The Midheaven and Your Career Path

It is Graduation time again in the Philippines. Young graduates are now about to be thrown into the real world, a world where people work for money, for fulfillment or even for just killing time.

As a guide to the graduates, I am posting here an article I wrote for Mr. Ms. magazine, May 2006:

“Whatever is born or done this moment
has the qualities of this moment in time.”
-- Carl G. Jung

Pioneering psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) studied about a thousand horoscopes and made the conclusion that causality does not have to be A causes B. A and B can happen at the same time. He called this phenomenon synchronicity. In astrology, this means that the characteristics of the heavenly bodies have a synchronous effect on the birth of a person or any other event on Earth. Thus, when a person is born, a map of the heavens (natal chart) would give a fair indication of the characteristics of that person’s life.

In Astrology, it is very important to know at least three things: the positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant at the exact moment of one’s birth. The Ascendant is the zodiac sign on the eastern horizon at the time of birth. The Eastern horizon is where the sun “rises”. Thus, the Ascendant sign is popularly called the Rising Sign.

Popular astrology is mostly concerned with the Sun sign. The Sun sign represents one’s core personality. But humans are not one-dimensional beings. We have a complex nature.

The Moon sign represents the emotions. This involves the “murkier” side of things which popular astrology does not want to delve into so much. On the other hand, the Ascendant sign is the personality one projects to other people. Thus, if somebody tells you that you do not look like a Leo or a Scorpio, that means that what he/she is seeing is not your Sun sign but your Rising Sign.


Think of the Whole YOU

If you ask other people for advice on your career choice, their advice might be based on your Ascendant, the personality that you project. Thus, they might tell you to go to banking or Real Estate (Taurus) when what you actually want to become is a Secret Agent like James Bond (the quintessential Scorpio).

Or your heart may be telling you to become an actress (Moon Leo) but your talent actually lies elsewhere. If you consult a newspaper or magazine, it probably would be based on your Sun Sign alone.

Your Sun, Moon and Rising Signs can be compared to your Ego, Id and Superego. Or, if you were a house, your Ascendant would be your gate, courtyard and main door. Your Sun Sign would be your living and dining rooms while your Moon Sign would be your bedrooms.

When choosing or changing jobs, it is very important to analyze not just your Sun Sign but also your Moon and Rising Signs. But most importantly, look at your Midheaven.


The MIDHEAVEN


The Mediun Coeli (MC) or Midheaven is the “highest point” of the natal chart; It is the point of the noonday sun at one’s date of birth. Technically, it is the point where the ecliptic (apparent path of the Sun across the sky) crosses the meridian (line of longitude) which passes through the birth or event in question

The Midheaven indicates one’s career, life goals and public reputation. This is the key to your success – professionally and emotionally. In esoteric (spiritual) astrology, this represents what you want to do and be acknowledged for in this lifetime.

Our Sun, Moon and Rising signs are personal to us. Perhaps we allow a few friends and relatives to take a peek at our emotional or personal selves. But for the world at large, we want to be known by our Midheaven Sign. This is the kind of person we want the world and posterity to know.

For example, Queen Elizabeth II would certainly not want the world to look at her as friendly, willing, a reforming sprit, rebellious or eccentric (Aquarius rising). She would rather be known as determined, powerful, disciplined and with a sense of purpose (Scorpio midheaven). Scorpio midheaven needs emotional involvement in one’s career and the British queen’s involvement in her career is the prime reason that the English monarchy is still functioning.

In the olden days, the midheaven sign was not given much thought because kings begot kings while farmers begot farmers. But in this age of social mobility where janitors can become tycoons and heiresses can become paupers, the midheaven sign looms vital. For many astrologers, this is the destiny or karmic sign. The Midheaven Sign is what you want to do and are supposed to do in this lifetime.

In order to get a feel of what is the best job for you, analyze your Sun, Moon and Rising Signs and then try to see which is most compatible with your Midheaven Sign.


