Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

The title of this thread is exactly the same (Chapter 11) title as one of Robert Hand’s Essays in his book “Essays on Astrology.” I will highlight some of the more salient points from Hand’s essay, but there is no way I can do justice to the whole of Hand’s essay---it is most excellent, imo.

Hand writes:

The fact is that there were several methods of computing Dodekatemoria and they were used in various ways. One of these methods has come down to us from Indian astrology as dwadasamsas, to use the Hindu term, but the other two have completely died out. Of these last two, one has been investigated both by me and other workers and has shown astonishing results.

The Dodekatemoria Hand is using for “astonishing results” is simply the 13th Harmonic Natal Chart! The 13th Harmonic Natal is used, first alone as a stand alone chart, and then second compared to the Natal, using mainly the 13th harmonic planet positions compared to the natal planet’s positions with aspects and natal house positions. The stand-alone 13th Harmonic Chart may not show any outstanding astrological symbolism until you compare the 13th Harmonic to the Natal! And, neither may show any outstanding symbolism, indicating the Natal chart alone contains all the main themes. I have refined Hand’s 13 Harmonic guidelines by using only hard core Sidereal Astrology principles and what little work I have done with the 13th harmonic, particularly with my Natal, the 13th Harmonic Natal chart does show “astonishing results.” The hard core Sidereal Astrology principles I use are simply partile/tight 0, 90,180 aspects and 13th harmonic planets falling on/near the Natal MC & ASC. Hand says do not use the 13th harmonic MC or ASC! I strongly feel the 13th Harmonic is a mathematical natural law principle which originated from Ancient Egypt, but this is besides the main point that this 13th Harmonic system works by potentially showing us important aspects with ourselves either with a stand-alone 13 harmonic chart, or by comparing the planet’s positions of the 13th harmonic chart with the Sidereal Astrology 0, 90, 180 aspects to the Natal planet’s positions.

Hand writes:

This Dodekatemoria (13th Harmonic) are found in the horoscopes of Vettius Valens, quoted in Neugebauer. Vettius Valens was roughly a contemporary of Ptolemy. Thus it might seem that this is a later type of dodekatemorion than the dwadasamsa. However, Naugebauer’s indication that this type of dodekatemorion is found in cuneiform sources strongly suggests that it is the oldest form of Dodekatemoria. And I believe that there is internal evidence to suggest that the dwadasamsa is a corrupted form of the 13th harmonic Dodekatemoria.

Neugebaurer writes:

Assume a point A of a zodiacal sign being x degrees from the beginning of the sign. With A there is then associated as “dodekatemorion” another point B whose distance from A is 12x (and therefore from the beginning of the original sign 13x). This relationship is one of the rare instances where a similar doctrine is also known from cuneiform sources.

My 13th Harmonic Planets Compared to my Natal Chart Planets and Natal Houses. Inside wheel Natal; Outside wheel 13th Harmonic Chart: https://ibb.co/ZgmzTDM

I will demonstrate by Hand’s guidelines for using the 13th Harmonic Natal Chart with my 13th Harmonic Natal Chart, alone with my refined hard core Sidereal Astrology techniques. First and foremost, there is a partile conjunction of Mars-Uranus in my 13th Harmonic Natal Chart which strongly reinforces my direct midpoint of Mars/Uranus=Vertex falling in my Natal 8th House. Note: the Mars-Uranus partile conjunction in my 13th harmonic Natal Chart also falls in my Natal 8th House and is tightly conjunct my Natal Mars in my 8th House. This partile conjunction of 13th harmonic Mars-Uranus also partile 90 13th harmonic Neptune. As I explained in the Houses Topic, this Sidereal Astrology 13th harmonic Mars-Uranus-Neptune nails the symbolism that I experienced the most in a malefic way pertaining to 8th House symbolism of “other people’s money” within a corporate structure pertaining to my career. I am 73 years old and without a doubt, so far, this has been the most malefic part of my entire life experiences. Fortunately, my 13th harmonic Jupiter falls 1,44 conjunct my Natal ASC, along with my Natal Jupiter near the Natal ASC, which allowed me to win this very malefic Natal 8th Mars War which I encountered in my life. So I see here with my 13th Harmonic Natal strongly reinforcing the Natal 8th House symbolism, and this is the way Hand’s general guidelines are written for using the 13th Harmonic Chart. My 13th Harmonic Natal Chart seen through my 73 years eyes of living “astounds” me!

Other points of interest with my 13th Harmonic Chart: 13th Harmonic Mars partile 45 13th Harmonic Saturn! 13th Harmonic Neptune partile 90 my Natal MC, and 13th Harmonic Neptune falls in my 5th House symbolizing my career in the Entertainment business of Movie films (Neptune). Observation: The other partile harmonic 8 aspects of the 13th Harmonic Natal may offer other outstanding astrological symbolism.

Note: With little work with other 13th Harmonic charts, I have seen where the 13th Harmonic chart did not seem to pick-up any glaring symbolism using as a stand alone or comparison method, but I don’t really know for sure since I have lived my natal chart with its inner personal astrological symbolism and have not lived others natal charts with their personal astrological symbolism.

Please understand, I am not saying my refined methods of using the 13 harmonic is the best method, only that it is satisfactory to my use with close personal inspection using my life with its astrological natal symbolism.

