Astro-seasonal - Some Ideas

The skin and bones of popular western astrology is as follows: the positions of the seven inner planets closest to Earth, including the two lights (Sun/Moon/Mercury/Venus/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn), in relation to the zodiac circle, as well as aspects made between the planets are believed by astrologers to have reflection in our individual personality traits. The slower moving "outer planets", Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are said to connect to generations more than to individuals, unless very closely linked to a personal planet, natally or in transit.

Quite often, in a natal chart, at least six of the seven bodies (Moon is excluded because of its faster motion) lie within just one half of the zodiac circle. Mercury and Venus, for example are never further from the Sun than the space of two signs, often less than that, Mercury can never be further than a single sign from the Sun.

Now - the thoughts that follow are just my own.

When inner planet emphasis is concentrated on around half of the signs of the zodiac, and especially if that half coincides with seasonal boundaries, personality traits in people born within that span could have more broad compatibility with one another other than with people born in the other portion of the zodiac. I say "broad", because beyond a mix of personal planets there's a bunch other complications and considerations: rising sign and Moon's position for instance.

In my own experience, I do initially tend to connect more easily with what I'll call "winter/early spring types". My own 'inner' planets range from (starting late autumn) Scorpio, through Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius & Pisces to Aries - Moon included. The experience is going to be more noticeable when one's natal Moon and/or rising sign fall into the same half of the zodiac as the inner planets. My rising sign is the oddity - it's in Cancer, a summer sign.

This theory would also mean that, although the four astrological elements (Fire, Air, Earth and Water), would still retain textbook compatibility - Air and Fire signs blending well, same for Earth and Water signs, but still certain of the signs might have a stronger link. In my own case, for example, the compatibility links between the Air and Fire signs involved in my portion of the zodiac circle would be especially strong, that is, links between Aquarius, Aries and Sagittarius; and the Earth and Water signs between Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces.

Seasonal astrology has been discussed in the past, at least one book as been published on the subject, but the general idea has never really caught on as "a thing".

Seasonally Astrological

Someone once told me that he'd noticed that all his children, and everyone he'd had close relationships with (not including other blood relatives) had birthdays in the first half of the year, as he did himself.

More than once I've tossed an idea around, in my head, that it would be possible to create a plausible secondary, and simpler, zodiac based on the broad concept of seasonal astrology, with some additional detail culled from standard tropical astrology. The seasonal zodiac would rely primarily on the four angles, ascendant/descendant & midheaven/nadir. Fewer zodiac signs created by fusion of two or more of the traditional signs might create the seasonal zodiac circle. But, then again, maybe this is just my own Aquarius Sun trying to cause chaos!

Positions and aspects between Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are thought by astrologers to have varying levels of reflection in our individual personality traits. The outer and slower-moving planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are thought to connect more to generations, unless closely linked to one of the faster-moving planets natally, or in transit.

Quite often at least six of the seven faster-moving bodies (Moon is excluded because of its even faster motion) lie within one half of the zodiac circle. Mercury and Venus, for example are never further from the Sun than the space of two signs, often less than that. When planetary emphasis is concentrated in roughly half of the zodiac signs, in theory personality traits of people born with Sun among the involved signs are likely to have more broad compatibility with each other than with people born in the other half of the zodiac. I say "broad", because other complications and considerations are involved - rising signs and Moon position among them. This idea might be relevant to the experience of the guy mentioned above, whose children and others with whom he'd had close relationships had birthdays in the first half of the year.

I took a look at my own natal chart, and, stripping away the outer planets and Chiron the faster planets and Moon all lie between Aries and 28 degrees Scorpio. So, though I usually say I have a "splash" chart, that is only due to the generational planets. I'm a Winter-to-Spring person.

All this relates only to the northern hemisphere. What about people born in the southern hemisphere? There'd be a different seasonal zodiac for them.

Terence Guardino in "The Seasons of Astrology" explained his own version.

From Amazon's page on the book

The Seasons of Astrology: How Your Biological Clock is the Link to Your Sun Sign Personality explains how the apparent rising and setting of the sun influences our personalities as well as the seasons. The amount of light versus darkness during the month one is born begins to imprint the personality of each sign. The amount of light versus darkness also begins to imprint each of our individual biological clocks during infancy.

The light relates to our personal ego needs as separate individuals needing to be expressed out into the world. The sun signs born with equal light and darkness are Aries and Libra but the signs with more light during the day than darkness are Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo as they strive to be noticed. The dark relates to all the collective needs of the group rather than the individual. The dark represents society, government, laws, organized religion and community. The signs with more darkness than light when born focuses their attention more on community rather than the individual are Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Capricorn begins at the Winter Solstice when the day has the shortest amount of light. Thus Capricorns are more inclined to pull inward to feel safe and be more serious. Aquarius begins to have a little more light and 'lightness' but still with long winter nights. Aries begins the Spring Equinox with an equal balance of daylight and darkness but the next sign Taurus has a bit more light during the day giving more confidence to express itself in the world and so forth with each sign until you arrive at Scorpio when there is more darkness than light. Scorpio is known for being mysterious, secretive, hard to get to know but also insightful and powerful.

Arty Farty Seasonal Friday

As Summer Solstice approaches and the season turns, it's an apt time to feature some artists' impressions of seasons personified.
(For larger versions please click on the images)

 Allegory of the Four Seasons by Bartolomeo Manfredi, c.1610.

