posted April 11, 2009 10:21 AM            

The thread was called Fixed Stars Specifically Algol + Links

In it praecipua says "i dont like the fatalistic approach of fixed star. there's probably a need to update the interpretations cause our views of the world changed a lot since this time" referencing this =>

In keeping with a modernized approach, that appreciates what the ancients had previously written, but finds the interpretations somewhat fatalistic, and in many cases malefic, here is some info about Betelgeuse. 28.45 Gemini.

posted April 11, 2009 10:24 AM            

Bernadette Brady M.A.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus gives us the great metaphysical axiom of "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing."
We tend to paraphase this to simply as above so below and it is one of the great principles of our subject, but few astrologers pause to think just how literal this statement really is.

As we look up we see the sky above but since the 1960s we have also had the ability to change our perspective and look at the earth from the sky. As we look up at the sky during the day it is full of colours, clouds, sunsets, sunrises and the like. Similarly, if we look down at the rotating earth then as the sun illuminates its surface we also see a parade of colours, oceans, land masses and clouds. But at night both change, the sky to a dome of twinkling lights, the earth also to a ball of twinkling lights. The earth, since the advent of lighting, has slowly been mirroring the starry sky and at night we collectively reflect back to the sky the same sort of images and patterns that the sky has been showing us for thousands of years. We become a ball of twinkling lights to the sky’s dome of light.

Within the sky the “first world” or the well-lit region of the globe is the Milky Way which cuts a line of bright stars across the equator (blue line in above figure). It is in the Milky Way that most of the “big cities” are located. The great metropolis of the sky is Sirius the brightest and biggest star in our night sky. Clustered around it and spreading out in an arch, like the great cities of North America or the populated regions of Europe, are many other bright stars, Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Castor and Pollux, Capella to name just a few. Outriders or the “frontier new world cities” are the big stars in other places of this starry globe, stars like Canopus, Achernar and Fomalhaut in the Southern hemisphere.

But if we now turn around and look at the earth at night (image above) we see the great cities of the earth also forming a band around the globe, but now the band is running north above the equator and sweeping through Europe and North America, with outriders from the new world twinkling their lights in Sydney, Cape Town, and areas of Argentina, among others.
We are, as we populate the planet and turn on our lights at night, effectively mirroring the night sky; we are reflecting the image of the stars back to the stars. As above so below…
Now given that this probably has no personal astrological meaning for your chart, it is nevertheless an example of the connectedness of all things: how the patterns in one sphere, the sky, are reflected by the patterns being formed in another, the surface of the earth as we populate the planet. Humanity is, aware of it or not, in a relationship with the stars.
Cities in the Sky - Declination

Just as a great city like New York has a location on the earth defined by its longitude and its latitude, so also do the stars in their spheres. A star’s location in the celestial sphere is defined by its declination – which is the same as the latitude of our earth-bound cities, and right ascension (measured in time), similar to terrestrial longitude. Thus for a star such as Eltanin, a bright red star in the head of Draco, the dragon, its declination (latitude) is the same as for London – 51N29, which means that the head of Draco will pass directly over the city of London. In fact, any city or place at the latitude of 51north is “under” the head of Draco. It is interesting to speculate that this bright twinkling red star which shines so brightly over the United Kingdom could offer us insights into the red dragon used as a symbol of Wales.
Similarly the bright star Algol in Perseus the Warrior is located at a declination of 40N59, which means that it highlights a band of latitude which embraces New York City and the northern parts of North America. Whereas down south the stars in the sting of the Scorpion sweep over cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Cape Town, to name a few; indeed the Scorpio constellation as a whole virtually claims the southern continents of Australia and Africa as its own.
Sometimes countries reflect this special relationship to the heavens by encompassing key constellations into their flags. Both Australia and New Zealand have built their flags around the image of the Southern Cross, a constellation that is visible every night of the sky from those places, while the state of Alaska adopted the constellation of Ursa Minor (the little bear that contains the North Pole Star) as its state emblem in 1959. Brazil on the other hand places the whole starry sky in the centre of its flag, showing its country’s relationship to the equator in the sky. Indeed, of the 246 flags of countries 89 of them incorporate sky elements into their design, which means just over 36% of the world’s national flags are linked to the sky. Here is a sample of a few such flags:

Stars and Moon rising or culminating, representing states or ideological themes; stars, crescents and constellations are major features of the world’s flags.
Now astronomers tell us that we are made of star-stuff, that the physical elements of our world and thus our bodies have come from the stars, millions of them acting like millions of creators, generating the elements of our universe. But we are more than just physically of the stuff of stars, for as we see just from the world’s flags, their images are deeply embedded in our global library of symbols. And furthermore, with the advent of modern lighting it would seem that by happenstance we are also drawing “constellations” with our cities.
As above so below…. the stuff of stars.

ORION is riding high in the night sky!
“Orion/Osiris was a god. The constellation was not a symbol of god, it was god; god’s physical place or appearance, in the same way that Sirius in Canis Major was the dwelling place of Isis. Orion rose with the spring equinox Sun and claimed rulership of the world age. The Egyptians knew him as Osiris and the Pharaohs came from him; they were his physical flesh, and were returned to him. “
Bernadette Brady
Without a doubt, Orion is the most recognizable constellation in the autumn and winter skies. Filled with beautiful, bright shining stars, it has long been the source of the religious concept of an afterlife given to us by a god who dies. Therefore, Orion is an archetype of god. Humans have modeled our male gods on this constellation for probably well over 8,000 years.
One of the big stars in Orion is the beautiful bright red Betelgeuse. Found in Orion’s right shoulder, the star’s name in Arabic means “armpit of the central one”. Betelgeuse is a super-giant with a diameter 300-400 times that of our Sun. Its surface temperature is about 3000° K. Betelgeuse is a red variable star, although its variation cannot be detected with the naked eye. Its distance from Earth is 470 light years.
Betelgeuse is one of the great stars in the sky. Because of its red color, it is an old star….a dying star, if you will. In fact, astronomers tell us that the star could go supernova (explode) at any time, perhaps in our lifetime. It is the fact that Betelgeuse is an old star that I have chosen it as the Star of the Week.
Betelgeuse is one of our stellar “Elders”. RA, THE SUN GOD
We learn from our Elders. They are the “wisdomkeepers”of clans, families, and tribes. They are the historians. They remember the important events of their people, and they tell stories of those events. However, most importantly, the Elders are our advisors….our guides. To them we can go for council regarding any issue that arises in our daily lives; we can go to them for spiritual advice and guidance. This week, you can go to Betelgeuse for guidance, for answers and insights, and advice, just as the ancient Egyptians went to Ra, the Sun god, and Osiris, the Lord of the Land and first King of Egypt.
Fixed star astrologers say that Betelgeuse can bring unlimited success without complications. That, my friends, we all need! It is located in the right hand, armpit, or shoulder of the god, therefore representing that which is clear and strong.
Work with Betelgeuse this week. It is easy to find in the Orion constellation. And if you will look close, you will see its distinctly red color. Ask this Elder for advice on some issue that is troubling you, or for insight into some decision you have to make. Listen for an answer. Don’t forget to give an offering to the star, and thanks for the guidance you receive.
·
In my book Starwalking, Albion says that Betelgeuse is a star whose energy, as it impacts the Earth, stimulates the flow of evolution.

among the translations like 'armpit' which it appears were bastardized early on by the ancients, also called Valentine Star

posted April 11, 2009 10:35 AM            

This is from the Soul link above, seems cyber-land is particularly leery about my editing it

posted April 12, 2009 09:14 AM            

Algol as of 1900 was at 24+degree Taurus. In Y2000 it is at 26+ Taurus. As the links show only 1 degree of orb is generally recognized for contacts.

posted April 12, 2009 09:46 AM            

I also checked the Fixed Stars in comparison to my natal chart, using the following link: http://www.angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Degrees.html

posted April 12, 2009 09:49 AM            

One of astrology's greatest puzzles is the semantic persistence of constellations and star legends. We of the 20th century have been so rigidly clamped into left-brain scientific "logic" that the persistence-in-consciousness of the ancient, mytho-logic sky patterns subtly offends and disturbs our sense of "rightness", somehow making us feel that those odd, ancient constellation patterns shouldn't have any meaning or power over us whatsoever. Nonetheless research indicates that they maintain a resonant presence in the universal and individual consciousness of mankind. A full moon in Cetus brings whales to our TV screens; a planetary station in the Scales of Libra attends a judicial appointment; a chronically bare-chested brawn-flaunting movie idol turns out to have Hercules rising (Yo!); the "rainy Hyades" of the ancient texts can be counted upon to bring downpours and flooding, and the Pleiades - the "Weeping Sisters" consistently, over centuries, predict and accompany sorrow, suffering, and exile, and possible blindness. The Bull's Eye and the Scorpion's Heart - Royal Stars both - still bring their possessors into sudden fame and power as they have since Chaldean priests noted their effect; (they rise and set with the lunar nodes in former Vice-President Quayle's nativity) and Scheat in Pegasus still warns of shipwrecks, sorrows, drowning. Over and over, the stars in their sky-picture dominions reliably perform as they have for centuries, and no one can fathom why. Did the ancient priests and shamans (personified in the legend of the old centaur Chiron, traditional designer of the constellations), pattern these pictures according to observed events on Earth? Or is the universe a mind? Are we synapses in the brain of God?

