Antiscia and the Thema Mundi

An earlier version was published in December 2014.

 
 
an energetic alliance that can be easily observed and/or experienced

Why are connections by antiscia so obscure in astrology? — and why do most astrologers still consider these contacts second-rate aspects at best? … having some merit, but certainly not as meaningful as the Ptolemaic aspects: sextile, square, trine, and opposition.

Antiscia are reflections around the solstice and equinox points. They are symmetries based on the sharing of time and light. They are natural and simple. And they are anchored to the undeniably potent reset moment that is the Cardinal Axis. I think excluding them from having conjunction/aspect status is in error.


 

Antiscia in the Thema Mundi

I made a discovery many years ago while working with antiscia, and simultaneously studying Hellenistic and Persian astrology. I found antiscia shows up in the all-important Thema Mundi, a hypothetical chart of the world and teaching tool. This was something I’d never heard anyone mention before. Nor had I encountered it in the ancient texts that reference antiscia. I was astonished, and pleased to see the very obvious statement it makes.

You will see in the diagram below I’ve arranged the planets in their places of exaltation. I have noted the aspects that connect each planet back to their respective domiciles (signs). You can see both the nocturnal planets, Venus and Mars, connect to one of their domiciles by sextile. And the the diurnal planets, Jupiter and Saturn, connect to one theirs by trine. If you look to the lights, Sun and Moon, you’ll note they each connect by trine and sextile back to their respective domiciles. Which sets up a schema:

diurnal = trine | nocturnal = sextile

Then you’ll see how the malefics (and Mercury) connect to the other of its domiciles by square — and that each benefic, Venus and Jupiter, connects to the other of their respective signs by antiscia or contra-antiscia (known as the seeing and hearing signs to the ancients).

malefic = square | benefic = antiscia

All planets connect in two ways through two aspects.

Because malefics connect through a square aspect, and benefics through antiscia, I believe it is solid evidence for antiscia as a legitimate aspect, as well as describing the quality of the connection. And I find its presence in the Thema Mundi both profound and beautiful.

I believe aspects by antiscia are just as powerful as other aspects. Especially those in a close degree-based connection. (I suggest using a 4 degree orb—2 degrees on either side: applying and separating.)

As it is with the square, connections by antiscia and contra-antiscia cross boundaries and combine polarityhot|cold, dry|moist, active|passive, day|night, male|female. This makes the pairs dynamic and alive in the world, much like we see with a square. They are active. They are combinations that demand our attention: we must do something with them.

This co-mingling of sect or gender, and temperament, along with the symmetry around the four seasonal turning points, a.k.a. Cardinal Axis (see other articles), is indicative of a very potent pairing: an energetic alliance that can be easily observed and/or experienced. 

"the cardinal points relate people to the world at large" 
 -Charles Jayne, crediting Alfred Witte

The particular antiscia and contra-antiscia connections shown above could also be viewed as an averse pairing. However, it is undoubtedly relevant that the associations shown in the scheme are indeed antiscia (seeing) and contra-antiscia (hearing) links. The ancients regarded them as relaying sympathy and reception. And they are after all conveyed through the two creative convivial planets, moist, fertile, connective, Venus and Jupiter.

These are also signs of sharing. Signs which share power (equal amount of light = antiscia), and ascensional or rising time (contra-antiscia).    

Jimi+360.jpg

Seeing + Hearing

Signs that share light or “power” = antiscia
They fall equidistant around the Solstice points

Signs rising at the same speed = contra-antiscia
They are equidistant from the Equinox points

Example: for Hendrix the Moon in Cancer ‘sees’ Uranus in Gemini, they share power and light. The Sun in Sagittarius rises at the same speed as Jupiter in Cancer, they are said to ‘hear’ one another, and so there is sympathy and friendship.


