Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

ANGULAR PLANETS
Sun conjunct Ascendant (1°02')
Warm, friendly, generous, shining their light on the world (often in a paternal, possibly controlling, sense). Vital, assertive, confident (or acts it). Aware they have purpose (goal, destiny) they must seek, find, and actualize. At best: Is in charge of self and does well leading others (can be bossy, demanding, entitled). Needs centricity (attracts satellites; may expect others’ world to revolve around them). Drawn to proud, useful institutions. Instinct for immortality.

Uranus opposite Midheaven (1°07')
Strongly individualistic, independent, going their own way. Needs freedom and breathing room (physical, intellectual) and frequent renewal (through new interests and experiences, shedding inhibitions, shaking loose stale conditions). Responds strongly to the new, unexpected, thrilling, colorful, exciting. Pragmatic realist anchored by naked truth (seeker who forges an ideal from experience of the actual). Clownish, fun. Prefers disclosure over mystery.

Jupiter opposite Midheaven (1°18')
Positive, optimistic, oriented to the good and qualitative. Unusually lucky. Aspires to (enjoys) life of leisure and its perks (seeks to improve self and conditions). Generous, congenial, tolerant, good-humored, kind. Sexually giving. Needs esteem and inclusion (usually well received; can be overly role-conscious). Responds to cultural totems, heritage, tradition, social graces, social and ceremonial rituals. Champion of justice and fair play.

Sun square Uranus (0°05' in mundo)
Go their own way, unapologetically following their own paths, persuaded that they are a “special case.” Resourceful, stimulating, but easily bored (in need of frequent stimulation). Love of freedom: bow to no authority but themselves. Progressive, future-oriented, uninhibited by convention. Adept at creative problem solving. Self-perspective usually founded in objectivity.

Jupiter conjunct Uranus (2°25' in mundo)
Mind interested in and well-suited to science, philosophical inquiry, and self-inquiry (knack for astrology). Success through unlikely paths (likely to succeed in life and distinguish themselves). Committed to progress, instinct for exceptionalism. Ingenuity, insight (sees outside the usual maps, pathways, and systems; thinks on a broader scale). Respectful while unbeholden to artificial rank, class, or caste (it’s unimportant to them); gently resists authority (conflict with authority), speaks truth to power, stands against injustice, egalitarian (social activist).

Moon conjunct Midheaven (4°43')
Adaptive in response to social, psychological, and environmental conditions (mask, roll, act). Impressionable, responsive, malleable, imaginative. Needs constant stimulation (of mind or senses). Strong sexual appetites; responsive to affection, friendship, sexual suggestion. Amiable, accommodating; sensitive, receptive, tender, empathic (touchy, moody, reactive). Vulnerable to judgments, displeasure, criticism. At home before an audience.

Moon square Sun (1°00')
Energetic, dynamic, terrific drive, forceful. Psychic vitality, a mental-emotional attitude biased toward success. At home with power. Intense desire in whatever they undertake. High vitality. Sexual desires also particularly strong, passionate, though often narcissistic. Possible vanity, self-exaltation, and obstinacy.

Moon opposite Uranus (3°22')
Intellectually rebellious, roving, curious, inquiring. Not wholly comfortable with outside guidance. Original, futuristic, needing variety. Free-spirited: psychologically lives outside convention. Subject to tensions, emotional stress.

Venus conjunct Ascendant (6°45')
Charming, attractive, popular. Friendly, amiable, gracious. Kind, considerate, benevolent. Flirtatious, affectionate (sexually more receptive than aggressive). Loving, caretaking, mothering. Drawn to beauty, pleasure, peace, tranquility (not pain, violence, turbulence); averse to cruelty and harm. Needs to experience pleasure and beauty; requires harmony and ease (reduced stress and friction). Stubborn and fierce toward injustice (personal or social).

SUN in LEO
Requires centricity and satellites: Holds court. Casual dignity, simple elegance, innate flair. Authority, courage, competitive, hates weakness, nurtures talent. Warm, loyal; must love and be loved (centricity, adoration); sexually lusty, playful. Purity, perfection (pedantic). Strong religious instinct. Childlike delight.

MOON in TAURUS
Cordial, charming, magnetic. Soft, gentle, vulnerable; but brave (not timid). Values harmlessness, simplicity. Quest (groping) for emotional truth, driven by how they feel about things. Flirtatious, romantically roving. Thoughtful, reflective, independent thinker. Learns rapidly; relearns slowly. Sensuous. Beauty, art.

