HEENAN™
SCIENCE OF DESTINY
Thursday November 24, 2005
Dear Kate,
At your birthday party last Friday I alluded to the book that I hadn’t started yet. You promptly responded that you would like to read such a book. Encouraged by your wish I resolved to launch into writing. The format you see is a result of the initiative I felt. By writing a letter / journal I won’t be distracted by the need of typing and formatting and editing. You represent a kind of ideal audience and I hope my description of astrology will enrich your understanding of the subject and at the same time satisfy my need to share the knowledge I have been accumulating and refining for twenty years.
Most of the content of what follows is the fruit of an Indian Astrologer who names his method “A Systematic Approach to Vedic Astrology”. His name is Professor V.K. Choudhry. He has some ten or so books to his name and an active presence on the internet. The method he uses is relatively simple. Simple, that is, compared to astrology methods in general and bearing in mind that destiny is fundamentally complicated.
For the content, therefore, I am indebted to Professor Choudhry. For the approach I am indebted to Dr Rudolf Steiner. I am dividing astrological influences into 4 layers. The uppermost layer is the stars. The term I like to use for this layer of influence is “Stellar”. In themselves the stars form a practically static backdrop for all the other heavenly phenomena. When we perceive the stars and identify particular groupings, such as the Southern Cross, then the pictures or patterns are the same as people perceived 10,000 years ago. There are occasional changes. New stars are sometimes born and once or twice in recorded history stars have ended their existence with a spectacular explosion. In the main, however, the stars form a fixed and permanent canopy on which to plot the movements of the planets. The Stellar layer forms the foundation of this treatise.
The next layer down is the realm of the Solar System. We place the Solar System at the core of the starry sphere. The Sun is in the middle with her family of planets circling around. We will call this layer “Solar”, bearing in mind it consists not only of the sun but also the planets. The form of the solar system is like a dish. As the planets revolve around the sun they do so like on the surface of a desk. Not precisely, mind you. Mercury’s orbit is tilted some five degrees from the norm and some wayward asteroids up to thirty degrees. Comets don’t really represent part of the solar family. They fly close to the sun for a short period but spend most of the time lost deep in the space between the solar system and the starry sphere. When they enter the solar system I don’t know if they tend to align to the flat dish that the planets do.
The next layer inside the solar system is the realm of the moon. At this level we surreptitiously shift the centre of the cosmos from the sun to the earth. The moon circles the earth in respect to the stars in 27.3 days. Apparently this is the average length of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The period from full moon to full moon is slightly longer at 29.5 days. The consequence of my four layers of influence is that forces from the starry sphere and forces from the solar system must pass through the lunar layer before influencing life on earth. Here it is highlighted what a pivotal role the moon plays in astrology. The moon acts as a gateway to the forces emanating beyond her sphere.
The fourth layer is the earth. The movement that characterises this layer is the spin of the earth. In respect to the sun the earth spins once in 24 hours. In respect to the starry sphere, however, the earth spins once in 23h 56m. The difference may not concern us particularly at the moment but is critical in the calculation of a horoscope. Basically it means that Aries does not rise above the horizon at the same time every day. During the year Aries will appear 4 mins earlier day by day.
There is another aspect to the earth’s rotation which I will represent now. The earth spins like a spinning top on a table. (Bear in mind that the table is equivalent to the plane of the solar system.) We know, however, that the earth’s spin is tilted 23.5 degrees from vertical. If we spin a top on a table the more upright the spinning top the more stable the movement. If the spinning top starts to lean over then it will collapse. If we picture the earth spinning we might suppose that the tilt of the axis is not a very stable arrangement. This is where a further elaboration of the spinning earth enters the equation. Not only does the earth spin on its axis, but the axis performs a gyration all of its own. Such a gyration is observable in a spinning top. If the spinning top is not perfectly upright then we may observe a wobbling of its spinning axis. So as the earth performs its daily spin, the axis of the earth is performing a slow, independent gyration in the opposite direction. This gyration has caused the divergence of the two zodiacs and caused a fair degree of controversy in astrology. We will leave this issue rest for the time being, in the mean time I will leave you with the image of the spinning top.
