The battle continues: Traditional vs modern astrology and Venus in detriment or fall

In modern astrology, concepts like detriment and fall have been left behind. A planet in a sign is simply a planet that functions according to the nature of that sign, so it's not a question of "good" or "bad". In traditional astrology, however, essential dignities are extremely important. If we manage to do away with the old-fashioned interpretations, which, it's true, have little validity in the modern world, we must try to understand why the planets behave better in certain signs than others and phrase our findings in modern terms.
Take Venus, for example. Venus rules Taurus and Libra, it is exalted in Pisces, in detriment in Aries and Scorpio and in fall in Virgo. What does that tell us about love, in general? Remember, we must use astrology to understand life, not impose our own views on astrology. Venus rules Taurus, because being in love feels great and you fall in love because you want to have a great time, you don't want sadness and sorrow. You want to enjoy yourself and relax in the arms of another person. But Scorpio can't do that. Its' purpose in life is not to relax but be on alert. Because for Scorpio, life is all about loss and betrayal and it is this part of life that they have come to experience. Love, however, is something that you want to keep, not lose. Yes, it is the sign of grand passion, but what is grand passion really? First of all, it has a sell-by date. You can't live your whole life in such a state, because living a grand passion means that you can do little else. Your mind is constantly on your significant other, you feel jealousy, possessiveness, suspicion... Everything revolves around another person and you act like possessed. This is not what Venus wants. If you can't enjoy your relationship and relax in the company of your loved one, then why the hell did you get involved in the first place? Granted, love affairs of a Scorpio kind can teach you many things about yourself and others and here is where modern astrology can be extremely helpful, but this is not LOVE. Because when all the passion is spent, you usually can't understand why you picked that particular person. He/she ceases to matter and you realize that you simply used them for your self-improvement.
Venus rules Libra because love means harmony and compromise. Two different people get together and they must find what they have in common and try to co-exist with the things that separate them. Aries, however, is extremely self-centered and I mean that in the best possible sense. Aries and Leo are the two signs of self-consciousness par excellence. When you are on the path for consciousness, you don't have the time nor the willingness to occupy yourself with another person. Yes, you form relationships, but these people have to know their place and never become obstacles and make you deviate from your course. If they do, you just brush them aside. But that's not LOVE. When your own self is your main concern, and quite rightly so, then you can't experience love in its' full glory.
Venus is exalted in Pisces, because love is not only the coming together of two bodies, but also a deep connection between two souls. In order to do this, you have to set aside what differentiates you from the other and realize that at some point we are all connected. Love, in the piscean sense, opens your eyes to the ultimate truth that you are a God and you fell in love with a God. This kind of love is rumoured to be fake. Far from it. You are able to see a person in such a light, that you and only you can see the truth. That he/she is a God. And only in your presence do they show their god-like nature, while other people are oblivious to this. Their faults and weaknesses don't matter, because you are given the chance to go far beyond a superficial level of relating. Unfortunately, this doesn't last very long and that's why Venus is exalted in Pisces and doesn't rule that sign. At some point you have to return to the earthly plane, because there is a lot of work to do here. But Virgo is the sign that can't abandon the earthly plane at all, not even if its' life depended on it. Virgo's purpose is discrimination. Therefore, the faults and weaknesses of others and your own, need to be constantly in mind, because if you ignore them, you don't get the full picture, you will never know the other person completely. Loving like a Pisces can only bring chaos, because you will live in a dream-like world, where you won't know what's true and what isn't.
On the whole, I think that traditional techniques are very useful and can help you grasp astrological concepts more fully. Naturally, every age has its' own language, its' own code and the interpretations of astrologers need to be in tune with the current one. But the essence remains the same.

