How can there be a pandemic without Pluto?
Normally I don't write articles about mundane events, but the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected us all and I've seen many different explanations about astrological factors pointing at it with some astrologers arguing about the importance of Pluto, some even...
The special aspects of Jyotish – a mystique or an error?
Aspects are found in all systems of zodiacal astrology and it is difficult to imagine a practice of astrology without them. They show us the dynamics between planets, relationship of planets to houses and they can be simply thought of as a pre-defined network of...
Timing the love bomb
Of all things in astrology, timing that which is promised in the birth chart is the most difficult task and astrologers throughout history have aimed for accurate timing and came up with many different timing methods. In this example we'll take a look at how marriage...
A heart gone out of whack
On Monday, 26th of March 2007 at around 8AM I finished my breakfast, got up from the table, went to pick something from the floor when it happened; severe pain as if someone would stab a knife into my chest, I could no longer breathe normally and could not straighten...
Microscopic analysis with 12th parts and bounds
There are many arguments against astrology that are age old. Firmicus Maternus, a 4th century CE Roman astrologer from Sicily begins his Mathesis by dealing with such arguments and among these is the issue of twins; how come twins, which are sometimes born just a few...
CHART ANALYSIS: King Olav the 5th of Norway
A SHORT SUMMARY OF KING OLAV'S LIFE Olav the 5th, also known as »Folkekongen« or The People's King was a very popular and influential King of Norway, voted a Norwegian of a century. He was crowned King on September 21st, 1957 . During the World War II he was...
Astro diary #5 – A creative code reader and a dark textbook scenario
NOTE: These diaries are written with the consent of the people involved. Out of privacy reasons I’m not using their real name. Skype rings and I meet Odysseus, a man around my age, with a pleasant smile and quite communicative. He is attempting to relocate to Germany...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 7
VARGA FAMILIES In my investigation of vargas I realized that there seem to be four families of vargas. As we have seen, not all vargas are constructed according to the same principle, but there are vargas that share the rationale and I've grouped them into families...
Blank charts for varga techniques
PEN AND PAPER FUN! Here you can download PDFs with blank square and diamond charts that enable you to superimpose a varga onto the main chart. Most astrology software programs don't allow you to do this, therefore I made these blank charts, so you can experiment on...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 6
DVADASHAMSHA or DODEKATEMORIA None of the divisions of the Zodiac comes to mind as naturally and intuitively as the 12th division called dvadashamsha in India and dodekatemoria in the Hellenistic tradition. Henceforward I will call them the 12th parts. If I was told...
ASTROLOGY OF DEVOTION or Did Maharishi Jaimini use the tropical zodiac?
In my article about navamsha I've shown four examples of bhakti-yogis and how a particular navamsha yoga for bhakti and liberation can be seen nicely in their navamsha charts. Since I enjoy looking at charts of spiritualists this made me curious and I wanted to check...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 5
NAVAMSHA – THE 9th DIVISION Of all the vargas used in Indian astrology the navamsha is the most important and most commonly used one. If one should use only one varga, the navamsha would be the one. There is no classical text of Indian astrology that doesn't emphasize...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 4
A NOTE OF CAUTION: After I wrote this article I have put the type of saptamsha which uses signs in natural order (the most common saptamsha) under scrutiny, because mathematically it does not comply with the primary 12-fold division, the zodiac. It might be an invalid...
Astro diary #4 – Where are those tuning pins?
In a process of putting together the material to build a musical instrument I noticed that the tuning pins were missing. I had them, fourteen of them and the tuning key was there, too, all nicely put in a small cardboard box. I looked around and couldn't find it. I...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 3
TRIMSAMSHAS AND BOUNDS In the previous two articles we've covered the division of a sign in two parts called hora and division of a sign into three parts called drekkana, dreshkana or decan. We've also briefly touched upon the navamsha and dvadashamsha, the ninth and...
Astro Diary #3 – A bowling mediator
NOTE: These diaries are written with the consent of the people involved. Out of privacy reasons I’m not using their real name. Laura, a lady in early thirties arrives in a red car, dressed in a red coat. Having Aries rising this doesn't surprise me. Red is the color...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 2
DECANS OR DREKKANAS In the first article of this series we looked at the basics of sign division and looked closely at the 2nd division or hora. Today we will continue to divide the zodiac and our next division is the 3rd division called drekkana, dreshkana, dekanoi,...
Astro Diary #2 – A singing sage?
NOTE: These diaries are written with the consent of the people involved. Out of privacy reasons I’m not using their real name. I open the door and there stands a tall, well built, North-Slavic looking man. He goes right to saying that his horoscope is terrible, with...
The secret meeting of East and West – Understanding divisional and/or harmonic charts – Part 1
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this series of articles is to critically examine the doctrine of sign divisions, different methods of constructing them and their practical application in delineation of a horoscope. The articles will be of a technical nature, discussing...
Astro Diary #1 – From outer tornado to inner whirling
NOTE: These diaries are written with the consent of the people involved. Out of privacy reasons I’m not using their real name, nor their real nationalities. I turn on Skype and call Azad from Azerbaijan. He answers and what I see is a Middle-eastern looking young man...