Friday, November 25
Before I proceed to a description of each of the four layers in turn I will characterise this model I am using a little more. The structure of my model is hierarchical. The first layer is the Stellar sphere and it is the most powerful. It holds the key to human destiny. But the principles which are directed by the Stellar sphere must be transmitted through the intervening Solar, Lunar and earthly spheres. In the end all influences are conducted through the earthly sphere.
A simple example will demonstrate the dynamic of transmission through these 4 layers. A phenomenon at the top of the hierarchy remains invisible to people on earth. The sun may enter the sign of cancer. This is known by mathematical computation. The event, however, is practically indiscernible. The fact that astrologers argue about where the boundaries of the signs lie is due to the fact that there is no immediate consequence of the sun entering cancer.
Phenomena at the lowest layer have recognisable effects. The primary limb of the earth layer is the horizon. When the sun meets the horizon we recognise an event with immediate consequences. At, and around, this time we have various coincidences. The cock crows. People wake up. Birds sing. Car engines start. Trains start rolling and so on.
The upper layers are like directors of a company and the lower layers are like employees who carry out instructions.
An example from the life of Jesus will illustrate further the mechanics of this hierarchical structure. Rudolf Steiner indicated that studying the biography of Jesus is very fruitful for astrologers since we have a record of a god walking the earth as a man. Every deed in Jesus’ life was conducted in harmony with the heavens.
When the sun entered aries in AD 33 Jesus was teaching in the temple at Jerusalem as he had done the day before and continued to do up to the crucifixion.
As the moon approached full preparations were made for the Passover Festival. When Jesus and the disciples sat down for the last supper the full moon was rising. Note that the rising of a planet coincides with events in the earthly sphere.
During the night : Pluto rose Judas’ betrayal Neptune rose mock trial by Caiphas Venus rose Peter denies Jesus Mercury rose Virgin Mary arrives at the courthouse Sun rise Jesus is chained to bring before Pontius Pilate Judas kills himself Mars rose Scourging Jupiter rose Crowning with thorns Saturn rose Carrying the cross up Golgotha
We can see the four layers transmitting in sequence. From aries in the starry sphere through the sun and moon and finally onto the horizon of the earthly sphere.
Sunday, November 27
1. THE STELLAR SPHERE
An orange will suffice as a model of the stellar sphere. The sun and the earth are in the middle. The stellar sphere is so large that the whole solar system resolves into a point. The whole of cosmic space is within the skin of the orange. Beyond the skin of the orange is a realm outside of space, a realm of pure time. After death the human soul journeys to this realm beyond space in order to be reborn. The stars may be considered portals through which light shines from the realm of pure time.
If the orange is resting on its navel then the place where the stem was once attached is at the top. The zodiac is then a horizontal belt around the middle of the orange.
The solar system is also located in this horizontal plane. This means if we slice the orange into a top half and a bottom half the sun and all the planets would be on the surface we have made. The solar system is in the middle and the zodiac runs around the edge of our slice. This means that throughout the wandering of the planets the belt of zodiacal stars are always visible behind the planets.
The twelve signs of the zodiac each occupy an equal portion of the circle, that is thirty degrees each. The groups of stars which identify the signs bear the same name as they have since the dawn of astrology.
Around AD 300 the equinox in March was coincident with the boundary of the signs aries and pisces. Since then there has been a tradition of equating this equinox to the start of the sign aries. But slowly and surely the equinox has moved backwards further and further into pisces. This movement is called precession and I referred to it earlier as the gyrating of the earth’s axis.
This backward movement of the equinox proceeds at one degree every 72 years. Since AD 300 it has thence moved approximately 23.5 degrees to currently stand at 6.5 degrees pisces.
That a tradition continues to use the equinox as zero degrees aries with reasonable results is because the solar, lunar and earthly layers of our scheme are relatively unaffected. This will become more apparent as we proceed through the layers.
