Nabu plans to meet
Nergal in the Bow. A consideration of the forthcoming
expression of the Mercury retrograde loop in the bow of the
Archer occupied by Mars and Pluto.
Mercury's Conversations
- a look at the role that Nabu/Mercury plays in your natal
chart.
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Nabu plans to meet Nergal in the Bow
By Bernadette Brady
M.A.
A meeting is about to take
place. It was organised only a few days ago, 20-23 November. The plan was
made as Nabu (Mercury) brushed past Nergal (Mars) along the corridors of the
ecliptic.
They quickly agreed to meet and talk later. The idea was
that Nabu was to go by himself to the Bow of the Archer and then wait
till Nergal could meet him there.
This meeting will happen 13-14 December 2010 and once
completed, Nabu will hurry back to the royal court of the King – the Sun -
and either give him Nergal’s message or report on Nergal’s activities.
Is Nabu playing the double agent, or is he the negotiator?
And exactly what royal court are we talking about?
Is this somehow linked to the release of Aung San Soo Kyi
on 13 November in Myanmar? Possibly, but I think a more obvious candidate
may be the ongoing power struggle between North and South Korea and the USA's
war games in their area. In the figures below as well as in the short movie
available (click on the link) you can see this quick encounter between Mercury
and Mars (figure 1), Mercury then moving to stand still in the Bow of the
Archer (figure 2) and Mars meeting Mercury in the "Bow" (figure 3).
Figure 1 - 20 November,
Mercury hurries past Nergal
Figure 2 - 7 December,
Mercury waits (stations) for Nergal
in the stars of Sagittarius.
Figure 3 - 13-14
December, Mercury is joined by Nergal
in the Bow of the Archer with Pluto near by.
Watch a short movie of this meeting
There are some key points in this combination which need to
be considered. The first is that this particular Mercury-Mars combination in the
Bow of the Archer is combined with Pluto, making this planet-star combination
unique in the last 2,000 years. To this symbolism Pluto adds the promise of
large events and irrevocable change. The second consideration is that the Bow of
the Archer is, within its mythology, a place of aggression. It is associated
with strong focus and decisive action, usually against another. So this meeting
appears to be a discussion around a plan to take strong decisive action against
another and this action will have irreversible consequences.
As we have noted before in this newsletter, when a sky
narrative begins to unfold, it attaches itself to an emerging event. This event,
which loosely fits the sky symbolism, becomes swept up in the
inevitability of the sky narrative, playing out its expression in an earthly
realm. It is as if the story, having found an outlet, flows without
obstruction into those earthly events.
Korea – North and South - in the
news
Mercury joins with Mars in this area of the sky in a
three-step repeating pattern consisting of periods of 18 years, 32 years, 29
years. The last three times were in January 1992 [18 years ago], December,
1963 [29 years earlier] and December 1931 [32 years before that]. In each of
these last three conjunctions there has been issues around North and South
Korea. At the time of the 1992 conjunction Japan apologized to Korea for forcing
Korean women into sexual slavery during WWII. At the 1963 conjunction South
Korea was in the news as they were finalizing their Presidential elections and
faced pressure from the USA to join the Vietnam War, which they did in 1964. In
December 1931 Korea had not yet been divided and was dominated by Japan who, in
1931, strengthened its military rule.
All of the above are just loose associations.
However, as chance would have it, Korea is once again in a rolling and
escalating news story. This story began in September with speculation around
North Korea’s ailing leader, Kim Jong-il, handing power to his youngest son, Kim
Jung-un. The Western media were allowed to take rare footage of parades
featuring the potential heir. On 29 October there was an exchange of fire across
the border, followed on 12 November by the G20 meeting of world leaders in
Seoul. By the 23 November as Nabu was leaving his first encounter with Mars and
hurrying to their next meeting North Korea had launched an artillery attack on
the south. Now there is strong talk of war as North Korea threatens to attack if
South Korea and the USA go ahead with their planned war games in the area.
Given this situation the world can expect the next event to
be around the 13-14 December when Mercury meets Nergal again. This event will
not be another skirmish or sabre-rattling but something that should change the
nature of the game, either an escalation or a stepping down. Either way the game
will be altered.
The royal court that is involved here, the house of the
King, is more than likely to be the USA. Nabu will hurry to the king for help or
to give information once the events of mid-December unfold. It is a tense time
and let us hope that calm heads prevail.
Mercury’s
Conversations
Darrelyn Gunzburg
We are all born in
the midst of sky narrative and one of these is Mercury’s story. In
visual astrology Mercury is the eyes and ears of the king (Sun) and as
Darby Costello pointed out at StarLogos 2010, there are two different
styles of Mercury in a horoscope: one rises before the Sun, acting as a
scout, collecting and seeking information; the other follows the Sun and
acts as the king’s analyser of information.
As Mercury is scouting or processing
he is doing so ‘between meetings’. Mercury is the planet that moves from
conversation to conversation, from one encounter to another, and this
Mercury in ‘mid-conversation’ is captured in every horoscope.
In traditional astrology Mercury as a translator of light
will ‘carry’ information from one planet to another. We can see the
origin of this technique in the Mesopotamian view of Mercury speeding
between conjunctions, flying from planet to planet, yet always staying
close to the king and returning to him with news and information.
