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Federation of Australian Astrologers SA Inc.
Southern Star
www.faasa.com.au
Member Newsletter
Sagittarius Edition 2012
INSIDE this issue
Mini-Conference!
2
Joys of the Planets!
3
Ahead in Astrology!
5
Meeting Review!
Close of the Polls!
9
12
Musings from
the President!
14
Close of the Polls
Meeting Review
Joys of the Planets
USA Presidential Election
Astrology & the Myth of Gilgamesh
Foundations in Astrology
Anne-Elisabeth
Tina Kennedy
Mari Garcia
Southern Star | VIRGO Edition: August 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc!
1
!
Sunday, 3 February 2013
10:00am - 4:30pm
Theosophical Society
310 South Terrace
Adelaide SA
FAASA
mini-conference
Traditional Astrology: Planetary Hours
PETER BURNS (Victoria)
Financial Astrology: Upcoming Transits for Market Analysis
ALISON FEINER (Victoria)
Uranus and its Bohemian Nature
JEANNI MONKS (Queensland)
The Semi-Square: Exploring the Division of the Circle by Eight
PATRICIA SHEPHERD (New South Wales)
Horary Astrology
JEANETTE LEWIS-HILL (Western Australia)
A Tale of Two Horoscopes
GLORIJA LAWRENCE (Victoria)
FAASA Members $30
Concession $25
Non-Members $40
Book your spot early!
Tickets may be purchased on the day
Prepayment options include:
EFT BSB 015 367 Account 499070824
Please email [email protected] to advice
Cheque or Money Order: FAASA Inc
PO Box 7443, Hutt Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Southern Star | VIRGO Edition: August 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc!
2
Joys of the
Planets
BY MARI GARCIA
The “Joys of the Planets” and the “Planetary Joys” are two traditional
planetary conditions that modern astrologers either ignore completely or those
who practice traditional techniques may use, but with little or no understanding
as to their origin and purpose. What then are these planetary joys?
The “Joys of the Planets” and the
“Planetary Joys” are two traditional
planetary conditions that modern
astrologers either ignore completely
or those who practice traditional
techniques may use, but with little or
no understanding as to their origin
and purpose. What then are these
planetary joys?
The “Joys of the Planets” and the
“Planetary Joys” are often referred to
as two separate notions; one refers to
the sign in which the planet rejoices
while the other describes the house in
which a planet has its “joy”. What
most astrologers will come across is
illustrated as follows:
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Mercury has dual rulership of Gemini
and Virgo
Venus has dual rulership of Taurus
and Libra
Mars has dual rulership of Aries and
Scorpio
Jupiter has dual rulership of
Sagittarius and Pisces
Saturn has dual rulership of
Capricorn and Aquarius
The other notion of “joy” refers to a
planet’s preference for being in a
certain house or ‘place’:
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Mercury Moon has “joy” in the 1st
House
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Mars has “joy” in the 6th House
9th
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Sun has “joy” in the
House
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Jupiter has “joy” in the 11th House
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Saturn has “joy” in the 12th House
Planets Prefer Certain Signs
Let us start with the notion of the dual
rulership of planets. Now we know
that a planet has significant strength
when it is in a sign that it rules
however each has a preference for
the sign it is really comfortable with.
Consider the analogy of the British
Royal family. They have a number of
‘homes’ dotted around the
countryside but the official residence
is Buckingham Palace, where the
Queen ‘rules’ from and dispenses her
Royal duties. However, we also know
that the Queen much prefers the
surroundings of her Balmoral
residence in Scotland. Both are Royal
residences; the Queen can ‘rule’ from
either and no doubt she does so
from Balmoral during the summer and
Christmas breaks however, the
Queen prefers Balmoral because she
is in more ‘comfortable’ surroundings.
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The planets are much like the
monarch as they too have their
preferences as follows1:
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Mercury rejoices or prefers Virgo
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Venus rejoices or prefers Taurus
Mars rejoices or prefers Scorpio
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Moon has “joy” in the 3rd House
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Venus has “joy” in the 5th House
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Jupiter rejoices or prefers
Sagittarius
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Saturn rejoices or prefers Aquarius
In having these preferences, planets
then gain a position of additional
strength not only by being in the sign
they rule but also in their preferred
sign. How and why is this so, and is
it important? I believe it is very
important for every astrologer to
understand the thinking and rationale
behind these preferences because it
adds another dimension to how we
judge the planet’s ability to deliver
what it promises.