When I began researching the stars in 1980 I wanted to be sure of their usefulness; I was very doubtful about adding so much more detail to the burdens of learning astrology, so I decided to choose just one star; one with a clear and testable traditional "effect". If the star did what the texts said it did, I would set skepticism aside and love fixed stars forever. But which star should I choose?

"The most evil, violent, and dangerous star in the heavens" - the words in Manly Palmer Hall's Astrological Keywords caught my eye, and I knew I had found my laboratory rat. This was *Algol, Beta Persei,from the Arab Ra's al Ghul - "the Demon's Head". To the Hebrews it was Rosh ha Satan, Satan's Head, and to the Greeks it was the severed head of Medusa, the serpent-haired Gorgon who was so horrible to look at that one glance would turn an ogler to stone. "Violence, beheading, hanging, choking, asphyxiation, electrocution, murder, mob violence." (Just in case you missed the message, Algol is further described as "unfortunate".)

Where our star charts show the head of Medusa clutched under the left arm of Perseus ("The Rescuer"), the Chinese, who had possibly the oldest astrological tradition in the world, saw Beta Persei as Tsi-Chi, The Heaped-Up Corpses, part of an asterism that stretched from 17to 29 Taurus, called Ta-Ling, The Great Burial Trench. It was visible during that part of the year when criminals and tyrannical chiefs were disposed of by dismemberment and cast into a great common grave, as it was unthinkable to bury them in sacred enclosures. It was said that if Tsi-Chi was bright, corpses would be "as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore". If the star was invisible (Algol is an eclipsing binary - every 68 hours and 49 minutes the demon "blinks" for about 2 hours) it was a happy omen and there would be few executions. Ta-Ling was also associated with sickness and troop movements. It is extraordinary that two highly developed yet separate astrological traditions should both perceive this star as distinctly and extremely malefic. Some scholars of the history of science are certain that there were mutual influences between these traditions; one thing I hope to prove is that both the Chinese and the Babylonian scholars could very well have discovered the malefic qualities of this star independently. This ghastly image - the piled-up corpses - gave me my first tool for research; I made a list of all the historical events I could think of that had resulted in a mass of corpses; the Holocaust, the Guyana massacre, the massacre of the Huguenots, the fire-bombing of Dresden, the devastating 1976 T'ang Shan quake in China (300,000-500,000 dead), Hiroshima, etc. (this was not a formal study; I was simply "scouting" to see if there was anything to this star's terrible reputation).

The Holocaust - the deliberate and systematic attempt by an advanced culture to kill an entire ethno-religious group - stands as one of the most appalling episodes in human history. But how to find a date and time to use for a chart? After some reading, I chose the Wannsee Conference in Berlin in 1942, when the Nazi leadership decided to implement "the final solution" - to convert their slave-labor concentration camps into death camps, and to build new death factories to speed the process. This activity was to take precedence over all other priorities-even troop movements and military supply! On the day of the conference, 1/20/42, (11 AM), Uranus, co-ruler of the MC of the Third Reich, was aligned with Algol. Next I tried the Guyana Massacre of 11/18/1978: nothing at Algol, but the Sun exactly opposite the star, which meant that on a helio chart, the Earth (which Edgar Cayce said "ruled flesh") was on Algol. Next I looked up the infamous Massacre of the Huguenots in Paris on the eve of St Bartholomew's day in 1572 (8/23, OS); nothing on Algol, but Mars exactly opposed it, and a chart set for 9 PM LMT had Algol rising. The fire-bombing of Dresden in WWII was next (11 PM, -2, 2/13/45): again, nothing on Algol, but the Sun (and Earth) square it; (These squares and oppositions became part of a pattern; more on this later). The huge T'ang Shan quake was next - in the number of deaths, one of the 3 or 4 worst in known history: 7/28/1976, 3:42 AM, zone -8, 39N30, 117E54. Here I hit paydirt - a Jupiter-Hades conjunction on the star. No planet or angle was on Algol at Hiroshima, but at "Trinity" - the first atomic explosion at Alamogordo, NM just 21 days earlier, Mars culminated on Algol, trined at Hiroshima by Jupiter rising. These experiments intrigued me enough to look further into the fixed star texts, and as a result of this research I have become convinced that one cannot be a good astrologer without knowledge of the major stars, especially in mundane astrology. Indeed, it is possible to do an entire reading based only on star (and black hole) positions! Now: back to Algol....

The French revolution seemed a promising area for research. Beheadings galore, and all the mob violence one could possibly wish for! At first I thought I had drawn a blank; Algol was 23 Taurus 14 then, and none of the outer planets were in Taurus in the 1790's; but thanks to Von Oppolzer's Canon of Eclipses, I discovered that on 5/15/1790 there was a solar eclipse at 23 Taurus 29 - right on target! The "Great Terror" of mass beheadings and mob rule followed as Pluto (in Aquarius) and then Uranus (in Leo), squared the eclipse; the Reign of Terror finally came to an end when Saturn came to Algol, (and thus to the degree of the eclipse), bringing Robespierre himself to the guillotine on the evening of 7/28/1794; (See how nice Saturn can be?) Later, trying out the heliocentric nodes of the planets on the 90o dial, I noticed that Algol is just a little past a semi-square to the heliocentric node of Jupiter, the planet of wealth and privilege; working back by trial and error (precessing Algol at 50.23" per year and adjusting Jupiter's node at 36.39" per year) to find out when the semi-square was exact, it turned out to be the early 1790's! That same 1790 Algol eclipse also announced a plague in Egypt (80,000 dead), and violent slave revolts in Haiti and Santo Domingo.

The next step was to collect data on every historical instance of beheading, suffocation, choking, injuries to the neck and/or head, as well as the other traditional goodies of Beta Persei: (I quote): "Mass tragedies: war, mass murder, fanaticism, ruthlessness, bigotry, propaganda, horror, violence, mass vandalism, mob violence, being torn to pieces, extremes of brutality. Death by hanging, strangulation, electrocution, wounds to the throat and neck." {{Algol has been in Taurus for more than 1800 years, and Taurus rules the neck and throat...perhaps when it gets to Gemini this will change to wounds to the arms and shoulders ??}} "Often found in criminal or murder charts. In mundane charts it may presage great disasters such as mine cave-ins, fires, quakes, riots etc. Extreme sickness."

* On 7/7/1937, the day of the atrocity-ridden Japanese invasion of China, Finsler's Comet was in the latitude, longitude and declination of the star.

* On 7/29/1878 the path of totality of an eclipse ran directly through Memphis, Tennessee; a chart for the eclipse at Memphis had Pluto on Algol on the 6th cusp; two weeks later a terrible Yellow Fever epidemic hit the city - (remember Bette Davis in "Jezebel"?-the story was based on that epidemic.)

* With an 11/17/1910 Lunar Eclipse on Algol, 2.5 million Chinese in An Hul Province fell victim to the bubonic plague.

* Algol was on the MC of the Capricorn ingress in New Delhi in 1984, immediately after the Bhopal disaster and the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

* On April 6, 1994, when the terrible massacres began in Ruanda, the SNode was aligned with Algol.

WORLD WAR II: the SaturnUranus conjunction, helio and geo, goose-stepped back and forth over Algol's longitude through the first 2 years of the war; here's a run-down:

June-July, 1940 As Uranus came to Algol for the first time since 1856, the Nazis blitzkrieged their way through northern Europe; France capitulated, leaving England to fight on alone. Hitler ordered plans drawn up for an invasion of England, and the airborne Battle of Britain began. So fiercely and successfully did the Britons defend their celestial turf that Hitler was forced to "postpone" his decision on the invasion.

September 1940 Uranus stationed at Algol on September 1, as London was battered by massive air raids; (throughout "The Blitz" Uranus stayed with the star).

November 14-15, 1940 With a Full Moon-conjunct-Uranus-conjunct-Algol on the vertex of the city's chart, Coventry was bombed and its 897-year-old Cathedral deliberately shattered -- the Algol conjunction opposed the Cathedral's Saturn. (Coventry data from Wigglesworth).

December 29, 1940 One month after the devastation of Coventry came what many consider the worst of the London raids: the incendiary terror-bombing of 12/29. Mars, that terrible night, exactly opposed the Uranus station on Medusa's Head.

May 6 1941 As Jupiter conjoined Uranus at Caput Medusa Stalin became Premier of the Soviet Union (Algol was his natal Pluto). On the same day the Nazi hierarchy issued a "Decree Regulating the Treatment of Inhabitants of Enemy Countries". No need for specifics here, history has documented the horrors they perpetrated.

May 10, 1941 Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus come together at the terrible star, with Mars in a sinister square from Aquarius; another terrible air attack on London: this time more than 3,000 killed, the House of Commons devastated, Westminster Hall's roof destroyed. (During this time the British, Australians and Germans were fighting bitterly in North Africa, and "wolf-packs" of submarines were taking a terrible toll of the merchant ships carrying desperately needed lend-lease supplies to England. In just this first half of 1941 Great Britain lost 2,900,000 tons of shipping).

