In traditional astrology, planets are either benefic or malefic, symbolizing life’s blessings and challenges. Jupiter and Venus nurture growth, while Saturn and Mars bring trials. Ptolemy’s insights reveal how their elemental nature shapes our experiences through balance and adversity.
How to Cast Your Traditional Birth Chart for FREE
Learn how to cast your traditional birth chart for free using astro.com. Follow our step-by-step guide with Charles Dickens’ birth chart as an example!
Petrarch Rectification
His 1341 crowning as poet laureate and Cola Di Rienzo’s 1347 revolt are instrumental in pinpointing Petrarch’s exact birth time.
Saturn in Libra: Petrarch
Compared to Tilak’s Mars in detriment in Libra, Petrarch has Saturn exalted in Libra in the third house. A planet in exaltation has the power of dignity, esteem, and honor. During his travels in 1345, Petrarch found Cicero’s letters to Atticus, Quintus, and Brutus. This discovery is often associated with the start of humanism in……
Scorpio: The Scorpion
The currents run deep with the fixed water sign of Scorpio, whose nocturnal martial nature channels elements of both its invertebrate namesake and the soaring eagle.
The Tropical Zodiac
The development of the zodiac around the fifth century B.C. was an important milestone in the history of astrology. The path of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets around the Earth, also known as the ecliptic, was divided into 360 degrees, with 30 degrees allotted to each of the 12 signs. The signs were……
Synodic Cycle of the Superior Planets
The synodic cycle of the superior planets (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) starts at the conjunction of the planet with the Sun and being Cazimi. Jupiter is Cazimi Cazimi makes a planet very strong but it will soon move to being combust. The combust zone extends to around eight degrees and 30 minutes from the Sun.……
Essential Dignities: The School Analogy
Imagine that there are twelve schools, each with three hundred students. These schools are like the signs of the zodiac, with each school specializing in different subjects and skills. The Aries school teaches its students how to be aggressive, fight, and succeed in war. The Aquarius school teaches science and is concerned with humanity. The……
Libra: The Scales
As day and night reach equal measure during the autumn equinox, the Venus-ruled air sign of Libra espouses the civilized virtues of balance, harmony, and coexistence.
Table of Essential Dignities
The signs act as homes or residences for the planets. Based on the sign and degree it occupies, a planet is bestowed with or denied certain gifts, powers, or resources. This is essential dignity, a measure of the strength or weakness of a planet. Essential dignity is one of the most important techniques in traditional……