What to Expect from Mercury Transiting Sagittarius (October 29th ~ November 14th & December 10th ~ 31st)

Mercury will transit tropical Sagittarius from roughly October 29^th ~ November 14^th. Then it will retrogress into Scorpio until it again progresses into Sagittarius from roughly December 10^th ~ 31^st. So Mercury’s current transit of Sagittarius will basically take place during the first half of November and the second half of December.

What to expect from this transit depends upon what sign your Moon is in. Remember we are talking about a tropical transit, so consider the tropical sign of your Moon, and read the appropriate section below. Please bear in mind that I am only describing the effects that come from Mercury. Transits of other planets during this time period will of course have their own effects.

♈ – If your Moon is in Aries…

Avoid trying to begin or complete any significant projects while Mercury is in Sagittarius. Confusion, unclear plan-making and poor communication or deceit will make it difficult to succeed in such.

♉ – If your Moon is in Taurus…

Mercury’s transit of Sagittarius is potentially very good for you to make significant financial gains, enjoy recreation, and establish new friendships!

The exception will be when a planet other than the Moon transits Aries, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Virgo, or Cancer. Mars will be in Sagittarius and Capricorn throughout Mercury’s transits of Sagittarius – so be conscientious that Mars’ qualities (like over-enthusiasm, rashness, foolhardiness, intolerance, selfishness) will be the primary obstacles you want to avoid during this time. If you entertain them, they will block the good effects of Mercury in Sagittarius.

In the second half of December the Sun and Venus will also come into Sagittarius – so along with Mars that will make three planets interfering with the positive effects of Mercury’s transit. My advice is to focus on keeping away from Mars’ traits during the first half of November to get the good potentials of Mercury’s transit of Sagittarius.

♊ – If your Moon is in Gemini…

Realize that this time frame is very ripe for misunderstandings. Take extra care to be tactful, diplomatic and clear in your relationships and interactions with others.

♋ – If your Moon is in Cancer…

This is potentially an excellent time for you to solve many problems, take care of debts, outwit opponents, etc.!

The exception will be when a planet other than the Moon transits Virgo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces, or Gemini.

We have Saturn in Scorpio and Jupiter in Pisces, so although Mercury will not cause you any harm during this period, it will be difficult to tangibly realize the good results he could potentially give. The blockage comes from being too conservative in your thinking and feeling, yet too generous in your willingness to spend. Perhaps if you try to avoid those traits you can realize some of the initially described benefits of Mercury in Sagittarius.

♌ – If your Moon is in Leo…

Avoid being argumentative with those you love. Make an effort to not enter into disputes needlessly. Remember that love is more important than correctness.

♍ – If your Moon is in Virgo…

Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius has the potential to improve your property and savings!

Exceptions arise when a planet other than the Moon transits Scorpio, Capricorn, Aries, Taurus, or Leo.

We will have Saturn in Scorpio, and Ketu in Taurus for all of this transit, and Mars will be in Capricorn during the second half of December. So over conservatism in your plan-making and ambition will hold back the otherwise good effects of Mercury in Sagittarius, and during the December part of the transit compulsive / passionate spending has to be avoided. If you are mindful of these blockages, perhaps you can realize some of the positive effect inherent in Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius.

♎ – If your Moon is in Libra…

Be cautious of people. Reserve your trust for when Mercury is not in Sagittarius and you can be more clear and confident about who is a friend and who is not. Be skeptical and cautious of others.

♏ – If your Moon is in Scorpio…

Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius has the potential to improve your financial stability and security!

Exceptions arise if a planet other than the Moon transits in Capricorn, Pisces, Gemini, Cancer, or Libra.

Jupiter will be in Gemini during this transit, and Mars will be in Capricorn during the latter half of December. Having too much trust in secrets and invisible things will block Mercury from bestowing its goodness. And later in December, making your ambitions too self-oriented will do the same. Avoid these two pitfalls and I hope that your finances can become at least a bit more secure and steady as a result of what you do while Mercury is in Sagittarius.

♐ – If your Moon is in Sagittarius…

Cash flow will weaken. Be mindful of your budget. Don’t expect profits to appear right now, at least not from any new sources.

