disputed winner of Iran’s election.

 

Senior officials and clerics attended the ceremony at Iran’s parliament but it was boycotted by many opposition leaders and moderate politicians. Those of the reform faction who did attend walked out when Ahmadinejad started speaking, according to the opposition website Parleman News.

MORE

 

Virgo, the sign of minutiae, rises in the east. The sign Virgo can be likened to the old fable of the princess and the pea. No matter how high the pillows are stacked, there will always be a certain amount of discomfort. Perhaps it is the angelic half of Virgo being forced to face the ugly realities of life on this imperfect earth, that makes it the complainer of the zodiac. I don’t know. I do know that when we see Virgo rising in a world chart, its a good can bet the natives will be restless. The Sun is the brightest of all the celestial bodies. Without its light, we could not live. The king was considered god’s representative on earth. This is why the ancients made the Sun the natural ruler of kings and rulers, and the Moon to the citizenry. It is an all or nothing proposition, because the ruler and people are at odds, and are both in signs of fixity, so neither side will budge. Ahmadinejad’s attempt at compromise, choosing as he did, a reformist vice president, only served to harden the stance of the members of his own conservative party, some of whom, walked out during his ceremony. However, one should never underestimate, Ahmadinejad. He is not without friends. He is the Sun, strong and at home, in the royal Leo, and placed in the 11th.  Like the Sun, his inaugural speech repeatedly called for taking ‘great acts.’  This might imply his government will certainly try to dominate the will of his people. However, taking a closer look, it becomes apparent that without the support of the army, this administration is lost.  This is because there is but one solar aspect ahead, the weakest of all, a sextile to Mars, thus begging question, how many of your people can you beat and throw behind bars?

Why? First and foremost, this chart looks like a ship without an anchor. The type of sign rising was very important to the ancients, for it spelled out the durability of the event. We see double bodied or mutable signs on the angles (1, 4, 7 and 10). This is a shaky start. Mutable signs have the ability to exist two different worlds, simultaneously. Gemini (two people), Virgo (angels wings on human body) Sagittarius (half man half horse) and Pisces (two fish swimming in opposite directions). There is no doubt that this ‘morphing’ makes them the most versatile signs of the zodiac. However, it becomes easy to scatter their forces. Duplicity often results. There will be those who profess to be on the side of the president, but are not, and there will be those who profess to be reformers, but also are not. It implies, the see saw effect, in which the government starts out one direction, but will be forced to change course.

It should surprise nobody that the winged messenger, god/goddess of communications, Mercury, owns both the house both of the people, and that of the government. Mercury is strong in his own sign of Virgo, but all its brilliance is chained, imprisoned as it is, in the 12th. Lilly said that the 12th house represented:

‘Men who maliciously undermine their neighbors or inform secretly against them.’

In other words, Mercury in the 12th, is the epitome, of the Judas, who smiles so sweetly to your face, professing undying loyalty, while selling you out for 30 pieces of silver. Watching ones back, may be not only be good advice, but the way to survive. When we see both citizen’ and government in the so placed, that old cold war cartoon, ‘Spy vs. Spy’ comes to mind, where nobody can be fully trusted.  In such a situation,  sabotage becomes the norm.

Ever break an old fashioned thermometer? Remember trying to scoop up the pieces of the Mercury, and how it would slip from your fingers? The same is true of words. No matter how hard they try, the messages will get out. It is time for the mullah to face reality. There is a whole other world out there. Dialogue with the opposition is a must. Even the most sophisticated surveillance equipment will not bring submission.

Since the same planet owns both citizen and president, we turn to the natural rulers for specifics.

After all, a nation is only as good as the people that inhabit it. They want more freedom, and represented by the fixed Moon in Aquarius, Ahmadinejad should not discount their tenacity. After all, Aquarius is a sign of stubborn thought. Strong arming the people will only serve to strengthen their resolve. Given that more than 40% of the population is under 30; time really is on their side. With the Moon in early degrees, this defiance is only in its gestation.  Saturn hovering at the Ascendant, increases the dissatisfaction. Oil,the national product, is on the decline. The government will not be able to give as generously to their support base as they had in the past. This story is far from over. Mercury’s upcoming September retrograde may give this administration something to think about.

We all knew Astrologers were lucky to live in glorious San Francisco Bay Area, but now we just got even luckier!!!  Since Timing really is Everything; we will have a great opportunity to hone our skills in this tricky art because our very own, Nina Gryphon, will be speaking on a topic lose to my heart, Electional Astrology!! 

Don’t misss ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY FOR LOVE, WAR, AND MONEY with Nina Gryphon, speaking at Fort Mason,  San Francisco, California next Wednesday evening.

ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY FOR LOVE, WAR, AND MONEY – Nina Gryphon

Wednesday, July 22nd 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM, Building C, Room C205

Electional astrology is the art of finding the most astrologically auspicious moment for your ventures.  Whether we are getting married, starting a business, trying to conceive, or going on a journey, we can get the most out of any activity using basic astrological principles.  Learn how to find the best times for just about anything at this hands-on workshop with Nina Gryphon.

Nina Gryphon (a web pseudonym) is an astrologer and corporate lawyer living in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. She has been practicing astrology professionally for several years, and studied horary and natal astrology with John Frawley. She writes numerous articles for the astrological community in print and on her astrology website: www.gryphonastrology.com. This is a traditional astrology website with a wealth of articles, predictions, and free readings.  Useful astrological information geared toward all levels of proficiency, from beginners to advanced astro-wizards.

Advance Registration Rates: $12 NCGR Members / $15 Non-Members.  Day of Event Rates:  $15 NCGR Members / $18 Non-Members

For more info:

http://ncgrsanfrancisco.org/

This Fourth of July, as the Oedespedotes, of North Korea, Mars, trudged over the binary eclipsing star, Algol, and atthe same time, the Scorpionic star, Antares was occulted, a two pronged attack was launched. The first was outright; the launching of seven ‘scud like’ ballistic missiles. The second was far more subtle. As of this writing, no government agency is pointing fingers, at least, not officially. Off the record, however, the word is that not only did the North Koreans brazenly defy the U. N. and launch their scuds, but they are said to have also conducted what social scientists are dubbing ‘the war of the future,’ a full out cyber attack on government computer networks in both South Korea and the United States.

(continue reading…)

Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air;

If you listen carefully now you will hear.

This could be the first trumpet, might as well be the last:

Many more will have to suffer,

Many more will have to die – dont ask me why.

Things are not the way they used to be,

I wont tell no lie;

One and all have to face reality now.

though Ive tried to find the answer to all the questions they ask.

though I know its impossible to go livin through the past –

Dont tell no lie.

Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air –

Cant keep them down –

If you listen carefully now you will hear.

Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air.

The carnage has already begun. 19 souls are now dead and more than 200 are injured. Doctors without borders have dispersed throughout the city and are setting up filed hospitals in the various embassies throughout Tehran. The family of the former president Rafsanjani has been arrested. The action can be heard thanks to Twitter, and  Huffington Post which has a livef eed from of the action down in the streetss.from the Huffington Blog: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html)

(continue reading…)