Author: Cynthia Thinnes

I am an Essentialist Astrologer and a housewife. I enjoy studying and discussing matters related to philosophy and religion. I also knit, crochet, and I am beginning to sew. I speak Japanese (although not very well), and I am studying Swedish, Latin, and Classical Greek. In addition to all of this, I am also learning about gardening. はじめまして。元型的な占星術師や主婦です。哲学を勉強しています。趣味は編み物や庭いじりです。下手でも日本語が出来ます。スウェーデン語もラテン語も古典的なギリシャ語を勉強しています。よろしくお願いします。

Jupiter 木星

Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System. She is the Greater Benefic and is the planet of generosity and good fortune. Jupiter governs the rhythm of the Music of the Spheres, as well as the harmony that weaves through our laws and social order. Jupiter’s influence on manifestation is usually positive.

The Janya of Jupiter: Sai Thamë

Sai Thame dollIn Filianism, the Great Angel, or Janya, that governs Jupiter is Sai Thamë, and She is associated with the element of Earth.

In many Creation mythologies, the Universe was created by forming Cosmos, or Order, out of Chaos. This is the fundamental principle of Sai Thamë. While there have been many different religious traditions throughout history, in many pantheons, the chief deity is either the one associated with Sai Raya, the Janya of the Sun, or Sai Thamë. The reason that Sai Thamë often functions as the chief deity is that She is the Intelligence that governs the movements of all of manifestation.

In Traditional cultures, human laws and social order are seen as an extension of the Harmony of the Cosmos, or the Music of the Spheres. In Filianism, the word thamë refers to the subtle principle of harmony that is a part of the fabric of the Cosmos and that can still be found in remnants even into the Late Iron Age that we live in now. In Japanese, the word for this is 和, wa.

Scientists will tell us that it is fundamental to the nature of the workings of the Universe that entropy, or chaos, can never decrease in a closed system. It takes an effort from an outside entity or force to reinstate order as things naturally disintegrate into disorder. On this point, Modern Science is actually in agreement with Traditional teachings. The reason for rituals and religious celebrations was to regularly and intentionally realign a culture to the celestial harmony so it did not fall into chaos.

A good description of the Divine Harmony that is associated with Sai Thamë can be found in Feminine Scripture:

For there are ways and rhythms in the course of life, of day and night, of seasons and the moon, by which all life, all thought, all work are governed and these movements are the breath of the Divine, reflected in the highest spheres and every living thing.

All nature is a vast and subtle music to which the innocent soul is close attuned.

The profane assay to sever themselves from this music, fixing new laws of gain and self-advantage against the law of universal love.

Honour in all things the times and the seasons, keeping fast in times of fast with diligence and care; rejoicing in times of feast with generous outpouring.

No tree may blossom out of season, nor any flower greet springtime with austerity, but a maid lacking inward control is broken from the rhythm.

For her shall there be nor warmth nor cold, shall there be neither light nor darkness.

Thamelic life is danced within the music of Eternity, and the pattern of the dance is Wholeness

The Gospel of Our Mother God, The Way of Simplicity, 3-10

Some feminine images for Sai Thamë are Justitia, or Lady Justice, from the Roman tradition, Sri Saraswati from the Vedic tradition in her role as the Divine Musician, and Our Lady Mary as Queen of Heaven.

Jupiter Returns

Jupiter has an orbit of approximately 12 years. This means that on a personal level, every 12 years or so, Jupiter comes back to the same place that she was in when you were born. This is called a Jupiter return.

Jupiter returns are considered to be a time of good luck, fortune, and opportunity. How fortunate they actually are will depend on the position and condition of Jupiter in an individual’s Nativity Chart.  Yet, regardless of what happens on a material level, on a spiritual level, Jupiter returns are a time to reflect upon your own personal thamë, or where your life fits into the general harmony of the Cosmos. They also provide the perfect opportunity for you to realign yourself with that harmony if you have fallen away from it.

Soul and the Material World

Each planet has a glyph which is the same as the glyph for the associated Janya. These glyphs are made using three symbols, the Circle of Spirit, the Crescent of Soul, and the Cross of the Material World.

Jupiter GlyphIn Sai Thamë’s glyph, the Crescent of Soul, or the connection with the Lunar, is on top of the material world. While the soul is dominating the material world, the Circle of Spirit, or the connection with the Solar, is absent. The reason for this is that for there to be harmony, there must first be separation.

Feminine Scripture says, “Earth moves, but Heaven is still. The rim revolves, but the Centre remains without motion.” The Clew of the Horse, 1-2. Harmony involves motion, so it is not completely One with the Divine. It is, however, the closest that we can come to the Divine while still in the world of flux and change.