“And so, if any stars do not aspect each other in the orderly arrangement of the nativity, it must be inquired whether they are connected to each other by the associated aspect of antiscions. For when they have sent their antiscions thus, they are connected with each other through their antiscions just as [much as] by a trine or square or opposition or sextile aspect...”
-Julius Firmicus Maternus, 4th century astrologer 
in Book 2 Chapter 30 of the Mathesis (Holden translation, 2011) 


“Signs that are disjunct but having sympathy for each other are all the equal-rising signs, and those having equal power, and those of like zone. For example, equal-rising are Aries and Pisces, Gemini and Capricorn, Cancer and Sagittarius, Virgo and Libra; of equal power are Gemini and Cancer, Virgo and Aries, Libra and Pisces, Sagittarius and Capricorn; of like zone are Taurus with Libra, Aries with Scorpio. 

...with the joint risings of the signs and the joint ascensions of the stars...
friendships and sympathies of men and women, and parents and brothers, and friends and slaves.”

-Rhetorius of Egypt, 6th or 7th century, Ch.16 (Holden translation, 2009)


[disjunct signs] ... are the ones which belong neither to the class of commanding or obeying, beholding or of equal power...
— Claudius Ptolemy: Tetrabiblos Book 1.14-1.16

The presence of these aspects in the vitally important rulership and dignity schema, Thema Mundi, is a reality which should no longer be denied or dismissed. These points of connection have been overlooked for too long. It is time to fully embrace them and practice utilizing them in all forms of astrology!

There is much to uncover with antiscia! —See for yourself. ;-D

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If you want to immerse yourself in this more, contact me for a mentoring session.
Or tune in to my recent talk for Kepler College (find the recording here).

A multimedia presentation available (approx. three hours in length):

 
. . .undeniably potent reset moment

 

employing the dark feminine? Miley Cyrus

Disclosure: I’m not a fan. I find Miley Cyrus’ expressions (antics) to be predictable. But she did sprout out of our crassly materialistic, oversexed, plastic gummy bear culture, so what can one expect. Something about it all though, particular elements, have really crept under my skin. So I’m turning to some charts to see about why— why the relentless pinging. ”. . . All she's doing, one way or another, is using her body to get herself attention. It could all use a bit less flash (and a lot less flesh) and a lot more substance.”


Cyrus was born with the Sun in Sagittarius, the sign of the centaur - half man and half animal, shortly before sunset, making hers a diurnal chart. The more positive and productive planets for her are ideally those of the day sect: Jupiter and Saturn. And those which ought to present her with more difficulty are planets of the night sect: Venus and Mars. With the Sun in a fire sign we know immediately it has strength, due to it being in its own triplicity. The trigon or triplicity lords for fire are Sun and Jupiter, Saturn is a participating ruler. With fire we know that a measure of success and honors is important to the person (Su/Ju). The Sun is also in the Egyptian bounds (a.k.a. 'terms') of Jupiter, as is Venus and Saturn. When posited in the bounds of a benefic such as Jupiter, the ancients believed it 'magnified the fortune of the native.' Moon, Mercury, and Mars are posited in the bounds of Saturn. 

The north node of the moon, Rahu, is configured by sign with the Sun. Rahu is a notoriously individualistic and eccentric creature in Indian astrology. It is the head of the dragon [or serpent]. Its tail, the south node of the moon, is Ketu. These are the lunar eclipse points, also known as ‘shadowy grahas’ (graha means grasp or seize - and graha is another name for planet). All of this makes the nodes pretty different from the modern psychological /western/ approach to astrology—where the north node is where you are headed and is most certainly good for you—in India, Rahu is known more for its dark side, having an insatiable, exaggerative, hypnotic, and illusory quality. Beyond this wide configuration with the Sun, however, the nodes are not conjunct or square (at the bendings) to anything else in the chart, so we'll move on.

The dark Moon is in the murky waters of Scorpio, the sign of its fall: opposite its exaltation. But this Moon is not at all close to its maximum fall at 3 degrees—unless you perceive the chart through the sidereal zodiac, and one could make a compelling case for doing so, as the ancients would have most definitely noted the Moon and planet positions in the night sky. The Moon’s sidereal position is 3 degrees. The Lot of Fortune resides at 23 Taurus at the Ascendant, as she was born during a very dark waning moon. (The Lots will always be close to the Ascendant in very dark and new moon births—and they will join the Descendant (7th house cusp) at full moon births.)

