AstrologiCat

⚡️BEHOLD! I will talk with Philosophicat tomorrow about astrology. I will ask her to explain how astrology works (beginner friendly), and how we can use it in our cosmic struggle to save our civilisation. We will also discuss the recent transit where high-thumos Aries gains influence (this is something that I have been personally interested in – so I thought to ask the expert and share the conversation with other aspiring mystics and sensitive young men!). We will stream for 1-2 hours, with some time to respond to questions at the end. Tomorrow, Monday, March 2nd, 20:00 CET on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/oLgKADuFGpE

Long in the works and finally finished... my stack on the coming religious revival, as heralded by a rare outer planet alignment. Don't get too excited though— not all that glitters is gold. This isn't a new Golden Age, but the late autumn of Spengler's "Second Religiousness", a false renewal born of a desperate and dying civilisation. Can something genuinely sacred still emerge from it? Yes, but in a quiet and unexpected form. Link: https://open.substack.com/pub/philosophicat/p/ashes-of-the-age-the-astrology-of?r=1bepqq&utm_medium=ios

A while back, I wrote an article for a right-wing magazine on the direction Europe is headed based on the astrology and I now make it available for everyone to read: https://philosophicat.substack.com/p/the-stars-over-europa

We've had Neptune hanging out in Pisces for a very long time. Pisces is a double-bodied (mutable) water sign. This suggests some kind of reconstruction going on around order and truth (topics related to Jupiter, the ruler of Pisces) and reconstruction implies there are some kinds of problems around truth that need fixing. There have been so many disputes around what's true or real since Neptune has been in Pisces. All this talk around "fake news", as well as the deliberate redefining of words to obfuscate their meaning, censorship, etc. When Neptune hits Aries in 2025, it will be a very different conversation by then. But think about the past year. Neptune has been trying to reconstruct things to do with truth and order, but it's been doing so while its host, Jupiter, was in its fall in Capricorn! So there have been a lot of challenges in regard to the nature of truth. You can almost feel like the liars are getting the upper hand all the time. But Neptune is now in the second half of Pisces, Jupiter is no longer in its fall (and will pick up some domicile dignity midway through this year when it briefly enters Pisces and next year when it transits the sign), and so over the next few years, we should see some kind of completion of this reconstruction event around what is "true" and around the order of the world. You can look for your whole sign houses of Pisces in your birth chart to see where in your life those themes are playing out on a personal level for you.

Neptune enters Aries today!

Donald Trump seems to be the latest victim of the Mars-Uranus-Algol conjunction. Where Jordan Peterson "lost his head" figuratively, Trump came very close to losing his literally. Let's take at his chart with the current transits. Mars-Uranus is applying to conjoin within 2 degrees of his midheaven (MC) in his 10th house of career and public reputation. That this occurred in a very public setting while he was acting in his professional capacity is not surprising. Many astrologers were concerned about this signature for Trump. It is activating his natal Mars in the 1st house of self, indicating injury to the body. Being shot is very Mars-y in the sense that it is a violent attack, it draws blood, and as well as the nature of the damage done to the body by that kind of wound. Meanwhile, Jupiter seems to have put out a protective hand, in a helpful sextile with natal Pluto, offering a narrow escape. Pluto in the 1st can be pretty resilient and a source of empowerment, and Jupiter is enhancing that in a way that will likely see Trump emerge from this crisis in a much stronger position. Venus having just entered his 1st house is also a benefic influence here, especially as the host of Mars-Uranus. The iconic photo is also very Venus in Leo. It seems like he will be okay, fortunately, but what a sad and embarrassing day for America. Let's use this as a reminder to pray for America, and especially for the people in power, who are most in need of the light of God to touch their hearts. (Copied from my X/Twitter page)

Some of you may be interested in this. Robert Hand is the last surviving of the 3 Roberts of Project Hindsight.

For those who have not yet heard the sad news, Jeff Winston, founder of White Art Collective, passed away under tragic circumstances, leaving behind his fiancée, Hiraeth, and their 3 month old baby. She is now facing raising their infant daughter alone, her dreams for the future shattered, and her entire life has upended. Those who know Hiraeth know what an unfailingly kind person she is and she and Jeff deserved a better ending to what was a beautiful love story. No amount of money can ever bring Jeff back, but it can help her rebuild her life and ease some of her financial stress while she goes through her grieving and rebuilding process. I ask each of you to donate what you can. The link to the fundraiser is below. Please be as generous as your finances allow, as her need is great. If you are unable to donate, consider sharing this with others? https://www.givesendgo.com/HiraethFund

Those of you who attended our study groups will remember Hiraeth, without whom they would not have been possible. Please consider helping her out if you are able.

Did you get to see the solar eclipse today?

