Astro Blog

Horary for a New Age: Part 3

Part Three: Timing and Retrogrades

Timing is tricky. Often you need to look at a combination of factors to make an educated guess at timing. It helps to discuss realistic options with the client, which can remove some of the guesswork. For example, if a person asks when they can leave their job, but is contractually obliged to stay for a specified period of time, then it helps to know. When looking at timing over long periods, transits and progressions will pinpoint periods with a window of a few months, and when they are used in combination with the horary chart, it helps determined what unit of time you are looking at – weeks, months or years.
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Horary for a New Age: Part 2

Part Two: Strictures and flexibility
If you can interpret a birth chart, you can also interpret a horary chart. Each discipline has elements which strengthen the other. The same principles are involved, and horary astrology afford a means of observing what is happening here and now, and using everyday life as a teaching tool. So far we can see that a modern view of how to practice horary in contrast to a traditional view is more dynamic in its approach to planetary movement and more flexible in interpretation. Traditional horary astrologers tend to adhere to a set of rules called strictures, which must not be ignored. Strictures can be useful because there are rules in astrology. For example, the querent will always be the Ascendant ruler, and for something to happen, then the querent should aspect the planet which rules the house of the quesited. For example, if a person asks whether to join a group, you’d be looking to see whether the 1st House ruler is going to make an aspect to the 11th house ruler. …Read More

Horary for a New Age: Part 1

Introduction:
Today horary astrology and psychological astrology are seemingly incompatible, but this need not be the case. To understand horary you need to live in the moment, aware of time unfolding along with its corresponding events. This enhances awareness and consciousness. But even more valuable for the practicing astrologer: the use of the horary chart for the first contact with a client dramatically increases the accuracy of a consultation, and transforms the ability to forecast the client’s development.
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War and Peace

Note: Events have rather overtaken this article, written two days before the actual invasion of Ukraine. Clearly Putin has gone further than I expected with his attempt to conquer the whole country and particularly the capital Kiev. Read further, and you’ll see that I expected Putin to be more patient and settle for the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine. However, the basic conclusions in this article are, I think, still correct. In fact, the demise of Putin is hastened by his recent actions.

In these February days of 2022, Mars and Venus are performing an extraordinary dance, with a long and protracted conjunction in Capricorn, first with Mars overtaking Venus in Capricorn and in early March with Venus overtaking Mars as they both enter Aquarius. So will there be war, or will there be peace? Putin, a Libra and judo expert, knows how to keep the world off balance. Perhaps he is represented by Venus. Biden, a Scorpio, knows how to play tough. Mars, perhaps.
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Predators and Prey

In ancient times, when the Greek gods ruled the universe, it was never a good idea to go for a stroll through a flowery meadow, even if you were with your mother. Who knew whether the earth would open up, and the fearsome god Hades (Pluto) would drag you down into the Underworld? Such was the fate of Persephone (Venus), who was drawn into the darkness on Hades’ chariot and deflowered. When this happened, Demeter, the mother, (Ceres) was not pleased. She made the Earth barren and there was famine. Zeus (Jupiter) had to intervene, and Persephone was allowed to return the surface for half of the year, during which time Demeter made the earth fruitful . It seems that is how we humans got summer and winter.

Here is early 2022, the story repeats. Venus is abducted, and Ceres is mad. Me too.
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America’s Pluto Return

The last time Pluto was at 27 degrees Capricorn, the American colonies were in the middle of fighting a bitter war against the British. In the middle of this war – on July 4th 1776 – independence was declared. Major battles were still being fought – in Boston, Long Island, White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and many more. Many of these battles were lost, but in 1781 at Yorktown, George Washington finally prevailed. That was five years after the Declaration of Independence, and Pluto had by this time moved into Aquarius. America was born in strife, with a belief that armed insurrection was justified.

The right to bear arms is enshrined in the 2nd Amendment, and today 40% of Americans live in a house with a gun. Each gun owner has an average of five weapons. (Note 1) 68% of all Republicans believe that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Republicans have twice as many guns than Democrats. 30% of Republicans (according to a PRRI poll) believe “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country”.

In 2022 Pluto returns to 27 degrees Capricorn. Should we be worried?
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Fire and Ice in the 21st century

Less the 12,000 years ago the last Ice Age drew to a close, or more accurately, a glacial period ended. A new glacial period is likely to begin in one to two thousand years’ time, so humanity is enjoying a nice, warm interglacial interlude. This has been great for the world population, enabling a massive increase in agriculture-based civilizations. In CE 1 the population has been estimated at two hundred million, and now it is well over seven billion – a 350-fold growth.
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China 1.0 and 2.0: Revolutionary times from Mao to Xi

When Europe and the USA opened up trade with China in the 18th and 19th centuries, there were all sorts of wonderful products they coveted, like furniture, silk and tea, but the Chinese had no particular desire for Western products. Britain had (literally) a quick fix for this, developing poppy fields in India and selling opium to China. Very soon there was an enormous Chinese demand for opium. The Chinese government tried to put a stop to this by banning the import of opium, to which a large proportion of the population in coastal cities became addicted. In the 1st Opium War, when the British navy shelled these cities into submission, China was forced to provide unfettered access to trade with the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842.

That would teach the Chinese to interfere with free trade!
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The Promised Land

This is a watershed moment for Israel, and although ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu, recently ousted, thinks he can return, he will never get the job back. When observers look at the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the irony is striking. Historically Jews were exiled repeatedly from their country, and now the same fate has struck Palestinians, particularly those suffering in Gaza. A look at the history of the Jews provides an answer to Israeli motivations and their fate in the 21st century. …Read More

Welcome to Scotland

The Scots are a fearsome bunch. Emperor Hadrian certainly thought so, which is why he in AD 122 built a wall from coast to coast just south of the Scottish border, to keep marauding Scots out. Having carved out a huge empire, Rome gave up at the Scottish highlands and retreated behind their wall. Historically, Scotland has been fiercely independent – the union with England only taking place in 1707. Prior to that, Scotland made alliances with France against England, and for England there was always the threat of invasion from the North.
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