Job Clusters of ARIES MIDHEAVEN SIGN

Keywords: Pioneering, Physical body, Competition, Immediacy, Independent action, Controversy, Vigor. Example.: Jane Fonda and Pablo Picasso

With an Aries Midheaven Sign, the following is a partial list of jobs that go well with the respective. Sun/Moon/Rising Sign:

ARIES: residential / institutional architect, war correspondent, muckraker, soldier, commodities trader, pro athlete, neurosurgeon, no-desk jobs.
TAURUS: landscape architect, animal husbandry, ENT doctor
GEMINI: sports or crime reporter, PR for architectural firm, advertising sales
CANCER: obstetrician, gynecologist, interior designer, commodities analyst
LEO: stage actor, trial lawyer, chief of surgery or administrator of surgical services, venture capitalist, athletic coach in high school
VIRGO: civil engineer, records supervisor, draftsman, health and safety inspector
LIBRA: labor relations, PR for medical firms, insurance claims adjuster, cosmetic surgeon,
SCORPIO: crime investigator, trial lawyer, reconstructive or exploratory surgeon, institutional architecture
SAGITTARIUS: college athletics coach, architect or engineer for international firm, foreign correspondent, trainer of race horse
CAPRICORN: Corporate lawyer, financial officer for manufacturing or engineering firm, investment analyst for insurance firm
AQUARIUS: civil rights litigator, professor of social psychology, head of R&D in engineering firm
PISCES: Dancer, fine artist, medic or chaplain in the military.

Midheaven Sign as Guide


From the above example, one can see that with your Sun/Moon/Rising signs taken together with your Midheaven sign, you can fine-tune your job description, For example, if you would like to be a reporter and your midheaven sign is Aries, you can have a choice on what kind of reporter to become depending on your other signs. If your Sun sign is Aries, then you might want to become a war correspondent. But if you are a Gemini, then you might rather be a sports reporter. Or if you are a Sagittarian, you might want to become a foreign correspondent

If you want to be a lawyer, and your midheaven is in Aries, then you can choose which sort of law you would like to specialize in – litigation (Leo), corporate (Capricorn) or civil rights (Aquarius).

To continue, here are the other Midheaven signs:

Taurus Midheaven: Needs steady career path. Outdoors preferred. Construction, beauty, sports, horticulture or agriculture, financial management, food industry, fashion, banking, singing, physiotherapy, nursing, counseling (children). Example: Marilyn Monroe

Gemini Midheaven: Communication is key. Also variety and stimulation.. Sales, the media, writing, advertising, retailing, youth work, the hotel industry, interpreting / translation, teaching. Walt Disney

Cancer Midheaven: Requires some continuity in career. Money not the prime consideration. Nursing and the 'caring' professions, social work, restaurant trade, historian, architecture, child care industry, personnel work. Albert Schweitzer and JFK

Leo Midheaven: Likes to be in the spotlight Ambitious and financially motivated.. Acting (specially stage), any artistic work, luxury trades, banking, fashion industry, medical profession, politics or local government, work with animals. Jacqueline Kennedy and Adolf Hitler

Virgo Midheaven: Work best as an 'assistant' rather than a 'leader'. Power behind the throne, secretary, personal assistant, literary/publishing industry, administration or management of any kind, health club/leisure centre management, journalism, copywriting, psychology, the police, librarian, civil servant, animal care and breeding. Eleanor Roosevelt

Libra Midheaven: Needs comfortable working place and good pay.. Peacemaker of the office. Fashion and beauty industry, soft furnishing or interior design, antiques, diplomatic corps, the legal profession, language work, modeling. Mickey Rooney and US Chief Justice Earl Warren

Scorpio Midheaven: requires emotional involvement in the career. Money not a big factor. Needs “security of tenure”. Military, police, detective or forensic science work, investigative journalism, mining, self employment, research of any kind, medical profession, funeral industry, psychotherapist, politics. Mao Ze Dong, Ben Gurion, Paul Newman and Billie Jean king

Sagittarius Midheaven: Needs to be challenged, not very good with routine. Lawyer, outdoor sports, veterinary profession, travel industry, export industry, university lecturer, town planning, space industry, airline industry, the church, writing, international finance. Hitchcock and Solzhenitsyn

