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The
Sabian Symbols
of the October Grand Quintiles
Johnny Mirehiel
Many of you are familiar with the
Sabian Symbols. Certainly
most astrologers are, but in brief review, this is their story, the
introductory paragraphs of which I have lifted from an earlier article on mine that was first published on
the original Harmonic Concordance site.
Some
History
The
Sabian Symbols were largely the work of the late Marc Edmund Jones.
Jones took his cue from the work on the symbolic meaning of the degrees of
the Welsh seer, John Thomas (AKA Charubel). While Jones appreciated
Thomas’ work and felt that it was remarkably suggestive, he also thought
it to be too moralistic in tone. Seeking to "soften"
Thomas’ symbolism, he proceeded to create his own set of symbols, which
might be more relevant to contemporary students of astrology.
To this end he enlisted Elsise Wheeler, one of his students who, because of
her innate talent, he had encouraged to become a professional medium.
Jones had Elsie describe the "picture" that came to her as
he held a randomly selected index card, upon which he had penciled one of
the 360 degrees of the Zodiac. In this way, the original
impressionistic images, each symbolically suggesting a characteristic of
one specific degree, were compiled in a day’s effort. Jones' Symbolic
Astrology was first published in 1931 and it is
upon that seminal work that all subsequent commentary on the Sabians has
been based.
During
the course of the years, others have added to the depth of meaning found
in the original images. Chief among these annotators was Dane
Rudhyar who had found that the Sabians were "…in the main,
amazingly significant and accurate." In agreement with Jones,
Rudhyar carefully analyzed each of the original images, adding a
"keynote" phrase and an explanatory comment, which fleshed out
Jones’ original terse, symbolic aphorisms. Rudhyar’s explication of
the Sabians first appeared in his monumental classic, The
Astrology of Personality. Some
17 years later his updated work on the symbols was published in An
Astrological Mandala. By then, he had come to consider them to be a contemporary
American embodiment of the I Ching,
and suggested that they had oracular properties. It is from that
latter work that the Rudhyar excerpts below are drawn.
Perhaps
the best-known contemporary interpreter of the Sabians is Lynda Hill.
Her work draws on Jones’ text as well as on his original mimeographed
lessons and Rudhyar’s two volumes. Her own text, The
Sabian Symbols As An Oracle is widely known and respected among contemporary
astrologers. It is her interpretations that we employ as part
of our own daily “conversation with Spirit."
Lynda's astrological and intuitive reading of the Sabians can be found on her
website, which provides a quick scan of background information, degree interpretations,
a random Sabian “Oracle” and a host of other features.
Another web site dedicated to the Sabians, which might also be of interest, can be found at the
The Sabian Assembly web site, It also has a wealth of information on the history of the Sabians, an
excellent short bio of Jones, and its own oracular link to the symbols, among other features.
Why the symbols seem to work and fit appropriately into the scheme of an astrological chart is, perhaps, a mystery. The fact is,
though, that they do work in practice, and I regularly apply them in the
interpretations that I do as a professional astrologer. The
insights that they provide often have given me a quick read on the general
proclivity of a client’s life, and in so doing have allowed me to arrive
at an overall "feeling tone" for a client. More
importantly, they can be very helpful in guiding clients to the expression
of the best qualities of their planets through their Sabian degree
associations.
The
October 1 Grand Quintile Chart
The
Sabians of the October 1st Grand Quintile
Without
any additional comments from me, I present the interpretations of the
significant degrees as seen by both Rudhyar and Lynda Hill. In
the passages taken from Rudhyar (in blue), I have used his "Keynotes" and selected passages from
his commentaries. Other than that, his impressions are presented basically
unchanged. The passages I have taken from Lynda Hill (in
black italics)
come from the "Keywords" and "Oracle" selections found
her excellent and very highly recommended book.
Please remember that in Jones' notations of
the Sabians, he began each sign at 1°. This is a different usage
than standard astrological notation, which begins with 00°.
Therefore, when looking at any planetary degree placement in a
chart, one must use the next higher degree to obtain the correct
symbol. (e.g., 14° Taurus 11" would be read as 15° Taurus.)