Astrological Associations of Jupiter

Sect: Day

Oriental Element: Ki 木 (Wood)

Rules Sagittarius, Day House

Fire Sagitarrius.png

Rules Pisces, Night House

Water Pisces

Exalted in Cancer

In Detriment in Gemini and Virgo

In Fall in Capricorn

Nighttime Triplicity Ruler of Fire

Participating Triplicity Ruler of Air

In Joy in the 11th House

Temperament:

Hot and Wet

Day of the Week: Thursday

Orb: 9° (Moiety 4.5°)

Colors: Blue, purple

Plants: Mace, nutmeg, oregano, basil, daisies, cherry-trees, birch-trees, and pines

Animals: Elephants, sheep, oxen, eagles, bees, and larks

Metal: Tin

Stones: Amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, crystal, and marble

The Way of Good Works

Each non-Luminary Janya has an associated spiritual path, which will lead to the Divine if followed fully. The path associated with Sai Thamë is that of good works. These good works can be in the form of the performance of the rituals necessary to keep a society in tune with Divine Harmony. They can also be in the form of acts of charity and justice. While in modern times these are often seen as separate and even in competition with each other, in a Traditional society, they were all part of the same principle and both were necessary to maintain the Divine Order.

10 Magical Things About the Natural World

This world is a magical place. It is filled with wonder and beauty. In many ways, it seems like modern scientists try their best to make us believe that the universe is dry, mechanical, and sterile. Yet, many of the things that they find are truly marvelous and mysterious. So, in that light, here are 10 magical things about the natural world that are often presented in a boring way.

1) The Big Bang

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If we are talking about magical and mysterious things, it seems logical to begin at the beginning. Scientists are pretty confident that the entire observable universe comes from something infinitesimally tiny approximately 13.8 billion years ago. While we often learn about this in dry, technical language, it is truly wondrous to contemplate. What makes this even more mysterious is that no one knows what caused the Big Bang. There are lots of speculations and theories, but that is all they are.

Another interesting thing is that for those of us old enough to remember analog television, the static that we would sometimes get was actually residue from the Big Bang!

2) The Speed of Light

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Light is an important concept on a spiritual level, but on a purely physical level, light is incredibly magical and mysterious as well. In our science classes in school, most of us have learned about the equation E=mc2. We also learn that this has something to do with the fact that the speed of light is the absolute speed limit of the universe. It is also fairly common knowledge that the closer to the speed of light we get, the slower we age.

Yet, take a moment to think about this and what this means. To begin with, it means that when we see the stars, we are actually seeing them as they were in the past. The further away the stars are from us, the deeper into the past we are looking.  For example, it is now thought that the North Star Polaris is about 323 light-years away from us. This means that what we see is the star as it was 323 years ago. The furthest single star that we can see with the naked eye is Cassiopeia, which is 16,308 light-years away, and on a dark night, we can see the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light-years away.

As amazing as it is that we can see 2.5 million years into the past without even needing a telescope, there is something about this that is even more magical. The closer we get to the speed of light, the slower time gets, but at the speed of light, time stops altogether. So, from the perspective of the light beam that started 2.5 million light years away, the trip to Earth was instantaneous.

3) Rainbows

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Intuitively, we all know that rainbows are magical. Yet, our science classes teach us that they are “just” light that has been bent and separated into separate colors by going through the water in the air, which acts as a prism.

When you look beyond the boring explanation and stop to think about it, this means that all white light has the colors of the rainbow in it, just waiting to be seen. That is pretty wondrous and mysterious.

4) Life

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Life itself is extremely magic and mysterious. While scientists believe that life came from some primordial soup by chemical processes, they really have no idea how or why that happened. Actually, scientists do not even fully understand what life is!

What is truly fascinating is how abundant and resilient life is, at least here on this planet. There is life in every nook and cranny on the Earth, even in the most hostile of environments. There are organisms that live in ice, volcanic springs, areas flooded with radiation, and any other environment that you can imagine.

Also, it is now believed that life began on Earth almost as soon as it was fully formed!

5) Stardust

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It is now believed that all of the elements that make up our Solar System, our planet, and even our bodies come from the residue of stars that exploded at the end of their life cycles. This means that we are quite literally made out of stardust.

6) Gravity

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Gravity is one of the most mysterious forces in the universe. It is what holds us to the ground, keeps us orbiting around the Sun, and keeps the Moon orbiting around us. Yet, no one really knows what it is. The mechanics of gravity have been well known for a few centuries now, or at least the mechanics when things are not too big, too small, or too close to the Sun.

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity occurs because somehow objects bend spacetime by their mere existence. Even this, however, merely explains the mechanics of how it works. It does not explain what it is or where it came from.

Yet, without gravity, we could not exist.

7) Snowflakes

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Almost everyone knows that no two snowflakes are alike. It is such common knowledge, in fact, that it is easy to forget just how magical and wondrous that this is. Even if it snows so much that it accumulates to 12 feet or more, each tiny snowflake in that pile is absolutely unique.

8) Flowers

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Flowers are truly amazing. They are so beautiful and diverse. Yet, what is the purpose of their beauty? It is said that it is to attract bees and insects to pollinate them. However, bees and insects are just as happy with soda in the garbage. In the Deanist/Filianist tradition, flowers are said to be love letters from Dea.

9) Geodes

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Geodes are truly amazing. Plain on the outside, and magnificent on the inside, they are full of magic and wonder. Also, just like snowflakes, there are no two geodes that are exactly alike.