Capricorn Midheaven: Very ambitious for status, rather than necessarily for money. Quintessential self-made businessman. Self employment, politics, estate agency, farming, orthopaedics, homeopathy, engineering, exploration industry, dentistry, sculpting, civil service, stock brokerage. MacArthur and Elizabeth Arden

Aquarius Midheaven: Need absolute freedom in their career, and need, above all, to be able to be innovative. Not particularly motivated by money. Cutting edge technology, space industry, airline industry, IT industry, optician, conservation, television work, photography, cartooning, humanitarian work, publishing, the legal profession, telecommunications. Kissinger and GB Shaw

Pisces Midheaven: Often to be found working tirelessly in the background. Exceptional counseling abilities. Needs variety. Dealing effectively with intangibles. The caring professions, work with the disadvantaged and the minorities, the wine trade, the sea or fishing industries, plumbing, the church, the navy, faith and alternative healing, the occult and anything artistic – fiction, poetry, films. Van Gogh, Christian Barnard, Pope Paul VI, Glenn Miller, Albert Einstein, and Bill Gates.

As Pluto Meets the Galactic Center

Pluto will be leaving the sign of Sagittarius in late January next year, thus ending an era that started in 1995. Bush's War on Terror and Huntington's Clash of Civilizations characterize this period in our history. At the end of this era, Pluto conjuncts with the Galactic Center. The effects of this era will be clearly seen in the next epoch which would most probably change the world as we know it now.

Below is an article I wrote for Mr. & Ms. Magazine, the Supermonthly of the Mind, Body & Spirit February 2007

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As Pluto Meets the Galactic Center

Does the Future Look Bright?

Astrologers say all earthlings are affected by the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the asteroids and the stars. Lately however, astrologers have included in their charts another Force that appears to be exerting influence on humans as well. This force is neither a planet nor an asteroid. It is way out in space – some 27,000 light years away, right at the center of Milky Way, our own galaxy.

While Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun, the Sun and 100 billion other stars in our galaxy revolve around this Galactic Center (GC). In a way, this GC is the “Sun of our sun”. Scientists are still investigating the composition of the Galactic Center. So far, they infer from observations of the gamma ray, hard X-ray, infrared, sub-millimeter and radio wavelengths emitted by the GC that at the center of our galaxy is a super massive Black Hole the size of our sun but with a mass of almost 4 million suns!

Long before the discovery of the GC, some astrologers had already noticed some unexplained forces on the planetary bodies when these bodies pass certain positions in the latter part of Sagittarius. It appears that when the major planets are at particular angles with the GC, something significant happens. The Galactic Center is currently located in 26 degrees 55 minutes of Sagittarius.

SLOW-MOVING PLANETS

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, because of their distance from the Sun, appear to move slowly through the zodiac signs. While the Moon stays in a Zodiac sign for about 2 and a half days, some of the more distant planets stay in one sign for as long as 30 years. Thus, they affect a generation of people. These planetary effects on the world are usually taken as the Zeitgeist or Spirit of the Times.

Astrologers are curious about the effects of these far-flung planets when they “aspect” or have angular relationships with the GC. Aspects are the angular relationships between the positions of the planetary objects in an astrological chart. These are measured in degrees. In 2007, the planet (or dwarf planet) Pluto makes an exact conjunction (0 degrees) with the GC.

SAGITTARIUS and PLUTO

For the last two millennia, the GC has been “residing” in the sign of Sagittarius. It will stay in this sign for 250 years more. Sagittarius is the sign of Wisdom, Truth, Religion, Spirituality, the “Other”, Foreignness, Travel, the Courts, and Magistrates.

From 1995 to 2008, Pluto sojourns in Sagittarius. Pluto represents Death, Destruction, Rebirth, Transformation, Sexuality, Nuclear Energy and Transcendental Healing. The meeting of Pluto and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius can only portend significant changes.

HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS

When Pluto was in Sagittarius in the years 26 to 42 A.D., the world witnessed some of history’s worst tyrant-destroyers and greatest spiritual reformers.

Tiberius succeeded Augustus as Roman Emperor in 14 AD. When Tiberius’s son died, Tiberius became despondent. In 27 AD, he left Rome to live in the island of Capri where he indulged his madness in sex and cruelty. He was succeeded ten years later by another sex-crazed emperor, Caligula.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the cousins John and Jesus exhorted the people to have Faith in God and not in Roman / pagan materialism. In 27 AD, John baptized Jesus and three years later, both were executed – one beheaded and the other crucified.

Around the time of the conjunction of Pluto and the GC, Saul, a Roman citizen from Tarsus (in what is now Turkey) converted to Christianity. He changed his name to Paul and became the greatest proselytizer of Christianity. Today, Paulinian Christianity is embraced by about a billion people.

The next time Pluto visited the Galactic Center, it was in 284/285 AD. Emperor Diocletian downgraded the power of the Roman Senate and divided the Roman Empire into East and West. He ruled the West and gave the East to his friend Maximianus.

Pluto came back to Sagittarius in 764-778. “By the Sword and by the Cross,” Charlemagne, King of the Franks, became master of Western Europe. Charlemagne eventually was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III, which marked the union of the Roman Church and the Western European kingdoms. This made permanent the break between the Catholic Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome.

PLUTO THE DESTROYER, REBUILDER AND HEALER

Every time Pluto visits Sagittarius, something is destroyed and something rebuilt. In 1010-24, foreigners again took over a country. This time, the Danes became the rulers of England.

But usually, Knowledge takes ascendancy. This was the time of the great Muslim thinker Ibn Sina (Avicenna), whose magnum opus The Book of Healing is considered the largest work of its kind ever written by one man. It covered Mathematics, Logic, Psychology, Natural Sciences, Astronomy and Music. His Canon of Medicine re-introduced the scientific works of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers-physicians to Medieval Europe, which eventually paved the way for Europe’s Renaissance.

In the next appearance of Pluto in Sagittarius (1256-70), Thomas Aquinas laid down his philosophy. Aquinas mentioned Avicenna in practically every other page of his works. The genius Roger Bacon also lived and wrote during this period.

THE RENAISSANCE

Pluto returned to Sagittarius during the height of the European Renaissance. This was the time of Michelangelo, arguably the world’s greatest artist; and, Mr. Renaissance himself, the genius Leonardo da Vinci.

In 1502, Balboa “discovered” the Pacific Ocean which paved the way for the European conquest of Asia. In the same year, the Persians regained control of their land from foreigners (Mongols). The Safavid dynasty flourished and Shi’ite Islam became the state religion of Persia.

This period also coincided with the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. With Pluto’s entry into Sagittarius, Beyazid II became a mystic. He was deposed by his son Selim I in 1512, after ruling for 31 years.

Henry VIII became King of England in 1509. He later broke away from the Roman Catholic Church by establishing the Church of England.

In 1505, Martin Luther renounced the world and became a monk. In 1512, he earned his doctorate and began teaching biblical literature in Wittenberg University. By 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church – an act that eventually led to the division of Western Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

Copernicus propounded his theory that the Earth and other planets revolved around the Sun but he refused to have his book published until his death. He was afraid of the backlash from the Church fathers who believed that the Earth was the center of the universe.

About the time of the conjunction of the GC and Pluto, Sharif Kabungsuwan, the first ruler of the Sultanate of Maguindanao, arrived in Mindanao.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Pluto returned to Sagittarius in 1749-1762. This saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution (1750). In 1751, the French Encyclopédie was published. It was the work of the Western world’s great thinkers which included Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot and Jean D’Alembert. Voltaire’s and Rousseau’s writings caused the downfall of the French clergy and monarchy.

In the Ottoman Empire, Islamic revivalism was on the rise. About the time of the GC – Pluto conjunction (1760/61), a palace coup d’état relegated the Sultan to a figurehead.

In 1760, George III became King of England. Later, he would lose the American colonies and later become mentally unbalanced.