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The Moon:
14° 11" Taurus
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The
Image:
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Head
covered in a rakish silk hat, muffled against the cold, a man braves
a storm.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
courage needed to meet the crisis precipitated by social ambition.
Inner poise being more important that outer appearances.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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The
man with the silk hat has seen some of his ambitious efforts bring
him social success; but he learns that often “nothing fails like
success.” The storm
may be within him, or it may attack his social status…shows a
willingness to accept crises and to go through them – and
therefore great character, the soil upon which a higher kind of
consciousness may develop.
…[an] optimistic attitude of confidence and hope for the
future. Presenting a
brave face and hoping for the future often helps. There is a need to show determination and confidence for
the future as this will encourage both you and those around you.
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Saturn: 26°
03" Cancer
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The Image:
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A
violent storm in a canyon filled with expensive homes.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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A
confrontation with social upheaval demanding the reconsideration of
static values.
Psychic energy unleashed on the community or the
environment.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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The
deeper implications of the scene depicted in the symbol are that the
sociocultural elite can always see its position and security
challenged by forces beyond its control, even if it may be
successful in protecting itself from destruction.
The individual…has to rise to the occasion, and perhaps to undergo
an inner metamorphosis as a result of the crisis he has been able to
accept as a personal challenge.
You may find yourself much deeper in a situation than you had
planned, and now you are caged in somewhat by the “walls” around
you. There is probably
no immediate escape from the turbulence… A positive outcome
may not come to light for some time, but things fall back where they
are meant to be, in the end.
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The
Sun: 08° 39" Libra‡
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The Image:
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Three
"Old Masters" Hanging On The Wall Of A Special Room In An
Art Gallery
.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
need to return to Source during a confised search for new value in a
chaotic society.
Truth
in the image. Intuitive vision. Images bringing
messages. Wisdom speaking. Images that speak volumes.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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There
are always moments which focus in our minds the longing to re-ground
ourselves in the great achievements of the past. The number 3
suggests completeness; esoteric traditions speak of the three-fold
Soul, or of three fundamental "Rays" - of Power, of
Love-Wisdom, and of Intelligence in action. Meditation, in its
deepest sense, is a return to Source - an attempt to reidentify
oneself with one's archetypal essence of being, which is triune in
manifestation, and now, after confused but challenging wanderings,
to identify oneself consciously with this essence.
Communication here is at a completely different level than is
normally experienced. It can be unspoken, and include subtle
communications that are enduring and valuable...Time often doesn't
seem to exist in this realm...This Symbol can picture speaking to
others about abstract concepts on a higher level...
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Pluto: 19°
49" Sagittarius
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The Image:
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In
an old-fashioned Northern village men cut the ice of a frozen pond
for use during the summer.
In winter people are cutting ice from a frozen pond, for
summer use. (Hill)
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
foresighted use of natural resources to supply future human needs.
Overcoming difficulties ahead of time through creative solutions
to problems… Planning for external or internal realities.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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…
Man’s ingenuity and foresight make it possible for him to plan for
the future in terms of his knowledge of the seasonal rhythm of cold
and heat and, by implication, of even larger cycles of change.
…
This Symbol shows that it is often important to be thinking about
what will be needed, or useful, in the future...
Watch to see if you feel that you have lost touch with your
emotions by creating a barrier to future possibilities or
eventualities.
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Uranus: 03°
32" Pisces
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The Image:
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Heavy
car traffic on a narrow isthmus linking two seashore resorts.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
mobility and intensity of interchanges which make possible and
characterize complex social processes.
Going with the flow. Detours.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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Here
we see the concept of commerce and social interaction in a new form.
What is stressed is the need to establish unceasing dynamic
relationships between all aspects and functions of the social
life... The proximity
of the sea stresses the collective nature of social experiences and
of what may appear to be “individual” achievements.
There’s a lot going on and confusion can set in if one
doesn’t follow the rules of the game… there is something better
waiting for you once you can get out of your current situation.
Much time can be lost on the journey only to find that you
are in the same sort of position you were in the first place.
