Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Fixed Stars in Zodiac Sign Scorpio

It's time to look at Scorpio's batch of stars in this series of monthly posts on Fixed Stars in each tropical zodiac sign.

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



Astrological interpretations for most of those stars, if found to be tightly conjunct a natal personal planet, or important point, are available online. A good, all-encompassing website to investigate for this is Constellation of Words.

My choices to feature further this month are Zuben Elgenubi and Toliman aka Bungula - the former because I've come across it while researching particular posts in the past, and the latter because it's conjunct my own natal Mars.

Zuben Elgenubi

It's in the southern claw (or south scale) of the scorpion in constellation of Libra.


I noticed this star when researching for a post on radical activist Jack Reed in 2010 -Reed, Reds and Radicals,

SNIP
[Reed's] Natal Jupiter, in 1887, lay smack-dab on fixed star Zuben Elgenubi (Southern Scale or Southern Claw of the scorpion). This star had a bad press from ancient astrologers, considered unfortunate whatever planet it conjoined. However, I found one interpretation of Zuben Elgenubi which does fit the present case well(see here)

ZUBEN ELGENUB -- 15SCO03I -- #19975 -- mag2.9
The alpha star of Libra and the southern scale. Both stars of the scales of Libra can be considered twins and, therefore, represent the polarity of a concept. The concept is of social reform and this star, although traditionally seen as the shadowy, more difficult star, is actually the one linked to the positive side of social awareness. When this star is strongly emphasised, the individual has a desire to be constructively involved in social reform.
Influence: Positive social reform
Ptolemy - the Southern Scale Jupiter & Mercury Medically, this double star has Mars/Sat characteristics. If conj a malefic, it may present health problems.

And, more recently I met Zuben Elgenubi again in a post about Russell Williams: Officer and Murderer

SNIP
When Williams was born, Neptune at 15 Scorpio was conjunct fixed star South Scale, aka Zuben Elgenubi. Interpretation of South Scale with Neptune:
With Neptune: Morose, melancholy, isolated, shrewd, cunning, evil use of occult powers and of poisons or drugs, cynical, dangerous, broods over some secret, peculiar death, often suicide. [Robson*, p.206.] (See Constellation of Words.)
It was reported that Williams did actually attempt suicide in his jail cell. A generation had this Neptune/South Scale conjunction in their natal charts, but not all had it connected by aspect to personal planets. Williams had the conjunction in harmonious trine to his natal Sun, also in uncomfortable square aspect to Saturn. Coincidentally film director, screenwriter, producer and actor Quentin Tarantino, born around three weeks later than Williams, in the USA, also had Neptune & South Scale square Saturn. In his case it could be said that his films' subject matter, an "aestheticization of violence", and neo-noir style reflect this aspect.

I'm guessing that latent negative characteristics, indicated by the Neptune/South Scale conjunction's aspects to personal planets, were triggered when Uranus conjoined Williams' natal Pisces Sun - whose ruler is Neptune.



Toliman/Bungula

Located above the right front hoof of the Centaur.

 click on it for clearer view

Alan Oken, in his "Complete Astrology" wrote:

That clip came from HERE, the passage continues (taken from my own copy of Oken's book)
....career, but the individual may attract many enemies. It is so placed in the horoscopes of Robert Kennedy and Indira Gandhi. It is found conj. the Ascendant (along with Jupiter and Neptune) in Disraeli's chart as well as conj. the Ascendant in the natus of Henry Ford. In Churchill's map it is close to, but not exactly conj. the M.C.

From Constellation of Words:
With Mars (as in my own case): Physical endurance, considerable mental power, speaker or writer, little prominence. [Robson*, p.149.]
The last bit's correct, anyway: "little prominence" !


From Terry Nazon, under the star's alternative name, Bungula:
Occult and philosophical learning, self analysis, honours, stubborn, cruel.
Hmmm....I have, over the years, gathered a soupçon of occult information, and can certainly be stubborn - but the rest doesn't fit.

Can anyone else lay claim to one or more of Scorpio's fixed stars, and if so, do traditional interpretations fit?

6 comments:

Sonny G said...


Happy Tuesday..

I'll be anxious to see the comments for this post. Needless to say, its way over my astrological head...

mike said...

Mimosa, Acrux, Alphecca, Menkent, and the two Zubens are conjunct my natal Mercury, Venus, and Sun, which are at the mid-point (semi-square) of my Mars-Saturn square. That explains everything...LOL.

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ If you have any planets or ascendant in Scorpio are any within a degree or so of any of the stars listed? :-)

Twilight said...

mike ~ Quite a netful! Constellation of words -- [Interpretations for alpha and beta Crux - Acrux and Mimosa] Inventive mind, intuition and wisdom, a grasp for the inner nature of one's fellow man. The gift of successful investigation of the hidden side of things. A deeply religious nature connected with mystical and theosophical interests. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.63.]

Those seem simply to underline Scorpio's keywords (or vice versa?)

Vanilla Rose said...

Poor Libra - a former claw! As well as the only sign of the Zodiac that is an inanimate object.

I made a bead Scorpio once. Scorpio.

Twilight said...

Vanilla Rose ~ Hi! Yes, it's rather odd isn't it, especially as Libra Sun people are supposed to be charm personified, ruled by Venus etc.

Nice piece of Scorpio bead work there, VR! Thanks for the pic.