As historic references, I've collected various excerpts of writings by Cyril Fagan, Garth Allen, and Rupert Gleadow on the 12 zodiacal constellations, plus Garth Allen's unpublished summaries of sign natures.
In the last year or so of his life, Garth Allen (Donald A. Bradley) pulled together his notes on Sidereal sign meaning. These are bullet-points - each is subject to significant expansion (and he occasionally took one of these ideas and spun a whole column out of it). These were among the resources consulted as ideas to test when Anna-Kria King and Matthew Quellas assisted me in compiling from observation the Sidereal Sun-sign interpretations that first appeared in The New Instant Astrologer (the basis of interpretations posted elsewhere on this forum).
In 1963, Garth Allen wrote:
...the job of untangling the mess (and our own minds as well) from the habit of tropical zodiac preconceptions is far from complete. Even after more than a dozen years divorced from tropical horoscopy, we personally have a dickens of a time freeing our minds from the coloration of stereotypes carried over from our earlier career in tropical astrology. The so-call stubbornness of Taurus or sexiness of Scorpio or fickleness of Gemini were so strongly entrenched in our concepts early in the astrology-learning game that such singsong catch words still intrude on our thinking processes when we endeavor to visualize the parade of "zodiacal types."
...What follows is pure opinion, not sidereal gospel. The sidereal gospel won't be written for many years to come, apparently, and when it is, it may read much differently from what our pens can produce now.
Nearly a dozen years later, he finally was willing to commit to paper the notes that follow, but only privately. (He wrote them down at the insistence of Gary Duncan, who gave them to me.) I thought - as both raw material for further research and historical value - I should make this entire set of notes public.
ADDENDUM 2022: Today we probably would refer to devoted Taurus playful & pluralist Gemini, imaginative Cancer, stately Leo, analytical Virgo, enticing (or seductive) Libra, volcanic Scorpio, rank & rightness Sagittarius, discontented Capricorn, eccentric Aquarius, romantic Pisces, and contrary Aries as general expressions or principles.
The most musical of all the signs, especially vocal and composers.
Keenest sense of humor in zodiac - a reason why Gemini says "young."
Most clear-cut orientation to YOUTH.
Rather irreligious - insists upon "statistics," facts and figures. Gemini probably thinks more objectively than even Aries. Aries and Gemini are Kin in Agnosticism.
Versatile talents.
Poetry not musical enough - words by themselves are too dry and mechanical for Gemini.
Sexually ALGOLAGNIC (sadistic or masochistic). Like to "rough it."
Gemini is very COMMERCIAL (Capitalists in this sign). Gemini is the dollar sign and pound sign.
Alcoholism or teetotalism, as poles of the same tendency.
Greatest danger is "irresponsibility."
Quick thinker, can whistle and blow smoke rings and be "business-like."
Not well suited to a political career, since they cannot seem to draw a sharp line between their public and private lives. Once they do this, however, they are guileless officeholders.
Courage of their convictions, to speak the truth unhesitantly.
As teachers, militarists, and organization heads, they are superb, for they get along swell with subordinates.
The secretaries of the zodiac: Historians, reporters, editors, and analysts. Constantly in touch with the "pulse" of the times (even their fiction is era-conscious).
Hygiene and pain-conscious, shy, blushes easily. (In older age the Women become CALORY conscious.)
Virgos are our best statesmen - concerned about "social welfare" and the "masses," yet never radical or too far left. They are "progressive" and "fighters" for social progress.
Oriented to their immediate "environment" - are not stereotyped by tradition.
Strong "purity" motif in Virgo.
Tend to take life too seriously, should learn to laugh a little more.
Their greatest asset is their awareness of the spiritual "nobility" of "man." Does not breed contemptuous mossbacks.
Able to do "detail work" - love to write in common dialectical vernaculars. Thrive in "white collar" work. Economists.
Best strategists and theoretic militarists.
Become marvelous orators if having sympathetic audience, since extremely sensitive to others' criticism and gaze.
The greatest jurors are born under Virgo - "The letter of the law."
Virgo women make the world go around!
Not very artistic by aesthetical standards - too "mechanical."
