Tag Archives: Moon

When Will the Horror End? (Horary Astrology Reading)

I occasionally help my husband when he needs to work from home and I’m free. Yesterday was one such occasion. He’s a stenographer and was sent several audio bits from a famous company so that he would make a protocol out of them. I don’t think I need to stress how tedious this is. I do it mostly to improve my German, aside from being helpful to my husband. At around 18:04, he was told that the meeting was running late and that there was the possibility of us receiving audios well into the night. Horrified, I asked “when will it be over?”

The Heavens answered with this chart.

When will it be over?

I am represented by Mercury, Lord of the Ascendant. Mercury is retrograde, stuck in the evil Eight House of “fear and anguish of Minde”, as William Lilly wrote, and speeding into Combustion of the Sun. In a word, my poor Mercury is a mess. At this point I am unsure if only I am signified by Mercury and my husband by Jupiter, Lord of the Seventh House, or if we are both signified by Mercury. The fact that a Bi-Corporeal sign is rising (Virgo) seems to indicate we are both Mercury. Our stress is well captured by Mercury’s affliction.

However, one thing that gives me hope is the VERY late ascendant (29.05 Virgo), which seems to indicate it won’t take that much. Let’s look at the Moon. She is in her exaltation in Taurus, separating from a sextile of the two Malefics and about to bump into Jupiter, the Great Benefic. Help may be at hand! Initially, as I said, I half-thought that Jupiter was my husband. However, reflecting on my question “when will it end?” I realized that Jupiter rules the Fourth House, which can indicate the end of the matter. In this case, it is quite appropriate that the end of the matter be signified by a benefic.

If that’s the case, then the Moon approaching Conjunction with Jupiter must indicate that things are about to end. When though? The Moon perfects the aspect in around two degrees, so we are left with “two somethings”, i.e., two seconds, two minutes, two hours (days wasn’t an option). The Moon is in a fixed sign, but also very quick in motion and strongly dignified, so my sense was that it would be over in less than two hours. Looking at the ascendant, which had less than one degree of Virgo left on it, I had the feeling that it could possibly be around an hour.

The question was asked at around 18:04, and at 19:02 we were told it was over.

MQS

The Sentinel at the End of Times

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From the Microcosmicon, 19:

The Moon was a lonely place, even after terraforming.
To allay the sense of separation, he would point his telescope earthward, like the omniscient narrator of a distant drama.

Thus he witnessed the world go under, swallowed by wars and famines and plagues, evaporated in a cloud of screams, till nothing but a barren desert was left.

Initially, he grieved.
Then it dawned on him. No longer separated from life, he was life. Filled with an ease that made his soul soar in billows of mirth, he stopped observing.
And, in the star-pinned silence of existence, he began to dance.

The Sentinel at the end of times

MQS

Cauda Draconis / Dragon’s Tail (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Cauda Draconis (Dragon’s Tail); sometimes called Outward Threshold
Element: Fire
Planet: None, Moon’s South Node (some say also the malefics, Mars and Saturn)
Sign: Sagittarius
Quality: Exiting
Fortune: Bad

Cauda Draconis is the less lovable sibling of Caput Draconis. Like its counterpart, Cauda is not traditionally associated with any planet, although some classics say it belongs to the malefics of astrology, namely Mars and Saturn. However, in itself, Cauda is connected with the Moon’s South Node. Technically every planet has nodes, that is, points where they cross the Sun’s ecliptic. However, in traditional astrology, only the Moon’s nodes are considered, as the Moon’s connection with the journey of life is said to begin with the North and end with the South Node. Visually, the symbol of Cauda is said to show a series of steps leading away from a threshold, symbolizing the sense of ending.

Illustration of the geomantic figure Cauda Draconis, Dragon’s Tail

And ending is indeed one of the main meanings of Cauda. Ending is not necessarily bad. When you want to get rid of an illness, or really anything, Cauda can be positive, if not easy. It also shows quick, sharp change, so it can bring stagnant situations to an end.

Still, Cauda is mostly unwelcome in most readings. It can indicate the end of a relationship (or that a relationship won’t start). It can show unemployment and loss of money. It can announce difficult interpersonal relationships all around.

Due to its connection with the bad side of life, Cauda is one of the figures that, traditionally, prompted geomancers to break their figure and abandon divination if it shows up in the first house. Don’t do it. Just because Cauda is in the first house doesn’t mean your querent is a psychopath. Cauda is a challenging figure. It can simply mean the person is going through challenging times, that their life is changing dramatically and they have lost the plot.