Mars in Leo and fixed sign predictions

Mars is a hot and dry planet and Leo is a hot and dry sign, which means that Leo is a comfortable place for Mars and a sign where it can easily display its natural qualities. The problem is that Leo is VERY hot and VERY dry. No matter how psychologically-oriented we may be in our astrology and no matter how much we talk about assertiveness and standing up for our rights, we must never forget that in traditional astrology Mars is the lesser malefic and that's the reason why Mars was assigned rulership over the water triplicity - even if only for nocturnal charts, depending on the school of thought you follow. Because Mars in water COOLS down. You don't want Mars running rampant, because where Mars is, trouble soon follows.
Of course, what modern astrology says about Mars is true. And it does mention Mars's fighting spirit and it does call Mars a warrior. But, I think it plays down the ugly face of Mars, however necessary it may be. If Saturn is responsible for building the walls around your body and soul in order to protect you, Mars is the ferocious dog you get in order to keep the predators away. And predators exist. No wonder in astrocartography they say that there have been instances of people getting robbed when they visited a place where their natal Mars becomes angular. The fighting spirit I mentioned earlier gets stoked up because there is someone or something out there coming to get you.
So, when you have a Mars transit, yes, this is a perfect time to fight for your rights, claim what's your own and show your gritted teeth. But you need to have your dog trained so that it's able to recognize who are the true predators and who are the fake ones. You don't want it unleashed, attacking everyone in sight. This dog needs to have a cause, be it your property, your belief system, your integrity, whatever. But a cause nonetheless.
For Leos especially, this is a time for action and fighting. This is a time where you need to make clear where you stand. Which also means that you may have to alienate people. Leos love an audience, but now, I fear, is not a time to expand it, but pick which members of your personal audience meet your criteria. You may gain some new followers, but these followers will join you because you've made your intentions perfectly clear and expressed your views with clarity and honesty. However, you may have to be constantly on alert, because your personal territory may be challenged. This can range from a threat to your property to a threat to your personal philosophy. What do you believe in? Are your ideas worth fighting for? If not, make the necessary changes. Don't bark at everybody who just happens not to share your opinions. But if they just want to pick a fight and have no arguments to support their views, annihilate them.
The other signs that will receive a hard aspect from this Mars are, of course, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius. Taurus is a sign that doesn't like Mars, since it is ruled by Venus. Taureans love to conserve energy and not spend it. This may be a time of great irritability and they may show a side of them that they are not accustomed to or other people are likely to appreciate. They may feel unable to guard their usual relaxed manner and enjoy life to the full because someone or something prevents them from doing so. Taureans don't like fighting for what they have, because this makes them feel unsafe and insecure. What if they lose the fight? What then? This is NOT a sign that can easily say: "OK, I've lost everything, but I gave a hell of a fight. Time to rebuild what I've lost".
For Scorpios I think this is potentially a helpful transit. Mars is their ruler and it's in mutual reception with their Sun. The dryness, in other terms separateness, of Mars in Leo can help them to distance themselves from their tumultuous emotional life. Scorpio is a water sign, and like all water signs, it wants above all to connect. The connections Scorpios make may be very specific, calculated even, because they are deeply afraid of getting hurt. Which means that they don't give their heart out to the first passer-by that comes along. That's why betrayal comes as a shock to them, because they can't believe how careless they have been. With their ruler in a hot and dry sign for more than eight months, this can be a good time to gain some objectivity and leave the deep and dark waters they generally dwell in and come to the surface to have a look. Scorpio ascendants need to be extremely careful in their work environment. There may be some extreme tension there in the next months, even if they are not directly involved, and if the rest of their chart doesn't excel in tension, this can be a very exhausting time.
For Aquarians, I don't think that this is going to be an easy transit. They may watch their ideals get shattered because they may start to feel that people are deeply individualistic and they care only for their personal, petty little needs. That there is a lot of selfishness around without any interest in the welfare of all. Their partners can start to behave in an uncontrollable manner, demanding that their needs are met. However, from the point of view of psychological astrology, this can be a perfect time for them to realize that society is not an abstract idea, but it is comprised of individuals. That society is as advanced as are the individuals that form it. That a lot of work needs to be done at an individual level, before society can move on.

k.d. lang and Ellen Degeneres

It's k.d. lang's birthday today, so let's have a look at her chart.