♑ – If your Moon is in Capricorn…

You are ushered towards a more peripheral, sideline, humble position. Accept it gracefully and probably you will come out of it feeling good and more clear about yourself.

♒ – If your Moon is in Aquarius…

Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius has the potential to significantly increase your prosperity, make important social connections, enjoy life, and increase your profit margin!

Exceptions arise when a planet other than the Moon transits Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Libra or Capricorn.

We have Jupiter in Gemini during all of this transit, and during the latter part of December we have Mars in Capricorn. So if you have the wrong attitude towards children you will block the prosperity of this transit. In December don’t be overly shy – for that would interfere with what Mercury’s transit is Sagittarius can give.

♓ – If your Moon is in Pisces…

Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius is wonderful, bringing success and happiness all-around!

Exceptions arise when a planet other than the Moon transits Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio and Aquarius.

We have Saturn in Scorpio and Ketu in Taurus throughout all of this transit. Therefore negative thinking and unwillingness to let yourself express itself are all that may block the pleasant effects of Mercury’s transit through Sagittarius.

What to do?

In case you are feeling discouraged by what Mercury in Sagittarius potentially can bring, I will leave you with these verses from Phaladīpikā that close the chapter explaining transits:

“If the planets are adverse, make peace with them by doing good deeds, observing a fast, etc. in their honor. The planets are always favorable to people who don’t harm others, control their own selfishness, and stay true on the moral path of their responsibilities.”

Thank You,

Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

Tune-Up Your Astrology with Me! Part 1 – Character

From time to time I return to my own horoscope for a “tune-up” to make sure my astrological methods are still “in alignment.” I thought that persons interested in understanding astrology would benefit from reading my notes, so I did it more systematically this time. If you follow along through this evaluation I think you will enjoy seeing astrology in action.

Here is my horoscope calculated with Lahiri nakṣatra, tropical signs, and whole sign houses for July 27, 1970 at 19:38 in Bay Shore, New York.

Part 1 – Character

Here are a few obvious things anyone would note about me:

• I am heavily spiritual
• I am an astrologer
• I am a writer
• I am a musician
• I have a high level of fame, but amongst limited circles of people
• I am very critical, logical, and not quick to believe

Spirituality

• Jupiter [philosophy & religion] in the 10^th house [obvious/career] as the 12^th lord [spirituality].
• Raja yoga [power/success] in the 9^th house [religion].
  • With Venus [bhakti / love] and Ketu [spirituality / mysticism]
• 10^th lord [career] in 9^th house [philosophy/ religion]
• Jupiter as the biggest aspector to
• the Moon
• the Ascendant
• navāmśa: 9^th and 1^st lords form Raja-yoga in the 10^th [most obvious motivation in life is philosophy and religion].

Astrologer

• Raja yoga  [power/success] in the 8^th house [divination].
• 5^th lord [intelligence] in the 9^th w/ Ketu [mysticism].
• 8^th lord in the 8^th house with Mercury [intellect for divination and mysticism]
• Navāmśa: 8^th and 10^th lords join in Gemini, 11^th house [successful career in intellectual mysticism / divination / astrology]

Writer

• 3^rd lord [communication] in the 10^th house [career] in Libra [arts] and Citrā [fine arts].
• Mercury and Venus [expressive arts] strongly aspect the cusp of the 3^rd house.
• Lord of the Moon is Mercury [writing], who is in the Moon’s 3^rd house [writing] with the 3^rd and 11^th [arts] lord.
• Navāmśa: 3^rd [communication] + 5^th [creativity] lords join in Gemini [communication], 11^th house [arts & entertainment].
• Navāmśa: Mercury [writing] and Sun [career] in mutual aspect

Musician

• Jupiter [sound] as 3^rd lord [expression] in Libra [arts] and Citrā [skill] in the 10^th house [career], with no competition from any other planet in any other Kendra.
• Moon in Gemini [acting/ entertainment] in Rohiṇī [creativity].
• Venus [arts] in 9^th house
• 1^st lord [self] in 5^th house [creativity].
• Mercury and Jupiter powerfully aspect the 2^nd house cusp [singing / orating]
• From the Moon, the 11^th, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th lords [lords of arts] are all sharing houses.
• Navāmśa: 3^rd [communication] + 5^th [creativity] lords join in Gemini [communication], 11^th house [arts & entertainment].
• Navāmśa: 10^th lord [career] in 11^th house [entertainment].