They tend toward the ideographic sciences and make excellent psychologists.
Leave it to Virgo to "get the facts!"
Virgo's own sensitivity forevents his achievement (cf. Manilius).
BLACK SHEEP of the zodiac! Capacity for being misunderstood and criticized is almost limitless. Inherent problem of social adjustment.
Like Taurus, sexually hypersensitive.
Most "poetic" of constellations, for poesy allows them to escape doldrums of life (cf. Manilius "Art of words").
Tend to scatter interests - usually "do two things at once."
Love of art; low on achievement in art.
Essentially introverted, "spiritual" but not "religious." Few great religionists.
Libra allows full play to feminine souls (two notable women scientists, but no male notable scientists under Libra).
Wonderful sense of humor and dramatic ability.
Poorest executives and "managers" - get to top but rarely stay.
Politically Doomed to FAILURE through PERSONAL WEAKNESSES. Can't seem to organize his life, thoughts, and interests so that one doesn't detrimentally infringe upon the other.
LOVE OF PEACE - usually too visionary and least practical.
Usually "get their foot into it" - "stick neck out" and get it stepped on.
Simply find it difficult to be "down-to-earth" in viewpoints.
"PROMETHEAN" - Remarkable ability to reduce abstract truths, arts, music, philosophical themes, into terms understandable to the jokelry.
"DOers" rather than dreamers - THEORY MUST AUTOMATICALLY BE PRACTICE.
Musical expression for sheer realization of factual life.
BOLDNESS AND MORAL COURAGE - Barnstorming, revolutionary, redress for wrongs.
True vision - a life "dream" - not passing fancies or ephemeral inspiration.
Excels in military action ("last stand" = PERSISTENCE) yet not very tactful or strategic. Finds planning more difficult than actual execution of a plan. Deplores lethargy of society.
Tendency toward LEFT, but EVER SO REACTIONARY THEMSELVES.
Not squeamish, but very PHALLIC-sensitive.
Creates best "effects" through startling force and unusual approaches.
Not very artistic, since Art is by itself too static for Scorpio.
Brilliantly imaginative and math-minded but inclines toward idiographic sciences. Difficult to divorce "art" from "science" in his mind.
Strong "religious" drive, but only so CRITICAL FACULTY MAY EXPRESS ITSELF.
Few good fiction writers (women are best and most enduring), and most fictional "successes" are throw-backs to their own youth. Incline toward poetry, which is more dramatic and dynamic than "art" per se.
Remarkable analytic ability - hidden motives seldom escape their cognizance.
Tendency to impatience.
Prone to "SYNTHESIS" - easily mix politics with art or science. Seldom one-track minds.
Rightest and Hierarchic, both socially and politically.
Improvement of present rather than new innovations and change.
"Gentlemen," even in military matters.
Expansive - "Principle of Magnitude" (Signature, shorthand, long stories, crests in musical composition, refurnishment).
Keen sense of the poignant and dramatic, yet avoids "implications" of a problematical situation that is dramatized - the theme of philanthropy and BENEVOLENCE is used constantly as a "solution" rather than SPADE-CALLING.
Poetic, yet more-preservant, and myth-building. Insistence on "Human Dignity."
Intensely "Patriotic" - "My country, RIGHT OR WRONG," etc.
"Kings" - yet with the common touch.
Not very artistic, but rather musical and literate.
Baton-wielding, symbolic of Jovian scepter.
Money-gold conscious (symbolic rather than literal, i.e., "Smith's," "Goldplates of Naplin," etc.).
Make excellent physicians and lawyers (jurists).
Pronounce "Judgment" too excessively - tries to "play Zeus (God)."
Excel in statesmanship and homothetic logic (strategians).
Individualistic in sports (lack of "team-sense").
Disciplinarians (note educators).
Makes up for lack of sentiment in Mechanical poetry.
Economy (in music and words). FRUGALITY (Ben Franklin's adages).
Gravitation toward THE PAST, tradition, status quo, social mores.
Musical appreciation and instrumental facility (Rhythm = Mechanix).
No great artists.
Masters in the art of proverbs.
Prohibitionistic - persistent - compensatory.
Strong "father imago" - harking back to daydreams of youth (Adler).
