| SIGN | ELEMENT | SUB-ELEMENT |
| Aries | Fire | Earth |
| Taurus | Earth | Water |
| Gemini | Air | Fire |
| Cancer | Water | Earth |
| Leo | Fire | Water |
| Virgo | Earth | Air |
| Libra | Air | Water |
| Scorpio | Water | Fire |
| Sagittarius | Fire | Air |
| Capricorn | Earth | Fire |
| Aquarius | Air | Earth |
| Pisces | Water | Air |
All the tools of astrology are mythical symbols. By grouping many qualities under a common symbol, we understand the hidden connections between them. Astrological symbols allow us to comprehend the mysterious working relationship between all things. As we saw in the last chapter, the three basic cycles of the Earth, together with the three invisible planets, are the most important of these symbols in our quest to understand human destiny. But the other 7 visible planets are also important. Like the outer planets in the transcendental trinity, each visible planet represents fundamental drives and functions within Humanity. Their place in a horoscope shows where their energy is focused and directed in the life of a person or a nation.
THE SEVEN INNER PLANETS AND LIGHTS
The Sun is the source of life for the solar system. It represents the conscious mind, will, ego, vitality, leadership, power and authority. It rules important people, royalty, nobility, the head of state, the government, the father. It signifies expressions of confidence such as sports, the theater, gambling, romance. It stands for our genuine, authentic self; our ability to radiate and shine. It rules the 5th sign Leo, and the 5th House. Its cycle lasts 1 year, equivalent to the Earth's year.
The Moon is the complement of the Sun, reflecting its light onto the Earth and governing its tides and cycles. Seen from our planet the two "lights" are equal in size. The Moon is our subconscious mind, habits, feelings, moods, instincts, reflections, aspirations; it nurtures growth and protects life. It represents fluctuation, the feminine, the mother, the common people and their needs. It represents both the sea and the fertility of the land. It rules the 4th sign Cancer and the 4th house. It orbits the Earth and the zodiac every 28 days, and it completes one cycle between New Moons (one lunation) every 29 and 1/2 days (about 1 month or 1 sign).
Mercury is the fastest planet and one of the smallest; it is also closest to the Sun. Named for the messenger of the gods, Mercury is inventive, restless, curious. It stands for communication, media, thought, mobility, writing and education. It is the symbol of youth, students, workers, merchants and civil servants. It rules the 3rd sign Gemini, the 6th sign Virgo, and the 3rd and 6th Houses. It orbits the Sun every 88 days, over four times a year.
Venus is the brightest and loveliest planet. The Earth's closest neighbor toward the Sun, it represents our impulse to reflect, balance and evaluate. It brings love, peace and harmony; it rules diplomacy, cooperation and strategy. It stands for beauty, nature, the arts, affection, young women, social life, pleasure and happiness; it rules wealth, money and luxury goods. It rules the 2nd sign Taurus, the 7th sign Libra, and the 2nd and 7th Houses. It revolves around the Sun every 225 days.
Mars is the red planet, and the first leading us outward toward the stars. Thus it stands for our desire to venture outward. Mars is energetic, impulsive and active; it stands for enterprise, adventure, enthusiasm, missionary zeal, courage, athletic and mechanical skill, sexual desire. It brings war, violence, quarrels and accidents. It signifies machismo, the armed forces, pioneers, agitators. It rules the 1st sign Aries, the 8th sign Scorpio, and the 1st and 8th Houses. Its period of revolution around the Sun lasts almost 2 years.
Jupiter is the largest planet, yet turns on its axis the fastest. As the first of the huge, gaseous planets outward from the Sun, it represents expanding opportunities and widening horizons. It stands for wisdom, the higher mind, prophecy, the Church, universities, law, ceremonies and rituals. It establishes far-ranging connections between people and ideas. It rules long-distance journeys, foreigners, diplomacy, treaties, publishing. It is the planet of abundance, prosperity, generosity, joviality, fortune, optimism, finance, world commerce; but it tends to excess, over-confidence, self-righteousness, complacency and the resulting errors. It rules the 9th sign Sagittarius, the 12th sign Pisces, and the 9th and 12th houses. It orbits the Sun in just under 12 years.
Saturn is the ringed planet which encloses and encircles what is within its realm. It is the highest authority in the visible world, defining its limits, form and structure. It represents caution, conservatism, realism, pessimism, orthodoxy, old age. It brings depression, poverty, stagnation, restriction, limitation, misfortune. It elicits depth and seriousness of thought, science, ambition, perseverance, desire for fame and status. It represents the State, the Establishment, politics, organization, hierarchy, aristocracy, the executive branch; it institutes repression, imposes order, demands discipline, establishes justice. It signifies miners, land owners, farmers, officials, administrators. Saturn represents the world and all its ways. It rules the 10th sign Capricorn, the 11th sign Aquarius, and the 10th and 11th houses. Its orbit lasts 29 and 1/2 years.
Many astrologers now say that Uranus is a higher octave of Mercury, Neptune of Venus, and Pluto of Mars. Uranus also has a close relationship to Saturn and Neptune is closely related to Jupiter. Note the astrological terms based on planetary influences that have come into our language, such as lunatic, mercurial, martial, jovial, saturnine, etc.
Chiron is a small body that is something between a huge comet and a tiny planet, and is usually found somewhere between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus. Discovered in 1977, it acts as a "key" or bridge between the visible and transcendental realms. It is linked to the mythology of the centaur and the "wounded healer" and to the signs Virgo and Sagittarius. Since the 1990s, other "centaurs" have been found in this area of the solar system.
URANUS, THE MAVERICK (1781)
For historians, this moment represents the beginning of the modern age. Radical, sweeping changes have totally transformed the world since Uranus was first seen in 1781. All the ancient ways have been upset, and the pace of events has accelerated. Powerful new potentials have opened to us. We have taken a gigantic, terrifying and irreversible leap into the future and have begun to expand our consciousness. For astrologers, the discovery of Uranus in 1781 represents the start of this dramatic shift. Each new planet discovered represents further stages in our expansion of consciousness and human potential. For although the transcendental trinity has always influenced human history, until modern times it had only done so on an unconscious level for most people; now their true significance is being fully revealed to all of us.