Mars, known as "Nergal" to the Babylonians, is the planet rising first, leading the way. Mars unrestrained and on its own can be a bit too fierce or aggressive, especially in a daytime chart as it is here. For time immemorial Mars has been associated with war, destruction, fevers, the plague, and so on. It's also how we direct our will and shows what we have passion for, and sometimes (especially per a Uranian perspective) it is reflective of our work. Mars is in Cancer here, a sign ruled by the Moon, and so is associated with the body, feelings, family, nourishment, and shifting tides (it changes). Cancer is the sign of Mars' fall. And here it is positioned at its maximum fall.

Theo Wargo/WireImage

Theo Wargo/WireImage

With the Moon in Scorpio (and Mars in Cancer) the two are making a nifty exchange: seeing one another from the other's domicile. This is a reception, usually a helpful connection, though with both planets in their fall (and contrary to sect) their benefit to each other is altered. As Tom Callanan notes on Skyscript: it is "like two drunks helping each other home." As it's a trine aspect, it flows easily, unimpeded, a maximum assist. And Mars, at its worst with the Moon, can be a degradation of the body or feminine form, or dis-ease for the body generally—or just a load of anger. Consider her ease of expression with regards to raunchy tongue poses and twerking.


One thing I always take note of when examining a chart is where the Moon has been and where it is headed—the separating and applying aspects. In this case we see the Moon has separated from a conjunction with Pluto, as well as a square from Chiron; traditionally we would not consider the aspects with Pluto and Chiron, as they are transpersonal bodies and invisible to the naked eye, but these points of contact are most definitely evocative . . . themes of the Underworld and Wounding . . . from a traditional standpoint we’d note that the Moon is visibly separating in a square aspect from Saturn. And its next visible application is to Mercury. Firmicus Maternus, a 4th century astrologer, writes about the Moon's translation of light from Saturn to Mercury:

"But if the Moon had little light, then either it impedes the sound of the voice or deafens the ears. But it also debilitates the bodies of those who have it thus with wretched weariness; it makes persons suffering from melancholy, jaundiced, splenetic [bad-tempered; spiteful], consumptives [wasting], those suffering from dropsy, [or] lung disease..."

Okay, a wee bit harsh. He goes on, but I think you get the picture. 

 
Saturn has a few faces in astrology. It is the father, sometimes the king or ruler, or a worker of the land, or the people. At other times, it is a dark figure or criminal. Most often it is associated with older men, gives a serious approach, and is connected with the ripening of karma (or fate). It can also be indicative of illness, or makes bodies slender and with angular features. At its most noble it is a significator of great wisdom, self-discipline, sobriety, and surrender: a silent sage. The Moon Saturn aspect in this chart is a bigger deal than at first it may appear. The Moon is tenth from Saturn here, in the Indian tradition, the third, seventh, and tenth signs from Saturn are where it makes its especially potent aspects. This Moon (manas, mind) is most certainly influenced by Saturn.

Another biggie on my list: look for planetary stations. And voila, Mercury! - and Mars. 

Cyrus has a heliacal rise Mercury. It is about to station direct—within a week of her birth to be exact (what we call phasis)—a strengthening factor. And this happens to show up with some frequency in the charts of those special souls who have something to communicate to the world—whether vocally, or technologically (see the charts of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and many other highly successful tech people). Or Mercury has something to SELL. It is the great "merkerter" after all. Here it’s in the sign of the Scorpion, a water sign where Venus and Mars rule by triplicity (highlighting passions, love and strife), and it’s retrograding back to a conjunction with Pluto. It has a fierce bite.  

SUN CULMINATION CHART:
Mercury connects to MarS
note: Moon Pluto and Saturn on the Ascendant!

Speaking of fierce, the other planet close to its station, Mars, turned direct about five days before her birth (also a phasis). Essentially what this means is the two planets—which also happen to be in closest aspect in her chart (another on the A-list in my sequence of delineation)—are standing pretty much still in their fervent watery trinal embrace. And it is on this day that their kiss—or excessively sexualized message (Mercury), as Sinead O'Connor warns—perfects. This perfection occurs at about noon, when the sun culminates. (Which, in fact, is another way to look at a chart without a known birth time: use the chart for the culminating sun on the day in question.)
 