What seems interesting at first is that, regarding her homosexuality, she has both Venus and Mars in the signs that they rule. If we are to believe Bernadette Brady, when she was trying to explain in modern terms what rulership, exaltation, detriment and fall mean and said that planets in rulership or exaltation act in a "normal" way, that is in a socially acceptable manner, and planets in detriment or fall in a more "uranian" and outcast way, then k.d. lang's chart apparently contradicts her. We are not living in the Middle Ages anymore and it may be OK to be gay, but, still, we can't honestly say that we've done away with prejudice completely. So, how can we explain this chart?
One possible explanation is that we shouldn't pay any attention to rulerships, detriments and the suchlike and be completely modern about this and say that planets are not weakened or strengthened depending on the sign they reside, but, simply, work differently, according to the nature of that sign.
Traditionally, what can we say? Both Mars and Venus are strong essentially but not accidentally. Mars fares a little better, even though it's in a cadent house, because it aspects the Ascendant and therefore more able to express itself, while Venus doesn't. However, she (Mercury) identifies more with Venus (Mercury conjunct Venus, separating though) than Mars. But both Mercury and Venus, especially Mercury, are square a very strong Saturn in Capricorn, situated in a better house than Venus and Mars. Mercury leaves Venus and will square Saturn next. Venus and Mercury may like Saturn by being in Libra, but Saturn doesn't return their feelings, feeling much closer to Mars. Confusing isn't it?
Let's just say that both the female and the male principles are strong in her chart. We may leave it at that, saying that's why she has this androgynous look, but let's look further. Her 5th house (sex) is ruled by Saturn and Saturn is there. Very strong. But her significator for relationships (Jupiter) is in the house of sex, but in the sign of it's fall. Hmm...
Back to modern. Her Moon (traditionally the light in sect, since her chart is nocturnal) is conjunct Uranus, opposite Chiron and loosely conjunct the Ascendant. Uranus has been accused of bringing homosexual tendencies, but this has not always proven to be the case. However, we cannot deny that Uranus and Chiron bring an element of eccentricity, of a sort of behaviour that stands at the margins of society and a wound inflicted by this marginalization.
My conclusion, combining the two astrological schools, is: Yes, there is an innate need to deviate from the "norm" in some way and this need is evident and must be expressed (Moon/Uranus conjunct the Ascendant). But, since she has Mars, Venus and Saturn very strong essentially, she will deal with this eccentricity in a very "sane" way. She will come to accept it easily, tell the whole world about it and not tear herself to pieces just because she is different.
In contrast, in Ellen Degeneres chart, Saturn is in the 1st house (we don't have an accurate birth time, but she said she has an Sagittarius Ascendant). Which means, that she is probably more shy than k.d. and that she cares more about what other people think. Yes, she did eventually come out and she's dealt that Saturn a heavy blow, but I suspect she had spent years wondering "Why can't I be normal?" and that it's still difficult for her to smile off any nasty comments on her sexuality. She may have done a very brave thing and accepted it, but I fear deep inside, it still hurts sometimes. If you've seen the coming out episode of Ellen, you can see how painful it is for her: "Why can't I say it, why can't I even say the word?"
On a final note: k.d lang's most popular song is "Constant Craving" What else would you expect from a Sun/Neptune person? It's things like that that keep you going in astrology, when all techniques seem to fail and you want to abandon it completely.