Capricorn tends to make "blanket" statements, which are Capricorn's forms of social injustice. E.g., "All lawyers are SOBs." - "All Communists are traitors," etc.
Very musical - but excels in composition and singing (not instrumental).
Most "scientific" of all constellations: delights in "discovery" - inventive, analytic.
Must "grind and axe," even in fiction writing.
-- Fiction does not come easy with Aquarius.
-- Use common vernacular in writing.
Rates extremely low in art (i.e. painting, sculpture, etc.).
Excels in poetry, but strangely lacks depth here.
"Natural Mysticism" - with social and historic overtones.
-- Shy away from complex Weltanschauung.
-- Yet not so "universalistic" as this fact might imply.
Keen sense of humor, but not so subtle.
-- Difficult to "Put on an act" unless role "comes naturally."
"Magnetic" appeal to "Groups," yet characteristically "set apart" socially.
Gravitation toward the future (Cerebrotonic in this respect).
Characterized by the "expectant eye" as though expecting "something to happen" the next minute or so.
Interested in social activity, yet "squares" themselves.
Passion to teach others - missionaries - excellent storytellers.
Rascalian approach - suave speech - a pleasant social address - "Toastmasters" - orators.
A rather mystical, subjective approach to life and living.
-- Interest in the occult.
-- Ability to dramatize and lend color - although, unlike Cancer, not essentially deceptive.
-- Love to make a "production" out of everything.
Pacifistic - too likely to believe so in abstract justice that stark reality easily swamps them. Equally diplomatic and mediative.
Gravitation toward tradition, but not in Saturnian sort - the introversion of visceratonia.
Keen sense of humor and aversion to prohibitions.
Very musical and rhythm-conscious, but not vocally (speech not song) - dancing.
Scientifically, they incline toward PHYSICS.
Strong religious drive, yet not fixed or intense, so conversion is easily made, then reversed.
Incline toward the classics in art, literature, imagery, etc.
Garth Allen wrote:...when the birthdates of noted Americans in Who's Who who were born in other countries than the United States are compared with the birthdates of native-born notables, sidereal Pisces [SUN] is significantly overrepresented! ...Sidereal Piscians are so constructed psychologically that they find it easier than others to pull up their domestic anchors to mosey around in foreign parts; their lack of ethnic loyalties is oftimes flamboyant. Piscians are born immigrants, in both literal and figurative senses. Little wonder it is that any group of religious converts to drastically different creeds than they were born into is apt to be loaded with sidereal Piscians. The same goes for nationality changelings. Ditto political spies and defectors as shown by FBI case-history publications.
Wherever ARIES goes, you can be sure the STATUS QUO will be disrupted.
THE MOST AMBITIOUS OF THE SIGNS - ALSO THE LAZIEST!
They are not like the Sagittarius "SOCIAL CLIMBER" but strive rather for LEADERSHIP. THIS IS THE POLITICAL CONSTELLATION.
Aries is THE "MESSIAH" SIGN. Naturally agnostic, it is noticeable how few "diviners" there are in Aries, compared with the fact that so many true "WORLD TEACHERS" are born in it.
Analytic minds. Can "see through" almost any scheme, trait, trend, etc. OBJECTIVE THINKERS.
Inclined to die violent deaths. "Accidentitis." Suicide rates high in Aries. Always a "troubled mind."
They do not mince words. Are daring in conversation, activity, and literature. Can hardly be classed as "orthodox."
Aries = "THE EPICURE" or "THE SLOB"
Aries is "Space- and Time-conscious."
Aries is CYCLOTHYMIC (syntonic) in temperament. (Cf. Manilius) "Ups and downs," "heights and dumps," Mania-depression. Roller-coaster.
Tendency to sacrifice ideal for opportunity - "to venture all for praise."
Good at "art of pantomime" and "toast mastering." Med[ium]. artistic ability.
As SCIENTISTS, tend toward "utilitarian view." Incline toward "dispersion of talent."
Shares love of history and antiquity with Virgo.
As authors, enjoy intellectual freedom, so are unhesitant to be unconventional in view and subject-matter. Aries can see "men's real wants, not only luxury."