Fame in Limited Circles

• 10^th lord [fame] in the 9^th house [blessed] but debilitated [limited] and with Ketu [underground].
• Raja yoga’s in the 8^th and 9^th house focus the power and success into areas that are not widely popular today.

A Critic

• Capricorn rises.
• Mercury in the 8^th [intellect finds flaws in things]
• With Mars [cutting, independent]
• With 8^th lord Sun [good at it]
• Moon in the 6^th house [problem solving attitude]
• 7^th lord in the 6^th house [not quick to join groups, staying independent]

But there is another side to me, I am not all critical – I also like to see the good in others and encourage them and have faith in people:

• Jupiter [optimism & trust] in the 10^th house [obvious]
• Moon in Gemini [friendly]
• Navāmśa: 5^th lord [intellect] with Venus [generous] in Gemini [friendly] in the 11^th house [friendly].

The end result is that I can often be critical of my friends, friendly to my critics, etc.

Points to Take Away to Your Own Horoscope / Readings

Maybe you have Venus in the 9^th house too, but you aren’t a musician at all. Well that highlights a very important point: It’s not about having one placement, but about having many. There must usually be one placement in a chart that very strongly illustrates a point, and then several other placements that can easily support the same conclusion. Then, if you find these,you have a predictable outcome

For example: “Jupiter [philosophy & religion] in the 10^th house [obvious/career] as the 12^th lord [spirituality].” Is a very strong initial illustration of a very spiritually / religiously oriented person. But there could certainly be people with 12^th lord Jupiter in the 10^th house who are not spiritual. Why? For one thing, in my case this placement has no competition from any other placement in any other Kendra (houses 1, 4, 7, 10 – the cornerstones of the horoscope). And for another thing, equally important, this is not the only indication I have in the horoscope pointing towards spirituality and religion. I have a raja yoga in the 9^th house (itself another key indication, as powerful as the first),  10^th lord in the 9^th house, etc. etc. It’s the “etc. etc.” part that really makes it a sure prediction.

Another point to take away is the importance of the Moon chart and the Navāmśa especially.  If I had the same birth chart, with a different navāmśa (which would happen in my case if I was born about 5 minutes earlier or later) then I would be quite a different person with quite a different character and career.

The Chandra and Navāmśa charts are not totally independent from the main chart. That means that you can’t find your anchoring principle there in those charts, if you don’t find anything substantial to the same effect in the birth chart. In other words, if the Chandra or Navāmśa chart says my skin will be blue, but the birth chart doesn’t say it will be blue – you can’t be confident enough to predict that I will have blue complexion. (I am just using this as a random, fun example, don’t worry about what “blue skin” is). But if the birth chart suggests that my skin is blue and the Chandra and Navāmśa charts show similar indications to the same effect, you can be confident that I will have blue skin.

I will post “Part II” soon, which will be about the more complicated subject of timing important events.

Mercury in the Birth Chart of Swami Prabhupada

• The Sun is in Virgo.
• Virgo navamsha rises.
• Moon is in Gemini
• Mercury is in the 10th house, alone amidst the kendra.

So there is a lot of Mercury’s resources available to Prabhupada. A typical expectation of such resources is to be childlike, playful, diplomatic and balanced. And although these qualities did have some place in Prabhupada’s character, they were by no means his primary qualities. Instead Prabhupada was very mature, serious, uncompromising and one-pointed (“one-sided” some might say).

Why don’t the expected effects of Mercury shine forth in Prabhupada?

• Mostly Virgo, not Gemini
• Mercury is deficient in potency
• Mars and Saturn influence the Gemini Moon
• Capricorn rises and Saturn is vargottama.

There are significant differences between Virgo and Gemini, and Prabhupada’s Mercury resources come more through Virgo than Gemini (he has two major counts of Virgo – the Sun’s sign and the rising navamsha, and just one count of Gemini – the Moon).

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another factor is that Prabhupada’s Mercury is not endowed with strength (sad-bala). Therefore Mercury lacks the gusto to keep its natural character intact and unaltered by influences. And those influences are strong: Mars, vargottama Saturn, and Capricorn ascending.