10) π

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For every circle in the world, if you multiply the diameter by the mysterious, irrational number π, you will get the circumference. If you multiply π by the radius squared, you will get the area.  π is also used in calculating the volume and the surface area of a sphere. Spheres are ubiquitous in the universe, by the way. The reason that there are so many spheres is due to gravity. Apparently, any object large enough will eventually turn into a sphere.

Mars 火星

Mars is the first planet that can move independently of the Sun, which is integral to her meaning. Mars is the planet that is the most deeply associated with Free Will, or the power to choose between the Light and the Dark. As such, she is heavily enmeshed in materiality. Mars’ influence in manifestation is usually harmful, and she is known as the Lesser Malefic.

The Janya of Mars: Sai Vikhë

durga-mother-godThe Great Angel, or Janya, that governs Mars in the Filianic Tradition is Sai Vikhë. Sai Vikhë is associated with the element of Fire.

In many Traditions, there is a Fall, when our Souls became separated from the Divine. In the Judeo-Christian Tradition, this was when we were driven out of Eden after the disobedience of Adam and Eve. In the Filianic Tradition, it was when the First Maid was tempted by the Snake to call Darkness upon the world in order to experience rest. In a sense, this can be viewed as something bad, but in another sense, manifestation as we know it would be impossible if this did not happen. We could not be Axial Beings without the Fall, because the power to choose is also the power to disobey.

After the Fall, the Great Vikhail, or War between Light and Dark, began. It is deeply embedded in our lives and the way we view the world. For example, conflict is a necessary part of any story. Indeed, a story without at least some conflict would be boring. No one would read a tale in which the protagonist was happy every day and nothing bad ever happened.

A good description of the Great Vikhail is found in Feminine Scripture:

Truly, the world is a field of conflict between the powers of good and the legions of the Dark One. In the cycles of civilizations is the conflict manifest, and in the soul of every maid.

For the servants of the Dark One fasten upon the false self like to the bindweed upon a growing plant. And the radiant Janyati of heaven stand ready to defend the soul when she shall cry upon them.

The Gospel of Our Mother God, Thoughts of the Mind, 25-26

Sai Vikhë is our protector in the Great Vikhail, which always starts within ourselves. Each one of us has a True Self who is turned to the Light, and a False Self who is facing the Dark.  In most cultures, Sai Vikhë is depicted as masculine; however, one very powerful feminine image for Her that has survived into the modern era is Sri Durga in the Vedic Tradition.

Mars and Gender

In the Modern West, Mars is associated with the masculine gender. Does this make Mars masculine? I tend to think not. There are many other things that Mars is associated with, such as the metal iron. This does not make Mars itself iron.

In the Western astrological tradition, as it has been passed down to us, the planets are said to have gender. The Moon and Venus are said to be feminine, Mercury is said to be neuter or androgynous, and the rest of the planets are said to be masculine. There has been some interesting work by the astrologer Charlie Obert that suggests that originally Saturn was feminine.

While I find the research into Saturn fascinating, in practice, I believe that the gender classification of the planets is no longer useful, if it ever was, and it may even be harmful. This classification comes to us through the Hellenistic tradition, which was highly patriarchal. There seems to be a strong impulse towards gender classification in the Indo-European tradition as a whole. For example, most Indo-European languages assign gender to nouns. This has been dropped in the English language, but it is still very much a part of other Indo-European languages such as Spanish, French, and German.

At one time, the gender classification of nouns may have had deep metaphysical meaning, but whatever that may have been, it is lost in the present era. For example, in Germen, a fork is feminine and a maiden is masculine. Mostly, this just serves as a headache for foreign learners of the language.

Warrior WomanIn astrology, by contrast, the meaning of the gender classification of the planets has become so solidified and taken so literally that many people, including experienced astrologers, believe that femininity is defined by and restricted to the Lunar and the Venusian, and that masculinity is defined by the absence of these planetary principles. As both men and women clearly have all the planetary principles, this has morphed into the strange notion in Modern psychology that we all have a masculine side and a feminine side.

As astrology is a language, and like all languages, change and adaption are sometimes necessary. I think that it is perfectly legitimate to use either masculine or feminine imagery and language for all of the planets. There is nothing wrong with using masculine imagery and language for Venus or feminine imagery and language for Mars. On the other hand, I do think that there is a strong tendency to take these classifications literally, and for that reason, it seems best to use one gender or the other for all of the planetary principles. I use feminine imagery out of aesthetic preference and because part of my work is trying to restore the Divine Feminine. On the other hand, when I am working with the chart of a man, I use all masculine imagery.

The Material World and Spirit

sign-of-sai-vikheThere are three symbols contained within all of the glyphs of the traditional planets. These are the Circle of Spirit, the Crescent of Soul, and the Cross of the Material World.

The symbol for Sai Vikhë is the Cross on top of Spirit. The Spirit is burdened by the Material World, but the Cross is turned 45°. This is because it is impossible for the Material World to dominate Spirit.

The glyph for the planet Mars has evolved to the point that the Cross has become a Spear. At this time, near the end of the Iron Age, the Vikhelic principle has become much harder and stronger. It could be that the patriarchal revolution came about because of the overbalanced state of the Vikhelic principle that is a defining feature of this Age.