June 21, 1941 Exactly on the summer solstice (Hitler had a fondness for paganism) came the treacherous German "Barbarossa" attack on Russia; Saturn was 23 Taurus and Uranus was 28; their midpoint was Algol (5 days later an 8.7 quake hit India).

July, 1941 As Saturn itself reached the star, Russian defenders were still reeling from the Nazi blitzkrieg; one line of defense was only 200 miles from Moscow, and Leningrad had been surrounded and beseiged. In France, the puppet Vichy regime pledged cooperation with their Nazi masters, and started sending French Jews to the death camps.

November 1941 Saturn had retrograded from its September station on the Pleiades (29 Taurus) and returned to Algol; the German army mounted a fierce offensive to capture Moscow, but a desperate and heroic defence held them off. Strong counterattacks and the severity of Russia's "General Winter" were gradually bringing the Nazi blitzkrieg to a frigid halt. As Mercury came up to oppose Saturn, the Germans were forced to abandon the seige. In the west, peace negotiations between the US and Japan had come to an impass...

December 7, 1941 On this day of Jupiter's perigee on *Rigel, the upraised left foot of the giant warrior Orion, came the devastating Japanese sneak attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Here again Saturn was 23 Taurus and Uranus 28, and again their midpoint was Algol. (Interesting: In August 1945, when Uranus reached Jupiter's Pearl Harbor position at Rigel, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima...)

January 1942 he infamous Wannsee "Final Solution" conference took place, with Uranus at Algol {{Chiron had been on Algol in the spring of 1933 as Hitler came to power (it was the Chiron/Vesta/Asc. conjunction at his swearing in, 11:16 AM 1/30/33, Berlin; ref: Adolph Hitler by John Toland}}. The first extermination camps were ordered to be built, and concentration camps turned into factories of death.

Spring, 1942 With Saturn now on Algol came the surrender of Bataan in the Philippines, and the notorious forced death march that followed. In May as the SaturnUranus conjunction became exact (on the Pleiades), there was a new moon one degree shy of the Gorgon's Head; this time it marked the tragic surrender of Corregidor, the beginning of the heroic Russian defense of Sevastopol (the previous great siege of Sevastopol, in 1855, followed a solar eclipse on Algol), and two of the most famous naval battles in history - Coral Sea and Midway - immediately followed. In Czechoslovakia, the Nazis razed the town of Lidice and massacred its inhabitants as a "reprisal" for the assassination of one sadistic German officer. From there Saturn and Uranus left Taurus and worked their way towards the Hyades (5 Gemini) and Aldebaran (9 Gemini)-but that's another article...

Caput Medusa is well represented on WWII generals' charts: it was Rommel's NNode, Patton's Neptune, Admiral Canaris' Neptune, McArthur's Pluto; Bradley's Sun squared it from Aquarius, and Jodl's Uranus and Montgomery's SunMercury conjunction in Scorpio opposed it.

Another facet of this ghoulish star is its connection with - how shall I put it? - "horrible heads". The master of hideous make-up, Lon Chaney, had Saturn rising on Algol, trine his MC, which it ruled. Horror film star Bela Lugosi had Neptune on the Gorgon's Head, trine a conjunction of Jupiter (ruler of 1st and 10th) and the NNode. (The 1887 chart of Hollywood has Neptune on Algol). Two instances of face-lift surgery I personally witnessed involved transiting planets on Algol ticking off the natal charts, and in both cases the individuals' heads were quite literally frightening to look at until they healed. Renegade Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky had Pluto in the 10th on Caput Medusa; on 8/20/1940 when Uranus came to Algol and the Sun squared it, he was assassinated on Stalin's orders); a pickax was driven into his head. (Yecchh. I think I should have prefaced this article with a "viewers discretion" advisory... "WARNING...this article contains material that may seem offensive to some of our reading audience")...but hey. To be an astrologer you gotta be tough. Sit back and take a deep breath. If you're feeling stronger, we'll go on. The same 1790 Algol eclipse of the French Revolution also accompanied a terrible famine in India, when parents ate their children; India has had many terrible famines in her history, but this one has gone into the books as the "Skull Famine". (And dare I tell you that 11 days after an 1836 eclipse on Algol, the House of Representatives passed the famous "Gag Rule" tabling all abolitionist petitions? Nah, I'd better leave it out).

"for if the Significator of Manners

be with Caput Medusa, it begets in the

Native a certain dogged nature & violence,

whereby he either procures sudden death unto

himself, or is the cause of it to others".

William Lilly (Sun conj Algol)

Christian Astrology

*Mars was on Caput Medusa 7/6/1535 when the "man for all seasons", Sir Thomas More, was beheaded.

*Jayne Mansfield's progressed Moon and progressed Mercury were conjunct on Algol on her natal 12th cusp/

Chiron conjunction when an automobile accident decapitated her.

*Chiron & helio Venus aligned with Algol when Vic Morrow was decapitated and 2 small children killed in

the 1982 "Twilight Zone" disaster.

*Murderers Richard Speck and Harry Tracy had Pluto on Algol and Charles Whitman Saturn & Uranus; it is

"Manson family" murderer Susan Atkins' Mercury.

*Venus was on Algol in both the Lincoln and Garfield assassinations, and it was the Sun the day of the attempt

on Governor Wallace that left him disabled.

Suffocation, choking and Algol: * NNode of Bhopal disaster; * Jupiter at the Seveso, Italy dioxin chemical disaster; * Chiron at the Salang Tunnel disaster in Afghanistan; * It was the IC when the Titanic went down.

* Joan of Arc had Saturn on Algol; it co-ruled her 8th house; she was burned at the stake. * Dancer Isadora Duncan was born with Pluto on Algol; she was killed in 1927 when her long scarf caught in an automobile wheel and strangled her. (Pluto co-ruled her 8th). * Neptune was on Algol at the eclipse whose shadow passed over Vesuvius four years before the 79 AD eruption that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum; at its huge eruption in 1631 Pluto did the honors. * The Moon was on Algol at the 1902 eruption of Mt Pelee that killed the entire population of Martinique; * Helio Mars squared it from Leo at the Great Kwanto Earthquake and fire of 1923 that obliterated 600,000 homes in Tokyo and Yokohama - 143,000 dead, 200,000 injured, and half a million homeless. (I've already mentioned the T'ang Shan quake). * It was the Ascendant of the Cancer ingress preceding a 1201 quake which killed 1,300,000 in Egypt/Syria, * Jupiter stationed at Algol 1/21/06, 10 days before a 8.9 quake in Ecuador and 3 months before the great SF quake. * It was Mars at the Great Alexandria Quake of 365 AD. (I use a one degree moiety, that is, an allowance of one degree on either side of the star's longitude, and all positions are corrected for precession).

The horrible war increases in the West

The next year comes the pestilence

So very terrible that neither young, nor old,

nor animal shall escape

Blood, fire, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, in France

-Nostradamus

Centuries IX:55

On June 9-10, 1917, when WWI had just "increased" with the United States' April entry into the war, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter were aligned, not only in longitude, but latitude and declination as well. A virulent outbreak of influenza followed, killing an estimated 25 to 50 million people; it was truly pandemic - virtually every landmass on the planet was affected - 150,000 died in England, 500,000 in the US. The deadly strain of this virus erupted at Fort Riley, Kansas and was unknowingly carried by the American soldiers arriving in France; it spread through the battlefield trenches with horrifying speed. This June, 1917 three-planet alignment predicted by Nostradamus 362 years earlier was on the Asc of the chart for WWI (Great Britain's entry, August 4 1914 llPM UT, London); which was 25 Taurus - Algol.

All the verbiage I have devoted to this heady charmer was originally inspired by Jupiter's 1/20/89 station on the lady. (Algol is now 26 Taurus 03; the station was 26 Taurus 05). Some of the immediate manifestations of this station were:

* February 14: Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called for the assassination of Salman Rushdie, an Anglo-Indian author residing in London, and put a very large price on his head; Rushdie's book, "Satanic Verses" had deeply offended the Moslem world, and Islamic fundamentalists claimed that the Koran gave them the right, indeed, instructed them to execute the author. Jupiter is the planet of religious establishments and its station was on the Ayatolloh's natal Sun: Algol! It opposed Rushdie's helio Jupiter & squared the Islamic Republic's helio Mercury (Black Hole Cygnus X-3).

* Ted Bundy, "The worst serial murderer in US history" (born 11/24/46 10:35 PM EST Burlington, VT) was electrocuted in Florida, and the details of his crimes filled the media; his modus operandi had been to decapitate his victims so that their corpses could not be identified. Bundy had Juno opposing Algol on his equal-house IC, and as he had 25 Leo rising, the star was on his Equal House MC. (He had a chartful of nasty stars).

* There was a TV special on Jack the Ripper; (at the 1st J-the-R murder Mars opposed Algol; Jupiter had just stationed direct at 26 Scorpio 30 widely opposite the star. Algol was then 24 Taurus 36).

