Navamsa

Vedic Astrology & Palmistry

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Ghislaine Maxwell, procurer for the privileged?

July 18th, 2020 · Astrology, celebrity, Crime, Instruction, Karma

Ghislaine Maxwell, now under arrest and suicide watch, has fallen from the privileged perch she once held as alleged procurer of girls for the pleasure of powerful men. Maxwell is the long-time intimate of Jeffrey Epstein, who supposedly killed himself in jail last August awaiting sentencing for sexual abuse of multiple underage women. Maxwell and Epstein were party pals with such luminaries as Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz and many, many more.

It’s a fact of nature that snakes mate in swarms, so it’s no surprise to discover that Ghislaine Maxwell has a Kala Sarpa horoscope, as does Donald Trump and Prince Andrew. For the uninitiated, a Kala Sarpa configuration is one where half of the chart lies empty on one side of the nodal axis defined by Rahu and Ketu. Hers is a Class 4 type, the most commonly occurring (6.5%) of the lot, wherein a planet (Moon in her case) remains within the sign occupied by the node, yet lies outside the degree of the nodal axis.

Assessment of any Kala Sarpa begins with the house positions of the nodes. Think of the nodal axis as a bar magnet, with compulsive attraction at the Rahu end, and ambivalent repulsion at the Ketu end. Rahu in the 3rd often reflects a talent for communication, liaison and marketing which, coupled with Rahu’s natural charisma and capacity for manipulation, can produce the modern equivalent of a snake oil salesman. On the flip side, Ketu in the 9th reflects an absent, remote or weak relationship with one’s father, whose very character may erode another 9th house theme – morality and the law. Thus, Ketu in the 9th could be summed up with an attitude of, I recognize no moral authority, so nobody tells me what to do.

Analysis of Kala Sarpa next requires an assessment of the planets ruling the nodes. Here, both nodal dispositors are powerful – a full-ish Moon in its own sign with Rahu, and Saturn in its own sign with Ketu. But the Moon’s presence on the nodal axis spins this into dosha territory, wherein flaws of some sort or another contribute to the detriment of the individual. The nodes, after all, are natural enemies of the luminaries because of their power to eclipse them. And since the Moon is a general indicator of the perceptions and personality, the nodal presence makes her twitchy, shadowy, dark…

The dosha theme is further reinforced by the presence of greater malefic Saturn on the nodal axis, and the aspect of lesser malefic Mars on Rahu. Thus, the nodes, and therefore the Kala Sarpa pattern as a gestalt, take on a darker theme. The presence of a debilitated Jupiter on the nodal axis may help assuage the trouble somewhat, but it can’t reverse the tide.

The nodes have the power to act as proxies for whatever planets they’re linked to – by association, aspect or rulership. In Maxwell’s case, the Moon and Saturn loom large because they are both associates and dispositors. Once we understand that, we need to take a closer look at the role those two planets play in her chart, and what relationship they have with each other.

The Moon is a powerful 3rd house lord. Among other things, it rules (a) desire because the 3rd is one of the three kamasthanas – 3rd, 7th, and 11th – and (b) the courage to act on one’s desires, whether sexual or more generic, as when one desires to be rich or famous or powerful. But because Rahu accompanies the Moon, such desires can be corrupted, subject to the twisting and turning of the serpentine nodes.

Saturn is a powerful 9th house lord. Among other things, it rules (a) morality because the 9th is one of the three dharmasthanas – 1st, 5th, and 9th – and (b) father figures and mentors of influence. Again, because Ketu accompanies Saturn, both morals and father figures can be corrupted by the nodes, all the more so since a debilitated Jupiter, the very karaka of dharma, acts like a rotten apple in the barrel. And what a woman learns from her father (9th house) influences her relationships with other men throughout her life.

Now consider the involvement of these two nodal dispositors in yogas. The Moon opposite Jupiter forms a mixed-strength Kesari yoga, essentially the mark of a schmoozer who’s comfortable in a meet-and-greet, sales-and-marketing role. At the other end of the axis is 9th lord Saturn with 11th lord Jupiter, forming a mixed-strength Dhana yoga. In Ghislaine’s case, her wealth comes courtesy the estate of her late father, media magnate and financial fraudster Robert Maxwell.

Finally, consider the mutual aspect between the Moon and Saturn. Although this doesn’t form any immediately recognizable classical yoga, it is a signature for passion. Passion combos can be summed up as any “cross-contamination” between the “ladies” (Moon and Venus) and the “bad boys” (Mars and Saturn) of the zodiac. Here we have a powerful pair, the Moon and Saturn, in face-to-face contact via their mutual aspect.

This theme is reinforced by Ghislaine’s robust stellium of four planets in the 8th house. In and of itself, this is a remarkable cluster that contains no less than five Raja yogas and one Dhana yoga, but key among this group are Mars and Venus, the requisite pair of male/female partners that further substantiates the passion theme. This gains even more momentum when we note that these two planets are also the 1st and 7th lords, ruling the Self and the Other, while their association in the 8th house is virtually a formula for sexual transactions and/or commerce. For bonus points, note how Mars also aspects the Moon, yet another male/female contact.

Because Mars is combust, this aggravates the whole 8th house cluster, metaphorically suggesting an itch that must be scratched, although ultimately this could be to the detriment of the Other, since it’s the 7th lord that is combust. This is all the more significant, since Maxwell is now in her Mars dasha, when the karmic consequences of a combust kama lord of the 7th in a scandal-themed dusthana (the 8th) must inevitably find its outlet in the ruination of some Other(s).

Ironically, many venomous snakes are immune to the poison of their own species. So, when you stir up a nest of vipers, they may strike blindly in all directions, but harm none of their own. Yet, because they live among us, they threaten collateral damage.

Gentlemen, put your lawyers on retainer.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

KALA SARPA by Alan Annand

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western astrologers, covering planetary exchange as seen through the lens of traditional astrology. Likewise, his book The Draconic Bowl is a reference text for western astrologers for whom the extensive delineations of the nodes by house position and planetary influence will provide a wealth of information.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

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Kala Sarpa “twins” Paul McCartney & Brian Wilson

June 18th, 2020 · Astrology, Instruction

By the mid-Sixties, The Beatles and the Beach Boys loomed large in pop music, one the leader of the British Invasion, the other the epitome of California’s surfing culture. Ironically, each band was also the other’s inspiration. Like so many other musicians, the Beach Boys were in awe of The Beatles’ songwriting, and the Beatles were no less impressed with The Beach Boys’ accomplishments in the recording studio. Paul McCartney admitted that The Beach Boys album, Pet Sounds, was the primary inspiration for The Beatles’ subsequent Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Paul McCartney & Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson is often cited as a musical and recording genius. Perhaps no one has said the same of Paul McCartney, and yet no one could deny his enormous talent, both as a songwriter and musician. The remarkable thing about these two world-class icons of Sixties pop music is that they were born a mere two days apart – Paul McCartney on June 18th, Brian Wilson on June 20th of 1942.