In 1761 and 1762, Sultan Mu’izz ud din of Sulu signed two treaties with England’s Alexander Dalrymple.

Europeans fought the Seven Years’ War which was an extension of the French and Indian wars in America. France lost its possessions in America and the West Indies.

In 1762, as part of the Seven Years War, the British conquered Manila. The British freed the old Sulu Sultan Azim ud Din I who had been held hostage in Intramuros by the Spaniards for more than a dozen years.

From the historical precedents, we can see that when Pluto visits the sign of Sagittarius, we can be sure of certain things: Death, Destruction, Rebirth, Reformation, Knowledge, Fear of “the Other”, Lies, Truth, Foreign Invasion or Liberation from Foreigners, Power Play and Religion.

I. T. REVOLUTION

Now, with Pluto again in Sagittarius (1995-2008), the Information Technology Revolution is in full throttle. Advances in computer technology and the internet / World Wide Web come at a dizzying speed.

But Pluto the destroyer is also back. The world witnessed the 9/11 attack, Bush’s “War on Terror”, the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Israel-Lebanon war. Religion is again in the forefront.

In the Philippines, we had Erap’s “All-Out War” against the MILF, Arroyo’s fight against the Leftists and the Rightists, the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, etc. At present, the Government-MILF peace talks have stalled and MNLF leader Nur Misuari is held captive by the Philippine government.

PLUTO AND THE GC

For the first time in history, astrologers can actually experience the effect of the exact conjunction of Pluto and the Galactic Center. This will occur on 29/30 Dec 2006. In 2007, Pluto will exactly conjunct GC in July 18 and Oct. 26.

In Feb/ Mar 2006, the GC and Pluto were in close conjunction. In the Philippines, President Arroyo proclaimed a state of emergency or PP 1017, which was vigorously opposed by many Filipinos, especially those in the media.

Some astrologers see the Super Black Hole in the Galactic Center as a Purging mechanism. Every time Pluto enters Sagittarius, madness and destruction comes in its wake. It is the periodic purging of the world.

PHOENIX RISING

Pluto in Sagittarius is the perfect time for Samuel Huntington’s Clash of (Religious) Civilizations. Hopefully, enlightened reformers will come to the fore to bring about a happier scenario. Like the Phoenix, which is also a symbol of Pluto, the world can rise from its ashes and transform itself into a harmonious global environment where bigotry and intolerance are minimized if not eliminated.

Sagittarius is Knowledge and Pluto is Power. When Pluto is in Sagittarius, Knowledge becomes Power. Truth overcomes Lies. The last days of 2006 and the year 2007 can only prove interesting. (END)

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At the exact conjunction of Pluto and GC on Midnight of 29/30 Dec 2006, US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith was smuggled out of a Makati jail and brought to the custody of the US Embassy despite his conviction on charges of raping a Filipino woman. This exemplifies the arrogance of foreign / imperialistic power symbolized by Pluto. see Nicole: 'A Stab In the Back by Arroyo'

For the July 18 exact conjunction of Pluto and the GC, the Philippines' attention was on the Armed Forces attack on MILF which resulted in the beheading of some 10 Marines on July 10, 2007. The AFP wanted another "all-out war" against the MILF - Moros but nobody took the bait. The Galactic Center and Sagittarius want Truth not Lies and Media spin. See Philippine military warns of 'all-out war' against militants

For the Oct 26, 2007 exact conjunction, Joey de Venecia delivered a political bombshell - Pres. Arroyo's husband was promised US$ 70 million payoff for the Broadband Deal. See First Gentleman to get $70M from NBN deal--De Venecia III

ASTROLOGY and HEALTH

“A physician without knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician”

– Hippocrates (born ca. 400 BC)

Astrology was studied and respected in the ancient Egyptian civilization, in the Greek and Roman civilizations, in the old Islamic civilization, and in the Renaissance. In 1125, the chair of Astrology was founded at the University of Bologna. The prestigious Cambridge University taught astrology since 1250. Until the 18^th century, astrology was part of university students’, including medical students’, training.