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The
Partial Solar Eclipse of October 14
Now
let's take a look at the Sabian Symbol
that accompanies the degree of the Partial Solar Eclipse on October 14th
coming at 5° Taurus 02°”. Falling
roughly between the two Grand Quintiles, it assumes the key “Bridge Pole” position
between them. Might
it be connected through the Sabians also?
The
Sabian Symbol for the Partial Solar Eclipse Degree**
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Moon: 21°
06" Libra
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The Image:
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A
child giving birds a drink at a fountain.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
concern of simple souls for the welfare and happiness of less
evolved beings who thirst for life renewal.
Enjoyment experienced in nourishing simple souls.
Simple pleasures. Innocence. Water. Spontaneous
gifts.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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The
original statement of this symbol is far more significant than later formulation, for what is expressed here is a reversal of the
operation mentioned in the previous symbol.
(21 Libra - A Sunday crowd enjoying the beach).
Man, who has built the fountain – perhaps on arid land and
through skillful work – gives the life bestowing water to the
thirsting birds. He
does not go to the sea, but brings the purified, drinkable water to
the birds needing it. The connection between the “child” and the
“birds” implies a spontaneous, naïve rapport at the spiritual
level, a soul-touch at the level of pure feelings.
If you or another have the resources to nourish or to help
someone or something, the effort required will be minimal, but the
rewards may be well worth it. Show
some unconditional generosity and enjoy the resulting experience.
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Now,
let me
add here the Sabians for the eclipse degrees
at 4:07 on the morning of October 28th, (BST), with the Sun at
05° Scorpio02” and the Moon at 05° Taurus 02”.
Please remember that these are the same two signs that hosted the
original Harmonic Concordance Total Lunar Eclipse last November.
The
Taurus/Scorpio Total Lunar Eclipse Chart
And the Sabian Symbols of the Total Lunar Eclipse Degrees
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Sun: 05°
02" Scorpio
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The Image:
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The
gold rush tears men away from their native soil.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
passionate search for new values which, at any level, promise a more
abundant life.
A strong desire to move on…Having a cause or mission to
pursue…Pilgrimages…
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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The
greatness of man is that he can always be greater…Always at this
Scorpio level the yearning is for an ever more intense and
all-absorbing union with a person or a community – a yearning
which motivates a search for more effectual means to achieve as
total a feeling experience as is possible.
The
actual promise of abundance and fulfillment of a “Gold Rush” is
only really available to a few, although this depends very much on
what the “Gold” is that is being pursued.
If the “Gold” that is being sought is worth the journey
and the search, particularly on an internal level, this may be a very
rewarding journey that can lead in many ways to a better
life…Before you set out, you may need to make sure that you have
an adequate “map” of the new territory that you’re exploring.
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Moon: 05°
02" Taurus
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The Image:
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Cantilever
bridge across a deep gorge.
A bridge being built across a high narrow gorge.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
conquest of separativeness through group-cooperation.
Overcoming distance and separation. Endeavoring to build community. Solving problems through creative solutions.
Breaking down barriers.
Taking one step at a time.
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Commentary:
Oracle: |
The
person who has suffered deprivation and loneliness can give new
substance to his or her emotional life by participating in a
collective project. All
great evolutionary challenges imply the overcoming of basic
difficulties…A link must be built through the power of the
collective mind of the group or community at large, on the basis of
the legacy of the past, to make a bridge over the canyon.
…Building a bridge takes time, energy and most times, the help
of others…Once it is completed, the dangers that the “Bridge”
spans are no longer such great concerns, that is unless the
“Bridge” is not secure…and don’t look into the abyss.
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The October 28th Grand Quintile Chart
Interestingly,
all of the degree positions will have changed from the first to the second
Grand Quintile charts, along
with the
most notable change involving Jupiter,
which
has rapidly moved up
to 7° Libra, filling the post, though not the degree, that had been occupied by Mercury in the first chart.