Revolutionary developments opened this age of expansion in the late 18th Century. At the very time Uranus was discovered, the United States had just won its independence, and the sparks from that upheaval soon lit the fuse of a much larger one in France. The French Revolution of 1789 kindled the light of liberty and the flames of ferment over the whole world. Meanwhile a quieter but even more drastic transformation was reverberating through Britain. The industrial revolution also took off in the 1780s, mobilizing human and technical resources as never before. These two dramatic, explosive events that irreversibly changed our planet happened at the same moment that the astronomer Herschel discovered a new planet in the sky.
But the Uranian wave was felt everywhere, and in many ways. In Germany the Revolution occurred in the realm of philosophy when Immanuel Kant published The Critique of Pure Reason in 1781 (exact year of Uranus' discovery), brilliantly demonstrating how knowledge depends on our own categories of thought. It was a declaration of independence for the mind. Simultaneously German and British writers unleashed an ecstasy of self-discovery called "the romantic movement" and asserted the creative freedom of the artist. For the French painter J.L.David, art became a means to arouse the people to revolt ("Oath of the Horatii," 1784). At the same time the infinite dimensions of the universe began to open up. Light was expanded beyond the normal visible spectrum to include ultra-violet and infra-red. And discovery of the laws of electricity in the 1780s and 90s eventually turned our knowledge of the physical world upside down.
It was clear from the start what Uranus would stand for in astrology. Its discovery in 1781 represents the end of the Reign of Chronos (Saturn) in the life of Humanity. It is the critical break from the past into the modern age of "progress." Its role is to free us from all conventional authorities and to drastically reform society along lines of truth and justice. It stands for our new awareness of individual freedom and liberty, and for "declarations of independence." Depending on other factors in force at the time, it can bring quick, beneficial reforms or violent, disruptive, destructive events. It is also associated with science and "enlightenment;" it seeks to base authority on knowledge which we discover for ourselves. The planet of genius, Uranus constantly challenges us to look at things in a new way. It is sudden revelations and awakenings; it is the ruling planet of magicians, alchemists and astrologers. The cosmic lightning bolt among the planets, its effects are always very striking, abrupt and powerfully felt. It signifies charismatic leaders with enormous power; it stands for the modern dictator as much as the modern liberator. It is the planet of the eccentric and unconventional; anything surprising unusual, radical, outcast and different from the norm. It represents all the inventions of the modern age and the skill to create and use them. It rules capitalism, "progress" and utopian expectations; one of the symbols of the "New Age." It is linked to Aquarius, the 11th sign of the zodiac, and with the 11th House of the horoscope. Uranus represents the inner light; the creator from the invisible realms.
NEPTUNE, THE MYSTIC (1846)
Astronomers soon realized that the new planet didn't behave as they expected (typical of Uranus, after all). Another planet was suspected further out that would explain the strange perturbations in Uranus' orbit, and in 1846 some astronomers found it where LeVerrier and Adams predicted it would be. This new planet would turn out to be even more valuable in understanding human destiny than Uranus is. It was named Neptune after the ancient god of the oceans, and its discovery coincided with the next expansion in modern consciousness.
When Neptune was discovered, the masses of common people were sensing their power and identity as never before. The industrial revolution, until now largely limited to a few entrepreneurs and inventors in England, began to expand across the world. People started clustering together in vast urban conglomerations. Stripped from their roots and cut off from their old communities, people in the new cities began identifying themselves with their nation or social class. The ties that bound the old society together began to decay and disintegrate, as famines and revolutions caused millions to migrate across the globe. Meanwhile society was convulsed with idealistic, utopian movements. Kindness and compassion toward the less fortunate entered human consciousness and history for the first time. Dorothea Dix, Florence Nightengale, Clara Barton and others promoted the new humanitarian ideal. Two years after Neptune's discovery Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto, inaugurating a compelling and convulsive new movement toward human equality. Meanwhile communal experiments spread across America, and the Mormons made their epic journey to Utah. A new religion sprang forth in Persia proclaiming the coming unification of Humanity (the Bahai Faith). Interest in spiritualism and metaphysics mushroomed. Transcendentalist writers extolled non-conformity and the oversoul. Gas lighting spread through the cities, and anesthesia was applied to surgery. Ocean-going steamships made global commerce practical for the first time in history.
Neptune's character reflects these dynamic changes of the 1840s and 50s, and incarnates all the great movements of the 19th Century. If Uranus represented freedom for the individual, Neptune stands for equality and the interests of collective society. It represents utopian social movements whose goal is to redistribute the wealth. Neptune symbolizes compassion, kindness and humanitarian concern; it rules hospitals, asylums, prisons and big bureaucracies. More than any other planet its movements represent the destiny and consciousness of Humanity as a whole, and the "spirit of the times."
If Uranus is the transcendental mind, Neptune is the transcendental heart. It represents consciousness expanding until it encompasses all Humanity and the entire universe. It is the symbol of everything intangible, mystical, imaginative, delicate and subtle, particularly as expressed through the most sensitive kinds of romantic, impressionist and New Age visionary music and art. It is the urge to escape into a blissful state of ecstasy and reverie. It is life unrestricted by ordinary limits and boundaries; the desire to transcend all barriers and return to paradise and the golden age. But since it is so elusive and hard to pin down, Neptune often leads us into confusion, delusion and deception. Its talents are easily adapted by all who are in the business to deceive. It is the desire to escape from responsibility and to artfully and cleverly avoid facing reality. It frequently leads people and their leaders into involved and muddled affairs; it can signal floods, famines and diseases.
Since Neptune's discovery, distribution of goods and services have increasingly been made on the broadest possible scale. Neptune stands for liquids, the seas, oils, solvents, drugs, alcohol, psychedelic plants, funguses. It represents decay and dissolution, but also grand summation. When fully expressed, Neptune is the beatific vision of universal, divine love and compassion for all beings. It is connected to Pisces, the 12th and final sign of the zodiac, and to the 12th House.
PLUTO, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD (1930)
One would think that with Neptune we have reached the ultimate; what could be higher than to connect with the infinite and the divine? But there is another planet; the necessary partner, shadow and complement to Neptune. For there is no heaven without hell, and no dissolution, decay and death without the possibility of rebirth and new life. Astronomers soon found that Neptune too was wandering from its predicted path, so they began looking for "planet X." It was found early in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. The name Pluto was taken from the initials of Percival Lowell, the man who predicted where the new planet would be found.