This tradition of placing the equinox at zero aries is called tropical astrology. The stellar sphere is ignored and no accurate delineation can be derived from the stars.
When the boundaries of the signs are based on the constellations of stars we call it Sidereal Astrology. Derivations from the signs of the zodiac are made through planetary rulerships which brings us to the next layer of our scheme.
2. THE SOLAR SYSTEM
This layer is really like the meat in the sandwich of reading destiny from a horoscope. The characters in this layer consist of the five visible planets in the solar system plus the sun and the moon. We will portray them in turn describing the manner in which they act. Then we will describe how they transmit information from the stellar sphere. We will also describe the interactions they make among themselves called aspects. Then we will describe the mechanics of their motion producing various rhythms and finally we will show how to determine their respective strength or weakness.
Monday, November 28
Saturn is slow, deliberate, reserved and impersonal. He is serious and thoughtful. Like an old man he is economy in action.
Jupiter is generous and sociable. She is open-minded and inclusive and strives to generate order and harmony among people.
Mars wants freedom to express himself spontaneously. He speaks his mind with an immediate honesty.
The sun is lively and enthusiastic with abundant love. At the same time a source of balance, harmony and peace the sun’s contribution is easily unacknowledged.
Venus is beauty and grace. Through her appreciation of quality she cultivates things of essential value.
Mercury is busy. Mercury is clever. Mercury is sifting and sorting perceptions and ideas from divergent sources and weaving a network of relatedness.
The moon attends to practical needs. She is strong and versatile, determined and gentle, constrained and fertile. How she is wisdom incarnate!
According to their character each of the seven planets finds a home in one sign of the zodiac. Throughout their wandering in the twelve signs of the zodiac they loyally serve the interests of their home. And so the interests of layer 1, the stellar sphere, are transmitted/translated into layer 2, the solar system.
Saturn’s home is Aquarius where he works for cultural progress.
Jupiter’s home is Sagittarius where he steers people to lofty goals.
Mars home is Aries where his ideas are given freely.
The suns home is Leo where he fosters love and enthusiasm.
Venus home is Libra so that relationships can blossom.
Mercury’s home is Virgo so that inner and outer life are ordered.
The moons home is Cancer so that fundamental needs are met.
Besides having a home to which their service is dedicated, each planet also has a zodiac sign in which their activity flourishes. This sign is called exaltation. In the sign opposite their exaltation a planet is in fall. In its fall planets activity is frustrated and its power diminished.
Saturn is exalted in Libra. It flourishes in long-term relationships.
Jupiter is exalted in cancer. It flourishes when vision is focused on worldly matters.
Mars is exalted in Capricorn. It flourishes when its ideas are implemented for social gain.
The sun is exalted in aries. It flourishes in warm, personal expression of love.
Venus is exalted in pisces. It flourishes when it finds value in global concerns.
Mercury is exalted at home in Virgo. Which is like mercury doesn’t flourish it just works (or doesn’t).
The moon is exalted in Taurus. It flourishes when kindness is translated directly into deeds.
Each of the planets has a particular occupation to which it is most suited. These occupations are intended in the broadest sense so that among six the full spectrum of human occupations is spanned. The sun as a harmonising, balancing character is not restricted to a category but brings enthusiasm to whatever occupation they engage in. However the label “healer” is appropriate for the sun. In the current social climate the sun will also be found in leading roles such as politician or diplomat.
Saturn scientist Jupiter teacher Mars business person with emphasis on enterprising Venus artist Mercury position as part of chain of command : clerk, secretary Moon hands on manual work
When planets are located at particular angles from other planets they directly impact the other planet, sometimes for the better and sometimes for worse.
All planets cast an aspect to another planet from which they are separated zero degrees or 180 degrees. These aspects are called respectively conjunction and opposition.
As well as conjunction and opposition Mars also casts an aspect to planets separated by 90 degrees and 210 degrees.
As well as conjunction and opposition Jupiter casts an aspect to planets separated by 120 degrees and 240 degrees. (The moons nodes cast aspects the same as Jupiter but we will deal with the moon’s nodes in layer 3)
Saturn casts conjunction and opposition aspects as well as planets separated by 60 degrees and 270 degrees.