Moon sextile Mars (2°54')
Active-reactive; temper. Detests idleness. Driven, competent, ambitious. Impatient, acerbic. Frank, sharp-tongued. Needs physical, emotional, and mental room to breathe. Possible substance abuse. Sexual needs strong, irrepressible.

MARS in CANCER
Inner strength (prodigious imagination and fantasy) usually holds private demons at bay; but clings to old wounds (angry, acting out, selfish, retaliatory from old mistreatment). Breeds confidence, makes things happen. Loyal, speaks truth to power; but wants a chance to lead. Magnetic (passionate following?). Wants adoration sexually (otherwise it’s business-like).

Mars octile Neptune (0°01')
Thrives amidst stirred passion and drama. Supercharged imagination. Surges into temptation; impatient with frustrated gratification; requires rapid conformity of reality to wants (usually gets it). Zealous enthusiasms. Dramatic aggressions; anger patterns triggered by frustration. Sexually magnetic (yet sexual demons and doubts). Great stamina for long-term vision.

MERCURY in VIRGO
Curious, observant, methodical, analytical. Quiet, almost soft-spoken, good-natured (maybe too passive). Communication is right to the point (journalist). Logical, strategic: Wants the facts before deciding, considers all sides.

Mercury sextile Jupiter (2°06')
Intelligent; seems well-read, educated. Loves ideas and learning, comfortable with words. Good-tempered, kind. Optimistic. Business potential (from luck more than skill?). Always awaiting the next opportunity or break.

Mercury square Neptune (4°08')
Hyper-responsive to environment, sensitive to impressions (psychic). Magnifies trivialities (perfectionist). Loves puzzle- or problem-solving: psychological relief from fantasied problem solving (may avoid real problems). Dreamer, storyteller; can enthuse others, convince someone of almost anything.

VENUS in LEO
“Parents” her friends (= unequal relationships). Self-surrender is hard. Vain, aloof. Bold when romance captures their interest (but many older bachelors). “Shoppers” in romance, testing the ground first. Early sexual mismatches (unhealthy early relationships). Keen sense of morality and dignity. Generous friend.

Venus sextile Pluto (0°05')
Gentle, kindly soul, with deep emotional intensity. Instinctively rejects others’ conventions on love, sex, art. Wants penetrating, intimate, pure connections. May withdraw from people if repeatedly rebuked.

Venus trine Neptune (1°09')
Idealistic, idyllic, loves to be enchanted. Usually comfortably happy, gently romantic, passive. Naive about people in romance but reads people easily when not personally involved. Good-hearted, ingratiating, devoted, humanitarian.

Venus sextile Saturn (2°58')
Work, duty, and devotion are gratifying. Restrictions in love; ordinary pleasures may be deferred. Many seem comfortable unpartnered, though there is rarely sexual restraint. Childhood hardship or deprivation shape adult patterns. Sober, responsible.

OUTER PLANET ASPECTS
Neptune sextile Pluto (1°04')
Open to shifting point of view, alternative perspectives, variant possibilities: Potential to forge a new worldview and enroll others. Uncertainty feeds desire for certainty, regarding things a certain way and not other.

Saturn conjunct Pluto (3°03')
Resists outside control, needs autonomy. Solitary path comes naturally; partnership takes effort. Survivors: Great strength, self-reliance, and persistence in the face of hardship (stubborn, entrenched). Women are tough as nails but can become hardened, cut-off. Resent feeling too much is put on them.

blossomintobeing wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:52 pm On Astro.com, Mars seems to have an aspect to Jupiter. It's a 9 degree orb, though, so may be too loose of an aspect to count.

I appreciate the balanced review of squares you shared in your description. I have a lot of them, including the pressure point of a T-Square on my Ascendant/Sun. I'd always thought squares were nothing but bad, but your description paints them in a different light. Do you tend to think they're more of a mixed bag than people tend to think?

