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A Warrior King who dwells in exile comes in from the cold: the Mars, Saturn, Venus Moon of August 2010

Kings, cups and conjunctions: the Australian elections of August 2010

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The journey into visual astrology began just under six years ago when we emailed the first Visual Astrology Newsletter to 400 interested astrologers in January 2005. Since that time the newsletter has grown both in our understanding of the role that the heavens play in astrology and numbers of astrologers interested in the subject. The newsletter is currently emailed monthly free of charge to over 6000 astrologers!

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A Warrior King who dwells in exile comes in from the cold
The Mars, Saturn, Venus Moon of August 2010

Bernadette Brady M.A.

In August we have a rather thought-provoking sky story. In the middle of the month Mars meets Saturn in the wing of Virgo. Then while the bright evening star of Venus moves between them both, the crescent moon of 12 August rides underneath this triple conjunction.

To the Mesopotamian astrologer/priest this conjunction would be described as Nergal, the warrior, joining with the King and both being blessed by Ishtar, the radiating Venus. These events are embedded into the month by being associated with the crescent moon. All of this activity in the sky occurs in the wing of Virgo which places this sky story into the realm of a king who is in exile or far away – the wing of Virgo.

Looking at the Symbolism

Such a conjunction would have been seen as a threat and letters written to the king would have suggested that he be prepared for war.  Indeed such a letter was written by the astrologer/priest Sapiku of Borsippa around the middle of the 7th century BCE when he wrote on a clay tablet:

- [— Mars reaches Saturn.

^? [If ...] surrounds [...] which is in front of

it: attack of the enemy; a decision will be

given [for the Wes]tland. [1]

However, this sky story has additional themes. Just as Mars and Saturn come together, the bright evening star of Venus slides underneath Saturn and a few days later joins with Mars. Much has been written in these newsletters about Venus and her ability to empower another planet by her brightness. She is the only female planetary deity in Mesopotamian astrology and her brightness is her power, the gift she can give to another. If she is a morning star (rising before the sun) then she is aggressive, at times represented as bearded, and often carrying weapons. However, as an evening star (setting after sunset) she is more attuned to reconciliation, treaties, bringing communication and cooperation to whatever she is uniting.

Figure 2:Venus as the evening star.

We can see the impact of a Mars-Saturn conjunction being joined by a bright Venus in the same letter written by Sapiku of Borsippa. He pointed out that Mars received radiance (conjunct a bright Venus) and Saturn was faint. The letter does not indicate whether Venus was morning rising or evening setting but his advice to the king that, since Mars was strengthened by Venus so the king should attack his enemies, strongly suggests a morning rising Venus.
 

Mar[s, the star] of Subartu, is bright and carries radiance; this is good for Subartu. And Saturn, the star of the Westland, is faint, and its radiance is fallen; this is bad for the Westland; an attack of an enemy will occur against the Westland.
	Figure 3: Venus as the morning star.

With our current sky story the radiance occurs from an evening setting Venus, thus we may be able to predict the following for this next lunar month, from August to early September:
 

The shift of this story into reconciliation rather than one of attack and war rests totally on the delineation of a bright evening setting Venus radiating the Mars- Saturn.  Indeed if this Venus was a morning rising Venus, then it would suggest attacks, invasion and conflicts. This next month therefore provides us with a good chance to 'see' how Venus is working in visual astrology.

Checking a little history

Using Jigsaw [2] I created 1000 years of daily ephemeris and scanned this to look for previous occurrences of this sky narrative. The only occurrence of this combination in the last millennium was 16–19 August 1165, and for these dates there was no major military incursion or violence. By widening the search and including a Mars, Saturn, Venus conjunction in the wing of Virgo but not requiring the Venus to be bright, there was one other period on 8-14 September 1421. Once again the historical records were silent apart from a year of flooding in the Netherlands when the dykes broke in April and November 1421, drowning over 100,000 people.  

The lack of historical evidence around these dates I find interesting. History tends to record battles and conflicts and not the quiet talks that bring peace or reconciliation between groups.

So the sky this coming August. Firstly it will be lovely to behold. From the the first week of August look to the west in the early evening and as the sky darkens you will see firstly Venus, then Mar and finally a fainter Saturn. These three will be sitting in the wing of Virgo, so look a little further to the east for the blue star Spica. By 12 August look to the west for the first crescent moon in the early twilight and then keep watching above this moon (below if you are in the southern hemisphere) to see the three lights of Venus, Mars and Saturn.

Then tune in to your sources and listen for news of reconciliation or the beginning of talks that attempt to heal old wounds.  In your own life this is also a time to heal old wounds, so reach out to those in your life who are in exile in some way. Families and friends also have times of conflict and times of healing. This I believe is a time of healing.

 ______________________________________

1. Hunger, Herman. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. Helsinki, Finland:Helsinki University Press, 1992. p.271.

2. Jigsaw is an astrological research program which I co-designed with Esoteric Technologies. It is available through ET in Australia as well as Astrolabe in the USA, UK.

