Astrology-Central

Libra: Divinatory Meaning

Libra is the only inanimate sign of the zodiac, being represented by the Scales. When the Sun reaches 0 degrees of Libra, it is considered the beginning of the Fall season, the Autumnal Equinox. All Cardinal points are the seasonal changes of the solstices and equinoxes.

In this "Union" or "Marriage" sign, relationships involving cooperation are forged. The first six signs deal with the Self and here, with the 7th sign and house, we begin dealing with the outer world.

Librans too are among the most civilized of the twelve zodiacal characters and are often good looking. They have elegance, charm and good taste, are naturally kind, very gentle, and lovers of beauty, harmony (both in music and social living) and the pleasures that these bring.They have good critical faculty and are able to stand back and look impartially at matters which call for an impartial judgment to be made on them. But they do not tolerate argument from anyone who challenges their opinions, for once they have reached a conclusion, its truth seems to them self-evident; and among their faults is an impatience of criticism and a greed for approval. But their characters are on the whole balanced, diplomatic and even tempered.

Librans are sensitive to the needs of others and have the gift, sometimes to an almost psychic extent, of understanding the emotional needs of their companions and meeting them with their own innate optimism. They have good perception and observation and their critical ability, with which they are able to view their own efforts as well as those of others, gives their work integrity.

Being Venus-ruled, this sign can be lazy. Venus natives dislike coarse, dirty work, and enjoy pampering luxuries. The Cardinal quality of this sign gives them ambition and drive and they are more active than their Venus-ruled cousins, the Taureans. Through the love and cohesiveness of Venus, can true union be attained.

The negative Libran character may show frivolity, flirtatiousness and shallowness. It can be changeable and indecisive, impatient of routine, colorlessly conventional and timid, easygoing to the point of inertia, seldom angry when circumstances demand a show of annoyance at least, and yet Librans can shock everyone around them with sudden storms of rage. Under that velvet glove, is a fist of iron. Push a Libra too far and you will find out!

Wanting to be liked by everyone is their downfall – refusing to take a stand or putting up with unacceptable conditions at the price of their integrity is too much. Peace at any price is no peace at all.

They have a strong identification with Mother and may stay too long in the nest, leading to future resentments, mainly because their feeling remain unexpressed. Being Air, they live in their heads and need to get in touch with their emotions and then express those in safe ways.

 KEYWORDS for LIBRA

Medically Speaking

Libra rules the kidneys, the purifiers of the body — as relationships purify the soul. The sign also governs the lumbar region and lower back, adrenal glands, and appendix. It is wise to avoid overindulgence in food and especially drink..

Kabbalistic Connection

Tishrei is the sign of Libra, the seventh month of the astrological wheel that begins in Nissan (Arie). Libra is Mozna’aim in Hebrew meaning scale, like a grocery scale. In ancient times, the scale was used by putting on the objects to be weighed on one side and stones in units of measurement on the other. In our modern times we use digital scales, and the balancing effect of the scales has been lost. In any case, the idea of the scale it to take two opposite and different things and check the difference between them.

The month of Tishrei was created by the letter Lamed. This letter is very special as it is the only letter in the Hebrew Aleph Bet which goes above the line. Lamed is built from two triangles, upper and lower, to show us that we can build the balance between the parallel universe. We live in a physical world, but the true world is the metaphysical one. The scales can help us to connect and fuse the two worlds.

John of Berry’s Petites Heures
France, Paris 14th Century.

Capricorn: Divinatory Meaning

0 degrees of Capricorn is considered the beginning of the Winter season, the Winter Solstice. All Cardinal points are the seasonal changes of the solstices and equinoxes.

Capricorn, an earth sign, gives a very strong connection to the physical and material world, to world of the five senses, the world of limitations. The harder we work to elevate our consciousness over the limitations of the five senses and the material world, we can get to the desire stage of “mind over matter.” As natural ruler of the 10th house, it is the amplifier of what is attained (or not attained) in prestige, honor, and success. Traditional astrology says Capricornians have difficult lives, problems, particularly very hard destinies, life of struggles and many challenges, but like in everything, there is a paradox here. The more we are willing to take upon ourselves the hard destiny, the hard labor, overcoming all the obstacles – then we are getting stronger, by ambition, determination, hard labor and persistence we can overcome all the difficulties, that is why its known that the older the Capricorn gets, life become easier and better.

