Stationary Mercury and Jupiter

[FlorencedeZ.]

I have a question on a chart . My talented cousin, he is a Capricorn-Aquarius, born January 20 1969, 2:55PM Dordrecht, Netherlands has Mercury and Jupiter stationary.
There was a thread a while ago on each stationary planet and its meanings and I couldn't find it anymore.
Is there a tendency to have burn outs when for example Mercury is stationary as the planet is stronger?

[Jim Eshelman]

Flo, I don't recall there was ever a thread with specific interpretations of these. I think all I've ever said is that the planet gains extra strength, much like it's angular but not at that scale.

Regarding your cousin, I'm not sure I'd use "burnout" for an intensified Mercury, though often "high-strung" is on target and maybe that's what you mean? It's not going to appear uniformly, but it's one way strong Mercury appears. There is also an often acute sensitivity of the nervous system to impressions (giving a high-strung character) with an angular Aquarius Moon. Were it not for the station, your cousin's Mercury would be quite unimportant in Capricorn in the background.

What I find most interesting about this chart is the unusual shortage of close aspects. Other than the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and Sun-Neptune sextile, there are no Class 1 aspects. The Sun-Neptune, of course, shows great sensitivity: even vulnerability: What might be a minor factor in other charts is one of the loudest signals in this one because there is little else as loud. This also means that wider aspects have more proportionate power, so the 4 degree Mercury-Mars square becomes one of the strongest voices in the chart, a fiercely creative mind that, being background, might have trouble expressing (trouble being heard).

The single strongest thing in the chart, of course, is Jupiter - stationary, exactly square Ascendant, bringing Uranus with it to the angle. Uranus is probably the BEST planet in the chart, being angular, conjunct a powerful benefic, and with Moon in Aquarius. This person has enormous talents but also great vulnerability, a near-genius level of creativity and rebounding ideas wanting to burst out and, perhaps most of all, a deep need to be liked, included, accepted, valued. I'm guessing that the easiest way to increase their stress is when the creativity doesn't have an audience - when they feel nobody is listening, that there is no avenue for being heard.

There is a progressed Moon-Saturn square right about now, so this is the center of a two-month period of inward pressure, perhaps sense of loss and great demand.

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

Flo, could the discussion you remember be one of these?

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2512&p=18304
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=484&p=3111

[SteveS]

Jim wrote:

I think all I've ever said is that the planet gains extra strength, much like it's angular but not at that scale.

Indeed, and imo, it strengthens any aspect that it may make with other planets. The most intense “extra strength” time period I have ever experience in my life was when Saturn was stationed on my n. ASC. This was when I first realized the super importance of angles in a chart, and then soon learned the cornerstone of Sidereal Astrology were the angles of a chart.

[Jim Eshelman]

On the issue of Mercury station and burnout - which I think might be too extreme, though I can see the high-strung nature - I just got reminded that Vincent Van Gogh had Mercury very nearly stationary (in Aries). Worth mentioning (and, for this thread, I especially wanted to give the Dutch their due).

[FlorencedeZ.]

Thank you very much Jim, Steve and Jupiter.

Tonight Jim I showed your reply to my cousin and he could not believe it as it was so spot on.
Especially the deep need to be liked, included, accepted and valued plays a major part in his life he says.
Not having an audience for creative things in the past was many times painful.
Not so much now anymore as he has become well known in the field he is working in and in demand.
He develops software and maintains digital scoreboards all over the country and in the Benelux.
Still as he says it, it is a vulerable part of his personality.
I suppose with Jupiter and Moon angular there is saving grace throughout his life, even as a Cap he says he had many misfortunes in the past.
And indeed very interesting about his chart is the unusual shortage of close aspects. I would never have thought about that really.

Jupiter thank you for the links.
It was very helpful though it was a different one I was referring to in which it said that Mercury stationary could mean for a person to work just a little harder, do more, like in an advertising company: we try harder.

[FlorencedeZ.]