Astrological Associations of Mars

Sect: Night

Oriental Element: Ka 火 Fire

Rules Scorpio, Night House

Water Scorpio

Rules Aries, Day House

Fire Aries

Exalted in Capricorn

In Detriment in Libra and Taurus

In Fall in Cancer

Nighttime Triplicity Ruler of Water

Participating Triplicity Ruler of Earth

In Joy in the 6th House

Temperament:

Hot and Dry

Day of the Week: Tuesday

Orb: 7° (Moiety 3.5°)

Color: Red

Plants: Nettle, onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, hemlock, chestnut tree

Animals: Tiger, horse, wolf, hawk, vulture, shark, scorpion

Metal: Iron

Stones: Adamant, loadstone, bloodstone, jasper

The Way of the Warrior

Each of the non-luminary Janyati has a spiritual path, which if followed, will lead to the Divine. The Path associated with Sai Vikhë is that of the Warrior. In the modern age, this Path can be seen in the various Martial Arts, all of which teach mastery of self in addition to the skills needed to fight an opponent.

Generational Astrology, Great Conjunctions, and Pluto

After planetary rulerships, one of the biggest divides between Traditional and Modern astrologers is in the area of Generational Astrology. In Modern Astrology, generations are marked by the Outer Planets, particularly Pluto. In Traditional Astrology, generations are marked with the Great Conjunctions, or the conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn, which occur every 20 years.

To be honest, before I was convinced to use Classical methods, one of my biggest objections was over Generational Astrology. Pluto in Leo really seemed to describe the Baby Boom generation very well, and Pluto in Virgo seemed to describe Gen X, my generation, as well. Yet, when I looked at the chart for my generation from the perspective of the Great Conjunction, the detail was incredible, far richer than what I could glean from just knowning the sign of Pluto at the time of my birth. That is one of the things that convinced me to switch to Traditional/Classical methods in my work.

For several years, I did not use the Outer Planets for anything, but I have come to believe that the Outers do have some impact on us. More precisely, I believe that they can have impact on us. I have formulated a theory that the Outer Planets represent modern poisons. So, given this, it is possible that the Outer Planets do say something about generations, at least in the Modern Era.

generations

What is a Generation Anyway?

In order to discuss generations in astrology, we must first understand what we mean by this term. When I looked up it up on Wikipedia, there seem to be several different definitions. It could mean “all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.” Alternatively, it could mean, “the average period, generally considered to be about thirty years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and begin to have children of their own.” The term generations can also be used to describe the relationships within individual extended families.

In the 20th and 21st Centuries, generations in the United States were given labels. These labels were used in many ways, but in the present time, they are used heavily for marketing purposes. Businesses want to know how to effectively advertise to each generation. There does not seem to be uniformity as to the actual start and end dates of each generation, but this is a common demarcation:

  • GI Generation – 1901 – 1926
  • Silent Generation – 1927 – 1945
  • Baby Boomers – 1946 – 1964
  • Generation X – 1965 – 1980
  • Millenial Generation – 1981 – 2000
  • Generation Z – after 2001

Jupiter/Saturn Conjunctions

Traditionally, generations were marked by Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions, also known as Great Conjunctions, and they occur approximately every 20 years. Below are the dates and the charts for all of the Great Conjunctions since 1900 to the present. With Great Conjunctions, the chart is specific for each location, and these charts are cast for Chicago, Illinois.

November 28, 1901

Great Conjunction 1901 Chicago

September 9, 1921

Great Conjunction 1921 Chicago

 

August 8, 1940 – Triple Conjunction

The Great Conjunction of 1940 was actually a triple conjuction. August 8 was the first, but the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction repeated on October 20, 1940 and February 15, 1941. Multiple Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions are quite rare. The last multiple conjuction was in 1821, which was a double conjunction in Aries, and the last triple conjuction was in 1682-1683 in Leo.

Great Conjunction 1940 Chicago

February 18, 1961

Great Conjunction 1961 Chicago

December 31, 1980 – Triple Conjunction

This was yet another triple conjunction. The second Jupiter/Saturn conjunction was on March 4, 1981, and the third was on July 24, 1981. It seems significant that there were two triple conjunctions in the 20th Century.

Great Conjunction 1980 Chicago

May 19, 2000

Great Conjunction 2000 Chicago

Analysis

It would take a lot time to delineate each of these charts, but just taking a superficial look, it seems that the dates do not match completely with the generation dates. On the other hand half of them begin during the same year as the Great Conjunctions. It is also interesting to note that the triple conjunction of 1940 corresponds roughly with the “Baby Boomers” and the triple conjunction of 1980 corresponds almost exactly with the “Millenials.”

One of the advantages to using Great Conjunctions is that there is a full chart to delineate, though. Furthermore, it is possible to watch the changes as the Jupiter/Saturn cycle moves through its phases.

Pluto Signs

Now that we have seen the Great Conjunctions, let us compare them to the Pluto ingresses.

Pluto was not discovered until 1930, and even if Pluto does have impact, I do not know that it is really fair to count it before it was discovered. Still, for the sake of comparing dates, I will list them.