* Lisa Steinberg, a beautiful illegally-adopted child, had been killed by blows to her head the year before; her foster father had just been found guilty of the deed; every night, on the news, we were shown photographs of her and her foster-mother's battered heads. Lisa had the Sun just 2 degrees before Algol, with the star on her 12th cusp. The violence started when she was 2 years old, when her progressed Sun came to the degree of her Placidian 12th cusp: Algol).

* A quake in Russia buried victims in mud, suffocating them.

* A news item in the NY Times stated that 4,000 miners died in China in 1988, the worst year for mine disasters in China's history.

* The public television channel featured WWII documentaries, replaying the events listed above; * The "Winds of War" miniseries and "The World at War" documentary, both about WWII, were both revived;

* TV Guide, the week of the Jupiter-at-Algol station, was full of ads for a "Faces of Fear" (!) horror movie festival - yummy nasty ghouls on every page; one ad featured the head of Medusa, snaky locks and all!

*"Columbo" was revived; the plot? I quote: "a psychic kills a professional magician with his own trick guillotine." Speaking of guillotines, it was 1989. Because the Bastille had gone and gotten itself stormed in 1789, the slightly embarrassed French government felt obliged to hold bi-centennial celebrations of the bloody French revolution.

'tis a far far better thing that I do to take a break from this bloody article...

OK. I can handle it. It's the next day.

* Ever wonder why Lebanon is such a horribly bloody and battered nation? It was born during WWII (11/26/41) and has Saturn on Algol.

* When the Iran Airbus was shot down 7/3/88, Jupiter was on Algol, and when the "reprisal" came with the terrorist destruction of Pan Am 103 over Locherbie, Scotland, helio Mars was on the star.

* At the coronation of Czar Nicholas II, Venus was at the Head of Medusa. During the festivities, a riot broke out over the food offered for the peasants; hundreds were killed. The Czar's reign was ineffectual, and little was done to alleviate the suffering of the Russian people. He was deposed, and he and his family massacred. Was this "fate"? Would things have been different if he had acted differently? I doubt it. Character is destiny, and the placement of Venus (which ruled his MC) on Algol at the coronation may have simply represented what was likely to happen.

Now to the matter of squares and oppositions: all too often when one expects to find Algol, at historical beheadings, for instance, or massacres, what turns up instead is a square or opposition to the star: for instance, when King Charles I of England was beheaded, the Sun squared Algol from Aquarius. At the St. Bartholomew's Massacre (of the Huguenots, 1572), Mars in Scorpio opposed it. 1945 Fire bombing of Dresden? Sun in Aquarius square Algol. This made me suspect that some other stars were actually the culprits in those cases, so I rounded up the likeliest suspects: zeta Librae at 25 Scorpio 17, beta Lupus, 25 Scorpio 18 (the Akkadians called Lupus "The Beast of Death"), and gamma Librae (Zubenelakrabi), 25 Scorpio 24; in China, this area was "The War Chariot" and "The Mounted Guard". In Leo, square Algol, is omicron Leonis (Subra, the Lion's Paw) at 24 Leo 31. Now for the squares from Aquarius: in the constellations of ancient China the area between 23 Aquarius and 10 Pisces was associated primarily with mourning and burial; some asterisms here had names like "The Lamentations", "The Howling Dogs", and "The Tombs". The alpha Equuleus and beta Aquarius area (about 23-24 Aquarius) is called "The Funeral Mound" - this certainly would jibe with the traditional Algol effect. This area of Aquarius housed Pluto during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, and Uranus at the Great Fire of London in 1666, and Mars at the terror bombing of London on May 10, 1941; the Sun at the fire bombing of Dresden (2/13/45 11 PM), the SaturnJupiter Great Mutation of 1345 (4/1, 12:03 UT) as the Black Death swept from Asia into Europe; Uranus at the start of the influenza pandemic of WWI; Jupiter at the Challenger disaster, etc etc. So it is not really possible to know whether those events are squares to Algol, or effects of stars like lambda & mu Capricorni, gamma Cygnus, beta Aquarius, iota Aquarius, etc. - or both! Besides, there is a sort of "via combusta" of heavy star influences that starts around 21 Taurus (and 21 Taurus 26 is Septile 0 Aries), then goes to 23 Taurus (Zanrak-Capulus-Gyrus), then Algol, then the very powerful Pleiades at 29 Taurus and next the Hyades at 5-6 Gemini, the Bull's North Eye at 8.2 Gemini and his "Royal" South Eye, Aldebaran, at 9.6 Gemini. Major news events of all sorts increase when planets tick these off; quakes, storms, wars, riots (especially race riots), summit meetings, nuclear disasters, plane crashes, floods, shipwrecks, etc. So it is difficult to isolate just one star; they frequently combine their influences. Just remember, if you see a square or opposition forming, dexter or sinister, to 25 or 26 Taurus, duck!

"The Grecian astrologers call him

the Devil's Head; and yet all the

astrologers hold Jupiter and Venus

to have a share in his nature..."

Culpepper; Decumbitures

Do I have any kind words for Medusa? Indeed I do. Algol is much more than a creature feature in the sky; there is, for instance, an interesting pattern in the arts, where ghastliness and beauty can occur at the same time, and in politics, where highmindedness mud-wrestles with brutality for possession of the field:

*Pablo Picasso (born with Jupiter on Algol), horrified by the fascist atrocities in the Spanish civil war, created Guernica, perhaps the most famous anti-war painting in history.

*Just after the fall of France, during the desperate Battle of Britain, on the afternoon of 9/12/40 two French schoolboys accidentally discovered the magnificent prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux. Uranus was at Algol, forming a trine with Mercury on Zavijava (25 Virgo). (Venus was conjunct Pluto: Venus, art, conjunct Pluto, underground caves, and hidden things brought to light).

*Viciousness, bigotry and beauty combined in the tragic life of Exra Pound (Neptune at Algol), a brilliant poet with an insane hatred of Jews - so extreme that he spent time in a mental institution.

*Poet Maraquita Platov (Mercury at Algo) was so moved during her childhood by the horrors of World War I that virtually all of her work was devoted to anti-war themes.

*Prima Ballerina Margot Fonteyn, one of this century's greatest dancers, had a Sun-Mars conjunction at Algol (her husband was shot in the neck, leaving him paralyzed).

Some positive Algol effects: the 1989 station brought to the public's attention the frightful slaughter of elephants that threatens them with immediate extinction, and the pervasive cruelty to animals both inside and outside labs. The founding of the London School of Veterinary Science in 1791, following the 1790 eclipse, supports my suspicion that there is an "animal connection" to Algol, and the tragic loss of wildlife from the oil spill in Alaska carries this point: Algol was setting when the Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound (3/24/89, 0:04 AM 147W20, 60N46), and stationing asteroid Juno-of-helplessness squared it from Leo. This current awareness and concern for wildlife after the Jupiter station on Algol is, I think, welcome and long overdue.

People with Algol placements:

Asc: Christa McAuliffe, teacher (died in Challenger disaster); Carl Sagan, astronomer (active in anti-nuclear movement).

MC: Albrecht Durer, artist; Jackie Robinson, baseball star.

Sun: Prince Metternich, Austrian diplomat/statesman; Pierre Curie, scientest (killed in accident); Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (mother of Marie Antoinette); Paul Zindel, Peter Shaffer, Arthur Schnitzler, playwrights; William Lilly, astrologer; L Frank Baum, author (Oz books); Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranian leader; Jasper Johns, artist; Henry Fonda, actor; Liberace, pianist; Margot Fonteyn, ballerina;

Moon: Mick Jagger, rock star; John Calvin, religious reformer; Werner Von Braun, rocket scientist;

Mercury: Albrecht Durer, artist; Cole Porter, songwriter; John Browning, pianist; Oliver Cromwell, statesman/persecutor of Catholics; Byron "Whizzer" White, football star/Associate Justice, US Supreme Court; Pancho Gonzales, tennis champion; Zubin Mehta, conductor; Maraquita Platov, poet;

Venus: David Rose, composer/conductor; Prince William of England; Yogi Berra, baseball star;

Mars: General Andrew Jackson, US President; Mario Cuomo, Governor of NY; Charles Addams, cartoonist ("The Addams Family"); Franz Kafka, author; Salvadore Dali, artist; Martin Bormann, Nazi leader; Margot Fonteyn, ballerina;

Jupiter: N Lenin, communist dictator; Jean-Paul Sartre, existentialist philosopher; Samuel Pepys, diarist; P T Barnum, showman; Cecil B DeMille, filmmaker; Carolus Linnaeus, botanist; (Helio Jupiter: Tamerlane, conqueror); Pablo Picasso, artist;

Saturn: St Joan of Arc, warrior/martyr (burned at the stake-Saturn ruled her 8th house); Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, Marcia Mason, actors; Richard Nixon, US President; Richard Speck, murderer.

Uranus: John Lennon (murdered), Bob Dylan, singers/songwriters; Samuel T Coleridge, poet; George Bernard Shaw, critic/playwright;

Neptune: C E O Carter, astrologer; Artur Rubenstein, pianist; Bela Lugosi, actor; Gen, George Patton; Neils Bohr, physicist; Ezra Pound, poet;

Pluto: Alexander the Great, conqueror; Joseph Stalin, communist dictator; Gen. Douglas MacArthur; Moses Maimonides, philosopher/physician/lingust/author of Mishneh Torah; Mata Hari, exotic dancer/spy (executed); Albert Einstein, physicist; Isadora Duncan, dancer (accidentally strangled); Wanda Landowska, harpsichordist;

NNode: Field Marshal Irwin Rommel; Ramakrishna, mystic/author; Winslow Homer, artist; Leo Delibes, composer;

SNode: Shah Reza Pahlevi of Iran; Manly Palmer Hall, astrologer; Sam Goldwyn, producer; Pierre Trudeau, Canadian PM; Natalie Wood, actress;

On the personal charts of ordinary people, it can manifest in positive and interesting ways. A young couple who asked for an electional chart for their wedding were not fazed when I told them they had chosen a day with a Sun-Hades conjunction on Algol, and described the star. They told me it fit very well - they were devoting all their spare time to the nuclear freeze movement! Carl Sagan, another nuclear freeze activist, has Algol rising.

When I was a child I took piano lessons from the sister of Roszika Schwimmer, who was the subject of a famous Supreme Court case. Ms. Schwimmer, a militant Hungarian pacifist who had devoted her life to opposing war and bloodshed, had applied for US citizenship, but could not bring herself to swear that she would take up arms in defense of this nation. (It was the principle that mattered - no one was going to ask the dignified gray-haired matron to take to the trenches!) The case received quite a bit of attention, and went all the way to the Supreme Court. In a landmark decision (Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes dissenting), the Justices decided that she could not become a citizen; but in deference to her age and dignity, she was allowed to remain in the US as a resident alien. The day the decision was handed down, 5/27/29, Jupiter was on Algol.

These examples demonstrate that having Algol represented on a chart does not necessarily mean that you will inflict, or be the victim of, horror and mayhem...but that you will be aware of the depths of suffering that can occur, whether through human depravity or "Acts of God"; and you will not be able to ignore suffering and horror, or brush it aside; your life path will require that you come to terms with that level of experience. A jounalist might be assigned to cover tragedies, while a clergyman might be called upon to comfort the victims and their families. A black child might hear of the horrors of slavery, and a Jewish child might grow up with the awareness that his grandparents perished in the Holocaust. A police officer might assist victims of a natural disaster, or a medical student be assigned to work in a trauma center (the medical term for the study of pain is "Algolology"!). The Algol placement on a chart insists upon a confrontation and assimilation of these harsh aspects of human experience in this lifetime. The polarities of bigotry or tolerance, violence or kindness, cruelty or compassion, war or peace are issues that are unavoidable and must be dealt with under Medusa.

As a light shining in the darkness,

a star is a symbol of the spirit.

It stands for the forces of the spirit

struggling against the forces of darkness.

-Cirlot, Dictionary of Symbols

Some of the fixed stars are harsh, yes. But to a purpose. Each defines an area that will be tapped for good or ill; the tests are intense and unavoidable. Algol, like the other stars, confers tasks upon us which, if comprehended and accepted, offer great rewards of power and creativity. These stellar challenges are not to be feared, but understood and used in a positive manner.

posted April 12, 2009 10:02 AM            

DEGREES AND FIXED STARS OF THE ZODIAC
0-1 DEGREES OF ALL SIGNS MEANS BEGINNING SOMETHING IN PREDICTION.

29 DEGREES OF ALL SIGNS MEANS ENDING SOMETHING IN PREDICTION.

0-1 Degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are extremely critical degrees, in predictive astrology; always a jump start, so to speak. These are the four cardinal signs; the solstice points of the Zodiac. What has begun, may or may not last. Cardinal signs indicate strong beginnings, but lack the stability of the fixed signs or the adaptablity of the mutable signs. 0-1 of Libra oftentimes signifies the beginning of a relationship in predictive astrology.

0-1 Degrees of Taurus is always permanent, in prediction, for good or bad.

0-1 Degrees of Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius is long lasting. Fixed signs signify permanence, stability and things that last. What has begun will more than likely last, in prediction.

0-1 Degrees
of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are beginnngs subject to change. Mutable signs always signify adaptability, restlessness and change. What has begun is subject to chages in prediction

29 Degrees
of Pisces is a permanent ending in predictive astrology, as is 29 degrees of Taurus.

13 and 26
Degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn give special importance to the planet(s) or house cusps occupying the degree. The affairs ruled by the planets, the affairs ruled by the houses ruled by the planets or by the houses these degrees are on point to something of the above mentioned occuring in the life of the chart owner.

9 and 21
Degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius -Same as the above, with a tendency to misfortune. 21 Degrees of Scorpio is a definite loss Natally or in prediction, the loss is not always negative.

4 and 17
of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are similar to the 13 and 26 Degrees of the Cardinal signs, mentioned above.

15 Degrees of Leo
is one of the worst degrees in the zodiac. Either natally or in prediction. Prominent in the charts of serial killers, felons serving life sentences, hard luck, etc. Helen Keller- blind/deaf had her chart co-ruler, Mars at 15 degrees of Leo, along with no air signs. (Air signs are communication).

25 degrees of Leo
is violent, many people in prison for violent crimes have their chart rulers on this degree. Also, this is not a good degree for a planet to be on in a predictive chart. Problems will result from this placement according to the affairs it rules and/or house it is in. This is a very strong degree of alchoholism. Many who are chronic alcoholics have prominent planets on the 25th degree of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius. Especially strong if Neptune is involved

15 Degrees of Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius
are also unfortunate, but not to the extent as 15 degrees of Leo,one of the worst degrees in the Zodiac.

16, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 25 Degrees of Taurus are all degrees of violence.

9 Degrees of Gemini- degree of homocide.

17 Degrees of Gemini- degree of homocide.

6 Degrees of Cancer
possible physical disability and to a lesser extent, 6 degrees, Libra, Capricorn and Aries. Especially if the planet occupies the first house.

6 Degrees of Leo/Aquarius
is bad for eyesight.

12 Degrees of Leo,
degree of beauty.

9 Degrees of Virgo and Pisces
are known as fatal degrees, body in the ditch degrees or degrees of suffering.

9 degrees of Pisces
is one of the worst degrees in the Zodiac.

9 Degrees of Sagittarius,
is a warrior degree, and also a degree of homocide.

22 degrees of all signs
is bad, either natally or in prediction.

FIXED STARS: Allow 1-2 degrees orb. Conjunctions and oppositions are the only aspects that matter. Conjunctions being most important.

The four most prominent fixed stars are:
Aldebaran; 9 degrees of Gemini
Regulus; 29 degrees of Leo
Antares; 9 degrees of Sagittarius
Formalhaut; 3 degrees of Pisces
These stars can also be prominent in magick.
Aldebaran is known as "Watcher of the East."
Regulus is known as "Watcher of the North."
Antares, is known as "Watcher of the West."
Formalhaut is known as "Watcher of the South."

ALPHERATZ - (Sirrah) [14 Degrees Aries]
Freedom, love of movement, speed, intellectual and can indicate riches and honors. Strong motivation, willfulness and the ability to take action. Well known, before the public and popularity with the masses; fame. Harmonius nature, good for relationships.

BATEN KAITOS[20 degrees of Aries]
Forced migration, accidents, shipwreck.

MIRACH - [0 Degrees Taurus]
Happiness in marriage, artistic, love of beauty, strong intuition, brilliant mind, creative and generous disposition. Makes friends easily and inspires others. Gives beauty, a love of the home, brilliant mind, fortunate marriage.

HAMAL - [6 Degrees of Taurus]
Independence and strength of will, dislikes so called authority. Likes to think independently from the herd. Leadership ability. Cruelty and premeditated crime.

ALMACH (Alamack) -[14 degrees of Taurus]
Popular influence, one is well liked and benefits come from others. Prominent position, possible fame. Artistic ability.

CAPUT ALGOL - [26 Degrees of Taurus]
Here is one of the most violent stars in the zodiac. In natal charts, this gives a most violent disposition, with murderous tendencies. This is intensified when intoxicated. The mean viscious drunk. On the upside, it bestows athletic ability. The intense nature, when sublimated, can give the drive to reach the top. Olympic gymnasts, Shannon Miller and Olga Korbut are examples here. When conjunct the descendent, violence will come from others, especially the lover or marriage partner.

ALCYONE- THE PLEIADES -[29 Degrees of Taurus]
This is a bad star. Very bad for the eyesight and can indicate blindness. It also brings sorrow and gives something to cry about. Can give keen insight and a harshly judgemental nature. Strong love of nature, ambition, possible injuries to the face, eminence

HYADES -[5 Degrees of Gemini]
Gives a strong sex drive, greedy, overindulgent and excessive nature. Exploitive of others. Can indicate tremendous success in life. Lack of control and bad habits can cause downfall. High energy level with much military ability.

THE NORTHERN BULL'S EYE, EPSILON TAURI -[7 Degrees of Gemini]
Gives artistic talent, writing ability, popularity, scientific and occult ability. Found in the charts of astrologers. Can make outstanding contributions in their areas of actvity.

ALDEBARAN -[9 Degrees of Gemini]
Watcher of the East
Rules the hands and fingers. Tendency to pneumonia. Possible violent death. High energy and ambition. Can attract dangerous enemies.