Capricorn is one of the most stable and serious of all zodiacal types. They are normally confident, strong willed and calm, hardworking, unemotional, shrewd, practical, responsible, persevering. They are reliable workers in almost any profession they undertake. They are the major finishers of most projects started by the ‘pioneering’ signs; with firm stick-to-it-ness they quickly become the backbone of any company they work for.

Materialism runs strong in this sign. Money is important for the power it wields in the outer world. Respect and reward have to be earned though. Wealth and power carry with them great responsibilities. Saturn represents the Cosmic Law – everything we do comes back to its source.

Capricorns can exhibit the highest or the lowest of natures. They have a sense of purpose and great strength. "How can I use this?" is very different from "How can I be of use?" That distinguishes the Cappy types.

Capricorn points out the need of actions and work, responsibility, maturity, and when the work is done the positive results will come. 

 KEYWORDS for Capricorn

Medically Speaking

Capricorn governs the knees and bony structure of the body, bones and skin, so its subjects may be liable to fractures and strains of the knees and other defects of the legs. Skin diseases from rashes and boils to leprosy (in countries where that disease is prevalent) are dangers, and digestive upsets may be caused by the tendency of Capricorns to worry or suppress emotions. Anemia, Bright’s disease, catarrh, deafness, rheumatism and rickets are also said to threaten the natives of this sign.

Kabbalistic Connection

The Zohar it says how all the Hebrew letters came to the Creator, one by one, asking Him to create the world with it. Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet it an antenna to draw energy, with the positive or the negative side in her. Eventually the Creator decided to create the world with the letter Bet which is Blessing. Saturn was created with the letter Bet that was given to it wisdom, even though Saturn is the planet of destruction, since it has no desire for anything that has to do with the body or the physical realm and that is why it cancels them. The letter Ayin created Capricorn. Together we get a very energetic and powerful combination, Ayin + Bet = the 72 Names of God which Moses used to split the Red Sea. Ayin Bet correlates to the Tetragrammaton (Yud Hei Vav Hei).

Tevet is one of the three negative months in the year, Tammuz (Cancer), Av (Leo) and Tevet (Capricorn). On the Tenth day of this month started the siege around the walls of Jerusalem, on the seventeen day of Tammuz, the walls of Jerusalem were broken through and on the ninth day of Av happened the destruction of the Temple. Tevet brings out and manifests all the negative energy of Saturn – difficulties, pressures and problems of all kinds.

John of Berry’s Petites Heures
France, Paris 14th Century.

Cancer: Divinatory Meaning

0 degrees of Cancer is considered the beginning of the Summer season, the Summer Solstice. All Cardinal points are the seasonal changes of the solstices and equinoxes.

Cancer is the mothering, nurturing sign. It rules the womb, the house & home, the interior of all things for it is the protecting and covering principle. Cancer is the most subconscious of all signs. They are like the sidestepping crab, and nothing is direct or forthright with them. There is no reasoning with them when they are emotionally charged, as usual with Water sign natives; and when they feel threatened, they retreat into their shell. They are very intuitive, absorbing their surroundings like a sponge, to the point of being psychic. It is hard for them to separate what they feel from what they think.

Cancerians are homebodies and strongly connected to mother, home, and family. They are basically conservative and home-loving, needing the security of the nest. Men will retreat to it in times of stress, and women enjoy the maternal atmosphere to care for loved ones.

They seem to need more love than other sign. The moon’s waning causes them to feel that there is always something missing, and this leads to depression. The cure for these low moments is caring, sharing, loving, and giving to others. All emotional slights are deeply felt and retained in the emotional memory and those feelings can be resurrected any time. They tend to retreat into their shells when threatened. Cancerians must learn to let go of the past and see beyond ill feelings and wounds. This is the only way for them to find truly happiness and love. 