Paul McCartney has a Class 2 Kala Sarpa, in which category the planets do not occupy the same signs as the nodes, but are spread among the five intervening houses, albeit with one or more of those houses left empty. Only 2% of horoscopes exhibit this pattern.

His nodal axis is aligned through the 12th/6th house axis. On the face of it, this implies a strong sex drive, since the 12th house reflects pleasures of the bed, as opposed to neglecting 6th houses issues such as service to others. But aside from Rahu’s 12th house placement here suggesting an international career, the deeper import of any Kala Sarpa lies in the disposition of the planets that modulate its output, which are themselves “powered up” by the energy it confers on the horoscope.

Rahu is neither associated with nor aspected by any planet. But its rashi dispositor the Sun occupies the 10th house with digbala, and is eminently stabilized by its natural friend Jupiter. The Sun in the 10th is a signature of command and control, and McCartney was indisputably the Beatles’ organizer. He was also arguably the more creative of the songwriting partnership with John Lennon, and was a versatile musician who could play virtually any instrument – bass, guitar, piano, drums.

Ketu is associated with no planet, but aspected by three, most notably Saturn which is also its rashi dispositor. Saturn forms two Raja yogas with Mercury in the 9th, which thus implies luck in life, and certainly reflects the monetary benefits of music publishing which earned him and Lennon millions.

Kala Sarpa is reputed to magnify whatever is exaggerated in the horoscope. In McCartney’s case, three planets qualify for amplification – the Moon because it’s dark, Mars because it’s debilitated, and Mercury because it’s retrograde. As noted already, Mercury forms two Raja yogas with Saturn. And as a strong well-placed lagnesh, Mercury grants the power to elevate the stature of the individual. For bonus points, note that Mercury is also McCartney’s 10th lord of career, so its elevation and participation in powerful yogas helps to confirm the assessment.

The Moon/Mars pair is a more complicated matter. On the face of it, they form Chandra-Mangala yoga, the most basic of wealth yogas, so labeled because the pairing implies activity, energy and passion, all of which can translate into productivity. In the 11th house, it implies group enterprise. Although Mars is debilitated, it enjoys some mitigation via Neecha Bhanga for three reasons:

  • it’s associated with its dispositor the Moon,
  • Jupiter, the planet that would be exalted in Cancer where Mars is debilitated, occupies a kendra, and
  • Saturn, the lord of Capricorn where Mars would be exalted, aspects Mars.

McCartney was born in Mercury dasha, Rahu bhukti, and thus the Kala Sarpa pattern was enlivened from birth.

Brian Wilson has a Class 4 Kala Sarpa, in which category one or more planets occupy the same signs as the nodes, and one or more planets lies beyond the nodal axis without leaving that sign. Only 6.5% of all horoscopes have this pattern.

His nodal axis is aligned through the 4th/10th house axis, which creates a strong nesting instinct. In one of his songs he famously sang, “There’s a place where I can go and tell my troubles to – in my room, in my room…”

But again, the more significant ramifications of a Kala Sarpa hinge on the planets empowered by it. In Wilson’s case, Rahu is associated with the Moon, which attains digbala in the 4th house. And although this can provoke a strong imagination, it also poses a problem for mental stability. The 4th house is associated with the manas, the unconscious mind governing perceptions, emotions and psychological response. With Rahu in the 4th, the manas is disturbed, and the person becomes subject to distorted perceptions, troubled emotions, and weird reactions to normal life.

Since the Moon is also the karaka (significator) for the manas, this spells double trouble, because in Wilson’s chart Rahu deranges both the bhava (house) and the karaka for the mind. Wilson spent most of his adult life struggling with anxiety and depression, dependent on mood-altering prescription drugs, and/or in therapy costing $20,000 a month.

For comparison and contrast, consider the 4th house, 4th lord and Moon in Paul McCartney’s horoscope, the status of which help us assess his manas. His 4th house is unoccupied, aspected only by the Sun and its ruler Jupiter. His 4th lord Jupiter is in a positive house, associated only with the Sun. His Moon is dark but in its own sign (thus, mixed), while Saturn’s aspect upon it is the sole negative influence. Thus, no cause for worry whatsoever.

Back to Wilson’s chart, Rahu is disposed by the Sun in the 2nd house, where it literally gives “voice” in the form of both lyrical/musical composition and its delivery via the famed Beach Boy vocal harmonies. As in McCartney’s chart, Wilson’s Ketu is also aspected by debilitated Mars, combust Jupiter, and its dispositor Saturn. Of these three, Saturn becomes the primary “client” for whom Ketu plays a proxy role.

In any horoscope with a Venus-ruled ascendant, Saturn is yogakaraka, with potential to form auspicious yogas. Here, as lord of the 10th, it combines with Mercury, lord of the 5th, to form a Dharma-Karma Adhipati yoga. The two also form Dhana yoga, wherein Saturn acts as 9th lord of good fortune, and Mercury is the 2nd lord of money. Both Raja and Dhana yogas are robust because Mercury enjoys double strength – retrograde, and with digbala in the lagna.

As for Wilson’s debilitated Mars, it too enjoys mitigation through Neecha Bhanga, for even more reasons than McCartney’s:

  • The Moon, which is Mars’s dispositor, occupies a kendra,
  • Saturn, the lord of Mars’s exaltation sign, occupies a kendra,
  • Saturn also occupies a kendra from the Moon,
  • Saturn also aspects Mars,
  • The Moon and Saturn, being Mars’s dispositor and lord of Mars’s exalted sign, respectively, are in mutual kendras.

Thus, Mars becomes a relatively robust force in Wilson’s chart, despite its being in the 3rd house where it invokes karako bhavo nashto, ie, the “spoilage” of sibling relations. Thanks to the multiple forms of Neecha Bhanga that apply in his case, Wilson was actually able to build and maintain a productive collaboration with his two younger brothers, Dennis and Carl. Nonetheless, sorrows prevailed. The brothers argued frequently over the direction their music took over the years. And the middle brother, Dennis Wilson, was the black sheep of the family, married four times, in and out of rehab for substance abuse, and ultimately drowned under the influence.

Wilson was born in Venus dasha, Rahu bhukti, whereby the minor period immediately activated the Kala Sarpa pattern, just as in McCartney’s case.

Aside from their musical genius, both artists enjoyed several other similarities in life, although for sometimes different reasons. Both played bass guitar in the live performances of their respective bands, although clearly McCartney was the more accomplished player, often cited among rock’s most influential bassists. And yet both knew their way around a keyboard which they often used for composing songs. In addition, McCartney was an accomplished balladeer on acoustic guitar, an excellent lead guitarist in the studio, and could also play drums.

In McCartney’s chart, his debilitated Mars is the 3rd lord of artistic prowess. In Wilson’s chart, his debilitated Mars occupies the 3rd house. Thanks to Neecha Bhanga in both their charts, they applied considerable energy to the mastery of their instruments.

Both had musical fathers. McCartney’s was a trumpet player and pianist who led a jazz band in the 1920s, who kept an upright piano at home, and encouraged Paul to take piano lessons. Wilson’s was a minor musician and songwriter who encouraged his kids to play music, and on his 16th birthday gave Brian a tape recorder, allowing him to experiment with recording songs.

In McCartney’s chart, the Mercury/Saturn pair form two Raja yogas in the 9th house. In Wilson’s chart, Saturn is lord of the 9th, and the Mercury/Saturn pair form Raja and Dhana yoga in the lagna.

Both men had marital ups and downs. McCartney’s first wife died of breast cancer; his second marriage ended acrimoniously after just four years; his third marriage is ongoing. Wilson’s first marriage lasted 15 years. Despite interference from his therapist, he got married a second time to a woman who became his business manager.

In McCartney’s chart, his 7th house is dual-sign Pisces, its lord Jupiter moderately combust in dual-sign Gemini, while karaka Venus occupies the 8th house. In Wilson’s chart, 7th lord Mars is debilitated in the 3rd, while both house and lord are aspected by Saturn; karaka Venus occupies the 12th.

Both had kids who pursued artistic careers. McCartney’s daughter Stella became a fashion designer; Wilson’s two daughters Carnie and Wendy formed the pop group Wilson Phillips. McCartney’s 5th lord Saturn forms two Raja yogas with Mercury in the 9th; Wilson’s 5th lord Mercury forms Raja and Dhana yogas with Saturn in the lagna.

Both had important people in their lives who also shared the Kala Sarpa pattern. For Paul McCartney, one was fellow Beatle and drummer Ringo Starr, while the other was George Martin, the fabled recording engineer who helped the Beatles realize their musical visions. For Brian Wilson, one was fellow Beach Boy and younger brother Dennis who drowned at age 39, while the other was daughter Carnie Wilson who enjoyed success in the pop group Wilson Phillips but later struggled with obesity.