When an aspect is exact it operates at full force. As the exactness diminishes to beyond five degrees the force diminishes to negligible. In other words the closer to exact the stronger the aspect but if the aspect is more than 5 degrees off it has zero force.
A horoscope is a snapshot of the planets positions at the time of birth. In this snapshot can be read an individuals outlook on life. It is like a portrait. Much of an individual’s destiny is apparent from the horoscope but factors in the environment will play a part in how the life unfolds.
One way of updating the horoscope during the course of life is to track the ongoing movement of the planets. As the planets continue to move they will trigger events an they touch sensitive points in the horoscope.
Later we will be demonstrating all of these factors in chart interpretation. Now I want to describe the way the planets move in the sky among the stars. Not only is the speed and rhythms of the planets important in reading their ongoing effects in the horoscope it is also a fundamental part of their character.
The sun and moon always move forward through the zodiac. The other five planets, however, periodically slow down, turn backward. The backward movement slows again before forward motion resumes.
Saturn is the slowest of the planets. It takes 29.5 years to complete a circuit of the zodiac. 29.5 years corresponds to the length of a generation. It is therefore associated with inheritance and family customs. Since it moves slowly any influence it makes on a horoscope will be prolonged. Every year it will slow down and turn backwards which, if it occurs near a sensitive part of the horoscope, will further prolong its influence. Hence Saturn has a reputation for seriousness. The situations he manifests cannot be avoided or skirted around : They must be lived through and the consequences borne.
Jupiter completes a circuit of the zodiac in 12 years. This period corresponds to the typical length of schooling : 6 years of primary and 6 years of secondary education. Jupiter, like saturn, also turns backward every year. While the duration of Jupiter’s influence will not be as long as saturn, nonetheless it can effect circumstances for one or two months.
Mars completes a circuit of the zodiac in two years. The increase in liveliness, vigour and assertiveness of two year olds is attributable to mars. Mars turns backward only once every two years and the time it influences the chart is relatively short. Mars can have a dramatic effect, however, turning ones life around in a moment.
Venus completes a circuit of the zodiac every year. She is never found beyond 40 degrees of the sun. She turns backward 5 times in 8 years. Her effect in transit is brief.
Mercury also accompanies the sun never being more than 30 degrees away. Mercury turns backward for 22 days, 3 times a year. One sees why we label him as busy.
The sun and moon proceed through the zodiac at a constant rate.
Saturday, December 04
In approximately 365.25 days the sun completes a circuit of the zodiac. The calendar is adjusted periodically to coincide with the tropical year so always March 21st coincides with the equinox. But it takes 20 minutes longer for the sun to return to a star than it takes for the sun to return to equinox. This is simply another reference to precession which we mentioned in the introduction and will resolve in layer 4 when we discuss the earths rotation.
Every 27.3 days the moon completes a circuit of the zodiac. It takes 29.5 days to come back to full moon. Notice the relationship between the moon – the fastest planet – and saturn, the slowest planet. Full moon to full moon is 29.5 days and the saturn cycle is 29.5 years. Saturn takes one year to cover the same territory as the moon does in one day. (All day to cover the distance the moon does in 4 mins.)
We conclude level 2 by assessing the strength of each planet. Basically each planet is considered strong in the first place but weakened by five criteria. Four of these factors will be outlined here but the fifth is in the domain of layer 4. Planets rarely escape having some weakening. As a planet becomes weaker it is less capable of protecting and promoting the ideas represented by its home. Remember a planet is loyal to one sign. In all its efforts it is trying to protect and promote the interests of this sign, its home.
1. A planet is weakened if it is in the first or last five degrees of a zodiac sign. We may label this infancy for the first five degrees and old age for the last five degrees. The closer to the boundary the more severe the weakness.
2. A planet is weakened if it is in the zodiac sign opposite to its exaltation.
Therefore the sun is weak in Libra Moon “ Scorpio Mercury “ Pisces Venus “ Virgo Mars “ Cancer Jupiter “ Capricorn Saturn “ Aries
If a planet is in the sign opposite its exaltation we call this fall.