While claiming great astrologers of the past like Copernicus (proponent of sun-centered solar system), Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler (discovered the laws of planetary motions) for their side, Establishment astronomers renounced astrology after the twin discoveries of Uranus in 1781 and Neptune in 1846. Astronomy separated from Astrology and the latter lost its academic status. While astrology embraced all aspects of life, astronomy was concerned only with celestial mechanics. As a result, university students and faculty, including the medical faculty in Europe, America and the colonies, were deprived of a great deal of astrological knowledge accumulated through the millennia.

Before the 20^th century, the non-astrologer physicians’ primary medicine for curing people was leeches – to bleed the patients in order to remove impurities in their blood. In movies, old books and magazines, one can still see the advertisements of various “elixirs” peddled by physicians and pharmacologists.

Today, astrology is back in business, proven by academic research such as the comprehensive study done by Michel and Françoise Gauquelin, French statisticians and psychologists who gathered hundreds of thousands of birth charts for their data.

Medical Astrology

Astrologers still incorporate health aspects in their work. When a person gets sick, the astrologer draws up the astrological chart at the time of the first symptom. Each Zodiac sign rules some parts of the body. For example, Aries rules the head area, Taurus the neck area and Libra the kidneys. The mentioned astrological chart is then judged in relation to the person’s natal or birth chart, i.e., the astrological positions at the time of birth.

Persons born under a Sign usually suffers from the part of the body ruled by that sign. Thus, Arians suffer from headaches, Taureans from colds, chills and tonsillitis, and Leos suffer from heart, spine and back ailments.

The diagnosis is also based on the polarity of the signs. For example, Aries’s polarity (opposite) is Libra. If an Arian complains of headaches (the head being ruled by Aries), the probability that the headaches are caused by the kidneys (ruled by Libra) should be investigated.

Each Sign is “ruled” by a Planet (the Sun and the Moon are considered “planets”). Together, the Sign and its ruling Planet is said “to rule” or greatly influence certain parts of the body. For example, Leo and its ruler, the Sun, control the heart, back and spine including the thymus gland and the body’s immunization system. Cancer and the Moon control the breasts and the alimentary (food) system – esophagus, stomach, gall bladder, etc. Sagittarius and Jupiter control the hips, thighs and the body’s largest gland, the liver and the pituitary gland, the body’s “master gland”.

By reading the positions and relationships of the Signs and the Planets in the charts, the astrologer deduces the diseases that the subject is prone to and the probable causes of the present sickness. The astrologer then prescribes the remedy which may include herbal medicine, sometimes including the time the herbs should be gathered, or the mineral and cell salts needed by the patient. The astrologer’s prescription may include actions on the part of the patient, such as taking a vacation or expressing his/her ideas openly without fear or inhibition.

By reading the natal and other astrological charts, the astrologer gets to know the whole personality, including mental and emotional attitudes, and even the whole history of the patient. The astrologer can thus prescribe the remedy that would cure not just the present symptom but the whole being.

For example, gallbladder stones may be caused by the patient’s anger over someone or something which s/he could not express. Or for a patient with heart trouble, the charts may indicate the real cause of the problem – inability to love or being unloved.

Medical astrology is not a separate branch of astrology. Astrology is holistic – it studies the whole of (wo)man – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Hippocratic Law

Linda Goodman, in her book Star Signs (St. Martin’s Press: New York), is particularly concerned about the timing of surgery. She quotes Hippocrates who stated, “Touch not with iron that part of the body ruled by the sign the Moon is transiting.” “Touching with iron” means operating with a knife. Goodman further explained that according to Hippocrates, disobeying this law will result in 1] complications, including infection, 2] slow and painful healing and recuperation or even 3] death.

Goodman says that when a physician declares that “the operation was successful but the patient is dead,” it usually indicates that this Hippocratic law was not obeyed.

It is rather strange that medical doctors of today swear by the Hippocratic Oath, yet they do not practice or follow most of what Hippocrates advised.