Common Keywords: Ending, Loss, Abandonment, Evil, Quarrel, Evil intentions, Disruption, Letting go

Cauda Draconis in the Geomantic Houses (these are only examples. Use context to guide your interpretation)

HousePossible Meanings
FirstDangerous person, Person in danger, Person who is going through hell, Person who is ending something
SecondLoss of money or items
ThirdQuarrels among neighbors or siblings, Bad news, False rumors
FourthEnd of lineage, Death of father, Eviction, Loss of home
FifthDanger though excess, Loss of pregnancy, Questionable pastimes
SixthEnd of sickness (but if the chart is bad, it could end with death), stay way from your servants
SeventhDivorce, Quarrel, Theft, Untrustworthy individuals, Fraud
EighthDeath, Danger, Loss of money
NinthEvil religion or way, Inability to learn, Atheism, Materialism, Loss of faith
TenthBeing fired, Loss of employment, Revolution, Coup d’etat, Death of mother
EleventhEnd of a friendship, Fights, Quarrels, End of hope
TwelfthEscape, Freedom, Death of large animals
ThirteenthThere was upheaval, ending, disaster, the querent is capable of letting go
FourteenthThere will be upheaval, ending, disaster, the querent is unable to let go
FifteenthCauda cannot be Judge
Possible meanings of Cauda Draconis in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS

Caput Draconis / Dragon’s Head (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Caput Draconis (Dragon’s Head), sometimes called Inner Threshold
Element: Earth
Planet: None; North Node (some say also the benefics, Venus and Juputer)
Sign: Virgo
Quality: Entering
Fortune: Good

Caput Draconis, like its counterpart Cauda, is a special figure in the geomantic family. These are the only two that are not canonically assigned to any traditional planet. Instead, they are given to the nodes of the Moon, i.e. the points where the Moon intersects the Sun’s ecliptic. These were held in exceptionally high regard in traditional astrology, at least from Arab astrology moving forward (but apparently also in Hellenistic astrology, though their function there is debated.) Caput Draconis, the North Node, is usually said to be expansive and broadly positive, or at least augmenting. The symbol of the geomantic figure is usually likened to a series of steps leading toward a threshold.

Illustration for the geomantic figure Caput Draconis, the Dragon’s Head

Some say that Caput is associated with the two benefics of traditional astrology, Venus and Jupiter. More specifically, though, Caput is not automatically a good figure. It often represents an onrush of new energy, indicating everything new or everything that starts afresh.

More generally, it is associated with everything that develops, grows, becomes more stable and certain. This, of course, is a double-edged sword, as not everything that is stable is good for us. Often, Caput shows the impossibility to get rid of something, even if it is bad for us. It shows long illnesses, for instance.

Often, however, Caput is in fact a positive figure. It represents things coming to us, and as most questions get a positive answer when something comes to us, Caput is mostly a welcome figure.

Common Keywords: Arrival of new situations, beginning, fresh air, new enterprises, dynamic energy, development, deepening, stabilizing, long-lasting

Caput Draconis in the Geomantic Houses (these are only examples. Use context to guide your interpretation)

HousePossible Meanings
FirstPositive, taking initiative, going, doing, starting something, good luck
SecondIncome, new income stream
ThirdNews, important information, help from siblings
FourthBuying real estate, help from the father
FifthFun, pregnancy, conception
SixthLong illness, good servants
SeventhNew relationship, lasting bond
EighthBeing shielded from danger, gain from other people
NinthConversion, signing up for a course, good at learning, spiritual evolution
TenthNew job, lasting stability in one’s career
EleventhNew friends, realization of hopes
TwelfthLong prison sentence, safety from occult enemies
ThirteenthQuerent has initiative, something has already started
FourteenthQuerent lacks initiative or needs to exert it more, there will be a new beginning
FifteenthCaput cannot be Judge
Possible meanings of Caput Draconis in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS

Populus / The People (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Populus (The People); sometimes called Double Way
Element: Water
Planet: Moon (waxing)
Sign: Capricorn
Quality: Common
Fortune: Mixed

Populus is the opposite of Via, the other figure of the Moon. Its properties are in many ways diametrically opposite. Where Via forces a radical transformation of every figure it comes into contact with, flipping it into its opposite, Populus passively accepts every figure as it is, like a mirror or a bunch of clay waiting to be shaped. This latter comparison is very apt, as in Medieval (Aristotelian) philosophy, the Moon was seen as receptacle and a symbol of matter, which was capable of receiving all forms, just as the Moon receives her light from the Sun, but was ultimately beyond complete formation.

Illustration of the Geomantic figure Populus, the People

The Medievals, who were fond of finding similitudes and parallels everywhere, also saw the common folk as matter and the Emperor or King as the form-giver, just like they saw the female as matter and the male as form, so they must have felt a great thrill in finding all these correspondences at play in Populus, which also represents people (just like in astrology the Moon rules common people). If Via represents the Moon’s changeable nature, Populus is her passivity.

Populus is formed of the highest number of points of any Geomancy figure, eight, in contrast to Via, which had the least with four. This brings to light another common meaning of Populus: that of indicating “lots” of something, for good or ill.