3. A planet is weak if it is close to the sun. Some planets are more tolerant of being near the sun so we have different angles for each of the planets.
Venus is weak if less than 10 degrees from the sun Jupiter “ 11 “ Moon “ 12 “ Mercury “ 14 “ Saturn “ 15 “ Mars “ 17 “
4. A planet is weak if it is in a zodiac sign which is the home of a planet weakened by any of the three above mentioned factors.
December 11
3. THE LUNAR DOMAIN
If we place the sun in the middle of a table and the earth goes round the sun then the earth stays on the table for its entire circuit. The table is called a plane in geometric terms. (A plane extends in only two dimensions.) The plane of the earths orbit is called the ecliptic and it can be extended all the way out to the stars. For our purposes the other planets can be considered to be on the same plane. This is a rather curious phenomena. It is like all the planets and the sun are floating on the surface of a flat pond. As they float they cruise around the sun in their respective orbits at their respective speeds.
All the planets can be considered floating on the pond, except the moon. As the moon orbits the earth it dives under the surface of the pond and re-emerges on the other side of the earth approximately 14 days later. If we join the point at which the moon dives to the point at which it re-emerges we make a line called the nodal axis. The point at which it dives is called the South Node and the point at which it re-emerges is called the North Node.
When I introduced the moon sphere at the beginning of my journal I mentioned how the moon is a gateway through which the influences from the solar system and the stellar sphere must pass on their way to the earth. There are two ways that the moon transmits these influences. One is via the north and south nodes which I have just described. There is a rather neat way of visualising this phenomena. Imagine that as the planets float around on the surface of the pond that they make little ripples and waves in their wake. The points at which the moon’s orbit cut the surface of the pond will be the most sensitive to these ripples and waves. Note : we are focusing on the moons orbit. The actual physical body of the moon is irrelevant. The nodes are sensitive independently of the physical moon.
These points where the moons orbit cut the surface of the pond are like cosmic vortexes. Influences from the planetary sphere are funnelled in and out of the lunar domain. Influences at the north end tend to propel people deeper into earthly affairs and influences at the south end tend to force people away from earthly affairs.
The nodes are however difficult to generalize about. Under the influence of the north node someone may work very hard and earn lots of money. But when the influence abates this someone may find they have nothing to show for all their hard work except exhaustion and some life experiences that may not be terribly enriching anyway.
While the north node may leave us with very little of value after it has passed the south node often takes things away at the start. This can be considered its way of leading us away from earthly concerns. House, car, limb, job, etc. These are all fair game for the south node.
One can appreciate how both the nodes have a bad reputation. And here I will introduce an idea that will be critical in the next layer. The idea that planets are either good or bad in an individuals horoscope. The nodes are considered Bad. They interrupt the smooth and productive course of our lives. Occasionally they cause prodigiously good results, but very rarely. Sometimes they seem to be responsible for prodigiously good results but when one looks more closely doubts about their beneficence arise.
Most people who win tattslotto are bankrupt two years later. And imagine what else they are likely to have lost besides the money…
When considering good planets and bad planets bear in mind that real christian character is born of hardship. Notice also that hardship can ruin some peoples character and ennoble others. The key here is choice. Subtle, invisible choices about how to integrate events into ones biography. Choices of this nature are veiled and not readily discernible in a horoscope.
Enough about good and bad. As we proceed this issue will arise again and I will address it or not as need be.
There is another important way that the moon transmits the influences of the planets to the earth. This time the physical body of the moon is responsible.
Saturday, December 17
If the second level is the meat of horoscope interpretation then the fourth level is the bread. Level four defines the framework of destiny and character and is the single most important part of horoscope interpretation. I could probably write as much as I already have all over again about level four. But I have counted the pages left in this book and feel I may make an initial conclusion in the pages left. This will leave some loose ends which I will address in the next journal.