New Moon/Full Moon people

The lunations have always been considered important and a lot has been written about the various phases of the Sun/Moon cycle. The two most important phases are undoubtedly the New and Full Moon. In predictions in particular, we view the New Moon as the beginning of something, which comes to its fruition at the time of the Full Moon. At the New Moon, the Moon is very weak and completely overpowered by the Sun. At the Full Moon, the Moon is at the height of its power and glory. So, what does it mean to be born at a time like this?
As I've said in another post, I view the Moon as the behaviour that comes naturally to us, without us having to think about it. It's all about the automatic reactions of the psyche. The Sun on the other hand, is the kind of behaviour that needs to become conscious. We don't own the Sun like we do the Moon. The zodiac sign of our Sun is the kind of energy that we have to master, a sort of action that needs to be expressed consciously. If I have the Moon in Virgo, then I act like a Virgo, because this is the most natural way for me to behave. If I have the Sun in Virgo, the energy of that sign doesn't come naturally to me, but instead I need to develop Virgo qualities, because I realize that this is what I have to do, this is my mission in life. So, with the Sun in Virgo, if I display Virgo characteristics, I KNOW I'm doing it, this was my purpose all along. With the Moon in Virgo, I may be ignorant of the fact that I'm acting like a Virgo, I never question it, and it is usually others who point that out to me.
Basically, being born around the time of a New Moon means that the Moon and the Sun are in the same sign. Yes, there is a difference if the Moon is behind or after the Sun. In fact, in the first case it's not a New Moon at all, but for the purpose of this article, we are going to treat it as if it is. Let's just say that the true New Moon person will have a youthful enthusiasm and will always search for new experiences, whereas the "fake" New Moon person will probably be more passive and have a sort of piscean melancholy. But this doesn't change the fact that in both cases what is inherent and what is external is the same type of energy.
If I'm a New Moon person and provided this New Moon is free from affliction, then I probably am a very focused person. I know what I am here for. No matter how many people tell me I'm wrong, I'm certain that I'm following the right path. There is only one way to go and everything else leaves me cold. The positive side of this is that I'm not feeling torn. There is only one voice in my head and even if I repeatedly fail, I always try again, because I feel I have no choice. I may regret my failed attempts and I may experience extreme sadness, but I don't spend my whole life in self-doubt, not knowing which way to go. The price I have to pay for such self-assuredness is, very often, loneliness.
And that is because consciousness demands isolation. If I have to increase my level of consciousness, I can't think about everyday existence all day and I can't be constantly surrounded by other people. The Moon, the main significator of relationships in a natal chart, has surrendered its power to the Sun. Relationships demand a lot of time and energy and I'm just not willing to do that. Other people are simply a distraction. Of course, I'm human and I share the same basic needs with the rest of my species, but deep inside I know that I'm not suited for this kind of life. I realize, sooner or later, that relationships just hold me back after a while. After I have taken what I can from a single person, I have to move on, because if I stay with the same person for years and years, then there is no evolution or expansion of consciousness but only stagnation. New Moon energy is very Uranian in that respect. And if my New Moon is in Aries or Leo, where the Sun is extremely powerful, I may not want any relationships at all. I'm all I need.
But if I am a Full Moon person, especially if I'm born at night, then the lunar energy will dictate most of my actions. Yes, I too have a Sun, but whatever expansion of my consciousness I can achieve, it will have to come through relationships. Loneliness is my worst fear, because if I'm left alone, I feel like I'm dying. Whatever I have learned, it was because of a relationship, because of my interactions with other people. In some extreme cases, I may not know that I have a Sun at all. If, however, the Sun is strong by sign placement, then I feel torn apart by two very powerful forces that have an equal claim on my life. Whenever I make a choice and follow one of the two paths available for me, I feel miserable, because I know I have sacrificed something very important. The positive side of this is that, if I manage to achieve some sort of balance, then I will lead a much richer life than any New Moon person can. I will appreciate my opposite, because I will realize that it's not an opposite at all but myself in another form.

Capricorn and self-punishment

It never ceases to amaze me how prone Capricorns or strongly saturnian people are to self-flagellation. They have a strong sense of what they should do and they never question it. They seem to be completely focused on their goals and they always get up, no matter how many times they fall. That may be an admirable thing in some cases, but what happens when that particular "thing" they are aiming at, isn't what they are supposed to do with their lives? What happens if they got it wrong? They keep pushing and pushing themselves to achieve something that has absolutely no relation to their inner truth. In short, they spend their whole lives chasing a lie.
Capricorns don't believe that people are meant to be happy. Perhaps that's true, but they are not meant to be constantly unhappy and miserable either. No, say the Capricorns of this world. There is only one truth, only one right behaviour (usually the one of the majority) and we all have to conform to this rule. If it makes us unhappy, so be it. We have to ask ourselves all the time if whatever we want abides to this supreme law. If it doesn't, we have to abandon it, no matter how precious or necessary it is to our well-being. Fine, but what if this ultimate law is completely and utterly wrong? Or rather, what if there is not only ONE law? The possibility of there existing numerous equally valid laws never occurs to Capricorns.
Instead we witness Capricorns deny themselves life's simplest pleasures because they fill them with enormous guilt. Whatever makes them happy is not to be trusted. "If it makes me happy, there must be something wrong with it", they think. They certainly know it's wrong when other people look down on it. The horrible realization that they are not "normal" suddenly dawns on them and they consider themselves aberrations of nature. There is only one way to deal with this: Change or die.
The result of all this is that they end up with such a severe case of depression that they are practically incurable. Imagine living in a continuous state of suppression of your most basic instincts, never giving yourself a pat on the back, never allowing yourself a moment to breathe freely and express your true self, because that would be considered weak and there is a chance of being rejected, of being an outcast.
One more or less safe way for Capricorns to check whether they've got it right or not, is to have a look at their Saturn. If it is dignified and well-placed, then this sort of behaviour may simply be a form of discipline and an adaptation to healthy ideals. But if Saturn is in, say, Aries, Leo or Cancer, then they have to think twice before they embark on a crusade to wipe out all the "disgusting" things of their personality. They need to start questioning the religion they are practicing, and, if necessary, convert to a different one.