RIGEL -[16 Degrees of Gemini]
Lasting riches, honors and preferment. Good for military careers. Ambitious and hard working. Good mechanical ability. Teaching ability, somewhat conventional. Great military or ecclesiastical preferment if conjunct the midheaven. These people can stay on top, as long as effort is maintained.

BELLATRIX-[20 degrees of Gemini]
Military and other honors which end in disaster. Bad for eyesight. Quick decision making ability, opinionated. Belligerent, daring, adventuresome nature. If conjunct the midheaven, a swindler or forger.

CAPELLA-[21 degrees of Gemini]
Curious, sharp minded, a love of learning and research. Indicates martial or eccesiastical honors and riches, often followed by squander and waste, leading to dissolution. Unusual, eccentric personality.

ALNILAM-[23 degrees of Gemini]
Bestows honors when conjunct the midheaven.

POLARIS-[28 degrees of Gemini]
Spiritual powers and much respect gained from them, possible illness and affliction. Legacies can encounter problems and misfortune. Good instincts and the abiliy to find one's way.

BETELGEUSE[28 degrees of Gemini]
This is one of the most fortunate of fixed stars and is frequently seen prominent in the charts of those who have hit the top. Success, riches, honors, fame. Much luck in life.

SIRIUS (ALPHA CANIS MAJOR) ORION'S GREAT DOG STAR -[13 degrees of Cancer]
High offices in government, honors, fame. Danger from dogs. Danger and volence.

CASTOR-[20 degrees of Cancer]
Violence, sudden fame, followed by prison or disgrace. Weakness of the eyes, injuries to the face. Well mannered, strong principles

POLLUX-[23 degrees of Cancer]
Athletic ability, good for martial artists, boxers, fighters and warriors. Bad for eyesight with possible injuries to the eyes and face. Connections with poisns, honors, followed by disgrace. Possible imprisonment, cruel, subtle, scheming nature.

PROCYON-[25 degrees of Cancer]
A love of dogs, but danger from their bites. Achievement through personal efforts. Danger from liquids, poisons and gases. Jealous and quarrelsome and strong willed. Puts ideas into action.

PRAESEPE[7 degrees into Leo]
Bad for eyesight. Losses coming from others. Adventuresome, brutality, perverse, reckless.

ALPHARD[26 degrees into Leo]
Lack of control, violence, unethical, subject to imprisonment and tragedy. Connection with poisons and toxins.

REGULUS[29 degrees into Leo]
Watcher of the North
Astrological ability, independent and high spirited. Destructiveness, mlitary honors. Power, success and leadership ability. Possible disasterous fall from prominent position.

ZOSMA[9 degrees of Virgo]
Victimization, unhappiness, suffering, subject to disadvantage and abuse.

DENEBOLA[21 degrees into Virgo]
Honors and wealth, impulsiveness, disgrace, regrets, misfortunes through natural forces.

VINDEMIATRIX[9 degrees into Libra]
Falsity, spinal problems, dishonesty. Loss of partner. Problems and loss through women if conjunct Neptune. (Bill Clinton is a perfect example here).

ALGORAB[13 degrees of Libra]
One who is destructive, malevolent, fiendish and lying. Crooked businessman or politician. Self centered, charming and sly. Misrepresenting.

SPICA[23 degrees of Libra]
Riches and honors, fortune and fame, gives ability in the sciences, art, writing, music, creativity, sociable. Great benefactor to any planet it is conjunct

ARCTURUS[23 degrees of Libra]
Renown through self determination, fortune through travel, lasting success, hot tempered.

PRINCEPS[2 degrees of Scorpio]
Intelligent mind, good for research

ALPHECCA[11 degrees of Scorpio]
Artistic, talent for poetry, the occult and healing ability. Success in trade and commerce. Leadership ability, tendency to be a loner.

SOUTH SCALE[14 degrees of Scorpio]
Malevolence, disease, lying, danger from poisons, violence, bad health

NORTH SCALE[18 degrees of Scorpio]
Honor, distinction, ambition. Good fortune.

UNUKALHAI[21 degrees of Scorpio]
This star indicates a loss in some area, both natally and in prediction. This loss is not always negative in prediction. Perversions, lack of self control and danger of poisons.

ANTARES[9 degrees of Sagittarius]
Watcher of the West Impulsive, headstrong, stubborn, courageous, unpredictable events, turbulent life, loss of success comes from self undoing. Martial, can bring honor and favors, good for military.

LESATH[23 degrees into Sagittarius]
Outsoken, perverse, associated with acids, danger.

ACULEUS[25 degrees into Sagittarius]
Eyesight problems, leadership ability, subject to mental, verbal or spiritual attack. Victim of gossip.

ACUMEN[27 degrees into Sagittarius]
These people on the down side can get worn down by life and not care anymore. Disgrace, legal problems, imprisonment.

WEGA[15 degrees nto Capricorn]
Occult talent, riches and fame. Idealistic, hopeful and refined. Pretentious, artistic.

DENEB[19 degrees into Capricorn]
Good for military, successful warriors, ability for command. Benevolence.

TEREBELLUM[24 degrees nto Capricorn]
Greedy, scheming, shrewd. A fortune with guilt and a bad reputation.

ALTAIR[1 degree into Aquarius]
Bold, confident, stubborn, sudden wealth, position of high command, danger from reptiles, adventuresome risk taker.

GIEDI[2 degrees into Aquarius]
Benficial. Sacrifices made, strange events are brought into the life. Suspicion and mistrust.

ARMUS[11 degrees into Aquarius]
Nagging, unstable, contemptable, spiteful

DENEB ALGEDI[23 degrees into Aquarius]
Sorrow and joy. Life and death, always on the edge. Life of changes, trustworthy, just, fair, knowledge of human nature.

FORMALHAUT[3 degrees of Pisces]
Watcher of the South
Variable effect for better or worse. Fortunate and powerful. Great learning, immortal name. Much hard work and labor. Increases and amplifies whatever it conjuncts

DENEB ADIGE[4 degrees of Pisces]
Clever and ingenious mind. Money can be made through the arts and sciences. Psychic, idealistic, likeable person.

ACHERNAR[15 degrees of Pisces]
Royal honors, success in public office, philosophical, patient, inclined to religion.

MARKAB[23 degrees of Pisces]
Danger from fire, fever, cuts and blows. Can give good fortune, good for spiritual nature and the mind. Ambitions are often not realized.

SCHEAT[28 degrees into Pisces]
Extreme misfortune, suicide, drowning, murder, rapidly gaining and losing friends, unpredictable nature, inclned to fantasize.

posted April 12, 2009 10:05 AM            

ACHERNAR ("end of the river") -- 15Pisces15 -- #1979 -- mag0.6
A white star at the mouth of The River
Influence: Ptolemy gave it the influence of
Jupiter, with success in public office; religion.
ACRUX -- 11SC50 -- #16952 --mag1.6
Influence: Given the nature of Jupiter, it is associated with religion, ceremonies, justice, and magic. Often prominent in charts of astrolgers.
ACULEUS -- 25SAG41 -- #6405 -- mag5.3
Influence: Given the influence of Moon and Mars, it is a nebula in the sting of the Scorpion; it has a twin and they are associated with eyesight problems if conjunct or opposite a stressed luminary. There can be many problems in life, but possible success, since Aculeus is a bit more positive than its twin, Acumen.

ACUMEN -- 28SAG43 -- #6475 -- mag3.2
Influence: The twin nebula to Aculeus in the sting of the Scorpion, given much the same nature as Aculeus, but harder to deal with.

AGENA -- 23SC45 -- #18971 -- mag0.9
Influence: Ptolemy gave it the influence of Venus and Jupiter; Alvidas - one similar as Mars conj Mercury. It gives position, honor, refinement, morality, and good health.

ALCYONE -- 29TA57 -- #4541 -- mag3.0
A greenish-yellow star, and the brightest of the Pleiades, in the shoulder of The Bull. It was once thought to the center of the universe, called the Central One by the Arabs, and Foundation Stone by the Babylonians. In Celtic tradition, the Pleiades set as the Sun rose in November, and was therefore associated with the Dead (as was the month of November).
Influence: Medically, it is linked to eyesight. It is connected with visions and mystical abilities, but also ruthless judgment. Said to have the nature of Moon/Mars, it causes love eminence, blindness from fevers (or poor eyesight in general), smallpox, and accidents to the face.

ALDEBARAN -- 9GE45 -- #5605 --mag1.1
One of the Royal Stars of Persia, The Watcher of the East, it is a pale rose star in the left eye of The Bull. It marked the Vernal Equinox for the Persians in 3000BC, thus it is the Watcher of the East.
Influence: Like the other three Royal Stars, Aldebaran promises great success as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. The issue for Aldebaran is one of integrity. If the one strives to achieve, but sacrifices their integrity, this becomes their downfall. Ptolemy gave it the nature of Mars.