This is of no little significance, as Mercury, the messenger, is
present in the October 1st chart, suggesting an
“announcement” of the pattern, while Jupiter, the planet which
represents our mortal’s understanding of Wh0 and what God is, is now in
its place. This implies that
the “God Presence” will be more readily available in this “moment”
than was the case with the first.
Also changing degrees from the first to the second chart are the Moon,
(see footnote*) Saturn
(from 26° Cancer 03” to 27° Cancer 14”), Pluto (from 19° Sag
49 to 20 Sag 27) and the retrograde Uranus (from 03° Pisces 32”
back to 02° Pisces 57 ”).
Therefore, In terms of the Sabians, this chart is a horse of a
different color than the first Grand Quintile.
The Sabians of the October 28th
Grand Quintile
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The Moon:
13° 41" Taurus*
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The
Image:
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On the
beach, children play while shellfish grope at the edge of the water.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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Returning
to simpler joys for revitalization.
Being self-sufficient and looking after
one's own affairs. A sense of at-one-ment with all forms of
life...returning to the source.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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This somewhat
ambiguous picture suggests the way in which simultaneous activities
of different natures can fill the individualizing mind. The
consciousness of socialized man operates at two levels, in close
parallelism with what goes on in the unconscious parts of the mind
(i.e. the sea)...It refers to the value, at this stage, of close
contact with natural energies and simple pleasures, of a live and
let live attitude.
Allow your instincts to
guide you in the process facing you...The day and the
experience will come to an end with the tide bringing another day
and another episode in your life...Just be yourself and lighten
up...An insight into your problem is likely to be revealed with the
coming and going of the tide.
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Saturn: 27°
14" Cancer
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The Image:
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An
Indian girl introduces her white lover to her assembled tribe.
An Indian girl introduces her college boyfriend to her assembled
tribe.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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Inner
rebirth through a total acceptance of the primordial values manifest
in the human body and its natural functions.
Challenging or going against the status quo.
Bringing in a new, more intellectual, element…Being
welcoming and loving.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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…The
soul – or in Jungian terms, the “anima” – is leading the
sophisticated and colorless (white!) intellect to a level of
consciousness at which man can again operate in tune with the vast
process of the biosphere and recover the simplicity and the inner
peace which city life and business deny.
It is by introducing those that are outside our usual intimate
circle, whether it be family, community (or tribe), or even our
business world, that the potential of our lives is expanded. The motivation for this change, or challenge, to the status
quo is love and the willingness to accept things that are normally
foreign to us.
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Jupiter: 07°
08" Libra
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The Image:
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A
blazing fireplace in a deserted home.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
need to realize that even through the most empty hours a spiritual
power is ever ready to welcome and warm up the wayward consciousness
returning to center.
Security and comfort left behind. A fire left burning to reassure…Homes filled with love,
if not people or possessions.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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Until
the fire of the Soul within the human psyche totally dies out – a
rare and tragic occurrence – there is always hope of recovery and
rebeginning. Many
disciples find themselves compelled to abandon their spiritual
quest, even after having had [the] sense of essential being.
Yet “the home” that once received them – the guru’s
love – remains ready to welcome the return of the “prodigal
sons.”
…The “Home” can be a symbol of love – even when it is
left or deserted it can remain warm and ready for your return.
This can be the love within family, marriage, or perhaps very
close friends. This
type of love never diminishes or looses its warmth…
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Pluto: 20°
27" Sagittarius
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The Image:
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A
child and a dog wearing borrowed eyeglasses.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
use of imagination and make-believe in anticipation of higher stages
of development.
Elimination often leads one to actualization.
The rewards sometimes inherent in make-believe…Dealing with
life through play or fantasy….The perception each has of the
other. Spontaneous and
carefree creativity.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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This
rather peculiar symbol seems to imply here that by imitating
features belonging to a level of consciousness as yet unreachable,
the process of growth may be accelerated…This is similar to the
process of growth by identification with a “Master” or guru.
In a sense it is mere pretending or make-believe, yet by
wearing the “mask” of a god the medicine man at the time becomes
for all practical purposes the incarnation of the god.