Pluto and the natural selection process

In modern astrology we are very fond of Pluto. We use words like profound change and transformation, we marvel at the intense love affairs that Pluto can bring about, we even talk about parts of ourselves that have to die in order for us to move on, but we conveniently keep things at a psychological level, because we are afraid to face one basic plutonian truth. Truth is always painful and the painful truth of Pluto is that it is unbelievably CRUEL.
I've already talked about in another post how Pluto makes you live in fear and suspicion and how it is all about life in the jungle. And the main thing about living in the jungle is that you have to accept one basic principle. The principle of the survival of the fittest. If you can't survive in this world, no matter what the reason, no matter whether it's your fault or not, then you have to die. It's as simple as that. Because if you don't die, then you become a burden for the rest of the humanity and you are personally responsible for slowing down the evolution of our species.
This is a very difficult concept for us to understand, practically impossible. In the Age of Aquarius, perhaps the most humane of signs, we believe that everyone has a right to live, we believe in a welfare state where we must take care of the weak among us and we believe in a society where each and every member should be integrated and accepted. We fear death even when it's supposed to happen. We keep people alive with the help of modern medicine, even when they want to die. Isn't it strange that it's considered humane to kill animals to spare them suffering, but a crime when it comes to people?
But the plutonian truth goes way beyond euthanasia. In the jungle, when you are born, you have to quickly adapt to your new environment. You have to find the strength to walk on your own feet, otherwise you'll be left behind and get devoured by other animals. No one is going to carry you on their backs. Is it unfair? Yes. Is it cruel? Yes. But it is what it is.
Do we follow this principle in our modern societies? No. We carry people on our backs. We believe this is the right thing to do and we don't question it. We believe that everybody should get an education, for example. Does everybody deserve one? I wonder. When you make education compulsory up to a certain level, the sad truth is that you have to lower your standards. You have to keep a certain pace in order for every child to follow, to the detriment of those children who are capable of moving on more quickly. You sacrifice your good students for the benefit of the bad ones. Is that justifiable and humane? Perhaps. Who am I to say? But you have to accept the fact that what you end up with is mediocrity.
Can all dangerous criminals be rehabilitated? Perhaps. Or is there a point, which, if you cross it , there is no going back? I don't know. But what's the purpose of life sentences? If we believe that even the most hideous criminal can turn over a new leaf, then why not reinstate them after a while? Why is it more humane to keep someone locked up for the rest of their lives, than killing them and save them from their misery? Why is death such a bad thing?
And finally, whether we like it or not, there are many among us who are simply parasites. We may accept this term for people who have everything going on for them but refuse to get involved in life, but what about handicapped people? Are they not parasites as well? Yes, I can sense your resentment. I resent myself for writing this. But then I think of their families who have to sacrifice so much just to keep them alive, of all the taxpayer's money spent on asylums, of all the facilities we provide in order for them to be able to function and I think of ancient Spartans who threw their crippled children in Keadas and even though it is historically debatable whether they actually did it or not, from the plutonian point of view, they were justified in doing so. Pluto, unfortunately, is not sentimental and has no time for sensitivity. On the other hand, it's not racist as well. It doesn't care about the colour of your skin, if you are beautiful or ugly and doesn't look down on you because of your handicap. It only asks you some simple questions: "Can you survive? Are you fit enough to stand life's adversities or are you going to be a burden?"
Yes, Pluto's truth is terrible. TERRIBLE. Unthinkable even. I can quite understand why we want to do away with Pluto completely. I myself watch sometimes wildlife documentaries and I think they are such horrendous thrillers that no film can ever come close. But as it happens with every planet, should we choose to ignore it, we have to pay the price.