When Pluto was discovered, Humanity was entering the deepest crisis in its history. The Great Depression was spreading; all the old values and authorities seemed to be crumbling. Hell on Earth loomed as the Nazis took over Europe. Gangsters and syndicates were becoming rampant, and big governments and corporations were taking control. Meanwhile philosophers and psychologists such as Heidegger, Jung and Reich were probing the human personality seeking sources of inner power, and physics was unveiling a whole new universe where uncertainty reigned supreme. Soon the atomic bomb confronted us with our own power to destroy all life on the planet.
Pluto, named for the Lord of the Underworld, is thus the symbol of death, destruction and total annihilation; of drastic change and complete transmutation. It leads us through the valley of the shadow of death and the dark night of the soul. Where Neptune offers forgiveness, compassion and escape, Pluto confronts us with our responsibilities. Pluto is the probing detective; it plumbs the depths and explores beyond the edges to unleash new sources of power. It is the cosmic plunger seeking to eliminate anything that obstructs the flow of change. Where Uranus is the lightning flash, and Neptune the cosmic sea, Pluto is the atomic fire. With Pluto we make ourselves more vulnerable that we may become more potent, as therapist Stan Dale puts it. Pluto is transcendental courage and guts; it gives us new life by forcing us to face death. It is the caterpillar shedding its skin to reveal the butterfly; the phoenix rising from the ashes. It is the revelation of deep changes going on inside us. It destroys that we may rebuild; it kills the old self that we may be born anew.
Pluto charts the rise and fall of all civilizations and power structures. It rules groups, syndicates, and all who pool their resources to boost their power; it can release undreamed-of wealth and opportunity. It is connected to all the movements of the 20th Century, such as existentialism, vitalism, totalitarianism, sexual revolutions, the rights of minorities and outcasts. What it touches it eliminates, rejuvenates and reorganizes. Whereas Neptune insidiously dissolves and breaks things down, Pluto seeks to totally destroy and then rebuild them. Along with the Moon it is connected to agriculture and all cycles of death and rebirth through its mythic connection with Persephone; it is sexuality and fertility worship. It represents all the secrets of biology and the mysteries of creation.
Along about 1979, as Pluto's eccentric and elongated orbit took it inside Neptune's orbit, astronomers discovered that Pluto had a partner. They named it Charon; which significantly has only one letter different from Chiron, the comet- asteroid discovered at about the same time to be orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. As our view of Pluto changes it continues to bring forth new movements, such as ecology and feminism. Now interdependence is replacing the older Plutonian ideal of totalitarian power. It has become clear that Pluto-Charon is a dual planet, representing its two-sided nature as death and new life. Apparently Pluto and its partner revolve around each other at the same rate so they are always facing each other. This represents the principle of complementarity, which Neils Bohr recognized at the heart of all things. It is thus not only the polarizing but the synthesizing planet, bringing together the individual and the collective to form the creative. Along with Chiron, it reconciles inner and outer worlds, male and female. As the New Age dawns we will discover Pluto as primarily the planet that periodically brings new life and a renaissance of the human spirit. Pluto is linked to the 8th sign Scorpio and the 8th house, and is also strongly associated with the first sign Aries.
Thus, in the transcendental trinity of planets Uranus is the Lord of Light, Neptune is the Redeemer of Love and Pluto is the Restorer of Life.
In the 21st century, as I suggested might happen (but didn't predict), other small planets have been found beyond Neptune and Pluto in the "Kuiper Belt" and beyond. I have posted some thoughts on these in my Planetary Dynamics article.
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
As we mentioned, the Zodiac is the path of the Earth's orbit around the Sun; one of the three basic Earth cycles. The Sun appears to move through the Zodiac as the Earth orbits around the Sun, and the planets follow the same path. So, for example, when Saturn is in the same place where the Sun appears around March 1, Saturn is said to be in Pisces. It thus takes on the meanings of that sign and transmits them to Earth. The functions of Saturn (government, limitation, etc.) are experienced by us in a Piscean way, and the traits of Pisces become more important in world affairs.
Characteristics of the signs:
All twelve signs are 30-degree segments of the Zodiac. They are each associated with the four elements discussed by the Greek philosophers: fire, earth, air and water. The elements are not "old superstitions," but equivalent to the "states of matter" known to science today: solid, liquid, gas, and conversion into energy. But they also represent the basic parts of the human soul.
The Fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Fire sign natives are active, enthusiastic, creative, inspirational, enterprising, spirited, adventurous, proud, self-assertive, self-confident. They are full of energy and vitality and tend to be leaders. They are passionate, impatient and easily angered. Fire signs are of the masculine gender (active, extroverted, yang) and are linked to the spiritual aspect of the psyche.
The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Earth sign natives are practical, reliable, cautious, plodding, pragmatic, careful, and sure-footed. They make all the enterprises of the fire people more useful, secure and long-lasting. Earth represents the wealth and work of the world. Earth signs are of the feminine gender (meaning passive, introvert, yin) and are linked to the body or physical aspect of the psyche.
The Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. They are intelligent, sociable, quick-witted, inventive, adaptable, diplomatic and versatile. They are well educated, cultured and full of new ideas; they open channels of communication and distribution. They can be fickle, flighty or unpredictable. Air signs are masculine and linked to the mind.
The Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Water sign natives are emotional, sensitive, receptive and imaginative; they rely on their feelings, instincts and intuition. They are sympathetic, humane and nurturing, but can be escapist or manipulative. Water signs dissolve barriers and nourish new growth; they elicit mass group experiences and spiritual aspirations. Water signs are feminine and linked to the emotions.
Qualities. Each sign is also cardinal, fixed or mutable. These are modes of behavior and action rather than basic substances of nature or psyche. This is astrology's version of the trinity: the universal principle that all things unfold in three stages.
Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. They are generating, initiating, enterprising, pioneering, creative, combative, assertive; each in the manner of their element. They have to do with new beginnings, but they don't always finish what they start.
Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. They are organizing, perpetuating, enduring, single-minded, dictatorial. They are known to be stubborn or dogmatic and are concerned with economics. They can concentrate enormous power.
Mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. They are adaptable, adjustable, restless, curious, democratic. They deal with travel, trade, distribution, and uncertain or chaotic conditions. They are "dual" signs, so they can be inconsistent or deceptive. They seek variety, knowledge, understanding and synthesis.