They love history and archaeology – the past. They often have a collection of some sort. They have a sensitive stomach, as this is the body part they hold in the tension and unsolved emotional difficulties. Outwardly they can appear unemotional, uncompromising, obstinate, but their friends may see a kindly sensitivity to other people, especially those they love. They can be over-imaginative and prone to fantasy, sometimes trying to shape their lives to fit some romantic ideal, and demand to always be first with those they love. They seek sympathy and rarely see how selfish they can be.

Cancer men have a hard time letting go of mother and their childhood. All Cancerians love to roam, but need that home to come back to, even if they don’t stay there very long. Cancer rules the public and mass consciousness. home. America is a Cancer nation and it is always trying to help others, but as all Cancerians, needs to learn reason and discrimination.

 KEYWORDS for CANCER

Medically Speaking

Cancer governs the breast, stomach, upper lobes of the liver, and solar plexus. They have a sluggish energy flow which may appear as laziness. They hate exercise and may suffer from poor circulation in later years. Cancerians are said to be liable to breast cancer and to suffer from pleurisy, dropsy, piles and varicose veins. The excitability mentioned above can lead to weak digestion, gastritis and other stomach ills, and there is a tendency to coughs and weakness of vision.

Kabbalistic Connection

The moon is unlike any other celestial body, as it changes its position each day, but remains visible nonetheless. It begins each lunar month as a thin scythe and reaches its fullest brightness on the fifteenth. From the moment that the fifteenth day is over, the light of the moon begins to wane, and this cycle repeats itself each month.

According to “The Book of Formation” by Avraham Avinu, the month of Cancer was created by the Hebrew letters Chet (which created Tammuz) and Taf (which created the Moon). The moon is unlike any other celestial body, as it changes its position each day, but remains visible nonetheless. It begins each lunar month as a thin scythe and reaches its fullest brightness on the fifteenth. From the moment that the fifteenth day is over, the light of the moon begins to wane, and this cycle repeats itself each month.

But with the Egyptians the beginning of the year is not Aquarius, as among the Romans, but Cancer. For the star Sothis (Sirius) borders on Cancer, which star the Greeks denominate (Greek word) or the Dog. When this star rises they celebrate the calends of the month, which begins their year; because this is the place of the heavens where generation commences, by which the world subsists.
—Porphyry the Neoplatonist (233-305 A.D.)

 

John of Berry’s Petites Heures
France, Paris 14th Century.

Aries: Divinatory Meaning

0 degrees of Aries is considered the beginning of the Spring season, the Vernal Equinox. All Cardinal points are the seasonal changes of the solstices and equinoxes.

Aries is also the Beginning of the astrological wheel, a person building a Personality. The energy is self-directed, selfish. The Self (I AM) is the most important. Aries want to do what they want to do and when they want to do it. Intiative and courage (sometimes too much) describes them. Impatient, they rush into situations. They are pioneers, the first to go, the first to try something. As good as they are as starters, they are equally bad as finishers. They tend to lose interest quickly and leave things undone, for others to finish.

With natural leadership abilities, Aries don’t make good subordinates or followers because they are too "take charge". They may be unwilling to obey or submit to directions for which they can see no reason, or with which they disagree. They are much concerned with self, both positively and negatively; self-reliant but also self centered and concerned with their own personal advancement and physical satisfaction. Their immense energy makes them aggressive and restless, argumentative, headstrong, quick tempered, easily offended and capable of holding grudges if they feel themselves affronted.

In personal relationships, Arians are frank, direct, candid, have a high sex-drive, and make enthusiastic and generous friends. They are also easily irritated by slowness or moderation in others and can be insensitive to others.

Aries has seeming boundless energy, yet the ailments they suffer from (like headaches) come from tension and failure to relax.

As sure as they seem of themselves, deep down, there is a feeling of inadequacy. They need to avoid negative emotions such as resentment, regret, and self-pity. They need to work on self-control, coordination, conservation of energy, and completion.

Aries is the Divine Spark, the Beginning. Where it falls in your chart is where you, as Spirit, begin to operate.

 KEYWORDS for Aries

Medically Speaking

Aries rules the head, face, brain, and upper teeth. Head injuries and headaches may plague them, as well as fevers and inflammations. They need to learn to relax and finish what they start.