Some old Geomancers considered Populus extremely bad, some saying that if Populus was the Judge, the chart wasn’t valid. I find this to be nonsense. We already have a limited number of possible charts to play with, and if we exclude those ending in Populus we eliminate a whole bunch more. Plus, in my experience, Populus is a neutral figure, augmenting the good and bad of other figures.

Common Keywords: passivity, receptivity, stability, a situation that may have various influences at play but in the end won’t change much, many people, groups of all kinds, crowd, togetherness, lots of anything that may make sense in the context, large, big, numerous

Populus in the Geomantic Houses (these are only examples. Use context to guide your interpretation)

HousePossible Meanings
FirstA long and/or mediocre life, a mutable life subject to many influences, lots of water, phlegmatic temperament, companionable
SecondLots of money, great wealth, many objects
ThirdMany siblings or cousins, neighbors, small trip by water or near a body of water
FourthCities, castles, buildings, abundance, fertile terrain
FifthGreat harvest, many children, gathering of artists (like an exposition), A fun gathering
SixthMany servants or small animals, dangerous illness
SeventhMany acquaintances, Good marriage, Pliable but unstable partner, Many public enemies
EighthTears, A funeral, Lots of money from the partner
NinthLong travel especially by water, pilgrimage with other people, a class or learning group, a spiritual gathering
TenthA gathering of important people (like a cabinet meeting), elevation of regular people, Rebellion of the common folk
EleventhLots of money from the government, Lots of friends
TwelfthMany occult enemies, evil machinations, groups of prisoners
ThirteenthPublic favor, stable past, good company
FourteenthThe public is against, many obstacles or lots of opposition, stable future
FifteenthSome delay, stability in the end, good if coming from good figures, bad if from bad ones
Possible meanings of Populus in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS

Via / The Way (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Via (The Way); some give it as Candela (Candle)
Element: Water
Planet: Moon (waning)
Sign: Leo
Quality: Common
Fortune: Mixed

When interpreting Via, there’s a couple of notions to keep in mind. First, its interesting geomantic property of turning every figure into its opposite: If you add Via to Conjunctio, meaning connectivity, you get Carcer, isolation; if you add Via to Puella, innocence and balance, you get Rubeus, vice and lying; if you add Via to Caput Draconis, the beginning of something, you get Laetitia, its peak, etc. This is because Via has one point in each elemental row: one point in the Fire row, one in the Air row, one in the Water row, one in the Earth row. One point, when added to another single point, turns it into an even double point, while when added to a double point it turns it into an odd number again.

Illustration of the Geomantic figure Via, the Way

This property of Via connects well with its meaning of change, travel, etc. It is an active, transformative figure, indicating that the situation will not stay as it is. Something that began one way will finish as something different.

Another interesting and often mentioned property of Via is that it has the least amount of points of any figure in Geomancy, four. This can mean that Via stands for a small amount of something, whether for good or ill. This, however, is usually only in questions of quantity (“Will I get back the money?” “Yes, but only a small part.”)

Finally, because it is in contrast with the other figure of the Moon, Populus, which is the crowd, Via can represent aloneness, not necessarily in a bad sense. It can show someone doing something alone, following their own path. It may indicate independence. However, if you dabble in the old manuscripts, you will see that depending on the author Via is attributed better or worse qualities depending on that author’s own ideas. I personally find it a neutral figure, if an unstable one.

Common Keywords: Travel, path, journey, going, moving, acting, making inroads, change, transformation, one, only, lonely, small, little, small amount

Via in the Geomantic Houses (these are only examples. Use context to guide your interpretation)

HousePossible Meanings
FirstA traveler, wayfarer, piligrim, small stature, phlegmatic temperament, changeable, A short life
SecondTraveling merchant, Little money, change in the economic situation, poverty
ThirdShort trip, visit, younger siblings, arrival of news, partly true rumors, the garden or neighborhood
Fourthmixed end results, instability at the end, a trip to see one’s parents of father, little inheritance
FifthFew children (possibly one), going to a party, little pleasure
Sixthshort illness, change in the health, servants are arriving or fleeing (traditionally), small animals, small gain from animals
SeventhUnstable partner, highwaymen, little company, gain or loss of support (depending on how one is at the present moment)
EighthFleeing danger or fearful situation, little money from other people
NinthLong travel, little faith, unworthy knowledge or teacher, a process of transformation, inner journey
TenthUnstable government, Unstable profession, change of job, traveling for work, authority figures are not to be trusted
Eleventhvain hope, little hope, little help, changeable friends, few of them
TwelfthRelease from prison, Freedom from addiction, Few enemies
ThirteenthUnstable past, ability to change, good for traveling, positive journey or path
Fourteenthquick solution, the situation will evolve or change, issues while traveling
FifteenthThere will be travel or change for good or ill, Quick solution
Possible meanings of Via in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS