Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Fixed Stars Now in Gemini

Continuing a series of monthly posts on Fixed Stars in each tropical zodiac sign.

Data for Gemini from Astroweb (HERE), showing star positions in 1900 in the left-hand column and in 2000 on the right.

Astrological interpretation for most of those stars, when found tightly conjunct a natal personal planet, or important point, will be available online - a good, all-encompassing website is Constellation of Words.

 Hat-tip here for illustration
I'll scribble on a bit about Aldebaran, the bright rose coloured star which marks the Taurus Bull's right eye. The star's name derives from Al Dabaran, the Follower - that is, following the Pleiades (a group of stars in Taurus), or perhaps the star was so named because it marked the 2nd Arabic Moon Mansion - following the first.

Aldebaran, now lies at around 9.47 degrees of Gemini. It is one of the four "Royal" stars.

Why were four Fixed Stars considered "royal"? Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut retain their status as Royal Stars to this day among western astrologers. The tradition stems from Arabic astrology/astronomy which some see as our modern astrology's closest relation. Arabic astrology filtered through to Europe from Persia, today's Iran, thousands of years ago.

These stars were accorded high stellar office by ancient astrologers and astronomers. In ancient times, in the Age of Taurus, their positions marked the four cardinal points, the equinoxes and solstices. The four stars were referred to as Watchers of the Heavens, looked on as guardians of the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes, and the Summer and Winter solstices. Aldebaran, the "Eye of the Bull", was the Watcher of the East, conjunct the Sun at Spring Equinox – at the Aries Point.

These bright "Royal" stars formed a huge astrological cross, involving the zodiac's four Fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius long before the cross became a symbol of Christianity.

The symbolism of the four Royal Stars in ancient times is easy to account for. However, it isn't as easy to accept that astrological interpretation of these stars in later centuries, should retain the same flavour, when their positions have changed. The four Royals have moved on from their very early sites. Their approximate positions today: Aldebaran has moved from Taurus to 9 Gemini. Regulus has been in early Virgo since 2011. Antares has moved from Scorpio to 9 Sagittarius, and finally Formalhout moved from Aquarius to 3 Pisces. All four now occupy the Mutable signs - far different in interpretation from their Fixed neighbours.

Many astrologers still see the four Royal Stars as powerful when they appear in very close major aspect to a planet or sensitive point in a natal chart or mundane chart. The reason for this, I guess, harks back to the stars' early important status. Perhaps there is a question mark here. As the stars moved on over the centuries, ought they to have shed their royal reputation? It was their position, not their intrinsic properties, I suppose, which had originally defined them as highly fortunate.

There's a nice piece at Librarising.com on the Royal Stars and their progression:

Snip:

..........All four royal stars have since moved from the fixed to the mutable signs at different times during the last 700 years or so beginning with the Aldebaran-Antares half of the cross around 1300 AD. The move from Taurus-Scorpio into Gemini-Sagittarius may have been the driving force behind the birth of the Renaissance movement as well as the colonization to the Americas. The printing press(Gemini) and the spread of the scriptures(Sagittarius) were also outcomes of this. Alderbaran is currently at about 10° Gemini tropical and Antares at about 10° Sagittarius tropical.

Beginning in 1725, the other half of the cross began asserting itself as Fomalhaut moved from Aquarius to Pisces, ushering in Great Britain as a dominant sea power, steam power, the Victorian era, secret societies, and mystical religions. It may also be behind the more modern developments of oil, chemicals, film, photography, psychology, and collectivism, and will no doubt continue to spawn even further developments. Fomalhaut is currently at 4° of tropical Pisces.

Lagging behind the other three is Regulus which moves permanently from Leo to Virgo on November 29th, 2011 AD. Finally, all four stars will be in the same mode again, balancing each other out, and officially ushering in the mutable era or epoch of humanity where learning, communicating, and adapting will be central or pivotal to our existence.....................

