Conjunct the greater benefic Jupiter in rulership, in mutual reception with the lesser benefic Venus and free from malefic rays, Leonardo’s Piscean moon promises a benevolent childhood. Placed in the fourth whole sign house in the exalted bound of Venus/Pisces and applying to the Sun in Taurus shapes Leonardo’s childhood experiences, his connection to nature and country life and the nurturing of his scientific mind.
Virgo: The Maiden
A mutable earth sign serving as both the exaltation and domicile of Mercury, the Maiden extols the virtues of practicality, fastidiousness, and support, lending her considerable analytical talents to whatever job is at hand
A Matter of Degree: Worldview in Elizabethan England
Shaped by elements of Christian and ancient Greek thought, the Elizabethan worldview envisioned the universe as a balance between heavenly order and sinful chaos, with man the pivotal link in the chain of being.
Abu Ma’shar: Persian Prince of Astrology
Initially a student of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammed, Abu Ma’shar went from prominent skeptic to one of Islam’s greatest Medieval astrologers and was responsible for preserving and synthesizing both Persian and Hellenistic techniques and philosophies.
Leo: The Lion
Endowed with the heat of the summer Sun, the fixed fire sign of Leo shines through leadership and unique self-expression, although the regal Lion may succumb to vanity and dogma.
Cancer: The Crab
A hard shell, grasping claws and cautious approach protect the gentle, receptive interior of Cancer, the cardinal water sign. But it is the Moon-ruled sign’s symbolic relationship to the Sun and the nourishing role of emotional care that reveal its essential nature.
The Sun: The Diurnal Luminary
Sitting on its throne in the heavens, the Sun’s movement designates day and night, light and dark, winter and summer, truth and lies, carving the ecliptic, the basis of the zodiac and the art of astrology, across the sky.
Gemini: The Twins
Mentally agile and curious, the mutable, Mercury-ruled air sign of Gemini gathers information, synthesizes, and reports. But at its mythological roots, this sign’s capacity to be two things at once reveals the unifying power of companionship.
2022 June – Gemini season and Saturn retrograde
Saturn turns retrograde early this month and Mercury turns direct. Both Mercury and Venus transiting Gemini and in a sextile aspect to the greater benefic Jupiter make this a very social month.
In the Footsteps of Angels: Medieval Arabic Astrology
As the newly formed Muslim caliphate extended beyond the Arabian Peninsula, it encountered Persian, Hellenistic, and Indian forms of astrology, integrating them into a refined science that would reach its medieval peak in Baghdad, a city whose fortune and fate would be foretold by the stars.