Goodman gave some startling examples. Jeff Chandler, star of many detective films, went for a simple operation for a slipped disc. He died while being operated on. Cause of death? “Unnatural causes.” On that day, the Moon was in Leo, ruler of the heart, spine and the back.

Another example was Bertha Todd, first wife of Michael Todd, who later became the husband of Elizabeth Taylor. Bertha had cut her finger on a broken glass. She decided to go to the hospital the following day to have her finger stitched. Afraid that it might be painful, she asked to be anaesthetized. After the third dose of anesthesia, she died. On that day, the Moon was transiting Gemini, ruler of shoulders, arms, hands and fingers.

Goodman mentioned other examples. She was emphatic in urging readers not to have any sort of operation or even injections when the Moon is transiting the Sign which rules the body part concerned. The Moon changes sign every two and a half days so the postponement of the operation will not be more than that period.

The Moon’s influence on the tides is well known. Since the human body is seventy percent water, it is but logical that the Moon would have great influence on it, too. The menstrual cycles of women are also known to be influenced by the Moon. Hence, the rationale behind the above-mentioned Hippocratic Law is that first, the Moon has great influence on the human body. Second, any surgery naturally interferes with the tidal flows of the body fluids. And third, the parts of the body ruled by the Sign the Moon is transiting at the time become especially sensitive and vulnerable. So next time you need to have a medical or dental operation, check where the Moon is transiting.

ZODIAC SIGN RULERSHIP

OF THE PARTS OF THE BODY

ARIES head, face (except nose), cerebral hemispheres of the brain

Subrenal glands which pump adrenalin to the system

TAURUS neck, throat, larynx, tonsils, carotid arteries and jugular vein

Thyroid gland

GEMINI shoulder, arms, fingers, lungs, upper ribs

CANCER stomach, diaphragm, breasts, alimentary canal, lymph system,

Mammary glands

VIRGO large and small intestines and the pancreas

LIBRA kidneys

SCORPIO nose, genitals, descending colon, rectum, the blood, urethra. rules bodily outlets and procreative processes

SAGITTARIUS hips, thighs, liver, veins, femur bone, sacral region, and the sciatic nerve

CAPRICORN teeth, bones, kneecaps, skin, hair, nails and cell walls

AQUARIUS lower legs and ankles, varicose veins and circulatory system

PISCES feet and toes, the entire body system relating to “leaks” and the draining of fluids

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Published in the Mr. & Ms. Magazine: Supermonthly of the Body, Mind and Spirit January 2006

The Astrological Moon

Most people are familiar with Sun-Sign astrology. When a person says s/he is a Sagittarian, it means that when s/he was born, the Sun was in (under the influence of) the constellation Sagittarius. There is, however, another very important planetary body in our solar system – the Moon, Earth’s closest neighbor.

The Sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth. The Moon, on the other hand, is just around 253 thousand miles away. The Earth revolves around the Sun, but the Moon does not just revolve around the Earth. Both the Earth and the Moon revolve around a common center of gravity called the barycenter. The Moon is more than just a satellite of the Earth. The Moon is more like Earth’s smaller twin planet.

The Moon’s influence on the tides, on the migratory paths of birds, and on animal and human behavior is very well documented. Astrologers consider the position of the Moon at one’s birth just as important as the Sun’s position. Some people consider Moon-Sign astrology as a better gauge of the character of a person.

Astrological Charts and Aspects

An astrological chart is a snapshot of the cosmos at any given time and place. From the chart, one can see the angular relationships of the various heavenly bodies. For example, if Mars and Saturn are separated by zero to 8 degrees, they are said to be in conjunction. Physically, this means that from the vantage point of the Earth, both planets appear to be close together. The combined gravitational and other effects of these planets will certainly affect the Earth and its inhabitants in some ways. By looking at a chart, the astrologer can say how these planets will affect the person concerned. If two planets are separated by 180 degrees, they are said to be in opposition. Physically, this means that both planets are in opposite sides of the earth. Thus, the Earth and its beings are affected by two planetary forces in opposite directions. These angular relationships are called Aspects.