Another issue with using Pluto signs is that because of the retrograde cycle, there is usually a period of time in which it would go back and forth between signs. I will list the date of first ingress and the date of the final ingress.

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Gemini

First ingress – July 21, 1882

Final ingress – April 19, 1884

Cancer

First ingress – September 10, 1912

Final ingress – May 26, 1914

**Februrary 18, 1930 – date of Pluto’s discovery**

Leo

First ingress – October 7, 1937

Final ingress – June 14, 1939

Virgo

First ingress – October 20, 1956

Final ingress – June 10, 1958

Libra

First ingress – October 5, 1971

Final ingress – July 30, 1972

Scorpio

First ingress – November 5, 1983

Final ingress – August 28, 1984

Sagittarius

First ingress – January 17, 1995

Final ingress – November 10, 1995

Capricorn

First ingress – January 26, 2008

Final ingress – November 27, 2008

Analysis

While the Great Conjunction dates were not an exact match, the Pluto ingresses are not even close. I think that a review of the dates alone is enough to rule out Pluto as a marker for the generations, even as they are defined at present in the United States.

Further Thoughts

While it is clear that Pluto ingresses do not correspond with the generations as they are defined in the U.S., there is a potential way to use Pluto, if one is so inclined. If one were to view Pluto as in indicator of a modern poison, there is an argument that it does have at least some validity. For example, Pluto in Leo does seem to have relevance to the Baby Boomers in the U.S., growing up in the time of unprecedented affluence, but with constant fear of nuclear attack, to the extent they had “duck and cover” drills at school.

On the other hand, this influence, should one choose to accept it, can be seen in the Great Conjunction chart of 1940. This is a full chart, and Pluto is in Leo in that chart.

Conclusion

In this article, we have looked at the traditional method of measuring generations using Great Conjunctions and the modern method of using Pluto signs. It seems that the evidence overwhelmingly favors the Great Conjunctions. While not exact, the dates of the Great Conjuctions match the non-astrological delineations of the generations better than Pluto ingresses do. This method generates charts that can be studied and analyzed, where as Pluto signs can only give “pop astrology” type descriptions. Finally, any markers that Pluto signs might have can be read into the Great Conjunction charts, if one is so inclined.

Venus 金星

Venus is the planet that rules love of all forms and creation. Astrologically, she is never more than 48° away from the Sun. She can only appear near Sunrise, when she is the Morning Star, or near Sunset, when she is the Evening Star. Her influence in manifestation is usually helpful, and she is known as the Lesser Benefic.

The Janya of Venus: Sai Sushuri

Sai Sushuri dollIn the Filianic Tradition, the Janya, or Great Angel, that governs Venus is Sai Sushuri, and Sai Sushuri is associated with the element of Water.

Sai Sushuri is the Janya of Love. Modern interpretations of historical gods and goddesses associated with Her reduce Her role to merely romantic love or fertility.  Sai Sushuri governs all forms of Love, however. She governs Divine Love, motherly love, and love of friends and family. It can be said that Sai Sushuri is the Warmth of the Sun. Sai Sushuri is also the Janya associated with Creation, and she is responsible for its beauty.  Sai Sushuri’s association with Venus/Aphrodite is well-known, but she is also associated with Sri Mahalakshmi in the Vedic tradition, and Our Lady Mary in all of Her images as Loving Mother.

Feminine Scripture provides a beautiful description of the Divine Love associated with Sai Sushuri and Her role in manifestation:

Love is the soul of harmony by which all existence is made possible.

For perfect existence is of the Spirit, its very nature is Love. The pure soul is in harmony with Dea and with her self and with all things.

And for the existence that has fallen from perfection; truly it is the music of Divine harmony that sustains it in the motion of its wholeness.

It is Love that holds the drop of dew pendent on a blade of grass, neither flowing forth in watery profusion, but swelling within the unseen urn of its brief harmony.

It is Love that holds the stars within their courses, and all the worlds of the immeasurable cosmos within the harmony of the celestial music.

Truly, all the cycles of the times and the seasons; all the rhythms of the soul and of the mind and of the flesh: truly all these flow from the love of Our Lady, the Maid, that creation may not decompose, each several member flying away into black eternal chaos.

For Light is the essence and Love is the form. And it is by Love that the essence of a tree remains a tree. Else might it as lief become a rushing wind or a forkèd lightning flash.

The Gospel of Our Mother God, The Clew of Love, 1-7

Sai Sushuri’s Pentacle

Sai Sushuri’s symbol is the pentacle. The number 5 can be seen in all of Creation, down to the number of fingers on each of our hands and toes on each of our feet. Sai Sushuri’s pentacle can also be seen in the orbit of her planet, Venus.

Spirit and the Material World

sign-of-sai-sushuri1The glyphs of the traditional planets are made from three symbols, the Circle of Spirit, the Crescent of Soul, and the Cross of the Material World. These glyphs are the same as the glyphs for their Janyati.

In Sai Sushuri’s glyph, the Circle of Spirit, or the connection with the Solar is on top of the cross of the material world. This symbol shows that the material world comes down from pure Spirit, but is still governed by Spirit. This is a gentle symbol reminding us of the Source of our existence.