Kabbalistic Connection

The letter Dalet that created Mars, the planet of war, is the tyrannical ruler of Aries (and Scorpio as well).

Moses knew that in the month of Nissan/Aries, being a fire sign with Mars as ruler of the month, you can take advantage of Mars energy and power in order to wage war on the negative power of Egypt, meaning the negative power of the absolute Desire to Receive for oneself alone on the negative side. Break free of addictions to anything that keeps us in bondage, go out from slavery to freedom.

John of Berry’s Petites Heures
France, Paris 14th Century.

The Cardinal signs are associated with initiating and starting action or being an "enterprising" individual. They are forceful and aggressive and have the will to accomplish something, often something new. They project into the world, push outward, are restless, outgoing, ambitious, like to be in charge. They are creative in the sense that they cause things and start things. — also hasty, inconsiderate, domineering, and fail to finish what they start. 

Moveable Signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn are called moveable and Cardinal: moveable, because when the Sun enters into Aries and Libra, the Weather and Season of the Year quickly varies and changes; they are called Cardinal, because when the Sun enters into any of those Signs from that time we denominate the Quarters of the yeer. For from the Sun entering into Aries and Libra the Equinoctial or the Spring and Autumne arise; from the Sun his entrance into Cancer and Capricorn ariseth the Solstice of Summer and Winter.
— William Lilly, Christian Astrology (1647)

The Moveable (signs are so called) because the time changes when the Sun enters Aries and the air gets warm after it has been cold and humid. In Cancer, the humidity goes away and dryness comes instead. In Libra the heat turns to cold and in Capricorn the dryness turns to humidity.
— Avraham Ibn Eza (1092-1167 C.E), The Book of Reasons

These signs are the 4 points of the compass: Aries is East and Spring, Cancer is North and Summer, Libra is West and Autumn, Capricorn is South and Winter. These also correspond to the beginning of our calendar seasons. Spring begins when the Sun reaches 0 degrees of Aries (Vernal Equinox). Summer begins at 0 degrees Cancer (Summer Solstice). Autumn starts when the Sun arrives at 0 degrees Libra (Autumnal Equinox). Winter begins at 0 degrees Capricorn (Winter Solstice).

HOUSES: The Angular Houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) correspond to the Cardinal Signs and the four directions: 1st (Ascendant) is East, 4th is North, 7th is West, and 10th is South. Planets in these houses are strong and signify someone who takes charge of her own life. These are also public houses and actions shown by these placements are of a public nature and will become public knowledge.

ARIES (rules 1st House)

Action, initiative, new beginnings. It charges right in and holds nothing back. People with strong Aries emphasis in the horoscope generally like to be first – and may even have some head scars/injuries from physically being first! Patience is a concept they do not understand. The location of Aries in your chart shows where you tend to be active, energetic, and take initiative.

CANCER (rules 4th House)

The sign of Instinctive action. It will figure out a logical solution and then do the opposite because "it feels better". It can be enormously tenacious when denied something that it wants. As soon as it gets it, it loses interest. However, Cancer is nurturing and emotionally sustaining. Without these qualities, life would be cold indeed. The location of the sign of Cancer in your horoscope shows where you tend to be moody, emotional, instinctive, and intuitive.

LIBRA (rules 7th House)

Aries acts and its opposite, Libra, reacts. Aries is individual action. Libra is joint action. Aries charges right in. Libra wants to explore all options – "weigh" the possibilities. Libra rules manners, diplomacy, and the social graces, things which make cooperation and civil society possible. The location of Libra in your horoscope shows where you tend to cooperate, seek partners, love peace, quiet, and harmony, and show "good taste".

CAPRICORN (rules 10th House)

The sign of careful, calculated, planned action. If Cancer is like pure water that dissolves and expands., then Capricorn is like a saturated solution from which crystals form. Capricorn is the organizer of the zodiac, the builder. Ruling the human skeletal system, it governs structure. The location of Capricorn in your horoscope shows where you tend to be efficient, organized, careful, and ambitious.