A table of correspondences is given below. Ada M. Palles proposes that signs also have sub-elements (see The Mountain Astrologer, Dec./Jan. 1992), adding further to their meaning (see table on right):
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Famous (and historic) Arians include: J.S.Bach, Pierre Baudelaire, Otto von Bismarck, Marlon Brando, Jerry Brown, Cesar Chavez, Chuck Connors, Clarence Darrow, Rene Descartes, James Garner, Vincent Van Gogh, Al Gore, Francisco Goya, Joseph Haydn, Henry II, Edmund Husserl, Thomas Jefferson, Nikita Khruschev, David Letterman, Eugene McCarthy, J.P. Morgan, Modest Mussorgsky, Napoleon III (Taurus cusp), Leonard Nimoy, Sandra Day O'Connor, Gregory Peck, Colin Powell, Diana Ross, Peter Ustinov.
TAURUS, the Bull. Second sign of the zodiac, April 21-May 20. Fixed earth sign; ruler, Venus. Motto: "I have." Taurus steadies the originating impulse of Aries and gives it a secure and lasting foundation. Though it is less creative than Aries, it knows how to consolidate and put things to good use. Very resourceful, perceptive and alert for good business opportunities, it seeks to maximize profit through reliance on its own talents. It is fortunate with money and generates great wealth; it can be very materialistic and acquisitive. Taurus is stubborn, powerful and determined; the strong, silent type. It has the strength of purpose to see a project through to the end as does no other sign. Sometimes it is cruel toward those who stand in its way. It makes excellent builders, architects, artists, civil engineers. Its purpose is to introduce order and placidity; it is the sign of peace and plenty. Therefore it can be very stagnant, conservative, lazy, complacent, traditional. It feels deep kinship with the earth; it is the sign of fertility rites and the pleasures of the flesh. Taurus is calm, patient, slow, sensuous, down-to-earth, affectionate, indulgent, confident. Taurus rules the neck and throat; the world's best singers are born under this sign.
Famous Taureans: Johannes Brahms, Georges Bracque, Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), Judy Collins, Oliver Cromwell, Bing Crosby, Salvador Dali, Leonardo da Vinci, Eugene Delacroix, Elizabeth II, Ella Fitzgerald, Sigmund Freud, U.S. Grant, Adolf Hitler (Aries cusp), Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul II, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, Lenin, Jay Leno, Malcolm X, Karl Marx, George McGovern, Prince Metternich, Jack Nicholson, Maximilien Robespierre, Socrates, Benjamin Spock, Barbra Streisand, Tchaikovsky, Harry Truman.
GEMINI, the Twins. Third sign of the zodiac, May 21-June 20. Mutable air sign; ruler, Mercury. Motto: "I think." Gemini coordinates the opposing forces of the two previous signs. It represents curiosity about the immediate environment; the urge to learn and communicate. Gemini loves novelty and is extremely versatile; it adjusts quickly to circumstance and can juggle many things at once. It is quick-witted, restless, very inventive and mentally brilliant; but it lacks depth and can become a dilettante, "the jack of all trades and master of none." Gemini is the awareness of relationships and connections; the sign of synthesis. It has to do with travel, writing, education, schools, journalists, thought, ideas, trade, networking. Geminis are sociable, cheerful, agile, energetic, flexible, youthful, loquacious, scattered, intellectual, logical, liberal, cultured, objective. Gemini rules the arms and hands, shoulders, lungs.
Famous Geminis: Raymond Burr, George H.W. Bush, Maurice Chevalier, Mario Cuomo, Dante Alighieri, A. C. Doyle, Bob Dylan, R.W. Emerson, Michael J. Fox, Judy Garland, Paul Gaugain, George III, Newt Gingrich, Andy Griffith, Bob Hope, Elbert Hubbard, Hubert Humphrey, Henry Jackson, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Thomas Mann, Paul McCartney, Bill Moyers, Lawrence Olivier, Charles A. Reich, Oswald Spengler, Igor Stravinsky, Queen Victoria, Richard Wagner.
CANCER, the Crab. Fourth sign of the zodiac, June 21-July 21. Cardinal water sign; ruler, The Moon. Motto: "I feel." Cancer introduces personal meanings and values into experience. It represents the urge to build a home and a secure refuge. It is the sign of "to have and to hold;" of what is most intimate and unique. It is family, heritage, veneration of ancestors, nationalism, racism and patriotism. Yet it also has a restless wanderlust and thirst for experience. This creates inner conflict and a desire to grow emotionally. Cancer is the sensitive underside of life; the subconscious mind, feelings, instincts. It is very intuitive, imaginative, illogical; many poets and painters are born under this sign. It always seeks to nurture, conserve and preserve life; also to protect the rights of the individual, property and the common people. It is talented at managing others and providing basic needs. Cancers are tenacious, emotional, timid, defensive, cautious, introverted, shy, sympathetic, sensitive, sentimental, humorous, sensation-seeking, acquisitive, economical, stingy, crabby, temperamental, subjective, nostalgic, cherishing, clinging, domestic, motherly, gentle, feminine, receptive, moody, changeable as the tides. Cancer rules the stomach.
Famous Cancers: Les Aspin, Milton Berle, John Bradshaw, David Brinkley, George W. Bush, Calvin Coolidge, Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Bob Dole, Mary Baker Eddy, Gerald Ford, Stephen Foster, John Glenn, Merv Griffin, Henry VIII, Hermann Hesse, Helen Keller, Thurgood Marshall, Ross Perot, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Jean Paul Sartre, Red Skelton, Sylvester Stallone, Ringo Starr, Meryl Streep, Robin Williams.
LEO, the Lion. Fifth sign of the zodiac, July 22-August 21. Fixed fire sign; ruler, The Sun. Motto: "I will." Leo expresses and dramatizes the confidence and power of the individual. Its purpose is to grow through testing itself against experience. Leos radiate warmth to everyone around them; they love to give and receive affection and adulation and always enjoy being the center of attention, and their vibrant love of life is infectious. Their self-assurance and inward sense of nobility and grandeur make them great organizers and leaders, for people naturally feel confidence in them. Leos are stubborn, dogmatic, egotistic and guard their rights and prerogatives tenaciously. Leo is connected to all activities of youth, self-expression and risk-taking: theater, drama, sports, games, gambling, speculation, romance, education, entertainment, recreation. Leos are proud, creative, complacent, loyal, stable, conservative, flamboyant, romantic, optimistic, dramatic, frank, inspirational, willful, determined. Leo rules the heart and the spine.