Above: Council of Minerva,
Mercury and Jupiter, Homer's Odyssey, The McCune Collection.
How does Nabu/Mercury function in
your chart?
Taking an example
from the last VAN we can look at the Mercury of Michelangelo. His
Mercury rose before the Sun, therefore it acted as a scout, collecting
and seeking information for the king (the Sun). What information did he
seek and from whom?
Michelangelo’s Mercury was deep in conversation with the Moon, and in
his sky map (below) both were sitting in the mouth of the upturned rim
of the urn of Aquarius. The information that Nabu/Mercury was gathering
was thus fertile and productive (the flow of the urn of Aquarius).
However, since the moon god, Sin, rode over the top of Nabu/Mercury, Sin
controlled the information that he passed on to Nabu.
Michelangelo: 6
March 1475 1.50 am LMT, Caprese, Michelan, Italy.
Meanwhile the king (Michelangelo
himself) walked with Nergal (Mars) amongst the stars of the eastern fish
of Pisces, suggestive of reaching out beyond oneself (the eastern Fish).
This is possibly seen in both his sculptural work and in his creation
images within the Sistine Chapel.
We could say that the information
that Nabu collected for the king, whilst restricted (Sin rode above
Mercury) was productive and brought abundance to the king (the Sun) as
long as he gave physical expression to his work (Nergal) and used it to
accomplish gains beyond what he believed were his limits (the eastern
Fish).
Above, Michelangelo's
Natal Sky Map
The second example also comes from
the last VAN. This is the Mercury of Krishna Das.
Krishna Das. 31 May 1947, 11.43 pm, Long Island, New York, USA.
His Mercury rose after the Sun,
therefore it acts as the king’s analyser of information, processing what
is occurring to him and around him.
What information is he evaluating? In his horoscope, Krishna Das’
Mercury sits with Uranus in Gemini in the 5th house, so it is processes
what is happening to the king (the Sun) quickly (Mercury-Uranus) and
creatively (in the 5th house).
If we look at Krishna Das’ sky map we gain added information. In his sky
map (below) the Sun sits in the face of the Bull close to Aldebaran,
suggesting that Krishna Das faces challenges and does not back away from
confrontation, so he needs an advisor who can assess each situation
swiftly and promptly, make rapid assessments and take inspirational
leaps with information (Nabu with Uranus).
Above -
Krishna Das natal sky map
: Above: Krishna Das sings
kirtan.
Furthermore Nabu/Mercury
is separating from Uranus and sits in the liminal space that is the
confluence of the horns of the Bull and the club of Orion. This is a
Nabu/Mercury that processes information about aggression (the tip of the
club of Orion) and challenges (the horns of the Bull) and advises the
king (Sun). Krishna Das, through a difficult life story has learn to
deal with adversity through song, and in this way he gives this gift to
others.
Questions to ask of your Mercury
Does your Mercury
travel fore or aft of the Sun? What is the meeting that he is coming
from or going towards? Have a look at your chart and ask yourself
how your Mercury supports your Sun in your sky map, either by pushing
forward and gathering information or supporting and evaluating what is
occurring in the given moment.
Nergal’s Story – A
Mesopotamian look at Mars and his descent into the
Underworld. An insight into
another approach to the delineation of Mars in a natal
chart.
In
brief...
A look at the
current sky narrative involving Mercury- Mars-Pluto, as
well as a different way of considering Mercury in the natal
chart.
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Saturn has now been joined by Venus as a morning star
and she radiates Saturn giving those who hold the high ground
greater strength. They are joined by the crescent
Moon in the early morning of the 2 December.
Jupiter continues to be high in the sky at sunset, glowing near
the western fish of Pisces.
Mars
sliding into invisibility but forms this difficult combination
with Mercury in the bow of Sagittarius. If you have a good
view of the western horizon you may just be able to see this
meeting as the sunsets.
Venus continues
as the Morning Star visible from mid-November and
radiates the King (Saturn). As a morning star Venus is
focused, active and empowering. Mid-November to late-November
is a time when action can be taken.
8, 9, 10 April, 2011
Tiefenbrunnen, Zurich Switzerland
Maps of the Psyche - Astrology and the Path to the
Stars
Liz Greene, Nick
Campion and Bernadette Brady
This 3-day conference, drawing on ideas
from ancient and classical teachings as well as modern psychology, will
examine astrological notions of the horoscope as a map, locating humanity
within a celestial environment and describing a journey through life and a
pathway to the stars.
13, 14 , 15 May, 2011
Boston, MA,
USA
ORIGINS, the Egyptian and Mesopotamian contribution to
astrology This
event is unique in the USA. For the very first time, the
Sophia Centre at the University of Wales Trinity Saint
David, UK through Dr Nick
Campion and Bernadette Brady will be teaching
an intensive, exploring the Babylonian and Egyptian
contribution to Western Astrology.
Registrations Now Open
14 - 16 October 2011 - Bristol, UK Astronomy and Culture
An academic conference being held at The University of Bristol, UK. Co-convened by Nick Campion and Darrelyn Gunzburg.
If you enjoy Visual
Astrology and would like to look at sky maps and also
create full fixed star reports for yourself as well
as clients, then have a look at Starlight the
software that has provided the foundation stone for the
development of visual astrology over the last 6
years. Visit: www.Zyntara.com