In
the situation facing you, perhaps someone is pretending to be more
in control or smarter than they are…Whatever the real situation,
this can work to make a consciousness shift because by changing both
your appearance and your perception one can create some new
understanding of that dream, or perception, of how life can be and
it can help you to grow into it.
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Uranus: 02°
57" Pisces
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The Image:
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Petrified
tree trunks lie broken on deserted sand.
A petrified forest, an eternal record of a life lived long ago.
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Keynote:
Keywords:
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The
power to preserve records of their achievements which is inherent in
fully mature cultures.
Remnants from the past and stillness. Agelessness. Being
able to withstand life’s storms.
Resilience…Dependability. Family histories. Keeping records.
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Commentary:
Oracle:
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When
a vast group of men succeed in building a culture… such an effort
of many generation is rarely lost altogether… The symbol of
petrified wood in the Arizona desert, however, tells us that the actual
preservation of the records is never perfect or total.
Only fragments remain, significant enough to reveal the
essential archetypal form.
You may find that you need to find, sort through or go over these
“records” in some measure now.
This may be the time to look to these histories or to
appreciate their value and relevance to life today.
Crystals can act to reawaken memories or knowledge from out
of the past…New life can be found as long as one is willing to
look. Getting out the
“dead wood” from your life…can clear the way for the growth of
new life.
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In the book Astrology, A Language of
Life, Volume II, Sabian Aspect Orbs, astrologer Robert Blaschke describes
how he uses Sabian Symbols, not only of planetary positions, but also of the
angular distance between planets as well.
Basing his thoroughly researched theory on the groundbreaking work
of Dane Rudhyar, Robert has deduced that each angular relationship between
any two planets, whether they are considered to be in a standard aspect
relationship (i.e., Conjunction, Trine, Square, etc.) or not, do indeed
have an aspect relationship to each other. In other words, in any
given chart, all planets are in aspect to all others. Furthermore,
he goes on to suggest that each of those angular relationships can
be illuminated by a specific Sabian Symbol that relates to the degrees of
separation between them.
The Kepler astrological program actually produces
a read-out of what those Sabians are for any given chart. I am
indebted to Mr. Blaschke for sending me these readings, as extracted from
his Kepler program, of the Sabian equivalents for just the salient
positions in two grand Quintile patterns. The quoted phrases are
what Blaschke has excerpted from Rudhyar's degree Commentaries. Without embellishment,
they are as follows:
First
Grand Quintile
October 1, 2004
1:12 PM
London, England
Planet-to-Planet
Sabian Symbol Degree Meanings
Moon is 215-216 deg past
Sun (5-6 deg Scorpio):
The Gold Rush
Tears Men Away From Their Native Soil
"the passionate
search for new values which, at any level, promise a more
abundant life"
Moon is 288-289 deg past Saturn (18-19 deg Capricorn):
A Five-Year-Old
Child Carrying A Bag Filled With Groceries
"rising to
the occasion when asked to assume social responsibility ahead
of one's normal development."