Ibn Ezra tells us that a planet’s
preference of one sign over another is
because the sign is in accord with the
nature of the planet viz diurnal
planets prefer diurnal signs and
nocturnal planets prefer nocturnal
signs. Earth and water signs being
nocturnal and feminine are the
preference of the nocturnal planets
while air and fire signs being diurnal
and masculine are favoured by the
diurnal planets.2
Diurnal & Nocturnal,
Masculine & Feminine
The division of planets into diurnal
and nocturnal types is what is known
as ‘sect’. Each planet is part of a
team that reflects their nature, led by
the Sun for the diurnals and the Moon
for the nocturnals. Diurnal is equated
with the masculine, active principle
and is associated with the planets
that are effective when in the
presence of light and heat. Together
with the Sun, the other diurnal planets
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Joys of the Planets
are Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is
considered more effective in the day
as it is a masculine planet and a
benefic, bringing bounty and
expansion. Saturn, on the other
hand, benefits from being in the light
because it is said that Saturn’s nature
of coldness and darkness was
lightened and made less malefic (or
dangerous) when it was warmed and
illuminated by light.
Nocturnal planets are equated with
the feminine, passive principle and
these qualities are associated with
planets that flourish and benefit from
the absence of light and heat. The
Moon together with Venus and Mars
makes up the nocturnals. Venus is
considered more effective in the night
as it is a feminine planet and a
benefic. It brings growth and
fecundity. Mars, on the other hand is
a malefic and like, Saturn benefits
from being in an opposite
environment. It is said that the
darkness and moisture of the night
minimises Mars harsh effects and
makes it operate for the greater
good.
The other principle that underpins the
“joys” is that of sight and light. This
derives from the arrangement of the
planets in their signs of rulership and
their relationship to the ‘lights’, that is
the Sun and the Moon. In the Thema
Mundi chart3 with Cancer rising, we
see the Moon in her rulership of
Cancer and the Sun in its rulership of
Leo. Now if we draw a line from Leo
to Aquarius, we bisect the chart into
two halves: the half from Leo to
Capricorn is masculine and diurnal
while the half from Aquarius to Cancer
is feminine and nocturnal. The Sun is
the “Light” or Lord of the diurnal and
masculine half and the Moon is the
“Light” or Lord of the nocturnal and
feminine half. The relationship of the
planets to the Lord or Light of their
sect is based on their ability to ‘see’
them by aspect and as a
consequence they derive a certain
level of potency.
Which Planets Prefer Which
Signs and Why
The importance of ‘sight’ and of
receiving light is an important
philosophic and hermetic principle.
All life needs a certain level of light
and the lack of it is detrimental and
dangerous. Think about a pot plant
that is kept in a dark cupboard. No
matter how much you water it, the
lack of light will eventually lead to its
death. So, too in astrology, the
notion that a planet can see the
‘light’, in this case either the Sun or
the Moon, which are also known as
“the Lights” suggests that the
ancients wanted to enshrine this
principle in each of the planets’
relationships to the luminaries in
charge of their sect, either the diurnal
or nocturnal.
Nocturnal
Feminine
Diurnal
Masculine
The Thema Mundi chart showing
the planets in their rulerships
This connection with the Lord or light
of the Sect seems to imply that
strong connections between the
planet and the Lord are give the
planet strength and potency.
Therefore, a planet’s preference by
sign is because it has that
connection by sight as well as affinity
and as a consequence can do what
it does effectively.
Al Biruni, the 11th century Arab
astrologer tells us:
“One of these domiciles is always
more congenial to the planets and is
said that there they are more joyful
on account of temperament,
formation and sex.” 4
Venus, the lesser benefic with
rulership of Libra and Taurus prefers
to be in Taurus because firstly,
Taurus, is a feminine sign, located in
the feminine and nocturnal half of the
Thema Mundi. Additionally, Taurus
makes a sextile, or benefic aspect to
the Moon, which is the Lord of the
nocturnal sect. In Libra, on the other
hand, Venus is in a masculine sign and
her relationship to the Moon’s sign,
Cancer is a square, which is harsher
and less fruitful.
Jupiter, the greater benefic, has the
rulership of Sagittarius and Pisces.
Jupiter prefers Sagittarius firstly,
because Sagittarius is a masculine,
diurnal sign, located in the masculine,
diurnal half of the Thema Mundi. Also,
Sagittarius makes a trine or benefic
aspect to Leo, the rulership of the
Sun, which is the Lord of the diurnal
sect. In contrast Pisces, Jupiter’s
other sign rulership is in an
inconjunct aspect to Leo and
therefore is disconnected and cannot
‘see’ Leo, the Sun’s sign. Its nature is
also in contrast as Pisces is a
feminine sign in the nocturnal
hemisphere.