It is essential to notice that Prabhupada’s Gemini Moon is in the association of Mars. Mars’ presence significantly alters the natural diplomacy, playfulness, and balanced openess of Gemini. Additionally, the strongest aspect upon Prabhupada’s Moon is from Saturn – further altering the flexibility, childishness, and frivolity associated with Gemini “out of the box.” It is because of the strong effect of Mars and Saturn on this Gemini Moon that Prabhupada was more obviously an uncompromising, one-pointed, serious man. The combination of Saturn, Mars and Gemini upon Prabhupada’s Moon made him extremely persuasive in speech. By his chants and lectures alone he changed hundreds of thousands of lives and it is not unreasonable to say he even significantly altered the history of the world.

Finally, the major overriding context of the chart is Capricorn ascending. This also significantly alters what the influence of Mercury comes out to be in the final say. Capricorn is notoriously critical, inflexible, unyeilding, and perseverant.There is a lot of Mercury in Prabhupada, yes – but it has to work with a Capricorn ascendent and vargottama Saturn. So this chart cannot produce a playful, fluffy, flowery, flexible, “I’m OK. You’re OK.” diplomat typical of abundant Mercury. Instead it makes a person with critical genius, ability to communicate complex concepts to a totally foreign and inexperienced audience, and a prodigious author of books that are practical, not artistic or refined. Prabhupada operated with absolute fidelity and loyalty that does not compromise or bargain or negotiate, but did so with the significant Mercurial ability to adapt to modern times, cultures, and people; and presented in language that was appealing and extremely persuasive and convincing to hundreds of thousands.

So in Srila Prabhupada we have an excellent example of how the overall chart modifies specific observations such as Moon in Gemini.

- Vic DiCara

http://www.vicdicara.com

The Twelve Signs and Four Goals of Life

Image by williamcromar via Flickr

The ancient seers of India described human life as having four stages, each of which has a specific goals. Within and beyond them all is a fifth goal. Each of the five elements propels interest on of those goals. Ether, which everything is in and which is in everything, interests one in the fifth goal. The other four goals belong to the four elements used by the planets to cultivate their signs. The element within a sign determines what goal it proposes to the planet that inhabits it.

The first thing I need is pleasure. I am not alone, all life has this basic underlying motive. Air creates sensations and is responsible for making us desire pleasurable ones. The air signs, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius mark the way points along the evolution of this goal of life. Gemini gives new ideas of fun, Libra attempts to realize those ideas, and Aquarius tries to transform them into something better.

Next, I need stability and security. Lollipops are great, but when I get one I start to worry about where the next one will come. So I want to save money or make a lolli-stash so I can get one whenever the desire hits me. The earth element in Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn promote this goal of life in various ways. Taurus gives the fundamental impetus for economic security, Virgo helps work out how to accomplish it, and Capricorn tries to transform it into something more significant and lasting.

People with stability become targets. As soon as I get a stash of lollipops the neighborhood bullies try to take it by force. So I become interested in the third goal of life: morality. Fire, which brings order to chaos, facilitates this. Aries gives the inspiration to fight against cheaters who would take away what I worked hard for. Leo grants the actual authority to enforce and enjoy a moral existence. Sagittarius tries to transform morality into something even higher and broader.

Now that I have my block in order, behaving like good moral kids, my lollipop stash is safe. OK, what next? The pause gives me time to reflect, “What is all this fuss over lollipops in the first place?!” Water, as you probably guessed, enables us to ask if there is there something deeper than all this elaborate civilization we have built around, basically, candy? Water inspires the fourth goal of life: enlightenment. Cancer gives the impetus to look within. Scorpio enables the process of self-realization.  Pisces tries to transform it into something greater.

What could be greater than enlightenment? The fifth goal, ether’s goal, which is in no sign, but in all of them; which is beyond all the other goals yet includes them all. The fifth goal is the supreme pleasure of air, the supreme treasure of earth, the supreme moral of fire, and the supreme realization of water. It is prema, absolute selfless divine love for the Supremely Intimate Being.

- Vic DiCara

www.vicdicara.com

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