A key to understanding all the passionate fusion, creativity, love/hate, and muse-seeking sides to water, as mentioned above, is through the element's two primary trigon lords: Venus and Mars - Moon is a participating ruler. In Cyrus' chart we see all of her nocturnal planets (Venus, Mars, Moon) in the yin/feminine signs (earth/water) and all of her day sect planets (Sun, Jupiter, Saturn) in their own triplicity (fire/air). This adds strength to the chart and gives her a kind of comfort in her skin.
 

winter solstice 2013
Venus stationing retrograde

Her Venus is posited in the traditionally lusty sign, Capricorn—and I'm willing to make a very predictable prediction: there will be more Cyrus controversy in the news in the coming months. Venus begins her infrequent retrograde cycle soon, stationing Rx on the solstice, December 21st @ 28'58 Capricorn, and turns direct on January 31st @ 13'33 Capricorn. This is one degree from Cyrus' Venus. 

Her Venus is also configured with Uranus—a defiant oddball at worst, and at best: a refined, striking, original beauty, with much grace (think of Elizabeth Taylor). However Taylor, unlike Cyrus, had Venus in Aries contra-antiscion her Pisces Sun and dispositing to her Pisces Mars. Pisces is the exaltation sign of Venus, so for Taylor it elevated its position in Aries, though it was still in detriment (and in the sign of Mars, so associated with cutting and separations), so not without difficulty, as was visible in her relationships. Cyrus on the other hand has Venus dispositing to Saturn in Aquarius where Saturn has strength. But its offering to Venus is indirect and without reception. Nor is there an aspect between them. To me it feels quite patriarchal—like the old man pulling the lipstick and powder puff strings from behind the curtain, calculated and measured, it feels stiff and mechanized.

Venus is also configured with Jupiter in a square aspect. This dominating square from Jupiter in Libra to Venus in Capricorn, the sign of Jupiter's fall, may speak to an abundant commercial explosion, not necessarily in good taste. Materialistic excess via ‘the business of sex and beauty.' Though Venus does benefit in the exchange, and controls the outcome for Jupiter. Saturn, too, ruler of the ninth and tenth houses of travel and profession, is greatly helped receiving this blessing-rich trine from the great benefic (Ju) posited in the sign of the reaper's (Sa) exaltation: Libra.

Of special note: the planetary periods for Venus and Jupiter have also been activated this year while Cyrus is 20 years old: Venus = 8 years and Jupiter = 12 years (8+12=20). This activation is even more potent as the planets are in aspect AND Venus rules the Ascendant. She is this business-y, yet otherworldly (Uranus Neptune) Venus.

Saturn is, however, arguably the strongest and most beneficial planet for this chart. Ruling the ninth and tenth houses gives it royal status, greatly strengthening it, and putting her in touch with people at the top. Note it’s the most elevated planet and is also literally advancing on the Midheaven (the culmination point in the chart). And Jupiter’s special aspect, the trine, gives it unbeatable support. The karma for her early success was predestined: as she was born to enter a planetary period of Saturn very young (see the Vimshottari dasa), and this spanned the first 18 to 20 years of her life (depending on which ayanamsa you work with). Timing is everything.


Sun in Sagittarius in contra-antiscion to Mars in Cancer

Pluto in a distant (under 2 degree) antiscion to Midheaven

A SYMMETRICAL FEATURE

Contra-antiscia:  Sun Mars

Her latest work:  Wrecking Ball  

Previous work:  We Can't Stop

Sun|Mars from Ebertin's
The Combination of Stellar Influences : 
the will
activity
ambition
determination
courage to fight
the power of attainment
the desire to be in the limelight
inclination to quarrel
hastiness
soldier..

 


Chart with twelfth-parts is quite illuminating! Look where the twelfth-parts of Venus and Mars' fall:


For those interested in the twelfth-parts (dodecatemoria) - See the Venus Mars positions right at the Ascendant(!) in Mars' bounds. This reiterates an animalistic, lusty nature; sexuality up front and center; and not necessarily great for health, or for the wellness those things signified by Venus (love, relating, aesthetics). And see Jupiter's position @ its fall with natal Venus, again: the "bu$iness of beauty."

Free software: Morinus