Famous Leos: Neil Armstrong, Lucille Ball, Barry Bonds, Julius Caesar, Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, Claude Debussy, Robert De Niro, Jerry Falwell, Henry Ford, Mata Hari, Dustin Hoffman, Herbert Hoover, Whitney Houston, Mick Jagger, Carl Jung, Norman Lear, Madonna, Benito Mussolini, Napoleon Bonaparte, Barack Obama, Carroll O'Connor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Peter O'Toole, Robert Redford, Jason Robards, H. Norman Schwarzkopf (Virgo cusp), Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Shelley, Patrick Swayze.
VIRGO, the Virgin. Sixth sign of the zodiac, August 22-September 22. Mutable earth sign; ruler, Mercury. Motto: "I analyze." Virgo refines the world of manifest form into perfection, and goes beyond Leo's pride to introduce a sense of duty to society. It takes care of all the details with which regal Leo can't be bothered. Virgo rules the humble classes: workers, servants, employees. It represents work and is connected to the military, civil service and bureaucracy; Virgos are natural administrators. The Virgo desire for perfection and order makes it prudish, obsessed with purity and efficiency; it is also uncomfortable with the unknown. These qualities make it the sign of technology and scientific research, but often it is myopic, "missing the forest for the trees." Its nagging instinct for criticism can be directed toward changing society to help the poor, sick and unfortunate; it has a powerful need to heal or serve others. It is the sign of hygiene, health, and welfare. Virgos are self-effacing, helpful, witty, adaptable, analytical, industrious, reliable, conventional, conforming, pedantic, nervous, anxious, self-critical, full of gossip. Virgo keeps things in good working order. It rules the intestines.
Famous Virgos: Shirley Booth, Stokely Carmichael, Sean Connery (Leo cusp), J.L. David, Elizabeth I, Peter Falk, Alan Funt, Greta Garbo, Johann W. Goethe, Stephen Jay Gould, G.W.F. Hegel, Michael Jackson, Lyndon Johnson, Gene Kelly, Charles Kuralt, Louis XIV and XVI, John McCain, H.L. Mencken, Sam Nunn, Walter Reuther, Peter Sellers, Upton Sinclair, David Souter, Robert Taft, William H. Taft, Leo Tolstoy, Mel Torme, George Wallace (Leo cusp).
LIBRA, the Scales. Seventh sign of the zodiac, September 23-October 22. Cardinal air sign; ruler, Venus. Motto: "I balance." At Libra, life's outward thrust begins to yield and turn inward as it seeks wider and deeper relationships. Libra is permeated by the sense of form, harmony and atmosphere; it is the most cultured, refined, artistic and musical of the signs, representing the classical ideal of balance in all things. It has a strong sense of justice and fairness and takes the initiative to bring it about through negotiation. Libra seeks partnership; it rules marriage, divorce, relationships, diplomacy, open legal affairs, contracts, alliances; it is the sign of war as well as peace. It becomes too dependent on others and apt to use them for their own ends. It constantly evaluates and sees both sides of an issue, but is often indecisive; it can artfully evade responsibility. Librans are charming, graceful, imaginative, idealistic, sociable, even-tempered, peaceful, lazy, discriminating, opportunistic, competitive, calculating; Libra rules the kidneys and loins.
Famous Librans: Brigitte Bardot, Henri Bergson, Chuck Berry, Annie Besant, Jimmy Carter, Ray Charles, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Kenneth Galbraith, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Art Garfunkel, George Gershwin, Rutherford B. Hayes, Martin Heidegger, Lee Iacocca, Jesse Jackson, Angela Lansbury, Timothy Leary, John Lennon, Franz Liszt, Groucho Marx, Bob Newhart, Friedrich Nietzsche, Eugene O'Neill, Richard III, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Giuseppe Verdi, Barbara Walters.
SCORPIO, the Scorpion. Eighth sign of the zodiac, October 23-November 21. Fixed water sign; rulers, Mars and Pluto. Motto: "I desire." Scorpio takes us deeper into the unmanifest; it is, according to Celtic mythology, the time of year when the boundary between this world and the next is the thinnest. Scorpio is the most passionate, turbulent and strong-willed sign. It seeks to penetrate beneath the surface to understand how things work; it loves to probe the mysteries. Keenly aware of death and its own vulnerability, it has unflinching determination and stamina; it is uncompromising in the struggle against its enemies and the quest of its desires. But it finds it must let go of these jealous obsessions and transform itself in order to attain its goals (whereupon it becomes the Eagle). It is thus the sign of spiritual rebirth. Scorpio is about restructuring, reorganizing and regenerating; it is where relationships are consolidated and resources are invested. It represents communion, where we lose our souls to find them in others. Scorpios are intense, combative, introspective, courageous, magnetic, dramatic, sensual, thorough, quiet, thoughtful, controlled, vengeful, critical, sarcastic, indomitable, suspicious, scheming, often sympathetic, at best highly ethical. Scorpio rules the sex organs.
Famous Scorpios: Spiro Agnew, Marie Antoinette, Howard Baker, Alexander Borodin, Pat Buchanan, Richard Burton, Hillary Clinton, Richard Dreyfus, Michael Dukakis, Billy Graham, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther, Charles Manson, Burgess Meredith, Claude Monet, William of Orange, Pablo Picasso, Dan Rather, Theodore Roosevelt, Carl Sagan, Pat Sajak, Grace Slick, Leon Trotsky, Oscar Wilde.
SAGITTARIUS, the Centaur. Ninth sign of the zodiac, November 22- December 20. Mutable fire sign; ruler, Jupiter. Motto: "I see." Sagittarius seeks to expand its horizons widely in order to find wisdom. It is the sign of philosophy, the higher mind, higher education, publishing, the press, organized religion, the law, diplomacy, flight. It makes far-flung connections between people and ideas and travels to foreign lands. Well adjusted to society, it is buoyant, benevolent, exuberant; but it also insists loudly on freedom for itself and others. It loves the outdoors and hates to be pinned down. Identified with Humanity, it feels entitled to speak for it. Honest and outspoken, Sagittarius reveals the truth openly regardless of consequences. The archer "cares not where it shoots its arrows." It thinks big, takes long chances and tends to exaggerate its achievements. Sagittarius is daring, adventurous, sociable, optimistic, idealistic, visionary, prophetic, impatient, careless, restless, argumentative, self-righteous, arrogant, snobbish, sporty, ambitious, enterprising. It rules the hips and thighs.