I spent a fair bit of time with this back in the '80s. I found it interesting (my own 13th is interesting in particular, always thought it was an important harmonic for me), but not enough that I kept looking at it.

Much of what you've described is the kind of thing we've seen operative with Noviens, and they have held my attention over the decades. Nonetheless, the 13th is worth someone taking the time to examine IMHO. It also does seem to have a strong voice in (one stage of) astrology in antiquity.

SteveS wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:45 am My 13th Harmonic Planets Compared to my Natal Chart Planets and Natal Houses. Inside wheel Natal; Outside wheel 13th Harmonic Chart: https://ibb.co/ZgmzTDM

Steve, you might find this is way easier to do if you flip over to a 90° dial on the chart. The cross aspects will immediately pop out to your eye.

I don't relate particularly strongly to mine viewed this way. I get more from my Novien treated this way.

Thanks Jim, I need to learn how to duplicate your 90 dials for quicker perceptive looks at these 13th harmonic charts compared to the natal, but my old habits are difficult for me to overcome at my age.

When I first looked at your 13th harmonic (two days ago) compared to your Natal, I saw it mostly reinforcing your Natal partile conjunction of Jupiter-Uranus, with your 13th Harmonic Mercury in your Natal 9th House of writing & publishing/higher learning 1,24 90 your 13th Jupiter with 13th harmonic Jupiter conjunct 13 Harmonic Uranus. Looking at your stand-alone 13 Harmonic Chart, I really resonate with what your writings/publishing has done me with that 13th Harmonic 90 of Mercury-Jupiter. Your benefic intellectual astrological work (Mercury-Jupiter) has given me as an astrological student great intellect (Mercury) and joy (Jupiter), as I am sure it has done for your inner self as well.

Later, I will try to write more about Hand’s essay on the 13 Harmonic which are very intriguing to me using my own refined Sidereal Astrology principles, which you actually taught me.

SteveS wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:51 pm Thanks Jim, I need to learn how to duplicate your 90 dials for quicker perceptive looks at these 13th harmonic charts compared to the natal, but my old habits are difficult for me to overcome at my age.

When you open any chart in SF (whether a single chart, dual wheels, etc.), there is a drop-down at right to switch between Wheel and Dial. (It will say Dial. Change it to wheel. Voila!)

When I first looked at your 13th harmonic (two days ago) compared to your Natal, I saw it mostly reinforcing your Natal partile conjunction of Jupiter-Uranus, with your 13th Harmonic Mercury in your Natal 9th House of writing & publishing/higher learning 1,24 90 your 13th Jupiter with 13th harmonic Jupiter conjunct 13 Harmonic Uranus. Looking at your stand-alone 13 Harmonic Chart, I really resonate with what your writings/publishing has done me with that 13th Harmonic 90 of Mercury-Jupiter. Your benefic intellectual astrological work (Mercury-Jupiter) has given me as an astrological student great intellect (Mercury) and joy (Jupiter), as I am sure it has done for your inner self as well.

Thank you. - Mercury-Jupiter-Uranus in that chart is interesting. I get much the same (as Moon-Mercury atop natal Jupiter-Uranus) in the Novien, but with slightly wider orbs.

PS - I'm going to delete the charts in the last post to save space, but you can easily regenerate them in Solar Fire within a click or two.

Thanks Jim.

Hand writes under Conclusions:

It appears the 13th harmonic is a kind of restatement of the first, and from what work has been done so far that the thirteenth-harmonic Dodekatemoria may be a useful tool in deciding which symbols in a chart are important and which are not.

FWIW, Hand’s above words with my Natal Chart certainly proved itself using the 13th Harmonic, with the 13th Harmonic putting a huge emphasis on my Natal Mars/Uranus=Vertex in my Natal 8th House. Also, an emphasis on my close orb rising Jupiter in my Natal with 13 Harmonic Jupiter also rising tightly on my Natal ASC. Also 13th Harmonic Neptune partile 90 my Natal MC in my Natal 5th House of “Speculation”. This means that my 2 most angular 13th Harmonic Planets to my Natal Angles are Jupiter & Neptune. One of Ebertin’s “Principles” for Jupiter-Neptune combos is “Speculation”, which I was thrust into with part of my employee duties in my career, and the great benefic influence of Jupiter by holding job position beginning at age 6 with a corporation which operated Movie Theaters (Neptune). No doubt about my 13th Harmonic nailing a-lot of the important symbolism in my Natal!

Hand’s guidelines for using a 13th Harmonic Chart:

Read all aspects among the 13th Harmonic positions except for 13th Harmonic angles as well as the interaspects between the 13th and Natal positions. House positions of the 13th positions in the Natal appear to be very significant, as well as the sign positions.

While others have had slightly different experiences, I have not found that the 13th harmonic positions tell a great deal that an astrologer could not have gotten from a thorough analysis of the conventional natal chart. However, the aspects within the 13th harmonic positions and between them and the natal positions seem to heighten and emphasize the most important elements of a Natal analysis.

Hand speculates on why the 13th Harmonic “emphasizes” the most important elements for a Natal analysis:

If you take 13 spheres of equal size, 12 of them fit about the 13th so that the outer spheres all touch their neighbors perfectly as well as the sphere in the center. (Use Quarter Coins). The geometry appears using 7 Coins. 13 is the the 3 dimensional analog of 7. Perhaps there is also a connection between the 7th and 13th harmonics.