On the issue of Mercury station and burnout - which I think might be too extreme, though I can see the high-strung nature - I just got reminded that Vincent Van Gogh had Mercury very nearly stationary (in Aries). Worth mentioning (and, for this thread, I especially wanted to give the Dutch their due).

Thank you Jim.
High-strung fits him indeed well and he agrees to all of this.
And this is interesting about Vincent.
I think he had about every issue psychologically and it is amazing how he was able to make his paintings the way he did.
Regards,
Flo

[FlorencedeZ.]

Just out of curiosity, would it therefor benefit him hugely if he brings the natal background Mercury more to the fore by moving?

[Jim Eshelman]

And this is interesting about Vincent.
I think he had about every issue psychologically and it is amazing how he was able to make his paintings the way he did.

His chart is a wonderful example to study! It takes about a second to see his artistic style, his unrealistic idealism in romance, his inability to support himself, his religious fervor only to the point of mania, his particular psychological vulnerabilities - and so much more.

BTW, my wife produced a production of the the play Vincent just before Covid hit - which interrupted the tour they had in mind and shut them down. Leonard Nimoy created the play originally (another Pisces!), which explores the dynamics between Vincent and his brother Theo. (We have full birth data for both of them.) You can watch a full production of the play with Nimoy performing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aFiSfBFXdk

[Jim Eshelman]

Just out of curiosity, would it therefor benefit him hugely if he brings the natal background Mercury more to the fore by moving?

I don't think so. It might give easier expression or it might simply intensify something that is already giving him trouble. If relocation is a consideration, I'd pick something more calming or self-directing, like Sun or benefics.

[FlorencedeZ.]

Wow, that's wonderful, thanks a lot.
I am going to watch it tomorrow and study Vincent's chart.
What a pity it got shut down when Covid hit.
So much work being done for it.

During my childhood I was friends with Rudi van Deventer, we went to the same school.
He had quite a few van Gogh's just hanging on his bedroom wall which we saw when we were playing in- and outside his house with schoolmates, they were given to him as his parents worked for the family.
Later he donated the paintings to the Kroller Moller museum, the other museum in the Netherlands that houses the van Gogh collection.

[Stillpoint]

My talented cousin, he is a Capricorn-Aquarius, born January 20 1969, 2:55PM Dordrecht

Extraordinary thing to have TWO planets stationary within hours. I habitually check every chart for stations, and I don't recall
having seen such thing before.

Many writers have mercury stationary. Steve jobs have mercury stationary if memory serves. Michelangelo have Venus stationary.
Tony Blair Venus stationary, Pioneer astronomer Tycho Brahe have aqua ascendant with Uranus stationary within one day.
Lady Gaga have Uranus stationary.
Bernie Sanders have three planets within 3 days stationary; Mars, Saturn and Uranus.

[Jim Eshelman]

Extraordinary thing to have TWO planets stationary within hours. I habitually check every chart for stations, and I don't recall
having seen such thing before.

My wife has both Saturn and Mercury stationary - and they're in near-partile square - and Mercury is about a degree from Ascendant.

When I was doing my original studies, in pre-computer days and using an ephemeris, I used the standard that the ephemeris entry (to the minute of arc) did not change even 0°01' from the position on the station day; and for Venus and Mercury (which never fit that criterion), the day of the station itself. The goal, of course, being the proportionate slowing of the planet to essentially zero.

Michelangelo have Venus stationary.

I get his Venus still in motion at the rate of almost 0°04'/day and stationary the following afternoon. But yes, it was at least slow. (I define stationary as current velocity as less than 0°01'day.)

Pioneer astronomer Tycho Brahe have aqua ascendant with Uranus stationary within one day.

Yes, technically stationary the next day but it's velocity was 0°00'02". (He had Capricorn rising, though, not that it really matters.)

Lady Gaga have Uranus stationary.

Solar Fire doesn't show it as such, but I see the velocity was 0°00'03".

Bernie Sanders have three planets within 3 days stationary; Mars, Saturn and Uranus.

I would agree they're all slow, and thus gaining some intensity. The Mars is moving nearly 0°05'/day. Saturn and Uranus are essentially stopped, though.