Famous Sagittarians: Woody Allen, Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, William Blake, William F. Buckley, Andrew Carnegie, Winston Churchill, Charles De Gaulle, Walt Disney, Benjamin Disreali, Kirk Douglas, Dick Van Dyke, Francisco Franco, Theodore Gericault, Jimi Hendrix, John F. Kerry, Bette Midler, Rod Serling, Paul Simon, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Strom Thurmond, Tina Turner, Mark Twain, Voltaire.
CAPRICORN, the Goat. Tenth sign of the zodiac, December 21- January 19. Cardinal earth sign; ruler, Saturn. Motto: "I use." Capricorn steadies the far-ranging exuberance of Sagittarius. Its aim is to achieve status and solid worldly achievement. Capricorns are very good organizers, ambitious and interested in politics. Conscientious and realistic, Capricorn meets many obstacles in its path and succeeds by overcoming them with patient, consistent, methodical efforts. It is very persistent and single-minded and usually does things the hard way. Capricorns prefer tradition, age and experience. They have high integrity and can be relied upon, unless and until they use or exploit others for their own ends. Often insensitive and impersonal, Capricorn looks only at results. "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Yet its ultimate goal is to accomplish things for the good of society and Humanity. It represents all large organizations and central authorities. Capricorn is practical, solitary, serious, conservative, industrious, focused, sensual, strong, introspective, logical, rigid, dark, enduring, structured, obstinate, bigoted, pessimistic; it rules the bones and knees.
Famous Capricorns: Conrad Adenauer, boxer Muhammed Ali, Joan Baez, George Burns, Paul Cezanne, John Denver, Everett Dirksen, Ben Franklin, Barry Goldwater, Alexander Hamilton, J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, William James, King John, Andrew Johnson, Janis Joplin, Martin Luther King, Rudyard Kipling, Rush Limbaugh, Mao Tse Tung, Walter Mondale, Mary Tyler Moore, Issac Newton, Richard Nixon, Luis Pasteur, Elvis Prestley, Albert Schweitzer, Robert Stack, Joseph Stalin, Woodrow Wilson.
AQUARIUS, the Water Bearer. Eleventh sign of the zodiac, January 20-February 18. Fixed Air sign; rulers Uranus, Saturn. Motto: "I know." Aquarius shares and distributes knowledge on behalf of Humanity. It challenges the prerogatives of authority and beckons us to embrace the new and unfamiliar. Very scientific, it seeks to understand the world so that it may re-invent it. Like Leo it radiates a brilliant light, but one of knowledge and friendship toward all. Aquarians are very charismatic leaders and entertainers, masters of electronic media and group dynamics. It is the sign of fraternities and associations dedicated to idealistic causes. Aquarians are non-conformists, but not egotists; they are objective, detached and unemotional, yet expectant for a better tomorrow. They function spasmodically and are very unpredictable. Aquarians are original, intellectual, independent, humorous, brilliant, magnetic, friendly, humane, eccentric, touchy, rebellious, perverse, abrupt, tactless, doctrinaire, dictatorial, contrary. Aquarius rules the legs and ankles.
Famous Aquarians: Alan Alda, Jack Benny, Lord Byron, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Edison, Clark Gable, Galileo Galilei, Richard Gephardt, Jack Lemmon, Sinclair Lewis, Abraham Lincoln, Norman Mailer, Felix Mendelssohn, W.A. Mozart, Paul Newman, Sarah Palin, James A. Pike, Plato, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Tom Selleck, Tommy Smothers, Paul Tsongas, Oprah Winfrey, Boris Yeltsin.
PISCES, the Fishes. Twelfth sign of the zodiac, February 19-March 20. Mutable water sign; rulers Neptune, Jupiter. Motto: "I believe." As the zodiac's "grand finale," Pisces seeks to understand and identify with the whole of creation and find ultimate salvation. It senses the undercurrents and underlying unity of life; in Pisces the veil is lifted that we may gaze once more upon our original spiritual nature. It is fermenting chaos that incubates new birth. Chameleon-like, it wishes to be part of all, but not to define or enclose itself; it seeks escape from the limits of matter and form. This gives it a large capacity to turn away from responsibility and to deceive itself and others; it is the sign of scandal, delusion, decay, degradation and self-undoing. Its compulsive empathy makes it the most compassionate, altruistic sign; its urge to escape becomes self-sacrifice. Unsure in this life, it has unwavering faith in the next; but its ideals can be tragically disillusioned. It is the sign of religion, fantasy, mysticism, imagination, surrealism, music, dreams, illusions, subtle theories and abstract thinking. Pisces is "Macawber" or "the absent-minded professor;" fluid, romantic, affectionate, spiritual, malleable, vacillating, versatile, adaptable, sentimental, moody. It rules the feet.
Famous Pisceans: George Berkeley, William Jennings Bryan, Frederic Chopin, Billy Crystal, Albert Einstein, Mikhail Gorbachev, G.F. Handel, George Harrison, Rex Harrison, L. Ron Hubbard, Jesus of Nazareth (?), Ted Kennedy, Patrick McGoohan (Aries cusp), Michaelangelo Buonarroti, Daniel P. Moynihan, Ralph Nader, Linus Pauling, Maurice Ravel, Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov, Bedrich Smetana, Elizabeth Taylor, George Washington.
Additional sign meanings: the first and last 5 degrees of a sign is the cusp; it has traits of both signs. The first four signs are concerned with primordial instincts, the second four with personal (or international) relationships and the final four with larger or universal matters. Finally, notice how each sign complements and contrasts with its opposite half way around the Zodiac, and also supplies much of what's missing in the previous sign.
The Sun travels one degree of the zodiac in about one day. Therefore each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac is important, and each has its own peculiar meaning. In this book we occasionally refer to the series of Sabian symbols to reveal the significance of each degree. They were developed by Marc Edmund Jones and Dane Rudhyar from a series of pictures given to Jones by a San Diego psychic (see Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala).
ASPECTS
As the planets move around the zodiac they also move in relation to each other, forming all possible angles between themselves. Certain of these angles are very basic and significant; they are called aspects. In fact, they are probably the most important thing in astrology; certainly in cultural or mundane astrology.