THE ESOTERIC LIBRA New Substack article exploring the esoteric significance of the sign of Libra. If you don't know anything about astrology, that's ok! This isn't a technical article on interpreting it in a natal chart, but rather a more meta discussion of what it has to tell us about the transcendent solar quest of man. Anyone interested in symbolism and myth can enjoy it. Non-subscribers can still read it for free with a 7 day trial https://open.substack.com/pub/philosophicat/p/the-esoteric-libra?r=1bepqq&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

A number of people have inquired about the study groups and I want to let everyone know what’s happened with that. My workload this year (not just from astrology, but all sources) has dramatically increased and I’ve not been able to make the time for the study groups. When I began them, I had initially anticipated that it would be simply a study group- a place for astrologers (whether amateur, hobbyist, professional) to come together to discuss the craft or work on charts together. However, it quickly became clear that while there were many people interested in learning astrology, not enough people had a solid enough grasp of the basics to make a study group feasible as I had originally conceived of it. And so it turned into essentially teaching mini courses on the basics. And don’t get me wrong because I really do love teaching and it was a lot of fun to do those sessions, but the time commitment this required became unsustainable. Rather than 2 hours on a Friday evening, it became a full day of preparing slides and finding suitable example charts. As other areas of my life demanded more time and attention, it became nearly impossible to find a free day in the month to run the study group. I’m hoping that this might change a little later in the year or by early next year, so it is still my desire to bring these study groups back, whether in the lecture format or as just a facilitated discussion of all things astrology. And of course, since those began last year, everybody has been learning a lot and seems to have developed a better grasp of chart mechanics, so we have some flexibility that we didn’t have previously. I’m curious to hear from you, if you were a study group attendee, if you’d be interested in bringing them back in a more casual format: you bring charts and put them up for discussion and we all pick through them as a group or you can bring questions about something you’re stuck on or whatever? Or do you prefer them to be lecture + chart demonstrations that we had been doing?

A friend has set up a TikTok for me where she is clipping things of astrological interest that I’ve said in streams. I have no idea how to use TikTok at this point, but there’s a chance I might eventually make exclusive astrological content there- my friend is making a strong case for it- so give it a follow if you feel so inclined.

This was another odd horary I cast lately. The querent asked if she was pregnant. She is the Sun and the Moon, the baby would be Jupiter. At first glance, this looked really positive. Jupiter cazimi! You couldn’t get a more perfect picture of the baby inside mom. But wait… the aspect is still applying. For conception, we need to see a recently separating aspect. If it’s applying, conception hasn’t happened yet. And the perfected aspect is still a few minutes off. Then you see that the Moon has just entered its exile in Capricorn. Not a great testimony for pregnancy. 👎 I told her I didn’t think she was pregnant. And it turned out that she was not pregnant, BUT…!!! Later that same day, she received an extremely Jupiterian business proposal that would leverage her creative skills, which she accepted, thus conceiving a different kind of “baby”.

I want to give another example of a lost object horary. While I don’t share William Lilly’s fondness for them, occasionally you just need to find something! Today was such a day. I had a choice in this case for the significator of the missing object between Mercury as the lord of the 2nd and the Moon as the natural ruler of lost objects. Taking Mercury suggests it will be found in a 9th house place- my office, most likely, which also physically lines up with the layout of my house. It also indicates the item is unable to be seen (Mercury is combust). But I knew it was probably not even upstairs. I looked anyway, but it wasn’t there. So I had to consider the Moon instead. Also “unseen” due to its eclipse. But on the IC and in a water sign, this pointed to downstairs and possibly somewhere comfy. (At least, I hoped it referred to a comfy place and not a wet place like the pool!) My reading sofa perhaps, which also lines up with the layout of my house? I finally found it on the little table next to the sofa, somehow wedged underneath a stack of very 9th house type of books (mainly astrology and philosophy)! Generally two significators for a lost object only add confusion and I don’t recommend it as a standard practice, but this was one of those occasions where both significators gave me a clue.

A few things I've noticed that come up frequently in the astrological charts of right-wing men: -Strong Sagittarius placements: Sagittarius needs a mission, a higher ideal to aim for. Many of these men really crave that, but when they don't have that, they are especially prone to hedonism and nihilism. The placement and condition of Jupiter is usually telling as to which way the person will naturally lean. -Mars in Cancer: On the plus side, it speaks to a desire to protect home, family, and tribe. Among prominent activists, finding this in the 6th or 10th house is most common. On the negative side, Mars is in its fall here, frustrating its ability to act and can lead to a really unhealthy view of "winners and losers", victim mentalities, and passive-aggressiveness. Other aspects to Mars and the condition of the Moon will tell the rest of the story. -Problems with Saturn: Saturn broadly represents our relationship to the word "should", and likes to judge what is right or wrong. In many charts of these young men, Saturn is either afflicted itself in some way or is maltreating another planet in a significant way. This results in a tendency of harsh judgments of others and a preoccupation with what they think others should be doing, as well as a very critical inner voice, or an inability to motivate themselves to live up to their own standards.