To recap, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, both hugely influential in modern pop music, were born less than 48 hours apart. In sharing the Kala Sarpa configuration, they also lived up to its promise for rule-breaking innovation. Aside from their songwriting, they explored the potentials of recording technology, something ruled by Rahu. In experimenting with the same things – playing segments slower/faster/backwards, creating repetitive loops, cutting and pasting snippets of music into the overall mix, over-dubbing multiple vocal and instrumental tracks – in some notable instances they created a symphonic tour de force, such as A Day in the Life and Good Vibrations.

~~~

For a discussion of key features regarding the charts of Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, follow this link to YouTube and subscribe to my channel.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

KALA SARPA by Alan Annand

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western astrologers, covering planetary exchange as seen through the lens of traditional astrology. Likewise, his book The Draconic Bowl is a reference text for western astrologers for whom the extensive delineations of the nodes by house position and planetary influence will provide a wealth of information.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

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Alexander McQueen: l’enfant terrible of fashion

December 27th, 2019 · Astrology, celebrity, Instruction

A fashion show by Alexander McQueen was never anything less than a spectacle. Whether it was just his innate sense of drama, or the perverse delight he took in shocking his audience of fashionistas, he pulled out all the stops. His half-naked models, their scarcely-concealed buttocks or breasts leaving little to the imagination, would stride or stagger up and down the runway, their make-up lending them the look of feral animals, aliens or escapees from a lunatic asylum. In the days and weeks that followed a show, the buzz became a roar. Little wonder that the great houses of couture wooed him to lend a frisson to their lines, while movie stars and royalty commissioned bespoke designs.

On first glance, his chart doesn’t appear that remarkable. Lagnesh Venus joins Saturn (lord of 4th and 5th) in the 7th house to form two Dharma Karma Adhipati yogas. Venus is ordinary and Saturn is mixed, being debilitated with dig bala. But they are the only two planets in kendras, so they wield an appropriate influence.

Although Saturn is debilitated, it enjoys partial relief by two out of the four possible means: (1) Venus, lord of Libra in which Saturn would be exalted, is in a kendra, and (2) Mars, Saturn’s dispositor, is strong in a kendra from the Moon. Thus, Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga is formed, albeit with moderate power.

In this context, we should be reminded that a crippled limb stabilized by a prosthetic device is still a crippled limb, and will therefore hamper the native. Partnerships, whether personal or professional, were bound to suffer. McQueen was sexually abused in his youth by his elder sister’s husband. Elder siblings are seen through the 11th house, their partners through the 5th. Thus, the perpetrator in this case is debilitated Saturn imposing himself upon Venus, the ascendant lord of victim McQueen.

Another Dharma Karma Adhipati yoga is formed by 9th lord Mercury with 10th lord Moon in the 5th. With a pair of vaishya planets working in concert, this alludes to McQueen’s successful application of his creativity to commercial enterprises, as seen via his prominent roles at both Givenchy and Gucci, the famous fashion houses of France and Italy.

His chart reveals a Papakartari yoga formed by malefics flanking the lagna – a powerful Mars in the 2nd, and Ketu in the 12th. Substance abuse became a problem in his later years, contributing to deterioration of his primary relationships.

Shakata yoga, formed when Moon and Jupiter are in a 6/8 relationship, evokes irregularities in life, sometimes financial, social or emotional, the latter of which seemed to be McQueen’s lot.

The indications for a career in fashion are two-fold: the Raja yoga with Venus and Saturn in the 7th whereby Venus aspects back into the lagna, and a powerful Mars in the 2nd house that rules fashion, clothing, accessories, etc.

If we regard his chart from the perspective of Chandralagna, we get similar indications. Ascendant lord Saturn would occupy the 3rd house of skills with artistic Venus, forming two Raja yogas. Mars would form Ruchaka yoga in the 10th house, reflecting his role as creative director in his field. Jupiter would aspect its own 2nd house, its close alignment with the Rahu/Ketu axis suggesting his inventiveness, rule-breaking tendencies, and substance abuse. And on a personal level, 7th lord Sun on the Rahu/Ketu axis would imply unconventional relationships, which played out in his openly gay lifestyle.

In both the rashi and chandralagna charts, the 7th lord is eight houses away – Mars in the first instance, the Sun in the second – which is some indication of turbulent relationships. In his natal chart he had two distinct passion combinations – a strong Mars aspecting the 5th house Moon, and a debilitated Saturn conjoined Venus in the 7th house. These patterns, wherein the “good girl” planets Moon and Venus are afflicted by the “bad boy” planets Mars and Saturn, are further evidence of an active sex life.

Almost the entirety of McQueen’s professional life was contained within his Mercury dasha, which ran from 1992 to 2009. Mercury is in Shatabhisha nakshatra whose lord Rahu occupies his 6th house of competitive endeavors along with the 11th lord Sun.

He received his master’s degree in fashion design in 1992, and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who subsequently became his mentor, using her fashion sense and industry contacts to help him advance his career.

McQueen used new technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows. His early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title “l’enfant terrible” and “the hooligan of English fashion.” He designed the wardrobe for David Bowie’s tours in 1996-1997, and lent his style to Icelandic singer Björk for the cover of an album and two of her music videos.

In 1997 he was hired by Givenchy where he indulged his rebellious streak. A show in 1998 included a double amputee model striding down the catwalk on wooden legs. Another show featured a model whose strapless white dress was spray-painted as she stood between two robotic paint guns on the catwalk. Yet another show featured an enormous glass box filled with moths, inside of which was a naked model wearing only a gas mask.

McQueen won the British Designer of the Year four times in 1996-2003. In late 2000, the Italian fashion house Gucci took a 51% stake in his company, leaving him with complete creative control. By the end of 2007, he had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan, and Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons included Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna. Lady Gaga often incorporated McQueen pieces in her music videos.

In 2007 McQueen was devastated by the suicide of his long-time mentor Isabella Blow. This ushered in a very difficult three-year period for him during which, despite seeking psychiatric help for anxiety and depressive disorder, he twice took drug overdoses as “cries for help.”

In the spring of 2009 he entered the dasha of his 12th house Ketu. When his mother died in February of 2010, it was apparently too much for him to bear. Little more than a week later, on the eve of her funeral, he took his own life by hanging. A subsequent coroner’s report indicated that his blood contained a “significant level” of cocaine, sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

Note that bhukti lord Venus gives results for its star-lord Ketu in the 12th house of self-undoing. And although he didn’t die during a Mars period, Mars is a triple maraka, being both occupant and lord of the 2nd, as well as lord of the 7th. Aside from its obvious connection with substance abuse, as a strong malefic in the 2nd, Mars also occupies the middle drekkana of Scorpio. This is a pasha drekkana, wherein “pasha” means noose. This could be taken literally, as the physical means by which death is embraced, or from the viewpoint of karma-inducing behavior, by which substance abuse was the noose that bound him to his fate.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosted a posthumous exhibition of McQueen’s work in 2011 titled Savage Beauty, and in its three-month run became one of the most popular exhibitions in the museum’s history. A subsequent 2015 exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum sold almost half a million tickets, making it the most popular show ever staged at that museum.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

KALA SARPA by Alan Annand

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

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Nodal “weather forecast” Q4 2019

October 2nd, 2019 · Astrology

This is a continuation of my series on the “power levels” of the nodes. Readers interested in the attributed values governing the appearance of this graph are encouraged to read earlier posts in this series.

The blue line represents the cumulative energy that Rahu carries on behalf of planets for whom it can act as a proxy during the period; the red line represents that of Ketu. The vertical scale reflects magnitude of effect only, with no distinction between benefic vs malefic influence. Eventually, this “nodal weather report” may evolve into something more nuanced.

Compared to Q3, when nodal “power levels” averaged 13 points with peaks of 30, Q4 power levels are somewhat higher, averaging 17 points with peaks of 34 and above. Aside from Saturn’s long-term association with Ketu, the uptick in this quarter is largely a consequence of Jupiter also entering sidereal Sagittarius in November, joined over the following weeks by both Venus and the Sun.