When it comes to the malefics,
Saturn and Mars we need to consider
them in a different way. The 11th
century astrologer, Avraham Ibn Ezra
tells us:
“One of the malefic is masculine and
of the day planets, and that is Saturn.
The second is feminine and of the
night planets, and that is Mars.” 5
Mars, the lesser malefic, has joint
rulership of Aries and Scorpio. Mars
prefers Scorpio because Scorpio,
although in the masculine and diurnal
hemisphere, is a feminine sign. The
nature of Mars is hot and dry and as a
feminine planet, benefits from being in
a feminine sign. Its relationship to its
sect Lord, the Moon is a trine.
Saturn, the greater malefic jointly rules
Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn
prefers Aquarius because although
Aquarius is in the feminine and
nocturnal hemisphere, it is a
masculine sign and Saturn is a
masculine planet. By opposition,
Saturn ‘sees’ its sect Lord, the Sun
the ruler of Leo.
Finally, we come to Mercury which can
be masculine or feminine, diurnal or
nocturnal, and sometimes a benefic.
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Joys of the Planets
Mercury jointly rules Gemini and Virgo;
Gemini in the nocturnal hemisphere
and Virgo in the diurnal hemisphere.
Gemini is masculine and diurnal, Virgo
is feminine and nocturnal. If we look
at the Thema Mundi chart we see
Virgo rising after Leo, in a nocturnal
position and the Thema Mundi chart is
a nocturnal chart with the Sun below
the horizon. Mercury prefers to be in
the sign of Virgo which is also the sign
of its exaltation.
Why Planets rejoice in the
Houses
The planets also have ‘joy’ through
their placement according to the
house they occupy. Therefore if we
place them in their ‘joys’, it would look
like this.
ASTROLOGY
Ahead 2013
in
3 February Saturday 2pm
Mini-Conference
FAA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
8 March Saturday 2pm
What is Esoteric Astrology?
ADRIENNE BARKLA
6 April Saturday 2pm
The Missing Link: Integrating Chinese
& Western Astrology
PETER WHITEWOOD
4 May Saturday 2pm
Saturn Return
MARI GARCIA
1 June Saturday 2pm
Sedna
VIVIEN LOWE
Planets in their House of Joy
Now we may look at this diagram
and think it looks rather random but
there is reasoning behind it. The main
point to remember is the principle of
‘sect’. Each of the planets belongs
either to the diurnal sect or the
nocturnal sect: Jupiter and Saturn are
of the diurnal sect led by the Sun
while Venus and Mars are of the
nocturnal sect led by the Moon while
Mercury is flexible.
Looking at the graphic the first thing
that catches the eye is that the three
diurnal planets, Sun, Jupiter and
Saturn are all happiest or in their
houses of joy above the horizon, that
is in a diurnal placement. Equally, the
nocturnal planets, Moon, Venus and
Mars are happiest in houses below
6 July Saturday: Full Day Workshop
Genetic Astrology
ALICE PORTMAN
Total solar eclipse seen from Ellis Beach north of Cairns in far north
Queensland, 14 November 2012. Credit: (AAP Image/Brian Cassey)
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Joys of the Planets
the horizon, that is in nocturnal
placements.
Mercury, the flexible one is given its
joy in the first house where its dual
nature was seen to reflect the
Ascendant and first house, the point
at which day and night intersect.
Mercury is also associated with the
mind, the ability to articulate ideas
and express opinions. In her book,
Temples of the Sky, Deborah
Houlding quotes William Lily, who
noted that Mercury rejoiced in the
first house:
“…because it represents the head
and the tongue, fancy and memory;
when he is well-dignified and
posited in this house, he produceth
good orators.” 6
The next point is that each planet
has a relationship [or lack of) with
the Ascendant/1st place, reflecting
either their benefic or malefic nature.
The Sun and the Moon each make
a benefic aspect from their
positions: the Moon in the 3rd makes
a sextile to the 1st while the Sun in
the 9th makes a trine. The benefic
aspect of trine and sextile reflects
the benefic nature of the Moon and
the Sun. Jupiter and Venus as the
greater and lesser benefics also
make benefic aspects from their
houses of Joy: Jupiter by sextile
from the 11th to the 1st and Venus
by trine from the 5th to the 1st.
The malefics are interesting because
both Mars and Saturn are ‘blind’ to
the 1st with Saturn in the 12th and
Mars in the 6th. It is interesting that
this lack of aspect or blindness
echoes the destructive nature of
both Mars and Saturn on the seat of
life and vitality, the 1st house.
The third point to note is that apart
from Mercury, which always stands
on the periphery because of its dual
and flexible nature, all the other
planets sit in their house of joy
opposite their contrary sect partner:
viz Sun in the 9th opposite Moon in
the 3rd, Venus in the 5th opposite
Jupiter in the 11th and, Mars in the
6th opposite Saturn in the 12th.
Additionally, each Sect Lord aspects
their companions: the Sun as sect
Lord of the diurnal planets, in its joy
in the 9th squares Saturn in its joy in
the 12th and it sextiles Jupiter in its
joy in the 11th. The aspect reflecting
the nature of the planet where
Saturn as malefic is in square to the
Sun while Jupiter as benefic is in
sextile. The Moon as sect Lord of
the nocturnal planets, in her joy in
the 3rd sextiles Venus in her joy in
the 5th and squares Mars in its joy in
the 6th. Again we see the aspect
reflecting the nature of the planets
with the square to Mars and the
sextile to Venus.
Finally, it is also interesting to note
that the placement of these planets
in their houses of joy has
contributed to the meanings of the
houses themselves. The following
Table is shows the planets and their
places of joy, the traditional house
meanings according to Ibn Ezra and
a commentary as to how these are
related to the planet.
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Joys of the Planets
House Planet
Ibn Ezra
Commentary
1st
Mercury
“…denotes life, the body, speech, the
mind, fruitfulness (fertility), the
beginning of all actions, and the
thoughts on one’s mind.”
Mercury, having its joy in the first house has contributed
to the meaning of the 1st that it is about the direction and
motivation of a life. Mercury’s affiliation with the mind and
speech also lends itself to the 1st house meaning of how
the person comes across to others and how they
express themselves.
3rd
Moon
“..denotes brothers and sister, and
The meanings of the 3rd house can be said to be derived
relatives, and in-laws, and knowledge, directly from its association with the Moon especially with
and the knowledge of the Torah and its references to dreams and their interpretation. The
the laws, and dreams [interpretation], other association of the 3rd with truths, knowledge and
and modesty, and counsel, and faith, laws is a direct link to Thoth, the Egyptian god of
and letters, and rumours and short
wisdom, inventor of writing, patron of scribes and the
distance travel.”
divine mediator. The notion of travel associated with the
3rd is an oblique reference to the Moon’s quick
movement and she is also known as ‘the traveler’.
5th
Venus
“..denote the son (children), gambling
(luck), food, drink, fine clothing,
pleasure, gifts, emissaries, and the
crops and the treasures of the father.”
6th
Mars
“…indicates chronic illness, slaves and As a malefic, Mars’s destructive and martial nature has
maids, small animals, prison, lies and coloured the meanings of the 6th. It is also interesting to
slander.”
note that in mundane astrology, the 6th is associated
with workers and the military.
9th
Sun
“…denotes travel and a distant road,
and everyone who is removed from a
high position, and philosophy, and
religion and the worship of God, and
emissaries, and rumours and dreams,
and oaths and divination, and laws
and judgement.’
The Sun has given the 9th is associations with worship
and philosophy but also with travel. In most traditional
societies, long distance travel was only ever associated
with either (foreign) trade or religious pilgrimage.
11th
Jupiter
“…denotes honor and grace, and
good name, and hope, and friends
and companions, the Kings’ ministers
and treasurers and wardrobe
stewards.
Jupiter’s nature as the great benefic and its association with
patronage provides some of the important qualities of the
11th. This is where we Jupiter’s influence with the meaning
of the 11th as the ‘hopes and dreams’ – the sense of
inspiration and broadening of horizons as well as the
‘patron’, ‘teacher’ or guide – the Jupiter figure who helps
make it happen.
12th
Saturn
“…denotes grief, poverty, jealousy,
hatred, fear, fraud, vigilance, prison,
captivity, all disgrace and affliction..”
Saturn, as the great malefic adds its sorrow and
lamentation to the meanings of the 12th. It is also
interesting to consider one of the primary meanings of
the 12th of isolation and captivity as reflecting Saturn’s
blindness to the 1st and its lack of ‘light’.
Venus the goddess of desire and her association with the
5th is reflected in the 5th house meanings of leisure,
pleasure, entertainment, gifts and pleasantries. The
other meaning of emissaries suggests that the Venusian
qualities of cooperation and conciliation are those which
good ambassadors or representatives have.
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Joys of the Planets
In summary, the Planetary Joys and
the Joys of the Planets are not just
minor and obscure notions but
rather they reflect the most
important principles upon which
astrology is based. These include
the principle of sect, the notion of
sight and the crucial issue of light.
All of these form a foundation for
everything we do in astrology and
understanding the rationale will go a
long way in making astrology as it is
practiced today meaningful and
cohesive. It also provides us with
provenance as to the reasoning
behind what we do.
© Mari Garcia 2012. All rights reserved.
References:
Dorotheus of Sidon Carmen Astrologicum
Trans D Pinigree. Ascella Publications, 1993.
Chapter 1.
2 Ibn-Ezra, Avraham The Getting of Wisdom
Trans. M Epstein. Ed R Hand. ARHAT, 1998.
Chapter 1, page 10
3 This is also known as the “Horoscope of the
World”.
4 Al-Biruni Book of Instructions in the Elements
of the Art of Astrology. Trans. R R Ramsay
Wright. Para 441.
5 Ibn-Ezra, Avraham The Getting of Wisdom
Trans. M Epstein. Ed R Hand. ARHAT, 1998.
Chapter 1, page 10
6 William Lily Christian Astrology
1
Mari Garcia is a consulting
astrologer who has been involved
with astrology since 1990. She has
lectured widely both in Australia and
the USA and has published articles
in Australia and overseas and writes
for several local and national
publications. She runs a consulting
practice in Adelaide and is coprincipal of ASTRO MUNDI, which
offers a four year course in astrology,
a Traditional Astrology course as well
as special interest workshops and
Master Classes. Mari can be
contacted on 08 8563 9182 or
check out the website at
www.astromundi.com. Keep
abreast of developments at Astro
Mundi on Facebook.
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Meeting Review:
Astrology and the Myth of Gilgamesh
BY TINA KENNEDY
Gilgamesh and Enkidu
“The 'Epic of Gilgamesh' tells the
adventures of the renowned king
of Uruk in Mesopotamia
(somewhere between 2750 and
2500 BCE), and is perhaps, the
oldest written story on Earth. It
comes from ancient Sumeria, and
was originally written on 12 clay
tablets in cuneiform script. Many
scholars believe the Epic is
astronomically-based as the main
characters mimic the planets'
movements, whilst their
adventures give meaning to the
major constellations. Some also
believe the Epic may even be
man's first recorded knowledge
of the 'precession of the
equinoxes'. This talk is a lighthearted introduction to the
mythology of the Epic, and
brings with it some of the insights
into how the ancients viewed the
various planets, and brought
them to life through the stories of
Gilgamesh.”
~ Joy Usher
The FAA SA meeting was on Saturday
the 3rd of November at 2pm. Joy
Usher was the speaker for the
November talk. It was promoted in the
Southern Star, the FAA SA website
and Facebook page.
The forum began with us trying hard to
hook the FAA projector up to Joy’s
laptop. The projector was not going to
cooperate so Joy did the talk without
it. We settled in for a very entertaining
talk.
Joy is an enthusiastic speaker who
captivated her audience as she
weaved us through an adventure of
myth & astrology.
The epic of Gilgamesh is known as
one of the oldest survival works of
literature. The poem is from
Mesopotamia, however only parts of
the earlier fragments of the stories
survived. There are twelve tablets to a
later Babylonian version. Joy told us
about the widespread flood stories
and how they reoccur throughout
history. She discussed the story of
Gilgamesh the King of Uruk.
Gilgamesh had the rights to the newly
married virgins on their wedding night.
The people don’t want this so they cry
out to the Gods with pleas, which
lead to the creation of Enkidu. Enkidu
is a wild man who runs with the
gazelles, and other wild animals.
Gilgamesh finds out about the wild
man Enkidu and calls for one of the
harlots Shamhat, who is a Priestesses
of Ishtar. The Priestess is sent to tame
Enkidu. She finds Enkidu and sleeps
with him and advises him. As a
consequence the animals begin to
reject Enkidu.
Joy then related to us the stories of
Gilgamesh that came from clay tablets
that were collected by the Assyrian
King Assurbanipal around the 7th
Century BC. The Kings Library was
rediscovered much later, somewhere
in the 1900’s. A George Smith
translated the tablets that brought to
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9
Meeting Review: Astrology and the Myth of Gilgamesh
us the Epic of Gilgamesh and he
wrote a notable paper on the Great
Flood. Joy told us that Smith
suggested that the Bible borrowed
from the Babylonian Flood story and
that all flood stories ultimately came
from the Babylonian one. Joy
explained that this idea of major
myths throughout the world being
derived from Babylonian ones came
from a German movement known
as Panbabylonism. She also made
mention of the Astral mythology
movement. Smith’s ideas greatly
upset the Christian community as
well as the Jewish one. The
Panbabylonian movement began to
die out around 1916. The astral
mythology topic brought us around
to the precession of the equinoxes.
The principal ideas in astral
mythology are that our ancestors
had minds that were comparable to
ours, and that our ancestors were
fascinated by astronomical
observation and discovered the
precession of the equinoxes long
before the later century Greeks did.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu slaying the Bull of Heaven. A modern impression of Neo-Assyrian
cylinder seal, ca 7th century BCE. Source: www.aakkl.helsinki.fi
Joy suggested our ancestors knew
the Earth was a globe and not flat.
She drew a Circle with the ecliptic
marked though the East and West
line. She put South and North at the
top and bottom points. She marked
the Vernal Equinox (East) Autumn
Equinox (West) the Winter Solstice
(South) and Summer Solstice
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(North). The ecliptic line, she said, is
what is regarded as the flat earth.
Joy told us that the northern side of
the Sphere was considered dry
earth and the southern was deep
water. Due to the precession of the
Earth’s axis the position of the
equinoxes changes over long
patches of time. It was due to
Earth’s wobble and gravitational pull
that we get the precession of the
equinox. At different times in history
the Vernal Equinox has been in
different zodiac signs as we track
backwards with the precession. Joy
further suggested that the stories of
the floods could be due to our
ancestors seeing zodiac signs
disappearing as one sign
descended below into the dry earth
and one other sign ascended into
the deep water. The story of the
flood could be the story of the
Equinoxes. Our ancestors possibly
recognised that though the signs
shifted, they (our ancestors)
survived it. Our ancestors kept
records and did note the precession
of the Equinox over the longer
passage of time as they compare
written works from earlier times to
the changes they now observed.
Joy cited Ralph Ellis, who puts forth
a theory that the story of Orion can
also be found in the Epic of
Gilgamesh. In this tale Humbaba the
Giant was slain by Gilgamesh. It is
theorised that Humbaba was the
group of seven stars known as
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Meeting Review: Astrology and the Myth of Gilgamesh
Pleiades. With Humbaba killed,
Taurus is vulnerable. A key feature
of Gilgamesh’s adventures is he kills
bulls, scorpion men and lions. This
could be he is killing off the fixed
stars. It is also suggested that
Enkidu came from the sky, and that
he might have been a star falling
from heaven. Enkidu came to
confront Gilgamesh about his
sleeping with the virgins before their
husbands could. Enkidu and
Gilgamesh fight and then they “fall
for each other” and become firm
friends.
Goddess Ishtar
We came back to the Epic of
Gilgamesh where Enkidu and
Gilgamesh set out to kill Humbaba,
the Giant, the guardian of the cedar
forest. Enkidu encourages
Gilgamesh on this quest. Gilgamesh
captures and kills Humbaba, also
destroying the cedar forest in the
process. After killing Humbaba,
Enkidu and Gilgamesh return
home. There Gilgamesh becomes
an object of affection for the
Goddess Ishtar, who decides she
wants him as her bridegroom.
Gilgamesh rejects her because of
the way she has treated her
previous husbands. As he pointed
out to Ishtar, she was the ruin of all
her lovers. Ishtar took great offense
to this and she complained to the
other Gods. The story goes she
sent the Bull of Heaven to avenge
her. The Bull caused devastation to
Uruk and Enkidu and Gilgamesh
killed it. They offer the heart of the
Bull to Shamash and Enkidu hurls
one of the legs of the Bull at Ishtar.
The Gods were rather displeased
about this, so they decree that
Enkidu must die. When Enkidu dies
Gilgamesh grIeves, it was only after
maggots were crawling on Enkidu
that Gilgamesh decides it was time
he left his dead companion. (We all
had a squeamish “eew” moment
there). With the precession of the
Equinoxes this could be seen as
the killing of Taurus the Bull as Aries
takes Taurus’s place. Taurus sinks
into the underworld, the dry earth.
These stories could be the
explanation for the changes our
ancestors observed within the
constellations.
Joy suggested if you would like to
look further into the Epic of
Gilgamesh then the Penguin classic
publication is very helpful.
© Tina Kennedy 2012. All rights reserved.
Tina Kennedy is a natal
astrologer, who is also currently
studying horary astrology. She
started her study in astrology in the
early 1990s with Neil Sills. She is a
passionate reader and loves history
and psychology. She is currently a
member of the FAA SA committee.!
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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Barack Obama (left) versus Mitt Romney (right)
Source: www.watchusplaygames.com
Presidential Election 2012
BY ANNE-ELISABETH
6th November 2012, at 7:00 pm
Because voting begins long before
Election Day in USA I have decided to
look at the Horoscope erected for the
close of the Polls on Election Day in
Washington, DC.
This chart seems a real possibility as
it can be looked at in two ways.
Firstly by taking this as a competition
between Obama and Romney, in
which Obama takes the 1st House, as
he already has the position of
President and Romney, the 7th as
Obama’s opponent.
Gemini is on the Ascendant, or 1st
House cusp, making Mercury, in
detriment and Stationary (to
retrograde), in Sagittarius the ruling
planet of Obama.
Sagittarius is on the 7th House,
making Jupiter in detriment and
Retrograde in Gemini the ruling planet
of Romney.
Neither ruling planet is what you
would call in a strong position – both
being in detriment may have some
bearing on having to deal with the
detrimental position the USA is now
in.
Close of the Polls
Mercury (Obama), being Stationary
could mean he is standing still and
will be going backwards (retrograde).
Sometimes though in Election Charts
this can actually mean the person will
go back to where they have been in
the past – namely he has been the
President. The Stationary or standing
still position meant he was to ‘’Stay
Put”.
Mercury is opposition to the Part of
Resignation and Dismissal – I do not
think this point will auger well for him
to return to the position of President.
The Ascendant (Obama) is also
conjunct to the Fixed Star, Bellatrix,
which has the meaning - quickly
coming or swiftly destroying. The
Election Result was quick, swiftly
destroying Romney’s position.
Jupiter (Romney) being retrograde
would not give the sensation of being
ahead or moving forward. Detriment
has a breaking down process
associated with it so it may mean he
is breaking down the competition
between them more than Obama is
because of Mercury being Stationary meaning Obama has reached a stand
still on Election Day.
The Moon most often determines the
result of any situation. The Moon is
positioned at 14 Leo 41 when the
Polls close. The Moon’s last aspect
was sextile to Jupiter (Romney),
whose position is 14 Gemini 33 Œ.
The last aspect can be significant
here as this is a chart for the Close of
Polls, not the opening of Polls.
Secondly, this chart can be looked
at in relation to The Government
(Democrats) and the Opposition
(Republicans) by taking the ruler of
10th House Cusp in Aquarius, being
Saturn as representing the
Democrats. Saturn is positioned in
Scorpio. The opposite 4th House
Cusp in Leo represents the
Republicans.
The ruler of Leo is The Sun, also
positioned in Scorpio. So The Sun is
representing the Republicans. The
ruler of Leo is The Sun, also
positioned in Scorpio. So The Sun is
representing the Republicans.
Both the ruling planets being in fixed
signs could mean the position of the
Democrats and Republicans will not
change. This was the case.This
would be more certain if The Moon in
its present sign formed no aspect to
either ruling planet.
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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12
USA Presidential Election 2012: Close of the Polls
The Moon in Leo (another fixed sign!)
has already formed a square to
Saturn (Democrats) and is applying to
a square to The Sun (Republicans).
Because this chart is the Closing of
the Polls, the previous aspect of the
Moon to Saturn (Democrats) may
very well bear more weight than a
future aspect to the Sun
(Republicans). This was the case.
When Mercury is Stationary/
Retrograde on Election Day, this
generally means it is a very close
Election (here in Australia, it generally
results in a hung Parliament). So it is
highly possible that this Election may
require a recount in some way. This
would happen in the future, in which
case an applying square from the
Moon to The Sun would deliver the
outcome to the Republicans.
Looking at the chart from the point
of view of the parties, Mercury is
not representing either one. It
seems it simply added to the fixed
element of both ruling planets, in
that fixed stays as it is, doesn’t alter.
So Mercury Stationary was keeping
things where they were. Had
Mercury actually been retrograding
on the day, it may have been a
different matter. Rather unique to
have it Stationary for an Election – it
would happen rarely.
The Square from the Moon in both
cases means this is not an easy
situation for either party and there
could be a lot of tension.
Taking all these different possibilities
into account, I think the Republicans
might have the edge. We will have to
wait and see – it will no doubt be
interesting.
The answers definitely laid in the
Second reading of the Horoscope
as the Government and Opposition,
not as a competition between the
two of them as individuals.
© Anne-Elisabeth 2012. All rights reserved.
Anne-Elisabeth has practiced
Astrology, Tarot and Numerology as a full
time Professional for the last 32 years. In
that time she has been the Resident
Astrologer for newspapers, morning
television (Touch of Elegance – 10 years)
and talkback radio. She writes the weekly
Stars for the Messenger Group of
newspapers – has done for the last 25
years. A large part of her work is personal
consultation with particularly Astrology and
Tarot, as a means of helping people to
understand situations taking place in their
life and the best way they can either deal
with them or make the most of
opportunities. She also runs The College
of Ancient Wisdoms where she teaches
these crafts to her students.
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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13
Musings from the
President
Ah, Mercury Retrograde! It certainly makes life
interesting. As I write, I am being bombarded with ‘Mail
Delivery Failed’ messages which appear to have
originated from our FAASA website. As the messages
attached to these emails are pretty atrocious Spam I
hope the problem can be fixed soon – it is a side of the
cyber world that leaves me feeling totally helpless.
Usually I cope pretty well with Mercury Rx – I double
check everything, add things up three times and send
last-minute texts to confirm meeting times and places,
and somehow I struggle through. I try to avoid online
orders and track them carefully if I do succumb. I spend
a lot of time going up and down stairs and retracing my
steps as I forget what I was fetching or get distracted. I
just consider it extra exercise – and I do it all the time
anyway! Probably I just notice it more when Mercury
and I are doing our backward steps together.
At least this year the retrograde phase is over by
December. Christmas is chaotic enough without the
postal service going awry and computers breaking
down! I must say I love Christmas, especially with little
grandchildren. I remember the magic of the Pageant
when I was a little girl – a day when everything seemed to
sparkle – and I always hated the arrival of Father
Christmas, because it meant the parade had finished.
I’m told it’s quite an endurance event now – my son-inlaw counted 85 floats and bands – so for him Father
Christmas was a welcome relief, but for the children it
could have gone on forever!
I love the street and store decorations, but I don’t put my
own up until quite late in December. And I love real
Christmas music – remember the days when everyone
knew the words to the Christmas carols? What I cannot
cope with is the Christmas shopping music which is
played continuously for about 2 months. Awful songs
like ‘I saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus’ which were
twee enough in their day and which would never be
played for their musical value. We just have to suffer
them because it’s Christmas! My sympathies go to
everyone working in retail – imagine having to listen to
these jingles every moment of your working day!
My thanks go to everyone who has put time and effort
into FAASA this year – whether as a worker, an ideas
person, a speaker, a listener, a writer, a reader, you have
all played your part in our organisation.
With our new committee I am really looking forward to
2013. Let me introduce you to them:
Anne Hamilton, our Vice-President. Anne lives at
Gawler and works as a psychiatric nurse. She came to SA
from England via New Zealand, and has been a part of
FAASA for decades, having first studied with Bonnie
Mathis.
Cynthia Morris, our Secretary, who is a temporary
Adelaidean having come here from Nova Scotia with her
geologist husband. Cynthia has studied overseas and is
currently doing further study with Astro Mundi.
Judy Best, National councillor and FAASA librarian,
whom you have known for years through her previous
editorship of Southern Star and her years as Secretary.
Cherrie Barron, current Southern Star Editor, former
New Zealander and fierce supporter of FAASA. She is
currently studying a scholarship program with RASA.
Cherrie is also on the new communications subcommittee, which will coordinate the updating of our
newsletter, website and Facebook page (one of our big
focuses for 2013).
Tina Kennedy, from Birdwood, will be reflecting on
Saturday lectures each month for Southern Star. Tina is
a member of our communications sub-committee.
Peter Whitewood, who runs Starburst Publishing, has
been initiator of astrological groups interstate, is the
third member of the sub-committee. Peter will be one of
our lecturers in 2013. He also started his astrological
studies with Bonnie.
Kris Svendsen, State librarian and mercurial astrologer,
our equipment set-up man and possessor of magic
knowledge about technological machines and devices.
Our first meeting next year is Sunday 3rd February,
when we are very excited to be bringing you a miniconference of 7 lectures from visiting interstate
astrologers. To make this accessible to everyone we have
kept the price low, so we are hoping for a bumper
turnout! You might like to renew your membership
beforehand, as members get a reduced rate, and
memberships run out at the end of the year.
I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and look forward to
seeing you in the New Year.
May love and laughter light you days.
Cate
Cate Whelan
PRESIDENT
Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. !
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14
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Cover image: 17th century Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia star atlas by Johannes Hevelius.
Credit: The U.S. Naval Observatory and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
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