Astrological Associations of Venus

Sect: Night

Oriental Element: Kin 金 (Gold or Metal)

Rules Taurus, Night House

Earth Taurus

Rules Libra, Day House

Air Libra

Exalted in Pisces

In Detriment in Aries and Scorpio

In Fall in Virgo

Daytime Triplicity Ruler of Earth and Water

In Joy in the 5th House

Temperament:

Oriental (in front of the Sun): Hot and Wet

Occidental (behind the Sun): Cold and Wet

Day of the Week: Friday

Orb: 7° (Moiety 3.5°)

Colors: Green, pink

Plants: Lilies, violets, daffodils, apple trees, thyme

Animals: Deer, panther, goats, sparrows, nightingales, pelican, dolphins

Metal: Copper

Stones: Cornelian, sky-colored sapphire, red and white coral, lapis lazuli

The Way of Love

There is a spiritual path associated with each of the non-Luminary Janyati. Each path is complete in and of itself and if followed fully, will lead to the Divine. That being said, the path associated with Sai Sushuri is one of the two purest, along with the path of Sai Mati. Sai Sushuri’s path is that of kindness and compassion, or the Way of Love. The Way of Light and the Way of Love may seem like separate paths, but they are intertwined. It is said, “Perfect Love is Perfect Knowledge, and Perfect Knowledge is Perfect Love.”

Sleeping Beauty, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and the Soul’s Search for Spirit

Traditional Fairy Tales are one of the few places in the Modern World where we still have access to Perennial Wisdom. The written versions of these stories are usually chronicles of much older oral folktales, and they are rich with symbolism. Often, the themes of these stories are universal, and there are different versions told in different cultures throughout the world. The tale of Sleeping Beauty is one of these stories. In a previous article, I discussed the symbolism of Saturn in the French version, which was collected by Charles Perrault. In this article, I would like to talk about the main theme of this story, which is the jouney of the Soul to find Spirit. I will also be talking about the same symbolism in the Norwegian version of this tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

Spirit and Soul

The terms, Spirit and Soul, can be confusing to the modern reader. Many people, even experienced astrologers, confuse them. They are quite different, however.

In order to understand these concepts, it is important to realize that on a deep level we are all One. Everything and everyone in the Cosmos springs from the same Source, and on a very deep level, we never left that Source. In the Feminine Scripture, it is written,

If thou wouldst find union with Our Mother, know that thou hast never left Her.

If thou wouldst escape the veil of matter, know that there is no matter and is no veil.

Cry Marya 12-13, Gospel of Our Mother God

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This may be what the monotheistic movement in the Abrahamic tradition was originally trying to convey.  A better description can be found in the Vedic concept of Brahman and the Buddhist doctrine of “No Self.”

This is reflected on a lower level even in the manifest, material Universe. It is thought that everything in existence started with a single particle, smaller than an atom. It is also thought that all of the matter that makes up our physical bodies and the world around us comes from the explosion of stars at the end of their lives. Even Modern Scientists deeply entrenched in Rationalism would say that we are made out of stardust. Of course, none of these Modern Scientific Theories “prove” anything about Fundamental Truth, but all of this does seem rather magical!

The Spirit is the part of us that is still connected with the One. At its Highest Level, the Spirit is still United with the One, but at a lower level, it is the part of the One that lives inside each of us. This is true nature of the Solar Principle in its purest form.

At some point, each of us became separated from the One, or Spirit, and began to experience individuality. We became Souls. Our Souls came from Spirit and they reflect the Light of Spirit, but to a greater or lesser extent, they are also removed from pure Spirit. Most of us who have incarnated into a physical body on the manifest world are trapped on what is known in the Vedic and the Buddhist Traditions as the Wheel of Samsara. Our Souls can be seen in the Lunar Principle.

The story of Sleeping Beauty is the journey of the Soul searching for Spirit.

Sleeping Beauty

In Sleeping Beauty, a King and Queen are childless for a long time, but eventually they have a baby girl. Depending on the version, a certain number of fairies or wise women are invited to her christening. There is one, however, that does not get invited. She comes anyways, and out of anger and spite for not having been invited, she lays a curse on the Princess that she will  prick her finger on a spindle on her sixteenth birthday and die.

One of the fairies/wise women cleverly waits to give her gift until the end. She is not able to completely counteract the curse, but she is able to soften it, so that the Princess will not die, but only sleep for one hundred years. The King outlaws all spindles and orders them destroyed.

Sleeping Beauty curse

The Princess grows up to be beautiful and perfect in every way. In turns out that there was a spindle still around even after the decree of the King. On her sixteenth birthday, the Princess does find the spindle, pricks her finger, and falls into a deep sleep.

The Princess in this story represents Spirit. She is pure and perfect in every way.  Yet, she has fallen prey to a curse. In a sense, so has the Spirit inside of us, by entering the manifest world. Yet, even though the curse was supposed to be death, the Spirit cannot die, but instead falls into a deep sleep. In a sense, that is the condition we find ourselves in this life. In Greek mythology, there is the River of Lethe, or forgetfulness, which we must cross in between lives. The word for Truth in Greek is Aletheia, or Unforgetfulness.