In the last week of December, two other planets pile on. Mercury enters Sagittarius too, while Mars enters Scorpio to influence Rahu via its 8th-house special aspect. A solar eclipse on Boxing Day is the icing on the cake. Thus, the nodes exert their greatest effect over the Christmas holiday period.

These effects may be felt most keenly by anyone whose ascendant, luminaries or key planets occupy 10:00-13:20 degrees sidereal Gemini or Sagittarius.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

→ No CommentsTags: ·····

Nodal “weather” forecast: Q3 2019

July 6th, 2019 · Astrology

This is a continuation of my series on the “power levels” of the nodes. Readers interested in the attributed values governing the appearance of this graph are encouraged to read earlier posts in this series.

The blue line represents the cumulative energy that Rahu carries on behalf of planets for whom it can act as a proxy during the period; the red line represents that of Ketu. The vertical scale reflects magnitude of effect only, with no distinction between benefic vs malefic influence. Eventually, this “nodal weather report” may evolve into something more nuanced.

Compared to Q2, when nodal “power levels” averaged 18 points with peaks of 35, Q3 power levels are considerably lower, averaging 13 points with peaks of 27 and lower. This is a consequence of Mars and Mercury having passed through sidereal Gemini and no longer making contact with the nodal axis in Gemini/Sagittarius.

Meanwhile, however, Saturn in Sagittarius with Ketu continues to drive long-term nodal power levels. Sun and Venus are both in Gemini for the first 2-3 weeks of July, after which they leave the sign and the nodal power level drops noticeably.

Mercury provides a brief “bump” in power at the end of July after it completes its retrograde cycle and briefly re-enters Gemini. Other “blips” occur every two weeks as the Moon passes through Gemini or Sagittarius and thus makes contact with the nodal axis.

A solar eclipse on July 2nd and a lunar eclipse on July 16th provide the peaks in nodal power levels for the month, after which activity declines noticeably.

Rahu remains in Mercury’s sign Gemini for the entire Q3, and in Jupiter’s nakshatra Punarvasu until mid-September. Ketu remains in Jupiter’s sign Sagittarius and Venus nakshatra Uttara Ashadha for the entire Q3.

As a general observation, we can say the nodes exert significant influence around the dates of the eclipses on July 2nd and 16th. Longer term, the effects of this slow nodal transit in Q3 may be felt most keenly by anyone whose ascendant, luminaries or key planets occupy 19-24 degrees sidereal Gemini or Sagittarius.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.



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Nodal “weather” forecast: June 2019

May 29th, 2019 · Astrology

This is a continuation of my series on the “power levels” of the nodes. Readers interested in the attributed values governing the appearance of this graph are encouraged to read earlier posts in this series.

The blue line represents the cumulative energy that Rahu carries on behalf of planets for whom it can act as a proxy during the period; the red line represents that of Ketu. The vertical scale reflects magnitude of effect only, with no distinction between benefic vs malefic influence. Eventually, this “nodal weather report” may evolve into something more nuanced.

Compared to May, when nodal “power levels” averaged 15 points with peaks of 23, June’s power levels are considerably higher, averaging 22 points with peaks of 35. This is a consequence of the Sun, Mars, and Mercury spending a good portion of the month in sidereal Gemini with Rahu, while Saturn remains in Sagittarius with Ketu.

Rahu remains in Mercury’s sign Gemini (2 points) and Jupiter’s nakshatra Punarvasu (1 point). Mercury transits Gemini from June 2-20, adding 8 points for association with Rahu during that period. Mars is also in Gemini from June 1-22, adding another 8 points for association with Rahu. And Sun is in Gemini from June 16-30, contributing 8 points for association with Rahu. Meanwhile, Saturn is in Sagittarius all month, adding four points for its aspect upon Rahu. The Moon transits Gemini June 4-6, adding another 8 points for association, and transits Sagittarius June 17-19, adding 4 points for aspect upon Rahu.

Ketu remains in Jupiter’s sign Sagittarius (2 points) and Venus nakshatra Uttara Ashadha (1 point). While the Sun, Mars and Mercury spend a portion of their time in Gemini, they aspect Ketu and thus each contribute 4 points to its power level. Meanwhile, Saturn remains in Sagittarius throughout June, thus contributing 8 points to Ketu via association. When the Moon transits Gemini it contributes 4 points by aspect on Ketu, and when passing through Sagittarius adds 8 points for association.

As a general observation, we can say the nodes exert significant collective influence a couple of days on either side of June 5th, and then two weeks later a powerful influence a day or two on either side of June 18th. The effects of this slow nodal transit and its accumulated power may be felt most keenly by anyone with their ascendant, luminaries or key planets in the area of 24-25 degrees sidereal Gemini or Sagittarius.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

→ No CommentsTags: ·

Nodal “weather” forecast: May 2019

April 30th, 2019 · Astrology

This is a continuation of my series on the “power levels” of the nodes. Readers interested in the attributed values governing the appearance of this graph are encouraged to read earlier posts in this series.

Here’s the logic behind the graph: the blue line represents the cumulative energy that Rahu carries on behalf of planets for whom it can act as a proxy during the period; the red line represents that of Ketu. The vertical scale reflects magnitude of effect only, with no distinction between benefic vs malefic influence. Eventually, this “nodal weather report” may evolve into something more nuanced.

Throughout May, Ketu’s power level remains moderate, since Ketu is with Saturn in Sagittarius (8 points), and receives an aspect only from Mars in Taurus (4 points). At a much slower rate (think of it as a background hum), Ketu is in Jupiter’s sign (2 points). Meanwhile, Ketu is in the Sun’s nakshatra Uttara Ashadha until May 9th, and then in Venus nakshatra Uttara Ashadha until the end of the month (1 point in either case). Totaled, that makes 15 points, except for days when the Moon aspects or associates with Ketu in the first and second halves of the month, causing the additional “blips” of 4 points and 8 points respectively.

For the first week of May, Rahu’s power level is modest, aspected only by Saturn (4 points). Meanwhile, Rahu is in Mercury’s sign (2 points), and Jupiter’s nakshatra Punarvasu (1 point). That’s 7 points in total. But on May 7th, Mars enters Gemini to conjoin Rahu (8 points), and immediately after that the Moon passes through Gemini to give Rahu an additional surge, followed two weeks later by a smaller blip as the Moon transits Sagittarius.

As a general observation, we can say that the nodes exert their greatest collective influence around May 9th and May 22nd, affecting anyone with the ascendant, luminaries or key planets in the area of 25-27 degrees Gemini or Sagittarius.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

→ No CommentsTags: ··

Paris Jackson: you can’t go back to Neverland

April 4th, 2019 · Astrology

Paris Jackson’s name turned up on social media last month when TMZ reported that she’d allegedly made a suicide attempt back in February. She vehemently denied this, but it’s not the first time she’s been in similar circumstances. Can astrology confirm or deny a rumor such as this?

Normal people don’t understand depression, let alone the extreme act of ending one’s suffering by choosing death. But in the past year there’ve been a spate of high-profile suicides, most of which baffle us. In 2018 there were the suicides of fashion accessory designer Kate Spade, and of celebrity TV chef Anthony Bourdain. And just a month ago there was the suicide of renowned economist Alan Krueger who rose to prominence in the Obama administration.

Astrologically, suicide is sometimes seen as a consequence of a difficult Mars/Saturn placement, either conjoined or mutually opposed across the 1st/7th house axis (because that involves the physical body), or across the 6th/12th house axis (because that involves personal malaise and self-undoing), or across the 4th/10th house axis (especially with Mars in the 10th and Saturn in the 4th, from which position they both aspect the ascendant).

There are, of course, other combinations that could reflect self-harm, but those involving Mars and Saturn are classic, since Mars signifies violence in some form, while Saturn is the karaka for death itself. Needless to say, these two planets alone are often insufficient to make the case for self-harm, and there typically needs to be some connection to the 1st (self), the 4th (one’s happiness or lack thereof), and the 12th house (the self’s undoing).

Paris Jackson’s birth chart

Paris Jackson was born at 6:26 AM PST on April 3rd, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. She was the second child and only daughter of Michael Jackson and his then-wife Deborah Rowe.

The first thing one might note of her chart is that the kendras are empty. There is a piece of jyotish folk wisdom that says, a person with empty kendras will never make a mark in life, because they can’t get their hands on the wheel, and are therefore incapable of steering themselves in any direction.

Although empty kendras should give us pause for thought, we must be wary of rushing to judgment. Some highly accomplished people, eg, the inventor of the AC electrical system, Nikola Tesla, and rock star Jon Bon Jovi, also had empty-kendra charts, so there are certainly exceptions. So on that score, let’s hold that thought, and see what else arises from a closer look at this chart.

Speaking of empty houses, the astute observer may note that the southwest half of the chart is empty, a consequence of the chart being bisected by the Rahu-Ketu axis, and (almost) all of the planets on one side of the nodal axis. This is a Class 4 Kala Sarpa configuration in which one or more planets (Venus in this case) may lie outside the nodal axis without leaving the sign in which one of the nodes is resident.

Kala Sarpa is a bit like a double-edged sword, oftentimes bequeathing talent and good fortune, or dogging the native with misery and misfortune, sometimes both. In this case, the bias starts on the yoga (positive) side, since both prime benefics Jupiter and Venus lie on the nodal axis, and no other planet is associated with or even aspects either node.

However, both nodal dispositors (Sun and Saturn) are in the 12th house, and that gives this Kala Sarpa a nudge toward dosha, or negative results for the native. That inclination becomes compounded when we notice that Mars and Saturn are in graha yuddha. And it becomes especially pertinent when we further note that Mars is lagnesh.

Whenever the lagnesh of a chart goes to the 12th house, it’s a bit of a red flag to raise concerns about (a) addictions, (b) sexual issues, and (c) losing one’s way in life. Of course the 12th house has positive associations too, eg, charity, spirituality and travel, but with so many malefics in weakened condition here, it’s genuine cause for concern.

As so often happens in a Kala Sarpa configuration when planets are restricted to one half of the chart, several planets will often bunch up in one or more clusters. When four or more planets, ie, counting luminaries and planets but not the nodes, collect in one sign this forms Pravrajya yoga. It’s typically an indicator of concentration in some area of life whose theme may arise from the house itself, or from that of the strongest planet therein.

Since the 12th house embraces so many themes, eg, the “bed pleasures” of sleep and sex, addictions, charity, expenses, incarceration, immigration, suicide, spirituality, travel, etc, we can only speculate for the moment which of these many possibilities might be part of her karma.

As sometimes happens within a cluster or “stellium” of planets, their crowding into one sign may precipitate a case of planetary war, as happens here between Mars and Saturn. Since these two are traditional enemies with antithetical natures, eg, active vs lethargic, hot vs cold, impulsive vs controlled, etc, their association or opposition are usually problematic unless one is clearly stronger than the other.

In this case, neither has any significant dignity in Pisces (Mars in a friend’s sign is trivial). Worse, they’re both weakened by graha yuddha. Planetary war occurs when any two of the true planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus or Saturn) lie within one degree of arc from each other, no matter whether the cusp of a sign lies between. Symbolically, they crowd each other’s space and struggle for supremacy. And even though there’ll technically be a winner – by virtue of brightness, greater northern declination or higher zodiacal longitude – it’s a bit like two heavyweight boxers going a full 15 rounds. By the end of the fight, there may be a winner, but both fighters are bone-weary and seriously damaged.

In this case, lagnesh Mars has gone to the 12th house where it associates with the Sun and a debilitated Mercury, and competes in planetary war with Saturn. The fact that it’s gandanta (first degree of a fire sign or last degree of a water sign, simultaneously on the cusp of both signs and nakshatras) just compounds matters.

To tease out the likely cause, manifestation or consequence of planetary war, we can always start by considering the people in the life of the native. Lagnesh Mars represents Paris. Its war is with Saturn, lord of the 10th and 11th. If we start from the family and work out way outwards, we can take the 11th house for elder siblings, of which she has just one, Prince. Sibling rivalry is a commonplace dynamic, so that’s one possible source of her angst. Further on out into her social circle, the 11th also represents friends. Perhaps she’s been betrayed by friends, or feels unable to meet the expectations of her social circle. Expanding our orbit, we can also consider Saturn as lord of the 10th, wherein it may stand for authority figures with whom she might have locked horns.

We can also take a different approach to all this by considering the Jaimini karakas. Mars as the planet with the highest zodiacal longitude is the Atmakaraka (AK), or significator of the Self. It’s a bit of a coincidence that Mars is already lagnesh signifying the same thing, but that just gives it confluence. Meanwhile, Saturn as the planet with the second highest zodiacal longitude is the Amatyakaraka (AmK), or significator of the career. Coincidentally, Saturn is already the 10th lord, but that too gives our earlier idea some traction.

To date, Paris has tried her hand at acting, modeling and music, but so far hasn’t managed to make a success of anything in particular. In all fairness, she’s only 21, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of. But her father was a major pop star in his teens, so she stands in a lengthy shadow. Between some psychological need to outshine her brother, or to live up to the expectations of her social circle, or simply to find her professional niche in life, the frustrations of butting her head against a wall (Mars vs Saturn) might at times seem overwhelming.

Does her chart illuminate an appropriate path for her?

Aside from Kala Sarpa and Pravrajya, her chart reveals multiple yogas. For instance, there are several Dharma Karma Adhipati yogas contained within her 12th house cluster. As lord of the 1st, Mars combines with 5th lord Sun and 10th lord Saturn. And 5th lord Sun joins with 10th lord Saturn. But these DKA yogas, although technically present, are weak since all of them involve a planet impaired by graha yuddha. The same weakness is true of the two Dhana yogas formed by 11th lord Saturn with trinal lords Sun and Mars.

On the other hand, the Dharma Karma Adhipati yoga formed by 7th lord Venus and 9th lord Jupiter is not impaired by any obvious weakness. Admittedly, this is the weakest of the DKA yogas, and it’s spoiled by association with the nodal axis, but this may only reflect an eclectic social circle. The Venus/Jupiter pair also forms a Dhana yoga, since Venus rules the 2nd and Jupiter the 9th.

She also has a Dainya Parivartana yoga, a mutual reception or sign exchange of 11th lord Saturn and 12th lord Jupiter. Theoretically, this could relieve her graha yuddha, but it depends on how you visualize the exchange. The first way is to imagine the two planets – Jupiter and Saturn – exchanging places degree-for-degree by stepping directly into the position of the other. So Saturn would move to 19AQ56, and Jupiter would move to 28PI15. But in that case, Jupiter would now be in graha yuddha with Mars. Since Jupiter is also the 9th lord, the planetary war would imply a problematic issue with respect to the father.

The second way to exchange positions is to imagine each planet taking its own degree into the other sign. Under this scenario, Saturn would take its own degree (28:15) into Aquarius, while Jupiter would take its own degree (19:56) into Pisces. But now, even though Jupiter would avoid planetary war with Mars, it would become totally combust with the Sun that sits at 19PI48. Consider again the implications of a 9th lord totally combust. So it’s something of a damned-if-you-do/damned-if-you-don’t situation.

In either of these two scenarios, other hypothetical considerations arise. By swapping Jupiter and Saturn, we’d now have Saturn on the nodal axis. Thus, by removing the prime benefic and replacing it with the prime malefic, we’d have thrown a virtual switch converting her Kala Sarpa from a yoga to a dosha. This in turn has ramifications for 5th and 11th house issues (the nodal axis), causing some degree of difficulty with respect to intellectual acumen, creative capacity and the prospect for children.

Speaking of creativity, that’s already somewhat impaired, since 5th lord Sun has gone to the 12th where it’s afflicted by Mars and Saturn. Perhaps Paris doesn’t have the same creative spark as her father did. Certainly she wouldn’t seem to have sufficient drive and/or discipline to make it happen. Quite aside from lagnesh Mars being frustrated by war with Saturn, there are other challenges.

In her chart, lagnesh, Sun and Moon are all in dvisvabhava rashis. In fact, five out of nine planets are in dual signs, which can spell ambivalence, indecision, procrastination and self-doubt. Furthermore, Mercury is perhaps the weakest planet in her chart, because (although retrograde) it’s debilitated and moderately combust, and afflicted by Mars and Saturn. Since Mercury owns the 3rd (desire, passion, talent) and the 6th (competition, routine), it’s likely that she lacks the necessary drive to devote herself to the rigors of a world-class performance that could secure her a lasting career.

If we conduct a career analysis from the point of udayalagna, chandralagna and suryalagna, looking at the most influential planet(s) from those three perspectives, we find that Jupiter is the most promising. This might suggest a game plan going forward, which could include (1) seeking trusted guidance via therapist, mentor and/or guru, (2) a strategic withdrawal from “celebrity society” in favor of a rehab clinic and/or spiritual retreat, (3) judicious weaning of friends and associates to reflect her higher social values, and (4) ultimate devotion to some form of not-for-profit charity work.

As of July 2018, Paris is in her Saturn dasha. Since Saturn is in planetary war with lagnesh Mars, she and her family have reason to be concerned about her well-being. And because any period lord will first and foremost deliver results on behalf of its nakshatra lord, we must take note of Mercury’s status. Recall that it is, aside from the Mars/Saturn pair in graha yuddha, perhaps the weakest and least stable planet in her chart.

Saturn bhukti runs until the summer of 2021, after which Mercury bhukti kicks in. Since Mercury is swa nakshatra, it is doubly inclined to give its own results during its period. As weak as it is, the prospects are worrisome.

The clock is ticking. One can only hope that Paris gets the counsel and care that she needs before entering this perilous period.

~~~

For a discussion of the salient features of Paris Jackson’s chart, follow this link to YouTube and subscribe to my channel.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

KALA SARPA by Alan Annand

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

→ No CommentsTags: ····

Nodal “weather” forecast: April 2019

April 1st, 2019 · Astrology

This is a continuation of my series on the “power levels” of the nodes. Readers interested in the attributed values governing the appearance of this graph are encouraged to read earlier posts in this series.

Here’s the logic behind the graph: the blue line represents the cumulative energy that Rahu carries on behalf of planets for whom it can act as a proxy during the period; the red line represents that of Ketu. The vertical scale reflects magnitude of effect only, with no distinction between benefic vs malefic influence. Eventually, this “nodal weather report” may evolve into something more nuanced.

In April, now that Jupiter has joined Saturn in Sagittarius, the association of both with that node means each contributes 8 points to Ketu’s “power level.” Meanwhile, transiting Mars in Taurus aspects Ketu for another 4 points.

At a much slower rate (think of it as a background hum), Ketu in Jupiter’s sign gives it another 2 points, while in the Sun’s nakshatra Uttara Ashadha it gains one final point, for a total of 23 points.

Nodal “power levels” April 2019

This continues for most of April. But Jupiter turns retrograde soon after entering Sagittarius, and returns to Scorpio on April 23rd, at which point it no longer associates with Ketu. Consequently, Ketu’s “power level” drops 8 points, then gets a brief boost as the Moon transits Sagittarius the last week of April before dropping again.

Throughout April, Rahu is aspected by Saturn (4 points) and, up until the 23rd, by Jupiter (4 points). Meanwhile, Rahu’s background hum draws 2 points from Mercury’s sign, and another point from Jupiter’s nakshatra Punarvasu. That’s 11 points for most of April, with a bump in week 2 as the Moon transits Gemini, then a dropoff in the last week of April when Jupiter retrogrades into Scorpio again.

As a general observation, we can say that the nodes exert their greatest influence towards the end of week 2 in April, affecting anyone with the ascendant, luminaries or key planets in the last pada (26deg40-30deg00) of Gemini and Sagittarius.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

→ No CommentsTags: ··

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: the face of America’s New Deal

March 6th, 2019 · Astrology, celebrity, Instruction

In the Vedic pantheon of deities, Venus is known as the Asuracharya, or guru to the demons. Judging by the invective heaped upon her by Republicans and conservative news media alike, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems nothing short of the anti-Christ. But maybe that’s just the price you pay when you arrive on the battlefield announcing yourself as a Democratic Socialist, and vow to shake up everything that has become so comfortable for the Establishment.

She was born 13 October 1989 at 11:50 AM EDT in the Bronx, New York. (Rodden rating A)

Venus is the only angular planet in AOC’s chart – alone, unsupported and unopposed – and yet no less radiant with hope, nor less resolute in determination to make herself heard. If one were to doubt for a moment her ability to advance her cause, look no further than her Scorpio ascendant and her 11th house, where the Sun, Mars and Mercury form the nucleus of multiple yogas.

Her ascendant lord Mars forms no less than five significant yogas: (1) a Raja yoga via conjunction with 10th lord Sun, (2) a Raja yoga via opposition with 9th lord Moon, (3) a third Raja yoga via mutual special aspects with 4th lord Saturn, (4) a Dhana yoga with 11th lord Mercury, and (5) a Chandra Mangala yoga via opposition with the Moon.

Two more Raja yogas are found through other pairs: (a) the opposition of 9th lord Moon with 10th lord Sun, and (b) the opposition of 4th lord Saturn with 5th lord Jupiter. Note that capacity for government service is typically seen through the engagement of the 5th house (ministry, portfolio), the 9th house (judiciary, law) and the 10th house (administration, execution).

Mercury is the strongest planet in her chart. Despite her opponents’ bashing of her for her “crazy ideas,” the evidence is already there for an acute intelligence coming to bear upon long-neglected issues of socio-political significance. The Sun/Mercury pair is a classic Budhaditya yoga because it fulfills a necessary condition of aspecting the 5th of critical thought. It doesn’t hurt that the Moon/Mercury opposition is also a Dhana yoga of 9th and 11th lords.

The Moon too is strong. Yes, it’s in Pisces. But as John Lennon once sang, “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” The Moon is full in the 5th house and involved in five yogas – four already noted above – with the last being a Kesari yoga in mutual kendra with Jupiter.

Don’t be lulled into thinking, with Venus rising and a Pisces Moon, that she’s just a starry-eyed girl who knows nothing of the real world. Rotate the chart to view it from the perspective of Chandralagna, and you’ll see Sun, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn are all in the angles. Sun/Mars is a fighter, and her intelligence will guide her to take the pulse of the public and pick her battles. War is coming.

But while we’ve got Chandralagna in view, note as well that she has six out of nine planets in dual signs. So between the idealistic and sometimes-fickle Moon, and the Sun/Mars tendency to shoot first and aim later, she is bound to make mistakes. This is, after all, a consequence of both her youth and her gung-ho attitude. Her motto might well be, I’d rather ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

She has several strong houses by virtue of being occupied or aspected by their lords. The 2nd house, aspected by its lord Jupiter, gives education, the power of speech, and something meaningful to say. The 4th house, aspected by its lord Saturn, gives her a loyal constituency whose interests she is committed to represent. The 6th house, aspected by its lord Mars, gives her a competitive streak and a take-no-prisoners attitude. Her 7th house, aspected by its lord Venus, gives her relationship-building skills and a charisma that will draw other stakeholders to her side. Last but not least, her 11th house is occupied by its own lord Mercury, whereby she demonstrates her mastery of networking, social media and the power of community to bring change.

Note that AOC has Jyeshta rising. Not all rising nakshatras get activated, but this one does, courtesy the presence of Venus in the 1st house. Some of the principal themes of Jyeshta are: defying and surmounting odds, concerns for conservation and social welfare, issues of power and supremacy, and at the heart of it all, a “don’t fence me in” attitude. Sound familiar?

She was elected during her Ketu-Sun period. Ketu gives results for its sign lord the Moon, which is lord of the 9th in the 5th, two houses that denote governmental involvement. Ketu also gives results for its star lord Mercury, the strongest planet in her chart, which is associated with kshatriya planets the Sun and Mars, significators of both administration and war.

The Sun gives results for its star lord Mars, which from the 11th rules the 1st and the 6th, thus bringing into play her charisma, her courage and her willingness to engage in battle, whether in social media, Congress or other public venues. The Sun also does its own work which, as lord of the 10th, reflects leadership and governance in a social or political setting.

Her Ketu dasha will run until 2023, and thus almost certainly see her re-elected in the 2022 mid-terms. After that, she will be into Venus dasha for 20 years, where her future becomes a little less certain. Venus will give results for its star lord Saturn, which rules the problematic 3rd house. And Venus itself is lord of the 12th, which can spell loss, or withdrawal from the field.

For some resolution of such uncertainties, it’s useful to consult the relevant divisional charts, which in this case are the D9, or navamsha, for general planetary strength, and the D10, or dasamsha, to reflect upon her career. For this exercise, let’s concentrate exclusively on the current dasha lord Ketu, and the next dasha lord Venus.

In the D9, we see Ketu in a dusthana, which typically presents some problems. But it’s associated with two benefics, Mercury and Jupiter, and aspected by another benefic, the Moon. Although association with a debilitated planet (Mercury) can contaminate Ketu, note that Mercury’s debility is relieved by the presence of Jupiter in its own sign, so that becomes a non-issue compared to Jupiter’s strong support.

In the D9, Venus is supreme, forming the amsha version of Malavya yoga in its own sign in a kendra. The sole aspect of Saturn is little cause for worry, since it has little strength in either the rashi or the navamsha.

In the D10, Ketu is in a positive house with Mars. Although a malefic can cause trouble (she’s already been targeted by frightened conservatives as their whipping-girl), Mars and Jupiter are in Parivartana yoga. Under exchange, we can let these planets swap places in our mind’s eye and thus see Ketu accompanied by Jupiter in its own sign. And therein lies the power of this dasha lord to propel her into public service.

In the D10, Venus is in its own sign, this time in a trikona. Admittedly it’s aspected by a debilitated Saturn but that isn’t enough to defeat a strong planet in a positive house.

AOC may be here for a long while, so Republicans might as well roll up their sleeves and develop a strategy to deal with her. As a woman and a visible minority, wielding her intelligence like a sword against some of the most obvious inequities of American society, she is the face of a youthful cohort that may force the GOP to review its policies and platform.

Worthy opponents encourage everyone to up their game.

~~~

See the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

~~~

Alan Annand studied with Hart de Fouw, and is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology. He’s also a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies, and the author of several books.

Kala Sarpa is a first-of-its-kind reference book on a unique pattern in jyotish that is not discussed in shastra yet is part of India’s rich oral tradition.

Stellar Astrology, Volumes 1 & 2, offer a wealth of time-tested techniques in the form of biographical profiles, analyses of world events, and technical essays. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. His Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume written for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional astrology.

His New Age Noir crime novels (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.”

Websites: www.navamsa.com, www.sextile.com

You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.

 

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