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:17 pm YAK!!
Squares are not "bad" nor "malefic." There's no "mixed bag." Aspects are not good or bad, benefic or malefic. An aspect between Saturn and your Sun might be benefic, but that would be any aspect, including a trine. A Sun-Jupiter square is benefic.
It's the planets that are benefic or malefic, not the aspects. That's a basic tenet of Sidereal astrology.
I think you might find the discussion of our points of agreement helpful understanding our school of astrology: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2259&p=20118 even though it's still a work in progress.

blossomintobeing wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:26 pm

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:17 pm YAK!!
Squares are not "bad" nor "malefic." There's no "mixed bag." Aspects are not good or bad, benefic or malefic. An aspect between Saturn and your Sun might be benefic, but that would be any aspect, including a trine. A Sun-Jupiter square is benefic.
It's the planets that are benefic or malefic, not the aspects. That's a basic tenet of Sidereal astrology.
I think you might find the discussion of our points of agreement helpful understanding our school of astrology: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2259&p=20118 even though it's still a work in progress.

Thank you! I'll study them now. And thanks for the figurative shoe upside the head haha. This is why I'm here! There are so many ways I'm ignorant of astrology, but I want to understand it better. The loose trine then between my Mars and Jupiter could bring out a little of my Jupiter laziness, then, perhaps, since Mars is malefic here. I just want to stay at home and research stuff. It's a bad habit. Stepping into my sun is much more liberating. And feels like what my soul needs. What's it like for you with a sun-ascendant connection?

blossomintobeing wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:52 pm On Astro.com, Mars seems to have an aspect to Jupiter. It's a 9 degree orb, though, so may be too loose of an aspect to count.

I appreciate the balanced review of squares you shared in your description. I have a lot of them, including the pressure point of a T-Square on my Ascendant/Sun. I'd always thought squares were nothing but bad, but your description paints them in a different light. Do you tend to think they're more of a mixed bag than people tend to think?

Over the years, I've heard that malefic planets and aspects can eventually yield gifts.

GARTH ALLEN wrote:
When a Jupiter-Uranus formation is prominent in the birth chart, the ego is free to think apart from partisan prejudices, often to the point of seeing merit where merit exists in the enemy's camp itself. Because Jupiter-Uranus is able to project itself impersonally to think and appreciate in abstract terms, and instinctively dislikes caste distinctions, this team is the sponsor of Freedom From Authoritarianism. The native does not make blanket moral evaluations of persons, and thinks on a broader scale than do the local gentry.

blossomintobeing wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 1:16 am Thanks for your contributions here and elsewhere. Lots to learn, and so far, it's been more on the money than what I'm used to hearing. I'd almost given up on astrology. Think that's about to change.

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:10 am
As a next layer in your understanding Sidereal astrology, you might note that we pay little or no attention to houses. I can't dogmatically say houses don't exist or have no meaning (though it is frequently tempting to say so), but I can say that, of all of the primary features written about in astrology books, houses are the only one that has never been substantiated statistically. If you start from a perspective of "start from null, use no feature or structure in astrology until it has been statistically shown to exist," houses have never "made the grade."

One thing I will be dogmatic about is house rulers. They don't exist except as fictions. Removing them clears up the largest amount of malarky in astrology.

I'll admit that there are anecdotal instances where the placement of a planet in a house seems to have a legitimate, important meaning. That could be my "reading something into it" or, as I tend to think, it may be that there is something to it. For example, people with four or more planets in one house, or even a luminary in a house, often have that house as an important theme in their lives. But I think that even this could be even my reading something into it.

In any case, house placements, even if valid, are far less evident in people's character and lives than the primary factors of planetary angularity, aspects, and important sign placements.

Now... what does your son's chart look like if you strip out any references to houses above?

blossomintobeing wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:39 pm I'm interested in how the determination was made that houses and house rules have no value; and, I'm interested in taking a look at how and whether I have mistaken ideas on the topic based on my background and experience with it.

blossomintobeing wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:39 pm
Libra Saturn Square Capricorn Venus (0°)
Aries Jupiter Semi-sextile Pisces Uranus (0°)
Sagittarius Sun Sextile Libra Saturn (1°)
Libra Saturn Trine Aquarius Neptune (1°)
Sagittarius Sun Semi-Sextile Capricorn Venus (1°)

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:26 pm House rulerships originated as a form of divination, as in casting lots, and are used in horary(spit). (I personally don't believe in nor do I approve of horary. Other people may feel differently.)

Astrology was originally brought to India by the Persians when they conquered the western part of India. They also brought their divination system, which got folded into astrology. The Persian system was Sidereal (not just sidereal!) but the Indians never quite figured out how to reckon the zodiac. They tried all kinds of markers, and as their markers moved away from the zodiac, they found new markers. That's why there are so many ayanamsas.