Sleeping Beauty AwakenIn both the German and the French versions, thorns grow up around Sleeping Beauty. A Prince braves the thorns and finds her. In the Disney adaption of the German version, he must battle the evil queen Maleficent as a part of the journey. In the German version, the Prince kisses the Princess and she awakes. In the French version, she wakes up at the appointed time with the Prince present, and there is a second story line of danger afterwards, but ultimately, they are able to be together in peace.

The Prince in this story represents the Soul. Our own Souls are barred from Spirit, which is asleep behind a barrier of thorns. Through his bravery, he is able to reunite with Spirit, and they live happily ever after.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

There is a Norwegian story with a similar motif as Sleeping Beauty called East of the Sun and West of the Moon. In this version, the genders of the characters are reversed. This gender reversal is of no matter, as Spirit and Soul, or the Solar and the Lunar, are beyond human gender.

The White Bear

In this story, there is a girl who was the youngest daughter of a poor husbandman. She was the most beautiful of all of the children. One day, a White Bear came to their door and asked her father if she could live with him. If she did, the White Bear would make them all as rich as they were then poor. The father said that he must ask his daughter first. At first the girl refused, but then she relented and said she would go for the sake of her family.

On the way to the home of the White Bear, he asked her, “Are you afraid?” Her answer was, “No.”

Journey with Bear

The White Bear lived in a beautiful home, and the girl had everything she could wish for. Every night, however, a man would come and lie down beside her. He would always be gone before daylight, so she never knew who he was.

The Mother’s Advice

After a time, she started to get homesick, and the White Bear said that she could visit her family. Before he did, he gave the girl a warning. He said that her mother would try to give her advice, but that she should not listen to it. If she followed her mother’s advice, it would bring misery on them both.

When she went home, the mother did indeed give her advice. She told her mother about the strange man who visited, and her mother told her that he was probably a troll. She said that the girl should hide a candle in her breast at night, and that she should light it when she was sure the man was asleep so she could see who he was.

When the girl returned to the White Bear, he asked if her mother had given her advice. The girl admitted that her mother had. The White Bear cautioned her again not to follow her mother’s advice.

Mother's Bad AdviceWhen the girl went to bed, just as before, a man came in and lay down next to her. When she was sure that he was asleep, she lit the candle that she had hid in her breast according to her mother’s advice. When she did, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen. She was so enamored by him that she could not help but kiss him. When she did three tallows from the candled dripped on him and he woke up.

At this time, the man told him that he was under a curse to live as a White Bear during the day and as a man at night for the space of a year. If he could live with a woman for a year without her finding out, he would be free of the curse. Because the girl found out, however, he would have to leave her to go to the land East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and marry an ugly Ogress Princess.

There is some overlap in this story with Beauty and the Beast, in which the Beast is Soul and the Beauty is Spirit; however, in this case, the White Bear does seem to represent Spirit. To begin with, Bears are magical animals with a deep history of being considered Sacred. Also, the girl’s recognition of the True Nature of the White Bear does not save him. Instead, her discovery before the appointed time cemented the curse. The mother’s advice can be seen as the wisdom of the world, which is often counter to the Wisdom of Spirit. The third clue that this is a Sleeping Beauty story is that the girl undertakes a Hero’s Journey to rescue her Prince.

The Hero’s Journey

When the White Bear leaves for the land East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the girl goes to find him, even after being told it was impossible. As in rise stories such as Cinderella, she receives magical help along the way.  You can read the full journey here, but whenever she asks directions, she is asked in return, “Are you afraid?” When she replies that she is not, the helper says that maybe she was the one who should have married the Prince. The helper gives as much help as he/she/it can, and many of them also give her inexplicable gifts in case they can be of use.

Eventually, the girl does find the Prince, who is in the custody of the Ogress Princess. For three nights, the girl barters one of the gifts she received along the way for one night with the Prince. For the first two nights, he is asleep and does not waken. Before the third night, however, he is told about the girl, and he realizes that he has been drugged. He does not eat or drink anything given to him, so on the third night, he is awake when the girl comes.

East of the Sun Happy Ending

The Prince assures the girl that he will work things out, and he devises a test that the Ogress Princess and her mother will fail, but that the girl will pass. When this happens, as in Sleeping Beauty, they marry and “live happily ever after.” The Soul has journeyed to find Spirit, which has led to Liberation and Enlightenment.

Essentialist Astrology, Defining My Practice

In the last several years, I have been working towards developing a philosophical basis for my astrology practice and refining my methodology accordingly. It has been clear to me for some time that I need to forge my own path in astrology rather than follow an already established one. It seems like it is time now to give that path a name and define my philosophy and methods.

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The Problem

I have been defining my practice as “astrology using Classical Western methods, grounded in the Divine Feminine.” I have come to think that there are a number of problems with this description, however. To start off with, it seems to be a bit too long and complicated. Also, given the present common usage of many of these terms, it can be a bit misleading.