ALGOL-- 26TA07 -- #3733 -- mag variable
Algol represents the severed head of Medusa, held in the hand of Perseus. The name is from Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head, aka Caput Algol and Caput Medusae; known as Lilith by the Hebrews and Tseih She (piled-up corpses) by the Chinese.
Influence: Algol is all the passion and intensity of the feminine which can be used effectively or destructively. Ptolemy gave it the nature of Saturn & Mars, causing misfortune, decapitation, hanging, a violent nature, and was thought to be the most evil star in the heavens. Medically, this is a double star - one has Saturn qualities and the other Mars/Uranus/Pluto ones. Most deadly of all fixed stars, it exerts a tragic influence, and may bring on chronic illnesses, dental problems, arthritis.

ALHENA -- 9CA04 -- #8633 -- mag1.9
A bright white star in the left foot of the Southern Twin; from Al Han'ah (a brand or mark), it has been called "the wound in the tendon Achilles".
Influence: Ptolemy gave it the nature of Mercury and Venus; Alvidas, that of Moon and Venus. It is linked to the concept of a mark placed on the one who is important, a person with a mission. It bestows eminence in art, but there can be accidents affecting the feet.

ALPHARD -- 27LEO15 -- #13044 -- mag2.2
An orange star in the neck of the Hydra; often called Hydra's Heart.
Influence: Ptolemy gave it the nature of Venus and Saturn; Alvidas, that of Sun sextile Jupiter. It gives wisdom, appreciation of the arts, lack of self-control immorality; also death by drowning, poison, or asphyxiation.
Medically, it has the influnce of Saturn/Venus/Neptune and can cause extreme sensitivity to any drug, bites by animals or insects, blood poisoning from toxins, and poor eating habits.

ALPHECCA --12SC16 -- #20947 -- mag2.3
A bright white star in the knot of the Ribbon; from Al Na'ir al Fakkah, the Bright One of the Dish.
Influence: Ptolemy called it the brightest star in the Northern Crown, with the nature of Venus & Mercury. Alvidas thought it to be Mercury & Mars. It gives honor, dignity, artistic ability.

ALPHERATZ -- 14AR16 -- #127 -- mag2.2
A double star, white and purple, in the hair of Andromeda. From Al Surratal Farras, the Horse's Navel - as it used to be in Pegasus.
Influence: Ptolemy gives it the nature of Jupiter and Venus; Alvidas adds Mars. It gives a love of freedom, independence, love, wealth, honor, and a keen intellect.

ALTAIR -- 1AQ44 -- #27470 -- mag0.9
A pale yellow star in the neck of the Eagle. From Al Tair, the Eagle. Sometimes called the Bird of Jove.The Greeks saw this constellation as Zeus in the form of an eagle carrying the youth Ganymedes to the heavens to be his cup bearer.
Influence: Ptolemy gives it to Mars & Jupiter; Wilson gives it Saturn and Mercury; Alvidas, Uranus & Mercury sextile the Sun. It gives a bold and unyielding nature, valiance, ambition, a liberal nature, great wealth though ephemeral, but its natives can cause bloodshed and there can be danger from reptiles.

ANTARES -- 9SAG43 -- #22157 -- mag1.2
A binary star, red and green, in the body of the Scorpion. From Anti Ares - the rival of Mars. As one of the Four Royal Stars, it marked the Autumnal Equinox in Persia in 3000BC, hence The Watcher of the West. Sometimes called Shiloh or the Scorpion's Heart.
Influence: Being a Royal Star it can bring great success but the possible cause of undoing is that the person goes to excess or become obsessive. Obsession leads to a downfall. However, by keeping a balance between success with one's goals and the quality of life, the potential downfall is avoided. Ptolemy gives it Mars and Juputer; Alvidas - Jupiter sextile Venus. Yet it is malefic in nature, bringing destructiveness, rashness, a headstrong nature, braod-mindedness, and obstinance.
Medically, this is Mars/Merc/Jup. It influences various health problems, incl eye troubles. It may induce impulsiveness that can casue bodily injury.

ARCTURUS -- 24LI12 -- #19242 -- mag0.2
A yellow star of Bootes, the hunter/gather turned cultivator. From Arktouros, the Bear Guard. Aka Arctophilax (the Bear Watcher), Azimech, and variants of Al Simak (the Lofty One).
Influence: Ptolemy gives it to Mars and Jupiter; Alvidas to Mercury and Venus conjunct. It gives riches, status, gain through voyages and navigation. This star embodies the daring to strike out and take a new path; to try a new method; to go in a direction which has not been traveled before.

BELLATRIX -- 20GEM54 -- #6668 -- mag1.7
The beta star of Orion (in the left shoulder) and the shadow twin to Betelgeuse. This is the left shoulder of the great god Osiris and was later renamed Orion by the Greeks.
Influence: One of the great stars of the sky, Bellatrix is success through a long, and at times hard, struggle. The star promises great potential but only through a journey which deals with the more difficult aspects of the psyche. Ptolemy gave this star the influences of Mars and Mercury.

BETELGEUSE -- 28GEM43 -- #7451 -- mag variable
One of the great stars. This huge red star is in the right shoulder of Orion who was previously known to the Egyptians as the god, Osiris.
Influence: "Success which is not blocked." This star is probably one of the most blessed and fortunate stars in the sky, for when linked to a chart, it promises success without complications. Ptolemy gives it also the characteristics of Mars and Mercury.

CANOPUS -- 14CAN56 -- #8302 -- mag-0.9
The great navigator and pilot of the Argo, the one who guided the Egyptian boat of the Dead. This star is a beacon in the southern sky and thought by the ancients to symbolise the great path finder. Still used by NASA for navigational purposes.
Influence: The Path Finder " Ptolemy gives this, the rudder of the Argo, the influences of Saturn and Jupiter. This star, when active in a chart, indicates an individual who finds new ways and methods of doing things.

CAPELLA -- 21GEM49 -- #6427 -- mag0.2
The brightest star of the Charioteer and considered by Egyptian, Greek and Roman mythology to be a goddess or the women who nursed Zeus in his infancy. This star can be thought of as a type of horse-goddess in the style of the great Celtic goddess Macha.
Influence: Love of movement. Fast, love of speed, freedom without aggression. Strength and determination, quick to take action.
Ptolemy - the female star in the Charioteer; influence of Mercury & Mars

CASTOR -- 20CAN12 -- #10120 -- mag1.6
A twin to Pollux, both these stars struggle with the polarity of creative energy. Linked closely to writers.
Influence: To write or create. Castor is success or creativity which flows easily without pain and trauma. Ptolemy - One of the Twins; influence of Mercury

DENEB ADIGE -- 5PIS17 -- #28846 -- mag1.3
Strong will, strong temper. This constellation has always been a large bird but has gone through many different species in its history. The Greeks saw it as a form of Zeus in his guise as a Swan used in the seduction of Leda. But this constellation represents a much older tradition. It is a Shamanistic expression of the Sun-God taking the guise of a Bird.
Influence: Powerful, clear and determined, a strong will linked with a strong temper.
Ptolemy - in the tail of the Swan; influence of Venus & Mercury

DENEB KAITOS -- 2AR32 -- #865 -- mag2.2
Also known as Difda. From Al Difdi al Thani, the Second Frog.
Influence: Self-destruction by brute force, sickness, disgrace, misfortune, and compulsory change.
Ptolemy - influence of Saturn. Medically, it may bring on bodily and mental inhibition.

DENEBOLA -- 21VIR35 -- #16189 -- mag2.2
In the tail of the Nemean Lion. The lion symbolises the ancient goddess worship, for it was a grandchild of Gia whose mother was half woman and half snake. These worshippers were persecuted as the goddess gave way to the god.
Influence: To go against society. This star embodies these concepts and can talk of a person who goes against convention, or becomes out-of- step with the views of society thereby opening themselves to persecution or becoming the persecutor.
Ptolemy - the tail of the Lion. Saturn & Venus Medically, it has Uranian characteristics. Mental gyrations if conj to Mercury or Uranus in natal chart.

FACIES -- 8CAP16 -- #6656 -- mag5.9
Ruthlessness or the victim. The nebula in the face of the Archer. All nebulas are traditionally linked to the eyes and blindness, primarily because a test of good eyesight in the Roman army was to be able to see that a star was not one but a cluster. This nebula is the eye of the most feared of all warriors - the archer.
Influence: Facies is a difficult star, being either the perpetrator of violence or the victim. Whatever Facies touches will be influenced by ruthlessness and/or aggression.

FOMALHAUT -- 3PIS49 -- #32000 -- mag1.3
One of the four Royal Stars of Persia, this is the Watcher of the South. Like the other three Royal Stars it promises success but only if the individual avoids the pitfalls presented by the star. This star is about ideals and dreams. If these are noble, then great personal happiness can be achieved. However, if the dreams or ideals are corrupt in any way, then there is great loss and confusion.
Influence: Success through noble ideal
Ptolemy - the Southern Fish; influence of Venus & Mercury

HAMAL -- 7TAU37 -- #2538 -- MAG2.2
The head of the Ram. Often described as an evil star, in modern times we can think of this star as a statement of independence.
Influence: To follow one's own path
If linked to Mercury this may indicate the independent thinker; if linked to Mars it could imply anything from brutish strength to the great athlete. Possibly aka El-Nath. Medically linked to Mars/Saturn-it may bring on severe injury at some point in life, particularly from falls.