Manfredi's picture has been interpreted as an allegory of the Four Seasons, linked to the iconography of the Five Senses and explained as the four ages of man exemplified by various phases of love. There can be little doubt that its primary theme is the Four Seasons. The four figures, crowded behind a stone slab laden with fruit, are clearly identifiable as Spring (a young woman crowned with roses and playing a lute), Autumn (the young man adorned with a Bacchic crown of grapes), Summer (a bare-breasted woman who turns and stares directly at the viewer) and Winter (a shivering old man in a fur hat who is wrapped in a blanket). Nevertheless, their arrangement does not suggest the normal progression of the year and their interaction suggests a second level of meaning.

The rich array of fruit carefully placed before the figures is composed entirely of autumnal produce: grapes, pears, apples, figs, a pomegranate and a squash. This is clearly the domain of Autumn, who kisses the lute-playing Spring but at the same time embraces Summer, who wears a sprig of his wheat in her hair. Summer holds a small round transparent mirror as a symbol of the Origin of Love. Autumn's kiss and embrace signify that music is born of love, while Winter's exclusion is a sad reminder that in old age one is less inclined towards amorous sentiments.

Manfredi's facial features and tightly compressed composition find close parallels in Caravaggio's Musicians. The brightly illuminated fruit, so carefully displayed on cold, grey stone, and Summer's frank confrontation of the viewer over her bare shoulder seem to recall Caravaggio's Sick Bacchus explicitly. Although two other versions of Manfredi's Four Seasons are known, he painted no other allegoric subjects. (From HERE)

Helios & Phaeton with Saturn & the Four Seasons by Nicholas Poussin, c.1635.

On the painting the sun-god, having Apollo's appearance and attributes, sits on a cloudy throne framed in the zodiacal belt, a lyre beside him; Phaeton kneels in front of him.In Greek mythology Phaeton was the son of Helios, the sun-god. (To the Greeks the nature and functions of Apollo and Helios were distinct and separate. Apollo's identification with the sun was a later development, and was particularly associated with his cult in Roman times.) Helios drove his chariot daily across the sky. Ovid tells of the palace of Helios and his retinue - Day, Month, Year, and the Four Seasons and so on. Here Phaeton presented himself and persuaded an unwilling father to allow him for one day to drive his chariot across the skies. The Hours yoked the team of four horses to the golden car, Dawn threw open her doors, and Phaeton was off. Because he had no skill he was soon in trouble, and the climax came when he met the fearful Scorpion of the zodiac. He dropped the reins; the horses bolted and caused the earth itself to catch fire. In the nick of time Jupiter, father of the gods, put a stop to his escapade with a thunderbolt which wrecked the chariot and sent Phaeton hurtling down in flames into the River Eridanus. He was buried by nymphs. Phaetons's reckless attempt to drive his father's chariot made him the symbol of all who aspire to that which lies beyond their capabilities.

(See HERE)

 The Four Seasons by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1572-3

 The Seasons by Alphonse Mucha, 1896.

Due to their popularity other versions of The Seasons were painted by Mucha, among them these, in 1897 and 1900.

 Masque of the Four Seasons by Walter Crane, c.1903-09

The final two paintings are by Albert Moore (1841-1893) - (thinks:I should do a Friday post on him). The first was painted just 10 days before he died. The second is very appropriate for our time of year.

The Loves of the Winds and Seasons

"The Loves of the Winds and Seasons" is said to reveal the eternal cycles of life. Despite its glorious colours and optimistic message, it was Moore’s last picture, painted from his death-bed.

 Midsummer.  1887.

Seasons and Signs

After reading a comment on yesterday's post, I scrambled through the archives looking for something I wrote a while ago which might prove relevant. The comment:

".......For some reason, all my children, and everyone I've had close relationships with (not including blood relatives) have, like me, had birthdays in the first half of the year.
Very strange." (comment by Anthony North of Beyond the Blog.)

I failed to find what I was looking for, perhaps, after drafting it I had chickened out of posting. When putting thoughts into words, I may have been unable to rise beyond the realms of gobbledegook. It happens frequently!

This is an interesting subject to look into. A few ponderings of my own follow, and might still contain more than a hint of gobbledegook. Also, a video presentation by a "proper" astrologer, which could well be relevant to this topic.

The positions in the zodiac, and aspects between the seven planets closest to our own (Sun/Moon/Mercury/Venus/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn) are thought by astrologers to have reflection in our personality traits. These seven are known as our "personal planets", as against the "outer planets", Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which are thought to connect to generations, unless very closely linked to a personal planet, natally or in transit.


Quite often, at least six of the seven bodies (the Moon is excluded because of its faster motion) lie within one half of the zodiac circle. Mercury and Venus, for example are never further from the Sun than the space of two signs, often less than that. When personal planet emphasis is concentrated in around half of the signs of the zodiac, and especially if that half coincides with seasonal boundaries, personality traits in people born within that span could have more broad compatibility with each other than with people born in the other half of the zodiac.
I say "broad", because beyond a mix of personal planets in the same set of signs, there are other complications and considerations - rising signs and Moon position among them.

My own experience is similar to the commenter's. I do initially connect more easily with "winter/early spring types", my own personal planets range from Scorpio, through Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius & Pisces to Aries, Moon included. The experience is going to be more noticeable if one's natal Moon and/or rising sign fall into the same half of the zodiac as the personal planets.

There's a theory, discussed by astrologer Terence Guardino in his book "The Seasons of Astrology", which might link (loosely) to my own thoughts on the subject. He explains in this video:"

The Seasons of Astrology


I've often pondered that it would be possible to create a plausible, but much simpler, zodiac based on the broad concept of seasonal astrology, combined with some finer detail culled from tropical astrology. That zodiac would have fewer signs, and rely primarily on the four angles, ascendant/descendant & midheaven/nadir. But maybe that's just my Aquarius Sun trying to cause chaos!