Saturn in Libra - Sign predictions

I must stress from the beginning that I do not believe that transits is a very reliable predictive method. I see transits primarily as triggers that can bring about an event only if there is supporting testimony from other predictive methods, such as progressions and solar returns. If, for example, I have a progressed Sun/Saturn conjunction and Saturn is angular in the solar return chart, then, a Saturn transit on that same sensitive point can mean that the time is right for me to experience some sort of a saturnian event. A lot of transits pass by harmlessly, even outer planet ones, causing only a change of mood and not earth-shattering events.
With that in mind, what does Saturn in Libra mean? Libra is the sign of Saturn's exaltation, which tells us that Saturn is quite comfortable there. According to traditional sources, a planet in the sign of its exaltation is like an honoured guest. It is not at home, which means it cannot be entirely comfortable, but it finds itself at a place where its needs are met, where it is respected and loved. I suspect that Saturn and Mars, being natural malefics, behave better in the signs of their exaltation. Saturn and Mars in their own signs may be able to show all their wonderful qualities, but at the same time be so powerful that they don't care about the havoc they can wreak. Saturn in Libra, however, will put on its best behaviour.
What does Libra want? Harmony, fairness, justice. These are the three principles that we will all like to see them reign during this Saturn transit. Particularly since Saturn will first square Pluto in Capricorn and we will likely see corrupted people, especially government officials, get what they deserve. On a more personal level, we will be offered a great opportunity to view ourselves realistically, without emotional interferences and weigh our pros and cons in a more detached manner.
Which signs are going to have the hardest time? First of all, the signs that are antithetical to Saturn's nature, Aries, Cancer and Leo. Leos may think that this will be an easy time for them, but I doubt it. Libra is the sign of the Sun's fall. Libra is not a sign of individuality and even though it sextiles Leo, its nature doesn't agree with that of Leo. But since we are talking about a sextile, it will probably be a great opportunity for Leos to incorporate some saturnian aspects into their personality much more easily than if, say, Saturn were in Aquarius. For Aries and Cancer, however, this Saturn is going to be a much greater problem. For those two signs, Saturn represents everything that is bad about life. Aries wants action without limits and Cancer wants love without limits. But as we all know, Saturn is ALL about limits. For Aries, this is a time when they will find it difficult to initiate any action and some of them are going to fall flat on their faces. They will have to start thinking about other people and realize that their behaviour is often extremely self-centered and that they only form relationships when they are sure the other person will never raise an objection. But now Saturn will not let them off so easily. It may present them with responsibilities that they won't be able to shake off and some sort of compromise will be needed. For Cancer, this is another opportunity to grow up. No more crying on other people's shoulders about the unfairness of life, but time to stand on their own feet and become responsible for their own destiny.
The other two signs that are going to receive a hard aspect from Saturn are Libra and Capricorn. These two signs, however, love Saturn and they are not going to have such a hard time, provided that in their lives so far, they have respected and incorporated saturnian values. The sign which is, by far, the most - favoured sign by this transit is Aquarius. Saturn is their traditional ruler, it's going to put on its model behaviour in Libra and it is going to trine their Sun. An excellent opportunity for Aquarians, therefore, to reap what they have sown.
For the six remaining signs, this is not going to be the most important Saturn transit they will ever experience, unless they have cardinal signs on the angles of their natal chart, a lot of planets in cardinal signs or will go through their Saturn return.
To sum up, I have a lot of confidence in this transit and with our faith restored, starting from next year with Jupiter in Pisces, a lot of good can come out of it. Provided that we are prudent and careful.