With the internet and YouTube, many more people are exposed to astrology and the different branches and schools of thought in astrology than ever before. This being the case, how an astrologer labels herself or does not label herself brings with it certain expectations. For example, it seems that using the term astrologer with no other label or explanation tends to create the expectation of either Modern Psychological Astrology or a mixture of philosophies and methods. Classical/Traditional Astrology also creates a set of expections that I believe no longer fits what I do.

More problematic I think is the use of the term Divine Feminine with respect to the astrology I practice. While this is absolutely true, it may give the impression that my practice is limited to those who share my religious beliefs, in the same way as if I defined myself as a Christian, Jewish, or Buddhist Astrologer would. An even bigger difficulty is that there are several astrologers currently using the term Divine Feminine and associating this term with asteroids and the like. Also, as far as I can tell, all of them accept without question the association of the feminine with the nocturnal signs and the Divine Feminine as limited to the Lunar and Venusian principles. It is tempting to enter the fray in that discussion more than I already have, but it seems easier to just use different language to define what I do.

I had not intended to define a potential new branch of astrology,  but as I would say in Japanese, しょうがありません, shou ga arimasen (“it can’t be helped.”)

So, in that light, I have chosen the name Essentialist Astrology for the type of astrology I do. I think that this description is accurate. Also, from what I can tell, no one else is using it, so it does not come with any predefined expectations. I imagine that things will unfold as time goes on, but as of now, here is a prelimary definition of Essentialist Astrology.

Essentialist Astrology Defined

Below are what seem to be the basic tenets and assumptions of Essentialist Astrology.

The Traditional Model of the Cosmos

First and foremost, Essentialist Astrology asserts that the Traditional Model of the Cosmos is as valid now as it was in Ancient times. The scientific “discoveries” over the past several centuries do not call it into question, nor could they. Everything in the sensible Universe is a part of Earth, or the Sublunary Sphere, in this Model. All of the other spheres are above and outside of the material world that we can observe, measure, or extrapolate by reason. A fuller explanation of this can be found in the first chapter of The Feminine Universe, “The Image of the Cosmos.”

View on Tradition

Essentialist Astrology is rooted in the Western Astrological Tradition. It is an outgrowth of the modern practice of Traditional/Classical Astrology.  It gives the highest authority to techniques and principles that have survived through the ages to the presest day. Older traditions are given great respect, with the caveat that the older a tradition is, the less likely it is that we understand it properly. Essentialist Astrology does not reject post-Enlightenment innovations outright, but treats them with a high degree of skepticism.

That being said, in Essentialist Astrology, it is perfectly acceptable to adapt the Tradition to the Modern World, with the understanding that adaptation is different than innovation. It is also acceptable to reject apparent Patriarchal redactions to deeper astrological traditions.

The Janyati

The planets are not lifeless bodies orbiting about the Sun, but are representatives of Divine Intelligences. These Divine Intelligences have been seen as gods or angels in many cultures throughout time, and they continue to act in the Cosmos. In the West, the planets are named for the Greco-Roman gods and goddesses associated with these Intelligences; however, the Greco-Roman gods and goddesses are no longer worshipped by any culture today. Furthermore, the mythology associated with these gods and goddesses portrays them with human faults and shortcomings, and so, in this day and age, they create a barrier to our understanding of the High and Divine nature of these Intelligences.

Thus, it is necessary to use different names for the Divine Intelligences, and Essentialist Astrology calls them the Janyati, or Great Angels. The associations of the Janyati are as follows:

Sai Raya – The Sun

Sai Candre – The Moon

Sai Mati – Mercury

Sai Sushuri – Venus

Sai Vikhë – Mars

Sai Thamë – Jupiter

Sai Rhavë – Saturn

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Gender

Essentialist Astrology is feminine positive and rejects Patriarchal models of the Cosmos and society. Despite common belief, this is not a new or Modern way of thinking. Such ideas can be found as early in the Patriarchal Age as Plato’s Republic, and it is more likely than not that the earliest Cosmological and societal models were feminine.

On a practical level, this means that Essentialist Astrology rejects the division of the Janyati and their planets into genders. The Janyati themselves are beyond gender; however, they are usually depicted as feminine. This is because it is hard for humans to understand or image them as Intelligences without gender. Due to the nature of the world we live in, often when gender is undefined, images tend to default to the masculine. Thus, feminine images for the Janyati are more appropriate.

Also, as the currently accepted gender division of the signs seems to be a Patriarchal redaction of an earlier tradition and is redundant with the day/night division, it is rejected by Essentialist Astrology.

Living Archetypes

Essentialist Astrology treats the Zodiacal signs as the 12 main human Living Archetypes. Living Archetypes are not to be confused with the Jungian conception of archetypes as parts of the human psyche.  Living Archetypes are instead Perfect Forms created in the mind of the Divine Creator, and they are outside of and beyond human consciousness.

Conclusion

Over the past several years, my practice has unfolded along a path that is different from the current branches of astrology. As such, it seems appropriate to give this path the name, Essentialist Astrology. In this article, I have outlined some of its preliminary tenets. I am not sure how this will unfold, but this article is the first step in this journey.