The most familiar and basic aspects are the New Moon and Full Moon, and the cycle of relationship between them is called the lunation cycle. The New Moon is a conjunction between Sun and Moon as seen from the Earth. At the New Moon the cycle is just beginning; new energy is stirring, but the Moon's light is hidden and withdrawn from us. As the cycle proceeds the Moon's light gradually increases (or waxes) through the crescent, first quarter and gibbous phases. At the Full Moon the cycle climaxes, and the Moon's light shines brilliantly and clearly. Then it gradually decreases through its waning gibbous, last quarter and balsamic phases until the cycle ends at the next new moon.
A special kind of lunation is an eclipse. In this case the Sun and Moon are so closely aligned with the Earth that their light is blocked out. Eclipses are more important than other lunations, and their "influence" lasts far longer (for a solar eclipse, about the same length in years that the eclipse lasts in minutes).
All the planets go through phases with each other just like the Sun and Moon do. In the waxing phases fortunes rise and new structures are built. In the waning phases structures may rigidify and decay, but ideas and group activities increase. The following are the most important aspects, or phases, in the cycles between planets:
The conjunction (0 degree angle) is like a New Moon; it is an alignment of planets, usually in the same sign. During important conjunctions explosive events erupt spontaneously, and daring new initiatives are taken in fields represented by the two planets. Their energies are powerfully combined, concentrated and intensified. The aims and direction of the new cycle remains unclear, and often the most crucial changes unleashed by a conjunction remain hidden until later.
The opposition (180 degree angle, 1/2 of the circle) is like a Full Moon, and planets are usually 6 signs apart on opposite sides of the Earth. It brings fulfillment of what began at the conjunction, but also a schism or polarization into two opposing sides. The opposition usually indicates major events in a very powerful and obvious way. People know clearly what they're doing and why, but may be locked in a frustrating stalemate.
The square (90 degree angle, 1/4 of the circle) is like the first or last quarter phase. Planets are at right angles to each other, usually 3 signs apart in signs of the same quality. Together with the conjunction and opposition, the squares are the most critical phases of the cycle. The two planets are "squaring off" with each other, producing tension, crisis, conflict and dynamic activity. During a square people stir up trouble and important decisions must be made. Dangerous events tend to occur. Square and opposition aspects are also called "afflictions."
The trine (120 degree angle, 1/3 of the circle) is like a gibbous phase. Here planets are about 4 signs apart in signs of the same element. Under trines events move quickly and people are lively and confident. A flood of light and energy is released and good fortune may result. The trine gives us a wider perspective, but it often indicates that we are being frivolous, wasteful or complacent.
The sextile (60 degree angle, 1/6 of the circle) is like a crescent phase. In this aspect the planets are 2 signs apart, usually in signs of the same gender. Like the trine, it tends to be a fortunate aspect. When it occurs people are more creative, intelligent and productive. It may indicate a crisis, but important events move more smoothly.
The semi-square (45 degree angle, 1/8 of the circle) is one half of a square. It is an aspect of friction and dynamic, constructive activity.
The sesqui-square (135 degree angle, 3/8 of a circle) is a square plus one half. It also generates activity and frequently brings upheaval. It is especially dangerous during a waning phase.
The quincunx (150 degree angle) may contribute to trials and tribulations that force us to make adjustments or confront uncomfortable karmic issues. In this aspect the planets are usually 5 signs apart.
The semi-sextile (30 degree angle) puts planets one sign apart and acts like a weaker sextile. It may show a phase of growth, or perhaps events that lead to larger ones at the time of the following sextile or conjunction.
Orbs. When exact, an aspect is at its peak of significance. Before exactitude the forces and events it indicates are building up. After exactitude the energy is released and distributed, often becoming more destructive. The orb, or amount of inexactness, allowed for lunations (such as Sun-Moon conjunctions) is at least 12 degrees. For conjunctions, oppositions, trines and squares it is up to 10 degrees, and for sextiles up to 7. For semi and sesqui-squares it is 3 degrees and for semi-sextiles and quincunxes 2 degrees. The closer an aspect is, the more important it is. Astrologers don't always agree on allowable orbs.
Aspect patterns. At any given moment there is more than one cycle unfolding, and thus more than one aspect going on. In fact, there is a whole pattern of them forming at all times. When a greater number of important aspects are happening than usual, it means the "cosmic weather" is more active; big events or the start of major trends can be expected!
For example, below is the whole pattern of aspects that prevailed during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in November, 1917. You can see Saturn and Neptune in conjunction in Leo, with Uranus opposing them from Aquarius; while the Sun and Mercury in Scorpio square all three. This is undoubtedly a powerful aspect pattern corresponding to an important event!
Notice that the signs are always arranged counterclockwise around the edge of the circle. When reading any chart or illustration, remember there are 30 degrees in every sign. Next to the symbol for a planet, there will usually be a number followed by a sign; this indicates which degree of a sign the planet is in. If the planet is in 2 Aries, for example, it is near the beginning of the sign; if it in 15 Aries, it is in the middle; in 29 Aries it is near the end and about to enter the next sign (Taurus). A good way to spot aspects is to notice which degrees the planets are in. One planet that is in nearly the same degree of any sign as another planet is making an aspect to that planet.
FOCAL POINTS
In some cases intense significance is focused on one key planet or several planets. The most important of these focal points happens when a planet passes closest to the Earth. At this critical moment it appears to turn stationary and then move retrograde (backwards through the Zodiac). Soon afterward, the planet turns stationary again and begins to move direct. When a planet turns stationary, its energy here on Earth is strongly intensified. While retrograde its expression is inhibited and turned intensely inward toward the subconscious. The stations of Mars and Mercury are especially important, and often trigger events shortly afterward. Retrograde planets are often marked "R." "SR" means the planet is turning stationary-retrograde; "SD" means stationary-direct.
Cyclic patterns are very significant in interpreting and predicting events, as we have already seen. Similar or related events will often occur when a planet returns to the same place it was in at the time of an earlier event.
Another very significant pattern is the singleton. In this case a planet occupies over half the sky by itself. You can be sure that if one planet is on one side of the sky, and all the others are on the other side, it is highly significant. Everything is focused on the functions of that planet and the sign it's in. The illustration below shows Uranus in Pisces as a singleton in 1919 and the early 1920s.