Astrologers' interpretation for Aldebaran when found within a degree or so of a personal planet or significant point in a natal chart include such keywords as eloquence, high honors, integrity, popularity, courage, agitation; danger, loss....etc etc. for an entertaining read on this see a piece at Darkstar Astrology; alternatively Kenneth Johnson Astrology has this interpretation:


Aldebaran (10 Gemini) Ptolemy merely remarks[xiv] that Aldebaran is of the nature of Mars – which is unusual, since stars are almost always described in terms of two planets rather than one. It is certainly true that Mars should be a factor here, since Aldebaran is a red star. Anonymous of 379 and the Liber Hermetis both list this important fixed star as being of the nature of Venus and Mars combined.[xv] It is said to render its natives fortunate and wealthy, with a talent for administration. It lends courage, eloquence, integrity and popularity to a horoscope. In keeping with its Mars-Venus association, the longitude of Aldebaran is listed by Anonymous of 379 as being among those “degrees which cause licentiousness.”[xvi] The same author also declares that those born under its influence are “hot-headed” when it comes to their desires, as well as being “versatile in respect of sexual pleasures.” [xvii]

In the Hindu nakshatras, this star is known as Rohini, the Red Goddess, the literal dancing girl in the sky. In 3000 BCE, her rising would have marked the vernal equinox; she is the goddess in the springtime of her youth. As in the Hellenistic tradition, the Hindus recognize Aldebaran as an indicator of fortune, wealth, and administrative talent, and they retain a strong sense of this star’s erotic power. It is interesting to note that Sigmund Freud was born with the Moon close to Aldebaran, while Marilyn Monroe’s Sun was almost exactly conjunct this important star.

14 comments:

Sonny G said...

Morning Folks~!

I'll wait to read the comments as this is beyond my scope:) interesting though..

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ Good morning to you too! Yes, this is beyond my own scope too, really, but it's another angle from which to do a monthly blog post, and I do learn a wee bit from each month's collection.

mike said...

My ascendant is right on Hyadum II, for better or worse. Mixed definitions-interpretations upon reading the lore. One source likens Hyadum II to the nature of Saturn-Mercury, another to Uranus-Neptune and gives psychic abilities. Either way, Hyadum II seems to be an obscure fixed star of the Hyades cluster. As said, it is what it is.

Sonny G said...


since we're in gemini now I wanted to ask Ya'll what this means??


one report I got said it made me a "chatty cathy" lol but I'm sure ya'll can give me more detailed info..

Seems to me Cap would not Feel At Home here or maybe I just need to read more about how mercury works in someones chart.

thanks in advance for your thoughts on it..



Mercury Capricorn 17°54'46 in house 3 retrograde

Twilight said...

mike ~ Interesting! I was going to mention Hyades cluster in the post but decided to keep it reasonably brief so didn't. The cluster has connection to a stormy, rainy season which, as I was preparing the post was in full swing here in OK - and in Texas. Things have calmed down during the last few days and humid heat is the result.

From Constellation of Words linked in post:

The Hyades are a stormy star group and was regarded as a separate constellation. Those born at this time take no pleasure in tranquillity and set no store by a life of inaction; rather they yearn for crowds and mobs and civil disorders. Sedition and uproar delight them...

(Doesn't sound much like you - or does it?)

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ I have Mercury in Capricorn too. I'm not any kind of a chatty cathy - I think that description belongs mainly to those with Sun in Gemini, Mercury in Gemini and/or Gemini rising.

I've come to the conclusion that Mercury in Capricorn = less flighty chat, more seriousness in communication, a businesslike air, aims to be concise - not necessarily lacking in (often dry) humour though depending, too, on other placements of course. My natal Mercury trines Neptune in Virgo so I have to throw in a bit of nebulousness, mystery and imagination while trying to be businesslike... %-/
(I have no planet or significant points in Gemini.)

LB said...

I've shared before how Aldebaran is *exactly* conjunct my MC and is part of my chart's Mystic Rectangle and Yod. Having lived with Aldebaran for so long, I'm finally beginning to notice a pattern. In recent years whenever that particular place in my chart is aspected (by transits or progressions), I feel called upon to challenge and communicate some important idea related to our world, with its many hidden injustices and hypocrisies.

