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Astrology
by Hand Week 24
More
On Making “Debilities” Work
Last
week, I gave two examples of how it seems that one can make
planets in detriment and fall work not only better, but quite well indeed.
I mentioned in particular Mercury in Sagittarius and Mercury in Pisces.
A couple more comments are in order on debilitated planets.
First of
all, there does seem to be a pattern in these “debility reversals,” i.e.,
ways of making these planets go from acting debilitated to dignified.
First of all, in both of these cases, and also with other planets in debility,
it seems that it is necessary to use the style and tools of the sign opposite
the debility. So, for my Mercury in Sagittarius, I find it necessary to
use the analytical tools of Mercury in Gemini. For example, when I examine
a philosophical problem, I resort to in-depth word analysis. But my objectives
are those of Sagittarius—philosophical understanding, etc. Mercury in
Pisces people seem to have to use the tools of Virgo, very detailed and
structured thinking and planning, in order to attain the objectives of
Pisces—understanding, compassion, etc.
Mars
in Libra
Here’s another
example. Let’s take Mars in Libra. This is a Mars that sometimes gives
way in the face of opposition because it may be indecisive and uncertain.
According to the logic of the previous paragraph, the individual has to
become aware of the problem, and take the tools of Mars in Aries to fulfill
the objectives of Libra. In other words, the native would have to take
what may seem a rather selfish or self-centered point of view to achieve
a level of self-understanding without regard to the issues of relationship
with others, and then use this understanding to create a controlled and
conscious balance within relationships. This would be intelligent compromise
rather than the kind of knee-jerk compromise that is often associated
with Mars in Libra. Mars-in-Libra people who can do this would show no
evidence of a debilitated Mars but would act like people with a dignified
and very functional Mars.
I could go
on with many other examples of the principle of debility inversion, but
I hope you get the point. I have to say that this is still a work in progress
and as I have more insights, I will share them with you. The point I really
want to make here is that if Damiani’s
model as I understand it is correct, then the application of conscious
effort to understand the nature of these debilities as they operate in
our lives actually serves not so much to change them into dignities, but
to reveal that they actually are dignities that we simply do not use properly
when we operate unconsciously. They are like powerful words that we cannot
use in our vocabulary until we make the effort to understand them.
Language
Again
I come back
to the issue of words intentionally. In previous articles, I have stressed
the issue of language and the role it has to play in consciousness and
our recognition of its presence in some kind of being. And in the last
couple of weeks I have presented, albeit in very brief form, a model of
the universe that gives a central role to consciousness and shows that
it precedes matter. What I have been leading up to in these articles is
that I believe that astrology and magic in different ways demonstrate
that the universe transmits to us in languages, the languages of the various
divinatory systems, and that we can transmit back.
With these
systems we have what amounts to conversations with the universe. When
we do horary and natal astrology, we are reading or listening to transmissions.
With electional astrology and with magic, we transmit our own desires,
comments and will to the universe. All of this is done with astrological
and magical languages, and these seem not to be arbitrary, even though
they take on many forms.
Constellational
Images and History
For years
now, I have been lecturing about a phenomenon that illustrates the principles
described above. In fact, it is one of the things that has led me to the
conclusions that I have been sharing with you here. This is the incredible
correspondence between the images of the constellations as described by
Ptolemy and other ancients, and events in our history since ancient times.
This is along the lines of descriptions of history in terms of the Age
of Aries, Age of Pisces and of course the Age of Aquarius. As one who
has been trained in history, I have always found these other attempts
to be somewhat forced and not very historical. But several years ago I
found another such effort in one of Carl Jung’s last works, Aion.
What I found in that work truly amazed me. We will take this up next week.
Notes
Damiani’s
complete teachings about astrology and philosophy are now available. Damiani,
Anthony. Astronoesis. Larsen Press, 2000.
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