When you talk about the ascendent axis or the MC axis, you are talking about angularity. Angularity is valid. Houses are not. If houses were valid, there would not be dozens of house systems out there.

BTW, every chart you upload to this site cost Jim extra money every month. This isn't a free site. Jim pays all the fees. What we do is upload charts to a free site and then enclose the URL in image tags.
Removing the house lines is a Solar Fire thing unless you're handy with image editing programs.

Planets make aspects, but angles don't. So, no trines or sextiles to angles. Squares to angles are angles in a different system.

Jim has a (huge) book available here free for download: https://solunars.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=2779

Click the download link and download to your own computer instead of trying to read the near thumbnail version on that site.
Most of it is examples, so just read the material at the beginning and in the appendices, and the beginnings of the chapters to start with. You can go back and read through the examples later to get a deeper understanding of what they illustrate. That'll go a long way to explain what we're up to with angularity.
The book is Sidereal Mundane Astrology, which you may think you aren't interested in, but the principles are written out best in that book.

blossomintobeing wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 am I realize I diverted focus by introducing my son in this post, which I'd originally created to explore how I can best understand my own chart and its potentials.

I guess it's hard to divide myself from him, so that's normal at some level.

Are there any great threads on purpose you'd recommend that I haven't been able to track down?

blossomintobeing wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:39 pm I've been deeply-to-moderately immersed in Ayurveda and its sister science Jyotisha for a while, and house rulers seem to be a huge part of that system.

• In terms of technique, the Hindu schools mostly resemble modern Western Tropical astrology. This is most obvious in the use of houses and house rulers, but is broadly true. The houses, similarly, are a key element of Jyotisha chart interpretation ...
• In terms of zodiac, the Hindu schools are much closer to us. Their zodiacs are all sidereal (non-precessional), though with different theories about where the signs start.

For example, I've always felt very strongly like I am a first house Sun, but perhaps that has more to do with that tight sun conjunction with the ascendant/horizon line.

I've also noticed that people in my midst with 7th house planets almost always have active relationships and can tend to be serial monogamists.

Perhaps this is me fitting examples to a preconceived notion I already have. Also, I spent years in a monastery, which would couple well with my 12th house Mars and Venus. I'm also a prominent self-isolator, which also might be the Venus-Saturn aspects.

Are you concerned with the orb of planetary aspects to the angles; i.e. Midheaven and Ascendant? He has a tight one between both the Moon and Uranus and the midheaven.

blossomintobeing wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:06 pm Reading through these house interpretations in the forum.

Sounds like there are sidereally-specific interpretations, but they're given little (if any) weight.

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:14 am You can start a thread for him. "Blossom's son"

I guess it's hard to divide myself from him, so that's normal at some level.

You know that's going to drive him to get further from you at least at some point. Nothing to do with astrology. Just normal parent-child interaction. So you might want to look at how that's affecting your relationship at some point

Are there any great threads on purpose you'd recommend that I haven't been able to track down?

I'm not sure what this sentence means. "on purpose" could be read a couple ways. And I don't know what you'd consider "great." But you could read the stuff pinned at the top of each section. Go to Home (index.php) then scroll down to "Natal Astrology" and click on "Misc. on Natal Astrology". There are three posts pinned there worth reading. Then go back to Natal Astrology and click on Planets, and you'll find some posts pinned there.
And so on.

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:53 am I think the angles do have their own distinctions. Perhaps the best objective measurement of this is the Gauquelin research in planetary angularity for eminent professionals, where very large, well-conducted statistical studies of birth charts for successful professionals showed key planets on the angles (e.g., Mars for athletes, Saturn for scientists, etc.) far beyond expectation. The point relevant here at the moment is that these key planets especially spiked at Asc and MC and much less at Dsc and IC - suggesting either a strength distinction between Asc/MC vs. Dsc/IC or (my view) that profession expressed stronger through outward-facing, outward-acting angles (Asc and MC) than more those that have some bias to more private areas of life (Dsc/IC).

But let me be clear: If you have a planet on any angle, it will fuel your basic character. How you are in one area of life is pretty much how you are in all areas of your life. The first and strongest matter is simply that the planet is closely angular - with no distinction of which angle it is. However, there is likely a secondary distinction based on the particular angle.

I've also noticed that people in my midst with 7th house planets almost always have active relationships and can tend to be serial monogamists.