Other focal points occur when several planets are grouped together in strong mutual aspects. The easiest of these patterns to spot is the stellium, where several planets are clumped close together, all in conjunction. A stellium always portends great events, but they rarely occur immediately because the energy of the planets is so tightly bound up. Whatever happens will strongly reflect the meaning of the sign in which the stellium occurred.
A very tense situation is indicated when one planet squares off with two others that are opposing each other. This is called a T-square and happened, for example, in the early 1930s. Even more rare and powerful is the grand cross, formed by two oppositions in square to each other. Three planets each 120 degrees apart form a grand trine, releasing keen, exhilarating energy that can bring great fortune but easily runs out of control (or "carried away"). The element in which the grand trine occurs is emphasized. A good example of a powerful, influential grand trine happened in 1966-67 in the emotional water signs as the feelings and passions of the 60s were unleashed. Another grand trine in water signs happened during the "roaring '20s." The focal points are illustrated in the following diagram:
READING HOROSCOPES: the angles
The word horoscope means viewing the hour. A horoscope shows us where the planets were at a particular time, allowing us to estimate the fortunes of a new enterprise or nation begun at that moment. For example, we can erect a horoscope for the United States of America for the time when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. Or we can focus on the personal horoscope of the current president or other world leaders. Watching when planets make aspects to (or "contact") the positions of planets in one of these important charts can tell us when events might occur that affect the nation or leader in question. Horoscopes can also be cast for the time of a lunation, eclipse or conjunction. These help us to determine where events might occur, as well as to understand their long-range significance.
To read most horoscope figures in this book, you only need to be able to locate the key points: the horizon, and the zenith (or point overhead). The Midheaven (MH) (or zenith) is always at the top of the chart. The Ascendant (Asc) is always at the line on the left and represents the Eastern horizon, where the Sun and planets rise at that locality. The opposing points to these are significant too. The line leading to the right of the chart is the Descendant and shows where the Sun and planets set at that locality. The line running to the bottom of the chart represents the Nadir, or the point directly beneath our feet. These points in the sky are called "angles." Since they are the most important or "cardinal" points of the horoscope, any planets and signs which are located on or near these angles are considered the most significant and powerful in the chart.
The Ascendant (Asc.) or Eastern horizon shows which forces are rising or "in the Ascendant." It signifies the personality, health and attitude of the individual or nation being represented. Planets there can represent daring actions or merely outspoken, aggressive and violent behavior. The Ascendant corresponds to where the Sun is at Dawn.
The Midheaven (MH), or point overhead, stands for the authority in the "high" seat of power. Planets or signs there may indicate which trends are dominant at that location or show who or what has reached the zenith of fortune there. In a personal chart it represents career and worldly ambitions. The Midheaven corresponds to where the Sun is at Noon.
The Descendant (Desc.) or Western horizon may show what is on the wane. More often it shows the other people or nations to be contended with, including a nation's enemies (whether real or perceived). Aggressive planets on the Descendant often stand for war or warlike attitudes, including civil war and divorce. It also represents diplomacy and efforts to adjust disputes. Planets here can signify people speaking out in public scandals. The Descendant corresponds to where the Sun is at Sunset.
The Nadir, or low point, represents "the nadir of fortune." It also indicates what is private and personal rather than public. Thus it stands for the home, family heritage and the land. In political terms this means nationalism, racism, defense, "family values" or, in more advanced times, environmentalism. It stands for turning inward to spiritual life and rejecting the public world. Planets here can represent a sharp challenge to the ruling authorities. The Nadir corresponds to where the Sun is at Midnight.
The vertical and horizontal axes of the horoscope divide it into hemispheres. The upper hemisphere above the horizon is objective, public or concerned with wider issues, while the lower hemisphere is subjective, private and more narrowly focused. The left side of the chart is self-assertive, independent and rational, while the right side is concerned with relationships and is feeling or sensation oriented.
THE HOUSES OF THE HOROSCOPE
The horoscope figure is further divided into twelve "houses." Whether in a personal or mundane map, the houses represent the 12 "departments of life." They are closely related to the 12 signs and have corresponding meanings. Note that the meanings of the houses also apply to the signs which are linked to them.
The First House takes its meaning from the Ascendant, and so represents the self, the people and their behavior (see "Ascendant" above). It is linked to Aries.
The Second House represents all financial affairs, desires for stability, constructive talents, financial independence and values. It is linked to Taurus.
The Third House represents travel, communications, trade, journalism, the media, the mind, writings, intellectuals, education, youth, ideas, speech, neighbors, relatives. It is linked to Gemini.
The Fourth House takes its meaning from the Nadir, as outlined above. Thus it represents home, family, ethnic pride, the personal and national soul, the land, the weather, etc. It is linked to Cancer and all it stands for.
The Fifth House represents self-expression, youth, romance, pleasures, financial speculation, sports, games, children, education, ambitions for power, imperial expansion, the Senate, royalty, nobility. It is linked to Leo.
The Sixth House is public health, welfare, work, civil and military service, bureaucrats, employees, labor unions, servants, armed forces. It is linked to Virgo.
The Seventh House takes its meaning from the Descendant (see above) and rules international relations, diplomacy, politics, war, disputes, legal affairs, marriage, divorce, contracts, enemies, public scandals. It is linked to Libra.
The Eighth House rules financial dealings, corporations, taxes, insurance, mortgages, inheritance, group management of funds, communes and communism, stock markets, debts. It also stands for deaths, rebirth, reconstruction, renewal, the occult. It is linked to Scorpio.
The Ninth House rules foreign affairs, trade, distant travels, higher education, philosophy, the law, the courts, the Church, prophecy. It is linked to Sagittarius.
The Tenth House takes its meaning from the Midheaven (see above). Thus it stands for the government, the executive, public life, etc. It is linked to Capricorn.
The Eleventh House represents group cooperation, idealistic associations, the legislature (lower house), government finance, social programs, theater, friends, hopes for the future, profitable inventions. It is linked to Aquarius.
The Twelfth House rules national karma, hidden forces out of control, secret enemies, big institutions, prisons, asylums, monasteries, hospitals, occult interests, spirituality, exile, the search for refuge and self-renewal. It is linked to Pisces.
Horoscope for the New Millennium
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Summer Solstice Essay
Planetary Dynamics