- by Roy Kirkland
There is an important implication in this: if Venus is the general lord and Saturn is the minor period lord, it means one thing, while the reverse situation would be very different, because Saturn would then provide the substance, while Venus provided the form. The cosmic condition of the planet providing the form is extremely important, because it describes how the times will manifest – we must consider its dignity, aspects and its dispositor. In our example above, when Venus is the major lord, it could represent funding for a work of mural art in a tough neighborhood, or appreciating or making a Zen rock garden. If Saturn is the major lord, it could be representative of receiving new and decorative trash bins, or dealing with an art restoration project.
Astrological methods are always described best by actual, rather than hypothetical events, so let’s move on to a real-world analysis. The example chart being used here is that of Ms. Gwyneth Paltrow, who won the Oscar for Best Actress on March 21st, 1999, for her role in “Shakespeare In Love”.
Ms. Paltrow was born September 27, 1972 at 5:25 PM in Los Angeles. This chart is cast in the Tropical, or common Zodiac. Profections are precession-proof, like solar arc directions, but the dignities and house rulerships change if the Sidereal Zodiac is used. Although these techniques were consolidated when the Sidereal and Tropical Zodiacs coincided, most modern astrologers in the western world use the Tropical Zodiac, which is referenced to the equinoxes and solstices, as opposed to the Sidereal Zodiac, which is referenced by the positions of the “fixed” stars. A good deal of work has been put into researching this at Project Hindsight, and their conclusion is that the Hellenistic techniques work best in the Tropical reference frame. After many years of practicing Sidereal methods of both the east and the west, from the standpoint of this system, I have come to agree with them.
To view Ms. Paltrow's chart, including the positions of the planets and the lots, as well as their dignities, click here.
Since Profections are part of a hierarchy of techniques, it would be good to look at the context in which they function. Profections repeat every 12 years, therefore other time-lord systems help us determine the background, or framework in which their indications will manifest.
First, the Circumambulations: although the Sun is the first choice for the ‘predominator’, because it is the sect light (meaning that she was born during the daytime), It is in a succedent, or post-ascenscional place, while the Moon is in a pivotal or angular one. Therefore we will take the Moon as the predominator. The Circumambulations of the Moon show this to be a period where Mars is the general time lord, and the Sun is the assisting time lord.
Mars, or rather Ares, has a very important role in her chart, in that it is the Lord of the Lot of Fortune. This means that Ares is responsible for reporting what is to befall her, like the lookout on a ship who spots icebergs and pirates. Since Ares can see the Helmsman (Jupiter) and Fortune, it shows that she is able not only to forsee and therefore avoid problems, but that opportunities will come to her that she will be able to capitalize on during times when Mars is prominent. It is interesting that the way Fortune is configured and Ares is situated, that her career choices have more to do with self-discovery than money.
Ares also has to do with the financial aspects of her life, due to its management of the 2nd house. It is even more interesting that although Ares manages the "houses" in which we find the Lots of Fortune and Eros (the things we like and desire), it is lord by exaltation of the 11th house, where we find Jupiter, or Zeus, the planet of the career.
Zeus, as the lord of the Ascendant and the Midheaven, is the planet that works to make sure (what some would call) the agenda of the soul is being carried out. We could say that this planet helps her to make moral and ethical decisions; when it is active, one will "do the right thing" even if it requires a sacrifice of some sort. Being in the 11th place, where it has its "joy", and in the place of allies and supporters of career, it is very well situated, despite the typical view that it is "bad" in Capricorn. But it is also located on the “Earth Axis”, the first degree of the Cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. People who have planets there usually experience some form of public recognition when this axis is activated (modern astrologers, please note that Pluto crosses and stations here in 2008, and she has a major role in a television series at this time). Again, it is lord of the 10th place,therefore, along with the Lot of Daimon (spirit), it manages the career.
Saturn, or Kronos, the lord of the image in which Zeus is located, was (in the Hellenistic Era) associated with “that which is hidden”, trickery and deceit. As anyone who has seen the movie knows, her role was that of a woman pretending to be a man in order to be an actor, because women were not allowed on stage at the time. Shakespeare, thinking her to be a man, gave her a role of as a woman. The entire movie referenced Shakespeare’s various plays, describing how he wrote from his experience. It can be seen through Hermetic analysis that Zeus is a very powerful planet, being the lord of the Ascendant and Midheaven, as well as being in sect (above the horizon in a day horoscope) and in the place (11th house by sign) of its rejoicing. Zeus is, in fact, the “Lord of the Nativity” from the viewpoint of Medieval astrology.
While Jupiter, or rather Zeus, is more or less the president of her celestial government, the Sun is the current vice-president. Although somewhat undistinguished by placement in the birth figure, the rising degree and the Sun (Helios) are both influenced by Venus (Aphrodite). Helios and Aphrodite exchange placesand are therefore not unlike people who trust each other so much that they can live in each other's houses. Aphrodite is also somewhat undistinguished in the chart, but it does point to a time of competition and one in which the native's ‘name and fame’ are emphasized. Helios, being the "sect light" in close relationship with Aphrodite, and in her confines (bounds or terms) is certainly capable of receiving honors, especially for artistic performances.
The Zodiacal releasing of the Lot of Fortune is a key technique for examining the good and bad luck a person experiences in life. Like Aristotle’s secondary causes, these are the circumstances that we have little control over, like changes in government, earthquakes, winning prizes despite astronomical odds; and since the Academy Awards fits into this category, let’s see what the Zodiacal Aphesis of Fortune has to tell us.
Fortune is located in Scorpio in the natal chart, and in the 27th year, Sagittarius would define the major period. Sagittarius is the 10th topical place, and therefore is the sign of career. Without going into technical details, Gemini releases the ‘months’. Gemini contains the Moon, which has to do with popularity and fame, and Saturn, a giver of power and authority. Saturn also provides motivation and momentum for the chart as a whole, because it is the Trigon Lord of the Sect Light (it rules the triplicity in which the Sun resides). Mercury, the planet of Gemini, is in its own bounds. It therefore plays by its own rules, and is in a very strong aspectual relationship with the Moon. Both of these testimonies are verified by the role for which she won this award, and many of her choices of roles thereafter, such as the mathematically gifted heroine of “Proof” or the brilliant but troubled poet Sylvia Plath in “Sylvia”.
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