I suggest you start distinguishing whether the planet is "in the 7th house" or "conjunct Descendant" (or both). These may be separately valid factors with independent and interrelating meanings.

It has seemed to me that - separate from planets conjunct Dsc - people with many planets in the 7th house (say, a 7th house stellium, which seems to be what you are describing) have a very strong need for feedback and response from other people, they need confirming acknowledgement from others, they need others to see them a particular way. That could account for the "serial monogamy" pattern you are seeing, or other patterns.

Two planets in the 12th don't make for that kind of big life effect. If your Sun were high in the 12th it would be a better argument.

I don't see much self-isolation in your chart, though I accept your word that it's in you. That's usually Saturn or Pluto influence, sometimes an "asylum" effect of a Saturn-Neptune aspect. You do have a Saturn-Pluto conjunction reasonably close, but it's in a weak part of your chart (near a cadent cusp). Saturn-Pluto aspects to your Venus could relate to a kind of social withdrawal, but not of the scope you seem to be describing. (Meanwhile, several things in your chart - not the least of which is your strong Sun-Jupiter - are consistent with wanting to spend time in a monastery for other reasons - e.g., for spiritual reasons - though they are inherently social.

Are you concerned with the orb of planetary aspects to the angles; i.e. Midheaven and Ascendant? He has a tight one between both the Moon and Uranus and the midheaven.

I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you talking about orbs of contacts to the angles themselves, or of orbs of other aspects proximate to the angles? (Or something else.)

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:26 am Since I see you looking to get a handle on how Sidereal astrology approaches natal interpretation, I have a few threads to recommend. Some of them are pretty dense, some are more straightforward.

"Sidereal Astrology Points of Agreement"
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2259

"Strategy of Natal Chart Analysis"
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19

"Astrological Structures"
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1772

"Aim For the Gist"
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2335

blossomintobeing wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:43 am

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:14 am

I guess it's hard to divide myself from him, so that's normal at some level.

You know that's going to drive him to get further from you at least at some point.

A strong argument could be made that I am an obsessively balanced parent.

Are there any great threads on purpose you'd recommend that I haven't been able to track down?

I'm not sure what this sentence means.

It means on "purpose," or on destiny; what we're here to do; our path in life.

Danica wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:46 am A lot to catch up in this thread, agreed!
Blossom, welcome (I have been feeling this but not saying since your first post, due to not time to write here much)!
Just want to say re Houses: I haven't been taking them into consideration at all, since transitioning to Sidereal (about 10 years now), but as of lately, have been noticing how very-to-the-point is the description of the Sun in house and Moon in house for the people I personally know --- this is so without exception! Hence, I started taking them into account (the houses of Luminaries).

blossomintobeing wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:00 pm Fascinating. How close to the angles did they generally have to be, to your knowledge? For example, Mars for athletes--I'm guessing that the closer and tighter the orb, the more likely the character to be athletic, and especially so when placed in signs predisposing strength upon that Mars. Capricorn, perhaps; or the fire signs - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.

I think I was asking (albeit not very lucidly), "What about non-conjunctive aspects to the angles?" Meaning, if a planet trines or sextiles the Midheaven, does that lend some angularity, for example, to said planet?

blossomintobeing wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:16 pm Will look for more information about the Dragon's Head in the forums next.

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:16 pm It's a wave, a general "region," although Michel Gauquelin did tell me that the strongest sectors were always those immediately adjacent to the angles. You can dig into the larger, more complex world of his work overall. As a rule, from other studies, angularity is usually within about 10° of the angles (measured along the prime vertical, not ecliptically - so 10° means roughly one-third of a Campanus house), with distinctly sharper drop-offs at about 3°, 7°, and 10°.

But all of this is relative. If there are few angular planets (and none close), then the wider ones have a louder voice. If there are many that are close to the angles, then the strongest voices are those with much smaller orbs.

Angles don;'t make aspects. Never. They are locations, not objects.

Some phenomena seem to contradict this. For example, we often speak of squares to angles. This is sloppy (er, convenient ) language because "squares to Midheaven and Ascendant" are actually other angles - other distinct points on the celestial sphere that are angles in their own right. For example, the ecliptical squares to Ascendant are the actual longitudes of the Zenith and Nadir. (That's spelled out better, more thoroughly, in the Sidereal Mundane Astrology book's opening chapters.) However, other ecliptical aspects to angles (trines and sextiles, e.g.) are different.