Electional Astrology

Astrologers believe that the Moon has very strong influence on Earthlings. As the fastest moving planetary body, the Moon is of utmost importance in Electional Astrology. Electional astrology is the approach used by astrologers to determine the most opportune time for endeavors or actions.

For predicting outcomes, the astrologer creates the progression chart for a future event. For example, if one wants to know who will win in the next Pacquiao fight, the astrologer looks at the chart of the specific date of the fight, and will study the characteristics of the planetary bodies, especially the Moon.

If somebody wants to ask a specific question, the astrologer builds the chart for the very moment the question is being asked. This is called horary astrology. In horary, predictive and electional astrology, the Moon’s characteristics – i.e., its House position, phase, aspects and Sign, are of utmost importance.

Void-of-Course

From ancient times, astrologers noticed that as the it passes from one Zodiac sign to another, there is a period when the Moon is “aspect-less”; i.e., it has no aspects with other planets. The astrologers have observed that this aspect-less period of the moon is quite inauspicious for Earthlings.

Every two and half days, the Moon does not make any aspects to any planet while moving from one sign and entering another. This period can range from a few minutes to a couple of days. When this happens, the Moon is said to be void-of-course.

If a person wants to know how an event or project will turn out, the astrologer would cast a chart and study the sign and aspects of the Moon. If the Moon has no aspects, then the project or event would have practically no outcome; i.e., it would come to nothing.

When the moon is void-of course, astrologers suggest that no important business should be planned or initiated. Even sending important e-mails or registered mails or faxes or making important calls are not advised. Most, if not all, actions started and / or made during the void-of-course moon would come to naught.

During this period, it is common for people to have many seemingly great ideas which would later turn out to be quite mediocre. For first time endeavors such as a first date or a job interview, it is advised not to do them on a Void-of Course Moon. As for weddings, unless you want the marriage to be annulled at a later date, better do it on another day.

According to astrological reports in the United States, one out of two major presidential candidates was nominated during the Void-of-Course Moon. George W. Bush seems to know all about the void-of-course Moon. He was twice nominated on a “good” Moon while his opponents Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 were both nominated on a Void-of-Course Moon.

Time for Meditation

An aspect-less Moon is a good time to meditate, pray or study. The Mind goes inward during the void-of-course Moon. During this period, one usually feels relaxed, detached or even “spaced out”. Listening to Mind-Programming tapes or classical music, reading literature, watching movies, cleaning up the house or the car are just some of the things that one should do during the Void-of-Course Moon.

Sometimes the blame for unsuccessful undertakings lies not in us humans, but in the stars; or, in this case, the Moon.

This December’s Moon

December 2005 starts with a dynamic New Moon in Sagittarius. For those who want to start a project or a business, do it during a New Moon. The Moon makes a T-square with Mars and Jupiter on December 6. T-squares are difficult aspects, thus it would be better to simply relax on this day. Better make it a one and a half-day holiday as the Moon is void up to the 7th at 1:45 pm. The Full Moon is on the 16th but start your day after lunch when the Moon is no longer void-of-course. The week-end of December 17-18 should be a time for relaxation and recreation. The Moon is void-of-course for the weekend but on the 17th, the Moon forms a Grand Trine with Uranus and Jupiter. A grand trine aspect usually signifies a grand time. This may be the perfect time to bring the office staff on an outdoor trip or the family to a Christmas week-end out-of-town.



A “Mystic Rectangle” aspect oversees the Winter Solstice on the 22nd. Winter solstice is a time of celebration for most ancient and traditional cultures of the Northern hemisphere. The Mystic Rectangle aspect promotes the best use of one’s potentials. If you have an important date for December, do it on this day. A post-Christmas rest would best be done from the afternoon of the 27th up to the following day, or you can simply ride out the Void-of-course Moon. This month not only begins with a New Moon but ends with it as well. New Year’s Eve celebration will therefore be done during the New Moon, which is quite auspicious for the coming year.

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Published in Mr. & Ms. Magazine, Supermonthly of the Body, Mind and Spirit, December 2005
(with different images)