MENKAR -- 14TAU17 -- #3643 -- mag2.8
This is the alpha star of Cetus the Whale but in all history this creature is more of a mythical beast rather than a great whale, more of a Loch Ness rather than a Humpback.
Influence: victim of the Unconscious
The star is linked to the forces of the collective unconscious, that which can emerge from the sea of the collective and greatly influence the individual for better or for worse. This is a difficult star. Medically, this has Saturnian qualities. Throat or larynx problems are possible if it conjuncts malefics.

MIRACH -- 0TAU22 -- #1400 -- mag2.4
This is the beta star of Andromeda. However, it does seem to embody the symbolism of Andromeda, the young woman who is harmonious, balanced and receptive.
Influence: In harmony to be receptive
This star is strong in the charts of artists or any person who brings harmony and rhythm to their occupation.

MIRFAK -- 2GEM02 -- #4041 -- mag1.9
In the constellation Perseus, this is the young male warrior proud of his strength and his courage. It is the honorable fighter, the one who will accept the challenge.
Influence: Challenge-oriented. A desire for battle, a desire to compete.

MIRZAM -- 7CAN09 -- #8223 -- mag2.0
This is the star that rises before Sirius in the northern hemisphere and was called by the Egyptians "The Announcer". Its energy seems to be about making a statement, of carrying a message. It can show someone who brings new ideas to the world or, new physical feats. However, the person may be all potential with no outcome.
Influence: To have one's say.

POLLUX -- 23CAN11 -- #10438 -- mag1.2
The twin star to Castor, Pollux represents the painful process of learning and discovering. The tormented artist, the person who sees or encounters the more difficult side of things. These difficulties can take the main focus, swamping the person who constantly struggles to pull themselves into clearer light.
Influence: The pain of creativity
Ptolemy - one of the Twins; influence of Mars

PRAESAEPE -- 7LEO18 -- #2632 -- mag3.7
Medically, is has the qualities of Moon/Mars/Neptune. Close to Norht & South Aselli, it is believed to give poor eyesight, especially at an early age.
Medical Influence: weak eyes

PROCYON -- 25CAN45 -- #10277 -- mag0.5
Procyon is dulled by the brilliance of Sirius and this is expressed in its symbolism, for it is linked to the potential of rapid success which quickly fades. Any advantages or success should be developed quickly when this star is involved, as the opportunities do not last long.
Influence: Short lived opportunities
Ptolemy - Rises before Sirius; influence of Mercury & Mars

RAS ALHAGUE -- 22SAG24 -- #23837 -- mag2.1
The head of the Serpent Holder, the doctor and healer of the heavens. Traditionally Ras Alhague is seen as an evil star because it is linked to a serpent and thus the feminine. However, a better understanding of this star is to see it connected to the concept of healing, whether that is on a personal level or in society as a whole.
Influence: The desire to heal a wound.
Medically, it has the traits of Venus/Sat/Neptune. It may produce toxic conditions that affect the body. It may also affect the results of animal and insect bites and other infectious states.

REGULUS -- 29LEO48 -- #13926 -- mag1.3
The heart of the Lion and known as The Watcher of the North. A Royal Star of Persia. This is one of the great stars in the sky and is linked to the Persian mythical king, Feridum. He was a prosperous king but lost his kingdom when he engaged in revenge. All of the Royal Stars promise great potential and success as long as a particular human nemesis is avoided. In Regulus' case, the issue is that of revenge and if strong in a chart, the individual needs to avoid this temptation.
Influence: temptation for revenge.
Ptolemy - The Heart of the Lion; influence of Jupiter & Mars

RIGEL -- 16GEM47 -- #6410 -- mag0.3
Orion's foot touching the river, Eridanus. The foot of the Pharoah which was the symbol for the giving of eduction, civilisation and protection. To be under such a foot was a blessing.
Influence: To bring knowledge to others. Rigel is the educator.
Ptolemy - the left foot of Orion; influence of Jupiter & Saturn

RUKBAT -- 16CAP36 -- #26737 -- mag4.1
In the foot of the Archer, this star is not well defined but could be linked to either a steadiness and strength, drawing on the symbolism of the stance of the archer or it may be linked to education, drawing on the symbolism of a star in the foot of a constellation.
Influence: Steadiness and strength.
Ptolemy - the left kenn of the Archer Jupiter & Saturn

SCHEAT -- 29PIS20 -- #32135 -- mag2.6
Traditionally seen as a very negative star, it seems to be predominant in the charts of famous, free-thinking people. Different ideas, fast thinking, daring to think or to do the impossible.
Influence: To be a thinker or intellect

SCHEDIR -- 7TAU44 -- #792 -- mag2.5
Apart from the great fertility goddess of Virgo, the Greeks and Romans bound or chained all the other the women of the sky. Schedar represents the archetypal concept of the Queen and although she lost her power and was chained to her throne, she still represents this fundamental concept.
Influence: The Queen, female power. Gentleness, decency, diplomatic but also its shadow expression of intrigue and power games.

SIRIUS -- 14CAN03 -- #8833 -- mag-1.4
The brightest star in the sky apart from our sun. Known to the Egyptians as "The Scorcher" or "The Shinning One", this star is one of the great stars and it has the ability to make the mundane sacred. To make the ordinary charismatic. Small actions which may lead to large consequences. This may be positive for the individual or their needs may be sacrificed to the collective.
Influence: The mundane becoming sacred.
Ptolemy - the Dog Star; influence of Jupiter & Mars

SPICA -- 23LIB48 -- #18144 -- mag1.2
Also Arista; One of the great stars of the sky, Spica is the wheat sheaf being held by the goddess of fertility, the thousand-named Isis or the Christian Mary. Spica represents the gift of this goddess. Once this gift used to be knowledge of cultivation. Now Spica represents the goddess' gift of new knowledge and gives a potential for brilliance to any chart it touches.
Influence: The potential for brilliance.
Ptolemy - the wheat sheaf of Virgo Venus

THUBAN -- 7VIR26 -- #19019 -- mag3.6
The great celestial dragon which guards the sacred pole of the northern sky. This star is linked to the mythology of the Dragon and is a symbol of one who guards or produces a treasure. The treasure may be material but it can also be one of spiritual knowledge.
Influence: To protect or make a treasure.

TOLIMAN -- 29SCO27 -- #19728 -- mag0.1
Also known as Alpha Centauri or Rigel Kentauris. This is the foot of the centaur. This centaur is most likely to be the great Chiron, as the centaur of Sagittarius is a warrior symbol. So in keeping with the symbolism of the foot, this star can be linked to learning, education and also spiritual growth.
Influence: Learning, the lessons of life.
Ptolemy - influence of Venus & Jupiter

VEGA -- 25CAP16 -- #25466 -- mag0.1
Whether we see this star as symbolizing the charisma and magic of Orpheus' Lyre or as the sacred and charismatic Egyptian goddess Maat, this star is truly magical. If strong in a chart, it will express itself as a charismatic quality in the personality. This may be seen as beautiful, artistic or a great orator. However, it can also be charm put to negative use as in a charismatic dictator.
Influence: Charismatic, magical.
Ptolemy - aka Wega; influence of Venus & Mercury

ZAURAK -- 23TAU49 -- #4778 -- mag3.2
Saturnina, it may bring chronic illnesses or suicidal tendencies.
Influence: Chronic illness, suicide.

ZOSMA -- 11VIR17 -- #15438 -- mag2.6
Located on the back of the Nemean Lion. Zosma is the point where the great lion's back was broken by Hercules. The lion represented the ancient goddess worship and the act of Hercules breaking its back is symbolic of the end of this era or the persecution of the feminine - the burning of witches. Zosma may be a victim or a person who fights for the victim.
Influence: A victim or a saviour
Medically, this is Venus/Saturn. May cause buildup in the body, resulting in disease. Seems to also influence depression.

ZUBEN ELGENUB -- 15SCO03I -- #19975 -- mag2.9
The alpha star of Libra and the southern scale. Both stars of the scales of Libra can be considered twins and, therefore, represent the polarity of a concept. The concept is of social reform and this star, although traditionally seen as the shadowy, more difficult star, is actually the one linked to the positive side of social awareness. When this star is strongly emphasised, the individual has a desire to be constructively involved in social reform.
Influence: Positive social reform
Ptolemy - the Southern Scale Jupiter & Mercury Medically, this double star has Mars/Sat characteristics. If conj a malefic, it may present health problems.

ZUBEN ELSCHEMALI -- 19SCO20 -- #20539 -- mag2.7
The northern scale of Libra, and its shadow companion to Zuben Elgenubi. Both stars are involved with social reform but this star is more involved with reform for its own ends. This may be expressed as reform without consultation or it may be someone who is without concern for the needs of society.
Influence: Negative social reform
Ptolemy - the Northern Scale; influence of Jupiter & Mercury

posted February 28, 2014 01:49 AM            

quote:

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As Above so Below
Cities in the Sky

Bernadette Brady M.A.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus gives us the great metaphysical axiom of "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing."
We tend to paraphase this to simply as above so below and it is one of the great principles of our subject, but few astrologers pause to think just how literal this statement really is.

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I've been thinking of this all day.

I was looking at the Narcissus' all bent over and staring into the pools of rainwater and thinking about why they received their name today.