  Kings, cups and conjunctions:
the Australian elections of August 2010
 Darrelyn Gunzburg

That we should be so joyful that a woman stands in this position and has the possibility of continuing to do so for the next three years (the length of the term of an elected government in Australia) says much about the status of women in positions of ultimate political responsibility at this time in the world. 

For whilst much has changed regarding women in high-status roles, it was only in 1960 that Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the world's first female elected Premier Minister and in 1974 Isabel Perón of Argentina became the first woman President. In 1999 Sweden became the first country to have more female ministers than male, and there are currently only 3 reigning Queens: in Denmark, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

At this time there are only 10 female Presidents: in Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, India, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Lithuania and Switzerland, and in the Federation of Bosnia within Bosnia-Herzegovina - and 10 woman Prime Ministers: in Australia, Bangladesh, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Slovakia and Trinidad and Tobago and in the self-governing territories of The Netherlands Antilles and the Åland Islands.[1]

Will Julia Gillard join them with a long-term reign of her own? We can look at her visual astrology and some of her parans to gain answers to this question.

Julia Gillard was born on 29 September, 1961 at ‘noon’ in Barry, Wales.[2]

Natally Uranus in her horoscope is conjunct her North Node in the 9th house, so she reaches for fulfillment (North Node) through political philosophy (Uranus in the 9th house). If elected as the leader of the country, she has the opportunity to change the country politically (9th house) at its grass roots (Uranus) – a civilized revolution. Added to this in the sky map is the fact that she is part of the generation who has Uranus conjunct Regulus (see note below), so should she gain the title of Prime Minister of Australia, duly elected by the people, then she has the potential to become a symbol of this Uranus-Regulus combination for her generation.

Figure 1: Julia Gillard, 29 September, 1961, at noon  in Barry, Wales, UK

1.  [NOTE: Since Regulus in on the ecliptic at 29 degrees Leo, we can say that any planets/luminaries that are at within a degree of this will be conjunct Regulus. Otherwise we would use parans.]

     However, as we have stated many times before in this newsletter, Regulus is a Royal Star of Persia, so Gillard will be confronted with a nemesis and that is that she must never take revenge. Such situations of revenge can often arise in politics. Nevertheless if she does take revenge, then she loses all.

2.  We can also consider the parans to her natal Sun and when we do we see the following:

Alkes is rising with the Sun

                              A vessel, to carry something for others

Alkes is the cup carried on the back of the Hydra, the vessel that holds life and embraces a mystical theme in its symbolism. It suggests that Gillard carries something precious connected with her identity and her vitality.

Facies is on the nadir as the Sun is rising

A piercing focus to the point of ruthlessness, or prophetic vision

Facies is a nebulae in the stare of the Archer. It is naturally focused and resolute. If this becomes fixated, it can turn to brutality. However, if it is used for good and future planning, its gift is that of being far-sighted.

Transiting Saturn will conjunct her Sun in September. This is a one-off transit but it is close enough to the election of 21 August to be considered as affecting the outcome. Her natal Sun is in the left arm of Virgo, the arm which holds the wheat sheaf of bountifulness and fruitfulness. So the star of the King (Saturn) comes to conjunct another star of the King (the Sun) in the constellation of the goddess in the area of abundance. This king-making conjunction does indeed suggest that she will be successful in the forthcoming elections.

Figure 2: Julia Gillard's sky map for the time of her birth - Barry, Wales, UK 29 September, 1961. Looking east. Uranus on the Heart of the Lion - Regulus, a bright Venus morning star radiating the constellation Leo, the Sun in the upper left arm and near to the wing of Virgo.

Furthermore the Sun on the day of the elections (21 August) will be at 28 degrees Leo (conjunct Regulus) and conjunct her North Node-Uranus. Clearly this is not a major transit but it emphasizes the unfolding sky story of leaders elected and leaders crowned. As well, a bright Venus morning star radiates the constellation Leo, along with Uranus conjunct Regulus.

All of this augurs well for Gillard.

Finally we can briefly consider the parans linked with Gillard’s Uranus which as a public figure and current leader of the country, indicates public opinion and public expectations:

Uranus setting when Regulus is Setting

The people select a popular leader, a sports person is the favourite of the crowd

Uranus on the nadir when Sadalmelek is culminating

An optimistic outlook, the people believing in luck

Uranus culminating when Zuben Eschamali is rising

Power to the people, the people have their say

Uranus setting when Deneb Algedi is rising

The common law is upheld

Uranus rising when Menkar is culminating

The voice of the people calls for stability

In conclusion

From this brief look at the Australian elections through the lens of the chart of the current leader, Julia Gillard, it seems likely that she will retain the crown passed to her in the bloodless coup of June from within her own party and be endorsed by the public. If this is the case, then she will ride into the Australian history books as the first elected woman Prime Minister.

1.      http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/- - accessed 31 July 2010.

2.      According to Solar Fire’s Australian Data Collection, Julia Gillard's mother reportedly said ‘noon’. This was given to a friend of a friend of Australian astrologer Jill Amery.