Before describing the special way the physical body of the moon influences destiny I will furnish some more information about the moons nodes. The moons nodes proceed backwards through the horoscope completing a circuit in approximately 18.6 years. At the completion of each circuit and also at the halfway points the moons nodes may precipitate events in life. These events may be subtle being perceived primarily in dream life but nonetheless they can be instrumental in steering us in a particular direction and push us through important developmental stages.
Three times a year the motion of the moons nodes slows down so that for a period of 6 weeks they remain stationary. If they do so on a sensitive part of the horoscope then their influence is much more pronounced due to the duration of the contact. Generally this influence will be a quickening and consequent chaos in the particular area of life.
Earlier in the planetary section (Solar System) we delineated the aspects made by each of the planets. Both the north node and the south node make aspects in the same way as jupiter. That is zero degrees and 180 degrees as well as 120 degrees and 240 degrees. Between them they will aspect 6 equidistant points around the horoscope. 2 points will be contacted by both the north and south nodes. 2 points will be contacted by the north node only and 2 points will be contacted by the south node only.
Generally the moon may be considered the lord of karma. And when one considers the way karma works in destiny one can recognise that it is created and resolved in human relationships. It is the people in our lives with which we weave our destiny. Family, friends, colleagues, associates and sometimes brief encounters provide the stage on which we meet and create karma. The domain of the moon is responsible for our meeting the right people at the right time. Consider the multitude of people in our lives and all the various roles we play among each other and you can appreciate what an incredibly sophisticated, dynamic, and diverse task the lords of karma have.
Especially the moons nodes have an important task in orchestrating this complex web of relationships.
Now, regarding the influence of the physical orb of the moon. First of all consider a time line of 360 years duration. This time line turns back on itself in a circle so that the end meets the start. Divide this circle into 27 equal parts and run it around the zodiac. The starting point is zero degrees aries. Each of the 27 parts will occupy 13.3 degrees. That is 360 / 27. Each of the 27 parts is allocated either one of the seven planets, the north node or the south node. These nine “planets” repeat in the same order so that each “planet” is allocated 3 sectors each. From zero degrees aries the “planets” run in the sequence South node, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, North Node, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury
The sector in which the moon resides at birth will govern the first period of life. Subsequently the periods will follow in the order given above. The completion of nine periods will account for 120 years of life.
But. While each of the planets is allocated an equal section of the zodiac the time periods in which their influence is dominant are not equal.
So the position of the moon at birth will define the period in which you begin life. Also the extent to which the moon has passed through a particular section also defines how much of that period will remain to be lived through. This happens in a purely linear fashion so that if the moon has traversed half of the sector allocated to the south node at birth then half of the period of time of the south node remains to be lived through. The south node period is 7 years long so the first 3.5 years of life will be experienced under its influence before the next period, venus, begins.
Venus goes for 20 years and then the sun period begins. The sun goes for 6 years and then the moon period begins. The moon goes for 10 years and then the mars period begins. Mars goes for 7 years and then the north node period begins. The north node goes 18 years and then jupiter period begins. Jupiter goes for 16 years and then saturn period begins. Saturn goes for 19 years and then mercury period begins. Mercury goes for 17 years and then we are back to the south node.
During the major period of each of the planets each of the nine planets governs a sub-period. The first sub-period of each main period is the same as the ruler of the main period. The sub-periods are allocated a period of time in the same proportion as the main periods.
Lets divide the main period of venus into sub-periods to see how the system works.
Venus main period is 20 years long. The first sub-period is venus. Venus’ proportion of the main period is 20/120. Like wise venus’ sub-period will be 20 ÷ 120 X 20 years = 20 ÷ 6 = 3.33 years.
The sun sub period will be 6 ÷ 120 X 20 years = 1 year
length of main period length of sub-period in venus main period
Venus 20 3.33
Sun 06 1.00
Moon 10 1.67
Mars 07 1.16
North node 18 3.00
Jupiter 16 2.67
Saturn 19 3.17
Mercury 17 2.83
South node 07 1.17
Total 120 20.00
After venus main period comes the sun main period.
In the next book we enter the earthly realm