Its presence (and maybe this is connected to the Aldebaran/Antares axis) seems to represent the growing challenge we all face as humans, which is to see things as they are rather than as we might like them to be. It expands my awareness, reveals my complicity, then asks how much I'm willing to surrender and be shaped by what I discover. It always involves me being honest with myself about my *own* motivations and denial, so no matter how disappointed or disillusioned I may be with others, the jumping off point still begins with me.

I think I'm getting better at recognizing/integrating my own 'stuff' and with accepting the limits of my influence to shape other people's choices, other than by example. Transiting Neptune in Pisces is squaring Aldebaran right now, so there's been a lot going on in my small world.:)

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
― William Wilberforce

I love that quote.

mike (again) said...

Sonny - You have a late Libra ascendant, which is the start of the first house. You have Mercury in Capricorn, your third house. Gemini is the natural third sign and third house, and both Gemini and the third house are ruled by Mercury. Since you have the planetary ruler (Mercury) of the natural third house (Gemini) in your natal third house (Capricorn), that house is enhanced, and yes, it endows you with many of Gemini's and Mercury's attributes.

Twilight - As with all things astrological, it's difficult to determine where personality traits originate, eg which aspects and placements induce particular behaviors. Regarding Hyadum II, I do enjoy the urban environment with its not-so-peaceful atmosphere and comings-and-goings of people and traffic. I do support sedition and outspokenness. The paragraph you excerpted from "Constellation of Words" also describes some of Gemini's traits, whether Sun in Gemini or ascendant, or in Sonny's case, Mercury in the third house.

LB - You said, "It always involves me being honest with myself about my *own* motivations and denial...". Not trying to be a jerk, but good luck with that...LOL...too much Neptune, if you think you can do that! The maxim "know thyself" is similar to "I know that I know nothing".

Twilight said...

LB ~ Thank you - it's good to know of personal experience relating to Fixed Star "effects".
The presence of the Aldebaran-Antares axis in mutable signs, along with the other two used-to-be Royal Stars now - since 2011 - might be very early signs of all-encompassing changes to come, slowly, gradually - for all on planet Earth. Hopefully it'll be positive change. Mutability being involved could indicate that any changes will be capable of being seen/perceived in two different ways.

Sonny G said...

I appreciate both of you, Annie and Mike, sharing your knowledge with me. I am learning but admittedly at a slow pace..For now I still have to take it one house, one sign at a time. The hard part is knowing how to put it together to see a clearer fuller picture..

ps- Mike, the magnesium- vit D- potassium supplements have made a major change in me physically and mentally.. Thank you again for always being willing to offer your help.
My blood sugar::thru diet also:: and my blood pressure have been within normal range for weeks now and I did'nt realize how sick I gotten ,until I started to feel good again..

LB said...

Twilight ~ One of the ways the contradiction you referred to has been playing out (in my life) is through a kind of mutual disillusionment in some of my relationships.

I'm disappointed in 'them' for viewing their spiritual practice through a dualistic lens, as something separate and removed from the physical world and reality (and choices), and they're equally disappointed in me for challenging that view by talking about certain dark truths, though I've acknowledged my own role as well.

mike ~ Hard Neptune transits can be helpful too (otherwise why would we have them???), *if* we accept the gifts they bring. I think Neptune transits eventually help to highlight and dissolve anything based on illusion or deception. I may not know where I'm going or where I'll end up, but I do know where I've been and at least some of the things I'm willing to surrender.

There's a lot I don't know and even more I'm not sure of, which is why I'm trying to hold on to what's best about Neptune without pretending to be something I'm not. People generally see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe anyway.

Transits don't exist in vacuums, which means I'm having other (supportive and challenging) transits as well. Lots of them, actually.:)

Twilight said...

Y'all ~ On the topic of stars...I've just watched this at HuffPost - Here's How Our Night Sky Would Look If Celestial Bodies Were Closer To Earth...fun idea, cleverly done.

https://youtu.be/JXozLX1ufVE



Sonny G said...

wowzers that was beautiful Annie. thank you .. sharing that link with my daughter. she'll love it ~!

Twilight said...

Sonny - You're welcome - I enjoyed it too! Mind you, I couldn't help thinking that if those far away groups of stars were so close, we'd probably be tripping over our own wandering planets on our way to the supermarket. ;-)