Moon is 70-71 deg past Uranus (10-11 deg Gemini):
Newly Opened
Lands Offer The Pioneer New Opportunities For Experience
"the power
and joy of new beginnings"
Moon is 144-145 deg past Pluto (24-25 deg Leo):
A Large Camel Is
Seen Crossing A Vast And Forbidding Desert
"self-sufficiency
in the face of a long exhausting adventure"
Sun is 72-73 deg past Saturn (12-13 deg Gemini):
A Famous Pianist
Giving A Concert Performance
"individual fulfillment in the performing of a social function to
which some
prestige is
attached"
Sun is 215-216 deg past Uranus (5-6 deg Scorpio):
The Gold Rush
Tears Men Away From Their Native Soil
"the passionate
search for new values which, at any level, promise a more
abundant life"
Sun is 288-289 deg past Pluto (18-19 deg Capricorn):
A Five-Year-Old
Child Carrying A Bag Filled With Groceries
"rising to
the occasion, when asked to assume social responsibilities
ahead of one's
normal development"
Saturn is 142-143 deg past Uranus (22-23 deg Leo):
In A Circus The
Bareback Rider Displays Her Dangerous Skill
"the audacity and perseverance
required to control and play with the
powerful energies
of the vital realm in human existence"
Saturn is 216-217 deg past Pluto (6-7 deg Scorpio):
Deep-Sea Divers
"the will
to explore the hidden depths of all experiences and to search
primordial
causes"
Uranus is 73-74 deg past Pluto (13-14 deg Gemini):
Bridging
Physical Space And Social Distinctions, Two Men Communicate Telepathically
"the
capacity to transcend the limitations of bodily existence"
Second Grand Quintile
October 28, 2004
8:34 PM
London, England
Planet-to-Planet Sabian
Symbol Degree Meanings
Moon is 216-217 deg
past Jupiter (6-7 deg Scorpio):
Deep-Sea Divers
"the will to explore the hidden depths of all experiences and to
search
primordial
causes"
Moon is 286-287 deg past Saturn (16-17 deg Capricorn):
A Repressed Woman
Finds A Psychological Release In Nudism
"the escape
from bondage to social inhibitions and the reliance upon
the wisdom of the
body"
Moon is 70-71 deg past Uranus (10-11 deg Gemini):
Newly Opened Lands
Offer The Pioneer New Opportunities For Experience
"the
power and joy of new beginnings"
Moon is 143-144 deg past Pluto (23-24 deg Leo):
Totally
Concentrated Upon Inner Spiritual Attainment, A Man Is Sitting
In A State
Of Complete Neglect Of Bodily Appearance And Cleanliness
"an
interior focalization of energy and consciousness at the expense of
all forms of
outward activity and care"
Jupiter is 69-70 deg past Saturn (9-10 deg Gemini):
An Airplane
Performing A Nose Dive
"a
superior ability to challenge nature and play with danger"
Jupiter is 214-215 deg past Uranus (4-5 deg Scorpio):
A Massive Rocky
Shore Resists The Pounding Of The Sea
"the
inertia of all institutionalized procedures"
Jupiter is 286-287 deg past Pluto (16-17 deg Capricorn)
A Repressed Woman
Finds A Psychological Release In Nudism
"the
escape from bondage to social inhibitions and the reliance upon
the wisdom of the
body"
Saturn is 144-145 deg past Uranus (24-25 deg Leo):
A Large Camel Is
Seen Crossing A Vast And Forbidding Desert
"self-sufficiency in the face of a long and exhausting
adventure"
Saturn is 216-217 deg past Pluto (6-7 deg Scorpio):
Deep-Sea Divers
"the will
to explore the hidden depths of all experiences and to search
primordial
causes"
Uranus is 72-73 deg past Pluto (12-13 deg Gemini):
A Famous Pianist
Giving A Concert Performance
"individual fulfillment in
the performing of a social function to which some
prestige is
attached"
Once
again, as they did in the Harmonic Concordance chart, the Sabians provide
ample support and inspired guidance concerning these astrological and
astronomical events. In
part II of my reading of the symbols I will suggest how these events might
be perceived by one on the Homeward Bound Journey, and what we can do to
put our individual shoulders to the collective wheel of the evolutionary
shift to higher Consciousness.
* Since
the Moon is the key element in the formation and dissolution of the GQs, I
have arrived at these times by calculating the mid-point in its passage
into and out of the patterns. In these calculations, I have used
orbs of 2° 10”/1° 00” Applying/ Separating for the planets, and 2°
30”/1° 30” Applying/Separating for the Moon, as the Lights (Sun and
Moon) have a wider orb of influence than do the planets.
**
Please note that in looking at the Sabian for ANY Solar Eclipse, there
will be only ONE degree to read as in such case both the Sun and Moon
occupy the same degree.
‡
ERRATA:
The original posting of this article listed mercury
as one of the members of the first Grand Quintile. This was my
error, and one that astrologer Robert Blaschke's work on the 5th
Harmonic brought to my attention. The correct notation, of course,
should have been the SUN, as this amended version notes. It is
an error that results in an enhancement of the moment, rather than
detriment, bringing the
Will, dynamic energy and Light of the Sun to it. (JM 9/1/04)
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