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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: ! ! ! ! ! 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’: ! Mercury Moon has “joy” in the 1st House ! Mars has “joy” in the 6th House 9th ! Sun has “joy” in the House ! Jupiter has “joy” in the 11th House ! 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. ! The planets are much like the monarch as they too have their preferences as follows1: ! Mercury rejoices or prefers Virgo ! Venus rejoices or prefers Taurus Mars rejoices or prefers Scorpio ! Moon has “joy” in the 3rd House ! ! Venus has “joy” in the 5th House ! Jupiter rejoices or prefers Sagittarius ! 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. ! ! 3 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. ! ! 4 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. ! ! 5 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. ! ! 6 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. ! ! 7 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. Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. ! ! 8 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 Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. ! ! 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 ! Breaking Down the Borders 2 is the second online conference, featuring 60 top speakers from around the world. Including 8 Australian speakers - Peter Burns, Gregory Clare, Brian Clark, Tess Cullen, Ed Tamplin, Kira Sutherland, Kelly Surtees and Christina Thomas . If you have a computer you can attend. There are no travel or accommodation costs. This is an opportunity for all Aussies to see and hear astrologers like Rob Hand, Nick Campion, Joni Patry, Georgia Stathis, etc. As well as socialise with other attendees from around the world (the best part of any conference). You can participate from the comfort of your own home via the state of the art audio-visual facilities. For further information visit www.astrologyconference.org (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 Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc. ! ! 10 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. ! ! 11 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. ! ! 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. ! ! 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. ! ! 14 Federation of Australian Astrologers SA Inc. PO Box 7443 Hutt Street Adelaide SA 5000 Southern Star COMMITTEE Sagittarius Edition 2012 " Editor: ! Email:! Phone: ! Internet: ! ! ! ! President Cate Whelan Cherrie Barron [email protected] 0447 310 571 www.faasa.com.au 08 8557 7417 [email protected] Vice President Anne Hamilton Submissions: All articles and advertisements are to be submitted digitally to the editor via email by the 12th day of each month. Disclaimer: The Editor reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions to the newsletter. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Federation of Australian Astrologers or the Southern Star Editor. © Southern Star, FAA SA Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. 08 8523 5235 [email protected] Acting Treasurer Cate Whelan 08 8557 7417 [email protected] Secretary Cynthia Morris [email protected] Editor Cherrie Barron Advertising Rates Prepayment is required for all Southern Star advertising. " Full Year! 1/8 page" 1/4 page" 1/2 page" Classified (4 lines)" $60 " $100 " $185 " " One Issue $10 $15 $30 $10 Membership Fees (per calendar year) Full" Concession*" Newsletter Only" Newsletter & Website" Joint Full" Joint Concession*" Joint Newsletter & Website" 0447 310 571 [email protected] Webmaster Peter Whitewood 0403 371 386 [email protected] Members Judy Best 08 8277 2327 [email protected] Tina Kennedy $60 $45 $30 $95 $90 $65 $125 *Concession cards need to be sighted by Treasurer when paying membership subs. Only pension cards and health care cards issued by Centrelink are deemed concession. Methods of Payment Post cheque or money order to: The Treasurer: PO Box 7443, Hutt Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Direct Deposit to FAA SA Inc. BSB 015367 Account 499070824 0425 207 276 [email protected] Kris Svendsen 0424 682302 [email protected] National Executive Cate Whelan 08 8557 7417 [email protected] National Exam Board Coordinator Tess Cullen (02) 6680 7151 [email protected] 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. Southern Star | Sagittarius Edition 2012 | Federation of Australian Astrologers South Australia Inc ! 15