For those interested in learning more about Hellenistic astrology, I spoke with Georgina Rose on her channel, Da'at Darling, about this very subject! You can check out the interview here: https://youtu.be/aP7uKHE_4DY

Each of the traditional aspects is related to the nature of a planet and this is essential to understanding and delineating a given aspect. The type of aspect will bring the planetary energy of that aspect into the combination of the two planets making an aspect. The sextile is of the nature of Venus. The square is of the nature of Mars The trine is of the nature of Jupiter The opposition is of the nature of Saturn Conjunctions are not technically an aspect, but considered “bodily union”. Thus, if we have a trine between Mars and Saturn, that Mars and Saturn relationship will be coloured by Jupiterian themes. Personally, I do not use out of sign aspects because the relationship between element, modality, and gender are important in considering aspects. The aspectual relationship between two planets tells us HOW they will get along (or not). Is the relationship harmonious and supportive or are they working against each other? Let’s consider each aspect in turn, using Mars and Saturn as examples. (Please note that these are just broad examples to help us understand aspects in a vacuum and a full interpretation would depend on the condition of each planet in a chart.) Mars conjunct Saturn: Endurance. We have the strength of Mars combined with the discipline of Saturn, the action of Mars combined with the timelessness of Saturn. What do you get when you combine the significations of two planets? Mars sextile Saturn: A good work ethic. Saturn disciplines Mars to be effective and directed in his energy. Or passive-aggressive, if poorly placed. Mars may want to lash out, but Saturn forces him to bottle it up so that he doesn’t constantly set off bombs in his life. The Venutian nature of the sextile helps them to get along with each other and helps the native get along with others. Mars square Saturn: Determination. Mars overcomes Saturn’s doom and gloom and makes it persevere no matter the setback. Or a lack of confidence. Saturn’s self-doubt and judgment put the brakes on Mars’ ability to take action. The Martian nature of this will cause one planet to maltreat the other (usually the planet in the overcoming position, but striking with a ray may also come into play). This is a conflict, but one that produces a resolution. Mars trine Saturn: Strategic, if Saturn can discipline Mars to play the long-game and stop being so reckless. Or cautious, where Mars wants to take action but needs to pull along a Saturn who is always looking for what might go wrong. The Jupiterian nature of the trine tends to bonify the relationship between the planets and brings a level of wisdom into the mix. Whereas the sextile is more about what is pleasant and nice, the trine is more about what’s wise and right. Mars opposite Saturn: Unable to exert will, frustration, start vs stop, action vs contemplation, just do something vs just sit there. The Saturnian nature of the opposition does not allow these planets to cooperate on anything. There is a stalemate, a fundamental polarity and tension. Oppositions differ from squares in that squares tend to sever something that was once joined, but oppositions never allow them to meet at all. In each of these examples, we can see how the planetary nature that relates to a given aspect changes the dynamic between the planets. I encourage you to look at the whole sign aspects in your birth chart and see how you might interpret them based on these principles.

May 5: lunar eclipse (full moon) in Scorpio, hosted by a fallen Mars in Cancer This is our last lunar eclipse in Scorpio for another 9 years. This year, the nodes are in the process of changing signs and so we are getting a fairly rare set of eclipses where they are not occurring exactly in opposite signs. Only about 3% of eclipses happen like this. We see Mars in its fall coming up again as the host. Two back-to-back Mars ruled eclipses while its in fall is not something you will see very often. This eclipse is also toned by the Moon in its fall, opposing Uranus in Taurus, in the middle of a Mercury retrograde. Jupiter is about to enter Taurus where it will immediately square Pluto. Pretty potent and frankly, messy. We do at least have the Moon and Mars in mutual reception as a mitigating factor, but they are like two drunk people trying to hold each other up. It's hard to say much good about this eclipse. We again bring in the Cancerian and lunar themes. You might be needing to look at heavy topics within your close relationships, like issues that have been left neglected or unspoken. This has the potential to be extremely volatile and explosive. Definitely be aware of the emotional fault lines in your relationships ahead of this and make a plan for how you will deal with things in the heat of the moment. If this is likely to be personally impactful in your chart, you are probably already aware of the ways in which this could manifest in your life. Because of the very personal and emotional nature of the Moon, this speaks loudest to me around feelings and relationships, but it could manifest in other ways, depending what you've got going on in your chart and what house topics those planets rule for you. The one silver lining that I could point to is that there is also the potential for a cathartic and healing moment, where the pain of the experience prompts meaningful change. There may be a lot of crying and shouting that results in the ability to move forward now that everyone has put their cards on the table. This is looking like one of the most emotionally intense transits of the year, so make sure you're practicing self-care while also being compassionate to others. With the Moon in Scorpio (and with that Pluto square in the mix as well) you might find that you need to give some serious thought to what things are harder to hold onto than to let go of. This could be toxic relationships, childhood wounds, psychological habit patterns, etc- but again, look to the house topics in your chart for clues on this. Sometimes you can't feel better until you purge the nasty stuff and this eclipse might be rather emetic in that regard.