These examples simply echo the numerous statistical studies I did on stationary planets in the '70s with data collected by T. Patrick Davis: Stationary planets are intensified similar to being angular but not at the same strength level.

[Stillpoint]

Thanks for that. Enlightening and informative. I think stationary planets (or slow) is somewhat ignored in astrology textbooks. So I appreciate the definition given. I have Solar Fire settings alarm when a planet is within +/- 3 days of station. And the symbol "S" appear after the planet glyph in the charts. I have given added importance of such planets and called them "stationary". The "perfect" stations" are quite rare.

(One example is Donald Trump who was born with natal Jupiter 3h 11m from station with a speed of 0'01. This I assume would be a perfect station.
But he also have natal Neptune slow 2'7 days from station which would be a "Slow" Neptune.

[Jim Eshelman]

I have Solar Fire settings alarm when a planet is within +/- 3 days of station. And the symbol "S" appear after the planet glyph in the charts. I have given added importance of such planets and called them "stationary". The "perfect" stations" are quite rare.

Unfortunately, there's no single perfect setting - catching Mercury "in the moment" and Pluto "in the moment" with one definition is impossible. I settled on marking if within 1 day of the station.

Yes, Trump's stationary Jupiter is a well-known feature of his chart. That and the half-degree Jupiter-Uranus trine easily outweigh the seeming weakness of being in the deep background and in the sign of debilitation. (It probably doesn't hurt that his Jupiter sets in the same degree as Spica, though I'm still forming final opinions on this sort of thing.)

[Soft Alpaca]

As someone who upsets things easily (thank you Eris) I will chime in on this Jim. For anyone questioning stationary planets reading this to come make sure you have looked fully at angles and aspects in the Natal, Mundo, and Novien before even wandering into stationary planets. Nakshatra are important as nuances in signs at times (if we used them that liberally my chart would be ruled by Venus due to my moon being where it's at and subtle Venus Sun and Moon aspects and that's just silly).

As for this combination any Mercury-Jupiter natives will show some self anti-thesis, ie (in my opinion) station has nothing to do with the idea that these planets are natural towards each other (I think) at best. (I think I see Mars-Jupiter even as more beneficial than mercury -jupiter just as a reference).

[Soft Alpaca]

Also to answer the O.P.'s original question we weren't likely even given the information we needed to answer this question.

You likely gave us his Sun-Moon sign combination, but if burn out has to deal with any one planet in particular it's Mars (simply moving away from a place with an Angular Mars in the Mundo could make a person feel more "burned out" or tired!). We weren't even given its sign (let alone native aspects angularities and these need to be seen in the mundo as well).

[Jim Eshelman]

Also to answer the O.P.'s original question we weren't likely even given the information we needed to answer this question.

You likely gave us his Sun-Moon sign combination, but if burn out has to deal with any one planet in particular it's Mars (simply moving away from a place with an Angular Mars in the Mundo could make a person feel more "burned out" or tired!). We weren't even given its sign (let alone native aspects angularities and these need to be seen in the mundo as well).

She gave the birth data, so we had the whole chart. - I think the important thing was to clarify language: "high strung" seems a better descriptor than "burned out."

And the angular Aquarius Moon, as I mentioned, is noted for similar sensitivities.

[Soft Alpaca]

Mars Mercury square= High strung!
Angular Moon (MC), Angular Jupiter (Square Asc. In Natal, but can we check in ra?) and Mars in Libra (with a possibility of angular neptune (check Mundo-scope) as well) makes perfect sense for an art professional (Moon+MC&Libra) with a sense of genius (Jupiter-Neptune on Ep/Wp and Zn/Nd lines respectively)..

Think that about sums it up to me me Jim..

[Jim Eshelman]

Mars Mercury square= High strung!

Yes, I mentioned in my first response that there is a definite shortage of close aspects in this chart, and therefore even a 4° Mercury-Mars square stands out.

But we shouldn't neglect the stationary Mercury: The power of stations is substantiated statistically. It's a real intensification.